A Yank's View on Tottenham

Starting Lineup Versus Everton

2009-05-09T09:18:00.002-04:00

Sorry to those who read this blog regularly, I've been away tending to my grandfather, and have had no Internet access for awhile, but I'm back to keep you updated on our favorite team from here on out.

It will be a makeshift lineup against Everton today, who would be difficult enough to beat with a full-strength squad. Unfortunately, it appears another Spur has lost a brother, as Wilson Palacios' brother Edwin, who was kidnapped almost two years ago, has been found dead in Honduras. Wilson has traveled to Goodison with the rest of the lads, and sadly this is all too familiar for us, after Jermain Defoe didn't travel to Manchester after the horrific death of his brother. I know all Spurs fans thoughts are with Wilson and his family.

We've also been hit with the injury bug, as Aaron Lennon, Didier Zokora, Jamie O'Hara, BAE, Darrent Bent, and Michael Dawson miss the match through various injuries.

The team is below, and because of the injury concerns, Harry is deploying a new formation, a 3-5-2. He'll have Alan Hutton and Gareth Bale serve as wing-backs to hopefully overload the Everton midfield. Not sure if this is a winning team, but I'd take a draw. COYS!!

Starting Lineup:

Gomes

Corluka, King, Woodgate

Hutton, Jenas, Huddlestone, Modric, Bale

Defoe, Keane

Substitutes: Cudicini, Gunter, Chimbonda, Bentley, Rose, Pavlyuchenko, Campbell

Defoe to Play a Part Against the Baggies and Other Team News

2009-05-01T09:32:00.003-04:00

Jermain Defoe has been in training this week, and shown good form according to Harry, even after the senseless and horrific murder of his brother. Defoe did not travel to Manchester last Saturday to be at his brother's bedside, but Harry has said that he has been training this week. With Darren Bent out with a knee injury for the next two weeks, and Roman Pavlyuchenko not quite at full fitness yet, I would expect to see Jermain play a role against West Brom. I'm not sure if he will be in the starting 11, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Ledley King who has been a rock throughout much of our good form, is not expected to play either. His knee will need a rest after the match against United. He's been solid throughout this run, but apparently his knee hasn't recovered as sufficiently as it usually has with a week's rest.

Here's my early lineup against West Brom. I will update it tomorrow with the official lineup.

Gomes,

Hutton, Corluka, Woodgate, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Keane, Defoe

Substitutes: Cudicini, Bale, Chimbonda, Huddlestone, Zokora, Bentley, O'Hara

Why Spurs Don't Need a New Left-Winger

2009-04-30T20:32:00.002-04:00

For most of the past few years we have been looking for a left-winger to fill what has been a gaping hole in our midfield. I could write no fewer than fifteen names of players we've been linked with over the past three seasons. But we've never really had someone to come in and fill that role. And I want to make a bold statement. We don't need to go buying one this summer.

Luka Modric was bought last summer to be our playmaker in the center of midfield, but thus far Harry has been reluctant to play him in the center of the pitch, unless it has been in a 4-5-1 formation, other than a few isolated occurrences. But we have gained form over the past few months with Luka given a free role to move infield, but he is nominally a winger for us.

He still does keep the width in most cases, but having the ability to roam as he wants has allowed his creativity to flow, and the team looks all the better for it. BAE has done an outstanding job of covering for Luka, and providing that width on some of our forward movements, remember the cross he made for Woody's winner against Hull.

The two of them have formed a good duo on that left side, and while Harry might look to upgrade our left-back position, I would tell him not to look for a left winger now. A traditional winger is something we're all used to, so for our own sanity we keep looking for that type of player, but how can we argue with the results of the past few months?

Make sure that Luka has a good connection with his left back, and make sure that back is someone who can cover when he drifts and provide the width we need as a team, and we'll be fine. So please Harry, don't fix what isn't broken this summer.

Striker Down for Tottenham

2009-04-30T20:26:00.002-04:00

Darren Bent has been ruled out for at least two weeks, possibly longer, with a ligament injury in his knee. That means he will definitely be out against West Brom and Everton, and just be coming back to fitness when we face Manchester City.

If this was almost any other player I would say that we wouldn't see him on the pitch until the next preseason, but since I have a feeling Harry will be wanting to offload him in the summer, he will probably try and get him some time, at the worst against Liverpool, to show potential buyers the goods aren't damaged.

Bent had finally started to show a little more form, and then he goes and picks up a knock. I assume the injury occurred when he went down early in the second half. He shouldn't be out for too long, since he was able to continue playing. I'm hoping he makes it back, I never like to see a player injured.

Can Spurs Secure a Europa League Spot?

2009-04-29T20:33:00.002-04:00

As the season heads into the final stretch, it is amazing that we are asking if Spurs can finish in 7th position and qualify for the Europa League. Many of the biggest Spurs fans on the planet would have declared you insane if you would have mentioned it 3 months ago. But, nonetheless, the club is in a position to make that push with 4 games to go. What I want to do is look at the teams who have a realistic shot at 7th place, and determine what their point totals could be looking at the remaining fixtures. I'll of course start with the club that will finish in 7th, and no, it isn't West Ham.

Spurs:

5/2: West Brom- The Baggies have played hard throughout the season, but are going down. Have to take care of business. 3 points.
5/9: Everton- Going to Goodison is not an easy task, and I would love a win, be happy with a draw. 1 point.
5/16: Manchester City- The final home match of the season, and City are in the Europa League hunt as well. Another must win. 3 points.
5/24: Liverpool- The final game of the season sees Robbie return to Anfield, where I think the reception will not be as cool as it could be. Liverpool could be playing for nothing at that point, and we did beat them earlier in the year. 1 point.

So I see 8 points from the next four games for the club, giving us a total of 52, 50 more than when Harry took charge of the club, he'll be sure to tell you.

West Ham:

5/2: Stoke City- Going to Stoke is not an easy task this year, and West Ham will consider themselves fortunate to get a point. 1 point.
5/9: Liverpool- Liverpool will be fighting for the title, no shot in this match. 0 points.
5/16: Everton- The Hammers go to Goodison the week after we do. If we get a point, they won't get anything. 0 points.
5/24: Boro- By then Boro will be relegated, and West Ham will take the three points easily. 3 points.

So for West Ham I see them getting 4 more points, although I will admit my view is a bit biased. Total points: 49 points.

Fulham:

5/2: Chelsea- Hiddink has admitted the title is not within their reach, but they'll still come out firing. 0 points.
5/9: Aston Villa- The Villans are in a nosedive and I can see Fulham taking some points easily. 3 points.
5/16: Newcastle- Shearer won't keep the Magpies up. But he'll get a draw here. 1 point.
5/24: Everton- Everton plays a role again, a good solid draw on the last day. 1 point.

So Fulham should take 5 points over the last four matches, for a total of 51.

Manchester City:

5/2: Blackburn- Big Sam will be working to make sure Rovers are safe. City are awful away. Loss, 0 points.
5/10: Manchester United- Will be dismantled by United, who will be looking for another championship. 0 points.
5/16: Tottenham- Well, we all know how this will go won't we? 0 points.
5/24: Bolton- The last day of the season, Bolton will be safe and stranded mid-table, should be a win. 3 points.

So, this is probably unlikely, but I see City only getting 3 points over their last 4 games, giving them a total of 47.

So, let's look at the totals based on my crystal ball.

7. Tottenham- 52 points
8. Fulham- 51 points
9. West Ham- 49 points
10. Manchester City- 47 points

So, based on my scientific analysis, Spurs will finish in 7th, and qualify for Europe, who would have thought it would be possible in October?

Zokora Looking to Exit

2009-04-29T20:26:00.003-04:00

In the last week, Didier Zokora has been quoted as saying that he may be looking to move on in the summer from the club if he isn't playing regularly. Since he has come to the club, Didier has been a lightning rod of criticism. He came in to replace Michael Carrick and has never quite done that. Granted, he's a better tackler than Carrick ever was, but what made Carrick special was the way he transitioned from defense to attack, with incisive, probing passes, something Didier cannot do.

Many attacks have gone the way of the dodo in the past few seasons because of errant touches or passes by Didier. If there are three options on a break, it seems that he'll choose the one that will break down the attack. I have never faulted Didier's effort, or his tackling, but at this point, we need more than that in a holding position, and Wilson Palacios fills that role.

I am not going to criticize Didier for his comments, because he was simply speaking the truth. He said that he wants to make sure he is contention for the World Cup next summer, and the only way he can be sure of that is if he's playing regular football. Didier has filled many roles, and he would be an invaluable utility player in the next few seasons, but as a good servant of the club, I can't fault him for looking to new challenges.

What do you think of Didier? Would you be sorry to see him leave? Or would you help pack a bag for him?

Jenas' Remarks Show Some Fire

2009-04-28T22:47:00.003-04:00

Well, I needed a few days to bring my blood pressure down before I started posting again after the performance we had on Saturday. It was really a shock to have this incredible high followed by this tremendous low with those halves. As most Spurs fans know, Jermaine Jenas made some comments about Howard Webb's refereeing Saturday, notably the dubious penalty that started things off for United.

The FA have now written to JJ and asked him to clarify his remarks. We all know that JJ will be fined some amount for stepping out of turn and criticizing an official, even though Webb has admitted that the penalty was dubious at best now. But the FA cannot be seen as not backing it's officials, so JJ will be given a slap on the wrist for his comments.

Personally, I'm fine with those comments. Many people who support the club are not fans of JJ, and often times what I hear is that he lacks fire, isn't concentrating, or doesn't give his all on the field. I saw him give his all on the pitch on Saturday, but those quotes have shown me a lot about JJ and his character. He is normally pretty soft spoken, saying the right things when needed, but this showed some fire. He was upset, embarrassed, and quite frankly, pissed off the team had lost the match. He didn't agree with the call and said so. It may seem like spoiled grapes to some, but this shows me the lad cares about whether we win or not.

Granted, I might have been happier if he would have ripped into the team, but they all played hard, they were outclassed and shellshocked in the second half. I want to see more from JJ like this, this showed more leadership than almost any other thing he's done this season. We all agree the penalty was wrong, and he stepped forward and said so, knowing he would probably take a hit in the wallet care of the FA for it, but he stood up for his goalkeeper in a round about way.

And honestly, would any of the teams in the Top 4 not had at least one player who said the same thing, and more than likely each of the managers rehash it for an entire week? I think we can all agree that they surely would have. I don't want our players acting like petulant children on a regular basis, but this one time I think it showed more good having said it than anything else.

Defoe Out Against United With Family Tragedy

2009-04-25T07:26:00.003-04:00

Jermain Defoe did not travel to Manchester with the team due to his brother's serious medical condition. Gavin Defoe was attacked in broad daylight in London on Monday, and has been in the hospital in intensive care since the attack.

Gavin Defoe passed away in the early hours of April 24th, and Jermain will play no part as he stays with his family to cope with this senseless tragedy and to make preparations for the funeral.

I know that all the thoughts of Spurs fans are with JD at this difficult time. Thus far there are no suspects in the attack that ultimately claimed Gavin's life. Please leave your thoughts for JD and Gavin if you would like. Puts perspective on the game now doesn't it?

Dawson Injury Update

2009-04-24T12:24:00.002-04:00

According to Spurs Mobile, Michael Dawson has a partial ligament tear in his ankle, and will be out of action for 3 weeks. This is much better news than first thought, when he went off on the stretcher Sunday, I thought he was a long-term casualty. This is good news for the Dawson, though I doubt we'll see him again on the pitch before the season ends.

Team News ahead of Man United

2009-04-24T07:20:00.003-04:00

Jermaine Jenas should be fit for tomorrow according to reports. He's been training this week and his hamstring injury seems to have healed sufficiently for him to play a part tomorrow. I would expect to see him in the startin 11 against Man United, pairing again with Wilson Palacios in the center of midfield.

Unfortunately, Michael Dawson will not be in the squad, with his ankle problem. He had a scan on his leg on Monday, but I haven't heard anything about the results as of yet, but I'm scared that the news isn't good. Since Ledley King was rested last week, he should be fit for the United match, though if not we'll have Vedran Corluka slide into the center and have Alan Hutton start at right-back.

As mentioned in a previous post, Roman Pavlyuchenko will not feature in the match because of his back injury.

Even though he netted the only goal for us last week, I don't expect to see Darren Bent in the starting 11 tomorrow, not that Jermain Defoe is reaching full fitness. He played 20 or so minutes last week, and his training should have helped him further regain his fitness.

Here is my projected lineup for the match tomorrow. If we get 3 points I will be so happy, but I will also be ecstatic with a point with having to travel to Old Trafford.

Projected Lineup:

Gomes

Corluka, King, Woodgate, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Keane, Defoe

Substitutes: Cudicini, Hutton, Bale, Bentley, Huddlestone, Zokora, Bent

Pavlyuchenko Out Against United

2009-04-24T07:15:00.002-04:00

Roman Pavlyuchenko will not feature against Man United tomorrow. His back injury has not healed, and it is feared it might be more serious than first thought. He was quoted in a Russian newspaper as saying that he had had an X-ray on it Thursday which revealed no serious damage, but he is still in pain when he moves.

I thought after he'd been out last week he might be fit for tomorrow, which would have been nice to put that type of height against United's center-backs. With the season winding down, and back problems being something that can take some time to recover from, I wonder if we're going to see Roman back on the pitch for the club this summer. Here's hoping that Roman gets better soon, I'd love to see him some more before the end of the season.

Muntari Will Not Come to Spurs

2009-04-22T22:03:00.002-04:00

So this week's big rumor is the Muntari will be the newest face at White Hart Lane next summer. This follows about half of the other players in European football, so it seems like it's time for the summer silly season to begin.

I am going to go on the record and say that I like Muntari. I watched him against Juve on Saturday, and have seen him play a number of times this season, and each time I've come away impressed. He's a battler, but still creative, and can get forward and nick a goal.

That being said, he won't be at Spurs next year. Yes, Harry had him at Pompey. Yes, Jose has seemed to be interested in Jermaine Jenas for awhile, but this is a move that won't happen. As much as I love the club, I don't see Muntari giving up a title-winning team, a favorite to win the League again next season, and a Champions' League place to come back to English football.

If we were in the Champions League next season, I might think we'd have a shot. But we'll all dance in the streets if we qualify for the Europa League. Also, JJ isn't going to be heading to Inter. It seems Jose is interested, but until I see a firm bid, it will be transfer speculation that "The Special One" is so good at. Though not as good as Harry at getting people unsettled.

So, I would love Muntari to come to the team, but the odds of it happening for me are somewhere in the range of 25/1.

Spurs Sneak One Past W/Player Ratings

2009-04-19T22:33:00.003-04:00

Newcastle never really looked like a threat against Tottenham, but there were still some tight moments for us Spurs fans today. Nice to be up 1-0 early on, but I kept feeling like this was a game similar to Blackburn, a team we were dominating but not putting away. I kept holding my breath, hoping that the other shoe didn't drop, and thankfully it didn't. Honestly, Newcastle really look like they're going down to me, there was very little fire within that team.

Not a bad performance from us, but not one that is going one the highlight reels for sure. We played some good football, but couldn't finish our opportunities. It would have done my heart good to tack on one or two more, but I'll take the 3 points, no problem.

Player Ratings

Gomes- 7.5 Didn't really put a foot wrong, other than being in no-man's land on one corner. He is starting to look very solid, and his outlet to BAE on the goal was great play. I'm happy he's made good on the promise coming into the season.

Corluka- 7 Charley played really well since he slid into the center just after the half-hour mark. His passing wasn't quite what it had been in recent weeks, but he didn't put a foot wrong when in the center and marked up well. Excellent cover in the center for us.

Woodgate- 7 Woody was solid as always, only letting Martins get free once or twice, but he also totally shut Owen down. Also almost had another goal on a corner in the second half. Did a good job of marshaling the back line with Ledley out.

Dawson- 7 Was playing well before he got injured. It's a shame, this was his 200th League appearance, and Dawson has played his heart out all season. Let's just hope it's not too serious, though I think it's going to be some ligament damage unfortunately. He was spotted leaving the stadium in a protective boot, and he'll have tests tomorrow on the ankle.

BAE- 7.5 Most improved player this year. His outlet to Modric for the goal was first class, and he was solid in the tackle all day. Got forward well, but still tracked back, which he wasn't doing earlier in the season. If he keeps this up, we won't need another left back in the summer.

Lennon- 7 A good day for Lennon, was unlucky not to score in the second half. Wasn't super involved in the play in the first half, when we feed him the ball good things happen, but that just wasn't the case today. Some good crosses and runs, typical of his play this season.

Palacios- 7.5 Good to have WP back in the side. Controls the middle like no one else, and his touch is getting better. Was unlucky not to get his first English goal today. Made the tackles that needed to be made all game, and his distribution was solid. Really is going to be a bargain, even at the price we paid.

Huddlestone- 6.5 Tom got the start ahead of JJ who was out injured today, and I'm sorry to say he didn't really assert himself in the position. Had some magnificent passes, and a few cracking shots, but I think he was left wanting too often. Let WP do most of the dirty work in midfield, and didn't get too involved in the second half. One thing with JJ as of late is that he's been tracking back to help out in defense, something I wish Hudd had done.

Modric- 7.5 A good game for the little magician, great pass that ultimately led to the goal. Probably should have had an assist in the early minutes with his ball to Bent, who was clearly taken down with no call. Set things up all day, though it did seem he was looking for his own shot a good bit, not that I'm complaining. His play was solid and his passing was crisp as always.

Keane- 6.5 Got involved a good bit, he continually tracks back to get involved in the play, but few opportunities for him to actually try and score. The goals are coming though, and his work rate can't be faulted.

Bent- 7 Good take on the goal, he was persistent and it paid off. He made good runs throughout the first half and looked to be pretty dangerous. Seemed to disappear a bit in the second half, maybe he was tired, and it was a good substitution by Harry. Glad to see Bent get a goal though.

Hutton- 7 It was the first time we've seen Alan in a long time, and he looked good. Got involved upfield, and had a couple of dynamite crosses that should have been finished off. His defending was solid, and he combined well with Lennon. I expect to see him get some more time before the season is through.

Defoe- 6.5 Came on for Bent, and it was great to see Jermain back on the pitch. Had a couple of shots that were blocked by outfield players, and he didn't look too dangerous, but he brought some fresh legs when they were needed and helped us spread the ball around and take control of the game back a bit. I expect to see him starting with Keane by the West Brom game.

Spurs Lineup Versus Newcastle

2009-04-19T07:50:00.002-04:00

Well Harry has thrown a surprise into the mix, one that worries me a little. After being fit for 5 straight games, Ledley King has picked up some knock or his knee is acting up, as he is not even in the squad for the match versus Newcastle. He will be replaced by steady Michael Dawson in the center of defense.

Tom Huddlestone does indeed get the start with Jermaine Jenas out with his hamstring injury. Otherwise not too many changes, we'll see how the game goes, it seems that Newcastle is going with a 3-5-2 to try and overload our midfield. Personally I don't think it'll work. COYS!!

Lineup:

Gomes,

Corluka, Woodgate, Dawson, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Huddlestone, Modric

Keane, Bent

Substitutes: Cudicini, Bale, Hutton, Bentley, Zokora, Campbell, Defoe

Newcastle Lineup:

Harper,

Beye, S. Taylor, Bassong,

R. Taylor, Duff, Butt, Nolan, Jonas

Owen, Carroll

Loanee Update, and Townsend Scores

2009-04-18T15:18:00.003-04:00

Andros Townsend scored his league goal today for Yeovil Town. John Obika had an assist as well, and Danny Hutchins played the full 90, but Yeovil went down 3-2.

Yeovil have to be very happy with our lads, they've come on, played solid minutes and factor in the match outcome, Obika has scored and had assists, and Townsend got his first goal today. This bodes well for the future at the club, I would expect to see Townsend and Hutchins out on loan again next year, but Obika might get a chance with the first team.

Danny Rose started for Watford, and was substituted near the 60 minute mark. It seems he played in the center of the park, and was substituted more because Birmingham were ruling the center of the midfield than anything else, Watford lost 1-0.

Adel Taarabt came on as a sub in the 63rd minute for QPR, but couldn't help the club beat Wolves, who won 1-0 and were promoted to the Premier League. Sad to see Taarabt not starting, he has loads of ability and that's why we sent him out on loan.

Chris Gunter has settled at Nottingham Forest and played another 90 minutes today. Seems like getting regular football is very good for the young Welshman, this should help his confidence ahead of next season. Nottingham won the match 1-0 with a goal just after half-time.

And finally, Doran Dervite played the full match for Southend United, but the club still lost to Leceister 2-0, who were promoted. Dervite couldn't be faulted for either goal, the first was a penalty and the second a rebound off of a free kick. I still think he's got another year until he's ready to compete for a first-team spot.

Not a bad day for our lads out on loan. It's good to see them getting some time out on the pitch, it's good experience and can only help the club in the long-term.

Team News ahead of Newcastle

2009-04-18T14:56:00.002-04:00

So Spurs have a chance to move up to 8th, if we win by more than 3 goals against Newcastle tomorrow. Not out of the realm of possibility, but I think we might be staying in 9th position tomorrow. Not too shabby considering where we were just two months ago. Here's some news ahead of the fixture at the Lane tomorrow.

Jermain Defoe might be in the team tomorrow. Harry has been impressed with his training this week and he could get a run-out. Which is definitely good since Roman Pavlyuchenko could miss out on the game with an injury. I'm not really sure what the injury is, but he is in danger of not being fit.

Also out for the match will be Jermaine Jenas, whose hamstring problem has not improved dramatically since his substitution at half-time of the West Ham match. JJ might be fit for the trip to Old Trafford next week, but he'll be watching this one like the rest of us tomorrow.

Wilson Palacios returns from his one-match suspension for his red card against Blackburn, and the odds are on Tom Huddlestone partnering him in the middle of the pitch tomorrow. My earlier post today details my thoughts on Huddlestone and his role tomorrow, so feel free to check that out as well.

Alan Hutton is back to fitness, though it remains to be seen if he'll feature in the match tomorrow. I would like to see him make the bench and get some playing time before the end of the season.

Here is my projected lineup, I'll post the official one in the morning:

Gomes

Corluka, Woodgate, Kind, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Huddlestone, Modric

Keane, Bent

Substitutes: Cudicini, Dawson, Bale, Zokora, Bentley, O'Hara, Defoe

Huddlestone Likely to Start

2009-04-18T10:49:00.002-04:00

With the news that Jermaine Jenas will almost certainly sit out the Newcastle match with his hamstring injury, it appears that Tom Huddlestone will be given another opportunity to prove his worth, more than likely starting alongside Wilson Palacios tomorrow.

