Spurs close in on Madrid forward

Reports coming out of Atletico Madrid are that their young striker Sergio Aguero has signed a new contract with the club, dashing any slim hopes we may have had at snapping up the youngster. The young striker on signing the deal stated "I'm staying here because I want to".

Hats off to Levy for trying to engineer a deal and splash the cash on a world class forward. So where does this leave us now? Well according to news in Spain, we have come back in and tabled a bid for Diego Forlan, not quite Aguero but still a more experienced forward that knows how to score goals.

Your thoughts and any ITK's about anything Tottenham feel free to comment!

Regards.

What A Joke

It's not a funny one. More humiliating. We made Fulham look like we were playing at United and handed them the keys to unlock our back four time and time again. Although, I don't think Phil Dowd had his best day as the man in the middle. As a Spurs fan I will be picky: for the first goal, as stupid as Hutton's challenge was, I believe there is a clear obstruction on Dawson who would've comfortably come across and knocked the ball to safety before Hutton lunged in. Mr Dowd ignored this.

The second was very harsh on us; Dembele shrugged off Dawson to pull his shot away which was smartly saved by Gomes for then Dowd to give a penalty and a red card for Daws. Either give a penalty for the initial foul before the shot is taken or play on. It was a typical coming together between Daws and Dembele in which the Fulham forward won, played on and took his shot. Daws would be the first one to hold his hands up and admit he had a sloppy game but he should felt harshly done on this occasion.

The third held no excuse. Our own poor defending cost us quite simply and let's hope it's something that we won't be seeing any more of this season and the fourth coming from a wonderful strike. Take nothing away from Fulham, they played their game and shut us up well.

The team appeared to be playing on a different wave length to each other with Bassong looking clueless at the back. Still though, a disappointing way to go out and the fact that Crawley Town have progressed further than us is a bitter pill to swallow. A disgraceful performance and one that the boys should look to get out of their system before a tricky trip to Blackburn next week.

Your thoughts?

Regards.

Spurs Bid For Llorente

Maybe the papers are running out of ideas and are exploiting every last moment of the current transfer window to throw various strikers at Spurs in the hope they nail one on the head. I don't know. But in the last few hours the Daily Mail have made an astonishing report that Spurs have lodged a £26m bid for Bilbao's Fernando Llorente.

With time ticking to prove a bigger and bigger enemy for us, this story may not be as far wide from the mark as some may think. Bilbao currently sit 6th in the La Liga and Spurs have thought to have activated a release clause in the player's contract. The fans' favourite has knocked up 13 goals in 23 appearances this season and is in his 7th season with the Spanish side.

At 25 the player still has a number of years in which to flourish and a move to White Hart Lane maybe just the answer that we need to pull us back into the top four; especially if Chelsea snap up Torres.

Of course this story is incredibly premature. Although, should there be some truth in it, then maybe this window will finally have a brighter end to it. Why do we leave things so late?

Your thoughts?

Regards

'Arry's Up To His Old Tricks Again

Not two days ago Redknapp conceded that Spurs weren't to make a move for a forward before Monday's deadline; hinting wages were a big issue. It had been suggested that moves for Fabiano and Forlan had fallen short because stupid money was being demanded.

Sky reported today that Spurs had lodged a bid for Newcastle's injured striker Andy Carroll. Considering the amount of time left until the window slams shut, the timing of the bid (should it be true) is a surprise. Newcastle are unlikely to let a player of such significance to the side leave so late on and, considering the boy's currently sitting on the sidelines injured, a move does raise the odd eyebrow.

If we've got 25 mil to throw at Newcastle then it was a shame that we've let Suarez move to Liverpool. At present, we are a side that's only getting stronger each season and surely the Ajax man would've opted for a move to the Lane over Anfield. He's proven himself at all levels and if he's confident in front of goal then why not take a punt? Our strikers aren't scoring chances that I'm sure even Harry would've backed his missus to score and confidence does look short upfront. Crouchy looks as though he's forgotten how to score, Jermain's still trying to find his feet and Pav can't even get a look in.

If no one starts following in Rafa's boots and sticking the ball in the net then we could be lucky to even make 5th this season. Get it sorted Harry.

