Taarabt revisited

It's like I was fighting myself, defending valiantly against the truth. The voices in my head not screaming loud enough.

From June 27th 2011, via an article on Adel and Gio.

This one has yet to conclude as it's still on the march to a satisfying (or otherwise) finale. The opening three or so months of the new season will tells us whether we were right to get rid of him (that's if he's not been signed up by Jose).

Here's a lad called a genius by Redknapp then shifted out on loan, then sold. Sometimes, on occasions, players have to be sold on for them to truly find their place and develop and mature. Whether it's a reality kick in the teeth or simply the aid of a prolonged run of games (even if it's a league lower than where they started from) it's quite easy to say in hindsight 'we should have kept hold of him'. Had we, he might still be on the fringe of first team action or worse.

I can't comment on whether the club did enough when he was there because I wasn't on the training pitch or at the Lodge day in day out.

So what of this genius?

Pockets of plushness accompanied by playground posing. Tricks and step-overs aside, he was obviously too raw and immature. I always had this overbearing emotion that people who enjoyed watching him for us (in those cameos) smiled and laughed out of enjoyable embarrassment. Some of us loved him because of his sheer audacity to be so care-free and without an apparent air of awareness of where he actually was. The Prem and not the playground.

His loan spell was meant to fix that. He was meant to discover the art of grafting and improve that lack of self-awareness and find the right balance between tempo and team-work. But we still didn't see enough to retain his services (but just in case of an err we pencilled in a nice 40% sell-on clause) and allowed QPR to take him permanently. Championship Player of the Season later he still shows traits of self importance and priority of individuality on the pitch and plenty off it. But he's adapted well down there, just below us. He's now coming back up for his second chance.

Sustained form in the rough and tumble second tier from Adel, but whether he'll have time to stand on the ball and outwit the very top players is altogether a different question that will no doubt be unequivocally answered. One that we could not have possibly found out at THFC because he did not want to buckle down and prove his worth with us. This genius felt he had nothing to prove. You have to love the self-belief and arrogance. If Jenas had a tinge of it, he'd be < insert long-winded theory that Jenas is a confidence player here >.

Alas, this self-belief and arrogance appears to be far more self indulgent and deluded than it is Zidanesque. Actions speak louder than words but not for Adel. His words come with megaphone and neon lights.

I'm still not inclined to believe Harry 'didn't fancy him' because he was too flash. Bostock was also put in his place by Harry. Players being marginalised because of the gaffers ego? Don't all managers favour certain players and don't all managers look to move on players who have no future at the club? Hopefully Bostock will come good.

Granted all managers get it wrong from time to time.

Much like Gio, Adel has attitude and simply won't adjust it to accommodate the team and his manager. Unless that team is QPR and the manager is Neil Warnock. If you proclaim to be that good you can make it work anywhere. Even if it means waiting and fighting your way through into the first team. If you simply don't possess the patience to work alongside the skill then that's your problem, not ours. Help yourself to aid others to help you. He found the Championship more comfortable for him to bed into the English game. That's the path he choose, it's not one that could have involved us.

Extract from this article posted back in March 30th 2009.

Taarabt is Marmite. You love him or ....you know, but why anyone would hate him is beyond me. Have we become so impatient? Isn't Adel the quintessential Tottenham player? Ok, so he plays like a flash thirteen year old in a playground, ball stuck to his feet, trying to dribble it past everyone twice. If Adel was around when we sat up in 4th spot in that giddy season, he’d have made an impact. Much like he did against Utd earlier this season when Modric oh so nearly scored. It was Adel who started the move with those clever little feet.

But in other cameos he has frustrated the home support or just made us laugh out loud with his audacity and his naivety. But he doesn’t lack ability. Or self-belief. He has it in abundance. Storming performance for Morocco a month or so back on his début. And not too shabby for Q.P.R. so far. He’s also stated he wants to return to Spurs and fight for a place. It’s difficult to know whether he will always just be the flash kid in the playground, a combination of Timothee Atouba (you’re perpetually worried he’s about to lose the ball) and Zidane (he thinks, we wish).

Another extract, July 7th 2009.

It’s simple really. If Adel Taarabt was good enough for the first team, he’d be playing first team football. The fact of the matter is that he’s only good enough in his head. And granted if we were a slightly lower key club with lesser players in important positions then he’d probably get a run or three in the first team, enough to blood him for the war that is Premier League football. The fact that he went out on loan to QPR is evidence enough that he isn’t ready to stake a claim alongside the likes of Wilson.

Harry called him a genius. We (well, many of us) love him for his tricks and turns and showboating – but his naivety and lack of composure and decision making means he is more of a luxury and a liability at this precise moment in time. He is raw and needs to develop his touch. Along with an improvement re: grey matter.

But if you believe the stories suggesting we will not and do not want to sell him (resulting with him pleading for a transfer) then the thought process behind him taking time out at another club on loan makes perfect sense. Because if he shines brightly, Spurs can then offer him something far more substantial – like a more prominent first team role.

However, he still wants out totally. And a loan move would serve only as a shop window for him, rather than to any advantage for us.

Shame really. I like him and I rate him. But he has a while to go before proving he can play consistent top flight football. From the sounds of it the perfect scenario (play him off the bench as an impact cub) is not something Adel is accepting as an option. And there appears to be no option for him to be considered as a first team squad player, for reasons given already.

Malaga are back in for him again. Shame nobody in the Prem wants to take a risk. Although that goes along way to show he has done nothing yet to prove he can swagger around with true intent and final product rather than make us laugh out loud or hold our hearts in our hands at his sheer audacity.

Love his ambition and self-belief. It's just all a little mis-placed at the moment.

Where did it all go wrong? From August 20th 2007.

Arsenal fan on Taarabt:

I saw 18 year old Adel Taarabt for the first time as he came on for Spurs in the 2nd half of the game yesterday, and boy, did he look like a young Jay-Jay or Zizou.

The boy had the confidence to try things normal players wouldn't dream about, he had the swagger, bags of natural ability and looked the best baller on the park. He had the crowd buzzing whenever the ball came to him.

My only concern for him is that he came to England from France at such a young age. I fear that poor coaching and the 90 miles per hour stuff may ruin his game. The commentators were already condemning him for failing to play the simple pass on a few occasions. If this sort of thing carries on they will drive the fear of taking risks out of the boy and he will turn out like the other headless chickens that clutter midfields in the EPL.

Doesn't have the composure of Fabregas who seemed to have everything except a stubble at the age of 16 when he made his début, but Adel has undisputed ability that needs to be nurtured. He's not afraid to pick the ball up and run with it and has no problem with running in the opposite direction to help defend. He has an abundance of enthusiasm, is strong, great touch and ball skills and his passing isn't too bad either. Not afraid to shoot - but seems to do it too often. Which brings us onto his negatives which really only consist of selfishness and his shots need to actually hit the target when he fires them towards the goal.

