"Scouts advised me not to buy Suarez" says Harry (from Guardian)

[sloth]

Why do you think Carroll was such a long-shot, sloth?

Andy Carroll was very much a possibility! We knew he was available we jut didn't agree with the Price tag.
Parker deal had been agreed twice in the past 12 months only for the porno twins to lose their balls

That aside sloth you raise some very good points
Good post

Consider it from Newcastle's point of view. It's January, they don't really want to sell, but of course every player's got his price.

Spurs have said they're interested and there's a fair chance we'll pay a lot. You never in a negotiation come in at your top price, you come in low and they come in high and then as the process moves along you get closer to finding a middle.

If Newcastle rejected our £18m bid (or whatever the initial bid was) you don't turn around and then say ok £24m, you have to let the negotiation play itself out.

Newcastle on the other hand know we're keen and so they're prepared to gamble that we don't secure any other target on the basis they don't want to sell in January, they'll likely have bidders for him in the summer too (when it's better for them to sell anyway) and they also know that it's only on the last day of the window that they'll smoke out our true top price.

In other words we cant purchase him before the last day of the window because of the simple dynamics of negotiating (which btw, is why so many deals happen all at once on the last day of the window).

In the case of Suarez however, by Harry's account, we had managed to come to the less common kind of agreement, the one that happens in the middle of the window.

So on the one hand you've got a deal which hasn't been made and on the other one that has.

Once Chelsea came in for Torres, we're told by John Henry the owner of Liverpool, the negotiation for Carroll became a simple one. Whenever Ashley added a couple of mil to Carroll's price, Liverpool simply went back to Chelsea and added a couple of mil to them. Basically they both fleeced Abramovich and in the case of us competing with Liverpool for Carroll we were in fact competing with Abramovich and his billions. No chance.

Ashley's approach of not setting a "Buy-it-now" price to us as it were, was beautifully born out by Liverpool's late interest.

This is why Carroll represented an unlikely bird in the bush whereas - for whatever reason - we have it confirmed by Harry himself that Suarez was a bird in the hand.

 

[The Lilywhites]

Is that why you always phone talksport harry, get your finger out and buy some top players then we wont moan, too much

 

[Bill_Oddie]

To be fair though, most spurs fans are idiots, the way we've played throughout this poor run, hasn't actually been that bad. We've played some really good football, but got poor results. We've all been disappointed by the results, but the performances have been alright. Too many can't separate the performance from the result.

So you would have said that to the press then? If you were Spurs manager?

I'll credit you with the intelligence you were born with and ask "Why not?"

Also, "So how can you defend Harry's remark?"

Harry can f off. What a load of cobblers. He said no DoF so I can pick my own buys tries to blame the scouts. What a wimp. Grow some balls and accept you fucked up.

There have been a few posts like this about Harry should admit to his mistakes. I don't agree for the same reasons that he shouldn't be criticising others or shifting the blame.

Just say nothing. Or turn a positive spin on it.

"Yeah, we had a look at Suarez. We are always looking. There are a ton of excellent footballers out there but they don't always work out and Suarez is still in his first season so it's very early to judge, although he was excellent against Fulham this week."

"We talked about Suarez having watched him play so well in the World Cup and the Eredivisie but felt he would be too similar to Rafa, who is our top scorer in the league and been excellent for us. I felt two of those type of players would be nice but I thought we more needed someone different. And let's not forget that our current strike force have over a hundred international caps and proven success in the Premier League behind them."

"I'm glad for Kenny, who is a terrific football guy, that Suarez looks to be working out and that he's found success with Liverpool but to be honest I'm more focussed on Tottenham and their excellent fans who, whether they phone into radio shows or not, are definitely not idiots."

See, it's not that hard (okay the last para might be asking a bit much).

 

[jonathanhotspur]

Ok, sloth. Cheers for explaining. I'm glad we didn't get him. It would have been a cast iron guarantee of caveman football at The Lane every other weekend.

Didn't know Henry said that, by the way.

 

[vonn]

Forget for a minute whether Suarez would have been right for us or not - the fact that HR feels the need to blame someone else is pathetic and typical of the man I'm afraid

This.

I think he is way to concerned about how he is percieved in the media tbh. Losing his rag at the "wheeler-dealer" comment. The way he continually talks about Man Citys wealth to show its not anything to do with him why we aren't 4th. Now the Suarez situation, he undoubtedly had the final say on the player, now all we hear is "we" didn't fancy the player, "they" told me he wasn't right for us. Image, image, image.

