Summer Signings – A Spurs Fan’s Wishlist

In 48 hours time we will have a much clearer idea of how Spurs will be able to operate in the transfer market this summer. The outcome of Chelsea v Bayern will not only decide if we have Champions League football to offer potential new signings next season, but subsequently if there is the extra television revenue to splash out on both transfer fees and wages. But before we are brought crashing back down to earth by an inexplicable winner from David Luiz in the 93^rd minute, I shall suspend reality for five minutes and share with you my vision for improving our squad this summer.

Steven Fletcher

To my completely untrained eye it seems that this will be the summer Jermain Defoe leaves Spurs for the second time. He’s been making those noises again about lack of playing time and even gave himself a Demolition Man dye-job to get  noticed by other managers. He should have 2 games at the start of the Euro’s to push himself further to the front of the shop window, undoubtedly in some sort of throwback Little ‘n’ Large partnership with Carroll, and ultimately who can blame him? 17 goals this season despite being a benchwarmer for most of it points to the fact that Defoe deserves to be starting regularly, just not for Tottenham Hotspur. He’s improved his all-round game but I’ve never been a huge lover of Defoe and I don’t think he would be a huge loss, especially if Redknapp persisted in throwing him on anytime we need a goal despite us dominating the midfield (see FA cup semi-final against Chelsea).

However, if Defoe is to leave, and hopefully Saha to boot, then it leaves us a little light on attacking options even if we do secure Adebayor. The relegated teams are always a solid choice to look for back-up players at cut-down prices, with their downtrodden stars at least having that fabled ‘premier league experience’ which seems to make bugger all difference. But Fletcher seems like a good shout to me, he scored 12 league goals this season in a team which only managed a total of 40 and with very little in the way of service, in fact I would go as far to say that he could match Defoe in terms of goals if he took a similar role within our team. Unlike Defoe however I would think Fletcher would be happy to wait for his opportunity from the bench at Spurs, now undeniably a ‘big club’. His wage demands wouldn’t cause Levy’s ulcer to flare up and seeing as Craig Levein has ostracised him from the national side for the foreseeable future, Fletcher doesn’t even have to worry about being overlooked for Scotland due to not starting enough games. So long Jermain, welcome aboard Steven.

Junior Hoilett

You don’t have to be a tactical expert like me to notice that as soon as Aaron Lennon got injured, and Redknapp started to force players into unnatural positions, Spurs’ form dipped dramatically. Van der Vaart and Modric are simply not as effective when played on the wings and also neither provide adequate cover for the full-backs when we are defending, an area which Lennon has improved on dramatically in recent seasons. This problem would be solved if we had a back-up winger who was talented and trusted. There was an attempt to sign Krasic in January which apparently fell through due to the player, but I think we need to press on with bringing in younger talent and there were very few youngsters who caught the eye as much as Hoilett this season. Able to play on either wing, Hoilett would even allow Bale to drop back if the worst was to happen and BAE picked up an injury. While I noticed a tendency to go missing in a few of Blackburn’s matches, he possesses great pace, power, the ability to do this and potentially available on a free in a month. Must be worth a punt.

Jan Vertonghen

Younes Kaboul has been much maligned during his two spells at Spurs, mainly by me. But I have enjoyed eating my humble pie this season as Kaboul has grown into an absolute beast of a centre-back, often unbeatable in the air. It is now clear that we are looking for a partner for Younes. Step forward Jan Vertonghen. The Dutch Footballer of the Year winner is as calm and assured as they come. Able to cover multiple positions on the pitch and just as likely to be found joining in with attacks as he is stopping the opposition, Vertonghen really is the epitome of the modern defender. Not only that but as Ajax captain at just 25 it is clear that he is a leader, which is what we desperately need in defence. Both Kaboul and Dawson look so much more comfortable when playing next to Ledley King and that is due to his ability to organise and lead a back four. Ledley might have another season in him but it’s time for new blood and with Vertonghen added to Kaboul, Walker and BAE, Spurs might finally have a back four worth shouting about.

Steven Caulker

“Hey you bloody idiot” I hear your cry “Caulker IS our player!”

Yes I know that, I...

“He was just on loan at Swansea you muppet!”

Bit harsh, if you would just let me expl...

“I bet your mother doesn’t love you, you cretin!”

Enough now.

My point, if you will allow me to make it, is this: Getting Steven Caulker back will be just like signing a new player, accepted this is an awful cliché, but only if he is utilised correctly. Nobody can deny how impressive Caulker has been in a Swansea backline which has looked very sturdy during its first Premier League outing. So impressive in fact that I would argue Caulker should be our 3^rd choice centre-back if we sign Vertonghen and if not then he should start the season partnering Kaboul. Redknapp has been busy mumbling into his eight chins about how Caulker might need more time out on loan if he’s not going to push for first team at the Lane. But he should be pushing for first team; he must be trusted as he has spent all this season proving his ability to handle the Premier League. Truth be told we have no idea how Dawson will be after his long lay-off and King should be used far more sparingly next season. It’s no surprise that Ledley had some of his extremely rare bad games late on this season; you simply cannot expect a player not to train and still play more than two consecutive matches.  In the words of Michael Hughes (@InOurHO) King should be rolled out ‘like a classic car on the odd Sunday’. Gallas can go but we still need five centre-backs and Caulker should be above King and Dawson in the pecking order.

