Despite Spurs having a wonderful start to the season and thus far thoroughly outclassing their North London rivals, it would be easy to forgive fans for feeling a little nervous.
After all, they’ve seen good starts swept away before and ended seasons without the rewards they should have done as a result. Take last season as a case in point. Harry Redknapp’s side opened up a 13 point lead over the Gunners, only to see Arsene Wenger pull off one of his old magic tricks and make up the deficit.
The worst thing new boss, Andre Villas-Boas can be now, is complacent. Like Harry, he’s opened up a lead over Arsenal and is currently in the top four. To let this lead slip two years in a row would be devastating to fans.
So how can Spurs stop their yearly rot? Why, by some smart investments of course. In particular, Spurs need a quality striker to bolster their forward line. That’s why I was disappointed to hear AVB’s recent comments regarding Leandro Damiao.
“Leandro is a player we’ve always appreciated, that this club appreciated before I arrived, but it’s extremely difficult that he’s going to join Tottenham. He’s a player that is highly rated in the market, and it’s unlikely that he will play for Tottenham.”(Source: The Mirror).
Isn’t Damiao the kind of player Tottenham should be targeting at this stage? A quality forward, with tricks, speed and finishing ability? AVB’s comments seem to be an admission that his side can’t compete for players like this and it’s disappointing to hear.
Perhaps he has other players in mind, but I can’t help but feel the striker’s role is the most important. In the same article, The Mirror link Tottenham to Sevilla’s ace striker, Alvaro Negredo. The club’s President, Jose Maria del Miro has touched down in London with the sole aim of selling his star striker and is believed to be looking for around €18m.
That’s a lot of money, no doubt, but this is a bonafide Spanish international striker we’re talking about here. Someone with the quality to transform this Tottenham side. Like Damiao, he’s the kind of target that Tottenham ought to be chasing, but this probably means AVB isn’t interest. Shame.
What’s your take? Should AVB be in the market for Damiao and Alvaro Negredo?
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Whilst I agree that we need a striker, I think, as with other managers, AVB is not going to, either tip his hand as to transfer targets, or, as I feel is the case, tell all and sundry that DL does not wish to spend big money on players. It is no coincidence that we always seem to be left behind in the transfer market at times, with late bids that have no chance of success being thrown into the public domain as a fop to the fans. DL needs to get the wallet out or I fear we will end in the same position as last year. Of course, that will also surely mean the end of Garth Bale’s time with Spurs.
Please Daniel Levy, get the coin out fast. COYS!!!!
If we don’t buy a decent striker then forget a top 4 finish.
Sell Adebayor to QPR for 7-8 million so he can re-unite with ‘arry who appears the only manager he responds to, and buy Negredo quick. With the Spaniard and Defoe we can finish top 4. Negredo can play lone striker – he’s big and powerful enough, or 442 with JD.
Levy you won’t get CL by being a cheapskate, like selling Modric and VDV and replacing them with Dempsey and Siggy. It’s a miracle that AVB has us 4th with this squad. Buy now or watch us slip….
Ur spot on spud! If we don’t buy a top quality striker or midfielder forget top 4 cos da team as it is AINT GOOD ENOUGH! So over to u levy r u gonna back AVB with quality signings or bargain basements???
Whilst we must all try to trust DL and his transfer policy,whatever that may be, it is hard to justify another Jan without adding a much needed player or two. The last few Jan windows we have dithered, and we have been, at the end of the season, found wanting. Not only that, Spurs fans must have been left shaking their heads in utter wonderment as to what has just happened. Yes we finished in a CL spot, and if not for Chelsea somehow, beyond expectation, literally pulling of what can only be described as another Knightsbridge Safety Deposit Heist, then we would have been CL bound again. However, take into account our total capitulation at the end of the season, somewhat aided by Arry’s whoring with the FA, and similar collapses seasons past and it’s not hard to see that; when we begin to struggle, we should use the one opportunity we get to strengthen in weak areas to at least attempt a solid, if not cavalry charge, Light Brigade style, attack on Europe.
In all honesty, Chelsea didn’t rob us of a spot in the CL, we donated that position to first Arsenholes, and finally to Chelsea. If we are going to be considered a top team then we must begin to behave like one. Keeping players like Garath Bale is difficult enough as it is. Players of his ability need to feel that they are capable of fulfilling their desire for silverware. Like it or not, sportsmen, and women all have one thing in common; they want to succeed at the highest level. To do that they need to be with the right people, be they trainers, coaches or in the case of team sports-persons, the right team. Can we as a club really hope to convince Garath Bale that he can fulfill his ambition with us??? We must ask ourselves this: would any of us commit our best years to something, or someone, when they themselves were either, not willing, or able to give the same level of commitment.
For too long we have huffed and puffed and failed miserably when it came to blowing the house down.
Of course DL cannot go out and chuck money around like Man City, but then again, does he really have to? I don’t think he does, Negredo isn’t, as far as I know, demanding astronomical wages. Nor for that matter is Daimao. So why is it that we seem to always bulk at the prices clubs quote for players we want? As I myself do not have the requisite business acumen to answer such a question, maybe someone else who does will answer that for me.