Regards.

Niko set to leave.

Niko Kranjcar. Not quite the forgotten man like Giovani, but this transfer window has only seen the Croatian slide further down the pecking order at White Hart Lane; after the arrival of Steven Pienaar. It seems as though we are resigned to losing the former Pompey man, despite impressing in his first spell at Tottenham. Should the player do the expected and leave then it would be best to shift him overseas, as we know the quality that this player holds. I'd hate to have him playing against us.

But anyway, according to the London Evening Standard, a source close to the club have stated that "Bremen want him but they have to pay the fee". According to the same source, the fee in question is 6 mil.

A part of me would be sad to see Niko go. He's not a bad player, just unlucky. In his short time he's scored some good goals and entertained us.

It would only be fair to wish him luck on his next venture. Thanks Niko.

Regards.

Striker blow

News coming out of Villarreal today is that former United striker Giuseppe Rossi has signed a new 5 year deal with the Spanish club, keeping him there until June 2016.

"It's not good news, it is big news. Rossi is among the five or six best strikers in the world and will continue at Villarreal for many years. This shows the involvement of the player at the club which has often been questioned. There was no danger of that because he still had two years left on his contract. It has simply been renewed for him to be happy and to ensure continuity in the club. " Said the Club's Vice President.

With under a week to go of the transfer window, time's running out for 'Arry to bring in a striker that can convert the chances that our midfield will produce. With Robbie set to leave, Pav being linked with moves away and Crouch and Defoe still struggling to find their scoring boots, it would appear evident that a striker to propel us into the top four would be a must. Is Fabiano still available?

Your thoughts are welcome.

Regards.

Lukaku talks Tottenham

January is never an easy time to bring in a top player; Villa did well. Our search for a striker hasn't materialised with Redknapp claiming Forlan's wages would be a stumbling block in any prospective deal. Suarez seems set on mid-table side Liverpool and Fabiano is still sitting on Sevilla's bench. One player that has entertained a move to a Premier League side is 17 year-old prodigy Romelu Lukaku and has hinted Tottenham, along with other sides, as a potential destination.

"Chelsea and Arsenal tried to sign me when I was 13, 14," he said.

"Chelsea is my favourite team. I have always said it and I have never hidden it. But it is not because Chelsea is my favourite team that I have to go there.

"There is also Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. These big five are very interesting. Tottenham are also a good club.

"As a young kid you dream of playing in every big team. It is not because Chelsea is my favourite team that I have to specifically go there.

"I will see. It is something for my father and agent. There are so many clubs and big teams. For a young player sometimes you have to relax for a while and focus on your own team. I'm very happy with the situation at Anderlecht. I have the support of the club and other players. It is my environment and I've grown up here."

It would be hard to see us bringing a boy of this calibre to the Lane, especially as, despite his age, he'd command a substantial transfer fee and I'm sure Chelsea or Arsenal would infringe to scupper any move we'd make. Lukaku has knocked in 13 goals in just 20 games this season and has been playing first team football since the age of 16. Wow.

There's just over a week left of this window and we need to ensure we bring in a striker that could really push us back into the top four.

Regards.

Frustrating day

Tyneside's not the easiest place to go, just ask Villa, West Ham and Sunderland. The game saw us keep the ball fairly well in the first half but without any end product with Jermain only testing Harper on the stroke of half time. We moved the ball around well; Luka and Rafa combining effectively although failing to unlock Newcastle's brick wall at the back and being hardly given an inch to work with.

The second half saw a much more open game and Newcastle looked to get on top as they began to find gaps in our defence. A long ball over the top wasn't dealt with by Hutton and, maybe unfairly, Cudicini, as Coloccini put the barcodes ahead on his 29th birthday.

It looked as though it was going to be United all over again as we tried but failed to find the back of the net, with Modric coming close from 25 yards. As Newcastle looked to kill us off, Defoe broke who found Lennon to cut inside and score an injury time equaliser that resulted in a sense of justice amongst many of us and 'Arry a like.

A good result away at a tough place to go, especially as we snatched it so late on; but still, a win would've really put Chelsea under the heat again. Pienaar looked the player we expected him to be showing some good attacking prowess and awareness of others. The only sour note came early on as Bale went off with a recurrence of the back injury he sustained earlier this year.

