The Great Gareth Bale Transfer Game

The Great Gareth Bale Transfer Game by Playtell, simple to play, you just fill in the blanks. Kids will love it, hours of fun, sure to be a hit at Christmas.

Bale to [INSERT CLUB] for [INSERT FIGURE]  with [INSERT PLAYER] and [INSERT PLAYER] going the other way, Daniel Levy is [INSERT EMOTION].

Three Spanish papers, three different angles today, take your pick.

Marca, Madrid based rival to the Sun for quality, take the angle that Jonathan Barnett 'stormed' to Spurs offices to demand to know if they had turned down a €98.5m bid, which they say he found out about on the BBC! They say Bale doesn't want to play for Tottenham again but won't hand in a transfer request, his attitude in training will be vital and Perez and Levy could meet as early as today.

Pretty amazing that Bale's agent doesn't even know what is going on and he has to find out on the BBC isn't it. What you doubting it's authenticity? Are they expecting Bale to try and force a move by how he behaves on the training ground as well, is that what Real Madrid have told him to do?

AS, which is another Real Madrid friendly tabloid, take the angle that Andre Villas-Boas wants a deal sorted quickly, he doesn't want another Modric situation.

Well if Bale stays for another season I'd take that.

El Confidencial, the sensible paper of the three, take the altogether different angle that Daniel Levy is determined not to sell Gareth Bale and has told Florentino Perez he wants €150m to change that. The Real Madrid president is baulking at that they say and that it's doubtful a meeting would take place within week.

That certainly gives our papers plenty to write about tomorrow, I can see the headlines tomorrow can't you, Bale refuses to play for Spurs, or will they wait to see if he plays against Monaco at 5.30pm on Saturday?

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Madrid's Zidane winges - Let Bale talk to us

Zinidine Zidane has crawled out from under his rock once again. The man, who had the quality and class to headbutt an opponent in a World Cup Final in front of a worldwide TV audience, said in Los Angeles:

“It is not unusual when a player knows that Real Madrid are interested in them that they get excited. There is nothing more prestigious for a player to wear the white of Real Madrid.

“If he has expressed a desire to join Madrid then Tottenham should give him permission to speak with us. The chance to play for Real Madrid might only come around once in a player's lifetime - and it is understandable that Gareth doesn't want to miss out on it."

No mention of the fact Real Madrid have pursued relentlessly, a player at another club that they are not allowed to do. No mention of the blackmail ultimatum they gave Bale. Just a self righteous if we want a player he should be allowed to talk to us attitude.

What about the fact that according to your own virtual in house paper Marca, you have already agreed a £10m a year 5 year contract with a player you are not allowed to talk to. Isn't that an admission of tapping up?

“This is modern football. You have to pay to get the best players in Europe. Last season Gareth was on the same level as Ronaldo and Messi.

“The best players can have not so great games - but change a game with a moment of brilliance. Those are the sort of players that win you Champions League's and League titles.

“He is already one of the finest player in Europe and he has everything needed to become the best player in the world. It is a bit of a cliche - but it is true you become a better player playing with better players.”

Zidane, who in in America as a part of Real Madrid's pre-season tour, has been a part of a relentless pursuit of our under contract man. They are no longer a club to admire but a club who see themselves above the rules.

The President of the Spanish Football League (LFP), Javier Tebas, was asked if he felt their pursuit of Gareth Bale was immoral. He felt it would increase the TV revenue for their league so welcomed it. He said:

"It is immoral to pay for something when you cannot afford it. I think it's more immoral for a club to spend one million euros which they do not have.

"A 100million euros is a huge amount of money to spend on a player but if Madrid can afford that then it's not a question of morality, but of whether it's a risky move or not."

You can understand his view on Bale joining a league to raise it's profile, but that also raises the question of how much this deal is really worth.

"I don't know much about him, but if Bale is a good player, than I'd rather he was over here (in La Liga) than in the Premier League," he said.

"It's not a question of how much he costs, you have to look at how much money he will generate, and if the LFP has all the stars, it will allow us to maintain high television revenue. All the money the arrival of this type of player generates translates into more revenue."

If commercially to the league he is worth a fortune, he is also worth a fortune to Real Madrid, as they and Barcelona get 50% of their leagues TV revenue, which they refuse to give up.They get 19 times the amount of the lowest earners in the La Liga.

Bale is the biggest commercial name in world football at the moment. When you consider how much money he can bring in and how much we would lose in lost revenue, then you begin to realize that even £80 million doesn't do him justice.

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New Season New System 4-3-3 The Basics

I thought it might be a good idea to give everyone a quick insight into the system of football we will be playing next season as many of the sides I see put forward by fans are in my view, not how we will play.

Before I get into it, for all of you wanting your Bale fix here is this mornings 5am article:
Gareth Bale and the ring of truth.

The system Tottenham are expected to play this season is a tactically flexible 4-3-3 system. It is the system that Andre Villas-Boas used well and had success with at Porto. It takes only minor adjustments to transform it into a defensive 4-5-1 or an attacking 4-2-4.

It is a system of triangles and can be played with two defensive midfielders or as Spurs will play it this season with one defensive midfielder.

Lloris

Walker Kaboul Vertonghen BAE

Paulinho Sandro

Dembele

Bale Soldado Chadli

Lloris

Walker Kaboul Vertonghen BAE

Sandro

Paulinho Dembele

Bale Soldado Chadli

Playing with two defensive midfielders is a very defensive method and that is and will not be our way, the more attacking formation will be our framework to start from. You can immediately see a triangle in midfield, a triangle with a midfielder and two attacker two central defenders. With full-backs slightly in advance of centre-backs you get further triangles with a central defender and a midfielder or with a midfielder and a wide attacker.

Why triangles, well triangles make it easy to pass round opposition players. Whoever has the ball should always have a triangle of players giving him options of where to pass the ball. He can easily play the ball backwards or forwards.

Tottenham evolved last season from a static Parker to a flexible Sandro, until he was injured of course. The role now requires the player playing that role to have the technical ability to join his two fellow midfielders to move the oppositions midfield and pass around them. This is achieved by awareness and movement off the ball which aids creativity and fluidity.

Off the ball running is crucial to the system, crucial to how AVB used the system at Porto and how he wants to use it at Tottenham.

Imagine for a moment a midfielder make a move/run to take an opposition midfielder with him. That leaves a gap for one of his teammates to exploit. In Paulinho, Sandro and Dembele we have three players who can all make forward runs as well as defend. Our variations are therefore increased and the opposition problems multiplied.

At Porto AVB used a simple formula. One player drifted narrow, one player drifted wide, one midfielder defended, one attacked. Drifting wide and narrow you are pulling an opposition player out of position to create a hole. Now imagine this happening all over the pitch at the same time and you'll find plenty of holes with the opposition being constantly pulled out of position. They have to mentally work hard trying to figure out where they should be and what shape they are supposed to be in. This player movement to was central to Porto winning the treble so I think we can safely say, it worked.

The Spurs players have a season under their belt, a season of practicing in training. Our performances in the player movement aspect improved as the season went on, players were learning where they needed to be and what was expected of them.

Now instead of me drawing lots of arrows for you I've grabbed a You Tube video to give a quick overview of the system. In due course I'll bring you some more detailed ones.

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Gareth Bale and the ring of truth

It's 5 o'clock in the morning and the Bale situation rankles so I'll post my initial uncoordinated ramblings, which not having had enough tea yet may not flow but leap about a bit.

Let me start by thinking back to last summer and what I was posting on my Facebook Fan page, Tottenham Memorabilia.

I wrote that the minimum requirement was top 4, without which Bale would leave. For AVB to be considered a success he has to finish in the top 4, that is the target Levy has set, nothing else will do.

