Regardless of Tottenham's finishing position this season, club insiders are predicting a busy summer this year. Spurs are expected to be adding to their options in midfield and finding long term replacements for Pavyluchenko and Ledley King. Tottenham are also expected to make Adebayor's loan deal a permanent one.
The number one target is Marseille's Loic Remy whom Spurs put in a significant offer in for in January. Although the club are very reluctant to leave, it is understand the player is pushing for a move.
Ajax's Jan Vertonghen is Tottenham's number 1 defensive target. Spurs have held talks with Ajax in relation to the player and Vertonghen appears keen to move to Spurs.
The third target is Eden Hazard. The Lille playmaker is highly regarded and Spurs are hopeful a deal could be reached with Lille.
The three deals combined will require a significant outlay, probably in the region of £50 million. Some of this will be financed by player sales including Jenas, Bentley, Giovanni, Kranjcar, Corluka and Bassong all tipped to be leaving in the summer. There will also need to be wages to be taken into account as it is expected that Chelsea and Arsenal will also be looking to boost their squads in the summer and so competition for wages will put Tottenham under a great deal of pressure.
Spurs are however confident they will be able to fund these deals and boost their chances of competing at the top next season.
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Monday 27 February 2012
2-0 up and we f****ed it up, Time for a reality check
So it's the defeat we were dreading and to be fair these defeats have been few and far between. But seriously how can we give this one away. I am always one who believes that if you show arrogance you will eventually get punished.
All week i have been reading about how the balance of power has shifted and only one play from Arsenal would fit in the Spurs 11. Frankly this is garbage. The only thing that matters is the three points. We didn't get them, simple.
The league title is still not beyond us but it would taker a miracle from here. We can start by beating Manchester United next weekend. There is also still the matter of Champions League qualification to worry about and I believe 70 points will do it, so another 5 wins and the sooner the better.
Fortunately from here we only have Chelsea and United to play who are currently in the top 7. So lets hope we can enjoy the run in with plenty of points there for the taking. Please Spurs, please. Let the others do the talking in the press and let our football do the talking for us. This game may have just been a blip, but we are not as good as we think we are. Time for that reality check.
All week i have been reading about how the balance of power has shifted and only one play from Arsenal would fit in the Spurs 11. Frankly this is garbage. The only thing that matters is the three points. We didn't get them, simple.
The league title is still not beyond us but it would taker a miracle from here. We can start by beating Manchester United next weekend. There is also still the matter of Champions League qualification to worry about and I believe 70 points will do it, so another 5 wins and the sooner the better.
Fortunately from here we only have Chelsea and United to play who are currently in the top 7. So lets hope we can enjoy the run in with plenty of points there for the taking. Please Spurs, please. Let the others do the talking in the press and let our football do the talking for us. This game may have just been a blip, but we are not as good as we think we are. Time for that reality check.
Sunday 19 February 2012
Our most important month in fifty years
As anyone who reads my blog, I am quite the conservative if not pessimistic fan. In my thirty years of following Tottenham, they have only delivered to satisfy my personality. This season has been the best Spurs season in my time as a Spurs fan. OK 1982 we had a shot at the title, lost the league cup final, won the FA Cup and were semi finalists of the Cup Winners Cup, but this year is something different. I think when i was a kid I had an expectation we were the best team in the county, as ill founded as it was.
Beginning today with our FA Cup tie with Stevenage and only Chelsea and Liverpool as big opposition left in the competition, this is surely our best chance to win the trophy since 1991.
But as good as the FA Cup has been to Spurs over the years, it is the league which I am more interested in. We are probably 15 points from a Champions League place, which would have been our target at the start of the season, but there is probably a chance of greater success than that. I did the BBC's predictor the other day and actually had us winning the league by two points.
Of course to get to around the 88 point mark needed would mean a fantastic run to the end of the season. That is 35 points in 13 games. Eleven wins and two draws! We do have a very good run home, with no other team to face who are currently in the top 7 after we play Chelsea next month.
However our fight starts next week going to Arsenal, who will be smarting after their disastrous last two games, and I imagine they will want to make a point against us. This is followed by games against Manchester United, Everton, Stoke and Chelsea. I feel if we come out of these games and still within six points of the leaders we have a real shout.
On Spurs blogs we have always debated about players we need, being short in this position and that, but for the first time, barring injuries, we are not short, we have all we need, we just need to win now, score goals and don't concede. Its a simple plan.
My heart yearns for another double success, I would accept just one of the two trophies we have a chance of as long as we finish in the top three, but what if we win the league. Wow, that is something I am really dreaming of.
COYS!!!
Beginning today with our FA Cup tie with Stevenage and only Chelsea and Liverpool as big opposition left in the competition, this is surely our best chance to win the trophy since 1991.
