Good news, the wait is nearly over
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 9:38AM I have some decent news. Without fail, every summer when I'm out of the country sunning it up in the Mediterranean, Spurs sign players. Last year as I lounged on a sun-bed I got a text message to tell me that David Bentley had signed. Christ, how I jumped for joy at that one. So, the big day is this Friday. That's when I jet out of Blightly for 7 days of 100 degrees Fahrenheit temps. And that's when the transfer floodgates open for a refreshing shower of much wanted incomings and thankful outgoings at White Hart Lane.
I'll ignore what the tabloids are saying this morning, as it's simply a re-hash of what the message boards were talking about last week. Although, ironically, telling you what the boards are saying is probably what the newspapers are reporting on today. So…
Patrick Vieira. A not so golden oldie. A player who hasn't been anywhere near exceptional for a few years now. The ITK's say it's a done deal. Which probably means it won't happen. If it does, what we have is a player who could galvanise the players around him much like Edgar Davids did when he signed for us. Does he still have what it takes? I have no clue. Haven't seen enough of him for Inter and I'd hazard a guess that the slow-pace of Serie A is a far more comfortable zone than the fast-paced EPL. I guess if he is 'cheap' and the contract is short, I have no reason to complain. You never know. He might still have something about him, enough to bring further stability to our midfield. The fact that he's ex- scum obviously grates me. But if a player wears the Lilywhite, then he has my backing. For 5 minutes at least, after that, I'll tear him a new one if he doesn't perform to the acceptable standards.
As for the other whispers. It’s the same names being touted out to the same clubs in the same repeated rotation. Sunderland signed Frazier Campbell after being linked to Bent for an age. Fee can't be agreed between us and them over Darren. We want Jones as part of the deal (shudder) but apparently Villa are now front-runners and are hoping to claim Bent as their own. This, unsurprisingly, means that Young is coming to us because Downing is now a target for Martin O'Neill. Bentley is also somehow involved in all this as some form of bargaining chip. It's probably the 10th time now that a variation of this transfer saga has made the headlines.
Huntelaar is still getting a mention, but it's probably nothing more than agent talk to push Stuttgart into finalising the deal to sign him. I can't see him at Spurs.
There are some fresh stories, believe it or not. But nothing overly exciting. Sheffield United youngster Kyle Naughton is a target along with team-mate Kyle Walker. But both players (if signed) would remain at their current club for next season, for development as they are both kids. Everton have been heavily linked with Naughton. Nothing certain, except that its factual thanks to Sheff United comfiring the interest. Talking of Everton...
Tim Cahill is getting a mention from some quarters (LOLZ) having been apparently sighted with Harry Redknapp (ooh). I know Everton are hard up, but there is no way that Cahill would move on from Goodison Park. Just my opinion. If it happens, I'll shave my head.
One piece of devastating news is that Chimbonda is happy to stay at Spurs. Until someone finds him. Apparently Pascal is aiming to break the hide and seek world record. My guess is that he's managed to hide himself behind the stack of unsold copies of the Opus in the store room at the Spurs club shop. But there's no need to look straight away.
So, as you can see. Another week, the same stories doing the rounds with one or two new entries to add. I think we've been linked now with around 85 players since the end of the season. What does this mean? I'd guess that Levy has rid the club of any potential leaks, leaving hacks and fanboys throwing shit at the wall hoping some of will stick.
Until I leave the country, keep the champagne on ice.
Reader Comments (24)
LEAVE THE COUNTRY NOW DAMN IT!
I can't wait till you're tanning on that beach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! COYS!!!!!!!!!
Viera is past it and would be another Edgar Davids (the only thing galvanized about him was his goggles) - Viera was a class act (albeit for Aresenal) but his time has gone and there's no future in this for Spurs. Same goes for Figo - if this is what we're down to then both Levy and Redknapp should go find a new owner.
The reality is we are rapidly losing ground now to Man U, Man C, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Villa, and even Sunderland, and we've made no advances over Everton, Fulham, West Ham, Blackburn, Portsmouth or Bolton.
I think we will face a considerable struggle to finish in mid-table this year - yeah, good old 'Arry Redknapp.
