Saturday's win against Birmingham brought consternation to White Hart Lane Sunday, as Ledley King suffered a groin injury and Luka Modric fractured his right tibula in a collision with Lee Bowyer.
The injury to the tiny Croatian could have a more obvious effect, as Tottenham were basically running their offense through his creativity prior the his injury, but King's injury could hurt the team more if he misses any time, as they are now down to exactly one fully healthy center back and he hasn't even been with the club for a month yet. Reports on King's injury are conflicting, though, with some sites saying he should be back by the Manchester United game two weeks from now and others saying that he has a torn groin muscle, which would obviously take more time to heal. If that's the case, Tottenham would need to buy some cover for their central defense position, with Honduran Osman Chavez likely filling the role.
Modric is a more difficult situation, as he fractured his right tibula and, according to the club, will be in a walking boot for six weeks before returning to training. This suggests that the team needs to buy temporary cover while he recovers.
In the past 24 hours, Spurs have been linked with bids for versatile Real Madrid and Dutch Rafael Van der Vaaart, who hasn't even been given a squad number this season despite his obvious skill level. Van der Vaart can play any one of the four midfield positions, so he could give Redknapp some intriguing options once Modric is healthy again. Out of all of the potential links, this one is one of the iffier ones, however, despite Van der Vaart's refusal to move to Turkish side Besiktas in hopes of securing a transfer to the EPL.
Tottenham were interested in Arjen Robben and Klass-Jaan Huntelaar in Real Madrid's casting off of their now-excess players already this year and neither one of those deals went through, so this one is probably just as unlikely. Besides, a team like Manchester United or Liverpool (ha) could come in at the last second and buy up a player of VDV's quality. The other problem with Spurs buying him is that Van der Vaart would need to play somewhere and Tottenham is fast running out of opportunities in the midfield, as Aaron Lennon and Wilson Palacios aren't going to be moved and the left midfield position goes away when Modric comes back. That leaves Tom Huddlestone's position as the only open one on a week to week basis and Redknapp will probably not touch him as long as he plays as commandingly as he has the past couple of weeks.
It would be nice to have a playmaker of Van der Vaart's obvious quality available, but he is a strong enough player that he really does need to play every week on a team that isn't named Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Manchester United. Spurs have reported put in a €15 million bid for the Dutch international. If that works out, things could get very interesting.
Spurs are also constantly linked with Martin Petrov. That would be a last ditch option, as he is nowhere near as skilled as the other players that are being talked about and also extremely injury prone, meaning he won't be able to consistently provide the expected production that Spurs would need out of him when asked.
The most likely move to happen (along with Sandro moving from Brazil in either this window or January's to provide cover for Wilson Palacios in the midfield) is the reported £8 million bid for Portsmouth's Niko Kranjcar and David James. If this move happens, Redknapp will have effectively transferred all of the offensive firepower and the starting keeper off of his Pompey squad to Spurs, which would be a remarkable feat likely increasing the squad's already excellent chances at relegation.
Kranjcar knows Spurs strikers Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe, as well as Redknapp, from their time at Portsmouth and Vedron Corluka and Modric from the Croatian national team, meaning he would be able to acclimate himself rather quickly. The left winger is a bit more aggressive than Modric, going for the goal more than his tiny counterpart. The only problem with purchasing him is that he really doesn't have a place once Modric is healthy again, but he is a free agent at the end of the year if Spurs don't resign him.
The signing of James could unsettle Heurelho Gomes, who was just beginning to settle in before hurting his groin a couple of weeks ago. If Redknapp ensured Gomes, who has a much higher upside and ability to make the big saves than James, that he was the starter and James' role was that of the level-handed backup, though, this move could pay huge dividends for the remainder of the season.
Redknapp may have an ulterior motive for all of these moves, however, as he may see this window as his last chance to spend legitimate money, in part due to Modric's injury. In other words, 'Arry probably assumes that Spurs will qualify for Europe in some capacity next year and doesn't want to be caught as off guard and short on players as the team was last season. Assuming Spurs buy Van der Vaart, Kranjcar, James and Chavez, here are what next year's lineups could look like, particularly if Spurs are involved in Europe.
