u/Albiceleste8

I know Rolls-Royce does in fact have umbrellas but I don’t have that type of budget. So what’s a good brolly brand? I’ve only ever bought a cheap one from a corner shop when it’s spontaneously started lashing. But I wanna buy one for life, maybe like €60 or so? Preferably the collapsible small ones but I don’t know if that’s compromising on quality

Just thinking today about the randomness of the Thanos snap: flip of a coin and (in theory) anyone could have been wiped out.

Or could they?

Which characters in the MCU would’ve been ‘above’ or immune to being snapped out of existence? Where do we draw the line?

Could the Ancient One have been “snapped”? Odin? (If he’d still been around)

What about Celestials like Arishem? Galactus?

The TVA?

Death? Mephisto? Beings like Eternity who we see in Thor L&T?

I’m gonna presume hinted multiverse characters like The Watcher, Living Tribunal and The One Above All were all okay. But who else would’ve been immune?

Every day we're on this forum asking the increasingly urgent question... who the Hell are Spurs going to sign up front?

I've been thinking this a lot lately, and I've written up my own analysis in the article attached, focusing on our two main positions of need: Left Wing and Striker.

The players analysed are a combo between the names we're hearing linked and my own personal targets (/dream signings that I think are plausible). This article is a 'Part 2' from last week's 'Spurs Squad Audit' Article that some of you guys read last week - thanks!

To try and give the piece some numbers for comparison, I've given my own (wildly subjective) numbers of out 10 to each target:

Impact: (Mixture of their proven quality, fit for what we need and long term potential)

Likelihood: How likely is it that Spurs could make this move happen.

Transfer Target Score: The two figures above multiplied to give a rough 'transfer quality' score.

Detail in the article attached, but I said I'd share the summary analysis below! (Can't share the images in this post for some reason, but I'll leave them in the comments).

Would love to hear the thoughts and feedback from this group, or if there are any other targets you think would be even better or more likely!

Hope you guys enjoy!

>Mourinho arrived, observed, analyzed... and changed. He understood that the ecosystem of Madrid, of Valdebebas, needed control, new rules, its seal. And acted. The players had everything to shape their daily lives as they pleased, all the facilities. And precisely in that, in not making everyday life so easy, is where the Portuguese has put the scalpel. Much more control, and not only in training, but in everything that surrounds the player's life, everything that can affect him. Nutrition, recovery from injuries and even punctuality when going to Valdebebas. With all of you, Mou's rules.

>Some that do not have to be applied with a heavy hand, but with firmness and conviction. Because for Mou, forming a group is also essential. See that image shared by the club, where the entire squad and coaching staff were seen eating together in Valdebebas. Something that was not common, until now. A routine that the Portuguese considers vital, team bulding. He did it at Benfica and has brought that new habit with him to Madrid. “He wants to foster the group, unity, and he is being quite exciting”, comes out from within. “The atmosphere is very, very good”, swipe another font. Some messages that, after that end of the course full of tension, are highly valued internally.

Nutrition

>Even more so because of the firmness that accompanies that left hand. Starting with the kitchen. For the food, more specifically. The figure of the nutritionist is no longer consultative, but rather sets the menus, both for breakfast and snack, in a closed and scheduled manner. All designed for performance, moving away from whim. Whereas before there was more gastronomic freedom, now that is over. And for the moment there has been no schism in the squad. On the contrary.

What if you're late?

>It hasn't fit with long faces either the new ‘fines’ policy. Discipline, or lack thereof, is not punished by looking at your pocket, but with a mandatory gym and alone, far from group training. The obligation is to be in Valdebebas one hour before the bugle call. Whoever is not, punishment. Without distinctions, without hierarchies.

And finally, the injuries.

>Recovery, in Valdebebas. Even if you work with personal trainers, morning and afternoon in the sports city. No external treatments and everything (something that was also the case) in line with the club and its team of coaches. Recovery is not an individual thing, but is now more collective and supervised than ever. New habits to combat the old ones, which he didn't like. The demand begins long before the ball starts rolling. And with José Mourinho, more.

A bit of offseason nostalgia…

Listening to a podcast today discussing Iraola > Liverpool, and as Szoboszlai was discussed it reminded me of how much I wanted Szob to be a Spurs player. I think he’d have been made for our midfield.

So, my question: Who were the players you really wished had come to Spurs?

Obviously you can pick ‘almost’ players who were highly linked like MGW, Dybala or the great Leandro Damiao, but I’m really looking to hear about the personal favourites that might not even have been rumored, but you were banging on the table for!

…and… don’t be afraid to be honest, and throw in the odd one that didn’t end up as good as you thought!

Extra marks if it’s a bit of a throwback:

I’ll get the ball rolling with a few picks:

1. Szoboszlai, RB Leipzig- as mentioned

2. João Moutinho, Porto - the little magician I thought would be the heir to Modric. I’d have loved him from Porto. He probably never hit the heights I thought he would, but oddly, his ball playing type of DM is still what our squad needs.

3. Dusan Vlahovic, from Fiorentina - back in 2021 or 2022 when I was sure Kane was gone to City, I had mentally made peace and was convinced we should lump the money on Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina. Again, probably hasn’t hit the heights I thought he would, but I thought he’d be great.

5. Lukaku, Anderlecht - I saw the big Belgian live in Brussels when he was 16. Scored the winner in a 3-2 win, and I was convinced it was Drogba reincarnate. I’d have loved him to come to us instead of Chelsea back then.

4. Hulk, Porto - This is the one above all. I really, really thought he was the one. When Bale left, I thought this powerhouse would be the new star of our team. Who knows what could’ve happened if João Mourinho and Hulk had come in after Bale left…

Anyone else have any ones that got away?

Lots of discussion about the number of EPL teams in Europe.. and fair play to the likes of Sunderland, Brighton and Bournemouth sealing European football for next year!

But with so much football on the calendar now, teams are creaking under the load and the players themselves are wrecked with injuries from too much volume.. what about this:

EPL teams in European football don’t play League Cup that season

…And the winner of the League Cup secures Europa Conference League place for the following season

This means clubs in Europe get some breathing space without the League Cup (which they tend to ignore anyway)…. And the League Cup gets a new lease of life as a truly competitive high priority comp, with a prize that ensures a nice rotation of Prem teams in European competition.

Thoughts?