My comment was aimed at the OP.

Townsend has done okay in my opinion.
His end product could be better but like everyone else Roy has trained talent out of him.
He is now a right sided midfield player who has to track back at every opportunity.
Sadly he doesn't have the legs for that nowadays.

Don’t think all here are singling him out, he’s just another player in another position where we need an upgrade. To be fair we don’t have too many positions where we don’t if the truth be told.

I think Townsends days of beating full backs have long gone, if they were ever really here, but I do wonder if he could play more centrally?

If we had a front three of Eze, Benteke and Wilf, and then three central midfielders of, for instance, Riedewald, Koyate and Townsend, that could work. Townsend certainly grafts, and from right of centre he could perhaps get forward into shooting positions from the edge of the box a bit. I think he's a better all round footballer than perhaps he shows on the wing for us, where its all about pace and isolated individuality, which he produces only occasionally.

If we have a few really good new players coming in then yeah, let him go if it balances the books, but I certainly wouldn't put him anywhere near the top of the 'do-one' list.

Edited by TheBigToePunt (20 Jan 2021 10.39am)

He's about the only player who crosses the ball and he works hard and on his day he is capable of making things happen. Almost the dictionary definition of 'solid professional'. On the downside he gives the ball away with incredible frequency and he is quite predictable and perhaps is a bit too nice at times. A good squad player, but it certainly feels like an area we need some competition given our reliance on our wide players for creativity.

I also think his relationship with the fans isn't helped by his constant banging on about Spurs. Yes, we know you love Spurs, but you don't see other players constantly talking about the clubs they support (I don't even know who most of them actually support, other than Wilf supporting Arsenal). It does create that barrier where you can appreciate what he does for the club, but you can't really love him as a player knowing he'd rather be doing it with Spurs (a similar barrier has gone up ever since Wilf made a stink about wanting to go to Arsenal).

Scott Dann was a season-ticket holder at Liverpool.
Eze as a very young lad was a passionate devotee of Arsenal.
James McArthur's childhood club was Rangers.
Gary Cahill was a boyhood Sheff Wed supporter.