But as good as the FA Cup has been to Spurs over the years, it is the league which I am more interested in. We are probably 15 points from a Champions League place, which would have been our target at the start of the season, but there is probably a chance of greater success than that. I did the BBC's predictor the other day and actually had us winning the league by two points.
Of course to get to around the 88 point mark needed would mean a fantastic run to the end of the season. That is 35 points in 13 games. Eleven wins and two draws! We do have a very good run home, with no other team to face who are currently in the top 7 after we play Chelsea next month.
However our fight starts next week going to Arsenal, who will be smarting after their disastrous last two games, and I imagine they will want to make a point against us. This is followed by games against Manchester United, Everton, Stoke and Chelsea. I feel if we come out of these games and still within six points of the leaders we have a real shout.
On Spurs blogs we have always debated about players we need, being short in this position and that, but for the first time, barring injuries, we are not short, we have all we need, we just need to win now, score goals and don't concede. Its a simple plan.
My heart yearns for another double success, I would accept just one of the two trophies we have a chance of as long as we finish in the top three, but what if we win the league. Wow, that is something I am really dreaming of.
COYS!!!
Thursday 16 February 2012
And the next Tottenham manager is...
Really who knows. It is most likely Harry Redknapp will take up the England post and as it is unlikely that he will be allowed to keep his Spurs role, Daniel levy will have to search for a new manager.
Generally when a manager leaves he takes his backroom staff with him, so I question whether this will mean a restructure. Will we return to the continental system of Sports Direct and first team coach?
I think the way the coaching/management structure works will depend on who is appointed. There have been many names linked with Spurs over the last year or so: Moyes, Ancelotti, Mourinho, Klinsmann. To me there is no one outstanding candidate.
Whoever runs the team will need to demonstrate a number of qualities. Harry Redknapp as good as he has been for Spurs, alo has his faults. He is the sort of manager who will play his favourites and isolate those he has no trust in. Players such as Pavyluchenko, Bentley, Giovanni and Bassong have all experienced this. Gareth Bale only got his chance because of injury to Bennoit Assou-Ekotto.
It is important that whoever comes in uses the whole squad provided they are capable, if not then perhaps they shouldn't be in the squad at all.
The one thing that Harry Redknapp proved that his predecessors failed to grasp, is that good man management, particularly of key players, can be worth more points that any big name signing can win you.
The very often used phrase of "when i came here we only had two points from 8 games" irritated me to know end but what it did show was the importance of good man management.
The one thing I admired about Jose Mourinho is his time at Chelsea was his ability to galvanise his players, when the football world was out to get them for one reason or another, they showed a back against the wall mentality to play there way to success. I am not sure this a quality Manchester City are currently capable of.
But just being able to get your team to play is not enough, the side has to be organised from back to front. Roy Hodgson has shown through most of his coacing assignments to be extremely good at organising his teams. In particular in recent years at Fulham and now West Brom he has turned these sides into being very difficult to break down. His time at Liverpool was unfortunate and had he been given the support that was afforded Kenny Dalglish then perhaps he would have been successful.
Now being Tottenham player motivation and great tactics and not all that is required. There is of course playing the Tottenham way. We like to see attacking football, great passing, deft touches and of course the end product. My criticism of Spurs at them moment is that we don't score enough goals, we don't kill teams off, we always give the other side a sniff.
Arsene Wenger gets Arsenal playing probably the best attacking passing and movement brand of football, they are capable of destroying teams on their day. In recent years i have also admired managers such as Owen Coyle and Roberto Martinez whose sides also play an attractive brand of football. Of course are these managers capable of attracting quality signing to our beloved club.
There have been other names in the mix such as David Moyes, while I admire his achievements at Everton, I don't think he can bring a flowing brand of football to White Hart Lane. Then there is Mark Hughes. I still have reservations about his ability to run a football club, particularly after his difficulties with Manchester City.
The one name that appeals to me at the moment is Gus Hiddink. he has shown teams the right way to play, he demands respect from his players and will always play a good brand of football. So there you go, I think opinion would be very divided on this one and Daniel Levy will have some very tough choices to make.
Generally when a manager leaves he takes his backroom staff with him, so I question whether this will mean a restructure. Will we return to the continental system of Sports Direct and first team coach?
I think the way the coaching/management structure works will depend on who is appointed. There have been many names linked with Spurs over the last year or so: Moyes, Ancelotti, Mourinho, Klinsmann. To me there is no one outstanding candidate.
Whoever runs the team will need to demonstrate a number of qualities. Harry Redknapp as good as he has been for Spurs, alo has his faults. He is the sort of manager who will play his favourites and isolate those he has no trust in. Players such as Pavyluchenko, Bentley, Giovanni and Bassong have all experienced this. Gareth Bale only got his chance because of injury to Bennoit Assou-Ekotto.
It is important that whoever comes in uses the whole squad provided they are capable, if not then perhaps they shouldn't be in the squad at all.
