There has been a lot made about the lack of transfer activity during the past three windows for Tottenham.  During two of them, they had the draw of the Champions League to lure in players, yet still didn’t pull the trigger on many deals.

It’s easy to forget, but the mood within the corps of Tottenham supporters last year was just as sullen as this year, until the last second signing of Rafael van der Vaart  Other than the Dutchman, last summer only saw the addition of Sandro and William Gallas.

Come January, Spurs are the hit of Europe and within striking distance of third and even possibly second place.  So they needed a forward to make up for the lack of goals from the front.   While stories abounded of Daniel Levy carrying a wheelbarrow of money around Spain begging for teams to part with anybody, it never really happened.  And it never was really true.  Generated by twitter, that story belays the fact that other than a few queries at the last moment, the club didn’t pursue forwards as much as commonly accepted.

And now we see the end of another silly season and Tottenham bought only Parker and loaned Adebayor, but also sold nearly £30 million worth of players.

Spurs supporters are livid with the current state of affairs.  Levy gets blamed the most and is envisioned to be sitting in a pool of money writing sonnets about his hatred of the club he owns.  Some claim he is holding back money for a new manager.  Harry looks perpetually grumpy because he is actually forced to abide by economics for the first time in his career.  Using the media, he gets fans on his side and even more of them join in condemning the diminutive chairman.

Are they right?  The club have spent just £25 million in transfer fees in the past three windows and have London prices for home matches, EPL television revenue and a huge payoff from last year’s enjoyable run in the Champions League.   Where is all of that money?

Well, it’s very simple and it’s the secret that nobody wants to discuss.  Harry Redknapp can’t sell players.  And when he does, it’s usually at a loss.

The fact of the matter is that Tottenham, despite the misconception that they are big spenders in the market, are run very reasonably.  A wage structure that keeps them below 50% of revenues means they cannot afford anybody over £80,000 a week.   Before the owners got smart, West Ham, Aston Villa and Newcastle easily outspent Tottenham on wages.  And as for transfers, despite the numbers that show Tottenham are the 4^th highest spenders since the EPL started, during the Levy era,  the club’s net spending has always been reasonable.  Yes the team has spent a lot of money, but they have always offset at least 60% of that with sales. Between 2003-2011, Tottenham spent £300 million on transfers, but they sold £190 million.  This is roughly £14 million per year.  That meets expectations for a club of their size in this league.

So how have things changed since Harry took over?  The sales dried up.  Take away last night’s £21 million bonanza for Hutton, Crouch and Palacios; and Harry, in the five windows he’s been in charge had sold only £34.5 million in players (most of that was the £18 million for Bent and Zokora).  How much had he spent?  Well going into yesterday, the number was a staggering £99 million.  He had net spent £65 million.  But that’s not the entire story.

Harry started his sells well enough, by making a profit on £8.6 million Didier Zokora (£1.4 million profit).  After that, he lost money on every sale at the club until Peter Crouch made him £500k late last night.   Having negated the Robbie Keane deal, he bought him back for £12 million and sold him on for £2.5 million – losing the club nearly £10 million.  He bought and sold Pascal Chimbonda within six months and lost a million doing so.  He couldn’t find takers for Ricardo Rocha or Gilberto so they left on free.  Darren Bent was bought for £16 million and sold for £10* million based on comments by Harry to the press comparing the striker to his wife.  During his short time at the club, his profit/loss on players he moved out of the club is a staggering £30 million in loses.  That’s right! He has lost £30 million on players.  Granted Damien Comolli deserves credit for some of that, but he was able to sell his own trash before the Harry era.

*A sell on clause  eventually saw all money recouped by the club.  Harry gets full credit on all transfers, but sell-on clauses are done by John Alexander, club secretary, and Daniel Levy.

Last night, Tottenham made £21 million on three players; however, that equated to a loss of £8.5 million.   Hutton and Palacios had been bought for £20 million but were sold for £11 million.

Players sometimes lose money, but for Tottenham that was rare before Harry.  They made money on Tommy  Forecast and Calum Davenport.  Do you know who they are?  I don’t.   That’s not to mention the large profits on Carrick, Berbatov and Keane (pre-Harry).

