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We are looking at the wrong striker

Ever since Berbatov left the club, we are after some quality strikers. Likes of Crouch, Pav, Defoe & Ade have done their bits over the last few seasons.

With Adebayor leaving for ACN and his latest comments on AVB looks like his days are numbered. We are now left with one recognised striker Defoe and one possible second striker in Dempsey. In the media we have been heavily linked with Leandro Damiao. Most Spurs fans are quite crazy about acquiring Damiao. But is he the right striker for us in Jan2012?

Personally, I am very pessimistic about how successful he would be. Here is a comment from one of the Brazillian Journalist on Damiao - 'I think that 25m tag is also outdated by now, he was very poor in thee last months and had injuries.' It is true and some could be surprised that his last goal came on 23 Sep 2012 and for last 562 minutes he hasn't found the net. Add to that he has been having niggling injuries. His goal tally last season is 7 from 19 for Internacional, who finished at 10th.

There is no doubt that he is a potential, but buying him in Jan will be a wrong move for the quoted price. We should rather look at couple of other Strikers who are within the price range and could make a difference. Top of the list for me is Alvaro Negredo- perfect no 9, carried Sevilla on his shoulders all these years. When he had decent service he always delivered. In a poor Sevilla side, he is having a good season scoring 11 goals in 18 games.

I could get ridiculed for the second option but here it is - Gary Hooper from Celtic. Released by Spurs at 14 after a trial, he has had a interesting career. Scottish league is not the best league in the world, no where near it - but they do unearth some top talents time to time. We did not want to' look at Jelavic, now he looks like a top striker in Everton.

Hooper has always been a goal scorer. Never scored less than 20 goals in a season from 2008. 70 goals in 115 games including 8 in 16 in Europe for Celtic. Penalty box striker, can play along the lines , great first touch. He is not the best header of the ball but he is known for his link up play with midfielders. To me either Negredo or Hooper would be good business and both could compliment our midfield. One thing is clear, adding the correct striker will define whether we will be top 4 or outside top4.

Written by sydqcb5

Vital F1 Prediction League - Join now for Monaco

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.

Writer: sydqcb5

Date:Thursday January 10 2013

Time: 5:19PM

Your Comments

I thought Hopper was close to joining Norwich which seems a goos buy (again) by them

oxfordspur

Why is everyone so desperate for a facking striker! Togo will be knocked out after group stages ffs then Ade be back in couple games. Lets get Champ League, maybe bag a trophy and then entice a worldy striker in the summer rather than sign another Pav/Crouch now! Hooper wtf!??? COYMFS!!!

JattYid

Hooper needs time to find his feet in the prem so again like Leandro or even negrado would not really slot straight into the team I still reckon Shane Long should be our target.

Slurms McKenzie

JattYid - because EVEN with Ade + Defoe we are at least one striker short. Defoe is no spring chicken, and Ade has issues of his own. At the present rate, we will not make CL, nor win a trophy...

TonyRich

Maybe I'm wrong but I thought it was January 2013. already.

Andre's Crouching

...plus nothing wrong in thinking out of the box regarding Hooper. I'd rather that than regurgitating the same old names every transfer window...

TonyRich

Alvaro Negredo is ideal for Spurs. He can be a right bully and will upset the best of centre backs. Leads the line well and will work the channels. 12 mill would be his best value.

Andre's Crouching

Danny Graham anybody, to hit the ground running?

Love totty

sydqcb5-I like the idea of Hooper. :) Good buy considering money!

SilwalYid

I don't think the need for new players is as great as many make out. adebayor could only miss three games, as he did following his red against arsenal. He has barely featured all season and can still offer a great deal, especially if he is played as the main man. Dempsey can certainly fill the void if needs be, and in the worst case scenario so can dembele. chances are that defoe will remain fit for the interim, hopefully ade can score some goals in the ACN and regain his mojo. We did not capitulate last season because we didn't bring in players, but because harry lost focus, did not rotate, played players into the ground while ignoring others and made some truly ludicrous tactical decisions. If we can buy someone special then great, but we don't need to be desperate. Even if we bring in no one else I have faith that AVB is on track to keep taking this squad forward

Guernman

Sevilla wouldnt sell Negredo for 12 million.Thats a fact!

SilwalYid

Hmmmm very interesting article and plenty food for thought there. Negredo is currently in London speaking to an unnamed PL club...

TornadoYid

Tornadoyid-I thought it was the president of Sevilla who was in London!

SilwalYid

great to see that lloris and AVB nominated for best player/ best manager in december :)

Guernman

Sorry silwal yea thats wat i meant. del nino or whatever his name is.

TornadoYid

"Sevilla president Jose María del Nido has flown into London to thrash out a deal with Tottenham for the signature of Spain striker Alvaro Negredo."