Still though, a similar favour from Bolton as Villa did today would be a kind welcome as we look to retain our place in the Champions League next season.

Your thoughts are welcome.

Regards.

Newcastle Away. Score Predictions

With 'Arry working well to prize Pienaar from Everton without letting Abramovich's grubby hands on him, the South African looks set to be included in the squad travelling to Newcastle on Saturday. Great business on our part. Although very versatile, Pienaar provides much needed competition for Lennon and of course can slot in for anyone across the midfield. Newcastle themselves have been very unpredictable this year and trying to predict their results every week must've given pundits the biggest headache each week.

After a frustrating draw against United and a disappointing result against Everton previously, Newcastle will provide a challenge on a similar level. We have to be looking at picking up points each week if we are to stay in the hunt for fourth and after not having his strongest performance recently, I'd like to see Jermain starting instead of Crouch up top with Rafa slotting in behind. We only got 15 minutes or so with this partnership at Villa and it would be good to see how or even if it would work.

Newcastle at St James' are never an easy side to beat. Expect them to keep the ball well and to create a variety of chances. Thankfully, Carroll is expected to be missing. I can't see us picking up three points. If Newcastle play as well as they have in some fixtures this season and we lack the concentration we have for some goals this year then we could be in danger of losing this 2-1. If the back four perform as well as they did against United then this won't happen.

I'd stick my money on 1-1.

Your predictions are welcome.

Regards.

Time's running out

So it's firm in stone that Liverpool are after Luis Suarez and Sky have reported that they're already well under way trying to get a deal sorted. If this deal does go through it would be a real opportunity lost. With Babel now involved in negotiations it would appear adamant that the club's will agree a deal then the decision will hang over Suarez whether he wants to move to a club that have taken huge backward strides and are destined for a mid-table finish.

Open ya pockets Levy! We need a striker, the United game once more proved that, with Crouch squandering a chance that even 'Arry probably would've backed his misses to score. On current position and ambition, Liverpool would be unable to compete with us; we have a fairly young squad with a very promising future ahead, although these days money talks and Liverpool may be able to offer a stronger financial incentive that ourselves.

At 23, Suarez has his best years ahead of him. If we'd taken more of our chances then our chance of actually winning the league would look a lot promising then where they sit now. With Liverpool seemingly closing in, time is running out for 'Arry to make a move for the Uruguayan and letting the player move to Anfield could prove decisive in whether we'll be playing Champions League football next season or not.

It's not often goal hungry strikers are let go in January and it's unlikely we'd get another player of Suarez's quality this term, so this move is a must.

Regards.

Luka Modric

So a 0-0 draw at home to United where we couldn't really find the answers to break down their back four. Crouch letting Sir Alex off the hook early in the first half after missing a sitter and Rafa failing to find the net with his head and going close very late on. Although there were a whole team of 'Man of the matches' today, this game summed up Luka Modric for us in a nut shell and just how important to the side he is.

With Bale and Rafa gaining most of the plaudits this season, Luka has been quietly going about his business doing a fantastic job for Spurs on the pitch. The Croatian has filled in for Tommy fantastically, sitting in as the deep play maker controlling the game, and has become the real heart of the present Tottenham side. The player was like a magnet to ball today, consistently eager to be on the ball or fighting to win it back showing a real drive and desire to win the game in midfield for us against a United side that were made to look very ordinary.

It's easy to give Bale and Rafa all the plaudits this season, they're our top scorers and have been in fantastic form this season. Although, I'd hate to think how we would've coped without our Croatian magician running the show this season, spreading the ball to either flank and bringing the likes of Rafa into the game whilst not afraid to stick a tackle in. We're finally getting a squad together that has the potential to achieve anything, let's hope we can keep hold of these players.

To small for the Premier League? Your 'avin' a laugh Wenger.

Regards.

Finally Harry

'Arry has at last broadcasted the news that he's ready to scrap the Becks deal. I was never against trying to bring Beckham in, but it would be a mistake to spend the whole of the window trying to bring in the veteran instead of focusing on trying to bring in the striker it's so evident we need.