Composure will come with experience. This kid could become a great. The worrying thing is, Tottenham and the ambiance we create at the club (joke) tends to overwhelm everyone, so God knows how an 18 year old kid is going to handle his progression, let alone how we plan to do so.

Fingers crossed we don't suffer another Blondel moment.

In conclusion. If he had the head of someone else, someone more stable and level headed and realistic he might not be drowning in his own egotistical gooey pool of hype. Then again, if he had a different head to the one he's currently got he'd be Worzel Gummidge.

A day in the life of Adel Taarabt

Gio dos Santos and Adel Taarabt walk into a pub...

The landlord looks up to see the two men approach the bar.

"What would you chaps like to drink?"

Gio surveys the bottles behind the bar and responds, "I'll start on the left and work my way through to the right".

The bar man nods, "And you sir?", he asks of Adel.

Adel pauses with thought, astonished by his surroundings, then responds.

"I don't understand this joke, where is it going? Why would I even partner up with Gio and even consider sharing a drink with him in a pub? This makes no sense to me. I should be enjoying a cup of expresso el fresco with the likes of Ronaldo and Messi".

Gio laughs out loud, "Ridiculous".

Adel looks across to him, "What? What is so ridiculous about that?"

"Share?", replies Gio, "I'm not sharing a single drop".

So goes the story.

Exactly how does one go about answering the questions posed by the young Mexican and his international form compared to his Premier League isolation? Is the wall between club and country one built solely on stubbornness and mismanagement? Are we walking straight into the same paradox that has come to passing since we sold Taarabt to QPR, who then led them to promotion, winning accolades and awards in the Championship. With subsequent self-promotion hoping to finally cement that move to a Champions League club. No international football for Adel to draw another parallel similar to the one Gio has. The Moroccan has retired on the basis of being too good for it.

Gio and Adel. Misunderstood by many and controlled by few.

Have to admit I'm not sure I'm the  best to answer this question in terms of game for game analysis of performances as I've seen very little of Gio's most recent loan spell at Racing Santander and only highlights and reviews of Adel's title winning season. If we intend to base our opinions on You Tube videos then someone fire up a compilation of Jermaine Jenas best bits.

However, taking into account what we have seen (in Lilywhite colours) and what we know of the players stints at our club...going with your gut instinct is probably enough in both cases based on the (lack of required) qualities in question outside of their audacious talent - with regards to Spurs. Even though you might debate Harry's agenda with both players. Did they get ample chances to impress? With both players he gave us a clear indication they we're given the opportunity to prove themselves at Spurs but both (for different reasons) were ultimately pushed away.

Gio

You have to question the application and effort of a player who seems to be focused and vibrant for his country and anything but for his club. Barcelona saw something in the lad to plunge him into their first team squad. Perhaps his playboy personality (birthed because of his Barca break?) was always going to work against him which is why he was sold. They didn't feel he was worth the extra work to keep hold of. Or maybe cruelly deemed surplus due to the players ahead of him at the club. At Tottenham, Harry cited weekend away trips back in Barca and resulting failure to turn up for training. Gio was not taking it seriously.

So goes the story.

Harry quotes aside, with the money spent on a Barca prodigy, you'd think the club would have worked to settle him in England. He settled so well he had no qualms with doing as he so wished.

What does it matter the skill you possess, the goals you can score if you don't want to stick in a shift and prove yourself to the team and the club? It's easy to always pin the responsibility on the manager.

Just going to randomly mention David Bentley here.

The very fact that Gio plays well for his country and not for us is not because they are managing him better or giving him a free role or building the team around him. It's because he gives a sh*t for them and doesn't for us.

Would a different coach have got the best out of him? Maybe, maybe not. I reckon we - Harry included - would have if dos Santos cared enough. What I do know about his La Liga loans is that he's had some sparkling performances mix in with the mundane. His performances for Spurs (last time of asking) we're hardly inspiring. Did well for Ipswich once or twice I seem to remember.

Pressures of breaking into the Barca team so early might have elevated his ego to the point of no return.

Would I love to see Harry take him back and work some man-management magic and instil some renewed confidence in the player 'domestically' back here in England? Sure. But Gio's profile back in La Liga means this is player the club won't struggle to sell - especially off the back of his performances in the Gold Cup. Copa America might add even more value.

He's too much of a risk to keep, not worth the gamble. Therefore easy money on the transfer market.

Adel

This one has yet to conclude as it's still on the march to a satisfying (or otherwise) finale. The opening three or so months of the new season will tells us whether we were right to get rid of him (that's if he's not been signed up by Jose).

Here's a lad called a genius by Redknapp then shifted out on loan, then sold. Sometimes, on occasions, players have to be sold on for them to truly find their place and develop and mature. Whether it's a reality kick in the teeth or simply the aid of a prolonged run of games (even if it's a league lower than where they started from) it's quite easy to say in hindsight 'we should have kept hold of him'. Had we, he might still be on the fringe of first team action or worse.

I can't comment on whether the club did enough when he was there because I wasn't on the training pitch or at the Lodge day in day out.

So what of this genius?

Pockets of plushness accompanied by playground posing. Tricks and step-overs aside, he was obviously too raw and immature. I always had this overbearing emotion that people who enjoyed watching him for us (in those cameos) smiled and laughed out of enjoyable embarrassment. Some of us loved him because of his sheer audacity to be so care-free and without an apparent air of awareness of where he actually was. The Prem and not the playground.

His loan spell was meant to fix that. He was meant to discover the art of grafting and improve that lack of self-awareness and find the right balance between tempo and team-work. But we still didn't see enough to retain his services (but just in case of an err we pencilled in a nice 40% sell-on clause) and allowed QPR to take him permanently. Championship Player of the Season later he still shows traits of self importance and priority of individuality on the pitch and plenty off it. But he's adapted well down there, just below us. He's now coming back up for his second chance.

Sustained form in the rough and tumble second tier from Adel, but whether he'll have time to stand on the ball and outwit the very top players is altogether a different question that will no doubt be unequivocally answered. One that we could not have possibly found out at THFC because he did not want to buckle down and prove his worth with us. This genius felt he had nothing to prove. You have to love the self-belief and arrogance. If Jenas had a tinge of it, he'd be < insert long-winded theory that Jenas is a confidence player here >.

Alas, this self-belief and arrogance appears to be far more self indulgent and deluded than it is Zidanesque. Actions speak louder than words but not for Adel. His words come with megaphone and neon lights.

I'm still not inclined to believe Harry 'didn't fancy him' because he was too flash. Bostock was also put in his place by Harry. Players being marginalised because of the gaffers ego? Don't all managers favour certain players and don't all managers look to move on players who have no future at the club? Hopefully Bostock will come good.

Granted all managers get it wrong from time to time.

