Is Bellamy on his way?
January 18, 2009
Controversial Welsh striker Craig Bellamy is at the height of speculation this afternoon after he was left out of the West Ham team which beat Fulham.
The Hammers saw off their London neighbours by three goals to one at Upton Park, yet many of their loyal fans will be returning home wondering what is going on with their star striker rather than celebrating the result.
Bellamy has become the target of transfer speculation in the lat week with Manchester City and Spurs said to be interested. The most serious connection has seemingly come fro White Hart Lane and it is here where the Welshman is expected to go.
Speaking to the West Ham official website, manager Gianfranco Zola stated that Bellamy had been omitted from the team due to the fact that he did not train on Saturday. This does seem a rather fragile excuse of course and will do nothing to dilute the fears of the Hammers fans that Bellamy is on his way out of Upton Park.
Harry Redknapp has kept understandably quite about the episode which increases speculation further and it is suspected that the move will be complete within the next week.
Redknapp works his magic again
November 27, 2008
It seems hard to believe that just a few weeks ago Spurs were bottom of the Premier League and without a win all season. Then they sack their manager, bring in Harry Redknapp, and suddenly they can’t stop winning.
The beat league leaders Liverpool, pull off an incredible 4-4 draw away to Arsenal and get some European wins under their belts. It’s the same players, but Harry seems to make all the difference. Tonight was no exception as Harry worked his magic again and Tottenham Hotspur won 1-0 away from home in Holland against Dutch side NEC Nijmegen.
Youngster Jamie O’Hara grabbed his chance for Spurs and headed home the winner on 14 minutes, a goal that sees Spurs within a hair’s breadth of reaching the last 32.
Spurs are now on 6 points, and have a home game against Spartak Moscow still to come, meaning they’re practically in the knockout stage. Just a draw at home against the Russians would be enough to see them safely through.
Spurs can now return to London and look forward to their league game against Everton on Sunday.
Juande Ramos thinks his job is safe
September 29, 2008
Foreign football managers never cease to amaze me with their lack of understanding of the English game. Tottenham’s Juande Ramos has come out and said he believes his job is safe, when his side lay bottom of the table on 2 points, without a league win and having managed their worst start to a league season for 53 years.
What season has he been watching? Does he not even remember how he got the job in the first place, as Martin Jol was replaced after guiding Spurs to their highest every league finish just months earlier?
His job is more jeopardy than rare bottle of lager at Paul Gascoigne’s house. I’d be surprised to see him still there at the end of the week.
However he still insists his job his safe. After the defeat to Pompey he was asked he though he still had the dressing room:
Absolutely, we speak regularly and everyone is aware of our delicate position.
But whether I survive is for the chairman and the board to decide.
I’m not hurt (by the fans’ abuse). What hurts is not winning matches.
Ramos came in for extra abuse when he substituted their new striker Roman Pavlyuchenko and brought on Darren Bent, when they were 2-0 down and chasing the game.
We have been playing with two strikers in most games but we used just one against Newcastle (in the 2-1 Curling Cup win) and it worked better.
Bent had played every minute of the six previous games and needed a break.
Yep. Give it a week and he’ll be out.
Tottenham stay bottom as Defoe and Crouch hit it off
September 28, 2008
The misery was piled on Spurs today as lost 2-0 at Portsmouth, keeping them rooted to the Premiership on 2 points for the season; a season that promised so much for Tottenham and had them dreaming of a top four finish.
Those are just dreams now, as the harsh reality of a relegation dog fight beckons for the misfiring team.
The goals were scored by former Spurs striker Jermain Defoe (who refused to celebrate his penalty strike) and Peter Crouch. Tottenham were ineffective going forward and failed to trouble what has been a leaky Portsmouth defence in the last few games. However David James was practically a spectator for the match.
After Defoe gave Portsmouth the lead from the spot, Crouch doubled the lead with his head. It could have been worse for Spurs as Defoe had a strike ruled out for offside before he opened the scoring.
