The January Plan

With a flood of fixtures quickly approaching once more and the New Year just around the corner, Sky Sports have today reported that us and the Scousers are in for Scott Dann, the Brummy centre half. Upon reading this, it made me query who, if anyone, Spurs will move for this coming January. We have a fantastic squad list and I can only really see us making moves for players because of injuries. Roy could only dream of having at Liverpool's disposal the quality we have at White Hart Lane. Never thought I'd be saying that two or three years ago.

We have good options in midfield and in defence, although the long term stability of our back four could be thrown into question. In turn, it may be time to shift a few on as well and maybe start giving a few younger players a chance in the first team.

There's hardly a problem at Spurs and I'm surprised Harry hasn't been in hospital with the amount of selection related headaches he must incur every week, although injuries have played a small part in our season so far; but these are inevitable at any football team.

I'd be tempted to bring in a centre back and possibly a left back, to cover Assou-Ekotto. An injury to BAE would see Bale drop to left back and I'd rather keep the Welshman at left wing. With Jermain returning we should be covered up front and fingers crossed he can stay relatively injury free for the rest of the season.

Who should Spurs sign in January?

Regards.

Would the move be a good one for the club?

I'm sure it's just paper talk and eventually nothing will actually progress but the papers today are saying that Celtic are lining up a move for our Irishman, Robbie Keane.

The timing of the rumour is unusual. To be throwing players names around to different clubs at this time of year is rarer than Pompey grabbing a league victory; but then the Mirror pop up and surprise us. Oh yes, and of course, the Mail.

Should such a move concur, would it be a good one for the club? I appreciate Robbie's work rate and leadership skills, something that we seriously lacked pre-Redknapp, but his goals to games ration isn't really what you'd call, well, good.

What do you think? Should we let Robbie leave to Scotland or can he still play a big part in our season?

Regards.

A moment for the Spurs board

Well hats off to Levy and Redknapp for pulling off a real coup. A top signing. How Levy has acknowledged his mistakes and let's hope we've moved on from the hierarchy that involves a sporting director. At least some good has come out from a few troubled seasons and we can only look up.

In Niko Kranjcar we have a player that was brought in for a good price, provides exceptional cover for Luka and, in Harry's words, a 'good Tottenham player.' I needn't go raving about the lads ability, even though I could write pages of how good our latest acquisition is.

The late signing of Niko really does sum up the improvement in our transfer policy. Take a look back at deadline day last year, we panicked and signed Pav for a staggering £14m. We brought in Campbell on loan and Corluka. Charlie has been the only real success and this is showed in his flourishing performances in the first team every week.

Now, I do rate Pav but, in truth, it was a panic buy in which saw us shed out more money then we may have done, should we have signed him a fortnight before. In Kranjcar we have brought in a very good player that provides excellent cover, proven in the Premier League and at a 'cheap as chips' price of 2 million smackers. Well done boys.

I think we should take a moment to thank Levy for doing what we've wanted for so many years. Faith in the manager. Faith in the players he wants and leaving the transfers largely down to Harry.

We can only build on this, I hear Redknapp is being lined up for a contract extension, if so, brilliant. We have waved away any unnecessary pressures on players with big transfer fees by adding modest signings and value for money. For that, thanks Harry.

Well done Levy, things are looking brighter. Maybe, just maybe, it is our time to shine.

Regards.

We have stolen Kranjcar

I found it hard to conceal my delight at reading this report. To get in a player of Niko Kranjcar's quality this late in the transfer window and for a reported £2.5m is, in my opinion, what you call an absolute steal.

Boy hasn't Levy turned his act around. He's realised his mistakes and now the club are just reaping the benefits of it. I think we should take a moment to praise the board and Harry for pulling off a 'triffic' signing.
I think I'll hit the ceiling when Niko first pops up on the Spurs site.

There's more. Of course there is, we're Spurs, being involved in just the one deal on deadline day is just not tradition in N17.
David Bentley is in talks with a few clubs including City and Everton. I don't know what to make of this really. On his day we all know David is one of the best deliverers of the ball and with Crouch now acquired in the striking department, maybe keeping hold of him wouldn't be the worst idea.