Much like Gio, Adel has attitude and simply won't adjust it to accommodate the team and his manager. Unless that team is QPR and the manager is Neil Warnock. If you proclaim to be that good you can make it work anywhere. Even if it means waiting and fighting your way through into the first team. If you simply don't possess the patience to work alongside the skill then that's your problem, not ours. Help yourself to aid others to help you. He found the Championship more comfortable for him to bed into the English game. That's the path he choose, it's not one that could have involved us.

Gio and Adel talented? On both accounts, very much so. But you need your head in the right place. You also need to sacrifice some ego in the process. Adel has at the very least proved he does know how to get on it. The Championship is hardly forgiving, even though it's nowhere near the same level as the Prem.

Both players were reluctant to do so in our colours. Good luck to both, but it's their loss, not ours.

Curveball? Bale was famously almost loaned out/sold before he returned into the team. Sometimes fate takes hold of your destiny and forever changes it. But unlike Gareth, Gio has not been with us for a while now. He's already been cut loose. As for Adel, he will no doubt provide some entertainment next season.

In an ideal world I'd have both of them at Tottenham on the bench. Because both are capable of producing something crazy and magical. But their world is on a completely different axis.

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A day in the life of Adel Taarabt

Reprise from last year.

Adel, is enjoying a cup of coffee in his kitchen. When suddenly; chaos! The very fabric of space and time is ripped open, resulting with a small and rather polite worm hole appearing before his very eyes.

'Hello Adel', the worm hole greeted the ex-Moroccan international with a smile.

Adel: "What in the **** is this s**t? I already have an agent. Get out of my home"
Worm hole: "I'm here to offer you what you deserve"
Adel: "Adel is not interested in anything a hypothetical topological feature of space-time has to say"
Worm hole: "Oh, sorry, I thought you were…Is Adel home?"
Adel: "Of course he is. Adel is standing in front of you, idiot"
Worm hole: "Where? Oh, I see. First person"
Adel: "You are wasting Adel's time. Leave"
Worm hole: "No, no I'm not wasting your time. You deserve so much more than this. Than QPR"
Adel: "Hold on a minute, Jose…Jose is that you?"
Worm hole: "I am not Jose. I have trancended the infinite layers of the mult-verse to visit you today. I'm here to gift you something special Adel. 1970. The World Cup final between the boys from Brazil and Italy. A spectacle befitting a player of your undoubted quality. I can take you back in time, Adel, and replace Pele with you"
Adel: "Replace?"
Worm hole: "Yes, replace. You will be Pele, but you will define the final and his legacy with your own two feet and footballing brain. Adel Taarabt in the body of Pele with the ability of Adel Taarabt. How does that sound?"
Adel: "It sounds like the same Adel in blue and white hoop colours every weekend, but in Mexico instead of West London. Okay. Why not? I was only going to spend the day looking at myself in the mirror. I can do that when I get back. Do they have mirrors back in the 70s? Yes? Okay, so then, do I jump?"
Worm hole: "Yes, jump into me. And you will be transported onto the pitch in 1970 Mexico City, in full kit"

And so Adel takes the leap of faith, after finishing his cup of coffee and spending some time styling his hair, and jumps into the worm hole with the minimum of fuss.

1970. The World Cup Final. Brazil v Italy. Mexico City.

Rivelino: What the…?
Gérson: I don't get it.
Jarizinho: This is ridiculous.
Carlos Alberto: I do not believe my eyes. Is he mad?

Commentator: Unbelievable scenes in the World Cup final. I can't quite fathom this. Pele has stripped off his yellow jersey and thrown it to the ground after screaming abuse at Mário Zagallo and proceeding to push him over. Just ten minutes into the game and Pele - who has been shocking, just shocking - has gestured abuse to his team-mates and the fans and has sensationally walked off the field of play in protest screaming 'I quit, I quit' in what can only be described as a very public melt-down. The Italians are unsure where to look. I'm unsure where to look. This is so out of character. It's embarrassing.

All this madness began after Pele attempted to dribble through and around his own team-mates with the Italians looking on in amazement, and then had the ball abruptly taken off his feet by Jarizinho which resulted with Pele slapping him across the face. This is quite an incredible start to the World Cup final.

And it's a red card for Pele. The ref has seen enough!

Oh dear God, he's now urinating on the dug-out in retaliation to the card. Extraordinary!

Later that day, back in 2010...

Worm hole: "That went well"
Adel: "Please. No more Sunday League football, okay?"

A day in the life of Adel Taarabt

Adel, is enjoying a cup of coffee in his kitchen. When suddenly, chaos! The very fabric of space and time is ripped open, resulting with a small and rather polite worm hole appearing before his eyes.

'Hello Adel', the worm hole greeted the ex-Moroccan international with a smile.

Adel: "What in the f**k is this sh*t? I already have an agent. Get out of my home"
Worm hole: "I'm here to offer you what you deserve"
Adel: "Adel is not interested in anything a hypothetical topological feature of space-time has to say"
Worm hole: "Oh, sorry, I thought you were…Is Adel home?"
Adel: "Of course he is. Adel is standing in front of you, idiot"
Worm hole: "Where? Oh, I see. First person"
Adel: "You are wasting Adel's time. Leave"
Worm hole: "No, no I'm not wasting your time. You deserve so much more than this. Than QPR"
Adel: "Hold on a minute, Jose…Jose is that you?"
Worm hole: "I am not Jose. I have trancended the infinite layers of the mult-verse to visit you today. I'm here to gift you something special Adel. 1970. The World Cup final between the boys from Brazil and Italy. A spectacle befitting a player of your undoubted quality. I can take you back in time, Adel, and replace Pele with you"
Adel: "Replace?"
Worm hole: "Yes, replace. You will be Pele, but you will define the final and his legacy with your own two feet and footballing brain. Adel Taarabt in the body of Pele with the ability of Adel Taarabt. How does that sound?"
Adel: "It sounds like the same Adel in blue and white hoop colours every weekend, but in Mexico instead of West London. Okay. Why not? I was only going to spend the day looking at myself in the mirror. I can do that when I get back. Do they have mirrors back in the 70s? So then, do I jump?"
Worm hole: "Yes, jump into me. And you will be transported onto the pitch in 1970 Mexico City, in full kit"

And so Adel takes the leap of faith, after finishing his cup of coffee, and jumps into the worm hole with the minimum of fuss.

1970. The World Cup Final. Brazil v Italy. Mexico City.

Rivelino: What the…?
Gérson: I don't get it.
Jarizinho: This is ridiculous.
Carlos Alberto: I do not believe my eyes.

Commentator: Unbelievable scenes in the World Cup final. I can't quite fathom this. Pele has stripped off his yellow jersey and thrown it to the ground after screaming abuse at Mário Zagallo and proceeding to push him over. Just ten minutes into the game and Pele - who has been shocking, just shocking and abjectly woeful - has gestured abuse to his team-mates and the fans and has sensationally walked off the field of play in protest screaming 'I quit, I quit' in what can only be described as a very public melt-down. The Italians are unsure where to look. I'm unsure where to look. This is so out of character. It's embarrassing to watch.

