Have a little faith in St. Peter

Written by guest blogger Tom Tainton who, it must be pointed out, is not a Spurs fan but talks a lot of sense. He also retains a passionate affinity for Peter Crouch. But you'll have realised that after a paragraph or two.

As the 2008/09 season drew to a close, Spurs found themselves in eighth place, jostling with the likes of West Ham and Fulham for an Intertoto Cup spot and the exciting prospect of a trip to Bangor Town in July. The Lilywhites were stranded 21 points behind Arsenal in fourth spot. Spurs found the net a measly 21 times at the Lane. Only Wigan, Middlesbrough and Hull managed less.

There was a problem in North London, and 'Arry needed a solution fast. But where can you find a striker, preferably English, proven at international level, who can score and create goals? Oh, and he's got to cost £10 million or less. A snip at this level.

Step forward, Peter Crouch.

Twelve months later and Tottenham have enjoyed their most successful Premier League season ever. Fourth spot, an extended cup run and a hatful of goals. Anyone spotted the correlation yet?

Surely I'm not suggesting that Crouch, widely doubted for his big game ability and scoring touch, single-handedly dragged Spurs into Champions League contention? I can't possibly be insinuating that Crouch is solely responsible for catapulting Spurs from perennial underachievement to the big time? Erm, yes I am actually.

The anti-Crouch brigade (I know you’re out there) will argue that the England's tallest ever player has only scored eight goals for Spurs. They'll dismiss his 21 goals in 40 appearances at international level because of the quality of opposition. They'll claim that Tottenham play a one-dimensional, long-ball system with Crouch in the side.

There's a reason that none of them are coaching football at the highest level - they're morons. Crouch’s performances throughout the season were consistent. Consistently brilliant. He provided link-up for Defoe, he dazzled in the air and on the floor and he chipped in with crucial goals at Manchester City and Blackburn, to name but a few. His enthusiasm and down-to-earth mentality amid a sea of egos was a breath of fresh air. The players love him. 'Arry loves him. Abbey Clancy likes him a bit. Even the fans are starting to realise that you don’t have to be a colossal dickhead to play up front for Spurs. Maybe nice guys don’t finish last, after all.

The real question is: who will partner 'Crouchanaldo' up front next season? Let's peruse the options available to Redknapp…

Robbie Keane

Keano is a bit like Big Brother. Entertaining in 2005 but now needs to be put out of its misery. Football’s a cruel business and there’s no place for sentiment. Just ask Maradona and Alan Shearer. Keane’s only real contribution last season was to lead a rebel band to Dublin with the sole intention to guzzle Guinness and indulge in illicit sex trysts (probably) (Editor - legal minefield). Giovani dos Santos didn’t go as he lacked the necessary linguistic skills to partake in the banter. Gareth Bale didn’t go because he’s an ugly bastard.

The problem with Robbie Keane is that his heart isn’t in it. He’d rather play for Liverpool. His boyhood club. Or Celtic. His boyhood club. If Barcelona came calling there’s no doubt Keano would reveal an affinity with the Catalans from an early age. Before you can utter 'money-grabbing bastard', he’ll have donned his Barca pyjamas and be waxing lyrical on Sky Sports about his trips to the Nou Camp with his Dad.

Roman Pavlyuchenko

Pav. Pav-Nav. I'll make my feelings clear early, I can't stand him. He's whiny. He looks like a girl. To say that he is worth £14m is like saying Paul Collingwood isn't a boring, ginger twat. Which he is. Pav sympathisers (who no doubt hold dual membership to the Anti-Crouch brigade) will argue that when given the chance, he will score. We all remember with fondness Pav's flurry of tap-ins in February/March. It was Groundhog Day. He scores from a yard. He kisses the badge. He attempts to engineer a move to Manchester United in the post-match interview. Tottenham fans believed Pav had finally found some form. Redknapp hailed his performances and predicted a first team place for years to come. The tide of euphoria and excitement was rising, we all held our breath and… oh, it was just a flash in the pan. He’s still a skinny, ineffective Russian mercenary. Thanks for your efforts Roman, but you can f*ck off back to Moscow now.

Jermain Defoe

You cannot argue with his record. Spur’s top scorer last season, JD was banging them in all over the park. He scored against Chelsea. He scored against Wigan. He scored in the back of a car with a 22-year old model. Classy. If he could score penalties, he’d be untouchable. But Defoe is still blighted by nagging injury problems. He was out for a while last season after tweaking his groin. A smug onlooker commented 'if there’s a groin that’s had too much tweaking, it’s Defoe's.'

Do Spurs actually need another striker? I don’t think so. Tottenham fans are used to the summer tradition of being linked with every striker who has ever revealed a penchant for alcohol and blondes. We all enjoy the unveiling of the new messiah at a pre-season game. You all know the familiar scene: as the mystery striker ascends from the tunnel, there's an excited fervour as thousands clamour to see his identity. "Is it Raul?" "Is it Van Nistelrooy?" "Oh… it’s Helder Postiga."