Given the freedom to play in an attacking role, I think Hudd will have a good game, Palacios can do the dirty work and let Hudd make the probing passes he does well. Will he keep his place when JJ is healthy? Almost certainly not. And with the comment by Harry in the Sun and the Times, it makes you wonder if Hudd will be here longer.

In The Sun and in the Times Harry talked about how he knows players want to play, but he is the manager, and the results speak for themselves. With Hudd making another comment this week about his lack of playing time, I think this was a not so veiled warning to Hudd by Harry.

I've mentioned before how I like Huddlestone, and think he would be a good player for us, but I don't see him staying beyond this summer. But maybe I'm wrong.

Harry Redknapp: Unhappy Spurs players are free to leave
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, has told Tom Huddlestone, the unsettled midfielder, that he can leave White Hart Lane at the end of the season if he is unhappy.

Redknapp believes his selection policy has been vindicated, having transformed a team who were fighting against relegation when he took over in October into one currently sat in the top half of the Barclays Premier League table and his remarks apply also to David Bentley and other fringe first-team squad members.

“I came and took over a team that was doing no good,” Redknapp said. “So I'm sorry but if people are not happy because they are not playing I really don’t care to be honest with you.

"Whatever I have done I have done it right because I am picking a team that is winning football matches. I have brought players in and the competition became fiercer.”

Huddlestone, who began his first league match in nearly four months against West Ham United on Saturday, should start alongside Wilson Palacios against Newcastle United on Sunday, with Jermaine Jenas out with a hamstring injury.

“Tom is a good player, a terrific player,” Redknapp added. “He could be a top player and he was excellent against West Ham last week but I brought Wilson Palacios in from Wigan Athletic and he has done well for me. It is competition for places. That is how it is for everybody.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle6116438.ece

Jenas Injury Concerns

2009-04-16T13:42:00.001-04:00

The hamstring problem that forced Jermaine Jenas to come off at halftime of the match versus West Ham last weekend will more than likely see him miss the clash with Newcastle on Sunday.

No one outside the club knows the extent of JJ's injury, whether it's a pull, strain, or something more severe, but word is that he is a doubt for the clash against Shearer's men. What is unclear is if he'll be back for the game against Manchester United.

With JJ set to miss out, I would think Tom Huddlestone would be the player taking JJ's spot, with Wilson Palacios returning from his suspension. It's pretty clear Zokora won't pair up with Palacios, as we need someone more attack-minded, but we could see Bentley, O'Hara in the middle, or even have Modric shift inside. But if I was a betting man, I would expect to see Hudd in the middle Sunday, and hopefully JJ back to fitness for the trip to Old Trafford.

Ryan Babel to Spurs?

2009-04-16T07:35:00.002-04:00

Ryan Babel is unhappy with his role at Liverpool, and is ready to move on in the summer. Harry has been interested in the Dutch international for awhile, and could be interested in signing Babel in the summer. Babel can play on the left-wing and also stay upfront if needed as well.

David Bentley could move to Liverpool, in a swap deal, with some cash going on one side or the other. This move would be good for Bentley, he needs a fresh start and Liverpool's options on the right wing are not the best. I think currently it's Dirk Kuyt is who is usually deployed on the right wing. I would have liked for Bentley to succeed, but he's not going to at the club and he needs to get a fresh start.

Babel could be a good move for the club, he has pace, and the times that I have seen him play he's been effective. My only concern is the way he's been complaining about his lack of first-team time with Liverpool. Liverpool are doing well, and he probably shouldn't be be complaining about his lack of playing time.

But given a chance to play on a regular basis, I think Babel would be a good addition to the club, although I don't want to send Bentley and money for Babel, it would just be too much.

Agent Not Happy with Pavlyuchenko's Place

2009-04-15T20:46:00.002-04:00

Roman Pavlyuchenko's agent is wanting to talk with Harry Redknapp about Pavy's place in the side. He is concerned for Pavy's place with him not starting since the beginning of March against Boro.

We've had rumors of Chelsea wanting to come in for Pavy in the summer, which are enough to unsettled anyone, and Harry talks about how Pavy needs to get rid of interpreter and train harder to maintain a first-team place. Now the agent is throwing gas on the fire.

I know an agent's job is to look after his player, but I don't think this is going to ingratiate Pavy to Harry any if the agent goes through with this. All it will do is antagonize Harry. You can't really argue with the run of form the club have been on with Pavy not being a regular in the first-team, so I'm not sure what the agent will accomplish.

As much as I hate to think this, I'm feeling that there's going to be some movement in the summer by the club, with Huddlestone, Bentley, Rocha, Gilberto and Pavy all finding new locations. For the longest time I thought Pavy would be staying, but these comments from the agent worry me, and hence we'll have even more turnover at the club.

Huddlestone will Exit Club in the Summer

2009-04-15T20:37:00.002-04:00

Tom Huddlestone will likely be leaving Tottenham in the summer. I have always liked the lad, and when he is on form he is a great midfielder, but I think he will be plying his trade somewhere else next season.

He started his first match since Boxing Day this past Saturday, and he played decently in the 1-0 win. But he is still talking to reporters about considering his future options with his lack of first-team football. He was happy the team was close to seventh, but concerned for his place.

I know he is concerned, Harry knows he is concerned, hell, my wife knows he's not happy with his place in the team, but you don't talk to the press about it. He's been saying mostly the right things, but he keeps talking just a little too long, and poof, the papers have a story of a player unsettled. If I was 22 and playing professional football, I'd want to be playing every match as well, so pipe down Tom, we get it.

I don't think this type of action serves a player well, anytime. He comes off as looking selfish and not as interested in the team results as he is his own personal stats. By just putting your head down and training, he'd have more goodwill from everyone.

I will say this, David Bentley is moving on this summer as well, but we haven't heard a peep from him about his frustration with his playing time. We all know he'd like to be playing more, but he's keeping his mouth shut, and I say good for him.

No matter how much Harry might like the potential of Huddlestone, he will sell him on in the summer, provided the price is right. The more of a fuss Tom makes, the easier it becomes for Harry to put him on the market. But that's just my opinion, tell me what you think.

Defoe to Begin Training This Week?

2009-04-12T20:30:00.002-04:00

With the success against West Ham, Spurs are in a relatively comfortable position, now sitting at 9th in the table, and within shouting distance of a Europa League spot. With Newcastle coming to the Lane next Sunday, another 3 points could be in the offing, and our injury woes are starting to ease up.

Alan Hutton is getting back to full health, he has played in 2 reserve games in the past few weeks and could make the bench sometime soon. Jermaine Jenas had a hamstring problem which forced him to come off at halftime against West Ham, and there is no word from the club on the severity of the injury. He could play next week, or he could be out for several weeks, no one is really sure, but I'm thinking we'll see him on the field.

The other good news on the injury front is that Jermain Defoe should be coming back to training this week, provided that all goes well. His metatarsal injury has been healing well, and he should be sufficiently healed to return to training with the lads.

My guess is that he'll train this week, possibly play in a reserve match next week, and then Harry will evaluate his fitness to see if can come back into the team. Before the end of the month we should have Defoe back in the fold, and I for one, would like to see him paired up with Robbie Keane. I never saw the problem that Martin Jol did in the rare times he did play them together in the past, and I think the two of them could play off each other nicely. Yes, neither of them are the old-fashioned center forward, but I think with the way we've been playing as of late, a center forward is not the ideal option, as we are not launching balls upfield, but playing a composed passing game.

We'll see what happens when Defoe is fully fit, which should not be too much longer now. I'll let you all know as soon as Defoe is back out on the training pitch.

Harry Not in For Petrov

2009-04-12T09:44:00.002-04:00

Harry Redknapp has let it be known that Martin Petrov won't be joining Spurs in the summer. He was quoted as saying that he had never thought about bringing him to Spurs, so the rumors that we have all been reading in the last week or so are rubbish, like most of what you read.

I think that Harry is being truthful on this one, sometimes he acts like he isn't interested to get a better deal, but Petrov has been out injured since October, and he is 30 years old. It seems weird to talk about a player who's only 30 as someone who's too old to come to the club, but I'm pretty sure Harry is looking to younger players.

So we all know that Harry is looking to bolster the left side in the summer, so the question now becomes who is wanting? The most obvious answer is Stuart Downing from Boro. Boro did get a win yesterday, but I still think that they are going down in the summer and there will be a fire sale at the Riverside. The other name that is on people's lips would be Aidan McGeady from Celtic.

Either player is younger than Petrov, though probably will be more expensive. Personally, I am not sold on either of the two that seem to be on Harry's wish list, but once again I'm reminded in not in charge of the transfer policy at the club. Is there another dark horse from the continent that might make their way to the club in the summer? Who knows, but it is interesting that Harry supposedly doesn't have any interest in Petrov. We'll see what happens in the window.

The Rumored Want Aways Come Good

2009-04-11T21:28:00.002-04:00

The match versus West Ham brought Spurs to 41 points, which is the magic number for safety in the Premier League. I think most Spurs fans had stopped seriously worrying around the time of the victory at Villa, but it is nice to be sure of Premier League football next year. Who would have thought we'd be in 8th position with 6 games to go when Harry took charge of the club? The days of 2 points through 8 games seem like only a bad dream at this point.

One thing that has been happening constantly over the past month is the rumors that both Tom Huddlestone and Roman Pavlyuchenko would be sold in the summer, most likely to Fulham and Chelsea respectively. During the West Ham match, both made contributions to the cause, and no contribution was bigger than Pavy's goal.

Both players have been on the outside of the team looking in for the past few months, and Huddlestone has been quoted as wondering about his future with the club. The fact that both saw significant action yesterday certainly helped their confidence, and Pavy's goal might have convinced Harry to try him with Robbie Keane against Newcastle next week.

Huddlestone did not light up the field, he had some good shots and his passing was up to par as usual, but he certainly didn't displace Wilson Palacios in the lineup, though if Jermaine Jenas doesn't recover from his hamstring problem, Hudd could see another start.

Both players have bright futures, though here at Spurs is yet to be seen. I'm happy both of them got a run-out against West Ham, if for no other reason than their asking price went up if Harry does want to sell them. I think Huddlestone will be moving on, but Pavy will be back at the Lane next summer, but for one day, both were just happy to be back in the team.

Spurs Back on Track W/Player Ratings

2009-04-11T11:57:00.002-04:00

After the blip against Blackburn Rovers last weekend Tottenham are back to their winning ways. A good 1-0 win over West Ham puts us on 41 points, so safety is now definitely assured. After seeing the defense fall apart late on last week, I was pleased to see the team hold its shape and not concede late on. I was nervous today, but I felt that the team would do better for some reason, and thank goodness I was right. A really nice little goal came from Roman Pavlyuchenko who was seeing his first action since Sunderland a month ago now. That should give his confidence a boost. Overall, a good 3 points, now we have to make sure we keep this up against Newcastle next Sunday.

Player Ratings:

Gomes- 8 One of Gomes' better games. Did well coming to punch the ball clear against Boa Morte's challenge in the first half, and was solid all game. Blocked shots when he needed to, and didn't give up bad rebounds like he has in the past. Maybe he's starting to find his stride, because the last month or so he has looked like a different keeper.

Corluka- 7 A good effort from Charley today. Got forward well, though his final ball left a little to be desired, but he is a defender right? Could have had appeals for a penalty, but the referee wasn't having it. Defended well as per usual.

Woodgate- 7 The only reason I don't rate Woody higher is the slip-up he had with Di Michele in the second half that gave Di Michele a free shot at goal, which Gomes stopped. Otherwise Woody was solid as always, winning headers and keeping the ball moving through the defense.

King- 8 Did Ledley put a foot wrong today? I don't think so, you barely heard anything from Tristan and he covered well on the left side when BAE ventured forward. He and Woodgate are one of the best center-back pairings in the Premier League without a doubt, and today was proof of that again.

BAE- 7 BAE did a good job shutting down Boa Morte for the most part, and did well getting forward, allowing Modric to put inwards. His final ball was missing something today, the crosses were just not there, but he helped add width to the team, and did his job defensively. I will say that he is not my whipping boy anymore.

Lennon- 7.5 Good game out of Aaron, the dummies and flick-ons were in full effect today. His final ball is getting better, but still let us down a few times. But his crossing is much better than earlier in the season, you can tell he is working on that in training. Was unlucky not to score on that late breakaway, but held the ball just a bit too long, a first-touch shot might have caught Green in no man's land.

Huddlestone- 7 Tom's first start since Boxing Day, and he acquitted himself well. Had several good shots that were parried away by Green, and one other that was a little ill-advised. His passing was good as always, and he did a good job defensively. Not the best player on the field, but he did a good job filling in for Palacios.

Jenas- 7 Went off at halftime with a hamstring issue, but he did well in the first half. Worked well, especially with Keane and Lennon. Tracked bet to help provide support for Huddlestone like I thought. He's putting out the effort now and keeping his concentration more than he did earlier in the season.

Modric- 7.5 Great job by the little guy with the assist for Pavlyuchenko. With JJ out in the second half you saw him push further and further infield, with BAE helping to add width. May have held the ball a little too long at times when a shot might have been the better option, but I'll give Luka the benefit of the doubt any day of the week.

Bent- 6 Not a bad effort out of Darren, and had one of the best chances of the first half with his flick header. Never really synced up with Keane, so he went off early in the first half.

Keane- 7 Robbie did a good job dropping back as he usually does to generate play. He'll think he deserved a penalty, but even I didn't think so. Was unlucky not to get the goal late-on with the good clearance by Collins. I realized something in the first half when I watched him tracking back and starting the play, this is what we were missing earlier in the season, a striker getting involved and helping overload the midfield.

Substitutes:

Zokora- 5.5 Today was a good example of Didier and his play. Reckless challenge leading to a card shortly after his introduction. Some errant passes that stalled the movement of the team throughout the second half, and a horrible touch late on when he had Pavy and Lennon as options that would have killed the game off. And also his attempted shot when he had Keane and Modric available that went well wide. Pretty much sums up Didier for me. But he did add the grit we needed to kill off the game.

Pavlyuchenko- 7.5 Great goal from Pavy, I was really happy for him. Had a good flick header earlier on, and a few more efforts. Got involved in the play, and especially late on helped kill off the game by collecting and holding the ball well. Was unselfish looking for Lennon, I don't think a lot of strikers would have done that. I'm happy he had a good shift today.

Good effort by the boys today, hopefully they enjoy their Easter Sunday and get ready to take on Shearer and Newcastle next week. COYS!!!!!

Spurs Lineup Versus West Ham

2009-04-11T09:36:00.003-04:00

So Harry did have a surprise in store for us, and a reason for talking up Tom Huddlestone this week. He comes into the side instead of Didier Zokora for the suspended Wilson Palacios. I mentioned in my preview yesterday how this could be an option, I think that Harry preferred the passing ability of Tom to the tough-tackling of Zokora. I expect to see Jermaine Jenas tracking back even more than he has in the past few matches to give support to Hudd. Otherwise no other changes to the side.

Gomes

Corluka, Woodgate, King, BAE

Lennon, Huddlestone, Jenas, Modric

Bent, Keane

Substitutes: Cudicini, Bale, Dawson, Chimbonda, Bentley, Zokora, Pavlyuchenko

Tottenham- West Ham Preview

2009-04-10T16:37:00.002-04:00

Tottenham take on West Ham at White Hart Lane tomorrow. The first meeting this season occurred shortly after Gianfranco Zola took over the club, and Spurs emerged victorious 2-0 with the first goal in three years for Ledley King and a cracker late on by Jamie O'Hara to settle things.

Since this meeting West Ham have moved up the table steadily, currently sitting in 7th position. But Zola will have some injury concerns, with strikers Dean Ashton and Carlton Cole out with injuries, and Scott Parker is a game-time decision as well. Jonathan Spector is out with a concussion and Kieron Dyer will probably not be fit for the match either.

Tottenham have been moving up the table as of late, with last week's blip against Blackburn excluded, and we are nearing full fitness again, with only Jermain Defoe out for the match. Alan Hutton should be back in the squad for the first time since November against West Ham, which gives a boost to the defense. We will be without Wilson Palacios due to his suspension, so I expect Didier Zokora to take his spot, though Harry's positive comments about Tom Huddlestone could lead to a surprise inclusion.

The loss last weekend did not effect Spurs too much as all of the teams around us were on the wrong end of things as well. I won't look at it as an opportunity lost, but as a good weekend to have an off-day. But tomorrow needs to be different. The Hammers have been really strong in the last few months, but are still vulnerable. Tomorrow especially their strike force will be limited, and if King and Woodgate can hold their strikers in check, we should have a fighting chance.

I want to say that we're going to snatch a win and reach that 40 point promised land, but I can't be sure. I'll take a draw, which would move us to 39 points, but a win would move us closer to a European spot. But I'm just looking for a good performance from the lads.

Here is what I think the team will look like tomorrow and I will post the official lineup as soon as I have it. COYS!!!!

Gomes

Corluka, Woodgate, King, BAE

Lennon, Zokora, Jenas, Modric

Bent, Keane

Bench: Cudicini, Hutton, Dawson, Huddlestone, Bentley, O'Hara, Pavlyuchenko

Will Huddlestone Stay a Spur?

2009-04-10T08:45:00.003-04:00

With his lack of first-team action in 2009, it had almost seemed like a foregone conclusion that Tom Huddlestone would be moving on this summer. But with Harry's comments yesterday in support of Huddlestone, and his comparisons to Glenn Hoddle I am wondering if Harry wants to keep Hudd at the club, or is he just talking up a player to get his price up in the summer?

Since the new year Huddlestone has found himself on the substitutes' bench most of the time, with cameos here and there in the League and some starts in the Cup competitions we were in. Huddlestone has expressed his frustration with his lack of first-team opportunities in the past few months. As he has continued to voice his displeasure I assumed it was only a matter of time before he moved on.

But yesterday Harry made the comment that Hudd has a big future at Spurs, and I must say that was a surprise. My first reaction was that Harry was blowing smoke, trying to inflate the price for a player that has been on the fringes for the last few months. As I continue to think about it, I still think Harry is talking up the price on Hudd, though I would want Hudd to stick around, I think he could be a good player at holding midfielder and at center-back. But, I'm not in charge of the transfer policy at Spurs.

We'll see what happens, though I still think Huddlestone will be in a Fulham uniform next season.

Spurs News for 4/10

2009-04-09T19:56:00.002-04:00

Just a few random bits ahead of the big clash with West Ham on Saturday. Zola has his men playing much better, but Carlton Cole is out and Scott Parker is fighting to be fit, which can be trouble if he isn't fit. No injury news for Spurs, which is good heading into the run-up of the season.

Alan Hutton managed the full 90 minutes in the reserve clash on Thursday night, which Spurs won 3-0. It's always good to beat the Gooners, it doesn't matter if it's first-team or reserves or youth team. With any luck, Hutton could be in the team this weekend, I'm glad he's back to full fitness. Jermain Defoe should be getting back to a reserve match soon and he might be able to make a first-team appearance before the end of the month.

Fulham have now been linked with Gareth Bale. With Inter, Manchester United this yet another team that seems to be seeing something in Bale that Harry is missing. Bale has not been good this season, but he does have loads of potential, and we must weight if Harry can develop that or need to sell him on.

Harry has given Tom Huddlestone a boost in confidence by comparing him to Glenn Hoddle. High praise, and I tend to agree with Harry, Tom's passing and vision on the field is impressive, but I don't think it's enough for Harry to keep Tom around next year. Fulham seem to be my betting favorite to secure his signature, but there does seem to be a host of teams interested in him.

And finaly, QPR have sacked yet another manager, and this matters very little to Spurs fans most of the time, except that Adel Taarabt is off on loan there, and I am curious if there will be any effect on his development. There are only 5 games left in the season, so it won't be too serious, but I hope Adel keeps his place in the side and doesn't wind up on the bench, that's not what we sent him out for. Here's hoping.

9 Million Pounds for Bent? We'll Take it!

2009-04-09T08:09:00.002-04:00

Sunderland are apparently ready to sign Darren Bent this summer for 9 million pounds if they retain their place in the Premier League. Cisse may not be back next season if Sunderland cannot work out a permanent deal for the loan player at the moment. Also, Kenwye Jones is still a target for other clubs, including our own unfortunately, so the Black Cats are looking for replacements.

If we're offered 9 million for Bent I say we take it and move on to the next target. He's never quite fit in at the club and after the Pompey miss we all knew he was bound for somewhere else. It's time for the club to cut our losses. In my analysis of Spurs transfers (the Fabulous Flops...) I noted that 2007 was a pretty wretched year for us in the transfer market, and this would only complete the misery.

The high price tag brought expectations for Bent that he could never live up to. Moving on will give him a fresh start, and let us find another striker than can be a 3rd striker, or start alongside Keane. Nice knowing you Darren, now I'll help you pack.

The Fabulous Flops & A Few Diamonds in the Rough at Spurs Part 3 of 4

2009-04-08T22:17:00.000-04:00

Today we move on to the 2007 transfer signings for Spurs. More big money signings, and some departures, namely Martin Jol and the introduction of Juande Ramos. Let's look at what came in and out during the year, and before Ramos started making some wholesale changes in 2008.