So Harry came in and spent a large sum of money.  Subsequently he has done little to replenish the coffers.  And when he has sold, it has been at a loss all but twice.

This is why Spurs have become one of the quietest teams in the EPL during the silly season.  With the £21 million just added, despite the loss, they are starting to get closer to normalcy and by January, we should see some activity.  There is a roster spot with Leandro’s name written all over it.

But in the meantime, Levy and Harry, hamstrung by a lack of sales used the loan market and free transfers to make the team better.  The story nobody talks about is how well they have done by getting Adebayor, Gallas. Friedel, Ceballos and Falque for NO  money.   That’s a great defender, a proven Prem forward, one of the best goalkeepers of the past 10 years and two La Mesia products for less that a cup of joe. That’s brilliant!

Note: I used http://www.topspurs.com/thfc-transfers.htm for my main source for numbers.  I won’t claim they are perfect, but they are close.  For example, there is no data on Coulibaly, but he cost £2 million.

Merry Christmas one and all and welcome to Gameweek 19. Blackpool Vs Liverpool faces a late pitch inspection, otherwise it looks set to be a full line up over the festivities. There will be plenty of action to enjoy as you tuck into your Turkey sandwiches and polish of the last of the sherry.

Tottenham travel to Villa Park in Sunday’s late game, playmaker Rafael Van Der Vaart(8.2) may not be relishing the holiday fixtures but he is back to full fitness and sure to feature. The Dutchman has been hugely influential all season and Harry Redknapp will be delighted to have him back as Spurs look to keep up with the pack. Robbie Keane is destined for the exit door at White Hart Lane in January. The frontman is currently available for a cut-price 4.8 million. Provided he switches to another Premier League side that could be one hell of a deal.

It’s all gone a bit wrong for the Villa since their draw with Man Utd. If Emile Heskey(5.5) can regain his early season promise it could turn the tide for Gerrard Houllier’s men. Winger Stuart Downing(7.1) has also been a bright spot in a so far lacklustre season, the wingers influence could be even more crucial with fellow winger Ashley Young likely to sit this one out with a knee injury.

Chelsea have an excellent record against Arsenal so their trip to the Emirates could be a perfect opportunity to get their season back on track. Didier Drogba(12.5) probably can’t wait for Monday night, the obscenely gifted cry-baby has put 13 goals past the gunners in 13 matches.  The Blues also welcome back the very sorely missed Frank Lampard(12.6) to their starting line up. It is sure to be a keenly contested game that could provide a few goals. Arsenals twinkled toed Samir Nasri(8.4) could well be staking a claim for player of the season and it’s no surprise that he is currently in 32.5% of Fantasy League Teams. If you want to add a bit of Arsenal flair to your squad but are on a tight budget then you can always treat yourself to star of the future Jack Wilshere. The midfielder has picked up some serious game time this season, he will undoubtedly add to his current points total of 35 as his confidence grows and is yours for a cool 4.9 million.

Gameweek 20 will be upon us in a blink of an eye so that’s your lot for this week. If you feel like joining in the fun then join the EPL League by visiting: http://fantasy.premierleaguem.com/ the code you need to join is 13413-5300

Harry Redknapp was right to be bullish after Saturdays amazing fight back against Arsenal at the Emirates, for too long Tottenham have promised much and delivered little. Spending wise Tottenham have ploughed millions in the club with little real achievement to show for it, but under Redknapp the club has begun to make strides on that investment. For too long, Tottenham have been nearly men, with no significant breakthrough or consistency to the team and its results.

Ironically, it seems it took Spurs to actually hit rock bottom to finally realise just what was required. For too long, too many players have come to Tottenham thinking it was an easy switch. Too many players who can play when it suits them, but when they need to dig in and fight for a result, they’d go missing. In fact, there’s still a couple at the club now, but probably not for much longer.

Redknapp has thrown the gauntlet down to Daniel Levy, the chairman by asking him to get the two players he feels the club need to continue moving forwards in the January transfer window. For me, the club need to concentrate on two key positions, right midfield and left back. Ask an honest Spurs fan what the teams weak spot is and they’ll point to left back as a key weakness. Now, that’s not to say Benoit Assou-Ekoto is not a competent full back, he just has a tendency to switch off when you least require it.

