Guest blog: Simply an “okay” transfer window for Spurs

One of the clubs I always look out for in the transfer market is Spurs. Not only are an annoying number of my friends fans and even season ticket holders, but they have a Chairman in Daniel Levy and a manager in Mr Harry “leaning out the car window to speak to SKY” Redknapp who are particularly interesting during this time. Therefore I thought it would be worth hearing from avid Spurs fan and, once nicknamed, “football brain” @NickOD84‘s thoughts on this summer’s activity down at the Lane… 

I would like you all to cast your minds back to September 2008, around 23.30, and pictures of Dimitar Berbatov at Old Trafford waving to the Manchester United fans that had stayed up late to see their new £30.75 million striker arrive at the club. Just a couple of weeks prior to that, Dimitar had refused to start against Middlesbrough in Tottenham’s first game of the season – and consequently the season was altogether disappointing, resulting in Juande Ramos being sacked in early October and a resurgent Tottenham, under the stewardship of Harry Redknapp only managing to climb to 8^th.

Fast forward three years and a sense of déjà vu was in the air as another “big club” were looking at Tottenham’s talisman Luka Modric to make their side complete. The first game of the season this year came round and Luka Modric told Harry Redknapp that “my head is not in the right place”.

However, in 2011, Daniel Levy had learnt from his mistakes and there were no pictures of Modric at Stamford Bridge or Cobham, but simply him training with his Croatian team-mates. Modric is not for sale at any price – and that includes £40million (apparently).

On the outset, many Tottenham fans will look at this and say that the transfer window was a success, and Tottenham, unlike their neighbours in North London had not sold their “Best Players” to their rivals.

However, my personal opinion is that this has simply been an “okay” transfer window and not as successful as many might believe.

Levy has succeeded when it comes to the huge wage bill that has been relieved … Bentley, Jenas, Hutton and Palacios were on big wages and losing them (along with Mr. Crouch) probably saves around £1million a month on wages. Saying that, how much West Ham are really paying of Bentley’s wages we don’t know.

Looking at who Tottenham have bought, I believe that Parker is a good addition – however, we could have bought him before the season started and not waited until the final day (as per usual with Tottenham) and Adebayor is a good signing on loan. Once he has a contract, he normally relaxes, but while playing for a contract Adebayor has always produced. On his day he is unplayable and alongside Defoe or with Van der Vaart behind him, he could do really well this year.

However, if Adebayor gets injured in the Barclays Premier League this season, then Spurs are left with Defoe and Pavlyucenko up front – on last season’s performances, not exactly a threatening strike force that will result in a top 4 finish. If Dawson gets injured, I have no idea who will play at the back (Can we rely on Gallas and King to play much this season?). And this is the key area of the squad where Tottenham did not deliver in the transfer window … for Redknapp to say that Spurs could not agree a fee with Bolton for Cahill is beyond me! Tottenham sold Crouch for £10 million, Palacios for £8 million and Keane for £3.5 million this summer. Even if Spurs had to pay £17 million for Cahill they would still be in profit this summer (and they have a young England centre-half, who will only get better)! If Cahill signed, Bassong could have gone on loan to QPR and more wages would have been off the payroll as well. If I’m honest, this is my main area of concern for the season … this is a team that has conceded 8 goals in their first two games after all!

Away from who has been signed and who has been sold, my overall feeling of the transfer window is the same as it was in 2008 … taking away the joy (not!) of watching Jim White on Sky Sports News, the start of season has resulted in Spurs being in a state of turmoil at the end of August, and now having to play catch up on the rest of the pack.

Liverpool, Man City and Man Utd all bought early in the window (only adding a couple of freebies on deadline day) and the effect has been shown by them all starting the season settled and looking good (although, I am still not sure about Liverpool if honest – Henderson isn’t good enough, and if they lose Suarez to injury, just like if Spurs lose Adebayor, I feel they will struggle a bit).

But deadline day has gone now and Spurs need to pick up points against Wolves in a week or so time.

So, until January, when Chelsea come sniffing back to Chigwell for Modric, the next three months should give Tottenham some much needed time to settle down and start playing the fast, fluid football that the Spurs fans have come to live with over the last couple of years. Admittedly a lot of this will depend on how good Mr. Redknapp’s man-management skills are and whether they work on rejuvenating the little magician from Croatia!