Category Archives: News - Page 2

Bargain Borrowing

Posted by on August 3, 2010 11 comments

Tottenham Loan DealsSo, no players want to sign for us on a permanent basis then! The fact we can’t tie any of our top transfer targets down is a little disheartening but it’s probably also an indication that Harry Redknapp isn’t prepared to buy second rate players just to bring in bodies. He seems very much of the opinion that if the price isn’t right, we should just move on.

Redknapp has been quoted in the press today saying loan deals are probably the way forward for Tottenham in the current transfer market;

“I can see loans happening. I’ve got three players in mind that would not cost a lot of money.

“If we can pull off the deals you are talking about £8million or £9million for three players. Loans would certainly be a real possibility.

“People are going to loan players from all over the world, there will be loads because clubs are struggling to pay the wages. There will be high earners they have to loan out.”

I’m not really sure how I feel about loan deals. Part of me thinks it’s a good thing. You get the player in for the season just paying wages and if it doesn’t work out, you don’t have to retain their services. Often, these players are looking to put themselves in the shop window and put in decent performances throughout the season.

Usually where loans are concerned, it’s players from the top clubs going to smaller outfits. A side in the Champions League having to bolster their squad with loanees seems a little ridiculous. However, with the new rules regarding squad sizes, times may be changing. The wealthiest clubs are going to have a number of players surplus to requirements and loan deal may be the only viable financial option.

The only issue I can see is whether these big name stars are going to have enough hunger coming to Spurs on a temporary basis. Will they just rest on their laurels? If you take Jamie O’Hara’s spell at Portsmouth as an example; he worked his socks off week in week out. I can’t see many of those on the fringes of the Manchester City squad doing the same for Tottenham. Only time will tell I suppose. I’d imagine some business will be done one way or another this week.

Other news;

I’m going to be the Spurs contact for Ian Wright’s Saturday football show on Absolute Radio.

I’ve been asked to share this Arsenal story with you all;
Arsenal Celebrations

You can join our Fantasy League for this season below
2010/11 Fantasy Football

Once you have chosen your team, click on leagues then enter the following code to join the EBA League:
163104-47048

And finally, you can follow me on Twitter here
Mabbs on Twitter

Will Joe Cole tip the balance?

Posted by on July 21, 2010 7 comments

Joe ColeA few days ago, I wrote an article discussing the online betting for next season’s Premier League title. I found it puzzling that Liverpool were a significantly shorter price than Tottenham going on last season’s form, coupled with the uncertainty surrounding the future of their star players. Gerrard was to be joining Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid and Torres was also allegedly keen to move, that is if anyone is brave enough to risk millions of pounds on a player that looks to have serious issues if his World Cup performances are anything to go by.

I genuinely thought Joe Cole would end up at Tottenham this summer. If the internet and newspapers are to believed, Spurs offer of wages was the lowest of his suitors, and significantly lower than those Liverpool where willing to pay. The way I see it, Liverpool were willing to pay over the odds for a player like Joe Cole as a statement of intent. They are not in the Champions League currently, have appointed a very talented but arguably low profile manager and looked like a club in serious regression last season. Cole’s signing not only shows they are still able to attract players of world class

All this being said, I don’t think it’s the end of the world that Spurs missed out on Cole. We already have a wealth of talent in midfield and paying 100k a week or more for a player in his late 20s who has a very poor injury record probably wasn’t the right move for us in hindsight. I think he was a lot more important for Liverpool than he was for Tottenham.

Do I think Cole’s move to Liverpool will propel them to mount a challenge for the Premier League title this coming season? Not a chance. Do I think he will tip the balance in their favour over Spurs where the battle for a top 4 spot is concerned? I doubt it, but I fully expect them to be better than last season. The only problem for them is, Spurs will be too!