PV at Spurs? I thought he said he'd never join us?
Kyle who? May as well sign Kylie Minogue.
Viera....is a seasoned pro.....the value for money point .....owen etc is something worth considering..
Redknapp has revitalised players......who are experienced ......mature head in the side.....
Beckham in october?.....run in to world cup!
What are you on about Jacko! How are we losing ground to villa and sunderland??? villa have lost their best two players from last season, and sunderland have signed someone that we rejected in Campbell. We are yet to sign anyone but to say we are losing ground is incorrect. I think vieira would be a risk-free venture, and contrary to your opinion Davids made a massive difference to our team when he signed. I agree that Figo would be a step too far, but that is speculation based on a golf day - rubbish. Harry isn't a mug, he gets the best from players and I have faith that we will get players in the right areas (something we have failed to do for as long as I can remember) Back off, and let Harry prove you wrong.
I can't say a single prospective signing has got me giddy so far. Not a complaint. Last year Bentley got me giddy. And look how that turned out.
Almost wish I was going away for a few weeks, just to avoid all the silly season speculation that either raises expectations of a class act, or raises blood pressure at the inevitable dissappointment.
At tis poin in time I woud start the season with what we have and be more than content. less disruptive and everyone has had at least 6 months together now.
As an aside, for all those 'Hud has no mobility' check out the lean mean man on the spur OS on the 'xtra' bit with the training pics, he' either running along breathing in or he's genuinely shed some pounds for this year. Still say he's a keeper, and pleased that the press have given up on that particular piece of made up news.
Out of all the names linked with us,the name that exites me is huntelaar.To see him and defoe uptop,with lennon and maybe young on the flanks really exites me.Then again this probably wont happen,but im a spurs man,ii like to dream.
maybe.......
(Volare
Vieira oh ohh ohh ohh
Vieira ohh ohh ohh
He comes from Senegal and he plays for ....tottenham.....
Vieira oh ohh ohh ohh
What I would really like is for Pav to prove he's got what it takes, we saw glimpses last year, the shot on the turn when he cam on as sub. I would also like Hud to be paired with Wilson in the middle to add creativity to Wilson's bite. I would like lennon to be fit all season, and Hutton to show he's worth the money and can play with Lennon in front. I'd like Bentley to stay and fight for his place and be fighting lennon for his first team place so that a) we have an automatic replacement for when lennon is tired / injured. I'd like bale to find some form when he return's from fitness to link up with BAE in overlapping runs and tracking back. And then for Modric to basically carry on where he left off, making life difficult for the opposition, possibly as a support striker to Pav.
Not too much to ask for is it? (OK so maybe I can dream too).
All in all, we actually have some good players, who on their day are capable of great things. Why spoil things and raise expectations just by spending 20 million that would be better off in the 'new stadium fund'?
Oh yeah, and world peace, forgot that one......
JT, in addition to Campbell, Sunderland have signed Da Silva who is a very good signing - we are losing ground to them. We have clearly not strengthened our squad because we have signed nobody (though we seem to be selling players), while all the teams mentioned have strengthened their teams with very significant signings - that is fact and yes we have lost ground to them.
You say Harry gets players in right areas but the reality is he hasn't come up with players in any area since end of season - not one. I don't suggest he's a mug, but the fact is he has zero track record of competition success in 30 years other than one FA Cup, and is better known for staving off relegation and wheeling and dealing - so far he has thankfully kept us safe from relegation but I see no wheeling or dealing.
I want us to move forward and I don't see it happening whether it's nice to say or not - like you I sincerely hope I am proved very wrong.
Good solid signings, they don't have to be sexy. Reckon the lack of hype will work for us. Remember last year? And the Roma win?
Who are villa's, arsenal's, liverpool's, man u's and chelsea's "very significant signings"???? villa have lost Barry and Laursen and brought in no-one, arsenal have signed an unproven belgian, liverpool have spent a lot of money on a right back that they didnt need, who has had one good season and whose defending is questionable, united have made good signings, but have lost more than they have gained, and chelsea have signed ross turnbull who wont play, dan sturridge who wont play, and yuri zhirkov who is a left sided player in a team with Cole, Cole and Malouda....