In a similar vein I am looking forward to the return of Tom Huddlestone next season, hugely underrated in my opinion. Too many times this season Spurs have played with one or two destructive holding midfielders against teams who offered no threat going forward and were happy to sit back and soak up pressure. Having Huddlestone in there instead would still provide limited defensive cover but he also has s superb range of passing and thus the ability to create attacks from deep within our own half. Viva Thuddz.

Anders Lindegaard

There is no doubt that Brad Friedel has proved to be a superb bit of business for Spurs this season. Commanding and composed, he has seen it all before. But despite his impressive run of consecutive games the time will come soon enough when he can no longer perform at the top level and currently we have nobody ready to take his place. Over at Old Trafford, the llama-faced donut thief that is David De Gea has unfortunately settled in quite nicely and looks like he will make the number one jersey his for the foreseeable future. Which begs the question, Is Anders Lindegaard happy to play second fiddle during his peak years and rely on injuries or dramatic loss in form to get his chance again at Old Trafford? I would think not, earlier in his career Lindegaard left his hometown club due to a lack of first-team opportunities and even if he wasn’t promised to start when he joined Man Utd, I think he will become easily frustrated at sitting on the bench every week.  As Utd only paid around £3.5 million for him I don’t think it would take too much to bring him to WHL. Get him in this summer for a season of learning from Friedel and Cudicini and then we have our first-choice ‘keeper nailed on for the next 5 years.

LLorente in – Redknapp out

This dear reader is the dream. Fantasy land, if you will. I have tried to be realistic with my previous targets but you can’t blame a guy for sticking his head in the clouds once in a while.

LLorente is everything a modern striker should be. Good in the air and great on the ground. He is even nicknamed The Lion King, how cool is that? In short he is everything Peter Crouch is not. If we were to sign him I would throw my cynicism in the bin for at least two weeks and really start to believe that this club could challenge for the title.

Harry Redknapp on the other hand is everything a modern manager should not be. While I could spend a whole blog pointing out his faults, it has been done by better writers than me already and I don’t want to stick the boot in too heavily on a man who has more than exceeded the expectations I had when he took over this club. But the truth is that we need a manager with a bit more tactical nous and a habit of winning things. Is that Mourinho fella still larking about in Madrid?

Tom Malone (@tbear995)

Podcaster for Live From Your Living Room, available on iTunes and soon to return from hiatus.

Want to watch your team play? Can't get a ticket? Here is what to do

Connor Cunningham (a fitting name) was despertatly trying to get a ticket to see his beloved Ireland take on Estonia but when he showed up ticketless to the stadium hoping to find a fairly priced tout he was out of luck... Or so he thought. After being quoted 600€ for a ticket he decided to see if he could talk his way into the stadium but the security guard was having none of it! Determined as ever, the cunning man that he is, (see what I did there) saw a window of opportunity, or should I say a door of opportunity. He saw an unmanned door which was open so he decided to slip in, as you do. The door led him to a dead end corridor with nothing in it except for a bag of footballs, he lifted up the bag and underneath was an Estonia team tracksuit. He whipped on this tracksuit over his jeans and football shirt, flung the ball bag over his shoulder and walked back out. Now in his disguise he headed to the main entrance where security guards let him through with no problem, after having got in he claims he didn't know what to do at that point so he thought he might as well keep up with the act. He made his way pitch side to the Estonian dug out and took a seat. He only ended up sitting next to the manager... He says about 10-15 minutes passed when suspicion arose and an official realised he wasn't part of this team at all. Instead of kicking him out the stadium the just put him in the stands where he calmly watched the rest of the game. Ireland went on to smash Estonia 4-0 and after the game he went back and got onto the pitch to celebrate with the Irish and even wormed his way down the tunnel and watched some post-match interviews. This man has some seriously big cajones. I would like to say, if you're to ever try to sneak into a stadium to watch a game, do it this way.

Side note: Try not to arouse suspicion by taking videos on your phone during the game

Here he is again, ball bag included, getting back onto the pitch and celebrating after the game.

Player Profile

Name: Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu
Age: 20
Nationality: Ghanaian
Position: Centre Midfielder
Club: Udinese

Badu is an exciting young talent, I first saw him play against Arsenal in the first leg Champions League play-off and was extremely impressed. He dons the number 7 shirt but is a centre midfielder which dumbfounded me a bit during the game as he sat in front of the Udinese back line. As moronic as it sounds it was an odd sight to see. He played this role excellently, he was very strong in the tackle and extremely disciplined in his positioning - braking up play effectively, stopping opposition moves, as well as starting attacks. Udinese played a 4-1-4-1 that game; Badu being the -1- in the holding position, Udinese played great counter-attacking football and he was vital in them doing so as he never pressed on too much as everyone else around him did so he provided efficient cover for the five players in front of him who pressed on heavily that match. The young lad possesses great pace, both with and without the ball at his feet. He is a dynamic player, able to play that holding role as well as being a more "rounded" box to box midfielder who helps with both attack and defence. Badu features regularly in an ever changing Udinese line-up.

He follows in a line of Ghanaian midfielders to pass through Udinese such as Appiah, Muntari and Asamoah who is another promising talent. Badu says his game is similar to Black Star legend Michael Essien and has spent time with him in the national squad and has been trying to learn from him. He has already tasted international glory at youth level, forming part of the Ghanaian squad which won the U20 World Cup in 2009 against Brazil, making them the first African team to win that tournament.