A message from a neutral to Spurs fans ahead of the new season: Have faith in Crouch. He’ll do the business. Finding a reliable striker who isn’t a twat, however, will be a tall order.

2-1 to the Tottenham White Sox

Of all the players to score against us, it had to have been Henry. The scourge of our defences throughout most of the last decade, his ageing legs found within them enough energy to put his new side in front. But this time he wasn't to end on the winning side and, perhaps symbolically for this new Tottenham era, we ran out winners.

Some thoughts on the game: Hutton looked weak. He was turned inside out for their first. Admittedly we can only learn so much from watching a highlights package but it's still a concern. Predictably, the one time Jenas appears he's beaten by his opposing midfielder and ends up looking disappointed. Redknapp has said that we weren't at our best and were slightly fortunate to win the game so you'd expect most players to look below par. But Jenas, Hutton and others are playing for the places out there and should be producing better. Keane, whether he's on his way or not, at least put the effort in to score and applaud the fans.

All in all, it's been a satisfying pre-season thus far, though tougher and more Villarreal/Fiorentina-shaped tests await. It'll be good to finally see the World Cup players back in action as well so Redknapp can come to a conclusion on the make-up of the team for the coming season. Namely, who the !%?£ are we going to start with up front?

Also, good fun to watch us with American commentary. The formation they chose to show before the game was odd but hearing our football-challenged friends from across the pond try to get to grips with the pronunciation of 'Taraabt' would have been great fun. Shame he didn't score.

Oh, and Henry still celebrates goals like a bit of a twat.

The new kit

Our new kit has been released and, thankfully, it's a beauty. By the standards of last season anyway. It's simple, classy, elegant and very Tottenham. It'll certainly make you feel better about parting with that hard earned £40.

But who needs words when simple pictures can tell a better story?

All photos courtesy of tottenhamhotspur.com

Signing of the summer

Amidst all the talk of new players and extortionate transfer fees, Tottenham have pulled off a signing that will pack as much punch and have as much impact as any big name deal negotiated this summer. Despite whispers linking him to the potentially vacant England position (whispers that quickly morphed into tabloid-fuelled proclamations), Harry Redknapp has committed his immediate future to the Lilywhite cause and signed himself a contract extension. If a man putting pen to paper was ever more valuable to our club then this blog wasn't around to witness it.

Harry's new deal lasts until 2013 - his original contract was scheduled until 2011 but featured an optional two year extension, an extension the club have brought into play. And if the success of last term is to be replicated, we may even face an even longer stint with Harry at the helm. From the gaffer himself: "Who knows? I might stay with Spurs many more years than 2013."

In all, it's nice work from Mr Levy. A new shirt sponsor and a new deal for the manager all in the space of a week - someone's been a busy boy, haven't they? Securing Redknapp's signature is of the utmost significance to our continued progress. We're partial to a managerial merry-go-round at White Hart Lane but it should be painfully clear now that stability at the top is a key ingredient in the recipe for domestic supremacy. We gain nothing from employing a rotating door policy when it comes to managers. The painfully protracted demise of Martin Jol should testify to that.

Redknapp now has the opportunity to plan for a longer future and to have more of a say in shaping his team. He can look forward to playing a key role in the development of young, talented bucks like Aaron Lennon, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric and he can establish himself as one of the more highly regarded managers in both Tottenham and English football history - if that's a reputation he wants. He's done the excruciatingly hard work already by steering us to that miracle fourth place finish last season. If he plays his cards right and there's absolutely no reason to suspect he wont, he could be responsible for some of the better years in our recent history.

Harry's been responsible for a number of controversial exits from posts over the years - just ask fans of both Portsmouth and Southampton - so it'd be wise not to assume that he'll definitely still be here in a years time. If a big fish came in for his signature, a Man Utd or an England, it'd be tough to imagine him staying with us. But such thoughts are purely speculative. For now, let's just enjoy the rollercoaster.

Let's picture the best case scenario: Harry stays for another two or three seasons, guides us to a domestic trophy or two, keeps us in or around the top four (no lower than sixth please, maybe seventh), masterminds a couple of a memorable derby wins over the Arsenal and leaves for greener pastures just in time for Jurgen Klinsmann, who's spent the previous few years honing his managerial skills, to come in and take us right back to the pinnacle. It's a pipedream but one certainly worth having.

Keep up the good work Harry. You have the faith and support of this blog. Well, until you sign Craig Bellamy. In that case, we're coming at you all guns blazing.

Sponsorship deal wrapped up

This is breaking on the Spurs website today - after weeks of protracted negotiating from Mr Levy, we've landed ourselves a new sponsor.

From the horses mouth (Daniel Levy): "We are delighted to have Autonomy as our new global partner. I have been impressed with Autonomy's vision and growth for many years, having previously been an investor. Autonomy is the leader in its field and as such is the ideal partner for Tottenham Hotspur at a time when we continue to grow our existing operations and facilities with two major capital expenditure projects underway - a new Training Centre under construction and proposed new Stadium development - both of which will include state-of-the-art technology as part of their world-class designs."

More to follow on this soon.

