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.
Showing posts with label Tottenham Hotspur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tottenham Hotspur. Show all posts
Sunday, August 30, 2009
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.
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Madrid striker interest continues . . .
After inking the signings of the "Kyle duo" today, Harry Redknapp is continuing his interest in another duo-Real Madrid strikers Klass-Jan Huntelaar and Alvaro Negredo.
Madrid reportedly need to sell at least five players before they go on another spending spree, and Spurs are reportedly interested in both the strikers and winger Arjen Robben.
Negredo appears to be the closest to a deal, as there are reports emanating out of Spain that suggest that the deal with the Spaniard could actually be completed by the weekend. Negredo, who many Madrid fans feel could be the next great Spanish footballer, has spent the last two seasons with Alemeria, where he scored 32 goals in 70 appearances.
The 23-year-old had been linked to Liverpool earlier in this window as a makeweight for Xabi Alonso, but the Anfield club seem to be more interested in receiving a massive sum for the midfielder than a striker.
The Daily Mail suggests that Tottenham's bid for Negredo means that Redknapp thinks he is losing out to Stuttgart for the signing of Huntelaar, but that is not necessarily the case.
Stuttgart have had a bid (believed to be €15.5 million) accepted for Huntelaar, but the ex-Ajax man doesn't seem particularly thrilled about heading to the relative backwater of Germany, even if it does mean Champions League football. Instead, Huntelaar has been stalling on the move by delaying talks with Stuttgart, essentially hoping that some English team will drop from the sky with a solid bid for him.
Huntelaar, who is 25, has been one of the major prospects in footballing circles for two or three years now, so it was huge when he finally headed to Madrid in January. He didn't fit in right away, however, scoring eight goals in 20 appearances, a solid output but not quite what was expected of him. Huntelaar could play at any club in the world and would be an ideal target man to work with Jermaine Defoe and receive crosses from the scintillating Aaron Lennon.
Tottenham are reportedly putting together a deal for him and, hopefully, it's enough to get the job done. There is some concern that Arsenal could hijack the deal if they sell Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City in the coming days, but Arsene Wenger seems to be more interested in Marouane Chamakh, in part due to the Bordeaux striker's much lower price tag and strikingly similar skill set.
Bringing in Huntelaar and Negredo, which Redknapp should definitely try to accomplish, would mean the end of Darren Bent and Roman Pavyulchenko (and possibly Robbie Keane, again) at White Hart Lane, but Huntelaar in particular has been discussed as the "first big guy" type of signing, the respected player who changes the way a club is perceived amongst the footballing world. (If this move somehow works out, I'll write about this more extensively.)
Harry should do everything he can to buy both Huntelaar and Negredo, as both players receive the kind of respect that Spurs are hoping to work their towards in the near future, hopefully as soon as August 15th.
Madrid reportedly need to sell at least five players before they go on another spending spree, and Spurs are reportedly interested in both the strikers and winger Arjen Robben.
Negredo appears to be the closest to a deal, as there are reports emanating out of Spain that suggest that the deal with the Spaniard could actually be completed by the weekend. Negredo, who many Madrid fans feel could be the next great Spanish footballer, has spent the last two seasons with Alemeria, where he scored 32 goals in 70 appearances.
The 23-year-old had been linked to Liverpool earlier in this window as a makeweight for Xabi Alonso, but the Anfield club seem to be more interested in receiving a massive sum for the midfielder than a striker.
The Daily Mail suggests that Tottenham's bid for Negredo means that Redknapp thinks he is losing out to Stuttgart for the signing of Huntelaar, but that is not necessarily the case.
Stuttgart have had a bid (believed to be €15.5 million) accepted for Huntelaar, but the ex-Ajax man doesn't seem particularly thrilled about heading to the relative backwater of Germany, even if it does mean Champions League football. Instead, Huntelaar has been stalling on the move by delaying talks with Stuttgart, essentially hoping that some English team will drop from the sky with a solid bid for him.
Huntelaar, who is 25, has been one of the major prospects in footballing circles for two or three years now, so it was huge when he finally headed to Madrid in January. He didn't fit in right away, however, scoring eight goals in 20 appearances, a solid output but not quite what was expected of him. Huntelaar could play at any club in the world and would be an ideal target man to work with Jermaine Defoe and receive crosses from the scintillating Aaron Lennon.
Tottenham are reportedly putting together a deal for him and, hopefully, it's enough to get the job done. There is some concern that Arsenal could hijack the deal if they sell Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City in the coming days, but Arsene Wenger seems to be more interested in Marouane Chamakh, in part due to the Bordeaux striker's much lower price tag and strikingly similar skill set.
Bringing in Huntelaar and Negredo, which Redknapp should definitely try to accomplish, would mean the end of Darren Bent and Roman Pavyulchenko (and possibly Robbie Keane, again) at White Hart Lane, but Huntelaar in particular has been discussed as the "first big guy" type of signing, the respected player who changes the way a club is perceived amongst the footballing world. (If this move somehow works out, I'll write about this more extensively.)
Harry should do everything he can to buy both Huntelaar and Negredo, as both players receive the kind of respect that Spurs are hoping to work their towards in the near future, hopefully as soon as August 15th.
Spurs beat Everton to Sheffield defense duo
Harry Redknapp's first summer signings seem to have finally (unofficially) occurred today and, surprise, they weren't the Real Madrid strikers that Spurs have been linked so heavily to over the past few days.
Instead, it was Sheffield United defenders Kyle Walker and Kyle Naugton for a combined £8 million, with Walker being loaned to the Blades for the upcoming season.
