We.ve got our Tottenham back.

We've got our Tottenham back







Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 8:12PM










I'll get around to writing up my own opinions on the the
recent 'activity' (scoff) relating to the transfer window once I've
returned from my travels. Will not be around to preview/watch/report on
the Blackburn game either, so when I'm back I might just ask you lot to
let me know how badly we played.
What?
Ah, don't fret, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. We'll do just dandy with our strike-force, I promise.
Talking of which, I will say this about the January Transfer window;
Not resolving the fabled forward conundrum will only make finishing in
the Top 4 that ever so sweeter.
What?
Just work with me, nod and pretend you agree.
So, moving swiftly on, I've got another guest blog for you this
evening. Having received a number of emails that consisted of people
going mental over our apparent inability to target a player with genuine
belief of signing him rather than appear scatter-gunned and desperate,
this particular piece speaks up for the all the frustrated. We all know
sometimes (considering we don't actually know what goes on behind the
scenes, well, until 'arry let's us know) it's not as black and white as
it looks when you're watching SSN or reading news updates. Sometimes,
it's best turn up the colour and just see red.
Insert Andy Carroll joke here.
Enjoy the rant/knee-jerk. Agree, disagree, throw rotten fruit.Dear Mr Levy (and indeed Mr Redknapp),

On behalf of the
supporters of Tottenham Hotspur FC everywhere, thank you. Thank you for
giving us back our Tottenham. Thank you for bringing back to us what it
is to follow Spurs. Once more we can feel like we’re used to feeling,
when thoughts of that cockerel-adorned crest come to mind, so again I
say thank you. Thank you for re- introducing us to those familiar
experiences of disappointment, wasted opportunities, expectations of
mediocrity, and that gentle whiff of embarrassment. It’s clear that you
realised we were starting to forget what success felt like, so the
feelings had begun to be less raw. Less intense. We needed that glimpse
of the promised land to remind us what we were missing. But now you have
returned our club to us.

This transfer window, you could have
led us down a path that would leave us uncomfortable, nervous and
twitchy. A path of hope; not a path we were familiar with, prior to the
last couple of years. But you saw our confused little faces, and said
‘No - this cannot go on’.

Despite our recent comparative
success, certain flaws in our team have been evident to all but the most
blinkered of observer. For example, the lack of specialist cover at
left-back is one area which patently needs addressing, yet due to the
flexibility of players like William Gallas and Younes Kaboul this is an
area that could wait until the Summer. There is, however, one area that
could not wait. Not if we were to stand any chance of retaining our
position among the Champions League elite next season. Not if we were to
stand any chance of winning any silverware in the short-to-medium term.
Not if we were to avoid a decline from which it will be very difficult
to return. That area; the one of greatest importance and urgency; is in
the forward line. The strikers.

Firstly, let me illustrate my
point using some statistics about our strikers. The combined number of
league goals that have been scored this season by the three senior
strikers currently on our books totals six. That is less league goals
between them than Gareth Bale has scored on his own. One third less
league goals between them than Rafael Van der Vaart has scored on his
own. Aaron Lennon, about whom it has often been said (incorrectly in my
opinion) that he lacks a final ball, has managed half as many goals on
his own as our entire strike-force. Even Alan Hutton, our full-back, has
managed two league goals. All of these players have scored more league
goals this season than either Peter Crouch or Jermain Defoe. At the
moment, Crouchy couldn't introduce a banjo to a bovine posterior if they
both had name-badges and a bloke at the door announcing them like one
of those Cinderella ballroom scenes.

I think this point needs
even greater context. At Chelsea, the attacking line of Drogba, Anelka
and Kalou have managed 20 league goals, and this is considered to be a
poor return this season. They have just added to this strike-force to
the tune of £50 million. At Manchester City, Tevez and Balotelli alone
have 19 league goals. They too have gone to significant expense to
secure a front-line striker in this window in the form of Edin Dzeko. In
the red half of that city, the combination of Berbatov, Hernandez and
Rooney (in a tricky season for the England striker) have managed 28
league goals. And our natural enemies from up the road have seen 21
league goals scored by Chamakh, Van Persie, Walcott and Bendtner.
Even Liverpool, who have had a woeful first half of the season by
their standards, have seen 15 league goals scored by Torres, Kuyt and
Ngog. They may have subsequently lost Torres to Chelsea, but they have
replaced him with Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez. Remind me, weren’t both
of those players linked with us during this transfer window? And how
have we enhanced our striking options during this oh-so-important
period? By getting rid of Robbie Keane and Giovanni Dos Santos.

