Has Keane got a point to prove?

Two seasons ago Robbie was up there with Ledley as Mr. Tottenham Hotspur. So how did it all seem to deteriorate so quickly?


I rate Keane, but he's suddenly found himself turning into the Jenas of last season and is fast becoming the marmite for Tottenham fans. Some seem to love him, some seem to hate him. For some fans, when Keane moved up North, his success and near legendary status at Spurs was wiped from their minds, seemingly. Although, could he be blamed for wanting to play for his boy-hood club in the Champions League and fulfill a dream at the same time?

Keane lifted the Barclays Asia trophy today after scoring twice against Hull in a 3-0 win, his energy and determination were also present and, as a result, he was given man of the match. It was only a pre-season friendly but the performance was still there all the same. He played his heart out in all honesty.

What do you think. Does Keane have a point to prove for the season ahead, or are some of the fans just being to critical?


Regards.

Bent reacts to Twitter posts

Bent statement: "I appreciate that transfers are seldom straightforward and are often complex. However, after a long period of waiting following my withdrawal from the plane to China, I had become incredibly frustrated by the time these things take and I posted inappropriate comments on my Twitter site.
I allowed my emotions to get in the way of my better judgement. I regret my actions and did not intend to offend Daniel Levy or anyone with the nature or the content of my posting."

Seems this free speech act that was granted so long ago doesn't apply in the world of football, but I'm sure Darren has just saved himself a fine.

Do you think he's really sorry? Somehow, I don't think he is.

Regards.

Fan Report: Spurs 3-0 Hull City

Spurs began the game with Gomes, Chimbonda, Huddlestone, Corluka, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric, Keane, Defoe with Hull playing a more second string side.
Redknapp made it very clear pre-match that this was a competition he wanted to win emphasising Pompey's good start to the 06/07 Premiership season was down to winning this trophy.

Hull began the game as we did against West Ham, full of energy and drive. Boxing us in, trying to put a constraint on us passing the ball around and keeping the pressure on our back line. We seemed to start the game looking comfortable in possession and generally knocked the ball about nicely. It's nice to see that once in a while.

The goal came after 17 minutes when a stunning ball over the top from Modric picked out Keane who took two touches to bring the ball down and power it beyond Tony Warner. There's the Keane we all knew from the season before last. Modric once again part of it all, the guy's pure class. He showed better vision and passing than Huddlestone on a good day.

The first half illustrated a typical Premier League game. We showed we were still sloppy in possession at times with Jenas leading that pack and often sent a ball that flew straight to an orange shirt. The decision to have the defence sitting back worked effectively with the Hudd and Charlies' pace not their strongest of attributes.

The second half saw no immediate change to the Spurs side with Hull introducing Geovanni.

Hull proved more stubborn than in the first half. We began banging the ball out to Lennon early on with nothing materialising. Modric and Keane continued to link up well. Maybe that would keep Robbie in the side a little longer.

Hull enjoyed more of the ball and proved a stronger attacking threat enjoying a series of corners after the hour forcing Gomes into a couple of fine saves. Let's hope he can get through this season without some of the 'fans' abuse, eh?

The second goal came after a typical Tom Huddlestone pass found Defoe who was brought down in the box. Robbie Keane stepped up confidently to slot away our third goal of the competition after 68 minutes from the penalty spot. Has he got a point to prove?

Number three came from a good delivery from Naughton in which Lennon tucked away after finishing the remainder of the match left midfield.

A good win for the lads, against our second Premiership opposition of pre-season, should leave us happy. Hull were 'outclassed'. Robbie was man of the match but certainly Modric looks justified to have earned his salary for the week as he played another good game. Gomes at present is on another level to a fair bunch of other Keepers and is looking good for Liverpool in two weeks.

let's just hope we can have a half decent season this year.

Regards.

Should David Bentley be given a chance?

Aaron Lennon was signed for a measly £1m from a highly regarded Leeds youth team and has since cemented himself into an ever-changing Tottenham side. David Bentley was snapped up for 15 times the price of Lennon and, to put it straight, has endured a torrid time with us. I'm sure Blackburn went laughing all the way to the bank.

Lennon's final ball has always come under scrutiny and you could say it has always been the wall preventing him from regular England starts. That wall just continues to get stronger for every poor cross that is executed.

Que David Bentley. Now this boy can cross, and, with our new 6ft something striker it makes sense for Dave to play a role in next years' team. Would it make sense to play Lennon left midfield and Bentley right?
Pace on one flank and decent deliveries from the other. Would this help our progression or hinder it?

Should Bentley be given a role in the team next year?

Regards.

Spurs still in the Hunt

So Peter Crouch arrived at Spurs Lodge. A signing that split many of us to say the least- I'm not here to argue for or against, we'd be here all day. We may as well all get behind him now he's here, like the happy family we are.

I'm sure many of us thought 'that's it for the summer', regarding the signing of any more forwards. I know I certainly did. Then 'arry pops up and gives you a bigger shock than a bolt of lightning.

Redknapp on Huntelaar: "If you look at his goalscoring it's absolutely incredible, if he's available, he's a player that interests me ... If Darren Bent does go then maybe we'll be interested in Huntelaar again."
"You can't have too many good players," he added.
"The teams with the best squads are the most successful teams ... you need competition for places."