Udinese have an excellent scouting and coaching team, one of the very best in the world for finding young talent and developing it. I believe the stocky midfielder will prove to be another excellent find.

Is Serie A exciting?

I was brought up in the Serie A golden years, my Sunday afternoons would consist of waiting for my lunch whilst watching James Richardson on Channel 4 with my Dad. Seeing players like Zidane, Ronaldo, Veron, Batistuta, Ortega, on my tv every week was nothing short of a privilege and as the years went on all of these great footballers either went abroad or retired. Once Channel 4 stopped their Football Italia show, Serie A seemed to drop off the map for us, there were no more superstars in that league and the quality of the English game was ever improving. Soon enough Serie A was labelled that "boring" league. I will be the first to hold my hands up and say that I was one of those people who shunned it. The league that I'd fallen in love with and once followed so closely was nothing on what it used to be, the Premier League held the keys to my heart. It was more competitive, the game was faster and the quality of football seemed higher - it was unrivalled, in my eyes.

You missed this, don't pretend you didn't

I now live in Italy and within about 3 weeks of being over here I'd already taken note of how Serie A was different. I'd always kept my eye on how the league was going and who was doing good or bad but Juventus dominated the 00s and it frankly was no fun to follow, their team was better than the rest, only Milan could rival them. Serie A looked to be making a comeback and 2003 there were two Italian teams in the final of the Champions League! It was Juventus versus Milan and as the world waited for what could have and should have been an excellent event it turned out to be possibly the most boring final of all time in any competition, ever. I don't wish to cast your minds back to that awful evening but it was a bore draw after 90 minutes and then we suffered through another half hour of the same monotonous, closed, defensive rubbish. The game was settled on penalties (it finished 2-3) and Milan won their sixth Champions League. Both teams so rich with history, a rivalry that stemmed back 100 years and so many good players, yet they couldn't manage a goal between them after 120 minutes of football. It really put the decisive nail in coffin for anyone who was still debating if Serie A was exciting as it once was, the answer was no.

The most forgettable final, ever

Serie A this year really has been crazy so far! Inter Milan; treble winners in the 07/08 season, sit in 16th place. Napoli, high fliers in Europe but in the league are 7th. Juventus, back from Serie B, reshaped and top of the table with a game in hand. It really looks to be wide open at this point and I've been paying some real close attention to the league and I've been sucked back in. Sure, the names I'd throw out won't get your heart racing or even spark a debate among most football fans but there is some real quality and many exciting prospects playing in the league now. Edinson Cavani, who really knew about him before Napoli entered the Champions League? We may have a few people who will roll out with their excellent footballing input - "Yeah, I signed him on my Football Manager game in 2008 and he became really good so you know..."
It has to be said, at this point he was already in Serie A and scoring goals for a good Palermo side so the comment from the Football Manager scout of decade is nothing short of idiotic babel. Either way, there are so many players in Serie A who really are top drawer footballers but get little recognition on the world stages because the league that they play in is now marked as inferior, not only by public opinion but also by UEFA who have allocated only 3 spots in the Champions League to Serie A teams.

Cavani's first goal in Serie A. Not a bad way to introduce yourself.

Footballing legends from the Serie A of old are a dying breed, Del Piero is retiring, Nesta's career has been riddled with injuries, Totti is getting no younger... The glamour may appear to have worn off but the league has never been so action-packed. Serie A is possibly the second most competitive league in the modern game, after the Premier League. There are so many teams battling it out for the top spots whereas in neighbouring countries such as Spain, France and Germany, there is much less. Maybe it's because the top clubs in Italy have fallen and are no longer untouchable, maybe it's because the standard is getting higher among the "lesser" clubs... All I know is, Serie A has been a very competitive league to watch this year and if you're looking to invest your time in any other foreign league - make it Italian.

3+7=10

Today is Alessandro Del Piero's 37th birthday, the son of the Old Lady may well be playing his last year of football but this is no reason to forget what this man has achieved in his career.

Believe it or not, Del Piero started playing football very young as a goalkeeper as his mother didn't want him to get hurt whilst playing but shifted to an outfield position after his older brother convinced their mother that he was good up front. Six years later, he was spotted playing for his sunday club and he signed for Padova at the age of 13.

Del Piero moved to Juventus from Padova in 1993 and had an almost instant impact. He started as almost all young players do, coming off the bench attempting to make an impact - he grabbed his first goal for the club coming on a substitute against Foggia and on for his first start for the club (3 games into his career, it should be noted) he bagged himself a hat-trick against Parma. Juve went on win their first Scudetto after eight years in 1994, with Del Piero playing his part; he made 29 appearances and scored 8 that season. It was in that season where he scored that goal against Fiorentina.

In the following years Juventus won another six Scudetti (two being taken away after Calciopoli), the Champions League in 1996, four Italian Super-Cups and a Coppa Italia. Del Piero also found international glory at under-21 level with Italy winning the European Championship twice, back to back. Most notably, with the senior squad in 2006 he won the World Cup - He scored another remarkable goal that tournament; in the semi-final against host nation, Germany, in the dying minutes of extra time he scored a beauty of a goal to guarantee Italy a place in the final.

