Juan is a target, but it probably won't Mata

Reading this article very late last night relating to confirmation of our interest in Juan Mata along with an increasingly worrying midfield issue (lack of depth believe it or not thanks to injuries) should have given me a sleepless night.

Sandro injured, Huddlestone needs to see a specialist, vdV asking to be substituted early on against Brighton, Wilson 'coming back' from injury but mostly spending the summer on the verge of leaving which links me nicely onto all this leaving us with just Luka Modric and Jenas. A player who wants to leave with a player many wouldn't object to see leave (although JJ has always proven to be a decent squad player rather than a first choice). Regardless, it's hardly inspiring and here's me thinking all we had to do is pick up a couple of forwards and a centre-back.

Still, no sleepless night.

Diarra is constantly linked. You can understand why based on the above.

Mata is an interesting one, Harry saying Levy is 'dealing' with it. A midfielder who can also play on the flank, I'm still trying to figure out where he would fit in* exactly in a side that will include Rafa, Luka and Bale. But perhaps it would be wasted energy to do so based on the fact that there is a tangible suggestion he isn't that fussed about leaving Valencia. Neither is he that fussed (supposedly) about us. He'd much prefer a CL side (like most upper tier players). However the hope is that if his buy out clause is matched and said CL side (guess who) do not bid then Valencia might well ask the player to consider what is best for the club and accept the move.

*Mata could probably fit in anywhere in midfield or even up front. Would ADORE him if he signed for us.

If we're in for him at least our positive scatter-gun approach is still in full force. The club (if it is to be believed ) have inquired for one or two top drawer players but nothing has pushed on to the point of completion. Whether its because we're being used as transfer pawns by agents/clubs or because we fall short in terms of wages or lack of CL you still wonder whether strategically things could have played out with a better tempo of decisiveness.

All the deadwood won't shift out until we start signing players. But the season is not too far off now. With some additional extra weeks to do some business after it kicks off and before the window shuts.

The reality for us is that the players we are going for are not of the ilk of transfer that is rubber stamped with unequivocal certainty. Liverpool signing Adam and Downing for example. That's not because they are more decisive but simply because you have three that are willing to do business (i.e. Blackpool/Villa happy to sell, Liverpool willing to bid the valuation, the player(s) wanting to sign). Probably nobody else that interested. And the players are 'promoting' themselves in terms of club stature. It's easy street and nobody is walking alone down it.

Can any one player we've 'aimed' to get be tagged with such similar certainty? No one appears to be that desperate to leave their club or that desperate to join us. On the surface at least it seems that way although all that we read can simply be for the benefit to drive a hard bargain - so selling club and player get the best deal.

I cannot see anything more than this being a stand off not too dissimilar to an Italian Western. Plenty of eye-balling and sweat and then BANG it's over in a flash. We can't be left looking like cowboys. Finger on the trigger. Our Spurs must jingle.

It might be improbable that we sign every type of player we truly require (imo - 2 forwards, a midfielder, a right-winger for cover, a centre-back) and then sell every splintered piece of deadwood. But the hope is that we sign at the very least two key players and the fabled domino effect sees us streamline in time for our high octane opening fixtures.

Might feel like nothing will happen but I simply can not envisage such failure.

I'm sleeping without the night terrors.

It will happen. Have faith. Then we'll all laugh about the days and weeks spent shrugging despondently drowning in our impaitence.

The Fighting Cock is a brand new THFC podcast. You can stream it or download it here on DML (make sure you have a Quicktime plug-in installed).

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Flav, tehTrunk, Spooky, Ricky, Chicago Dan.

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The Fighting Cock podcast #01 - Harry, Luka and the summer of discontent

Welcome to the first ever 'The Fighting Cock' podcast. The recording went very well all things considered (had to change location twice at the last minute. We rolled with the punches and imperfections. Ghost ice cream van included). 90 mins of chat cut down to about 45 mins for the released version. We hope to have a more peaceful setting next time.

In terms of tempo, vibe and humour...we won't truly hit out stride until after a few eps so a bit of Tottenham supporting patience please (gulp) although I think we did mighty fine with our debut effort considering it was recorded in a greenhouse.

