Written by Lauren Coupe
A tumbleweed floats past the gates of White Hart Lane. Silence. The summer transfer window is open for a few more days yet, but the actual season begins in three days time and Tottenham Hotspur have signed nobody. Not even jokes about Harry signing the Russian donkey can bring a smile to the Tottenham fans faces anymore, for some are concerned.
For a team that is supposed to be pushing on into the Champions League this season, you would imagine that they would be knocking on the doors of those big name players. But no. Nothing. Harry Redknapp has already stated that he would like to bring in three ‘special’ players and that he knows who they are….so the only question that remains is, where are they?
What is really going on at White Hart Lane? Is the chairman Daniel Levy reluctant to spend? Has their been a fall out between chairman and manager? Don’t these ‘special players’ want to join? Aren’t Tottenham Hotspur attractive enough? Or is there just not enough money available?
Whatever the reasons, I will refer back to a previous article i wrote on here: Do Tottenham really need to sign any new players? Due to the fans’ reactions to the lack of signings, I’d say yes.
Tony
August 11, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Do we need to sign players? YES AND NO. NO because it is all relative, and in my book our rivals aren’t stronger with the exception of City who have changed so much that they are potentially better or potentially the same or worse! YES because of the depth required for Champions League – 2 games a week. A centre half would make us feel a bit better.
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Mal
August 11, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Tony, you’re right about City. But although our other rivals haven’t strengthened that much, we have strengthened even less-so. Arsenal now have Chamakh, Chelsea have Ramires.
I agree that we definitely need a centre-half.
LaurenC
August 11, 2010 at 1:19 pm
A ‘star’ striker too, maybe?
Bumble
August 11, 2010 at 1:23 pm
We have Gio firing on all cylinders, a fit first team (which we did not have at the end of last season), Sandro in the way, and an on-form Keane…not too shabby
Tony
August 11, 2010 at 1:31 pm
I feel that a star striker is not needed, but a change of striker may help. Does not need to be a star as he is not going to score any more goals because he is a star. I wouldn’t call Chelsea rivals…and one extra addition does not mean everything – last season for Chelsea, only one new signing played a significant part of the season – Zhirkov, and that was only 10 starts…they went on to win Premiership with pretty much the same side that failed the year before.
razor
August 11, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Mal – Arsenal have lost Campbell, Gallas, Silvestre, Senderos, Eduardo and Merida – they have brought in Koscielny and Chamakh. Have they really strengthened?
Chelsea, likewise, have lost Ballack, Belletti, Joe Cole, Deco and Carvalho – they’ve brought in Benayoun and Ramires. They don’t really look any stronger to me.
Fact is we have only sold Taarabt, whilst Modric, Huddlestone, Dawson and Bale have all signed new contracts. We have Sandro arriving in a fortnight, we have Keane back from his loan at Celtic looking sharp and hungry, and we have Giovani dos Santos back from Galatasaray finally looking like he’s ready to become the player we all hoped he would be.
I am sure we will make a signing or two before the end of the month, but even if we don’t, our squad is already looking stronger now than it was at the end of last season.
Mal
August 11, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Yeah Bumble, I think that if a fit Gio can add 5-10 over the season, it will help the team massively. Always think we have a huge over-reliance on our Strikers alone for goals. That’s why I think J.Cole would have been perfect, but not to worry.
Mal
August 11, 2010 at 1:32 pm
5-10 goals that is
Mal
August 11, 2010 at 1:35 pm
I think the pivotal part of your comment there Tony, is that “They won the title”
Tony
August 11, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Mal – pivotal in what way?
Mal
August 11, 2010 at 1:46 pm
In that you are questioning the transfer policy of Chelsea, and suggesting that signing Zhirkov wasn’t worth buying. But then realising that they’re league champions’.
Tony
August 11, 2010 at 1:50 pm
Nope. I am not questioning anyone’s policy or Zhirkov. I am saying that they won the title by not adding anyone really significant to their squad – despite coming 2nd the previous year. In other words, you can improve without new additions.
Mal
August 11, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Yeah, well they have Lampard, we have Huddlestone. They have A.Cole, we have Ekotto. They have Drogba, we have Crouch. They have Essien, we have Palacios. They have Anelka, we have Pavlyuchenko.
Sort of easier to stick with what you’ve got when you have players capable and proven in winning leagues.
Foggy
August 11, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Argh.Three days,and I’ve nothing to wear.lol.
Tony
August 11, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Well, I don’t disagree with that – but it digresses from my original point which was about rivals, not Chelsea.
Roy Singh
August 11, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Not that much of a concern to me. Concern’s are instigated through media speculation. If there aren’t any surprises before the deadline, I am confident with the present outfit & am sure that our technical coaching staff will adjust/modify/transform this unit into a winning team
razor
August 11, 2010 at 2:14 pm
If you’re aware of any players who would be an upgrade on BAE, Hudd, Palacios, Pav and Crouch, who are available at a reasonable fee and willing to join our club then please let us know. I’m just not sure that many such players actually exist in the current market, at least not until Man City have finished their ridiculous spree.
I’d prefer to wait a couple of weeks to potentially get a Luis Fabiano rather than settle for a Kenwyne Jones today.
Tony
August 11, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Razor – hmmm I think Hudd deserves a bit more credit. Spurs highest finish in the league for 20 years, and Hudd played the most games for us. He must be doing something right.
razor
August 11, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Tony – I totally agree. I think Hudd is one of our most important players. I was just responding to Mal’s assertion that Chelsea have better players than us.
The point I was trying to make is that the players in our squad are already very good, so finding better players to bring in is extremely difficult.
Tony
August 11, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Sorry…I have tunnel vision today!
LaurenC
August 11, 2010 at 6:41 pm
I’m guessing that one of the special players was Bellamy. According to reports, Man City won’t let him join Spurs…