I don't think its fair to say we have lost ground, over the last few seasons we have lost ground when we have spent a lot of money, biding our time and bringing in only a couple will be the right approach.
Decent argument JT - hope you're right.
I must agree with JT on that one , i prefere a nice and quiet transfer window with one or two decent signings over the chaos that surrounded us over the last decade ... Seems to me the quality is there to go for top 7 and mayve better if we play our cards right and spend the available funds on a striker and LW with a good track record. I m also hoping for top 4 obviously but then again been hoping that for years now ...
But Viera ... no thanx m8
ps the unproven Belgian's move to arse n all was a suprise even for us - good player but no exceptional player (for the moment)
harry really needs to speed up a little in this transfer market. but i am not complaining though, we got a decent squad.
I'll throw my tuppence worth into the ring.
Jacko, you suppose we are selling players, why exactly? Because it says so in the Sun/Dail Mail etc? We have sold only Zokora thus far, who, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't the best footballer around, not by a long shot. Harry hasn't had a squad of immense talent at his disposal in all his years in the game, am I right in saying this? His team at Portsmouth which was built from rejects from other clubs, ours being one, punched well above it's weight, winning the FA Cup, and consolodating a decent enough league position, for a Portsmouth team.
The squad Harry now has at his disposal is quite something, if you sit down, keep your knees from jerking, and look at it. Our transformation since his arrival, plus subsequent dalliance in the transfer market in January, is quite impressive, to say the very least. I'm seriously expecting a very good season ahead, with what we have, but still one or two signings wouldn't go amiss, to strengthen in troublesome areas.
Am I talking Bollocks? Be sure and tell me if I am.
Agreed. We only need slight tinkering to better last season. An improvement in centre mid either by signing a creative player to complement Wilson or by signing an attacking option on the left and shifting Modric into the middle plus a decent target man (not Pav who doesn't appear to be able to pass, trap a moving ball or run) who can provide the bullets for Defoe. Other than that we're more than good enough to compete.
As for the teams around us, Villa appear to be falling apart, Everton are always crap when they're in Europe and anything might happen with City.
3 players + as many youth/backs ups as we wish. The 3 players need to be first teamers.
CB.
LW.
Forward.
Add in the youth players (the lads from Sheff Utd).
I guess another CM as an understudy for Palacios would do us fine too. Depends on how Harry plans to play.
Just in response to Jacko's comment that Redknapp has had zero success over 30 years save one cup win; it should be noted that a decade of this was with Bournemoth, and the remaining time has been during a period of polarisation in the game which has greatly shifted the balance of power to Champions League qualifiers. If we are to exclude top four clubs (not simply cherry picking the information to suit my argument but rather acknowleding they operate at another level whether we like it or not) and then exclude managers who have only a single cup medal to their name (taking the point that such success is a blip) then, as far as I can figure out, only Kenny Daglish and Martin O'Neil (the latter with two league cups which I think many would swap for one FA Cup win) have anything more than a zero track record. David Moyes, perhaps the most highly rated manager outside the top four, has won exactly nothing. O'Neill, perhaps the next, has also won nothing in his second spell in England.
Less a defense of Redkanpp (who I do like and quite trust) but rather pointing out that with the current predicament in the game pretty much everyone outside the top 4 has a zero track record. Its happened so gradually and without resistance that no one really seems to find it odd that fourth (think of it -fourth!) is a sort of holy grail and finishing third (not winning, not even runner up, but third!) is simply beyond contemplation.
Sorry if I've gone on a bit...
Hayes, you're not far wrong.
When Spurs reached the final of the league cup this past 2 years running, I had my Gooner mates laughing about how it meant shit, as Champions league is where it's at. It's gotten to be a sorry state of affairs, when Cup wins (FA & League Cup) mean nothing to fans nowadays, and Champions league qualification trumps all but winning the league itself, or the Champions league. Even the UEFA Cup, and it's now rebranding of Europa League is something to be sneered at by all and sundry.
Maybe it's just the new breed of fan out there now, but for me, silverware is an accomplishment worth striving for, no matter how most fans now perceive it.