The Revolution Has Begun

The merry-go-round that is transfer deadline day seems to have started early this year, for Spurs at least. Adebayor has finally signed on the dotted line after a summer of negotiations with City over how much of a “loyalty” bonus he deserves. After weeks of inactivity, this deal seems to have sparked the possibility of many more. Willian, of Shaktar is a real possibility, with Sky Sports News reporting that both clubs are locked in negotiations. Moutinho is still on the radar, as are M’Villa, Adam Johnson, Llorris and Pjanic, amongst others. But the possible introduction of these superstars has come at a price, Michael Dawson seems bound for the exit, with QPR, Sunderland and Stoke all possible suitors. Tom Huddlestone has gone out on loan to Stoke and Bassong has been reunited with Spurs legend Chris Hughton at Norwich. Bassong always put in a good shift, but was never a fans favourite, there was always a feeling that he lacked that little bit of class and ability to be a Spurs player, however he will be warmly received when returning to lane in little under two weeks. Huddlestone and Dawson on the other hand, are seen by many as cult hero’s, and along with the potential sale of Van der Vaart, many Spurs fans have been left scratching their heads as to why these three players are so readily available on the market.

We will start off with what Spurs are gaining, well, not so much gaining as securing on a longer deal. Adebayor was pivotal in Spurs finishing fourth last season, he scored eighteen league goals and got eleven league assists. He linked up really well with Garath Bale, benefiting from the crosses that the pacey winger supplied to him. Bale thrived having someone who he could play a one-two with, and get the ball back ninety percent of the time. Adebayor comes in at a time when Spurs are crying out for centre forward who can play the loan striker role. Defoe is a very good finisher and took his goal against Newcastle very well, but he struggles to hold the ball up, he struggles to bring Bale, Lennon and Sigurdson into play. Having Adebayor to lead will give Spurs much more of an attacking presence, he is a threat in the air and on the ground, and is a handful for opposition defenders. He was seen by Arsenal fans as lazy, and some Spurs fans feel he was lazy at times last season. He does sometimes have goal draughts but there is no doubting his quality, to score and to play the game. In his “lazy” moments he is often not being lazy, but his contributions are just not noticed, those in the game never refer to him as lazy, but always see him as a handful. One problem that Adebayor has had through out his career is his attitude, and while he caused no problems last season, it is certainly a gamble giving him a four year contract. Hopefully he can concentrate on playing football and not being a pre-Madonna, and for the first time in his career he will be at a club where his class shines through and is not overshadowed.  

The imminent departure of Michael Dawson is one that has divided Spurs fans. Most love the commanding centre back, but whether he should be sold or not is the all important factor. Dawson is probably the most committed player to wear the Spurs shirt, he loves the club and the club loves him. Along with this he isn’t a bad player, this isn’t love based purely on his passion, he is a first class centre back. Crucially for the future of his Spurs career though, he is not the quickest, and is far slower than Caulker, Kaboul and Vertongen. This may have been the nail in his coffin as it is clear from pre season that AVB is keen to play a high defensive line, that requires quick centre backs to cover when the opposition break the offside trap. AVB also likes his centre backs to be able to get the ball down and play it, Dawson, although blessed with fantastic defensive ability is not the strongest with the ball at his feet, and could come unstuck there. It does make good business sense to sell Dawson for a large transfer fee and concentrate on bringing through Caulker, but the question will remain, would it not be better to sell Gallas and keep the younger and more committed Dawson.

Rumours have today surfaced that the next player out of the door will be Rafa Van der Vaart. There is nothing to back this up and it could realistically be lazy journalism, as he was only on the bench against Newcastle. Again this would devastate Spurs fans as he is a favourite, and his quality is for all to see. There are question marks surrounding his fitness but the contribution he has made over the last two years has been immeasurable. With signing of Sigurdson, Van der Vaart, should he leave, has already been replaced by a younger and fitter player. The Icelandic midfielder signed from Hoffenhiem has got great potential, scoring seven goals in the second half of last season for Swansea last year, and his a welcome addition to the Spurs squad. It remains to be seen if the Van der Vaart will return to Germany, but the rumours are certainly resurfacing.