Lineup A:
GK: Gomes
D: Corluka-King-Woodgate- Assou-Ekkotto
M: Lennon-Palacios-Van der Vaart?-Modric
S: Defoe-Crouch?
Lineup B:
GK:Gomes (James)
D: Hutton-Dawson-Bassong-Naughton (Bale)
M:Bentley-Huddlestone-Sandro-Kranjcar
S:Keane-Pavlyuchenko
Granted, the second lineup gets a bit thin in places (striker, in particular , but it is legitimately better than a lot of EPL teams and Redknapp could be going for that effect when some of his players need to be rested or saved for an important Europe fixture. The potential moves make so much more sense when looked at with the two lineup theory in mind, especially when one remembers that Redknapp has spoken admiringly of Manchester United's ability to effectively have two separate lineups in the past.
The end of the transfer window is going to be fascinating on White Hart Lane. Hopefully this all works out for the best.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Tottenham 2 - Birmingham City 1
Tottenham eked out a narrow victory Saturday despite dominating the game the whole way through, but winning the three points may have cost more than they were worth, as both Ledley King and Luka Modric went down to injury.
The match was frustrating for Spurs throughout, as the team had three legitimate chances on goal in the first 10 minutes, with the back of the net continuing to be elusive for much of the match. The first half was very much Tottenham's as attack after attack was thrown against Birmingham's seemingly weak defense only to be averted at the last second by a miraculous save or by a shot trickling inches off of its target.
The first major injury came at halftime, as Ledley King came out of the game with a groin injury, to be replaced by Alan Hutton. The Scottish defender was excellent against Hull City last week, but his replacement would prove to be detrimental to the squad this week, in part due to a seeming lapse in strategy by manager Harry Redknapp, who placed Hutton in King's center back position instead of in his preferred right back spot.
Any time King is injured, of course, it is a major concern, as the defender has proven time and time again that he is one of the players who makes up Tottenham's backbone. This injury was even more concerning, however, because fullbacks Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson are already out with injuries, meaning that the only center back who is fully healthy is the just-bought Sebastian Bassong. Redknapp supposedly brought Honduran international Osman Chavez in on trial last week. Hopefully Chavez impressed Redknapp enough that he can be pressed into action soon, if need be.
The second major injury came in the 46th minute, when Birmingham midfielder Lee Bowyer clipped the side of Modric's right calf on a challenge. Redknapp said that the injury looked pretty nasty and acknowledged that if it looks like the Croatian is out for any extended period of time, he may be forced into the transfer market to find a temporary replacement. (There may be a ready-made one right at 'Arry's former Fratton Park stomping grounds in the form of Niko Kranjcar. After all, who better to replace a play-making Croatian than a play-making Croatian? Redknapp said anything to back that up, but there have been reports all summer linking Spurs to the left midfielder. Another solution may be Manchester City misfit Martin Petrov, who the Daily Mail is seemingly certain will end up at Spurs.)
Modric was replaced by Peter Crouch, who instantly added another dimension to Tottenham's attack, with crosses landing on his head from all angles, with the lanky striker getting three chances between the 58th and the 60th minutes. His chance in the 64th minute proved to be a thrilling one, however, as Robbie Keane, who had dropped into Modric's left midfield slot when Crouch came in, sent a cross in to Crouch's head that met the crossbar before bouncing out. Crouch's next chance was cleared off of the line by Birmingham defender Lee Carsley, with Tottenham players swearing that the ball had broken the imaginary plane.
Alas, Crouch wasn't done quite yet. Aaron Lennon made one of his thrilling runs down the right hand side, where he was tripped up by Lee McFadden. Tom Huddlestone, who was again excellent throughout the game in running Spurs' midfield, took the free kick and sent a beautiful ball looping into the box, where Crouch rose to meet it and sent it careening into the back of the net for a well-deserved lead.
After the game, Redknapp said that Crouch could easily have had three or four goals on the day and that really isn't an exaggeration. The recent transfer truly was a game changer once he came on, giving Spurs an aerial threat that they truly lacked throughout last season.