Source John Drayton - Daily Mail.
Must be true then :o) Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2260299/Alvaro-Negredo-signs-Tottenham.html#ixzz2Hb5YO3OZ Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Hotspur 1882

Negredo will go for closer to 20M. I still stand by my idea (of course I do) that we should go in for Mitroglou, Castaignos and Guidetti. Not one who will get the juices flowing but all of them can do a job. They are also all young and Castaignos and Guidetti don't even count towards the squad numbers. Probably all three could be bought now for a global amount of about 15M. There are lots of guys out there. Arnautovic, Jovetic etc. The list goes on. We just need someone to bulk the numbers up here. Heck sell Adebayor and buy the other three and we're probabkly not out of hand too much. Or, do it differently and add a player like Dzagoev who can play striker, winger or in behind the striker. COYS

peterballb

This news is pretty much circulating everywhere!If its true it's either us or that other wee club in north london.

SilwalYid

This news is pretty much circulating everywhere!If its true it's either us or that other wee club in north london.

SilwalYid

sydqcb5
Thank you for an informative article. I, for one, didn't realise that Damio hadn't scored since September. Or that he had missed so many games through injury.
Having stated that, He looks like a fantastic talent, when he is fully fit. The question is, how long term are his injuries?

Hotspur 1882

right now I'd take Arthur Scargill -- wasn't he a striker, albeit for Wales

Cape Town Spurs

peterballb-I'd prefer Negredo anyday.Proven goalscorer,easily crossed 20 goals per season for 3 years!

SilwalYid

Do you think Celtic would sell?

RAF Yid

Any chance of Holtby joining us in Jan is denied by AVB

SilwalYid

Good article Syd! You're braver than me - have my reservations about Damiao and his price tag but not the guts to voice them. Somehow feel that AVB is being honest when he says that we'll only do business if a good deal is available. Personally, one of a creative midfielder OR a striker will do for me.

Durbanspur

It would be lovely to see the likes of John Obika or Harry Kane break through from the ranks, rather than buying from abroad. Whether they would ever be good enough is another matter. But the modern game and the modern supporter demand instant success.

Hotspur 1882

agreed, good article. Now I know he probably wouldnt be cheap, but what does anyone think of Dzeko?

falmouthyid

Hotspur-Dailymail kinda sucks!

SilwalYid

depends what we want...if we want to progress we have to be looking at better players...Negredo is imo our level(not the next step up) and the type of player we need....Hooper is not. But to progress we need the next step up but do we really have that ambition? after not investing once we reached the CL you have to question if the owners actually have any?

shedboy2

Isn´t Negredo a 27-year-old player ?? I for one cannot see Levy signing in a player this age for 15 or 18 MM pounds. It just does not match his way of doing business as he would not be able to sell him for such a amount of money. I´m not saying he´s not the player we need, but he doesn´t fit into Spurs´ business model.

AlexSpur

Dzeko's wages is pretty astronomical and doesnt fall under our wage cap!But I guess every spurs fan would love to have Dzeko leading the line!

SilwalYid

Oops, didn't realise I wrote Jan 2012 in the article. May be I didn't realise world didn't' end in 2012.

sydqcb5

Silwal, there are no guarantees. We could stump the 57M for Falcao and he could score as often as Defoe, or worse still produce like Heskey. Guidetti was fabulous last year in the Eriedivisie. Castaignos has all the tools to be another RVM and Mitroglou has looked really good in his CL matches.

If Arsenal sign Negredo, they will have a bunch of discontented strikers. They really ought to give more time to those they have signed. That said, if they beat us to the signature and do nothing to batten the hatches, they will continue to leak goals which will mean continued inconsistency. Negredo would be a great signing. I would not go above 15M for him though. COYS

peterballb

peterballb-forget Guidetti for 7m, no way Citeh would ever sell him to us and especially not for that price....

shedboy2

Negredo is quoted 14million pounds. Sevilla are in such a bad position that they have got permission from Spanish tax agency to pay their dues in 4 years time. Hooper leaving Celtic dont think it will happen, given they face Juventus in CL. Its more of my wish than anything else. But certainly someone to keep our eye on for summer.

sydqcb5

JattYid, I think people want us to sign a striker because Defoe is and always has been a striker who scores in bursts. There's a claim to say he's been more consistent this season, but there's half a season to go yet and historically he does better in the first half rather than the second. In any case, he's now officially the wrong side of 30, so to have someone fresh faced in the ranks would be a great idea. Then there's Ade, who can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo at the minute. Other than that, we have no-one, other than those who "can" play up front, like Dempsey and Sigurdsson. For me, two strikers isn't enough for a season, especially when you're playing two up front like we have been as of late.

We might not be desperate, but why would anyone want to be desperate to sign someone before they actually do? We shouldn't pay over the top prices, admittedly, but surely having half a season where the pressure isn't as intense and then a full pre-season for the next campaign would be beneficial.

Bernio Villas-Spuras

On the other hand, I think Hotspur 1882 suggestion an interesting one. Why cannot we look into our own Academy to fill this gap ??