We've also enquired about Martin Petrov. There is the possibility of letting City have the 'privilege' of signing Bentley opening the door for us to bring in the Bulgarian left winger. Seems logical, doesn't it?

What do you make of our whole transfer deadline day deals and targets? Should we be letting Bentley go? 5pm's when the door is shut and locked on anymore transfers this calender year.

Regards.

Muntari, Petrov or Kranjcar. Who would you sign?

So with the window inevitably closing in around 27 hours and with the upsetting and deep-frowning news that we won't see Luka on a football pitch for the best part of two months, it makes sense that all sort of names have been thrown our way. But who would be our best option?

Should Redknapp dip back into the transfer market to acquire one more member of the playing staff who, if any, should we go in for?

Muntari. Had a great season at Pompey and I'm sure a season or two at Inter couldn't have done the lad any harm.
Martin Petrov. Once linked to us before joining City. Injuries always inhibited his career but when playing a great deliverer of the ball and an out and out left winger.
Niko Kranjcar. Arguably in the shadow of Modric but a genius with the football. A great filler for Luka.

There's always the internal option. I read a few of you would be happy to see Gio back into the starting line-up and such an idea shouldn't be binned by the board should the matter arise.

It's an utter shame that just when our left wing problem looked to be a thing of the past, arguably our best player picks up a nasty injury. So once again, the issue we have had for some many years arises once again.

Who would be our best option? One of the above in terms or Muntari, Petrov or Kranjcar or should we look internally at the possibility of Giovani; what do you think?

Regards.

Moussa Sissoko

In a week where you'd be forgiven for thinking all the press had jumped shipped to Holland, it seems as though another player has found his way into being touted for a move to us. Well, when your playing for Toulouse I'm really not surprised.

Yeah, it's that man Moussa Sissoko. I hear echoes of 'who' being sounded out from all corners of Tottenham. Of course, the Sun reported this story so the authenticity of it is, indeed, questionable.

Apparently all you have to do these days is run to your local journo and say "I would like to play one day in England" then before you know it there's a Premier League club wanting you. So, according to the Sun, Harry is set to up his offer from £12m to £15.5m.

I struggle to see how this 'midfield hard man' would fit into our team, I thought we had one of those in Palacios'. Whether we have that sort of money to spend, without selling anymore players, is also questionable.

So will we sign him? All I'd say is, never try and second guess Harry.

Regards.

Has Keane got a point to prove?

Two seasons ago Robbie was up there with Ledley as Mr. Tottenham Hotspur. So how did it all seem to deteriorate so quickly?


I rate Keane, but he's suddenly found himself turning into the Jenas of last season and is fast becoming the marmite for Tottenham fans. Some seem to love him, some seem to hate him. For some fans, when Keane moved up North, his success and near legendary status at Spurs was wiped from their minds, seemingly. Although, could he be blamed for wanting to play for his boy-hood club in the Champions League and fulfill a dream at the same time?

Keane lifted the Barclays Asia trophy today after scoring twice against Hull in a 3-0 win, his energy and determination were also present and, as a result, he was given man of the match. It was only a pre-season friendly but the performance was still there all the same. He played his heart out in all honesty.

What do you think. Does Keane have a point to prove for the season ahead, or are some of the fans just being to critical?


Regards.

Spurs still in the Hunt

So Peter Crouch arrived at Spurs Lodge. A signing that split many of us to say the least- I'm not here to argue for or against, we'd be here all day. We may as well all get behind him now he's here, like the happy family we are.

I'm sure many of us thought 'that's it for the summer', regarding the signing of any more forwards. I know I certainly did. Then 'arry pops up and gives you a bigger shock than a bolt of lightning.

Redknapp on Huntelaar: "If you look at his goalscoring it's absolutely incredible, if he's available, he's a player that interests me ... If Darren Bent does go then maybe we'll be interested in Huntelaar again."
"You can't have too many good players," he added.
"The teams with the best squads are the most successful teams ... you need competition for places."

