Levy v Luka

Luka fails to turn up for training. Fails to board a plane to the US for our tour. Is supposedly fined (or will be if he remains absent). Villas-Boas has proclaimed that the player has placed himself in a difficult position with the club, considering we're actually negotiating to sell him. Levy has been angered and the rest of us are left bored by the returning transfer saga that appears (on the surface) to have stagnated.

We don't know what's going on behind closed doors but from the looks of it, the player with agent are once more attempting to force the issue.

Summer arrives
Spurs agree to allow Luka to leave, if valuation is met
Player agrees to this
The assumption is, there's a new 'gentleman's agreement' and one that will be played out with honour
Interested parties speak to both Luka's representatives and THFC
Within time, it becomes apparent that no English club will be able to afford the player
This is - no doubt - a strategic ploy by Levy to guarantee we don't strengthen the competition
Modric's valuation holds firm when compared to other 'top end' English to English club transfers
Only viable interest from the continent - and Real Madrid
Madrid and Spurs appear to be involved in long running negotiations to agree a fee
Spurs value Luka between £35M - £40M (guessing), Madrid don't value him quite as high
(Our best player won't be their best player, he might not even be a first team starter, hence the lack of agreement between the two clubs)
Negotiations continue with media doing as much guessing as the fans (i.e. player swaps)
Realisation kicks in that Spurs will stick to their mantra, and only sell when 'right price' is matched
Luka and agent decide that drastic action is required to attempt to orchestrate the move by applying pressure on Spurs and Levy to 'give in'
Honour is lost
Luka fails to appear in training session, fails to appear with passport for US tour
Spurs (via Villas-Boas, if not intentionally) states Levy is angered/club not happy and player has made it difficult for himself
Modric's contract still remains in a state of long term

Next move?

Madrid have to meet our valuation to put all of us out of our misery. Can't see how the player and agent think going against Levy in this manner is going to help them considering what the club and Levy went through last season with Chelsea.

We mugged them all off last time out, why would we drop our guard and give them the chance to punch their way through this time? Modric was knocked-out in the first fight. My money's on a TKO this time round. The player will be sold when the club want him to be sold and that will only happen when our expectations are complemented. Luka, any more below the belt punches and you'll be disqualified son.

Ding, ding.

Daniel Levy misses conference call in bid to derail Modric Madrid move

Spurs chairman AWOL

Daniel Levy has thrown Tottenham’s summer transfer dealings into disarray after failing to dial into a conference call to decide on the latest bid from Spanish giants Real Madrid in their pursuit to sign Luka Modric. With the player’s heart set on a move to La Liga, the hope was that the Spurs board would agree on the latest offer of £24.9M (with further add-ons) or simply wait a week for Madrid to bid less before accepting it.

The suggestion is that Levy plans to agitate for stagnation and avoid any deal from concluding so that it’s dragged on across the summer with the possibility of the player, deep in contract, unable to move on for the second year running. According to club insiders Levy submitted a memo saying that he won’t consider taking any calls from abroad unless they are from clubs responding to offers made for their players or bids for our players that are not called Luka Modric.

Modric did not train on Thursday, the first scheduled day of his pre-season, although he did turn up at Spurs Lodge. He did not stay for long having been chased out of the training complex by club mascot, Chirpy, who (with cigar in mouth and a bottle of whisky in hand) screamed obscenities at the Croatian play-maker who managed to escape by car without injury. Modric later met representatives from Claims Direct at a restaurant suggesting that perhaps one of the squirrels thrown at him left a scratch or two.

Injury lawyers for Luka

Madrid president, Florentino Perez, is confident that Modric will move to his club and has instructed the player not to travel to the United States with Spurs for their tour. The plan is to have the player stay behind and if he remains detached long enough everybody will forget what he looks like so when Ricardo Carvalho turns up with a mullet speaking broken Croatian nobody will notice. Levy’s stance has also softened. Last summer he was abundantly clear the player was not for sale. This year he accepts the player does have a price. A price that sits written on a post-it note stuck to Modric’s current long standing contract with the club placed in an envelope hidden within Levy's boxer shorts which can only be revealed if he is caught.

Some one close to the board who isn’t on the board but knows someone who knows someone who shared it with someone who posted it on a forum which then proceeded to spread via social media said, “If Luka’s agent wants to orchestrate a move to Madrid, they’ll have to find Levy and get hold of the envelope. They will have to place their hand down the front of Levy’s trousers to get it. It’s that simple”.

According to the Daily Mail, Levy was last sighted boarding a yacht, sticking up his middle finger and screaming 'haters gonna hate'.

Retire the 'retire the number 26'

Evening. Some stuff. Below.

Retire the number 26. No.

Ledley King is a club legend. I'd argue that based on the fact he's not only one of the finest defenders of his and my generation but also because he's one of the finest based on playing football without having to train and with one fully functional knee. He could have quit the game years ago. Having to endure injections and swelling and pain, before during and post-match makes the bloke a little crazy to have persevered. But he did. He wanted to. He kept on playing. When he took the field he was a colossus. A freak of nature. I've already blogged all the plaudits. The point is, he gave everything to wearing the shirt. He loves football and loves Tottenham. Almost to the point of cripplingly himself in future life. That is more than enough for him to go down as one of our great players. Sure, he didn't win the silverware his talent deserved. Wasn't capped as often as he could been. But if you're struggling from one season to the next you're not going to have your dream path played out before you. This is what makes it all the better. He was the one reliable constant in his fourteen years in the first team and he led by example, with dominant performances. He was proud to wear Lilywhite.

But retiring a shirt number? Ledley King is more than just a shirt number. He's Ledley King. How about letting someone else fill it and do it justice. A testimonial and his name sang forever will do just fine.

Pre-season

Not fussed about these games aside from enjoying any goals scored by us and that Villas-Boas is content with the players fitness and preparations. The performances and results mean next to nothing (as long as players remain fit and no serious injuries are picked up). Allow me to remind you the season we stormed through pre-season, demolishing Roma on the way, and then ending up with two points from eight games. You remember that right? Got a few soundbites I could play you if you need your memory jogged. I'm actually far more hyped up for the players when they finally get to move from the Lodge to Enfield. Comprehensive set of photos leaked (since removed) of the new training centre looked knock-out. Stunning state of the art equipment and facilities, right down to details such as the walls displaying the likes of Blanchflower, Hoddle, Gascoigne and even King.