All this madness began after Pele attempted to dribble through and around his own team-mates with the Italians looking on in amazement, and then had the ball abruptly taken off his feet by Jarizinho which resulted with Pele slapping him across the face. This is quite an incredible start to the World Cup final.

And it's a red card for Pele. The ref has seen enough!

Oh dear God, he's now urinating on the dug-out in retaliation to the card. Extraordinary!

Later that day, back in 2010...

Worm hole: "That went well"
Adel: "Please. No more Sunday League football, okay?"

Lucky escape

There was an article the other day about Harry's opinions on young footballers which wasn't too dissimilar to one published several months back (probably was a repeat). The jist of it being how easy young footballers have it, and how egotistic some of them become in terms of making assumptions they've 'arrived'.

Was Harry talking about John Bostock? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Might have just been a generalisation  but it's interesting that he cited agents calling up Levy demanding to know why their clients were not playing first team football.

You know the drill. If you're half decent, you can bag yourself a contract for 3k - 10k per week as a mere teen or twenty-year old and five years of that might possibly turn you into self-absorbed git who can't be arsed to train properly or show determination to succeed and basically think easy street equates to automatic selection. Not that I'm suggesting Bostock is the person Harry referred to in the interview.

And this article is nothing to do with John - who I'm really hoping comes good for us.

This article is about a certain Adel Taarabt. You remember him right? He's the one with fancy tricks and step-overs and dribbles that had the giddy part of your soul fooled. Yes, there are plenty of us that made the embarrassing error of thinking this kid had the right qualities to make it. Until slowly slowly we worked out he might have had the mad skillz but not the temperament or patience or the humility to be respectful.

"He's raw, he needs to play more, he's got the talent, yadda yadda yadda"

Sadly he's turned out to be nothing more than superfluous. As someone (Enter the Pitbull)
over at Glory Glory put it, Adel is the African Lee Trundle. His level, it seems, the Championship.

He's in the news for quitting International football (Morocco - he didn't consider himself good enough or want to prove himself good enough for France) because they disrespected him. Now I know that quotes can be lost in translation and taken out of context but it's highly laughable regardless. He now gets to concentrate on QPR, because he spent 22 hours on planes travelling and wasn't selected to play. Because you know, he's got to continue to raise that profile for his move to Madrid in the summer.

What an absolute melter.

Quality.

I'd watch a sitcom with Adel in it. He'd turn up at Zidanes home and give him his marching orders declaring squatters rights.

One night, two wins

Been travelling. Missed tonight's game(s) although caught the final 15 of the Benfica win. I'll try and find footage of the dos Santos magic that started the move for the Bale goal. If you happen across it before I do, please share (and I'll update the article). Elsewhere a Spurs eleven beat Ipswich. Whoo-hoo. Two wins in one night. The Tottenham XI side included King, Kaboul and Pav (scoring the only goal via a deflection). So a pretty decent work-out for all squad players this evening.

Back to the Benfica game, by all accounts, dos Santos impressing. At least one of our much maligned 'kids' is showing quality. Although we have been here before with the Mexican. Hopefully he's training well and Harry keeps and eye on him. I don't believe for a second we are short of money and won't be spending and blah blah blah. We'll be signing 2-3 players for certain, so IMO, ignore the dramatic sound-bites. However, that's not to say we should once more look to marginalise the players we have. And although dos Santos is (has been) infuriating (off the pitch which is therefore detrimental to his chances on it) we might finally be getting somewhere with this one. The other (Adel) is on his way to QPR apparently. More on that at a later date. Anyways, official match report here.

Statto king THFC6061 had the following to say over at GG:

The first half was rather shakey from a Spurs point of view, but we defended well and Gomes was very good indeed.

We got more into our stride in the second half and produced some good football at times.

Cudicini was the busier of our two keepers and gave an excellent performance.

Jenas played a blinder.

Dos Santos had a moment of magic to set-up Bale's goal.

Both right backs did well, although I preferred Walker to Naughton.

Dawson and Corluka were solid in the centre.

Benfica are a top quality side and for Spurs to go to their patch and grab a result, keeping a clean sheet in the process, wasn't a bad night's work at all.

Opinions and knee-jerks as ever, welcomed. Especially on the performance of JJ. And I'll leave you with what should be an imminent DVD box-set from the club, entitled 'Pre-Season Glory Glory Days and Nights', which chronicles the following Cup dominance:

Peace Cup Winners 2005
Vodacom Challenge Cup  Winners 2007
Feyenoord Centenary Tournament Winners 2008
Barclays Premier League Asia Trophy Winners 2009
Eusebio Cup Winners 2010 Winners

Trophy cabinet is desperate for some reinforcement before it buckles.

For a full run-down of our pre-season thus far - and the all important player stats - check out THFC's stat website here.

Bored of the Taarabt

Afternoon Sports fans.

If you haven't read my latest letter to Daniel Levy then shame on you. Just click here if you missed it.

As for this article, quick run-down of today's news. Nothing fancy, straight to the point.

Pav

He's obviously content with his form and he's now talking about the possibility of staying at the club and even shown some belief in challenging for 4th between now and the end of the season. Keep on scoring and it's win win. I still don't think Redknapp fancies him much, and he'll still claim the credit for the rejuvenated Russian in what was a clever reverse psychological trick to inspire the Russian back into first team duty, innit Harry? Even though desperation called upon his selection. I'm just happy it's positive translated quotes we are reading rather than sulking about being bullied/ignored/not allowed to leave. I still see him moving on in the summer. Him talking about staying just aids Spurs in adding an extra million or two onto his transfer fee.

Lennon

Might be back for the Chelsea game. This news has me salivating. Would give us an additional edge to be able to re-introduce Aaron back into the side. Realistically, might take a few games for him to get back to full match fitness which means Bale still has a massive job for us to do. But just imagine Bale on the left and Azza on the right. I'm salivating again. Just not out of my mouth.

Sandro

On his way, so say the Brazilians (press/clubs president). So I guess we have another not-the-finished-article player on his way as an alternative CM option. He's highly rated. So there's a good chance we'll follow tradition and half destroy his career. I jest. I think we can all agree that when dealing with South Americans, the transfer negations are always prolonged and ridiculous - jam-packed with conflicting quotes and denials. But the only thing we need to concern ourselves with relates to whether this is a huge gamble on our part considering there are better options (just too expensive) and if we are perhaps nothing more than a stepping stone for him to use as a shop window to then move onto Spanish or Italian football. Although France and Portugal has been a far more common destination for South Americans in the past for new arrivals. Guess we would feel blessed.