Everton had been in competition with Tottehnam, particularly for Naughton, as the Goodison Park club had the first offer (believed to be around £5 million) accepted for the player, but then Redknapp swooped with the higher bid and, evidently after some discussion, Naughton (who received the attention of Sir Alex Ferguson earlier this summer) and Walker came to terms with Spurs and agreed to the switch.
Naugton is a 20-year old defender who primarily plays at right back. This is an issue because Spurs already have Vedran Corluka, Alan Hutton, Pascal Chimbonda and Chris Gunter at the position. (Even though 19-year-old Gunter has been loaned back to Nottingham Forest, where he impressed last season.) Redknapp is believed to have been interested in Naughton because he has had some experience at left back out of the past season, although he was more there out of necessity than because he showed any particular aptitude for the position.
While Naughton is an excellent young player, the eventual gem of the deal could be Kyle Walker, who can play at both right back and center back. Redknapp likely sees Walker as a long-term replacement for either Ledley King or Michael Dawson, with some rumors swirling around Dawson recently and King entering the final year of his contract.
19-year-old Walker, who starred in Sheffield's final four games last season, will return to Sheffield on loan initially, aiding both club's and likely the player's development.
This could be an excellent deal for Tottenham as they are buying two highly rated young players in one fell swoop, but one player will likely see a fair amount of competitive play right from the start of his time at White Hart Lane while the other will continue to grow and develop in order to contribute next season.
It's not the type of headline signing that the supporters have been waiting for, but 'Arry's first step into the transfer market could prove a fruitful one.
Instead, it was Sheffield United defenders Kyle Walker and Kyle Naugton for a combined £8 million, with Walker being loaned to the Blades for the upcoming season.
Everton had been in competition with Tottehnam, particularly for Naughton, as the Goodison Park club had the first offer (believed to be around £5 million) accepted for the player, but then Redknapp swooped with the higher bid and, evidently after some discussion, Naughton (who received the attention of Sir Alex Ferguson earlier this summer) and Walker came to terms with Spurs and agreed to the switch.
Naugton is a 20-year old defender who primarily plays at right back. This is an issue because Spurs already have Vedran Corluka, Alan Hutton, Pascal Chimbonda and Chris Gunter at the position. (Even though 19-year-old Gunter has been loaned back to Nottingham Forest, where he impressed last season.) Redknapp is believed to have been interested in Naughton because he has had some experience at left back out of the past season, although he was more there out of necessity than because he showed any particular aptitude for the position.
While Naughton is an excellent young player, the eventual gem of the deal could be Kyle Walker, who can play at both right back and center back. Redknapp likely sees Walker as a long-term replacement for either Ledley King or Michael Dawson, with some rumors swirling around Dawson recently and King entering the final year of his contract.
19-year-old Walker, who starred in Sheffield's final four games last season, will return to Sheffield on loan initially, aiding both club's and likely the player's development.
This could be an excellent deal for Tottenham as they are buying two highly rated young players in one fell swoop, but one player will likely see a fair amount of competitive play right from the start of his time at White Hart Lane while the other will continue to grow and develop in order to contribute next season.
It's not the type of headline signing that the supporters have been waiting for, but 'Arry's first step into the transfer market could prove a fruitful one.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Eking into the Knockout Stage
An injury-ridden Tottenham squad looked tentative for the first half of today's UEFA Cup match against Spartak Moscow and then, around the time NEC Nijmegen took a 2-0 lead against Udinese, woke up.
The first goal of the game came off of a terrible mistake by defender Gilberto who was receiving his first start since Harry Redknapp took the club over. Gilberto went to play the ball back to Heurelho Gomes and then hesitated, seemingly sensing a player over his shoulder but not taking notice of the player in front of him. Gomes then attempted to come out to take the ball only to have Artem Dziuba snatch it from under his nose and stick it in the back of the net.
Things only got worse from there, as Dziuba dribbled around Gomes for another goal in the 33rd minute, putting Spurs down 2-0 and making it seem as if the lilywhites may not make it through to the next round. The offense, however, would not allow the Russians' lead to hold in the second half.
Redknapp demonstrated that his team needed to become more offensive in the second half by bringing speedy midfielder Aaron Lennon into the game at halftime, removing Gilberto. (On a related note, Redknapp said that Gilberto would never play for Tottenham again after today's embarrassing performance.)
Lennon instantly added another dimension to the Tottenham attack, which had mostly featured Luka Modric and Jamie O'Hara in the first half, creating opportunities and excitement every time he touched the ball. The first Spurs goal came as the result of a Lennon run down the right, which he pulled up from suddenly, slotting the ball through to Modric who was standing unmarked in front of the Spartak call and scored, ensuring that the hosts would get through if NEC only won by one goal. (The goal was somehow Modric's first in a Tottenham uniform, but one had to sense that it was a long time coming, as Modric has had chance after chance in the most recent run of games, creating two very good opportunities against Manchester United last weekend and just missing out on a header earlier in today's game.)
The second goal, which ensured safety,came as the result of a Gareth Bale cross. Bale played a pretty solid offensive game, but looked a little weak on defense. His cross to Tom Huddlestone in the 74th minute, however, and the subsequent header, left no doubts as to the players' talent. Bale came in off the left and sent a nice cross in to a waiting Huddlestone who used his height to rifle the ball into the back of the net and help Spurs reach the knockout stage.
Two of the three major negatives (not including Gilberto's gaffe) were not surprising, as David Bentley again looked ineffective on crosses and corners, and Frazier Campbell's finishing skills looked absolutely dreadful.