I might start supporting Fulham

Posted by on July 19, 2010 38 comments

So that was a white lie, but it will hurt seeing Martin Jol at another Premiership side if today’s papers are to be believed. Maarten Cornelis Jol should never have lost his job as Tottenham manager and the way he was treated still gets my goat when I think back to it. Obviously it’s all water under the bridge now, and I wouldn’t swap Harry for anyone, but I was very disappointed when the Dutchman was replaced.

His record since leaving Spurs has enforced the fact he is an excellent manager having tasted success at both Hamburg and Ajax. It’s easy to forget what he achieved at Tottenham and how much improvement and consistency he got from the squad during his tenure. Winning the League Cup under Ramos vindicated the club’s decision to replace Jol in the short term, but Ramos’ overall record did nothing of the sort.

I’ve always had a lot of time for Fulham as a football club anyway but now I’ll be keen for them to do well, just so long as it isn’t at Tottenham’s expense. If Martin Jol does take the reigns at Craven Cottage, it will certainly make for a couple of very entertaining fixtures this coming season and it would be no surprise to see Jol’s Fulham side turn us over in at least one of those Premier League meetings. As much as I’m a fan of our former manager, I just hope it isn’t at White Hart Lane!

We will never know what might have been under Martin Jol. I realise he was going through a slightly rough patch when he was removed from office at Tottenham but that was likely due to the fact his position had been undermined by both Levy and Comolli. Fingers crossed it will be a successful 2010/11 season for both Tottenham and Fulham.

Your questions for Jimmy Greaves

Posted by on June 9, 2010 15 comments

I have been asked to do an interview with Tottenham Legend Jimmy Greaves tomorrow and I’m looking for White Hart Pain readers to submit some questions!

He’s going to be at Burger King in Leicester Square tomorrow. It’s all connected to the World Cup and their Whopper Legend promotion.

Visit the website here to see what it’s all about http://whopperlegend.com/

Please add anything you fancy asking Jimmy to the comments section.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for Harry and for Sol

Posted by on January 15, 2010 11 comments

Last time I commented about Harry Redknapp’s tax problems and shady past I was told in no uncertain terms I was in the wrong. Last time I commented on Sol Campbell I was accused of being all kinds of prejudice. Therefore, I thought why not get them both involved today and you can really go to town on me!

A few weeks ago I said Harry’s tax issues could have an adverse affect on our season. Thus far, you couldn’t say this ongoing issue has been bothering the players at all. It does however put the club in the press for all the wrong reasons. Personally, I don’t really care what he did elsewhere but it’s obviously not a positive thing having his boat on the front page of the tabloids every other day for non football reasons.

I don’t know what the process is from here, if it’s just a case of paying back what he owes or if there is a possible prison term but we can well do without any of it now Man City have a new manager who has managed to teach them how to defend a bit in a matter of weeks. Our top four push is looking a lot tougher now so we need the manager to be able to focus fully on doing some decent business in the transfer window, not stuck in meetings with his brief.

As for our old friend Sol, it’s so nice to see him back at Arsenal. I’m very much keeping my fingers crossed for the lad in the hope he doesn’t have a nervous breakdown during a match this time around. It’s sad that we are no longer treated to pictures of Sol in the tabloids with various females and I find it disgusting that anyone would suggest this has anything to do with the fact he could no longer afford to weigh out Max Clifford. All the best for the season Sol.

Can we finally offload David Bentley?

Posted by on January 4, 2010 10 comments

The stories currently doing the rounds are that both Sunderland and Athletico Madrid are interested in the most disappointing Tottenham signing since Helder Postiga.

David Bentley was meant to be the man to take Spurs to the next level. Arguably the best right sided player in the Premier League at the time of his arrival at White Hart Lane in July 2008, he was expected to oust Aaron Lennon and become Spurs’ star man. Unfortunately for Bentley and fortunately for Tottenham, neither scenario materialised.

Rumoured to be on around 60k a week, a Bentleyless wage bill would certainly be a good thing for Tottenham Hotspur. It’s unlikely we will recoup anything like the £15-£17m paid for his services, but I’d imagine someone will take a punt on him for around £7 or £8m in the January transfer window.

