- Oct 12, 2004
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- 6,754
Since the early days of the Premiership Tottenham's problem as a club has been that, for all our enormous fanbase and financial muscle, we have been unable to sign players of the quality needed to take us into the Champions League; the reason being that the players who can get you into the Champions League only want to play for clubs who are already in the Champions League.
Since ENIC took over the club a number of strategies have been tried to get round this problem.
Plan A: The Hoddle Manoeuvre
Prior to the ENIC takeover Spurs had been stagnating mid-table. What was needed was drive and vision to take us forward, what we got was Glenn Hoddle and the five year plan. Under Glenn the approach was to sign star players discarded by the top clubs as being too old, but with a season or two still left in the tank: Sherringham, Poyet, Ziege, Redknapp. This Dad's Army would get us into Europe, and then the top stars would flock to join us. Unfortunately it turned out that the players contracts had more legs than the players, resulting in the White Hart Lane home for aged gentle footballers.
Plan B: The Arnesen Stratagem
Ditching Glenn and the five year plan, Daniel Levy scoured the globe for a model of footballing success, and found Frank Arnesen. Under Frank the aim was to build a team with a young British spine who would compensate for any shortcomings in ability with passion and team spirit: Robinson, Dawson, Davis, Carrick. And to instil the right mentality we would surround them with solid pros, bargain basement signings but with a track record of winning things: Naybet, Mendes, Stalteri, Tainio, Lee. We would also ensure continuity for the future by signing the best young talent: Huddlestone, Lennon, and quite a lot others who did not come close to working out. (Frank was shocking as a scout.) Unfortunately Frank left, and if Martin Jol continued to share his vision, the Board no longer did.
Plan C: The Comolli Gambit
Arsenal were building a brilliant young team by recruiting and nurturing the brightest young talents from around the world. We wanted some of that, and since Damien Comolli had been a scout for Arsenal surely he could do the same for us. So under Damien our first team budget was spent on bright young things: Assou-Ekottu, Bale, Boateng, Kaboul. Unfortunately, as a wise man once said, you do not win anything with kids.
Plan D: The Ramos Effect
Juande Ramos was the winner we were looking for to turn around our bunch of slackers and realise their potential. Okay that did not work out, but the club has succeeded in demonstrating its ambition by signing one of the most sought after coaches in Europe, and with Juande at the helm surely the top European players will fall over themselves to sign for us. So under Juande we are spending big and signing quality: Hutton, Woodgate, Modric. These are exciting times, and yet, a doubt remains. Would a Champions League team have gambled on Woodgate's fitness, and if so why did none of them come in for him? The top clubs were interested in Hutton and Modric certainly, but if they had signed them would they have gone straight into the starting line-up? Are we assembling a rock solid squad that can hit the ground running, or are these only the first steps in another rebuilding project? And is Jaunde, a coach who has had more clubs than Tiger Woods, the man for the long haul?
I am optimistic for next season, but cautiously so. The big difference for me is that Juande has, perforce, the full backing of the Board. Put bluntly they daren't sack him - or let him walk away for that matter - so they have to back him. So I think the Board will be pulling out all the stops. The question is whether that is going to be enough to persuade players of the quality needed to realise Jaunde's vision to join us. The worst case scenario is that we spend all summer chasing Samuel Eto'o, only on deadline day to end up resigning Kaisar Greg because he is all that is left available...
But I do not actually think that will happen. What I think will happen is that we will assemble a half decent squad who will take time to gel, but taken as a whole the season will be respectable. Whether that is sufficient to satisfy the ambitions of both Juande and the Board remains to be seen.
Since ENIC took over the club a number of strategies have been tried to get round this problem.
Plan A: The Hoddle Manoeuvre
Prior to the ENIC takeover Spurs had been stagnating mid-table. What was needed was drive and vision to take us forward, what we got was Glenn Hoddle and the five year plan. Under Glenn the approach was to sign star players discarded by the top clubs as being too old, but with a season or two still left in the tank: Sherringham, Poyet, Ziege, Redknapp. This Dad's Army would get us into Europe, and then the top stars would flock to join us. Unfortunately it turned out that the players contracts had more legs than the players, resulting in the White Hart Lane home for aged gentle footballers.
Plan B: The Arnesen Stratagem
Ditching Glenn and the five year plan, Daniel Levy scoured the globe for a model of footballing success, and found Frank Arnesen. Under Frank the aim was to build a team with a young British spine who would compensate for any shortcomings in ability with passion and team spirit: Robinson, Dawson, Davis, Carrick. And to instil the right mentality we would surround them with solid pros, bargain basement signings but with a track record of winning things: Naybet, Mendes, Stalteri, Tainio, Lee. We would also ensure continuity for the future by signing the best young talent: Huddlestone, Lennon, and quite a lot others who did not come close to working out. (Frank was shocking as a scout.) Unfortunately Frank left, and if Martin Jol continued to share his vision, the Board no longer did.
Plan C: The Comolli Gambit
Arsenal were building a brilliant young team by recruiting and nurturing the brightest young talents from around the world. We wanted some of that, and since Damien Comolli had been a scout for Arsenal surely he could do the same for us. So under Damien our first team budget was spent on bright young things: Assou-Ekottu, Bale, Boateng, Kaboul. Unfortunately, as a wise man once said, you do not win anything with kids.
Plan D: The Ramos Effect
Juande Ramos was the winner we were looking for to turn around our bunch of slackers and realise their potential. Okay that did not work out, but the club has succeeded in demonstrating its ambition by signing one of the most sought after coaches in Europe, and with Juande at the helm surely the top European players will fall over themselves to sign for us. So under Juande we are spending big and signing quality: Hutton, Woodgate, Modric. These are exciting times, and yet, a doubt remains. Would a Champions League team have gambled on Woodgate's fitness, and if so why did none of them come in for him? The top clubs were interested in Hutton and Modric certainly, but if they had signed them would they have gone straight into the starting line-up? Are we assembling a rock solid squad that can hit the ground running, or are these only the first steps in another rebuilding project? And is Jaunde, a coach who has had more clubs than Tiger Woods, the man for the long haul?
I am optimistic for next season, but cautiously so. The big difference for me is that Juande has, perforce, the full backing of the Board. Put bluntly they daren't sack him - or let him walk away for that matter - so they have to back him. So I think the Board will be pulling out all the stops. The question is whether that is going to be enough to persuade players of the quality needed to realise Jaunde's vision to join us. The worst case scenario is that we spend all summer chasing Samuel Eto'o, only on deadline day to end up resigning Kaisar Greg because he is all that is left available...
But I do not actually think that will happen. What I think will happen is that we will assemble a half decent squad who will take time to gel, but taken as a whole the season will be respectable. Whether that is sufficient to satisfy the ambitions of both Juande and the Board remains to be seen.