When does it kick off?
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 11:56AM Has the football season started? I know it has but it obviously hasn't because I'm emotionally numb and I'm neither euphoric or disillusioned. Although the latter is a perfect fit for many who still strongly believe our summer transfer window activity has gone belly-up, with no saviour or messiah of the green fields to break the clouds apart with a rainbow.
I haven't even watched either edition of Match of the Day yet, although from the sounds of it I've only missed Alan Hansen salivating over a single passage of Liverpool play that is apparently ample evidence of their return to past glories. I did watch Real v Barca which was stupendous fun and also caught the second half of the City v Swansea game including the début of the completely unknown to these shores, Sergio Agüero, who scored a brace and assisted too. A star is born indeed, confirmed by Alan Smith because players don't exist until after they've appeared on a Super Sunday or MNF.
Talking of commentators, why is it they always sound so slutty for the football they're watching? It's like a porn actress who prefers not to wipe away the mess on her face, preferring instead to glisten for the camera all proud and gleeful when the reality is altogether far less attractive no matter how much she smiles and winks.
As for Kun. Blatantly blagging it against Championship opposition. Will fade by Christmas. Won't score as many as Adebayor either.
Talking of which, I'm still certain we'll sign a forward. I'm still banging the drum of delight whilst others bang the drum of despondency and dejection. I can not see this window closing without an arrival or two because such a scenario would be wholly unacceptable and yadda yadda yadda you've heard it all summer long. Faith is sitting next to me. Okay so he's a little sleepy and I keep having to nudge him because the snoring is repugnant but hey, at least his heart is beating. Sort of. Almost. Faintly.
Robbie Keane is gone. To the MLS. Tongue in cheek 'my dream' soundbite from Keano as he becomes a LA Galaxy player. I guess how much you rate (love) the player is all very much dependent on whether you believe his move to Liverpool tainted him so harshly that his first spell at Spurs is no longer one you can look back at with joy.
If that's you, then remind yourself of the following:
301 apps
122 goals
9th highest goal scorer in our history and one of only 16 players to have joined the THFC 100+ goal club.
I'm going to talk about Robbie on the next The Fighting Cock podcast, so I'll leave the particulars until then. But no argument that he very much did taint himself with the move to Liverpool. He left us for them, of course we're going to look on with disappointment. Perhaps that question in his head pushed him towards Anfield in a quest to see if he could step it up a further level away from his comfort zone only to find that it wasn't the answer he was hoping for. But to ignore his record prior to his move? Stupid. The only unforgivable is being subjected to that cartwheel celebration for so long before he retired it.
He might not have been the greatest but he consistently did a job for us and his stats prove that. His body has given up on him, possibly in addition, has also lost most of his swagger and confidence too. Good luck in the States. If you can't score any goals there Robbie, you could always return to Scotland.
Elsewhere. Arsenal finally allow Cesc to go home. £35M? Cheap, no matter how you look at it. Even if the player has retained a high level of performance, some claim he has somewhat stagnated. That's if you believe a player can be very good but not improve in leaps and bounds and still be awarded with the stagnated label. Warranted or otherwise, not sure it's time to RIP our North London neighbours but they seem to be losing players with each passing week. Hardly feel sorry for them but you have to laugh out loud when you see Fabregas kiss the badge on his new Barca shirt. Half expecting Luka to score an own goal at Old Trafford then rip his shirt off to reveal a Chelsea tattoo on his chest stating 'I'M A SLAVE, PLEASE LET ME JOIN MY DESTINY, I AM A CHELSEA BLUE, 4EVER'. It's a a big tattoo. Hey, maybe Arsenal will bid for Luka.
What? What did I say? Don't shoot the messenger, k?
So Hearts this week. Channel 5 ITV 4. I'm hoping for a strong spine and a comfortable win. Get through the qualifier then perhaps blood some kids. Don't care how weak Scottish football is, but would rather avoid a Young Boys type mishap in the first leg. If anything because it would mean us having to hold onto Crouch just to make sure we get through the second leg.
Man Utd away, our opening game of the season next Monday. I predict an open game. Score draw. No keeper gaffs from our boy please. Be rude to distract attention away from De Gea.
Limbo still has made prisoner. Feels like an eternity. Not long now before I escape.
COYS.
Love the shirt.
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Reader Comments (35)
First at last !
Great blog Spooks, apart from we are on ITV 4 'the home of man TV' and not channel 5. Unless we are on both.