Talk to fans of his former clubs and they will tell you the same.

When its going well you get this Harry "look how good I am, 2 points from 8, 4th spot, looked what I'VE done" and when its going bad we get the "we, they", anything to cover his own back.

I appreciate everything he has done for the club but I am getting more than a little tired with him and his constant comments. I know I said it a day or two ago but what really cheesed me off was his comments about the fantastic players Man City are getting this summer. How many other managers spout off to the media like this?

 

[Beni]

I love it how Spurs fans read the headline and the garbage that the journos write without looking at the actual quote of what he actually said.

Redknapp said he was advised that Suarez was like VDV, and said that we aren't looking for that type of player. Why would we blow £20+ million, and most if not all of our transfer budget, on a player we already have.

 

[Paolo10]

Suarez is NOT the type of striker we need. You lot are getting on like scouse fans here. No matter who you are looking to blame for him not signing, scouts have an input and IMO were right to say he wasn't what we were after.

Just another excuse to have a pop at HR.

 

[Spurs_Q8]

we also thought about his mistakes about picking Bassong over Vermalen, and Keane over Arshavin. But we must be happy with a quality like Sandro.

the problem Vermalen made good year but now so out for so money injuries, glad at least with Bassong as now new friend added to King and Woody in treatment room.

as for Arshavin, he mde super half season - same to Suarez - you don't know what could happen with them .. they are all about skills, they are slow and i would say EPL defenders and Managers don't know enough about him, once the taste a match or two with him, they will sort him, same to Bale quickness these days, they sort it with sirty fouls. I do believe Suarez is very good footballer but not that world class which let you cry, people think we could finish 4th with him but he is short with no speed, so Defoe must be better in 4-4-1-1, and Suarez could excellent for us as SS for VDV or LW ( with Bale as LB ) and i agree but this would kill Modric in more deeper role. IMO Modric can be better LW player than Suarez in EPL. Suarez known of troubler and this is another reason.

I believe our failuer to get Suarez would give us stronger push in transfer market, I believe in our scouts who get us Sandro, one quality player far better is good enough for me.

I'm positive and optimitc about getting the better .. Marin. I do want Marin not Ashley Young. Next season there are reasons to leave DVD on the bench. Marin and better strikers.

 

[StartingPrice]

Don't hear anyone claiming that we missed on CL because we didn't sign Phil Neville.

Actually,I have said several times that if Mr Redknapp had got one of the players with experience, maybe Phil Neville, we might have actually ground out results against the bottom 5 clubs. Y'know the games that have cost us since the Jan window closed.
Isn't it strange:shrug: Phil Neville helps to snuff out the threat of Gareth Bale...purely by his nous (or, if you prefer, his experience). He does the same with Peter Crouch. For both games he played right-back. We have had problems at right-back. And all we here from certain members of this board is not attaining the CL spot is somehow due to 'Arry wanting him (which was a disaster), but not getting him (which, by the same logic wouldn't have been a disaster. How on earth can not getting a player that would have been a disaster be to blame for results after we didn't get him. And it is always in the context of Neville playing in midfield and taking one of those spots.
Didn't I have that argument with you?

I love it how Spurs fans read the headline and the garbage that the journos write without looking at the actual quote of what he actually said.

Redknapp said he was advised that Suarez was like VDV, and said that we aren't looking for that type of player. Why would we blow £20+ million, and most if not all of our transfer budget, on a player we already have.

:shrug: To give us cover/competition? To provide a ready made replacement should VDV decide to go? Because it was obvious by January that we really needed to freshen things up? Because Suarez is more versatile than VDV, if not as talented in the strictest sense playing in the deep role behind the striker?

 

[Beni]

:shrug: To give us cover/competition? To provide a ready made replacement should VDV decide to go? Because it was obvious by January that we really needed to freshen things up? Because Suarez is more versatile than VDV, if not as talented in the strictest sense playing in the deep role behind the striker?

Competition and cover is great, but not something we desperately needed in January. VDV wasn't the issue, a striker to play up top on his own and score goals was what was needed and Suarez in the eyes of the Scouts was not that player and more of a VDV Player.

 

[Paolo10]

People getting really carried away over Suarez.

 

[StartingPrice]

Competition and cover is great, but not something we desperately needed in January. VDV wasn't the issue, a striker to play up top on his own and score goals was what was needed and Suarez in the eyes of the Scouts was not that player and more of a VDV Player.