"If it was only until February 10 that would only be a month," said Redknapp.

"To do that would be a waste of time because, by the time David got fit, it would be a couple of weeks and suddenly you'd be into February.

"I would have liked him to play, if he could have come to the end of the season it would have been great. I didn't know it was only going to be two months at best.

"When it was mentioned, I thought 'yeah, to the end of the season it would be good'. Then, suddenly two months becomes a month, and only if we got permission.

"By the time he's fit, just to throw him in for three or four games would be difficult."

So it looks as though the Beckham deal has failed. Still though, now we have a couple of weeks to move for a striker.

Regards.

Khumalo in action for Spurs

Khumalo took part in a friendly as a Spurs XI side brushed away Crystal Palace at Spurs Lodge as the lilywhites ran out 4-2 winners. Ryan Mason, another promising prospect, scored twice with the woodwork preventing his hattrick. Cameron Lancaster also scored a brace in a side that included our new defender Bongani Khumalo.

Four of the goals arrived in the first 20 minutes and it took just six minutes for Lancaster to slide home Dean Parrett's low cross for the opener.

Palace replied within two minutes but it was soon 2-1 as Lancaster launched himself at Tom Carroll's deep corner and powered home his header from close range.

Zaine Francis-Angol set-up the third goal in the 20th minute, bursting down the left before feeding a through ball to Mason, who beat the offside trap and slotted into the corner.

Ryan Fredericks, who came back from injury to make his first appearance for the Under-18s at the weekend, was introduced as a second half substitute and took just five minutes to make his mark.

He was upended in the box and Mason made no mistake from the penalty spot for 4-1.

Mason was denied his hat-trick by the woodwork midway through the second half and Mirko Ranieri produced a couple of fine saves before Palace grabbed a late consolation.

Spurs XI - Ranieri; Waller-Lassen (Fredericks, 46), Khumalo, Nicholson, Francis-Angol; Parrett, Mason, Carroll, Luongo (Durojaiye, 70); Lancaster (Pritchard, 70), Dawkins.

I fully expect Khumalo to be in the 25 man squad this term and hopefully the South African will be ready to make his Premier League debut by the end of the month.

Regards.

Milan Player Wants Spurs Move

Sully Muntari, old Pompey boy, has once again been linked with a move to N17. Well, it makes a change from the Beckham story. This time though, Muntari's had his own say regarding his future.

"If I have to leave Inter Milan, I'll go to London," he told the Italian media. "That is the only possibility."

So read between the lines, he wants a move to Tottenham. But do we need him? The transfer of another centre midfielder is hardly an immediate priority and I'd struggle to see where Redknapp's former player would fit into the side on a regular basis. Would Redknapp move for a player that would command a transfer fee up to £11m just to warm the benches for atleast half a season in the worse case scenario that we run short in midfield? Hard to tell. We need strength in depth but I'd rather we keep our eyes open for a striker.

If he's going cheap, get him in quick; but let's not spend weeks trying to get pen to paper, we don't need him desperately.

Regards.

Shame about Townsend.

So it was positive to see our youth system is doing something good for the kids, well at least one anyway, as Andros Townsend made his full debut in the lilywhite. But he wasn't there to just make up the numbers, a brilliant performance was capped off with a stunning strike on 49 minutes that even Tommy would've been proud of. Jermain grabbing a brace to send us to Craven Cottage in the 4th round.

It was good to see another product of the youth team come through and playing well. It's almost becoming a habit, with Danny Rose sending us nuts with his volley against the Arse last season. But still, with Bale and Lennon on either wing for us and with both still yet to reach 24, chances for Andros in the long run may still be limited. A few injuries here and there may see the youngster involved in Premiership action although a run of starts is about as likely as Chelsea are to win the League this year.

It's brilliant to see Andros showing no fear and looking like a regular in a team full of stars, although, it's unfortunate that his progression may be hindered with two wingers who have made the position at Spurs their own and don't look likely to give it up any time soon. Competition shouldn't be a bad thing and hopefully Mr. Townsend will continue to push for his place in the side over the next few seasons.

This boy could be another star in the making.

