The week that was

It's been a funny old week in Planet Tottenham. After the Modric mess of last weekend, it's all gone slightly quiet on that particular front. After the startling admission from Moddle that he wanted to jump ship and climb aboard the Villas Boas revolution a Stamford Bridge and Daniel Levy's frank rebuttal of those plans, we were all expecting further fireworks. But what we got precious little more than speculation.

This Independent article by Sam Wallace claimed that Modric was prepared to backtrack on his claims that he wanted out and suggest that he was merely stating his acceptance of a deal should Spurs decide themselves that they want to cash in on him. All the statements in the world can't disguise the fact that Luka wants to leave but if we could get another year of him (a year of him actually trying) then it might not be the worst way for things to pan out.

Elsewhere, we've packed off Jamie O'Hara to Wolves for the tidy sum of £5million. Seems a rather good deal all round, to be honest. Wolves get a decent enough player for that level, O'Hara gets the first team football he's been convinced he's worthy of ever since he scored a deflected goal against Slavia Prague and we get £5million for a player who was never really going to break into our first team. Some people have suggested that O'Hara is a better player than Pienaar and that we've missed a trick by selling him. But could O'Hara do this? No, thought not.

Besides, O'Hara lost any brownie points on offer from this blog when he claimed that he wanted Spurs to lose to Fulham in the FA Cup so that he'd be eligible to play in the semis at Wembley. Then, during ITV punditry on said semi final, he said that he wanted Portsmouth to beat Spurs so he could play in an FA Cup final. They did, he did, Pompey went down, he only played a few minutes at Wembley and we got into the Champions League. The lesson? Don't claim you're a Spurs fan and then go and behave like that.

In other news, we're still no closer to adding that classy striker that we've all been dreaming about. Rumour has it we're still tantalisingly close to nabbing Leandro Damiao - a good player for sure but the guaranteed goal threat we so desperately need? Jury still out. This blog quite likes the look of Espanyol's Pablo Daniel Osvaldo and still, of course, secretly holds a flame for Diego Forlan but, frankly speaking, anyone will do. If Crouch lines up at the top of a 4-4-1-1 formation against Everton in a little under two months, TBFWHL cannot and will not be held responsible for our actions.

Speaking of next season, we've released our shiny new kit range for the upcoming campaign:

Home. Obviously.

Remember our purple away kit in 2003? Now you don't have to.

Is it black? Is it really dark blue? Either way, it's a pretty classy third shirt.

All in all, we over at TBFWHL Towers think all three are pretty tasty. The purple away number? Delicious. Can't wait to see Modric strutting around in it next season... ah. The one downer, perhaps, is the odd, Tron-like font on the sponsor's name. And what in the name of all that's holy is Aurasma? The mind boggles.

It matters little, we'll still be buying all three. In September, when they're released to the public. What's that? Why can't we get hold of them before the season starts? Why can we only start supporting our club in the new shirt a month after the season's begun? That's neither here nor there. Just think, by the time we get our hands on our lovely new stash, we'll be on the lookout for a new manager.

Have you not seen the start of our fixture list!?

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The day we all feared was coming

Crouch's latest attempt to perform the robot was enough to persuade Modric his future laid elsewhere

Oh Luka. You've caught us all off guard with this one. Out of the trio of stars that we currently hold in our midst that have been linked with clubs all over the continent, he was supposed to be the one that we could bank on to stay. The quiet, reserved, brilliant midfielder who was so central to our cause. The one who had sat back and let Bale and van der Vaart hog the headlines and the interviews while he pulled the strings from the middle of the park. He was definitely going to stick around for at least another year.

And then this. This despicable howling to the press from his holiday yacht about, not just wanting to leave, but wanting to leave and go to one of our closest rivals. For a supposedly bright footballer, there's no shred of intelligence about the way he's gone about this.

