The Levy holds firm in stormy weathers

Blimey. That (deadline day) was just a little exciting. So okay, Jim White once more failed to explode on live television and Moutinho failed to materialise in the end, but all things considering, it’s been a good window. No doubt perception of what defines good will differ amongst the majority, splintering into a variety of groups ranging from the happy to the content to the disappointed. Review time.

Thoughts

Joào Moutinho was a vital ingredient to the plan. I firmly believe he’s the key to ‘replacing’ the departed Luka Modric in terms of midfield creativity, an outlet of control for a system that will be based on fluidity, pace and strength. Long term, we’ll have to revisit this particular deal. Sounds like we worked until the bitter end to get it done, so the fact it didn't happen does make me feel empty. Four months we'll have to wait so the hope is we start up on the 1st of January and not on the last day. As for Dempsey he's a fantastic addition to the squad. Not comparable, the two of them. The latter is versatile and scores goals. Not quite as creative as Rafa van der Vaart but fitter and a better fit into VB’s plans.

So why wasn’t the attempt to sign Moutinho kick-started earlier?

I don’t know. There’s no definitive answer unless you work alongside Levy. Some will blame the chairman for brinkmanship and others will point to the culture of transfer negotiations, with clubs (selling clubs) also waiting until the last minute to do business in order to pressure the interested party into paying over the odds. Seems a couple of chairman in this window have had their egos bruised by little Daniel. It might have been down to the player wanting the ilk of wages we simply cannot afford. With regards to Lyon and the hissy fit thrown by them in the aftermath of the transfer of Lloris to Spurs, one or two seem to point and shout at Levy for taking massive risks, changing his mind and playing games. But that’s how he operates. He's always operated like this. It's not going to change. In the end the fee and personal terms might have been agreed. The third-party ownership of the player the stumbling block.

The player (Lloris) signed in the end and probably signed for the fee we were willing and happy to spend on him. Levy does what he does for a reason. We want it to be purely about the football but he’s a business man, the money spent is an investment in the club which is part of ENIC’s investment. It’s why he’s so shrewd and perhaps sometimes willing to sacrifice for the sake of making a stand or refusing to be bullied or paying a penny more. Doesn’t always work. But he’s been relatively successful in this window, probably because he’s able to work with a manager who has a clear strategy in what is required.

Hate to say this, but if we had CL, some of our other targets (strikers included) might have been easier to sign as well. We’re aiming high. Too high perhaps. In fact so high that our backup plan for a striker was Remy, and that failed to get past agreeing a fee. Leandro, Llorente...perhaps not possible now for several reasons but possible in the future. Although I’ll like to point out (before you do) that both links have been ever present for the past few windows and nothing has happened. Not sure we’ve ever really bid for Llorente. If we’ve got our hearts set on someone and it’s for £20M or so then maybe we won’t want to spend that amount on someone we don’t really want. I don’t know, I’m trying to rationalise again on this. Spoke about this in my last blog about our summer targets and it does seem that wages + lack of Champions League is holding us back. What is frustrating is how there’s no apparent cheaper options out there. But then would you be happy with one?

Might not be as bad as it looks here (with Adebayor, Defoe). Dempsey can play in forward positions. Only need one up front, midfield/flanks will be important in how we attack and create. We’ll have to use width to compensate for lack of deep-lying movement from central positions. Midfield currently more robust and direct than reliant on scheming and ghosting. For now anyway.

Replacing Modric was never going to be easy. Catch 22. Sell Luka early in the window, get less money, then perhaps struggle to attain targets or sell him late on and give yourself less time to sign replacement. Then again, ground work would have been worked on throughout the summer. Some of the complexities of transfers breaking down are not always discussed in the public domain because we’re not privy to the details. Although the Porto chairman is also having a dig at Levy and his negotiations. Again, it's funny ha-ha how some are quick to just lay the blame on someone representing THFC.

Key player movement (or lack of) + reminders

Lloris in will have Villas-Boas smiling. Sweeper-keeper. I actually gave up on this one happening until the new year so the fact we went back in to negotiate shows us how important a player he is to aid the new template of player positioning, starting with man between the sticks. Upper body strength will need to be worked on.