Either Crouch has had a really bad first day on the training ground or Redknapp has just been more indecisive than a fat kid with a choice of cake or chocolate, and so just had to go for both. Sorry, I thought we had a defender crisis?

So we're still in for Huntelaar, but where does this leave captain Keane? The last time he had to fight for his place in the blink of an eye he was back in the lillywhite again.

Regards.

Harry's disappointment leaves contentment amongst fans

So it looks as though old Patrick won't be wearing the white (and yellow) of Spurs next year and I could never make head or tail as to why we were trying to pinch him from Jose in the first place. All it did was leave a frown across my face and bloody endless discussion on the matter.

All you had to do was scroll down the Tottenham team sheet and see Modric, Palacios, Jenas and Huddlestone all written down. Throw in a couple of the younger players and bang- before you know it we're over-populated in the middle, yet we're willing to throw more money at a 'problem' that doesn't exist.

I can't see anyone other than Huddlestone as immediate back-up for the centre midfield role and knocking him down into the reserves wouldn't leave him, or many of us, to cheerful. He'd pack his bags and run up to Villa the moment Vieira turned up at Spurs Lodge.


Lately 'Arry has said that he's no longer confident of getting the old Arsenal captain as he suddenly went 'very quiet' amid our interest. But this still leaves a big question as to why we were after him. Maybe he thought it'd soften the disappointment of old Campbell.. err, no.


Maybe Redknapp was getting bored of the same old faces warming the bench and wanted to bring in another to add variety- well he ain't starting in place of Modric or Wilson, that's for damn sure.


There reaches a point where 'experience' just means an old bloke can't do what he use to. Patrick Vieira fits nicely into that description.


Regards.

Fan report: West ham 0-1 Spurs

I was hoping for a better performance than the one we gave against the European Champions, to be honest we didn't give the Premiership a great name for itself, and I needn't remind anyone at how poor our performance was at the home of English Football.

Both clubs set out fairly strong teams, Spurs' noticeable change was that of playing Hutton and Naughton in the same side; nice to see Harry pop up with a surprise every now and then. Bar that it was a similar team to any we're use to with Charlie and the Hudd alongside each other at the back.

The first half brought great satisfaction and it was relieving to know that we hadn't in fact turned shite overnight; we actually looked as though we wanted to win this game. We looked like the Spurs team fighting another relegation battle, but in a good way. We played with the heart on the sleeve, passed the ball around nicely and in truth made West Ham look like, well, West Ham- bloody average.

Hutton and Naughton also worked well together and showed a good understanding on the right hand side of the pitch, maybe Lennon will have to fight for his place this season; haha, that'll be the day!

Still though, the one thing we failed to do was put the ball past Green-somehow- with Pav coming closest hitting the post. I kept thinking we were playing at home, is it even allowed for Spurs to play this well away from home?

The second half saw the departure of Mr. Pavlyuchenko with pointy-shouty bloke his replacement. Keane endured a good start linking up well with Defoe, although any good performance would've been overshadowed by the stunning performance of our little Croatian playmaker.

Even through our poor performances against Celtic and Barcelona, Luka Mordric still showed great ability on the ball. I'm not gonna lie, we'd be right down there without him. The word depression would be frequently used amongst us fans for another season.

Pav had a good first half, Keane actaully looks like he's fighting harder for his place than he was at Liverpool but it was Defoe that scored the goal. Defoe's finishing had been so poor today.. but he still managed to score! Embarrassing Robert Green also adds that extra satisfaction.

We finished comfortably and 'that lot' from East London didn't look up to much. I think Bournemouth proved a tougher test in all fairness with Curbs blaming 'pre season' for every sloppy West Ham pass and shot. Let's be honest, it's just the West Ham we're all use to. Still though, a comfortable 1-0 win against a team that will be lucky to stay in the league this season, an injury for Boa Morte and a solid performance. what on Earth are we going to moan about this time?

Regards,
Ben

Who would be in your first XI against Liverpool?

The season is just a couple of weeks away and with Peter Crouch looking to be one of our final signings for the summer (bar possibly a centre back) and dreams of Huntelaar remaining just that, dreams, who would you start against Liverpool on the 16th August?

In the current predicament my starting eleven would be the following: standard 4-4-2


GK-Gomes: No need to explain why, showed brilliant character to turn around his season

LB-Ekotto: Grabbed his chance in the first team with two hands when given, and we can win games when he plays.

CB's- Chimbonda and Corluka: A big talking point but if Chimbonda can reincarnate the formed he showed a few seasons back I think we should give him a go, I mean it is for only one game, isn't it?

RB- Hutton: Still unsure of Naughton and throwing him in the deep end against a team fighting for the league might be pushing him a bit at this stage of the season



LW- Keane: It may seem strange but he usually drops deep and I believe he could do a job out on the left. He works well as a playmaker.

CM's- Modric and Palacios: Unquestionable, both had good seasons last year

RM- Lennon: Need I explain?



ST's- Defoe and Crouch: I thoroughly hope this works and they can rekindle the partnership they had at Pompey. I will put my faith in Crouch.



-Gomes-

-Hutton-Chimbonda-Corluka-Ekotto-

-Lennon-Modric-Palacios-Keane-

-Crouch-Defoe-



Who would be your starting XI against Liverpool?