While Bentley’s goal against Arsenal was probably worth a couple of million to Spurs fans, we more than paid them back with the chunk of the transfer fee they got from Blackburn.

David Bentley will be best remember for kicking a ball off a roof into a skip and his drink driving charge than anything he contributed during his time on the pitch whilst a Tottenham Hotspur player. I hope he can mature a bit and get his career back on track elsewhere but I have the feeling he will go down in the history books as a player that never managed to fulfil his potential.

I hope Wigan bounce back

Posted by on November 25, 2009 4 comments

As wonderful as our nine goal victory was on Sunday, spare a thought for Wigan. As I said last week, I was not surprised to see a big score line but it was thanks in part to Wigan’s style of play.

As difficult as it must have been for Wigan fans to swallow, I hope they give Martinez time to finish the good job he’s started. I know they have been on the end of a few hidings but they play attractive football. The Premier League would be very boring if all the lesser sides played like Stoke. He’s a good young manager and comes across very well.

As for Tottenham, maybe we still have a mental block when it comes to the big teams. We cannot continue to put on scintillating performances against the majority of opponents at the Lane and then give limp displays like we did against Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea. I know two of those games were away from home and injuries played a part but the contrast is too great.

Harry has done wonders since his arrival but his previous sides have always been able to turn over the likes of Utd and Arsenal, sides that had no where near the strength in depth the current Spurs squad has. Maybe things will look different come the end of the season.

With Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and Villa all dropping points this past weekend, our top 4 push is still going along nicely and the 9-1 win will have done wonders for both confidence and morale. It couldn’t have come at a better time with 3 away games on the trot coming up, all against tough sides. I’d take 1 win, 1 draw and 1 defeat if I’m honest, as long as the win is against Utd!

Tottenham second biggest spenders in Premiership

Posted by on November 13, 2009 2 comments

Guest Writer
This post is written by guest blogger Kampanart Wong from Footy Shirts 4 U. We are always happy to have guest contributions, if you are passionate about Spurs and have something to talk about, drop us a line using our contact form.

Spurs have went through a complete rebuilding process of the team, and have spent £150 million in transfers over the last 16 months meaning that they have out spent the whole of the Premiership, including the top 4, apart from big spending Manchester City.

Even with this huge financial outlay Spurs were still able to announce a pre-tax profit for the year ending in June 2009, largely due to the sale of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov.

It is clear that this is a huge amount of money but Spurs have signed a lot of players for the money and strengthened key positions for the team including the strike force with Crouch and Defoe being two of the top strikers in the Premiership just now. Robbie Keane was also resigned for the club and although we have yet to see him at his best he is still a top player and one of the key players in a Spurs football shirt.

Spurs at the moment are reaping the rewards of their financial expenditure as they are currently sitting 4th in the Premiership and in line to get a Champions League spot but there is along way to go in the season yet.

After the announcement of pre-tax profits Daniel Levy not only showed his delight at the quality of players that Spurs have at the club but also on the future plans for the team.

“We have made significant progress in delivering on our long-term vision for the club.

“We have always had three key priorities and you will have heard them oft repeated – investment in the first team, a new training centre and an increased capacity, state-of-the-art new stadium.

“We have assembled what we believe to be one of the most talented squads we have had during our time in the Premier League, the ground is being turned and pitches laid for the new training centre at Bulls Cross in Enfield and we have submitted a planning application for a stunning new stadium on a site next to our existing stadium.”

Everything is looking bright at the moment and if we can maintain the form we have shown in the early part of the season then we will have Champions League football to look forward to next season.

Written by Kampanart Wong, a sports editor who blogs about cheap football jerseys

Harry’s not worried

Posted by on November 6, 2009 2 comments

fosters manager tableJust when Rafa Benitez thought things couldn’t get any worse, a study published by Foster’s today reveals the Liverpool manager is officially one of the most worried managers in the Premiership.