Moutinho. The one that got away. I'm fixated on this. We’ve relied heavily on a play maker. Modric was special. Moutinho also has that edge, able to defend but also craft and create and attack the box. The player wants to leave Porto. We all thought he would if Hulk failed to move on. Neither have departed. Yet. Hoping this will be resurrected in four months time. We’ll have to sit back and watch how the side will set out to retain possession and attack from deep/counter attack. Either we’ll compensate or Villas-Boas has plans to mould Dembele into an emergency ‘playmaker’.

Talking of which, Dembele is a steal. Quality player who has gone from strength to strength under Jol at Fulham. He’s not in the same class at Luka and it’s unwise to expect the same type of movement and play from him but he brings something different. Dynamic, beastly, box to box. Strength and skill.

Dempsey might be perceived us some as a fall back plan but let’s think of this without the pressures of alternative signings. He’s Prem experienced. He’s cut throat in front of goal and scores a fair few. He can play in midfield, on the flanks and up front. He scores goals <-- hello. I mentioned that already but it’s worth repeating. If Bale steps up this season and improves his tally then playing with one striker might not impact us if the midfield are sharing the load. Rafa got a fair few for us in the past two seasons. We need to retain or improve on that form. Also, he’s another strong player. We’re turning into a very mobile, versatile side (on paper).

Remy was the player we got linked to a few times and had bids rejected for. I think at one point we were balls deep, but it didn’t happen. He’s not in the same class as some of our other prospective signings but then the other ones are Llorente and Leandro, to name just a couple. What player would sit in the tier below Remy? Seems our quest here for an out and out striker (which ironically is not what Remy is) will continue into yet another window.

Jenas. Turned down a move to Sunderland. Still with us. I guess along with Huddlestone (who doesn’t appear to fit into the mobile fit that VB is aiming for) we have a fair few options to cover us for the cup games. Midfield is looking very busy. What will be of interest here is how VB handles squad rotation. Redknapp didn’t. Our benchers we’re exactly that. Afterthoughts. Never called upon to do a job and when they were, they struggled.

dos santos has finally gone. I’m sure he’ll look good in La Liga. He looks good in anything other than a Lilywhite shirt.

Rose to Sunderland will allow him to develop and for us to see if he will ever get to the required level  to return and play for us.

Kane to Norwich. As above. We'll see how he does coming up against Prem opposition from one week to the next.

Bentley hasn’t gone anywhere. It staggers me how his career has just disappeared like a ball landing in a skip with noone willing to recover from all the rubbish. Haven’t got a clue what kind of shape he’s in, physically or mentally. Would love for him to come good but not sure how he’ll fit into the team as he has no pace.

Gomes not moving on is surprising. Thought someone might come in for him. Seems to be a millions light years away from the first team.

Kaboul out for four months. So Dawson stays. Caulker is willing and able so centre-back wise we’re doing fine. Full-backs? Let’s hope for no injuries or loss of form.

Easy to forget Bale signed a new contract. His progression and new improve instructions on the left (and when to roam) in the hands of the coach. Could bring a completely new dimension to the side (or an old and working one if he stays on the flank).

Defoe’s contract is business, IMO. Say for example, we sign Leandro in January, we get to sell JD for extra pennies in the same window. Can't see him being anything more than an impact sub as he lacks the movement and patience to truly lead the line on his own.

Kranjcar, Corluka, Pienaar, Bassong also shifted on earlier in the window along with short-term players Saha and Nelsen and other lesser squad members with very little impact to our plans. None of them close to first team action.

Conclusions

Not too shabby for a team punching above its weight financially, signing (some) players good enough for CL and retaining strength in squad. Best to remember how far away we are from the likes of Man City and Chelsea in terms of finances and yet how close we are on the pitch. And without CL it makes it doubly hard to compete for certain signatures. Levy has shown he can work with the coach – although not disputing some of his methods and ideology isn’t always agreeable with some quarters. But then in a modern game plighted by over-spending, we continue to compete and plan for the future.

We've got better depth in squad but perhaps not quite a better first team although it’s unfair to discuss this until after we start winning games and seeing a visible distinction between this side and last seasons.

Also, some of the changes made were simply impossible to avoid. Ledley King retiring and Luka Modric wanting out. Selling Rafa van der Vaart is one of sadness, but sentiments aside, he was continually subbed off last season. Not fit enough under Redknapp so not a chance he could fit into VB’s plans. Not just about the fitness, but his style would see him relegated to the bench and Rafa is not productive out on the wings and shouldn't be wasted on the bench. A brilliant player, one that truly galvanised us. Had a winners mentality and will never be forgotten for his form against the scum. Was one of my favourite players before he signed for us, had to pinch myself when he did. Good luck back in Germany. I’ll be keen to see how often he plays and how many games he finishes on the pitch.

