Tottenham: Views On Louis van Gaal, Richard Scudamore, Sam Allardyce

Alan’s views on recent events in football and the world of sport – Louis van Gaal, Richard Scudamore, West Ham United and Sam Allardyce.

Alan’s Summer Diary: No. 3

Monday 19 May

Louis van Gaal

Manchester United finally announced Louis Van Gaal as their new manager. He will keep Ryan Giggs as his deputy and Giggs has retired from playing. Van Gaal turned down an approach from Tottenham in January. He says he think Man U are the biggest club in the world. He is a great signing for them and may be enough to persuade top players to sign for them even though they have not even qualified for Europe. He might be wrong though. Their fall from grace has been that comprehensive and rapid and the debt that they have to service is that massive that it would not be unreasonable to conclude that they used to be the greatest club. It will be interesting finding out next season.

Richard Scudamore

The Premier League announce that they will take no action against Richard Scudamore despite his ex PA publicising that in e–mails he has sent various disparaging and belittling e-mails about women. If you want to know exactly what he said, it can be easily found on the internet. It seems it’s one rule for the really rich and powerful and another for the likes of Andy Gray and Richard Keays. The apparently less sympathetic FA Advisory Board are meeting to discuss it on Tuesday but they have no power over the Premier League anyway, a fact we are reminded of daily.

Miguel Angel Jiménez

Just a quick detour to the world of golf. Miguel Angel Jiménez has at 50 just become the oldest winner on the European tour with his victory at the Spanish open. He has managed it with a bigger paunch than my own and looks every day of his mature 50 years, bless him. An inspiration to us all. This is no fluke. His recent form has been impressive.

Lookey-likey? One’s me the other is Jiménez. Apparently we have followed similar fitness regimes down the years. One of us is 57.

He puts his success down to good food, good wine, good cigars… and some exercise. A truly fantastic achievement. I have to say though that it is added proof that like darts and snooker, golf is a great game but definitely not a sport.

Tuesday 20 May

Transfer rumours

LVG has already been linked by today’s newspapers with just about every decent footballer in Europe; Cavani, Fabregas, Robben, Kroos……we shall see.

Paulo Di Canio appears in a Sky interview saying they performed a miracle at Sunderland when he was there, that he has improved and is now a better manager and person and is ready to return. Hmm.

Kick It Out

Today is the 20th anniversary of the Kick it Out campaign. They have achieved a lot and deserve our ongoing support, particularly given the continued transgressions which now mostly occur abroad.

West Ham United

constructive talks

Well, what do you know? According to Sky Sports News David Gold and David Sullivan have announced that they are keeping Sam Allardyce on at West Ham. They don’t appear to have waited the indicated 7-10 days for a full board meeting after all. No doubt a reaction to our publication of

Carrie Brazen’s diary

. They described that meeting they had at Gold’s place as “constructive talks.” It is significant that they have acknowledged in a statement that despite what Allardyce has said previously, there is indeed a “West Ham way” (I think it would be a great name for the road approaching the new stadium). Allardyce will be required to appoint an attacking coach to help him.