January 2007:

Ricardo Rocha- (3.3 million pounds) Came in as defensive cover from Benfica during the January window. I was never impressed with him, he was basically insurance, and not very good insurance I must say. Never paired up well with Michael Dawson and Ledley King was hurt most of this season. He hasn't played much since those first couple of months, and what I remember is him getting torched by opposing strikers.
Verdict: Flop

Ben Alnwick- (900,000 pounds) Came in as a future player for the club. We've seen his first action this year, and while he wasn't great in those first appearances at the club, I think he's going to be a good player at some point.
Verdict: Jury's still out

Dean Parrett- (2 million pounds) Came over from QPR and made his debut for us in the Shakhtar Donetsk game. Has still been playing in the youth squad, and might make a run at the first team in preseason training next season.
Verdict: Could be a Diamond

May 2007:

Gareth Bale:- (10 million pounds) It was a bidding war for his services with Manchester United, and most of us Spurs fans considered ourselves the big winners. Started okay, then got injured, so the first year was pretty much a waste. This year I think Gareth almost would have preferred to be injured. He's fallen out of favor with Harry, and now he's been in the reserves for a time. I wouldn't be surprised to see him sold on this summer, he's young and I think he could have a future at the club, but unfortunately it seems the bloom is off the rose so to speak.
Verdict: Unfortunately a Flop

June 2007:

Darren Bent- (16.5 million pounds) What an expensive 3rd striker. That's pretty much what Bent has been since he arrived for a small fortune. If you can believe this, he's our most expensive striker on the books at the moment. I think his career at Tottenham has been summed up during the Portsmouth game when he missed the sitter. Moving on this summer for sure, I'll dance with joy if we even got 10 million pounds for him.
Verdict: Flop

Adel Taarabt- (Unknown) Came in during the summer window and saw a bit of playing time before Ramos sent him to the reserves. Another one of the players not given a squad number this season. Showed some life in his Carling Cup and FA Cup appearances for us at the beginning of 2009. Is currently out on loan at QPR and doing well down there. Could still make something of himself with us, remember he is only 19.
Verdict: Jury's still Out

July 2007:

Younes Kaboul- (8.2 million pounds) Another fabulous flop, lasted one season. Did not play too much, and when Woodgate came into the club, Ramos didn't even put him in the squad most of the squad. Sold on to Pompey in the summer, it's a fly by night thing it seems. One of the biggest of the flops because he cost a lot, and left in less than a year.
Verdict: Flop

Kevin Prince-Boateng- (5.4 million pounds) Came over from Germany with all the expectations on his shoulders. He played a few times for Martin Jol before Ramos came in and then was shoved to the bench. One of the players not given a squad number this summer by Ramos, we've all known he was on his way out since then. Is currently out on loan and probably could use a fresh start. Lacks a bit of maturity, something that seemed to run with a number of the players we signed during this year.
Verdict: Flop

Danny Rose- (1 million pounds) Still down in the youth and reserve teams, he is seen as the next great hope for the club at the left-wing position. What I have been able to read and see about the youngster is promising, but this was definitely a purchase with an eye for the future.
Verdict: Could be a Dimaond one day

Well now, 2007 was not the best year for transfer dealings at the club. At least 48.3 million pounds spent, and no real stars have emerged for us out of this group. 1 has already been sold on, and more than likely 3 more of these will be leaving in the summer. The most promising aspect of these purchases was the youngsters such as Parrett, Rose and Alnwick, hopefully they will come good at some point. But good grief, what a track record during this year.

Carew to Spurs?

2009-04-08T07:44:00.003-04:00

Various outlets have been reporting that Aston Villa striker John Carew is a target of Harry this summer, with a player swap deal being a possibility, and having Jermaine Jenas move to Villa.

My first reaction is "What?!?!?!?" I like Carew just fine, but he won't be a first-choice striker at the club, and we would be sending JJ, who at the moment is holding down a first team place and starting to play like he knows how to. It doesn't seem like a deal it seems like a mugging. Carew hasn't done a ton this season, but he has a good track record from past seasons. He won't be our first choice striker with Keane though, I think he'll be a squad player, much like Pavlyuchenko is at the moment.

I've been accused of being a JJ apologist, but I don't see why we're wanting to sell him on so much. He's been linked with a ton of clubs, including Inter in January, but he's a good footballer. His big problem has been concentration and losing his focus at times. But in the past month he has been on form and reminded us why he's and England international.

So please Harry, if you want Carew fine, buy him, I'm sure you can get a good deal, but don't do a player swap with JJ. It would be highway robbery for us if you did.

The Fabulous Flops & A Few Diamonds in the Rough at Spurs Part 2 of 4

2009-04-07T19:25:00.001-04:00

So we have looked at Tottenham's purchases throughout the year of 2005, and surprisingly we didn't spend all that much. It seems like the last year of truly sane spending before the figures become astronomical. So today we are going to look at purchases made in 2006, and whether we did any better in the market in this year.

January 2006:

Hossam Ghaly- (2 million pounds) Could his career have gone much worse at the club? I never liked his play, he always seemed a little too combative for my tastes, and his passing was always lacking. Throwing his shirt to the turf was the last straw, and I think that no Spurs fans were sorry to see him exit the club in January. More known for his attitude than his play, which is a shame.
Verdict: Flop

Danny Murphy- (2 million pounds) Here is a signing I thought would be great for the club when it happened. An England international, he came to us on the cheap, and could play on the left side if needed at times. He was combative, a decent passer, and could score the odd goal. But no such luck at the club. He was limited to mostly substitute appearances, when he even made the team at all. A year and a half later he was sold on to Fulham, where he has become captain and the cornerstone of a team that recently built Manchester United. If only he'd done that for us.
Verdict: Flop

June 2006:

Didier Zokora- (8.2 million pounds) Zokora was bought as the replacement for Michael Carrick in the summer of 2006 after it became apparent that Carrick would be moving on from the club. A good player in France, he came here with big expectations after playing in a World Cup and trying to fill the void of Carrick in our midfield. One thing Didier is not, and I doubt ever will be, is a gifted passer. He works harder than almost any player on the field and he'll tackle like no one's business, but it's final ball, whether it be a pass or shot, that lets us down. We have lacked that link between the defense and offense like we have with Carrick, and Zokora was built to nominally fill that role, and has never done so. We have now seen Harry bring in Wilson Palacios to play this role, and he has done it very well. But I don't think we're going to see Didier going anywhere, he is still a favorite of Harry's it seems.
Verdict: Disappointment

Benoit Assour-Ekotto- (3.5 million pounds, rumored) Here is another player that I had very high hopes for when we bought him. He had played on a championship side in France and was just starting to come into his own. But injuries marred his first season at the club, and indifferent play for another season or so made him my personal whipping boy. But after Harry took control of the club he started to get something out the hairdo. His performances over the past couple of months have been solid, if not spectacular. I think there may be a player here yet.
Verdict: Starting to Come Good

July 2006:

Dimitar Berbatov- (10.9 million pounds) A great buy, no other way to look at it. A really gifted footballer, he knocked in quite a few goals for us in two short seasons. Yeah his attitude seemed poor at times, but everything is forgiven when he nets at the frequency he did. I thought he was gone after one season, but we held on to him for another year. It was clear he wanted to play somewhere bigger, and it turned into a good piece of business, we made what, a 17 million pound profit from him? The biggest problem I had was the lateness of the sale, making it tough to bring in other players to fill his spot.
Verdict: Diamond in the Rough

August 2006:

Pascal Chimbonda- (5.5 million pounds) Here's another player I wanted no part of, handing in a transfer request while still in your uniform on the last day of the season, Pascal clearly didn't care about anyone but himself, and I didn't want him at the club. He displaced Paul Stalteri at right back, but to be honest his performances were no better to Stalteri most of the time for us. It also always bothered me that he wore gloves, even in August. Lost favor with Ramos and I was delighted when he was sold on, and gutted when we paid another 3 million for him to rot on the bench again. Please, please sell him this summer.
Verdict: Flop

Steed Malbranque- (4 million pounds rumored) I liked Steed and am sorry he's not a the club any longer. Made his debut in November and always played hard, and was a nifty little passer and knocked in the occasional goal. Could also play out on the left wing at times, most Spurs fans liked him because of his effort. Unloaded during the Ramos era, he's another player who I don't think should have left the club.
Verdict: Solid Buy

Mido- (3.5 million pounds) This was the month that we finally made Mido a permanent player, and not just a long-term loan player, and I think this is about the time he fell off the face of the earth for us. Was a great player in 2005/2006, but once Berbatov came into the club Mido found himself warming the bench, and not very happily I might add. Went off to Boro, and is now at Wigan. If he could rediscover that form of 05/06 he could be a great footballer.
Verdict: Solid as a Loanee, Flop when we paid money for him

So that is our spending spree of 2006. A total of 39.7 million pounds spent, more than likely, and who is still at the club? Zokora, Assou-Ekotto and Chimbonda is on his second tour of duty. Less than a 50% retention rate, which is worse than 2005. Not the best job of Damien Comolli of buying players. And the other big thing from this year was the sale of Michael Carrick. Yes, I know he wanted to go, and we were paid a lot of money for him, but until Palacios came along we had never really replaced him, and his leaving left a huge void in the midfield, which certainly impacted how we looked at signings in the transfer window.

So 2 years down, 2 to go. Tomorrow we'll look at the signings of 2007, and if Spurs did some good business that year, see you then.

The Fabulous Flops & A Few Diamonds in the Rough at Spurs Part 1 of 4

2009-04-07T13:48:00.000-04:00

With the news of players going out on loan in the last month, I started looking back on the past couple of years of signings for the club, and seeing that we don't exactly strike gold every time we hit the transfer market. I am going to go through the signings the club have made in the past few years, and honestly evaluate if they have helped or hurt the club.

I also want to look at some of the departures and wonder if we are sending out some players that should have been in the side more often. I am going to look back on the past 4 years worth of signings for the club, stretching all the way back to January of 2005. I will look at one year's worth signings a day, as we buy so many players I can't do it all in one sitting.

January 2005

Andy Reid- (4 million pounds) Thought of as the answer for our left-side problem and couldn't keep the pounds off and away from the training room to make a big impact on the club. Was a decent player on my FIFA 06 game though, but that's about it for us. Was sent off to Charlton, who were relegated, and has made his way north to Sunderland where he is playing decently, better than the form he showed for us.
Verdict: Flop

Michael Dawson- (4 million pounds) Hard to believe that Dawson was the makeweight on the deal that brought us Andy Reid and Dawson from Nottingham Forest in 2005. The fee was reported to be 8 million pounds for the pair, and at the time I think the split was closer to 5 million for Reid and 3 million for Dawson. But Dawson has become one of the best and longest-serving players for the club now. He was a rock for us in the 2005/2006 season, and played well in 06/07 also, even earning a call up to the national side, before falling off last season. Back on form this year, he has done well stepping in for Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate this year, and is probably on the short list for the club's player of the year award this year. Looking at the prices of defenders now, he seems like a bargain.
Verdict: Diamond in the Rough

Teemu Tainio- (Free) Teemu came from Auxerre, and was an established Finnish international when he came to the club he supported when he was young. A favorite of Martin Jol, he was a useful squad player and could play several different positions. He was plagued with injuries at the club , and was sold on by Ramos in the summer of 2008. I think he didn't get a fair shake with Ramos, and is the type of player that Harry would have liked. A lot of supporters weren't fond of him because of how much time he spent in the trainer's room, but I liked him and am sad he's not at the club anymore.
Verdict: Solid Buy

Tom Huddlestone- (3 million pounds) Tom came to us from Derby, and was hailed at the next great prospect. It took a few years to break into the team, but he has impressed at times for the club. His passing and shooting ability cannot be denied, but his focus and tackling are often lacking. He's a bit of a frustrating sort, he has loads of talent, but rarely displays it to its fullest. Is one of the most likely to move on from the Lane in the summer, with Fulham being rumored to want his services. We have to remember he's still very young, he played for the England U21's last week, but if he isn't happy here he will move on.
Verdict: Disappointment

July 2005

Aaron Lennon- (1.5 million pounds) Talk about a good deal, Aaron came to us for peanuts really, as a youngster from Leeds. Had a breakthrough season in 2005/2006 that led to him making the World Cup team. The next two seasons weren't nearly as kind, and I think some were starting to wonder if he would fulfill his potential. Changed that theory this year, and has been one of the most dangerous options in attack for us. Liverpool is sniffing around and I hope Harry fights like hell to keep him.
Verdict: Diamond in the Rough

August 2005

Jermaine Jenas- (7 million pounds) Came down from Newcastle and formed a core partnership with Michael Carrick in the 2005/06 season. Has been up and down as a Spur, his passing can be sublime, but he seems to lose concentration at times. Was tipped with a move away from the club in January, but has looked solid since he made it back into the side. Can be a great player if he is in the right mind set.
Verdict: Not a flop, not quite a diamond yet

Grzegorz Razsiak- (2 million pounds) Only made 8 appearances for the club before being loaned out to Southampton, and eventually sold on, less than a year after being signed. A tall, target-type forward, he should have been able to work with Keane and Defoe but had no luck or chemistry.
Verdict: Flop

Lee Young-Pyo- (1.3 million pounds) Lee was a versatile fullback for us, he played on the right, played on the left, and even turned out as a left winger if I remember correctly. Martin Jol seemed to rate him, and I never doubted his work-rate. Not a favorite of Ramos, he was sold on this past summer. It was probably for the best that he moved on to get regular football, he wasn't quite Champions League quality, but better than a lot of fullbacks around.
Verdict: Solid Buy

So, looking at our purchases in 2005 we have 2 Diamonds in the Rough, a couple of solid buys, and a few disappointments and flops. Of the 8 players we bought in the course of the year, 4 are still with us, with one more than likely on his way out of the club. A 50% retention rate, at least it's better than the financial market at the moment. 22.8 million pounds spent, so really not bad business looking at the outrageous rates we've seen in the last couple of months.

So tomorrow we'll look at the movement in 2006 and see if we've still got anyone here.

Who Will Harry Sell in the Summer?

2009-04-06T08:50:00.002-04:00

The rumors have now begun in earnest about who Spurs will be selling this summer. I thought I would run down the percentages of who would be moving on in the summer very quickly.

David Bentley: 99% Nothing is ever 100% in this world, so I will make it 99% on his being moved on this summer. It's not totally his fault that his time here at the club has been a failure. His price tag was extremely inflated in the summer, and so expectations were always going to be high. The other problems involve him being played down the left side much of the time he's been on the field, and let's be honest his left leg is not good for much more than standing on. The other problem has been the scintillating form of Aaron Lennon, which has kept him from playing his natural position all season. It's too bad since he was a fan of the team growing up, but that's how life goes.

Darren Bent: 95% Even though he is playing, Harry doesn't rate Bent, and he was close to being sold in January. The comment after the Portsmouth game probably sealed his fate. Like Bentley, too high a price tag, so expectations were high, and he didn't live up to them. Personally, I won't miss him too much.

Roman Pavlyuchenko: 55% I say this because Harry doesn't seem to love the big Russian and might want to put more of his stamp on the strikers. Bent had recovered by Saturday, but I thought it would have been a good time to give Roman a run-out, but Harry thought otherwise. Hasn't settled this year, but I would want to give him another season.

Jermaine Jenas: 40% With the way he's been in the side as of late, I don't think Harry wants to sell him on, but there still will be the rumors. I think he's been playing better as of late, but it's a love him or hate him case most of the time with most Spurs fans. I'm very confident that he'll be here next season.

Gareth Bale: 65% I don't think we should be giving up on Gareth as of late, but I think he'll be moving on, if for no other reason than he'll be wanting first-team football next year, and I don't think Harry believes he's ready.

That's the list for the moment, the big names that are being rumored. We'll see what happens as the summer goes along.

Effect on Team with Palacios Out

2009-04-05T20:37:00.002-04:00

So we have started to have some continuity in the side, and have been seeing the results from that continuity, and now things will be changing. While I would love to see Wilson Palacios' red card overturned by the FA, I don't think the chances of that happening are too good.

So we'll see Wilson out at least one game and more than likely two to three, through West Ham, Newcastle and Man United more than likely. The question now becomes what will Harry do with this while Wilson is watching from the stands?

The most obvious answer is to slot in Didier Zokora into Palacios' slot. No Spurs fan can ever question Zokora's work-rate, it's his passing that has always let us down. I think one of the reasons for our resurgence has been the incisive passing by Palacios at times and switching us into attack quickly. Didier is not going to do that, but he'll tackle anyone and everyone around.

One of the other options would be to put in Tom Huddlestone in the midfield with Jenas. One thing you certainly get with Tom is the passing ability, but his tackling and decision-making at times can certainly be lacking. But he can hit that cross field pass on a dime, so that is another option.

Harry has to decide what he would rather have, tough tackling in the midfield or the incisive passing heading into attack? I think we'll see him choose the option of the tackling shoring up the midfield, and more pressure will be put onto JJ to launch the club into attack.

The thing that would be ideal, but is not even an option because of his injury situation would be to have Ledley King in that holding midfield role. He has the tackling and passing ability to stand in for Palacios, but his knees couldn't take that type of pounding.

I still don't think Wilson's second yellow was deserved, but that's how things go, and we should not be so reliant on one player, if we are a good side, we should be fine. Are the hopes of Europe dead now? Perhaps, though West Ham is certainly a winnable game, as are Newcastle, West Brom and Man City, all at home. We even nicked Liverpool earlier this season, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. But Europe does seem a far off place now doesn't it? It does seem weird writing this as everyone from 8-11 in the table lost this weekend, so I'll see this as an opportunity lost to move up.

Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory W/Player Ratings

2009-04-04T11:12:00.002-04:00

Well that is a depressing way to start a weekend. I'd been worried all week that with the international break our run of form was going to crumble in some way, and I'm very sorry that I was right. What follows are my stream of thoughts through the match, with my mood going from okay to elated, to depressed to despondent.

The first ten minutes were nerve wracking for me, it seemed like we weren't ready to play football as of yet, but Blackburn were doing no better.

Then things start to settle down, we're making some passes and looking better. Then the dubious penalty. As a former referee myself, I would say that was debatable but I wasn't going to complain. I think what set the fans off on the referee more was the placement of the ball on the penalty, which is assanine I think. 1-0. I'm a happy man, and generally enjoy the rest of the first half.

Throughout the rest of the first half I'm thinking, "We need a second goal, we need a second goal." Didn't happen, but as the first half ended I was happy enough. Blackburn looked awful and I thought we might be okay, but the little voice in my head kept saying, "We need a second goal." I start counting down the minutes, and hoping our form holds. We showed some creativity, and Keane was basically running things with the way he was dropping back. We keep getting close, and I'm thinking it's only a matter of time before a second goal comes.

Then Blackburn bring Tungay on. Just before he was brought on, Palacios was bulldozed by Moenka. As it happened live, I thought Wilson had been punched, because he dropped like a sack of potatoes, on replays it was a shoulder, but a deliberate one. He should have been sent off and not substituted, but that's how things go I thought.

The second half ticks along, and Wilson picks up a yellow. No big deal right? Perhaps Harry might even bring in Zokora for Wilson to protect him. Before Harry could even think about doing that, Palacios is off, for tripping himself basically. He stumbled and caught Dunn, I don't believe in anyway that it was a second yellow, but I think the referee was looking for something to give to Blackburn, as a way of making up for the penalty call perhaps.

Okay, 10 men with 10 minutes to go, we can kill this off, though I'll have no nails left. I start pacing around my living room, waiting for Zokora to come on, probably with Harry sacrificing Bent, we don't need anymore offense, give Jenas some help in the middle.

Goal. Damn. Okay, Blackburn took it well and we were caught out. I'll still take a point, it's better than none, but we'll regret giving this one away later on. Zokora on, for Lennon? Well I guess that's why I'm not managing the club, it would have been Bent for me.

Push forward a bit, try to find a winner, don't let things get loose in the back boys I keep thinking. Secure the point above all else. Great shot by Warnock and a better save by Gomes. Goal. Double Damn. Set piece problems and late goals conceded, this sounds familiar doesn't it?

Okay, so it's not like we're in the relegation fight again, but with the way the side had been playing I was hoping for more. West Ham next, with West Brom, Newcastle, Manchester City, Everton, Manchester United and Liverpool to go. We're safe at 41 points, and I know we're going to get it. I see several more winnable games, and we can get some points away as well. Still, we need to get our form back. We had started to look like the team we were all waiting on, hopefully this will light a fire under the lads again.

Player Ratings:

Gomes-7 Can't really fault Gomes on either goal. Poor set piece and a clearance from the set piece and a lack of man-marking led to the goals. He's really settled down, he's not really bothering my blood pressure anymore.

Corluka- 6 Good shift from Charley, got forward pretty well. Could have had a penalty called, but did alright. Let down with the marking late on, but otherwise okay, he's our right back and that should be that.

Woodgate- 6 Woody didn't look as confident today as he has in prior weeks, but played alright. Let us down a little with the marking there at the end, which is a shame because this back 4 were starting to look really good.

King- 6.5 Did well throughout much of the game. Came close to getting his second goal of the season. Again, loses a little because of the late defensive let-down.

BAE- 5.5 BAE has played much better and is a good left back, but was off a bit today. Had some shoddy clearances, and probably should have done more to close down Warnock late on.

Lennon- 6 Not the blinding form we've seen from Aaron in recent weeks. Made a few runs and his crosses are better, but not up to par yet. Disappeared at times, instead of taking the game by the scruff of the neck like in recent weeks.

Palacios- 7 I agree with Harry that Wilson was probably our best player, he and Keane, before being sent off. I've already expressed my thoughts on this. 10 men is always difficult, but the glue really did come undone when he was sent off.

Jenas- 7 I'll take a beating for this, but JJ played well also. Had some great passes, the cross in the second half should have had Bent latch on to it and kill Blackburn off. His tackling is better, and his passing has been picking up, he's remembering that he is a player.

Modric- 6.5 Luka got involved and played well, but left a little to be desired. He wasn't as magical as he was against Chelsea, but then again he can't be that every game can he? Probably should have had a shot in that nice combo with Keane, held it a little too long.

Keane- 7 Robbie was the one dictating play throughout the day. Took the penalty well and kept dropping back and collecting the ball. Passed well, had good vision, if only he could have gotten a second.

Bent- 6 I wasn't sure if he'd be fit, but he was. Had a good shot, and made some decent passes, but invisible a lot of the time. Disappoint when we don't get more out of a second striker.

Zokora- N/A Only on for a few minutes, didn't really get too involved. I won't rate him because he probably should have had some man marking responsibilities on that second goal, and I didn't see him anywhere.

A frustrating day, wasn't it? But at least we don't have to wait two weeks to get the taste out of our mouths against West Ham. COYS!

Spurs Lineup Versus Blackburn

2009-04-04T07:22:00.002-04:00

The lineup for today's match is out, and Darren Bent has passed a fitness test and will start for the club. It's the first unchanged lineup for the club all season. Alan Hutton is now fit, but does not make the bench for the match, although David Bentley does make it to the bench on his return to Blackburn, at least he wasn't left out of the team totally.

Gomes

Corluka, Woodgate, King, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Keane, Bent

Substitutes: Cudicini, Chimbonda, Dawson, Bentley, Huddlestone, Zokora, Pavlyuchenko

Don't Lose the Plot Now Boys

2009-04-03T07:12:00.002-04:00

After what seems like forever our beloved Tottenham are back in action this weekend. We travel to Blackburn and this can be a trap game. We've picked up six points from our last two games, when most of us would have been happy with 2 points to be quite honest. Villa and Chelsea have been strong all season, and Blackburn haven't been.

Earlier this season most Spurs fans were driven to the point of insanity with the inconsistency of the club. This is a big match for us because of that fact, we need to have a solid showing to keep the momentum of the last month going. The international break couldn't have come at a worse time for the club, as we were certainly on a roll.

So tomorrow we have to put forth a good effort, and we really need the 3 points to maintain momentum. If we secure another away win, we'll truly be safe, and can start looking towards trying to compete for Europe. Who would have thought we'd be saying earlier in the season that Europe was a possibility.

So I'm making an appeal on behalf of all Spurs fans, don't look at this game as a sure thing, or not concentrate going in. Buckle down, go in to Ewood Park, show your quality, and make this season be one all of us will remember with your amazing comeback. Just don't lose the plot now that you've finally found your form again.

