Hello Goodbye
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at 10:48PM Like a hellmouth erupting in Sunnydale, it's all kicking off. Except there's no Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Just a bald headed bloke armed with a shrewd grin on his face and some pound notes stuffed in his pockets. Stakes are high. Everyone is holding their hands up to their beating hearts. It's not all done and dusted just yet.
Bassong to Norwich. Not unexpected. A player that cost us £8M and has gone for considerably less. Did not have the best of times at Spurs. Started well, faded, didn't really get a look in. Not a shocker his career in Lilywhite amounted to cameo appearance and grunts of frustration. Marginalised and now gone.
Dawson leaving for QPR (bid accepted) for £5.5M / £7.5M / £9M (depending on source) is one that leaves me with a heavy heart. I love big Daws. His smile, his endeavour. The way he played so majestically alongside Ledley King. Not so great alongside others. A confidence player that many of us wanted to see cement that centre-back position and armband. He came close.
The fact he was the make-weight in the deal that saw Andy Reid sign for us is wonderfully ironic. A great servant to the club, I know that's a cliché, but he was. Struggled with injuries, not the quickest player but one with heart and effort and a player that wore the shirt with pride and celebrated like a supporter when we won. I will miss the bloke dearly. He lives local to me. Last time I saw him in my local Boots I just gave him a knowing glance. Next time, I'll risk a restraining order and hug the big lug. Good luck Michael. Loyal to Spurs. Shame we're not as loyal to him as he has been to us. I guess with Vert, Kaboul and Caulker (and the experience of Gallas) along with the high line pacey tactic, he doesn't fit into the new system. Villas-Boas putting the team first, sacrificing sentimentality for progress. Which is a good thing, but equally a little sad. I said good luck already, I'll say it again. Let's hope we're covered then, what with 38 league games and Europa League and domestic cups. That good luck stretches to Villas-Boas also.
Moving on...
Adebayor finally signs. Yes, it's not a dream. It's happened. He even tweeted about it. Unless his account was hacked again. But no, it's done. For £5M. With City set to fork out the same amount in wages to the player. Modern football is very confusing and very expensive. For some. Levy seems to enjoy the game. It means we have strength up top for WBA on Saturday. Adebayor gave us assists and goals last season. We'll have to wait and see if VB was serious about having Harry Kane as his 3rd choice. If so, then we have our three strikers for the season. Except when you look at them, it still feels weak in depth. We need another forward. A striker, a more robust intelligent poacher. Okay, so now I might be dreaming.
As for midfielders, Huddlestone and Jenas linked with loan moves away although these persisted as rumours with no follow up after the 'stories' broke. Luka Modric mean while first made an appearance in Spanish football newspaper Marca, only to then be revealed as a three year old photograph that had been photo-shopped. Then an appearance on the Madrid official website, hidden away but discovered before being removed. Image below (courtesy of Sibs who was quick to screen-grab it):
We await for official confirmation. Then the only thing that matters. Movement for a replacement.
Good day for the chairman. Good window in fact if you add up the money so far which you hope goes back towards supporting the coach as an ample war chest - Corluka £5M, Niko £4M, Pienaar £4.5M, Bassong £6M, Daws £9M (tbc) and Modric, £35M with any luck.
A step forward for the club, moving closer to fixing up the squad but still plenty of question marks. All to be resolved, answered with time.
Ten days time. Tick tock.
Reader Comments (59)
Happy Ade has finally signed, It was a matter of when and not if though. In terms of Dawson and Thudd leaving, there seems to be some displeasure from Spurs fans. I'd say if we want progress, they need to move on. Hudd, Daws and even Bassong never let Spurs down, but if the club is to move forward players of a higher caliber need to be brought in, hopefully these departures don't just signify a couple more signings, but also free up places in the first team for Tom Carroll and Steven Caulker.
I'm absolutely gutted about Daws. He was the one who I didn't want to leave out of every player. But understand why his leaving. When we play QPR however, I will be singing "There's only one MICHAEL DAWSON" at the top of my voice. Love you Daws.
Yeah, real shame about Daws. I too thought he was a great club man who gave everything in each game he played and was proud to wear the shirt.
