Week 4 - A Spurs Persective

By Deep Blue
September 14 2005

No league games in this week but still an eventful week for Spurs. This week contained the close of the transfer week on Wednesday and the first of two England international fixtures on Saturday.

First the transfer window, as it slammed shut there were many active clubs and not least of these was Spurs. Our approach, with Arnesen apparently only there in name (gardening leave, now days seems to involve scouting around the globe for Chelsea), was haphazard. Jol was clearly aware of the area’s he felt needed strengthening, it also seemed apparent that he was searching for the solution in the league he knew best – Holland.

“Arnesen spent the transfer window hard at work gardening on a massive yacht”

Left back, was one of these areas that needed extra attention and the fans mostly agreed this was a problem, in fact arguably the weakest area in the squad. The solution? Mr Lee. Despite much procrastination and drawn out haggling from PSV this was a simple bit of business, we met his minimum release clause and he wanted to come. Job done, a nice attacking left back (albeit with a right peg) and at a nice price, all should be rosy. Sadly this was not to be, Edman, uncontent with the thought of no longer being first choice and having to fight for a place, sought to leave and we didn’t stand in the way and let the model professional leave, sadly once again leaving us with a weak left flank (Zeigler also leaving on loan). The window shut without this problem being solved.

The other area you felt Jol was keen to strengthen was upfront, wanting to add a target man to the squad as we only had one (exacerbated by Mido receiving a Red card against Chelsea), once again the solution appeared to come from Holland in the form of the much vaunted Dirk Kyte. He comes with a great reputation and an enviable scoring record in Holland (who doesn’t now days? Kezman anyone?), comparisons with a young Shearer popped up regularly and like him, he is at the club he supports/loves and was not willing to leave and with feyenoord his club unwilling to sell, a dead-end if there ever was one. But the fans prayed and hoped he would come, watching every Eurogoals to convince themselves of his worth and as the window slammed shut…he didn’t arrive. Raziak did, a far less impressive a signing, but a Polish international nonetheless, time will tell if impressing in the Premiership is as easy as doing so in the Championship with Derby.

“Kuyt; the answers to all Tottenham’s striker problems, reports of him being a dirty ginger is unconfirmed”

Tandem to all this it appears was Levy’s private vendetta to secure Jenas for the club. Fans moaned that the money should be spent elsewhere, but the arrival of a player of his calibre and potential is one I personally am happy with.

Some successful work in the window, but with areas in the squad still left weak at the close, it left a bitter taste. “If only we just got……we would be challenging for 4th place” was the common theme of the fans comments and perhaps true, but objectively, it was another window in which players left and arrived and at the end of which we looked a stronger team, all with little outlay. Surly a successful use of the window then? Apparently not by the new standards fans have set the club, although most felt we continue to step in the right direction.

Perhaps our dealings were soured by the transfers made by other clubs? The green eyed monster tainting our views on our own dealings. When I say that I am thinking mostly of the Newcastle’s capture of Owen, a fantastic signing that makes everyone else’s in that window look poor? Hardly the case, they paid way over the odds for a player that didn’t really want to go there, he wanted Liverpool and at the first chance to jump ship to go there he will undoubtedly take it, or anywhere if Necastle dont secure European football next season. But for the time being they have a world class striker at the club, although unlike Shearer, he will not be happy to have his career wasted at the club, they need to perform and win things or he will go, it is as simple as that. The additions of Solano to Owen on deadline day gives Newcastle a threatening looking side on paper, under Souness I doubt it will be realised, but as far as Spurs are concerned they can be considered a threat again.

Villa’s sale of Solano has the opposite effect and now I feel they will struggle to keep pace with the “European place” chasers Baros is not the type of player to carry a side and depending on him will only end in disappointment imo. Everton’s policy to sign lightweight flair players such as Davies and Van de Meyde adds attacking invention to the side but takes away the key to their success, hard working, tough grafters. They will be less of a force than last year unlike Bolton who’s squad has been only slightly reinforced but without detriment to the side, what Sam can get out of Nakata has bolton fans drooling.

“a tough first training session for Davies as Moyes teaches him how to be boring when he plays to fit in with the tactics..”

Charlton and Man City have appeared to have done the best in the transfer market this summer, especially in the striking department. For City Cole and Vassel looked to have hit it off immediately and appear to be shooting them up the league. For Charlton, Bent has got people thinking why no one bothered giving him a shot at the Prem before now, probably the same people who wondered the same about Ashton, Johnson et al (and hopefully Rasiak)and forget the likes of Zamora. Boro added Rochemback and he could turn out to be a real steal, adding something a little special to the lacklustre Boro midfield, time will tell if he can step up to the plate.

Liverpool failed to strengthen in any threatening way, or at least enough to think that they might not be out of reach of us this season. Looking at the transfers at the other euro challenging clubs and ours I feel not much has changed and still no one genuinely stands out from the rest (arguably Newcastle, despite their still obvious flaws), it still looks like it will be a tight race unless something happens in January that is…

Looking to the only football played this week and you have to first look at the internationals and of these the England-Wales game was of the most interest. It’s hard to get used to but now Spurs will have at least 3 (Robo, Jenas, Defoe) and possibly 5 (+ King and Carrick) England squad regulars, not including all the future talent who could possibly make the grade in the future (Dawson, Routledge, Lennon, Ifil). This state of affairs is superb for Spurs and shows how far our club has come in the last few years. These players can only learn from mixing with the best of natives, training with them and getting exposed to International, top level football. There is exposure too for the club, players look at the club now packed with young internationals and it paints an attractive picture to future talent that we look to bring in, as Jenas says, this looks like a squad that is going places.

“Robo, Englands number 1 and also many housewives..”

Rumours persist that Jenas’ move to Spurs could well have been triggered by our representatives (Carrick and Defoe in the USA) turning his head on international duty unsettling him to the point of him having to be sold. Perhaps cheeky and in effect tapping up, but if this pulling effect can be used to the same effect in the future and swell our ranks with more young international talents, we could have the majority of the England core squad in the near future- makes me tingly thinking of such a prospect.

Looking at the present, Mr Sven is clearly not enamoured with our lad Defoe and when faced with having him to start against Wales he opted to drop him in favour of a 451 formation, this was a snub that will affect Defoe’s confidence, but I am confident that he is arrogant enough to get over it, he will keep scoring like he always does. Robo on the other hand did play and as always excelled on this stage, his consistence is unreal and it will take something special to dislodge him in the next 10 years as England’s number 1. He had nothing to do for most of the game and then pulls out a world class save against Hartson when he was needed, this boy is special. Jenas’ Newcastle form ensured he was never really going to get a look in but in still making the squad it shows that Sven considers him solid backup for the likes of Gerrard and Lampard.

“King both clears the danger and taps up Rasiak at the same time”

Tiano was captain fantastic for Finland and new man Rasiak also was credited with being the hub of all attacks for Poland, perhaps we can see something similar for Spurs from this lad?

A week where no team took sufficient steps in the dying days of the transfer market to really stand out from the rest of the Euro chasers and one in which both positives and negatives can be drawn from the interactions on the weekend, role on week 5…