I'm shocked and surprised this is actually going to happen. But I'm going to hold on until he's at the Lodge holding up a Spurs shirt before I raise a glass. I hope he lives up to the hype. Talking of which...

Adel

We always over-rate our youth players, whether they are Academy or signed young. It's because we've had little success in promoting kids and developing them to first team squad members. We've got plenty of young players at Spurs that are highly rated, players who have enjoyed success in prestigious youth tournaments around the world and represented their club at youth levels. And yet no one knows just how good Bostock really is and if the rest of the 16-18 year olds genuinely have what it takes. Perhaps we expect too much too soon.

Taarabt, bless him, thinks he's the bollocks. Yes, he has the fancy tricks and is quite obviously confident and has self-belief in his abilities, but he's raw. He has produced some worthy cameos for QPR, but hasn't held down a place consistently. I just don't think he has the right attitude or temperament. It's easy to be critical of Spurs and say its another example of the player not being developed and looked after. But if the kid has no footballing brain - i.e. doesn't do the simple things first before the fancy stuff - then there's little hope of getting through to him. He never wanted to go on loan, so either Harry is lying when he says he rates him and just wanted rid, or Adel wants what Adel wants and nothing less.

He says he regrets signing for us and should have gone to Arsenal. I'm sure he'd have lasted 5 minutes there much like that other arrogant self-important twat, Pennant. Remember the hype surrounding him?

Off you trot Adel, you silly little boy. I know there's talk amongst some of the Spurs faithful that he should be thrown into the side and be allowed to express himself, but I've seen nothing yet to suggest he could handle the responsibility. He's all talk, no action. He's not bothered with football in this country. He'll do well in Spain no doubt, probably because he'll apply himself accordingly to suit his ego. Although there are plenty of elements in La Liga that are not to dissimilar to the EPL. He'll continue to blow hot and cold and frustrate for years to come.

That is all.

Spurs set to sign Abbey Clancy

I’m back from the melting pot of Southern Turkey where I enjoyed temperatures in the mid-forties, plenty of alcoholic beverages and God forsaken no internet access. Bliss. I’m tanned, refreshed and completely relaxed, even though the stormy weather over Gatwick meant my flight back was delayed for several hours. However, returning to England meant I was about to drown in an abundance of missed Spurs news relating to players signed and sold.

I should have stayed away for another seven days.

Naughton and Walker signed from Sheffield United. Which is nice. Two new kids to destroy. Gareth Bale, you are no longer alone son.

Adel Taarabt has joined QPR on loan for the season. I don’t mind saying that I’m quite happy with this, in that the alternative was him leaving the club altogether. Jury still out on the showboating midfield starlet having a career at the Lane, so all eyes on how he manages to handle a full term in the Championship where hopefully his composure and decision making will progress in the right direction. You have to wonder if it will. If he was that full of potential would we not want to look after him closer to home? Or at least loan him out to a Prem club? I guess if you ignore Adel’s constant whinging and self-hype, there is little (at the moment) to suggest he is half as good as he thinks he is. Feet do the talking time.

No news on Negredo. Last bit of info I had from my Madrid ‘contact’ was an echo of what most of their fans seem to be in agreement about:

He is in his final hours as a Real Madrid player and will be leaving the club's base in Ireland very soon. This deal will probably be announced officially in the next week. I suppose Spurs went after him once they realised they couldn't get Huntelaar.

After making a perfect start to his presidency, Florentino has now made his first big mistake. I really hope it’s his last. Even with the buyback option, i don't think the club should have released such a promising young talent so easily, especially when there are other crappy players in the squad that need to be sold.

That was from the 17^th July. Nothing since. As for Huntelaar, I’m expecting him to turn up in red and white while we end up with Peter Crouch. Who, as a replacement for Bent, isn’t too shabby an option. But that’s a little bit like deciding that to get to where you want to be in a hurry you decide to skip instead of walk.

Crouch (bless his robotic bones) is not exactly a massive upgrade on what we have at the moment. What we have at the moment is a mish-mash of forwards who appear to have arrived at White Hart Lane like elephants walking towards the great graveyard. Apart from Defoe – Bent, Pav and Keane are now stuck firmly in the much-maligned category as we all struggle to understand what Harry is aiming for with regards to his forward line-up.

So what will Crouchie offer us other than a wonderfully gorgeous girlfriend sitting up in the stands? He’s shit in the air and he isn’t exactly prolific. But at least he does offer more than say Darren Bent, especially as a foil to Defoe. Yet still, what of Bent and Pav and Keano?

Even though Pompey have accepted our offer, Harry (interviewed on Sky Sports today) claims Levy is deep in talks and there is no deal currently or no fee agreed. So are Pompey playing silly buggers with their claims or after more money from another interested club?

Elsewhere, Hutton is apparently off to Everton although he appears to be playing for us against Celtic at Wembley today. More tabloid pish? Maybe, maybe not. Hutton isn’t the greatest defender but he attacks well. Just ask his dad. Moyes might get more out of him and we do have a ridiculous amount of full-backs, so if his off the field antics and his injury prone record are reasons to cash in and move on, then so be it.

And that’s it. No major mouth-watering signings in my absence. Patrick Vieira is still ‘making up his mind’ with regards to a move to Spurs. The ITK’s reckon he won’t be a constant first-team starter and Harry has been publicly speaking about him, almost like he is allowing us time to mentally prepare when he’s paraded wearing a Lilywhite shirt and holding up a Spurs scarf. As for the Harry comment relating to Sol Campbell (‘It will even it out...’) erm...no it won’t mate. Hush now. Let’s hope he doesn’t bring an awful amount of falling over shadows because unlike them lot over there, we don’t like fantastic cheats. Not that Vieira is anywhere near fantastic.

To play or not to play, Adel is the question

It’s simple really. If Adel Taarabt was good enough for the first team, he’d be playing first team football. The fact of the matter is that he’s only good enough in his head. And granted if we were a slightly lower key club with lesser players in important positions then he’d probably get a run or three in the first team, enough to blood him for the war that is Premier League football. The fact that he went out on loan to QPR is evidence enough that he isn’t ready to stake a claim alongside the likes of Wilson.

Harry called him a genius. We (well, many of us) love him for his tricks and turns and showboating – but his naivety and lack of composure and decision making means he is more of a luxury and a liability at this precise moment in time. He is raw and needs to develop his touch. Along with an improvement re: grey matter.

But if you believe the stories suggesting we will not and do not want to sell him (resulting with him pleading for a transfer) then the thought process behind him taking time out at another club on loan makes perfect sense. Because if he shines brightly, Spurs can then offer him something far more substantial – like a more prominent first team role.

However, he still wants out totally. And a loan move would serve only as a shop window for him, rather than to any advantage for us.

Shame really. I like him and I rate him. But he has a while to go before proving he can play consistent top flight football. From the sounds of it the perfect scenario (play him off the bench as an impact cub) is not something Adel is accepting as an option. And there appears to be no option for him to be considered as a first team squad player, for reasons given already.