Regards.

Redknapp's Second Signing

So it appears that there was meat on the bone and truth in the endless Suarez talk. Redknapp likes the player. Although, Suarez would command a hefty transfer fee that may prove to big for Levy's pockets.

"He's a good player but we haven't made any offer for him," said Redknapp, who is still focused on bringing David Beckham to White Hart Lane this January.

"I would doubt very much that anything will happen there. I've watched him loads of times; he's not an out-and-out striker but he could play anywhere."

Expect a move this January. It's unlike Redknapp to publicly announce Spurs will move for the player before an enquiry has been made. Still though, you can't argue with 110 goals in 154 appearances and a successful World Cup; if the boy's confident in front of goal then he'll score, maybe he could even take a penalty? Who knows. Still though, with Bale, Luka, Rafa, Aaron and Tommy all playing behind him you know this kid'll get the service to score goals, unlike previous flops from the Dutch league.

Good move? He's worth a punt.

Regards.

Deal signed. Now for that striker.

No prizes for guessing. Redknapp expects Beckham to be at White Hart Lane for the visit of Charlton and expects the veteran to have put pen to paper by Sunday.

"I think he could be here on Sunday possibly if what I'm being told on the grapevine is right," Redknapp said. "The clubs are talking and there is a good chance it will happen. Hopefully he will come to the game, I'm sure. I'm not 100% sure but he could be here on Sunday." Said 'Arry.

Whether you wanted him or not, it appears on the brink of inevitability that the 35 year old will be training in the lilywhite at the start of next week. Beckham will provide strong competition for Aaron Lennon on the right wing who has a virtual monopoly in that position; as Bentley's chances of making the first team seem thinner than Hodgson keeping his job up north.

Let's get behind the former United man and hopefully Levy will start chasing some leads to bring in a forward.

Regards.

Andy Carroll update

After yesterday's game cried out our need for a striker that can actually hit the back of the net consistently, Redknapp has had to pull a cover over our Carroll pursuit due to Newcastle's inevitable reluctance to let their young forward leave.

"I spoke to (Newcastle boss) Alan Pardew when we played them and he's got no intention of selling him in this window or selling him at all he said, so that's a no-goer," said Harry.

The wheels never fully got into gear with this move and it looks to be dead in the water stuff now. The £20m price tag thrown around would've also raised Levy's eyebrows on more than one occasion. He's not worth 20 Aaron Lennon's or 2 and half Van der Vaart's .

Still though, Suarez won't be able to stay off the back pages now.

Regards.

No tears please.

So 4 games in 11 proved to much; to take 9 points from the Christmas period was a positive run for the boys and no one can argue with 1 defeat in 12. Goodison Park is never an easy place to go. Fact. Redknapp has 1 win in 27 there and we've never really enjoyed much success there.

Today proved how Van der vaart has really driven our side into Champions League contenders for successive seasons and cried out a need for an out and out striker for the club. With Robbie set to join Birmingham in a £7m deal, I've no doubt that Redknapp will look to bring a forward in with a policy of having 4 strikers in the first team.

In all honesty the 2-2 draw last season felt more of a defeat than this one and with Chelsea also dropping points, today's defeat is not such a negative one. As long as we clear this out the system and grab a comfortable win at home to Charlton, I'm confident we'll give United the game they haven't had this season.

Still though, a long journey home to say the least.

Regards.

Beckham 'is a selfish pig'

Furious LA fans have reacted to the news that Beckham may once again be joining Europe during the close season of the MLS.

One irate supporter blasted on a fans' forum: "How about this selfish damn pig plays at least half the games in a Galaxy season at least once during his contract?

"How about he shows some commitment to this club to match his words?

"And how about someone at Galaxy has the balls to say 'No! You're under contract'."

Of course this doesn't reflect all the LA fans and I'm sure, just as with every club, fans are split towards and against the Beckham deal. I can understand their frustration to an extent towards the player that has featured just 55 times in 4 seasons in the MLS. Although, David loves his football and shying away from another stint in Europe would be un-characteristic and it would be hard for the management team at LA to just say 'no'.

Regards.

"Someone might decide to 'smash' me but it doesn't bother me. I'll just get up and go again."