We've got a whole host of content and features lined up for future eps, along with some 'squad rotation' in terms of people guesting. The plan is to record a pod every 10 days. You'll be able listen to it here on DML via your browser (Quicktime plug-in required) or simply download and listen at your pleasure.

It can take between two days or two weeks before it appears in iTunes so patience all Apple fanboys and girls.

Check out The FC Podcast on Facebook for feedback and suggestions as well as one or two polls that we'll fire up over the up and coming weeks (including 'Prick of the Week').

If you want something read out or discussed on a future ep, please email us at thefightingcock at gmail dot com.

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Episode #01 - Harry, Luka and the summer of discontent

Click the link below to play the podcast in your browser (quick-time plug-in required) or right-click to download:

The Fighting Cock podcast - episode #01

No place like home

Pains me to see Sergio Aguero signing for Manchester City. At this rate they'll ruin any joy in managing Tottenham Hotspur in the next revision of Football Manager 2011 because all the top players will be unattainable meaning I'll have to raid West Ham as I plot to conquer the giddy heights of the top four and Champions League.

Reality has consumed the world of fantasy. Guess I'll have to invest in scouts and trail the world for rough diamonds and unknown talent.

Hey, at least I'll still have Luka Modric pulling the strings in midfield.

And Pav. And Defoe. And Crouch.

You can almost understand why it's such an impossible task for us to penetrate this sugar wall of prospective transfer targets. It's because we are limp. But we do try ever so hard. What with the chasing and the flirting. Sometimes, too much of it spent on visuals rather than the real thing. The best practice would be to focus on one tangible potential rather than risk a sensory overload going blind salivating at a dozen. Either we are aiming too high or not aiming at all. One thing is for certain, we haven't touched the sides for a while.

You have to be ambitious right? So you have to target 'top drawer' players. Except these players are only interested in signing for an elite group of clubs or preferring the 'better the devil you know' mantra and staying put. It seems the love everyone had for us in our swashbuckling debut in the Champions League has expired on the continent.

So what of the ambition? The targets? It's there, it must be there. By virtue of what we desire, what we need. How genuine these targets are is down to how much faith you have in our activity and the media coverage.

Rossi. Vucinic. Lukaku. Llorente. Mata. Osvaldo. Benzema. To name a few (won't bother adding the variety of midfielders we've been linked too).

Out of the above Vucinic is the likely one based on the fact that he probably wouldn't be considered top tier for those bloated big brands and the fact that after we allegedly bid for him Man Utd were supposedly interested (a blatant planted story to drive up his price by his club).

The rest?

Lukaku won't join. Elite only.
Rossi. Not sure we're willing to pay the asking price.
Llorente. Have we actually been linked with him again or is this a flashback to the last window?
Mata. Will want CL.
Osvaldo. Would rather not.
Benzema. If I can sign him in Football Manager then there's always a hope.

It's crazy I know but if you asked me what player I'd like us to sign this summer, I couldn't possibly tell you. Just a forward.

As for Adebayor on loan, I'm left scratching my head at the fact that this might be a possibility based on the fact that Levy doesn't have to over-extend with a hefty bid for anyone else until perhaps the summer of 2012 when we appoint a new manager that might have his own ideas (I read it on the internet Harry won't be with us after this season).

As pointed out many times, it's not the long term we need to be thinking about. Well actually, it is. But it's the short term that will define the long term. If chairman and manager are on a mission, behind closed doors, then I can live with the uncertainty all the way up to the closure of the window. But I'm not sure I could handle another blank shot.

We are left with a month or so to repackage the THFC forward line-up. Tick tock.

I'd promote Harry Kane and be done with it. 4th striker (I'm desperate, let's take the risk of ruining another kid). Then it's a case of signing that elusive 'big signing'.

Then perhaps move Crouch on to QPR.

Leaving us with: Big signing, JD, Pav and Kane.

I'd rather it be two big signings up front, but based on the previous two windows and the current landscape of modern football I think that's a step too far into the land of rainbows and floating pink unicorn hearts.

Where do we go? Where do I go?

Reality? Fantasy?

How about limbo? Better yet, purgatory.

