We need a new Plan A to go with our Plan B (cheeky bids accepted for Plans C and D)
Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 9:07PM 20th Jan. The date. Today. First month of the year heading towards it's conclusion. Not long then until the transfer window shuts again and all we’ve learnt thus far is that we don’t really have an outstanding target with regards to resolving the forward conundrum.
Has Keane gone yet? Nope. Pav is apparently a Sunderland hopeful. Crouch – well, most of you want him sold but there’s little chance of Harry ridding the squad of his Plan B. Which leaves us with JD playing up top as our main man. Defoe, a sort of Plan B+ rather than a fully fledged Plan A.
So we’re left with the usual rehashed links (Fabiano, Suarez, Rossi) to add to the likes of Carroll and...actually I think that’s it. No other available strikers in world football currently. Just the aforementioned mob.
Which is why I’m beginning to settle back in the comfort of my sofa and ignore all the hype and stories and ITK nonsense, because from the looks it, we are in for another last minute wheeler-dealer moment of magic from the chairman, with Harry on the sidelines giving the nod and thumbs up. I’d place actual money on a new major signing if...if Keane and Pav go in the next two weeks. If it goes down to the wire, if we’re on deadline day and Jim White has his beef in his hand behind the desk at Sky Sports News, then that last minute moment of magic might wholly rely on plenty of last minute cheeky bids for the two forwards that our gaffer doesn’t fancy.
Plan B. Good mic skills for a white man.
Keane is gone in mind. West Ham perhaps. Doubt he’ll get away with claiming them lot as his (other other) boyhood club. Pav is the key to all this. But, like I said, if it goes down to the wire and the club await the Russian to be sold before making a move then it’s going to completely depend on magic.
Or perhaps foundations have already been laid down in preparation and the last minute transfer deals are never as manic and desperate as they seem. Just chairman and managers waiting until it’s too late to do anything but take a risk.
And what of the player we’ve actually signed? Piennar?
Two things to muse about here.
I quite like the theory that the only reason Chelsea bid for him was to force us into spending some of our treasured money from the war chest (to weaken it) when the ideal (original scenario) was to bring in the player for free in the summer. Conspiracy theory anyone? Honestly, make up your own ridiculous story arc, I don’t know, maybe about one where a player rejects Chelsea to join Spurs instead. Craaaaaazy!
The other point is – it’s a good signing. It’s not the big sexy player Harry wants to aid with pushing us onto the next level, but he’s a player who will cover in key areas. Seems Niko has joined dos Santos in the forgotten lounge of...sorry, who was I talking about again? And Piennar is/was Everton’s player of the season (2010) and we all know that Everton are more work ethic than glitz and glam, so for the money paid – I’m happy with this. Gut feeling, it’s going to be one of those almost sort of under the radar unspectacular types of signings that just does what it says on the tin with additional thanks to little expectancy or pressure from the stands.
But alas, we still await that game changer. Best transfer story of non-eventfulness has to be the one about us 'saving' Joe Cole from his Liverpool nightmare. That takes the award. Standing ovation.
Shame feeder club Real Madrid don’t have any players to throw our way this time round.
Reader Comments (35)
I really want us to bid for either: Eto or Torres. Alternitively bring in Benzema on loan.
striker light guv? Chances are we will be in ten days
Desperately need a big strong striker. Crouch and pav as bad as each other. Also we need a holding midfielder to replace palacios. If he's back up to HUD, and Harry doesn't think sandro is ready, then we need a replacement now. Wilson has had a terrible 12 months. Diarra from real would be good.
Back to pienaar. Reasonably happy, although I'm sure nico could have done the job he'll do, although pienaar can run. Nico looks like pingu on roller-skates. And I love the Chelsea blogs. Convinced they've made a great escape, not signing pienaar, who is now overrated and past it and we've been fools. Bitter bitter chavs.
We're not going to sign anyone else.
That's my prediction.
The only person we should go for is Torres or the absent without leave Carroll. Spooky this will solve our our scoring till the big man comes back the pass master blaster Tom Hudds . Firstly drop Bale back rest Ekotto play our dwarf midfield this will make Crouch look even taller play Defoe alongside him with our whippet midfield any knock downs will be gobbled up and we will be off attacking on to Defoe bang Goal Peinaar to Lennon cross bang Goal Crouch header. Van to Pienaar back heal bang Goal edge penalty area. This would be my team at theToon to bring more doom. to the Toon. Gomes Kaboul Dawson Gallas Bale Lennon Pienaar Van der Vaart Modric Crouch Defoe.