I have to admit to glancing through the Daily Mirror today although an interesting story did jump out at me. Our Welsh prodigy Gareth Bale has given us an insight on the key to his success this season, claiming that his old cross-country training have turned him into the Athlete today. He also added:

"Probably. I just think that if you have the chance in a game to go forward into a good area then that's the kind of sacrifice you make for your team.

"I don't think of it as a way of tiring out full-backs. I just do it until I'm tired.

"I think teams have doubled up on me, but that's a compliment in a way. I'm finding new ways to get past players in different positions - it's interesting and something I enjoy.

"If someone knocks me over I just get up, and if they keep doing it, eventually they'll get sent off.

"Someone might decide to 'smash' me but it doesn't bother me. I'll just get up and go again."

What a 12 months the boy's had, he could have his own 2010 montage and I'd never get bored of watching it. I'm not going to lie, it was also nice to see a Spurs story that didn't involve David Beckham for once. I'd like the player in but let's not let it drag and get bringing in a striker our next priority.

Regards.

Beckham blow.

From what was once seemingly regarded as petty paper talk has recently acquired brisk momentum and now it's as clear as water that this Beckham story has truth in it. Although, until Goldenballs puts pen to paper he is still an LA Galaxy player.

Redknapp dropped a huge hint that he was looking into the option of signing the England veteran on a permanent deal, although Galaxy have been quick to rule out any permanent move this January. Furthermore, the American club have still yet to give any indication that they will allow Beckham to leave during the MLS close season; after picking up a nasty injury in Milan, the club may decide that they want to abolish all risk and keep the player in America.

Let's also remember that we are not the only side looking to sign Beckham. After previously announcing that he didn't wish to return to England, a host of European clubs are reportedly also chasing David's signature and with the player running close to his expiration date, he may fancy one last challenge in a different country.

Yes it would be good to see the player come in. He had two good spells in Milan and could aid Aaron Lennon in the crossing department. But let's not forget this deals not yet completed.

Regards.

Spurs have a 'new Bale' in their ranks.

With January coming up, it's not just the sales we should be looking at or only Beckham we should be trying to bring in. Kyle Walker has been on loan at QPR this season and has really highlighted why we signed him from Sheffield United. After finally getting a run of games in a very successful season so far, Walker has been one of the brighter assets in QPR's very strong team.

Of course, the Championship is not the same level as the Premiership although with Hutton leaving the Fulham game injured, maybe it could be the chance to give Walker the run of games in the side he deserves. He's confident going forward and is very strong when pressed back and defending. Walker's due to return to Spurs lodge this week as his loan spell at Loftus road is close to expiring and Harry should really consider keeping the boy and giving him a run in the side.

Although, why interrupt a player that's having a run of games and doing well in the side? We could give him the rest of the season and give him the chance in the side in the summer and possibly for the start of next season. Whatever the staff at Tottenham decide to do, we have a very promising player in our ranks that's performing consistently week in week out for the Championship's top side and the loan spell seems to be doing its' job.

Young, English and playing very well. This isn't a boy we should look to be letting go permanently any time soon.

Regards.

Awful.

Ok, awful's a strong word and I wouldn't use one as extreme as it to describe today's performance; but we were below par and a Fulham equaliser seemed to sit imminently on the horizon. Our passing was sloppy, the shooting wasn't quite there and there seemed to be a distinct lack of spirit running through the side today. Fulham looked pumped and hungry to take something away from us although, thankfully, they had Andy Johnson playing upfront.

It was a tough site to witness another defender in the form of Hutton hobble off early on today and hopefully Vdv's substitution was purely tactical and not a forced one from Redknapp. Lennon got involved a lot more but he seemed to lack the final ball he'd found much better this season and Bale looked average to say the least but still managed to grab us a winner and his 11th goal of the season.

Fulham worked us hard but as they say, even when you don't play well good teams will still grind out a result and that's exactly what we did today. 2 wins and 6 points this season against a side that we failed to beat in the league last year and now the pressure is back on Arsenal and Chelsea to perform.

Thoughts on the game are welcome, oh, and Beckham anyone?

Regards.