Transfers

It's gone a bit quiet. The speculation between the media and the supporters continues. No one is quite sure what is going on so people are guessing. Luka to Madrid, Adebayor to Spurs, the on-off saga concerning Lloris. US tour not that far off so expectancy is high. The collective suggestion is that it would be good to have all our deals done by then but that isn't likely and it's not a necessity. Your guess is as good as mine. Plenty of people looking to attach themselves to time-stamps of info shared as this will somehow give them credence. Particularly delicious are the people that slate others and their desperation to share information about 'certain done and dusted' signings and then share info themselves with similar authority. It's a dick waving competition in desperate need of a magnifying glass.

Ledley King. A superman with a knee made of kryptonite.

Ledley King has been in a perpetual state of retirement for years. The piece below is poignant, something I wrote for 2Hal/ves, a one-shot fanzine released on the day of the North London derby in October, 2009.

-

Ledley will always be our King

Henry Percy (otherwise known as ‘Harry Hotspur’) acquired a reputation as a warrior supreme. Unfortunately he was cut down in his prime – struck by a fatal arrow in the midst of battle. The greatest Hotspur warrior of the modern age, Ledley King, is proving rather more difficult to best - no fatal arrow to the face, just plenty of kicks to the knee.

Ledley remains a colossus in defence, always unnerved and influential. He is strong, fast and wonderfully talented. More than all these things, he is loyal - to the bone.

Thankfully, there’s no chance of him befalling the same fate as the esteemed Percy. On the field of play the only thing he might get struck by is an opposition elbow or a water bottle. In spite of the relative safety of the football pitch, a disconcerting nod from the club doctor has become an unavoidable hazard in recent years.

He might now be a one game per week player, but such is the quality he possesses it remains worth retaining his services on a full time basis. Pound-for-pound, he is arguably one of the very best England has to offer. Some of the more cynical amongst you might even argue that if he didn’t have his knee troubles he’d probably be a Man Utd player. But injury is not the only reason why we have yet to be graced by a Daniel Levy announcement justifying a £30m transfer of King to Old Trafford (along with a generous donation to the Tottenham Foundation). Ledley has remained unquestionably loyal to the core throughout his time at the Lane.

Ledley is a loyal committed servant who gets wrapped up in cotton wool more often than not. A servant who (out of necessity) doesn’t spend much time training, and yet displays effortless class on the pitch with athleticism befitting someone who does train all week long. He’s a millionaire and yet persists in having injections in his knee so he can continue to play the game he so obviously loves. For all we know he could be exacerbating the damage and running the risk of serious problems in later life. And yet his commitment remains unparalleled.

He wears his heart on his sleeve and he positively runs it out for us every time he starts, home or away. He brings stability at the back and although he’s not a shouter, his mere presence inspires his team mates to excel, mainly by virtue of the air of confidence he oozes rubbing off on others around him.

King is deserving of Champions League football and yet has never turned his back on us and looked for it elsewhere – unlike another centre-back who falsely professed loyalty. King has so much quality that if he had asked his agent to go looking he would not have been short of suitors.

If Fergie is happy to take a risk on Owen, there is no doubting that he’d gamble on Ledley. And yet here we are: one contract with Spurs followed by another. He’s never even considered another club’s colours. Now before you all accuse me of sentimentality and exaggeration and suggest this article is nothing more than a press release for a forthcoming Spurs Shop DVD, understand this: In this day and age, there are few players a football fan can genuinely respect and admire. And Ledley is someone who is respected and admired by all, regardless of the colour of the scarf. He’s a class act. Plain and simple. Every fan would want a player like King in their team.

Ledley King is not just a warrior. He’s not just a loyal Spurs fan that remains committed to the club and its fans as player and captain. He’s one of us. Tottenham through-and-through. Lilywhite blood. The tenacity of a Mackay or Roberts without the need for bullish growling. Ledley the gentle giant quietly sticks forwards into his back pocket and goes about his business patrolling the backline making sure nobody knocks over the ‘You shall not pass’ sign.

We are stronger when he pulls on the shirt. His composure brings calm to the backbone of the side. He’s no pretender. He’s the real deal. All this with one knee. Ledley King IS Mr Tottenham Hotspur. The spirit of Harry Hotspur lives on. And long may he dodge that final concluding arrow.

-

 

A graceful footballer, a gentleman on and off the pitch (excluding any excursions to Faces nightclub) and the one magnificent constant when surrounded by so many inconsistencies. The finest defender I've ever seen. Easily the best of his (and my) generation in Lilywhite. Inspirational. Calm and composed. He could read the game with supreme intelligence with no necessity to tackle half as often as others might do, prefering to throw themselves at an opposing player. When forwards pelted towards the ball, he'd breeze past them, comfortably jogging before nicking the ball tidy as you like. With one knee he ruled Tottenham, with two he'd have conquered the world twice over. Overboard with the sentimentality and plaudits? Probably, but then what's the likelihood of us doing this for another Spurs player in the next twenty years?

I have been here since I was a boy, I have always considered it my Club and have always found it hard to imagine wearing the shirt of another team

Thank you Ledley for seventeen years service (fourteen years in the first team). Over three hundred appearances, scored more goals than yellow cards received, no red cards and countless strikers sat firmly in your back pocket. You played football with one knee and yet you were still comfortably better than most. You didn't even have to train, that's how easy you made it look. The travesty is when you spend a little time considering what you might have achieved with no injury plight to fragment and puncture every season. Yet you have still imprinted yourself on our club, iconic forever. You could have quit the game years ago, didn't, but it's the right decision for you to now abdicate your throne. The time for a new hero is now upon us.

Onwards Ledley King, club ambassador.

Testimonial confirmed.

Away trip snapshot: Kingstonian FC v Spurs XI

by @charlottepeachy

A young Spurs XI did the business at Kingsmeadow on a chilly July evening against Kingstonian FC.

There was a surprisingly strong turnout of supporters, all in great spirits, presumably itching to let the long summer football drought come to an end. And of course to check out the sexy new Under Armour kits. The general consensus – we approve.

Was great to see a highly vocal and impassioned Tim Sherwood in the dug out motivating the players, accompanied by Les Ferdinand and Chris Ramsey.