Just for a one further reference point, in the 2007/2008 season, our
four strikers managed 40 league goals. I’ll say that number again. 40.
See the difference?

I don’t think I can make the point any
clearer than this: without a first-class strike-force, you will not
achieve anything in football. Even if your defence is water-tight (and
ours has been anything but this season), it takes goals to win games. It
takes wins to achieve league success. It takes league success to
maintain European football. And it takes European football to maximise
turnover and attract top players. Success breeds success. And it all
grows from scoring goals.

And what is the core reason for our
failure to secure a top class striker in January? Because we persist in
playing this ridiculous game of chicken with other clubs at the transfer
deadline. Quite frankly, it’s pathetic. Other fans laugh at us. The BBC
Live Text used the following simple phrase to sum up our desperate
last-minute scramble to secure Charlie Adam: So near. So far. So
Tottenham.
Does it give you some kind of buzz to see how near to the final
second you can push it? Is it the gambler in you? Is it the chance that a
last minute deal can open opportunities for a bargain? Because let me
clarify this for you. Rafael Van der Vaart was a one-off. It was the
exception, rather than the rule. It was a freak of modern football, and
was rightly lauded as such.
If you leave it too late for other clubs to find a replacement, or so
late that administrative problems can scupper the deal, you are left
with nothing. You are standing empty-handed; with a pile of cash burning
a hole in your pocket; cash which you will be simply throwing away in
May when we finish 5th in the League. Or even worse, 8th. And let’s be
clear, missing out on European football next season altogether is far
from out of the picture.

Congratulations. You have gambled away
tens of millions of pounds of Champions League revenue for the chance
of saving one or two million. Sound business sense? I think not. It’s
like me heading to the bookies and putting a grand on a bet that might
return a hundred, but at ridiculously bad odds.

Stop this. Stop
it now. When you have an opportunity, do the deal. Secure the players
we need to take us to the next level, or even maintain us at this level.
Make sure of our future success, rather than throwing it away.

And just out of curiosity, what were we going to do with Charlie Adam?
He’s a great player don’t get me wrong. But is he simply cover for
Huddlestone? Cover that is so much better than Jenas, Palacios, Sandro,
O’Hara or any of the other multitude of centre-midfielders we have, that
it is worth concentrating on that deal rather than making one last push
to get a forward in? And what do we do when Thudd is fit again? Consign
Adam to the bench? Drop Huddlestone? Or shift to an even-more
centre-heavy formation of 4-6-0? Hell, why not? The strikers aren’t
delivering anyway.

According to the press, we have been linked
with Dzeko, Suarez, Carroll, Aguero, Fabiano, Forlan, Llorente, Rossi,
Lukaku and countless others in this transfer window. It’s clear that you
thought about the problem. But this is one of those cases where it’s
NOT the thought that counts. To dare is to do. We didn’t think you’d
dare pass up this chance to save the season and cling onto Champions
League football. But you did it.

So yeah, thanks a lot.
Regards,
Beadle

Reader Comments (60)

Thinking back to 2007-8 when our strikers were prolific, many
people were saying if only we could score from midfield aswell we would
be devestating. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Feb 1, 2011 at 8:25 PM |

Roman's Interpreter

Listen fella, you'd rather have triffic footballers like
Beckham, Neville and Parker than those mugs you listed. And don't get me
started on Dos Santos. That guy grassed me up to the taxman so I've
done to him what Hoddle did to Rebrov - ruined his career completely. If
it wasn't for Levy insisting on getting some of the money back I'd have
released him on a free a long time ago.And one more thing, I
will never let any whippersnapper near the first team unless I have no
option. Jenas and Crouch are fantastic footballers and must play as much
as possible.I have to go now, Sandra is running her mouth about how I never tried to sign her in the last 10 minutes of the transfer window.

Feb 1, 2011 at 8:30 PM |

Harry Redknapp

Well put good spur. We needed a striker, and a left back, when
last minute we were thought to have signed adam, I thought what the hoo
har? surely harries laughing at me. We need to think outside the box,
put hugglestone up front, he can pass the ball into the net from
anywhere.COYS!

