Kaboul wants to go to Pompey

[paul_m2k5]

Zokoras passing stats this season have been very impressive -the past few games they have been in the 90's and I think someone posted that against Reading he had a 100% pass rate.I think your bias towards him has blinded your judgement because he has shown a great deal of improvement this season!

Lets be honest mate,he couldn't really get any worse than last season could he.
So you saying he has improved is an over statement.

 

[Kendall]

Pretty sure Zokora's passing and tackling has been excellent.

I don't want my defensive midfielders to pass the ball further than 10 yards, nor do I want them to be able to shoot. I want them to keep it simple and break play up, Zokora is doing that and it seems that Ramos agrees with me.

 

[SpurSince57]

:shrug:

That's what he says. Here's a pretty free translation of the interview. I won't claim it's 100%, but at least it's better than Babelfish.

Football.fr: Younes, la saison se termine en Angleterre, quel regard portez-vous sur votre première année à l'étranger ?
Younes Kaboul: Je dresse un bilan globalement positif de ma première saison à Tottenham. J'étais venu ici pour rejoindre une équipe particulièrement ambitieuse, qui souhaitait intégrer le quatuor de tête de la Premier League, mais tout ne s'est pas passé comme on l'espérait. De mon côté, j'ai joué 31 matches toutes compétitions confondues, j'ai participé à l'aventure en Coupe de l'UEFA, et surtout j'ai beaucoup appris de cette première expérience en Angleterre.

A titre individuel, le départ de Martin Jol vous a fait du mal...

C'est certain, puisque c'est lui qui avait souhaité me recruter, malgré ce que certains
médias anglais ont tenté de faire, en m'utilisant comme intermédiaire dans une guerre imaginaire entre Jol et Damien Comolli, le manager des Spurs. Certains journalistes anglais ont raconté que Comolli, qui est Français, m'avait fait venir sans l'accord de Jol, ce qui est parfaitement faux puisque les deux se sont toujours très bien entendus au sujet du recrutement. Martin Jol m'avait supervisé durant les deux derniers mois de la saison 2006-2007 avant de me faire signer à Tottenham. L'arrivée de Juande Ramos a tout changé...

"Ramos ne me fait pas confiance"

Que s'est-il passé précisément ?
Eh bien Juande Ramos ne me fait pas confiance, tout simplement. A partir de là, lorsque vous n'avez pas la confiance de votre entraîneur, les choses ne peuvent pas se passer idéalement dans un club...

Younes, now the English season has finished, how do you rate your first year abroad?

Overall, I can make a very positive assessment of my first season with Tottenham. I came here to join a particularly ambitious team which wished to break into the quartet at the head of the EPL, but things didn't go as we'd hoped. For my part, I played 31 matches in all competitions and took part in our UEFA Cup adventure. I've certainly learned a lot from this first year's experience in England.


For you as an individual, Martin Jol's departure was bad news...

Absolutely, since he was the one who wanted to sign me, in spite of what sections of the English media tried to do, which was to use me as the subject of an imaginary war between Jol and Damien Comolli. Some English journalists said that Comolli, who is French, had signed me without Jol's agreement, but that is completely false, since the pair of them always got along very well on the matter of recruitment. Martin Jol watched me during the last two months of the 2006-2007 season before bringing me to Tottenham. With Juande Ramos' arrival, all that changed. He doesn't trust me.

What happened, precisely?

Ramos has no confidence in me, simple as that. And when you don't have your coach's confidence, it's hardly an ideal situation at a club...

De fait, votre avenir semble bouché à Tottenham, allez-vous quitter le club ? Oui, il n'y a aucune autre solution. Comme je vous le disais, j'ai énormément appris de cette saison, j'ai beaucoup progressé, principalement dans l'appréhension des matches et en terme de maturité. Je ne veux pas perdre mon temps alors je veux quitter Tottenham.

Pour aller où ?
J'ai plusieurs opportunités et cela me fait particulièrement plaisir. Il existe des contacts avec des clubs français comme depuis plusieurs saisons. L'Olympique Lyonnais voulait notamment me prendre l'hiver dernier avant de se tourner vers Jean-Alain Boumsong... Il y a aussi eu le PSG, puis l'OM. Mon agent a également reçu des propositions de Hambourg, en Allemagne. Mais je dois vous avouer que ma grande priorité aujourd'hui, c'est de rester en Angleterre, un championnat très excitant où les meilleurs joueurs du monde évoluent. Newcastle s'intéresse à moi, je ne le nie pas, mais je souhaite rejoindre Portsmouth.