Throughout the game Sherwood could be seen enthusiastically jumping up from the bench every 30 seconds, shouting out to the young players.

After a delayed kick off due to the amount of supporters still trying to get into the ground (genuinely… my God we missed this), the first half was fairly uneventful, with the players on both sides looking a little rusty. Still, had to be said that the Spurs lads maintained strong possession and looked good on the ball – most notably Pritchard, who impressed up front.

The second half was livelier, with a great goal from Mason early into the second half, followed by a tidy goal from Barthram, who came on for Ceballos after half time. The Ks pulled one back with a penalty which was put away by Archer, and had a chance at an equaliser in the closing ten minutes of the match.

In summary, a solid first away day of the season for me - itching for the next already. A convincing win by Spurs, despite being down to 9 men by the end of the match due to injuries and having used all of our substitutions, playing very pleasing football. Lovely atmosphere (considering the team and opposition) and a very enjoyable friendly, despite Kingstonian’s fairly pushy slogan on the walls – “Get a life – follow the Ks”. In addition, the chips were decent with a vast array of available condiments and the pints were cheap. Smiles all around.

Kingstonian (4-4-2)

Tolfrey (Bragg, 75); Goode, Hutchinson, Murphy (Kamara, 44), Sterling; Pattison (Holloway, 46), Sankoh (Clayton, 46), Murray, Lodge; Mullen (Tait, 46), Small (McCollin, 46).

Spurs XI (4-2-3-1)

Miles (Archer, 46); Byrne, Hall (Ekong, 68), Veljkovic, Stewart; Bentaleb, Gomelt; Pritchard (Barthram, 58), Mason, Ceballos (Munns, 58); Bostock.

Goals:

Kingstonian - McCollin (penalty 84)

Spurs - Mason (50) Barthram (69)

The Book of Daniel - Chapter Four

by Ryan the Perplexed

Daniel knew that his credibility depended on the success of young Boaz and so he set to work assembling a group of helpers for him. Though it was evil in the eyes of the Lord, Daniel engaged in sorcery to help Boaz, creating human-like creatures from inanimate objects to form a low-cost backroom staff.

Daniel obtained an old Pony kit stained with blood, an unhinged ferret with an unnaturally large neck and weapons-grade testosterone. He cast them all into a boiling cauldron, whispered incantations and out jumped Steffen Freund in a cloud of smoke. Freund looked around, his face turned an interesting shade of purple, and he ran up to Hudd who was taking one of his frequent rest breaks. Freund screamed various Teutonic exhortations inches from his face. Terrified, Hudd ran off, as fast as his massive legs would carry him. And so Boaz had an assistant manager.

Excited by his new found sorcery skills, Daniel obtained a satsuma, the wool of a black sheep and a crab in an attempt to revive Vinny Samways. Daniel had hoped to install Vinny as Head if Conditioning and Coaching. The experiment malfunctioned unfortunately, and instead he created a depraved Steve Sedgely, running in ever decreasing circles. Finding no use for him, Daniel installed the creature as head of the ticket office. Daniel finally abandoned the project after his third attempt ended in catastrophe, and a lumbering, stuttering abomination was created. Having no choice, Daniel made this shambles the official website, whose motto was never knowingly first to a story. Once its homepage was eventually opened, the Tottenhamites could be first hear about the signing of Jimmy Greaves from Milan and post either sarcastic or mindlessly optimistic comments in the Facebook sidebar. The Tottenhamites cried in dismay.
 
And Daniel decided to test the Tottenhamites with the launch of the new kit. Images appeared showcasing the players garbed in the Under Armour vestments. And the Tottenhamites were much vexed by this. Was the absence of Jenas a reflection of his impact on games? Were the players who looked angry or sad about to be sold? Why was VdV mysteriously moved? Was Friedel auditioning to be some comic book villain? Was Sandro imbibing noxious substances? No-one knew for sure.

And Daniel realised that like many things Sugar of Essex did when he ran the club during the 1990s, the old Spurs Lodge was cheap, nasty and not fit for purpose, much like the signing of Jason Dozzell. 

Daniel wanted Boaz to have the best training facilities. So with help of the Lord, he created a garden for him, not as far east, in Enfield. And Daniel placed the hulking frame of Kaboul at the gates to protect the Garden of Enfield by day and by night. A pack of blood crazed Tarricos were set to watch over those entering and leaving the Garden so that none would dawdle, wind down their windows and chat to the Sky Sports cameras, as was the custom of Ari.
 
And so Daniel placed in the Garden of Enfield everything Boaz needed to prepare him for his quest. Pitches, swimming pools and gyms were built, along with a cryogenic chamber to freeze the DNA of the better players and create perfect clones, as part of a new cost-effective youth policy. A wise move thought Daniel, for he could utilise the sponsors Aurasma for this, which seemed to many Tottenhamites to be another faceless multinational corporation engaged in shady, morally ambiguous scientific activities. A bit like Manchester United.
 
And so Boaz got to work, focussing on 'Dead Ball Situations', which Ari had believed to be a slapstick 1970s comedy starring Burt Reynolds. And at last a use was found for Jenas, Bentley and Gio to utilise their free kick abilities. They excelled at forming part of the wall against which the better players practised.
 
Confounded by these new ways and worried about his reputation, Ari sent his loyal disciple Joseph of Jordan to protest against the attacks against Ari's tactical abilities.
 
The Jordanite placed his teeth in his mouth and scolded the doubters 'Yea. End thy jesting about the tactics of the wise Ari. I worked with him for many years and a greater tactical mind will not be found on the face of the earth. He would study for hours thinking, scheming, about when the best time would be to phone Talksport. Ari would have sleepless nights mulling whether to go with the 'alwight lads/ down to bare bones/ 2 points from 8 games' angle. When he knew he had to win, he shifted to the 'we battered 'em/ Spurs never had it so good/ you'll ave to ask the Chairman' formation. Sometimes he could even adjust mid-game to the 'what a shot from their right back/ the keeper had a worldy/ the lads are tired' option'. But the Tottenhamites groaned and remembered Villa away.
 
