Spurs v Birmingham. And the Transfer Window

No change. That will do. Steady as she goes. Nothing to see here. More of the same. God this blogging lark is easy.

It is nothing short of remarkable that these things can be written about Tottenham Hotspur. We are only four matches into the season, yet a number of potential obstacles have popped up, like a 1980s Sonic computer game, but we have nonchalantly brushed them aside. Title contenders, tricky away games against local rivals, the trap set by lower league opposition in the Cup, all safely negotiated. Full bonus points, extra lives, on to the next level.

Although the prospect of a home match against Birmingham hardly sets the pulse racing, it remains a true test of our progress. The last time we played Birmingham at home, we lost 3-2 in a match that we dominated. I left the ground full of the indignant rage so familiar to Spurs fans over the years, fuelled partly by the utter injustice of this travesty, partly by anger towards our team who once again failed to convert our superiority into goals and who watched as Jerome Cameron strolled through the defence to score the late winner. Neither he nor Larsson, who volleyed a stray ball home from 30 yards, would ever again score such spectacular goals, yet they had to go and do it against us. I railed at the bluenoses ringing 606 to say their season had turned around. Fools. I was right, they were relegated, but of course once more it’s Spurs who lose to the teams at the bottom.

However, I do not believe we will falter tomorrow. This blog is more miserablist than blindly optimistic, but it’s realism that suggests we will be able to outmanoeuvre Birmingham’s well-organised midfield pressing game and that our forwards will be too strong for their defence, in whatever combination we choose to offer. King will return and Corluka move to full back, but otherwise it will be an unchanged team from last weekend. Corluka, a player I admire greatly, has not had a great start to the season, nothing serious but he may be under some pressure from Hutton, especially as the latter gives extra width. That width is not so crucial with Lennon in fine fettle, so perhaps a quiet word with Palacios to ensure the defence is properly protected is all that is required.

The other major issue is of course the transfer window, which closes in a few days time. Throughout the summer I have looked for improvement and consolidation in our squad, rather than wholesale rebuilding. Discounting men like Boeteng, who have appeared so infrequently that they don’t feel like Tottenham players anyway, there is not a single squad member who I would wish to be sold. Upon that foundation we need to bring in a few extra players to develop our quality, provide strength in depth and offer tactical options, either from the bench or to counter specific dangers in the way opponents are set up.

Crouch and Bassong fit the bill perfectly. A left sided midfielder just for the sake of it is not a priority, but another strong centre midfielder who can tackle and pass would be perfect. Trouble is, everyone is looking for the same thing.

Players will not be sold for the sake of it. I have insisted all along that despite Redknapp’s quotes at the beginning of the window, we do not need to sell in order to buy. However, some players are vulnerable if we can upgrade. One in, one out will be the order of the day. Selling Bentley or Jenas is a possibility, Pavlyuchenko a probability (I would keep all of them regardless of who joins), but without replacements the squad suddenly looks thin. Therefore, our current success should not lead to reckless selling and a squandering of our assets.

Pav wants to leave and in all probability Harry does not rate him, but he cannot be allowed to depart unless we have a replacement in the wings, and again good strikers are in short supply. Redknapp has placed a number of serious enquiries and maybe offers, and will continue to juggle the balls for as long as he can, until something shifts and everything starts to fall into place. Levy will not prevaricate on the fine print of the contracts – he would not dare to look Harry in the eye.

So farewell then Pascal Chimbonda – again. A decent price for a decent player, who contrary to most opinions I believe was an excellent buy in January. Remember the context of his arrival. The new manager bounce had well and truly vanished and our threadbare squad was performing poorly at the bottom of the league. Chimbonda could fit straight into the team, providing much needed defensive cover, and possessed the priceless asset of being available. At the time King had been written off, by Ramos at least, Woodgate was injury prone, Dawson right off form and Assou Ekotto not up to the job. We were therefore hugely vulnerable. As it transpired, of course, we did not suffer injuries, except later on to Dawson, King was magnificent, Benny the most improved player in the Premier League and Dawson found his form. Chimbonda was surplus to requirements, then as now, but a good buy at the time.

Finally, as I have written before, the absolute priority in the window is to keep our top players. Do anything to prevent Luka from being unsettled, let alone sold.

Tottenham Hotspur’s first foray into the transfer market has hardly been the blockbuster signing may fans hoped for. However, Redknapp’s purchase of a couple of Kyles provides some fresh insight into his plans for the club, on and off the pitch.

Messrs Walker and Naughton caught my eye when I watched Sheffield United a few times at the end of last season. Both are agile and pacy, early days but very much in the modern mould of the multi-skilled full-back who uses speed and timing as defensive weapons, rather than the traditional attributes like hard tackling. Those talents are essential in attack too, plus a good cross comes in handy.

Having overcome Jol’s fixation on collecting centre-midfielders, Redknapp is apparently compelled to stockpile right backs. Although both these boys are for the future – Walker is being loaned back to the Blades to continue his footballing education – this deal is part of Harry’s wider plans to rebuild the squad.

We have a number of right backs but actually they are different types of player. Corluka, who I rate extremely highly, is excellent defensively but less dynamic going forward. Centre half could be his eventual home.

Hutton looks strong in both departments. In his first game back at the end of last season as a sub, he signalled his arrival with a superb fast swerving cross, a reminder of what we had been sorely missing for most of last season. But word is that Hutton has a bit of a problem off the field, maybe likes a drop or two and can’t take it, so he’s being touted around.

Chimbonda was bought in different times, to cover a defensive problem that never materialised as Woody and King stayed fit and BAE grew into a class act.

Full backs are crucial to tactics that succeed in the Premiership. Lying deep, they can see openings ahead of them and utilise that precious space, providing they are sufficiently swift and aware. I retain high hopes for Bale in just such a role, but he needs to work on the defensive aspects of his game.

Naughton therefore gives us the attacking full back option, one that Harry wants to develop, although in my view every effort should be made to keep Hutton. At Portsmouth, Redknapp out of necessity went for a different option at first, as did O’Neill at Villa. Both constrained by budgets, they deployed centre halves at full back. They stayed back, did not come out of position and provided a platform for the midfield and attackers to move up. When an alternative became available in the shape of Glen Johnson, Redknapp changed style, allowing him to advance frequently. The arrival of the Kyles may well signal his preference for this formation, or at least have that option available, depending on how attack minded our opponents allow us to be.

One casualty is another more defensive minded player, Chris Gunther. A shame: he looked promising. We did not need the cash to complete the Kyle deal. Rather, he is an example of a player who we might have happily kept but who is expendable if Harry believes he can do better. The same applies to several other squad members. Expect more deals where we sell only when the replacement has been sorted.

He is also a victim of our excessive turnover of managers. Each has been given Levy’s full backing, each has their own idea of which players they want, especially risky in the business of spotting young talent. Gunther, Taarabt, Gio, perhaps Bale: Harry does not value the potential in which previous managers invested. Possibly a waste of talent, certainly a waste of money. These are the hidden costs of the constant regime changes,

Levy must shoulder full responsibility, but he can be a shrewd dealmaker. The reputed £8m is a fortune for two young unproven players but in years to come it may be seen as a wise investment. In the here and now, we are not going to pay it all in a single lump sum. Also, we have two assets not possessed by our bidding rivals Everton – cash and squad players. Levy used both as levers, cash upfront and a promise that Sheffield can take players on loan this season to seal the deal. Nice work, and,  as I said last time, a lot of money and some risk, but what Harry wants, Harry gets.