Footballers want to win trophies and play at the highest level, we get that. It's natural for a player to have a taste of the Champions League and not want to let it go. It's natural for a player to want to push himself to the pinnacle of his career and play at the highest level. But we're building something at Tottenham. It started two years ago and it's seen the club hit unthinkable heights. And Modric is central to that. He must know. He is the fulcrum that this talented group of players pivots around on a weekly basis.

Whilst, admittedly, it must be frustrating for him that we've missed out on the Champions League this season, he must surely be aware that he'd be a big part of us trying to get back in it next season. He's surrounded by players that know and love him, a coaching staff that respects him and a fanbase that has recently heralded him as the best player at the club.

But, frankly, it's not just that he wants to leave. It's the manner in which he's gone about it. A day after we publicly deride a Chelsea bid of just £22 million, he discloses to a tabloid paper from his holiday that he wants to leave. He then has the barefaced front to claim he 'doesn't want to have an argument with Spurs'. If that was true, then he wouldn't have gone public.

Surely he must understand the gravity of the situation he's created? He must recognise the Spurs-Chelsea rivalry. He must realise that he risks alienating himself to the rest of the team, especially after Bale and van der Vaart came out and made statements that they were going to stay. He must realise that, by acting in the manner he has done, he has driven a wedge between himself and Levy/Redknapp, making the chances of a smooth transfer almost impossible. Surely?

This whole saga has the foul stench of the Berbatov affair hanging all over it. And that ended miserably for this club. Levy's statement this morning is saying all the right things but he is now faced with a real dilemma over how to act. Chelsea will certainly come in with an improved bid. We can either stubbornly refuse and hold onto an unhappy player or we can sell and make sure we get top dollar. Look at Arsenal. They've held on to Fabregas, who couldn't be more blatant in his desire to jump ship, but look where it's got them? A unhappy player and an unharmonious squad. The last thing we need is a moody Modric, bringing down the atmosphere of a club that has generally been on the up for the past two years.

But, if we sell, no amount of money could make up for the gaping hole in our side that he would leave. He is, quite simply, world class. The heartbeat of the team. Scott Parker? Charlie Adam? Do us a favour. Modric is effectively irreplaceable and selling him, however lucrative it may be, would be a giant step backwards and would perhaps hasten the departure of Messrs Bale and van der Vaart.

This blog sees it quite bluntly: no player is bigger than the club. We took a chance on Modric and gave him his shot at the Premier League. We've built him up and idolised him. If he wants to leave us now and have a shot with Chelsea - if that's how little he really cares about this club - then good riddance. If this is the way he chooses to notify the world that he wants to leave then do we really want that type of player or person at the club?

These are dark days, Tottenham fans. The next few weeks are crucial.

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Season wishlist - the results

"Get away from me Jermaine, you're still a bit of a nothing player", Kaboul probably said. 

Way back in August at the start of the season, TBFWHL drew up a little wishlist for the impending year. Now that everything is done and dusted, it's the perfect time to take a look at that list and see whether or not any of those desires were granted...

1) "More Gomes brilliance. The Brazilian was in superlative form last season and went a long way and more towards erasing the bad reputation some had of him after a blunder-filled opening to his Spurs career. His triumvirate of world class saves against Arsenal in April was enough to take the breath away and he ended the season being hailed by many as one of the best keepers in the division. If Spurs are to continue on their long road of progression, a solid and dependable last line of defence is crucial and Gomes is certainly capable of providing that."

This didn't happen, not in the slightest. Gomes still exhibited the flying saves that were the hallmark of his finest performances in 09/10 but what he also showed was the maddening ability to ally great saves with goal-costing fumbles and rushes of blood to the head. Ronaldo, Lampard, Adam - all were indebted to Gomes at the end of the season for goals that shouldn't have been by conventional goalkeeping logic. As well as he's played at times over the past few years, his time should now be over and the expected signing of Brad Friedel means that Gomes' place is as insecure as it has been at any time.