After Juventus got demoted to Serie B in 2006, Del Piero set an example as club captain to his teammates by declaring he would stay at the club despite their on-going problems, some followed his lead but many super stars left. That season Del Piero was top goal scorer in Serie B, Juventus got promoted, and the following season Juventus finished 3rd with Del Piero as top scorer in Serie A! Along with this record, he has made the most club appearances for Juventus as well being the club's all time top goal scorer. I think it is a shame that he isn't getting as much game time as should be this year as well as not being able to stay on for another year, making his time span at Juventus 20 years rather than 19. Either way, he has been a God to Juventus and Italy fans. You cannot find a bad word to say about that man, he is a model professional and I hope he is not the last of a dying breed. The man exudes class and technique, he played the "fantasista" or the "trequartista" perfectly, threading in passes as well as being a major goal threat. Alessandro Del Piero, dubbed "Il Vero Fenomeno" (the real phenomenon) in a response to Inter fans' given name to Ronaldo "Il Fenomeno" really did go to show what a phenomenon he really was, 285 goals for Juventus and a very respectable 27 for Italy. Happy birthday, Alex.

Here is Del Piero's first 100 goals for the club. On his 6th goal you can see Del Piero scoring his first trademark goal by taking on a very young Fabio Cannavaro at Napoli. Also, Toldo was in goal for Fiorentina when Del Piero scored that wonder goal. How old do you feel right now?

Is the Old Lady back to her old ways?

Juventus are back on top of Serie A, a sight that we were used to seeing once upon a time. Since the Calciopoli scandal in 2006 Juventus have had a long arduous battle to find themselves back where they once were, top of the table. They are starting to look like a team who very well could start to win, or at least contend, for major honours. We'll take a look at some major factors why the bianconeri are becoming, once more, a force to be reckoned with.

Antonio Conte is the new manager of Juventus and what an impact that man has had. He set himself the goal once entering the world of management that he would become Juventus manager in five years, if not, he'd stop. Obviously, he's gone and done just that! It's great to see a great player come back to their old club and bring success with them. During his years as a footballer Conte played under some of the very best managers around - Lippi, Ancelotti, Zoff, Trapattoni and Sacchi. He learnt a lot from all of them has taken aspects from each manager to develop his own style, which has worked out very well. Conte has been a success wherever he has gone, he has had high ambitions and targets - no doubt he has one eye is on the scudetto in the next few seasons. He claims he learnt how to be a winner under Marcello Lippi and says the most important thing he, himself, does as a manager is to transmit that knowledge to his own players.

Since coming straight back up from Serie B they finished 3rd in their first season, then 2nd in the next but the next two years they finished 7th both times. The team hasn't changed drastically, the core is still there and some remain even from Conte's playing days but losing players such as Nedved, Trezeguet and Camoranesi after their first two seasons upon returning to Serie A and failing to replace them with players of similar quality has cost them. Money was invested poorly in players once those stars had left and they brought in the likes of Poulsen, Almiron, Felipe Melo and Tiago. This summer, it's safe to say that they brought in players of real quality and class - Pirlo, Vucinic, Vidal, and Lichtsteiner, they also signed Matri and Barzagli the in January transfer window before. These players all play a role in the new look Juventus.

Conte came in stating he'd play a 4-4-2/4-2-4 with high attacking wide men but he also plays a very interesting formation in the shape of a 4-2-3-1. I think he has moved more to the latter because it suits the players he has much more. Firstly, the coupling of Marchisio and Pirlo in the centre of the park is working out fantastically. Many thought Pirlo was "over the hill" but he is still dictating the play and delivering those perfectly weighted balls over the top or just defence splitting passes with his usual elegance and grace. Marchisio is also playing with such creative freedom and discipline all at the same time and his efforts are being rewarded in the form of goals, he already has 4 to his name this season. Marchisio is finally being utilised in his decision, the past few years he'd be stuck out wide and it was painfully obvious that he wasn't a winger. The arrival of Vidal has been welcomed by Juventus fans and rightly so, they picked him up for a very good price this summer (especially considering the English transfer market) for 10million €. He sits in front of the perfectly balanced couple of Pirlo and Marchisio and has been playing very well. He supports the attacks and also drops deep to help out. Vucinic has been shifted from playing up front to attacking wide left, this is nothing new to him as he played in that wide penetrating role for Roma for years before his summer switch. He cuts in all the time, finds himself in space and has good feet. On the opposite side is Pepe - he is a work horse for Conte, constantly bombing up and down the wing and swinging in crosses when he can. Up top is another new boy, Matri, who signed from Cagliari midway through last season. He has found himself in some good form, scoring 4 goals and setting a few up along the way. At the back Juventus are having slight problems finding a left back, they've played 3 different players in that position already this season and seem to be sticking with Chiellini. I personally don't think he is good enough for that role, he doesn't move with the ball well, lacks technique and certainly doesn't offer what Lichtsteiner does on the opposite flank. The Swiss full-back is great, he can attack as well as defend which seems simple enough but so many modern day full backs cannot do it... In the centre of defence is Bonucci and Barzagli, the latter returning to Serie A after time in Germany with Wolfsberg. He has been a rock in defence and considering the fact that they signed him for a mere 300,000€ it was an extremely shrewd bit of business. Obviously, in goal we have Gigi Buffon. We know all about him... The team looks very good, a strong base to build on and this is what Conte was aiming to do this season. He is concerned about having a good structure in place and then going on from there, an extremely wise approach. Let's not forget that they have five world cup winners in the squad... Not a bad base, eh?

