Calm before the storm
Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at 11:58AM I'm travelling, or will be shortly, so depending on whether I get drunk at the hotel bar and then decide to rant via iphone about our lack of apparent decisiveness with < insert complaint here > or perhaps not I probably won't blog anything of any real consequence until I'm back. There's hardly much newsworthy content doing the rounds at the minute. I guess I could make some up?
Not long to go before the start of the season, slightly longer till the closure of the transfer window. Seems it's shaping up to be a three-tier summer of activity. We got the new coach in early followed by two signings. That was tier one, giving us assurance and confidence. Villas-Boas has supposedly let players know if they have a place in his plans, the ones that don't will be sold (that's if anyone can match Levy's valuation of them). That was tier two, an assessment and clean-up. We all know long term dynamic changes in formation and methodology will come in the course of the season playing out. Villas-Boas has already, on a number of occasions, cited the fact that not too much will change initially. The most important aspect of all of this involves the work done on the training pitch and we won't know the level of impact until we visit Newcastle.
Tier three is where we find ourselves right this second. Ideally, the club will bring in two more players before the start of the season. Adebayor being the most likely one, the other also a forward. Basically nothing has changed from last week and the week before that. Everyone is waiting for something to happen. I've sat back and enjoyed the Olympics, not something I expected to do as I was quite cynical with it all beforehand. Not even sure why I was like that, perhaps the whole Stratford bid clouded my patriotism in the build up to it. I've always been a big fan of track and field, so happy this summer has included a fair amount of distraction. No such entertainment elsewhere. Tabloids, Twitter and ITK twits continue to regurgitate the same rumours with their suggestive cryptic clues. It's not that I'm bored, just anxious to see the season kick start.
As for Luka Modric, the longer the saga drags on the more concerned I become. I've blogged about this before, that there has to be a cut off date with this. If we can only buy certain transfer targets off the back of selling Modric to Madrid then there has to be a point in the summer, in the next couple of weeks where Levy's stance is final; "Bid 'today' or else the player stays". We can't sell him days before the deadline then expect to sign a replacement - unless there's a very definite domino effect waiting to play out. The easiest way to handle all this, as a fan, is to admit we (as fans) know nothing about what is transpiring behind closed doors. All we can do is have faith that the type of players we think we need are the very same type the chairman and coach are targeting. I think we can agree that is definitely the case. Otherwise we're doomed to the indignity of 5th spot :trollface:
In the meantime, I'll be on Twitter thanks to free hotel wi-fi, laughing at allegedly hacked footballer accounts and people generally wetting their panties in anticipation for something, anything.
The Fighting Cock podcast is also back this week, so look out for episode one of season two on Thursday/Friday. I won't be on it, but there's a guaranteed wealth of drunken philosophy that will cater for your listening needs. I have to wait until next week before I rejoin the glory hole of Spurs. Not forgetting the return of the 'Ultras' (to be renamed), following the Spurs youth team on their travels. We took 200 to Charlton last season for a FA Youth Cup game. More of the same this season including the NextGen series, including Barcelona at the Lane (although I'll hazard a guess the Spurs training ground fixtures are behind closed doors) - we'll keep you posted on the details.
Calm before the storm then. I guess we best enjoy it. It's going to go mental once the Kraken is released.
(Kraken is a metaphor and not a £20M striker)
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DML Supa Liga
Fantasy Football and me, do not go hand in hand. Full of confidence on day one, by Christmas I'm out of the race like a much maligned Spurs side of the 1990s. I blame other distractions such as Football Manager but the reality is, I lose focus faster than Harry Redknapp in the midst of flirting with England. However, you lot appear to want this back again, so knock yourselves out:
Code to join the DML Supa Liga is: 195141-56816 (via Fantasy Premier League 2012/13)
May the most obsessed geek win.
Reader Comments (12)
Have a great holiday, Spooky.
Blue & Yellow
Have a good one spook
ITK explaining hold ups in 3, 2, 1.....
The signing of Sigurdson (excuse spelling) was clearly a one-off in terms of speed of resolution. Levy being the penny pinching genius of a business man just cannot resist those last minute deals 3 minutes before transfer deadline. Im left wondering which car AVB will be driving upon leaving the training ground at 1am.
We have an unusually pleasant start to the season so would be nice to hit the ground running, last minute signings will not help.
You say at the beginning that you might have to make something up as nothing newsworthy is happening. Does this mean you are about to work for one of the tabloids?
Can I suggest a name for the revamped "Ultras" this season? I'd like to see a rebirth of the Tottenham Angels (they of the infamous scrap with a local vicar over "blasphemous displays"). I like the idea of the TFC faithful donning white robes, wings & halos. That's just me, though...
Spooky, you forgot to mention the 4th Tier...
...AVB cul de sac leading mechanical approach...leading to
...mid table performances until he is sacked in December...
All the best on your break.
Im actually away on work. Fuck, I wish it was a holiday, although a night spent in a hotel room passes for one these days. Re: Tottenham Angels, thats the name we're going to go with. You ITK?
Angels was Rob Whites idea (son of John White).
tottenham angels sounds more like a bad 70's nursing programme.... mmm nurses.... could try the Malakhim... which is apparently yiddish for Angels.... or not.... as that sounds like malaka..... i'll get me coat
Same old story. A last minute deal which will probably not give us a player of VDV quality is about all we can look forward to unless Levy comes down to earth very, very soon. Vertonghen had to be signed as a King replacement. Sigurdsen can possibly replace Modric. So who is going to partner Defoe? I have that horrible feeling that we have been here before. Just enough to keep us in the top half of the table, but not enough to go for the top spot. I repeat my previous rantings that Modric ain't worth 40 mill. And if he doesn't go then I still can't see him putting in the hard yards for Spurs. Quite frankly I don't blame him. I would also add to the mix, if Levy's hard nosed stance is well known around the playing circles who will risk coming to WHL if you can't get out if things go pear shaped. Much as I admire Levy for his hard headed attitude there comes a time when, if he doesn't bend Spurs will break.
It's all very worrying . what about the youngsters . I'm not sure about Harry Kane , but what about the new Sol Chamb...I can't remember his name . He looks a bit tasty . If he's good enough , he's old enough . Let the gooner Emmanuel FRO .
RE: Tottenham Angels - Not ITK, just something I read somewhere. I love the subversiveness of it. I'm glad that's the direction you guys are going!