The previous lack of transfer activity, and now the extreme selling policy, has lead a minority of Spurs fans to question AVB and Levy already. It is scandalous to question a manager after one match, no matter what the fans think of his sales, AVB is in charge of the squad and he should be allowed to make the squad he wants, if he sees no future for Dawson, Huddlestone and Van der Vaart they have to go, and be replaced by AVBs’ choice of players. It is the only way Spurs can move forward. For every one Spurs fan who has already turned on the boss there are thirty who trust his decisions and realise that these players who will go down as legends will have to go, if we are to move forward.

Move Over Mo, Football is Back

As summers go, this one has not been a bad one. We have had agonising but all too familiar penalty defeats in international football. Roy Hodgson's England side lost to Italy, but ultimately showed in the tournament that the future may be brighter than once expected. The Great Britain side, managed by Stuart Pearce, and inclusive of a number of Welsh players, who refused to Sing the BRITISH national anthem (that is a story for another day), where also knocked out of the Olympics on penalties losing to South Korea, after Aaron Ramsey missed a penalty in normal time. Most of our other Olympians were much more impressive than the Welsh Gooner; Stephen Caulker starred in the tournament, and a record haul of golds and medals were brought back from a number of different sports. A gold and a silver medal will be on their way to the Lane, as Gio was vital in the Mexico Team that won the mens football gold, beating Sandro's Brazil in the final. It has been enjoyable, we were all gripped to the screen during the Olympics, but that fact that I have played more golf in the last two months than I ever have in the rest of my life seems to suggest that it has nothing on the domestic football season. And our wait is finally over.

AVB is in, Redknapp is out, Vertongen and Gylfi Sigurdsson have signed on the dotted line and initially there was great enthusiasm as to who was the next player to join our White Hart Lane family. Adebayor, Moutinho, M'Villa, Butland, Llorris, Dimiao. Two days before the season opener against Newcastle we have not added to the squad. We still just about have Modric, but he will certainly be a Real Madrid player by the time we play our first home game. I would like to wish the little Croat good luck and all the best at the second greatest club in the world (Obviously Spurs being the first), he has done very well for us and although it is not a popular view he deserves his "dream" move and should receive a warm welcome when he lines up against us in the 2013/14 Champions League Final. It is a shame however that the saga has dragged on this summer, as there is no doubt had the deal been concluded earlier we could have signed some replacements already and be in a better position than we currently are.

However, that is not to say that we are in a bad position, we have kept our best players, Modric excluded. Bale has signed a new deal and VDV has committed his future to the club. Sigurdsson has looked good in pre-season, and having Caulker and Huddlestone back will be like having new signings. The one area we are currently lacking is up front. We still have Defoe, and most would hope that he would still be a Spurs player by the time the transfer window closes, even if he might not be the natural player to lead the line in a 4-3-3 formation. In some quarters there has been much discontent about the lack of transfer activity on the striker front. I don't believe there is a need to panic just yet, Adebayor looks like it will happen sooner or later, and AVB has said he wants three forwards, so there should be another on the way aswell. Once Modric has left there seems to be a chance that Moutinho could be heading to the Lane. I have no evidence of this and I would not put a bet of a substantial amount of money on it, mainly because I don't have a substantial amount of money but positive noises have been made by the player and the new manager. All in all the squad looks good, and if we can pick up some wins before the window closes we could be in a very good position by the time the final pieces are added to the jigsaw.

So here we go, we may not have a full squad yet, we may want bury our heads in the sand every time someone proclaims that they are ITK and that Messi is going to buy out his Barca contract to sign for Spurs, we may be wondering if the defensive is just too high, but we will be there for all the highs and the lows, and Saturday afternoons will not be about golf anymore. Fasten your seat belt, it is going to be a rolacoaster. 

AVB's BLUE AND WHITE ARMY!!!!!!!!!!!!