We’ve made more in transfers out then spent on transfers in. That will no doubt turn the chairman on. I’m fairly excited myself. But more so in getting behind the team (easy tiger) and watching us gradually transform into a new variant one that hopefully retains the beautiful football of recent years but with more guile and mental strength.

Levy might not be everyone's cup of tea and his ideas of what is best for the club differs from some of ours but by doing the best for himself he does actually do quite well for the club in the end. Opposing chairman crying their eyes out? Bless them. They probably expect to push us over and don't like it when they come up against someone that bites back. All fair in love and war. The work now shifts from boardroom to training pitch and the league.

A very good window. It could have been majestic with Joào. I will ignore the scenario that would play out if Adebayor picked up an injury. For now.

Positive thinking.

Gylfi Sigurdsson
Jan Vertonghen
Emmanuel Adebayor
Moussa Dembele
Hugo Lloris
Clint Dempsey

COYS.

A or B

A or B. Choose.

A) Stay firm on Luka Modric valuation, not a penny less. Dig heels in and only accept an offer if it matches the valuation. So if it's £35M it's got to be that or else, no deal. Do as we did to Chelsea last season, with assured stubbornness, protecting the principle above all things. Club before players, even if it means sacrificing equilibrium.

B) Take a hit, accept a lower bid, not derisory (say £28M- £30M) and rid the club of a player that doesn't want to wear the shirt and allow the club/squad/fans to move onto better things, which would include a 'replacement' playmaker.

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DML Supa Liga

Fantasy Football and me, do not go hand in hand. Full of confidence on day one, by Christmas I'm out of the race like a much maligned Spurs side of the 1990s. I blame other distractions such as Football Manager but the reality is, I lose focus faster than Harry Redknapp in the midst of flirting with England. However, you lot appear to want this back again, so knock yourselves out:

Code to join the DML Supa Liga is: 195141-56816  (Fantasy Premier League 2012/13)

May the most obsessed geek win.

Modric

Luka move to Madrid facing the Ax'el

Witsel to La Liga? Luka move off? Get Real

Modric faces the Ax

And so on...

Another day, another ridiculous twist in the Luka Modric saga. This time linking Madrid with a 40 Euro bid for Axel Witsel of Benfica. If there isn't a more blatant piece of transparency in pressuring Levy to say yes to their Luka bid, unless of course you believe we have in fact accepted their bid, one to the tune of £36M which is edging far closer to our valuation of the player.

Confliction!

The Dinamo Zagreb sporting director has revealed it's done and dusted (he'll know because his club is due £2.5M or so from the transfer). Which then pushes the bid back towards the £30M mark and a long way from the £40M. Either way £36M is a win win for us, minus any payments to be made to the club we signed him from. Madrid (Marca) are supposedly saying they've got the better of us. I tend to side with the theory that Levy has a £5M or so buffer - player valued at £40M, will accept £35M. Madrid have been well below that for the best part of the summer. Have they finally just accepted they won't defeat Levy on this and no amount of bluffs will influence the outcome that we want to see played out?

So it's just another day and nobody has a clue what is truly going on. Everyone claims to know but all the rumourwhoring and subjective commentary and guesswork is there to simply fill up our Twitter time-lines via the journalists and reporters that are no different to the message board 'in the know' communities. It's just stuff, fluff to fill the empty space between the present day and the official club statement that will finally end this sorry saga. A paradox because all that empty space currently resembles a padded room rammed with foaming loons accepting their strait-jacket imprisonment.

When will it end? When it ends. How will it end? When a bid is accepted.

That's how simplistic it is. It's a connect-the-dots puzzle, easy enough completed, just needs a pencil. What we've got instead is a dozen or so people throwing paints and crayons at it.

My ultimate wish on all of this? That would be Madrid not really interested in Luka, doing Levy a favour for first refusal on Bale in the future. Let it drag to the depths of deadline day and beyond, leaving Luka anchored to Spurs once more. Probability? 0.1%. But a boy can dream.

Levy v Luka

Luka fails to turn up for training. Fails to board a plane to the US for our tour. Is supposedly fined (or will be if he remains absent). Villas-Boas has proclaimed that the player has placed himself in a difficult position with the club, considering we're actually negotiating to sell him. Levy has been angered and the rest of us are left bored by the returning transfer saga that appears (on the surface) to have stagnated.