Quotes courtesy of tottenhamhotspur.com

The revolving door

Decent article over here at Goal.com discussing Tottenham's potential activity in the transfer market this summer. Spurs, always a good for a transfer rumour or seven, will doubtless have a dabble for new players at some point in the coming weeks and with a number of players already on the roster that can politely be described as 'surplus to requirements' you can bet your bottom dollar that the gates to White Hart Lane will be something of a revolving door.

To summarise:

Goalkeepers. Do we need another back up? Fretting over Gomes is so 2009. Carlo Cudicini is possibly the best backup keeper in the league but his future is uncertain following his motorbike mishaps last year. And Ben Alnwick has hardly looked the part when called upon. We could well do with a young, backup stopper.

In defence, we've already been linked with Danish centre back Simon Kjaer, who impressed during the World Cup, and with the availability of Jonathan Woodgate looking ever unreliable and Ledley only being able to take part in patches, a top level parter for Dawson could be just the ticket. With respect, Seb Bassong can only best be described as an 'able trier'.

A left sided full back could also come in handy what with persistent concerns over Assou Ekotto and the confusion over Bale's best position. If the Welsh wizard is to be deployed on the wing then a composed and experienced option at the back would be preferred.

The midfield is one of the strongest parts of the side with the only real concerns being in terms of depth. There's class on the right wing with Lennon and Bentley. Modric, Bale and Kranjcar can all handle themselves on the left and Huddlestone, Palacios and Modric have all impressed through the middle. Redknapp has publicly spoken of his desire to sign Joe Cole, a player perennially linked with us and a Harry favourite. It's not crystal clear where he'd fit into the side but we'd certainly find a place for him. His class and experience makes him exactly the kind of player we should be trying to sign.

The attack is an area where we'll almost certainly be doing business. Robbie Keane's back at the Lane but possibly not for long as Harry looks to move him on. It's a similar story with Pavlyuchenko who, despite his goals at the back end of the year, is still probably on his way out. There's a glut of names that have been thrown out - Diego Forlan, Klass Jan Huntelaar, Edinson Cavani, Luis Suarez. Yes, three of those four were Uruguayan. Huntelaar is a good bet and a player we've been close to signing before. May not want to trade Milan for North London, though. Harry's said he's interested in Forlan but the South American is keen on staying in Madrid and he's not exactly the youngest.

And, all this without even mentioning Sandro, the Brazilian midfielder we've already purchased.

A busy summer it'll certainly be. Spurs need to strengthen to be able to keep up with the pace set last season. But overhauling the team from last year completely would be a mistake - this is a side that achieved what it did with a resolute team ethic. Ripping the heart out of that would be suicide.

Eyes open, Spurs fans. Remember, trust no rumours. Unless they're on this site.

Stick around, Mr dos Santos

One of the positives of having Harry Redknapp as manager - as if we needed to think of any more - is his frank and honest interview style. He's always great value for a quote and won't shy away from the potentially thorny issues in the manner we've become accustomed to from some gaffers.

He's been at it again this week, having his say on erstwhile winger Giovani dos Santos, who's just had a fairly decent World Cup. Very much an attacking fulcrum in a vibrant looking Mexico side, Giovani looked lively and hungry for the ball. Though his team were dumped out reasonably early by the supposedly all-conquering Argentina, they were able to impress in the group stages with a win over France, a win that Giovani played a significant role in.

His future at the Lane has been, like so many others, clouded but Harry, speaking to Talksport, has given the kid his backing and claimed he could still have a role to play:

"If he could pass a nightclub as well as he can pass a ball he would be alright. His Mum and Dad came over to see me last year and he apologised because they realised he wasn’t dedicated. He’s got bags of ability and fantastic skill."

"Suddenly, he was late on Monday mornings - upset stomach - he’d probably been in Barcelona partying somewhere. He’s had a great World Cup. If he knuckles down this year he could be a top player. He’s a nice kid and I hope he keeps his head down and gets on with the job."

Interesting to hear that his parents came all the way to see Redknapp to discuss the player. That's dedication.

Hope Harry treated them to a nice lunch.

It's not exactly a new story - international whizz-kid comes to the Premier League and is caught up in the lure of the celebrity lifestyle. It's not hard to imagine Giovani's lax attitude to football matters, especially when he's been so monumentally far away from the first team from day one. But Harry's an astute man. The player seen at the World Cup is a fairer reflection on the Mexican's overall talent and, with a bit of hard work and a few more nights at home, the boy could develop into something quite decent.

It remains to be seen if he'll stay on at the club. There's a myriad of reasons for him not to: lack of success so far, not exactly a favourite of the manager, game possibly more suited to other teams on the continent, etc. But Redknapp is the doyen of man management. More specifically, getting the most out of players who were previously under-performing. Assou Ekotto, Bentley, Gomes, Bale. If someone can get the message into Giovani's head that he needs to change his ways, then the four-or-so million pounds that we spent on him two years ago may well pay off.

He could transform himself into a handy squad player this season and, next, the sky's the limit. Deadwood? We'll hear nothing of it.

(quotes courtesy of Goal.com)