No place like home.

Coming soon...

The Fighting Cock is a brand new THFC podcast. You'll be able to stream it or download it here on DML (make sure you have a Quicktime plug-in installed). You'll also be able to subscribe to it on iTunes in the near future.

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Flav, tehTrunk, Spooky, Ricky, Chicago Dan.

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email: thefightingcock at gmail dot com

Latest transfer gossip from Twitter

Latest whispers and rumours this early afternoon. All info from Twitter via other people on Twitter. Which basically means hold off celebrating until after Jim White's head explodes on Sky Sports News.

- Mirko Vucinic bid accepted by Roma (meant to be around £15M which I have to say is a fairly superb price for him). It's been reported on back in Italy and it's made it's way across Europe with various journalists confirming (confirming what remains to be seen- confirming rumour or fact?). He's a proper all-round centre forward with a bit of everything and relatively cheap compared to other targets we've been linked with.

- Romelu Lukaku apparently subject to three bids, all from London clubs. Hardly tricky to work out which clubs. Also, equally not of difficulty to point at the West London club and nod in agreement that Lukaku's destination is with them. They know the player well. He's been on a promise to join them for a long time now.

- Ibrahim Afellay. If I've got this right, the 'rumour' was birthed out of the suggestion that Barca (having just splashed out £23M for Sanchez) want to offload Afellay (a player they signed last season) to generate money to go towards their Fabregas hostage payment. Bit far fetched this. But fingers crossed for a bit of fantasy football (transfer). Winger, very solid player but more inclined to believe this is simply foreign tabloid gossip and is only being discussed because it's not come directly from Sky Sports or the red tops.

- Chelsea to make final offer for Luka Modric at £35M. Cute.

- Q.P.R. in for Crouch, but denying it although we all know that usually means the opposite (logic not applicable to transfer window activity). Possible and probable the moment we start to make official announcements on signed players. Domino effect kicks in (that's domino as in a chain reaction - the first has to 'fall' for the rest to follow. No to be confused with the Dominos Pizza effect which is Mido in pre-season training).

In addition to the Vucinic story, Pablo Daniel Osvaldo is meant to be considering a move to Spurs or Fulham (Seven Sisters or the river in Fulham). If we're in for Lukuka at least that shows we're after two forwards (or more?) so guess away which of the other two current Spurs players will join Crouch on the way out of the Lane. Keane not included in that scenario because I refuse to contemplate one where he remains post-transfer window closure. Then again, I should hold off on the maths here because we wont know how many players to move on until after we 'complete' signings for brand new forwards.

Two in would suggest two out. So that's two newbies + JD or Pav with Crouch and Keane gone.

Or something.

Caveat for all of this is worth stating again, none of it might turn out to be true. Italian media claiming Vucinic done but then that's a little bit like Sky Sports Understanding and all they've actually done is read something printed in another country.

All of the above has also been confirmed by the ITK community who knew about it weeks back although you'll have only worked it out if Dan Brown was there to lend a hand.

The Fighting Cock is a brand new THFC podcast that you'll be able to stream or download here on DML (make sure you have a Quicktime plug-in installed) or subscribe to on iTunes.

Love the Shirt.

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It's coming soon...

Community Share Proposal for the NDP

Look out for more comprehensive detail on this later on today on the Spurs Future website. Included here is a high level overview of what is being proposed.

If you're unfamiliar with Spurs Future, they're a group of supporters who wish to make a positive contribution towards the club, specifically birthed out of all the drama and confusion the OS bid and the non-viable nature of the NDP undertook during that rather draining time last season.

End goal is for them (us) to see a top drawer stadium built within Tottenham and hopefully on the site proposed for the NDP. Obviously something we're all in support of as the perfect conclusion to this difficult journey. They're in discussions with both the club and local government so the natural progression from the initial fan survey they conducted was to reach a point beyond the shrugs of despondency many of us got lost in whilst emotions run high.

Not so much to find a soultion (that's the club's responsbility) but rather a supportive hand and gesture of goodwill to aid Levy and co in what boils down to matters of a fiscal nature. Can I be emotive? It's our club we all have a right to be involved in it's future.