We don't know what's going on behind closed doors but from the looks of it, the player with agent are once more attempting to force the issue.

Summer arrives
Spurs agree to allow Luka to leave, if valuation is met
Player agrees to this
The assumption is, there's a new 'gentleman's agreement' and one that will be played out with honour
Interested parties speak to both Luka's representatives and THFC
Within time, it becomes apparent that no English club will be able to afford the player
This is - no doubt - a strategic ploy by Levy to guarantee we don't strengthen the competition
Modric's valuation holds firm when compared to other 'top end' English to English club transfers
Only viable interest from the continent - and Real Madrid
Madrid and Spurs appear to be involved in long running negotiations to agree a fee
Spurs value Luka between £35M - £40M (guessing), Madrid don't value him quite as high
(Our best player won't be their best player, he might not even be a first team starter, hence the lack of agreement between the two clubs)
Negotiations continue with media doing as much guessing as the fans (i.e. player swaps)
Realisation kicks in that Spurs will stick to their mantra, and only sell when 'right price' is matched
Luka and agent decide that drastic action is required to attempt to orchestrate the move by applying pressure on Spurs and Levy to 'give in'
Honour is lost
Luka fails to appear in training session, fails to appear with passport for US tour
Spurs (via Villas-Boas, if not intentionally) states Levy is angered/club not happy and player has made it difficult for himself
Modric's contract still remains in a state of long term

Next move?

Madrid have to meet our valuation to put all of us out of our misery. Can't see how the player and agent think going against Levy in this manner is going to help them considering what the club and Levy went through last season with Chelsea.

We mugged them all off last time out, why would we drop our guard and give them the chance to punch their way through this time? Modric was knocked-out in the first fight. My money's on a TKO this time round. The player will be sold when the club want him to be sold and that will only happen when our expectations are complemented. Luka, any more below the belt punches and you'll be disqualified son.

Ding, ding.

Jim White's head set to explode. Don't forget to tune in.

Another deadline transfer day. Another opportunity for us all to witness the explosion of Jim White's head on Sky Sports News. We live in hope, however Jim's head appears to be explosion-proof. Unless it explodes off camera after the deadline closes shut. Perhaps Sky have cloned him or in fact he might be an android, which might explain the over the top euphoric emotions when explaining to viewers that someone, possibly of Earth origin, has been seen walking in and around the Chigwell area. Does Jim dream of Harry in a Range Rover?

Still, those of us with the privilege will tune into SSN regardless of the disdain that is sometimes shown towards their passion for yellow-ticking the most mundane content (low-key Prem player is injured for four weeks...let's stick 'breaking news' on the top left-hand corner of the screen and proceed to bang on about it for three hours). Don't forget the massive wide-screen touch-screen that not only displays all  the current ITK nonsense doing the rounds but can also display the Surf Report, if 1 foot waves on the coasts of England and Wales is your thang.

Just pretend it's satirical. It turns instantly to genius.

However, today, I'll accept in terms of pure entertainment...they capture the scatter-gun madness of the count-down brilliantly. Reporters outside all the expected-to-be-busy clubs/training facilities, dramatic high voices (go Jim go!), special guest commentators in the studio to give their invaluable predictions and Harry Redknapp in a helicopter (because it's quicker to collect the pizza than it is to wait for the bloke on the delivery moped).

It's epic. It's ridiculous. It's brinkmanship. It's panic. And that's without Sky Sports. With it, parts of your brain might haemorrhage with the overload of anticipation. Mostly always much ado about nothing because we know that sometimes the anticipation is far greater than the pleasure. I mean come on, Sky actually call it 'Deadline Day' like its box office movie. It's in HD and sh*ts gonna happen, Yippee-ki-yay Daniel Levy! Everything is Hollywood baby.

Cue frenzied vocals and snazzy on-screen graphics...

"...right now let's go to Loftus Road, shall we, breaking news, QPR, let's get the latest...Rachel Brookes..."

"Right, well, I can confirm QPR are interested in Craig Bellamy..."

Hmm...Okay then. That's an actual direct quote from this morning.

Talking of breaking news, Harry has already been at it first thing, arriving at The Lodge, leaning out of the window, mic in face. Confirming Modric is not going (1,000,000%) and that Crouchie might be the one to shift out because he's the one in demand. Cahill also on the radar. Hot. Off. Press.