The joy at White Hart Lane was short-lived, however, as Birmingham brought striker Christian Benitez on for Carsley in a move that showed immediate dividends for Alex McGleish's squad. Spurs' defenders began to appear lost as a unit, as City had more chances in the 16 minutes than they did in the rest of the game.
The near-fateful moment, however, came when Benitez tapped a ball into the path of Bowyer, with Hutton and Carlo Cudicini suffering a major communication issue, as Hutton's attempts to knock the ball back to the keeper resulted in the ball lying in the Birmingham player's path for one of the uglier goals in the recent history of White Hart Lane. It is worth mentioning that, despite their excellent form so far this season, Spurs have yet to keep a clean sheet. This goal was clearly the result of miscommunication between Hutton and Cudicini, the result of two essentially reserves being on the field at once. If Tottenham are actually going to make a run at the top of the table this season, these kinds of mistakes just can't happen.
After Bowyer's goal, Birmingham fans were noticeably louder than Spurs fans, obviously thinking that they would be able to sneak out of London with a point in hand and, possibly, three points, which appeared to be the case when City were the team menacing for much of the final 15 minutes.
That all changed, however, when Lennon, who Fabio Capello is planning to recall to the English squad for next week's World Cup qualifier against Croatia, swooped in to make the difference in injury time for the second week in a row. The moment was the result of ex-Spur Stephen Carr suffering a tumble in his own territory, allowing maligned striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, who came on after Jermaine Defoe (who wasn't completely clinical for the first time this season) suffered a knock, to swoop in on the right wing and send a pass to Lennon, who was lurking unmarked on the left side of the field. Lennon ducked to his right and rifled a shot towards goal that City keeper Joe Hart managed to get a hand on but not save, allowing the midfielder to be the hero for the second week in a row.
The development of Lennon is one of the stories of the season for Spurs so far this year as he, like his club, is finally beginning to emerge from years of being labeled as the next big thing to actually producing. Lennon is crossing accurately, moving well and playing with a confidence that Spurs fans haven't seen from him thus far, meaning that the Englishman is finally beginning to claim his place as a valuable part of the future, but, more importantly, a part of the present for both club and country.
Spurs ended up with 60 percent of the possession today, in comparison to Birmingham's 40 percent. Tottenham also recorded 26 shots on goal (10 on target) in comparison to City's 13 (5 on target). In other words, Spurs definitely deserved to win this game despite both teams having excellent chances at scoring throughout, with any result but three points to the London side being something of a fluke. This is the type of game-gritty, tough, injury-ridden, frustrating-that Tottenham wouldn't have won in the past couple of seasons and shows the continuing growth of this team.
The match was frustrating for Spurs throughout, as the team had three legitimate chances on goal in the first 10 minutes, with the back of the net continuing to be elusive for much of the match. The first half was very much Tottenham's as attack after attack was thrown against Birmingham's seemingly weak defense only to be averted at the last second by a miraculous save or by a shot trickling inches off of its target.
The first major injury came at halftime, as Ledley King came out of the game with a groin injury, to be replaced by Alan Hutton. The Scottish defender was excellent against Hull City last week, but his replacement would prove to be detrimental to the squad this week, in part due to a seeming lapse in strategy by manager Harry Redknapp, who placed Hutton in King's center back position instead of in his preferred right back spot.
Any time King is injured, of course, it is a major concern, as the defender has proven time and time again that he is one of the players who makes up Tottenham's backbone. This injury was even more concerning, however, because fullbacks Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson are already out with injuries, meaning that the only center back who is fully healthy is the just-bought Sebastian Bassong. Redknapp supposedly brought Honduran international Osman Chavez in on trial last week. Hopefully Chavez impressed Redknapp enough that he can be pressed into action soon, if need be.
The second major injury came in the 46th minute, when Birmingham midfielder Lee Bowyer clipped the side of Modric's right calf on a challenge. Redknapp said that the injury looked pretty nasty and acknowledged that if it looks like the Croatian is out for any extended period of time, he may be forced into the transfer market to find a temporary replacement. (There may be a ready-made one right at 'Arry's former Fratton Park stomping grounds in the form of Niko Kranjcar. After all, who better to replace a play-making Croatian than a play-making Croatian? Redknapp said anything to back that up, but there have been reports all summer linking Spurs to the left midfielder. Another solution may be Manchester City misfit Martin Petrov, who the Daily Mail is seemingly certain will end up at Spurs.)