I know.
I didn't say I didn't understand any of this.
I blocked a piece of your text, which was a direct question and offered alternative potential answers.
One of which was that, being more versatile than VDV he could have played off him, and, another of which was that we needed to freshen things up. Put together, we would have had a player who would have freshened things up and could have played off him, and maybe it would have worked superbly, and if not it couldn't have been much worse than keeping one of Defoe or Pav or Crouch, at least one of whom will be off in the Summer. And on top of that we would have had an exceptional player to offer competition/cover for VDV as of next season, and a replacement for him if/when he leaves.

 

[Spurs_Q8]

P. Neville could have been decent addition as squad player, may be as DM more than RB, specially with Hudd, JJ and WP injuries this season. I'm still sure that the need of more tackling man than Modric ( next to Sandro ) & strikers are main the reason for not getting CL and Suarez wouldn't solve these problems.

 

[double0]

I think people are more upset about the blame game Harry tends to revert too...

 

[Beni]

I know.
I didn't say I didn't understand any of this.
I blocked a piece of your text, which was a direct question and offered alternative potential answers.
One of which was that, being more versatile than VDV he could have played off him, and, another of which was that we needed to freshen things up. Put together, we would have had a player who would have freshened things up and could have played off him, and maybe it would have worked superbly, and if not it couldn't have been much worse than keeping one of Defoe or Pav or Crouch, at least one of whom will be off in the Summer. And on top of that we would have had an exceptional player to offer competition/cover for VDV as of next season, and a replacement for him if/when he leaves.

Don't get me wrong, Suarez is a great player, and if it was the summer, we would have been more commited into buying him.
Just think he was a player that was different to what we were after, and a lot of money for a player that wasn't 1st choice, that our focus was spending x amount on that type.

 

[StartingPrice]

Don't get me wrong, Suarez is a great player, and if it was the summer, we would have been more commited into buying him.
Just think he was a player that was different to what we were after, and a lot of money for a player that wasn't 1st choice, that our focus was spending x amount on that type.

I know, and I understand all of this very clearly.
But you asked a straightforward question that didn't touch upon this and I provided potential answers.
We could have got him and a forward of the type we really needed and my potential answers to your question would still be valid.

Personally, I think Levy/Redknapp dithered, and underestimated how difficult it would have been getting a top striker (which I did, too). If they had known the likes of Rossi, Llorente, Aguerro, Forlan, <INSERT ANY RAMDOM STRIKER FROM SPANISH LEAGUE IN HERE> would all turn them down, I suspect they would have bit the bullet with Suarez - despite reservations about his similarity to VDV - and I think it would have worked.

 

[3Dnata]

Well we bid like £30m for Llorente so I don't know where you're getting that from. That whole myth came from someone posting a pic of Joseba Llorente who's built like a twig.

Somebody did post a picture of Joseba but there was definately itk from someone with normal punctuation on this.

 

[thfcsteff]

Suarez is NOT the type of striker we need. You lot are getting on like scouse fans here. No matter who you are looking to blame for him not signing, scouts have an input and IMO were right to say he wasn't what we were after.

Just another excuse to have a pop at HR.

Why did he say anything? Why did he not accept some responsibility for the decision not to sign Suarez (one which at the time I also agreed with for what it's worth)? Why is he not able to accept some blame, indeed I return to the question again, why say anything? Doesn't it make you wonder if he and Levy are getting ready for some sort of face-off (whether behind the scenes or not)?
I would suggest it does, that Harry is taking premptive strikes in the press when given the opportunity...really hope I am wrong...time will tell...

 

[mattyspurs]

Can I please have back the time that I have spent reading the utter crap on these last 14 pages

 

[nedley]

I know, and I understand all of this very clearly.
But you asked a straightforward question that didn't touch upon this and I provided potential answers.
We could have got him and a forward of the type we really needed and my potential answers to your question would still be valid.

Personally, I think Levy/Redknapp dithered, and underestimated how difficult it would have been getting a top striker (which I did, too). If they had known the likes of Rossi, Llorente, Aguerro, Forlan, <INSERT ANY RAMDOM STRIKER FROM SPANISH LEAGUE IN HERE> would all turn them down, I suspect they would have bit the bullet with Suarez - despite reservations about his similarity to VDV - and I think it would have worked.

Spot. On.