That basically summed it up.

After 3 games I wrote a very critical article and how even at that early stage things had to change. The tactic of taking off Defoe and Lennon to bring on defensive players to hold a lead, was a chalkboard theory that didn't work in practice. If continued it would cost us Champions League football and Gareth Bale.

We made subtle changes, missed by many but they were there and evolved as the season went on.

One part of that has been proven to be right and the second is now a possibility.

Andre Villas-Boas turned Gareth Bale into a superstar in half a season, he turned Hulk into the most sought after striker last summer, the man makes a habit of it, let's hope he does it with Chadli. Having been turned into a worldwide superstar and given him income opportunities beyond his expectations, it is disappointing that Bale now seems to think he shouldn't even give us a season of that superstar status.

It's safe to say Real Madrid are not on the Christmas card list for Spurs fans. Their campaign to get Luca Modric and try to make him force a move was not pleasant, now we have the same again.

Through their mouthpiece, Marca, they have fed stories for the British press to pick up on and spread over here. The word Bale sells papers so our media lap it up.

Madrid through Zidane say they have a good relationship with Spurs and will do everything in the correct manner. Well that is a blatant lie. To blackmail a player, as they appear to have done, is the lowest of the low. You come now or you never come at all is what is suggested they have told him, the aim obvious, get him to force a move, a tactic that appears to be working.

A minor injury where he didn't play against Colchester as a precaution on 19 July. It is now 29 July and he still hasn't played in two more games. You could say you didn't want to risk him on a terrible pitch but one thing sticks out like a sore thumb here and for me gives credibility to all these stories, apart from AVB no longer wanting to talk about Bale.

Where was Gareth Bale in Hong Kong?

You are in a massive market where you want to maximise your brand exposure, not only does your greatest marketing asset not play, but against South China he stayed in the dressing room. Would you at least not show him to the people, sign some autographs etc? There is a worldwide TV audience watching wanting to see him and he doesn't want to be seen in Spurs colours.

Think about it, have you seen one PR story or photo opportunity with Gareth Bale while Spurs were in Hong Kong, because I don't recall one. Google "Gareth Bale in Hong Kong" and nothing comes up, not in Google UK.

That does not make any commercial sense, that rings alarm bells. In a market we want to sell to, he wasn't selling us.

There seems to be one man getting away scott free in all this at the moment, Gareth Bale's agent Jonathan Barrett. He has constantly been popping up on Spanish radio and TV broadcasts saying Bale would listen to offers from Real Madrid, that he loves them etc. He has been feeding them and Gareth Bale hasn't stopped him.

His latest, for it can only have come from him, is to feed Marca the Gareth Bale Daniel Levy civilized chat over a cup of tea contents. Cue stories of Bale furious and wanting to leave now. What does Barrett want? Does he want Bale to move now or does he know he'll move next summer and is trying to get Spurs to pay his boy £200,000 a week and not £150,000?

His lack of marketing the club in Asia tells me he wants out, that the stories are true, his head has been turned, Real Madrid's tactics have worked.

At the start of last season I felt £50 million was his price tag which rose to £60 million half way through the season and now is a world record figure.

If Bale goes Champions League becomes a doubt, which costs us £40 million and sets our development back again. If Bale goes we lose worldwide exposure and the commercial benefits that brings, he is a sponsors dream. What figure do you place on that? Because they have to be factored into any transfer fee.

The fee for Bale is not about footballing ability alone, but the commercial opportunities he brings. David Beckham was a commercial godsend to every club he went to. Real Madrid's income soared when he was there and Cristiano Ronaldo has taken on that mantle, next in line is Gareth Bale.

If you start to look at his transfer in those terms, in what Real Madrid gain and what we lose, then his price goes through the roof, any negotiation should reflect that so the suggestion from one ITK'er that they have been quoted 150 million doesn't surprise me. I would ask is that EUR or pounds.

I think we are in a dogfight to keep him, I really do.

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Soldado medical tomorrow?

All the rumours are suggesting that Roberto Soldado is a Spurs player, that everything is agreed and he just needs to put pen to paper after a medical.

The version of events from ITK this side has not always matched the local journalists, who know everything about Valencia. For those of you who have been following my posts of the Soldado saga, you'll have had an insight into this transfer from the Spanish side.

A club that simply leaks information among a close knit circle of friend. Directors phone their friendly reporters or radio station friends and tell them what just happened in a meeting for instance. I therefore have placed far greater faith in what is coming out of the Valencia via the local reporters than from over here.

Valencia have taken down the Soldado marketing posters and replaced him with the Valencia badge, he was their marketing, just as every company wants to be associated with Bale over here, so everyone in Valencia wants Soldado, and Valencia have to have EUR 14 million by 3 August for tax purposes.

The Valencia Facebook page no longer has a picture of Soldado. Radio station Cadena SER have announced the deal, the Valencia Financial Director has apparently said he is sold to Tottenham, players are talking about him in the past tense, now website insidespanishfootball.com (not a website I have used before so I won't vouch for it's authenticity) are saying the Soldado will have a medical for Tottenham tomorrow.

My guess is that's a guess but the medical will happen sooner or later anyway.

As for the sources I have been using I'm waiting for further news, the Valencia reporters remain the ones to listen to for information.

For now here is his 2012/13 season, it's only 4.26 minutes but be sure to watch the goal nearly 3 minutes in.

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£50 million to spend but our hands are tied

At the end of last season Tottenham went on a post season trip to the Bahamas for a friendly against Jamacia.

Several important things happened out there. Firstly Gareth Bale agreed a new contract in principle, we agreed a wage with him, what is happening now is just the fine tuning. Spurs plans for the new season were outlined to him and improving the striking department was certainly a part of that. Bale, Soldado +1 sounds exciting, especially when it's in front of Paulinho, Sandro and Dembele.

Next and very importantly was a great piece of Tottenham news. Joe Lewis made it clear he wanted Champions League football and to get the players needed to take us there, arranged to invest £50 million into the club.

That of course is £50 million on top of anything we raise from sales, which is errr nothing.

Paulinho has come in for £17 million to create an impressive first choice three in midfield, Soldado is imminent, very imminent and if you have been reading my articles on the Valencia situation then you'll know why I am confident of that happening. Mind you I was confident of David Villa until Athletico Madrid doubled his salary and off he went, money was the deciding factor with him not Spurs dithering as he'd have everyone believe. This time the man will be ours though.

The next decision was agreement on who stays, who can go. That was the easy part. Now for the hard part, shifting the blighters.

Take Tom Huddlestone. Everyone waited for it to happen with Tom and it didn't, plenty of promise but ultimately frustrating. Time to leave Tom.

Can we shift him, can we heck. He is on a low wage so that isn't the issue, he has spoken to numerous clubs so that isn't the issue, what is is that he won't put his pen on their bits of paper. It's as if he is in his comfort zone, with a bunch of workmates and reluctant take on a new challenge. It's almost as if he has an I'll amble along as I am attitude.

Scott Parker, well wages says everything. We are one of the top 5 in the Premier League so if we buy a player and put him on a decent wage the only real way he can go is up or abroad, teams below us in the Premier League can't afford the wages with the exception of Liverpool. That causes a constant problem as we have been finding out for a few years now.

Emmanuel Adebayor, who I have to say looked good against Sunderland and if he would stay in the box more would be an asset, is reported to be very close to signing for Basiktas in Turkey. Codswallop.

The Besiktas president, Fikret Orman, has said himself:

"We are interested in Adebayor and a transfer can always be done. Once [the UEFA case] is settled, I am going to London to sort out the transfer."

How do you get a deal is nearly done out of that.

Orman has previously said remember, that wages are a problem, they didn't realise he'd be wanting so much. Doesn't sound to encouraging from where I'm sitting.