"Portsmouth et Tottenham doivent négocier"

Votre choix est-il arrêté ?
A l'heure qu'il est, oui, mon choix est fait. Portsmouth est une équipe très ambitieuse, qui aura bientôt un centre d'entraînement à la pointe de la technologie moderne et qui cherche à construire une équipe sur le long terme. Les derniers recrutements effectués (Lassana Diarra, Jermaine Defoe, Milan Baros, John Utaka ou Sulley Ali Muntari) prouvent leur volonté de venir bousculer l'ordre établi depuis quelques saisons dans le championnat d'Angleterre. De plus, Harry Redknapp, qui est là depuis 2005, est un entraîneur symbole de stabilité et ça me convient tout à fait.

Peut-on dire aujourd'hui que vous évoluerez à Portsmouth l'an prochain ?
Malheureusement non. Moi, je souhaite aller là-bas, mais les deux clubs doivent négocier et se mettre d'accord sur une indemnité de transfert. Ce n'est pas encore gagné... Mon contrat avec les Spurs se termine en 2012 donc chacun sait à quoi s'en tenir. Mon agent connaît ma position et il travaille en ce sens. Si ça ne marche pas avec Portsmouth, j'aviserai en temps voulu.

It would seem you have no future at Tottenham. Will you leave the club?

Yes, there is no other solution. As I said to you, I've learned a great deal from this season. I've progressed a lot, mainly in my reading [best I can do with that] of the game and in terms of maturity. I don't want to waste my time, and so I want to leave Tottenham.

To go where?

I've got several options, which is really pleasing for me. There have been contacts from French clubs for several seasons. In particular, Lyon wanted to sign me last winter before turning to Jean-Alain Boumsong. There was also interest from PSG and Marseille. My agent also had an offer from Hamburg. But I've got to say to you that my biggest priority today is to remain in England, where you have a very exciting championship to which the best players of the world move. Newcastle are interested in me, I don't deny it, but I want to join Portsmouth. Portsmouth and Tottenham must negotiate.

Is your mind made up?

Right now, yes, my mind is made up. Portsmouth are a very ambitious club. They'll soon have soon have an ultra-modern training centre and they're looking to build long-term. Their most recent signings (Lassana Diarra, Jermaine Defoe, Milan Baros, John Utaka and Sulley Ali Muntari) have proven they want to challenge the order established in the championship over the last few seasons. Moreover, Harry Redknapp, who's been there since 2005, is a manager who symbolises stability, and that's something really important to me.

Can you say today that you'll be at Portsmouth next season?

Unfortunately not. Me, I want to be there, but the clubs have to negotiate and agree on a transfer fee. They haven't done that yet. My contract with Spurs finishes in 2012, so both sides know what's what. My agent knows my position and is trying to push matters along. If things don't work out with Portsmouth, he'll let me know at the appropriate time.

 

[yanno]

SS57 - thanks for that translation.

My reading of it is that Kaboul thinks (rightly or wrongly) that his relationship with Ramos has broken down, so he wants to move somewhere he's going to play. The rationale for his speaking publicly would be to force Tottenham's hand: ie to make us sell him because he's "disgruntled" rather than keeping him as a squad/backup player. It's a shame because I'm with the majority of SC which sees genuine potential in Kaboul and would like us to keep him.

I'm not sure how insightful any of Younes' particular comments are though. I was especially amused by: "Harry Redknapp, who's been there since 2005, is a manager who symbolises stability, and that's something really important to me."


Wot? Mr Wheeler Dealer, who sold most of West Ham's Golden Generation, is a manager who "symbolizes stability"?

 

[SpurSince57]

Well, it does away with any suggestion that Damo foisted him on Martin, but that should have been clear anyway for anyone who's read Jol's comments about the matter. They were confident that in a couple of seasons he would be a better CB than any of the experienced players then available.

I'm increasingly certain that he was signed in the belief that King would be back long before he was (and that he'd actually play more than three or four games when he did return). If that is the case, then there was some seriously duff medical advice being handed out.