AlexSpur

Dzeko- I really like but again would be way too much for us (and just about any other club) not that we have a wage cap- we don't! But we wouldn't accomodate his wages in our 'structure'

shedboy2

oh, and not mobile enough for AVB's system...

shedboy2

Sod signing hooper or graham, Dempsey could do a job up top just as good as them, will just be another average joe we can't sell for 4 years, unless we get someone better than ade, Defoe or Dempsey there is no point signing anyone just promote Kane or obika, give them a chance and you never know rather than waste money on averageness. COYS

tottingham10

would we play the 5ft 9in Hooper instead of Defoe??? not for me...

shedboy2

How much is Ade and Bale on?I'm not sure about the figures.Just curious!Anyone?

SilwalYid

All this about Dzeko either not fitting our wage structure or whatever can be argued against by looking at Adebayor. All season before we signed him permanently we heard cries of "there's no way we'll pay £170k a week for him"...well no...obviously. Thing is, Dzeko wouldn't get the wages he currently earns at City anywhere outside of the middle east. Also, to argue about there being no way of City selling to us...Adebayor? Christ, this is the most useful Ade's been all season haha.

Bernio Villas-Spuras

Henry Winkler in, nets,, or tights.

spurster

Shedboy, the fact is that City were considering offers of 5M for him in the summer. 7M and they will sell. They do not deem us as competition as they can buy whomever they want. He can be had. No, they won't give him away for free. They are looking to pay 50M for Cavani to add to Aguero, Dzeko, Balotelli, Tevez. Guidetti is available. COYS

peterballb

This Negredo rumor is spreading like Birdflu!!LOL Hope its true! :)

SilwalYid

Till last week, I felt Ade should not be sold and his form is just temporary. I am having second thoughts now given his comments on AVB. Ideal situation, keep Ade & Defoe and add a third striker who is good enough. May be the situation has changed now. AVB certainly is not giving anything away. The day after he said 'we have large squad we wont do any business' - we signed Fryers & Holtby. So, let him keep the media vultures guessing.

sydqcb5

As for Hooper, he's done brilliantly in the Champions League this season and is still young. Yes, Celtic would sell, of course they would. Their Christmas bonuses are comprised of a couple of swigs of Irn Bru and a sack of porridge. There's s**t all money in the SPL. Plus, they can sell someone like Hooper for £10m while his stock is high, buy someone for £1m to replace him and get an equal amount of success in the leauge. Not saying we should buy him, but there's no doubt Celtic would sell if the price was right.

Bernio Villas-Spuras

I think that Hooper and his ilk are closer to the "bargain basement" type that fits Levy's ambition, and willing financial committment, he would get another house point, and a gold star, from his mentor Joe Lewis.

Frank

Frank, ultimately, if you are unhappy with the amounts being invested in the team, the only blame goes to Joe Lewis. Levy does as Levy is paid to do (goes for ENIC too). I can assure you that Lewis is ecstatic that Spurs value, as a franchise, has gone from 243M to 546M since 2007. By 2018, assuming the stadium and naming rights are done, this franchise will be worth way over 1B. That's quite a ROI. Add titles and trophies and the picture is even rosier, but even without, he must be tickled pink. COYS

peterballb

I' rather see us plaka, than see us spend 10M on Hooper. Come on. Mitroglou and Castaignos for a whopping total of 8M tops. COYS

peterballb

AVB is saying we're unlikely to move for a striker in Jan. Personally I think only 2 leaves us to short for a sustained campaign in the league, and 1 that seems to constantly miss the target is threadbare. But, seeing as we're in that situation why not try an innovation and go spanish with a striker free 4-3-3 vs QPR? IE: Lloris, BAE, Verts, Daws, Walker/Dembele, Parker, Sandro/ Bale, Dempsey, Lennon. Figure that one out Harry! A front three who can set each other up and score, and won't have to give it to Defoe to just blast it over the bar without looking and three beasts behind them including Dembele who can get forward if Dempsey wants to shift into a lone striker role at times. What do you think? Worth a shot, or should I stop smoking those funny mushrooms?

edmontonspurs

According to reports it looks like we're close to signing Negredo with his representative already in London putting the finishes touches to the deal with us. I really hope this is true as he would be great forums. Should make sydq happy too.

SpuriousLife

edmontonspurs, that system looks fabulous until you getto the finl third. Only Bale has the skill to pull off the top of a 4-3-3. Dempsey, whil most likely to get on the end of crosses, would need to hold up play, distribute, workback to goal etc. Not his things. lennon would have to be way more of a scoring threat than he is. Add Negredo and Dzagoev and maybe it's doable. Until we get a real striker, 4-4-2 best suits the players we have. Once we have a proper, up top striker, I expect it will be back to the 4-5-1 with Defoe coming on as an impact sub. COYS

peterballb

BTW, plaka should have read, play Obika. COYS

peterballb

peterballb, how about swapping lennon with siggy and seeing as he's available for QPR, Ade for dempsey who can do the hold up work. That way you have lennon, defoe and dempsey on the bench if you need to change things. I agree with you about the final third though, it does keep the team very narrow and it wouldn't be easy to pull off. I'd really only want to use it in an emergency!