Juve's 4-2-3-1

Although Juventus are top of the league by a point at the moment they have a real tough few games coming up - Napoli, Palermo, Lazio, Roma and Udinese in their next seven games. They've seen off league title favourites AC Milan already this season and played them off the pitch, they've also taken the scalp of Inter at the San Siro. It's games this season that Juventus has failed to see out is their down fall, they've lost points to stupid draws against Bologna and Genoa most notably - games that they should have won and if they wish to remain in and around their current league position they will need to learn to see a game out or put it to bed.

What I like most about Juventus under Conte is that they are playing very attractive football; they start with a high tempo, they press and move the ball around the park very intelligently. The technique and quality that they have going forward can be devastating at times, also with the players on the pitch they've got different attacking options available. Matri is great in the air, he is big and strong but he is also able to hold the ball up, lay it off and even play it himself, if needs be. Vucinic gives you that penetrating aspect from wide, cutting in the ball and causing havoc in the box. Vidal isn't afraid to shoot from distance. Marchisio times his runs into the box very well, his timing is excellent and he also enjoys getting forward with the ball at his feet. We've yet to see the young Dutch wing wizard, Elia, play much yet. Quagliarella is also on the bench along with Juventus God, Alessandro Del Piero. They've also got Giaccherini, Pazienza and Krasic on the bench who have all weighed in with some appearances as well this season.

“Conte’s men have determination, desire and they have the right man leading them. They have finally rediscovered the Juventus identity.” - Marcello Lippi

I'm not saying this team is the Juventus that we once knew but they are a new Juventus; new manager, new players, new tactics, new stadium. Things are going great right now and Conte is receiving just praise because he has already taken them a long way from where they were when he joined the club. They are playing good football, getting results and really look like they are playing for the club which Conte has been trying to drill into them since his arrival. He seems to be bringing out the best in his players and tactically he has been spot on. A team like Juventus will always rise back to the top. Don't be surprised if they finish in the top 3 this season.

What's new pussy cat?

Hello there, the day that seemed a life time away in May is already upon us. Next weekend Manchester United will face Manchester City at Wembley for the Charity Shield in the first competitive game of the season. More importantly, for the rest us, is the week after - the first game week of the Premier League. Will we see anymore new signings? Will some heroes and club favourites be playing elsewhere? How will all the new boys settle into their new clubs? We will find all of this out as the league begins to unfold. I, for one, can't wait.

So far, this summer, we've had some big talking points. Classic stories of the will he or won't he go, new summer signings and loads of off the field action.

In my last entry it was the start of the transfer window, clubs already making signings and the rumour mill was in full motion. I had a cheeky little look over it before deciding to write this just to see how much truth came of what I wrote.

One thing I wrote about was the imminent departure of Palermo's Javier Pastore, the club's chairman came out and said he was leaving but wouldn't tell us anymore. He kept his cards close to his chest through out the summer, stating a major european club was in for him and I second guessed that Real Madrid and Chelsea would be battling it out for his signature. As the summer went on it was clear that his future would not lie in Spain and once more I thought we'd be seeing him come to England. Chelsea were very clear about their need for a top class central midfielder, more so when the news broke of Essien's long term knee injury which will keep him out well into the new year. But no, to my amazement it seems that Pastore will be unveiled as a Paris San Germain player very soon... Personally, it comes across to me as an odd move - I feel he is not making progressive steps but that is a whole other story.

Bojan will be playing in Serie A next season for Roma paving the way out for striker Mirko Vucinic who is being followed very closely by Juventus and Tottenham.

Many transfers that have gone through so far have been quite expected ie. Ashley Young, David De Gea, Gervinho, Charlie Adam, Stuart Downing. One transfer which I didn't think I'd be seeing this summer was Aguero's move to Manchester City. The deal went through very fast and without any hiccups (as you would imagine when dealing with City). I, along with all other football fans, will be looking forward to seeing him in the league. We all know how good he has been for Athletico and we can only hope that he can bring some much needed flair to Manchester City. Carlos Tevez has not been a happy bunny this summer, he wants away - again. This time Corinthians went in for him; an unlikely move from the Brazilians but the deal was accepted and then they couldn't pay an initial fee of around £8.7million. So, as it stands, Carlos Tevez is still a Manchester City player and it could stay that way. Inter Milan are reportedly in for him but these are only rumours, if they were to sell Sneijder to Manchester United then they would probably have the money to sign the Argentine.

Arsenal have done an awful lot of selling and not an awful lot of much needed buying. Nasri seems to be staying for one more season but Fabregas may have had his last game in Arsenal colours. Their neighbours are fighting desperately to keep hold of Luka Modric - Levy says he is not for sale, Bond (Kevin, not James) came out today and said every player has their price. Both clubs cannot afford to lose their key midfielders but both may submit. Arsenal are at the negotiation table with Barcelona who already have coughed up the cash to sign Udinese star Alexis Sanchez. I feel both stories will last all summer. Will it be too late for both clubs to line up replacements? It seems Arsenal and Tottenham are in for Juan Mata but I believe Arsenal are leading the race for the young Spaniard.