Bentley has been doing quick corners lately where he looks for someone like Modric, standing about 10 yards off of the ball, and will just put it into him quick and hope that something happens off of that as opposed to actually lining up and taking a solid corner. This is a ridiculous strategy, as Spurs had two very tall players in the lineup today in the form of Huddlestone and Michael Dawson, both of whom could have scored off of any given corner if Bentley had only taken the chance. Maybe Bentley is being ordered to take those quick corners by the bench. I certainly hope so, because if he isn't, he will not be on Harry's good side for too long.
The larger concern was Campbell's lack of form, as the on-loan striker had several chances to completely put the game away towards the end, slipping on one opportunity and failing to beat defenders on a couple of others. Now, making mistakes is a part of the maturation process and Campbell would work significantly better in a two striker system than one where he is the lone man up top, but his mistakes looked absolutely terrible today and Spurs will need to count on him if they are going to advance in the UEFA Cup (particularly with Roman Pavlyuchenko cup-tied and Darren Bent going through an injured stretch, if you call tonsillitis an injury).
Spurs needed at least one point to guarantee that they would make it through and, as it turned out, managed exactly that. They will find out their next round's fate on Friday.
The first goal of the game came off of a terrible mistake by defender Gilberto who was receiving his first start since Harry Redknapp took the club over. Gilberto went to play the ball back to Heurelho Gomes and then hesitated, seemingly sensing a player over his shoulder but not taking notice of the player in front of him. Gomes then attempted to come out to take the ball only to have Artem Dziuba snatch it from under his nose and stick it in the back of the net.
Things only got worse from there, as Dziuba dribbled around Gomes for another goal in the 33rd minute, putting Spurs down 2-0 and making it seem as if the lilywhites may not make it through to the next round. The offense, however, would not allow the Russians' lead to hold in the second half.
Redknapp demonstrated that his team needed to become more offensive in the second half by bringing speedy midfielder Aaron Lennon into the game at halftime, removing Gilberto. (On a related note, Redknapp said that Gilberto would never play for Tottenham again after today's embarrassing performance.)
Lennon instantly added another dimension to the Tottenham attack, which had mostly featured Luka Modric and Jamie O'Hara in the first half, creating opportunities and excitement every time he touched the ball. The first Spurs goal came as the result of a Lennon run down the right, which he pulled up from suddenly, slotting the ball through to Modric who was standing unmarked in front of the Spartak call and scored, ensuring that the hosts would get through if NEC only won by one goal. (The goal was somehow Modric's first in a Tottenham uniform, but one had to sense that it was a long time coming, as Modric has had chance after chance in the most recent run of games, creating two very good opportunities against Manchester United last weekend and just missing out on a header earlier in today's game.)
The second goal, which ensured safety,came as the result of a Gareth Bale cross. Bale played a pretty solid offensive game, but looked a little weak on defense. His cross to Tom Huddlestone in the 74th minute, however, and the subsequent header, left no doubts as to the players' talent. Bale came in off the left and sent a nice cross in to a waiting Huddlestone who used his height to rifle the ball into the back of the net and help Spurs reach the knockout stage.
Two of the three major negatives (not including Gilberto's gaffe) were not surprising, as David Bentley again looked ineffective on crosses and corners, and Frazier Campbell's finishing skills looked absolutely dreadful.
Bentley has been doing quick corners lately where he looks for someone like Modric, standing about 10 yards off of the ball, and will just put it into him quick and hope that something happens off of that as opposed to actually lining up and taking a solid corner. This is a ridiculous strategy, as Spurs had two very tall players in the lineup today in the form of Huddlestone and Michael Dawson, both of whom could have scored off of any given corner if Bentley had only taken the chance. Maybe Bentley is being ordered to take those quick corners by the bench. I certainly hope so, because if he isn't, he will not be on Harry's good side for too long.
The larger concern was Campbell's lack of form, as the on-loan striker had several chances to completely put the game away towards the end, slipping on one opportunity and failing to beat defenders on a couple of others. Now, making mistakes is a part of the maturation process and Campbell would work significantly better in a two striker system than one where he is the lone man up top, but his mistakes looked absolutely terrible today and Spurs will need to count on him if they are going to advance in the UEFA Cup (particularly with Roman Pavlyuchenko cup-tied and Darren Bent going through an injured stretch, if you call tonsillitis an injury).
Spurs needed at least one point to guarantee that they would make it through and, as it turned out, managed exactly that. They will find out their next round's fate on Friday.
Valencia, Ashton, Johnson, Keane and the Keeper Situation
News from White Hart Lane was kind of slow the past few days, but Tottenham has been linked with a few more players, most notably to Antonio Valencia and (again) to Dean Ashton.
Wigan's Valencia is another winger, giving hints that Redknapp may not be satisfied with the recent of David Bentley. The Ecuadorian international is a favorite of Steve Bruce's, but could probably be had for £7 million. Valencia could be a very solid addition to the current Spurs squad.
The other recent rumor, which has really been around since the end of summer (along with the Emile Heskey and Michael Owen ones) is that Tottenham is interested in West Ham's Dean Ashton. The interesting part about that, besides the striker's rather prolific injury record, is that Spurs are also supposedly interested in West Ham defender Matthew Upson and keeper Robert Green. Like Owen, Ashton is a very good player if he can remain healthy, but he doesn't do that very often. If Harry Redknapp can purchase him at a discount value (which he may not be because Aston Villa and Manchester City reportedly want him, too), he would be a good buy. Otherwise, I would advise against it.