So if the ban isn't overturned and I see no reason why it should be when match fixing is involved, then Adebayor is going nowhere. He is not close to a move at all.

Do you fancy playing in Turkey Ade?
Yes alright.
How much do you want then?
£120,000 a week.
OK leave it with me.

That about sums up the Ade situation in my eyes and that isn't anywhere near a transfer.

We have a whole batch we'd happily get out the door, I'd almost forgotten Gomes, another whose wages are a problem.

The pitch against Sunderland was terrible and I don't think AVB wanted to risk anyone on it so he picked almost a second team and still got a first choice player injured. Gomes played to put himself in the shop window, that was AVB's way of saying look we have a goalkeeper, buy him.

Jake Livermore is one that constantly springs to mind. Why? Because he never plays, we had a virtual second team out and subs and the guy still couldn't get a game, yet according to the useless Woy Hodgson, he is an England international!

We will continue to bring players in, indeed every report, and I don't mean every re-hashed article proliferating websites, seems to suggest we genuinely are after Coentrao from Real Madrid, who stll owe us arounf £12 million from the sale of Luca Modric.

But with something like 37% of transfers dome on the last day and 47% in the last week we'll have to wait a bit longer yet before we can shift some.

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Premier League ask Spurs groundsman for help

The pitch in the first game of the Asia Trophy was a nightmare, a quagmire that claimed a victim in Jan Vertonghen.

Andre Villas-Boas has admitted Spurs didn't want to play for that very reason and how right they were proved. There have even been stories of Spurs wanting to pull out of the competition, the only Premier League sanctioned competition outside of England.

The tournament is all about taking the game to the huge Asian market, it's basically a giant PR exercise. There is a 48,000 sell out crowd and million of TV viewers who will be disappointed if the games don't go ahead. So the Premier League want to do everything possible to make sure it goes ahead despite it's chiefs (Richard Scudamore) hollow claim that he'd have no hesitation calling the games off if the pitch wasn't fit enough. What like you did for the first game do you mean!

They have therefore asked Spurs groundsman Darren Baldwin to take over and make sure the pitch is playable. Has he flown out there, no Spurs actually take him everywhere anyway, hope we are charging them for his time!

It has been raining in Hong Kong all week so he has his work cut out to make the pitch playable, I don't see to many first XI players being risked myself, why would you.

Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio said: “ I’m worried about the safety of my players. It’s a killer pitch in this weather with injuries, especially at this stage of the season.”

Well it's a bit late for us, Jan misses the start of the season now.

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Fight Night - Toldrá (Soldado) vs Salvo (Valencia)

Good evening fight fans, some of you are probably to young to remember that, anyway it's rather appropriate to what you are about to read, as you'll see in due course.

In the blue corner we have players agent Alberto Toldrá and in the red corner Amadeo Salvo. Now let's have a good clean fight gentlemen, fat chance of that.

First though if you missed the delayed article (which should have gone out last night) then you might want to catch up with that first and share it on your social media outlets, this article adds a bit more for you into the mix (opens in a new window): Valencia & Soldado - The media posturing

There is actually a history of Valencia players forcing a move from the club once they have become the star of the side, Jordi Alba and Pedja Mijatovic to name but two.

As with every club, fans expect their heros to stay and be loyal, which today quite frankly is just pie in the sky. Times have changed, money rules in all walks of life, players move and they move for money.

Where is the money, well it's in the Champions League or the Premier League, which of course has had a large influx of money in the form of bumper TV deals, remember the American NBC company more than trebled what ESPN were paying.

Roberto Soldado has been offered a double your money move and exposure to a worldwide audience, the Premier League being the most watched league all around the world. Not much of a choice to make really.

Soldado played for Real Madrid as a youngster and they don't sign rubbish, he is a good player, but do you know who he joined from? Valencia. He left when he was just 14, then returned there to replace David Villa, which wasn't a popular with the fans, and now might be leaving again.

He has spent 3 seasons back at Valencia and for the first two didn't have the full support of the fans, they only embraced him last season when he banged in the goals, so the tie to Valencia is probably not that strong.

The marketing at Valencia centres around Soldado, but by all accounts he is just a nice guy and not full of charisma, and as such he is not an ideal marketing tool. Valencia want Valencia people and charismatic ones at that.

Now if you have read the article I linked to above, you'll know the situation is, we'll make all the right noises to keep everyone happy but this is not an ideal arrangement. Both sides would be happy to end it or at least that is the impression everything points towards, as you'll see in a minute.

OK now we get to the nitty-gritty.


Alberto Toldrá, Soldado's agent and Amadeo Salvo, Valencia president, do not get on and that weak working relationship has virtually evaporated completely.

The former president, Manuel Llorente, was a well liked figure in and around Valencia. He build up a close circle of friends that consisted of players, Valencia's business partners, agents (including Toldrá , local journalists, radio stations (who both had access to everything that goes on at the club) club employees and former presidents. All in all a close knit happy circle.

Along comes a new guy and this happy circle, who had such a close relationship with the former president, were now out in the cold effectively. On top of that he defeated one of the circle to get the presidency. The new guy would have to build his own circle, he is not a part of this close knit one.

Now put yourself in his shoes, do you a) try to take over a network of friend that already exists, very difficult or b) break it up and put your stamp on things?

If you are in a group and the life and soul of that group leaves, the group is not the same and you wish it was like it was before, that is not conducive to an easy ride for a new guy.

What did Amadeo Salvo do?

Well he told one of this circle, a Valencia player David Albelda, that he would not be retained. Who is his agent? You guessed it, another one of the close knit group, Alberto Toldrá.

Toldrá and Salvo are now in opposite camps and the agent now wants his star man, Soldado, out of Valencia. They will lose their goalscorer, their captain, their star and their marketing 'poster boy'.

But there is more. Toldrá has been negotiating with Liverpool to get Valencia's star academy player out to them and he has already sent the other academy players he represents to Barcelona, Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid.

Guess what route Salvo feels the best way forward for Valencia? Yep the academy and bringing players through.

Are you starting to get the picture, these two don't like each other and one is basically doing his best to screw the other.

Soldado has not been at the club since Salvo took over on 5 July 2013 but is due back tomorrow for the start of pre-season.

Do you think Toldrá wants Soldado to stay at the club, you're bloody right he doesn't so remember that when you read the quotes.

Valencia fans see themselves as the third best team in Spain, indeed someone left a comment to that affect in an earlier article and statistically they are right, it is something they are fiercely proud of, just as Spurs fans are proud of our history. They see themselves as better than Athletico Madrid.

Now remember that as you read Soldado's words to the media:

“My hope is to remain a Valencia player."

Which was followed a week later by:

“I have a contract with Valencia and intend to fulfil it. I am enjoying myself playing for Valencia. I feel honoured that a club like Atletico is interested, it is a great team. I see friends succeed in other leagues. Germany and England is attractive and we all would like to enjoy that.”

So he is honoured for a club the fans don't like and consider to be a lesser team, to be interested in him and he even says they are a great team, yet he is your captain, your star, your clubs marketing man.

All is not well in the pond is it, but he won't force a move remember!

Well he's not doing a bad job of undermining the president is he, egged on by Toldrá no doubt. The guy couldn't have written it better himself.

Soldado may not have come out and said publicly that he wants to leave, but put yourself in the fans shoes, what are they thinking? This guy is only after money, he wants to leave because they'll pay him more, he's got no loyalty etc.

Not much good as a marketing tool anymore is he when he is turning the fans against him. The guy is doing what he can to get out, even though he has hardly done anything. The little he has done is highly effective.

The Valencia coach, Miroslav Đukić, had these words for the press:

"Soldado is a professional player. If he stays, I am sure he will give his best. There is a lot of speculation about Roberto, but the fact is he continues to be our player and we count on him.