2) "Consistency from Defoe. JD began last term like a train on fire. Or something. He had many notable moments throughout the season: the blistering hat-trick away at Hull, his historic five-goal haul in the 9-1 mauling of Wigan and his clinical poacher's hat-trick in the cup at Leeds. But towards the end of the season he had trailed off. He bagged a crucial penalty against Chelsea and worked incredibly hard during the season-defining win against Man City but having set a new personal record for goals in a season, he was unable to push past the 30 mark which had looked a certainty. Defoe is a brilliant goalscorer and a touch more consistency will go a long way to ensuring no more blank days in front of goal for Spurs."

Again, this wish spectacularly backfired. Defoe was injured for two or so months admittedly but his returns upon recovery were nothing short of woeful. Four Premier League goals were all he could muster and even a couple of FA Cup and Champions League hits weren't enough to gloss over his inadequacies. His poor form isn't necessarily a war crime but that he had the front to complain to the media that he wasn't getting started in every single game was pretty reprehensible. No wonder there's now  rumours over his future.

3) "Huddlestone goals. When Tommy hits 'em, they stay hit. See his thunderbolts against Sunderland, Everton (Carling Cup) and Bolton for evidence. But for all the ferocity of his shooting boots, there were precious few efforts that hit the back of the net last term. With Palacios sitting deep and protecting the back four, Huddlestone has the remit to push on and try and create goal chances. Not all of them have t be for others, though, and the next level of his development is surely the addition of regular goals. He should aim for around 8-10 this coming year."

No. Another one that bit the dust. This wishlist is starting to feel like a monumentally bad idea. Whilst Hudds again had a decent season and more than played his part in some excellent team performances, goals were again seldom. A scorching hit against Fulham and a similarly fierce rocket in the North London Derby were all we were treated too. Next season perhaps?

4) "Positional definition for Bale. Many are still torn on where Bale's best position is. On the one hand, it would be brilliant for him to develop into a top left back in the long term and he can still attack from the back. The other end of the argument is that his most defining displays have come from left wing. The jury's out, to be honest. Redknapp has stated that he sees him as a left back and maybe that's the best option for now. A lot of it depends on whether Modric plays in the middle or on the left. Either way, for our sake and for his own, it would be wise to properly define Bale's position."

Finally, a wish that has been granted (ish). Bale made the left wing slot his own this season and delivered some of the season's greatest moments and performances. There's still the odd rumbling that many still see left back as his future role and this blog understands that - his runs would be equally as effective coming from deep and a quick left back is no bad thing to have. But, for the main part, Bale is a left winger par excellence.

5) "More away day guts. Traditionally, Tottenham sides of old would go to places like Blackburn, Bolton and Stoke and crumble miserably. No longer. Spurs were able to grind out results away at Ewood Park, The Britannia and Fratton Park, three places where we've never really had much success. The secret? The addition of the strong, physical Palacios will have certainly helped. We're no longer soft, Southern pushovers. As David Pleat once said, 'we like a tackle here at Tottenham'. Of course, there was the 1-0 reverse at Wolves to blight said progress. But more hard working away wins are certainly on the agenda for this season."

On the one hand, yes, with wins away at Stoke, Blackburn, Villa, Sunderland and Fulham. And, on the other hand, no. We were unable to win at places like Wolves, Newcastle, Everton and, perhaps the greatest sin of all, West Ham. Spurs are no longer the away side pushovers that they once were but to be a really great team, then consistency needs to be achieved and games like those mentioned above should be regularly producing three points, not just every once in a while. Still something to work on.

6) "A win away at Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool. Liverpool shouldn't really count because they're a bit rubbish these days. But we haven't won away at a big four ground in far too long. Beating them at home is certainly welcome too. But when we visit Old Trafford, we crumble - usually assisted by the ref. When we visit Stamford Bridge, we offer little. When we visit the Emirates... well, the less said the better. If we're ever likely to be taken seriously as one of the better teams in England, we need to address this problem sooner rather than later."