Modric was replaced by Peter Crouch, who instantly added another dimension to Tottenham's attack, with crosses landing on his head from all angles, with the lanky striker getting three chances between the 58th and the 60th minutes. His chance in the 64th minute proved to be a thrilling one, however, as Robbie Keane, who had dropped into Modric's left midfield slot when Crouch came in, sent a cross in to Crouch's head that met the crossbar before bouncing out. Crouch's next chance was cleared off of the line by Birmingham defender Lee Carsley, with Tottenham players swearing that the ball had broken the imaginary plane.
Alas, Crouch wasn't done quite yet. Aaron Lennon made one of his thrilling runs down the right hand side, where he was tripped up by Lee McFadden. Tom Huddlestone, who was again excellent throughout the game in running Spurs' midfield, took the free kick and sent a beautiful ball looping into the box, where Crouch rose to meet it and sent it careening into the back of the net for a well-deserved lead.
After the game, Redknapp said that Crouch could easily have had three or four goals on the day and that really isn't an exaggeration. The recent transfer truly was a game changer once he came on, giving Spurs an aerial threat that they truly lacked throughout last season.
The joy at White Hart Lane was short-lived, however, as Birmingham brought striker Christian Benitez on for Carsley in a move that showed immediate dividends for Alex McGleish's squad. Spurs' defenders began to appear lost as a unit, as City had more chances in the 16 minutes than they did in the rest of the game.
The near-fateful moment, however, came when Benitez tapped a ball into the path of Bowyer, with Hutton and Carlo Cudicini suffering a major communication issue, as Hutton's attempts to knock the ball back to the keeper resulted in the ball lying in the Birmingham player's path for one of the uglier goals in the recent history of White Hart Lane. It is worth mentioning that, despite their excellent form so far this season, Spurs have yet to keep a clean sheet. This goal was clearly the result of miscommunication between Hutton and Cudicini, the result of two essentially reserves being on the field at once. If Tottenham are actually going to make a run at the top of the table this season, these kinds of mistakes just can't happen.
After Bowyer's goal, Birmingham fans were noticeably louder than Spurs fans, obviously thinking that they would be able to sneak out of London with a point in hand and, possibly, three points, which appeared to be the case when City were the team menacing for much of the final 15 minutes.
That all changed, however, when Lennon, who Fabio Capello is planning to recall to the English squad for next week's World Cup qualifier against Croatia, swooped in to make the difference in injury time for the second week in a row. The moment was the result of ex-Spur Stephen Carr suffering a tumble in his own territory, allowing maligned striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, who came on after Jermaine Defoe (who wasn't completely clinical for the first time this season) suffered a knock, to swoop in on the right wing and send a pass to Lennon, who was lurking unmarked on the left side of the field. Lennon ducked to his right and rifled a shot towards goal that City keeper Joe Hart managed to get a hand on but not save, allowing the midfielder to be the hero for the second week in a row.
The development of Lennon is one of the stories of the season for Spurs so far this year as he, like his club, is finally beginning to emerge from years of being labeled as the next big thing to actually producing. Lennon is crossing accurately, moving well and playing with a confidence that Spurs fans haven't seen from him thus far, meaning that the Englishman is finally beginning to claim his place as a valuable part of the future, but, more importantly, a part of the present for both club and country.
Spurs ended up with 60 percent of the possession today, in comparison to Birmingham's 40 percent. Tottenham also recorded 26 shots on goal (10 on target) in comparison to City's 13 (5 on target). In other words, Spurs definitely deserved to win this game despite both teams having excellent chances at scoring throughout, with any result but three points to the London side being something of a fluke. This is the type of game-gritty, tough, injury-ridden, frustrating-that Tottenham wouldn't have won in the past couple of seasons and shows the continuing growth of this team.
Spurs sign developmental contract with Internacional to help Sandro bid
Tottenham have been linked with a slew of physical box-to-box midfielders this offseason, from Sulley Muntari (rejected a move) to Moussa Sissoko (Toulouse wanted £25 million for him) to Harry Redknapp's latest infatuation, 20-year-old Brazilian Sandro, who has yet to make an international appearance but has been called up for World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Chile next month.
