Much Ade about nothing
Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 1:39PM Bale and Adam
Gareth getting a ton of flak from his own fans over the Adam vendetta, a tart some say for constantly banging on about it. Next time, if his ankle is broken, I'll quote Bale's complaints to remind you of the tarts feelings on this matter.
Victoria Line extension
Haringey Council have unveiled their vision for 'Tottenham' which includes information relating to Northumberland Park train station finally getting an extension via the Victoria Line to aid that extra incoming traffic and escape home. The document is 56 pages long. Also worth noting is that the summer of 2016 is when the NDP is aiming for completion. We'll have to wait a little longer for the tube extension with work beginning 2017.
The high line
Not perfect yet is it? But then we've not played that many games and we still lack a key component for it to work - a 'sweeper' keeper. Lloris rumours continue. The system won't work too well with Brad between the sticks because of his lack of adventure walking forwards. Equally important is having the likes of Parker and Sandro available to pressure players in the middle of the park. Early days. Parker set to miss start of season due to op. The high line itself also relies on communication and fluidity of not just the defenders but how they push forward with support from said midfield. A variety of components are required for it to work but it won't do so with assured confidence until we have all the necessary players in place. Also, patience. It won't be perfect from the off which means expect errors early on once the season starts proper until they are ironed out. Of course, if everyone is on key with positioning it will be a lot more comfortable and stress free the stronger it grows from one game to the next.
Adebayor and Luka
Nothing appears to have changed publicly aside from Villas-Boas citing the mental state of Modric who is currently training whilst we wait for the next chess move between Levy and Madrid. Almost feels like nothing else (transfer wise) will happen until this is resolved. How certain are we that someone will meet the clubs valuation of the player? How certain are we that Levy will hold strong on his stance and not shift from it, much like he did last year with Chelsea? It's dragging like a legless zombie crawling through a graveyard. We can't sign a replacement until he's gone so if we're not signing a replacement is it because we're unsure of the players departure? When is the cut off date - as a deal on the final day of the season won't work for us unless we've signed another midfielder before then.
As for our forward line. The Adebayor deal appears to be going the distance much like the Jan Vert signing did. Technicalities concerning wages? It's more than likely to happen much like it was this time last week/month. Whatever the hold up with us/City it's going to be an identical issue if Adebayor was attempting to sign for any other club. So with all the work done thus far on trying to get him on a permanent contract, I don't think the deal will collapse. We also need a goal scoring machine and the real mystery remains who that might be. Wouldn't surprise me if we announced someone out of nowhere. Wouldn't surprise me if we didn't. We've not 'signed' a striker since Robbie Keane returned to the club. We are due something very special. Otherwise, tears will be shed.
Reader Comments (18)
You mentioned the most important word and that's patience. Not something the normal football fan has in abundance but is something we need to allow the new system/players to bed in. PS. don't expect Parker AND Sandro to play together when both fully fit.
Most important... we need a striker, or better still, two strikers that can find the back of the net. If we don't sign one before the transfer window closes, we will be a toothless tiger. Modric nearly ruined our season last year, and if we don't get rid and replace him, he will cause more upheaval this year. The geezer wants out!
I hope we buy more players maybe levy could just buy Charlie Adam then we let him rot on the bench or better yet let him stay with the reserves
Unfortunately I suspect tears will be shed - again :-(
I think the Stadium completion for 2016 is the whole stadium.
They are, of course, building about two thirds while WHL stands and is used. Then we will occupy that new stadium while the old is demolished and the final third (and houses) built
We should be in the part finished stadium well before 2016.
Also, it refers to a £430m investment. Now I am not sure whether that is the whole NDP, to inc. house/sainsburys/stadium etc and whether it is a gross sum (total development costs of every thing, not including for any revenue from the sale of the residential & retail elements) or net sum.
Dempsey and Carroll available ? Kane has to get a chance too, never too sure re non PL players, always takes a season or two, maybe AVB will fancy Torres , don't know if chavski would deal with us, hopefully JD will get a good run just needs somebody to explain the offside rule to him, ridiculous how often te gets caught
Needs: Ade + 1 up top (hopefully Damiao-probably Rondon), cover out wide unless he really fancies GDS which I can't see, GK Steklenberg would be great if there's a shred of truth in the rumour. Also Modric replacement or Modric himself or some slag who just looks like him and can 'ran about abit'!
Wants: All of the above plus Giuseppe Rossi. Part of a relegated team and surely will be sold. This guy scored 36 goals two seasons ago. Imagine if we could get him playing off the right. There is a small matter of him having less working knees than Ledley. I read an article which suggested that we were prepared to offer to take him on loan effective immediately. IT was structured so that we pay his wages while he recovers in Spain and once fit he comes to London with a fixed fee after the year £8m. Sounds convoluted but very Levyesque in it's sneakiness!!! Watch this space.
PS: Very impressed/excited after the Red Bulls Soccerball expo demonstration. The players seem to have bought into this high pressing idea and must be working hard as they looked seriously fit!
Footnote: Spooky = Legend!
