Juan is a target, but it probably won't Mata
Sunday, July 31, 2011 at 7:04AM Reading this article very late last night relating to confirmation of our interest in Juan Mata along with an increasingly worrying midfield issue (lack of depth believe it or not thanks to injuries) should have given me a sleepless night.
Sandro injured, Huddlestone needs to see a specialist, vdV asking to be substituted early on against Brighton, Wilson 'coming back' from injury but mostly spending the summer on the verge of leaving which links me nicely onto all this leaving us with just Luka Modric and Jenas. A player who wants to leave with a player many wouldn't object to see leave (although JJ has always proven to be a decent squad player rather than a first choice). Regardless, it's hardly inspiring and here's me thinking all we had to do is pick up a couple of forwards and a centre-back.
Still, no sleepless night.
Diarra is constantly linked. You can understand why based on the above.
Mata is an interesting one, Harry saying Levy is 'dealing' with it. A midfielder who can also play on the flank, I'm still trying to figure out where he would fit in* exactly in a side that will include Rafa, Luka and Bale. But perhaps it would be wasted energy to do so based on the fact that there is a tangible suggestion he isn't that fussed about leaving Valencia. Neither is he that fussed (supposedly) about us. He'd much prefer a CL side (like most upper tier players). However the hope is that if his buy out clause is matched and said CL side (guess who) do not bid then Valencia might well ask the player to consider what is best for the club and accept the move.
*Mata could probably fit in anywhere in midfield or even up front. Would ADORE him if he signed for us.
If we're in for him at least our positive scatter-gun approach is still in full force. The club (if it is to be believed ) have inquired for one or two top drawer players but nothing has pushed on to the point of completion. Whether its because we're being used as transfer pawns by agents/clubs or because we fall short in terms of wages or lack of CL you still wonder whether strategically things could have played out with a better tempo of decisiveness.
All the deadwood won't shift out until we start signing players. But the season is not too far off now. With some additional extra weeks to do some business after it kicks off and before the window shuts.
The reality for us is that the players we are going for are not of the ilk of transfer that is rubber stamped with unequivocal certainty. Liverpool signing Adam and Downing for example. That's not because they are more decisive but simply because you have three that are willing to do business (i.e. Blackpool/Villa happy to sell, Liverpool willing to bid the valuation, the player(s) wanting to sign). Probably nobody else that interested. And the players are 'promoting' themselves in terms of club stature. It's easy street and nobody is walking alone down it.
Can any one player we've 'aimed' to get be tagged with such similar certainty? No one appears to be that desperate to leave their club or that desperate to join us. On the surface at least it seems that way although all that we read can simply be for the benefit to drive a hard bargain - so selling club and player get the best deal.
I cannot see anything more than this being a stand off not too dissimilar to an Italian Western. Plenty of eye-balling and sweat and then BANG it's over in a flash. We can't be left looking like cowboys. Finger on the trigger. Our Spurs must jingle.
It might be improbable that we sign every type of player we truly require (imo - 2 forwards, a midfielder, a right-winger for cover, a centre-back) and then sell every splintered piece of deadwood. But the hope is that we sign at the very least two key players and the fabled domino effect sees us streamline in time for our high octane opening fixtures.
Might feel like nothing will happen but I simply can not envisage such failure.
I'm sleeping without the night terrors.
It will happen. Have faith. Then we'll all laugh about the days and weeks spent shrugging despondently drowning in our impaitence.
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Reader Comments (45)
No. No more midfielders. Not a single one, before the striker issue's been resolved. Selective amnesia in the list above with absence of Kranjcar, who's having an excellent pre-season and it's one area we're already bloated when everyone's fit.
You've already said it. Couple of striker and a bolstering of central defence...ship out the dead wood. Job done.
Remember Dan Levy reads your jottings over breakfast everyday as light relief beween FInancial Times and Wall St Journal. Don't go giving him confusing ideas.
(1st btw)
It's so true that Liverpool's bit of business was much easier done than said, if that makes any sense (my apologies, it's early). They put achievable targets in place and went after them. Unfortunately for us, it seems that our targets are always being described as beyond our reach... which to be perfectly honest, when you look at our current squad, they are not. Players should be able to see that their is ambition at Tottenham.