Feb 1, 2011 at 8:36 PM |

Smileyspud

Thank you for summing up exactly how i think we all feel
I am so gutted
Why not give Obika a go... 10 times the player Crouch isCOYS

Feb 1, 2011 at 8:42 PM |

yidosh61

Superb article. Plain and simple, Levy is a cnut (officially).

Feb 1, 2011 at 8:43 PM |

scott

"Hope can kill a man"

Feb 1, 2011 at 8:48 PM |

Don Shapiro

Couldn't have put it better myself, watching the Wigan-West
Brom game I'd have settled for rodaellga or odemwingie, they look better
than our "preferred 2". If Pav doesn't get a start soon I will cry

Feb 1, 2011 at 8:52 PM |

Dartfordyid

SCOTT
Levy is a cnut?
You fcuking mug, fcuk off and follow the woolwich you jumped up little pr*ck hiding behind a keyboard!Harry picks who we target, harry picks the side talk
about being mugged off all this talk about him being england manager
has gone to his head play fulham in the cup and he plays graham taylors
fcuking christmas tree formation naive naive naivewe should have
had the targets sorted before the window and got it sorted middle of
january anybody with 2 eyes can see what we need except our manager and
coaching staff!the closest we have come to genuine success in my
lifetime gone because redschnapps is inept if he wanted to target a
central midfielder it should have been Sessegnon who went to sunderland
but why we need one is anybodys guess!

oh to much cut n past be there all week reading that lol


love this bit thought

According to the press, we have been linked with Dzeko, Suarez, Carroll,
Aguero, Fabiano, Forlan, Llorente, Rossi, Lukaku and countless others
in this transfer window. It’s clear that you thought about the problem.
But this is one of those cases where it’s NOT the thought that counts.
To dare is to do. We didn’t think you’d dare pass up this chance to save
the season and cling onto Champions League football. But you did it.

So yeah, thanks a lot.

cynicsid wrote:I think it's more to do with negative fans than how much has been spent.

Take Darren Bent, prolific striker at every club he's been to except us, We were on his case from day 1 and never gave him a chance to get going.

Crouch, same thing, a player that has to do his best in the face of constant snide and critisism, he must notice it you would be daft not to. Jenas, same thing, Robinson, massive support while things were good, got little support when he hit hard times.

now of course the players walk out on the pitch to hear a couple of thousend fans running a campaign to stay at WHL or ruin the club. AS I said before, it must have a negative effect, we cant do all that and demand a top performance every time, it just wont happen.

Far to many Blogs proporting to be Spurs fans that just spend their time looking to upset the club. Far to many fans following like sheep.

The club dont belong to the 1% of fans that want everything their way

Fit in of fcuk off

Staying at WHL i agree would prevent us from expanding as a club
and as greaves pointed out most fans live miles from edmondton

as for the fans at WHL ive sat in there and heard it all from all
corners, you get your never happy no matter what fan , every
club has them , then you have your happy as larry fan , who
see's himself as the biggest fan in the world , and then you have
the fans who sit on the fense who just goes to watch games and tries
not to get o involved with off field politics.

which one are you?

hazzard a guess here

biggest fan going lol

i could can just see you a ion sitting in the excutive box looking
down at all the plebs beneath you beneath you lol

but darren bent was doing ok. he scored a lot of goals for us many from the bench.

its easy to say on here that if you went and they was 4 0 down you would stay untill the end and sing. i doubt i would and thats being honest.

but i dont boo the players while they are playing. thats sumthing i never understood why fans do that.

surley though to come on a forum and let your anger off is a better way.

as for spurs moving im undecieded what i want so ill just see what happens.

part of me would love them to make white hart lane bigger but then a new home so close to me and easy to get to is appealing

cynicsid wrote:You got me all wrong LOBO

I want to stay at WHL as much as anyone, what I dont want is other fans telling me I dont have a choice but to do what they want.

I want to see what Spurs propose and act on that, not the bullshyte inventions of a minority bunch of self indulgent idiots who think the club is all about them.

So I guess I'm a shut the fcuk up i'm watching the match sort of fan right now.

As well as a fan that can see the damage being done by the above mentioned fans.

Whats the point in staying if the clubs heart has been ripped out anyway??

I would say im like you then, love to stay at WHL , but at the same time i know in the
long run it might not be good for us, but thats what we are told or SOLD by levy, we just have
trust what hes doing, i agree i wont be bullied into taking sides either