The leading Aussie beer brand analysed the interviews and statements from every Premiership manager since the beginning of the season using its Ozometer, an algorithm developed specifically to analyse language and word sequences to determine how worried or carefree a person is. More than a thousand different quotes were assessed enabling Foster’s to create a league table of the most and least worried football managers in the top flight.

Villa’s Martin O’Neill ranked as the least worried of manager in the Premiership, topping Fosters’ league table. The research found that, over the course of the season so far, he has been almost one quarter (24.7%) No Worries. He was at his least worried during weeks four and eight of the season, when he was 56% and 53% worry free, coinciding with wins against Birmingham City and Chelsea. He is currently enjoying another stress free week with the Ozometer showing him to be 48% no worries, despite the fact his side only managed a draw against Everton at the weekend.

Hull City manager Phil Brown ranked as the most worried. Analysis of his interviews shows that he is 30% more worried than Martin O’Neill, with a no worries percentage of minus nine. He was at his most anxious after losing at Burnley in week 5, with his score plummeting to minus 53%. Bolton Wanderers’ Gary Megson, Birmingham City’s Alex McLeish and Blackburn Rovers’ Sam Allardyce join Brown in propping up the table with scores of minus 8%, minus 5% and minus 3%respectively.

However, this trio was only marginally more worried than Benitez who scored minus 2%, making the Liverpool boss the 6th most worried gaffer in the Premiership. Rafa’s outlook improved visibly after his team’s recent win against Manchester United, but dropped to minus 14% after the dramatic loss to Fulham last Saturday when the referee’s red cards reduced his team to nine men. His score is likely to drop further this week as Liverpool’s Champion League dreams hang in the balance.

Alongside Martin O’Neill at the top of the table are Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti and Arsene Wenger closely followed by Spurs boss Harry Redknapp.

Despite being second in the Premier League, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson sits just mid-table in the league table of worriers, weighed down perhaps by the loss of Ronaldo and his obsession with referees. Fergie can muster no more than a disappointing 11th place in Foster’s No Worries league and has even displayed negative scores after winning games.

Sports psychologist and ex-Sporting Partnerships presenter Dr David Lewis comments: “Psychologically, worries are most likely to rise in situations where there is high pressure of us to succeed but uncertainty about whether we will do so. Therefore it is hardly surprising that managers like Benitez have been plagued by worries throughout the season. He should be careful not to fall into the common trap of Denial – refusing to accept any problems exist when it is obvious to fans that they do. An optimistic approach to life would help him see opportunities where others see only setbacks, and to look forward with confidence.”

Foster’s brand manager Natalie Clearie said: “It’s good to see Martin O’Neill setting an example to his Premiership peers. No Worries is an attitude. It’s about having a positive, Aussie-like spirit no matter what life throws at you, not just when you’re doing well. It seems most of the managers in the Premiership need to ‘get some Australian in them’.”

Foster’s will be keeping football fans entertained with the latest no worries news and views, and its pick of the best of the web, via its Twitter feed. To join and have your say, please follow us at twitter.com/FostersUK

Painful

Posted by on November 2, 2009 11 comments

Painful is the only word I can use to describe having to endure that woeful display. Do the players not understand the importance of this fixture to the Tottenham fans? Their pathetic efforts at the Emirates would suggest not.

While we may have been missing some key men through injury and suspension, our squad is meant to be one of the best in the league. Robbie Keane certainly thinks so and I was inclined to agree until I saw the poor level the stand ins played to on Saturday.

If we’d have gone there and played well but got beat I wouldn’t have a problem but it was a no contest. Arsenal were different class and we had no answers.

In his post match interview when asked if our next game now carries extra significance Harry said ‘no’ and ‘we’d still be up there come the end of the season’ or words to that effect. I’d have to disagree, at least with the no part. Any side harbouring top four aspirations having suffered two defeats on the trot in the league needs to bounce back. Add that to the fact Harry obviously didn’t rate Darren Bent and you have the potential for an especially significant game.

I do still fancy us to beat Sunderland, just a little less than I did a couple of weeks ago.