My only question now is the following:
Do you think that Modric's claims (or rumored claims) that Levy ignored their verbal agreement will turn players off from doing business with us?
I'm not sure why we sold O'Hara. I would rather him than Jenas or Palacios.
At least they're aiming high and not going for the Charlie Adams type anymore.
We've already got players as good as him, we need to improve.
I reckon the board must realise it was a major ricket not signing a striker in the last window,
and I'm with you, there WILL be a couple of great signings that materialise.
We haven't got CL to worry about this season, we've got a great squad, and we will definitely get 4th!!
Good ol' Spurs!
Of course we should have hope and faith but on the other hand if the club fails to buy the PROPER players then it is going to be a very difficult season.
I seem to have a growing feeling these days. The feeling that the longer this goes on and there is no movement, Harry will make a silly rash decision in the transfer market. Thinking that he must appease Modric/fans/board (delete as appropriate), he'll go and try and buy another like Charlie Adam again. Was it someone in THC podcast who mentioned Jimmy Bullard?
...
Still, I'm sure my worries are unfounded. Sure of it.
I know next to nothing about Mata, apart from what I have gleaned from Football Manager and FIFA, but I'm always wary of judging a player purely on his virtual statistics - I think too many people say they 'know' a player or think he's great, just because they bought him on FM11 and he banged a few in one season...but wait that's a tangent I don't wanna head off on.
Mata, that's it. I don't know him, but I thought he was an out and out winger for Valencia, no? Certainly not one of those we need. I can maybe see a case for those that play in a more central role, but a left-winger? Surely 21m euros is too much to be spending on someone when we have Bale and Krancjar, Rose and Townsend also good prospects there.
I don't know. I was so sure all this Mata talk had legs about as long as the Zigic tripe and then Harry comes out and says that.
I'm sure the board realise the need to sign a striker. There seems to be a belief among some fans that not signing a striker in the last 2 windows was somehow an oversight by Levy. The simple fact is, there were no strikers better than those we have available at a price we can afford. We were interested in Carroll at £8m and he goes for £35m. We bid for Suarez but were outbid by Liverpool. We clearly bid for Rossi but it wasn't accepted. What can you do?
My view on this is about as popular as a fart in a lift, but I'd rather sign nobody than someone worse than what we have. I'd stop the rotation shit and play Crouch and VdV upfront every week. good enough to beat the Milan sisters, surely good enough for Bolton and Fulham. If something better comes along fine. Personally I can't understand why either we or arsenal haven't picked up odemwingie for £8m or so, but it's not like he'd change our whole season to be honest.
Reading Redknapp's comments from yesterday tells become thing: Parker is coming. Just hope we don't pay him stupid money. Winding Modric and his agent up even more wouldn't be wise
Modric sometimes played/plays as a left winger and converted into a CM for Spurs later, although he had been playing that role for Croatia for a while.
Like most commenters I havent seen much of Mata. Word is, he was outstanding in the recent u21 championship.
I dont hink you can have too many goood footballers at the club. Real quality players (Bale, VDV and Mod) are adaptable/interchangeable. Perhaps we would see a bit more of Bale on the right, cutting in and scoring with his left foot. Perhaps Mata can cover any of the roles.
Sadly I doubt we will get Mata but at least we are trying and I can only assume that in signing him we would still have cash left for other areas or that would be madness.
There seem to be rumours about Kaka - bizarre and unlikely, but you never know!
One minor point everybody seems to over look, by the end of the transfer Window we will have played Everton (never the easiest) and both Manchester clubs without a decent striker. Heaven forbid we have a bad run at the start of the season and fail to find the net (as our strikers aren't it great form pre-season really) and we'll find it even harder to sign a top draw striker..... when routed to the bottom of the table.
Due to the limits of our wage structure and the hard start to the season we should be buying now. Bring in a striker or two and the rubbish we have will want to move. Both Defoe and Crouch have said they don't want to leave. When they are starring at the bench (or not even that like Keane was last season), selling them will be easier.
