Do we want/need Alex Pritchard?

[Curious Canary 0]

The off-on, illegal(?) approach issues are covered in another thread but what about the football issues.

A few thoughts:

Another small midfielder (5ft 7 1/2ins) to add to our collection.

Looks to have had two serious ankle injuries last season.

So only 3 matches in the 2015/16 Premier League all as sub; 5 mins, 45 mins and 17 mins.

Quite right footed, seems to do best playing attacking midfield, central or on the right.

Doesn’t look a natural replacement for Brady, looks more like a Hoolahan clone (except with a better shot and scoring record), or a swap for Redmond (if he’s got the pace).

Note that Dele Ali, only a 20 year old, but 6ft 2ins, big and strong for only £5 million (player exchange Pritchard + £3m for Ali, great business Spurs).

Bids for Brady around £12m and Olsson £4m rate Pritchard at about £2-3m.

For £8m he needs to play week in week out.

Other must pick players are Tettey, Howson and Brady (if he stays).

So maybe 4-1-4-1

Jerome

Brady Naismith/Hoolahan Howson Pritchard

Tettey

Or 4-2-3-1 with Howson deeper.

No regular place for Maddison, Canos, Thompson or the Murphys (all too inexperienced anyway).

And we still need a striker or two.

And we need left-sided players if it’s necessary to replace Brady and/or Olsson.

[Guest]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDdXc0mMs9A

[CanaryOne 0]

You always want good players and Pritchard is that , spending that sort of money on a position that you are well stocked in while you do not have one decent striker on the books is highly questionable though .

[SeattleCanary 0]

Yes and yes. Now ship Naismith out. Maddison, Pritchard and Wessi there is like 3 generations. Awesome.

[king canary 7,578]

Need? Possibly not. Want? Oh hell yes.

Exciting, young, up and coming player. Perfect signing.

I get the feeling we''ll be playing a pretty narrow formation but that is ok.

[Mason 47 1,373]

Nah we don''t want him. Alex Neil was just like lol jks why not

[Lavanche 0]

First of all we have 3 strikers in our books and only one of them is going to play most of the time. Naismith is a striker or second striker. He certainly is not a attacking midfielder. It goes without saying we should replace at least one of Lafferty/Naismith duo to get a striker who fits our system.

But behind them there is 3 places to fill and we had before signing 8 players to fill them. Murphys, Wes, Canos, Maddison, Brady, Jarvis and Maddison. Naismith can be used here, but as said it isnt his place and tactics need to be altered for it. Also we are most likely going to lose Brady, loan other Murphy and Jarvis will be gone for big part of season.

That would make 5 players for 3 places for first part of the season + Naismith and from those players 2 are quite young and 1 quite old to play week after week. For me it was quite obvious we are going to get 1 player more for those slots.

So yes we needed Pritchard and most of all I am happy that we are going for creativity as that was something we lacked in premiership outside of Wessi and Redders.

Also Canos, Josh and Pritchard are proven goalscorers on this level so we most likely dont even need 20 goal striker, but a striker that can get most out of his supporting players.

Thats why I am personaly happy that we probably dodged a bullet with McCormack.

[Lavanche 0]

Pff counted Maddison twice...

[Indy_Bones 441]

I''m more and more convinced that Pritchard is likely to be used on the left (he is more than comfortable here) in replacement for Brady, with Wes/Naismith rotating for the central role and Canos out on the right (I do think Canos has been signed to play, and not sit in the U21''s).Whatever the case may be, when you have the chance to sign a top quality young player, and if you have the resources to accomodate the signing without damaging or limiting your other transfer options, then why the hell wouldn''t you make a move?

[Horse Renoir 1]

Not a chance in hell Naismith will be going. No PL club will take a risk on him after his second half of the season with us and no Championship team will pick up his wages, with a new baby just born I doubt he''d move country either.

I actually think Maddison will be getting a loan, which may disappoint many, including myself, but he might not be quite ready yet. Brilliant footballer, but how many of us have seen him in an actual game? How his off the ball work measures up etc.

I don''t think we''ll see much wing play this year and our crosses will most likely come from the fullbacks. I think we''re planning on lining up with a fluid, narrow 3 behind the striker.

We''ll have Hoolahan (Who can''t play two times a week anymore), Naismith, Canos and Prichard as our 4 main players competing for those 3 positions with one or two of the younger players in reserve in case of injury.

If Neil is setting up this was we don''t look overstocked at all. Playing either side of that 3 is similar to being in the hole, it''s nothing like playing wide of a flat midfield like we know Hoolahan can''t do, I think he''s just as good tbh playing on the inside left.