"Piatti is still our player, for now. I have to get the best out of all I have available. We want Soldado to lead our project, but if it isn't so, the club continues to be great. We need goals. Paco (Alcacer) cannot have that burden. In the press you can say whatever it doesn't affect me. I only care about what happens on the pitch."

Not quite the same as AVB's Gareth Bale is not leaving at any price and we are negotiating a new contract quotes is it.

Toldrá is winning the fight but Salvo is going to get every last drop out of Soldado he can. There seems little future for him at Valencia anymore. Liverpool or Spurs seems the only question.

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Have Madrid paper Marca broken the law this time

The Madrid based paper Marca fresh from inventing a story about Gareth Bale agreeing a 6 year contract, when he probably doesn't even have permission to talk to Real Madrid, today move into slander territory.

They claim Gareth Bale had a meeting with Daniel Levy last Wednesday and they claim to quote Gareth Bale telling him "I'm not interested in Manchester United, I only want to play for Real Madrid."

It is of course their front page news.

They say that he demanded to be allowed his dream move to Real Madrid and that Levy had said he would listen to any reasonable offers, sounds like a Luka Modric story doesn't it. They go on to claim he has submitted a transfer request and that he has not been injured for the last two games.

Zinidine Zidane has told Real Madrid president Florentino Perez that "He's the number one. The player's class lets you aspire to winning the Champions League. Not only is he a strong and fast player. He's Also clever on the pitch".

Those words from Zidane to him have reignited his interest it seems and made him push further for a deal. It is about time Real Madrid were reported for their behaviour, which Daniel Levy wasn't best pleased with.

Quoting someone in print if they haven't said it, is slanderous. How is a Spanish paper supposed to know if a meeting took place and what was said in it, it's not as if Daniel Levy is going to tell them anything. So either this is complete fabrication and slander or Gareth Bale's agent has been speaking to both Real Madrid and them, in which case he should be in hot water with Spurs. That seems unlikely given the relationship between the two is said to be close.

Any meeting would be private as would the contents, nothing would be allowed to be released without the clubs permission and they most certainly wouldn't give that.

Well I doubt his mood has improved much now, in fact he is said to be seething.

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Valencia & Soldado - the media posturing

This article was due last night, it was scheduled to auto publish so I must have made a mistake along the way, apologies, but it's here now.

In the world of football only a fool believes what a player, a manager, a chairman, s president says. What he must always to is think for himself, read and ask himself what does it really mean? Put a quote in context and ask yourself, does he mean that or is he just saying that as a bit of public relations to appease supporters or for a bit of posturing with another club.

Take a look at the Soldado situation. We had a word with him last summer and he was open to a move then but nothing happened. Our interest renewed and amid plenty of media speculation about a potential £18 million (€20.89m) bid, these was his quote on 6 June to the local media.

“It is clear for me that I want to stay here and help Valencia return to the Champions League, where we deserve to be,” Soldado told Valencian newspaper Super Deporte.

“That is despite the fact that we have not achieved our aim of doing that this season.”

The press all came out with headlines Soldado wants to stay in Spain. Now I read those headlines and saw them for what they were, simply a bit of PR (public relations) for the fans. I didn't believe a word of it, he was an important figure at the club simply making the right media noises, nothing more, the words had no real meaning behind them, it was just trotting out a standard line basically. had Valencia qualified for the Champions league then the situation might have been different but they lost out on the last day like ourselves and finished fifth.

A player must always have a fall back position, an exit strategy if you like. If a deal happens he can say the club need the money I didn't really want to go. If a deal doesn't happen he can say I never wanted to leave.

These were his quotes on 14 June:

"Atletico Madrid's interest in me? I'm so glad about it. I've a deal with Valencia and I want to respect my contract. Future out of Spain? I like Premier League and Bundesliga, are important championships, in which every player would like to play"

OK so what happened to I want to stay at Valencia? Eight days later and he is delighted someone else is interested and touts his name to two leagues. Now that shouts I want out of here but he can't tell the fans that just in case nothing happens.

Events move on and we place a bid. Plenty of posturing about €30 million but the €6 million agents fees are not made public so fans actually don't know the real situation.

Franco Baldini chats with the players agent Alberto Toldrá, himself a former player, and a £3 million (€3.5m) salary is quickly agreed in principle. Happy with that and having had assurances that Soldado wants to move to Spurs, and why wouldn't he when it doubles his salary, Baldini talks with the Valencia president Amadeo Salvo.

A report on that can be found here (opens in a new window): Soldado - Valencia board to discuss Spurs offer tomorrow

Now whilst his predecessor tried to cut costs, Salvo tries to raise money. Valencia need £12.06 million (€14m) to balance the books and Soldado is basically the only player who can raise substantial money. Sell him and they will also need to buy a replacement.

Valencia then need to sell him but they need to get the best price possible so they announce they won't sell for less than his buy out figure.

Spurs bid €26 million (£22.33m) + €4 million (£3.45) in easily achievable extras. Now remember there is €6 million (£5.17m) in agents fees to include in the deal. The €30 million (£25.85m) was originally to exclude those and then include those when Valencia realised nobody would be interested at an inflated €36 million (£31.02m). Spurs offer included the agents fees.

Valencia would get the money they wanted, everyone would be happy right? Wrong. Salvo is not happy with the payment structure he wants just two payments, one balances the books this year, one balances them next year. Spurs however had offered payments over the five years of Saldado's contract. So the fee isn't a problem at all it's the payment structure stopping a deal.

You can read about that here (opens in new window): Valencia stand firm over Soldado

Quite frankly insisting on two payments is unrealistic, yes it's great for Valencia but no club is going to commit €10-15 million (£8.6-13m) of next seasons transfer budget, they'd be leaving the cupboard bare and shooting themselves in the foot. No good business at all so it's clear Salvo will have to compromise somewhere.

Before the Valencia board get a chance to discuss the offer Spurs change it, they reduce the offer to €24 million (£20.68m) + €2 million (£1.72m) extras but not to include the agents fees, Valencia would have to pay them

So Valencia's choice is simple, €30 million (£25.85m) or €26 million (£22.40m) and a bill for €6 million (£5.17m) agents fees.

In the first deal Valencia get a profit of €24 million (£20.68m) and in the second deal €20 million (£17.23m).

The Valencia board meet and want to accept, Salvo doesn't and neither does he like Spurs hard ball tactics as he is being out manouvered. By not accepting and indicating he'd like to discuss it, he lost €4 million (£3.45m) on the deal. He had been expecting Spurs to bow to his wishes as had the local press.

You can read a piece about that here (opens in a new window): Soldado and the 6 million fee

So Salvo had to speak to the press and this was his posturing to them:

"Soldado can go if he wants - for €30 million and under our conditions," Salvo said at a club press conference.

"Valencia never had any intention of selling Soldado. If he goes then it is because the €30 million figure has been met, not a cent less or a cent more.

"The buying club will also have to accept Valencia's conditions of payment also.

"We agreed to meet Tottenham again to discuss the ways of paying and we did that because we understood that his buy-out clause would be met.

"Speaking about ways that deals are paid is normal and this will be done in a way that suits the financial department of Valencia and not that of any other clubs.

"We listened to him and we said what we have always said - that the price is €30m, then the boy himself can decide if he leaves and that the conditions of pay are what they are."

Once again we have a bit of PR. Now he is telling the media the player is not for sale, when he is, that Valencia don't want to sell him, when they do and puts the blame on Soldado's plate saying he'll have to tell the club he wants to leave, which he already has.

It's merely a face saving exercise so he can say later if the deal goes through he was tough and got the best deal for Valencia or if it doesn't that we never wanted to sell him in the first place.