All this Mata stuff will result in nothing. Or worse still, Mata in and Modder's moving on with Levy saying "it was to much money and we've bought Mata as a replacement so it's ok!"
Paul F - you're right, we've been outbid on a couple of occasions, but we're a rich club and can easily bid high along with the rest. Problem is that with our wage structure, we can't hope to live with some of the wages being paid nowadays to CL quality players.
And that's why Levy wants to ship out the dead wood. Not to increase the transfer kitty - though it'd help) but to free-up money to pay competitive wages to the newcomers (and give the likes of Bale, Modric, VDV etc a matching pay-rise to keep them sweet)
FUCKM OFFD U STUPID YID WANKER CUNTS AND GET UR OWN TRANSFER IDEAS PRICKS
With the imminent departure of Modric, buying a midfielder who actually scores goals isn't a bad idea at all, along as at least one striker also comes. But why would Mata come when the Scum will pay him around £30k a week more?
No Sandro, no Huddlestone and no Modric will leave us with the injury prone VdV and Bale; the work shy Kranjcar; an out of form Palacios; the spineless Jenas , and a winger who still can't cross after 8 seasons in the top flight.
Then we come to the forwards and an idiot as manager..
Not looking good.
Well done gunman. Truly an exceptional post
Love it gunman, made my weekend
Spurs are so delusional, your manager talks too much to the press, your chairman is an ego maniac. Together they just play you fans for suckers rather than telling you like it is.
Levy is never gonna spend a lot and Harry is his biatch who wheels and deals like a good boy
Spurs will get a couple of mediocre players in (maybe vucnic lol) and give you
the fans a line about it not being their fault. The fans will swallow it because they don't want rival fans to think otherwise (ie spurs are not currently as big as they make out), and the season will go on with Mod leaving at Xmas.
The only alternative is you sell mod but that is entirely up to whether chelski want him not as you like to believe down to levy
Fans of other clubs have dissed spurs out why can't their own fans!
Oldspur
A midfield of Bale Modric Kranjcar Lennon is not going to see us start too well against some of the top opposition we have in the first few week...City, Utd, Liverpool.
It would be a return to the Ossie days.
Combine it with or less than solid defence which even in pre season needs to start keeping clean sheets and it could get messy!
Poor effort. Mata must be looking at 100k per week and how can you forget Krank?????? His conduct has been fucking awesome and very professional unlike his mate.
Went to Birmingham Everton game yesterday which raised two interesting points. Firstly Everton looked tragically dire and should be easy meat for the first game. Secondly Chris Hughton has performed a frigging miracle at Birmingham (as he did at Newcastle). He has only been there two minutes and he has transferred negative Birmingham into a proper footballing side. The Brum fans could not believe what they were seeing, despite the unfortunate 2-1 loss they were delerious. He has also got an eye for a player, plucking Gomis from Dundee frigging united (or some equally god foresaken hole) for sod all and the fella bossed Everton.
Despite all the ballyhoo At Birmingham, Hughton is knuckling down and delivering. Redknapp is playing fucking golf and gobbing off.
Chris hughton = the answer!
Hughton or Poyet the answer. Poyet's my man for the job. Harry will bring in Parker and Forlan and they will settle in on a happy 2 year retirement programme with the option of an extra year if they still remember the way to the training ground. Modric will be sold. Bale will then be the restless one. VDV will up sticks based on the fact thet Spurs cannot hold on to their best players, or attract anything other than teenagers with potential who, when they get noticed will want to join Chelsea or United/City and so on until I put my fucking toes up and never see a decent Spurs team play football again..
come on everyone lets be real, suppose you dont support any club in the the prem. why would you come to us right now if either man u, man c, chelsea, arsenal or even liverpool come in for you? they all pay higher wages, they all have more ambition and actually genuinely go for the players they want, rather then just linking themselves with them and oping to get a last minute bargain on them. liverpool paid the money to get their strikers. everyone said they paid too much, but guess what, they've got strikers.. we havnt!
the scum and liverpool are the only teams we can possibly have a chance of competing with next season and i would say at this moment in time, we are outsiders to both of them looking at the teams. a couple of great signings i think we could be better than the scum and liverpool though. . . . . leaving man c, chelski and man u. lets be honest, with 4 great signings its going to be hard to compete with these guys and their ambitions and money.