The bad news is, I'm tragically not going to witness the hopeful explosion of Jim White's head this evening. In fact, from around 5pm till gone 10pm I'm going to have to rely on my 3G connection and Twitter. Travelling up to Manchester (to kidknap Adam Johnson). No guarantee that I'll see anything when checking into the hotel either due to commitments. Might well be offline for most of Thursday also unless I can sneak in some interweb time on the sly. I'm sure Twitter will rescue me. Although judging by the way journalists and fans (and Tom Huddlestone and Danny Rose) are currently sharing/discussing protracted transfers, its an even bigger mess of hype than Sky Sports News.

I guess, it's not that important what happens leading up to it, in the build up because it's what happens right at the end that matters most. Hold on, why am I talking about sex?

So what of the transfers?

I guess brinkmanship is the reason so many clubs wait until the final day. The selling club hoping for that extra million or two from the panicking buying club and the buying club hoping the selling club panic and sell on the cheap. We can only guess that the reason we've waited until the last minute to sign Scott Parker is because we've spent the best part of a month and a half attempting to sign Diarra. Hardly decisive, are we? Seems every player we lust after requires a minimum 6 weeks of flirting before we know whether we're going to capture their signature or not. If we were talking about sex, Tottenham would last all night making gentle love, but never reaching a climax. Here's hoping Daniel Levy is good with his hands.

When using the fax machine. I'm talking football again.

Parker, Cahill + one other player (another forward or perhaps one that can double up and play right-wing/midfield, you know, like that Ruiz fella who has signed for Fulham) would be a good solid final day. When our injured warriors are back, we'll have a beastly team. The question at that point will be whether Harry works out a consistent cohesive formation for them to fit into. Let's not forget, we've signed Adebayor. He'll make a monumental difference up front.

Parker, bless him, handing in a transfer request just for show to appease the Green Street faithful (Big Sam preferring Nolan, porn barons not wanting too lose too much face). He'll fix one issue (engine in midfield, leadership). Although he has plenty to prove once he wears the Lilywhite. Still worry that he excels in average teams and struggles in decent ones...on hold up, he'll be perfect for us then! lolololol and so on.

Other targets? Diarra is still being linked. Bellamy (he's being linked to everyone). Leandro Damião da Silva dos Santos? Not a chance in this window. Yossi Benayoun? Joe Cole? I hope not. Gignac
is being linked to Fulham. Cheeky bid? And Mario Ballotelli's profile has been removed from Man City's official player profile page, so nailed on medical at The Lodge due in 3...2...1...

Everyone wants a van der Vaart Part II last second special from the chairman. You know, just without the excess weight and injury plights.

As for players out? Other than Crouch, Pav is whoring himself again. Jenas to QPR is much touted but would be shocked to see it happen. Bentley won't move on as nobody will pay the £30M Levy wants for him. Hutton, you'd hope someone would take the plunge. As for Gomes, do not believe we'd be stupid enough to loan him out. Bassong might form part of a swap deal for Cahill (do swap deals still happen?). Anyone want to save Niko from central midfield? One thing looks certain at the time of writing, dos Santos looks to be anchored to us once again.

Hold onto ya hats then.

It's a massive day for Harry Redknapp and Daniel Levy. Today will define just how good of a squad Tottenham Hotspur will have in Football Manager 2012.

COYS.

Love the shirt.

Join me on Twitter @Spooky23

-

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).

Love the Shirt.

Flav, tehTrunk, Spooky, Ricky, Chicago Dan.

The FC Podcast group on Facebook.

Also listen to The Fighting Cock via:

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e-mail: thefightingcock at gmail dot com - we want your feedback, suggestions and e-mails.

Modric. Again.

Another day, another Harry throw-away soundbite that gets savaged on like a pack of zombies eating through a bit part character in The Walking Dead.

This illustrates why Redknapp should just say 'no comment' or just decline an appearance (although he's probably the one inviting himself). Personally think he has said something off the back of something we already know. Luka wants to leave. That's different, very different to the club looking to sell him and then publicly and indirectly suggest that the player is refusing to play. Just a single soundbite chewed and spat out by the gaffer, and suddenly the player is on the verge of signing for Chelsea again.

Redknapp, hardly the articulate type, probably wasn't suggesting what the media are lapping up at the moment whilst they continue to push their Modric to West London agenda.