edmontonspurs

Never before have I had so much faith in the buying decisions of the board/ manager. I think what avb wants he'll get. Stefen is our defacto DOF with avb.

van der haart lane

I would imagine that AVB's comments on not needing a striker because if they are not then we are in trouble. He is a smart guy and knows we need cover/better than what we have. Another thing, i dislike Ade so much it's causing me to lose sleep, i wish i was related to him so i could just slap him....oh well!

ledgespur

*are a smokescreen because.........*

ledgespur

edmonton, Siggy has not shown that level of form yet either. IMO, so long as we ave Bale and Lennon at our disposal, we need to play with as muchwidth as possible. If we added a striker like Negredo and then added a creative MF like Benat, we'd be incredibly difficult to defend. At ths time though, the two priorities for me have to be, proper up top lone striker and wing cover for Lennon/Bale. Negredo, Dzagoev, wipe hands and look forward to the CL next season. COYS

peterballb

Seems to me that Levy gets into cold sweats when it comes to spending more than 15 million on a player, so that means we can only sign average strikers at best. To take us to the next level we need a top striker or get our scouting network right to find the next up and coming striker. I still have a bad feeling that no one of note and will end the season falling short. I hope I'm wrong but I do not think that Levy can get the needed deals done. For me AVB has done well with what he has had given to him, but we still have not given him a player he has asked for yet. I think the money bid for Moutinho will end with the £30 million that we had put aside for a striker a few years. Back in Joe Lewis bank account. He will use it for another boat. In a ideal world we will be 3-0 up with ten minutes to go and Defoe pulls up with something that will keep him out for a few weeks and then we will have to sign a top striker.

nothappyharry

For me, the man we should pursue is Moussa Sow. Okay, he's African so we will not have him for January, but he's big, strong, quick, good link up play, can finish, good header of the ball, and I think he'd be available around the 15million mark. At 25 (i think), he would just about fit into Levy's policy of buying young. My sister and her fiance live and work in Turkey, and I've heard that this guy can really play. whether or not he can make it in the prem, who knows.....

Klinsmann_18

Apparently we are getting closer to signing negredo! Would be so happy if this goes through...it's already on alvaro negredo's wiki that he plays for spurs, which is curious.

SpursSnM

moussa sow is a really good shout

ghulamville

I don't think that Defoe getting injured at this stage can be included in an ideal scenario!

edmontonspurs

I know people say that youtube videos can be botched to make a player look extremely talented, but I challenge anyone to create a Defoe or Ade video that can match this one of Negredo. He is a PROPER striker (not one to close eyes and just shoot). Just take a look....real mouth watering stuff!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY-3hne431c

I can but dream!

Critical_Spur

If that wiki thingy was true, it's been removed now. Probably someone trying to wind us up. Let's not get too worked up. Remember Moutinho.

edmontonspurs

nothappyharry, I have never believed the transer amount is an issue if it's a player who could be moved for more at a later date. Aguero, 35M is not an issue. The issue is always paying the player. They are either affordable to us, or they are not. Even 70k/week has the club on the hook for 17.5M over 5 years. This is not insignificant. Holtby will be free, but he will cost us 16M or so under the contract. COYS

peterballb

He likes lobbing the goalkeeper, doesn't he critical! What's that wrist kissing thing about. He's not another Suarez is he?

edmontonspurs

Yes its been removed now, got my hopes up :(

SpursSnM

In my opinion Spurs nearly have a squad that can compete with the top 3 - what we need, and have done since Berbatov left, is a top class striker - can you imagine if we had a striker like Van Persie or Suarez up front - with everyone fit we would be a real force. COYS

tottenhamtony

edmontonspurs, yeah!. But what impressed me most in the video was his CLINICAL finshing. Clearly knows what he is doing in front of the goal. Just have to wait and not get too excited!!. But like someone said before, the news is hitting the www....just google it

Critical_Spur

Nice little Youtube combo put up by Critical. Going on the 5 minutes, 20 seconds I have now seen of him........sign him up :)

thenuge

Critical_Spur the video looks impressive. He seems to have everything. I would be happy for him to come he looks like a 'proper' striker.

I don't think we will get a big named striker until we secure CL but this guy looks tasty enough and someone who can help us achieve that CL spot. Lets' hope it happens. I think Ade will stay even if we get another striker but he will go in the Summer because he will become third or fourth choice behind the new striker and Defoe and Dempsey. We will get a few quid for him in the summer and off the wage bill it is just a matter of time.

thfan

Adding Negredo would potentially be a great signing on many levels. Obviously, he is a top striker and I presume that will translate well to the PL. He could maximize on the deliveries of Bale and Lennon which would allow us to get ahead much earlier in games. WBA was a perfect example. Tons created in the first 35 minutes, but, no one there to meet the crosses and then they just stopped. It will also force Defoe and Ade to really start converting as starting will depend on form. 8 shots to get every goal is terrible form, IMO. He has a good first touch, so I have every reason to believe he would succeed. Such a signing would also allow AVB et al to look for our future striker without so much pressure. IMO, Defoe, as an impact sub and occasional starter could play for another 3-5 years. Adebayor, I don't see him making it through his contract with Spurs. It will also provide the couple of years to see if Kane, Ceballos, Coulibaly and others might fit. It then also allows AVB to build a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 so that we can adjust play even more to deal with the opposition. Something has to give on this front. I believe Levy was not willing to back Harry after the Keane, Defoe, Crouch outlay of 40M and fairly decent salaries. They cost us a lot and I have a hard time saying that their contributions got even close to what we were paying them to do. COYS

peterballb

Guys, the price is right for Levy too!