So where exactly are Spurs Future proposing?

The mission statement is as follows:

"In light of the club's concerns about the financial viability of the Northumberland Development Project ('NDP') and it not being awarded preferred bidder status for the Olympic Stadium, we, the supporters of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, wish to assist the club by Proposing a Community Share/Investment opportunity to aid development of a World Class football stadium worthy of the club and its ambition in our current home, Tottenham"

If you're unaware of what exactly a community share is, it's a way of raising money from within the community through the sale of shares or bonds to finance (in this case the NDP) an enterprise that serves the community. This is not a brand spanking new idea by any means, it's one that has proven to be successful in recent years in cases where community investment has helped finance community initiatives.

Can investors get their money back? Yes. They can also receive interest or dividends on any money invested. So how will this work exactly for Spurs? Spurs Future are looking to define the community share in terms of investment in the following way:

"The sale, or offer for sale, of up to £50,000,000 of shares or bonds to a community of at least 2500 people, to finance ventures serving a community purpose"

The definition used is not too dissimilar to the one in place at FC United of Manchester (on a far smaller scale compared to what is being proposed for the NDP). Spurs Future have used their share model as a blueprint to push the same ethos across to all involved (with the potential for alternatives very much present and up for discussion).

The proposal currently is as follows:

- 250,000 shares valued at £200 per share
- Minimum investment, 1 share (£200)
- Maximum investment 100 shares (£20,000)
- No withdrawals in first 3 years of investment (as defined by the "start" date of construction)
- No interest payments in first 3 years of investment
- Maximum withdrawal in any one calendar year is 10% following 3 year investment
- Potential interest payments up to 2% above base rate from year 4

In addition there's potential for further investment opportunities based on this offering (relating to local council grants and Football Foundation funds).

The small print includes investors having to be One Hotspur members (at any level) and 16 years of age or older to hold a share. The reason Spurs Future have asked for One Hotspur as a pre-requisite is to secure the investment more so from the THFC Community rather than fly by night profiteers. It keeps with the ethos of all of us playing our parts in supporting our clubs future.

There's some other details concerning interest on investment, voting rights, risks, tax benefits, details on capital funding shares etc that will included in the pdf version to be made available later on this afternoon.

It's a positive step, it's pragmatic and constructive and I look forward with interest to see how the club respond to this.

http://www.spursfuture.org/
@SpursFuture

The Fighting Cock is a brand new THFC podcast that you'll be able to stream or download here on DML (make sure you have a Quicktime plug-in installed) or subscribe to on iTunes.

Love the Shirt.

Flav, tehTrunk, Spooky

It's coming soon...

The biggest Tottenham news of the summer so far...

The Fighting Cock...coming soon.

It's not a six year old bottle of Kentucky Bourbon whiskey. It's not an adult pay-site for men. And it's nothing Peta should be worried about. The Fighting Cock is a brand new THFC podcast that you'll be able to stream or download here on DML (make sure you have a Quicktime plug-in installed) or subscribe to on iTunes.

So what exactly inspired us to pull a podcast together? Blame the epiphany born out of a night fueled by alcohol amongst friends.

It plays out in pubs and cafes all over the country no matter the club you follow. It's as much about football as celebrating a goal, or singing your heart out in the stands. Talking about football is fulfilling, it eases the pain of a heart wrenching defeat and makes reliving past glories that extra bit special when shared.

Recording that, releasing it on the internet and allowing (hopefully) thousands of fellow yids to listen in...well it seemed like an excellent thing to do. It's not original, but done right it can be genuinely unique. Or at the very least different from what's out there right now.

We hope to bring truly genuine opinion on all matters Spurs.

We hope you enjoy our efforts.

Love the Shirt.

Flav, tehTrunk, Spooky

Coming soon...

Hating

I was sent this article (taken from the football365 mailbox section) by an Arsenal fan in peace asking the question the quoted article poses: 'Is it possible that hatred for Man City and Chelsea could ever supersede that of a local rival?'

