Why would players NOT want to leave Spurs?
You know what you have to do: Watch Wednesday night’s football and mail theeditor@football365.com
It’s a conspiracy…
I’m already wincing in anticipation of the replies in this afternoon’s Mailbox to the question of why players would leave Spurs.
I suppose the main answers will be 1. Money and 2. The opportunity to play at one of the world’s mega-clubs (Barca/Real Madrid/Bayern).
Fair enough I suppose, although I doubt there will be many, if any, major departures this summer.
The more pertinent question is why so many transfer stories are appearing suggesting a Spurs exodus is on the cards.
Look no further than the sports desks of Britain’s national newspapers, which are staffed with a disproportionately high number of West Ham fans in particular – and Arsenal fans to a lesser extent.
This also explains why Arsenal will be linked with ridiculously unrealistic targets all summer long.
Rob Davies, THFC (Just two more games at the Lane…my heart aches)
Here we go…
A few lessons from history why Spurs players might leave:
1. Gareth Bale, won nothing in six years at Spurs, quadrupled his wages on leaving and has since won the Champions League x2, Copa del Rey, Fifa Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup,
2. Luka Modric, won nothing in four years at Spurs, huge pay rise on leaving and has since won the Champions League x2, Supercopa, Copa del Rey, Fifa Club World Cup x2, UEFA Super Cup x2
3. Dimitar Berbatov, won League Cup in two years at Spurs, huge pay rise on leaving and won the Premier League x2, League Cup, Community Shield x2
So while Spurs have been second or third best over the last couple of seasons, playing great football, under one of the best young managers around, they don’t pay anything close to top dollar and they don’t win trophies a lot.
Apart from Harry Kane I don’t think any of the current squad grew up dreaming of playing for Spurs. So if the right offer comes in, I think many of the current squad would certainly consider the offer. They’d be mad not to.
Matt
…Having read James, Liverpool, Why so much talk of Tottenham players leaving? piece, I felt compelled to write in.
I really get some of the points made, but cant help think he is looking through MASSIVE rose-tinted glasses. I mean, come on dude. Yes, Spuds have some cracking young players and most likely the best spine in the league, but to think that Spurs are a big enough club to hold on to these players is ridiculous. When Alli, Dembele, Wanyama, Alderweireld, Loris heck even Kane were young and developing, do you really think they dreamed of playing for Tottenham. Sure they are a good club, but when was the last thing they won ANYTHING. They play amazing football at the moment, but top players care about trophies as much as their ridiculous pay packet. Last year, they crumbled so much they didn’t even hold on to second place, this year they HAVE to win the league to keep this team together.
You mention the wages other teams pay, and suggest this is not a motivating factor for your beloved Spurs players. Again, come on dude. Just look at the talent that now plays in China, it’s all about money. If a team like City come in and offer double the wages with an increased chance of winning trophies you can certainly wave goodbye to said players. Even the stature of other clubs will be enough to turn players heads. If Barcelona are coming in for Eriksen then there really in no comparison between the clubs, he is gone.
I don’t want to paint the picture that Spurs are a small club (even though I am a Gooner) but they are nowhere near big enough to hold onto this team. I completely agree with you about the players, they are flipping superb, and it pains me to admit that. Spurs as a club on the other hand, they seriously need to win some trophies and the league before they can claim to be big enough to rival City, United, Barca etc.
Dan Moloney
…1 – They will play all their home matches at Wembley next season. They are not very good there nor does it seem like a particularly fun place to play week in week out. Old to new stadium awkward transition period ahoy.
2 – They are woeful in Europe. Young players? Yes. Reason enough? No. See Monaco – Champions League semi-finalists 2016/17.
3 – They have a manager that makes such pointed remarks towards Barcelona that he has begun to sound less like an ex Espanyol player/manager and more like someone that is saying the right things to one day (maybe soon?) manage Real Madrid.