..my point is why would you come to us when any of the other teams mentioned would want you? unless levy gives you a load of empty promises like we are signing messi soon after and your next contract will be treble money or if another club bigger comes in your free to leave if we are showing no ambition. (oooops sorry did i say that)
get offended as you like, im just being real in our current situation. something has to change at our club. we need to show our intent with a bang or forget it!
@Twitchy face:
What if we got Mata and Vucinic and they both scored against Arsenal, now that would be funny "lol"...
lol at the desperation from twitchy and gun. Like we give a fuck lads.
Devonshirespur. Pick your own MF from Bale, Jenas, Modric, Palacios, Lennon, Kranjcar. Bentley even. In defence, Dawson, Gallas (where is he ?), BAE, Rose, Walker, Bassong, Corluka, Kaboul. PLus Gomes/Friedel. That'll do me for the mo - given a couple of strikers who can actually score the odd goal.
Add a fit Hud, VDV, Sandro and sorry and all that, but still not convinced the MF needs strengthening.
I'm a bit obsessed as a Spurs fan. I constantly am checking NEWS NOW to see if we are close to signing anyone. Listen, in 2008 I swore that Spurs would be competitive because we had spent tons of money signing Modric, Dos Santos, Bentley and those guys and what happened? We nearly got relegated. Last year we added two players or so and still ended up only 6 points away from CL. We missed our chance last year....we really did. BUT, one thing I can say is that don't underestimate Harry Redknapp. Hes NOT a tactical genius, but he can scrape a deal out of NOWHERE. VAN DER VAART? KRANKJAR for 2mil? Seriously, Redknapp and Levy might have a plan that they are not talking about. Furthermore, Mourinho seems to like Harry and support Spurs. He likes to hook us up with the excess players from REAL. These players that are excess there are usually world class.
PREDICTION: The last day of the transfer window we'll all be crying that a striker hasn't been signed and we will all promise to abandon Spurs...once and for all. Then, as the clock strikes 5:52PM we'll hear that we have signed a CRAZY CRAZY slew of talented players for 4- 8 million pounds a piece. WATCH AND SEE!
SPURS WILL BE A THREAT THIS SEASON. Oh yeah, and WITHOUT MODRIC. Mark my words
At least the Kaka rumour has popped up to give everyone a laugh. It will be Shevchenko next, maybe followed by a cheeky offer for Rivaldo.
"FUCKM OFFD U STUPID" ?
Not going to bother with the rest of that....er...attempt at English. Although he does drive a good point, one of which we are all familiar with. Yes, we do need new strikers. Though I understand where he's coming from, I'm not sure I would waste my time on any gooner blog, complaining about what they are lacking.
Now having wasted time with 'gunman', on to more important issues. Like, why is Levy taking a vacation now? Like before we do any, 'actual' transfer business? I swear nothing will happen until we start rioting, and I mean literally rioting. Why don't we use our youth? Surely our youngsters could be better than Jenas. Kranjcar has been actively scoring, why sabotage his career? Ultimately....where are we sodding going now??!!
Seriously going to lose mi f'ing head over this transfer window!
More worrying than our lack of transfer activity is the amount of comments on here by 10am on a Sunday.
Two of the most pointless comments ever by our south London friends, made your weekend??? You need to get out more.
I think this window is a serious case of deja vu. Don't bother checking the feeds, just turn on Ssn 6pm on the 31st august.
I think DL is a bit like Tommy Cooper. His tricks never work but for some reason lots of people love him.
A reported bid for a player already commited to Arsenal, a proposed new stadium with no funding in place, a transfer window final day scatter-gun set of bids for unatainable targets and still people buy the myth.
Harry has confirmed what we already know that we can't afford the wages for the players at the next level and that will not change unless either we trim the overall squad down to about 20 players, freeing up money in the salary pool to pay better wages (1st step) or we actually build the new stadium with a credible finance stream (not very likely).