And so Boaz set out to do the exact opposite of Ari to find favour in the eyes of Daniel. Whereas Ari would only talk about England instead of Spurs, Boaz would talk too much about Chelsea. Before he was banished, Ari only talked about his strained relationship with Daniel, yet Boaz would talk about his fractured relationship with the Roman. As Ari would target fourth, for Boaz, first would be targeted. If Ari would train them once a day, Boaz would train them thrice.
 
And the players were shocked at the taskmaster Boaz. Constant training meant that Benny's afro withered, and the tattoo parlours and nightclubs of Essex faced an uncertain future. For the elders amongst the squad, they recalled the days of old, under Ramos, with a modern technical Uefa cup winning manager, intense training, fitness work without end, nutritionists, statistics, and analysts. Knowing how that ended up, Daniel and all the Tottenhamites became as one and prayed to the Lord that history would not repeat itself...

Previous Chapters:

The Book of Daniel - Chapter Three

The Book of Daniel - Chapter Two

The Book of Daniel

More Hot Spurts

This is the best team you’ve ever played for

This is how things have panned out so far this summer. A player is linked. We’re then told by an assortment of sources that he’s about to sign, there’s a deafening silence whilst the same news sources repeat the same story but with different headlines, followed by another silent moment before he does actually sign . We then have to wait an extra few days for his medical meaning it’s still not actually official. Then an additional two days for Spurs to catch up and officially declare it’s done and dusted. Looks like we’re about to dance the same jig, to the tune that saw Sig and Vert skip into N17 gleefully...this time a not so old friend returning on a more permanent basis. Adebayor is set to sign. I think.  £5M / £6M fee and apparently a wage-structure busting pay packet (or perhaps a lump sum signing on fee), who knows? Levy does, whilst the rest of us continue to scratch chins waiting to find out how we’ve managed to pay him 100k + per week. Because even though we don’t know what is going on behind the scenes we’re still going to base our analysis on rumours.

I’ll stop dancing that jig if it turns out we’ve got a bottomless pit and can now afford to pay the tax on behalf of the players we pick out for preferential treatment. For now, I’m hoping the player can return and improve on his performances from last season which were more than decent. He scored a fair few, assisted marvellously and fitted into the style of play – a team player not an individual dependent on everyone else to carry him around. Okay, so he did mis-fire, was unlucky with disallowed goals and did not get half the support in the pen box he should have got. But all these tactical deficiencies we hope to see corrected in the next year. Now he’s on a permanent contract for us, he’ll have to excel. I don’t buy into the lazy dysfunctional version of Adebayor and I’m certain neither has our chairman. There’s no culture of comfort at Spurs these days. That counts for something and should not be undervalued.

Pie in the sky

So Everton are supposedly on the verge of resigning Stephen Pienaar. Told you so. Yeah, that’s right, I’m coming across all smug because the one time I decide to share some info it pans out exactly how I told it. What? What? Come at me bro, I can do ITK. Yeah, what? In fact anyone can. Especially black cab drivers in London who might say pick up a chairman of a football club and end up being told the dramatic story of how a player left a club for the riches on offer, desperate to do so only to then find himself wanting to escape from the hellish reality and return back to his former club. Bill Kenwright painted this exact picture months back, explaining that money rules the brains of footballers and there is simply no competition when it comes to the top four or five clubs signing the best the rest have. The irony with Pienaar, and it’s common knowledge based on just following Spurs last season, is that Harry didn’t want him and didn’t really know what to do with him. A Levy signing, and yet apparently we’re about to make a profit on him if we do sell him back (probably not really when you consider wages spent) but still...only Tottenham can make a mountain out of a mole hill and then build a rabbit hutch in it's place (that isn't meant to make any sense much like this transfer saga).

Midfield Merry-go-round

We’re still waiting to see which club wins the race for Luka. After Villas-Boas revealed its down to which the one that meets our valuation of the player, we can only wait and see if that club is Real Madrid and the fee is £35M - £40M. Because let’s face it, that’s the best possible scenario. Luka goes abroad, we get a massive wedge of cash to go loopy with. The suggestions continue to persist that he’s definitely on the way to La Liga so the questions are:

a)     Do Madrid have the money?

b)     Do they need to lighten their squad first to make room for him?

Yes and probably.

Once it’s done then we sign Joao Moutinho. Easy right?

Armada strikes

We are (according to the press over in Spain) interested and willing to meet the buyout clause for Atlético Madrid’s  Adrián López Álvarez whilst the ITK community persist with the dream of being rocked by Falcao. The latter is brilliant and prolific and possibly out of our league (in the kindest way possible, he will fancy himself as Champions League pedigree and will cost an absolute bomb to the tune of £40M). Adrián is a couple of years younger and will be considerable cheaper (at just under half the price). I think someone has gotten wind of our inclination to spend and are trying to drum up some business and hype for their clients. Those pesky footie agents. When Villas-Boas left Porto he was instantly linked with returning to his former club to steal Falcao away for an alleged £26M (release clause). Then the player was cited at £80M. An obvious reconnection then...in the world of fantasy. I'm assuming he's got a new contract and a new release clause thesedays. So...Strurridge anyone?

Rafa isn’t going to take a bite out of the Hamburg

He’s leaving. He’s not. It’s because of his wife. Wife denies it on Twitter. Back and forth, it won’t go away. But yesterday the player said he is happy at Spurs and doesn’t want to leave. That’s not to say it’s completely his decision but I’m hoping we do keep him. If anything because he loves it against the Woolwich. VB wants to challenge on all fronts? If he’s serious we need depth and we need quality and Rafa is an outstanding player. He might suffer from bouts of inconsistency, fitness issues but the words ‘galvanise’ and ‘talismanic’ were made for him. Belief is such an important commodity and he has it in abundance.  

Fryers is hot property

Apparently he's left Man Utd and left Fergie fuming and is on his way to Spurs. Utd wanted £6M for him (supporters I've spoken to don't rate him at that price) and we'll end up paying considerably less. Hence the fuming. Although the fuming is more likely related to the mini-exodus of Utd yoof that have recently moved on from the club. Fryers is nineteen, plays left back and centre-back. Did I mention Fergie is fuming? Probably worth signing him just for that.