Regards,
Ben

Spurs have already solved their left wing problem

He's just won the CONCACAF PFA player of the tournament and probably cost as much as Real Madrids' peanuts probably do, plus he can play on the left, so someone please tell me why we don't give Giovani Dos Santos another shot in the first team.

This is a player that on his final game for Barcelona scored a hat trick as well.. A bleedin' hat trick! No one's scored a three in one game for us since the days of Berba, but everything's fine now- we have Crouch, can't you just feel the optimism suddenly rush all back.

It seems as though the Deportivo boss has used his noodle and had this to say: "I know Giovani very well," Lotina was quoted as saying by AS.
"Last year we spoke to him, but then Tottenham came in.
"As for Lafita, well, there is nothing. But if he goes then we will start with plan B. But [Dos Santos] is an interesting player, but he is not the only one."

It's an insult; Giovani can't even get in a team that is captained by Jermaine Jenas. What has our club come to, appointing Redknapp has only brought misery and disappointment

Regards,
Ben

Steven Pienaar close to signing

Ashley Young; let's be honest, he isn't coming to Tottenham. We can't afford him, according to O'Neill not even '£50m' would tempt him and I can't see us offering £60m. Maybe Madrid have spare change to throw away? Furthermore, why he'd join a team that would offer lower wages and finish behind Villa, again, would also surprise me. He's not an idiot.

Where we should be looking is Evertons' Steven Pienaar and why we are not at least adding him to out bottomless list of players we are interested in is way beyond me. I wouldv'e thought at least one paper would put two and two together and link us the South African.

Pienaar rejected a new contract offer from Everton on Monday and therefore should be having his name thrown all over the place; it's the trend these day's. It is also reported that Everton want Alan Hutton. I rate the guy but I'd jump at the chance to involve him in a deal that would include Pienaar, who has two years left on his contract.

We have only lost once at home under Redknapp and guess who scored the killer goal for Everton. This guy would prove to be great value on the left side of our midfield and would cost Levy far less than some 23 year old Villa player would.

I can't see this happening, not because Pienaar is still happy at Everton, but because it would be a bargain signing, one that is actually value for money- but we all know how much much Spurs like to miss out on a good bargain.

Regards,
Ben

Peter bleedin' Crouch

Yep, we expected it and any dreams of Huntelaar were, in truth, only dreams. We have signed relegation battlers Portsmouths' best player Peter Crouch. A split decision amongst us to say the least. Ok, so he's a 'proven' Premier League player, apparently, but in reality another mediocre player joins the ranks of overpaid and overrated players at Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

"We are sorry to see Peter go both as a player and a person and would like to thank him for playing a key role in keeping the club in the Premier League last season," said a club spokesman.

"His sale was necessitated by the club's commitment to repay scheduled debts while we are in a transitional period of completing the takeover.
"We will now be looking to add fresh faces to the first-team squad as soon as possible."

As you may have concluded I'm not the biggest fan of the bloke, I mean half his England goals have come against third world countries -such as Jamaica- and he only scrapped double figures for Premier League goals this season. But, my love for Spurs is greater than my dislike for the former Pompey boy and, reluctantly to say the least, I will give the guy a chance but at 29 his long legs won't be able to keep going forever.

What intrigues me more about this deal is how Pompey will survive after letting so many of their 'big names' depart for bigger clubs in Europe, and their manager saying they won't 'do a Citehh'; but that is for the seaside boys to write about.

Another striker has joined us, are we going to give this one more than one game before turning on him? The thing is, we have to pay the guys' wages. That hurts.

Regards,
Ben

Sunderland look Bent as Spurs set to Crouch down the table

I know, the title is a bad one but the news is much worse. A bad title for bad news, it works. It seems as though the reality that Peter Crouch could be at Tottenham within days is hitting down hard. As soon as it was obvious we were in the hunt for Crouch in truth it was really only a matter of days before we had him, there was no competition. Why oh why did we appoint Redknapp as manager?

"Obviously I'm disappointed to see Peter leave, but given the severe financial restraints in place here we had no choice but to accept an offer from Tottenham," Paul Hart told the Sunday Mirror.
"I think people need to realise that Pompey have been punching above their weight and could no longer sustain the level of spending that has gone on here over the last three years."

It's a shame Peter's coming but at £10m could probably be just about worth a punt, especially in today's market. The only way this move will work is if Crouch and Defoe play week in week out, so what will happen to £15m Robbie Keane and £14m Roman Pav? We'll just have to wait and see; maybe they'll be happy sitting on the Tottenham bench. Meanwhile, Steve Bruce has confirmed that Sunderland are in talks with Darren Bent.

"Darren Bent is another one where we are trying our utmost," said Bruce in the Sunday Sun.
"We have tried all summer for Peter Crouch and Darren Bent. Talks are ongoing as we speak at a high level.
"We hope we can do something with it, but as we have just experienced last week, we can get knocked back as well.
"We have to agree a fee - obviously it isn't done yet. But we are talking."

I think it be a shame to see Bent go and I'm not afraid to say it. I believe he will be hitting his peak within the next few seasons and, should we only get around £10-12m for him, we'd rue the day we let him jump up north.

