- Oct 2, 2004
- 48,271
- 47,361
- Staff
- #1
So another transfer window comes shuddering to a halt. It's a time when Spurs fans, seemingly more than any other group of fans, gather round to speculate about who we'll be selling, who we'll be buying, and who will be writing us a nice letter to say they'd rather go to AC Milan (this years winner is Klaas Jan Huntelaar).
This window the speculation was hightened due to the presence of one Harry Redknapp, a man who isn't so much as happy making a transfer or two but more someone who would rather make a transfer or two than have a night of beast with two backs action with Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie. There was always the slight concern after January that he'd only buy ex-Spurs players (and therefore lead to a dramatic return for Paulo Tramezzani) but we were excited nonetheless.
And to be fair the window did not disappoint. On SC alone we've had 410 pieces of ITK info and 8 pages worth of players linked to transfers in or out of the club....and we're quite discerning about what we allow on here. On the various 'less reputable' sites there's been approximately 7452927 players linked with Spurs this window and at least seven cases of people's eyes melting due to inexplicable links to Nigel Quashie. Perhaps the most remarkable event on our own SC was yesterday when some QPR ITK was upsettingly believed to be about our beloved Spurs and a good 20 minutes was spent by many fretting that we were trying to sign Ben Watson from Wigan.
So what at the end of all this drama and nonsense did we actually achieve? Well perhaps we should start with that fact that in this time we achieved 5 wins in a row, 16 goals, the plaudits of many pundits and bizarre comparisons to the Sir Bill side that won 11 games in a row. On the back of this you might imagine that we didn't actually need to sign anyone. But you're wrong you foolish cretin...this is the transfer window and we must sign fresh blood or else we will all wilt and die. So...on to the transfers.
Firstly we have replaced Darren Bent with Peter Crouch. Poor old Darren was never really given a chance by Spurs fans being as he was always in the shadow of Jermain Defoe (even when JD wasn't actually at the club). Despite this lack of love, and an apparent inability to control any ball that came at him faster than a geriatric walrus, he still scored alot of goals for us and I don't he deserved the abuse that he got...up until of course he opened his stupid face (or fingers) and twittered himself out of everyone's affections. Regardless of his twittery shenanigans however I'd have said Crouchie is an upgrade on Bent anyway. The man with the big feet and the lovely missus offers us something that we didn't have with Bent which is the ability to win the ball in the air and hold the ball up. We need to guard against just lumping it up to him repeatedly when he's on the pitch, but I think Saturday against Brum alone shows how useful he is to our squad.
We also brought in the brothers Kyle (Naughton and Walker) from the Blades and although Walker was quickly loaned back Naughton has looked relatively accomplished in pre-season and I suspect will get some game time this season when possible. Together with Corluka, Hutton and Chimbonda it looked briefly as if we were going to form an army of right backs designed solely to kill Stewart Downing and any other left wingers that came our way. Sadly though this plan was scuppered when we offloaded Chimbonda to Blackburn. He was the sort of signing you make on Football Manager when you get an injury and get worried you haven't got a backup backup. Still he did a job and we didn't lose any money so nobody really loses. Except Pascal himself who now has to live in Blackburn.
The major sale of the window was Didier Zokora, someone who divides opinion like marmite or Jesus. For me he was never quite good enough what with his 8 touch control, his running into blind alleys and a lack of positional ability that made Titus Bramble look efficient. But for all my criticism the guy put his heart and soul into Spurs and did improve massively after an awful first season. I'm not sad to see him gone, but I wish him and his hilarious dancing all the best.
Speaking of hilarious dancing we have clearly replaced that hole in our outfit by signing Sebastian Bassong, whose post Liverpool wiggling was both amazing and disturbing. On top of that he looks like a very good player and given the right coaching (he's still very young remember) could turn into a long term Ledley replacement (hopefully with two extra knees though).