Malaga are back in for him again. Shame nobody in the Prem wants to take a risk. Although that goes along way to show he has done nothing yet to prove he can swagger around with true intent and final product rather than make us laugh out loud or hold our hearts in our hands at his sheer audacity.

Love his ambition and self-belief. It's just all a little mis-placed at the moment.

Prime Directive: Spurs The Next Generation

"You have to keep moving forward. I just want players who can come in and make us a better team. The players that I have in mind are playing very well and are in their prime." – Harry Redknapp

Sounds promising, doesn’t it? Experienced, confident players who can slot into the team and improve us with immediate effect. No more Ghalys or Boatengs. No more squad fillers. Prime time stars who can bring us further stability and style, but more importantly, players with a touch of the mental-strength that is missing a little from the current first team line-up. The collapses witnessed at Ewood Park and Old Trafford firm examples of where we need that extra quality of hardened leadership to help steady the ship. No more sinking into the depths if we want to sustain a challenge of any kind.

Obviously, there will still be the usual twinge and twitch to sign a high profile glamour signing, because that’s Spurs. But resistance to do so (for once) will prove that we are striving to make the right steps forward. Signing David Bentley last season is the perfect example of bringing in someone who doesn’t quite fit into the team but what the heck, we’ve got the money to spend, so why not, and we'll try and fit him in.

End this please.

But we shall see what the new founded transfer policy is and what influence Harry has on the chairman in the very near future.

A new signing? Make it so....

The other areas that will need a tidy up include the right-back positions (Gunter on loan again – but how we handle the triple threat of Corluka, Hutton and Chimbonda is anyone’s guess). Also the likes of Zokora and Huddlestone will need to make a decision, or have one made for them. Zoko has been linked with Wigan, and has refused to comment on the subject (if you take what you read for gospel). Ironically, he pays tribute to the behind the scenes people at the Lane who help settle the families of the players into everyday English life when they arrive in the UK from abroad. I half expect him to jig his way out of the Lane on account of his drop down the pecking order status and the possibility of another central midfielder signing - which is something we need because JJ is probably not the best long term answer to partnering Wilson. All that might be sored if we buy a left-winger (no, not him) and play Luka central. Loads of conundrums to sort.

One player on his way is Adel Taarabt. This according to, well, Adel himself. He claims various clubs are after him and that he wants to be playing football week in week out and that Spurs cannot offer him this. I’m a fan. He’s got mad skillz. Not so much in the way of composure or decision making to allow him to play a conentrated part in the Premier League, which is why he’s been farmed out to Q.P.R. But where is the ambition Adel? Work hard, improve your game, and break into the Spurs side will surely be far more satisfactory from a personal stand-point. If a young lad believes he is good enough – and has accolades from his boss in reference to his raw genius talent – then surely the more difficult thing would be to stay where he is, but prove his worth by breaking – and thus forcing – his way into first team selection. I hope he’s not sold. Loaned for a year, not to Q.P.R. but to possibly one of the promoted Championship sides, would be a far better test for him if he wants to play every week elsewhere. We can then find out once and for all if he has it. The most ideal solution would be to develop him at Spurs and have him on the bench. But I guess patience is something these young chaps no longer concern themselves with. A commoditiy that fails to appease their ego. It’s good that he’s hungry, but disappointing he’s not up for the bigger challenge he faces at WHL.

Gio, another player who could be on his way out. He looked decent in La Liga, not so great in the Prem but very good in the Championship. It would be easy to suggest the Spanish league is not as good as ours. It's probably true. But he never quite got the chance for us this season thanks to the fact the team - as a unit - was a shambles early on. Add to it various injury issues (although there was a rumour - from that bloke who stands next to me at the Lane) who suggested Gio wasn't actually injured and that was simply the excuse created to make any potential transfer fee didn't suffer too badly if we stuck him up for sell. Didn't we almost sell him to Pompey?

I do hope that there is still some form of youth scouting at the club, but more so that the development of our rather brilliant academy team and reserve-cameo stars (Bostock) are progressed with tender care because the one thing that will give me pride more than anything is to see some of these kids make it.

Hold onto your hats for that.

As for the summer. I look forward to seeing what Harry does having had a preview in the January window. Which was both great (Wilson) and confusing (Pascal).

Jamie, Adel and John: The Lilywhites on the outside looking in

Deconstructing the Tottenham midfield conundrum - Part V

The Outsiders

Palacios. Modric. Jenas. Zokora. Huddlestone. Taarabt. O’Hara. Seven players. One massive conundrum. At least, that’s how it all started out back in Part I of this series. I’ve not touched on the worth of Adel and Jamie just yet (will do in a sec), but arguably thus far, only Palacios and Modric….and at a push (one that has Spurs fans split) Jenas are forming the basis of the new-look Spurs midfield. More on this in Part VI (the concluding article). Decided to extend this series by one rather than fit it all in this blog entry.

So for now, the backups.

Jamie O’Hara. Adel Taarabt. And John Bostock (which makes it eight in total, but whoever heard of the Magnificent Eight?). All three players sit in very different categories with regards to first team selection.

O’Hara is a first team player, if not a first choice player.

Bostock is a youth player and looks a real talent, but won’t arrive in the first team for another season or two. Depends on how his development progresses and whether Harry opts for yoof in the Carling Cup games next season. Reality is - he's not a backup player to the first team. Not yet. But One for the Future©.

Taarabt is an enigma. In the sense that some rate him others don’t. Clever feet, clever brain, not so clever decision making – but that’s not a negative. It's a learning curve. Going on loan to Q.P.R. is the best thing for him at the moment. Starting games is vital, and that’s something that was not happening for him at Spurs. It’s one thing show-boating in the reserves, another performing in the Championship. A competitive hard-working league is the best place for him to adapt his silky skills into a more realistic environment, so his understanding of when the basics are more important than the flicks gets programmed into his creative head.

Time for a closer look at the thrilling threesome...

O’Hara, an ex-Arsenal youth player, but one who would wear a Lilywhite shirt under the red and white of the South London club when playing for their youth team before making the short journey across their swamps to the bright lights of White Hart Lane. There is absolutely no doubting Jamie’s passion for the club. He’s a fan. If I was Premiership class (I'd play behind the front-two in a free-role creative play-making capacity...obviously) and you stuck me in the Spurs team, you’d love my intensity and spirit and commitment. I’d give it 110% and some. Jamie has that level of urgency in his play. What he doesn’t have is the polished all-round abilities to match his heart, that would surely make him a first-choice regular.

"Did ya just pinch me bum?"

If you take a look at successful sides, most of the players never supported or support the team they are representing. It’s not a necessity. It would be nice to have that (love for the club) in every single one of our players – if we did, we’d have accumulated more than 2 points from the opening 8 games. But players should have instilled in them the right amount of graft as a given. They are professionals on a ton of money, they should never get anything less than 100%.