Walking tall

Loved Kyle Walker’s attitude, talking about the changes at Spurs and the ambition to improve as an individual and as a collective. Again I ask, where is the player revolt? Also loving Jan Vertonghen's comments on the 'perfect fit' in relation to Villas-Boas pressure and possession football and being at Tottenham. Nice feeling that, players wanting to play for the shirt.That's something that at times is undervalued by us. May as well enjoy it when we've got it.

The Book of Daniel - Chapter Three

by Ryan the Perplexed

After the demise of their beloved Ari at the hands of Daniel and the impending crowning of Boaz, the Hacks assembled their tribes from the foul swamps from whence they came. They were joined by the Goonites and Chelsea Despicables in their belief that there would be a great mutiny at the Lane. Yea, said the Hacks and the Haters, an uprising will take place, so disgusted would the Spurs players be with having to work with Boaz. The exodus will happen again.  Doom was guaranteed. They prophesised a great rebellion. The great stars would depart, Jenas would force through his move to Barca and Gio would join Seville, Pienaar would be off to Everton.  Tottenham would be left with the bare bones as Ari's prophecy predicted.  Corluka and Krank had already run off to Russia, though it was taking them a long time to get there because they both ran so incredibly slowly. Even Chirpy would be so alarmed at Boaz's treatment of Terry and Lampard, he would immolate himself with fire and oil and be consumed by Huddlestone at Chick King on the High Road - once Daniel had been forced to sell him for an undisclosed fee. None would be left. The Lane would be a wasteland, the new training ground abandoned except for some over-elaborate tactical plans, some untalented youths and an unfulfilled Project. The Hacks' false prophecy was sinful in the eyes of the Lord and, in the manner of their great leader Ari, He banished them to go and fackin run around a bit.
 
After their gloating at the Tottenhamites, the Goonites fell silent and wailed once they realised that their Holy Persie had studied Wenger the Blind's spreadsheets and, after conducting some variance analysis, concluded that his figures did not stack up.  Van Persie addressed the Goonites and told them that their future was bleak.  Talent had bred arrogance.  But then the arrogance had eaten the talent. And just a husk remained in the form of Theo Walcott.   Holy Persie announced he would seek a new flock of pathetic wretches to protect with his miracles and goals. Wenger the Blind would have to find a new Saviour.

And so Daniel spoke to Bale an a bid to entice him to stay.  Bale said he already had 3 year contract. Daniel was desperate for good news for his Tottenhamites, so told Bale he would increase his salary from £70-£90k per week.  'What do you want in return? asked Bale.  'An extra year on your contract and the number of your hairdresser' said Levy. And so it was done.

Before he could join the club, Boaz underwent a lengthy period of ritual purification to cleanse his soul from the vile impurities of Chelsea. For forty days and forty nights he bathed in scented oils. He would confess his sins to Daniel and show true penance for his sins. And Daniel prescribed punishments fitting the sins as follows; for the sin of arrogance - 40 lashes; for the sin of poor man-management - a week of fasting and good deeds; for the sin of upsetting the media - ritually shaving Martin Samuel; for the sin of tactical naivety - having to watch Chelsea win the CL on a loop for 24 hours; and for the sin of prolonged proximity to John Terry - cleansing with industrial strength detergents and a visit to a competent doctor.

And Daniel was satisfied that Boaz was his new prophet and he set about obtaining adornments for him to succeed with the Tottenhamites and fulfil his dream. A dream to build a Temple on Earth with 56,000 seats, extensive corporate hospitality and viable transport links. And so Gylfi joined, amidst much gnashing of teeth by the Kopites, who could not believe that he would chose Boaz over Brendan, just as they could not believe that it was no longer 1984 and they were no longer good.  With their riches wasted on mediocrity, they would be doomed to walk on, walk on, forever, sustained only by hope in their hearts, spearheaded by a ponytailed giant with a brain the size of a flea's dropping.

'Where is Vertonghen?' the Lord said to Daniel.  And Daniel replied 'Am I his agent's keeper? He should be announced soon'.  After much back and forth, Jan was signed. The Lord grew frustrated as he could not believe how long it took Daniel to complete a deal, for the Lord himself had managed to create the entire Universe in a week, and with lower agent's fees and less ITK leaks.

And the Tottenhamites were greatly excited by Daniel.  There were rumours within the camp that Daniel would sell part of his birthright to mysterious men of the East who had pots of gold and whom he had told that vast untapped wells of oil would be found below the club shop.  Twitters circulated the camp that these redeemers would be appearing imminently, bearing money and hope, and would strike mortal fear into the hearts of the Goonites.  The Tottenhamites waited with baited breath but nothing happened. Yet. 

But Luka was a thorn in Daniel's side, complaining that he was dreaming of Madrid and causing Daniel great discomfort when he texted him naked pictures of himself, just as Daniel was about to sit down and eat.  Luka enlisted a team of Croats to leak stories to the media about his impending departure.  It seemed that Luka was much better at scoring stories on Newsnow than he ever was at scoring goals. But the Lord hardened Daniel's heart.  He summoned Luka to his underground lair and told him that if he thought about releasing a statement like Holy Persie's, he would not be sold for four more years and be banished.  And Luka trembled but still made a glorious sideways pass. Storm clouds gathered.  Daniel stood up, waved his staff and thundered to the cowering Luka 'When was the last time you saw David Bentley? He was last seen somewhere in East London kicking balls into skips.  He tried to defy me and look what has happened to him.  Do you want to rot in the reserves? Do you want to see Tim Deadwood every day?'

Luka then bowed down and retreated, astonished at Daniel's new resolve.  Pleased with himself, Daniel ordered his chamberlain to polish his little bald head, but he was soon disrupted.

'We need a striker Daniel. Quickly' said the Lord. 'Preseason has started.  We only have Defoe. And he is on holiday. How do you expect Boaz to succeed if he has no strikers?'

And Daniel did what he always did when he was short of strikers.  He reached for his file marked 'THFC loan signings 1995-2012' and looked through the list to decide who he should sign on a permanent basis - Stephane Dalmat, Mido, Gudjonsen, Andy Booth, Adebayor, Konchesky, Frazier Campbell. Such rich pickings, Daniel thought, who should I sign...

