To make up a 25-man squad for Tottenham, you have to include Sandro, Kaboul, Bentley, Carroll, and Obika.

That's awfully hard to defend if you're Daniel Levy, I'm sorry to say.

Well, Everton gave up on King Iron, or Leroy Fer as he is known in France, but they added another player who sounds like he belongs in a medieval allegory, in Barnsley's John Stones.

They play the same position, other than that they are polar opposites. Am mostly familiar with him from his Helsinki days, but he is a much better passer than Spearing. Main concern is if he can deal with the physicality of the EPL. His defensive game tends to rely more on vision and intelligence, and picking out opponents passes, than being a PITA like Spearing. Though he is pretty good at winning headers too.

:-O

Stoke wants to join the relegation fight, they have let linchpin Rory Delap go to Barnsley. My view may be a bit skewed by what I remember of Stoke from the last few years, it's like 90% Delap throw-ins.

I thought he hadn't played this year, but he got 10 minutes at the end of the first game of the season.

For Everton, I think just keeping everyone they had, sadly, counts as a success for this window. Kind of a shame being right in striking distance of 4th place and still in the FA Cup that they couldn't do anything else to at least improve their depth if nothing else. Hope everyone stays healthy down the stretch.

At least they play Villa at home this Saturday (apologies to Villa fans), a win is key there as they still have games away to United/Spurs/Arsenal/Liverpool/Chelsea upcoming the rest of the way (they do get City at home).

EVERTON THINK FACTORY END TRANSMISSION

On the other hand, if Dembele goes down again and/or Parker doesn't turn it around big time then Spurs are proper effed right in the pooper. I am more hacked off with letting the Sandro-shaped hole go unfilled than I am any striker deficit because there appeared to be a very reasonably-priced stopgap measure called Diame staring them right in the face.

Do you think they're counting on Vertonghen as the backup? He's played there before for Ajax right? He seems like he'd be able to do a credible job in the position. Of course, I'm not sure it's a sign of good squad construction to have your starting center back as primary cover for two other positions.

Do you think they're counting on Vertonghen as the backup? He's played there before for Ajax right? He seems like he'd be able to do a credible job in the position. Of course, I'm not sure it's a sign of good squad construction to have your starting center back as primary cover for two other positions.

I really hope not. His mobility is an asset in central defense but, I would imagine, a liability in central midfield given the pace and stamina threshold for that position in England compared to the Netherlands. I'm sure he could fake it there in a pinch, just like he did at fullback, but his appearances at fullback said to me that he doesn't quite have the engine for that kind of running.

I really hope not. His mobility is an asset in central defense but, I would imagine, a liability in central midfield given the pace and stamina threshold for that position in England compared to the Netherlands. I'm sure he could fake it there in a pinch, just like he did at fullback, but his appearances at fullback said to me that he doesn't quite have the engine for that kind of running.

Interesting, I thought he looked quite good at left back. Maybe that was just in comparison to Naughton.

Oh yeah, Vertonghen was fine at left back. Better than fine. He's just a bit more in the Corluka mold than the Walker mold, and I think the increasing importance of attacking fullbacks in the modern game--and AVB's preferred style of play is no exception to that trend--demands quite ridiculous levels of pace and stamina from that position. I reckon for quite a lot of clubs out there, the fullbacks are the fittest players in the squad. For a big, strong guy who's primarily a central defender, Vertonghen showed an impressive ability to get up and down the flank but was definitely in "runs well for a catcher" territory, especially as games wore on.

I figure he'd probably have a similar experience deputizing as a holding midfielder. He'd be fine technically, and he certainly wouldn't embarrass himself with his passing. I'd wonder about his positioning (he's played a lot more fullback than midfield) and his tendency to fatigue after an hour or so of trying to cover a lot of ground, though.

SHEFFIELD UNITED THINK FACTORY

Barry Robson on a free transfer. I know you were all anxious to see where he'd land.

And they also land Johnathan Forte on loan 7 years after letting him go because he's no good!

Both moves are cancelled out by the cowardly sale on Nick Blackman to Reading. Scumbags. The natives are restless.

SHEFFIELD UNITED THINK FACTORY END TRANSMISSION

SPURS THINK FACTORY

It turns out Reading offered 10 million for Gylfi Sigurdsson. I'm glad Spurs didn't bite at that as I think he has a bright future. Also, the Alex Pritchard loan has turned out to be a weird one. Peterborough wanted him to replace George Boyd whom they they they'd sold to Nottingham, but Nottingham canceled the transfer because Boyd didn't pass his vision test (!!!!) so now Pritchard is blocked by Boyd and I'm not sure how much time he will see on the pitch. The canceled transfer also led to rumors that Alex McLeish quit as manager from Forest though it turns out that's not true. Can Boyd not wear contact lenses or something? I don't get that one.

ANDERLECHT THINK FACTORY

I see Andy Najar has moved to Anderlecht. He's a nifty player and it's too bad MLS are losing him.

SPURS THINK FACTORY
Harry Kane has been recalled from his season-long loan to Norwich. Striker crisis averted!

Harry Kane has been recalled from his season-long loan to Norwich. Striker crisis averted!

You mock, but I think he's perfectly fine as an emergency striker. Shaq Coulthirst could be an emergency sub, too, along with Obika. Spurs actually have a good set of young strikers in the reserves/academy, even with Coulibaly off on loan.

