Views On Possible Tottenham Transfer Targets But Not Wayne Rooney!

Ideas on possible summer signings in the transfer window differ but Tottenham should not target Wayne Rooney. Other players would serve Spurs better in the season ahead.

Could Tom Huddlestone be on his way out of White Hart Lane? [Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]Not Wayne Rooney, Please!

It just shows that football is all about opinions. Logan and I rarely disagree but Wayne Rooney is one player I would never have near my squad. I think he sets a bad example which has always outweighed his considerable talent, letting his country down with red cards when the red mist descends time after time. Just when he is claiming to have matured, he does it again. His off-field behaviour has been reprehensible, using prostitutes behind his partner’s back and during every break he allows himself to put on weight and get out of condition. He loses a bit of pace and his first touch and takes ages to get it back. During that period he either runs around like a bull in a china shop, tackling late and berating referees, or withdraws into himself totally. There is loads of video evidence of this. Sir Alex Ferguson was an apologist for him for years but in the end soon dropped him because of poor form once he had a decent alternative. What was his response? Knuckle down and improve? No, it was to ask for a transfer for the 2nd time in three years. The fact that this is all mixed in with some touches of brilliance is not enough. AVB talks about doing it the Tottenham way. I don’t believe Rooney is the Tottenham way, which is a shame. If putting up with all that is the price of success, I’d rather accept honourable failure. I agree with Logan that every club needs at least one tough guy, especially in midfield. In recent years Edgar Davids and Scott Parker have briefly provided that. We could do with another one but for me Rooney isn’t it.

Transfer Thoughts:

The speculation and gossip in the transfer windows is always good fun. I’m looking forward to it. Obviously, if we had qualified for the Champions League we could have been optimistic about the cream of the crop. Now we are likely to have to gamble on current 2nd tier players; hopefully future superstars on their way up. Or a present superstar coming to the end of their heyday.

We can also take the opportunity to develop youngsters and go for home grown talent in the transfer market.

Tom Ince looked like a good bet in January. I don’t think that’s changed.

Striker Essential:

Emmanuel Adebayor had a disappointing season. [Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]I think we need a top class centre forward. Ultimately Emmanuel Adebayor  has proved unreliable. Christian Benteke looks like a good prospect. Aston Villa will do well to hold on to him but we clearly won’t be the only club interested. Also, I am surprised to hear myself say that an alternative target I would consider is Andy Carroll. He seems to be recovering his old Newcastle form. Previous off-field behaviour is off-putting but Mr. Levy would need to exercise his judgement in any interview. For any player, draft contracts should tie down behaviour in all areas, including use of social media.

Lambert from Southampton?

McManaman from Wigan?

On The Way Out?

Apparently, according to newspaper reports, Tom Huddlestone is on the list of potential transfers out. Even in his latest return from injury I was hoping it would all come together and he would take us into the Champions League, finally fulfilling his potential as the new Franz Beckenbauer or Glenn Hoddle. There were glimpses but it was so disappointing to see him robbed in midfield time after time in recent games.

At the end of the day, transfer targets will be determined by who goes. I think we all agree priority number one is to secure Gareth Bale quickly. Then we are more likely to get some of the better players to play alongside him. The worst case scenario will be if we accepted a mega bucks offer for him with days to go. Someone’s bound to try it on, new contract or not. That would leave us floundering through another “season of transition”, or even generate last minute panic spends where we are held to ransom.
I hope we can do the transfer business early on and give an enhanced squad the chance to get to know each other through pre-season for a change.

Well, those are my first thoughts, for what it’s worth. I am sure the situation will develop rapidly.