It's all in fact rubbish.

Valencia midfielder Bernat is reported over here as having said: "

They are negotiating now. I wish him the best, he must decide. We know he has had very good seasons in Valencia, he has given us so much.

"If he stays we know he will help a lot because he scores many goals and that's good for the team; if he leaves I wish him the best."

Now that implies he is leaving and the players know he is leaving, but what he actually said, translated by the Spanish and not Google translate, was:

"Soldado has been an important player and I wish him well no matter what. I don't know if he wants to leave, it's between him and the club. I don't want to enter into that."

In actual fact all very non-committal.

Now Soldado is Valencia's star, there marketing is based around him so they would need a new star at the club to replace him. They have been looking round for a replacement although the names being mentioned command to big a salary for Valencia to be comfortable with, Chicarito (Man U) €7 million (£6.04m) salary for instance, Osvaldo (Roma) and Fred (Fluminense).

Affordable and reportedly lined up as a replacement for Soldado is Hélder Postiga (Real Zaragoza) whose salary is currently €1 million (£862,351) which is €19,230 (£16,583) a week. Soldado remember would be doubling his salary to €3.5 million (£3m) moving to Spurs, no surprise that he really wants to go.

Baldini has done his bit which was to discuss with the player and make our offer to Valencia. Stories circulating now that Soldado has made it clear he wants to join Spurs and asks Salvo to be reasonable over the fee, some suggesting a formal transfer request might happen, but that is merely idle speculation.

The players agent has told the local press he will not force a move, so he won't be handing in a transfer request. The Valencia players report back for the start of their pre-season on Saturday so naturally he is not going to burn his bridges but he wants to come and double his wages with us, who wouldn't. He can't join any other club without our knowledge as we have a first refusal agreement with Valencia, anybody makes a move for him we have to be told.

We want him, he wants us, Valencia want the money. The offer is on the table, the local press say Salvo will not change his stance. However that is over the fee, not the instalments. He is not going to get two payments, he'll get one that solves their financial problems this year and there will be room for discussion on future instalments, but not to the extent of his current demands.

It's a game of poker the money men will have to solve now but the deal is not dead, just have to find an acceptable payment plan for both parties. My guess is that that will happen and happen soon.

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VIDEO - Goal of the Century & it doesn't count!

The goal of the season you didn't see.

Here's a goal to send to your friends, probably the best volley you are ever likely to see and it's from the manager standing in his technical area.

Former Serbian international Dragan Stojkovic, now the manager of Japanese powerhouse Nagoya Grampus, showed everyone his incredible skill in a J-league match against Yokohama Marinos at the Yokohama International stadium.

A Yokohama Marinos player was down injured and the goalkeeper kicked the ball out towards the half way line to stop the game so the injured player could get treatment.

Stojkovic spectacularly volleyed it back into the goal.

He raised his arms aloft as the crowd applauded him but the ref failed to see the funny side and sent him off saying, he was protesting against the referring!

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Friedel is disappointed

Brad Friedel who was in goal for the second half has spoken of the defeat against Sundeeland by what was almost a Spurs second XI.

He made a series of terrific save in the second half and came out of the game with credit. He said:
“You are never happy to be on a wrong side of a result but getting minutes under the belt in pre-season is always a positive.

“No-one likes losing, but the thing about losing in pre-season is that it’s not the end of the world.

“You still come back to the changing room and see lots of unhappy faces but that’s how we are, we’re all competitors, we all want to win, but it’s pre-season and we have another game to think about on Saturday.”

For a report of the Sunderland game go here (opens in a new window): Tottenham vs Sunderland

Coming tonight shortly after 8.30pm UK time is another piece on the Soldado affair, set your watches and keep an eye out for it.

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Soldado and the 6 million fee

Soldado and the 6 million fee.

The story so far. Once upon a time there was a football club called Valencia who had a goalscorer called Soldado.

Valencia had a president who did his best to cut costs but time came for him to leave so he made sure his friends all got long contracts and left to let a new guy take over.

This new president wanted to raise money so he decided he could sell his striker and put a €30 million price on his head. He told all the football club fans Soldado will not be sold for under €30 million.

With €6 million agents fees as well, naturally nobody was interested. Clubs talked but but it was not until Tottingham came along and said we'll buy him that the new president could talk to anybody.

He said I'll waive the agents €6 million fees, we'll include them in the price so Mr Baldini, who had been sent by Tottingham to speak to the player and the president, talked with the agent of Soldado. The agent said Soldado wants to leave and he wants to come to Spurs so off Mr Baldini went to see the president.

He told the president and that Soldado wanted to move to Tottingham and Soldado also told the president. This pleased the president because he need €14 million to balance his books and some money for new players.

Mr Baldini said I will give you €26 million + €4 million later when Soldado has done some things for us. That includes the agents €6 million so you will get your €30 million. The president however wanted all his money now or 2 payments not over 5 years as Mr Baldini wanted.

The Valencia board were meeting the following day so the president said he will ask them then.

Mr Baldini later said to the president I will pay you €24 million + €2 million extras but no €6 million agents fees.

The president said no, you will pay all the €30 million and how I want it, you can come back to me when you agree to this before 3 August.

Mr Baldini said no I won't and left to go home to Tottingham.

Will president rue his decision, he still has to find €14 million from somewhere and nobody will give in to his demands.

Time will tell.

So boys and girls this all hinges on €6 million agents fees.

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Tottenham vs Sunderland

Tottenham continued their pre-season against Premier league rivals Sunderland in the Asia Trophy for which teams have to qualify each last season, they are not selected on a random basis.

You may think of heat and sun in Hong Kong but the game was delayed by 30 minutes because of torrential rain and reduced to 40 minutes a half. The pitch was muddy with surface water to really give the players a fitness workout. It was like watching a game from the 70's, the ball getting stuck in the water, a heavy pitch, passing a problem, dribbling a problem, more long balls, not really the style we'll be playing this season.

Spurs lined up with Gomes Walker Dawson Caulker Walker Lennon Huddlestone Parker Sigurdsson Dawson Adebayor

Possible first XI players not playing or injured included Lloris, Kaboul, Paulinho (on holiday), Sandro, Dembele (sinus problem), Chadli (not registered in time), Holtby and Bale.

The game in the end was all about improving fitness, there was little that could be done to learn how we are going to play, positional training perhaps, players learning where they need to be on the field but with so many long balls having to be played to keep the ball off the floor, little could be gleaned.

Lennon was showing some good touches and looks to have added to his game, Dawson was like a warrior doing what Dawson does, Adebayor was involved a lot and Walker generally had a good game apart from one mistake.

Sunderland started off the brighter of the two sides with seemingly every attack stopped by Dawson sliding in here, blocking there, before Spurs managed to get into the game. A couple of free kicks came to nothing before Tottenham opened the scoring.

After 28 minutes Huddlestone played the ball wide to Walker who beat his man on the outside and got to the by-line. Sigurdsson was on the end of his pull back 12 yards from goal. He made a good connection, the ball was deflected and into the net past a stranded keeper. It was no more than Tottenham deserved, having control of the game at that point. Huddlestone was pinging passes and Spurs had looked  the side far more likely to score.

Huddlestone who was having a good game but a mistake undid us. His short pass backwards from 30 yards didn't make it to the defender, but instead found Sunderland's new signing Altidore. He pushed the ball square first time for Cabral to run at the vacant heart of our defence before sliding the ball past Gomes into the left hand corner of the net.

Questions to be asked of Rose for not recognising the danger and moving slightly central to cover. The positional side of his game is still the worrying area that he needs to work on. Shortly after a through ball got stuck in the mud otherwise he would have been beaten on the inside this time. Generally Sessengnon was too good for him, which is rather worrying. He doesn't look the answer at left-back and would be an area the opposition target.