Critical_Spur

My only concern is his age. At 27 we will get two possibly three seasons and then he will be getting passed it just as Defoe will start to feel the pace. At 15mil which is suggested that is a lot of money for a 27yr old now 10mil and I think that is better.

thfan

I'm sorry but what is the point in bidding for a £30 million pound striker and then expecting him to sign a contract for a £10 million pound player. If you want to pay out for big signings then we have to offer bigger contracts. Otherwise like I thought the owners are just blowing smoke up our butts. Not saying Defoe getting injured is ideal but for me at the end of the day he is not good enough. So if he got injured and we brought in a top striker then I would be happy.

nothappyharry

thefan, he is younger than our current two strikers. More importantly we need an experienced striker to help achieve CL THIS season. January window is NOT the one for someone who needs a lot of bedding in. I wouldn't be surprised if we also recruit a 21/22/23 year old striker for the future who can look up to our three strikers for aspirations/experience (NOT their attitude tho!). But the younger option can be deferred until summer.

Critical_Spur

thfan, I don't think as it is a real concern. If Negredo signs, it will be a three and a half or four and a half year deal. As I stated, it buys us time and if he succeeds it allows us to take a chance on a couple of kids and then develop them. I'd still rather get Guidetti, Castaignos and Mitroglou for the same money, but Negredo is the finished product. There will be a bedding in period, but he knows what to do and he would suit what we need. COYS

peterballb

Jattyid...we are desperate for a decent front man.Just look at the crosses provided by Bale and now Lennon that would be gobbled up by a marauding No. 9. Defoe is too slight and Ade too unreliable.Berbs was the last one to be top man...just imagine if we had a Van P ...devastating!!!

wentworth

It's a shame that we have Dempsey (30 in March), Adebayor (29 in Feb) and Defoe (30) and yet we feel we still need an experienced striker. They probably have over 100 international caps between them. Surely it would make more sense to buy a hungry 20-25 year old who wants to outscore them and put these guys on the bench.

muttley

AVB hasn't really signed one player yet! Siggy, JV, Ade etc etc would have been done anyway even if Harry was still manager! I would like to think that AVB is giving Levy some info on who he would like at the club and in turn following it through!

gazzalegend

mutley- 23-25 would be ideal but they cost too much...proven or not? I think we need a proven goal scorer...I'm also starting to think if we don't sign anyone that we must be skint otherwise why would we be acting like a small club? picking up free's and being creative in nicking fryers....

shedboy2

nothappyharry- it's starting to come out of my ears now...;)

shedboy2

gazzalegend- AVB was manager for most of the last window...Verts was already done but Gylfi, Dembele, Dempsey and Lloris were on his watch...so if we're not getting Leandro should we expect to see Gomes home soon then?

shedboy2

I think we need 2 strikers and should go for a recognised pair. My vote would go for Torvill and Dean. If the weather gets bad they would be awesome.

tophobunty

wentworth, if only it were that Defoe was too slight. He is small and chooses to make most of his runs behind 6'3" defenders. Now I am no rocket scientist, but it strikes me that running in behind the strikers is the last place a short guy ought to go. If you are short, you don't stand behind the big guys in your class picture. His runs should all be near post and his positioning should be just back and inside the back post on corners to react to balls that get through or to pounce on rebounds. Rarely is he ever where I'd expect him to be. 10 goals on 80 shots. He is what he is. .6 goals per 90minutes on the pitch and his further contributions are minimal. He is an impact sub where his pace makes the difference. As a starter, he never has anything in the tank at the end of the game. Against ManU who had us pinned in, he allowed Scholes to pull all the strings about 20 yards in front of him (I'd have just marked him out of the game) and twice lost races to long clearouts by the defenders, who, one would think, should be equally knackered. He was, IMO, useless in the second half. The goal dempsey scored, he never would have scored because he just doesn't have the anticipation. A striker that can get on the end of Bale and Lennon's crosses would force teams to play deeper. All of this helps us keep possession and thus limit the chances of the opposition. COYS

peterballb

Critical_Spur, I think your challenge has already been met, easy to make Defoe look good on youtube.