It struck a chord with him (for reasons apparent in how Chelsea have affected Arsenal in recent years). Does it struck a chord with us? Well obviously it will do - 'Bitter' as we are at the apparent simplicity of being able to compete consistently with the aid of money money money. Sure Chelsea have toned down their spending in comparison to City who are still in a transition and will obviously seek consolidation in the next year or two.

The rest of us (that copyrighted bitterness aside) know that you can hardly compete with a club regardless of the club's unquestionable status prior to winning the lottery if said club are spending the money. They will always sign the better players. It's an easier choice for any prospective signings.

You spend = you show ambition. Relentless and unquestionable and practically unanswerable in terms of said ambition because you can attract any one simply because you are moving in the right direction. Up. it breeds hype and confidence and results.

Let's not be naive about it. A project is always going to best a club that doesn't have the clout on the negotiating table. We're not in the CL, we can't compete wage wise, therefore...see ya. That's very much a broad overview, but if you take a look at some of the signings made by City if we had attempted to step in and compete with them we'd have been brushed aside. You hope the nature of their progression retains an air of instability due to the ego and manner of the foundations being built.

You hope.

They didn't falter last season. Unspectacular and at times with fear to attack, but they got the points. Had we been perhaps more focused, little club Spurs would have taken a further step in breaking the mould and attracting players because of qualification to that compeition.

Personally think Wenger has been cany in the past with their (Arsenal) ability to compete with wages and his shrewd transfer policy, but arguable he has suffered and they are continuing to do so (they appear to be feeding City players at the moment). Although remaining very much competitive, they are not as comfortable as they wish to be.

Here's the article in question:

Hatin'
Jumping on the back of Philip Brady's mail this morning, is it possible that hatred for Man City and Chelsea could ever supersede that of a local rival?

As a youngish Gooner, I waited for 10 years as Arsenal strove to become as good as Manchester United. This was a club that was signing the right players, brining in new dietary and training doctrine, breaking even, not doing a Leeds, recognizing its origins and traditions and gaining momentum through footballing success. We were playing catch up with a club that had had its ups and downs but learnt from its history and overcame its challenges. Man Utd employed and stood by a brilliant manager and had become a formidable machine through its own series successes both on and off the field. A fair fight ensued, one which culminated in Arsenal deservedly becoming United's major challengers towards the end of the 90s and early Naughties and winning in a couple of doubles along the way. So, the future was exciting- 10 years of excellent work by Wenger and Dein et al. had started to pay off and it was time to move to a new stadium and cement our place as a serious contender for years to come.

Then BAM. Chelsea.

Out of nowhere, an overspending, underachieving, upper-mid table outfit gets the deal of a lifetime and subsequently blow Arsenal out of the water.
A comfortable period of transition to the new stadium that we had earned had now become unsustainable as Chelsea bought their way to success in the space of 2 seasons. 10 years earlier and there would have been no Champions League place to soften the blow either.

Now to our North London neighbours.

Through a catalogue of errors with management, player investment and board decisions, Liverpool rightly drop out of the top four. The players, team selections and tactics were all wrong and Liverpool got what they deserved.
No Champions League football. Tottenham, waiting in the wings and the natural heirs to fourth place move up and take their rightful place. Whilst not setting the world on fire, this was where they had deserved to be. For two seasons they had outperformed Liverpool and had earned the right to represent the Premiership in the Champions League. There or there abouts for the past 5 seasons, this was finally a great moment for London and a great moment for Tottenham.

Enter Manchester City.

A pre-packaged sugar daddy's dream club with a shiny, modern new stadium basically handed to them, City became the wealthiest club in the world after a handshake and (no doubt) a few backhanders. Greedily lusting after the Sheikhs millions and having already having made a mockery of the fit and proper persons test with the Shinawatra debacle, they were allowed to prostitute themselves out again and, this time, they made sure it was done properly. Tottenham's second season of outperforming the outgoing member of the big four was lost. Manchester City waltz in and take the glory of Champions League football thus augmenting their ability to sign top quality players (the wages weren't enough at one point) and essentially stealing Tottenham's European revenue stream to boot.

As a Gooner with as much hatred for Chelsea as for anybody else answer me this Tottenham fans- Can you ever hate City as much as you hate Arsenal?

