After a pretty disappointing January transfer window, devoid of any of those big money signings that us fans tend to get frothy at the mouth for, we’re left to analyze and decry a rather strange bunch of signings. Arsene Wenger plumped for yet another 19-year-old nobody, Man United bought Scholes out of retirement to add some steel to their midfield, whilst Tottenham signed Everton’s Louis Saha.
The latter signing probably caused the most confusion and indignation amongst fans. Many people on Twitter claimed that Louis Saha’s move to Tottenham was part of Harry Redknapp’s Insanity defense and even the most avid Spurs fan was left to question the purpose of such a signing.
After all: is Saha any better than Jermaine Defoe, Emmanuel Adebayor or Roman Pavlyuchenko? I don’t think so. It’s been a long-time since Saha was at the peak of his playing career. He lit up the Premier League whilst he was with Fulham (2000-2004) scoring 53 goals in 117 games, but failed to replicate this form for Manchester United.
He was then moved on to Everton in 2008 where he has stayed since, scoring 27 goals in 97 appearances for Everton. That’s a goal every four games, hardly a smashing return for a top-class Premier League striker.
Let us contrast this with the stats of Jermaine Defoe, a man regularly linked with a move away from White Hart Lane during January. During Defoe’s second-stint with Tottenham he has scored 33 goals in 80 performances – an average of one goal every two and a half games.
Then you have to factor in Louis Saha’s age. The ex-United star is now 33-years-old and will have lost some of the pace he exhibited earlier in his career. He certainly wont be able to give Jermaine Defoe or Adebayor a run for their money.
Redknapp himself has commented that Saha “is sharp and he has got good movement”. Whilst I wouldn’t disagree with that assessment, this movement is a direct result of his loss of pace. Redknapp also fails to account for Saha’s distinct lack of goals. What’s the point of buying a striker, whether it be on a loan-deal or a long-term deal, if there’s no real evidence to suggest he’ll be able to bring the club goals?
Some fans may be content to trust Harry’s judgment, but it’d be a mistake to presume he’s infallible. Try as I might I just can’t see the logic to this signing – Tottenham are chasing a top four finish and Saha no longer looks like a top-four player. It’s as simple as that.
How do you explain Spur’s surprise signing? Is there logic behind Redknapp’s madness?
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Totally agree with your blog and you can now add Ryan Nelsen age 34, serious knee injury, played once since last April, conract cancelled by the mighty Blackburn. You might have thought we’d learned about serious knee probs by now. Has Levy gone stark raving?
Regards Baggyshorts
Sell Pav. Bring saha on loan. Keep the money for the summer, save wage and with a new coach arriving or tottenham back in CL you can attract what you want. nothing more than that.
How stupid are you? Defoe is challenging VDV for a place, he can’t lead the line!! Spurs needed a back up to Adebayor so that if he gets injured or loses form they can play in the same way, this is a very shrewd bit of business and yet all i hear is rubbish about Defoe, this signing has nothing to do with Defoe!!
Hes simply a mid season stop gap as cover for the useless Pav. He’ll be fine.
This is a ridiculous signing. Saha is vastly inferior to Defoe,Pav, and Ade. I think Daniel Levy should be thinking of trying to get Brendan Rogers from Swansea. Look what he’s done with a rather average collection of players and think what he could do with the talent at W.H.L
squad players – every heard of them?
These signings are indeed confusing, but Harry is no normal manager. What he’s done at Spurs is remarkable, and he’s done it his way. Remember two points from eight games? So while I have reservations I’ll be keeping quiet and making sure I don’t look stupid. Which is not to say I don’t share your doubts. I just think I’ll give Harry the benefit of the doubt.
As an Everton fan I can say that I am absolutely delighted that Saha has gone. He seems like a really nice fella and WAS a great striker. But he’s 33, and for a premier league striker that is over the hill territory surely?
It is not all about goals to game ratio. Pav never seemed to care og be bothered and therefore seldom made the desired impact. Defoe spends most of the game doing the impression of a rabbit caught in headlights, can’t hold the ball, too easy to shove away and can’t even do a simple thing as time a run to meet a Bale delivery the only place it could arrive. Saha is much more a combination/push’n’run kind of player – and that is the way Spurs play at the moment. I wouldn’t write him off just yet…