The player is injured, not fully fit. The additional commentary on the state of his head (last time I noticed it was still sitting on his neck) was unnecessary and is also pretty much common knowledge. It's like Harry can't help himself (consciously or subconsciously) by stirring it up a little bit by stating facts of truth that only serve to feed the hungry journalists and sports desks.

Breaking news...Modric's head hasn't been right from the moment the Daily Mail published that interview from the yacht.

Once more I refer you to:

Levy has stated its a closed matter and the player won't be sold.
Modric and agent agreed a 6 year contract, of the ilk of an actual gentleman's agreement where pen gracefully touched paper.

All the alleged engineering in the world won't change the fact that regardless of the fact that this now transcends the player himself (he is simply a chess piece), the club can not go back on their word. This is not the same as the Berbatov strike and United move.

Redknapp (you might have missed this particular soundbite) cited the fact the chairman wont sell the player. He probably just needs to read off a cheat sheet next time to avoid using the wrong terminology.

Onwards to the only thing that should matter today. United at Old Trafford. Spirit of '89 and all that.

-

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).

Love the Shirt.

Flav, tehTrunk, Spooky, Ricky, Chicago Dan.

The FC Podcast group on Facebook.

Also listen to The Fighting Cock via:

iTunes
rss feed
soundcloud

e-mail: thefightingcock at gmail dot com - we want your feedback, suggestions and e-mails.

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.

Leaked letter from Spurs to Chelsea

Ron Gourlay
Stamford Bridge,
Fulham Road, London
SW16 1HS

Mr. Gourlay,

Further to your correspondence and renewed pursuit of Luka Modric, I am writing to you to tell this player is not for sale at ANY price.

Whilst I commend the work you have done in getting to the player with the use of an unnamed Iranian agent, I can only apologise for the club’s stance in this instance.

On 1st September 2011, Luka Modric will be a Tottenham Hotspur player. I hope this is clear and the club does not welcome any other offers.

Further to this, the club would like to make an enquiry about Fernando Torres. As a result of his clear dip in form and lack of goals, the club think it would be appropriate to offer £14million plus £2.6million in add-ons for International and Premier League honours.

We hope you are satisfied with this offer and look forward to hearing your positive response in the near future.

May I close this note with a piece of advice; Nigel Reo-Coker is currently a free agent and would be a very good addition to your current squad.

I look forward to sharing a beverage with you and Roman on Tuesday 20th December.

Kind Regards,

Daniel Levy
Chairman,
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club Plc.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
Bill Nicholson Way, 748 High Road, Tottenham,
London, N17 0AP

Telephone: 0844 499 5000

Sky Sports understand that they understand something about understanding

"Modric is currently with Spurs on their pre-season tour of South Africa, but we at Sky Sports News are desperate for him to make the move to West London"

Read the breaking news here. It's yesterday's news today. Tomorrow, Sky confirm Luka is human and lives on planet earth with other humans.

£30M Chelsea bid expected. Like adding £3M onto the last bid is going to make a blind bit of a difference to anything. The ankle injury is also part of the deception. Right? Waiting for Sky to confirm. Exciting times.

Dig in, Levy. We shall not be moved.

Flashback III

“I don’t think he’ll hand in a transfer request. He will honour his contract”

Luka Modric’s agent, July 7th 2011.

For all the recent blog articles and rants, tweets, discussions and debate, I ask myself post-epiphany, what is the point in dissecting what you read from player, agent or club when the reality is nobody ever truly speaks from the heart, leaving the one constant (us) in all this chaos confused, angry and exhausted.

Half-truths, disinformation, conspiracy and lies.

Don't bother searching for loyalty and honour. They've long since been diseased by leprosy, left numb and disfigured, lost in some dark forgotten corner.

Enjoy the rest of your evening. Don't take life too seriously.

Flashback

"We can become one of the best teams if we all stay together for a long time."

Luka Modric, April 2011.

The pressures from back home in Croatia, agent(s) and the reality of a short lived career can make even the most endearing person turn their head away from the thing you love most in life.

Football fans; we live in a marriage. The majority of footballers just have affairs and flings.

Luka Potty and the Threatly Hollows

(Part I)

It's a war of words between Luka Modric and Daniel Levy and it can still take on another twist and turn if action is taken as the next form of attack. But we've been promised no such undertaking from agent and player with regards to a transfer request. The words at play appear to be slow brooding monsters which wont truly pack a punch until they are backed up with substance. The trouble is, such substance would constitute an action that would possibly push this saga to the point of no return with any chance of a reconcile left bloody and lifeless on the dirty floor.