In truth though, like all players, he has his weaknesses, which tend to get highlighted when playing CB and he needed a Ledley to make him perform to his best.
I wish him well and thank him for his contribution over what have been interesting and volatile times at Spurs.
I echo your comments about Daws.I'm really gonna miss the bloke and secretly hope that this is just press talk without substance, but I don't hold out to much hope. Give him a big hug from me too!!
Lets just hope that with future injuries and suspensions we don't end up with Ledley doing a Scholes like comeback on one leg ( he could still tackle better than him though!)
Ade is the deal that really annoys me. Following his performances upfront last year this should have been the first deal that we did on the opening day of the window. £5m for a 28 year old with his attributes? How it's been allowed to drag on this long is staggering and to open the season without him smacks of incompetence. Welcome back big guy. I feel a little more confident about the outcome of this season now!
Who would have guessed that little Luka was 5ft-10?
I am really sad that Daws is leaving. He used to annoy me with his 60 yard Hollywood balls, and yes he was only comfortable with Ledley next to him, telling him what to do.
But what a lovely guy. He will be missed. In my funny world I am lot more sad that he is leaving than Luka.
I suppose Vertonghen and Kaboul will be first choice with Caulker/Gallas behind them. Does anyone have any idea why Vertonghen didn't play against Newcastle?
Madrid are creative with their copy.
Pretty pissed off that we're letting daws go because as I see it gallas is 35, caulker is still young and learning, ventonghen needs time to settle In, so that just leaves Kaboul as the only reliable proven prem non injury prone cb! Plus sorry I'm going on but AVB said just a few weeks ago that daws was more than likely replace king as captain and he also took a centre stay for the new kit promotion photos now were letting him go for 9m just because his slow on the turn ( how about his experience tackling heading etc.....)think that one will come back to bite us this year QPR are getting a bargain IMO. P.s happy ade signed hope for a few more yet though COYS
New era, let's evaluate what comes next i.e. results.
I'm not shedding any tears...but please don't visit the 'if only' blogs
I'm listening to Buddy Guy at the moment & he sure beats the hell
out off anything in the Spurs blogosphere... relax guys allow our team to respond!
azat
He may not be the best defender in the league, but it's still going to be a sad day when there's no Michael Dawson in the training pictures, out on the pitch at White Hart Lane, etc. Having supported the club since around 2000, give or take, I feel that this is the second time that the squad will have changed so dramatically over the course of such a short period. Anyway, all the best to him, Bass, Thudd and the others who are likely to leave.
Forgot to say All the best daws you done the club proud and played with your heart on your sleeve and gave everything you had to the club. Thank you. I agree 100% with zoomy junder
I'm outraged about Dawson - I thought he was a true Spurs player, but here he is leaving us for his dream move to QPR. We talk about loyalty and we give it to the club and team, but I dunno I just give up with this lot.
Oh hang on.
Agree completely about Daws - Good Luck Big Man.
It seems the clear out is gathering pacem but we seem to forget this all started last year.
Crouch, Palacios, Pav, Hutton, even Keane, all went out with only really Parker coming in for money. If you believe that Daws, Bentley, Dos Santos, Hudd, Rose and Jenas are going to be on the way out too then there MUST surely be more signings to come in. If not then you have got to feel sorry for AVB, he will be left with a paper thin squad that wont be able to cope with four competitions let alone injuries.
Should be an interesting few weeks!
Good luck to Daws, glad to see "Ade mi Daddy" back. More signings like we need more cowbell!!! I understand Jenas is on the market, but I'd like to see him sold now thanks.
Crikey. We've made over £60,000,000 this window? Add that to the supposed £40,000,000 war chest AVB was given and we have £100,000,000! Let's go all out to get Neymar! He'd be our newest superstar, the heart and soul of our team, our new number 9 (Adebayor is getting number 25 i've heard). Neymar could or would be to us what RVP was to Arsenal, except we'd be less dependant because we'd have other players who could manage to kick a ball into a goal (Bale, Sigurdsson, VDV, Defoe, Ade, etc. We'd have more than one decent striker anyway). COYS!
P.S. Good luck Dawson (If you do go) we'll miss you.