It’s odd how football unbalanced football squads can sometimes be and at Tottenham, they have a completely unbalanced defence in terms of cover. At right back, the club currently have 5 players that can play right back. Hutton, Corluka, Kaboul, Naughton and Walker but the latter two are out on loan. At left back it’s a case of Assou-Ekotto or Bale and Bale is far more dangerous further up the field as a left midfielder. Ironically, Kyle Walker can play left back, but has yet to be given the opportunity and it’s a clear position that needs strengthening.

Perhaps more contentiously, the right midfield/winger role is one that has seen either Aaron Lennon or David Bentley fill in. Bentley for whatever reason just hasn’t been able to show anything like the form he had with Blackburn Rovers, Lennon suffers from a lack of real consistency and quality of delivery. Of the two, Lennon has the extra option of blistering pace and can burn teams with it, but too many times his delivery lets him down. For Tottenham to progress to true title contenders, they need someone who can mix both Lennons pace and Bentley’s passing and set piece play.

The one advantage Lennon has is that he is still only 23, so perhaps there is time for Redknapp and his coaching staff to add the parts of his game that are missing or lack real consistency. To do that Lennon has to focus purely on improving his technique, pace alone at this level is no longer enough. Of the two, I’d rather keep Lennon due his undoubted potential.Added to this though is how the club are viewing their transfers in regards to the ability of new signings to play in the Champions League.

It certainly makes Tottenham more appealing, as Rafael van der Vaart’s arrival showed, but can Tottenham find the quality of players they need who are not cup tied in Europe? This will be a crucial transfer window for Spurs and their fans.

Leave me your thoughts below and you can find me at www.twitter.com/paulbestall

After their stunning comeback in the North London derby yesterday, all the talk this morning is about Harry Redknapp’s men. The White Hart Lane club have certainly showed their title credentials with that win, but could they really mount a serious challenge for the Premier League this season?

Harry Redknapp certainly feels they can. Talking after the win at the Emirates Stadium, the former Portsmouth manager said: “We can beat anybody. This has put us right back in the race again. It’s wide open. We’re not writing ourselves off, you’ve got to aim for the top. If my players believe in themselves as much as I do, we can achieve anything.”

Redknapp is quite right to believe that his side do have a very good chance of winning their first league title since 1961, because this season every side has been inconsistent.  You have to feel that anyone from five sides could win the Premier League this season.

But Spurs, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have all shown that they are currently lacking any real momentum and while Manchester United are yet to lose a game this term, they haven’t reached anywhere near their top form.

This means the league is very much up for grabs, and if Tottenham can make use of the depth in their squad it might just be their year. Redknapp has an amazing wealth of talent at his disposal and that could really be something which could bring his side success this season.

Chelsea have shown in recent weeks what happens when they are without their top players, but if there was to be a similar injury crisis at White Hart Lane, you have to feel that they would be able to cope better.

In an era where three games a week is the norm, a big squad is so advantageous now. Manchester City and Tottenham have the two strongest squads in the league, and if other sides suffer with injuries you have to feel that either could be an excellent position to win the league.

Luck will have to go their way, but the simple answer is; Yes, Tottenham could win the Premier League this season. Personally I don’t think they will but stranger things have definitely happened in football.

What do you think? Could the Premier League Trophy find a new home at White Hart Lane this season?

Arsenal v Tottenham Starting Form

The latest renewal of the North London Derby was held at Emirates Stadium between bitter rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. A 17 year drought for Spurs at Arsenal set the stage for an intriguing comeback that saw the race for the League trophy open up even more.

For Arsenal, manager Arsene Wenger brought the home side out in their familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. Marouane Chamakh occupied his familiar striker role, with Samir Nasri and Andrei Arshavin also serving as targets for playmaker Cesc Fabregas. Bacary Sagna was useful on overlaps with Nasri, especially in the first half.

Harry Redknapp’s squad began the game in a 4-4-1-1, which struggled to gain much offensive momentum in the first half. Attacking midfielder Rafael van de Vaart served as the link to forward Roman Pavlyuchenko. Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon contributed from the wide midfield, while Alan Hutton and Benoit Assou-Ekotto had limited success on runs from the back.