Petrov to Spurs?

2009-04-03T07:03:00.003-04:00

Manchester City winger Martin Petrov, who was a target of ours in 2007, is supposedly on the block this summer, and City would be prepared to take a loss on the 4.7 million pounds they paid for him. I remember thinking that Petrov would have been a good signing when he was a target of ours.

Petrov has fallen out of favor with Mark Hughes since he picked up a knee injury in October, and while I'm always skeptical of us buying players who have been sitting on the bench somewhere else, I think this is more of an injury case and City having silly money to spend.

One rumor that I have read is that David Bentley could be heading to City for Petrov and some cash in a swap deal. Putting Bentley out of his misery would be a good thing at this point, the lad has certainly had a season he'd rather forget.

Petrov is quick, has good speed, a good left foot, and scored several goals for City last season. At the moment I am perfectly happy with Luka Modric on the left with the form we've been showing, but I know that Harry will be looking for improvements in the summer.

Team News Before Blackburn

2009-04-02T20:35:00.003-04:00

The lads are all back at the Lane now, getting ready for our match Saturday versus Blackburn. The thing that always gets me nervous during international duty is potential injuries, but no news on injuries other than the Darren Bent knock from the other day. Still no word as to whether Bent will be fit for Saturday, so it's possible that Roman Pavlyuchenko could be set to get back in the squad.

Robbie Keane notched a late equalizer against Italy last night, and I have to say the last time he netted a goal for Ireland is what set him back on track for the club, so hopefully this will only boost his confidence further.

We have been linked with a move for Wigan loanee Zaki. The 26 year-old has had spats with Mido his fellow countryman while at Wigan, and was blasted by Wigan boss Steve Bruce today for his unprofessionalism, failing to show back up at the club after international duty. We're linked with a thousand players it seems, and most never pan out, so I'm hoping this is another one of those cases. Harry, don't buy him!!!

No major news ahead of the match tomorrow, I fully expect to see the lineup that we've been deploying as of late, with possibly Pavy in for Bent, depending on his fitness. I also think Alan Hutton will make the bench, and I don't think Defoe is far off from being back for us.

Projected Lineup:
Gomes

Corluka, Woodgate, King, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Keane, Pavlyuchenko (Bent if healthy)

Subs: Cudicini, Hutton, Dawson, Zokora, O'Hara, Huddlestone, Pavlyuchenko/Bentley

Lennon Wins PFA Player of the Month

2009-04-02T20:27:00.002-04:00

Tottenham's very own Aaron Lennon has won the PFA Player of the Month Award for March based on his performances in the month, and let me say it was richly deserved. Starting on the 1st in the Carling Cup Final, he has been on fire, and honestly he'd been playing lights out since before that.

He edged out Van Persie of Arsenal, which makes the award that much sweeter for us Tottenham fans. This should be a base for Aaron to continue on his play and to build on what he's done this year. The call up to the England squad was deserved and hopefully this award will not go to Aaron's head. He's still got so much potential and this is only the start of it I think.

Harry Please Don't Sign This Player!

2009-04-02T07:16:00.002-04:00

I've watched a few Sunderland matches this year, and wasn't impressed with Kenwye Jones and I was wondering what Harry saw in him to warrant a big money bid. I watched Jones play in a World Cup Qualifier last night for Trinidad and Tobago versus the United States and I will say it again, Harry please do not sign Jones this summer.

I was especially interested in watching Jones last night since it seems that Harry is still infatuated with him, and he might as well have been sitting in the stands for all he did. Granted T&T looked awful, lackluster at best, but there were several instances where T&T were on the counterattack and Jones not only didn't produce, he didn't get in positions to even have a shot at making a difference. One counter down the right wing saw a dangerous cross whipped in, and it was cleared easily by the American center backs. Jones was sitting at the top of the box, and didn't even make a run at the cross, a few steps towards the right side might have put him in a position to make a play, but he was left watching.

That summed up the entire evening for Jones. I'm sure he has some ability or else he wouldn't have gotten this far, but tactically he seems to be missing something. If a player could be in the wrong positions all the time, it was Jones, he just never got involved or connected with his strike partner Stern John. He looked a little bit like Darren Bent on his bad days, and we all know how we feel about Bent on those days, Harry included.

So Harry please, for the love of Tottenham, resist the urge to go after Jones this summer, I know you like to tinker, but signing him would move our strikeforce back two steps after moving forward with bringing back Keane and Defoe.

Could Spurs PLay in the Champions League?

2009-03-31T20:05:00.002-04:00

UEFA President Michel Platini has announced that each club in the four biggest leagues in Europe with the least amount of debt would be granted a place in the Champions League this summer. The contenders for the spot for England are our very own Lillywhites, Bolton, Manchester City and Wigan.

The team that shows the least amount of debt will be granted a place in the qualifying stages of the Champions League, which is all one can hope for, if you can't advance at that stage, you shouldn't be playing European football. Apparently, we are still in the running for this spot, even with the vast resources of City.

I hope we would qualify, but my question lies somewhere else. If a club like City were to secure this Champions League spot, and they were already slotted to play in the Europa League, would they be replaced by the next team in the table. In other words, if City were to finish 7th, and Spurs 8th, would we slot into the Europa League if City were to go to the Champions League?

I wouldn't have thought that European football would have been an option for us even a month ago, but now it's close and I can almost taste it. Staying in Europe would help us keep our big stars, i.e. Modric and Lennon, and would provide us another stream of revenue, which is important if the rumors about Mansion ending their sponsorship deal are to be believed.

I hope we get the Champions League spot we were denied by bad lasagna three years ago, but I would take the Europa League, what do you think?

Pavlyuchenko to Play a Role?

2009-03-31T19:54:00.003-04:00

With news coming out of the England camp that Darren Bent has withdrawn from the squad with an injury, the nightmare of the club vs. country debate comes to a head for the club once again. Granted, Bent has been one of my whipping boys this season, but he had just started to look like a real footballer again, and while I don't know the extent of his injury, it certainly jeopardizes his chances to be in the lineup versus Blackburn on the weekend.

Getting injured on the training ground for your club is one thing, but it hurts so much more when it happens when your players are on international duty. There is no greater pride than your country winning a World Cup, but for me, I'm going to have to settle for Spurs accomplishing something since the US have little to no chance of winning the World Cup in my lifetime, so I'll still be upset when one of our boys gets hurt on international duty.

Will this injury to Bent give Roman Pavlyuchenko the chance he's been waiting on since the Boro game at the beginning of March? Much has been made about his appearance with the reserves and his lack of playing time this month, with Russia and Chelsea boss Gus Hiddink ready to make an offer for him, if you believe the papers. Roman has had to make several statements that he believes his future lies here at the Lane and he wants to fight for his place. I have been one to voice my support for Roman, but it seems my voice and others like me keep getting shouted down, and Harry has not exactly instilled confidence in the Russian.

If Roman is going to settle at the club, he needs to seize this opportunity this weekend. A mediocre performance will only make the doubters of his ability howl even more, and give Harry more and more reason to believe he needs more striker cover in the summer. A strong performance might not hold off Bent or Jermain Defoe in the run-in to the season, but it could give him a huge boost of confidence, and convince Harry he's worth keeping around.

So Roman, you've been granted your wish, your fate is in your own hands. Go out and show us what you've got son, or else don't be surprised if Harry looks elsewhere.

A Big Move for Spurs?

2009-03-30T21:40:00.002-04:00

World Cup winning defender Fabio Cannavaro could be moving to Spurs in the summer. His contract runs out at Real Madrid in June and it is more than likely than Real will not try to retain his services. He's long been linked with a move to Naples to finish his career, but if Spurs were to offer a big payday and first-team football at a high level, it would be hard to turn down.

Harry is clearly looking for cover in the center of defense in the summer, with Ledley King needing a good bit of rest throughout the season. At 35 years of age, Cannavaro is no spring chicken, but has least one season of football left in him. Could he have two seasons left in him? Only his physio and his legs know the answer to that question.

My other question would be if Cannavaro would be happy at Spurs, especially if when fit, King and Jonathan Woodgate would be the first choice center back pairing? Cannavaro has looked a step slow this season at Madrid, and while his quality is unquestionable, I have the same feelings about him as I did about our rumored move for Marco Materazzi in January, thanks but not thanks.

I know this is not the popular opinion, but I think the best course for Spurs is to find good players, who are not seeing the twilight of their careers. One player her and there wouldn't be bad, lending maturity to the squad, but Harry shouldn't make a habit of buying older players, and I still don't think Cannavaro would be the right fit at the Lane, though it would be pretty cool to have a World Cup winner at the club.

Juve In for Bale?

2009-03-30T21:37:00.002-04:00

Juventus have now been linked with a possible move for left-back Gareth Bale in the summer. They are apparently interested in having him compete for the left-back slot in Turin, which makes me wonder, what are we missing here?

Bale came in with such high hopes and now he's been in the reserves for the last month, but Juve, Man United and Chelsea have all been linked with a move for the defender.

Will Juve come in for Bale in the summer? It's all speculation at the moment, but if Bale does move on, to a bigger club no less, what will Spurs fans not see that the other clubs are seeing?

The Curious Case of Darren Bent

2009-03-30T12:14:00.000-04:00

Love him or loathe him, Darren Bent has been involved in a lot of the Spurs talk this year. Mostly it's been about his poor form, moving on because Harry doesn't rate him, not getting on with Jermain Defoe, but he got the England call-up didn't he?

Does that say more about Bent coming back into form, or the lack of striker options for Capello at the moment?

I think we had all figured that Bent was moving on in the summer, and I still think that it's going to happen. But Harry might be under more pressure to keep him at the club now that he's getting another call-up to the England squad. He's played decently as of late with Robbie Keane and I don't see Harry changing things up at the weekend. If it's not broke, don't fix it, right?

But why should we keep Bent around? He seems to sulk whenever he's on the bench, and while I want our players to want to play every week, the sulking only seems to hurt his play when he does make it on the pitch.

When he does start it seems to take him awhile to get into the game, if he does at all. He's making a little bit of a connection with Keane now, but it's nowhere near instinctive, and for someone who cost us so much money, he does little to justify it.

That is Bent's biggest problem at the club I believe, his price tag. If he would have moved here for around 8 million pounds, maybe even 10 million, it would be a different story with the fans and him. But since he cost more than any other striker on our books at the moment, you expect him to, you know, score regularly. But as the miss at Portsmouth attests, Bent has not been prolific in front of goal for us.

Until this year I gave Bent the benefit of the doubt, because he never got a regular run in the side, with Keane, Defoe and Berbatov in front of him. I thought, "He's a lad who needs to be playing regularly before he can get in a groove." But after giving him the beginning of the season, and watching him fumble his chances throughout the year, I still think he should be moving on.

It would be better for everyone if he did, giving Bent a fresh start would allow him to get the weight off his back about the price tag, and for the club we could look for someone who is comfortable coming off of the bench and creating that spark in the 70th minute when we need it.

I'm happy Bent got the call to the England squad, though I don't expect to see him play on Wed. night. I'll be pulling for him when he suits up for the club through the rest of the year, but I think his future lies away from the Lane.

Spurs' Left-Wing Dilemma

2009-03-27T12:47:00.002-04:00

How long have Spurs had problems down the left-side of midfield, and for that matter at left-back as well? It seems that we've been linked with more left-wingers than I care to count, but none have made their way to the Lane. At the moment we have Luka Modric on the flank, and he drifts further infield as the game progresses, with BAE acting as the de facto winger for the team.

It seems to be working well, I'm not going to complain about the results over the last month or so. It seems like the team is starting to find it's shape, and firing on all cylinders at the moment. I'm reminded of the saying that my mother and countless others have used over time, "If it's not broken, don't fix it."

But I am going to go against my mother's advice and look at our options for the left-side in the future. No matter how well the team if playing at the moment, I have a feeling that Harry will want to tinker with things over the summer, and the left-side seems to be the position he is intent on "fixing."

Many have suggested that we have several left-wing options already at the club and there is no need to spend big money on a winger. We do have several options, but I'm not sure that Harry agrees with us, so I'll look at what is already at the club, and some of the players we've been linked with.

Luka Modric: Our current winger, he has been one of the best players for the club this season, and was masterful against Chelsea. He is not a true winger of course, he drifts infield during the game and allows BAE to provide the width at times. But I have been impressed with his effort down the left-side and he does help keep the width himself at times. Honestly this is not a bad solution to our left-wing problem, we're winning and that's all that matters, but I think Luka would do even better things for the club in a central position, but can he handle the physicality of the center of the field?

Gareth Bale: Let's face facts, Harry clearly doesn't rate the youngster as a left-back, his defending is too poor at the moment. The strongest part of his game is his play upfield, and I have mentioned before that he could an option down the left-side. Each time Bale has played as a winger he has looked uncomfortable however, he just hasn't had enough experience to feel comfortable there. Maybe some time in the reserves at this position could help us see if he could make it, but unfortunately I think Harry will be selling young Gareth on in the summer.

Jamie O'Hara: Pluck is a good way to describe Jamie in one word. He's not the flashiest player on the pitch, but he'll give you everything he has. Lacks the pace to be an out and out winger, but so does Luka and he's doing well at it. Jamie is young, left-footed and has the desire to do well wherever he is out on the pitch. I think Harry sees his future more in the middle however, or as a utility-type backup for the club.

Danny Rose: The anointed one. He's been tearing it up in the youth sides as well as the reserves, and has recently gone out on loan to Watford to get some match experience. Those who watch the club closely think he's going to be a real player. He might have a chance at making an impact next year, he will be 19 in the summer and I think will train with the first-team in the preseason, unless Harry brings someone in.

Stuart Downing: If I had a nickel for each time we've been linked with the Boro player. With Boro looking more and more like they are going down, there will be a fire sale at the Riverside, and Downing would probably be the first to go. I have stated before he's not worth 15 million pounds, I don't think he's worth 10 million to be honest. But it seems that it is a requirement to be manager at Tottenham, you must be infatuated with Downing. If we buy anyone in the summer, look for it to be him, though I will reiterate that I think Adam Johnson would be the better Boro winger to buy.

Stephen Hunt: The rumors were hot and heavy in January that he was coming to either us or Aston Villa, and he's still at Reading. I have to wonder about him, he does seem to do well, but in the year that Reading played well in the Premier League, it was Bobby Convey who was first choice, but his injuries allowed Hunt to force his way in the side. As an American fan as well, I can say that Convey is only okay, and if Hunt wants to succeed in the Premier League, he would need to do more than compete with Convey for first choice. Few rumors about him as of late, it seems the bloom is off the rose.

Aidan McGeady: The Celtic winger is being linked with all sorts of clubs, us among them. If you've watched the YouTube highlights, he has the flash, but does he have the substance to be a first-choice winger in the Premier League. I also wonder about his temperament, he's had bust-ups with players and management at Celtic. I would take a pass.

We'll see what happens, there are no shortage of options for Harry, but for now I'm happy with what we've got.

Another Attacking Midfielder? & Pavy Wants to Fight

2009-03-26T20:13:00.003-04:00

Spurs are being linked with out of favor Real Madrid player Rafael Van Der Vaart, the 26-year old who only moved to Real this year. It is pretty well known that he and Robben don't get on, and he has thus far failed to make an impression since his big money move.

I have a question about this possible move, why in the world do we need him? We already have a glut of players who can be an attacking force in the center of midfield. Luka Modric and Van Der Vaart are similar, and I'll take Luka any day of the week.

I think this is more of the papers needing to churn some copy before the qualifiers this weekend. Even if Van Der Vaart and Robben don't get on, I don't believe Madrid will give up on a big money buy after only a few months. And also, I think his attitude is not exactly what we need at Spurs.

It always seems like we're buying what we don't need, a right-sided midfielder last summer, and neglecting the positions that need help, such as left-wing. I'd rather have us linked with every left-sided player on the planet, at least then we know that we're trying to balance the side.

The papers today are also quoting Roman Pavlyuchenko as saying that he wants to stay and fight for his place at Tottenham, which is exactly what he needs to say. The fact that he wants to battle for a place and prove his worth to the club should prove something to Harry, unlike Tom Huddlestone who seems to be ready to talk about how frustrating it is not playing. Roman is saying that but is also talking about wanting to earn a spot on the field and prove his worth.

What Spurs Will Leave the Lane this Summer

2009-03-25T20:42:00.002-04:00

While the League is on an international break, I thought I would take the time to identify some of the players that might be leaving Tottenham in the summer. Mostly this would be because Harry doesn't rate them and wants to finish putting his own stamp on the team. Some of the players on this list as favorites of mine, some I would be happy to help pack on their way out, but I know that things will change for the club over the summer, just like every season at Spurs it seems.

What I am going to do is list the players that are most likely to leave to those who are only rumored to be moving on.

Darren Bent: Like I've said before he should have his bags packed. He's played well in the last couple of matches but still is not a favorite of Harry's. At the moment I think he's the best of what's available and Harry doesn't want to upset the balance of the team. Probably will move somewhere like Everton, or possibly Aston Villa. We'll be lucky to recoup half of the investment we made in him three years ago.

Giovanni Dos Santos: Was sold and failed the physical. Now out on loan at Ipswich and I think it's a way of showing the wares in a sense for Harry, and then Gio goes and gets another knock. A finesse player to be sure, I don't know if he has the physical stature to stay in the Premier League. Pompey could buy him, but over the course of the summer will probably find someone more suited to their side. I think he might move back to Mexico, somewhere like UNAM Pumas would be a good place to rehab his reputation.

Ricardo Rocha: Hasn't featured in God knows when, doesn't even seem to impress in the reserves. A move abroad is on the cards, maybe back to Portugal. I feel bad for him, but he just doesn't have what is needed to cut it in the Premier League, much like the next player on this list.

Gilberto: I thought he would leave in January, but I don't think we could find a taker. He's far along in his career, and I doubt another European side will take a chance on him. I doubt he wants to go back to Brazil yet, but a good payday at one of the better clubs might be what to doctor ordered.

David Bentley: A nightmare he's hoping to wake up from I'm sure, but that's not going to happen. Has lost the support of the fans, so it's only a matter of time before he's gone, much like Ghaly earlier this season. He'll have no shortage of suitors, Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester City. It's too bad since he was a supporter growing up, but that's the way that football is, isn't it?

Tom Huddlestone: It seems that once or twice a week I'm reading about Tom talking to some reporter about his lack of playing time, and how he didn't sign for Spurs to play in the reserves. Of all the players we are likely to sell on in the summer he probably has the most talent. But it has been unrealized. He's like that kid in class who's smarter than the rest but is too lazy to work at it. I would love for Tom to stick around, but it seems that Harry doesn't think he can motivate him. Fulham would love him as the replacement for Jimmy Bullard. He'll be a good player, but I don't think it will be for us.

Gareth Bale: So much talent, so little shown in a Spurs shirt. Could still be a player, but as I said in an earlier post today, he might be on his way, especially with the emergence of BAE at left-back. There would be a host of teams that would be happy to take him on I am sure, but until he grows as a defender, perhaps a Championship side would be the best destination for him. I still think a loan would do him good, but I don't see that happening.

Roman Pavlyuchenko: Guus Hiddink seems to have taken a page from Harry's book on Pavy. Talking about the talent of another team's player can certainly help unsettle the player and maybe make him look to greener pastures. I think he's a good player who should be given a chance and a real offseason to rest, but since Harry didn't buy him any option could be on the table. Chelsea would love him, so would most other Premier League sides I would think.

Pascal Chimbonda: Harry only wanted him on a loan, but Sunderland knew crap when they had it, so insisted we buy him back. Hasn't featured too much since his arrival, is a malcontent and not too interested in defending to me. Maybe a promoted side would be dumb enough to take him on next season, or send him to France.

Jermaine Jenas: With the way he has featured in the side's resurgence lately I don't think he'll be moving on, but Inter were reportedly interested in January and make a bid in the summer. I'm sure there will be Spurs fans happy to see him go, but I think he's quality and has shown it in the last couple of weeks. He doesn't do anything spectacularly, but is pretty good all over the pitch, and makes a great partner for Palacios in the middle.

So those are the ones whom I think might move on. Modric and Lennon aren't included in this list, because I might be tempted to jump off a bridge if Harry was convinced to let them leave. Not all of these players will leave in the summer, but some certainly will, especially since Harry needs to sell before he can buy.

Is Bale on the Way Out?

2009-03-25T08:48:00.002-04:00

With the form that BAE has shown throughout the second half of the season, it seems that Gareth Bale has become one of the forgotten men at Spurs. I think most Spurs followers had recognized Bale's weaknesses, primarily his ability to defend and it has been no surprise that he has not seen the field as of late.

Harry has settled on a back four it seems at this point and Bale has not even been making the bench as of late. When Harry is filling out the team sheet, the defenders he keeps on the bench are Dawson and Chimbonda because of Pascal's versatility, and when Alan Hutton is fit I think he'll be on the bench, putting Bale further down the pecking order.

With Bale basically playing for the reserves at the moment I had wondered if he was going to go out on loan for the rest of the season. Many of our young stars have been loaned out now, and Bale is still only 19 and will certainly get better, but most Spurs fans have seemed to have given up on him.

But my question is, has Harry given up on Gareth? If he was to be loaned out, I would think that would be a sign that Harry thinks that Gareth has a future at the club, as it is he has kept Bale in the team, but is not playing him. Rumors have swirled over the past couple of months that Bale could be sold this summer, and I feel that these rumors could be gaining some credence now.

Levy has apparently told Harry that he must sell before he can buy this summer, and the players that have found themselves on the fringes of the team in the last two months would seem to be the most likely to be sold on by Harry in the summer, primarily Bale, as well as David Bentley, Tom Huddlestone, Pascal Chimbonda and Giovanni Dos Santos. The sales of these players would give Harry a nice little war chest for his purchases this summer.

I'm sorry that Bale might be sold on this summer. He's not ready for us as of yet to play in the Premier League, but like I said, he's only 19, so he has a bright future. But it seems that Harry has already made his decision and Bale will be moving on in the summer.

Gomes a Keeper?

2009-03-24T19:28:00.002-04:00

With the reemergence of Gomes for the side many will believe that the club's name won't be linked with big-name summer goalkeeper signings. Gomes has looked like the keeper I saw at PSV in the last few weeks, and was outstanding against Chelsea Saturday, but I still feel that another keeper may come into the mix this summer.

Based on the past couple of months I would be happy sticking with Gomes and Carlo Cudicini for next season. If you would have asked me about this two months ago, I would have railed against keeping Gomes. I don't think he's the next Schmeichel, but how many are? He's looked like he has started to adjust to the physical nature of the English game and has earned the trust of his teammates finally.

