How good is Harry in the transfer market?

[gibbs131]

He was a surprise in terms of us earlier in the window being told it wouldn't happen, hence the chase for Joe Cole, then last minute Real Madrid coming back to us and saying OK, have him, £8million. He was definitely on the list drawn up by us at the start of the summer window.

Proof? Because no ITK mentioned him. Let alone a quote from HR. Let alone a rogue newspaper report. Not to my knowledge anyway.

 

[gibbs131]

Here you go Bear.

I think Gibbsy may have taken the comment made by Harry out of context.

To me reading all of Harrys words below implies that VDV was being monitored but was assumed not to be available. The surprise on Harrys behalf was the sudden price drop by Madrid.

It has been stated many times that Harry provides Levy with a wishlist and Dan the man then goes and makes it happen.

http://www.realmadridzone.com/harry...art-availability-hours-transfer-deadline/3539

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp was made aware of Van Der Vaart’s availability just two hours before the transfer market deadline, after a move to Bayern Munich was believed to have failed.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Redknapp said: “It’s still dragging on. We are just waiting to see whether it’s all gone through.”

“We are waiting for clearance. The chairman is dealing with it and Darren Eales the secretary, there is nothing more I can do now”

“I think he was going to Bayern Munich yesterday for about 18 million, but suddenly it became an awful lot cheaper.”

“He is available now for about eight million. He is a quality player. He is a Dutch international and a great footballer.”

“For that sort of money, he is a top player and he will improve us for sure. We have made the effort, whether we can pull it off or not we will have to see.”

“I am hopeful. It could happen. It was a last-minute job. When I came in this morning (Tuesday) it certainly wasn’t something I was looking to do.”

“He is a great passer of the ball, he is a top footballer. He will join in here and play the way we like to play, he would be a big plus for us.”

“He looked like he was going for 18 million but then the fee came crashing down because the deadline got close. If the chairman can pull it off, I think he will have got a real bargain.”

Thats not the quote. It was a few days ago on SSN.

 

[brett.spurs]

I don't know where I saw it or heard it, but Harry definitely recently said when we signed VDV he had no idea how he could fit him into the side, thus implying it was a surprise signing.

 

[gibbs131]

But this is a hint:

“I am hopeful. It could happen. It was a last-minute job. When I came in this morning (Tuesday) it certainly wasn’t something I was looking to do.”

 

[gibbs131]

I don't know where I saw it or heard it, but Harry definitely recently said when we signed VDV he had no idea how he could fit him into the side, thus implying it was a surprise signing.

He actually said "It was a surprise" too. I'm not even giving my opinion that he thought it was a surprise.

 

[alamo]

Thats not the quote. It was a few days ago on SSN.

Fair enough mate - that was the only one I could personally recall.

 

[gibbs131]

Anyway, HR said yes so that is good.

 

[Damian99]

the FA had to bend the rules for us to get him in.

In what way did they do this?

 

[sunnydelight786]

Have you got a link to that story Gibbsy?

Serious question, haven't seen it myself.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_6351346,00.html

 

[gibbs131]

In what way did they do this?

It went past the deadline.

Transfer season was over.

 

[DoublePivot]

I think Harry has reversed a couple of perceptions the public had of him while he's been here.

One was that he wasn't that great a coach. He actually is.

The other is that he's a wheeler-dealer.....He actually isn't. We've had less activity under him than I can remember.

He's good with youth. Not for us he hasn't been.

But you can't say that just because he hasn't been for us means he's not good at something. He hasn't had to rely on youth here. He hasn't had to pay players 5X too much just to get them to join. He hasn't had to buy and sell til he found the right mix.

So what we learn is that managers have to be adaptable to the club and climate. And in Harry's case, he's proven that he is great. At West Ham he had to rely on kids and did, and they were a top six side under him. At Portsmouth he could pay stupid wages....did.....and won an FA Cup with a historically third tier club. Here he's been given a shit load of talent and had to tweak and he's done another great job.

So the question shouldn't be whether he is good with this or that. Is he adaptable? Yes! He might be as good as Sir Alex when it comes to it.

 

[nicdic]

How do those quotes show I'm wrong? He was on our list, we were told it wouldn't happen, then Madrid came back with a much lower price. That's why it was a surprise. Not because we hadn't been after him.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

Here you go Bear.

Cheers

Thats not the quote. It was a few days ago on SSN.

I don't know where I saw it or heard it, but Harry definitely recently said when we signed VDV he had no idea how he could fit him into the side, thus implying it was a surprise signing.

He actually said "It was a surprise" too. I'm not even giving my opinion that he thought it was a surprise.