The best first half chances resided with the Gunners, though possession was relatively even. Arsenal’s defensive line held Tottenham to mostly outside shots. A Bale redirection off a van der Vaart corner and a Luka Modric blast from 20 yards were the only two tests that goalkeeper Lukacz Fabianski faced in the first half.

In the 9^th minute, Arsenal took advantage of some soft defensive play by Spurs. From his side of the center line, Fabregas lofted a long through pass to a breaking Nasri, being marked by Assou-Ekotto. Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes showed indecision, and Nasri used a firm touch to get around Gomes. As the ball was teasing the goal line, Nasri got a foot to it, and the ball eased its way past Assou-Ekotto and a sprawling Gomes for the early 1-0 lead.

The play then settled down a bit, but in the 27^th minute Arshavin struck a pass towards a streaking Chamakh, and the French forward fought off Younas Kaboul and directed a left foot past Gomes for a comfortable 2-0. As play concluded in the first half, it was obvious that Tottenham was not as crisp as Arsenal. The defensive center midfielders Modric and Jermaine Jenas had failed to contain Fabregas. While the Gunners’ organized attack was less effective, the counterattack had generated a number of opportunities which resulted in the two goal cushion.

Redknapp inserted Jermain Defoe for Lennon after halftime. To place more pressure on Arsenal’s defense, he placed Defoe as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Bale and van der Vaart acted as wings for the attacking midfield line, with Pavlyuchenko falling behind Defoe.

Arsenal v Tottenham 2nd Half

Spurs expectedly came out looking to reenter the conversation. In the 50^th minute, Defoe received a lob pass outside the area. He headed it forward, and van der Vaart controlled and set the ball out in front of Bale, who flicked it forward and then knocked it in with the outside of his left foot past Fabianski. That made it a game again at 2-1 Arsenal.

Tottenham’s comeback was facilitated by a costly mistake by the Gunners’ captain. Fabregas raised his arm to protect his face inside the area on a 66^th minute van der Vaart freekick. Against Fabregas’ appeals, referee Phil Dowd pointed to the spot. Van der Vaart converted the ensuing penalty, and Arsenal’s lead had evaporated, 2-2.

After relieving Pavlyuchenko with forward Peter Crouch, Redknapp went back to the more conservative 4-4-2 formation. He paired Defoe and Crouch at the front. But for Spurs, it would take another ill-advised Gunner decision to put them on top.

On an 84^th minute counter rush, Bale received a right flank pass from van der Vaart. Back Laurent Koscielny tackled late and received a yellow card. Van der Vaart’s free kick was placed perfectly to Kaboul, and the back headed the ball into the net. Tottenham had finally climbed to victory again at Emirates Stadium

This game was influenced most by momentum and uncharacteristically poor play by Arsenal. The Spurs were ready to make an impact after halftime, but that alone would not have been enough to garner even a draw without unforced errors. Arsenal had this game in hand. The door was opened, and Tottenham stepped in and wrestled three points away from a complacent and undisciplined side. Don’t take too much credit away from Spurs though; it takes a good club to turn that gift into victory.

Barely have you had chance to draw breath and it’s time to do it all again. There’s a full midweek programme of Premier League fixtures, game week 12 is upon us already, and it’s going to be tricky selection wise as several managers may opt to shuffle their packs.

Tie of the week has to be the Manchester derby. The Blue half of Manchester have Carlos Tevez back and the Reds back line can expect a torrid time at the hands of the annoyingly persistent Argentinean. United may still be picking up points but they are struggling and will be looking for big performances from the experienced Scholes and Fletcher. It would also be a good time for Hernandez and Berbatov to rediscover their earlier form.

Chelsea and Tottenham will be looking to bounce back from disappointing weekend results. Spurs play host to Sunderland on Tuesday, and the form is with Tottenham, the Black Cats have only won once at the Lane in 26 years. Van Der Vaart is struggling with a hamstring injury, but I think Harry will risk him. Three points here are vital for Spurs’ push for the top four, Redknapp will go all out for victory on Tuesday night so it’s time to give your Tottenham forwards a run out.

