Spurs fans must be hugely disappointed with their start to the season. Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival at White Hart Lane should have heralded a positive new age. The former Southampton man did such a great job at St. Marys that he looked like a ‘sure thing’ for Tottenham. Unfortunately that just hasn’t been the case (not yet any way).
They’re smack-bang in the middle of the Premier League table (although it’s worth noting that we’re less than a quarter of the way through the season) and they’ve struggled against some pretty mediocre opposition. The performance that Spurs put in against Newcastle was dire to see the least.
If you’ve seen Gary Neville’s pithy dismissal of Tottenham during that game, you’ll probably have found yourself nodding along with him, despite yourself.
All Spurs fans can do is hope that their side manages to turn a corner (and soon). Luckily they’ve got the right manager to help them do exactly that.
This brings me to The Metro‘s claim that Pochettino is ‘planning’ a January move for his former Southampton charge, Jay Rodriguez. Could this English talent help Tottenham to turn things around?
There’s no easy way to answer that question. It’s clear that he’s a talented forward, but it’s not clear what kind of player he’s going to be when he returns from his injury. Is he going to be as effective as he was before he damaged his anterior cruciate ligament?
He won’t be back in action until the middle of November, so there’s no way we can answer that question now. Still, at 25-years-old, the odds are in his favour. He’s young enough that he should be able to find fitness pretty quickly, hopefully form will soon follow.
Last season Jay Rodriguez scored 17 goals in 39 games, which more or less demonstrates that he’s ready for the big time. Let’s just hope that Tottenham are ready and willing to provide him with this opportunity.
What’s your take? Should Tottenham consider making a move for Southampton star Jay Rodriguez?
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And why should Southampton sell him then? The only reason he would go is because he doesn’t want to sign a new contract. But going to Spurs – why? Hardly a step in the right direction is it. A clueless director, supported by clueless plan A only manager with a clueless bunch of mercenaries to back up a campaign for consistent mediocrity. So you tell me why anybody would want to sign for Spurs – And please don’t tell me about proud traditions, history etc. That was in the past – the future isn’t Lilly white whilst delusions of overstated grandeur pervade the rose tinted speckle view of the supporters. Develop a team from bottom up not the top down and maybe things will change – But trying to buy ready made replacements without a clear development philosophy is just going to end in tears. Levy has to learn about the meaning of the word patience , as do the fans, and allow Pochettino at least a year to prove that – he does have a plan B or he is waste of space in Levy’s eyes. So I shall await your comments with interest.
Q: Why Should Soton sell him? A: They have done well without him, he’s just returning from a major injury so there is no telling whether he is the same player. He may or may not be Koeman’s type of player.
Q: Why Spurs? A: As well as Soton are playing at present Prem History suggests it is unlikely to continue. Spurs despite their issues and I agree they are many and varied will finish in the top 7 with aspirations to finish top 4. Soton though on the rise, and playing delightful football, can not make the same claim (yet). As for the player, if he looks at his ex-teammates, they are either struggling to get a game (Lallana, Chambers) or just struggling (Lovren, Shaw) so going to play for a manager who trusts him and will use him in his best position makes sense. Whether or not he’d be a good buy for Spurs is another issue. Personally I’d rather have Benteke – unlikely after yesterday’s incident!
Levy can be blamed for his choice of managers. How much of the blame he can shoulder for player recruitment is unknown. If he backed his manager’s choices, the blame is largely with the manager. If he didn’t the blame lies with him. He is, in my mind, still the best Chairman the club has ever had.
Soton have a reputation for bringing through their kids, and they have developed some outstanding talent. But the greater the ambition of the club the harder it is to play young players.
You say Spurs buy ready made replacements and to some extent that’s true of all clubs (even Soton) but the current Spurs squad have Kane, Rose, Mason, Townsend and Bentaleb from our academy. We also have the Kyles, Walker & Naughton neither of whom where the finished article when they arrived. Add in loan players (Carroll – Swansea) (Pritchard – Brentford) (Fredericks & Velijkovic – Boro) and our development of young talent is decent.
I like Pochettino and believe given time he will get it right. However the fans need to see signs of progress to remain patient. Levy had no choice but to can AVB after the Liverpool game at WHL, the fans wanted AVB gone. Sherwood was only ever going to be a place holder. So Mr. P needs time and unless he loses the players or the fans he’ll likely get it.