To be honest, really worried about this season and the possibility of the next six months being: "sorry about that draw, sorry about that loss" and an occasional blinder. What is really disappointing is it all has seemed a mediocre, retrograde, penny pinching summer, rather than a "let's build on 4th" and 5th, and 4th season finishes recently, (and before 'arry, Martin Jol's 2 x 5th finishes), in the last 7 seasons there have been many brilliant games, some great great football. No Ledley, now no Dawson, no Modric, no money spent on two world class strikers needed. Please tell us how Spurs are not going to finish 11th in May 2013.
Yes it is really sad about Dawson He is what a community club used to be all about but now the modern game requires Modrics, Van Persies, Agureos and the rest of the brillant mecenaries that now dominate the Premiership. I agree that without King, Dawson did not look the part any more and I truly believe that King just could not do it any more even when he played and that was one of the reasons we faded at the end. As to Hud I hope we keep him. He has great potential and we should give him this year to prove it and be sure there are many games to come and we will need him at some stage.
"Shame we're not as loyal to him as he has been to us" Yes, a crying shame. With an extra helping of you should be ashamed.
Well, that's the feel good factor shot in the head. Bastards! Levy and AVB both.
I am absolutely totally and completely gutted by this precipitate shoving off of the perfectly decent and competent Michael Dawson. Why is this necessary? On what planet are Spurs so skint, so desperate for 5 mm quid that we have to sell our team captain? First choice, maybe not, but useful squad player, how not?
I keep thinking of that awful photograph of Teemu Tanio when Ramos and Co sold him to Sunderland. It was the standard pose, him being handed the sunderland shirt. His mouth was smiling but in his eyes, absolute despair. And now I get to see the same with Daws. And Huddlestone, too. Bastards!
The risk with AVB was always that it would be Ramos 2.0. I'm very disturbed that AVB is starting his Spurs career in so similar a fashion, turfing out long serving, useful squad players. The loss at Newcastle didn't disturb me that muchat the time. But having since seen Southhampton and Everton play with such heart and positivity, I'm increasingly depressed about what we saw on Saturday.
For fear of going insane proper, ive bought some gaffer tape, sedatives, and a black hood, after this rant my assistant will help me achieve a catatonic state.
Dawson was loved by us, and I'm pretty sure the club. He beleived he was going to be our captain and now finds himself in the back of a cab like Bob Hoskins in the long good Friday heading to an abattoir (sorry QPR) and all we can muster is 'oh well, good luck, miss you'. Jesus wept. It must be all laughs at the lodge.... Right, where's that fcukin hood..?
Sort of understand the concept of not being sentimental but not sure how it fits in to be a Spurs supporter. Are you saying that we are, from here on in, hard nosed realists who want to see silverware at any cost? If you are then I am not sure how I fit in any more. Perhaps when silverware appears I'll suddenly understand and feel more comfortable.
Has to be one of the most stressed transfer windows ever.
Good luck Daws, you'll be missed by every fan at Spurs. Top pro
As the saying goes: " It aint over until The Fat Lady stops singing " Delighted to finally have Ade on board!
Surprised, to say the least, - that Daws has been shipped out, - however AVB must feel that he dident fit into his high line system.
Thank alot Daws for your loyal service througout the years and all the best for the future.
Hopefully we will see further additions, as well as more fringe players moved on in the coming days.
Let's see where this window takes us. My fear is nowhere. Levy seems set on hoping we break through to 4th via some of our rivals not getting to 75 pts. He fails to accept that they all may do so. Will we bring world class players in to ensure we get to 76+?
I suspect not. We are bound by a man intent on betting one of our rivals will not get the job done. Adebayor, a man to build a club around? Pull the other one.
Jack, excellent post.
There was a sense last season that there was a real bond between the players and the supporters, and despite some idiotic stuff on occasions they were ours and we stood with them. My sense nowb is that this is disappearing fast and we are becoming a third rate Chelsea when even a first rate one is souless.
Personally I was impressed with our performance against Newcastle, having been there several times over the years, never an easy place to go, to restrict the home side to 3 shots on target was an acheivement. I like players with pace, so does it seems AVB. Adebayor was alway on the cards, and should have been in place prior to the Newcastle game IMO.
