Some time in December, a story emerged in the papers linking Spurs with a move for Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez. In truth, nobody really believed it but at the time, a ‘source’ stated that it would be the biggest deal since Klinsmann.
In the end, we got a transfer that was reminiscent of a deadline day deal that happened a few years ago. It’s actually easy and maybe a little lazy to compare Louis Saha to Grzegorz Rasiak but is the Frenchman such a bad call as third / fourth place striker? Harry seems to think it’s a good shout.
“He’s got good movement, can score goals but probably needs a change. He’s out of contract at the end of the year so David Moyes has let him go,” Redknapp said.
“I can remember speaking to Rio Ferdinand and he said he was the best forward he’d played against.”
Injuries up front mean that Saha may well make his Spurs debut at Liverpool next week while injuries elsewhere have often seen Spurs pick from only two fit centre backs over the last eighteen months. That fact has been addressed by letting two defenders go out on loan and bringing one in so step forward Ryan Nelsen, a man who has been released by Blackburn because of…. Chronic injury problems.
The club hadn’t announced the deal on their website but the player’s agent had this to say,
“We settled with Blackburn and have reached agreement with Spurs,” said Lyle Yorks.
“We’re just awaiting clearance. It’s for six months, with a one-year option. It all unfolded quickly.”
Few Spurs fans will want to be negative at this stage of what has been a memorable season so far, but many heads are being scratched today.
And arses
Kinda makes sense 2 old mature heads in for the run in dead wood out along with there negativity. Levy doesn’t know if Harry is staying so why spend now!!! the squad is good enough to compete at the top end and no incoming player will destabilise the current first team which is what is needed just now. Jose will have plenty to spend – Just a side issue i cant imagine any team in world football having so many of its players out on loan would love to know the combined amount saved by having them off the wage bill. Anyone fancy working roughly how much? Id say must be £250k+ easy
There is Corluka, Pienaar, Jenas, Bentley, Falque, Oyenuga, Carroll, Mason, Kane, Townsend, Smith, Obika, Bostock, Caulker, Button , im sure there are more just cant think of them buts its alot of players. The wages saved could of paid for Tevez!
I think this deadline day madness could have blown our season. It makes no sense to me. Say what you like about Bassong but he was giving us cover and was fit and i think did OK most times. Charlie going is strange as he gives cover in more than one position. Similar with Pienar and as for Pav leaving with a crock replacementthat has seen better days a long time ago and has forgotten where the net is!
I dont get it. Harry is a past master of making bad good but he has his work cut out hear
My only reasoning is that we have a couple of younger players ready to step in if needed and we did not want to blow money on players no better than we already have. Basically waiting for the Summer to make a couple of huge signings. Problem is if we blow up and done make the top four we could miss out. This is a big gambel and worried about it back firing
Really worried very worried! You bet i am
Did get some good news yesterday 🙂 the russian donkey has gone, news about the stadium and lancaster got some playing time in the firsr team 🙂 does anyone no how much we paid for saha?
Whatever else you might think of Harry, he is without doubt, a true “football man”. He knows the game inside out and knows what is required in the Premier League. I’ve seen plenty of woe is me on the sites but how many of these people have ever managed a football club at top level? None. Have some faith. We’ll be alright and we’ll have a barrel of Champions league cash to spend in the summer. COYS!
Saha was a freebie 6 month contract with a few to an extra 12 months which in my book is a complete waste of time money and effort 1 goal in 18 apperances in the last 16 months totally pathetic signing and ryan nelson!!! he should’ve retired 1 game this season as a sub and couldnt get into one of 3 worst teams in the premiership!!!
Saha was playing up top on his own as an impact sub he will be a good signing. Nelson didn’t play because any more appearances and they would have had to give him another year contract on big money
Bassong Pienaar Corluka and Pav all moaning for the next six months wouldn’t of been great for team morale
Remember most thought the same when we signed Brad, Ade & Parker, (Me inc!), now we can’t get enough of them…
Have to agree with “Park Lane 71”
[Quote:] Whatever else you might think of Harry, he is without doubt, a true “football man”. He knows the game inside out and knows what is required in the Premier League. [End Quote:]
3rd in the Lge, 13pts on the Arse, esp if they lose 2nite it will remain; 7pts on “Chelski” & 11pts on the “Bin Dippers” with 16 games to go ~ can’t ask for much better than that…….
In “DL” & “Arry” We Trust
C.O.Y.S
I have faith in Harry, but bringing in Saha and Nelsen doesn’t seem logical to me. I believe we have missed a great chance to sign Jordan Rhodes from Huddersfield. O.K he is unproven at Premier League level, but he is a natural goalscorer and with the chances we create he would score a few goals between now and the end of the season. I think we should have kept Bassong until the end of the season as cover as he is better and fitter than Nelsen.
And Rhodes is 20, cheaper, and without a doubt very talented.
He’s also unproven at Championship level!
Pav or Saha would destroy any competition in League One, far more than Rhodes. Signing a player from that level isn’t just gamble, it’s accepting that you’re going to have to shoulder the responsibility of getting him up to Premier League standard and that’s difficult to do when you can’t give him regular game time (it’s not like we can start him ahead of Ade/Defoe when we’re pushing for the title) so he’d probably just be loaned back out. Plus he’s a young, hyped-up English player who’s by far and away the league’s top scorer belonging to a team who are challenging for promotion… he’d go for a stupidly inflated price. Compare him with Oxlade-Chamberlain, who cost Arsenal £12m – I’d bet his going price is higher because he’s more impressive than Ox was. Although yes, Ox does look good at the top level.
This is the exact same argument I constantly have with a mate of mine! We’re equally certain we’re right. I wonder if we’ll get to find out 🙂
I hope we do get to find out.
This isn’t Football Manager this is real life both Saha and Nelsen are stop gap bench warmers if all else fails players proven in the premier league over 10yrs each Jordan Rhodes is a gamble and would take a squad place of the likes of Loic Remy then you would all be saying for god sake why buy an unproven prem player bla bla bla why didn’t we go for someone like Saha
If you think that Spurs could afford Remy than your nuts. You’ll probably also one of those people who went hated the Bale signing. Yes I agree Saha and Nelsen are excellent signings for this year and maybe next. But if we want a top striker in the next few years than Rhodes is our man!!!!!
I just want to add one more thing Rhodes and Kane would be an unstoppable force for years to come.
I think most people are thinking about this wrong…
I would have loved to sign some top quality players — which we didn’t, but we did:
a. sell Pav (good luck to him, but horray!) for 7.5m and replace him, for free, with Saha, who should be AT LEAST as good as Pav was for us.
b. sent Bassong on loan (could it become permanent? Let’s hope!) and replaced with Nelson. Older but won’t be asked to play too often and will be much more consistent when he does play.
We basically slightly upgraded our backup players while making some money.
Also, Players coming in in January would have a hard time acclimating. Spend some real money for the top players we want at the beginning of the summer transfer window and let them get familiar with the team before next season.