Being a Spurs fan must be an extremely frustrating pastime. Last season they were, statistically, the second best team in London, but the capital’s third best team became champions of Europe and snatched the Champions League spot from Tottenham’s grasp. According to the fans, pundits, journalists, commentators and casual observers, it was their lack of firepower that did for them as they surrendered a double-digit lead over their sworn enemies Arsenal to lose third place. So it was with bated breath that everyone waited for the January transfer window to see which striker they so obviously and desperately needed would be signed by chairman Daniel Levy. And they waited. And waited. And waited…
Levy is seemingly still living off the warm glow of The Signing Of The Decade when he signed Rafa van der Vaart from under the noses of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea. Great as that deal was, it was three years ago and time, like van der Vaart, has since moved on.
To fans of Spurs it was a case of déjà vu as the transfer window closed and Leandro Damiao was no closer to signing than Lionel Messi, and Tottenham’s qualification for the Champions League is hanging by a thread as a galvanized Everton lead the charge on fourth place with Arsenal and a rejuvenated Liverpool. With only two strikers proven at this level, AVB must know he’s only a flu or injury away from relying on a single centre forward, which, in this league and with the riches on offer, is bordering on criminal negligence on the part of the chairman.
You get the impression that AVB is grateful for the opportunity Levy has given him so soon after his traumatic experience at Chelsea so he isn’t about to openly question Levy’s methods, but you also can’t help but feel that the chairman has sent the manager up the proverbial creek without a paddle.
When fans purchase season tickets, club memberships and match-day tickets, they’re entering into a non spoken contract of sorts with the club that they will continue to fork out money on the condition that the money will be reinvested into the team, and by not shipping in a striker surely it is a case of that contract being breached.
While not suggesting that Spurs should become reckless with their spending and spiral towards bankruptcy, if a team has the lofty ambitions of finishing in the top four in a league with the quality of teams the Premiership has, then spending money is an absolute prerequisite and if reports that Daniel Levy offered £18 million for Damaio and was a mere £2 million short of Internacional’s asking price are true, with all that is at stake, then Spurs fans surely have grounds for feeling more than aggrieved at the way the transfer window panned out.
The last-minute bid seemed more of a half-hearted, token gesture and Levy’s reputation for being a hard-nosed chairman now precedes him. Offering less than the asking price for a player has led to him being escorted to the door more often than not. In the peculiar case of Leandro Damaio, it is generally assumed that to sign a player, he needed to at least be in the same city so he can undergo a medical, signatures obtained, hands shaken and backs slapped, so it is a wonder how all of this could have been achieved with Damaio if he was halfway across the world in Brazil on transfer deadline day!
As Levy kept his wallet firmly closed, the likes of QPR, Fulham, Stoke, Newcastle, Norwich and even Aston Villa all strengthened considerably. Lewis Holtby looks like an excellent signing but he is not a striker, and as great and relentless a player Clint Dempsey is, the midfielder is not the answer to the question Spurs fans have been asking for the past three years. Maybe someone should remind Mr. Levy that Spurs missed third place last year by one point, and an additional striker then would have surely secured that spot.
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A striker was indeed needed, we only offered 13 milion according to the broadsheets and his value was around 17million. It seems we can pay 17 for bent but not for someone who could be one of the best in a few years time. Also the player does not need to be in the country to sign, as the deal could be done subject to medical or more likely have a medical where he is. This has not been unheard off, the paper work can be done fine.
To quote AVB its a risk worth taking.Well is it still worth it ?? I like many fans felt it was not,lets hope we are wrong and you and Mr Levy will prove to be correct.I keep all my fingers crossed
If indeed we need a striker, he must be one of the best during this last 3 months of the season..not in a few years time. After all we are talking about the fear in missing the ECL by not buying during this Jan window.I don’t quite agree that, that was the reason for missing last season too. We had Ade and we had Defoe. Then we also had the ‘ non strikers ‘, like VDV, Modric, Bale, Lennon who can score goals too. Harry was such a popular figure with us ( still is ) that perhaps we do not want to even think that he might have been the reason why the Gooners caught up with us. I love that guy, but I think he got cold feet towards the tail end of the season. We stopped playing to win. We were more concerned in getting draws with those clubs chasing us to maintain that gap.We became slightly negative. Defoe was in good form but was sparingly used. Ade was playing alone upfront just to annoy the opposition. Liverpool was losing to clubs which they used to have as breakfast at Anfield. Yet we went there looking for a draw. Except for that game against Newcastle during that period, we paid the price for aiming to stay fourth. During tha beginning of that run, we were nearer to Man City and United ( points wise )compared to the gap from teams chasing us. But this season it is quite different. Perhaps we need a striker now than last year.No point in crying over spilled milk. We have to make do with what we have. With no strikers available, perhaps it is wise to be a tad bit defensive ( not by choice )until Ade gets back or Defoe somehow recovers both his health and early season form. With Kaboul out ( our fastest CB ) perhaps we should not be playing too high a pressing game. West Brom showed that Dawson and Vertonghen can be beaten with a long quick pass down the middle. Lucky for us, Lukaku had to be taken off to make way for Ridgewell. But then at least we know now that good fortune is not the exclusive property of Man United.