4 – Spurs will see your ‘Fourth Place Trophy’ and raise you a ‘Best Team In The Land Trophy’. Proper, actual trophies? Hmmmmm…Berbatov, Modric and Bale had to leave to win them.
5- Money. Here’s €300,000 a week, Christian Eriksen. Fancy a tan?
Kevin Walsh, Luimneach
…Unfortunately for James in Liverpool, I think Spurs will get picked apart over the next season or two. If Big Sam does a number on them tonight, then they’ll wave the white flags just like last year. Poch has already shown himself to be ruthlessly ambitious, he’d run straight to Barca if given the half a chance and if that doesn’t materialise then he’ll be at Old Trafford once Mourinho self-combusts. Alli will go to Real for a world record fee and Kane will eventually end up at Utd too. Eriksen is too good to stay at a team that can’t win titles either. Its the way of the world. Players get used to getting paid 120k a week that more is always better – it’s human nature. So much hinges on them overcoming Palace and keeping themselves in this title race.
Dickie
…In response to James from Liverpool as to why any player would want to leave Spurs, I think the following may be possible reasons.:
– They want to win things. Sure, Spurs still have a chance of winning the league, however if they don’t, It’ll be almost 10 years since they won the league cup. Kane has scored over 20 goals, three seasons running and has nothing to show for it. He may look at Bale who has pretty much won the lot since he left Spurs.
– If a Barcelona or Real come in for you, you go. This is no slight on Spurs, as many have stated, they are the best team in the league pretty much, however Real, Barca etc are far bigger.
– Money it is! These players have short careers. Sure they earn astronomical amounts, but if Levy offers you £180k and Real or City offer £300k, it takes some serious stones to turn that money down. Sure, they could be paid more in China. But you wouldn’t be playing for Real.
I get it, they are young, buccaneering side who play great football and people don’t want to see that broken up. Unfortunately I don’t think anyone else in professional football cares. If United want to replace De Gea, they will go for Lloris, if City want to replace Toure (Yaya…not Kolo) they’d probably look to Spurs’ midfield. Barca want to replace one of their forwards, why would they not go for Kane? And why would Kane pass up the opportunity to play with Messi?
John (I hope they all go!) Matrix AFC
…James, says he can’t see a reason why anyone would leave Tottenham. Money, trophies, experience new cultures/leagues. Tottenham haven’t even won anything these past two seasons.
I’m sure teams of trying past felt this way, also. Ajax, Parma, and Dortmund all spring to mind. Teams that offered more chance of success than Spurs do and still lost most of their players. Ajax won the CL!
Perhaps I’m biased. Football careers are short, go out there and earn as much money as possible, get as many different experiences, and win as much as you can, while you can. One serious injury and it could all be over.
I don’t think Spurs will lose too many players. The salaries that can be offered by Premier League clubs are greater than most other teams.
Gary, LFC
…Asks the question as to why Tottenham players would leave the club. Well, if you think Walker would turn down Bayern Munich, you are deluded. Because as good as Spurs have been for the past two years, they are nowhere near Bayern Munich’s level. Secondly, because of the abhorrent performances in the Champions League has done nothing to raise Spurs’ standing outside of England. The big European boys will know they have a chance to lure star players away with promises of trophies and being able to pass the group stages.
Finally, and more importantly, next year will be crucial for Spurs. They have a great starting 11 but are in dire need of more squad players. It is no coincidence that their performances picked up once they were eliminated from the Champions League. If they don’t win a trophy again, star players will leave for teams that actually win trophies (Ironically, this is what happened to Arsenal). So while there might not be an exodus this summer, I would be pretty worried about the next one if Spurs aren’t able to perform better.
Guillaume, Paris
Poch’s Spurs just like Poch’s Saints
To James Liverpool, ultimately Spurs haven’t won anything, perform poorly in Europe and are just generally not in that very top tier of clubs. Yes, they’ve been great for the last year or two and have loads of potential, but ultimately money and instant success can turn heads.
