Great Busniess this summer... So far

[Holiday Ham Flambago]

I was just watching ssn and had a realisation; despite our frustrations on here this has, so far, been an absolutely fantastic summer transfer window!

We have bought the Sheff utd duo and Crouch for about £17-20 million.

We have sold Bent, Zokora and Gunter for around £17-20 million.

So we've potentially not spent a single penny but shifted out some fringe players and brought in some extra depth to the squad.

Should we bring in Bassong for the reported £8 million and be able to bring in another strong, defense minded midfielder for anything up to £12 million then for a potential £20 million we will have an extremely balanced squad with a real potential to grab a champions league spot.

Many of us have vented frustration against Levy and 'arry at various times, myself included, but I for one am more than willing to take another look and admit that I should of had more faith in the duo.

Fantastic so far... hopefully we can just add the last 2 pieces!

COYS

[1990Hotspur]

balancing the books wise i think its great, but last year, even though we spent loads, we actually recouped about the same......
last year we thought we were getting rid of the dead wood too (apart from berba, keane and to an extent steed) so before i say this was a great transfer window i will wait for the first 8 games to come and go......


saying that though.....
i think bassong is potenially a good deal, adding pace to our back four and also being able to fill in at left back seems to fill in two areas of the squad where we were lacking in one purchase.

(forgive me if im wrong......but don't both BAE and Bassong play for cameroon?? i know they are both french, but i thought they both chose to join cameroon from family lineage?? that could be a problem when the african cup of nations starts this january....although it would give bale the chance, which in my eyes is only a good thing.....)


i think i would be happy if we finished our buisness this year. i haven't heard of KPB leaving so i guess he replaces zokora, and with livermore, bostock and rose looking like they are going to be a part of the squad this year i think we are covered. i understand why people want a new midfeilder to partner palacios (who i am not quite sold on yet) as jj and hudd have been extremely frustrating.....its just i really want them to come good......and the same with bentley(although even if he is playing well i wouldn't know how to fit him in??)

anyhow, i will choose the right to reserve judgment for now at least..........

[Havocc]

yep. once again Levy has managed to recoup monies while being active in the transfer window, Naughton and Walker are good buys for the future. Crouch is a better player than Bent which improves our strike force and Bassong will provide good cover in defense

The huntelaar saga was dissapointing though but I think getting in another mid-fielder, say Poulsen or Veloso and some one like Cole/Krankjar would complete, IMO, a good summer of business

[Holiday Ham Flambago]

1990 Hotspur I, like you, am waiting to see if we can now perform in the league as far too often we under perform.

I was mainly saying how transfer wise I am very happy with what we have done!

[Pitseleh]

not sold on palacios, he is first name on the teamsheet for me, every week

[spurs_striker]

last season I was very worried as we were starting the season with only Pavlyuchenko, Bent and a rubish Campbell.
This season we are much more balanced but I am still not convinced we have a cutting edge up front.
The figures above are very conservative. Bent, Zokora and Gunter I would say is a guaranteed and minimum £20m rising to about £27m (think Gunter also has an extra million based on future performance).
I put the 2 Kyles and Crouch at £19m.
So if we get Bassong for £8m, we haven't spent anything.

Not only that, as we have got rid of Bent, Gilberto, Rocha, Gunter, Zokora and so far have only bought 2 kids and Crouch, I imagine we will be saving a lot on the wage bill.