Do you remember when Mido scored a brace on his debut?
Keano (of the past) will always be missed. He just wasn't the same when he came back from Liverpool... we no longer had "only one Keano"... we were left with two. One with his tail in his ass-crack and the other aggressively shouting and pointing.
Oh well, best of luck in the US. If you score, give them one of those cartwheel gun-slinging moments... courtesy of Tottenham Hotspur!
COYS!
Shows how much attention I've been paying.
Yr friend "Faith" only has to survive on life support for 2 more weeks. Then you can let him slip quietly away Spookly.
He will go to a better place I am sure.
I dont have a friend called "Faith". Levy will not spend big with Redknapps future uncertain (gaol or England manager).
The current squad should get us thru this season without any alarms then new manager can start in his own image this time next year.
"Yr friend "Faith" only has to survive on life support for 2 more weeks"
I like that. You gonna pull the plug or should I?
I just see Bryan Ruiz asking for a spurs move....this is what we need someone dying to sign for us....he is 6ft 1 but more of a skillful Suarez, Ageuro, Tevez kind of player and I do think they are the new breed strikers, quick nimble and strong but technically amazing, coz lets face it at school the most skillful ones always played upfront.......whereas with spurs the least skillful player in football Crouch and his one trick run and shoot before getting knocked down team mate Defoe cant lead the line at all.
13 mill go get Ruiz.
I hear Crouch and Palacios has been accepted and they are delaying it whilst lining up replacements.
I would then go for a Huntelaar or Adebayor, experienced to lead the line and leave the rest of the side untouched, although I do worry about who will handle Ashley Young @ right back on Monday....Walkers pace has to be the one, although defensively he aint ready
Would be very happy with Ruiz as a RW/Forward alongside another forward.
Adebayor over Huntelaar.
Yr friend "Faith" only has to survive on life support for 2 more weeks. Then you can let him slip quietly away Spookly.
He will go to a better place I am sure.
I dont have a friend called "Faith". Levy will not spend big with Redknapps future uncertain (gaol or England manager).
The current squad should get us thru this season without any alarms then new manager can start in his own image this time next year.
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Totally agree kaiskama. Levy is reluctant to spend the cash knowing that our east end boy will either get locked up or get the England job. He's record of buying for Spurs has been somewhat poor.
Lets take a look at the sums shall we?
Keane. 15mil from Scousepool. 1-2 million or there abouts to Mars Bar, sorry Galaxy FC.
Crouch. 10 mil. probably get around 6 million from Stoke
Defoe: 18mil from Pompey and would get, what, 10mil at best?
Sg Major Wilson. 14mil now going to Stoke for around 8mil.
Krankie has been a good buy but shame we don't play him.
Next season it is and a real shame we didn't build on our CL team of last year.
Have to believe a striker is coming. It gets me through the days.
Thoughts on Caulker last night? Thought he look strong, calm and confident. Few little wobbles but pretty good considering it was his Premier League debut and he was up against people like Aguero and Silva. Should get better and better as the season goes on.
I am firmly in the despondency and dejection camp. I have seen Levy behave like this before, allowing us to be linked with everyone from Diarra to the Dalai Llama, and then on September 1st allow someone like Redknapp to talk to the press about the top, top players we missed out on.
We have had nearly 2 months so far, and with under 2 weeks to go before the window slams shut we are actually no further forward. I really would rather Levy come out now and tell us, we will sign no one. At least then I can get on with my work, rather than logging on to Newsnow every 5 minutes.
Do not be disheartened. I have uncovered information from several ITK's suggesting we will be signing someone
Between now and and the transfer window closure in august 3011.....
Don't forget you heard it here first
Mr Nutkins. Loving the hair sir. Keep it up
Not sure about your maths though. Defoe was £8m, not £18, plus bits and pieces that Pompey already owed us, and which we were not certain to see if they went bust. Keane was £12m back to Liverpool of the £20m they gave us 4 months before. OK, £12m still doesnt look great, but he was our top scorer after returning and helped us to turn around a potentially embarrasing relegation fight into upper-mid take respectability. Likewise Palacios. Crouch for £9m was a great piece of business - there is no way Stoke will get him for less than that and he is 2 years older now. And can I remind you that - Keane aside (which was sheer desperartion) - all of these signings contributed strongly to our club qualifying for the CL, thereby paying for themselves several times over? If it is wastes of money you are after, how about about Bentley? Dos Santos? Woodgate? Gomes? Hutton? Rocha? How about Boateng ffs?! I could go on. HR had nothing to do with those, and they've contributed almost nothing positive to the clubs progress.
