Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has insisted that it’s time to get the cheque book out and go spending this summer and has made it clear that a new striker is a priority.
Speaking after the Chelsea game Harry said: “I hate when people say, ‘Oh well, if they don’t make the Champions League, they’re going to sell Bale or they’re going to sell Modric – that’s not the way forward.
“The way forward now is to say, ‘Okay, let’s go and find one or two top-drawer players and go and move on again and let’s get back in the Champions League’.
“I haven’t spoken to Daniel about it but I’m sure he’s got to be positive. Where do you go if you don’t do that?”
Prior to the weekend, Redknapp acknowledged the failure of our strike force this season and confirmed that a new front man was urgently required.
“It’s been one of those years. Normally Defoe would have had 18 goals by now. He hasn’t got them this year, Crouchy hasn’t scored many, he’s scored his goals in Europe. We’re still in it without the frontmen having scored the goals they should have done.
“I’d like to get another front man if I can. They’re difficult to find though. We went for Rossi last year and he was suddenly £35million.
“We’re looking for strikers, not £35million ones, they’re hard to find because everyone’s looking for them. Whatever happens, it looks like being a summer of changes at the Lane, but do Harry’s words suggest that he feels only one new face up front is required?
i hate to say it but that will mean bye Pav and crouch. even if i dont want to see the back on Pav. under rated. never given a run. no faith no wonder he wants to leave.
we need to get rid of the fringe players before going for big money signings! reduce that wage bill.
Strange how you suggest to sell the 2 highest scoring of our strikers in Pav & Crouch…. Keane and Defoe out for me.
Pav underrated? Not by me. Not cut out for the PL. Get rid!
Eh, its so obvious to me that we need a complete revamp up top. We need that drogba type player, particularly if VDV is staying for next year. I’m sorry but out his summer has to be: Hutton, Niko, Pav, Keane, Bentley, O’hara, Crouch. Still no sure about defoe. I’m thinking VDV is causing more problems than providing solutions. He’s a lovely player but where should he play? I’d prefer he was sold to accomodate someone like Hulk and a Drogba.
Too change may also not be good for the squad either. 2 strikers is a must, 1 is a minimum.
Defoe should go also.too small ,too weak. QPR would buy him amongst others. Three new strikers please!
I would keep O’Hara. We don’t have many players in the team that can run up and down the pitch for 90 minutes and give it their all. Not saying he is first team but would be great squad player and sub.
Without a doubt the squad is going to be streamlined this year and the likes of Pav, Keane, O’hara, Bentley, Dos Santos, Palacios, Krancjar and possibly Crouch could all be out the door. The money generated from these sales could be substantial enough to fund the purchase of those top drawer signings that we so desperately need. A few bodies like both the Kyles back from loan spells. We’re not in too bad shape with the squad really but I don’t agree we should be going out for mad money strikers in the bracket of 35 million there are strikers out there like that Peter Odemwinge or Johan Elmander Craig Bellamy for me is still not a bad choice if the money doesn’t get crazy although I fear it will get crazy, certainly I would take a look seriously at Romelu Lukaku because though the money now might seem a little on the strong side it just smacks of when Newcastle paid 15 million for Shearer just so Man U didn’t buy him otherwise that would be the premiership sewn up every year for years to come. Sometimes things are just that glaringly obvious and it’s obvious that this boy is no fluke but he’s already stated he wants to play for Chelsea and if he pairs up with Torres YOU’VE BEEN WARNED. Forget all the doom and gloom merchants we’ve had a decent season maybe we could have not talked ourselves up as much as we have and just quietly gone about our business but that was never possible after Bale took Inter Milan to bits in October. Overall we have a bloody good bunch of players just a few minor adjustments needed and a bit of luck with less injuries next year and who knows? Lillywhitetilidie.
Surely we can use the money we did not spend in the last two windows to get some strikers in?
