Kane, Luck and Transfer News
Kane, Luck and Transfer News
Hello once again Table Toppers, a quick mixed bag for you today while it pours with rain outside.
Harry Kane is writing Bundesliga history, his 12 goals is more than any player has achieved in their first 9 games.
Guess our valuation of Kane, when Manchester City came calling with a derisory £100m offer, was right.
In his latest game, the England captain scored his second hat-trick of the season, including one goal from inside his own half.
Lucky Spurs
Arsenal fans are saying Tottenham hasn't played anyone yet, guess that means Arsenal isn't anyone!
Spurs have played 7 teams Arsenal have played.
Spurs have only played 4 home games, Arsenal have played 6.
Spurs have played 6 away games, Arsenal have only played 4.
Both teams have played:
- Sheffield United
- Bournemouth
- Brentford
- Manchester United
- Fulham
- Crystal Palace
Plus each other at their ground.
That's 7 out of 10 games, plus we have beaten Liverpool.
Bright lot these Gooners!
Crystal Palace was always going to be a tough game with them being well-drilled defensively, which you could see when Romero and Vicario were passing the ball to each other.
Palace were refusing to come out of their defensive shape, even though they were 1-0 down.
The win was achieved because Postecoglou has seen this sort of game before and it was his subtle changes that made the difference.
I thought it was a good game, I didn't think Spurs were below par at all, as some are suggesting, but that we were playing a defensively sound opponent, especially at home.
When I see a Palace game on the horizon I always think 1-0.
Anyway, Davies had a twinge so Emerson Royal came on at left-back, which gave us more of a presence centrally in midfield, where the Spurs full-backs operate when we have the ball.
That allowed Maddison to drift wider and Sarr to drift wider on the other side.
That resulted in us being able to utilise the wide areas better and it was from them that our goals came.
The game went as expected, we move on to the next one, where presumably Brennan Johnson will start and he looks a far better player than I had realised, playing with better players.
A deeper look at the game can be found here: Happy Spurs are misread by former players
Table Toppers Transfer Talk
Let's enjoy our time as Table Toppers and talk about future moves, either January or next summer when we can replace Eric Dier, who simply doesn't have the pace to play in our defence in this system.
One of the defenders Spurs are looking at is right-footed 6ft 2in Japanese international (22 caps) centre-back Ko Itakura.
Now, before you dismiss the 26-year-old (27 next January) being Japanese, he spent over 3 seasons at Machester City and is playing for Borussia Monchengladbach in the German Bundesliga.
Itakira can also play as a defensive midfielder and it has been suggested that he plays a bit like Jan Vertonghen, having spent some time in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Capable of pinging an accurate diagonal pass over the top of a defence, he is rangy and quick over the ground.
"Ko covers an unbelievable amount of ground and is a tactically disciplined player who can operate in different positions in defence, including as a No.6. He had a number of attractive options in terms of a transfer, so we're all the more delighted that he's decided to join us because he's a cornerstone of our planning." - Borussia Monchengladbach Sporting Director Roland Virkus
"He plays well and is also a top professional who makes every effort to become better every day." - Itakura's former Groningen coach Danny Buijs speaking in March 2021
Ange Postecoglou is reported to have wanted Itakira at Celtic (and Micky Van de Ven), however he is about to undergo minor ankle surgery and will be out for several weeks. He is expected back mid-November.
COYS
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