It should be an interesting season. Either that or another horrendous one.

Regards,
Ben

Spurs 1-1 Barcelona

I arrived at Wembley expecting to see the likes of Messi, Henry and Iniesta grace the same pitch that we’d lost the Carling Cup on earlier in the year. Instead we were given the all mighty Montoya, Caceres and Fontas with the only recognized names being that of Abidal, Toure and Chelsea old-boy Gudjohnson. Although, I guess that’s what you get for playing them in a friendly and not the Champions League. Poor old Spurs.

Our starting eleven included the usual familiar faces from last season. The most notable thing was despite a fit Robbie Keane we opted for 4-5-1 with Defoe up top alone, Huddlestone and Corluka at the back with Cudicini behind them between the sticks.

The first half kicked off with a full sense of optimism and at £50 a ticket I was fully expecting a show. Although, with no surprises, that optimism soon turned to the usual frustration felt at most games as affectively Barcelona’s second team dominated from the moment the referee blew the whistle for kick off.

The first half was truly lifeless from a Spurs point of view, the difference in quality was apparent from the start and on many occasion you just had to sit back and admire the talent on show from the team in red and blue. We were an insult- a disgrace- we were not worthy to play such a quality side. I left myself thinking why I’d even bothered to turn up, what was I expecting, for us to outplay Barcelona, score a bag full of goals and to go home laughing? We decided to sit back, stick ten men behind the ball- I believe it’s called ‘doing a Bolton’- I seriously question this. In a friendly against the European champions we should be in their faces, throwing men forward and putting on an entertaining display, making a good name for the Premiership’s smaller clubs. Spurs thought they were playing in the Champions League for the first time in years.

Another issue that has to be raised was that in defence; Huddlestone and Corluka did not look League one quality let alone a decent Premier League pairing together, but I guess when you’re desperate what other options do you have? But this seriously worries me, we will get bombed against Liverpool if we fail to get a half decent centre back in before the 16th august.

On a rare positive note, Modric is looking a better player every game he plays in, a real stunning asset and a great ambassador for Tottenham. Lennon also looked bright showing glimpses of the class we are all but use to and Huddlestone’s passing ability left me and I’m sure many fans guessing why Redknapp doesn’t give him more starting opportunities. Although, in truth, the real highlight of the night, with the exception of Luka hitting the bar was Billy Wingrove showing what modern day footballers can’t do with his ball skills. At least my first hour at Wembley wasn’t a total waste of time, eh?

To summarise, we are playing ten players behind the ball and losing. History is looking to repeat itself and I predict we will struggle for another season in the Premiership as Spurs really lack the European quality that they had a few seasons back.

HALF TIME: SPURS 0-1 BARCELONA

The second half brought on Keane, Gomes, Naughton and Chimbonda for O’hara, Cudicini, Jenas and Hutton. We switched to the familiar 4-4-2 and I hoped that we would at least put on more of a show than the than the first half did. We tried a new pairing of Chimbonda and Corluka in central defence, should Chimbonda reincarnate the same performances he showed a few seasons back then I believe that this would be the best partnership whilst Dawson, King and Woodgate remained injured. Barcelona made 11 changes; by the time it takes to note all 22 names it’ll be tea time.

The second half brought a lot more energy into the Spurs team; it was as though Redknapp had injected Redbull into their veins. The energy was there but it was the same old story for Spurs, no co-ordination and sloppy when in possession. Quite frankly the Barcelona side were streets ahead of us and played with real pride. I could rant on about Barcelona for pages highlighting the obvious difference in quality, but that’s for a more Spanish based report.

Spurs came out to the second half and did in truth look a bit more interested. In fairness we tried to play football on the floor but were really left chasing shadows as Barcelona continued to dominate possession- and this was without Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and our favourite player Mr. Thierry Henry. We attempted to play the ball on the floor, when we had it but in all fairness were simply outclassed, this leaving a dim light on our pre season preparations and don’t look anywhere near ready for our home game against Liverpool 16 days into August.

Redknapp spotted we weren’t playing to our full potential and that many of our players were having so called ‘off-days’ after 80 minutes, and so, brought on youngsters John Bostock, Jake Livermore, Dorian Dervite and Danny Rose. Un-Surprisingly enough each player grabbed the opportunity with both hands and all looked very good. At least our youth team look justified to have a decent season.

Spurs finally grabbed an unlikely goal after working a corner to the outside of the box and a lofted ball in was met by the head of Livermore to salvage some pride for ourselves. Why we are not giving our youngsters more of a chance in the first team is beyond me and I really think we should take more calculated risks with them.

To summarise, the goal will leave Spurs fans happy but in truth the performance was a poor one against a second and third string Barcelona side. I also felt two issues were raised, one being the centre back partnering as discussed and the other being Kyle Naughton and Aaron Lennon. Naughton looks a quick player but the consistent insistence of repeatedly trying to overlap Lennon and not getting back left huge gaps down the right flank. Kyle looked ok at right back but going forward offered no attacking threat and I struggle to see how this partnership will work, I just hope he is ‘one for the future’

To finish, I am happy that no injuries occurred and felt Modric, Defoe, Lennon and Huddlestone all looked bright. Although we really do need a centre back that can actually, well, defend.

