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)
Do you lot really think AVB hasn't watched all the match footage from the last 2+ years? You act as if he just has no idea about the super special talents of these lads he's shipped.
I'm gutted about Daws too, and even moreso about THud, but onward we march. And despite his oh so sweet touch and vision, Thud is a liability in pace. Get hold of yer knees boys, there's more jerking going on here than a Jamaican chicken shack.
Been saying Huddlestone is overrated for years, arguing with the 'Hoddlesque' and 'Quarterback' merchants. There is no room in the centre of midfield for someone as languid as Hudd in today's modern game. Good player, but not good enough.
@Nochman, your best example is against a team no-one had heard of prior to us playing them. You've got to do better than that.
And are you sure Huddlestone scored more than Modric (whose goal tally was poor)?
Ramos lost the dressing room, probably due to cultural differences, but let's not forget this 'useless' manager was the only manager to win us a cup in over a decade.
Looking forward to the revolution continuing. A clear out of the nearly men, such as Huddlestone, has been necessary for a long while.
Listening to Tony Fernando on Talksport this morning , I have a feeling Daws will not sign for The Shepherds Bush Mercenaries .
He wants to stay with us , and who can blame him ? Why is our transfer business being done now ? We are giving teams a head start .We should have learnt from last season . Adebayor is no bargain . He's still a Gooner to me . COYS please .
Leandro imminent apparently.
I'd spaff me trollies
@ willie
Knee jerk? Thanks for that. Up until I read your interpretation of events I was feeling quite biphasic, but now I feel so much better. Ta. In fact, when I stop laughing I intend cheering myself-up even more.
Sometime later:
Fingers on keyboard
Spurs.co.uk >click<
Shop >click<
Spurs home men's shirt >click<
'Select size' XL >click<
'Personalisation' List of players >click<
Scroll - 21 JENAS - stop >click<
Premiership lettering >click<
Preview shirt >click< :)
Add to basket >click<
Buy now >click<
Stands and presses revolver firmly to temple >click< >click< >click< >click< >click< 'fcuking thing, >click< work for fcuk sake, >click< work'
@Wisky Tom
LOL
I thought you burned that T-shirt?
Just wondered about Andre Villas-Boas's surname, I mean things always mean something in another language. For example, my wife's name in Japanese means purple high mountain (in other words exploding volcano!!!) so I decided to use my extensive linguistic knowledge (Google Translate) to check it out.
I was shocked and startled to learn that Villas in Portuguese means villas in English. However the word Boas means good in English. In other words he is Andrew Good Villas. There was me hoping for something more prosaic like Andy Crocodile Hunter or Andrew Iron Fist but no Good Villas he is. That is so pedestrian. Just really an average sort of averageness.
However (another however I must be desperate) you could, technically, translate villas as homes so he could be Andy Good Homes but that is as colourful as it gets. Really dull actually, suppose we have to wait for something exciting or controversial to happen, such as some idiot transferring VDV to Hamburg!
VDV to MU? It could happen. VDV to Hamburg it could happen. What is not happening is AVB noting it will not happen. Not trying to become a naysayer but is this deja vu for a London club?
For long periods last year Chelski had little to no match intelligence as AVB systematically sidelined all the key experienced players at the club. It was an approach that failed.
Perhaps the key difference between AVB and Mourinho is that the latter blends a tight systematic approach with respect for players with match intelligence together, allowing the best of the system and the players to win games (and titles). Mourinho is man enough to know he has to respect the players and bring them into the system; AVB is not man enough to do same. It is as plain as the day is long that AVB has a serious problem in relation to big name players with match intelligence. He is in a word, insecure. In turn, he develops methodologies and systems that allow him to ignore them. Which is all well and good save for the fact that it fails. It does not allow any match intelligence to be deployed. In some respects, Wanger at Woowlich suffers the same and look where it gets them.
What are we playing at?
Have to admit I'm very curious about the formation and starters for this Saturday's match. Does AVB have enough subs for the bench?