Gary Cahill?

[Metalanimal]

Agreed we need a out and out goal poacher/finisher but equally a quality CB to help stop those goals leeking in as we are conceeding way to much.

We need to fill 2 key positions in Jan, but I would be surprised if we get one let alone both

[Biggs]

 think the relationship between Defoe and vdv will determine if we get a new striker in Jan or in the summer.

Well it may determine the calibre of striker we get in Jan.

Because Defoe is an out and out goal poacher/finisher. IF him and defoe hit off a good partnership i feel we will go for a young striker like Andy Carroll.

But if JD and vdv don't develop an understanding i feel we will go for someone like Forlan or Fabiano in the Jan

[CountPuchi]

Couldn't have said it any better Biggs. I too agree that it will come down to VdV and Defoe to determine our strikers fate. Especially between Pav/Crouch/Keane although i prefer Keano to leave lol.. One of the highest earner and not playing is a bad thing really.

[Gareth Keown]

Defoe and vdV forming a partnership is the obvious trap that most Spurs fans will fall into.... vdV is a 'hole' player that drifts between midfield and upfront. For that to work well we need a lone-striker capable of also being a target-man....

Defoe is NOT a lone-striker, and needs a big player eg. Crouch, Berbatov to play off.... he is too small to lead the line and tho not slow, is not blisteringly quick either.... and he has a very low goals/shots ratio as we all know from the too frequent times he always shoots instead of passing to someone better placed..

Defoe and another 'small striker' eg. Keane has never really worked..... with vdV, where Defoe will have to be more of a lone striker than with Keane, it will work even less..

we have enough games and enough injuries to allow Defoe and vdV to alternate playing just off a big tall hopefully pacy striker...

either/or Defoe, vdV..... not 'and'...

[Biggs]

Defoe and vdV forming a partnership is the obvious trap that most Spurs fans will fall into.... vdV is a 'hole' player that drifts between midfield and upfront. For that to work well we need a lone-striker capable of also being a target-man....

Defoe is NOT a lone-striker, and needs a big player eg. Crouch, Berbatov to play off.... he is too small to lead the line and tho not slow, is not blisteringly quick either.... and he has a very low goals/shots ratio as we all know from the too frequent times he always shoots instead of passing to someone better placed..

Defoe and another 'small striker' eg. Keane has never really worked..... with vdV, where Defoe will have to be more of a lone striker than with Keane, it will work even less..

we have enough games and enough injuries to allow Defoe and vdV to alternate playing just off a big tall hopefully pacy striker...

either/or Defoe, vdV..... not 'and'...

Go back to the England game, when Defoe played up top on his own and Rooney played in the hole. You don't necessarily  need the stereotypical CF to play as a lone striker.

It all depend on how the team plays... if teams go for the long ball alot, then yes you need someone strong, tall and quick... Drogba like to hold up play to bring the midfield into play.

but with Defoe you will just have to adopt a different style.

In a 4-5-1/4-4-1-1 the partnership between the Lone striker and player in the hole in is just as important as the partnership between 2 forwards. Torres and Gerrard are a perfect example of that.

When you play one up top, it doesn't matter what size they are etc... it's all about supply and support from the midfield. If the striker tends to get isolated because of lack of support from midfield then it will benefit to have someone Drogba like upfront

Like i said if JD and VDV can't develop an understanding and the team can't adapt to having defoe as a lone striker then yes we will have to go for the stereotypical CF type.

P.S Defoe & Berbatov never really had a good partnership together, that's one of the main reason he left in the first place.

[Gareth Keown]

I was just waitimg for the Rooney-Defoe game to be brought up as some kind of proof-absolute that 'it works'...

1) Rooney tho not tal is a big meaty fecker with pace.... he also happens to be 1 of the top-strikers in world football..... also was it really not just a 4-4-2 with Rooney playing not as an attacking midfielder the way vdV does ??

