Having harshly missed out on Champions League football due to Chelsea winning the competition as well as having parted ways with manager Harry Redknapp, many Spurs fans began to fear the worst for the club. However, in recent weeks things have began to look up for Spurs, despite the club being managerless.
Keeping Gareth Bale
Keeping Bale is probably the best bit of news to come out of Tottenham so far, with the left-winger signing a four year deal last week. With the club failing to secure Champions League football next season many pundits felt the player might move on, with some of Europe’s top clubs undoubtedly keen on him. It is clear that Daniel Levy managed to convince Bale of his long term plans for the club, despite the club being without a manager. Bale’s contribution to the side can not be overstated with him scoring 9 league goals as well as recording 10 assists. His dynamism as well as eye for goal has led him to be one of the most sought after left sided players in world football and keeping him can only be regarded as a coup for Spurs. At just 22, one would expect him to get even better next season.
AVB being installed as the new manager
Harry Redknapp did a very good job at Spurs but arguably with his limited tactical know-how, took them as far as he could. Losing such a huge lead over Arsenal and failing to adaquetely get Spurs out of their slump reflected very badly on him. Some of the continental managers linked with the job are far more tactically knowledgeable and better versed in modern training techniques. André Villas-Boas has been confirmed as the new manager of Spurs but has strangely been dismissed by some journalists as a bad choice. Let’s not forget the brilliant work he did at Porto during the 2010/11 season despite his young age, winning the league unbeaten and winning the Europa League. His time at Chelsea demonstrates how his man management skills need to be improved but it could also be argued that the board did not adequately back him to bring about his new vision. Chelsea were a side of experienced pros who lacked dynamism. Spurs on the other hand have dynamism in abundance, especially in midfield and will perhaps, if he has learnt lessons from Chelsea, be better suited to this job.
AVB’s methods were clearly quite advanced which in some ways makes him a polar opposite of Redknapp; not the best man-manager and a meticulous planner. With what he has achieved in Porto and a good global reputation intact, he could also serve to attract good quality players to the club. Spurs’ last attempt at bringing in a high profile European manager was with Juande Ramos, which ultimately failed although he was relatively much older and didn’t speak particularly good English. AVB has a good understanding of the English game due to his time with Chelsea as well as his stint as opposition scout at the club under Jose Mourinho. Spurs fans should not let the debacle at Chelsea put them off and his confirmation as new manager could be the start of an exciting new dawn for Spurs and their fans.
Sigurdsson signing
Spurs have finally secured a deal for Sigurdsson, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Swansea. One thing Spurs lacked last season was goals from centre midfield. Van Der Vaart is essentially a support striker and thus Modrić, Parker and Sandro combined only managed a disappointing 4 goals between them from a combined 88 appearances. Sigurdsson on the other hand was prolific in his short spell with Swansea, scoring 7 goals in only 18 appearances for the club – an incredible record. He not only provides goals but a different option. Under Redknapp, Tottenham lacked a Plan B or different options on the bench but Sigurdsson will provide real depth for the side and offer a good goal scoring option from midfield. He could feasibly slot in beside Modrić and Parker, comprising of a midfield three, which AVB would likely utilise in a 4-3-3 formation.
Further squad reshuffling
Spurs have began to reshape the squad. Niko Kranjčar and Vedran Ćorluka were sold for a combined £11 million, with Louis Saha and Ryan Nelsen being released. Further to this Giovani dos Santos is reportedly close to finally getting the move away that he desires with Atletico Madrid reportedly close to an £8 million deal. In addition, despite what a brilliant servant Ledley King has been, he is likely to play even less next season. His playing future at the club remains unclear as he may be there as a coach next season. Regardless, his absence from the first team will not be a bad thing per se. His performances dipped last season and if Ajax centre-back Jan Vertonghen eventually signs it will allow Michael Dawson to form a regular solid partnership at the back for the first time since King was fit.
Vertonghen appears the club’s first choice and wishes to leave Ajax although a move has stalled; it is however likely it will still go through before the end of the transfer window. Spurs will also be welcoming Steven Caulker back as another centre-back option who had a brilliant loan spell at Swansea last season. It is reported that AVB will be given £50 million to reshape his squad so new signings are surely imminent.
Conclusion
There is still work to do however Spurs need to add some strength in depth with Redknapp rarely rotating things last season. First and foremost, the club need to bring in a striker with Defoe the club’s only recognised forward as things stand. As well as this, they will need to bring in another winger to provide depth. Too often last season were attacking midfielders such as Kranjčar or Van Der Vaart played as wide men. With their tendency to come inside this led to over crowding and disrupted Spurs’ natural game.
However, the squad is on the whole very young, and if Spurs can address the issue of bringing in a good striker as well as another option out wide they will be in a strong position going into next season. Clearly much will depend on how AVB will adapt to the challenge, but if he settles in well and is allowed to bring in players to suit his style Spurs could mount a strong challenge for a top four position next season.
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A decent article on the whole, but with one strange omission:
You don’t mention Younes Kaboul at all, and make Michael Dawson 1st choice. Most Spurs fans would have it the opposite way around, and Dawson is likely to be relegated to third choice – at best (maybe even fourth, depending on how Caulker shapes up in the new system). Dawon may even be sold.
Fantastic article yet again.very well balanced. I find it strange that most parts of the media have forgotten the incredible job AVB did at Porto just because things didn’t work out at Chelsea.
Good read, couple other things you might be interested to hear: Usually they’re worthless, but there’s a couple ITKs at the Spurs forum I follow who have been really brilliant (called Harry’s firing a week before it happened, called the AVB hire three weeks ago, called the Sigurdsson signing when he seemed Liverpool-bound) who say, a) Adebayor and Vertonghen are both going to be announced in the next week. b) Oscar from Internacional is another potential signing. c) The club is getting a significant investment from an outside source (the figure both ITKs gave was ~200 million pounds).
By all accounts, this is the busiest and most optimistic Spurs Lodge has been in some time. I’m really, really excited for the new season. (Also, you forgot to mention Caulker resigning. By all accounts a future Spurs captain, if he stays with the club. Our top 4 cbs next year will be Vertonghen, Kaboul – a good candidate for captain by the way, Dawson and Caulker. And we just poached a young left back from United who is going to back up Assou-Ekotto.
Amit, as you know I’m not a fan of AVB! So I’m going to use an advanced method of attack (unlike him) and use your own piece to counter your argument! http://thinkfootball.co.uk/a-statistical-and-tactical-look-at-european-defences/ remember this? Here, you state why Boas’s tactics are ‘incompatibly with the premier league’. Hence your claim that AVB will work well with Spurs is somewhat juxtaposed!
AVB needs to change his tactics massively if he is to do anything more than leave Spurs languishing mid-table and get the sack. He may do… but right now I get the impression that he is simply too arrogant.
And that’s me being very forthright I’d never write that in an article. But I believe it to be true even if it sounds extreme.
I agree to a point but his methods are clearly advanced he won the league and Europa with Porto so definitely has skills. If he adapts I think he can work but we’ll see. Definitely a gamble from Spurs but one that might pay off!