Fair enough mate - that was the only one I could personally recall.

It was the only one I could recall too. You guys aren't talking about this ITK snippet are you from someone on COYS? Down the bottom is the reference towards not knowing what to do with VdV.

http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=68669

Because if you are that isn't the same thing at all is it?

Come on Gibbsy you're usually a master of finding these links.

 

[cwhite02]

I think he's very good. I also disagree that he doesn't realise where we are and is going for players of less quality. If that were the case we'd have signed more players in the summer and would sign several in this window too. But of course people believe what they read in the papers and the sort of players we're linked with to be true. Even though Harry has signed fewer players the better we've gotten, and he has said we will only buy players who are good enough to improve the squad.

He goes after the right type of players too. He signed Palacios at a time when we really needed that type of player. Maybe now he is being left behind because our football has changed to a more expansive type, but this style of football only started to come to fruition last year. So a lot has changed since we signed Palacios. Nobody can deny how important Palacios' role was when he first came in.

He signed Bassong at a time we needed more cover at centre back. He proved to be a very useful centre back and worked a good partnership with Dawson. He's still young and needs to work with an experienced centre back for a couple more years. Just like Dawson did at the same age. He has also signed Kaboul back because he realised his true potential when he had him at Pompey. Another great move because Kaboul looks like he has world class potential.

Add to that the leadership and experience of Gallas to cover for Woodgate and for when King is out injured aswell. Speaking of leadership and experience, he has also identified this as an important area for us too. He has been actively looking at getting Parker in and now looks set to bring Beckham in. These are exactly the type of players we need. I always got frustrated with previous managers not seeing what was needed in the squad, but the same cant be said of Harry.

At the end of the day he is identifying exactly what is needed in the squad. While Daniel Levy is doing his best to bring in the players we need. Harry has said we need a special striker and as yet we haven't got one. Which says to me that he means what he says. The fact is we do need a special striker to improve on what we have. He could easily have just accepted a decent striker, but he understands that we need more than that.

Strikers he has signed have been Defoe and Keane, both of whom helped us out of danger at first. Followed by Crouch, who worked a good partnership with Defoe at Pompey. Also giving us a new dimension to our attack. Something we didn't have at the time. He probably expected more from Keane tbh, but Defoe and Crouch have helped us into top 4.

You have to consider that Harry wouldn't have known we were going to make top 4 aswell. So the level of player he could get was never going to be the highest quality. We're still not a massive club across Europe, and we're only now starting to turn heads. VDV was a masterstroke and the first established world class player we've signed under Harry, and it comes as no surprise that it came off the back of a top 4 finish.

Lets wait and see who else we bring in now that we're in the top 4. Dont believe all the players we're linked with are in fact our targets. But it does sound like Harry wants the likes of Suarez and Marin, both are very high quality players. While some may not be crazy about Beckham or even Pienaar, those 2 are still improvements to our squad too. Beckham is the leader/character Harry spoke of at Christmas, Pienaar is the technical player he spoke about a few months ago and he's going real cheap.

I love the style of football Harry has got us playing, and i'm confident he'll add the right players to keep us playing that way but also add a cutting edge to our attack.

Nice post mate. I'm loving being a Spurs fan more than ever, I never thought we would reach the levels of CL footy after supporting us for all of these years.

Harry is a big cog in the machine that is Tottenham Hotspur, and for that I thank him and believe he's done a fantastic job to date. Long may it continue (well until England come along and snap him up )

COYS

 

[gibbs131]

I think Harry has reversed a couple of perceptions the public had of him while he's been here.

One was that he wasn't that great a coach. He actually is.

The other is that he's a wheeler-dealer.....He actually isn't. We've had less activity under him than I can remember.

He's good with youth. Not for us he hasn't been.

But you can't say that just because he hasn't been for us means he's not good at something. He hasn't had to rely on youth here. He hasn't had to pay players 5X too much just to get them to join. He hasn't had to buy and sell til he found the right mix.


So what we learn is that managers have to be adaptable to the club and climate. And in Harry's case, he's proven that he is great. At West Ham he had to rely on kids and did, and they were a top six side under him. At Portsmouth he could pay stupid wages....did.....and won an FA Cup with a historically third tier club. Here he's been given a shit load of talent and had to tweak and he's done another great job.

So the question should be is he good with this or that. Is he adaptable? Yes and he might be as good as Sir Alex when it comes to that.

I think HR is amazing when he has one competition to worry about.

I don't think he is good with 3 comps and a large squad because he starts to act a little queer. (Bentley on the left, Sandro left at the Airport, young Boys away etc)

Between now and the second AC Milan game is where IMO we will lose ground in the Prem. He tends to look past games to the big ones, and that can lead to us losing points to minnows.