[pfmspurs15]

i wonder what bassongs wage bill will be, i hope he wont expect too much as we saved him from a wasteful year in the championship, good signings so far tho, if we could add one more strong central mid or defender to give us a bit more stability and depth id be thrilled, but im extremely excited for the 16th, big game and I think the way we play will really judge how our season will go

[1990Hotspur]

1990 Hotspur I, like you, am waiting to see if we can now perform in the league as far too often we under perform.

I was mainly saying how transfer wise I am very happy with what we have done!

fair enough mate...all i was trying to say was that last season again we we did very well in the transfer market, but look how that turned out for us.....

wasn't having a go in the slightest, i liked your post hence why i thanked you


"Pitseleh- not sold on palacios, he is first name on the teamsheet for me, every week"

he gives us that steel in the middle, i just feel that hes very rash. in trying to win the ball, i feel he goes over the top and can see him giving away silly free kicks, and getting sent off (i will add that this is not the case all the time)

when in possesion, i think he sometimes tries to be a bit to fancy in areas where you really shouldn't, and hes not the best at playing a ball longer than 20 yards....

don't get me wrong, i think hes a good player and i think he has improved us, i just dont rate him as highly as some others seem to do.....

[Spurs4life93]

I think everyone now agrees that a defensive midfielder is needed. Personally its ether Poulsen or Veloso.

I doubted Levy's tactics at start of window but now his business acumen is really shining thru, he balances the books extremley well and keeps the club in a very strong position.

Seb Bassong, great addition.
Kyle Naugton, great find.
Peter Crouch, yet to make an opinion?
Kyle Walker, yet to make an opinion?

[P UNIT 1980]

Tasty left winger now would just about sure up our team.

CB is covered in the long term Daws Basong.

Now and to teach them King and Woody.

Krankjar or what ever he's called would do well could switch and alternate with modders to mess with defences.

[jeremija444]

Krankjar or what ever he's called would do well could switch and alternate with modders to mess with defences.

Kranjčar. Pronounced: "crunch-ar"

Yeah, I agree. Decent piece of business and with at least 1 more classy player everyone can be satisfied with the squad.

[littleharry]

I think we have done well this transfer window so far and that the squad is stronger than it was at the end of the season, as long as Bassong does sign on the dotted line. I think Naughton has looked very,very good in pre season and he could be a great player for us. Although there have been no shocks or exciting signings compared to the rest of the premier league I think we are looking in good shape.
Apart from the obvious Man City and the promoted teams I don't see many others who have improved their squads. Man U have lost loads of goals in Ronaldo and Tevez and replaced then with two very good players in Valencia but have also taken a massive risk with Owen. The Scum seem to be willing to punt any of the squad apart from Fabregas. Villa have got rid of the main Man Barry and have replaced him with Downing (crap) and an unknown quantity in Delph, Larsson has alos retired. Liverpool have also lost a massive player in Alonso.
I know a lot can change in the next few weeks and I am sure it will but the likes of Everton, Fulham, West ham have done nothing so far.
It is on this basis I think at this moment in time we are in good shape.

[Holiday Ham Flambago]

fair enough mate...all i was trying to say was that last season again we we did very well in the transfer market, but look how that turned out for us.....

wasn't having a go in the slightest, i liked your post hence why i thanked you


"Pitseleh- not sold on palacios, he is first name on the teamsheet for me, every week"

he gives us that steel in the middle, i just feel that hes very rash. in trying to win the ball, i feel he goes over the top and can see him giving away silly free kicks, and getting sent off (i will add that this is not the case all the time)

when in possesion, i think he sometimes tries to be a bit to fancy in areas where you really shouldn't, and hes not the best at playing a ball longer than 20 yards....

don't get me wrong, i think hes a good player and i think he has improved us, i just dont rate him as highly as some others seem to do.....

Haha cheers mate! I didn't think that you was having ago. I just thought that I maybe hadn't got my main point across and as I said I agree with your response.

Really hope we can start this season off well. There is no doubt in my mind that we have a squad capable of achieving a top 7th place and with real consistancy and a bit of luck we could hit 4th. Looking at ourselves, Everton and Villa I would say with confidence that we have the stronger squad.

Everton have yet to do anything of real substance in the window and look like they may lose Lescott.

Villa have made a couple of signings but have had the "spine/nucleus" of their team sold/retired. I like villa so hope that it does not hurt them too badly.

We on the other hand, as discussed here, have done some good business and have potentially not spent a penny. Would really like another dmc to add cover.