Redknapp has also been linked with Glen Johnson, who he coached at Portsmouth, as a potential target. Johnson is a very solid player who would be a good target and may be able to be had at reasonable value, as Redknapp's relationship with Portsmouth still appears to be good.
As far as the goalkeeper search goes, Tottenham may have some competition for the services of Carlos Kameni, as both Fullham and Newcastle are reportedly interested in the Espanyol keeper. Why Newcastle is interested is very unclear, as they already have Shay Given and Steve Harper, but a bidding war for a player who would probably be a backup keeper is not advisable.
Redknapp also spoke about Ben Foster, saying that he is very expensive right now and that if Spurs bought him, he wouldn't be a backup for them. He also said that he couldn't see Alex Ferguson selling Foster anytime soon.
As far as the Robbie Keane rumors go, it appears as if there are rules in English football that prevent a player from being sold back to his former club in a 12 month window, meaning that the striker will not be returning to White Hart Lane until at least the summer transfer window.
Wigan's Valencia is another winger, giving hints that Redknapp may not be satisfied with the recent of David Bentley. The Ecuadorian international is a favorite of Steve Bruce's, but could probably be had for £7 million. Valencia could be a very solid addition to the current Spurs squad.
The other recent rumor, which has really been around since the end of summer (along with the Emile Heskey and Michael Owen ones) is that Tottenham is interested in West Ham's Dean Ashton. The interesting part about that, besides the striker's rather prolific injury record, is that Spurs are also supposedly interested in West Ham defender Matthew Upson and keeper Robert Green. Like Owen, Ashton is a very good player if he can remain healthy, but he doesn't do that very often. If Harry Redknapp can purchase him at a discount value (which he may not be because Aston Villa and Manchester City reportedly want him, too), he would be a good buy. Otherwise, I would advise against it.
Redknapp has also been linked with Glen Johnson, who he coached at Portsmouth, as a potential target. Johnson is a very solid player who would be a good target and may be able to be had at reasonable value, as Redknapp's relationship with Portsmouth still appears to be good.
As far as the goalkeeper search goes, Tottenham may have some competition for the services of Carlos Kameni, as both Fullham and Newcastle are reportedly interested in the Espanyol keeper. Why Newcastle is interested is very unclear, as they already have Shay Given and Steve Harper, but a bidding war for a player who would probably be a backup keeper is not advisable.
Redknapp also spoke about Ben Foster, saying that he is very expensive right now and that if Spurs bought him, he wouldn't be a backup for them. He also said that he couldn't see Alex Ferguson selling Foster anytime soon.
As far as the Robbie Keane rumors go, it appears as if there are rules in English football that prevent a player from being sold back to his former club in a 12 month window, meaning that the striker will not be returning to White Hart Lane until at least the summer transfer window.
Monday, December 15, 2008
New striker links, Bale for Downey and some bluntness from Harry
Monday found Tottenham linked to a slew of strikers, some who are quickly becoming familiar to Spurs fans and others who are new names in the ever-expanding hunt for goals. Also, Harry Redknapp bluntly said that his team simply isn't good enough to break into the top five, at least as it is currently made up.
Starting with the strikers, the link to Bordeaux's Fernando Cavenghi, who is currently priced at £8 million, was linked with Tottenham again. The Argentinean striker's 10 goals are good for the most in Ligue 1, in front of such luminaries as Karim Benzema, Jimmy Briand and Hatem Ben Arfa. Cavenghi would be an excellent addition to the Spurs' strike corps and should definitely be a January target for Harry.
The other interesting striker link of the day was to Salzburg's Marc Janko, who is currently leading Europe in goals, with 27 in 17 games played. Janko, who seems desperate for a move to England, said that Tottenham are his favorite club. Interestingly, Janko may be able to play the game on the European stage as he has performed well in international friendlies for Austria this year, netting goals against both Serbia and France. If Janko could be brought in as kind of a second-option striker in order to let him adapt to the Prem with the idea of him becoming a legitimate option next season, the move could be an excellent one. He is definitely worth the risk, especially if the price isn't particularly high and White Hart Lane is where he wants to ply his trade.
Redknapp was also linked with a bid for Liverpool's Ryan Babel, as the Dutch striker is believed to have asked for a loan move in the January window. Spurs will possibly bid between 7 or 8 million pounds for the frustrated forward, who has only started six times this season, in an effort to take advantage of Tom Hicks' and George Gillet's financial difficulties. This move probably won't happen, as Rafa Benitez won't want to sell a potential star, but Babel is definitely worth a bid.
The Michael Owen saga also continued on Monday, as Newcastle will reportedly offer their striker a contract extension that could drop his weekly pay as much as £25,000. Owen, who makes £80,000 right now, may not take well to this, thereby making it more likely for him to move on. This one merits following, still, even though it seems as if there are cheaper, younger options at striker than the injury-prone Owen out there.
The most interesting rumor of the day involved Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing, a transfer target of Redknapp's. Reportedly, Gareth Southgate would ask for £15 million as well as youngster Gareth Bale for the winger. If Redknapp did that, it would be an astronomical overpay, as the English international is worth nothing more than £10 million and certainly not Bale, a defender/winger who was on his way to being a star until an injury last season that he is still struggling to come back from. If he manages to find his way, the young Welshman will be a more valuable player than Downing is. Hopefully, Redknapp realizes this and chooses to wait until Southgate's demands come down. (Of course, the report comes from The Daily Mirror, so it is probably more valuable as toilet paper than newsprint, just like the next rumor.)
