Bernie Kingsley article on Topspurs

yiddo

the bit in bold is very true in football. The guys in charge are very good at buying and selling (our man is especially good at the latter) but surely theres more to managing footballers than just that?

3rd September 2008 - A window closes, and a supporter reflects

On 7th July 2005 I was on holiday in the Peruvian Andes, six hours behind UK time, when I received a text from a Spurs-supporting friend that said simply “Have you heard?” Sadly, through an exchange of texts, I learnt it was not news of a great new signing, but of the London bombings.

Three years on, another transatlantic trip, to Canada and New England, this time only five hours behind and with daily almost instant access to news via e-mail and the internet; and this time it is the transfer window that has dominated. Not for one second would I liken what’s happened these last few days to the tragedy of July 05, I simply use that as a reference for the interest I normally take in events back home when I’m away.

So it is from afar that I can offer a still less than objective judgement. I heard with astoundment that we were linked with Emile Heskey as one possible replacement for the sublime (whatever else you think of him) Dimitar Berbatov. That we ended up with a Russian was well trailed before I left, but on top of the fact that his season started in May (so he’ll no doubt be ‘tired’ by next month, especially having also played in the Euros) it turns out he’s cup-tied for the UEFA Cup. Bent and a Man U reserve kid up front in Europe then.

Even more astounding was the news on deadline day that we were prepared to sell Berba to Man City. No doubt Levy will claim it was always a negotiating ploy to get United to up their bid, but even if as fans we flatter ourselves that Man U are ‘rivals’ we shouldn’t sell to, City are most certainly direct competition in everything we’re playing for.

Should we have sold Berba? No, his contract made him a Tottenham player for another four years. Should we have consigned the sulky git to the reserves? No. We should have managed him. Not just this summer, but over the past year and for the years ahead. Oh sorry, I forget. I’m just a Human Resources professional in ‘ordinary’ industry, and proper man management is an alien concept in football. Especially if you are a new manager being paid around £5m a year who doesn’t speak English publicly. Apparently.

And what about Keane. His head was turned too, so the club spin told us, and we couldn’t stop him joining his boyhood dream team. Isn’t it so much easier to point the finger at Robbie as the bad boy and Liverpool as big meanies than reflect on how Ramos managed him post Wembley.

But others have written thousands of words on all this already, so I won’t labour the complaints about those we have loved and lost. Instead, I’ll move on to the inspired wisdom of one Damien Comolli, our esteemed Sporting Director, aka Levy’s fall guy. Comolli it was who reflected on the club website about all the transfer activity. Let’s dissect what he said.

"I think we got a lot of the players we wanted and early." No, we didn't. We got a couple more attacking midfielders early, like we were desperate for those, but no holding player. And the unproven strikers (that we wouldn’t have needed had we hung on to the gems we had) and the back up defender arrived in the last couple of days.

"We decided to make these changes because we feel we're beginning a new cycle." I think this is called retrospective self-justification. What about the 'new cycle' that started last year, or the year before, or ...

"We are younger, there is more depth, and we know that everyone we have brought in is absolutely committed to the Club." Until Man U etc come calling again. And except the manager.

"The fact that so many of the players have international experience is a big plus, but it wasn't the Euros that helped us make our decisions." Which is why they left it to the last few days to sign a cup-tied Russian.

"Juande likes players who are young and hungry." Not (great/proven) ones he has to work at managing.

"I am particularly disappointed that we were unable to make one additional signing, another experienced striker. The deal was agreed but fell through in the final moments due to agent activity." If this was Heskey someone needs shooting, and not because we didn’t get him. Perhaps if they'd started signing strikers 'early' (see above) they might have had more success.

"Two of our new signings, Vedran and Roman are cup-tied for the UEFA Cup and whilst this is not ideal ..." No, it's incompetent.

"We are building a squad for the league and future seasons." Not this season, then? And until Man U etc come calling again ...

Jim Duggan’s excellent (as always) editorial reflected on Levy’s comments after the Carrick sale, about the impact of player contracts and being “happy for anyone to judge this club by who we sell and who we don't”. The word coming out of the Club is that quote is “no longer relevant”. Much like Levy’s promises on the stadium, getting us to the champions league, that we're not a selling club and his 'principles’ about big clubs who tap up our players but can still buy them if they offer enough then.

Bernie Kingsley

2nd September 2008, Portland, Maine

The Muppet

Good Read and from an outsiders perspective that's pretty much how it is at Tottehnam. The author obviously has clear vision of the issues of recent days.

I was amazed yesterday when I read that Tottenham were prepared to sell Berbatov to City instead of United, That would be akin to United selling Ronaldo to Chelsea , Plain Madness and certainly not in the clubs best interest.