I fear Fulham could pay for Liverpool’s victory on Sunday. Chelsea need to bounce back with a win and will simply overpower Fulham at the bridge. Drogba will be all guns blazing after warming the bench at Anfield for a long 45 minutes. This could be the week to rest any Fulham defenders you have in your squad.

Aston Villa’s treatment room is full of strikers right now, which equals opportunity for one young striker and if you feel like taking a gamble then Nathan Delfouneso, who could have had a hat-trick on Saturday, will be looking to make amends at home to Blackpool on Wednesday. It could also be a good time to give two more of Villa’s youngsters a chance, midfielders Marc Albrighton and Barry Bannan are turning heads for all the right reasons and both are available for under 5 million. There are always goals where Blackpool are concerned, honours may well end up even in this one but it will be entertaining.

There are two ties this week which, in all honesty, could go either way. Wolves host Arsenal and Newcastle host Blackburn. Wolves were outstanding in defeat at Old Trafford and have been impressive all season. Arsenal, being Arsenal could stroll this one or make a complete three course meal out of it. I’m going to go for the latter. Robin Van Persie made an appearance on Sunday and I’m backing him to be the difference in what will be a tight encounter.

It would be no surprise if Newcastle followed up a win at the emirates with a defeat at home to Blackburn. Nothing would give big Sam more pleasure than a victory against his former club. Newcastle should win, which is why I’m going to back Blackburn and Jason Roberts who found his shooting boots, well shin pads, against Wigan.

West Ham vs West Brom is another fixture that could throw up a few goals. Scott Parker at 5.4 million and Frederic Piquionne available for 5.1 million are well worth considering. The Hammers won’t stay bottom of the table for long and this home tie with the Albion could be the turning point of their season.

I’ve gone striker crazy in my suggestions this week, but I sense goals in game week 12 and goals mean points. Hopefully I’ve given you plenty to think about as you tinker with your attack.

If you feel like joining in the fun then join the EPL League by visiting: http://fantasy.premierleague.com/  the code you need to join is 13413-5300

Once again Gareth Bale starred for Tottenham in the Champions League, with two stunning assists that helped the Champions League new-boys to a memorable 3-1 win over the tournament holders Inter Milan.

Bale had already sent out a warning to Rafa Benitez’s side two weeks ago, when with Spurs four goals, and a man down, he ran the Inter defence ragged, ending the night with three excellent goals and a memorable hat-trick.

In many ways his performance tonight may just prove to be even more important, because it demonstrates that his display in the San Siro was no fluke. While fans in the Premier League have been aware of Bale’s ability for some time now, he is only just beginning to establish himself on the European stage.

Consistency in his performances is now crucial if Bale wishes to establish himself as one of the world’s best footballers, and if he can continue to turn out displays like he has been recently there is no reason why he shouldn’t.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp couldn’t have heaped any more praise on Bale when speaking after the Inter win. Redknapp said: “He was amazing. Maicon is rated as the best right-back in the world and what he’s done to him over the last two games is amazing. He can cross, his left foot is great on the run, he can shoot, dribble, head it, he’s got everything.”

Bale is now arguably the first name on the Spurs team-sheet and this is quite unbelievable when you consider he is only 21. In years to come you really do see him starring at the very highest stage, because his potential his limitless.

I have no doubt that the world’s super clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona will come hunting for Bale in the not so distant future, and it will really be a test of Spurs’ ambition as to whether they sell or not. To challenge for the Premier League they need to keep hold of Bale, he is that vital to their future.

That is not just a measure of how good Bale is now, but how good he could be. The talent is there, the work ethic is there, and now the confidence is there. Barring injuries Bale really could go down as one of the Premier League’s best ever players.

Eighteen minutes in to their Champions League debut and Tottenham fans could have been forgiven for thinking life in the planets elite club competition was easy. 2-0 up and pressing for a third against a beleaguered Werder Bremen side, Spurs seemed to be adjusting to life amongst Europes top clubs in fine style.

But unfortunately things began to go wrong for Harry Redknapp’s side and conceding a goal just before the break proved to be costly as Bremen fought back to claim a deserved point. It was disappointing for Redknapp but at full-time he was probably relieved to have escaped Germany with just a point.