David Bentley also took up a spot in the potentially leaving category, this time as a possibly target for Mark Hughes' Manchester City. Bentley has been a more-or-less disappointment at White Hart Lane thus far, but he has seemed to find some degree of his form under Redknapp and has one or two dangerous crosses a game. If City want to pay more for him than Spurs did (meaning overpay more than Spurs did), it could be a decent move, but I'd prefer for Bentley to find his form for Spurs.
Redknapp certainly stirred the pot a bit on Monday with several sets of comments. First, he spoke about how Spurs are having serious injury troubles for Thursday's bout with Spartak Moscow, as Frazier Campbell has a torn calf muscle and won't be ready for action, leaving Tottenham with Darren Bent as the only healthy or non-cup tied striker. According to Redknapp, winger John Bostock, 16, and defender Dean Parrett, 17, can expect to be called up from reserves, with Bostock likely receiving a start for the lilywhites. Fortunately, Spurs are likely to go through to the knockout stage no matter what their result is on Thursday as long as they don't drop the game 4-0.
In a fit of bluntness, Redknapp said that he doesn't believe that Arsenal can win the Premiership this year, something that is quickly becoming obvious as Arsenal drops further and further down the table and Chelsea and Manchester United continue to climb the table.
More interestingly, though, is what Redknapp said when asked about the state of the squad at a shareholders meeting on Monday. "It depends where you want to go and finish. If you're talking about finishing fifth or in the top four, it's well short of that. I'm not going to stand up here and lie to you. So far we've got the best out of what we have here but the squad is still well short of the top four and not as good as Aston Villa's and other teams challenging to be up there. There's a lot of work to do if we are going to get where we want to be," said Redknapp.
This honesty, however rude it seems, may have been about getting money for the transfer window. Daniel Levy has stated that Spurs won't be spending in January after outlaying a ton of money in the summer, but Redknapp clearly wants the side to be his own and not Damian Commolli's/Juande Ramos', meaning that he will be looking to spend in the winter window. His comments may have been designed to get funds for then as much as to set realistic expectations for the team and, as such, were probably a huge step forward for the normally overly optimistic Spurs' fans. I approve.
Starting with the strikers, the link to Bordeaux's Fernando Cavenghi, who is currently priced at £8 million, was linked with Tottenham again. The Argentinean striker's 10 goals are good for the most in Ligue 1, in front of such luminaries as Karim Benzema, Jimmy Briand and Hatem Ben Arfa. Cavenghi would be an excellent addition to the Spurs' strike corps and should definitely be a January target for Harry.
The other interesting striker link of the day was to Salzburg's Marc Janko, who is currently leading Europe in goals, with 27 in 17 games played. Janko, who seems desperate for a move to England, said that Tottenham are his favorite club. Interestingly, Janko may be able to play the game on the European stage as he has performed well in international friendlies for Austria this year, netting goals against both Serbia and France. If Janko could be brought in as kind of a second-option striker in order to let him adapt to the Prem with the idea of him becoming a legitimate option next season, the move could be an excellent one. He is definitely worth the risk, especially if the price isn't particularly high and White Hart Lane is where he wants to ply his trade.
Redknapp was also linked with a bid for Liverpool's Ryan Babel, as the Dutch striker is believed to have asked for a loan move in the January window. Spurs will possibly bid between 7 or 8 million pounds for the frustrated forward, who has only started six times this season, in an effort to take advantage of Tom Hicks' and George Gillet's financial difficulties. This move probably won't happen, as Rafa Benitez won't want to sell a potential star, but Babel is definitely worth a bid.
The Michael Owen saga also continued on Monday, as Newcastle will reportedly offer their striker a contract extension that could drop his weekly pay as much as £25,000. Owen, who makes £80,000 right now, may not take well to this, thereby making it more likely for him to move on. This one merits following, still, even though it seems as if there are cheaper, younger options at striker than the injury-prone Owen out there.
The most interesting rumor of the day involved Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing, a transfer target of Redknapp's. Reportedly, Gareth Southgate would ask for £15 million as well as youngster Gareth Bale for the winger. If Redknapp did that, it would be an astronomical overpay, as the English international is worth nothing more than £10 million and certainly not Bale, a defender/winger who was on his way to being a star until an injury last season that he is still struggling to come back from. If he manages to find his way, the young Welshman will be a more valuable player than Downing is. Hopefully, Redknapp realizes this and chooses to wait until Southgate's demands come down. (Of course, the report comes from The Daily Mirror, so it is probably more valuable as toilet paper than newsprint, just like the next rumor.)
David Bentley also took up a spot in the potentially leaving category, this time as a possibly target for Mark Hughes' Manchester City. Bentley has been a more-or-less disappointment at White Hart Lane thus far, but he has seemed to find some degree of his form under Redknapp and has one or two dangerous crosses a game. If City want to pay more for him than Spurs did (meaning overpay more than Spurs did), it could be a decent move, but I'd prefer for Bentley to find his form for Spurs.
Redknapp certainly stirred the pot a bit on Monday with several sets of comments. First, he spoke about how Spurs are having serious injury troubles for Thursday's bout with Spartak Moscow, as Frazier Campbell has a torn calf muscle and won't be ready for action, leaving Tottenham with Darren Bent as the only healthy or non-cup tied striker. According to Redknapp, winger John Bostock, 16, and defender Dean Parrett, 17, can expect to be called up from reserves, with Bostock likely receiving a start for the lilywhites. Fortunately, Spurs are likely to go through to the knockout stage no matter what their result is on Thursday as long as they don't drop the game 4-0.