On the other side Walker was solid and providing a threat going forward however.

Despite Spurs looking the better side and controlling for periods it was noticeable that Sunderland looked the fitter of the two teams.

The second half started with Spurs bringing on Friedel, Defoe and Vertonghen for Gomes, Caulker and Lennon.

Immediately a long through ball from Parker for a lonely Defoe saw him crowded out by three defenders before he could engineer a shot.

Altidore then missed a sitter from 6 yards after a weak Huddlestone flick to clear the ball. Sigurdsson then attempted a shot at the other end cutting in from the right, where he had replaced Lennon, but it was blocked.

After only 5 minutes Vertonghen was on the floor holding the back of his knee. He jumped in the air and came down heavily, immediately slumping to the ground. A 4 minute delay saw him carried off and Zeki Fryers replaced him in the centre-of defence.

"He might have sprained ligaments in his ankle so we obviously need the MRI to know the full extent of the injury," Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas said afterwards.

"He has some range of movement, which gives us some indication that probably it may not be too long.

"I think because of the range of the movement that he has I think we have the possibility he will be back for the start of the season.

"The choice of the venue is this one and the weather is unpredictable. The pitch is what it is and has always been like this in this trophy. It isn't great but nobody is going to change it for next time.

"Obviously the conditions are extremely poor and the players are vulnerable to this type of situation."

Kyle Walker then tried to be too clever on our own byline trying to play the ball off a Sunderland man but it bounced into play and Altidore's shot went just wide.

Dempsey worked himself a shot which was saved and a quick break saw him lay on a shot for Adebayor whose effort was palmed over for a corner. Adebayor had another blocked shot before a minute later it broke for him again for a left footed shot from outside the box which went well wide.

A long range Walker shot produced another corner from which Adebayor couldn't quite get a head to it. He had a lively game and changed positions for each half, in the first leading the line and in the second in the number 10 role.

Huddlestone was continuing to ping the ball about and a cross field ball to Rose saw the left-back put in a good cross which Defoe controlled before shooting on the turn quickly, only for the Sunderland keeper to save again.

Another quick break saw Adebayor put in Defoe who was offside by a good yard this time but the keeper got there first anyway.

Sunderland then worked themselves a corner from which Wes Brown exposed last seasons deficiency in the air. He had a free header which he made no mistake with planting it into the net, taking them 2-1 up. Poor marking from Zeki Fryers who let his man get in front of him. Had we had someone on the post it would have been cleared but we didn't.

Eight minutes later Carroll came on for Huddlestone and Townsend for Dempsey.

Friedel made a fine save from Altidore and An excellent save from Wickham. Townsend, from a Sunderland corner, made a mistake on the edge of the box thinking he could run it out only to present Sunderland with another shooting opportunity which Friedel again had to save.

Late on in the game an overhead flick by Sessegnon saw Danny Rose standing still to let Karlsson through inside him to put the ball past Friedel. 3-1 Sunderland and a scoreline that didn't reflect the game.

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Valencia stand firm over Soldado - no negotiations today

The Valencia president Amadeo Salvo, has been speaking to the local media about the negotiations for the proposed transfer of Roberto Soldado to Tottenham, which have broken down over the fee.

Salvo is insisting on €30 million (£25.76m) in two payments with no add-ons, either €15 million (£12.89m) up front + €15 million later or €20 million (£17.18m) now + €10 million (£8.59m).

At the moment Spurs are not happy with that having offered €26 million (£22.33m) and add-ons, which they changed late in the day, no figures but apparently reduced the up front fee and increased the add-ons.

As with many transfers negotiations there is a lot of posturing and this smacks of hard ball negotiating. Salvo has also publicly stated he won't sell for under €30 million so he has backed himself into a corner with the fans.

Things are further complicated by the fact that Valencia have just signed striker Kevin Gameiro from PSG on a 5 year contract. Also to take into consideration is that Valencia are in need of €14 million (£12.03m) to balance their budget. the rest available to buy replacements so the extra  €4 million seems to be a big deal for them.

Some websites are reporting that negotiation will or have resumed today between the two clubs but that is not the case. Unless Spurs come up with the €30 million, the transfer will not happen, that is the firm message from local journalists. There are unconfirmed reports that Baldini has in fact left Valencia.

Salvo has been speaking to the local media today.

"Valencia never wanted to sell Soldado. Either the clause is paid or he stays.

"Soldado was never for sale. For us it is fundamental. If he leaves it is because of the contract and the players' wants.

"There is no negotiation. We never had any intention of selling Soldado.

"Soldado brought an offer and that means he wants to leave.

"We sat down with Baldini and listened to his offer, but we repeated the same message.

"Soldado is a very important player for us. There is no reason that this should damage his reputation.

"Until the 3rd of August we are willing to listen. After that we will hear no one.

"The negotiations for Soldado is a topic exclusively about non-compliance of the contract and the players' desires."

So basically he is saying Valencia are happy to sell at the right price, Soldado has made it clear he wants to leave, we have negotiated with Tottenham but we are not negotiating now.

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Bale injured, Rose to stay at Spurs

Andre Villas-Boas has spoken in Hong Kong ahead of tomorrows game against Sunderland in the Asia Trophy and confirmed that Sunderland target Danny Rose, will stay at Tottenham Hotspur next season.

“Danny has had an excellent season. He’s one of the players that we all want for our future,” Villas-Boas said.

“It was one of those occasions where it’s all worked out extremely well for him and he will definitely be part of our squad this season.

“Credit to him for making it work. This year he’ll want to be involved with Tottenham and hopefully he’ll have a big future ahead of him.”

Villas-Boas also announced that Gareth Bale is still recovering from the injury he picked up in training before the 0-0 draw against Colchester which both he ans Aaron Lennon sat out.

“On Gareth I want to repeat what I was telling you last season and what I was telling you from the beginning of pre-season so I cannot extend myself,” he said.

“He’s a player that we are willing to continue to have, he’s a Tottenham player, he’s one of the most fantastic players in the world at the moment and we are counting on him for the future.

“Unfortunately against Sunderland (tomorrow) he won’t be fit to play, he’s recovering from a knock he had in training so we expect him hopefully to have some involvement in the second game.”

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Soldado wage agreed £58,000 a week

Just a few more snippets from the story we broke last night over the Valencia board meeting to discuss the Spurs bid for Soldado, who looks to have chosen Spurs over Liverpool. The story for anyone who missed it:

Soldado - Valencia board to discuss Spurs offer tomorrow

Over the Spanish radio and the Spanish press today is the news we brought you last night, that formal negotiations were taking place and our offer would be discussed by Valencia at a board meeting today at noon. The board meeting had already been arranged so our offer was added to the agenda.

There have been reports of Liverpool making an offer and Spurs trumping it. At this time for Valencia and Soldado, Spurs is the probably destination.

Additional reports say our Technical Director Franco Baldini and Alberto Toldra, the players agent, (pictured meeting  right) agreed a wage of £3 million (€3.5m) a year which equates to £57,789 a week. There will of course be bonuses to take the figure higher depending upon the club and his performances.

Spanish paper AS report today that Soldado 'will almost certainly be a Tottenham player as of Tuesday' with a deal 'on the point of being finalised.'

Valencia president, Amadeo Salvo  said: "The two clubs have spoken and Valencia made it clear that they wanted 30 million euros. Tottenham's mission is to get the player as cheaply as possible, while ours is to receive 30 million [euros]. There's not much room for manoeuvre. For a deal to take place two things have to happen: the player has to want to go and they [Spurs] need to pay what Valencia demand. The board will study the situation."