Having Cudicini and Gomes at the club will allow us to spend our cash on other purchases this summer, but I am sure we will be linked with all manner of keepers, including Joe Hart of Manchester City, Scott Carson of West Brom, and possibly Sebastian Frei as well.

It is something as fans we will have to tolerate all summer, gossip about who's coming, but that's part of the fun of the close season isn't it? Given another two months to prove his quality, Gomes can either cement his place or convince Harry to go shopping. I'm starting to believe that the former is going to be the case, which is good for both him and the club.

King Out for England And A Rose Blooms at Watford

2009-03-24T16:04:00.002-04:00

Ledley King has left the England squad ahead of the qualifier this weekend. With so many central defenders in the squad, he was unlikely to feature, and really training would only hinder his chances of playing throughout the rest of the season for Spurs.

I feel so bad for Ledley, his injury is so frustrating, it doesn't limit his ability, but only his fitness. As someone who has had some knee injuries as well, I understand his frustrations. He could be a regular for England, but his knee will never allow him to feature regularly. He can't be in a World Cup squad I would think because of the number of games in such a short amount of time.

As sad as I am for Ledley and his England dream, I am happy as a Spurs fan, hopefully he will be able to rest over the next week and a half and be fit for the match against Blackburn next Saturday. Let's all keep our fingers crossed.

In other Spurs news, another of our young starlets has gone out on loan until the end of the season. Danny Rose has been loaned out to Watford as they struggle to remain in the Championship. Rose is another one of our talented youngsters, like Jonathan Obika and Andros Townsend, who went out on loan last week. This loan will let Rose get a little bit of time on the field and get him ready to feature in the preseason for us next year.

While Rose is young, he has loads of talent, and as a winger, could be a possible answer for us at that troublesome left wing position. But with the way the midfield is playing at the moment, do we want to mess with a good thing? Tell me what you think.

Hutton Close to Return? And Other Random Tidbits

2009-03-23T18:18:00.004-04:00

Alan Hutton returned to action for Spurs on Monday night, and by all reports looked fit before being substituted in the seventy-first minute. This is good news for the club, he didn't seem to show any ill effects from the long injury layoff, and while he didn't light up the field, (in fact very few full-backs short of Roberto Carlos do) he did what he needed to, got some match experience to get his legs back.

Now he will head off to the Scotland camp, and I don't expect him to play during the qualifiers, though that could be a possibility. A week from Saturday Tottenham travels to Blackburn to take on Rovers, and I would fully expect him to be in the side, though on the bench more than likely.

I have read that the person most likely to come under threat with Hutton back in the side would be BAE. As the people who have read this blog from the beginning know, BAE has been my own personal pinata at times, but I think in the last month he's turned into a decent footballer. I've never seen Hutton play on the left-side and at the moment, BAE and Modric have a good connection and with the form that the club has shown lately, I would not expect Harry to do much tinkering at all with the side.

So Harry was off in Italy watching Diego Milito this weekend? Can't say that I'm surprised, but not really sold on the Argentine. He's a good player, but how will he fit into the side. I still believe that Darren Bent already has movers on retainer for his imminent move away from the Lane, so we need one more good striker, but I don't think Milito would be that answer.

I also don't think that Kenwye Jones is the answer either, the form that he has shown for Sunderland as of late makes me wonder what Harry sees in him. I have also watched him on international duty with Trinidad and Tobago, he doesn't exactly ring my bell there either. But we'll no doubt be linked with just about every striker who could be for sale from now until September, so it's something I'll get used to.

Not too much else from the papers other than the usual transfer gossip, which I think will take up a large portion of this blog while the team is off on international duty, but I will keep an eye on our boys who are representing their countries, especially Aaron Lennon and Ledley King. And Ledley deserved this call-up, but I also think that Woodgate deserved one as well, he has been outstanding for us all season, and for selfish reasons I don't really want to see Ledley on the field for England, because that would almost certainly rule him out for the Blackburn game for us.

Where Has This Spurs Side Been All Season?

2009-03-23T18:05:00.002-04:00

I am just now getting my chance to put in my two cents about the great Spurs victory this weekend because my Internet connection died on me over the weekend and the technician cannot come until this week to fix it. But enough about me, what a game by the boys this weekend.

This was a deserved win against a Chelsea side that should have been flying, but stuttered for the first time under Gus Hiddink. I was nervous heading into the game, but my fears were allayed early in the first half when I saw the composure the side was showing. Like I've heard several times over the past couple of days, Tottenham looked like the team that was challenging for the League title, and not Chelsea.

It looks like Harry has finally decided on a group of players that can do the job for him. The only change that was made was Corluka in at right-back, where he should have been from the start against Villa as well. The midfield contingent is working well, Lennon and Modric have been terrifying defenses over the past month and I don't see that changing. By allowing Modric to come infield as he wishes we are getting 3 central midfielders and Modric is even doing well keeping the width of the team at times, when he stays out wide.

I just have to wonder where this team was the whole season. I have a theory about our current run of form, and it includes our new team captain. Since Robbie Keane has come back into the side, we haven't lost a Premier League match, and have tied only two of those matches. The matches we've lost in that time, away to Shakhtar and the Carling Cup Final were games that he couldn't take part in. Could our returning Irishman be our good luck charm after all? Let's see how that progresses throughout the rest of the season.

Just last week I had written a post about not wanting to raise our expectations too much about qualifying for Europe, and I'm not ready to totally retract that article, but I am willing to say that it wouldn't hurt for the lads to try for that position. If we could finish in 7th place it would be an incredible way to end a roller-coaster season, but even if we just finish in the top half of the table I will be happy, and the club should be as well.

The Facts on Lennon's New Deal & Early Team News Ahead of Chelsea

2009-03-20T11:43:00.002-04:00

Aaron Lennon has agreed to a new deal at Tottenham, which will bring his salary more inline with the other first-team players at the club. Some websites and papers are reporting that it's a five-year deal, while others are reporting that it's a two-year deal.

From what I have been able to gather, he has signed an extension to his current deal, which ran until 2012. He signed for an additional two years, keeping him under contract until 2014, and adjusted his pay rate for the years in the previous deal, bringing him more in line with the others at the club.

In the rumors that Lennon might be headed elsewhere, the fact that he wasn't among the top earners, or even in the same league as the top earners at the club was a sticking point, but this has now been rectified.

Does this mean that Lennon won't be a target of big clubs this summer? No, I think Liverpool and possibly Real Madrid might try and make a big for him this summer, but with him signing a new deal, it does show that he wants to be at the club, and hopefully we can keep him. This is certainly encouraging.

Jermain Defoe has been ruled out for tomorrow's match against Chelsea, I didn't think he was training yet, so of course he'd be out. Alan Hutton will play a reserve match on Monday night to help regain fitness, but otherwise no injury worries. Ledley King expects to play after having the week off for his knee. Here is my early thoughts on what the lineup will be tomorrow.

Gomes

Corluka, Woodgate, King, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Bent, Keane

Substitutes: Cudicini, Dawson, Chimbonda, Bentley, Zokora, Huddlestone, Pavlyuchenko

I think that Harry will keep the pairing of Bent & Keane after the way they played last weekend, though bringing back Pavlyuchenko would not be a bad idea with his height.

The other changes I would think would be possibly Chimbonda at right-back because of the pace of whatever winger is on the left side for Chelsea, but Corluka certainly did the job against Villa last Sunday. Also, Carlo Cudicini could come in the side, if anyone knows the tendencies of Chelsea players it would be Carlo, but I doubt Harry disrupts the side too much. We'll see what Harry pulls out of his hat tomorrow.

Spurs Team News for 3/20 & No Lennon for England?

2009-03-20T07:15:00.004-04:00

Ahead of the big match versus Chelsea tomorrow there isn't much bad news coming out of the club, which is always good. Alan Hutton won't feature in the Chelsea match, Harry has stated that Hutton will play for the reserves on Monday evening before going off to join up with the Holland squad. He could be in for a place against Blackburn after the international window.

Jermain Defoe is inching closer to fitness. I would fully expect to see him training with the lads after the international break, and maybe featuring in the side by the middle of April.

4 Spurs were named to the England U-21 side yesterday, including Tom Huddlestone, Jamie O'Hara, Frazier Campbell and Aaron Lennon. Does this say something about Lennon's chances for a senior England call-up? A player is selected for both squads on occasion, but it doesn't happen too terribly often, so this could mean that even with his blistering form as of late, Lennon has not impressed Fabio Capello enough to get in the squad. What more does the little guy need to do to come back in from the international wilderness? We'll see when the senior England side is announced.

And finally, the club has reported a record 39.8 million pound profit for last year. So even spending like drunken sailors in the transfer market, we still managed to turn a profit thanks to the sales of Berbatov and Keane. Now I wonder how our books will look next year since we've been buying back all those players that we sold on.

Do Spurs Need Another Brazilian?

2009-03-19T22:13:00.002-04:00

Okay all jokes aside with the Brazilian line there, you can't help but think of "Special1TV" when mentioning that, Spurs are now being linked with another Brazilian player. Granted we will probably be linked with just about every player over the next couple of months, papers have to churn copy don't they, but this one might have some legs.

The player that is rumored to be a target of not just Tottenham, but of Chlesea, Manchester City and Newcastle as well is 25 year old winger Michel Bastos. He has been at Lille for three seasons, and is supposed to have a dynamite left foot and is a true left-winger. He has also netted 11 goals for his club this season, pretty impressive for a winger, or a midfielder in general.

He has good pace, can take a few goals and is young and still growing into his frame, so he sounds great right? I'm not so sure. Look at our record with Brazilian players in the last couple of years. First off, Gilberto. I think the less said the better on that one, don't you? Next up is Gomes, who has played better, but is still far from being the shot-stopper we all thought we were getting in the summer.

Brazilians aren't all flops in the English game, but at Spurs they have certainly had trouble adjusting. It seems that a lot of the Brazilian players have trouble adapting to the English style of the game for whatever reason, and not just at Spurs, whether it is the physical style of play or the weather, or some other factor. In the past couple of years Brazilians have been taking England by storm, and now you have players like Rafeal at United and Robinho at City who are going to be great players in the League.

Our two Brazilians have certainly taken their time to settle, with Gomes even complaining on several occasions of the lack of fouls called for goalkeepers in the League. Gilberto has never settled, and will be moving again in the summer, at least I hope.

Would Spurs do well signing Bastos? He has been in the French League, not known for it's physical play either, and he may have trouble adjusting to the style of the English game. I don't want to sound like someone who only wants to sign British players, but the Premier League is a different style of play and it can take some time for foreigners to settle. Given the short leash that has been exhibited at times by Harry, this could be disasterous, but if he is buying the player he will certainly give him some more time.

Bastos' name will be one that will be linked with Spurs throughout the summer, and though I don't know if he'd be the answer to our long-standing left-wing problem, I still think he'd be a better buy than Stuart Downing. But that may not be saying too much. We'll just have to wait and see how Harry plays things throughout the summer.

Can Spurs Secure a European Place?

2009-03-19T19:33:00.002-04:00

Alan Hansen mentioned in a column that many of us Spurs fans read with reverence yesterday about the ability for Harry's men to challenge for a European place this season. It is not out of the realm of possibility that we could qualify for Europe, but it would be a titanic, and I hate to say it but, an unlikely feat.

Doesn't it just seem like a week ago that we were worrying about the possibility of relegation? Oh, that's right, we were. We still are not totally to safety, and Harry even mentioned that this week in the papers when he said that we needed "two more wins" for safety. This year's Premier League table has been unlike any one I've seen in that anyone in the bottom half of the table shouldn't be too comfortable. Even now with our good run of form in the past few weeks we are still only 6 points from the bottom of the table. Six points is a lot better than in the past months for the club, but it is astounding that we are just now securing safety and turning our attention to Europe at the same time. It seems like we're fighting a war on two fronts, doesn't it?

I'm all for challenging ourselves and having goals to strive for, but it just seems peculiar to me that the papers are turning their attention to us now. I think that says more about those in the positions of 7-10 than anything else, when you look at Manchester City, Wigan, West Ham and Fulham, all good teams, but do they have more talent than us? In a word no. That is why the papers are making a fuss about us now, we are starting to look like the team that everyone thought we would at the beginning of the season, and the pundits are comparing the talent and seeing that we have more and thinking we are just going to keep inching our way up the table.

It would be good to qualify for Europe, I think the rumors of some players wanting to move on would be squelched since we would be offering European football as well, and probably attract a higher caliber of player in the transfer market. But I also wonder if it would be good for us to be out of Europe for a season, making us concentrate on the League and making sure our form is first notch. But believe me, I won't complain if we keep taking points and moving up the table.

Are Spurs Becoming A Loaning Bank?

2009-03-19T16:55:00.003-04:00

Two more players have gone out on loan today, this time it's Andros Townsend and Jonathan Obika going to Luton Town. Both of these lads are still playing in academy and reserve team matches, so some real playing time in League One should at least toughen them up a little.

We all know of the high hopes for Obika at the club, and I think that either next season or the year after will see him competing for a place in the first team. Townsend's development could be a little more stunted. He's an attacking midfielder, which we have plenty of, but the good news for him is that he can also play out on the left side. I think Townsend is at least 2 seasons away from joining the first team, if we don't sell him on at some point, like has happened with other promising Academy players.

Both of these boys will do well training with a first-team, and adjusting to a new area, it will help them grow up and mature, and hopefully allow them to prepare to compete in preseason training next summer.

It does seem like we're becoming a bank, with 6 loans of players in the last week. The reason is the relatively few number of fixtures left for the team, and the lack of first-team opportunities for the lads through the rest of the season and Harry wants them to play. So, hopefully some of them will stick around next season and get an opportunity, primarily Taarabt and Obika.

Modric Shouldn't Go Anywhere & Other Various Tidbits

2009-03-18T20:20:00.002-04:00

Rumors keep on flying that Luka Modric could move to Serie A this summer, for around 23 million pounds. No doubt these rumors were helped along by his agent, talking about how Luka would do well in Italy. He says that few teams can afford him, but "The Special One" and Inter are apparently being given 100 million pounds to raid English clubs in the summer.

Jose was rumored to be interested in Jermaine Jenas in the January window and might make a push for him in the summer, but as his form has improved, and the way that he has combined with Palacios I don't think Harry will sell him on, unless Jose offers silly money to the club. I think that Jose will come in for Luka, I just have that feeling, and Harry should fight tooth and nail to keep him. At some point I am afraid that Luka will probably move on to greener pastures, but that shouldn't be for a couple of seasons more. At least let's hope.

Roman Pavlyuchenko has spoken to the press insisting that he hasn't been dropped from the first team, which I don't think anyone really thought had happened. He isn't first choice at the moment with Harry but he hasn't been dropped to the reserves like Ramos did with a number of players in the summer. Roman still has a future with the club, a summer of rest and a preseason with the club will make him a better player.

Both Adel Taarabt & Giovanni Dos Santos won rave reviews in their debuts for their loan clubs respectively, with Adel being hailed by all sorts of publications. This is exactly what Adel needed, a good run in a team, and a chance to help repair his confidence and enjoy his football. I think next season we will start to see something on a regular basis from young Adel.

Who we're rumored to be buying today is Sheffield United defender Kyle Naughton who is an England U21 international. He seems like a fine player, but why exactly would we buy him? He is a right-back who can also play right-wing, two positions where we have more than enough cover. Look on the left side Harry!

And finally, Alan Hansen is tipping our Spurs to secure a spot in Europe this season. Yes, we are only 5 points adrift of 7th place, but as optimistic as I try to stay about the club, I don't see that as happening. We're barely catching our breath after the relegation battle, let's try and secure a Top 10 finish, and worry about Europe and particularly challenging for a Champions League place next season.

Best Strike Partnership At Spurs?

2009-03-18T10:02:00.002-04:00

After being threadbare in the striker department earlier in the season, we now seem to be spoilt for choice. As the season winds down, we have seen many different combos of our strikers, and I think Harry has finally decided to stick with two up top, and not one striker and someone like Modric playing off that lone striker.

But which pairing is the best for the team? A lot of it depends on the team we are playing, and the form of each individual striker at the moment.

Keane and Bent: This seems to be Harry's first choice pairing at the moment, and they looked pretty good against Villa. You don't have the traditional target-man, and instead have two players who like to come off the ball, and someone in Keane who likes to drop deep to involve himself in the play. A good lineup against slow center-backs, but against quicker pairings, could be trouble.

Keane and Pavlyuchenko: Roman seems to have to lost some favor with Harry over the last couple of weeks, and I would think that he is exhausted at this point. Roman does offer that target player that a team needs at times. For someone so tall he doesn't dominate in the air, but has scored a few times off of headers. He and Robbie seemed to have been getting a rapport, but now not having played together for a few weeks, who knows?

Keane and Defoe: Once Jermain gets back to fitness I would like to see this pairing given a go by Harry. Jol and Ramos never thought this pairing could work, but Defoe is similar to Bent in his style of play, and Harry has been playing Bent and Robbie together. If this pairing could come together it could be dynamite for us.

I'm not including Frazier Campbell, his time is running out and Harry has more established strikers. As you can see the only definite I think Harry has is Keane, especially since he's now captain, and he brings a spark and fight to the team that can be missing otherwise. What do you think the best pairing is? I'm thinking Defoe and Keane, but we'll see if Harry agrees with me.

Which Right-Back for Tottenham?

2009-03-17T20:04:00.002-04:00

We have the unusual luxury of having up to five people who can slot in at right-back. I wonder if this is what Harry was meaning when he said the club was unbalanced, 4 players for one position, while we still don't have a left-winger. But who should be lining up in the back 4 every week for Spurs? Each player in the frame has their attributes and drawbacks, which can be frustrating.

Vedran Corluka: Currently seems to be the first-choice at right-back, and has settled well since his move from Manchester City in the summer. He's been consistent, something that has been sorely lacking in the side this season. He's not spectacular, and certainly not very flashy, but he's been getting the job done. Harry does seem to worry about him at times though, especially against speedy wingers, he must feel that Corluka's lack of pace can be a detriment to the club. So can he stay first-choice if Harry is going to want someone to handle the speedy wingers? He can play in the middle, but I think he is too talented to just be a squad player.

Alan Hutton: Has pace, and can get forward in the attack, but cannot seem to stay off the training table. I'm not really sure what Harry thinks of him, as he's only had him available for a handful of fixtures before he got injured again. He can play against the speedy wingers where Corluka has problems, but is he as consistent as Vedran? I've liked what I've seen, but I've seen far too little to be able to say for sure. The jury's out I would think.

Chris Gunter: Loads of potential, but is only 19, and has looked very raw when he has been thrust into the action. Did well in the UEFA & Carling Cups, but not quite ready for facing the big boys of the Premier League week in and week out. Going out on loan will help him, and I would think maybe another loan spell next season would do the trick. Nice to have in the background.

Pascal Chimbonda: Remember when he was challenging for Player of the Year honors at Wigan? I know, it seems strange to think that now, but Pascal was considered a very good player at one point. I think those days are gone now. Was bought for cover and I wouldn't be surprised if he was plying his trade somewhere else next season. A waste of 3 million pounds in January, and not playing ahead of Hutton and Corluka.

Didier Zokora: Can play at right-back in a pinch, though I don't think he'll be doing it too much more after his performance on Sunday. Tries hard, but far down in the pecking order, I think his role is to be a reserve midfielder at this point, and that's about it.

So, when you really look at it, it comes down to Corluka and Hutton for the right-back slot most of the time. Either one would work for me, though Charley has clearly been the workhorse this season. Expect to see Harry clear out some of the deadweight at this position (i.e. Chimbonda) and develop Gunter for the future.

Spurs Team News for 3/17 & Not All This Again

2009-03-17T08:51:00.002-04:00

Well, like that same nightmare you had over and over as a child, the rumors have begun about Stuart Downing making his way to the Lane again. No matter what happens with Boro Downing is not likely to stay at the Riverside much longer. We've been rumored to be buying him for years and year, and each time a deal doesn't come to fruition.

We offered somewhere in the realm of 13 million for Downing in January and Boro turned it down flat. I like Downing, but don't think he is a 13 million pound player, but inflation and football seem to go hand in hand now. If Boro are relegated, they will be having a fire sale and we could probably steal him for 7-8 million pounds, but I will say again that I think we would be buying the wrong Boro winger. I would go after Adam Johnson, he's younger, has pace galore, is a bit cheaper than Downing, and I think would make a great pair with Lennon on the flanks.

But we'll see how that goes with Downing, the rumors have already started and probably won't be settled until mid-July. Stay tuned for more info on this as it comes out.

Alan Hutton has been handed a surprise recall to the Scotland squad. He's just coming back into training, and probably before he sees the field for us again, he'll trot out for Scotland. Not bad for a player who's been out for 4 months with injury.

Roman Pavlyuchenko did not exactly light up the reserve game last night, including missing a penalty, so the rumors have started again about him moving on from the club in the summer. I don't think that's going to happen, I think he's exhausted after playing for a straight year and needs a holiday, but the papers will have fun with it.

A 55 Million Pound Reserve Team?

2009-03-16T21:01:00.002-04:00

The reserves beat up on the Chelsea reserves last night, by the score of 4-0. That's good for Clive Allen and the club as a whole, but there has to be a question asked, do we have enough talent that we are sending out 55 million pounds for a reserve match, or has the club invested poorly in the transfer market?

Unfortunately I'm inclined to say that the latter is probably the case. We have a lot of talent in the team, and having certain players play in a reserve game will keep them sharp. Gareth Bale needs some time on the field to be able to improve his form, and by all accounts he did well tonight.

We also have the youngsters that need these games to be able to prepare them to break into the first-team over time, Ben Alnwick, John Obika, Danny Rose, and Andros Townsend are the perfect examples of this. Their all starting to dominate the youth matches they play, and need the time in the reserves to sharpen them up. I like the reserve system for this reason, it helps us nurture our youngsters so we don't have to go and spend large amounts of money in the transfer market.

But here's what worries me, established first-team players who are in the reserves. Bale, Ricardo Rocha, (not a first-team player anymore, but where else does he go), Gilberto, (same boat as Rocha), David Bentley, Tom Huddlestone and Roman Pavlyuchenko are all good players, but they were all bought by former managers.

These players account for 50 million pounds that the club has paid out, and how many of them are going to be with the club in the long-term? Rocha and Gilberto were rush buys in the January window, Rocha for cover in the middle, Gilberto for God knows why. Huddlestone, Bentley and Bale were all bought with the hopes that they would be cornerstones of the team, but haven't done the job this season. Pavy is still getting adjusted to the English game, but it must be a blow to the ego to be playing in the reserves.