At this point it's hard to guess which of the two will be holding the shovel, digging the shallow grave. I'm going to side-step the necessity to drown myself (and you) in another philosophical dissection and instead just respond to what Modric has said in his most recent comments, post-meeting with Levy. I'll include a caveat. It's just a theory. Again, probably just part of the denial process we're all working our way through.

The caveat is this:

The words from Luka hurt because they are words directed straight at the chairman and at the club and appear to be pretty much final in terms of where his preference for football resides. Now regardless of whether these are actual words straight from the horses mouth or are in fact via the mouth of whom mounts said horse is neither here or there because the agent is protecting his clients best interests. Or at the very least advising client of what his best interests should be.

Note how quiet the agent is. Not too many quotables from him. All the sulking and disparaging remarks are from Luka. The victim. The one chained to a drain pipe in the basement. I'll get to the details below, but I'm wondering if victim Luka has been advised that the only way out is to engineer a sh*tstorm via relentless insubordination. Scrap relentless. It's more akin to a crying child that refuses to go to bed, ignoring his father and the belt he holds firm in his hands.

If there was no gentleman's agreement then perhaps a half-truth distorted to create the illusion of a broken promise? The fact is, how desperate is the player to leave Tottenham? If he's that desperate and hard done by, hand in a transfer request and go on strike. If this is a matter of honour (not to go back on your word) and handing in a transfer request is not a possibility and is in fact a point to be made (against Levy's apparent dismissiveness of the aforementioned broken agreement) then how about extending that honour to include the six year contract signed at the time?

I don't believe there's any prolonged tapping up at play. Chelsea have told the player they want him. They've done their bit. Light the match, watch the fire spread.

So unless this is a slowly orchestrated attempt to gradually force the club to sell up, I hardly see any point in all the crying from the Croatian. Because it won't be enough. He (along with agent) know there is no way out of this. They have quite possibly even accepted it. No legal clause, no leg to stand on. Massively long contract. Other clubs have stood their ground. Why should we be condemned for doing the same thing? He's our player. He should have thought about the challenges ahead for Spurs in terms of fighting to cement a top four place for more than just a cameo.

So all they can do is make biting remarks and point fingers about how unfair things are. As cited, if you mean it, then push us a little more to see the type of reaction you'll get.

If Luka had the same length of time left on his contract as Berbatov, then Levy would never have said what he said about this being a closed subject/not for sell/not about the money. Luka loses because of the signature he signed. This is not about loyalty because we know its something only supporters embrace. Luka left his boyhood club to join us, but that was thanks to an accepted transfer bid and agreement between two clubs and the player. He wants to play CL football now and his personal opinion on THFC has changed from this time last season when he was committed. In a blink of an eye things can change.

Until such a day (another move) he should deal with the reality that unless someone breaks a transfer record, we wont entertain it. And even then we probably wont - if you wish to take the chairman's words at face value.

The club > a player

Unhappy footballer aside, this is a statement. If Luka wants to be the sacrificial lamb, that's up to him.

Play out of your skin or be skinned. Over to you Luka.

Lengthy caveat or what? Okay, so I failed to side step drowning in another philosophical dissection. This is my therapy so thanks for listening. I've used The Guardian's article as reference to the translated interview from Croatian newspaper Sportske Novosti. My thoughts included below each quote.

(Part II)

> Modric, who said Levy had given a "twisted account" of their meeting at the ground last Wednesday...

Anything can be 'twisted' if you don't happen to agree with it. It's called perception. If you're told something you don't like but it's an unequivocal truth you simply have to take it on the chin. So stop suggesting you've been knocked down to the canvas with a punch below the belt.

> "I reminded the chairman of our gentleman's agreement when we were in Dubrovnik last summer and I agreed a contract extension with Tottenham"Spurs are saying, supposedly, there was no agreement.

You wonder how this played out at the time. Was it part of the formal discussion? Did they sign the contract whilst dining at a restaurant? Few drinks? Perhaps Luka leaned forward, politely asked if the club could listen to any offers with Daniel nodding a yes and a sure. Is that it? Is that the get-out-clause? Is that Levy down on his knees with gun pushed hard to back of head? Levy, the shrewd negotiator agreeing to something doodled on a napkin? Give over. This sounds like nothing more than a seed planted to be refereed back to if required. Which is what agent and player have done.