Now, my predictions, Hudd, Daws, Jenas and Bentley all leaving, if you include the releasedfree transfers, plus fees for Corluka, Niko, Bassong and Pienaar, that's more than 10 players out this window, plus the impending Modric move to Madrid, that's a major clearout, plus it releases many millions in players wages. I anticipate a major, record transfer striker arriving, a new goalkeeper and an attacking midfielder, plus maybe a right winger as cover for Aaron.
I am happy so far, let's see how happy I am on the morning of September 1st, with both transfers and results.
Personally I was impressed with our performance against Newcastle, having been there several times over the years, never an easy place to go, to restrict the home side to 3 shots on target was an acheivement. I like players with pace, so does it seems AVB. Adebayor was alway on the cards, and should have been in place prior to the Newcastle game IMO.
Now, my predictions, Hudd, Dos Santos, Daws, Jenas and Bentley all leaving (possibly VDV), if you include the released free transfers, plus fees for Corluka, Niko, Bassong and Pienaar, that's more than 10 players out this window, plus the impending Modric move to Madrid, that's a major clearout, plus it releases many millions in players wages. I anticipate a major, record transfer striker arriving, a new goalkeeper and an attacking midfielder, plus maybe a right winger as cover for Aaron.
I am happy so far, let's see how happy I am on the morning of September 1st, with both transfers and results.
I am really sad to see Dawson go the QPR, especially since I think they are Championship-bound this year. Maybe he can help them avoid that fate. However, it was his decision to go according to the article I read. The option being third or fourth choice on the strength chart. I hope it doesn't come back to bite us like it has ManUre with all of their center-back drama. I think it says a lot for the management of Spurs that they let him go somewhere that he could be a starter even though it weakens us as a squad and makes QPR harder to beat. I think they felt a certain amount of loyalty to Daws in giving him the choice as a recognition of his service to the club over the years. I can't blame him for going but I wish he had stayed!
I dearly hope THudd swallows his Twitter thingy and buckles-down to work with AVB. He has always been my favorite Spurs player since he debuted with the club. I've been telling my daughter that he was the lad for her, but the mangy bint of a ManUre-supporter is now besotted with RVP of all the cretinous choices she could make. It's a good thing she's only 12.
I am happy to see Ade back in the fold. Better late than never. I just hope that he and Defoe can co-exist on the squad. The last thing we need is a sulky Defoe on the bench as he will probably be for the majority of the EPL season.
Jenas and Rose next out the door? Bassong already gone. Bentley soon too, I suppose. All that lovely money...i hear Levy's kids need braces. Oh well...
Rightly or wrongly, Dawson was the logical casualty. Gallas isn't worth anything, Caulker is to valuable for the future, Kaboul is No.1 and Verts just come in. Dawson was not a first team player and a team were willing to pay £9m.
That said, I'm absolutely gutted. Footballs not all about business, it should be about the fans, sentiment, nostalgia and everything else what brings us back for more. We've now a team full of foreign mercenaries. Gone are King, Daws, Hud, Jenas, Bentley and I reckon it won't be long until Defeo and Lennon are gone. Ok some of the above aren't the best, but I liked the fact we had a good British spine.
Sadly, that's the way footballs going, no room for sentiment, all about bottom line. Good luck Daws, I love you more than Any straight man should another man.
Once Modric has departed, for possibly £35m, that is player sales of around £60m this window. With purchases of £20m, (lets leave out the cost of wages for now, but I guess there is a big saving there too). Surely there a player or two still to come, if not, I expect a significant reduction in price at the lane, for a Bovril and pie.
Abso gutted about Daws spurs have allways struggled with strength in depth at the back we finally seem to slove the problem then go back to square one we have brought in Vert and caulker has come on alot but lost the King and Daws just seems a bit one step foward and two steps back to me. I think one more striker is definatly on the cards with hopefully a creative midfilder and a goal keeper to follow but next season or january a centre back and a full back will be needed as gallas cant go on forever and have little or no cover to full backs lets hope Levy and co pull one out the bag and supprise us all COYS
To be honest, really worried about this season and the possibility of the next six months being: "sorry about that draw, sorry about that loss" and an occasional blinder. What is really disappointing is it all has seemed a mediocre, retrograde, penny pinching summer, rather than a "let's build on 4th" and 5th, and 4th season finishes recently, (and before 'arry, Martin Jol's 2 x 5th finishes), in the last 7 seasons there have been many brilliant games, some great great football. No Ledley, now no Dawson, no Modric, no money spent on two world class strikers needed. Please tell us how Spurs are not going to finish 11th in May 2013.