What is the future of the those in the reserves tonight? Well, the future is bright for lots of the youngsters, Obika, Rose, Townsend and even Alnwick have futures at the club. Bale could still have a future with the club, but I don't see Huddlestone, or Bentley around for too much longer.

How should the reserve system go forward? We need to make sure the youngsters continue to get a run-out, and having the fringe first-team players getting some time on the field. But it seems very strange that Bentley, Huddlestone and Pavlyuchenko would be fringe first team players, at around 35 million pounds for just the three of them.

The transfer policy at the club has been flawed for some time, and it is really starting to show it's cracks now. The club cannot have wholesale changes, that will only make next season the same as this, struggling for results as players try to get used to playing with each other. But the club has to be careful as the season ends and the transfer window opens again. We're already being rumored to be buying Kenwye Jones again, McGeady the Celtic winger, and a host of other players. Harry should spend wisely this summer, he's of course going to buy players, but he shouldn't be buying a whole new squad. Given some time, some of these players in the reserves might even come good, we just need to give them some time.

Tell me what you think of our transfer policy. There will be an article later this week where I examine the transfers in the club over the past couple of seasons, and the staggering amount of money we've spent on players that haven't exactly panned out, and those that have as well.

Hutton to Begin Training & Defoe's Not Far Away

2009-03-16T11:00:00.003-04:00

Alan Hutton is expected to begin training with the team again this week, possibly even on Monday. He has been sidelined since November with a foot injury, and his return to the squad will give Harry another option at right-back.

Since it seems that Harry gets nervous about the pace of Corluka against the speedy wingers, ie Ashley Young, it will be good for Harry to have Hutton as a choice against those wingers again, instead of slotting in Zokora who was overmatched yesterday.

There are still rumors about Hutton moving on in the summer, but I think in the last couple of months to the season he'll prove that he has a place at the club. I don't expect him to be in the squad against Chelsea this weekend, but he could make his return against Blackburn after the international break.

On other injury news, Jermain Defoe is close to beginning training again. I would expect to see him back in training next week, and possibly making the bench versus Blackburn. Jermain has made a good recovery from his foot injury and I am excited to see him back in the side, he was doing well before the injury. I am curious if Harry will have the same reservations about playing him and Keane together, I think that they could be a good pairing, we would definitely have pace up front then. We'll see what Harry has in store soon.

Happy Days at the Lane Again?

2009-03-16T10:47:00.002-04:00

I think we all can agree that yesterday's victory was a sweet, and that the team are on a good run of form. The major problem that we've had all season is inconsistency, once Harry took over we popped up for a bit and then struggled again. You were never sure which Spurs side you were going to get.

But I am going out on a limb and saying that things have changed. With 11 points from our last 5 games, we are starting to show the form that we were all expecting at the beginning of the season. I was especially happy with yesterday's performance, Villa have been in the place that I think we all expected to be in, and we showed our class against them.

The midfield is starting to come together, and I know that Jenas is still a sacrificial lamb for most of the supporters, I am finding his performances to be better and more like they were in the 05/06 season. Palacios is providing that bite we needed in the midfield, and Lennon and Modric are providing that creative spark.

The defense is solid, and I agree with Harry when he says that when together, King and Woodgate are as good a center back pairing as there is in the Premiership. King oozes class, and it honestly hurts me to watch him play, you can see the talent he has, and the injuries just cripple and limit him. You wish you could go back to that game at Newcastle three years ago and pull him off before he hurt his knee, maybe things would be different then.

I think one of the biggest reasons for our turnaround is the return of the prodigal son, Robbie Keane. He was always a talisman when he was here before, and since he has come back we have been productive, and flashing more creativity. He's netted a couple of goals for us, but I think his contribution is more psychological than anything else. It's as if the lads believe that he can take the opportunities that are presented, they know they have a first-class striker up top, which is improving play throughout the side.

Now that we're a few months out from Harry's first transfer period, I say the returns are pretty good. Keane and Palacios are automatic first-choices for the side, and Defoe will be competing for a spot when he regains his fitness. Cudicini might not be playing, but he is challenging Gomes and making Gomes perform better. The only dud for me would be Chimbonda, but I didn't like him on the first go round with the club either.

So, I don't want to jinx the lads, but it looks like we are finally starting to look like the team we were expecting, and it should make for an exciting last couple of months to the season.

Spurs Do In the Villians W/Player Ratings

2009-03-15T16:47:00.002-04:00

Where has this team been most of the season? We went out flying and were in great control of the game until that late goal by Carew. I think they just want me to have to start seeing a cardiologist with these late sweats in matches. Overall, a great performance by the team, I was hopeful for a win, but I would have been very happy with a draw. Villa have been great all season, but have had a dip in form as of late, and I think we caught them at the right time.

Harry had said after the Hull game that we would need four wins to make sure we stay up, we're halfway there only 3 games after he made the proclamation, not bad at all. Looking at the League, since the beginning of February against Arsenal, we have drawn 2 and won 3, and more importantly, no losses.

Our midfield was outstanding, with Lennon and Jenas really doing well dictating the play today. It seems that this midfield is starting to gel, and even our favorite whipping boy Darren Bent showed something today.

I was curious as to what Harry was doing when he put in Zokora at right-back. I guess I am still wondering, but my guess was that Zokora had more pace than Corluka to keep up with Ashley Young but it was clearly a mismatch from the start. You can't really fault Zokora, he was out of position, but just looked second-best, and I was so relieved to see Corluka come on.

More results like this will do a lot for building confidence ahead of next season. With Chelsea coming to the Lane next week, I will be hoping for a draw, they have played a lot better since Hiddink took charge, and look forward to trying to grab 3 points against Blackburn, Newcastle and West Brom down the road. Good performance overall, it was nice to enjoy a game and not sweat and swear through the whole thing.

Player Ratings:

Gomes- 7 Gomes did well overall, it seems like he has reestablished himself as the No. 1 at the club. That was not something I would have expected even a month ago, but that's how football can be. Made some good stops, and handled his area better, still is a little shaky, but he's getting there. Couldn't be faulted on the goal, unless he had come out to punch it away, but Woodgate had been winning those challenges all day. The only thing that baffled me was him chasing that wayward cross early in the first half and then letting it run into touch, giving Villa a throw. But that's Gomes now isn't it?

Zokora- 5 Playing out of position, and was torched by Ashley Young constantly. Harry was smart to sub him, already on a yellow and not able to keep up with Young he would have been trouble throughout the match if he'd stayed on.

Woodgate- 7 Would have been higher except for that late cross where he was out-jumped by Carew. He has been so solid this season, and today was no different, he contained Heskey and Agbonlahor well throughout the match.

King- 7.5 Another fine performance from Ledley. He and Woodgate work so well together in defense, you can only imagine where we would be if Ledley didn't have his knee problems. Did a good job of controlling play and patrolling the middle.

BAE- 7 If there was an award for most-improved player this season, BAE would certainly deserve it. He was my whipping boy, and I still doubt him at times, but he has been solid in the last month and a half. Did well containing Milner today, and only had one true lapse in concentration, with that give away in the first half. Is getting to be pretty solid, and combining well with Luka.

Lennon- 8 Another performance from Aaron that should have Fabio Capello thinking. He made Luke Young look bad throughout the match. Great ball in on the JJ goal, if he keeps popping in balls like that, there will be nothing defenses can do to stop him short of fouling him. Also had a great shot that was inches wide, which would have totally iced the game for us.

Palacios- 6.5 Not Wilson's finest performance in the shirt, but he did well. He made good tackles and helped control the middle of the park, but his dribbling and passing were a touch off today. Still better than most holding midfielders even on an off day though.

Jenas- 8 My Man of the Match. Did well to be in the box for the early goal, something he needs to do more of. Had several other shots that looked good and did very well controlling play in the middle of the park. Tackled well, helped close down Ashley Young when needed, and his passing was crisp and creative today. Combined well with Lennon and Keane, and looked like the player that was in the England squad several years ago.

Modric- 6.5 Not the best day for Luka, but not a bad one either. Had some good movement and passing, the only real fault I have is he probably should have squared the ball to Keane or cut it back to Bent in the first half instead of taking the shot himself. A good shift, he's showing he has the mettle to handle the Premier League.

Keane- 7.5 He's really regaining the form that he had before he left the club in the summer. Dropped back and picked up play, had good passes and a couple of good shots, though I don't think the second goal would have gone in without Bent's help.

Bent- 7 A surprisingly good game for Bent. Was in the right place for the goal, but more importantly, he made good runs, fought for the ball and was active throughout the game. One of his best performances of the season, I was pleasantly surprised.

Substitutes:

Corluka- 7.5 Came on in relief of Zokora, and barely put a foot wrong the rest of the match. Young was almost completely shut down after Corluka came on. Even got forward and had some good play, which wasn't really needed, but is nice to have from your right-back.

O'Hara- 6.5 Came on late for Modric to help kill off the game, and played his role well. Made a couple of passes and got the ball clear, which is what was needed.

Spurs Lineup Versus Villa

2009-03-15T11:20:00.003-04:00

Harry has kept Darren Bent in the starting lineup against Villa today. I guess that will be good, as the pace of him and Keane could give Knight and Davies problems. The only changes Harry made was to bring back BAE over the woeful Chimbonda and to have Zokora start in the right back slot in place of Corluka. Let's hope it's a winning side.

Lineup:

Gomes

Zokora, Woodgate, King, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Bent, Keane

Substitutes: Cudicini, Corluka, Dawson, O'Hara, Bentley, Huddlestone, Pavlyuchenko

Spurs News for 3/14

2009-03-14T11:47:00.003-04:00

The lads seem to be confident heading up to Aston Villa tomorrow. The team has few injury worries to deal with, with Hutton and Defoe being the only ones out with injuries, and both are expected back in training relatively soon.

The players are saying all of the right things ahead of the match with Villa, with Ledley King and Harry talking about how Spurs need to follow Villa's example of how to go about the League next year, with the same results hopefully to follow. It seems to be a love fest between the two clubs, so I am expecting a fierce battle tomorrow, nothing dirty, but good hard football.

Tom Huddlestone has discussed his uncertain future again at Spurs. He said that you never know what will happen in football, and isn't sure of what his future will hold, even though he has four years left on his contract. He also stated that he would expect "a number of changes" at the club in the summer, which would seem strange. I have a feeling some new players will come in, but only a few will be leaving, but Tom is more in the know of course, so we will see.

Harry has reiterated that he will be the one making transfer decisions in the summer, and he alone, unlike in prior years. He also said that he won't be selling Luka Modric & Aaron Lennon in the summer, which will be good news for the club.

I'm expecting a similar lineup to the one we've been using in the last couple of weeks. My only real question would if Darren Bent will start again, or if Roman Pavlyuchenko will get the nod tomorrow. Here is my early lineup for the club tomorrow:

Gomes

Corluka, Woodgate, King, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Keane, Pavlyuchenko

Substitutes: Cudicini, Dawson, Chimbonda, Huddlestone, Bentley, Zokora, Bent

King's Future with Spurs

2009-03-14T09:11:00.002-04:00

Ledley King is almost universally beloved by Spurs fans, and it has pained many of us to watch him struggle with knee injuries over the past couple of seasons. As his contract concludes next year Harry has been quoted as saying he should be a Spur for life. But what is Ledley's future to be?

With the season winding up and our fixture list not nearly as congested as before, this is allowing Ledley to play in almost every match for us. When the League reverts to a normal, once weekly fixture list, it fits in well with Ledley's ability to get on the field. As next season comes along, we will not be in Europe and our fixture list will be less congested, I am wondering what the best role for Ledley would be.

I believe that his best role would be as a League-only player, much like he's been throughout this year. Having him focus only on the League will take some pressure off of him to try and be fit for other competitions. Let Dawson and Woodgate be the first choice center-back pairing for any cups, or Europe if we get back there at some point.

This would allow Ledley to bring a calm to the back 4 in the League, which should always be the priority for the club, and give Dawson a chance to have regular playing time as well. Most midweek League matches would also have to be manned by Dawson, but this should give all the players in the center back rotation a good number of games, without tiring out too man of them.

Ledley had so much promise as a player, if he would have stayed fit I would think he'd be challenging to be a first choice center back for England at this point, but that is not too be. By focusing on one competition this will allow Ledley to stay as active as possible, and contribute to the club, without compromising his health. If Harry were to deploy this strategy, and I think that he is already thinking along these lines, we will be able to see the King at the Lane for several more seasons.

The Usual Gang of Suspects

2009-03-14T01:55:00.002-04:00

With only a few games left in the season, and more importantly the games that we have occurring a week apart, we shouldn't have too many problems with players being fit for the game each week. Now of course since I've said this, the injury bug will hit us, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that will not be the case.

The question becomes with the way the games are spaced out, what is our best team, and what is our best squad? Who is going to be left out of the squad each week and find themselves playing their football in the reserves for the rest of the season?

Harry is starting to find a team that is somewhat regular, and I feel that it is a side that he is going to stick with as the season goes on. The biggest competition and unkown on the pitch would be in goal, where Gomes has been playing better, but will still be challenged by Carlo Cudicini. I think Harry is trusting Gomes more and will stick with him in the nets until he has a clanger of a game, which with Gomes is never far off.

We have a clear back four, in Corluka, Woodgate, King and BAE. The fact that the games are so spaced out over the rest of the season is so important for Ledley, as has been mentioned in many articles as of late, the time in between matches allows him to recover and play regularly in the back. As well as Dawson has played this season, King brings a calm to the back 4 that just isn't there other times.

It seems that Harry is starting to find a midfield that he likes, with Lennon on the right, Modric on the left, with Palacios and Jenas manning the middle. Modric is given free reign to drift infield as he wants to create for the team, with Jenas and Palacios providing the bite that Harry wants in the middle of the park. It has been an effective pairing in the last couple of matches, and I think that as they play together more these 4 will become more comfortable with each other.

Up top, the obvious play is of course Robbie Keane and I think that Harry is going to pair him with Roman Pavlyuchenko usually. Harry played Keane with Bent last week and it didn't seem to go too well. The pairing of Keane and Pavy seemed to work well against Boro, and especially against Villa this weekend, the combo of size and guile that the two have will trouble the Villans center backs.

Now that we have a starting 11 basically established, let's think about the bench. As we have loaned out players in the last week, we have cleared the decks somewhat, but we still have a plethora of players for spots basically to sit on the bench. In the back, the loser of the competition between Gomes and Cudicini each week will be the deputy, so no surprises there.

In the way the substitutes are always set up, there are two places on the substitutes bench for defenders, and lots of competition for those spots. The obvious reserve is Dawson, who has played well throughout the season, and our only reliable center back in reserve. The question comes in between Pascal Chimbonda, Gareth Bale and in a few weeks Alan Hutton back in contention for a place in the squad. So three players for one spot, who will win? Sadly I don't think it will be Gareth Bale. He has fallen down the pecking order with Harry and I think that we won't see him much on the field for the rest of the season. Hutton will challenge Corluka for the start at right-back in a few weeks, with Chimbonda being the utility man in reserve for the defense.

The biggest competition for places comes in the midfield. Three spots on the bench for midfielders usually, and look at the options we have to fill them. Zokora, Huddlestone, Bentley,& O'Hara are all quality players. Harry's faith in Zokora seems to be unflinching, so we will see him on the bench most of the time I feel, with Hudd, Bentley and O'Hara competing for places. No matter how you cut it, a quality English player will be left to languish in the reserves through the rest of the season, but we have to do what's best for the club don't we? I think more often than not the two substitutes will be Huddlestone and Bentley, with O'Hara being the odd man out.

Finally, up top, where we were so thin earlier this season, we now are spoilt for choice. Bent is the obvious choice for the reserve striker at the moment, but in a few short weeks Jermain Defoe will be back to fitness and if he isn't in the starting lineup, definitely expect to find him as the first striker off the bench, sending Bent to the reserves and away from the club in the summer. The other forgotten man is loanee Frazier Campbell, whom I don't think we'll see wear a Spurs shirt again. His loan move will be over soon and he'll head back to Manchester, not exactly having lit up London, but also not given too much of a chance.

So that's the usual gang of suspects we should have pulling on the shirts over the next two months. There will be some very good players not even making the squad on a regular basis, which in the long run is good for the club because of the competition for places.

Bentley's Nightmare of a Season

2009-03-13T15:29:00.002-04:00

This was certainly not what David Bentley had in mind when he moved to Tottenham this past summer from Blackburn. His big money arrival was trumpeted throughout the English press, and the fact that he was coming to play for his boyhood team just made the story all the more compelling.

But the feel good story of the summer went south when the season actually started. I was curious where Bentley was going to fit into the side when we bought him, but decided to see where Ramos deployed him. But the fact that Bentley came into the club, to seemingly challenge the place of Aaron Lennon, motivated Lennon to become the player that we've thought he could be and therefore banished Bentley to the left-side, where he is ill-suited at best, or worse the bench.

Short of the wonder goal that he scored at Arsenal, we have seen none of the quality that he displayed at Blackburn last year. In fact, the flicks that used to serve him well have done nothing to endear him to Spurs supporters, as most often these flicks have been intercepted by the other team.

I think the low point for him had to be last week, first in the Carling Cup, when he was brought on only because Lennon cramped up, and then missed the penalty that he stepped up to take. To follow that up, when he was announced as a substitute against Boro in the middle of the week, the supporters booed him, and I suspect Harry wasn't going to bring him off the bench unless his life depended on it at that point.

Where has it gone wrong for someone who was recently in the England squad and hyped as the next great English right-winger? Well the first answer would be having to play on the left side. It is tough to work your way into a new team even when you are playing a position you feel comfortable in, much less on the opposite side of the field. Yes, professionals should be able to play with both feet, but as clearly demonstrated by Pascal Chimbonda against Sunderland that is not the case.

I think part of the problems could also stem from the fact that he was a purchase by Juande Ramos. When he was relieved of his duties, I am sure many of those players that he signed were left thinking "What now?" as Harry came into the club. Luka Modric has come on strong, but he has been shuffled around the field as Harry has looked for his best position, and he's been the best of the signings.

Look at the returns from the other Ramos imports. Gomes has been a shambles in the nets for us, and though he is rebounding a bit, I don't expect to see him at the club next year. Givanni Dos Santos was another high profile coup for Ramos, and has found himself on the outside of the squad looking in since Harry came in. Vedran Corluka has acquitted himself well as our right-back and I think Roman Pavlyuchenko will become a good striker for us over time, but the results haven't been there this season.

So Bentley is a square-peg for a round hole to use a cliche. He is not Harry's player, and most of us were aware with some of his attitude problems at the beginning of the season, which didn't endear him to Harry we are sure. I have little doubt than when Harry was complaining about players who didn't "get stuck in" or have "the heart and fight" that the club needed he was pointing the finger at Bentley, who seemed more concerned with flicks and tricks than tackles at the beginning of the year.

The rumors are all over that Bentley is on his way out after just one season, with the Villans being the likely destination for him. Is that really necessary? How little patience are we showing if we are ready to run a player out of town after just one year? I will admit I am not a huge fan of Bentley, I like all fans have my favorite players, and he isn't one of them, but the stick that he has received is not fair. I think in many cases he has been made the scapegoat for the troubles that have plagued the club all year.

I don't think we are going to see Bentley playing in a Spurs shirt next year, I think Harry's mind has been made up, but I feel bad that he hasn't had time to settle and show us what he can do. He is a talented player, which is probably the most frustrating part of this ordeal. He can hack it, but just hasn't so far. Over time Bentley will probably look back on Spurs year as a nightmare, and so will many of the supporters.

But I don't want us to be too hasty in showing him the door this summer, because if Liverpool make an audacious bid for Lennon, and offer him Champions League football, he might want to leave, no matter how much Harry insists he will keep our big players at the club. He could become like Michael Carrick, a player who wants to move on even if we want to keep him, and we might have to let him go. At that point, we would definitely need to keep Bentley, because given an extended run as the right winger, he could be a player for Spurs after all.

Gareth Bale Should Be the Next to Move

2009-03-13T15:16:00.003-04:00

With the news of loan signings galore coming out from the club today, I want to propose another player to go out on loan for the rest of the season, and that would be Gareth Bale. The other nineteen year-olds in the squad have moved out for the rest of the season, and I believe it would benefit Bale to go for a bit as well.

Harry doesn't rate Bale as a defender right now, especially with how BAE has turned into a decent footballer throughout the year. When he rested BAE against Sunderland, Bale wasn't even in the squad and Chimbonda looked atrocious as the left-back, who didn't play the ball with his left foot at all.

Every Spurs fan, and most other supporters know of Bale's infamous record with Spurs in Premier League contests. I can't blame him too much as he was injured through most of last year, and when he was playing this year it was mostly for Ramos and we all remember fondly the beginning of the season, don't we? I don't think Bale is going to see the field too much more this season, with the lack of fixtures now BAE will be fully rested before each match.

By allowing Bale to go out on loan until the end of the season, we are not admitting defeat in signing him, we are developing him as a player. Let him go back to Southampton for the rest of the season and watch him help fight to keep the Saints up. Or allow him to go somewhere near the playoff picture, such as Preston North End, who were rumored to be interested in Gunter, and let him fight for promotion.

He was the "next big thing" when he was in the Championship, and by honing his skills for two more months he might be able to make a dent in the side next year. Having him stay at the club with little hope of seeing the field will just delay his development, and sadly some supporters may boo him like Bentley against Boro, and further erode his confidence.

Let's see Bale get some quality time on the pitch and hope he becomes that player we were fighting Manchester United for two years ago. Think about it Harry and Mr. Levy!

The Lads Are On Their Way

2009-03-13T15:02:00.002-04:00

More news that will raise the eyebrows of Spurs fans today, though not in a bad way. Having seen Adel Taarabt go out on loan to Queens Park Rangers this morning, we now have news that fellow 19 year old Giovanni Dos Santos has been loaned to Reading until the end of the campaign, and is in the squad to play tomorrow, as is Taarabt for QPR.

I say this raises eyebrows because of how quickly this went occurred for both players. Chris Gunter's loan move had been speculated on since January, and had reached fever pitch this week before he went out on loan to Nottingham Forest. Neither Taarabt or Dos Santos had been mentioned as going out on loan, but I think this is very good for both players.

I talked in an earlier post today about how having regular first-team football will benefit Taarabt, and I believe the same is the case for Gio. His confidence has been destroyed this season, and even though he scored a good goal in our last UEFA Cup game, he often disappeared on the pitch, when he was there at all.

Taarabt has a lot of flair, but needs to become acquainted with the physical nature of the English game, and playing in the Championship will certainly do that for him. For Gio, he needs to get used to the physicality of the English game as well, but he must also get used to the speed at which the game is played. He has pace aplenty, but hasn't seemed to use it when we've seen him this year, and by playing with Reading he will get a chance to "stretch his legs" so to speak.