The result means Spurs have now experienced their worst start to a season for fifty three years.
Manchester City try to steal Berbatov for £30 million
September 1, 2008
In an audacious last gasp effort, Man City are trying to hijack rivals Manchester United’s bid for Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov. City has had a £30 million bid for the player accepted by Tottenham, but the player is still keen on joining the Reds and wants to play in the Champions League.
Berbatov is in talks with United, even though Spurs have yet to accept a bid from the champions for their player. The Abu Dhabi United Group, who own Manchester City, have tabled the bid in an attempt to steal the player from bitter rivals Man UTD. City manager Mark Hughes hopes to meet the player today to discuss the transfer, but he’ll have to be quick because the transfer deadline closes tonight.
Thaksin Shinawatra only agreed to sell the club to the Abu Dhabi United Group today, and already they’re weighing in with what would be the transfer coup of the season. If only they had more time before the transfer window closes.
Mark Hughes is delighted with the speed that things have happened at City today:
It’s happened quite quickly today.
We are going to try and bring good players to the club and it is a notice of our intent and we’ll try and get him.
There is a real buzz and expectation and hopefully this time it won’t be a false dawn and we can establish ourselves as a top six club.
They [the new owners] have the means to do that.
I wanted the resources to compete at the top table and it looks like that’s what I have got.
Whether Berbatov agrees to join City is another matter, but he only has a few hours to make his mind up.
Berbatov demands United move
August 18, 2008
Tottenham’s Bulgarian forward Dimitar Berbatov has apparently requested a transfer to Manchester United, this after starting Spur’s opening league game, a defeat to Middlesbrough, on the bench.
United’s pursuit of Berbatov so far has seen a £20.5 million bid refused from Tottenham, who do not want to part with their star player, especially after losing Robbie Keane to Liverpool already this summer.
Berbatov stated:
I’m now in Tottenham but no-one can disagree with me wanting to follow my dream.
It is thought that Berbatov handed in a transfer request at Spurs after he was omitted from Tottenham’s opening game.
Emil Dantchev, Berbatov’s agent, stated:
We have two more weeks until the end of the transfer window and I think this will be the most important week.
I read Alex Ferguson’s statement that he wants another striker and I hope that this striker is Dimitar Berbatov.
Berbatov cost Spurs just £10.9m two years ago, so they would stand to make a decent profit if they do sell for United’s offer.
Spurs were looking at the Russian striker, Andrei Arshavin, who excelled at Euro 2008, but their interest in the player seems to have cooled.
David Bentley on verge of joining Spurs?
July 30, 2008
Tottenham have just lost Robbie Keane to Liverpool, and the position of Berbatov looks questionable, but they’re still looking to strengthen and shake their image of being a selling club. With that, they’re rumoured to be in talks with Blackburn and England winger David Bentley.
Bentley of course is a former Gunner, having joined Blackburn from Arsenal in 2005.
According to Blackburn, they are negotiating with Tottenham over the sale of Bentley, however they haven’t accepted a bid for the player.
Bentley is just 23, and wants to emulate former England captain David Beckham and make the England right flank position his own, and he believes to do that he needs to leave Ewood Park and join a ‘bigger club’.
Blackburn value Bentley somewhere in the region of £17 million, which is a price that no club has yet met.
Liverpool sign £20 million Keano
July 29, 2008
Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane has joined his boyhood idols Liverpool for a fee that could climb as high as £20 million, depending on appearances.
28 year-old Keane had his medical at Anfield this weekend and penned a four-year contract, which should earn him £80,000 per week.
The actual fee is reported to be £19 million, with a further £1.3 million over the next few years.
Tottenham had originally reported Liverpool for an illegal approach to Keane, but have decided to drop that claim following the transfer of the Irishman. Also Liverpool have apologised for their approach, which Spurs have posted on their website:
Liverpool FC have acknowledged that the way its website reported comments of its manager, which were widely covered by the media, was inappropriate.