There is no way we are delaying spending while waiting for HR to move on. Its a bullshit argument, it doesnt make any sense. You cant have high earning players at the club and decide to write off a season. You need success to sustain success. To suggest Levy doesnt understand this is laughable. Look, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its probably a duck. The reason we havent signed a striker is that all of the good ones are too expensive (thanks financial cheats like City, Chelsea, PSG, even Liverpool, pricing normal clubs out of the market), while the not so good ones we can afford are worse than what we already have. You can stop the consipracy theories right there.
Overall there has been so much nonsense written in the transfer window about who Spurs are selling and buying. Try to remember that overall we have a really great squad and yes maybe a new striker is wanted, but there is no guarantee that buying one will solve problems. Torres did not work last season for Chelsea and all of us rated him. Personally I would sooner see us first giving our youngsters a chance rather than lash out 15-20 million with no certainty of success.
Jay...is this the same Ashley Young who used to turn up for Villa last season? Because, if memory serves me right, we've always dealt with him accordingly.
My only fear over 'old trafford' is the media campaign for a "crouch challenge" on De Gea's confidence. If we go ahead with this nonsense, and Harry surely won't pass on the opportunity to play his favourite muppet, then we are going to lose - again.
Crouch scored two goals - 2 goals! - entire season with his perched up head and none were particularly clever or against good opposition. He is NEVER going to be our main weapon. I can't believe that when a new goalkeeper is found to be shaky dealing with hoofs, Tottenham Hotspur is the name that everyone think about when considering his main challenges. This has to stop. Crouch must be sold to STOKE....Its only natural.
Terry.
hindsight is a wonderful thing. The Keane/Palacios/Chimbonda purchases were all necessary at a time of the real threat of relegation. They served their purpose.
The following year Crouch & JD linked well, with JD getting 18 league goals....together they made top 4. they were not carried. they were an essential part of that achievement.
Last season saw a new system & VDV. Crouch linkled well with him but is clearly not dynamic enough. JD got injured and never got going when he returned. A pre season with VDV will reveal whether they can form an effective partnership.
I do not see Palacios/Keane/JD/Crouch as failed signings They were logical at the time, its just that at times they have badly underperformed.
But for those "failures" there is also VDV, Kaboul, Sandro, Gallas, Cudicini, Kranjcar who have proved successful.
A lot of of HRs expensive signings were made in desperate times....we are now in a different place and we need different types of signings. The old have served their purpose and will be moved on, then lets judge Harry on what he brings in!
"...while the not so good ones we can afford (odemwingie, hernandez, diego, etc) are worse than what we already have (crouch, jenas, hutton, etc). You can stop the consipracy theories right there.
Aug 16, 2011 at 1:15 PM | Paul
Paul... Are you serious?
Our striking department is on crouches ffs! We are now the official hoofing team that's going to challenge De Gea on Monday. Are you sure we can't do better than Crouch?
And what about Jenas. Who is on roughly 60k a week. Are you sure we can't buy a midfielder than is cheaper than this proven rubbish?
Cmon!
This might be our best chance in a long time to actaully take United to the sword. Vidic and Ferds are injured and De Gea is still learning the ropes. All that needs to happen now, is Howard Webb needs to be sidelined on the bench or better yet in the reserves for this one.
While things aren't exactly going swimmingly for us in the transfer market, I am at very least enjoying arsenal's situation...after all the years of hearing it from the gooners or goners more like, they now become the laughing stock, and if things stay as is for them, they might not even be in the top 4!
I won't waste all my energy praying for their fall though...Aguero we should have bought him, despite what everyone says about him scoring against newly promoted championship side, still sorry we didn't buy him.
I believe we will sign two strikers. Possibly Ruiz and Adebayor and maybe Crouch and Palacious will go to Stoke. Crouchy scoared some important goals for us, at Eastlands and in the CL, so we have to give him a fond fairwell. What puzzles me is that Caulker and Khumalo were loaned out this season, when we have a problem in the CD area of the team. A lot of young defenders have made it at an early age and I believe these to players should have been kept at WHL as there's the Europa Cup to contend with as well. Maybe he's going to splash the cash on a defender also. I think Harry wants to have a tilt at the title this season and I hope his thinking is exactly that. Look at last season. Had we had got our striking situation right, who's to know how our season would have panned out. I'm just waiting for our first 3 points at Old Trafford and then it's 'all systems go. Come on you Spurs.