With a smaller squad of higher-class players we could hopefully start to win things and be in the CL more often than not, thus offering better players a more attractive career option to go with improved salaries.
Sadly, Levy doesn't seem to have any valid (ie: costed) coherent plans at this stage (of course there is always the possibility of a bunch of flowers or a rabbit up his sleeve) to take the club forward.
Consequently, it will fall on Harry to massage what we already have into a more productive unit in the short-term but, as much as I like Harry, ther have been no signs to date that he and the coaching staff have any idea how to do that, as the pre-season games have shown. It has just been more of the same from last season which won't have any of the PL sides shaking in their boots.
Having said that, City showed last season that you can spend big and still not produce a decent team (yeah,ok, they finished 3rd but that had more to do with our own shortcomings and those of Arsenal than with their brilliance). So maybe all is not lost and if somehow we can get off to a winning start (supreme optimism kicking in here) what we have may just be good enough.
DaveK, Tommy Cooper was a good magician pretending to be bad. I hope something similar is going on here and the apparent lack of planning is followed by something we can cheer about. Hope they can pull something out of the hat, so to speak. (Made myself cringe with that pun, sorry.)
I think this Mata thing is a smokescreen, while we go for a true striker. Hope its not a hollow bid to appease the fans like the last minute Rossi attempt.
As for midfield issues, let's not sign a player who wants first team just to fix a short term problem. In the mean time how about giving youth a chance until our injured players recover. Maybe even play Kaboul in the middle for a couple of games to give some balance to our otherwise lightweight midfield.
Bobby Zamora?!??!???!
What the hell is Harry playing at...........
Deflection. It's just deflection.
Some of these rumours are quite unnerving - imagine next season playing 433 with Crouch, Zigic and Zamorra up front!
I'm really peeed off with the BBC, Talk Sport and Sky. They are both activily selling Modric, as we write. The media will have to be brought to book on this tapping up issue somehow, but I don't know how it can be eradicated.
Kevin Bond is not helping. His recent quote is ridiculous.
Of course, Redknapp has never knowingly tapped up a player.
Who told Bond to say that?? Grrrrrrrrrr
Perhaps the Tommy Cooper impersonator has added ventriloquism to his act, with Kevin Bond as the dummy.
No signings, Bond opening the door for the next Modders Chelski bid, Harry saying for the 1000th time we can't compete with wages. Bobby Zamora.
Good job the sun is shining...
Joey Barton is available on a free.
Was just going to say that I can see Harry signing Barton up now that he's on a freebie........
Oh and according to the Metro, Real are offering to let us sign Diarra and borrow Benzema on loan for a year, as long as they get first option on Bale...... in the January 2013 window.
Don't believe a word of it myself.
Something is about to give way. I can feel it in my bones.
That's just yesterday's curry Spooks......
Help us if Joey Barton joins us....I'm finished with football altogether if that happens.
This has been a challenging day for Spurs fans. Kevin Bond doing an Interview with Alan Brazil from his car with Harry in the background conducting the replies to Brazil's questions. He never said that the club would sell if they received the right offer. He said every player has his price, when prompted by Brazil; Quote; I suppose every player at every club has their price Kevin. Reply; Yeah I suppose thats right.
I firmly believe that Harry is conniving away behind Levy's back to get rid of Modric, so he gets some funds in for new players. Keane, Crouch, Defoe, Hutton, Jenas, Gio or Bentley are just not attracting any offers. They all need to be sold at a 'knock-down' price. The more I think about it the more I think that Hudd has a role to play in midfield with Sandro/Parker and maybe VDV will start lasting the full 90 mins. I'm so fed up reading all the stuff about how many players are on the move and there's nothing happening at WHL. Apparently Levy's gone on holiday. Surely not.
Lets getting Joey Barton. It makes sense....
Yeah, Joey Barton, Parker, Baliotelli and Zamora my top picks.
Top picks? what like in Top trumps? so you'd pick them for what category? 'person the fans would most like to take a paving slab to'?
Parker has better quality than Barton, and I stll don't want to spend money on him. If we could swap JJ and Bentley I'd think about it, but it would seriously reduce Spooky's story telling. These things need to be considered!