“Trust DL” I hear oft said. Trust DL I have tried, tried and cried, sorry, tried again. I will try again and I will of course be left to cry at our failure once more. Oh me of little faith. COYS
totally agree mate regarding all teh above but in particular the money issue. DL & Spurs are and have been for a few years one of the few clubs who have operated in the black regarding transfers for the past 5 years. We have a fair bit of dead wood to shift sell jenas – £5m, Bentley £5m gomes £5m, Adebayor £10m Livermore £8m thats 33m generated from players hardly used! plus the £10m or so we have left from rafa and luka sales! thats £43m. Buy Moutinho (20m) Willian (15m) and Negredo / Damaio (either would prob be circa £15m thats an outlay of 50m but with sales and cash available only really £7m!! for the addition of those 3 worldies with a midfield of moutinho, dembelle, lennon, bale and willian just in front that would probably be the best offensive front 6 in the PL! COYS X
Just sell Ade to QPR and buy a striker?
And while you’re at it, can you sell Bentley and Jenas to Manchester Utd?
Sometimes, I think some of my fellow Spurs fans are simply stupid.
Ade’s salary is subsidized by City. If sold, the buying team would then be responsible for his entire wages. Do you honestly think that QPR are going to pay 120K for a striker with 2 league goals this season? Or Ade is going to have a relegation clause written in which will decrease his salary if QPR go down? Like it or lump it, we’re probably stuck with him until 2015 – just like we’re stuck with Bentley and Jenas. We pay them more every week than anyone else is going to pay them and all they do is have to show up. Seriously, would you be different?
Do you have any idea what our financials look like? Try Googling them and ask you accountant or your mum (whoever is better qualified) to explain them to you. We are not a profit-making club. We sell to break even. The only time we have made a (small) profit in the last seven years was our one CL season and, even then, only barely as most of the increased revenue was paid out in bonuses and extra wages.
Grow a brain, FFS.
Levy please think of team moral as well this window.Just work bring in Negredo and Son Heung-Min now.please!
May I just say Justin, if Spurs end up in the same position as last year, they qualify for Champions league, so why would Gareth Bale leave. To be honest I don’t see Bale going to Real Madrid they are in free fall with Ronaldo and Mourinho wanting out and Modric with splinters in his backside
LOL!!! Splinters in his backside!! I honestly did roar at that. I hope you’re correct there mate but I fear we are in danger of freefall, without the parachute. If we lose Bale as a result of not reaching the CL it would be a total nightmare.
By same position I meant Europa Mug!!
Every transfer window is the same old story for us Spurs fans and it’s about time it changed. We are always left waiting and waiting for something to happen especially with al the links in the newspapers yet it never does. Spurs fans are crying out to see a top striker join the club ever since Berbatov was sold and even worse when we first made Champions Leage. That was the time to get some good players in but as always “the tight fisted one” did nothing. My estmation of Levy has gone downhill ever since he took over the transfer windows. What does he know about players…not a lot? Why does he continually sit on his hands with his wallet locked away? It is like he has no ambition for the club and all he wants to do is spend as little as possible. I don’t think the fans will put up with this shit for much longer because they are beginning to see through his pretend bids, cheapskate buying and ridiculous valuations of players we need to get rid of like Bentley and Jenas. How much longer are these two going to pick up wages for doing nothing?
Look, as a current student studying sports journalism, the reality is that Tottenham cant just get up and sign a ‘top striker’. I understand the fans frustrations but there is more to a transfer than just giving money to another club and signing on the dotted line. A lot of stuff needs to be sorted before a player can move from one club to another. Spurs are NOT Chelsea or City- We do not have an billionaire owner bank rolling our club. We have to make sure that every penny we spend is worth it. I mean there are players like Cavani, Falcao, Damiao who could all play for Spurs but if you have City, Madrid, and Chelsea sniffing around chances are we will not be top of that list for a potential transfer target. What Spurs need to do is be smart and try our hardest to finish in the top 4. Players like Isco and Robert Lewandoski could be realistic targets but both these players are playing in the Champions League this season, if we have that advantage that just might sway certain players as its evident that we have so much potential. Players like Damiao are owned by some many different people its hard enough just getting them round a table how much more agreeing a transfer fee which needs to be split between all those different owners. In the case of Willian- Shaktar dont need the money and plus they are champions and are in the champions league all the time. Falcao and Cavani- can we realistically get them if City and Chelsea want them? Nergredo- he is a good target but at 27, is he the sort of striker we really need? Is he good enough to take us the the next level? Im not AVB so i cant really answer that but these are the questions Levy has to ask himself before he can shell out £12 million for a player. I hope we can do some business this transfer window but its easier said than done. Levy is a fan, he wants Spurs to do well, how frustrating must it be for him.
Good points mate, tbh all of our top targets (willian) exluded would probably have 2 or 3 clubs whre they could actually 1. earn a lot more money 2. win a lot more trophies. The capture of holby is a gem for spurs, he was actually quiet sought after by the goooooners but with the team we curentyly have DL needs to realise that 2 or 3 big additions (not really breaking the bank if you read my above comment) could push us onto the same level as the Manc clubs! As above for a modest outlay we could be playing CL football for at least the next 5 years and all the wealth that brings! so comon levy stop thinking like a banker and be a bit more thrifty, this reminds me of Villa in the mid 90’s when they had the chance to sign a couple of top drawer players but wouldnt pay the fees……look at them now!!its too long since we seriously challenged at the top and this could be our big opportunity with FFP coming in soon! COYS X