Daniel Levy and other Spurs executives have reportedly been in Brazil at some point over the last week, trying to tie up the transfer of the £26 million rated player, but a £14 million bid was rejected.
Spurs' chances of completing the transfer, however, received a boost Friday when Internacional and Tottenham announced a developmental agreement between the two clubs similar in nature to Tottenham's agreement with MLS' San Jose Earthquakes and South Africa's Supersport United. Internacional have a long history of developing excellent talent, as players such as Pato, Lucio, Luis Adriano and Daniel Carvalho began with the club. This agreement seems to indicate a strong working agreement between the two clubs, hopefully leading to the transfer of Sandro, with Levy's next bid reportedly weighing in at £16 million.
The only issue with Sandro is that Spurs already have a very similar player manning their midfield with Wilson Palacios, and Tom Huddlestone has given Tottenham an enhanced threat from the midfield plus the physical presence that has been so integral to Spurs' success this season. Levy won't pay that much money for a player who isn't playing week in and week out, so the Brazilian U-20 captain would need to be able to make an immediate impact on the squad. Hopefully Sandro can do that, both offensively and defensively, because much of the flair that Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon have shown this season can be attributed to Huddlestone's outlet passes. If Sandro were to quickly step in for Huddlestone, the message sent to the rest of the team will be an extremely pathetic one.
This would be an excellent deal, but it would mean that Redknapp needs to manage the team carefully for the rest of the season, something that he has done very well so far.
Daniel Levy and other Spurs executives have reportedly been in Brazil at some point over the last week, trying to tie up the transfer of the £26 million rated player, but a £14 million bid was rejected.
Spurs' chances of completing the transfer, however, received a boost Friday when Internacional and Tottenham announced a developmental agreement between the two clubs similar in nature to Tottenham's agreement with MLS' San Jose Earthquakes and South Africa's Supersport United. Internacional have a long history of developing excellent talent, as players such as Pato, Lucio, Luis Adriano and Daniel Carvalho began with the club. This agreement seems to indicate a strong working agreement between the two clubs, hopefully leading to the transfer of Sandro, with Levy's next bid reportedly weighing in at £16 million.
The only issue with Sandro is that Spurs already have a very similar player manning their midfield with Wilson Palacios, and Tom Huddlestone has given Tottenham an enhanced threat from the midfield plus the physical presence that has been so integral to Spurs' success this season. Levy won't pay that much money for a player who isn't playing week in and week out, so the Brazilian U-20 captain would need to be able to make an immediate impact on the squad. Hopefully Sandro can do that, both offensively and defensively, because much of the flair that Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon have shown this season can be attributed to Huddlestone's outlet passes. If Sandro were to quickly step in for Huddlestone, the message sent to the rest of the team will be an extremely pathetic one.
This would be an excellent deal, but it would mean that Redknapp needs to manage the team carefully for the rest of the season, something that he has done very well so far.
Two to Pompey as 'Arry sets Pav's price
Tottenham loaned midfielder Jamie O'Hara to Portsmouth and signed him to a new contract Friday on the same day that Harry Redknapp sold misfit Kevin-Prince Boateng to the south coast club who are desperately trying to shore up their frail squad before the transfer window closes.
O'Hara's move is an initial loan until January with an option to increase it to a season-long move, while Boateng brought around £4 million from Pompey, one of the Premier League's weakest-looking sides so far this season.
The move greatly benefits O'Hara, who appeared to be making great strides playing on the left side last season but hasn't been able to play there thus far this term due to the scintillating form of Luka Modric. O'Hara is reportedly thrilled with the possibilities that Fratton Park club offers, saying that he will likely play in the central midfield and attempt to score some goals for Paul Hart.
This potential move is interesting for O'Hara, who was predominantly deployed out left under Redknapp. By playing in the middle of the field, O'Hara will hopefully develop a new attacking edge to his game, one that he wouldn't have added by sitting on the bench at White Hart Lane. It is worth mentioning that O'Hara's first Premier League goal came against Portsmouth on March 22, 2008.