In a fit of bluntness, Redknapp said that he doesn't believe that Arsenal can win the Premiership this year, something that is quickly becoming obvious as Arsenal drops further and further down the table and Chelsea and Manchester United continue to climb the table.
More interestingly, though, is what Redknapp said when asked about the state of the squad at a shareholders meeting on Monday. "It depends where you want to go and finish. If you're talking about finishing fifth or in the top four, it's well short of that. I'm not going to stand up here and lie to you. So far we've got the best out of what we have here but the squad is still well short of the top four and not as good as Aston Villa's and other teams challenging to be up there. There's a lot of work to do if we are going to get where we want to be," said Redknapp.
This honesty, however rude it seems, may have been about getting money for the transfer window. Daniel Levy has stated that Spurs won't be spending in January after outlaying a ton of money in the summer, but Redknapp clearly wants the side to be his own and not Damian Commolli's/Juande Ramos', meaning that he will be looking to spend in the winter window. His comments may have been designed to get funds for then as much as to set realistic expectations for the team and, as such, were probably a huge step forward for the normally overly optimistic Spurs' fans. I approve.
Dealing with Weekend Rumors
This weekend was full of rumors, many of them disconcerting for Spurs fans, as the EPL prepares for the January transfer window. From Luka Modric to Heurelho Gomes to Roman Pavlyuchenko, it seems as if most of Tottenham's first team squad has been linked elsewhere, even as Harry Redknapp has been linked with players such as Joe Cole and Michael Owen to reinforce his squad.
Perhaps the most disturbing rumor, at least to me, was that Juventus' director Alessio Secco was in London, looking to initiate a swap in which Spurs would send Modric to the Old Lady for Vincenzo Iaquinta plus cash. This rumor would have seemed to carry more weight two months ago, as Modric struggled to adjust to the Premier League, but the Croatian seems to have found his way and gives Spurs' attack a completely different look when he is on the pitch. An Italian paper suggested that Modric was unhappy at White Hart Lane and enjoys the prospect of playing in Serie A, but then again, who benefits from spreading that rumor? (Answer: The Italian press, especially if Modric took his immense talents to Juventus.) To sell him in the window (after Redknapp said that he was going to build the team around him) would be a huge mistake. With that said, I'm not sure how much weight this rumor carries, but even so, it caused me with some unrest immediately before Saturday's fixture.
Keeper seems to be the most examined position at Spurs, as Gomes has come good recently, but that doesn't seem as if it will prevent Redknapp from seeking out some competition for the Brazilian in January, possibly in the form of Carlos Kameni. Kameni, who is reportedly unhappy at Espanyol, was linked with Tottenham in the summer, but chose to stay with the Spanish club at the time. Now, with Gomes suddenly looking as if he has adjusted to life in the Prem, Tottenham is again being linked with Kameni and Gomes is being linked with a move back to PSV Eindhoven, one that PSV's director has said Gomes wants. As with all rumors, I'm not sure how much to buy this, as Gomes seems very comfortable under Redknapp, and it may not be the best idea to bring in another highly rated keeper on top of Gomes.
A Gomes for Kameni "trade" would be a bad idea, as we all saw how difficult Gomes'adjustment period was, and Kameni would need to go through the same process until he was fully used to the Premiership. I wouldn't mind seeing them bring someone like Kameni in if Gomes really does want out, but I wouldn't think about selling Gomes at least until the summer.
In another rumor, Real Madrid and their new manager Juande Ramos were linked with a bid for Pavyluchenko, the Spurs striker who has been frustratingly inconsistent thus far. With Real heavily linked with Andrei Arshavin, it would only make sense for Ramos to buy Pavyluchenko, too, and complete the strike team that he reportedly wanted to put together for Spurs in the summer. I wouldn't mind seeing Pavyluchenko leave too much, as long as it meant that Redknapp had more money to spend on his type of players in the transfer window and he spent a fair portion of it on strikers.
Ramos has also been linked with bids for David Bentley (Yeah, right, the man hated playing under Ramos and has only sort of come good since Redknapp took over. He would never play for the Spaniard again.), Didier Zokora (Had the good sense to note that Spurs were linked with all of Sevilla's players when Ramos came here and none of them came and that this is only the same thing in reverse. He'll stay at Tottenham.) and Aaron Lennon (Lennon is quickly becoming one of the faces of the team, but if Real really want to pay 22 million pounds for him, they are welcome to by all means.). I'd guess that none of them leave.
The weekend's final rumor, and the only one that involved players coming to White Hart Lane, involved Redknapp being interested in both Cole and Owen, two prominent English players. Tottenham's interest in Owen dates to the closing minutes of the summer transfer window, as Owen's name was one of the ones being thrown about in all of the post-Berbatov sale frenzy. Owen is reportedly unsettled at Newcastle and may be available for the right price, despite the insistence of manager Joe Kinnear that he will be staying at St. James Park. The oft-injured striker would fit in well at Tottenham, at least as a short term fix, but he's a bit too old to fit into any long-term vision of Harry Houdini.
As for Cole, while his addition would be wonderful from a Spurs' fan's point of view, it's not happening. Another rubbish rumor for News of the World.
Oh, and Kevin Prince-Boateng wants out. Surprise, surprise, even though I feel that the midfielder could improve greatly by moving back to his native Germany or anywhere else where he actually receives opportunities to play.