I've never been convinced by Kane. He's got the height to play up front, but he's not that great in the air (no hops) nor is he particularly quick. He's also kinda lightweight, although there's room for him to add strength on that frame. His strengths are a decent eye for a pass and pulling center backs forward. That's about it, as far as I can tell. Despite being tallish I think his best position is as more of a support striker. I suppose it's fine that he's back--he probably wasn't going to get many reps with Holt still there and Becchio coming in--but I'd have him about fifth on the lone striker depth chart when Adebayor gets back (Adebayor, Defoe, Bale, Dempsey, Kane).

If there's a footballing equivalent to a AAAA player, Obika is one. He's put up pretty big numbers in the various youth competitions the last couple years, but I see that as a function of his size and strength allowing him to bully young defenders at that level. Once he's up against real pros who can handle him physically, he doesn't have much to offer.

Super Shaq has some potential. I'd like to see him in the cups next season if he continues to perform well with the development squad.

Coulibaly has reportedly found it difficult to settle in London and may have his eye on a permanent move back to Italy after his loan is up. Hopefully he finds his comfort zone and decides to give it another go in England. He's still very raw, but I think there have been glimpses of the sort of talent that could lead to a Jermain Defoe type career.

New thread coming soon

Super Shaq has some potential. I'd like to see him in the cups next season if he continues to perform well with the development squad.

He's the best of the lot, fo' sho', plus his name is Shaq Coulthirst which is freaking fantastic. Whatever happened to Cameron Lancaster? He had one nice appearance for the first team last year and he's disappeared. Injured?

SPURS THINK FACTORY

I hadn't been here in a while, saw this page, then went back and read the last few, and yeah...SPURS THINK FACTORY is about right. How did that happen?

Grant Wahl on Jozy's new fame:

So did the referee, Reinold Wiedemeijer, who walked over to Altidore.

"Look, this isn't right, we should stop. What do you think about that?" Altidore says Wiedemeijer told him.

"I don't think we should do that," Altidore replied. "We should just continue."

Later, as the chants continued, the referee returned to Altidore. "No, Jozy, we need to take a stand on this. It isn't right," Altidore remembers him saying.

At that point, Altidore said he paused to think. "You know what, it's only going to make them stronger if we back down," he responded. "I just want to get on with it and play and win the game."

He has a point. I'm not sure what the right thing to do is, but if the game stopped every time racist chanting happened, it would give the ######## a lot of power. Do the clubs do anything about it when given penalties such as the team having to play a later game in an empty stadium? You'd think that money would motivate the clubs. But cracking down on supporters can also lose money.

I hadn't been here in a while, saw this page, then went back and read the last few, and yeah...SPURS THINK FACTORY is about right. How did that happen?

Spurs are always a hot commodity in the media on deadline day, and many of the most prolific soccer posters on this site are Tottenham supporters for whatever reason. So it goes.

As always, I encourage fans of other clubs to post more about them. I would love to know more about academies especially, but I always enjoy the "insider" stuff from our posters who follow Liverpool, Everton, Villa, Bolton(?), Chelsea, Fulham, et al. As well as those who have a much deeper knowledge than I regarding the continental leagues and MLS. I would have added West Ham to that list, by the way, but I suspect RB is secretly ashamed of his decision to hitch his wagon to such an embarrassing institution so he's been reduced to mainly just sniping at others from the sidelines in order to deflect attention from his own shortcomings.

I would love to spend lots of time rooting out random minutiae about other clubs, but as it is I barely have time to do that for Spurs and follow Hamburg in half-assed fashion.

Squawka got a little snarky with this Peter Odemwingie heat map.

Squawka got a little snarky with this Peter Odemwingie heat map.

He will not be in the squad Sunday against Spurs.

He has a point. I'm not sure what the right thing to do is, but if the game stopped every time racist chanting happened, it would give the ######## a lot of power. Do the clubs do anything about it when given penalties such as the team having to play a later game in an empty stadium? You'd think that money would motivate the clubs. But cracking down on supporters can also lose money.

There really isn't an easy solution. Hopefully Jozy's prayers do some good, I guess, 'cause that's all I got. What I was surprised to see is that the monkey noises started before the game even started. I assumed they'd started as AZ started kicking ass. The Den Bosch chairman was very upset and embarrassed but I'm not sure what he can do--the club is barely holding on financially as it is.

25 Steps to Becoming a Football Hipster

I think several posters here are between one-quarter and one-third of the way there.

I think several posters here are between one-quarter and one-third of the way there.

I am very disappointed by how little on that list I've achieved. I've got the obscure jersey down, though!

That's pretty good. A few misses, but nobody's perfect.

Fun stuff. Apparently I'm only about 20% a football hipster, and clearly I should lose points for not understanding several of those checklist items.

-wouldn't have guessed Football Weekly for hipsterism. Feels too professional for that.
-James Richardson really is great, though. 99% of podcasts would be improved with his hosting.
-if loving everything Zlatan is wrong, I don't want to be right.

There are a couple that you won't get if you aren't familiar with Irish football punditry.

Agreed on Football Weekly. The true hipster move is to say that FW is nothing compared to Richardson's video reviews of European papers.

What I'm getting from that list is that apparently I need a twitter.

Speaking of hipsterism, is this Kinsale's thing still happening tomorrow? I need an excuse to break out the 1975 Torino shirt.

New source for streams of Belgian matches.

26. Watching Belgian football streams.


:)

Take it to the New Thread, people

LATE WARNING: Do not click the link to mantoman.com in item #3 on the football hipster list. I don't know if that was actually Michael Cox's website before Zonal Marking, but if it was then it's something very different now. Or Michael Cox had very different professional interests.

Erm yeah. I guess there are other aspects of Irish culture you needed to know about.