Who should carry the can for that?

 

[Bonjour]

I think Kaboul's quite clearly been tapped up.

Why else would he be up for moving to Pompy?

 

[AllSeeingEye]

We can do better than Kaboul. Why keep a player who runs his mouth like that? If indeed the quotes are by him, then he still has much to learn about the English game.

 

[NickHSpurs]

Loan him out I say

 

[Bingy]

Kaboul WILL prove to be a class (perhaps even WC) signing for some lucky club. I have serious doubts about any manager who can, apparently, throw away so many 'promising' players....*well, they were promising before they arrived at WHL.) I fear that 'everything may not be as it should be' within WHL....and it will not surprise me to see a total mess up before the new season commences....but that is our traditional way of approaching a new season......COYS!

 

[nickspurs]

Kaboul WILL prove to be a class (perhaps even WC) signing for some lucky club. I have serious doubts about any manager who can, apparently, throw away so many 'promising' players....*well, they were promising before they arrived at WHL.) I fear that 'everything may not be as it should be' within WHL....and it will not surprise me to see a total mess up before the new season commences....but that is our traditional way of approaching a new season......COYS!

Spurs supporters are indeed the master doommongers.

I trust Ramos to assess the squad and propose changes. I think we all should.

 

[Goldman]

Glad to see so many talent scouts on SC, without them i wouldn't have a clue who would be come a great player. From all the games ive seen of Kaaaaboooul in a spurs shirt hardly any of them has give me the inclination that he will make the grade at the top level. But only time will tell i guess.

 

[Vegas]

Chump. He'll be off...weren't we rumoured to have been thinking about a swap with Pompey for Sully Muntari back in January?

 

[Kendall]

To be fair, we are pretty shit at nurturing raw/young talent. I don't know whether it's a lack of patience from both within and from our supporters or what, but Kaboul, BAE, Lennon in particular, aswell as others have been ripped to pieces by our fans

 

[johnmc]

I can't really complain about Kaboul, and KPB as players for the future. What I do complain about is the amount we spent on them. Do people realise that Kaboul is right up their as one of the most expensive signings we have ever made.

 

[Kendall]

I can't really complain about Kaboul, and KPB as players for the future. What I do complain about is the amount we spent on them. Do people realise that Kaboul is right up their as one of the most expensive signings we have ever made.

I agree, the price was far too much. I have no idea what they were thinking. Can someone tell me how much Arse paid for Sagna?

 

[SpurSince57]

It was about the same as we'd have had to shell out for Curtis Davies.

I don't think we have failed to nurture Kaboul. Ramos clearly prefers Dawson, and wanted to establish a regular CB pairing for the rest of the season. If Jol hadn't gone, and we'd still signed Woody in January, who would he have chosen out of Daws and Kaboul?

There is no certainty that Kaboul was out of the frame for next season, until his last idiot interview. For all we know, Ramos may have been looking to work on his weaknesses over the summer.

 

[Kendall]

It's tough. I believe the downfall of Kaboul is chucking him in too early and shattering his confidence (a carbon copy of what happened to BAE last year). Both could go on to great things - Tottenham (club and fans) appear to have written both off

 

[Banjo]

Kaboul is off. Whether he's any good or not is not really relevant.

This looks like a rehash of an old story that appeared about two weeks ago in the Guardian - if memory serves. He was slagging off Ramos for not giving him a fair chance, while Jol had etc:-.

Again it doesn't matter whether Kaboul's pov is correct or not. Any player that is so openly criticising the manager (Ramos) clearly wants to be, and will be, gone.

 

[SpurSince57]

No, this is a completely different interview.

 

[alamo]

To be fair, we are pretty shit at nurturing raw/young talent. I don't know whether it's a lack of patience from both within and from our supporters or what, but Kaboul, BAE, Lennon in particular, aswell as others have been ripped to pieces by our fans

I guess it depends on the situation. King, Campbell, Barmby, Carr were all introduced at a young age and improved significantly. At their respective times the rest of the team around them could at least be classified as "experienced" and able to help them develop.

Nowadays though thanks to the high finishes under Jol there is a hell of a lot of pressure on the younger players to perform immediately and maintain a top5 challenge.