Yes, hell yes. This was done and then some. Whilst we capitulated at Old Trafford in typical style, we recorded the result of the season at Arsenal, pulling back a two goal deficit and recording a first league win away to Arsenal since 1993. At Chelsea, months later, we were arguably robbed of a win by two spineless pieces of officiating (and Gomes' complete ineptitude) but we made up for that with a win over Liverpool at Anfield, as we went about proving we were still ahead of the Merseysiders despite our fall from grace and their rapid ascent up the table. More of the same next season please.

7) "Redknapp to still be our manager at the end of the season. This is brought up for a number of reasons. The first is that typical Spurs predicament - early season optimism combined with a few disappointing results equals board overreaction and manager termination. As unlikely as it sounds given Harry's success so far, it's an outcome that shouldn't be totally scoffed at. And should the FA buy into the current We-Hate-Capello bandwagon then there's a real chance the Italian could be out of a job in a few months. And we all know how eager Harry would be to land the England position. Ah well. We'll just have Martin O'Neill."

Well, he's still in charge. But the angry rumblings of a section of deluded Spurs fans who want him out means that his position isn't as tenable as one might have hoped. Redknapp isn't perfect - he has his faults and it's easy to spot them. He's tactically naive at times. He doesn't try very hard to endear himself to the fans. But a) if he's tactically naive then we're one of the top five sides in the country and we beat the European champions this season and b) why does he have to endear himself to the fans if all he gets is circumstantial criticism from those who think we can do better? It's staggering to think that there are people out there who want to sack the man who delivered us, after years and years of failure, into the top four and the Champions League. This time next year he could be off to take on the England job anyway. So then they'll get their wish.

8) "A trophy. Any Trophy. This is something of an every-year wish. But it's just as important. Carling Cup is acceptable. FA Cup is much better. Champions League is beyond our wildest imaginations. But the point is that a bit of shiny silverware would look a lot better in 10 or so years time. Might as well take advantage of our current squad strength and muscle our way to a final."

There isn't too much that needs to be said on this one. Muscled out of the Carling Cup by Arsenal, humiliated by Fulham in the FA Cup and we were never likely to win the Champions League or the Premier League, despite a reasonable fist at the former. Still, could be worse. We could be Arsenal. (Too soon?)

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2010-11 Season Review: Awards

Luka hadn't quite perfected the art of the angry punch

Settle down at the back there. The most gratifying part of a blogsworth's existence is the customary handing out of end-of-season awards - where players and games are rated and slated and the very best moments of the previous 10 months can be reminisced over. This year might not be as euphoric as the previous campaign but that's no reason not to celebrate the very best of Tottenham circa 2010-11. There were, of course, some simply unforgettable moments.

Read, enjoy, comment. Debate is, as always, encouraged. Here we go:

Goal of the Season

Wow. A horrible decision to make first up. Like choosing your favourite child (or something like that). Spurs scored more aesthetically glorious goals this season than they dropped points against bottom half team. Bale, Huddlestone, van der Vaart, Kranjcar, Defoe, Pavlyuchenko... all would be worthy beneficiaries of this prestigious award but, for sheer smack-bang-out-of-the-blue impact, it has to go to young Mr Sandro Ranieri Guimarães Cordeiro and his beautiful dipping volley against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. It's tough to pinpoint what the most incredible component of the strike was: the gorgeous little reverse flick from Rafa, the fact that Sandro was far froward enough to be in that position, the weight and accuracy of the shot or the fact that he was cut off mid celebration by Redknapp and told not to get that far forward again. A truly majestic moment from a fine young player. Shame about the rest of that game. See the goal, in admittedly not the greatest quality, here.

Unsung Hero

The winner of this award  is, in one half of Tottenham support, unsung and, in the other, very much, erm, sung. But for that ridiculously over-the-top criticism sent his way by Alan Hansen on Match of the Day after a below-par showing against Everton, Benoit Assou Ekotto is this year's winner. For those that pay attention to him, he's one of our very finest and most consistent performers. Very rarely has a bad game - that Everton showing being the exception that proves the rule. BAE has been recognised by the media this year as a person who is the polar opposite to today's archetypal footballer, as we were shown in the hundreds (not literally) of newspaper, magazine and TV features on him during January and February. Solid, dependable and one of the best passers in the side, BAE is doing a very capable job and deserves more credit from those still in the 'anti' camp.