FULL TIME: SPURS 1-1 BARCELONA

Just when you thought things couldn't get worse

Ok, so lately things had been looking more promising. The Huntelaar speculation was finally confirmed, we're looking sharp in pre-season and thankfully we may not be able to afford Peter Crouch. Then out of the dark, Woodgate, King and Dawson are hit with injuries. It's just like a bad week on 'Football Manager', I feel the frustration from last season returning.

"All three are doubts for the start of the season," said Redknapp. "In all honesty it is not an ideal situation. Ledley hasn't kicked a ball yet this season, so it is not looking great on that front at the moment," added Redknapp.

Great, so just when you could see the light at the end of a very dark and depressing Tottenham tunnel, bang, and we have no defence. I'm just thankful that we signed Corluka when we did meaning that we only have to find one replacement and not two. Maybe we could give Dorian Dervite a chance? All we know is at the moment a defender must be priority otherwise we'll get bombed against Liverpool.

In all honesty this is what the youngsters are for; thrown in at the deep end when we're short in one position and see if they flourish. I believe a certain Aaron Lennon reaped the benefits when played in place of an injured Wayne Routledge.

Let's just hope Redknapp doesn't go for Richard Dunne, we need a defend that will stop us conceding goals not help us concede more.

Regards,
Ben

Spurs ARE in the hunt for Klass

On a day where once again I held my head in my hands after seeing that two Championship players are suppose to get us Champions League football, I thoroughly believed that any optimism I once had for Tottenham had disappeared as soon as the two Kyle's arrived at Spurs Lodge.

Then, understandably, Redknapp jumps to save his own skin (and the enthusiasm of many Spurs fans) by insisting that we very much are looking to sign Klass-Jan Huntelaar of Real Madrid. Dare a smile stretch across my face?

Redknapp stated: "The lad is a very good goalscorer and I'm still interested in him, I know of Stuttgart's involvement but I'm hoping we will still be able to do something.
"There's a lot of talk about who I may or may not be after but Huntelaar is the one I like."

I don't need to talk about whether this signing would be a good one. The only negative aspect of this sort of deal is that our top scorer Darren Bent may feel disillusioned and choose to leave; whether this is good is another matter. Let's just hope Arsene keeps with his policy and continues to only look at players that have only just hit puberty and choose to not go in for Huntelaar.

Now all we have to do is sign him.

Regards,
Ben

Steve Bruce's blunder for Spurs

The season hasn't even started but our pessimistic ways have reached a new limit as the speculation surrounding Peter Crouch joining us gathers momentum. Sunderland have today pulled out of the race for Crouch claiming he wants to stay in the South; let's just hope Crouch falls for Al Fahim's new Pompey plan for glory and ends up staying.

Bruce said: "I know he was impressed with the set up here when he came for talks, but it's simply a matter of geographical location and that's not something we can affect.
''What's pleasing however is that it shows the intent of the club going forward that we are trying to bring in players of his calibre, and we will continue to pursue other targets"

This statement both worries me and confuses me; the fact that our former lanky striker actually wants to stay in the south and join a club with money worries me. How almost signing Crouch proves your club is moving forward will always keep me guessing and is another matter. Why can't Redknapp see that Crouch is only good for a club looking to achieve mid-table every season, hence he plays for Pompey and is also wanted by Fulham? Is Crouch really going to push us into the Champions League that Redknapp claims he is looking to achieve? No.

Let's hope a miracle in Roy Hodgson comes along and pops up with an unbeatable offer. All he has to say is that he reckons Fulham will make the Champions League next season.

Regards,
Ben

Lennon set to leave

So the it seems as though the papers have given up on Huntelaar and, for the last few days, it has been Beckham they've linked us to. It seems as though the papers have re-writ en the same story but stuck the name 'Beckham' in instead of 'Veira', I wish the journalists would open their eyes, one day.

So should this report, some how, actually be true it clearly shows a lack of identifying our main problems from last season. It illustrates the fact that Redknapp would quite happily stick Lennon on the bench but, surprisingly, still doesn't help our problem that exists- and has done for years- on that left side of midfield. Shocking I know.

It wouldn't surprise me Redknapp is trying to lower the quality of our squad and take away the excitement of having Lennon attack his opponent one-on-one in front of Park Lane. I mean he's trying to sign two Sheffield United full backs and Peter Crouch; Harry must be expecting us to have a bad season so didn't want to get the supporters to optimistic by signing decent players.

Beckham's a good player but not one that we need. Although I can't see this move happening so don't feel concerned one bit. This is a player I actually want Man. City to sign, just so we can't.

Regards,
Ben

The inevitable has happened

I thought I'd wait a while to see how many reports are saying that we have made a bid for Ashley Young, the player we could have signed 3 seasons ago for around £8m- painful I know. As expected, I couldn't count the number of reports on two hands, but Harry's seemingly dismal transfer window doesn't leave me to optimistic. He's either being really shrewd or it just hasn't been his day, everyday.

O'Neill is a clever man. I have the uppermost respect for the former Celtic boss and do not believe that he would replace Ashley Young, arguably one of England's brightest young assets, with Stewart Downing, a player that-in my opinion- would be lucky to make the starting eleven for Darlington. This is why I don't believe Ashley will be leaving this year unless he desperately wants to.