Previous chapters:

The Book of Daniel - Chapter Two

The Book of Daniel

Under Armour goes above and beyond

I've never been that fussed about new home/away Spurs kits from a consumers perspective. I rarely buy anything aside from training gear (tracksuit tops, shirts). Can't remember the last actual Spurs home shirt I bought (I was given one a season or two ago). You're more likely to spot a gut than a Cockerel on some of our previous skin-tight shirts, so I let the professionals do the dressing up. I'm far more concerned about how we look in it when marauding and swashbuckling on the pitch. Preferably, smart and traditional without any unnecessary fixtures (i.e. yellow streaks). So have Under Armour delivered?

I've got to applaud with a resounding yay. They have.

It looks like an UA shirt (if compared to some of their American Football designs), you can see the signature design elements but they are not poking your eyes out like the US based shirts. Nothing abrasive here. It's tidy and clean yet still striking. Love the collars. Love the white shorts (for European action only right?). The away shirt is equally standoutish.

I might actually consider a shirt for lounging about or blessing it as a lucky must have for sofa sitting football watching. Although those training tops are more likely to catch my eye and wallet.

Seems the official launch has done more for conspiracy theories than driving interest in the actual unveiling (as kits were leaked recently). People already attempting to work out who might be sold based on where they're standing in the main photo of the squad whilst kitted out in full armour. Gomes is hiding in there. You need to look real hard. It's like searching for Wally.

Missing players include King or Bassong or both (Is that Bassong pretending to be King on the far right or is it Ledley?), Jenas, Defoe, Pienaar, Caulker and one or two others. All of which are wearing the new shirt on the squad page (photoshopped in places). The main UA squad photo was taken during the season when some of our players were out on loan or had leave of absence, so no theories to be had here.

Aside from the fact that van der Vaart has been removed from the lead role in the away shirt promo images (leaked prior to launch) and not unveiled during the launch. van der Vaart giving us a seductive look (in the unreleased image) probably giving the same look to Hamburg. Hmm. Done and dusted then.

images from Spurs Shop

Also love the promo work for these shirts. Scott Parker's sexual growling, Gareth 'come at me bro' Bale, Michael 'I'm copying Gareth's come at me bro stance' Dawson, Brad and his evil plans to take over the world as a James Bond villain and Benny too cool for skool. Standard. Livermore looking a tad uncomfortable with the whole 'come at me bro' its more 'stay away lads I'm a bit constipated' and is Carlo gesturing rude things with his hand?

Click on above for more promo images via UA and for Tottenham's official FB page for more.

Nice work all round.

Official website

Under Armour UK

Welcome to the brave new world

How utterly refreshing. After four years of The Harry Redknapp Show it almost feels surreal that we have someone that is humble and concise with their answers. Some that is representative of the club (‘we’) and not a brand name. Villas-Boas might have had a voice that could grate cheese (thank you British summer time), but he said all the right things. Nothing overly dramatic, just to the point, every time. Loved his ‘much more emotional warmth in this club’ comment. A dig at Chelsea, but equally so a reassuring nod of approval towards us. Okay, so he’s hardly going to say anything negative during his first couple of interviews (one with Tottenham for the website the other with the press) but it’s a comfort to hear honesty without the constraints of cheap soundbites, translators and that travelcard.

All this hype about player revolts and lack of respect, just b*llsh*t based on assumptions of what happened in West London and the obsession with the former man at the helm. Interestingly, Villas-Boas did claim some credit and did cite their players as ‘magnificent’. I’m wondering how much of that was perhaps PR to avoid anything too controversial – although the media have latched onto the fact that he stated he wasn’t allowed to complete the work he started there. Maybe a dash of ego and not PR. Although a good point was made that Villas-Boas can sometimes come across as a little arrogant but this might be more to do with English not being his first language. I’m sure he wasn’t claiming the FA Cup and Champions League, although if anyone is going to claim the latter it will be the Gods.

In comparison to the emotional warmth at Spurs, all this probably alludes to the fact at Chelsea it was nothing but ego and alpha-males thumping their chests and claiming territory. That’s not to say everyone in Lilywhite will adjust with ease to a new era of football methodology in terms of training, preparation and tactics. But those hungry to achieve more will up their game to match the ambitions of our new head coach.

It’s no secret that although Redknapp did display on occasions some shrewdness on the pitch, it wasn’t consistent. And on the training pitch, as famously suggested by van der Vaart, we didn’t spend too much time with the chalkboards.

Villas-Boas also said something that I’ve been echoing since before he joined and that was, in terms of the team, aside from having to make one or two key signings, there isn’t too much to tweak or change. Not drastically. There is no chairman agenda to dismantle and rebuild. VB stated it would be wrong to undo the work Redknapp achieved. We need to progress it.

Player instructions and formation will go through an evolution but this will be gradual and dependent on how our players adapt. If there’s belief it shouldn’t be too much of a task. We’ve got very capable footballers that will be able to improve on their form because of how Villas-Boas approaches the game. He’s a tactician, he’ll organise from training to diet to on field positioning. He’ll innovate. Redknapp’s style was about man-management and inspiring. We’ll still need some of those basics to bring it altogether. Under Harry our away form was birthed (non-existent for so many years). Possibly his greatest achievement at Spurs was to get us working hard, grafting as a unit away from the Lane. It’s key we continue this as our home form has been strong for several years now. An area where VB will look at improving is the struggles we had when sides parked the bus against us.

Talking of inspiring and hard work, we’ve got Steffen Freund on-board. Assistant head coach. If you take previous into account, as a player, Freund was hardly the most polished. But his cult status at Spurs (he’s a hall of famer) remains legendary. Passionate, relentless – so much so synonymous with the club he’s made a few appearances in the stands wearing our colours. He’s a character with character. I guess it’s easy to assume that as a coach, this is what he’ll offer. When Villas-Boas is squatting, thinking on the touchline Freund will be screaming and shouting at the players – pumping them up. I’m sure that is a given but he’s credentials as a coach should probably not be ignored. In other words, I don’t think we’re getting a one-dimensional addition to the coaching staff. He’s not going to be a gimmick.

Assistant head coach of the Germany U-20 team, assistant to Berti Vogts (Nigeria), assistant to Frank Engel (U-20 Germany), manager U-16 Germany, manager U-17 Germany (with impressive finishes in Euro and World Cups)  then back with the U-16 squad. Youth football is not comparable to the Premier League but he’s experienced and considering it’s Germany they’re hardly going to show commitment and confidence in anyone other than a coach they rate and trust. Freund might just be a masterstroke.