Huddlestone returnign will be like a new player on our books and he'll fed Defoe. All we need is JD with vdV behind him and we'll be fine. Can't see Pav going. He'll come on and score the odd goal and we'll forgive him for being average. Remember - his goals were vital last season in finishing 4th and Crouch scored the goal that cemented it.
Have faith .
The striker position is a tough call. In a way VDV has unbalanced the side in that 4-5-1 is the format instead of last seasons 4-4-2. None of the present strikers seem comfortable with the 4-5-1 and none of them have scored many goals though I'd go with Defoe rather than he others. The one up top doesn't have to be a big guy. In fact the best Spurs team that played 4-5-1 I can remember was when Clive Allen scored his 49 goals in a season. He was (is) neither big or fast. Actually he was quite slow but he was good at finding space and when he shot he didn't miss much.
how about Kuyt?
I would love to see us bid for Torres but dont see that one happening!
We do need a top striker and they know that so why don't they just get on with it!! Otherwise they will only have them selves to blame if we fail to get 4th knowing they didnt give it the best shot possible, I'd like benzema in COYS
I would like to see us sign Luis Suarez as he scores goals has skill and has the bite needed for our attack and also is the type of player which means we have to play it more on the floor which means having Luka Modric and Raphael Van Der Vaart playinf sexy football. I also think Lassana Diarra would be a good addition but it does seem as if in my mind the Steven Pienaar signing may put an end to that one going through. Taye Taiwo i hear is another we are after and it seems he is a really at defending so if the price is right why not and lastly Romelu Lukaku only 17 but strong and already bagging the goals and playing for his country!
There is no one else comiing (is there boys) in this window so lets just move on. Torres no way would poo let him come here, plus he is happy. Suraez too much money plus he wants to play with Torres if anywhere. Fabiano we aint big enough for him. Hulk, too much money, Carrol forget it. etc etc.. Carlton Cole is posssible. Or hows about Horny Helen? Big up front, dribbles round the box, Slides it in without touching the sides.
I believe that what characterizes Spurs last 20-30 years is the lack of high level scouting of young and senior players around the world as well the lack of responsible persons in their stuff who'll take the right decision about the players to be bought. These had as result that Spurs is the only team among the 20 biggest spending clubs in the world which hasn't won a local or international championship. No proper scouting, no proper programming and timely implementation of the transfer policy, mostly not the right decisions what concerns buying the proper players.
I have just seen Torres at the John Lennon Airport with a copy of the Spurs magazine he had a ticket for London could he be Harry's number three on his wish list two Africans and a Spaniard Zulu Dawn and the Spanish armarda we cant fail. Just heard this from a cousin in Israel the secret police mossad have warned Levey if they cant take the Name Tottenham with them to stratford then they cant move because our initials will be S,S after a certain German Troop. stay tuned for more tales from Davyleakes
Ahhh. Transfer window hopes and dreams! Torres... Eto'o... err Kuyt?!? Seriously?
I can't see anything happening this transfer window which is a shame because we really are so obviously just a strong leading striker light. Mind you - Drogba, Torres, Berba, Rooney et al aren't really doing it this season either. Maybe an assist-creating Crouch is what we're going to get until something can be done with Carroll in the summer?
I think the Piennar capture is brilliant business. We've now got a group of attacking midfielders who can cover a series of positions not just in different games but within a match and they all like scoring goals. And our two holding mids may be on their way back: Wilson is starting to look like he might just be thinking about recovering a small modicum of his best form and I love seeing Thudd's distribution.
So let's let loose our dogs of war! Azza, Modders, Boom-boom, Piennar and vdV go forth and score a ton of goals.
I am a bit mystified: HR said he would only be buying players that would improve the team, so who is Pienaar going to replace other than Niko?
Anybody else thinking like me, that the PL managers know Robby Keane has had his day? Don't know how much truth there is to the story that he was seeking a £10k per week pay rise from Brum (above his current Spurs deal), and they refused to bow to this.
Uncertain about our new signing. Doesn't make our first team stronger, just our bench.
still think carroll not injured and he'll sign for spurs and last day typical spurs we did crazy transfer in 78 and still doing now
Think we should just go back to real and bring in benzema on loan with option to buy, and diarra. could then finish in the top four, spurs management could all take the summer off, as no new signings would be needed. Then really push for a major honour next season. maybe even CL this season. porto done it a few years back, why not us! how amazing would that be! one step at a time maybe!
Key is selling Crouch. That will help our passing, running style of football. Strangely, right now I'm more upset by the lack of support for redevelopment of WHL. We need a ground that holds at the very least 55,000 people, in order to improve our balance sheet, Why is Manure at the top? -because they can sell 75,000 seats every home game.