Game of the Season

Tempting to choose from the litany of exceptional Champions League performances, it's really too difficult to look past our scarcely believable storming of the Emirates castle in November. 17 years in the making, Arsenal 2 Tottenham 3 was perhaps the perfect way to silence to taunts of our bitter rivals over our failure to beat them on their own patch, or even at all, in what seemed like generations. 2-0 down at half time and having turned out a desperately poor showing, Redknapp's cavaliers turned it round in the second half, led by goals from our big guns Bale and van der Vaart. Then, with minutes remaining, Younes Kaboul provided the coup de grâce with a neat header, putting the finishing touches on one of the greatest games of the season and a quite remarkable comeback. Sing it together now: Two nil and you f**ked it up...

Moment of the Season

'Taxi for Maicon' was the chant reverberating around N17 on the evening of November 2nd as the world's best right back (or so commonly thought) was given the runaround by a young Spurs winger all night. The number of times the Welshman had beaten the Brazilian was becoming hard to calculate but, with the score at 2-1 and with Spurs holding on to a tiny lead, it happened again, in perhaps the most devastating fashion all evening. Bale received the ball on the left flank, knocked it past Maicon and absolutely burned past him in pursuit of his self-pass. A perfectly weighted cross was turned in by Pavlyuchenko, Spurs were 3-1 up and were moments away from beating the European champions in their debut Champions League season. Tottenham and Bale had well and truly arrived.

Breakthrough player of the season

Really only one man this can go to. Step forward once again, Sandro, you greedy little so-and-so. Odd to think he couldn't get into the side until around January. But once he got his chance, boy did he take it. Standout performances include his absolutely colossal display at the San Siro as Spurs took it to the would-be Serie A champions and beat them 1-0. Then there was his goal at Chelsea, mentioned earlier, as he showed he could mix it up in attack as well as perform the holding role so efficiently. A tirelessly hard worker, Sandro runs around like few before him. He's sharp in the tackle, confident in possession and extremely mindful of his responsibility to protect the back four. More of the same and you'll be a star, my son.

Player of the Season

There's only one man in Lilywhite who is truly worthy of this season's player of the year gong, yet honourable mentions must be made beforehand. Firstly, to Gareth Bale, the PFA Player of the Year. His lung-busting runs down the left wing are one of the modern game's most cherished sights and he quite simply was an absolute star in the first half of the season. Stunning in the Champions League, just as eye-catching domestically, his season was cruelly cut short by a succession of injuries. Next, Rafa van der Vaart. Perhaps one of the best bits of business in Premier League history, Rafa arrived at the last possible nano-second for a snip at £8 million. And he immediately looked the business. A leader on the pitch, a scorer of plenty of goals and a hater of the Arsenal. His form may have tailed off slightly but this is a serious player we have on our hands here. Also worthy of mention are the centre backs Michael Dawson and William Gallas. Dawson was stricken by injury in the cruellest manner possible whilst on early season England duty but made it back to lead the side superbly for the second half of the season. Gallas was a questionable signing by Redknapp but it can't be said that he didn't add heaps of extra class to our defence and he has the winning attitude that is so badly needed around the team. No tantrums to be seen either (yet).

But, with all that said and done, 2010-11 really did belong to the superb Luka Modric. For all Bale and VDV's fireworks, Modric makes the side tick. Sitting in his central midfield berth and pulling the strings so effectively, he is type of player that every side craves. Incredibly capable on the ball, technically outstanding and gloriously effective in terms of off-the-ball movement, he could play for any side in the world and look good. Even the all-conquering Barcelona. For now, at least, he's ours and whilst he remains at the club, we must build our sides around this diminutive Croatian genius. When he signed on three years ago, it was clear that he was a supremely talented player, if he did take a few months to really shine. Now, he's one of the best players in the league. Keeping hold of him should be the club's number one priority.