So long poster boy
Spurs News 24/7The ins and outs of the transfer window.
Holtby
On loan to Hamburg. Not sure we'll see him back at Spurs. Another failed poster boy for Daniel Levy. Holtby's energy and enthusiasm can not be criticised but nobody at Spurs (or Fulham) could quite work out where to play him with effect. We are of course to blame. He wasn't meant to join us when he did, but thanks to injuries he came early. He was utilised as an emergency 'play everywhere' sub. Thrown into games rather than seeing some culture with his development. Maybe the reason is that's all he was good for and there's only the promise of culture and never the execution of it.
He's played more composed roles for Germany (U21s) and isn't shabby with the odd pass when inter-changing with others around him but it's all superfluous stuff. He's not strong enough for the deep midfield role. Not smart enough or with the range to be a playmaker. He just didn't fit. He looked good though wearing our shirt. He had personality, passion. And in a game where we truly lack footballers we can associate with it was nice to have someone that seemed fully committed. It's just that this type of sentiment can be misplaced - for both the supporter and the player.
Spurs since signing the magnificent seven have mismanaged them all. Holtby arrived before them but appears to be another victim of politics and the tragic truth that most were signed for reasons that have little to do with football and everything to do with turnover.
Lennon
Linked with a move to QPR and Stoke. Apparently refused both. I'm glad. Slag him off as much as you want but we've only got Andros Townsend and Nacer Chadli as other options for the flanks - although none of them are traditional wingers as all appear to be suffering from their own identity crisis. Chadli might be the one out of the three to find success under Pochettino. Townsend was subject to bids from Southampton. Lennon isn't the player he was 4 or so years back. With no new arrival - we are left hoping (the buzz word of the season) that he can compete for a first team place and prove worthy of one. The negative is that he was left out of the squad against Liverpool. If the club wanted him gone that is hardly the mental state to build on going forward. Lennon isn't the player he promised to be. We've known that for several years. Yet there he is, still in amongst it.
The rest
I wrote about Dawson here.
Zeki Fryers went to Palace. Signing him from Manchester United via Standard Liège really proved to be worth all the time and effort. When Utd fans told me he was nothing special they weren't fibbing.
Benjamin Stambouli is in. I'm not giving him his own article because to be fair to myself I know little about him aside from the articles I've read which suggest he's actually quite decent and a better match for Pochettino's tactics than say Sandro was. Sleeper hit of the summer? Let's hope so. He might have competition from Fazio.
This summer we've have signed a goalkeeper, some defenders, one fullback that won't be joining us for a while and now a defensive midfielder. There is depth at the back even if there is an argument that we've not bought anyone that will command a certain place in the team. A mixture of youth and second tier names. Functional signings and not game-changers. Again, we are left knowing the club want to see if last summers game-changers wake up and actual start to influence the odd 90 minutes here and there.
Danny Welbeck was linked but there is no way of truly knowing if he was a genuine target and not the usual Sky Bet driven agenda or agent whispers to drum up interest. He's gone down the road where they were expecting a Balotelli or Falcao. They are for the most part disappointed. I think many Spurs fans would have been had we signed him instead. Seems both Spurs and Arsenal are embracing delusion together.
Welbeck might well be a lesser target ('we should be aiming higher' cry the white and red parts of North London) but he'd have filled a couple of holes in our squad. Okay, maybe £16M is steep but he's English so premium valuation will always sting. We're left with Adebayor, Kane and Soldado. It is staggering that we couldn't sign or loan another forward. Are we really tight/unwilling to spend our own money? We've got nothing left from selling Bale and the profit we've made during this window will probably go towards a new helicopter pad on Joe Lewis yacht. I don't know, I'm jesting. I will never have a handle on the clubs finances. But more importantly I don't have a handle on our strategy other than what you expect an investment company to do. Invest and make money.
If the club's infamous business model is transparent enough to be the reason we do what we do then just let us know we'll quietly chase the top five clubs until the new stadium is built when the entire clubs wage structure will transform us.
We won't win either way. We'll be sold to a new company that will probably throw money at everything and then become the very thing most of us hate as we pay the taxes for superstar players as we buy up silverware before the club starts playing 4 homes games per season in the USA. Then again, them lot down the road are minted yet also suffer from failure to push that little bit extra. It's difficult to desire something but not want to completely let go of your soul.
I've lost my way.
In conclusion, an okay transfer window but not one that inspires at first look but one that might surprise over time. Just remember how good we all felt when we signed the seven under AVB and how that played out. Spending money for the sake of it isn't always for the best. Spending it wisely is. Spending it with restrain can damage in the long term.
The most important factor is the appointment of Pochettino. He must be allowed to get on with his work. We must all accept the tools he has to work with and if our challenges perishe then next time round if the club fail to build on what we have then there is no room left for rational thinking. Just rioting.