It all feels similar to the 2013/14 Saints team filled with young exciting players and a certain top manager. Had they stayed together with a sensible addition or two then I strongly believe they could have made a Champions League challenge and then who knows?
Loyalty to a club is a nice ideal but rarely occurs, something that most supporters of any but the biggest clubs can sympathise with. So of course our players and manager then scarpered off and we keep doing ok; but we never broke the glass ceiling. Without a fundamental shift in a club, like huge investment, it’s very hard if not impossible for a club to break into and stay at the top in the Premier League.
Spurs are a much bigger club, with better players and potential but I fear that this season and maybe next if they’re lucky. Is the last chance to deliver or players and manager will go. That’s just how things seem to work sadly.
Tom Saints (Sorry we were pants last night, was hoping we’d kick on at 1-1 and instead imploded)
Big-ups for Wanyama
While Idrissa Gueye obviously deserves to be in with a shout for signing of the season, my personal winner is Victor Wanyama.
The season is far from over, yet Spurs have preformed better already than they have last season. They have achieved one more point than last season, scored one goal less, and conceded 13 fewer! They have won 21 games (19 last season), drawn 8 (13) and lost 3 (6).
Of course there are six games left, but that could swing either way – realistically, it’ll swing in their favour of a better season than last year!
As for the man himself, I could not be ars*d to find his personal statistics, but he has come in and started 29 (and a sub appearance) in the PL, but more importantly, has allowed the formation change, pushing Lamela out of the starting 11 (from last season) in the process. And he only cost £11m. I know football money is ridiculous, and it is seldom the players fault, but by comparison, Jordan Ibe cost £15 (although he is English so that factor should be included in any price tag).
Néill, (I knew Wenger had a few more tricks in him) Ireland
On the importance of the Ox
It seems absurd looking at Arsenal’s performance against Manchester City that Arsene Wenger has never considered changing his formation prior to the Middlesborough game. I have long thought that Arsenal have played a system ill-suited to their players and that much of this is due to Wenger’s perception of Ozil’s influence on the team. I did not, however, believe that Arsenal would be suited to a wing-back system.
Given the performance of the back three and the wing-backs on Sunday, it could be suggested that this system is perfectly suited to Arsenal – at least defensively. Gabriel seemed more assured, willing to stand up his opponent rather than dive in, knowing that Koscielny was in close proximity to assist if he was beaten; Holding was an excellent outlet from defence, trusting his ability to play out – a passing ability that Arsenal have missed in Mertesacker’s absence; and Koscielny was able to do what he does best: put out fires where necessary.
In the wing-back role, Monreal performed suitably. Since his arrival, the Spaniard has been a sturdy left back throughout his Arsenal career. A defender’s defender. His nous was evident on several occasions this season – such as the cynical foul on Wilfred Zaha at Christmas time when Arsenal were leading by a single goal. He is a willing runner but has often failed to produce anything worthy of note in the opposite end of the pitch. Yet on Sunday his continued presence in the opposition’s box and willing running caused City some difficulties.
However, it was the performance of Oxlade Chamberlain that should encourage Wenger to persist with the new system. For a long time, Oxlade Chamberlain has threatened to come good on his potential. Moments of magic have often been intermingled with lapses in concentration or instances of incompetence but the moments of magic have given Wenger enough encouragement to persist with the England international. His gung-ho, all energy willingness is like a Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band performance – segments of scintillating skill interjected with sheer volume and rambunctiousness littered with the occasional out of sync moment that comes when trying to orchestrate an entire live band on stage. He is the lead singer, backing singer and sax player all in one – willing to try a flick or a trick to get the crowd off their seat but not afraid to do the dirty work and graft for the team.