In light of that acknowledgement (they) have apologised and agreed to make a donation to our Club’s main charity, the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.
Tottenham Hotspur has therefore agreed not to pursue its official complaint to the Premier League.
Liverpool should mark the end in an extraordinary journey for the great traveller, Robbie Keane, who has played for Wolves, Coventry, Inter Milan, Leeds United and Tottenham. He has always commanded a high transfer fee, and has scored goals wherever he has played.
Keane was Liverpool’s top target this summer to replace Peter Crouch, who went to Pompey.
Keane spoke of his thanks to Tottenham for his time at the club:
I would like to place on record my thanks to the board, players and fans of Tottenham for the past six years, which were the best and most enjoyable of my career to date.
I will never forget them. I would specifically like to thank chairman Daniel Levy for understanding, that, as a fan, joining Liverpool is a lifelong dream of mine and one I couldn’t let pass me by.
I hope one day the Spurs fans, who have been brilliant to me, can understand this too.
I have only good things to say about my time at Tottenham and expect them to go from strength to strength under Juande Ramos and Daniel Levy.
Liverpool have now splashed out nearly £32 million this summer, with Keane being the most expensive and highest profile signing so far.
Robinson signs for Blackburn
July 26, 2008
England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has put an end to his awful year by signing a five-year contract with Blackburn Rovers, who have paid his former club Tottenham Hotspur £3.5 million for his signature.
Robinson’s form last season was a constant source of worry as he lost his place in the England side and in the Spurs team. A series of errors not only cost him dear, but also cost England dear in qualification for Euro 2008. The signing of Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes by Tottenham from PSV Eindhoven marked the end of Robinson’s Spurs career.
Robinson looks set to be Blackburn’s number one, as Brad Friedel seems destined to sign for Aston Villa in the summer goalkeeper merry-go-round. Robinson becomes the first signing for new Rovers boss Paul Ince.
It all started so well for Robinson when he signed for Spurs from Leeds in 2004 for £1.5m (as Leeds lost their place in the Premiership) and then made in his England debut just a few weeks later. He played in the 2006 World Cup for England, keeping 4 clean sheets in England’s 5 games.
It all started to go wrong for Robinson in Croatia as England lost 2-0, with Robinson conceding an own goal to Gary Neville.
Liverpool and Manchester United reported to Premier League by Spurs
July 20, 2008
Both Liverpool and Manchester United have been reported to the premier league by Tottenham Hotspur, over their pursuit of the players Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov respectively.
Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has stated that he expects the capture of Tottenham striker Berbatov to go through in a matter of days. This has angered Spurs, who say they haven’t accepted any offers from either Manchester United or Liverpool.
Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, said of Sir Alex Ferguson:
It is unbelievably hypocritical given his comments in respect of Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid.
The behaviour of both clubs has been disgraceful. We told both clubs very early on that we had no interest in selling Robbie or Dimitar, respectively, and that they should refrain from pursuing the player.
Both clubs arrogantly chose to ignore this request and we now have evidence that both clubs have systematically been working to prise the players away from us, outside of Premier League rules of conduct.
Manchester United have made an offer for the 27-year-old Bulgarian striker Berbatov, but Spurs have not accepted. Liverpool meanwhile have made very public their interest in Robbie Kean.
Levy was particularly angered by Manchester United however, and explained how Spurs have made an official complaint about their conduct.
Today’s public comments by Manchester United’s manager, announcing that he has made an offer for Dimitar and is confident that the deal will go through with time working in their favour, is a blatant example of sheer arrogance and interference with one of our players.
It is also probably one of the worst offences by any manager in the Premier League to date
As a result, we have today made an official complaint to the Premier League about the conduct of Manchester United.
Tottenham are holding firm over their insistence that they do not wish to sell either player.