Fantasty football, yeah?

Jamie would probably give 110% no matter the club he played for because that’s him. He gets himself about a bit on the pitch, flying tackles and the like. He’s high tempo. But is he high class? Nope. We love him because....well, because he loves Spurs. But he’ll only ever be a decent squad player – a backup. Someone to come on in the final 20 minutes or perhaps start a Cup match to lower league opposition. I’m not sure he’ll progress any further. Hope I’m wrong. So I’m not stating anything amazingly insightful here. Possessing intensity, spirit and commitment is great, but doesn't account for much if you don't excel in other areas of your game.

Taarabt is Marmite. You love him or ....you know, but why anyone would hate him is beyond me. Have we become so impatient? Isn't Adel the quintessential Tottenham player? Ok, so he plays like a flash thirteen year old in a playground, ball stuck to his feet, trying to dribble it past everyone twice. If Adel was around when we sat up in 4th spot in that giddy season, he’d have made an impact. Much like he did against Utd earlier this season when Modric oh so nearly scored. It was Adel who started the move with those clever little feet.

'Potentially' World class....right?

But in other cameos he has frustrated the home support or just made us laugh out loud with his audacity and his naivety. But he doesn’t lack ability. Or self-belief. He has it in abundance. Storming performance for Morocco a month or so back on his debut. And not too shabby for Q.P.R. so far. He’s also stated he wants to return to Spurs and fight for a place. It’s difficult to know whether he will always just be the flash kid in the playground, a combination of Timothee Atouba (you’re perpetually worried he’s about to lose the ball) and Zidane (he thinks, we wish).

Next season, when back at Spurs, Harry should have him on the bench and start him when it’s safe to do so. He has to play games in the Prem for his raw potential to be tested, which means he should train with the first team squad and our coaches make sure that he matures and improves his decision making and composure. Shining at QPR will do him no harm at all.

The problem I have is that at other clubs, you see players touted as potentially world-class and they make their first team debuts early and shine and continue to do so - and prove they are on the road to possible greatness. We have had so many false dawns with much hyped players. And some are always stuck in limbo, never quite making it beyond the bench. If he is good enough, he should play. At the moment he isn't because of one or two immature traits. Iron them out, and we might just have a brilliant player on our hands. One that can change the game with a blink of an eye and a dink of the foot.

As for Bostock. It’s too early to make any assumptions – and to be honest, I’ve not seen enough of him. What I have seen, he’s been impressive and his UEFA Cup appearance (at the age of 16 years 295 days, the youngest ever Spurs player) this season showed that he was worth the battle with Palace to claim his signature. He's composed, refined and confident. An England U-17 captain and definitely not a player who will disappear into obscurity. He looks the part. Absolutely no need to rush him. Or is there?

To break into the first team at the age of 16/17 you have to be something extraordinary. Arsenal (Cesc) and Everton (Rooney) both stuck their young prodigy's into first team football early. For all the hype, we never do. Arguably you could state that Fabregas wasn't rushed. He was ready for it, such is the ability of the spitting Spaniard.

Show us your dance moves

Again, responsibility falls to Spurs, but in the academy and in Alex Inglethorpe – I have faith. Our youngsters have claimed a few tournament successes over the past year and have fared very well in the ones they haven’t won. We do - hype aside - have proven quality at this level. Yes, I know, that doesn't mean they will all make the grade. But we've been pretty starved of academy promotions in recent years (I know Bostock came from Palace, but you get where I'm coming from - remember Owen Price and Michael Malcolm?).

Like most kids, once they start to make reserve appearances and knock on the first team door – you can only hope Spurs are in a decent position in the league and strong enough to allow for the young one to make comfortable appearances in the Prem. Asking a young player to perform in a struggling side can be soul destroying (Bale, Gio). A blossoming team is safer ground for promotion. Which is why Bostock hasn't played a bigger part this season.

So.

O’Hara – Decent squad player, but not of a standard that would have Palacios sweating any time soon.
Taarabt – Young, ambitious, talented – but still naive and made up of raw potential. Has to play a part next season ‘at’ Spurs, off the bench and in the CC games.
Bostock – Ask again in one year, but we might see more of him in CC games next season (possibly along with Dean Parratt) – but still a few seasons off from first team football.

I know I’ve spoken about Huddlestone already back in Part III, but he deserves to be mentioned again. Last week he tapped himself up by suggesting he might need to look elsewhere for first team football. Newcastle were linked with him over the weekend in the tabloids (although why anyone would want to go there...) although that’s probably just a journo making stuff up just to fill the page.

Hudd performed well for the U-21’s – he usually does. He controlled the midfield in his usual nonchalant manner, which does get mistaken for looking a little on the lazy side. He played the ball well offensively and got stuck in defensively, winning a few tackles. And he scored and got to wear the captain’s armband for the second half. A confident all round performance then:

Huddlestone, and his accurate precise passing range, saviour of young England.

So why do we not rate him again? Oh yeah. He’s too slow.

Unless the entire midfield is built around him, and aids in compensating his lack of mobility – then maybe a transfer away is the only conclusion to this Tottenham midfield question. He has the technical ability but it’s not enough, and his weakness are too apparent for him to stand all on his own. Works in the U-21s. Might even work if he played his football abroad. But not over here where football is 1000mph. He needs protection.

So can he stand up and be a man? That's down to him. Not sure you can quite learn that on a training pitch.

Tom is a superb passer of the ball can hit a sweet volley. But whether it’s the lack of that much maligned mobility (of if you prefer to criticise him as being too casual with no fire in his belly and killer instinct) it’s apparent that he is lopsided when counting his positives and negatives. If you can’t move you get side-stepped. If you get side-stepped you become nothing more than a passenger. Compare him to other players of his ilk who start Prem games and you get to see the gulf in difference.

Personally, I don’t think Hudd is ‘too casual’. It's just a fallacy. He has an unflappable quality about him. Hoddle was always cited as being too casual, but what a player – not just with his passing or getting the tackles in (which he did more than people give him credit for) but his effort/application was unquestionable. That’s the crux of it with Tom. And it's why the question about 'standing up' to it is still left unanswered.

Whether you are casual or 110% in the way you play – you can get the same job done as long and the application is there. Is Huddlestone showing enough that suggests his effort can improve? It’s also a fallacy to suggest his build stops him from achieving acceptable lateral movement to keep him competitive in games. He shed a load of weight, he got himself into great shape. So unless he requires specific training for mobility – I can’t see what else he can do about it. If you don’t have the application, you’ll stagnate.

It's quite possible the problem is not in his gut, but in his head.

Huddlestone is at that cross-roads. I want him to be a success, but he’s nothing more than backup at the moment. And that might well result in him being someone else's conundrum next season.