Still though, O'Neill has invited these transfer rumours upon Aston Villa and why they have splashed out on Downing seems a mystery to most; maybe Martin felt a lack of depth last season in the Villa side. But these rumours will continue to come and I can't believe Levy would be willing to spend a reported £30m straight off plus with the expectation of fairly large wages. Besides, we don't really have much of a transfer budget this year- do we?

Still though as Spurs fans we can hope; seems like we end up doing that for most of the season anyway. But, at the moment, it seems as though we are more likely to win the league before signing Ashley Young. Shame really.

Regards,
Ben

Harry's biggest mistake of the season

It's now getting beyond that of mid-July and the only activity that we've been involved in is the expected sale of Didier zokora to Sevilla, interesting stuff I know. Now, I'm happy with our current squad and could live with the 'old' faces of the first team should we go onto play Liverpool without any new acquisitions.

What I'm a bit concerned about is the players Harry has tried to sign; it seems as though he still thinks he's managing Championship football. Instead of the big money Madrid players we all thought we were going for, we entered the race for two Sheffield United defenders. Sorry, OK we need cover at the back, but surely we are not going to spend a huge amount on two players that really aren't worth the value stuck on them. Harry wants to sign another right back but the fact we have Corluka, Chimbonda and Hutton as cover really does surprise me- explanations please.

I also question the chase for Peter Crouch. The player has got to be one of the most overrated strikers I've ever come across; if he was foreign he'd be be shipped out quicker than Helda Postiga was back in the day. Yeah OK the guy would add height to the team but seriously lacks in pace and power. He didn't score to many last season and wouldn't be an improvement on any of our current strikers, so again why sign him?

I do trust Harry, but seriously, he needs to play the transfer market a bit- what's the word- BETTER.

Regards,
Ben

Martin O'Neill does Spurs a favour

'Aston Villa have agreed a £12m deal for Steward Downing,' this headline has made my summer. All along I felt uneasy and rather worried at the fact that Downing was still at 'Boro and just had to hope that Redknapp wouldn't get his man. Thank god for Martin O'Neill.

It seems as though the Villa boss wanted us to also make a push for the Champions League by ensuring we don't sign such a bad player and upset us fans in the process; lets be honest, the call for Harry's head would've come around in October should we have signed this player- and I'm an optimistic Spurs fan! Signing Downing would have left us scrapping for our Premiership survival -so no change there then- instead of actually looking above that of 10th spot. Yes, HE would have left us fighting relegation.

Here is a classic case of killing two birds with one stone. The fact that we won't be signing Downing, I'm sure, floods relief through N17; I can feel it running through me now. There is also the future of Ashley Young that comes into question, pulling off such a quality signing would complete our team in my opinion. But then again, there's the price issue, other clubs and so on, that's a whole different matter.

How Downing will/has passed his medical is beyond me; they seem to be easier to pass than 'GO' is on a Monopoly board.

Regards,
Ben

3 Reasons why Veira won't sign for us

Gawd, I was going to keep quiet about this but it never seems die, so I couldn't help myself. Just when i find little dignity for the Mail they pop up with THE most ridiculous rumour of the summer. They seem to adopt the whole 'let's make up a story and blow it up all over the back page' approach; this is because the more of the paper the story covers the more likely it is to be true, of course.

Patrick Veira to Spurs. 4 years ago we would've been in laughing fits over this sort of rumour- I still am. Everyone needs to have a reality check. We won't sign this player:

1. We signed Wilson Palacios for £15m in January. He plays in the same position and had a successful 6 months with us, he's not getting replaced and Modric just isn't in the equation

2. His wages will halt any deal, we won't pay him top wages to 'play' on the bench.

3. He's scum. He was a success at Arsenal and therefore will not join us.

Everyone needs to calm down over this story. This move is about as likely to happen as Redknapp is to come in to work wearing an Arsenal shirt.

But as always, this is football, anything can happen- but we all know that!

Regards,
Ben

Spurs to steal right back

Tottenham have today entered the race for right back Kyle Naughton from Premiership bottlers Sheffield United, according to Sky sources. The 21 year old was part of the Sheffield side that lost to Burnely in football's most lucrative prize, the play-off final.

I'm not to sure on this guy, he never really stood out in the final this year but there are signs that could prove he is a very good player. Considering the fact that both Everton and Aston Villa are interested in the player is promising, it is a ray of sunlight on this very dry piece of speculation. Also, considering we have Hutton, Corluka and Chimbonda available at right back, Kyle must be something special if Harry believes he is capable of challenging these players for the right back spot.

To be honest I've seen the lad play once and he never really stood out. I don't think this would be a good signing and believe it would be a waste of money, all £5m of it; he'd never displace Corluka, Hutton or Chim.

Oh how I love the pre-season optimism.

Regards,
Ben

David Bentley attacked!

Our over-rated and overpaid right winger David Bentley was attacked in a restaurant whilst sitting down for a meal with fiancée Kimberly Mills. One man approached Bentley, started talking crap, then took a swing at him hitting him hard in the face; no wonder David felt 'badly shaken' after, maybe he was jealous this bloke could actually hit the target he was aiming for.