COYS
We've got Giovanni dos Santos
Don't expect Parker to be a pick under AVB full stop. No good winning the ball back if you don't have the ability to use it intelligently. No Luka to get him out of jail this seasonj
Good article! I think your right about saying the high-line is very much, still, a work in progress. Although I think ,judging by the Red Bulls game, there are signs of improvement.I think the high-tempo pressing game seems also seems to suit us,with the majority of our midfield being under 5ft 10" and very mobile. Obviously the real examination will come when we take the field against better opposition but I believe, considering it's still early days, the progress is encouraging.
The modric deal is dragging on, but I'm confident that levy and AVB have already identified targets, and that now its more just a case of making the actual offers. I'm sure Levy has seen what happened with Arsenals early season form after they let there transfer dealings drag on without having the appropriate contingency plans, and will be desperate not to make the same mistake. Especially, with the pressure that he and AVB will be under if results do not go our way from the start.
I do also believe that while the club may prefer to have the Modric deal sorted before we make anymore new signings, that there are funds available, even if Luka doesn't move on. The departures of Kranjcar, Corluka, Pav and Pienaar, plus the new sponsorship deal, must mean that the transfer kitty is more than sufficiently full enough for us to go and buy 3 quality should we need to. I, like you, feel that the Adebayor deal is just a matter of dotting the I's and cross the T's . And I wouldn't be surprised if Levy has had a word with Ade in an attempt to try and get the big striker to try and orchestrate getting a free transfer out city!
So assuming that we do get Ade and £35mill+ for luka, I think moves for Butland/LLoris/Cesar , Ever Benega (especially if he,as I expect, puts on a playmaking master class when the two teams meet next week for a pre-season friendly)/Joao Moutinho/ Ander Herrera, and Loic Remy, will leave us all feel rather optimistic about the upcoming campaign.
I made an assumption that the hold up might be down to Adebayor.
Easy mistake to make.
Not sure why but a post I sent earlier didn't appear to make it through, but below is basically what I said at the time (around 2.30pm)
Nipped to the Spurs store at WHL where I used to work and so I managed to catch up with a few old colleague who still work there. In amongst all the chat I got a few snippets of info about the what's going on (i.e. the third kit is definitely that black-and-grey kit we've all seen leaked) but there was one bit that really intrigued me. When talking about our the reported new-found money I told them a couple of rumours I had heard which could account for this (1. that Joe Lewis has apparently decided to pay for the new stadium out of his own money, and 2. the naming rights have already been agreed etc.). One of my friends then told me that the Prince of Brunei was scheduled to arrive at WHl at 3pm and be shown round. Now of course this could mean absolutely nothing, but at the same time I found it quite interesting and felt that I should pass this on. Like I said, I sent this message (albeit slightly more condensed as I didn't have much time) earlier but having checked back here just now I can't see it anywhere...
When HR went I felt that Levy had made the right decision for the future, but the ongoing soap opera of Modric has left me with that old familiar feeling of yesteryear. There is no way LM is worth 40 mill. In addition I would suggest that if he is still at WHL this season there is absolutely no way he will be prepared to put in the hard yards that will be essential to advance up the table. Levy and Modric are at loggerheads and it is a matter of who blinks first. I get the horrible feeling that Levy's hard nosed stance will come back to bite us. And, as an after thought, who is going to score goals for us this season. JD can't do it all on his own.
The striker issue appears to me to be crucial. Everything else will sort in time. As you say Spooky, who? Off the top of my head, a wide bald space from which ideas normally swarm like bats leaving a cave, I am clueless. I know what I want to see and as tempting an idea Andy from Anfield may be, somehow it just doesn't feel right. Really what we need is someone spectacular, hugely talented, fast, strong and dripping with flair; a sort of Drogba Berbatov clone. A Drogbatov striker but where do you find such a beast? Of course the real problem is that we need three of them and we need them tomorrow morning.
Well done spooky, findings something to write about in a news vacuum.
Bale & Adam
Reminds me a bit of Wile E Coyote vs Roadrunner. Name callings and expecting apologies r a bit rich - remember to "get your retaliation in first" is a lesson to be learned.
Victoria line.
If London Underground and Haringey Council are involved in the NDP project - we should rename it the Millenium stadium.
The high line.
Surely practice makes perfect - so arrange some more friendlies.
Adebayor and Luka.
I must confess to becoming slightly optimistic when we showed early signs of signing Gylfi and Vertonghen. But who said a leopard can't change it's spots. DL is going to take it to the wire again and probably rob us of the chance of signing any decent replacements.
If the moneys locked up in these two deals why can't DL take out a short term loan.
Any truth to the rumours that Malaga may be stripped of their Champions League if they can't pay their players soon?
If so, then it begs the very intriguing question..
Just saw a brilliant troll on football rumours (yes, news is so scare I am even looking in the gutter). Some clown posted that we are about to sign Jamie O'Hara from Wolves. You should see the comments flying in on that one. Somewhere in the wrong part of North London a gooner has just made his year with that one.
Beware of trolls!
Bring back O'Hara...and Palacios, Zocora and the Steed! I think I saw Taienio playing for the Red Bulls. We could get the band back together again!!