The deal hinges on the add-ons apparently which Valencia want guaranteed so it meets their €30 million (£25.76m) figure. We have offered £22.33 million (€26m) plus add-ons to take it the £25.76 million (€30m) that Salvo wants.

The local press have a very good working relationship with the club and are informed of what goes on quickly, hence news on Soldado comes out fast, as it did last night.

Tottenham are currently in Honk Kong where Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed that Spurs are interest in Soldado, but took a slightly different view over negotiations than the Spanish press, playing it low key.

"At the moment, he's just one of the players we are interested in," said Villas-Boas at a press conference in Hong Kong.

"It's not a lie to anybody that we've been looking for a striker to strengthen our squad and to have more strength in depth.

"Roberto is one of the players we have been following and his career speaks for itself. He's a great striker.

"But there isn't a deal being struck at the moment, it's just interest and conversations."

Not quite what the Valencia president says, nor the local press. The fact that Baldini was out there shows this is no idle gossip and that a genuine attempt is being made to secure his services.

We await the result of their board meeting. It may mean further discussion and trying to reach an agreement over the add-ons though. Amadeo Salvo is in the same mold as Daniel Levy, he's a tough negotiator.

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Soldado - Valencia board to discuss Spurs offer tomorrow

Tottenham have made their push for Soldado to lead the line next season. Franco Baldini was in Valencia today meeting his agent and Valencia to put our offer to them.

The local press had pictures of Baldini and Toldra, Soldado's agent, arriving for their meeting at the Melia Valencia Palacio de Congresos, earlier today.

They confirm the two have met and spoken, that Soldado wants to leave and that Baldini is now meeting Valencia president Amadeo Salvo. Local reporters are saying an unofficial bid has been accepted and now they are in formal negotiations. If the deal can be officially agreed it will break our transfer record, a local reporter suggesting the figure offered is £22.33 million (€26m) plus add-ons. 

The local paper initially reported it as being close to the buy out clause figure of £25.76 million (€30m). 

Spurs went in for the player last summer and Soldado indicated then that he was interested but it didn't happen.

There can be no doubt Spurs are trying to get their man but Liverpool are also very interested. Nothing has been concluded, negotiations continued and now it's up to Valencia.

The Valencia board are believed to be meeting at noon tomorrow to discuss the bid.

Their initial report earlier today before negotiations: Valencia Report 

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AVB, Chadli, Dawson, Bale, Soldado, Parker & Tottenham Foundation

AVB - Chadli and transfers.

"We will continue to do our market and we have not stopped yet, for sure.

"Chadli’s a player we’ve been following for quite some time and we managed to strike a deal in the last few days.

"He’s a player who is extremely versatile and can play in several positions up front.


"We look forward to having him on board with us."

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Reports in Spain say Franco Baldini was meeting with Alberto Toldra, Roberto Soldado's agent, today.

- - - - - - - - - 

Michael Dawson has been speaking to Sky Sports about Gareth Bale.

"All you can do is concentrate individually as a team. Gaz is a Tottenham player and the manager has come out and said he's staying, and that's great news.

"To do what Gaz did last year was sensational, with some of the goals he scored and the points he won for us. He helped us to get to 72 points and I'm sure he'll be doing that again next year.

"Gaz is a great lad, he keeps his head down and the way he has been playing, he is going to have speculation. His performances in recent years have been brilliant and that's what happens.

"He'll concentrate and do what he does for Tottenham, and hopefully keep scoring goals."

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West Ham co-owner David Sullivan admits the club would love to bring Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker back to the club.

Sullivan said on Twitter he "would love to have Scott Parker back if there is room on the wage bill".

"We need goalscorers not defenders".

"We are happy with the rest of the team all we need now is pace and goals."

The players have got to be quick enough to catch up with the balls they hoof up field to Andy Carroll in traditional Sam Allardyce style.

The new West Ham style - hoof it and see. Bobby Moore would be proud. Whatever happened to the West Ham academy.

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The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and the National Literacy Trust’s Premier League Reading Stars programme joined forces to take more than 180 lucky school children on a stadium tour of White Hart Lane as part of a campaign to encourage children to read.

The pupils, aged between nine and 13, had two storytelling sessions with two children’s authors, Bali Rai and Dan Freedman, who have both written children’s series on football.

Freedman said: "Premier League Reading brings football and reading together and as the author of the Jamie Johnson series it's a real privilege to be involved in today’s event at Tottenham Hotspur.

"I grew up in East Finchley and went to watch my first ever game of football with my dad at White Hart Lane when I was three years old.

"To come back and chat with local school kids about football stories will be just about perfect."

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David Ginola Interview

The David Ginola interview.

"He [Bale] knows the team really well, he can rely on the players and the players rely on him.

"He's got importance and I think he likes to be important in the club. If he signed for a club abroad like Real Madrid, or if he goes to Manchester United, he's going to have to work everything up again. It's a big challenge.

"In the future, because the money on the table is so big, for [Spurs chairman] Daniel Levy, it's going to be complicated; £60 million (€69.72m) or £70 million (€81.34m) on the table for one player, sometimes you don't think twice, you take the money.

"I think we French can travel around Europe playing in different countries in an easy way, but you don't see many British players abroad. You have to start all over again, different language, different traditions, different way of life, different everything.

"For Gareth, for example, going to play in Spain, it's a bit too early. At Spurs he gets all the ball and all the expectation is on him - if you sign for Real, with players like [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Karim] Benzema, [Gonzalo] Higuain … it's a different world.

"Some players can cope, some can't. It's a question of how you feel mentally - are you prepared to face those issues in your career, and Gareth doesn't have any of those issues at Spurs."

"This is so important. If you want to be part of the best teams in the world or at least in Europe you need to secure a place in it every year.

"They've been unfortunate in the past two years, Chelsea winning the Champions League two years ago to take their place, and last year Arsenal were just above them. Hopefully this season they're going to different, but it will be a big challenge.

"What he's done at Everton shows everyone - first of all Alex Ferguson - that he's the right person for the job.

"[But Ferguson] is probably the most iconic manager in the world … [Moyes] has to show everyone he has the talent and ability, and the shoulders to cope with the pressure; being a manager at Manchester United is not the same as Everton. He's got everything, now he's got to show everyone that it was the right decision."

There are rumours ginola's former club, Paris Saint-Germain, are interested in making him their next director of football when the position becomes vacant next month.

"How do you know that?" he asks. "At the moment, it's just rumours … [but] there's no smoke without fire, so like the English say, 'Wait and see!'

"They just bought [Edinson] Cavani on a five-year deal for €60 million (£51.34m), Monaco bought [Radamel] Falcao for €60 million (£51.34m), too … in France it's a different world.

"We're now talking the same language [as England] in terms of money and now it's amazing the amount being paid."

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Spurs dodge Benteke bullet

Spurs may have dodged a bullet when Christian Benteke signed a new 'double your money,' contract if reports of the figures are correct, with Aston Villa.

Nobody denies he may go on to be an excellent goalscorer over time but he divides opinion, for many the jury is still out.

His only season in the Premier League produced 16 goals from open play, we discount the 3 penalties as they are handed on a plate to anyone who wants to take them and you don't pay £25 million for someone to take a spot kick.

Now we have to be a little careful with games because Defoe for instance came on for 1 minute in the League Cup and that counts as a game which distorts figures, (as do penalties) as well as having to get up with the speed of a game and work yourself into it.

Games started is always a key figure or we could consider playing minutes so I'll throw them in and you can pluck out the statistics that support your viewpoint.