Boateng moved to Spurs in 2007, a buy of then-manager Martin Jol. The so-called "Ghetto Kid" appeared to be on his way towards a promising international career before his move to London, but after Jol was fired Boateng became more of a problem than an asset. He was one of the players whose squad number was stripped by Juande Ramos after the Spaniard moved to Spurs from Sevilla. Boateng has also had attitude problems with the German national team, leading him to stop playing for the Germans and start playing for his father's native Ghana. Redknapp, however, gave Boateng both his number and, possibly, his career back by putting Boateng on the field for two games in the 2008-09 season and then loaning him out to Borussia Dortmund in the midfielder's native Germany. The German club wanted to buy the attacking midfielder, but Tottenham's asking price was purportedly too high to work out.
Now, Boateng has the opportunity to complete his career's revival for a squad that desperately needs a few surprises in order to earn Premier League survival. Hopefully he can move beyond his attitude problems and succeed in Fratton Park.
Russian international Roman Pavlyuchenko has received limited opportunities on the squad this season, scoring against Donacaster Tuesday in his first legitimate action this term, and is beginning to worry about how his lack of play could affect his international standing for the 2010 World Cup. He and his agent discussed the issue with Redknapp this past week and, despite the manager's assurances that Pav would remain in North London for the rest of this season, the Daily Mail is reporting that Tottenham has told Zenit St. Petersburg that Pav will cost them £10.5 million. The rumor may be just that, but Redknapp has a history of saying one thing and then doing the next, something that he has already done with Spurs a few times.
With that said, Redknapp should try to keep Pav around, maybe even as his second striker, as he is younger than Peter Crouch and can't be less effective than Robbie Keane has been so far this term. Pav has the potential to be an excellent Premier League player, but hasn't yet settled into the striker rotation at White Hart Lane and will be constantly involved in transfer rumors until he is finally sold or finally finds a permanent role. Pavlyuchenko could have a huge year this year, if only he is given the opportunity to prove himself.
O'Hara's move is an initial loan until January with an option to increase it to a season-long move, while Boateng brought around £4 million from Pompey, one of the Premier League's weakest-looking sides so far this season.
The move greatly benefits O'Hara, who appeared to be making great strides playing on the left side last season but hasn't been able to play there thus far this term due to the scintillating form of Luka Modric. O'Hara is reportedly thrilled with the possibilities that Fratton Park club offers, saying that he will likely play in the central midfield and attempt to score some goals for Paul Hart.
This potential move is interesting for O'Hara, who was predominantly deployed out left under Redknapp. By playing in the middle of the field, O'Hara will hopefully develop a new attacking edge to his game, one that he wouldn't have added by sitting on the bench at White Hart Lane. It is worth mentioning that O'Hara's first Premier League goal came against Portsmouth on March 22, 2008.
Boateng moved to Spurs in 2007, a buy of then-manager Martin Jol. The so-called "Ghetto Kid" appeared to be on his way towards a promising international career before his move to London, but after Jol was fired Boateng became more of a problem than an asset. He was one of the players whose squad number was stripped by Juande Ramos after the Spaniard moved to Spurs from Sevilla. Boateng has also had attitude problems with the German national team, leading him to stop playing for the Germans and start playing for his father's native Ghana. Redknapp, however, gave Boateng both his number and, possibly, his career back by putting Boateng on the field for two games in the 2008-09 season and then loaning him out to Borussia Dortmund in the midfielder's native Germany. The German club wanted to buy the attacking midfielder, but Tottenham's asking price was purportedly too high to work out.
Now, Boateng has the opportunity to complete his career's revival for a squad that desperately needs a few surprises in order to earn Premier League survival. Hopefully he can move beyond his attitude problems and succeed in Fratton Park.
Russian international Roman Pavlyuchenko has received limited opportunities on the squad this season, scoring against Donacaster Tuesday in his first legitimate action this term, and is beginning to worry about how his lack of play could affect his international standing for the 2010 World Cup. He and his agent discussed the issue with Redknapp this past week and, despite the manager's assurances that Pav would remain in North London for the rest of this season, the Daily Mail is reporting that Tottenham has told Zenit St. Petersburg that Pav will cost them £10.5 million. The rumor may be just that, but Redknapp has a history of saying one thing and then doing the next, something that he has already done with Spurs a few times.