A Joey Barton story has broken today that Newcastle have placed him on the transfer list and he is also available on a free transfer. Is he worth the risk? Would you want him at your club? I think he had a great season and is a very good footballer but would not want him at my club. He has not been shy in airing his opinions and feelings regarding his club, their transfer policies and his general happiness.

Danny Simpson just took to twitter and seemed to be unhappy, obviously regarding the imminent departure of Joseph Barton. I hope Mr. Ashley has a plan of action, in 6 months he has let his three best players go. You're move, Newcastle.

Moving onto more stories from the summer, we have the ever exciting Mario Balotelli causing a stir wherever he may be. Super Mario upset American commentators, LA Galaxy fans and Roberto Mancini after trying a back-heeled trick-shot half an hour in. Mancini substituted him very angrily straight away, they had a bit of a tiff on the touchline but Balotelli played the next game against Inter Milan in America and scored - City went on to beat Inter 3-0. Here is the video along with American commentary:

Balotelli also told Sky Italia that he doesn't like Manchester and he misses home. He stated he was happy with the club and his team mates but still missed home, Mario also did not rule out one day returning to Milan.

Fat Ronaldo was always given a load of stick when he was carrying a little extra weight hence earning him the loved name - Fat Ronaldo. He was on holiday and snapped some some pap but he now truly looks like a pregnant alien.

Arsenal's new signing, Gervinho, got off to a perfect start by scoring twice on his club debut. Poor new boy Carl Jenkinson will want to forget his first major contribution to his new club as he scored a hilarious/disastrous own goal. He wouldn't be able to emulate this effort in a million years, as it goes in he just looks like he wants the earth to open up and swallow him whole.

On a total separate subject and side thought I find it fantastic how footballers just love to react in hilarious ways when a player gets nutmegged. They regress back to their 14 year-old selves and just go wild. Here are a few good examples:

At Tottenham it is common practice to do the classic heel kick and howl when a player gets nutmegged.

In Spain, they celebrate nutmegs with more joy than a goal (please excuse the music).

On a parting note, I want to show you how France prepared for Ronaldo in 1998 before the final. They have experts and Marcel Desailly explaining Ronaldo's actions and movements. Without this key bit of training and wisdom France would not have won the World Cup.

Transfer News

Bèbè to Besiktas - it appears that the unknown Portuguese striker will spend next season playing football in Turkey, he is going out there on loan obviously to give him some much needed first team action in a competitive league. A year in Turkey will do the striker a world of good, he is never going to get a chance in the current Manchester United squad - I make him out to be their seventh choice striker, so logically he doesn't get many opportunities. The games he was given went poorly, he failed to impress even against non-league Crawley Town. Ferguson or someone on the Manchester United scouting team saw something they liked about the young striker and the club shelled out a reported fee of around £7million, the same sum of money that they signed Hernandez for that same summer. Here is a video of Bèbè scoring a lovely goal for the Manchester United reserve team.

Javier Pastore is leaving Palermo, his destination of yet is unsure but the clubs rumoured to be in for the Argentine midfield maestro are Chelsea and Real Madrid. Personally, I'd love to see what Pastore could do in England and also I couldn't see him getting into the Madrid team, could you? They already have vast quality in the midfield area with Alonso, Khedira, Ozil, Kaka, Lassana Diarra, Canales, Gago and not mention the two new signings already this summer - Nuri Sahin and Hamit Altintop. Where would he fit in? Chelsea also are desperate for some real good young talent to bolster their squad and Pastore might just be the man for the job.

Mentioning Real Madrid's midfield and how hard it is to get into, Sergio Canales has attracted interest from top european clubs; rightly so. The young Spaniard is a very talented footballer and the likes of Villarreal, Schalke and Wolfsburg are all interested in his services.

Swansea are in talks with Marcos Senna over a possible move to the Liberty Stadium, Senna is out of contract and newly promoted Swansea are looking to add some real quality and experience into their team. 

It also appears Liverpool are eyeing up every player in the world at the moment - the media are linking them with many names. Some of which we believe to be true are Charlie Adam, Stuart Downing and Gael Clichy.

Transfer News

We've had a busy start - rumours and deals have been flying around all over the place. We always said it was going to be a busy summer for a lot of the bigger teams in the Premier League and today it has all really kicked off.


We'll start with the official news, Sunderland have agreed to sell their young starlet Jordan Henderson to Liverpool for £20million. The deal also involves David N'Gog going in the other direction on top of the large transfer fee. The deal was struck earlier on today, Henderson is set to discuss personal terms and have his medical on Wednesday. Sunderland wanted to keep Henderson but he was keen on leaving and the club did not stand in the way of the deal, plus £20million pounds is a very large sum of money. I think Sunderland and Steve Bruce will do good with that money in the transfer kitty. Overall - Decent signing, did they really need Henderson? £20million seems an inflated price for the youngster - ★★★☆☆

This deal seems as good as done - Phil Jones to Manchester United. They beat off stiff competition from Liverpool and Arsenal to the young man's signature. The reported fee is somewhere in the region of £16million. I presume Ferguson's long term idea is to have Smalling and Jones together at centre half? Vidic and Ferdinand are no spring chickens. He is also more than capable of playing in the centre of midfield - this may well be where he starts to get games. Jones looks a strong purchase, he really is one for the future. I have always spoken of my admiration for the guy, a real talented footballer and all interviews I have seen and read he comes across as a nice guy. I can't see him moving on from Manchester United if he is getting game time. Being only 19 years old he has a good 10+ years to offer his new employers. Also for new owners Venky's this is a great big of business... They paid £23million for a 99.9% stake in the club and now are on their way to taking back £16million only on one player, not bad going. Overall a good signing for United; young, strong and talented - ★★★★☆