Considering how content all seemed post-signing of contract, I doubt this was anything other than a whimsical whisper lost over some choice food and wine.

> "At that time, I had an open chat with Levy – that if a bigger club came in with a concrete offer, we would consider it and agree the best solution for all concerned. Now Levy doesn't want to talk to me and said there is no possibility that I can leave Spurs. He threatened me – he said if I didn't accept the club's stance, they would make me sit on the bench or in the stands."

Does a club that advertises season tickets to fans with zero loyalty points constitute a big club? Or is it simply a club with big money? Sorry, low blow. Could not resist.

This is about Champions League and having it every season. Shame on us for attempting to break the already degrading monopoly. Fact is, had we qualified for it again we'd not be talking about Modric to Chelsea. Fact is, had Luka scored a couple of comfortable chances we'd not be talking about Modric to Chelsea. We are owed a lot by both Luka and the rest of the players. Just a couple of home wins in it, that was the difference.

Retaining Modric will mean nothing, not a thing, if we don't consolidate and sign 2/3 top drawer players. The onus is on the chairman here.

As for the rest of this quote. Anyone wish to explain to Luka what 'best solution for all concerned' means? It doesn't mean agreeing a transfer because the player wants one. Chelsea want you Luka? Get on the phone, have a word, tell them to start at £40M.

The threat part is tricky. Levy might well have explained that any player bringing the club and his contract into disrepute would be dealt with in the same manner. Do you see a problem with that? I don't. He can spend the whole season on the bench just to prove a point. A costly one. But he wont spend it there because he'll suck it up and perform for himself and the club.

> "I must say that I am genuinely disappointed about what Levy said to me. He didn't care about what I was telling him. It all only convinced me further that I was right to consider moving on to another club. I hope that eventually he will understand the situation and that we will reach an agreement and go our separate ways in an appropriate manner."

Hi.
Hello.
I want to leave Spurs.
Right.
Can I leave?
You're in a long term contract, you signed it very recently. Nobody has meet our valuation of you in terms of a transfer bid. And we also wish to retain your services, as per your contract.
I want to leave.
Close the door shut on your way out.

> Levy has a reputation for being a tough negotiator and there is no indication that he will back down. Modric's agent has suggested that his client will not lodge a transfer request to try to force the issue, which points to an impasse unless Chelsea make a substantial bid and Spurs accept there is nothing to be gained from keeping a player against his will.

That last bit is being touted as the probable conclusion. Can you see Levy going back on his words? Apologising that the situation has got to the point where player can no longer be retained? Honestly? Its about making a statement. The chairman's statement states that, no? If other clubs can hold onto a player under a long contract then we have to be seen to do the same. Otherwise, there's no point. Just get rid of Bale now so we're not put through the same saga next season.

Levy has made a stand. He simply can't be seen sitting down.

> "There is no doubt that Chelsea want me – they sent a concrete offer to Tottenham"

Concrete? More like Playdough. If Chelsea want the player, where is the renewed bid? Or is the plan to wait until the last day, with Luka protesting naked outside The Lodge refusing to train, before they table another £22M bid believing we'll do anything to get rid of him, even on the cheap?

Not going to happen. Words are cheap right? It's about actions and ones with substance. We've done our bit. We don't need to do anything else.

> "I know that the new Chelsea boss [André Villas-Boas] said he wants me in his team. Of course I am flattered by this interest in me – it's a club that all players dream of joining, fighting for every competition available."

Sorry what? Where? Did I miss this? Stinks of agent propaganda. No offence to Chelsea but 5-10 years ago players had never even heard of them. If you're going to leave, grow a set of balls, and let the missus know there is more than just London. Because that's the crux of it, isn't it? Head turned by CL (fair enough) only destination is Chelsea. Because anyone else would wish to perhaps aim slightly higher if they wished to jump from a small club like Spurs.

In conclusion:

Yes footballers have short careers and there's no wage cap so why not jump ship and go elsewhere and be given CL football without the concerns of having to chase it and then triple or even quadruple your earnings? All with the added bonus of elevating your stature in terms of exposure to continued top class football and silverware.

Clubs will continue to lose out to players. We'll continue to lose out, forever an easy access stepping stone. We have no choice but to make a stand. It's up to anyone wishing to employ Modric to call our bluff.

Modric will not sit on the bench. He'll play. All just empty threats to force us to give in and get rid. Hand in a transfer request. Make a genuine concrete bid for the player. Otherwise, just f*** off and shut up.