Guyver

It seems obvious to me that AVB was talking to Levy long before he was hired. I would be shocked if he were not asked his opinion on all of the transfer dealings. There is no way Levy saddles a new coach with new players he doesn't want. AVB was in on it all. COYS

peterballb

I'm so angry...what sort of club allows itself to only have 1 recognised striker? Ade going was not a surprise....we might muddle through and people will say what great management BUT it's not, it's ***** poor management, where's the planning?- whether it's AVB or Levy's fault I don't know but they are really negligent on this one....if Defoe gets injured will they rebate all ticket sales until we can field a striker? I don't think so they'll just move Gylfi to the striker section...absolute joke. Here's hoping there's a striker in the pipeline to arrive before Manu....hope, next season blah blah blah they're taking the *****.

shedboy2

shedboy, I believe there is a plan. They are not going to buy players who are not part of the plan and they are not going to blow the budget on any one player. We can only register 25 players - Gomes, Friedel, Lloris, Walker, Naughton, Kaboul, Dawson, Gallas, Vertonghen, Sandro, Parker, Dembele, Hudd, Livermore, Bale, Lennon, Sigurdsson, Dempsey, Defoe, Adebayor. Players like Townsend, Caulker, Carroll, Fryers, Falque are all still free choices, so there is lots of room for players to come in if we find the correct ones. COYS

peterballb

Guyver, as per the Negredo video I'd like to see a Defoe video of last 2/3 seasons. I can vivdly remember most of Defoe's goals and I think only about 10 were worth writing home about. I think he lobbed the keeper ONCE in last 20 goals! My gripe with Defoe is that he is forever shooting in the dark.....bound to score the odd one!

Critical_Spur

the feck pig twite wasnt saying thiis last year was he? http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2013/01/10/3663074/-?

tophobunty

Oh, and yet, Defoe is labelled a "great finisher"?....wot's the definition of 'finisher'?

Critical_Spur

critical a good description of Defoe you make

tophobunty

critical Defoe is not a great finisher, there are so many people not often regarded as good finishers who are better than Defoe, for example Walcott.

tophobunty

topho, you and I think the same, but I was merely observing how many times (including on Vital) he has been hailed as a great finisher. His poor goals/attempt ratio tells a different story. I guess with our shortage of POTENT strikers, we hail anyone that puts the ball in the net!! In my book, of the current strikers in the PL, four FINISHERS stand out, namely, Van P, Suarez, Ba, Michu. For me even Jelavic doesn't make the top 4.

Critical_Spur

An armchair idiot.

Med1

agree 100 % critical, Defoe is very average as a finisher, always has been. I think the sad thing is he is as good now as he was 8 years ago in terms of finishing, he just hasn't moved forward. I do think his all round game has improved in the last 2-3 years, but that was from a fairly low point and is not great now. I still feel sick we passed up Suarez.

tophobunty

Critical_Spur, Defoe has 2 lobs (dinks) I can remember in his last 20 goals, 1 in europe, 1 in the league, but that's besides the point. Obviously it's not about who can score the sexiest goals, it's about who the better footballer is, which I agree is Negredo. Its just that if you go on highlight videos showcasing goals alone, then Defoe's video's are better than most. He's a good finisher, he just doesnt have the best in box movement and his decision making is poor. A majority of his shot's are low percentage distance attempts which make his shot/goal ratio worse than it should be.

Guyver

Peter- so you think the plan was to only have 1 recognised striker during the ACN?....some plan that. If we don't buy we must assume the moutinho story was a load of bollox....at 11:59 on 31st Aug we had c30m to spend on a transfer + his wages....now we can't afford to buy a half decent striker....sorry, we are being fed a pack of lies and distortions....

shedboy2

2-1 defeat to Norwich last season was a good chip over the keeper from Defoe.

Guyver

i'd have danny graham

COYS_TSB

Love Totty's suggestion.. Danny Graham is underrated, wouldnt mind him as a back up striker (though id prefer younger), but we need someone superior to Defoe and more consistent/reliable than Ade, not a back up.

Guyver

Guyver Defoe is not a good finisher, he is really average esp when given time to think. The last point you make about his low percentage shots is also a very good indication he is not a very intelligent footballer which makes him even more average, thanks for making it clearer.

tophobunty

Shedboy, I have not heard anything fom AVB that suggests he does not believe he can succeed with the players he has. Do I believe it's light? Of course. I am not convinced Negredo is the right guy. I do however believe he is a proper, lone striker who can play football. As I said, such a deal would buy time. I'd still prefer the same amount be spent on Castaignos, Mitroglou and Guidetti, ut what do I know? COYS

peterballb

Spurs clearly have a plan. The progress over the past few years has been slow and steady. We are consolidating a position near the top of the league, which was unthinkable during the 90s. We are hanging on to that position which is extremely hard to do and trying to improve on it. Look at some of the other sides who have pushed up the league only to collapse over the last 10 years. This is a great time to be a spurs fan.

edmontonspurs

topho, you don't score the type of goals Defoe has scored without being a good finisher, he's def not a bad finisher. The games where he doesnt score are usually due to him being anonymous (marked out of the game) and not having any chances other than a couple hopeful attempts outside the box. If his movement and intelligence was better, he'd get into better goal scoring positions. Compare him to Van Nistelrooy, who score's a lot of goals Defoe could also score, difference is, RVN's movement and intelligence get's him into those position's far more often than Defoe, which is why he scored so often and why most of his goals didnt have to be spectacular. In fact, if we didnt know anything about Defoe and RVN and just watched youtube highlights of them, people might think Defoe was the better player..