With that said, Redknapp should try to keep Pav around, maybe even as his second striker, as he is younger than Peter Crouch and can't be less effective than Robbie Keane has been so far this term. Pav has the potential to be an excellent Premier League player, but hasn't yet settled into the striker rotation at White Hart Lane and will be constantly involved in transfer rumors until he is finally sold or finally finds a permanent role. Pavlyuchenko could have a huge year this year, if only he is given the opportunity to prove himself.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Bentley's struggles continue
Midfielder David Bentley was undoubtedly one of the biggest busts of last season's transfer market, coming to Tottenham from Blackburn for £15 million and accomplishing little more than scoring a ridiculous goal against Arsenal.
Harry Redknapp has reportedly been trying to sell the man once labeled as the next Beckham all summer, with Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill reportedly showing sporadic interest. Unfortunately for the player, and possibly Spurs, though, Bentley has made himself pretty much unsellable by drunkenly crashing his Porsche, the latest step in his fall from grace.
This is the second incident in which a Tottenham player was nabbed in an alcohol-related incident since Redknapp came to the club, as Ledley King was arrested after getting into a fight in the spring. After that incident, Redknapp pressed for a no-alcohol policy at Tottenham, an effort that apparently hasn't yet come to fruition.
Bentley's now-murky future will probably see him playing here and there behind Aaron Lennon for the rest of this season. Redknapp could give him another look on the left wing, but Bentley looked awful there last year and there are other candidates already at the club (Giovani dos Santos if he sticks around, Danny Rose, Jamie O'Hara, and possibly Luka Modric, to name four.) in addition to the possibility of Redknapp buying someone to move into that slot.
Bentley is the kind of player who the fans are likely to blame when things go wrong because of his personality, but who has a tantalizing degree of talent that could allow him to be a major contributor on a good team someday. (At Blackburn two seasons ago, he was one of the best crossers of the ball in the entire league.)
According to Bentley, his accident was a "wake up call, both professionally and personally." Hopefully he means that and will begin to put his career back together.
Harry Redknapp has reportedly been trying to sell the man once labeled as the next Beckham all summer, with Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill reportedly showing sporadic interest. Unfortunately for the player, and possibly Spurs, though, Bentley has made himself pretty much unsellable by drunkenly crashing his Porsche, the latest step in his fall from grace.
This is the second incident in which a Tottenham player was nabbed in an alcohol-related incident since Redknapp came to the club, as Ledley King was arrested after getting into a fight in the spring. After that incident, Redknapp pressed for a no-alcohol policy at Tottenham, an effort that apparently hasn't yet come to fruition.
Bentley's now-murky future will probably see him playing here and there behind Aaron Lennon for the rest of this season. Redknapp could give him another look on the left wing, but Bentley looked awful there last year and there are other candidates already at the club (Giovani dos Santos if he sticks around, Danny Rose, Jamie O'Hara, and possibly Luka Modric, to name four.) in addition to the possibility of Redknapp buying someone to move into that slot.
Bentley is the kind of player who the fans are likely to blame when things go wrong because of his personality, but who has a tantalizing degree of talent that could allow him to be a major contributor on a good team someday. (At Blackburn two seasons ago, he was one of the best crossers of the ball in the entire league.)
According to Bentley, his accident was a "wake up call, both professionally and personally." Hopefully he means that and will begin to put his career back together.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Redknapp eying moves for Crouch, Delph, McCarthy
Tottenham could become involved in the transfer market very quickly in coming days, as Harry Redknapp is suddenly being linked with moves for a slew of players. Most notable among those is Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch, the 6'7 English international who 'Arry has already purchased twice in his career.
Crouch, who has also drawn the interest of Sunderland and Fullham, is one of the better English strikers in the game at the moment and, due to his size, certainly one of the most unique. His goal scoring rate, however, fell off rapidly last season after Redknapp moved to Spurs, taking Jermaine Defoe with him. It is certainly worth noting, also, that Crouch's stats aren't quite as good as he seems to be remembered, as he scored 22 goals in 85 appearances with Liverpool and 11 goals in 35 games last season with Portsmouth.