I guess the hate/hate relationship with Arsenal will always remain strong(er) by virtue of history. But there's a hatred that is birthed out of annoyance of the likes of City simply because they are attracting players thanks to their wealth rather than anything else (although I get it, because of their wealth they 'compete' and because of that they are a better option. Cruel cruel world).

Their fans (City) have had it bad in recent years with their yo-yo existence and mis-management so its fantasy football for them to be in this current position of financial power. A club in the shadows can now compete with their dominating neighbour. Why shouldn't they enjoy it? I guess they have a right. Although that underlining arrogance based on luck is what pulls most of us back from patting them on the back.

Clubs like Spurs, we've spent millions but we've done so within our own means. Actually wasted a few million in the process of attempting to climb into the top tier. If we were suddenly 'blessed' with untold riches and able to offer any wage to top top players then power would probably shift back to us if we competed for CL football. Two billionaire clubs become three and so on. Then the power is with the players who can pick and choose based on CL football and which club wishes to pay that extra 100k to claim the signature.

Fair Play Rules might control the insanity (loopholes permitting). Fact is, football is driven by money and immediate feasting on the hunger players have for top tier football. We'll only survive if we consolidate by breaking back into the top four again (as underdogs) and remain there. We're on a knife edge. We can only improve and get stronger by plucking players that are out of scope with the richer teams. But (as witnessed) will always be susceptible to losing them if we can't quite get back into the 'big league'.

I guess I do hate the arrogance that oozes from the likes of City and Chelsea but then again, that same arrogance has always been strong with the Arsenal and Man Utd. Except both are now having to fight pound for pound season in and season out.

Until the state of flux the top tier is currently in is levelled out, we'll have to wait and see. Potential for another 'monopoly' to be birthed. Or perhaps a five/six way team battle royale. Hopefully the latter.

Ironically, if 'we' become part of 'it', we become part of the thing we love to hate. But the silver lining is that we do so without cutting corners. As much as I hate Arsenal for being Arsenal they've challenged without the necessity to lift a passing skirt up and blow their load on anything that moves.

Chelsea got themselves in a competitive position. They then consolidated thanks to the untold riches and attracted a manager who arrived because of said untold riches. City, same thing, but more spending and quite possibly still requiring a manager upgrade. We'll see.

That's modern football. Ah diddums and all that. But I still hate Arsenal more. It would be completely ungentlemanly for me not too and I would be quite disappointed if they hated on someone else more.

Where is our apology?

I'm playing catch-up what with being 'off-line' for the vast majority of yesterday due to travel commitments. Sounds like I missed out on a fair bit. I'm hearing rumours that Chirpy attempted to foam pie Harry Redknapp in the face but Joe Jordan intervened. That pesky attention seeking chicken.


Terry

Elsewhere, Sky Sports published an article covering an interview with John Terry. Then issued an apology and altered the article in a couple of places. I've had a look at their website. If I've got the wrong end of the stick, then beat me with it. I've seen the video footage of John Terry being interviewed (which is what the written article was based on). Terry (around a minute or so into it) uses the word 'disrespectful' whilst referring to the Spurs and Luka Modric situation. It's muddled, I'd admit that. But my gut reaction is that he's simply citing the fact that talking about Modric is probably not the best thing to be doing in any grand old way because it will start to touch upon the art of tapping up. So he throws in the word disrespectful to appease us and protect himself. Which is fine. It's understandable.

Sky, oh so giddy Sky, run the written text version (along with video) to the tune of 'Terry - Modric 'disrespectful'. Pretty much sums up their tabloid bloodline. They've taken nothing and made something out of it. The tone of the entire interview did not have an agenda to it from Terry's perspective (can't believe I'm painting him as an innocent party in all this). The only apparent agenda(s) was to try and get Terry to talk up Luka (in a Chelsea shirt) and to thus gain the most sensationalist headline out of it. Terry does call Modric 'world class'. But that's ignored (surely better to have run with that if Sky are so desperate for the player to join the West London club?)