Other footnotes.

Luka Modric. Villa-Boas confirming what we all knew but with fine clarity. The club, from the sounds of it, have one or two interested parties and if the right offer is made then the player will be allowed to leave. Modric, apparently, understands the clubs stance on valuation. Also, the fact he’s in a long term contract means anything silly (transfer request) is unlikely. We’ll see if Levy is playing games here with perhaps another masterful move to retain Luka’s services (again). But I don’t think that will happen. He’ll price him out of a move to another English club. That’s as good as we can hope for.

As for talk on title challenges. Easy to misquote or take out of context. I took this to simply be a continuation of last season when, at one point in the season many (outside of Spurs too) admitted we were in the race. Okay, so only momentarily in the race, but still in it. Just need that gentle push of belief and strength and there’s no reason why we can’t get involved again. This time, sustaining it. This is not my expectation, but this is the exact ilk of speak I want to hear from our coach. No ambiguity. Just aim high. What’s the point of  aiming any lower?

Also impressive is the new training centre in Enfield. Looks absolutely brilliant. Again, would have been completely wasted on Harry Redknapp and his old skool thinking. Brad Fridel should also get a mention for his attitude. Very upfront about Spurs and the appointment of Villas-Boas (whilst speaking on radio) and also the fact that he understands and is prepared to perhaps sit on the bench to make way for a more youthful long term goalkeeper. Hugo Lloris is still in talks with Spurs (although it’s being downplayed). His club have to sell this summer and Tottenham remain the most likely destination. I guess, considering Brad’s age, it’s not that difficult to admit you might have to play second fiddle but it was good to hear a player speak with such grace and honesty.  

Onwards.

Hot Shot Spurts

The Academy Award goes to...

The suggestion is we dropped out of the race to sign Oscar days back, leaving Chelsea with an alleged bid (reported by the English press, not reported by the Brazilian press, denied by Internacional). £25M the valuation. Expect confusion as Joorabchian is involved. Sure, he's (Oscar) 'unknown' in terms of adaptability to the Prem and a far bigger risk than the more well known Joao Moutinho - the more likely candidate to slot into the position of the departing Luka Modric.

With regards to Internacional themselves, more confusion from the stands over our partnership/relationship that was struck a while back. My understanding is we get first dibs on their academy produced players (like Sandro). Although I remember this would entail youth players coming to Spurs and acclimatising to European football before moving on to the continent. Whether this means we sign them and sell them on (profiting both us and Inter) or they are loaned and return back to Brazil is anyone's guess. Bruno Uvini came to us on loan. But he plays for Sao Paulo and not Inter. So unless I'm mistaken, I've yet to see anything play out between the two clubs, aside from the perpetual linkage to Leandro Damiao.

As for Moutinho? Best supporting actor? I'll be happy to see him take the plaudits in a Lilywhite shirt.

Let battle commence

Around 1:30pm - 2pm, Wed, live on Sky Sports News via the new Tottehnam Training centre...Villas-Boas and his first press conference. How many times will the press mention Harry Redknapp by name? I reckon eleven times. Villas-Boas looks sexy, speaks great English (more articulate than our previously soundbite ridden gaffer) but is not half as animated and stand-up comedianesque so expect a subtle backlash in the post-coverage.

Between the sticks

Villas-Boas stating everyone has the chance to impress him, clean slate all round. Great news right? Wrong, well, wrong if you believe the current stories that we are in talks with Hugo Lloris, Lyon and French international sweeper keeper. Somewhere, in a dark corner at The Lodge, Gomes wipes a single solitary tear off his cheek. Would be a cracking signing this. He'd be our number one. Confident, commanding and although Gomes might scream out about shot stopping and reflexes, he cant compare or compete with Lloris cool maturity and decision making. The latter an important ingredient in the high-line tactical planning Villas-Boas is planning on introducing to Spurs. Also, having signed Vertonghen (formally captain of Ajax) we'll be getting another leader in Lloris. This bodes well. Fingers at the ready...and cross them...NOW. Source of this story? This is no watery spurt of Ketchup. It's via L'equipe and negotiations have apparently started. He's twenty-five years of age. He fits the new age bill. Brad to slot into the number two role, Gomes to move on completley.

Defoe to Reading?

That's the rumour. Although I wouldn't expect that to happen unless we've got signings on the way. You get the feeling he's still going to be third inline to the throne at Spurs. Adebayor + another top class signing + potentially a young understudy (or a promoted Harry Kane). Meaning that JD might be better off at a club where he is guaranteed to start every game, up top with a partner and not as the lone man in a three tier attack. As an impact striker, I'd have no complaints in keeping him. He'd have a few. All theortical of course.

Le Luka

Via Le Parisien, PSG are interested in Luka Modric, so much so they've offered 40M Euros. French ITK? The vast majority of people claiming to know something would tell you he's already on his way to the Bernabeu. Although that's not to say such an offer from the mega-rich French wouldn't give Levy a nice little a bargaining tool if no offer from elsewhere has yet to be accepted.

Training Day

Everyone get all giddy when seeing the photos of Villas-Boas and the lads back in training? I'm having to change panties daily. Dean Parrett (youth player) was equally excited, tweeting:

"New gaffers quality knows what he's doing and speaks to everyone.. Everybody has a chance to impress"

I'm sure the first team players feel the same. To have someone astute and mindful and prepared can only make you (the professional footballer) better as an individual and as part of a collective. Completley different, I'd hazard a guess, to Redknapp patrolling the byline and letting Bond and Jordan drill the first team. Am I understating Harry's accountability there? Sure, yes. Much like the tabloid hacks built up this great exodus that was upon us post-Villas Boas appointment.

Photos and video footage of training sessions on official THFC Facebook page.

Jan Vertonghen joins the team tomorrow.

This is the best team, you've ever played for

Another 'worst kept secret' it would seem as everyone is waiting for official word on us making Emmanuel Adebayor a permanent signing giving us two forwards and still requiring a box office third. Adebayor give us a dimension to our play that we've lacked for a while. Not just the tracking back and the decent work ethos but also the ease he settled into the Tottenham way of linking with his team mates as opposed to some of the lesser effective strikers we've had in the past (Darren Bent) that required the team to support them rather than the player support the team. Under Villas-Boas I expect him to be more successful in front of goal, ironic that one of our best performers under-performed at times where it mattered most. Although he had his fair share of disallowed efforts and our general lack of discipline and fluidity from the flanks and support in the penalty area made for a frustrating lack of cutting edge. With Bale and Lennon on the wings and someone of Adebayor's calibre up front, we should have got more for our possession last season. I'll wager we will this time round.