So Mr. Gray there is your reply. I hope you find it worth reading. I like Soton, they play the game the right way, and I wish them success, but because of the fan base and revenue stream success is likely to be a top 10 finish each season.
Yeah…shut it dickhead…Spurs have 40 to 50 years of history…u have zero….ure only trophy is a painting cup…just cos ya no 2 for five minutes….sure dont give you the clout of one of Britains richest clubs after top four…thats why….so dont get bitter. Perhaps when someone outside theUK has heard of you and you have more than 5 supporters you can give it the biggun eh??..PEE WEE.
See you when you vanish of the face of the earth after your one whole season in the EPL dickhead!!
JR is not the complete answer to our problems. Schneiderlin is the player we would have benefited most from signing ..but instead we got another ‘back in the pack’ player, Stambouli.
Anyway, we’ve looked to Southampton enough now for players and managers (look at Liverpool). We should be learning more from Soton’s ability to rise quickly like a Phoenix from the ashes. While we continue ‘patiently’ rebuilding, rebuilding and rebuilding, and waiting years for players to either settle in or be given a chance to play, other clubs get on with it and hit the ground running. Funny how all the players we seem to crave and are willing to pay £20m+ for, were almost unknown, and available from the continent or S America a year or two back for £2m or £3m, or were merely promising players in many UK and foreign clubs’ squad systems. Where were you then, Baldini?? No ..you were off apparently swanning around at the highest end of the European game looking for the ‘big names’ that many European clubs simply wanted to cash in on! Well, we can all do that! Rather than seeking out and recognising promising young and hungry players beforehand who would actually contribute to a club/team mentality ..which is much harder but would justify your bloody wages. And a word on managers. Is it us or them? Maybe Spurs ARE a virus, and it IS all down to mentality. We’ve had some great and very good players in the past 6 or 7 years, and in many ways we’ve been a CL type club in all but actuality (apart from once, the quarters against Real Madrid, and almost twice when Chelsea and Harry seemed to conspire to rob us of the place at the top table) but we’ve wasted possibly great and GLORY years because of our lack of mental strength! Every manager we’ve had apart from Harry gained huge success elsewhere (even AVB at Porto) ..yet they suffer when they come to Spurs!? It can’t be coincidence, or them not being up to the job. Now even Koemans is continuing the Soton success, and if he gets them top six, will Spurs move for him too, to replace Poch?? And then will we watch HIM struggle with Tottenham? Spurs should study Soton’s mentality ..not cast envious eyes to their players and managers. Because THAT is what it’s about …creating and forging a real team, with a desire to bleed the club, a backs to the wall mentality. Just think how our talent then, combined with that inner strength of each player, and a more than capable manager like Poch, will finally take us to Glory!
Too right Les. Its about time the media actually woke up to the reality of the Premiership right now. Saints are the most exciting project bar none in this league, with only a couple of teams more desirable to play for and Spurs are definitely not one of them. Lets hope Jay Rod has more sense than the last lot of Saints rejects.
MARKET CAP OF YOUR TEAM….3 pence….enough said…market cap Spurs 3.4 of a billion….13 richest club in the world according to Forbes 2014…see back in now where land when ya run out of steam ha ha ha
‘Last season Jay Rodriguez scored 17 goals in 39 games, which more or less demonstrates that he’s ready for the big time. Let’s just hope that Tottenham are ready and willing to provide him with this opportunity.’
If Rodriguez has a chance of ‘the big time’, then that looks like it will be at Southampton, rather than a mediocre mid-table side.
Ready for the big time? You mean by staying where he is?
I think you’ll find there should be more than just ONE comment published on this now aging article ..including mine from about 4 hours ago. Just thought I’d mention it. How did Les Gray alone sneak in with his comments, and why is he still waiting to see what others have to got to say?
For what it’s worth I agree with most of what he says. As if signing Rodriquez would turn our whole club around??!!
Rodriguez ready for the big time, not a quarter of the way through the season! We’ve played 10 out of 38, bit more thought needed before writing nonsense
Errrrr…….ready for the big time? In that case why would he want to go to Spurs?
Pretty sure his first priority after getting fit will be trying to get in to Saints team, and that won’t be easy…….
because they are 10 times bigger…at least .