In the most comforting news, Redknapp discussed his transfer targets and said that he knows exactly who he wants for his squad, which is much more comforting than the helter skelter dealing that Ramos and Comolli partook in. Redknapp, unlike Comolli, has a concrete vision of who he wants to work with and where he wants to take the team, both extremely positive changes that should result in marked improvement in this transfer window.
Perhaps the most disturbing rumor, at least to me, was that Juventus' director Alessio Secco was in London, looking to initiate a swap in which Spurs would send Modric to the Old Lady for Vincenzo Iaquinta plus cash. This rumor would have seemed to carry more weight two months ago, as Modric struggled to adjust to the Premier League, but the Croatian seems to have found his way and gives Spurs' attack a completely different look when he is on the pitch. An Italian paper suggested that Modric was unhappy at White Hart Lane and enjoys the prospect of playing in Serie A, but then again, who benefits from spreading that rumor? (Answer: The Italian press, especially if Modric took his immense talents to Juventus.) To sell him in the window (after Redknapp said that he was going to build the team around him) would be a huge mistake. With that said, I'm not sure how much weight this rumor carries, but even so, it caused me with some unrest immediately before Saturday's fixture.
Keeper seems to be the most examined position at Spurs, as Gomes has come good recently, but that doesn't seem as if it will prevent Redknapp from seeking out some competition for the Brazilian in January, possibly in the form of Carlos Kameni. Kameni, who is reportedly unhappy at Espanyol, was linked with Tottenham in the summer, but chose to stay with the Spanish club at the time. Now, with Gomes suddenly looking as if he has adjusted to life in the Prem, Tottenham is again being linked with Kameni and Gomes is being linked with a move back to PSV Eindhoven, one that PSV's director has said Gomes wants. As with all rumors, I'm not sure how much to buy this, as Gomes seems very comfortable under Redknapp, and it may not be the best idea to bring in another highly rated keeper on top of Gomes.
A Gomes for Kameni "trade" would be a bad idea, as we all saw how difficult Gomes'adjustment period was, and Kameni would need to go through the same process until he was fully used to the Premiership. I wouldn't mind seeing them bring someone like Kameni in if Gomes really does want out, but I wouldn't think about selling Gomes at least until the summer.
In another rumor, Real Madrid and their new manager Juande Ramos were linked with a bid for Pavyluchenko, the Spurs striker who has been frustratingly inconsistent thus far. With Real heavily linked with Andrei Arshavin, it would only make sense for Ramos to buy Pavyluchenko, too, and complete the strike team that he reportedly wanted to put together for Spurs in the summer. I wouldn't mind seeing Pavyluchenko leave too much, as long as it meant that Redknapp had more money to spend on his type of players in the transfer window and he spent a fair portion of it on strikers.
Ramos has also been linked with bids for David Bentley (Yeah, right, the man hated playing under Ramos and has only sort of come good since Redknapp took over. He would never play for the Spaniard again.), Didier Zokora (Had the good sense to note that Spurs were linked with all of Sevilla's players when Ramos came here and none of them came and that this is only the same thing in reverse. He'll stay at Tottenham.) and Aaron Lennon (Lennon is quickly becoming one of the faces of the team, but if Real really want to pay 22 million pounds for him, they are welcome to by all means.). I'd guess that none of them leave.
The weekend's final rumor, and the only one that involved players coming to White Hart Lane, involved Redknapp being interested in both Cole and Owen, two prominent English players. Tottenham's interest in Owen dates to the closing minutes of the summer transfer window, as Owen's name was one of the ones being thrown about in all of the post-Berbatov sale frenzy. Owen is reportedly unsettled at Newcastle and may be available for the right price, despite the insistence of manager Joe Kinnear that he will be staying at St. James Park. The oft-injured striker would fit in well at Tottenham, at least as a short term fix, but he's a bit too old to fit into any long-term vision of Harry Houdini.
As for Cole, while his addition would be wonderful from a Spurs' fan's point of view, it's not happening. Another rubbish rumor for News of the World.
Oh, and Kevin Prince-Boateng wants out. Surprise, surprise, even though I feel that the midfielder could improve greatly by moving back to his native Germany or anywhere else where he actually receives opportunities to play.
In the most comforting news, Redknapp discussed his transfer targets and said that he knows exactly who he wants for his squad, which is much more comforting than the helter skelter dealing that Ramos and Comolli partook in. Redknapp, unlike Comolli, has a concrete vision of who he wants to work with and where he wants to take the team, both extremely positive changes that should result in marked improvement in this transfer window.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Introduction/Why I'm a Spurs Fan
My reasons for starting this blog are simple: As a new football (soccer) fan about three years ago, I desperately tried to find a way to relate to a sport that I knew essentially nothing about. Sure, I knew that there were 90 minutes in a game and that when the ball went into the back of the net, a goal a was scored and that when a player was issued a red card he was ejected. Outside of that, however, I knew little else. I didn't know who the star players were, how the transfer windows worked, or even who the game's legends were.
Now, however, I feel that I know enough about the game (and its players) to relate to an audience of people either like me three years ago, looking to become interested and involved in this sport that the whole world loves so much, or people who have followed the game considerably longer than I have.
In order to truly understand where I'm coming from, though, you must first know why I am a fan of Tottenham Hotspur, that perennially underachieving club that seems to constantly play third-fiddle in London and can't break the Top Four.
Growing up, I was a sports fanatic. I will follow pretty much any sport except for golf (for proof of this, see my other blog). I had not, however, ever been exposed to football because of an inability to watch the games (it's difficult to find a football game on TV over here). After the 2004 World Cup, however, I decided that I would become a football fan.