In the concluding Part (VI) of this series - the (not so) Magnificent Seven become the Fabulous Four, led by a certain magical Croatian...

The Magnificent Seven - Part I

The Curious Case of Jermaine Jenas - Part II

The Incredible Huddlestone - Part III

Palacios answers the question: "Yes he can" - Part IV

Ledley crowned King of England.....long live the King?

Tuesday afternoon round-up of the past weeks highlights.

Spiffing weekend with the win against Chelsea. Feet firmly back on the ground, right? I say that because even I got a little giddy with our victory. It amuses me that the tables have turned a little in our advantage. The little club from West London, with history you can trace back a couple of years, don't much fancy playing us. Suddenly we are flirting with the possibility of Europe, which appears to be winking in our direction and playfully lifting her skirt up, teasing us with her continental cheek. This has got some Spurs fans trembling at the knees with excitement. And this is the exact reason why other fans hate us. Far too emotional for our own good. A month or so back, relegation was still a word people shared in worried conversations, scared to ask where the next three points might come from. A week in football is a long time blah blah blah.

It's great that the players have finally settled and we are playing with confidence. And it's equally great that such is the non-event in the way of difference between a team just above the bottom three and one just below 7th spot in the table, that we can go from relegation fodder to potential Europa glory in the space of two games. No point on dwelling on what could have been had we picked up more points in the opening eight games (refer to Harry Redknapp for further analysis on this). I'm happy with anything above 10th. And if we did qualify for the soon to be revised version of the UEFA Cup, I don't believe it would be a distraction to getting it right in the Prem (which should be the overwhelming priority next season). Sure, we can kiss goodbye again to Saturday 3pm kick-offs, but considering how weak the opposition teams appear to be in the early rounds of the competition, we could use it to blood some youth players and reserves. Never say no to Europe. Time they gave the competition an extra twist. Winners qualify for the Champions League. Considering there are more runners-up and 3rd, 4th placed teams than actual champions, I don't see what harm it would. Apart from making the rich richer.

Still unbeaten against the Sky Sports Top 4 this season in the Prem. Only defeats (overall) coming in both Cups against Man Utd. Villa (who spent some time in 4th place) also beat us at the Lane. Strange old season. All that's left is for Robbie Keane to score a last minute winner in front of the Kop on the final day of the season, handing Man Utd the title. Can he play in that game? Someone mentioned how the FA will not allow it due to 'conflicting interest' (being the fact that he can pick up a winners medal due to appearance made for Liverpool, if the Reds win the league). Cant believe he would be interested in doing so considering his experience up there.

Aaron Lennon has signed an extension. I touched on this briefly in the match review for the Chelsea game. The fact he has signed on for a further two years and has stated he is happy at the club means exactly that, and there is no conceivable way for him to leave the club this summer, regardless of any possible £20M bids from Rafa or anyone else. From a business sense, it's obvious that the extension means if the player is sold then we can get more money for him. From a football perspective, he has extended his contract which means he does not want to leave the club. Which means that the club must laugh in the direction of anyone who comes knocking. There is no Robbie Keane or Michael Carrick reasoning on Aaron being sold this summer or the next. Memo to Levy. The door isn't just closed. It's double locked.

Same applies with Modric.

Congrats also to Aaron on his England call-up. Well deserved. Sparkling form, the type that makes him undroppable for Spurs. The more he develops the more unplayable he'll be for the opposition. Good news for us. Good news for the 3 Lions.

Talking of business sense, we've announced record figures for the six months ending on the 31st December 2008 (so that doesn't include the outgoings in the Jan transfer window). Levy via the official site:

"In a period of global economic recession this is a considerable achievement and we acknowledge that both the strength of our business and the fantastic loyalty shown by our supporters have helped ensure that these results have not been materially affected. We have benefited from having a robust business that is well financed and has continued to be able to support investment in the first team."

Yes, all very good. Well done. But this doesn't exactly turn me on. It's grand that in these days of debt-ridden football clubs we are in very healthy nick. We'd be even richer if we didn't spunk our money on players with inflated transfer values. So arguably, as strong as we are off it, we haven't been equally strong on it. But that has more to do with the people employed by Levy than it has to do with him directly, although he is still responsible. I'm not attempting to dig for the sake of it, but considering how much the club charges for tickets, it's no bleeding surprise we're so strong financially. We have a loyal fan base and regardless of the recession the country is going through, we don't appear to be turning our backs on the club as fans. So as long as the new stadium plans push ahead and we double our capacity, we'll be even richer. Which means even more money to spend (waste) on players we don't need. I guess my point is, when you are running a club like Spurs there is no excuse for running it into the ground.

What Scholar did was criminal, and what happened at Leeds, laughable. My criticism of Levy has always been the way he appears to confuse business decisions with ones of a footballing nature. Decent figures for sure, that won't look as bright when you subtract the transfer deals and the money spent on other ventures that will benefit the club in the long run (i.e the training ground facility). Merchandising is also down (I guess the irony in buying a Spurs mug is too much for some in the current climate) leaving Sky TV revenue and season ticket sales the only constant any club can rely on.

Consistenty ON the pitch is now required, so all the smart accountancy can support the only real progression fans care about.

Nice to see Adel and Gio doing well at their respective clubs (on loan) in the Championship. Adel, notching a winning goal for QPR over the weekend, is getting rave reviews for his quick feet and clever play. Has to be part of our squad for next season. Gio is also a player that the club should hold onto. If anything because getting rid of him before he has had the chance to prove himself at Spurs in the Prem is harsh. But when you compare Adel's comments about wanting to return to Spurs to prove himself to Gio's who is far more ambiguous in where his future lies - you wonder if a decision has already been made on the latters future.

Hutton is on the way back. Looked good in his warm-up, which took place outside a pub with his dad.

King for England? Harry is furious. I can understand why. On paper you'd have to be concerned as a Spurs fan if King plays a part for England on the pitch. It would probably mean he can't play for Spurs the following week. Not sure what Capello wants out of this. If he took King to a major tournament, would he be there to cover? And if he did, it would still be a case of waiting for his knee to lose the swelling. Maybe I'm biased, but why Woodgate isn't in the squad as an alternative to Terry and Ferdinand is a complete mystery to me. As for King, if it wasn't for his dodgy knee he'd be number one choice. Brilliant player who deserves an international career, but will never have one of any real substance. Personally, I think having him part of the England squad is nice recognition to what he has achieved as a player who has 'retired' from full training. But if there is a chance he will play, Ledders will have to consider the risks. Spurs has to be his priority. Being his bread and butter. Which is probably the reason Harry is a little pissed off.

But alas, it's over before it's began and King is back at Spurs to continue his 'individual training programme'. So he won't be taking part in the friendly on Saturday. And will probably never be called up again. What England's medical staff and Fabio thought they could do with the lad is anyones guess considering how well known his problems with fitness are.

England can live without him. We can't.