All of that brought us to the bank holiday weekend where everything had to be included before the window slammed shut. We kicked things off in an exciting fashion by selling the fresh prince of Boateng and loaning Jamie O'Lloyd to Pompey thus making the list of players that has passed between the two clubs longer than time itself. The Prince hasn't really done much wrong but equally hasn't done much right at Spurs so getting 4m for him seems reasonable. O'Hara on the other hand, although a limited player technically, is a useful asset for Spurs in that he can cover a few positions and, perhaps more importantly, always puts in 100%. I hope he goes to Pompey, does well, and then comes back in January to help our title challenge (oh yes!).
And then today we waited...and waited...and between the waiting waited some more for some news on incoming transfers. There was Petrov, there was Sandro, there was Muntari, there was a hint of Van der Vaart and perhaps most worryingly there was a strong whiff of Anton Ferdinand. These did not come to pass however and our only deadline day signing was Mr Kranjcar whose signing officially meant that our feeder club is now Pompey rather than West Ham. As a signing I can't see how anyone can complain about him. He's proven in the Premiership, he can cover the crocked Modric (injured whilst admirably kicking Lee Bowyer) and he cost less than Danny Collins.
The only concern that yours truly has is in central midfield. Having shipped out Zokora, Boateng and O'Hara and with Modric crocked, we only have Palacios, Huddlestone and JJ. All three are fine players (Thudd in particular is doing his best to prove me wrong when I said he'd never be good enough for us) but I worry what happens if the man from Honduras gets injured (or more likely suspended). He is so important to us right now that I think an inury to him could properly de-rail us and if 2 of the 3 get injured at any one time I really don't know what we do.
On the whole however I think Harry has done well not to overly tinker with a squad that has done very well since he took over from not-so-super Juande Ramos. The results this season bare out that we already have a good team and the Doncaster result shows that we've got a decent squad to back that up.
So let's be optimistic. The window has been sedate but productive. Granted some of the posters involved in the whole debacle have been the opposite of sedate and about as productive as a blind tennis umpire. But let that not stop us from moving forward from this transfer window with hope, positivity and a slightly moist anticipation at what this current squad can achieve.
COYS!
This window the speculation was hightened due to the presence of one Harry Redknapp, a man who isn't so much as happy making a transfer or two but more someone who would rather make a transfer or two than have a night of beast with two backs action with Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie. There was always the slight concern after January that he'd only buy ex-Spurs players (and therefore lead to a dramatic return for Paulo Tramezzani) but we were excited nonetheless.
And to be fair the window did not disappoint. On SC alone we've had 410 pieces of ITK info and 8 pages worth of players linked to transfers in or out of the club....and we're quite discerning about what we allow on here. On the various 'less reputable' sites there's been approximately 7452927 players linked with Spurs this window and at least seven cases of people's eyes melting due to inexplicable links to Nigel Quashie. Perhaps the most remarkable event on our own SC was yesterday when some QPR ITK was upsettingly believed to be about our beloved Spurs and a good 20 minutes was spent by many fretting that we were trying to sign Ben Watson from Wigan.
So what at the end of all this drama and nonsense did we actually achieve? Well perhaps we should start with that fact that in this time we achieved 5 wins in a row, 16 goals, the plaudits of many pundits and bizarre comparisons to the Sir Bill side that won 11 games in a row. On the back of this you might imagine that we didn't actually need to sign anyone. But you're wrong you foolish cretin...this is the transfer window and we must sign fresh blood or else we will all wilt and die. So...on to the transfers.