I knew that I didn't want to be a fan of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, the so-called Big Four. These teams already have entirely too many fans in the United States, many of whom have little to no reason to root for them outside of the fact that they win a lot. I felt that this would be the equivalent of a foreigner coming to America and deciding to be a Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers or Braves fan, and nobody likes a bandwagoner.
Plus, it's not fun to win all the time. Yes, the goal of every game is to win a championship, but those teams like Real Madrid (nine managers in 11 seasons?) where winning is simply expected are absolutely absurd. At the same time, though, it's not fun to root for a constant loser, either, particularly in the EPL where relegation is a reality.
There were also logistic problems with rooting for a team like Charlton or West Brom, as it's much more difficult to find a game in the League Championship on TV than it is to find a game from the Prem.
That basically left me with all of the so-called second tier EPL teams to pick from, including Aston Villa, Blackburn, Everton, Manchester City, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham. These teams are the ones competing for the fifth and sixth spots in the EPL every year and qualification in the UEFA Cup instead of the Champions League, meaning that any team that I picked would be competing for a spot in Europe every year.
I quickly eliminated Blackburn from my list of potential teams. They just didn't seem exciting enough (granted, that changed last season with Bentley and Santa Cruz), but in 2005 they weren't exciting. Their elimination was quickly followed by those of Everton, Newcastle, Manchester City, Newcastle and West Ham, all of whom just seemed too boring or unsuccessful in one way or another. That brought it down to Aston Villa or Tottenham, with Tottenham winning solely on the premise that it looked like they were going to be the team to break the Big Four.
Of course, I didn't know that this was the same year in and year out. Now, however, I have gone through the sale of Michael Carrick, the disastrous firing of Martin Jol, the false hope of the Ramos regime, the botched sale of Dimitar Berbatov and the most abysmal start to any season in the history of the franchise.
And of course, like any fan of any team, I still try to watch every single game, be it in the UEFA Cup, the Carling Cup or the EPL, which is more than some fans (AKA Bill Simmons, who picked Tottenham as his team two weeks after I did and never wrote another soccer article) can say.
As a new fan, however, this blog will sometimes have more than just Tottenham content on it, as I am interested in watching and writing about as much football as possible and not just the little bit of the football world that is Tottenham. With that said, I am devoted to my team (and to all of the make believe and real transfer rumors about that team) and, as such, will cover as many aspects of the club that I love as possible.
Now, however, I feel that I know enough about the game (and its players) to relate to an audience of people either like me three years ago, looking to become interested and involved in this sport that the whole world loves so much, or people who have followed the game considerably longer than I have.
In order to truly understand where I'm coming from, though, you must first know why I am a fan of Tottenham Hotspur, that perennially underachieving club that seems to constantly play third-fiddle in London and can't break the Top Four.
Growing up, I was a sports fanatic. I will follow pretty much any sport except for golf (for proof of this, see my other blog). I had not, however, ever been exposed to football because of an inability to watch the games (it's difficult to find a football game on TV over here). After the 2004 World Cup, however, I decided that I would become a football fan.
I knew that I didn't want to be a fan of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, the so-called Big Four. These teams already have entirely too many fans in the United States, many of whom have little to no reason to root for them outside of the fact that they win a lot. I felt that this would be the equivalent of a foreigner coming to America and deciding to be a Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers or Braves fan, and nobody likes a bandwagoner.
Plus, it's not fun to win all the time. Yes, the goal of every game is to win a championship, but those teams like Real Madrid (nine managers in 11 seasons?) where winning is simply expected are absolutely absurd. At the same time, though, it's not fun to root for a constant loser, either, particularly in the EPL where relegation is a reality.
There were also logistic problems with rooting for a team like Charlton or West Brom, as it's much more difficult to find a game in the League Championship on TV than it is to find a game from the Prem.
That basically left me with all of the so-called second tier EPL teams to pick from, including Aston Villa, Blackburn, Everton, Manchester City, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham. These teams are the ones competing for the fifth and sixth spots in the EPL every year and qualification in the UEFA Cup instead of the Champions League, meaning that any team that I picked would be competing for a spot in Europe every year.
I quickly eliminated Blackburn from my list of potential teams. They just didn't seem exciting enough (granted, that changed last season with Bentley and Santa Cruz), but in 2005 they weren't exciting. Their elimination was quickly followed by those of Everton, Newcastle, Manchester City, Newcastle and West Ham, all of whom just seemed too boring or unsuccessful in one way or another. That brought it down to Aston Villa or Tottenham, with Tottenham winning solely on the premise that it looked like they were going to be the team to break the Big Four.
Of course, I didn't know that this was the same year in and year out. Now, however, I have gone through the sale of Michael Carrick, the disastrous firing of Martin Jol, the false hope of the Ramos regime, the botched sale of Dimitar Berbatov and the most abysmal start to any season in the history of the franchise.
And of course, like any fan of any team, I still try to watch every single game, be it in the UEFA Cup, the Carling Cup or the EPL, which is more than some fans (AKA Bill Simmons, who picked Tottenham as his team two weeks after I did and never wrote another soccer article) can say.
As a new fan, however, this blog will sometimes have more than just Tottenham content on it, as I am interested in watching and writing about as much football as possible and not just the little bit of the football world that is Tottenham. With that said, I am devoted to my team (and to all of the make believe and real transfer rumors about that team) and, as such, will cover as many aspects of the club that I love as possible.
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