Arsenal make their first signing in what has been promised to be a busy transfer window. Their signing is that of lesser known youngster Carl Jenkinson from Charlton Athletic. The 19 year old right back and his family are Arsenal fans and when the club declared interest he was very eager to move. Arsene Wenger is arguably the best manager in world who can sign an unknown player and really make them a star. Hopefully for Arsenal that is going to happen, a young right back by trade but who can also play all the way along the back line will help stabilise that fragile defence of last season. Arsenal are signing the young man on a free but it is believed that around £1million compensation will be paid to Charlton Athletic. I wouldn't expect to see Jenkinson in the first team for a little while but he could very well be Bacary Sagna's replacement in the future as Arsenal do not have any real talent coming through in that position. Overall a potentially good signing for the gunners, only time will tell. From what Charlton manager Chris Powell has had to say he sounds like a very good player and they are sad to lose him. One for the future but no real impact to Arsenal as a club - ★☆☆☆☆

Transfer Rumours


Talk in both England and Italy is that Chelsea lead the race for Inter Milan's talisman Wesley Sneijder, he has reportedly told close friends that he wants to embark on a new challenge. Manchester United along with Manchester City will be battling Chelsea for his signature. Inter Milan's manager Leonardo has his eyes on Chelsea's Ramires, will the young brazilian be used as bait to lure Inter into talks with them instead of their rivals? There is also talk of Inter chasing young Gatson Ramirez - virtually unknown to the masses in England but in Italy he has made quite an impression. The skilful midfield player maker has tricks for days as well as a few goals up his sleeve. Here is a classic video compilation for those of you who are interested.

Chelsea officials are in Belgium at the moment trying to negotiate a deal for young winger Kevin De Bruyne after an initial bid of around £5.3million was knocked back. 
Lassana Diarra has come out and said IF he was to leave Madrid it would only be for a return to the Premier League, Tottenham and Liverpool are rumoured to be interested in the French holding midfielder. 
Napoli are playing in Europe next season, they are trying to strengthen their squad with the addition of Domenico Criscito but face competition from Inter. Gohan Inler's agent has come out and said his man is close to a move to Napoli, a real talent and has been a target for many top clubs in the past. An Inler-Hamsik midfield pairing in Europe could be something beautiful. 
Reports in Italy say that Roma are after Barcelona golden boy Bojan Krkic and Luis Enrique who is now the manager at the Italian club could be the swinging factor? I personally can't see him leaving but who knows?

Gervinho is a name that will most likely feature in every single transfer rumour column at least once a week this summer - the striker told Sky Sports today that he is on his way to England but tells L'Équipe that he is undecided. He is creating the speculation all on his own. I have a feeling Lille will sell the front man, especially as he would probably have a large price tag on him. 
Word from Catalunya Ràdio in Spain is that Fabregas' agent has come out and said a verbal agreement with Rosell, the president of Barcelona, has been made - He says this Friday they are meeting to discuss a strategy to get Arsenal to agree to sell him. The reported fee is near 40million€. 
Everyone in England is waiting for the official statement from Manchester United to confirm their signing of Ashley Young, it seems to be just a matter of time. What is interesting is that Juventus see this as an opportunity to swoop in and try to steal one of United's current wingers - Luis Nani. I personally think that Nani has had the best season of his career but there is still more to come, he would be foolish to move if the offer ever comes about. I'm sure the signing of Young will plant a seed of doubt into his head, towards the end of the season he wasn't getting as much game time as he wished. 
Shakthar Donetsk are reportedly in for Arsenal's want away midfielder, Denilson. Part of this deal is that Arsenal have to pay £4million plus Denilson for their quick-footed pacey Brazilian winger Willian - I don't know how much truth there is to this rumour but I do know that Arsenal need to get rid of Denilson along with a few other players this summer.
News just in - Sunderland have offered £12million for Wes Brown, Darren Gibson and an unnamed third player, who could it be? Wellbeck? O'Shea? The deal has come about hours after the confirmation of Henderson's big money move to Merseyside. 

Joe Cole to Tottenham?

We're hearing noises that Tom's favourite footballer is making a move to White Hart Lane. Harry is at it again, wheeling and dealing his way to a £3million transfer for Joe Cole. They worked together at West Ham and he has always been a fan of his, Tottenham were after the trickster last summer when he was available on a free transfer but he obviously ended up at Liverpool. His stay there was a nightmare, he was blighted by injury and general poor performances. Will his fortunes change if he moves back to London? Harry must think so.

Cole is also on a reportedly stupidly high wage, will he be expecting similar wages at Spurs? He is not a player that can demand £90,000 a week... To me, he is pushing his luck at £40,000. If he was on these high wages at Liverpool no wonder why they are happy to let him leave, they wouldn't actually be making any money on Cole, 10 months on those wages would have cost Liverpool £3.6million.