It finally feels that Wenger has stumbled (and I say stumbled as I don’t think Wenger would have considered said formation if it wasn’t for the success of Conte and Pochettino’s current set-ups) upon a formation that can get the most out of some key players in his squad, namely: Gabriel, Koscielny, Holding and Oxlade Chamberlain. The midfield, centre forward and creative hub of Sanchez and Ozil haven’t quite found their rhythm or convinced in either game so far – relying on the incisiveness of both wingbacks to make the break through. It is difficult to assess Arsenal after two games – especially two games that contrasted so starkly. However, in Oxlade Chamberlain – Wenger has one half of a potent wing-back partnership and a back three that seem to complement each other. The next seven games and the contract negotiations of Sanchez, Ozil and, perhaps most importantly, the Ox will dictate whether this is a long-term viable option.
JR
Why don’t the Irish love Robbie Keane?
I must admit, I found the correlation between Wayne Rooney and Robbie Keane in Rowan B’s email striking. Robbie Keane is Ireland’s top scorer but, for some reason, he has never been that popular over here.
I think what summed it up was when he was subbed in his last ever game for Ireland. He scored two goals taking his international tally to a scandalously high 68. When he was subbed the crowd rose and he did get a good ovation and the game continued. About 10 minutes later Paul McGrath’s face lit up the big screen as he was in the stadium watching the game and to say the place erupted would be an understatement. It wasn’t just the “ooh ahh Paul McGrath” chants it was the fact you could sense the love and genuine affection for McGrath in the stadium and was a million miles from what Keane received which felt like a compulsory applause for a great servant.
It is strange as Keane has been a model pro whereas McGrath has had his well publicised issues/demons to deal with. Someone I know put it simply that the likes of Keane and Rooney simply aren’t likeable and seem hard nosed and unapproachable whereas McGrath seems humble, down to earth and gentle.
I’d love to know if it as simple as that and if any other clubs/countries have players who have, on the face of it, achieved greatness but are inexplicably disliked/massively divide opinion.
Ferg, Cork
Teach me about football…
I’m writing this morning because I read and enjoyed Laurence Mason’s piece about the goings-on in Chinese football, and it reminded me of the simple pleasure that is learning about football.
Learning is a marvelous thing. There’s something so satisfying about latching onto something we find interesting and trying to find out everything there is to know about it. For me that thing is football, and the great thing about it is there seems to be an almost infitnite amount to find out.
I’m only 20, so certain things that many readers will be completely familiar with I am yet to learn, or have only recently found out about. From a young age I watched The Premiership Years, and I remember being absolutely fascinated by what I was learning. How the hell did Blackburn Rovers win the league? Newcastle almost won it once as well? Incredible!
Of course now I’m a bit older I can read a little deeper. Don’t worry, I am aware that football began before the Premiership was established, but naturally there’s more for me to learn simply because there’s less written about it on a day to day. However, when I do hear about something which interests me, I latch on and do my research. Most recently I was morbidly fascinated by why English clubs were banned from European fooball for five years. What I found shocked and sickened me, but also fascinated me in equal measure.
But as well as spanning so far into the past, football has sprawled itself across the globe, and the way it is played and watched in other countries I find perhaps even more interesting. I get something of a childish delight from looking at a map, finding a remote part of the world and wondering whether they have a football team. Invariably, the answer is yes. To me it’s. fascinating – how can the structure of the Monglian football league not somewhat intrigue you?
Ultimately, my point is I appreciate Laurence Mason’s contributions because they teach me something each time, and the same goes for similar content. If F365 keep putting out pieces about some of the less-talked about football competitions being played, I’ll be sure to read it. The same goes for some of the more interesting stuff that’s occurred in decades gone by.
Teach me F365, I’m all ears.
Laurence, Reading
Harry Redknapp: A prediction
Looking at the Championship table this morning I had a sudden premonition…Birmingham (two points clear of relegation ahead of Blackburn) will lose their remaining two games this season under Redknapp but will stay up due solely to Blackburn’s incompetence.
Then, throughout the summer we will hear Redknapp and his various fans fawning over how he ‘saved Birmingham from relegation’ and we will all want to punch ourselves in the face over and over and over again!
It’s going to happen, you all know it is, there’s no point even trying to deny it!
Tim (the owner of a burning dislike of Harry Redknapp!) EFC