Football & Football Team ceased to be about loyalty when the Premier League started, it all about business and economics these days. We are Fans, for us it's ALL about loyalty & passion, and we don't always care about what is good business for the team & the investors.
Like me, I am sure that many of you believe that if you cut Dawson, he would bleed 'Spurs', and I know I will miss his endevour & commitment to the badge, and wish him well for the future.
I will continue to be loyal regardless of the proft motives of Levy et al..... COYS
Daws is a Mabbuttonian, a great sportsman & I am not happy he is leaving. Manager's decision so have to respect it. Ade is a top quality support striker, we now need (as we have for years) the killer finisher.Hat will be eaten if it happens.
I'll miss Daws, the big, daft lad. Hopefully we'll be shot of GDS soon so people will stop talking about him as some sort of overlooked genius. Can't wait to see where we are on 1st Sept!
"Sort of understand the concept of not being sentimental but not sure how it fits in to be a Spurs supporter. Are you saying that we are, from here on in, hard nosed realists who want to see silverware at any cost? If you are then I am not sure how I fit in any more. Perhaps when silverware appears I'll suddenly understand and feel more comfortable. Aug 22, 2012 at 12:51 AM | Jack"
Well said Jack. I've been banging on about this for a while... Well, it's here now. Welcome to the crazy, greedy, passionless, systematic world of SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT...
Sorry you were let down Daws.You always had time for the fans and I loved the commitment to the cause.Good luck at QPR and you will always be welcome back at the Lane.
@ SPOOKY
WHAT IS HE 177 CM = 5 FT 10 INCHES , NO WAYS I THOUGHT HE WAS 5 FT 6 OR SOMETHING ,SPOOKY DUE YOU KNOW CONFIRMED HEIGHT OF MODRIC OR ANY OTHER PLAYERS OFFICIAL HEIGHTS.. ???
Dont forget the cash we got for pav and crouch!!
Thanks Daws, punch Hughes for me, ta
Don't think it's too wise to let daws go. What happens if kaboul gets a serious injury. It may well take time for jan to settle in and get used to the prem and we will be having to rely on the unreliable gallas. New keeper and striker please. And no dodgy last minute transfers like pienaar and nelson. COYS
congratulations levy.
Nice business. Shame about the squad.
It's important to remember that Villas-Boas has come in to do a job, we have to put our trust in him and Levy appears to be having more fun with him than he did with Redknapp - the transfer strategy appears to be one both of them agree on. If we can see gaps in the squad, so can they. I think the nature of transfer politics and targets means we can't always get things done early. Can see us getting another striker and two midfielders at the moment.
Keeper? I think this will end up happening in Jan. Just guessing on that one.
Ive seen transfer windows featuring Frazer Campbell, Rasiak , and Saha/Nelsen come to pass. We all spent those windows waiting for the obvious gaps to be filled/signings to be made, assuming something big/last minute was in the pipeline.
This window..Optimists will argue we have everything lined up neatly waiting for the first domino to fall. Pessimists will argue that we are just running around with no real plan hoping to fluke another vdV.
Im not sure where I stand, my head says Levy wont fuck it all up again, lessons learnt...but I have gnawing feeling that I cant shake, that fucking up is exactly what he is doing. Time will tell, at the moment, we wont make top 4.
Sad to see Dawson go, he was a good servant in his time perhaps under different circumstances, who knows...