Bentleys agent Robert Segal said:"David is pretty shaken. He was in the restaurant with his best friend and their respective partners. A guy walked over and started talking gibberish to him, then he just took a swing and punched him. David's fiancée, who is seven months pregnant, had just been to the loo and saw the whole thing. Obviously, she was very upset about it."

"David's mate jumped up and ran after the man and he got punched as well. It was obviously premeditated because the other people at the table got up and ran out of the restaurant. They had taxis waiting outside.
"The police were called and we are just waiting to see what we can do. If we are advised to, then we will definitely press charges."

Now, we all know Bentley didn't have the greatest of seasons last year but most of us managed to focus our usual Spurs anger and disappointment into supporting the overpaid players that make up our first team. Maybe this guy just couldn't accept that David was getting paid more than him and felt he could do a better job.

I guess this will be Davids excuse for not being included in the first team for the start of the season, in fact, I think he could be missing for the whole year.

Regards,
Ben

Premiership manager has saved our season, so far!

Tottenham's optimistic transfer list that looked to have had half of Madrid printed on it now has a new name printed under that of Arjen Robben, K-J Huntelaar and so on- or so we thought. Stoke manager Tony Pulis has overshadowed a potential big money and media frenzy move for Ryan Shawcross stating that no contact has taken place between Stoke and ourselves respectively. Sorry, who?

"No one has rung me up. I get on well with Harry and I would be very surprised if it is in the papers and he hasn't rung me first." Although he continued to state that there were 'no closed doors' regarding departures of some of the Stoke first team squad. Let's hope Redknapp didn't hear him say that.

Ryan Shawcross? Surely this rumour cannot be fact, although, what nails doubt into my mind is that he is a young English centre back with Premier League experience. Therefore I hold my hands up as this could quite possibly be true- however much I don't want it to be. I also applaud the Daily Mail for thinking more logically when sticking a transfer rumour on their back page about us. I'm sure in the next week or so we'll end up with a whole team of centre backs, well, according to the papers- but they never lie.

It's Ryan Shawcross, need I say more? Even for a back-up this isn't a good move.

Regards,
Ben

A poor silly season

Harry must have O'Neill on speed dial as yet again we are after another Villa player. This time it is front man John Carew, yet, once again I do feel a touch of Deja vu is at hand. I remember blogging on the 'speculation' that we were after the Villa hit man although this time the reports have been confirmed. On the other hand, it may come as a surprise to you the fact that Villa have stated they will reject any approach from ourselves; I believe our 'dreams WILL fade and die' after hearing this, well, certainly Redknapps' anyway.

This summer has proved a tough one and probably our most un-successful. Harry has failed to snap up any transfer targets in those of Santa Cruz, Barry, Carew, Young, Van Nistelrooy.. and so on, I'm not here to summarise the speculation. Consequently, Spurs have had to lower their transfer optimism and so therefore have been looking at Man. City's Richard Dunne- the defender of the team that couldn't stop conceding last season. Dunne would prove satisfactory cover for the formidable Woodgate and King but the bench would always prove to be his best position. Therefore, this could prove a shrewd signing and, if cheap, one that I'd be happy for.

So on that basis, I do hope that we continue our pursuit of both Carew and Young as I feel these are two players that would propel us to the next level- a solid mid-table finish. Furthermore, should we sign Richard Dunne from Citeh and he does only play a bit-part role for the club, I'd be generally satisfied. A start for the lad every week would just inhibit our Redknapp revolution and so should NOT happen.

On a last note, Adios Zokora, no player could be great and awful at any one time like you were in any one season.

Regards,
Ben

A worrying sign for any Tottenham fan

It seems as though old rumours die hard in this case as '5 goal a season' Welsh 'superstar' Craig Bellamy has been linked with a move to Tottenham, again. It was made fairly public that Redknapp wanted Bellamy in January but fell short of what West Ham valued the player at. Therefore, City popped in and took 'our' man for twice the price. Very shrewd Mr. Hughes.

The problem with speculation such as this is that it could quite possibly be true. Hughes' forth-coming and so far unsuccessful transfer spree could quite possibly see Bellamy's future outside of Manchester, eventually. Furthermore, the very public fact that Redknapp has admitted interest also provides a worry, let's just hope Harry has seen the light and therefore beyond that of Craig Bellamy.

Now it's obvious I'm not a fan of Craig. For me, a striker should be able to score more goals than assists each season; but maybe I'm being fussy. I understand the guy's aggression on the pitch can really lift any team he's in, but seriously, where would he fit in our starting XI? Bellamy is not the left winger we so desperately need and nor is he a capable replacement for any of our strikers. Therefore, a good signing? No.

I hope Harry sees through the aggressive nature of Bellamy and realises that the ability of the player is not fit to wear the Tottenham shirt.

Regards,
Ben

Spurs transfer targets revealed: Exclusive

Two transfer targets of our beloved club have suddenly risen to the surface from the deep sea of speculation, one in which, came as a shock to myself and I'm sure many of you others as well.
The one which acts as little shock, but is very understandable, is that of Swedish ace Marcus Berg, the golden boot winner of the European Under 21's Championships.

"Soren Lerby the agent of Marcus Berg, has informed us there is a really serious interest from two clubs in the Premier League," Nijland told the Sunday Mirror.
"We have his replacement already lined up."