2) the opponent that night wasnt Germany, Brazil or similar, it was against a team that would barely survive in the top European leagues..... probably about mid-Championship grade

3) EVEN IF that result was obtained against a decent team, that would still not change the fundamentals concerning Defoe as a lone striker in the Prem or top European foootball.... where he would be up against 2 6ft+ CBs virtually every game

4) Defoe-Berba worked fairly well if you look at the goal/game ratio when they played upfront.... its just that Keane-Berba worked even better.... mainly cos Keane worked hard to set up Berba too (not just feed off him mainly eg. Defoe)...

we'll see what January brings...

PS - you mentioned the Gerrard-Torres partnership as proof that it can work, but isnt that just reinforcing my point.... Torres IS a tall, strong, pacy striker that can play the lone-striker role..... Gerrard plays behind in the sorta vdV role.... Defoe is not a tall, pacy striker, nor is he a globally ratedsuper-striker like Torres undoubtedly is...

[Biggs]

There no certainties that it will work and neither did i say that. the England game is more an example of that JD can play upfront on his own with the right support and supply.

tall CB only gain an advantage if you play to there strengths i.e Long ball game.... which we seem to adopt every-time  Crouch plays.

We will never know, unless we try it.

and the type of players we have Modric, vdv etc. Playing JD up top on his own may force us to play more of a passing game, which i think suits us better

[Gareth Keown]

if the opponent allows you space in the final third to pass your way to goal, then it would be fine...

what happens when teams either defend their pen-box and make it really congested...... or teams just push 40yds upfield and congest play into our half...... is Defoe strong, big, fast enough to outmuscle and outrun CBs to benefit from balls intospace behind the backline eg. with Bent, Drogba or Torres ??

your scenario only pans out I think during open-games and periods of open-play within certain games...

[Biggs]

I can see what your saying.

But i just feel your giving JD enough credit. He's not slow

Inter milan game is another good example of how a passing game can work against arguable one of the best teams in the world.

The only disadvantage i  feel we will have with JD in the team is his height obviously... but hvaing one of the tallest players in the prem in our side, hasn't proven to be much of an advantage.

Thats why i feel height doesn't really make a different, it's all about how the midfield plays in a 5-4-1

[Gareth Keown]

we didnt play a small lone-striker against Inter at WHL.... quite the opposite

also, Milan have Millito or Eto'o as their central strikers, both are big enough, very quick and playing in a much less physical, slower-paced league..

I can't think of many small strikers that have played well behind a vdV-type player in the league here, for many a year...

we will find it very difficult to break down teams who defend their box only at WHL.... park-bus teams like Wigan, Wolves, Hull are just some teams we have struggled against at WHL

[Biggs]

LIke i said, we will have to see how its develops... if it ain't good then go in the market

[Gareth Keown]

if we persevere for long with Defoe (when fit soon) with vdV, we may not need to bother by mid-Jan about qualifying for Top4.... and re-evaluate at our leisure, for the summer...

[Metalanimal]

When Defoe is fit I would like to see him partner Pav up front, I too am not convicned Defoe will fit the lone striker role in the EPL.

Our game when crouch plays (lump it up in th eair to him) completely sucks and most half decent defenders have him in their pocket as he cant head or kick the ball.   

I am certain though we will try Defoe as a lone striker playing off VDV, in all reality it has to be tried, if it doesnt work in Jan we need a striker that can play th elone role, Forlan would be ideal but pricy but again what price has Levy put on success a top 4 finish for us this season.

[Derry-Yid]

I wondered how long until Modric was brought into this thread by GK 

It's went from Cahill and talk about our defenders and possible new defenders to Modric..JJ... Defoe..Millito...Eto...Torres..Torres...4-4-2...4-5-1 ect ect..

[Gareth Keown]

I reallly do not see Forlan as being able the lone striker role.... to lead the line you need to be 6ft+, powerful and hopefully pacy and have an eye for goal too.... he satisfies the last category but not much else...

I actually do trust Arry and Co to get the right addition in January, as he seems prepared to even sell Crouch to help get funds to land that player....as well as sell Keane, Bentley, Dos Santos if suitors come a'calling..

if the right striker *(with a cheaper reserve) come, it will actually.... finally.... be the last piece in the jigsaw for Spurs and should secure us Top4 for years to come..