I'll get proven right or wrong over the next 2 months. If he get through this period and we are still in title contention, I will bow to the feet of HR and renounce my claim he is a small time manager. I think beating AC is a big ask. I don't care who is in charge, I don't think the team can swing it. So I'm not judging him on that. The prem, when we have 2 other comps to worry about, is where the big managers tend to show their stuff.

 

[Donki]

I think HR is amazing when he has one competition to worry about.

I don't think he is good with 3 comps and a large squad because he starts to act a little queer. (Bentley on the left, Sandro left at the Airport, young Boys away etc)

Between now and the second AC Milan game is where IMO we will lose ground in the Prem. He tends to look past games to the big ones, and that can lead to us losing points to minnows.

I'll get proven right or wrong over the next 2 months. If he get through this period and we are still in title contention, I will bow to the feet of HR and renounce my claim he is a small time manager. I think beating AC is a big ask. I don't care who is in charge, I don't think the team can swing it. So I'm not judging him on that. The prem, when we have 2 other comps to worry about, is where the big managers tend to show their stuff.

Do you not thing Spurs finishing top of there group with most goals scored against good opposition (other groups were easier) was a big ask while still keeping us in the top four? Ok Inter aren't what they were last year but they still have good players.

Yes he will be judged on his league form and rightly so, I for one will be standing by him and giving him and the team the best support possible, I dont wanna be the one saying "I told you so" or the one grinning cause I predicted a fall it does nothing for the club or the supporters. Im sure this isn't what you'd be doing but thats the way it comes across as you have mentioned it on a few threads.

As for the signings he has made for us, why dont you listen? Is it that hard? He is looking for QUALITY! Players that will coem in and make the difference, not the kind of signings he made before, he is smart enough to know they wont cut it we have enough squad players. The difficulty with the players that he wants is the price, the wages and teams like City and Chelsea blowing us out of the water as well as inflating what players feel they should be earning in England.

 

[gibbs131]

Do you not thing Spurs finishing top of there group with most goals scored against good opposition (other groups were easier) was a big ask while still keeping us in the top four? Ok Inter aren't what they were last year but they still have good players.

Yes he will be judged on his league form and rightly so, I for one will be standing by him and giving him and the team the best support possible, I dont wanna be the one saying "I told you so" or the one grinning cause I predicted a fall it does nothing for the club or the supporters. Im sure this isn't what you'd be doing but thats the way it comes across as you have mentioned it on a few threads.

As for the signings he has made for us, why dont you listen? Is it that hard? He is looking for QUALITY! Players that will coem in and make the difference, not the kind of signings he made before, he is smart enough to know they wont cut it we have enough squad players. The difficulty with the players that he wants is the price, the wages and teams like City and Chelsea blowing us out of the water as well as inflating what players feel they should be earning in England.

The loss to young boys took HR's eyes FIRMLY towards the CL after that. That is my whole point. He did great because that is where he was focussed.

Look at Everton: We have a cup game on the weekend, and we already lost a midweek game. Look at the run we had before Everton: No distractions, and we went on an unbeaten run.

I'll be proven right or wrong anyway. I'm sticking my neck out after all.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

The loss to young boys took HR's eyes FIRMLY towards the CL after that. That is my whole point. He did great because that is where he was focussed.

Look at Everton: We have a cup game on the weekend, and we already lost a midweek game. Look at the run we had before Everton: No distractions, and we went on an unbeaten run.

I'll be proven right or wrong anyway. I'm sticking my neck out after all.

Didn't the unbeaten run contain two champions league games in the middle of it? Bremen 3-0 and Twente 3-3. Either side of the Bremen win we beat Arsenal 3-2 and Liverpool 2-1.

Seriously, what the fuck are you talking about? :lol:

 

[Spurger King]

Didn't the unbeaten run contain two champions league games in the middle of it? Bremen 3-0 and Twente 3-3. Either side of the Bremen win we beat Arsenal 3-2 and Liverpool 2-1.

Seriously, what the fuck are you talking about? :lol:

In opposite world Gibbsy makes perfect sense. I've given up trying to extract logic from his posts...in fact I'm pretty sure his posts are the product of a random sentence generator that someone accidentally left on at work.

 

[danielneeds]

The point is Gibbo, you are "sticking your neck out" on something that is mere common knowledge.

All managers struggle with juggling competitions, even the best of them all, Lord Fergie has at various times through the years. This is Harry's first time doing it, so what can anyone expect?

The point is in, January we are still very much in the hunt for all three, and he should be applauded.