Berg was a formidable figure for the Swedish Under 21's, helping them reach the semi-finals of the competition and almost embarrassing England to reach the final. A good signing? Yes.
What may come as a shock is that Redknapp has asked former Inter Milan and Madrid star Luis Figo to consider playing for us next season. The pair met at 'The Sir Bobby Robson Golf Classic'.

"We talked, since he is obviously a great friend of Sir Bobby Robson. Obviously we talked about football and he told me he had not yet decided anything about his future."

Now, should Figo's wages not bankrupt Levy, I believe that this would be a very clever signing. It reminds me of the 'Edgar Davids days' where the Dutchman's experience in midfield propelled us to 5th spot, almost piping Arsenal to 4th spot at the death. Figo's experience could prove pivotal in pushing us up the league table faster than Derby dropped down it. A good signing? Yes.

Should these players start in the lilywhite shirt next year I'd be happy. Redknapp would look to have got the balance right between young and old, helping us pip Arsenal to that fourth spot. Well, no harm in being optimistic, is there?

Regards,
Ben

Tottenham's shock of the season

The inevitable has occurred. Speculation involving Tottenham has made the back pages after days in which the number of rumours in circulation could be counted on one hand; am I complaining? No. Today sees our leading striker Mr. Bent, yet again, linked with a move to the North East; a striker who's goals starved off our threat of relegation and whom we signed just two seasons ago.

I remember blogging about Darren earlier on, fighting for the lost cause that is himself staying in N17. I reminisce to the fact that I believed Bent's work ethic and goals/starts ratio was worth top dollar and felt thoroughly convinced that we should keep the former Charlton man. Now, I am not as convinced, although I am not oblivious to his scoring record which saw him top our goals chart at the end of the season. I do still believe that he can do a job at Tottenham- I mean, he wouldn't be a bad bench player would he?

The thing that pains me the most is, as far as Tottenhams' luck goes, I could see Darren turning out to be a real goal machine for the likes of Sunderland and letting an asset such as that leave and succeed would be a painful sight to us all. He'd be looking to revitalise his career and would be at his thorough best as he bids for a place in Fabio's World Cup squad; although, his playing time at Spurs would reincarnate that of Micheal Owens at Newcastle. Yeah, he wouldn't play much, and this is why Darren should leave to ensure his career doesn't tumble down a hill and plummet off a cliff.

So, I'd be not happy but satisfied if Darren left as we'd get a decent fee for the lad and it could mean more playing time for our other three present strikers; if they don't decide to leave as well.

As long as the deal does not involve Kenwyne Jones, I'm happy. The striker would prove more of a liability than Postiga was, back in the day. They were bad times.

Regards,
Ben

And its all gone quiet over here

So what happened to all these players we were set to sign? Last week, we were close to agreeing deals for Ruud, Rodriguez, Huntelaar, and Pavlyuchenko was set to leave; these reports must be true, they were written by the English press, they don't lie. I could list a whole new team of players we were set to acquire, then, nothing.

The last week has been a quiet one, how often have we said that about Tottenham? From being linked to almost a player or two a day to the point where the most activity was involving the reserves, there haven't even been the desperate rumours throwing links with our club all over the world to one-season wanderers; well, they are the more realistic ones aren't they?

Although, as a blogger, this news is inevitable devastation. I mean come on, look what I've resorted to write about- I'm sure you can understand my frustration.

But, as a Spurs fan I'm happy. No stupid rumours linking our top players with moves away, so in that sense, I'm pleased to have nothing to write about. Although, it is only a matter of time. Obviously.

The writer of the Mirror must be taking an early holiday, let's hope he loses his passport and never returns.

Regards,
Ben

Spurs curse to be lifted

Not one premiership game was won when the side included Gareth Bale. Coincidence? Well, yes. The boy was never that bad for his age but, like many Spurs 'superstars', the huge price tag slapped over his head acted as a weight affecting his performance. In all truth, a few months of patience and 'Arry nurturing and maybe he'd be ready to face the likes of Wolves next year. Well, it turns out he may just do that, but not wearing the lilywhite (and yellow) of Tottenham Hotspur.

Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish has declared his interest in our ever-injured and seemingly unwanted left back whom came with more potential than a young Cesc Fabregas did to Arsenal at the age of 16.

"Gareth Bale is another name we'd have to consider if he was available," he conceded to Sky Sports News

"We've certainly shown a bit of ambition with the money splashed out on the young centre-halves.
"With (Christian) Benitez coming in as well, for what was decent money, I couldn't say I've not been given support by the board - that would be ridiculous."

Although, what is Gareth Bale worth? A player that was signed for close to £10m only two years ago cannot have had his valuation bombed to much, surely. I think a loan move would benefit both suitors. A fresh start at club where staying up will be tougher than getting Southampton a buyer; the pressure on Bale will be lifted, no huge price tag- no huge expectation. Could it be possibly be true that he could return one year today and be the 'next big thing?' Probably not, no... but you never know. Although a loan move would look favourably among us Spurs fans, considering the price we'd get for him would be close to the £5m- if we're lucky. You couldn't even get a Kevin Doyle for that!

Birmingham signing Bale is a big risk, I thought they intended to win a game this season.

Regards,
Ben