Back to the topic at hand - if we get Rossi, who is smaller than Modric, at least we'll see less of the futile airballs into the box...
"I believe that what characterizes Spurs last 20-30 years is the lack of high level scouting of young and senior players around the world as well the lack of responsible persons in their stuff who'll take the right decision about the players to be bought. These had as result that Spurs is the only team among the 20 biggest spending clubs in the world which hasn't won a local or international championship. No proper scouting, no proper programming and timely implementation of the transfer policy, mostly not the right decisions what concerns buying the proper players."
Hmm - what about Bale, Lennon, Modric, Dawson, Hutton, Bassong, Berbatov?? Were they not scouted?? I wonder how we decided to buy that Khumalo chap, perhaps that was some kind of osmosis that made us do it...
We have not done it the ideal way, had a 'home grown' squad but then only Manchester United has achieved that in the prem and now they don't exactly have a new Giggs or Scholes coming through, even their fans will tell you the cracks are evident, and we're not talking about a night on the town with Wayne Rooney.
We don't have an Arsenal system where we buy cheap and then make super players (though I'm beginning to think that was a bit of a myth in any case), though Lennon, Bale, Carrick and Berbs do look like wise investments, heck even Bent seems to have just about paid for himself.
Harry likes to deal a little and go on, be honest for a moment, we like signing players, it's nice, it feels like progress, one step nearer perfection. For every Van der Vaart there'll be an Atouba, for ever Bale there'll be a Kayuzuki Toda, it is the way of things and why this season, in most areas we have some serious depth and let's be fair, the signings have got better and I think we are just one player short of being a devastating team, just happens to be a striker that we need, do they sell them on ebay???
I love this constant 'Why don't they get on with it' comment. It suggests a scenario where HR & Levy are sitting around in the office trying to throw dog-eared playing cards into a hat, sighing with boredom. HR says to Levy "Aren't we supposed to be doing something urgent this month?"... Levy shrugs and returns to trying to fit all the paperclips together from the stationary cupboard.
Bottom line is that Spurs are first-time qualifiers in the CL and lie 5th (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, count 'em) in the EPL. That puts us about 10th-15th on the European ranking of going to kick the managers door down to demand a move... Even if you don't count into the equation the likes of Citeh throwing money around. Europe's 'hot' strikers are going to wait until their agents have at least exhausted options 1-8 before they start mulling our blend of fine wine.
Maybe Mr Spooky can one day write a piece about the perils of believing that Championship Manager is the real world.
And can someone please point me to the place where Maureen publicly said "Spurs, please come get Benzema, why are you ignoring me?... I'll even pay his bus ticket!"?
Pienaar for Palacios. Simples! Striker??!!!? I would like to see Suarez on the books but.....???
Suarez is a good striker but IMO not a great one , he lacks the strenght to battle the likes of Vidic , Terry and all them other sluggers/defenders
In stead of going for young , expensive and unproven , let s hope we get 28-31 aged old players with a good track record and the hunger for succes , the VDV version of a striker ...
Forlan , Klose ... They wont stay for very long but can make an instant impact , other then them two there is Cavani but the Italians refuse to sell
Benzema can play but has a very fragile mindset and playing at spurs is not for the fainthearted , you need to be strong in the head to cope with this club.
Klose is a Bosman in the summer....
Bongani Khumalo. Forgot to mention him.
Can hardly pronounce him to be honest.
We need a clear out of our average strikers, the only one i'd consider keeping is Crouch, as an option from the bench late on to protect the lead (funny how he can win every header when it's in his own box)
Pav and Keane will bring in £10m-£15m and shift a load off the wage bill, get a proven striker and a cheap one that doesnt mind sitting on the bench... sorted.
Adebayour
Pienaar will be the new Steeeeeed Malbranque. Proven premiership performer, will do a job across the midfield, nothing overly spectacular, but will put in a decent shift and will be respected by the fans because of that. Doesn't really improve the first team, but if he is happier to be a squad player compared to the likes of Kranjcar and Bentley then he will come in useful.
Harry's team for tommorrow? Benny & Wilson have knocks:
Gomes
Hutton, Dawson, Gallas, Bale
Lennon, Jenas, Modric, Pienaar
VdV
Defoe
Plan B is a gooner. He's good though.
I think if we do move to stratford it will be interesting to find out how many people do stop going to matches, my guess is there will be some who say they'll stop going who will continue and there will be a few who say they'll continue and will decide against it. though I am convinced that there will be no problem filling the stadium.
my mistake wrong article for that post.
Would love us to loan Benzima fir the rest of the season. See how he works out. Won't happen though!