Either Crouch has had a really bad first day on the training ground or Redknapp has just been more indecisive than a fat kid with a choice of cake or chocolate, and so just had to go for both. Sorry, I thought we had a defender crisis?

So we're still in for Huntelaar, but where does this leave captain Keane? The last time he had to fight for his place in the blink of an eye he was back in the lillywhite again.

Regards.

Harry's disappointment leaves contentment amongst fans

So it looks as though old Patrick won't be wearing the white (and yellow) of Spurs next year and I could never make head or tail as to why we were trying to pinch him from Jose in the first place. All it did was leave a frown across my face and bloody endless discussion on the matter.

All you had to do was scroll down the Tottenham team sheet and see Modric, Palacios, Jenas and Huddlestone all written down. Throw in a couple of the younger players and bang- before you know it we're over-populated in the middle, yet we're willing to throw more money at a 'problem' that doesn't exist.

I can't see anyone other than Huddlestone as immediate back-up for the centre midfield role and knocking him down into the reserves wouldn't leave him, or many of us, to cheerful. He'd pack his bags and run up to Villa the moment Vieira turned up at Spurs Lodge.


Lately 'Arry has said that he's no longer confident of getting the old Arsenal captain as he suddenly went 'very quiet' amid our interest. But this still leaves a big question as to why we were after him. Maybe he thought it'd soften the disappointment of old Campbell.. err, no.


Maybe Redknapp was getting bored of the same old faces warming the bench and wanted to bring in another to add variety- well he ain't starting in place of Modric or Wilson, that's for damn sure.


There reaches a point where 'experience' just means an old bloke can't do what he use to. Patrick Vieira fits nicely into that description.


Regards.

Spurs have already solved their left wing problem

He's just won the CONCACAF PFA player of the tournament and probably cost as much as Real Madrids' peanuts probably do, plus he can play on the left, so someone please tell me why we don't give Giovani Dos Santos another shot in the first team.

This is a player that on his final game for Barcelona scored a hat trick as well.. A bleedin' hat trick! No one's scored a three in one game for us since the days of Berba, but everything's fine now- we have Crouch, can't you just feel the optimism suddenly rush all back.

It seems as though the Deportivo boss has used his noodle and had this to say: "I know Giovani very well," Lotina was quoted as saying by AS.
"Last year we spoke to him, but then Tottenham came in.
"As for Lafita, well, there is nothing. But if he goes then we will start with plan B. But [Dos Santos] is an interesting player, but he is not the only one."

It's an insult; Giovani can't even get in a team that is captained by Jermaine Jenas. What has our club come to, appointing Redknapp has only brought misery and disappointment

Regards,
Ben

Steven Pienaar close to signing

Ashley Young; let's be honest, he isn't coming to Tottenham. We can't afford him, according to O'Neill not even '£50m' would tempt him and I can't see us offering £60m. Maybe Madrid have spare change to throw away? Furthermore, why he'd join a team that would offer lower wages and finish behind Villa, again, would also surprise me. He's not an idiot.

Where we should be looking is Evertons' Steven Pienaar and why we are not at least adding him to out bottomless list of players we are interested in is way beyond me. I wouldv'e thought at least one paper would put two and two together and link us the South African.

Pienaar rejected a new contract offer from Everton on Monday and therefore should be having his name thrown all over the place; it's the trend these day's. It is also reported that Everton want Alan Hutton. I rate the guy but I'd jump at the chance to involve him in a deal that would include Pienaar, who has two years left on his contract.

We have only lost once at home under Redknapp and guess who scored the killer goal for Everton. This guy would prove to be great value on the left side of our midfield and would cost Levy far less than some 23 year old Villa player would.

I can't see this happening, not because Pienaar is still happy at Everton, but because it would be a bargain signing, one that is actually value for money- but we all know how much much Spurs like to miss out on a good bargain.

Regards,
Ben