There is no doubt that Joe Cole will be part of the larger squad, he will be in that starting line-up vary rarely. Niko Kranjcar joined Spurs and was a fringe player and now is on his way out due to his lack of first team football. I think he is a better footballer than Cole, Steven Pienaar is also there and he possesses a high level of ability than the London born trickster. This leaves me thinking that Cole will be the fourth choice winger in the club, will he get many games? I've always stressed that Tottenham do need more quality regarding the depth of their team if they are to compete in europe, is Joe Cole the quality that they are in need of?

Maybe I'm totally mistaken, Harry could very well bring out the best in Joe Cole and many people as well as myself will be left eating our own words. Nevertheless a £3million pound signing in the transfer market is an extremely good bargain, the transfer fee is not a large sum so even if he flops Tottenham won't be left red-faced.

Man of the season

After realising that both Tom's and my goals of the season came from Bolton I thought it would be fitting to write up a little piece on the man that made this all possible. He has his team playing positive, attractive and fluid football.

We both have been a huge fan of this character since he has been in the Premier League. From getting the best out of his teams to being so active within the club he actually plays with the reserve team from time to time, just to reassert his status as the bossman and let everyone know he still has 'it'.

Owen Coyle, take a bow. Taking over at Bolton has shown just what a great manager he is; they are now genuinely a strong team and people don't have a bad word to say about the club. He is still a young manager, only 44 years of age. Hard to believe he is only a few years older than Brad Friedel and Edwin Van Der Sar! Coyle gets his teams playing good, attractive football. He was a God at Burnley during his time there and he has won over the hearts of Bolton fans since his arrival. A season and a half in charge of the team from the north west and he has taken them from relegation contenders to a solid side in the top half of the table and guided this team to a FA Cup semi-final this season. They have become a fearless side who know no bounds, great signings along with such a strong team bond and spirit has brought them the success that they deserve.

I'm sure most people will have seen this but here is a quick reminder of what the man can do. This is that goal he scored for Burnley reserves not so long ago. The man just oozes class.

Tom's Season Highlights

Easy now rudebois, it's apparently now my turn to take you throw my favourite parts of the wonderful season we've had. I apologise for the lateness, I've been ill, poor me.

Game of the season:

Tottenham 3-3 Arsenal

I wanted to disagree with Dan, I really did, just to make things a little bit more interesting. I tried to convince myself that the Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal was better, or that Man Utd and Everton's draw was more worthy, but alas I could not. The first North London Derby of the season may have had a more enjoyable result for us Spurs fans, but the second was just sensational from start to finish. Great goals, midfield displays as good as any all season and, in a game that meant everything, not a single player on either team could be accused of not giving it their all. Football at its best.

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Goal of the season:

Mark Davies v Blackpool (skip 2 mins into the video)

Many have been quick to hand this award to the Rooney overhead kick. I have three main problems with this. Firstly it came from a bad cross, secondly it came off his shin and thirdly it's Wayne Rooney and I don't like Wayne Rooney. If it was merely the spectacular I was looking for here I would have picked Gareth Bale's volley against Stoke, at least as hard to execute as Rooney's and for my money more aesthetically pleasing. Instead I savour the team goals and have chosen one which at first glance one would assume had been scored by Barcelona, not Bolton. Stylish, slick, samba football - it's just like watching Brazil.

Djibril Cissé Award for Worst Hair:

Benoît Pierre David Assou-Ekotto

There were a few contenders this year. Aaron Lennon's refusal to grow up and take those silly  lines out of his hair and eyebrows makes him a key contender. Joey Barton's Hitler 'Tache & Side Parting combo was just as tragic. In the end it was a straight race between two North London rivals but Alex 'I dyed my hair so my son could tell who I was on the TV' Song narrowly lost out to everyone's favourite pineapple-haired defender.

Signing of the Season:

Cheick Ismael Tioté

Hernandez and Odemwingie may have scored key goals for their respective teams. Van der Vaart may have saved the blushes of Tottenham's faltering strikeforce. But Newcastle, in their first season back in the Premier League, never looked liked going down and for my money there is one man who can take the credit for this. You can point to Carroll, Nolan and Barton but without Tioté they would have no platform on which to play. He epitomises Newcastle's stability this year, oh and he scores 35-yard screaming volleys.

Flop of the Season:

Joe Cole

I won't spend much time here. I don't like him as a player, I never have done. I was delighted when I discovered he had chosen Liverpool over Spurs. Merely a playground trickster who brings little to nothing to a team, and this year finally got shown up for being just that.

Player of the Season:

Luka Modric

An honourable mention for Vidic, a rock for Man Utd even when they looked poor, but for me there is only one man who deserves this title. You can label me biased if you please but anyone who truly understands football will know that the little Croatian is the best player to grace the premier league in a long time. He can completely dictate a match, has strength one would not expect and just makes the game seem beautiful again. Some may point to his stats - three goals and three assists in the league - but they do not even begin to tell the story of this man. In fact Xavi has the same amount of goals and only seven assists in La Liga this season, and that is who Modric is - he is the Xavi of the Premier Leage, no exaggeration. He may not have the last pass before a goal but he is in some way responsible for most goal-scoring opportunities that come Spurs' way. After Barca won The Champions League a discussion amongst many well-respected football writers ended with the conclusion that Modric is the only central midfielder in the world who could play for Barcelona and not make them worse, high praise indeed. One of the best players I have ever seen and a worthy winner for me this year.