Fernando Llorente

[BADgoodsTX]

Is there an academy player that would do a better job than Llorente then? I just think we are in a difficult position to get a backup to him, anyone who comes is going to have to be happy not getting regular game time and top wages. I think he is like Jansen, he did a good job of holding up the ball and laying it off to players around him much like Kane does, but they just can't get the goals to go with it.

I would quiet like to see a youngster who is athletic and has an eye for goal, then just mold them over the years into a decent footballer as well as someone who would suite our style of play more. A Sanchez of the CF role if you will.

Sounds stupid, but I think we play Kane too much (hear me out), he should be going off earlier when games are done and dusted to save himself for the next game. That in turn would give any youngster or backup striker a chance to get themselves some game time, stay match fit, be playing with the other starting players whom they need to work out their role and also keep Kane fresh. When we finish a game 4-0 and he has got his hat trick goal in the 90th minute, I just think I would rather see him have gone off at 3-0 and saved himself for the next game. He rightly wants to play every minute of every game and I understand he wants a hat trick or more goals in any game, but would hate to see him go off injured in a game that has already been put to bed.

Honestly I don't know enough about the academy players to really answer that on good authority, but there was this from the other day....

"Reo Griffiths netted a second-half hat-trick as our youngsters came back from a goal down to reach the inaugural Under-18 Premier League Cup Final with a 4-1 home win over Woolwich on Saturday."

I dont hate the idea of Kane playing a few less minutes in those games, (although I do think Kane likes playing as much as Poch allows him too) but I also can't see Poch pulling 2 or 3 players off in those situations. And if I were to guess, I would say midfielders are more of a priority getting minutes for him at the moment.

 

[spursmalc]

The replacement has to be someone that can also play with Kane on some occasions if only as a sub. Poch has played two strikers at times but it has not really worked. If we need a goal, you do not take Kane off but for the cover striker to get on then he replaces say Son but needs to be able to play with Kane.

 

[OffTheBench]

He's been poor on the whole.

I think last year was one of his best ever goals per game hauls, which got our hopes up. historically he's a 1 in 3-4 games striker.

 

[1882]

...but I also can't see Poch pulling 2 or 3 players off in those situations....

 

[Dan-the-Yid]

Honestly I don't know enough about the academy players to really answer that on good authority, but there was this from the other day....

"Reo Griffiths netted a second-half hat-trick as our youngsters came back from a goal down to reach the inaugural Under-18 Premier League Cup Final with a 4-1 home win over Woolwich on Saturday."

I dont hate the idea of Kane playing a few less minutes in those games, (although I do think Kane likes playing as much as Poch allows him too) but I also can't see Poch pulling 2 or 3 players off in those situations. And if I were to guess, I would say midfielders are more of a priority getting minutes for him at the moment.

Yeah I read that too, we could well have but like you say I don't follow academy enough any more to know anything about them.

The replacement has to be someone that can also play with Kane on some occasions if only as a sub. Poch has played two strikers at times but it has not really worked. If we need a goal, you do not take Kane off but for the cover striker to get on then he replaces say Son but needs to be able to play with Kane.

Agreed

 

[The Swellhead Spur]

Great night, Perfect hatrick, put pace around him and he will score

 

[Isaac94]

Let's hope he can kick on from this, cos he has great pedigree/experience and is a guy to have in the squad

 

[Hoddinho]

Genuinly happy for him. We all know he can do better than what he has shown so far.

 

[ShutUpPatrik]

What a night he had. Great job Fernando. Now lets keep it up

 

[LEGO Boy]

Credit where it's due. I've been one of his biggest critics (justifiably so) but he did the business today especially for the first goal. Don't think he was brilliant but he did his job and no sitters missed. More significant contributions required in future games though...

 

[John Thomas]

One thing we definately learned tonight. When it's snowing, start with Llorente.

 

[TommyD123]

One thing we definately learned tonight. When it's snowing, start with Llorente.

I was actually a bit worried with the weather when his 3rd went in that it might have been some kind of End of Days scenario

 

[Kuya]

Very pleased for him, hopefully a turning point and will inspire many more goals.

His first was a real beauty, shows his quality.

 

[Dan-the-Yid]

Glad he netted last night, thought he was going to carry on scoring, seemed to disappear a bit after his hat trick didn't realize he was still on the field. Although I was struggling to make out who was who at that point, kept thinking Lamella was Llorente and vice versa.

 

[Team Tanguy]

Okay so that's

Big performance in Madrid
Goal for 3 points at Swans
Important CL goal + assist vs APOEL
Hat trick in FA cup to take us to Quarters


Can we stop saying he's shit now or that Janssen was better?

Obviously more would be ideal but he's been an upgrade so far.

 

[Jayc1]

It's one of those mysteries of life; Why do we never cross the ball into the box when Llorente comes on...

Spurs Striker Formula:
Buy a striker who scores a lot with his head > Don't use him at all > Bring him on for 5 mins> Stop crossing > WHY THE FUCK IS HE NOT SCORING

 

[Deuce]

Actually thought he was good when we started to go lump ball. Won every duel and put down some nice header passes that sometimes we just couldnt get.

 

[For better or worse]

Actually thought he was good when we started to go lump ball. Won every duel and put down some nice header passes that sometimes we just couldnt get.

5mins isn't enough for anyone. Everything becomes forced and rushed. Needed 15-20mins minimum. Could have made a difference, at the very least taken focus off Kane and given him more space.

 

[Thin Lilywhite Duke]

 

[TheSpurEst]

Okay so that's

Big performance in Madrid
Goal for 3 points at Swans
Important CL goal + assist vs APOEL
Hat trick in FA cup to take us to Quarters

Can we stop saying he's shit now or that Janssen was better?

Obviously more would be ideal but he's been an upgrade so far.

Sorry but that is very optimistic in my view.

Yes, hat-trick in FA Cup was good performance from him and I gave credit for it to him as well. And good job also for putting one behind vs Swans (though from offside). But for other things -

1) What was that big perfomance in Madrid all about? I asked this right after the game and I ask it now. He was slow in the movement and pretty much only significant contribution he had was heading down one ball. In ball retention and playing with back to the goal, Janssen was capable as well btw.
2) "Important CL goal + assist vs APOEL" - you are kidding me here, right? This was THE least important game of the season for us. Could have played with U17 and lost 23:0. Group win was secured beforehand cause in event of equal points head-to-head games counted and we had 3 point gap in front of Real. So this literally did not mean anything.

Janssen scored against Wycombe in FA4th round AND assisted Son for last moment winning goal... so that leaves this one goal against Swansea as a difference. Well, in some sense ofc you can say it was "an upgrade". But to me it seem sooooooo very extremely marginal as to say that "running" 100 meters in a track competition with time of 28 seconds instead of 30 seconds is an improvement. Sure, statistically time was faster, but both of those results could only be described as "awful failure".

But don't take my word for that. Poch clearly thinks the same way as after the hat trick out of 3 games once he was not even squad, once unused substitute and once just sent out there for 4 minutes in situation where we really-really needed a goal for 23 minutes before the end of the game. Clearly any of the decisions have been statement of trust...