Firstly we have replaced Darren Bent with Peter Crouch. Poor old Darren was never really given a chance by Spurs fans being as he was always in the shadow of Jermain Defoe (even when JD wasn't actually at the club). Despite this lack of love, and an apparent inability to control any ball that came at him faster than a geriatric walrus, he still scored alot of goals for us and I don't he deserved the abuse that he got...up until of course he opened his stupid face (or fingers) and twittered himself out of everyone's affections. Regardless of his twittery shenanigans however I'd have said Crouchie is an upgrade on Bent anyway. The man with the big feet and the lovely missus offers us something that we didn't have with Bent which is the ability to win the ball in the air and hold the ball up. We need to guard against just lumping it up to him repeatedly when he's on the pitch, but I think Saturday against Brum alone shows how useful he is to our squad.
We also brought in the brothers Kyle (Naughton and Walker) from the Blades and although Walker was quickly loaned back Naughton has looked relatively accomplished in pre-season and I suspect will get some game time this season when possible. Together with Corluka, Hutton and Chimbonda it looked briefly as if we were going to form an army of right backs designed solely to kill Stewart Downing and any other left wingers that came our way. Sadly though this plan was scuppered when we offloaded Chimbonda to Blackburn. He was the sort of signing you make on Football Manager when you get an injury and get worried you haven't got a backup backup. Still he did a job and we didn't lose any money so nobody really loses. Except Pascal himself who now has to live in Blackburn.
The major sale of the window was Didier Zokora, someone who divides opinion like marmite or Jesus. For me he was never quite good enough what with his 8 touch control, his running into blind alleys and a lack of positional ability that made Titus Bramble look efficient. But for all my criticism the guy put his heart and soul into Spurs and did improve massively after an awful first season. I'm not sad to see him gone, but I wish him and his hilarious dancing all the best.
Speaking of hilarious dancing we have clearly replaced that hole in our outfit by signing Sebastian Bassong, whose post Liverpool wiggling was both amazing and disturbing. On top of that he looks like a very good player and given the right coaching (he's still very young remember) could turn into a long term Ledley replacement (hopefully with two extra knees though).
All of that brought us to the bank holiday weekend where everything had to be included before the window slammed shut. We kicked things off in an exciting fashion by selling the fresh prince of Boateng and loaning Jamie O'Lloyd to Pompey thus making the list of players that has passed between the two clubs longer than time itself. The Prince hasn't really done much wrong but equally hasn't done much right at Spurs so getting 4m for him seems reasonable. O'Hara on the other hand, although a limited player technically, is a useful asset for Spurs in that he can cover a few positions and, perhaps more importantly, always puts in 100%. I hope he goes to Pompey, does well, and then comes back in January to help our title challenge (oh yes!).
And then today we waited...and waited...and between the waiting waited some more for some news on incoming transfers. There was Petrov, there was Sandro, there was Muntari, there was a hint of Van der Vaart and perhaps most worryingly there was a strong whiff of Anton Ferdinand. These did not come to pass however and our only deadline day signing was Mr Kranjcar whose signing officially meant that our feeder club is now Pompey rather than West Ham. As a signing I can't see how anyone can complain about him. He's proven in the Premiership, he can cover the crocked Modric (injured whilst admirably kicking Lee Bowyer) and he cost less than Danny Collins.
The only concern that yours truly has is in central midfield. Having shipped out Zokora, Boateng and O'Hara and with Modric crocked, we only have Palacios, Huddlestone and JJ. All three are fine players (Thudd in particular is doing his best to prove me wrong when I said he'd never be good enough for us) but I worry what happens if the man from Honduras gets injured (or more likely suspended). He is so important to us right now that I think an inury to him could properly de-rail us and if 2 of the 3 get injured at any one time I really don't know what we do.
On the whole however I think Harry has done well not to overly tinker with a squad that has done very well since he took over from not-so-super Juande Ramos. The results this season bare out that we already have a good team and the Doncaster result shows that we've got a decent squad to back that up.
So let's be optimistic. The window has been sedate but productive. Granted some of the posters involved in the whole debacle have been the opposite of sedate and about as productive as a blind tennis umpire. But let that not stop us from moving forward from this transfer window with hope, positivity and a slightly moist anticipation at what this current squad can achieve.
COYS!