What does it mean?

Continuing on from Adebayor - if he has signed then we're talking about the player agreeing to become our highest paid player. Possibly 100k? More? If so, does this nod approvingly to the direction Levy wants to take us in terms of now paying for players when its imperative to do so in order to capture their signature or is this a clue towards the rumour of a cash injection? Allowing us to be more ambitious in the transfer market and with our wage structure? 

The hype continues to build.

Cycling 5000 miles across the USA for Cancer Research UK

Max Ricky Mills, Tottenham fan, is currently cycling 5000 miles across the United States. Since starting his journey he has been astonished by the generosity and kindness of those he has met so in turn has decided to try and link his trip to fundraise for Cancer Research UK. You can take a look at some of the photographs he has taken on his blog: http://maxrickymills.tumblr.com/page/2 and click here if you wish to donate.

Spurs; hard boiled round the edges, gooey centre needs nuts

Jan Vertonghen has signed. He’s been in a perpetual state of signing for what seems like months. You can trace this transfer saga back to Friday 2nd December 2011, when we were first linked. Regardless of how long it took for it to become official at no point did I find myself thinking the usual knee-jerk thoughts as this all played out. You know, the usual agent-mind games that haunt and tease us where we get used in public to drum up interest elsewhere. Here was a player willing to come to Spurs, wanting to be part of our club. Thanks to a technicality, nothing shifted until the player shook hands with the Ajax over a contractual obligation owed. So seven months on, he belongs to THFC. Although until he parachutes onto the high road riding an inflatable cockerel singing Chas’n’Dave I’ll hold back from getting his face tattooed on my back.

12 million Euros the alleged fee. Yet another signing and it’s not even the middle of July yet. Whatever will Jim White and Sky Sports News do when that final fifteen minutes starts ticking away on deadline day? Pre-season kicks off on Monday and the message is one of relentless desire to get all our business done. Although I’m being a tad colourful with the truth as both Sig and Vert were ongoing deals that concluded regardless of Villas-Boas being appointed. It’s the signings made now onwards which will be most telling in how we plan to shape up for the new season.

Vertonghen truly adds another dimension to our centre-back horde. Intelligent, drives forward out of defence (eye for a goal) and a talented left foot - we’ve got ourselves a glamour boy that lives up to the hype. Ajax captain, Eredivisie Player of the Year and (according to Wikipedia) ‘Male Performer of the Year’. Those Dutch love putting it about. He will bring with him not just experience (title winner) but pace – something that Villas-Boas will no doubt require if we plan to play with a high-line (which failed at Chelsea thanks to their distinctive lack of it). A defender that can defend, attack and most importantly consolidate strength at the back. What with Ledley King’s future as a player in doubt. A back four of Walker – Kaboul (Dawson) – Vert – Benny is looking good (full back positions requiring sustained cover).

The key area (thanks to complete lack of depth) is up front. Defoe being the only recognised forward we currently have on our first team books. Adebayor continues to be linked and is on the cards thanks to the success he had with us and the fact that he’s open to returning (the player confirmed this himself back in May that Spurs and City were in talks). This has probably dragged because of the asking price so much like the Vert transfer, it’s going to happen but it might take a few more shrewd manoeuvres from our chairman. We’ll still need another. I’m not too concerned with this conundrum because there is no puzzle to be solved. We might play a 433, we might only need the one ‘striker’ but across the season? Three is the magic number. The ultimate would be a forward that can play on the right hand side, therefore fixing two problems (cover and alternative to Lennon, able to also spearhead the attack). I can remember thinking we needed this last season.

The biggest question however is the one in the middle. The heartbeat of the side is its centre. The phrase ‘build a team around him’ is not something you hear too much of in these modern times. Mainly because there’s no loyalty and players are very career driven meaning everyone is a stepping stone till they reach their ultimate goal. With Luka Modric, you’d love to do just that. Build the team around him. Although building a fence around him so he can't escape would be more apt. He attempted to tunnel his way out last year, but I expect this time when he gets to the barbed wire he'll jump it without crashing his motorbike. The great escape complete. We're left bouncing a ball off a wall in deep thought on what to do next.

Doesn’t score much? Placing that aside, he completes a ridiculous amount of passes and creates chances from open play, more so than most. He is prolific as the heart-beat of the side. Starting from deep, recycling possession and attacking forward space with effect. Under Villas-Boas he, in theory, would be phenomenal as I expect he would be used with far more astuteness. He’d benefit from a more structured system. But alas, it’s all theory because he will end in a different ilk of white shirt next season kicking up a storm. So what do we do?

Thankfully we have our holding midfielders. Scott Parker (the Jedi) and Sandro (the Padawan). We have the industrious ball winners and walls that you shall not pass. Bale will play out left or perhaps inside left. Sig is an attacking midfielder, van der Vaart is talismanic  - but what we need is a player similar to Luka. A conductor. Oscar, the Brazilian kid, is one name touted. More of unknown to most of us, a midfielder that pushes into the penalty area with an eye for goal. Hugely talented and highly rated.

Joao Moutinho is the more obvious target. He’s a Porto player. He knows Villas-Boas. He’d like to work with him again. And, apparently, wants to leave Porto this summer. Central midfielder, adaptable and not too dissimilar to what we currently have in Modric in terms of sheer talent but perhaps with a touch more all action box to box about him. Like Modric he can get stuck in (something that people tend to forget then act all surprise when Luka does it) is disciplined and reads the game extremely well.

He’s a top target for a fair few clubs but if he is available and if we are interested, we’ll have the money to spend and in Villas-Boas we’ll have a potential transfer winning wink and hand shake.

It’s going to continue to be an exciting summer. We’re getting our work done early. Villas-Boas has given everyone currently at Spurs a clean-slate which might impact what players we target in terms of covering the key positions. The return of David Bentley? I’ll believe it when I see it, preferably with no feet on fire and not a skip in sight.

So far so good.