Spot on, Ronnie, both posts.
Ronnie, wtf has Jenas got to do with a comment about strikers? As for your suggestions, Hernandez isnt for sale as far as I know, while Diego is neither a striker, nor any fucking good. He scored 6 goals last season, 5 the one before that. So good luck with that one my friend. Are you his agent?
Odemwingie is a player I like and would be pleased to see signed. Lets not pretent he's some kind of massive upgrade on Pav or Defoe though. Why not ask WBrom fans if they'd like to do a straight swap for Defoe / Odemwingie. Dont expect to get your hand back when making that offer. He's 29 and has a career of nothingness up until last season. As a back up to Defoe or even Lennon, I'd take him. As our new number 1 striker? I dont think so.
Our strikers had a bad season last year, it doesnt make them bad players. We have improved in recent years. The better the players you have, the harder it is to improve them. For context, if Defoe was on the market today there'd be plenty of takers at a fee well above £10m, and wages above £50k a week. Infact if Defoe was on the market today, we might struggle to sign him!
Some people are suggesting Bryan Ruiz. This is classic numb-nuts thinking, that goes along the lines of 'any signing is better than nothing'. Bryan Ruiz has had 1 good seasons in an abject Dutch league. Before that he was moderate in the Belgian league. Last season he scored 10 goals in 47 games. Let me repeat, 10 goals in 47 games. Worse than any of our strikers, against much, much worse opposition. At international level he has 9 goals in 43 games, in matches mostly played against such powerhouses as El Salvador, Honduras and Trinidad. The idea that anyone is going to be paying £13m for him is so ludicrous that it beggers belief. Him and his agent are talking up a move, but there is simply no way anyone would pay more than £5 or £6m for him. He just isnt good enough. And I havent seen anything - NOTHING - to sugget Spurs are interested.
To those that think we should pay £13m for Bryan Ruiz, could I also make you an offer of some magic beans that I have for sale?
@ziege.... :-)
@Paul F,
The examples were just to showcase that purchases that are within our reach, and that involve players better than the ones we have (Jenas surely?), have been made. I can see that you have more information than we have on Bryan Ruiz and I won't argue with you on that. But people said the same of Suarez last season...look what happened there.
Luis Suarez vs. Bryan Ruiz; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J1H-PQNIVQ
Maybe a "purchase for purchases sake" is actually needed, because we really need some HOPE. And nothing fills me with more dispair than the thought of Harry's Crouchy showing up for us - as main striker - for yet another season. He's woeful...& thats a thought i've held since his days at Liverpool.
As for Diego and his 6 goals...well, other much loved 'midfielders' have scored less; Modric had 3 last season, Bale had 3, and none of us is complaining. I know who I would prefer between Diego and (omg!) - Jenas. Besides, he was just an example of a 'risk' we can afford.
Commencing yet another season relying on Harry's Crouchy is unacceptable.
My sincerest apologies to Gareth Bale.
Bale - 3? I meant 3 different hairstyles :-)
Message was - goal stats don't tell the whole story when it comes to creative midfield players.
Ronnie, surely the point is, we don't need more midfielders, especially not attacking ones. You can't compare Diego to modric. He is comparable to vdv and krancj. And he doesn't compare favourably to either.
Regarding Ruiz vs Saurez, this is spurious. Suarez had stared in a world cup and had already been expensively acquired by ajax. Some may have doubted that he was worth £25m, but everyone knew he was a player. Ruiz is nowhere near Suarez in either goal record or all round aability. People pick up on nonsense like this and then try to convince themsrlvrs that we have to get this player, he is the one. And then the frustration grows when the rumour turns out to be garbage.
We are a top side challenging for the upper end of the pl. Players that will improve our team don't grow on trees. It's a fact whether people like it or not. Anyway those whose life depends on spurs signing people can rejoice. The elephant washer's son is on his way
Ruiz looks good,but my main reason for joining in is to tell you MOTD will never be the same again,too much spunk,ooh i'm nearly getting sick thinking about it
Great post Spooky! It put a smile on my face!
Devonshire has been spot on thru this window IMO about our tactics. Prices have been crazy and we don't/can't pay the big wages.
And aguero. When did we miss out on him? I dont think there was ever a chance of us getting him. The only big name striker I think you could say we missed out on was saurez.
If we don't sign them early on history shows they will be signed late, I don't see anything changing this window.