Jack (@12:51am) makes a very insightful point. I am keen to see where all of this upheaval leads to. To be honest:-
a) could this not be part of the long term plan of DL, to buy promising talent young and cheap, and sell them on for massive profit; Except for JJ and Bentley, most of them (Huddlestone, Dawson, Bassong, Niko, Modric) fall into this category. Of course there were other exceptions (the departure and return of Kaboul and Defoe, Crouch, Wilson, Saha, Nelson) but these could be explained as Harry's buys who didnt stay long. Irony is that the former group is mostly down to Comolli, who now plys his trade at Liverpool....
b) after all of the hype of AVB, there better be significant improvement in the playing side of things, he is fast losing credibility by insisting on playing his way when everyone knows in advance and can nullify his tactics ... the only ones who we could fool are those equally stubborn or egotistical as he is ...
c) I sure hope AVB is not doing to us what he could not do at Chelsea, which is to remove anyone who stands up to, or challenges, or annoys him - this destroys morale and team spirit, and only creates resentment and an atmosphere of fear .... we are used to a happy place, we may not be world-beaters, but you can get more from a team willing to fight for each other .... I only need to look back at last season's CL final to be painfully reminded...
d) I also sure hope AVB lives up to his promise to freshen up the squad and give young talent (Kane, Carroll, Coulibaly etc) a chance. I saw how Lukaku destroyed Liverpool with his pace, I hope our youth products can do the same. If Kane can be half as good as Wellbeck, then we are onto something.... whatever happened to Ryan Mason (check out his stats in the youth teams he played)?
bit gutted dawson wont be in my gym anymore, used to love having a chat with such a down to earth and really decent guy!
Letting Daws go is daft! Do we need to get rid of another centre back now that Ledley and Seb Bassong have gone? Let's not forget the injury probs we had in that area last season. But if we do have one over, it should be Gallas who goes, even if there is little financial return. It makes no sense to get rid of Daws, who has for the most part been first rate for the club over the last few seasons. He may not be world class but he is solid and absolutely committed, and that's not something you can easily buy.
I'm afraid I think AVB has no clue. He didn't see Daws last season as the player was injured most of it, so is letting him go. Ditto Hud.
What's more, Gallas isn't right for captain. Experienced sure, but question marks over judgment and commitment. Parker a far better choice.
Had shit day at work...get home log on only to realise the world is ending and I didnt know.......love daws...love hudd..liked pienaar I even liked bassong.....but think we all agree we liked last season and enjoyed how we played......and the 4 mentioned contributed nothing towards that so have we lost a lot.......or have we dug out all our old change and just changed it up for a big night out like a llorente or a javi Martinez.....only time will tell....but in the meantime cheer up men otherwise come the 31st we will lose half us fans to stress related heart attacks...
Daws was out for most of last season with a serious injury. A re-occurance of a serious injury that he got playing for England. He also go another serious injury in that same game. Players don't often fully recover from injury. Dawson was never the quickest (not just physically bless), and if he's now a bit broken then it's definitely time he moved on. Lovely chap, mind.
Adebayor is a greedy gooner and Paylyuchenko is the best striker since Greaves. I read it on this very site or any of the hundred other Spurs blogs that all said the same.
So why have Spurs just bought Adebayor instead of Pav. Its a disaster. Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!
Most Spurs fans realize that Huddlestone is our best playmaker. He makes the ball work for him and has great vision and accuracy to release our pacy wingers behind opposition defences. He can control the midfield with his passing (for best example, see his introduction to the Young Boys game) and regularly does so, he also has sound defensive awareness and breaks up plays often. In fact, one of Harry's keys to success was playing Hudd when he first came in whereas the useless Ramos had benched him. The season that we got to the CL, we did so on the back of Hudd and Palacios forming a steel center, combined with the creativity of Hudd. Later in the season, this center became Modric and Hudd after Palacios's form dropped and bale took over the left wing from Modric. Oh and he scores more goals than Modric.
I think this AVB's Napoleon complex could prove to be his undoing for a second time. He will come to regret moving Hudd on.
I will wait 10 games to form my opinion on AVB but his decision to move Hudd tells me that he is more likely to fail than succeed at Spurs. Even if he plans to buy a playmaker, Hudd would have been a sound backup. Sandro and Livermore may pressure hard all day but will create little, it will be left to Bale and Lennon to work the wings by beating their men -because Siggurdsson also creates nothing but can score sometimes. Maybe we can do well with Adebayor dropping deep and complimenting our attack with his good linkup play - I just hope he does not get injured.
I am so deeply disappointed that we are losing Hudd for the season. I just can't understand the logic behind all this.