We have broke even or made a profit on recent transfers. Time to make good on the mistake of last summer with the profits and the 30m Champions League windfall from this season too. We are not a poor club. 15th richest in the world so they say.
Without wanting to bore you with lengthy facts and figures, saying that we are the 15th richest club in the world is misleading. It would be just as accurate, to say we are the fifth richest person in the poorhouse.
After debt financing last year, only one team in the PL made a profit last year.
Regarding the money we didn’t spend, much of this is funded by players that we sold at the same time. As you may have noticed, there are no takers for most of our unwanted players.
This year we will make a profit of about £30 mill, but over the past few years, the figures have ranged from a loss or profit of £5mill. The current stock market valuation of the club is about £130 mill, and nobody in their right mind would spend that amount on a business that usually results in a profit or loss of £5 mill per annum.
WE NEED A DECENT GOALKEEPER!!!!!!!!!!
We have needed a striker for the last couple of seasons, for me Defoe is never good enough to score 20+ a season consistantly, Keane lost his love for us with his dream move to Liverpool, Crouch is just useless that leaves Pav as our only decent striker!!!! Oh he hardly plays and wants to leave so nice on Mr Redschnapps! Now u can go and buy kevin davies, joe cole, carlton cole, emile heskey and any other washed up english player!!!!
Potential Outs: Keane (6M), Pav (8M), Kranky (7M), Rose (1M), Naughton (1M), O’Hara (5M), Gio (5M), Hutton (5M), Bassong (6M), Pletikosa (Free), Palacios (8M), King (Free), Woody (Free), Mason (Free), Townsend – Loan again, Obika – Loan again, Cudicini (Free), Jenas (5M)
Total: £57M
In: Given (5M), Cahill (15M), Walker (return from loan), Baines (10M), Falcao (£25M), Berbatov (10M), Lewis (Peterborough ‘keeper 4M), Parker (6M)
Total: £75M – £18M outlay, but a lot more off the wage bill.
This would solve our huge squad size and leave our squad something like this: Given, Gomes, Lewis, Corluka, Walker, Kaboul, Dawson, Gallas, Cahill, Ass-E, Baines, Lennon, VdV, Modric, Thudd, Sandro, Parker, Bale, Berbatov, Falcao, Defoe, Crouch
Strongest squad in the league!!
Notwithstanding that you didn’t mention Bentley (in or out), I am inclined to think that half the problem is going to be to get rid of most of these players. Most of them have been available throughout this season, and there have been no takers.
The other half of the problem is how many of those you have listed as incoming, want to play for us, are available, and will fit into our wage structure?
Regarding the prices, do you really think that both Keane and Parker are equally valuable?
I’d like to think you are right, but I don’t see it as being that simple.
Yes I do think that Keane and Parker will go for the same money. If West Ham go down (increasingly likely), they will have to have a fire sale, the porn barons don’t have enough cash to sustain the club in the Championship. Keane is still a good player, we would still chant his name if he hadn’t gone to Liverpool. As for Bentley, yes I forgot about him, probably because we have so many players out on loan. I wouldn’t say there were no takers for our players, nobody buys in January, most of the players mentioned above are “summer buys”. As for our wage structure, with the exception of Falcao, possibly Berba, all of the others I am sure would fit in with our wage structure. I hardly think that Peterborough, Bolton, et al pay more than we do.
I understand that Wet Sham will only buy Keane if they stay up, in which case your fire sale becomes a moot point. If they go down, we are still stuck with Keane.
Personally, I think Keane is past it, and he has not looked good in the PL since his partnership with Berba was dissolved.
Lets hope Harry is serious this time and does not pose about as he did in the January Transfer Window by flirting with Beckham, half assed, last minute bids for Neville and running around Spain on the last day of the window. Lets make Given, Parker, a top striker and (if he is available) Drogba a priority.
Harry stop playing Del Boy and act like a manager that wants to rub shoulders with the best