Guyver

remember we should have signed negredo and harry avoided the meeting in order to sign crouch after negredo was already in london

rovinella62spurs

have to agree. Negredo for me all day long. Forget this constant obsession with Damiao it's not going to happen and I'm bored with it now so lets move on .

pratts bottom

Cant go with your logic there Guyver, but you can keep flogging that horse. I wont agree on this one................Rovinella that sounds like the Pikey twet. reading his press coverage today with him saying we could put two teams out compared to what he was saying this time last year makes my skin crawl. Redpike is just one of those creatures.

tophobunty

topho, correct me if im wrong, but I recall your logic is that you think Lennon is a good finisher? and Defoe is a bad finisher? o-k

Guyver

buy negrado and hooper, then loan hooper out to pl club for experiance

redknappslayer

Celtic have made today an official inquire on the availability of Mitroglou. He would join there his fellow Greek player Samaras. That could mean that they would sell eventually Gary Hooper.

Ioan X

German media Bild.de reports Tottenham are after Hamburg forward 20 year old South Korean Heung Min Son. He can play wide right forward. He is left & right footeds, so can cut in & shoot as well. Regarded as to talent. He is rated 10m by Hamburg- to whom we sold VDV in summer.
Bild was first media group to get Lewis Holtby and tjis story has made their sports front page

http://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/heung-min-son/10-millionen-tottenham-jagt-toreaner-28044816.bild.html

sydqcb5

We learned this lesson with Hutton. Never buy from the SPL.

HuddersfieldYiddo

Negredo would be a quality buy!

HuddersfieldYiddo

Ioan X, that would be a ridiculous move. I would take Mitroglou at 3M Euros over Hooper at any price, any day. He's an under the radar talent. Heung-Min Son would also be a very interesting move. He's quick Technically excellent and could provide striker and wing cover. Both make more sense than Hooper and would be cheaper. In fact, both could be bought for less than Hooper will cost and be on wages combined less than Hooper. Seems a no-brainer to me. COYS

peterballb

Both Mitroglou, but more so Son would be a great boon to merchandise and worldwide profile. COYS

peterballb

Methinks Negredo has more chance of signing for Arsenal. Sorry but that is how I read the media reports.

jacobslad

This site never changes peter"neverbeentoapremiereleaguegameinmylife"lb chatting *****, some other mug saying luis 13 shots per goal suarez is a top finisher. I have a feeling that a number of posters are gooner trolls who post crap then laugh while the other brainless sheep hang on their every word.

judge

When it comes to finishing, ive heard Liverpool fans compare Suarez to Heskey. He does miss a lot of sitters.

Guyver

You can have the best striker in the league but if you haven't got a player who can find them with an incisive pass when the opposition have parked the bus, it doesn't mean squat. You can knock Defoe for all the things he can't do but what he can and does do very well is score goals and that's what I want from a striker. So he isn't the best in the league but one thing's for sure, he's by far and away the best we've got at the moment and without his goals this season we'd be an average mid table team. As with all the artistic greats from history, I feel Defoe will only be truly appreciated by some once he has left us, give the guy a break, he's been a loyal servant to our club and would cost an absolute fortune to replace.

thfc1882whl

Though he creates a lot of good chances for himself as well.

Guyver

Defoe may not have the best finishing, but he is the best at the business at creating goal-scoring chances and being in the right position to receive goal-scoring assists. There's no better speculator out there as he's always scheming to find an angle. Unfortunately, most fans don't' recognise this as it's not a stat anyone measures. It's also worth noting that even from his wide position Bale is now a 1 in 2 goal-scorer.

muttley

People please remember that Levy loves a bargain, or at least loves to negotiate... Seville are in financial trouble, so that is right up Levy's street.

Negredo for 10-12m bargain....

Yidmarks

If you want someone to make a difference in this campaign as well as the future, it really can't be anyone but Negredo. My housemate is a Seville native so I see a fair few Sevilla matches and have been raving on for the last 18 months about how this guy is what we need. He is big, strong, creative and can finish with both feet and his head. Very tricky with the ball and can take on and beat his man or offer up good looks to teammates. If you are unconvinced, watch this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mptpP4hxEk I know that a highlight reel doesn't mean much but it does give a good barometer of his skill set (which is ridiculous).