Don't know how long it took, but the title was later altered to 'Terry - Modric is world class' (there we go, second time lucky). So what we have here is simply a case of Sky running an out of context headline for what Terry said. He cited 'disrespectful' - Sky run with it. They change it. Then they apologise. But then what they do next is laughable - they remove the disrespectful comment from the written text article altogether. Too much to get their heads around I guess. Perhaps struggling to work out the ambiguity of the quote.

Far far easier to ignore it altogether than perhaps appreciate that Terry didn't want to be too forward in his appraisal of Luka's talent. I actually still don't get quite grasp the point of the original headline as it's hardly the type of headline that follows on from previous pro-Chelsea ones. The 'world class' amendment is more in tune with their Luka to Chelsea push.

I'm still patiently waiting for Sky to issue an apology relating to the Modric transfer request that apparently was never (according to Spurs) handed in.

One critisism of John Terry re: Luka?

"He's very agile, very quick and a great finisher like we've seen over many years."

You what?

Souleymane Coulibaly

Looks a talent. 16 years of age. Superb vision and touch. An eye for goal. Suggestions from some that he's on a promise for first team football (hence why he signed for us). Back on planet earth, it's obvious the kid has the moves but he's just that. A kid. We've been here before. Many many times. We never actually sign teenagers good enough to be blooded into the rough and tumble of the Premier League without disappearing in the youth sides and loaned out to Championship clubs first. I'm hoping he is different (much like I thought Bostock would be different). I'm also hoping we take our time to work on his raw ability and develop him with the onus on Souleymane being a valid project for first team football in the next year or two. It's about time we signed someone of this ilk and followed it through to fruition and witness an impact at an early age rather than a full début at 25 then a transfer to Ipswich.

Scored on his 'Spurs' début. Read more here.

Pirates

The second game in SA and the second pre-season game I've not watched. As previously preached, all I care about is the team getting fit, getting back into a rhythm and avoiding injury. Would be nice to read about us performing with spark, style and swagger. We either always look disjointed or amazing. Never in-between. We all now that 'amazing' usually equates to world class underachieving when the season proper starts.

Don't think Modric should have been handed the captains armband. Are we trying to get him 'on side'? There's no reason to be doing this just to send out a message to anyone watching, because as chairman has stated a couple of times - it's a closed matter. Luka is hardly captain material. Even in a pre-season friendly wearing the armband should be an honour rather than part of a reconditioning process.

Nice free-kick from Rafa. More of this in the Prem please.

Spurs Wars

A M*dric free blog zone.

Pre-season has kicked started. It has, right? Have to say, after the summer that was followed by '2 points 8 games' (remember what we did to the Italians at the Lane?) I've completely detached myself from our friendly fixtures other than hoping we get through it without losing players to injury and that there's a spark or two of positivity no matter the results. In 2010 when we finished fourth our pre-season was hardly one of encouragement.

Sure, okay, so we lost 1-0 over the weekend after a 90th minute goal from the Chiefs and from what I've been told it was a fairly non-eventful match. Hardly worthy of commentary. Although good to see Bale back in action. And damn you West Ham for getting yourselves relegated. We are left scratching our heads wondering if someone will take the plunge and sign some of the 'deadwood' we are so desperate to shift on. It really is shaping up to be a window which will only truly open a week before it shuts.

As for the players we're meant to be signing, it's only Monday. Got to leave something aside to complain about for midweek.

So, in the meantime, enjoy the first part of the Spurs Wars series from @whitehartXchang. A little something to get the heart pumping as we continue to work our way through the summer searching for hope like an explorer searching for treasure but fast sinking in quick sand.

Big screen version of vid here.

The White Hart Exchange

Zdravko Mamić: Modric - he can be poisonous

Never ends.

This is a part translation by ZG Spur (Glory Glory.co.uk) from this interview with Zdravko Mamić (executive manager of Dinamo Zagreb) talking about Luka Modric and the transfer saga. The translated slice of the interview is more pro-move propaganda. I'm sure you could push the whole linked page through an online translator to get a more comedic version of it.

I will translate (the best of my ability) the the importmant part:

"If I was Levy, I would have waited for Luka with an improved contract, doubled his wages, and wouldn't be arrogant and all high and mighty so the kid would be all fired up" - (he used a phrase 'f**ked up', but you lose much of the intent in the translation).