With keane being sold we can expect 1 more in but you could always count vdv as 4th striker. However if crouch is moved on then you can guarantee something is going to happen.
Paul F...i am with you! A voice of reason! well done, keep up the good fight!
So many people suddenly develop a specialist knowledge of the careers and qualities of strikers they have never heard of before, or ever seen......Vucinic, Leandro, Ruiz etc. Suddenly our Levy & Harry are failures for not buying these "obvious talents". So many fans so quick to talk up previously never heard of players and run down our current players.
Why can't people recognise that Jenas performs an important squad role. he's not first choice CM, he is not even 2nd, and if we get someone in to replace palacios, he won't even be 3rd, but he is a decent player on his day, he is experienced and he doesn't whinge about not playing (Kranjcar). We cannot have a squad full of world beaters, we cannot afford to and we cannot keep everyone happy. The back up will clearly not be of the quality of the first XI. Jenas should be respected for being loyal (rare commodity) and of a good quality for a back up......there is always Bentley!
I totally agree on the quality of our strikers.....JD missed half last season and then returned after Crouch & VDV had struck up a partnership. Unfortunately JD did not really get on a roll, although he scored as many as Suarez did for LFC and more than Carroll/Torres/Dzeko did for their new clubs. The season before he got 18 league goals (24 in total), and formed a greater partnership with Crouch as we achieved 4th place. The lad knows where the back of the net is. Odenwinge would be a replacement as would Gyan and I don't see them offering anything better, especially as it would cost us NET £5m-10m.
Anyone promoting Ruiz as a replacement is talking outof their ar$e. It would be a massive risk, he would need to settle in and adjust to the EPL...utter waste of time and money. What we need is someone to come in and hit the ground running. not a risky no-mark from some provincial league.
Cannot believe some are actually promoting a purchase for purchses sake on the grounds of giving the fans hope! Jeeez. We need to be making quality signings and if that takes until 31st Aug, so be it. There is no point taking a £13m punt on Ruiz to appease the fans because if he is cack that will be angry fans and wasted money.
Just read this on an ESPN site 'The Blues have already had two bids for the player rejected but they remain keen on bringing him to Stamford Bridge and owner Roman Abramovich believes a player-plus-cash deal is the way forward. That sounds as though Daniel Levy hasn't spoken on the subject.
Why can't these journo's take Levy at his word. Are they being paid by Chelsea to ignore Tottenham and their Chairman as though they didn't even exist. The player is not for sale. End off. F off Roman.
Drogba and Anelka in please Levy.
Hands up who would take Bent back now if it was offered?
I wouldn't. Not unless we changed tactics and played like Charlton or Sunderland did when Bent was up front for them.
Two things about Keane:
Do the stats really back up anything? He was our principle striker for six seasons and only broke 20 goals twice in that time and it is fair to argue that he only did so on the back of playing in the UEFA Cup. Otherwise he, the player that's gone for the same amount of money that you'd get for an average Prem team - would never have broken that barrier once in his career.
The other thing - and the residing memory I have of him - is that he spent more time moaning at his team mates and officials than he did in the box trying to score. I tend to over use this clip, but just watch him - 44 seconds in. Watch the ball hit the back of the net - and watch what Keane is doing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjzIkwLdOc
Some will argue that's the selfish nature that all great strikers should display. But the stats don't back up him being a great striker (other than possibly at international level - though debatable as to quality of the opposition).
Defoe 3 league goals, Crouch 2 league goals.
God knows, this is well covered ground, but it seems folks have these conflicting notions. We're too big and too ambitious to buy anything less than a finished product, world class striker who can "move us forward" but because we cannot offer champions league or 100K+ wages, we are not attractive to this kind of player. "The reason we havent signed a striker is that all of the good ones are too expensive", via PaulF.
Defoe 3 goals, Crouch 2 goals.
But Devonshire says "Anyone promoting Ruiz as a replacement is talking outof their ar$e." Because despite being within our price range and willing to come to the club, he's not established world class "able to hit the ground running" with no "need to settle in and adjust to the EPL." PaulF concurs, "He [ruiz] just isnt good enough... the not so good ones [strikers] we can afford are worse than what we already have."
Defoe 3 goals, Crouch 2 goals--I think someone would have to try really really hard to be worse than what we currently have. You keep holding out for that perfect magic bullet striker who won't have any settling in period and come September this is what we may end up with:
Defoe 3 goals, Crouch 2 goals.