Not heard anything on the Veloso front so I won't hold my breath. If Sissoko is being priced out then Capoue would be good. I wouldn't mind Poulsen depending on the deal. Although I wonder what his attitude would be like coming to us from Juventus?

Failing to make a purchase in this area will hinder us slightly throughout the year I feel. Jenas is ok but thats it. I like Hudd but still don't think he is good enough for where we're hoping to be. He seems a little lazy and his shining performences usually come after spells on the bench and last until he feels that he has secured his spot.

Not sure of the financial situation but I would be delighted if we put a bid in for Muamba. I feel he and Cattermole are in the same ball park as Sissoko in the way that they could come and do a job for us now and also progress themselves further still. However, Wigan do not appear to want to sell which is why I went for Muamba.

Bloody hell thats a short essay!

[woody]

bassong is a good signing and gives us another full-time centre back instead of "a right back that can play at centre back" esque player

crouch is a better player than bent because he gives us another option up front and a type of striker that we lacked last season, a target man that can hold up the ball and score goals like berbatov did (not saying crouch is anywhere near the quality of player that berba is)

now we need a defensive midfielder that can spray the ball about (alonso type) so we have two rocks to stay in the centre of the park so modric, lennon and keane can attack with no mercy

i would also like joe cole but its unlikely because of chelsea's stubborness

[basskadet]

1990Hotspur, I disagree with you over Palacios. For the amount of tackles he puts in & the sheer energy he brings to our midfield he actually gives away very few free-kicks & does not receive nearly as many cards as you might think. I also disagree with your 'too fancy' statement. I think he may be a little guilty at times but never in the wrong areas of the pitch. We have FAR worse offenders than Palacios (Zokora used to give the ball away too often in our own half, as does JJ & BAE) & I think that, give the weight of responsibility resting on Wilson, should we get him a midfield partner who can relieve a little bit of pressure from him, we will probably see even fewer mistakes from the lad. Remember, he is still just 24 & will continue to improve. I actually think he is one of the best players in the entire Premiership at doing what he does for us.


As far as transfers goes, I agree with the point made earlier about how we all thought last season we had done excellent in the market & yet we had a terrible start. However, there were plenty of differences, most of which we were aware of even then.

The first was our failure to address to problem positions in DM & LW. We bought some very good players but nobody really fixed what we needed. Bentley (bought for the LW???) was heavily right-sided , short & very slow, Giovani who was both short & slim & Modric who was again right-sided (altho less than Bentley), short & slight of build. It was not until we bought Charlie on the final day of the window that we even appeared to be looking at our defensive issues. Charlie tho, as we were soon to find out, is also very slow.

Then there was the striker thing. We let our 2 top scorers leave, having allowed JD to go in the winter before also. Up until the final day of the window we only had 1 striker & we were in 4 competitions!!!! To sort that out we brought in Pav, again quite slow, and the rookie, Campbell who has never quite looked as tho he can cut it at the very top level.

To 'balance the books' (which we did very well financially) we sold 3 very important squad players in Steed, Teemu & Jimmy (who I know most wanted out but he was still important to the team imo). Virtually all of our defensive muscle, speed & energy in midfield gone to be replaced by several midgets. It was all a bit of a shambles.

Whilst I still would like to wait for the kick-off to reserve judgement, tis year's 'balancing of the books' has made far more sense footballing wise & that has to be down to Harry. Bent wanted out & we replaced him immediately (before he left even) with a better, more experienced striker who cost us almost half the price, the DM position we had fixed in Jan so when the CB problem reared it's ugly head we were onto it in a flash, seemingly plugging the gap with a tall, quick, young yet proven defender who is left-sided & can do a job at CB & LB as well as a left-footed RB (useful when playing left-wingers who like to cut inside, such as our own Modric). The signings we are making make a lot of sense (even Kyle XY, imo) & the players we are letting go really are the chaff as opposed to the wheat this time around.