"You know how Luka is, an honest guy, normal, but if you provoke him, he can be poisonous. I can't understand that he is not the highest paid spurs player, and they don't want to let him go. You can't ask ask for a high transfer fee" - (he said "licitirati" which would mean looking for the highest bid), "...and at the same time deprive him of the CL, on not giving him an improved contract. There were just to many wrong steps taken".

How will this story end?

"He will go to Chelsea, City or Man Utd, because all of this 3 clubs want him very much. And instead of 3 000 000 euros, he will be making 5 000 000".

Won't make a blind bit of difference Zdravko 'mate'. Love how any other club with a star player 'must keep star player' according to the press and anyone that might wish to throw in their two cents, but Spurs are 'in the wrong' and 'the bad guys' for wanting to retain the services of someone under a long term contract.

I still think Luka + agent have given into the fact he has to remain at Spurs. Otherwise, why not just stay home, not go to SA and hand in a transfer request (and leak it to the press)? Why? Oh yeah. I know why.

6 year contract.

Suck it up.

Chelsea + Luka + agent = not that serious about making a transfer happen. Could try harder.

The player signed a long term contract, it's on him if agreed to the wages. Give him an improved contract? For what? For allowing himself to be 'turned' by the 'machine'?

Suck it up.

Don't know who Zdravko Mamić is?

Seven deadly sins of football <- scroll to bottom of article

It's difficult to know where to start with the Dinamo Zagreb executive vice-president Zdravko Mamic. His numerous admissions of match-fixing? The Nazi salute with which he celebrated his side's victory over Lithuanian side Ekranes? His (quickly overlooked) 15-year ban for assaulting a member of the Croatian FA? The time he nearly knocked over a traffic policeman as the cops tried to tow away his car? His attack on Zagreb's director of city planning using a pair of crutches? The death threats he has issued to journalists? Or the time one member of the press was forced to hide in the bushes after fleeing from an attack? Or perhaps all of the above?

Delightful.

Luka Modric 'needs the extra cash'

spursffs

Another day, another Luka Modric exclusive.

Look away now unless you're from Fulham Road, West London. Sneaky secret camera capturing the wantaway star telling all about that transfer request and reasons why he wants out of N17. Pretty much conclusive and damning evidence the red top agenda machine has lusted for to confirm their relentless headline hogging of this summer transfer saga.

Sky Sports yellow ticker to implode in 3...2...1...

For more vids, click here.

Frank Spurnatra

I've done this before. Considering the repetition in this summers transfer window, there is no harm revising it a little to synch in with how I'm feeling presently whilst the media coverage surrounding Spurs continues to regurgitate transfer nonsense without remorse.

To the tune of the epic My Way (original lyrics by Paul Anka, sang definitively by Ol' Blue Eyes) but on this occasion sang by you whilst reading this blog.

♫ Online, a club insider talks;
And so we face the transfer window.
N17, written on bedsheets:
We must keep Spurs in North of London.

We chant and the cockerel crows
We've travelled up and down the country.        
Marched in, whilst our fingers danced,
Come on you Lilywhites...

Luka? Gone broke my heart,
But then again, so did Dimi.
I did what I had to do
I smoked crack to release the tension.

An effigy I hanged and burnt -
Each expletive spat at Sky Sports reporters.
And Harry, you talk too much
Come on you Lilywhites...

Yes, there were games, I shook my head.
We lost to West Ham, I beckoned my death.
And through it all, when there was Crouch,
I pulled my hair, I punched the ground.
I kicked my gran and she blacked out
Come on you Lilywhites...

I've cried, I've bitched and moaned,
I've had enough - we need a forward.
There's JD, once more offside,
I still find our tactics highly confusing.

To think Levy holds the key,
And may I say, his head is shiny -
Oh please, please spend the cash,
Come on you Lilywhites...

For what is a yid? What has he got?
If not his swagger - he'll lose the plot.  
Just sign that forward we truly need
No more hoofed balls over the midfield.
OptaJoe shows we can't score the goals...

Come on you Lilywhites...

Yes, we are the Lilywhites... ♫