My question is, where will he play? Stephen Hunt occupies the left wing for them currently, and most Spurs fans remember him being linked with the club in January because of his good form. Could Gion play out wide right, or as a withdrawn striker? Gio's main competition for the right wing position would be the Mali international Jimmy Kebe, and his competition up front would be Shane Long, Kevin Doyle and Leroy Lita.

It was clear with the number of fixtures that we had remaining in the season that Gio, Gunter and Taarabt would not be playing regularly, if they even made the bench, so this works well for the club. Send out three 19 year-olds to get some experience and hopefully they can make an impact on the club next year, or in Gio's case make him more attractive to potential buyers. Good move by Harry and the chairman, this will help the club.

Spurs Team News 3/13 & Taarabt Flies the Coop

2009-03-13T10:42:00.002-04:00

In a surprising piece of news, if for no other reason than there has been no hint of it in the papers in the past couple of days, Adel Taarabt has gone out on loan to QPR until the end of the season. This was said to be the rumored destination of Chris Gunter who wound up at Nottingham Forest on loan. QPR are mired in the middle of the Championship table, but a good run of form could have them competing for the playoffs. He will join ex-Spur Wayne Routledge so I would expect Adel to play more in the middle of the park.

This is a good move for Adel, he is only 19 and needs first team experience, just like Gunter. The moments of promise he's shown us this season are good, but he needs consistent first-team football to develop, and this loan move will give him that. Hopefully he'll come back a more complete player next summer. I think he will at least make the bench against Southampton tomorrow, but he may also be thrown straight into the mix, we will see.

Harry has insisted that our big stars will not be moving on this summer. He specifically means that Luka Modric & Aaron Lennon won't be sold. They will be tempted by Champions' League football, but I think we can hold on to them.

Javier Saviola is facing a possible exit from Real Madrid this summer, and our beloved club has been linked with a move for the striker. I like Saviola just fine, but do we really need him at the club? With Keane, Defoe, Pavlyuchenko already in the fold and possibly Obika coming into the first team as well, I wonder if he will be happy facing at best a rotation system, and at worst warming the bench at the Lane. The thing he has going for him is that he has been a good soldier as a reserve at Madrid.

The last bit of news that I have for now is that Alan Hutton is expected to begin training with the club again on Monday, after being out with a foot injury since November. I would expect to see him on the bench for the club soon, although I think the match against Chelsea will be too soon for him to be back in the squad. But it will be good to have him back, and the only long-term injury we will still be dealing with will be Defoe who is expected back soon as well.

How Spurs Can Beat Villa

2009-03-12T21:43:00.003-04:00

The lads have been on a good run of form in the past couple of weeks, especially in the League. A good win against Boro, a late winner at Hull, and a saving grace goal from Keane at Sunderland have seen us move away from the relegation zone. Now comes the hard part, Villa this weekend, and Chelsea the next.

Villa have seemed to tire as the season has gone on, and have dropped important points, especially against Manchester City in the past month. Injuries and the low number of players that Martin O'Neil have used throughout the season have started to drain the squad. I think that if there ever is a time to take points from Villa this could be it, and what follows will be my ideas on how to beat the Villans, or at least try and scrape out a draw.

The first thing that must be done is to play Robbie Keane and Roman Pavlyuchenko together up top. They have formed a good combo, especially against Boro, and Villa seems to struggle against active forwards who track back, like Elano in the Man City game, the role that Robbie thrives in. The combo of Curtis Davies and Zat Knight will struggle against the pace of Keane, and if Pavy is in a groove they will struggle with him as well.

Villa's strong suit is their midfield, and we must run out a side that can compete with it. Of course Lennon, Palacios and Modric have to be in the midfield, and I think that with the way they have played lately, I would have to put Jenas in the side as well. I am guilty of being a JJ fan I know, and I think that the recent midfield lineup has been solid for the club, and can stand up well to Barry, Petrov, Young and Milner.

If Ledley King is able to run out on Sunday, and all indications seem to be that he will, he will be a good match for Emile Heskey and I am confident that Woodgate can stand up Agbonlahor with few problems.

The keys to the match will be the play of Gomes, if it's not a clanger, we could be okay, and also the play of our fullbacks, namely Corluka and BAE. If they get forward in some crucial spots and watch Barry and Young down the flanks, we have a shot.

What do you think? Can we squeak out a win, or a draw? Or are Villa going to break their winless streak against us? Tell me what you think.

Could Our Left-Wing Problem be Solved In-House?

2009-03-12T21:18:00.002-04:00

Any Spurs fan knows that our personal hell is the left-wing position for the club. It has been years since there has been an out and out winger on the left side of the club. We have tried various options, but haven't actually bought a new left-winger. We've already been linked with the Celtic winger in the summer, and I've also brought up the name of Adam Johnson of Middlesborough as a possible replacement, but could the problem possibly be solved in-house without having to spend big money?

The two names that I have in mind regarding this option would be Jamie O'Hara and Gareth Bale. Jamie has been a quality player for us this season, and at times has looked good going down the left-hand side. He doesn't have the speed of an out-and-out winger perhaps, but he can pass and whip in some crosses when in the proper position. I don't know if Harry is sold on this option, but he has deployed Jamie out wide several times. He is young and can grow into what role is presented to him at the club. He wouldn't fit as the traditional winger, but could possibly serve the club well. If he was to work on some speed training in the summer, he could be viable option out wide.

The other main option would be Gareth Bale out wide. We all know of Bale's shortcomings in defense, but the times that he has been placed as a winger has been some of his better performances this season. When he was at Southampton he had played on the wing as well, and could whip in a cross. His problems have been defensive in nature, shutting down defenders and being caught too far up field in a counter-attack. As a winger, he still has defensive responsibilities, but they are mainly tracking back and helping the defender, not having all of the pressure upon his shoulders. He and BAE could form a possible combo, but the possibility of both of them getting caught out is a scary thought. He has a strong shot, and is a better passer than most think. This could be the way that he develops, allowed to embrace his strengths while working on his weaknesses in training during the week. It could be a possibility.

The other two options that are possible but I don't think are likely in the long-term are Luka Modric and Jermaine Jenas out wide. Modric has been playing out on the left flank as of late, but he mainly drifts infield as the match progresses, and leaves the flank for BAE to patrol mostly. He does play some out wide, but I think he is wasted out wide, he has less control over the game and when he is in the center he can dictate play. I think that Harry doesn't think he can handle the physical play in the center of the field.

The other option would be to have JJ deployed out wide, like he was for England last year. He could play this position, but he drifts too much and would probably do the same thing as Modric and drift inwards during the match. I think when JJ is concentrating he can be a great player, but he is better suited to the middle of the field.

So those are some of our options on the left flank, and we could possibly have some answers without having to buy a new player. I don't think that Harry will stick with these players as the answer, he has already had the time to look at them and I think has decided that help will need to come from outside the club, but these are options for the future.

Spurs Team News for 3/12 & What is Harry On?

2009-03-12T12:32:00.002-04:00

Just some quick little bits of team news today as we all start to gear up for our big trip to Villa Park this weekend.

The biggest news is that Chris Gunter has finally secured his loan deal, and not at QPR like many thought (including me), but instead has gone to Nottingham Forest. Like I've said before, this will be a good move for Gunter in the short-term because he needs to be out on the field on a consistent basis, which he will be able to do with Forest. This will season him and help him come and challenge for a place next year possibly.

The other news is Harry being quoted in various sources, including Soccernet, saying that the club cannot buy young English talent like when Martin Jol was in charge because the younger English players aren't up to snuff. I am a fan of Harry, and I think he is going to do some good things with the club, but I have to disagree with him on this.

First of all, the last crop of British youngsters haven't even been ushered through, Aaron Lennon is only 21 years old, and so is Tom Huddlestone. It's hard to be looking for more young English talent when what you consider to be the last wave have just reached their twenties!

Players like Adam Johnson from Boro are said to be up and comers, but he's 21 like Lennon and Huddlestone. Jamie O'Hara hasn't even fully broken into the team yet, so I still feel that these players are the current crop of British youngsters. Granted, of the players that are on the radar for the club, very few are English, but I think that also has to do with clubs wanting to keep their home-grown talent, and we have to remember we've got some talent in the youth and reserve squads currently.

So let's give this crop a little time before we move on to the next set of 18 and 19 year olds, what we need in the squad are players who have some time under their belts in the League, in their mid-20's and getting close to their prime to help us move up the table next year.

What If a Spurs Nightmare Comes True?

2009-03-11T20:16:00.002-04:00

As a Spurs fan we have a couple of nightmare scenarios floating around right now, the foremost being that we are relegated. I think that nightmare is now something that will not come to pass now, but there is another nightmare we could face.

Arguably one of the players of the season for us has been Aaron Lennon. He is finally showing the talent that we all saw three seasons ago, that led to his selection for the World Cup. He is becoming more of a complete player and I feel that over the summer he will work on his crossing and be one of the best winers in the country by next year.

But the rumors of Liverpool putting in a bid for him are starting up again. I am confident that we can keep Aaron at the club, but Liverpool can offer Lennon a lot, a Champions' League place, a chance to win major trophies, and probably a pay increase. If Liverpool were to offer 20 million pounds, I am scared that the chairman would sell him on. I am hoping everyday that does not happen, but we have to think about what our contingency plan will be if that does come to pass.

The first option of course would be David Bentley. I was curious what was happening last year when Ramos bought a right winger to go with Lennon. If Liverpool were to come in for Lennon Harry would have a ready made replacement, if he hasn't already sold him on to Villa.

The other option I would think of would be to give Adel Taarabt a longer look at the right wing. The times that we have seen him this season he has shown some flashes, and really made me wonder why Ramos didn't even give him a squad number. He's young and stays on the ball a little too long, but those are things that can be corrected over time, especially working with the first team for an extended period of time.

Of course we could sell Bentley and Lennon and go looking for another player to have acclimate to the squad, which knowing our lot could possibly happen, but let's hope not. Lennon is clearly one of the most important players in the squad, and he, Modric & Keane can be a great base for the midfield and strikers, let's just hope that Mr. Levy understands that when Liverpool are waving the checkbook at us, money doesn't always bring happiness, or replacement players!

Spurs Have Been Interested in the Wrong Boro Winger

2009-03-11T19:56:00.003-04:00

It looks more and more likely that Boro will be going down to the Championship for the first time in a decade, and they will be a selling club if that comes to pass. Of course we will be linked with Stuart Downing if this occurs, as it happens just like in every transfer window. But I am thinking that we have been asking Boro for the wrong winger. There's nothing wrong with Downing, except that he disappears in big games and is way overpriced. I think that Spurs should be looking at Adam Johnson.

Johnson is a gifted left-winger, and has shown some moments of brilliance, but has found his way blocked by Downing. He has played out of position on the right-wing and still shown some moments of flash. He would be someone that Boro would want to keep, especially if to balance the books they must sell Downing. But, Johnson has shown that he can play in the Premier League, and is very young, only 21 years old. We have been linked with the Celtic winger McGeady in the past couple of days, and while he looks good in the highlight reels, I think that Johnson will be the better buy, especially if we can pry him from Boro for around 8-10 million pounds. I would think that 6 million would be a fair estimate, but I think Boro will ask for more because of his potential.

The other reason I would be nervous about McGeady is his reputation for being a bit of a hot head and having bust ups with both teammates and his manager. Harry has wanted people with fire, but I think this is too much fire for me. Johnson seems to have an even temper, and two young English wingers in he and Lennon could really be something special on the flanks in the coming years.

How Much is Boateng Worth?

2009-03-11T08:32:00.002-04:00

Borussia Dortmund are wanting Spurs to lower their asking price on Kevin Prince-Boateng. Boateng is now injured and is out for the rest of the season. Dortmund are wanting a deal on Boateng, they know we want to offload him and this injury makes it convenient for them to play hardball with us.

Boateng is another player who came in with high hopes at the club, and was either ineffective or not deployed properly, depending on who you ask. Seeing him go off on loan in January was good for him, it gave him a fresh start and allowed him to regain his form. Spurs are wanting to get rid of Boateng, it's a badly known secret, so this injury allows Dortmund to haggle over the price. We bought him for just north of 5 million pounds 2007, I'm not sure what the chairman will be asking for, but I think 4 million pounds would be a fair offer, but the question now would be if he would pass a medical, or run into the same problems that we had with Giovanni Dos Santos' move. The last thing we need is another player stuck in the reserves who was sold, but the deal fell through, and they know they aren't wanted at the club, it doesn't do a whole lot for morale does it?

Spurs Stars to Exit Without Europe?

2009-03-10T21:43:00.002-04:00

We have been somewhat spoiled here at the club over the past couple of years with being in the UEFA Cup. Yes, it is the ugly stepsister to the Champions' League, but it is still a European competition, which I am sure has helped attract some players to the club. Now that it is almost assured that we will not be taking part in the new Europa League next year, will we have any players who want to make for the exits?

The UEFA Cup is not the Champions' League by any stretch, and I doubt players are so enamored with playing in that extra competition that they will want to leave, but if European competition from other clubs is offered to them, would it make it easier for them to want a change?

Two perfect examples would be Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon. Both are world class players that can shine on the stage that Europe brings, and if clubs like Liverpool, and Juventus come in for them in the summer, dangling Champions' League places, will they still commit their future to the club? I would certainly hope so, but I know that there is a price for every player. I didn't think Robbie Keane would make a move last year, but the price was right, but that is a bad example since he's back now. But if Liverpool came to Mr. Levy with a 20-22 million pound offer for Lennon, it would make the chairman consider it, and probably tempt Aaron into a new challenge.

I truly hope that's not the case, if WE want to play in the Champions' League, we most hold onto our stars that can thrive on the European stage, such as Modric and Lennon. Robbie has committed his future to the club now it seems, and Ledley King is the heart and soul of the club, so I would doubt they would be moving on. But to get back in Europe next year and ideally compete for a League title one day, we must hold onto these players, no matter the price, because whomever we would buy to replace them would be a poor man's version at best of the player that we had just sold on.

On a separate note, it looks like David Bentley will fall up so to speak, into Champions' League football next year, or at least the Europa League. With Harry seemingly set to sell him, the rumors have been hot and heavy that Aston Villa would be happy to end his London nightmare. That is something impressive, fail at one club and go to another higher up in the table.

Can Spurs Finish in the Top Half?

2009-03-10T15:43:00.002-04:00

Wilson Palacios has been quoted in various sources today saying that he believes that Spurs can finish in the top half of the table. A month ago I would have asked for a drug test on the lad, now? I'm still not so sure, we have been playing better as of late, 2 wins and 2 draws in our last 4, but it is saying a lot to try and finish in the top half of the League this year. We moved into 12th place after our draw against Sunderland on the weekend, and we are oh so close to be nearing that 10th spot, but we have some interesting fixtures coming up. Away to Villa, home to Chelsea, how much do we fancy our chances, even with Villa seeming to have lost the plot?

It says something about the team that we are moving up the table, but it also says something about the League and how tight it is when a win and a draw can move a team up the table rather quickly. When we went to Upton Park in December, West Ham looked to be in a lot of trouble and now they've been in the top half for an extended run. I'm still not sold that we will finish in the top half. If we do, I will dance in the streets with the way we've looked at times this season.

The only way we are going to finish in the top half is if we have a consistent lineup put out by Harry that is allowed to gel. Every time I think we're finding something that might work, Harry goes and changes it again, and it takes a half of football to adjust to everything. For the run in to the season to help consolidate our position, here is what I would put out on the field:

Gomes (Can't believe I'm writing this, but he has looked a shade better)

Corluka, Woodgate, King, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Keane, Pavlyuchenko

Harry has been running something like this for a little while now, but he needs to allow Pavy and Robbie to get some more time together, they looked good against Boro, and then things went off after Bent came on. If Ledley can play week in and week out we should be very solid across the back four and we might be able to finish in 9th or 10th place, but anyone who tells you we could still qualify for Europe is delusional. But here's hoping.

Spurs News for Tuesday 3/10 & They'll Pry Lennon from Our Cold Dead Hands

2009-03-10T08:31:00.004-04:00

It appears that Chris Gunter's options for a loan move have been narrowed after the Preston North End manager coming out and saying that the club aren't asking for Gunter on loan. I had thought that QPR was his most likely destination before, and think that the move will be secured before the end of the week.

Jermain Defoe is continuing to impress with his return from injury, he could be playing by the end of the month, instead of the end of April like was first predicted. Could he and Robbie Keane play together? They are similar players and Martin Jol and Juande Ramos didn't deploy them together, but maybe Harry will. If not, we will just have healthy competition for places, which is good for the club.

Aaron Lennon is reportedly the subject of another bid from Liverpool this summer. I do not see how the club can let him go, short of 20 million pounds, he's been our best attacking player throughout the season, and is really starting to come into his own, and is only 21 years old. He still has a long way to go before he reaches his full potential. Harry would be daft to let him go, and I think it's more about the papers churning a story.

It seems that almost every English club short of the Big Four are interested in Tom Huddlestone. Newcastle, Fulham, Everton and Aston Villa have all been mentioned as possible destinations for him this summer, if they all want him, what are we not seeing? I saw someone do an editorial about shifting Tom to center back last week, and that could be an option, he would certainly be a defender comfortable on the ball, but I think Tom would resist a move like that. He is still very young, like Lennon, is there anyway to get more out of him before we sell him on?

And finally, we're being linked with a move for Celtic winger Aiden McGeady this summer for around 7 million pounds. He's a young athletic player who is a fully-capped international, and would be a good fit down the left flank for the club. The only thing that worries me is that he has had several fights with his manager, Gordon Strachan, and has gotten into a fist fight with his keeper this year. But maybe Harry is looking for a fiery competitor to bring in, he has mentioned how he needs fighters before, but I didn't think he was meaning it literally.

What Young Player Will Earn His Spurs?

2009-03-09T21:55:00.002-04:00

As the season begins to wind down and though most of us are still holding our breath about where we sit in the League table, the future looks brighter than it did a month ago for sure. As the papers begin to ramp up who we will buy and sell, I have a new question to bring to the table, who among the youth players is going to work his way into the first-team in over the summer? We have a great youth team, and the U-18's have been playing very well this season, and though they might be a little too green to come into the team, there surely will be one player that will start to make an impact next season.

My best bet would be John Obika. Yes, he is very young. But after watching his performance against Shakhtar Donetsk, a team that was in the Champions' League and beat Barcelona, he certainly held his own. Yes, they were just starting their season, but Obika was powerful, held the ball up well, and created some chances and had two near misses. His play for the U-18's has been lauded all season, and his work when with the reserves has been promising as well. People might say he is young, but he is a big lad, and given a chance in the team, especially in something like the Carling Cup would allow him to settle, I could certainly see him combing with Robbie Keane or Defoe.

Another option would be Dean Parrett. He also looked good against Shakhtar, and is young and good in possession, but has a lot in his way in terms of pecking order. I would expect to see him go out on loan next year. I think both he and John Bostock have bright futures at the club, but need a little more seasoning.

Danny Rose is another player that the club has high hopes for, and as an attacking midfielder is always seen as a positive. If he can play out wide he could certainly start to make his mark in the next year, though another loan would make sense for the former Leeds starlet.

The player that for me is most likely to feature on a somewhat regular basis for the club after Obika is Doran Dervite, who is currently on-loan at Southend United. He's a strong central defender who seems to be doing well out on loan. He is someone that both Woody & King could take under their wing and mentor, and he would be excellent cover in the back. Calem Butcher is another player in this mold, but I think he is another two to three years away at only 17.

We have several players coming through the ranks, and the cupboard is certainly not bare for the club, though I have no doubt we'll still be buying in the transfer window. Who do you think will make that jump to the first-team over the next year?

Roman Wasn't Built In a Day

2009-03-09T20:46:00.003-04:00

Roman Pavlyuchenko has insisted in the papers today that he has no plans to leave Tottenhamin the summer, even with the competition from Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe. There haven't been that many rumors about Roman moving on, even though he hasn't really settled at the club. He has mentioned his fondness for Manchester United, which most can understand, though I don't think it was the best idea to reveal that before the Carling Cup Final.

Much has been said and written about Roman's lack of prowess in front of the net this season, but I want to defend the big Russian. He was brought in at the very last minute this summer and had no preseason to work his way into the team. He also had come from the Euros and a Russian season and hasn't had any extended time off in over a year at this point, which certainly does something to the body over time.

Given some time to rest in the close season, and to have an entire preseason to be able to learn how to play off of Keane and Defoe, I think Roman can be the large target player that we had in Mido several years ago. He has a surprising touch for someone so big, and looked to be creating a rapport with Defoe before his injury. In the Boro game he also showed some understanding with Robbie, which is promising.

The other problem that Roman has had is that he has not been able to have an extended run in the team with a consistent lineup, something that has plagued the entire team this year. As Ramos and Harry have tinkered to get results, the chemistry has never been created that a team like Aston Villa has created through the year.

When Roman came in he was deployed as a long striker, with Modric playing off of him, and then in a partnership with Darren Bent. He has also been deployed in a combo with Frazier Campbell (who will be back on his to United, and another loan spell with another team at the end of the year), Defoe and Keane. That is quite a few lineups and combos to have to work with, and this has been on a constantly rotating basis for someone adapting to a new country and a new style of play has overwhelmed him I think.

I'm not saying he isn't without faults, he could be much stronger in the air given his height, but I think we'll see a different player next season. All of the supporters who have come down on him in the last few months should be willing to give him chance, because I certainly don't think we're going to sell him and Bentley for a loss this summer.

Spurs News for Monday 3/9, Plus Be Fair to Bale

2009-03-09T06:50:00.003-04:00

Not a ton of news today coming out from the Lane. The first thing that I noticed in the papers today was that Chris Gunter is a popular target for Championship clubs wanting to take him on until the end of the season. The two most likely teams to secure his services are Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers. I've been saying for awhile that Gunter needed to go out on loan to get some experience, and I think QPR is the most likely place for him to wind up at. Getting some actual playing time through the end of the season will help Gunter's confidence and help get him ready for preseason next year.

I was thinking about Gunter last night, and I realized that Gunter and Gareth Bale are the same age. With Gunter we say that he is inexperienced and needs some seasoning, but with Bale many supporters have already labelled him a flop for the club. Granted he has not set the world on fire, but he is still very young. He came to the club with a load of hype, and we fans expected him to be the answer we've been looking for at left-back.

I am wondering why Harry hasn't thought about sending Bale back out on loan again. He is not even making the squad as of late, and he's still a very young and talented player. Given some more time and taking a little pressure off of him will allow him to work on his game. He could still be a very good left-back or even a left-winger with some time. Perhaps letting him go back to Southampton would help him get his confidence back. What we as supporters must realize is that he is young and shouldn't be writing him off just yet. What do you think should happen with Gareth?