WhiteHartHotspur

If "Sevilla president Jose María del Nido has flown into London to thrash out a deal with Tottenham for the signature of Spain striker Alvaro Negredo." and Levy is the man that negotiates all transfers, then who's in Brazil apparently trying to tie up Damiao? If assume you can all smell the same rat as I do, and it isn't Modric?

yiddyboy

I would not be thrilled with signing Negredo...I think he's a recent Arsenal type signing, somebody who's quite good, but nothing to set the world alight. No use having a bunch of players of the quality of Gervinho, Giroud, Poldolski, etc...Better off buying a young player with a high ceiling like Damaio or as others have suggested wait on buying a striker, Adebayor won't be gone long and bring in a top top striker if/WHEN we get champs lge football...our squad is strong enough right now to not buy for the sake of buying.

laughter7

Laughter7, not having a dig at you here mate. But how can you say our squad is strong enough right now? Adebayor is both absent, and has also shown no sign whatsoever of being either hungry or good enough when he's been here. Defoe is the definition of a 'fits and starts' striker, who can (and does) very easily go 10-12 games without scoring. So where does that leave us in terms of options up front? As I said, not having a pop, I just can't escape the conclusion that we are woefully lacking in firepower up top and have been all season. Not a great situation when a tight finish could make goal difference all important.

LilyWhiteHart

guyver sorry mate you have lost me now, whats the stuff about comparing lennon to defoe?

tophobunty

LilyWhiteHart...I can't agree with Adebayor being disinterested, I can remember only one game this season where he didn't seem motivated...the rest is injuries and just being out of form...Therefore, I have full belief that he'll play himself into form towards the end of the year and then if Defoe goes off the boil, which I agree is a very real possibility Ade will be there. Plus, I actually believe to get the best out of Ade we need to play him as a lone striker with Dempsey behind him...I think there's a good chance that the game time at the ACN could get him back to his best...My main thing though is that Levy has had to work so hard to clear out a lot Arry's players, the last thing we need to do is sign more players that aren't any better than what we have or don't have the ability to become world beaters...just my thoughts.

laughter7

I believe we are at least one top striker short at the club, in our squad, at present. Simply cos'.....if worse case scenario happenend and that could quite easily be a real scenario.......i.e...one striker injured and one striker suspended at the same time. Leaves us short.....whatever way you look at it........especially at only halfway through the season and still competeing hard in 3 comps'.

82spursdebut

I wouldn't disagree with most of what you say Laughter, apart from the Adebayor scenario. He certainly divides opinion, always has, but I didn't want him in the summer and I've seen little or nothing to convince me I was wrong. He was a good and clever loan signing while he had a point to prove, but on a permanent deal he can rest on his laurels and with our current roster of strikers he's virtually guaranteed a place regardless of form or attitude. As we both agree, Defoe is prone to woeful dips in form. He's experiencing one right now. So for the foreseeable future we are relying on our midfielders (again!) to rack up the goals. Anyway we slice it, we are short of at least one striker. And whilst I agree that there's no sense in panic-buying for the sake of it, it can't be considered a panic buy if it's a necessity. And it IS a necessity, bearing in mind that we will be going into the next few games without a striker on the bench. No other club would contemplate that. Given the ages of our strikeforce, we are faced with either bringing in a player we believe can/will be our future first choice striker, or a youngster who will be content to be third-choice and competition for a starting berth. The second option doesn't appeal to me, as that WOULD be essentially throwing money down the drain when you consider the fact that we will definitely have to bring in a striker in the summer anyway. We are in a great position at the halfway point in the season, and it'd cripple me to see us blow it as we did so spectacularly last season. Get quality in, take some pressure off Defoe and our midfielders, stick a rocket up Ade's a$$ and everyone's a winner!!! Also, could we PLEASE start playing Siggy where he's most effective?! Given Ade's departure, now's the time to start getting Siggy in behind the striker. Playing centrally, and getting those wicked shots flying instead of being wasted out wide where he's clearly uncomfortable. Come on you beautiful Spurs!!!

LilyWhiteHart

lilywhitehart.....think i would prefer...siggy at point and dempsey behind. Siggy's long range shots have troubled the crowd, a little too often ....lol......whilst dempsey's seems to get deflected Into the goal !!...lol...that's your luck..!!

82spursdebut

Gary Hooper would be a great signing for Norwich, as would Danny Graham be a good signing for Sunderland, as for Negredo I think most of us know deep down Spurs aint going sign him, not in this window, esp after AVB has come out and told us we not looking for strikers.

Ossie

Muttley as usual you chat sense but it will be ignored because neverbeentoapremgameinhislifelb says he is crap over and over and the sheep go for it.

judge

judge, I suppose you'll have to change my name as I was there for WBA and Norwich thanks to ItalianYiddo. Don't rightly care if you do though. Don't know you from Adam. You have some good points. Stats don't back up what you're on here about though. Nontheless, we all see games differently. One man's garbage is another man's treasure. I also would never suggest those on here can't think for themselves. They may just agree. It's never stopped thfc1882whl, coopsie, cockeral, darkenvai, frank or any other posters from disagreeing. Anyway, have a great evening and enjoy the game. I won't be there in person as I am geographically challenged. COYS

peterballb

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