Christian Benteke
19 in 34 league games (but 3 penalties and only 2 as sub) - 55.88% (inc pen figure)
23 in 39 club games (3 pens, 2 sub) - 58.97% (from open play 51.28%)
16 (open play) in 32 league games started - 50%
Scored in 15 different league games
176 minutes per league goal (from open play)
Played 2,819 league minutes
Played 3,299 Aston Villa club minutes

Jermain Defoe
11 in 34 league games (but 7 as sub) - 32.35%
15 in 43 club games (9 as sub) - 34.88
10 in 27 league games started - 37%
Scored in 8 different league games
240 minutes per league goal
Played 2,409 league minutes
Played 3,204 Spurs club minutes

Which ever way you want to look at it he stacks up well against Defoe whose value is about 28% of that of Benteke (£7m as opposed to £25m).

Remember a certain Nikica Jelavić (Everton)? Many fans were wanting us to buy him last summer but I don't hear to many suggesting it now. Let's have a look at his record for the season 2011/12 season he arrived at the end of the January transfer window.

Nikica Jelavić 2011/12
9 in 10 league games (1 pen, 3 as sub) - 90%
11 in 13 club games (3 as sub) - 84.62%
8 (open play) in 6 league games started - 133.33%
Scored in 6 different league games
106 minutes per league goal
Played 954 league minutes -
Played 1,220 Everton club minutes

Very impressive statistics that blow Benteke out the water. Spurs fans calling for his signing, but what happened next?

Nikica Jelavić 2012/13
7 in 37 games (11 as sub) - 18.92% - he got taken off 13 times
8 in 43 club games (12 as sub) - 18.6%
5 in 26 league games started - 19.23%
Scored in 6 different league games
347 minutes per league goal
Played 2,428 league minutes
Played 2,881 Everton club minutes

Yes not quite so impressive, not worth the £15 million price tag rumored at the time. In fact he was dreadful, he couldn't even get in the squad sometimes and rumours were Everton were trying to loan him to a Championship club.

Now that won't be happening to Benteke I'm sure, but it does highlight paying vast sums of money for a striker who has only done it once at the top level is a financial gamble, nobody would have expected Jelavić to flop, but he did. It's fine to gamble if you are a rich club, but Spurs are not, they are run soundly and transfer business mustn't put that at risk.

Benteke may well bang in the goals next season but there is no guarantee. Paying £25 million for a gamble is over the top for his achievements to date, £15 million would perhaps be more the mark.

He has undoubted potential but you can't get away from the fact that when it mattered to get his side to a cup final, he bottled it. He missed sitter after sitter after sitter in both legs and against Arsenal he couldn't control the ball or pass to his own side. He made Adebayor look like a world beater. His all round game needs a lot of work.

Adebayor was brilliant in his first season for us but then as we were told he would by Arsenal fans, he dried up when he'd signed a contract and got his money secured. Benteke moves from club to club and again seems money motivated. His agent has worked Villa well to double his wages, they'll have the same problem next season when he'll want more money.

If he bangs in the goals next season then yes he'll be worth £25 million then but you also have to look around and say which strikers can we buy for the same money. There are always plenty to choose from.

The possibles we have looked at arguably in order, some dismissed, some tried for:
Leandro Damiao - can't sort a deal
David Villa - went to Athletico Madrid (Spain)
Hulk - can't afford, loan deal offered not taken up
Gonzalo Higuain - cost too much
Robert Soldado - still negotiating
Gerard Deulofeu - went to Everton on loan
Alvaro Negrado - going to Man City
Heung-Min Son - went to Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Germany)
Christian Benitez - went to El-Jaish (Qatar)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - went to Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Christian Benteke - Aston Villa

I'd have been happy Benteke had signed but not at the figures Aston Villa were expecting. Roberto Soldado or a striker of that proven quality for the same money makes far more sense.

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Shaq Coulthirst makes Spurs debut

Andre Villas-Boas handed youngsters Shaq Coulthirst, Laste Dombaxe, Nabil Bentaleb and Zeki Fryers some 1st XI game time in the second half in last night's 0-0 draw with Colchester.

It was also a chance for Danny Rose, Yago Falque and Ton Carroll, who were able to get 90 minutes under their belts to show what they could do again. Andros Townsend had 63 minutes whilst back from the Under 20 World Cup Harry Kane had 45 minutes. He was unlucky not to score when he hit the base of the post against the League One side but alas it wasn't to be.

Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon missed the game, but only as a precaution after picking up minor knocks in training so they sat it out.

Unfortunately worthwhile reports on the game are few and far between, certainly in respect of how the youngsters and especially Coulthirst on his debut, got on. If one of our fans there last night was at the game do let us know in the comments section.

The attendance in a full stadium was 9,988 and of those 3,463 were Tottenham supporters.

What did we do? 
Well Adebayor fired well wide from the edge of the box and put a header over, Townsend had 2 shots saved, Kane had a shot saved and hit the post, Defoe fired over and wide, before getting on target to be saved, Dombaxe has a shot saved, Falque had one saved was about it.

Not great in the first half improved in the second half.

Andre comments:
 "Our football really evolved in the second half, we created lots of chances again and in the end, generally, we have to be pleased. The players have been excellent in training. Now we go up a level in opposition in Hong Kong and that gives them extra motivation."
"Zeki did well as a central defender and Shaq showed tactical discipline. Laste also did well and all of these minutes with the first team are important for their confidence.

AVB to the official club website:
“I’m extremely happy bearing in mind the physical effort, the jump of quality from the first half to the second half – the opposite from the game against Swindon – and overall, a good performance,” said Andre.
"Our football really evolved in the second half, we created lots of chances again and in the end, generally, we have to be pleased.
“We have to talk about the killer instinct in the box to finish the game, that’s important, but the goalkeepers have been excellent against us, so we have to give them credit as well.
“The players haven’t stopped training and they have been excellent in their work. Now we go up a level in opposition in Hong Kong and that gives them extra motivation. At the moment, I’m extremely happy with how it’s going.”

The Match from Twitter
Townsend tests Walker twice in as many minutes - two rasping drives turned away by the keeper. 0-0, 16mins.
18 mins gone at Colchester - 0-0 - Townsend has twice tested Walker, who responded with two fine saves. Watt hit post early for U's.
Another superb save from Walker, this time tipping over from Falque. Still 0-0, 30mins gone at Colchester.
40 mins gone at Colchester, still 0-0, Falque forced another fine save from Walker (30m), Sears just wide from 25 yards (37m).
HT at Colchester, 0-0, Falque forced another fine save from Walker (30mins), Sears just wide from 25 yards (37 mins).
Second half team - Lloris; Naughton, Caulker, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto; Carroll, Huddlestone, Parker; Townsend, Defoe, Kane.
60m update - Townsend close twice (48m, 59), Walker fine save 1on1 from Kane (57), Lloris down to his right to deny Sears (53). Still 0-0.
Our subs - Fryers, Bentaleb, Dombaxe on for Dawson, Carroll, Huddlestone (60m), Coulthirst for Townsend (63). Still 0-0.
Updates - Defoe drilled just wide from 25 yards (74m), then Kane struck the inside of the post (75m). 0-0.
Update - Defoe in from left, piledriver saved by Cousins (80m), Cousins right behind Naughton's strike (87). Still 0-0.
FT at Colchester and it's finished Colchester 0-0 Spurs.

Players Twitter comments
andros townsend ‏@andros_townsend
Good to get another 60 odd minutes tonight! Shame we cudnt get the win but itll come! Fans were great again as usual #coys

Shaq Coulthirst ‏@ShaqCoulthirst
Happy To Have Made My Senior Debut Today Against Colchester...#COYS #THFC

William Troost-Ekong ‏@WilliamEkong
congrats @ShaqCoulthirst & @LawrenceV93 tonight

Zeki Fryers ‏@edf92
Great to come on and get some game time against Colchester!

And Some Good News
Sandro Raniere ‏@sandroraniere 19 Jul
I'll be back very soon. Wait!!!!

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