On some more good team news, Defoe is almost ready to come out of the cast that's been on his foot since the end of January, and he might be able to come back into the side before the end of the season, lending a boost to Harry, and putting Bent possibly out of the team for good.

And finally, Harry is saying that the difference between Robbie Keane's performance here and at Liverpool is that he feels "loved" here at the club, and that there is a comfort factor involved that allows him to play more freely. I agree with that, and also he doesn't have a 20 million pound price tag hanging over his head like he did at Liverpool.

Summer Clear out at Spurs, and Other Team News

2009-03-08T17:35:00.003-04:00

Various papers have begun the transfer speculation for Tottenham early. Well, the papers are always speculating, but the Sunday Mirror believes that Harry wants to raid his old club Pompey in the summer for three England internationals. The Mirror believes that Harry will try to bring Glen Johnson, David James and Peter Crouch to the club. Harry is also said to still want Kenwye Jones of Sunderland, Stuart Downing of Middlesborough, and Joe Cole of Chelsea to overhaul the squad.

After seeing Downing and Jones play us this week, I don't really think I would want either of them coming to the club. Spurs have been infatuated with Downing for years it seems, and I've never been too impressed with him. He tends to disappear way too often, if we were going to go after and English left-sided player I would much prefer to have Joe Cole than Downing. Also yesterday, Jones was pretty much shut down by Jonathan Woodgate in the match. He strikes me as a decent player, but not someone who would be worth 13 or 14 million pounds, which was the rumored price in January.

What also strikes me about these rumors is the number of these players who've just signed new contracts. Johnson signed a new deal with Pompey in January, as did Jones, and Peter Crouch just came to Pompey in the summer. Downing signed a new 5-year deal last year as well, and though we know in football that deals are ripped up all of the time, it does seem strange that we would buy so many who've just signed new deals.

If Pompey or Boro were to be relegated, I would expect some of the players rumored to be targets to come into the club, if for no other reason than to balance the books. The most likely player to come to the club would James I would think, though I would like Niko Krancjar for the left side, but I think he will hold out for Champions League football.

Almost all of these players were rumored targets during the January window, and I think Harry will have a few surprises for us in the summer window, though I don't think wholesale changes need to be made, maybe 2-4 players coming into the club, just some fine-tuning, because we have quality in the squad.

In other team news Alan Hutton seems to be nearing full fitness and might make his return to the field before the end of the month, though he is one of the rumored clear-outs this summer, which I think is a mistake. He's a solid right back, and if given a chance through the end of the year, could definitely show the grit that Harry is looking for.

In the final piece of team news that I have for the day, Harry has agreed with me that Aaron Lennon does have one flaw to his game, and that is his service, which I've been saying for some time. If he was to improve on his crossing, he would be one of the most dangerous players in the Premiership in my opinion.

Bentley's Days as a Spur are Numbered

2009-03-08T08:28:00.003-04:00

The rumors of David Bentley moving on from the club in the summer are reaching fever pitch, with Aston Villa being reported as his landing spot. I feel bad for the lad, he was a great player at Blackburn, but has not shown that form at all here at the club he supported as a boy.

Bentley's highlight this season was clearly that wonder goal he struck against Arsenal just after Harry took over as manager at the club, and has been downhill ever since, reaching it's peak in the last week when he missed the penalty in the Carling Cup Final, and the supporters booing him during introductions against Boro on Wednesday night.

As much as I would like to say that he can change things around and become a Spurs hero over time, I think that he needs a change at this point. This has been a nightmare for him, and his confidence looks to be absolutely at a low point by now. The supporters seemed to have turned on him, and once that happens, the player should start packing his bags.

Harry doesn't think he can hack it at this point, and would probably let him go for around 8 million pounds, and with the way that Lennon is playing there's little chance that Bentley is going to get an extended run in the team that might be able to restore his confidence.

Better Late Than Never, Spurs Secure a Point, w/Player Ratings

2009-03-07T11:54:00.002-05:00

I went to watch the only Premier League fixture of the weekend, and it looked like a Sunday League match broke out at times. Some of the mistakes on both sides looked like my team on the weekend, but I won't say we were lucky to get a point, there were some extended moments of good play from us, and there was some very good play out of the Black Cats as well, so all in all I think a draw is a fair result, though I'm sure the Sunderland fans will feel hard done by that.

It seems Robbie is starting to get his touch back, and I am glad for it, we have over a week now to rest players and get ready for the trip to Villa Park. This is the type of result that is needed to make us a better side, down a goal late and still fight back to earn a draw.

Player Ratings:

Gomes- 6.5 Couldn't be faulted on the first goal, a clear mixup in the defense and a great first touch by Richardson really left Gomes in no-man's land. Handled his crosses pretty well, and even came out strongly once and won the clearance, so who know's maybe he's becoming the player we thought we were buying, but the jury is still out.

Corluka- 6 Vedran played pretty well, he's getting forward better in combo with Lennon, and was pretty solid in defense today. A bad tackle leading to his caution, but I would have left him on and pulled off Chimbonda late on.

Jonathan Woodgate- 7.5 Handled Jones well all day, I didn't really see him put a foot wrong all day. Even his caution was a smart play I thought, making sure the break was stopped so the defense could recover. Won header after header and never looked too bothered.

Ledley King- 7 A solid effort from Ledley, had a very good chance to take a goal, and I don't think a striker would have been able to do much more. Could have been called for a penalty late on, but I don't think so, he was solid throughout and hopefully will be fit to play against Villa.

Chimbonda- 4 Give me BAE over Chimbonda any day. If you play on the left side, you should use your left foot more than once throughout the match. Took some stick from the Sunderland fans, and I bet it was well-deserved. Went down with the slightest of touches, was slow in the break, an awful performance to me. Early on I wondered if he thought he was still playing for Sunderland, every ball he seemed to be playing found it's way to a Black Cat. I'm not sure what Harry was thinking, but let's hope he doesn't think it again.

Lennon- 6.5 Was probably our most dangerous attacking player today. Had some great runs, and a good shot in the second half, but his delivery was lacking again. If he can only get that straightened out what a player he will be.

Palacios- 5.5 Not Wilson's finest match with us by any means. Didn't look comfortable all day, scattered passes throughout the field and wasn't solid in the tackle at all today. Even with an off day passing I'll take him over Zokora though.

Jenas- 5.5 The problem with JJ most of the time is he doesn't look for that probing pass. Played decently today, but whenever he gets a pass, he looks for the square option, and not that probing through ball that we needed today. Was a deserved substitution, I was wondering if he was starting to run out of gas as well after the last week's schedule.

Modric- 6 Luka looked a little uncomfortable all day. I can't believe I'm saying this, but he had much more of a connection with BAE and could use him to play off of. You could clearly see he and Chimbonda had no connection at all. Had a couple of moments, but after his performances in the past week this has to be considered disappointing.

Darren Bent- 5.5 Redeemed himself late on with the cross for Robbie's goal. But seriously, that first chance he had in the second half should have been buried. Had several chances, but by far the worst one was that one, he had so many options, chip the keeper, slot it home, and instead sent into the cheap seats. I kept wondering when he was going to be substituted.

Keane- 6 Came up big for us late on. Tracked back like he is apt to do, and tried to be involved all day. Didn't have many chances, but took the best one he had. I think he skirted the issue a little bit with some of the times he went down, and I'm one of his biggest fans. But did what he was paid to do and pulled it out for us.

Huddlestone- 6 A better effort from Tom than we'd seen in awhile, other than Boro. Had a great volley pass to Lennon, and a couple of other probing balls. Plays those balls that I would want JJ to. Was solid late on.

Bentley- 5.5 Had a couple of decent free kicks, corners. Didn't have a chance to get too involved, he and Chimbonda didn't link up well either. Tried hard, and made a decent tackle late on to seal it for us.

Pavlyuchenko- 5.5 Didn't have too much time to get involved, and missed a header on our only corner of the day that could have kept that play alive. I think he needs more time to get involved in the game, a cameo doesn't suit his game.

I'll take a point considering I thought we had thrown away another match, but we'll have to play better against Villa and Chelsea in the next two weeks.

Spurs Lineup for Sunderland

2009-03-07T09:29:00.002-05:00

Well just when we think Harry wasn't going to make too many changes to the squad, in come 4 changes. The back four is almost entirely different from the back four that ran out against Boro on Saturday, with only Jonathan Woodgate staying in the side. In another surprise, Darren Bent is in the starting 11 with Robbie Keane. As expected Ledley King is back in the side today.

Spurs Lineup:

Gomes,

Corluka, Woodgate, King, Chimbonda

Lenon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Bent, Keane

Substitutes: Cudicini, Dawson, Zokora, Bentley, Huddlestone, O'Hara, Pavlyuchenko.

King May Get to Go

2009-03-06T16:12:00.002-05:00

The big news that has emerged throughout the day is that Harry seems to think that Ledley King will be fit for tomorrow's match against Sunderland. This is very good news for the club, as 2 of our few away wins have come with King in the side this season. Dawson and Woodgate have been tremendous throughout the year, but with Dawson playing Sunday and Wed. he could probably use a rest, although Woody is still probably smarting with that Achilles injury, so maybe he takes a seat. Either way, this is great news for the club because Ledley does bring a calm to the back four.

Harry seems to believe that Ledley will be able to play most of the games through the rest of the season. With us out of the FA Cup and UEFA Cup we have no more midweek games, and Ledley can usually come out once a week, so as long as his knee doesn't swell up he should be out in the side a good bit in the run-in.

My question with Ledley has to deal with the captaincy. He's the club captain Harry said, and Robbie Keane is the team captain, but why wouldn't Ledley lead the team out when he is fit to play? It would be good for Ledley to be able to do that, he's been a loyal servant to the club, but either way we really have two solid leaders out on the pitch, one in the front and one in the back spurring the boys on. (Pardon the pun)

Keane's game against Boro makes me realize why Liverpool were willing to pay 20 million for him in the summer. He scored one, set up two and was probably unlucky not to have an assist or score another one. He and Pavy might be starting to have a rapport, making it seem like deja vu for Jermaine Defoe when he is fit again.

Still no word on if Corluka had a knock the other night or was just being rested, but I expect to see him tomorrow. Does this signal something with Harry that even though Chimbonda was Cup-tied and well rested he didn't play a part against Boro, with Zokora in defense. Could he be leaving again this summer?

The midfield should remain the same, they are starting to come together a little bit. Modric is creating well, and we still have the grit in the middle that we need, with Palacios and Jenas holding things together. And of course Aaron Lennon will probably be running circles against whomever is on the left side of Sunderland's side.

The match up I most want to see is Anton Ferdinand versus Robbie Keane. I like Ferdinand, but if Robbie plays the way he did Wed. night, I don't see Ferdinand keeping up with him too well.

As I said the other day I think we can get a win, but am expecting a draw, but with Sunderland only having won 3 games out of their last 10, we could have a chance. I still will say a draw, something along the lines of 2-2, but I am very hopeful we'll nick it at the end and bring the three points home and all be able to breathe easier.

My updated projected lineup:

Gomes

Corluka, King, Woodgate, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Pavlyuchenko, Keane (C)

Substitutes: Cudicini, Dawson, Chimbonda, Huddlestone, Bentley, O'Hara, Bent

Early Team News Ahead of Sunderland

2009-03-06T08:42:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow's trip to the Stadium of Light will be a massive test to say the least. Former Spur Teemu Tainio will miss the game with a knee injury, and another former Spur, keeper Martin Fulop should start in goal for the Black Cats, and he will have to something to prove to his old club I am sure.

With Woodgate back in the frame and fit again, we should have a strong defensive pairing, with he and Dawson in the middle. I expect to see Corluka back in the squad and the rest of the squad unchanged from our win against Boro.

Here's my early team:

Gomes

Corluka, Woodgate, Dawson, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Pavlyuchenko, Keane (C)

Spurs Off to Other Destinations

2009-03-05T20:44:00.002-05:00

With our form improving I know lots of people, including me, are wondering who will leave the club this summer, and I discussed whom I thought would leave the club last month. What I want to do here is focus on a couple of the players who are most likely out the door, and where they might be going, and how much we could expect to net from their sales, since we most likely will have to sell before we can buy this summer, but didn't Mr. Levy say that during the January transfer window?

Darren Bent: Probably has already started packing his bags. We paid an astronomical 16 million quid for him a couple of years ago, and there's no way we'll recoup that. But we should be able to get anywhere between 8 and 10 million pounds for him, especially with a club that is need of a striker. Everton would make the most sense to me.
Most likely destinations: Everton, Bolton, Aston Villa

Giovanni Dos Santos: The only reason he isn't already gone is because he failed his medical with Pompey. He's talked recently about wanting to go back to Barca, but I don't see them wanting him back. Pompey would still be interested, and I think a promoted club might be interested in his pace, someone like Birmingham if they come up? It will be a pretty low amount, somewhere between 5 and 7 million pounds I think.
Most likely destinations: Portsmouth, UNAM Pumas, Villareal

David Bentley: I would love to give him more time, but I'm not sure that Harry is going to. With the form Lennon has had of late there's no way he'll be patrolling the right wing anytime soon, and maybe there was too much pressure coming to his boyhood club, I don't know. I wish the lad the best and would like to keep him around, but I don't see that happening. I think we could still net 10 million for him, maybe up to 13 million, but I doubt it. Aston Villa is said to be interested, so that could work.
Most likely destinations: Aston Villa, Newcastle.

Jermaine Jenas: JJ has seemed to gotten back in Harry's good graces, and I want him to stay around. I'm that lone fan of Jenas here at the club I know, but I think when he plays well, which admittedly is not as often as I would like, he is an international caliber player. But he still might go this year, much to my chagrin. I think "The Special One" might splash out 8 to 10 million quid for him.
Most likely destinations: Inter Milan, Everton.

Tom Huddlestone: Another one who probably has started packing his bags, he's not in the first team and has a lot of people in front of him for a place. Still very young, and will be a good player someday, though I don't think he'll put on the England shirt for the senior side. Fulham were interested, somewhere like Bolton might be an option as well. Somewhere in the range of 6 million pounds would pry him from Harry rather easily I believe.
Most likely destinations: Fulham, Bolton, Sunderland, Portsmouth.

So those are my thoughts on the people I think are most likely to leave the club this summer, tell me what you think Spurs fans.

The Lads Show Some Fight, and Looking Ahead

2009-03-05T12:51:00.002-05:00

Well last night was something good for all of us Spurs fans. A 4-0 drubbing of any club, even one mired at the bottom of the table, is great. Top that off with the fact that Boro beat Liverpool 2-0 on Saturday, and I'm feeling really good about the side.

I've been able to see just about every game this season for the club, but of course last night's was not on any channel I have, or at my local pub, so our best performance happens when I had no way of seeing it. So I can't give player ratings if I didn't see it, but I have read enough of the accounts to know some people played very well, namely Lennon, probably trying to win Player of the Year from the supporters now with those two goals, Robbie looking like that player we had before he left for Liverpool, Modric creating goals, exactly what he should, and Pavy working hard and being rewarded with a goal for his efforts. Others said Jenas and Palacios were solid in midfield, and Dawson and Woodgate played well also, so overall a great performance I would think. I was worried with Zokora playing right back, but I didn't read any accounts of him bungling around, so well done.

We have 31 points now, including 2 straight wins in the League, and Harry reckons with 3 more wins we'll be safe, and I totally agree. I looked ahead at the schedule last month, and I want to do so again, with an update based on how the team is playing, and our opponents as well.

3/7- Sunderland. A big away game. We're tied on points, ahead by goal differential, I think if we can contain Jones and Cisse we'll be okay, they're midfield doesn't strike fear into me, we work hard we should get at least a point, possibly a win.
Result: Draw

3/15- Aston Villa. Martin O'Neil's side seem to be fading as the season comes down to the wire. Perhaps it's the fact that he's played so few players and they're starting to show some fatigue. I thought this was a sure loss a month ago, but now I'm not sure, we'll have to play well but we might be able to squeak out a draw.
Result: Loss (But possibly a draw)

3/21- Chelsea. I don't think all of the difference with the Blues is due to Hiddink coming into the club, but it has freshened things up, like when Harry arrived here. They look to be a better side now than they were a month ago, and I thought then we would earn a draw, now I'm not so sure. But let's hope so, it'll be a home match which will help.
Result: Draw (But we could get nipped in this one)

4/4- Blackburn. Blackburn have played better, but not too well. This will be away, but I am still confident that we're going to pull a win out of this one. A good performance will secure three points, and maybe safety.
Result: Win

4/11- West Ham. Zola has led this team well, when he took over they were near the bottom and now are challenging for Europe. What's amazing is that they have only 3 more wins than we do, a few games here and there and we'd be looking at maybe a late run at Europe. We beat them at Upton Park, and I am confident we'll do the same at home.
Result: Win

4/18- Newcastle. What can we say about this struggling giant? They've dropped points as badly as we have this year, and we were unlucky to lose earlier in the season I believe. A game at the Lane with another struggling club like Boro, we have to capitalize.
Result: Win

4/25- Man United. In 3 games against them this year, we've looked great twice and horrible once. The FA Cup was awful, but in the Carling Cup and the League we've stood toe to toe with them. The problem is this one's at Old Trafford and they'll be closing in on another title I would think. I would love a draw and dance if we got it, but I'm not hopeful.
Result: Loss

5/2- West Brom. Another home match against a team in a relegation battle. No doubt a must win, and hopefully we'll be playing well and not have to look at this game as a must-win, but still bag the three points.
Result: Win

5/9- Everton. David Moyes is just a damn good manager, isn't he? He doesn't sign a lot of flashy names, but makes due and gets results. Heading off to Goodison is difficult, and last month I thought this would be a sure loss. But I think we'll be on a run of form, so this could be a draw if we're lucky.
Result: Loss (with high hopes of a draw)

5/16- Manchester City. I think Mark Hughes' job is safe now, and they're new signings will be starting to gel by then. I thought a draw before, and I still think so, since we won they're in the fall. I would like to think of it as a win, but I'll settle for a draw.
Result: Draw

5/24- Liverpool. Our last game of the season away at Anfield. Robbie will probably get some stick from the Kop, but I think we'll play well. Until the game against Boro we'd been the only team to be Liverpool. I think the fight is gone, the League has slipped from their fingers, and they'll be concentrating on the Champions League by this point. I thought a sure loss, but a draw here would be a great way to end the season.
Result: Loss (could squeak out a draw)

I see at least 15 points for the club between here and the end of the year, with a few more being possible as well. Finishing with 46 points would be fine for me, and we'd go and get ready for next year, what do you think will happen with the club between now and the end of the year?

Official Lineup for Spus v. Boro

2009-03-04T14:24:00.002-05:00

Well the team sheet is in, and surprisingly Gomes gets the nod ahead of Cudicini. Woodgate has been declared fit to play, but the other shocker is Zokora at right back, strange since Corluka and Chimbonda seem fit to play. Let's hope it's a winning lineup.

Lineup:

Gomes

Zokora, Dawson, Woodgate, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Pavlyuchenk, Keane (C)

Substitutes: Cudicini, Chimbonda, Corluka, Huddlestone, Bentley, O'Hara, Bent

Boro:

Jones

Hoyte, Wheater, Heath, Pogatetz

O'Neil, Bates, Arca, Downing,

Aliadare, Sanali

Substitutes: Turnbull, Taylor, Alves, King, Emnes, A. Johnson, Walker

Team Update ahead of Boro

2009-03-04T08:01:00.002-05:00

No more news on if Woodgate will be fit for tonight's match against Boro, but I highly doubt it, leaving Dawson and Corluka to man the center back spots tonight. He has made the squad for tonight, but he'll face a fitness test to see if he could be a substitute, I highly doubt he'll start.

Luka Modric has silenced talk about his possible move in the summer. Speaking yesterday he said that he has no plans to leave, he's only arrived in London. Hopefully this will silence any talk about him moving to Juventus or Inter until at least the summer.

Harry has stated that Alan Hutton is only a couple of weeks away from being back in contention, after being out with an injury since October.

After being Cup-tied and having a knock on his knee Cudicini will be fit and I expect to see him start tonight, putting Gomes back on the bench.

I will have the official lineup as soon as it comes out, though I won't be able to do player ratings tonight, since no channel here in America seems to be showing the match.

Expected Lineup:

Cudicini

Chimbonda, Dawson, Corluka, BAE

Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric

Pavlyuchenko, Keane

Substitutes: Gomes, Bale, Gunter, Bentley, Zokora, Huddlestone, Bent

Players of the Season for Spurs?

2009-03-03T21:09:00.002-05:00

With the season reaching it's critical build up it's hard to believe that the season is almost over, and for us Spurs fans, it really can't come a moment too soon. If we can hold our position or push to the middle of the table, I think all of us Spurs will be happy.

But as the end of the season comes around we must think about who our Player of the Year is. I have several people to put forward for this award, and I will post my choice at the bottom, but I am also curious about whom you would nominate as our Player of the Year.

Michael Dawson: It's strange that a player who is not a first choice player if everyone else is fit is nominated, but I don't think anyone would argue with Dawson being put forth for this award. You could never doubt his effort for the club in the previous years, but he is better spatially now, and is less reckless with his tackles. He's been outstanding paired with Woodgate, and has knocked in a goal for us as well. Strong leader in the back, has played solidly, overall good soldier for the club this year.

Jonathan Woodgate: I think a lot of people are going to put Woody's name forth. Perhaps the best buy of the Ramos era, he has been like Dawson, solid in the back, has been a great stand-in captain and popped in an a huge goal against Hull last week. Has barely put a foot wrong, tackles hard, distributes well, organizes the defense well, especially in Ledley's absence.

Aaron Lennon: Has rediscovered the form that sent him to the World Cup in 2006. Has been a terror down the right side most of the year, and has scored a couple of important goals, the first against Stoke and Hull respectively. If his crossing was just a little more sharp I believe he'd be first choice for England. Made Evra look absolutely pedestrian in the Final on Sunday. His speed is something to behold, and his cuts infield have been extremely dangerous.

Luka Modric: I am sure there will be some argument about this, but Luka has started to adapt to the English game after a settling-in period. When given a license to create without too much defensive responsibilities, he has shown some of the form that he has shown for Croatia. With Palacios coming in, I believe he'll be free to roam and collect the ball all over the pitch. Some of his flicks and passes have been first class, and given a little more time he'll be a force in the side.

Our Player of the Year list will not look like many other clubs, but it has been an interesting season at the club. I believe that Woody is the Player of the Year for me, with Dawson and Lennon making it a horse race. My hope is that next year, I'll have no shortage of candidates for the award as we challenge for a place in Europe.

Now whom do you think the Player of the Year should be for the club? And is there someone not on the list that should be?