Get a grip
Spurs News 24/7Bored of the summer - part I (the first in series of rants as I wait for the sun to shine or the arrival of our first signing, whichever comes first)
One of the recent laugh out loud trends on Twitter (and probably in the forums) is the suggestion that Tottenham conduct their scouting by simply waiting for another club to show interest in a player than then show interest themselves. We (the club) do this by following the latest news on-line and in the tabloids. Our most prolific source (allegedly) is Liverpool FC.
Any player they are after, so are we. Because we don't have our own scouting network. We just wait for others to do the hard grafting and steal in. Now arguably (and in all seriousness) our network or scouts is one of mystery and probably the reason Levy is looking to appoint a sporting director in Franco Baldini. The accusations that we genuinely bide our time and bid for players other clubs want is...well, it's ludicrous on about 1000 different levels. And yet, there is no tongue in cheek from those accusing us of potential intellectual property theft.
Break it down, just for fun.
Firstly, what is the source for any prospective transfer target? For the most part you could say the vast majority of players being linked in the papers and on websites are not genuine targets of the clubs being cited. It's either a fabrication, to aid with traffic hits which aid with advertising revenue. Or it's a football agents way of getting his client hyped up in the public domain so that clubs are aware of his availability.
However, our esteemed Liverpool friends seems to think that every player linked in the papers (you know, the newspapers, the hacks, the red tops, the ones that have a fair history of distorting the truth and making things up) is factually nailed on, on the money, 100% bang to rights.
Spurs, let's face it, conduct their activity pretty much in the dark (if at all) these days and because of our special relationship with the media we are always firm favourites to be used in a headline for any given player as they scramble around trying to work out what is actually going on. They always bring up the same old names and the same old protracted sagas (Leandro D anyone?)
When a club is actually in known negotiations for someone an another neat trick from a club or agent is to leak more fabricated info about how another club (let's just say Spurs) are interested. Helps to either push the price up or squeeze out a few more grand for the weekly pay packet.
There are even times when 2/3 clubs all go for the same highly rated player. Because, and make sure you are holding onto you hat and sitting down for this, the player is actually known to all the clubs showing interest because HE PLAYS FOOTBALL ON PLANET EARTH AND IS RELATIVELY GOOD AND THEREFORE KNOWN TO ALL PEOPLE THAT FOLLOW FOOTBALL.
But alas no! All this isn't very likely. What is far more likely is that Levy and co just wait for some scouse teenagers to confirm that the rumour on randomfootballwebsite.com is true and then bid themselves.
Nowt to do with generating hype then. Nowt to do with being the agents favourite 'go to team'.
If you think the scousers are zany, then don't be forgetting our neighbours from down the road. Apparently decent footballers (Llors, Vertonghen) only join Tottenham because Arsenal decide not to bid on the basis of them not being good enough for their first team. We're also the victim of 'mind games'. Holtby (according to some gooners) wasn't truly rated by Wenger so we got tricked into signing him. I guess it was mind games that saw Gervinho passed on by Spurs and signing for Arsenal instead?
*shrugs*
Liverpool have signed Igor Aspas. Spurs not interested because, I don't know, maybe we're going to aim a little higher. You know, because the quality of players looking to join Spurs these days are a touch better than the ones arriving at Anfield.
Ooh.
You know how science and religion are always at odds with each other?
Well that.