It was rude awakening for Redknapp and a harsh lesson was learnt. In the Champions League you need to make the most of spells when you are dominating the game.  Tottenham should have been out of sight by the time Bremen got their first goal, but they weren’t and in the second half they were made to pay for not killing the game off.

Against the quality you face in the Champions League you need to be clinical because if you give one chance away you are often cruelly punished, although I suppose if you had offered Spurs fans a point before the game – most would have taken it.

Redknapp himself was relatively satisfied with a draw. He told BBC Sport “I can’t be angry. That first half was as good as you could wish to see.

“Barcelona might be better, but that was as good as Tottenham can do. We passed the ball and opened them up time and time again. But then we conceded a bad goal which suddenly bought them back into the game.

“At 2-1 it gave them a massive lift and they got the early goal in the second half, but overall it was an excellent performance. “

Redknapp’s assessment summed up the game for Spurs, and I now expect them to work harder at making the most of the good spells they will have. Generally though I feel the point will prove a good base for the White Hart Lane club to go on make it through to the knockout stages, which I feel they will manage to do thanks to some positive results in their crucial home Champions League games.

What do you think? Was a point a good enough for Spurs tonight? Will they make it to the knockout stages? Was that the best that Redknapp’s side can play?

For years on end managers across the country have sent their players away  to represent their country and spent the whole time of their absence praying they all return fit and well.  But after a week that saw several big name players pick up injuries while playing for their country, the pressure from managers for a change in the scheduling of international games will be higher than ever.

You can see where the likes of Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp are coming from. Take the Arsenal manger, Theo Walcott went away to play for England in arguably the best form of his club career but after suffering an ankle injury against Swtizerland, he now faces weeks on the sideline.

Wenger also lost Robin van Persie to injury where as Redknapp will see Jermain Defoe and Michael Dawson both missing for Spurs for some considerable time. Elsewhere Roy Hodgson will be without Dirk Kuyt for some time as well.

While I can understand all their frustrations, I can’t see a way to resolve the problem. You can’t arrange them all in a block because this simply wouldn’t work, it would lead to a lack of development and a lack of opportunity for players at international level.

I also don’t see that scrapping international friendlies is the answer.  This will only again create a lack of opportunities to progress. Although they are often described as pointless, they are a vital for a player’s transition in to international football.

The only option as I can see would be to schedule international games around transfer windows, thus allowing for sides to replace a player should they get injured.  For example a friendly game in January not February as well as arranging the first qualifying games for late August and not early September.

I’d be interested to hear your suggestions in to how to minimise the impact of players getting injured on international duty?

With Fabio Capello insisting that he won’t manage England past the 2012 European Championships, names are already been branded about as a possible successor to the Italian. But with the FA proudly boasting that their next manager will be English there is hardly a wealth of managers to choose from.

Early contenders are Harry Redknapp, Roy Hodgson, Steve Bruce and Sam Allardyce with current England number two Stuart Pearce also reportedly in the frame. Without meaning to disrespect any of these they hardly have the same statute as Capello.

That is the real problem that the FA now faces after promising an English manager. The FA will be hoping that an English manager will bring more pride and passion from the players, something that was so desperately missing in South Africa.

The worry is though that the FA’s willingness to employ an English manager could backfire with huge consequences. After the 2006 World Cup there was the same urge to go English and Steve McClaren was given the chance to succeed Sven-Göran Eriksson.

What was followed was a drastic failure that lead to England failing to qualify for Euro 2008. If the same was to happen again it would mean England missing out on a World Cup which would the ultimate humiliation.

Personally I see myself more patriotic then most, but I just don’t feel the need for the England manager to actually be English and believe purely in picking a manager who is the most best man for the job.

In an ideal world yes, I’d love to see a top English manager making his national team play with the heart that we saw so many other countries play with at the World Cup.

But the fact of the matter is that we don’t have a top manager. International football is the very top level in football and I wouldn’t want to see England sacrifice the chance of success for an apparent need for an Englishman to be charge. However with the FA already promising an Englishman it means unfortunately this may be the case.