As long as there are other players available, Redknapp should avoid a move for Crouch who, while an interesting target man, simply doesn't produce enough to be a particularly valuable player for any side.
There are many better ways to spend £12 million.
One of those ways may be registering an interest in Leeds United midfielder Fabian Delph, a young Englishman who has been one of the top prospects in England for two seasons now. Leeds, which is notable for producing excellent midfielders (Aaron Lennon included), reportedly want somewhere between £5 and £6 million for Delph.
The central midfielder would be an excellent addition for Spurs, but doing so would almost certainly mean the end of either Tom Huddlestone or Jermaine Jenas, as Luka Modric and Wilson Palacios are solidified in the starting central midfield spots. It would, however, likely be a move that pays off in the future and could also help Spurs prepare for the rumored FIFA 5+6 rules. Delph has also been strongly linked with Marin O'Neill's Aston Villa, who appear to be the favorites in the race for his signature.
Another move to the future would be the signing of Hamilton Academical striker James McCarthy, who has been strongly linked with a move to Wigan. McCarthy is a legitimate prospect, something affirmed by Wigan's interest. He does not, however, appear likely to move to Spurs, as Roberto Martinez's club are more interested in the player and could offer playing time pretty quickly.
Tottenham have reportedly not offered a concrete bid for McCarthy yet.
Crouch, who has also drawn the interest of Sunderland and Fullham, is one of the better English strikers in the game at the moment and, due to his size, certainly one of the most unique. His goal scoring rate, however, fell off rapidly last season after Redknapp moved to Spurs, taking Jermaine Defoe with him. It is certainly worth noting, also, that Crouch's stats aren't quite as good as he seems to be remembered, as he scored 22 goals in 85 appearances with Liverpool and 11 goals in 35 games last season with Portsmouth.
As long as there are other players available, Redknapp should avoid a move for Crouch who, while an interesting target man, simply doesn't produce enough to be a particularly valuable player for any side.
There are many better ways to spend £12 million.
One of those ways may be registering an interest in Leeds United midfielder Fabian Delph, a young Englishman who has been one of the top prospects in England for two seasons now. Leeds, which is notable for producing excellent midfielders (Aaron Lennon included), reportedly want somewhere between £5 and £6 million for Delph.
The central midfielder would be an excellent addition for Spurs, but doing so would almost certainly mean the end of either Tom Huddlestone or Jermaine Jenas, as Luka Modric and Wilson Palacios are solidified in the starting central midfield spots. It would, however, likely be a move that pays off in the future and could also help Spurs prepare for the rumored FIFA 5+6 rules. Delph has also been strongly linked with Marin O'Neill's Aston Villa, who appear to be the favorites in the race for his signature.
Another move to the future would be the signing of Hamilton Academical striker James McCarthy, who has been strongly linked with a move to Wigan. McCarthy is a legitimate prospect, something affirmed by Wigan's interest. He does not, however, appear likely to move to Spurs, as Roberto Martinez's club are more interested in the player and could offer playing time pretty quickly.
Tottenham have reportedly not offered a concrete bid for McCarthy yet.
Gunter's Spurs spell ends
The initial news that Tottenham had agreed to loan 19-year-old right back Chris Gunter to Nottingham Forest proved false yesterday, as the deal was not a loan but instead a permanent sale, with Gunter costing the Reds £2 million.
Gunter has a the potential to end up being a very solid player for the duration of his career, but there was simply no place for him in a Tottenham squad that is undeniably looking to win its way back into Europe next season, as Redknapp already has Corluka, Hutton, and Chimbonda at right back.
Best of luck to Gunter at Nottingham Forest. Hopefully he can impress and work his way back onto another Premiership squad.
Gunter has a the potential to end up being a very solid player for the duration of his career, but there was simply no place for him in a Tottenham squad that is undeniably looking to win its way back into Europe next season, as Redknapp already has Corluka, Hutton, and Chimbonda at right back.
Best of luck to Gunter at Nottingham Forest. Hopefully he can impress and work his way back onto another Premiership squad.
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