The one thing that Harry Redknapp proved that his predecessors failed to grasp, is that good man management, particularly of key players, can be worth more points that any big name signing can win you.
The very often used phrase of "when i came here we only had two points from 8 games" irritated me to know end but what it did show was the importance of good man management.
The one thing I admired about Jose Mourinho is his time at Chelsea was his ability to galvanise his players, when the football world was out to get them for one reason or another, they showed a back against the wall mentality to play there way to success. I am not sure this a quality Manchester City are currently capable of.
But just being able to get your team to play is not enough, the side has to be organised from back to front. Roy Hodgson has shown through most of his coacing assignments to be extremely good at organising his teams. In particular in recent years at Fulham and now West Brom he has turned these sides into being very difficult to break down. His time at Liverpool was unfortunate and had he been given the support that was afforded Kenny Dalglish then perhaps he would have been successful.
Now being Tottenham player motivation and great tactics and not all that is required. There is of course playing the Tottenham way. We like to see attacking football, great passing, deft touches and of course the end product. My criticism of Spurs at them moment is that we don't score enough goals, we don't kill teams off, we always give the other side a sniff.
Arsene Wenger gets Arsenal playing probably the best attacking passing and movement brand of football, they are capable of destroying teams on their day. In recent years i have also admired managers such as Owen Coyle and Roberto Martinez whose sides also play an attractive brand of football. Of course are these managers capable of attracting quality signing to our beloved club.
There have been other names in the mix such as David Moyes, while I admire his achievements at Everton, I don't think he can bring a flowing brand of football to White Hart Lane. Then there is Mark Hughes. I still have reservations about his ability to run a football club, particularly after his difficulties with Manchester City.
The one name that appeals to me at the moment is Gus Hiddink. he has shown teams the right way to play, he demands respect from his players and will always play a good brand of football. So there you go, I think opinion would be very divided on this one and Daniel Levy will have some very tough choices to make.
Friday 10 February 2012
The FA does it again.
As the England Merry-Go-Round springs into action again, amid speculation of Harry Redknapp taking up the post to lead us to another underachieving campaign, I begin to wonder why.
So many comments I have read seem to be in support of his resignation. Of course most comments have Little to do with his actions at all. Most non-Chelsea supporters don't like John Terry, so to support Capello is supporting John Terry. I for one don't like John Terry nor am I particularly fond of Capello. I do however believe this whole event was completely wrong.
Capello's authority was usurped by the usual men in suits who seem to know how to administer the game but have no idea of how to run a team. The decision to support Terry as captain, as poor as that decision may have been, is for the manager to make and no one else. If his form is poor, then that is the time to stand him down.
Capello had a poor World Cup as manager but is our most successful manager in terms of win ratio(66.7%). So four months from a major championship we are without a manager. Perhaps Redknapp will come in, maybe Hiddink can be persuaded. All of the good English managers are in jobs and unlikely to leave and i wouldn't blame them.
The FA need to wake up and look at themselves. There are far worse things going on in football than worrying about an employee publicly criticising its employers, as many of us do. Maybe they ought to consider their own conduct in the World Cup bid, or that for all the money that flows through the Premier league, we are unable to produce our own Messi, Ronaldo or Bale. Maybe the FA should be taking positive action to improve grass roots coaching, lower league infrastructure and facilities.
But in reality as has happened for decades, they sit in their ivory castle firing the unconventional or those that challenge their authority. English football is worse for this saga and the suits will continue to hold back English football.
So many comments I have read seem to be in support of his resignation. Of course most comments have Little to do with his actions at all. Most non-Chelsea supporters don't like John Terry, so to support Capello is supporting John Terry. I for one don't like John Terry nor am I particularly fond of Capello. I do however believe this whole event was completely wrong.
Capello's authority was usurped by the usual men in suits who seem to know how to administer the game but have no idea of how to run a team. The decision to support Terry as captain, as poor as that decision may have been, is for the manager to make and no one else. If his form is poor, then that is the time to stand him down.
Capello had a poor World Cup as manager but is our most successful manager in terms of win ratio(66.7%). So four months from a major championship we are without a manager. Perhaps Redknapp will come in, maybe Hiddink can be persuaded. All of the good English managers are in jobs and unlikely to leave and i wouldn't blame them.
The FA need to wake up and look at themselves. There are far worse things going on in football than worrying about an employee publicly criticising its employers, as many of us do. Maybe they ought to consider their own conduct in the World Cup bid, or that for all the money that flows through the Premier league, we are unable to produce our own Messi, Ronaldo or Bale. Maybe the FA should be taking positive action to improve grass roots coaching, lower league infrastructure and facilities.
But in reality as has happened for decades, they sit in their ivory castle firing the unconventional or those that challenge their authority. English football is worse for this saga and the suits will continue to hold back English football.
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