Done Deal?

Has Daniel Levy agreed to sign Wickham?

The news on everyone's lips at the moment is that Daniel Levy has done a deal with Marcus Evans (the Ipswich owner and Chairman) to bring the highly talked about youngster, Connor Wickham to Spurs in the January 2011 transfer window.

Obviously, the club haven't announced anything and aren't likely to any time soon, but the media have jumped on this bandwagon and it's gathering pace.

Some of you know what I think about this lad and my disgust at us taking him away from his football education. I mention the word "disgust" only if the plan is to sign him and loan him to another side, or keep him on the bench.

I'll put on my patriotic hat on for the moment and talk about the England national side. We all know what a mess that squad is in. There aren't many players coming through and if Wickham is a possible future England star, I would prefer him to remain at his club for the time being. I know that many of you couldn't care less about England, but it has come to the point where something needs to be done.

If we do sign him and loan him back to Ipswich, well, that wouldn't be too bad, would it?

News of this possible transfer first came out in the summer and we published the article that it just wasn't right to 1.) spend the reported £10 million on him and 2.) take him away from first-team action and have him try to get into the Tottenham eleven.

The pundits on several podcasts seem to think that Connor Wickham could make it at Premier League level already. I haven't seen him play and so can't make that kind of judgement.

Whatever happens, it will be interesting to see the reaction from Ipswich Town FC on this matter, for it looked as though they did enough to keep him during the summer, preferring to sell Jon Walters to Stoke for £2.75 million instead.

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Tottenham players at the centre of England future?

There has been a lot of talk since England’s World Cup exit about the future of the national team. Fabio Capello is staying on as manager, so it is the playing staff where things need to change or at least be freshened up somewhat.

This could be where Tottenham come in. There are several English players at the club that could force their way into Fabio Capello’s reckoning in the next couple of years. Who am I talking about? Take a look below.

Michael Dawson
Having had a superb season for Spurs, Dawson only got on the plane following Rio Ferdinand’s injury and this wasn’t on. He should have been ahead of Jamie Carragher, Ledley King and Matthew Upson.

It could turn out in his favour that he wasn’t involved in the shambles of England’s 2010 World Cup though. Now he should become first choice England centre back and show everyone why Tottenham have the best central defender in the country.

If Fabio has learned anything, it should be that you don't cross John Terry and then expect him to perform for you. I can see Dawson starting for England when we face Hungary in the ludicrous friendly that's set to take place a few days prior to the Premier League kicking-off.

Tom Huddlestone
The Tottenham midfielder must now overtake Michael Carrick in the England pecking order and start to push Gareth Barry – who was awful in South Africa (didn't it look like he was wearing stilettos when trying to catch Ozil?) – for his place. Hopefully he'll be in the starting eleven come Euro 2012.

Aaron Lennon
For whatever reason, he wasn’t at his best under Capello this summer and I personally think he was one of the main players to suffer from the fear factor. Let him loose Fabio, tell him of his worth and you'll unleash the best right winger England have, torturing defences for the next few years.

Jermain Defoe
As he rightly put it, Defoe should have started each of England’s games. He is a goal scorer and England don’t have them in abundance at the moment. Give him a run of games in the international side and by the time 2012 comes around, he will be an automatic choice for a starting role.

The Rest
The above four are the main players that, in my opinion, should be heavily involved in the England team pretty much straight away. Slightly further down the line though, Spurs have some young English players that could, if given the chance, make a serious impact.

These include Kyle Naughton, Kyle Walker, Jamie O’Hara and Danny Rose. All of whom have massive potential. Basically, if Tottenham are successful over the next four years, you can certainly bank on England having some excellent young players to choose from White Hart Lane.

Elsewhere, it is time to place your 2010 world cup semi final bet, so who do you fancy? Personally I think Germany and Holland will reach the final and then, World Cup final betting tells me England will have been knocked out by the eventual winners!

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England Shambles

What more is there to say other than we were pants?

Rooney; rubbish, but also undroppable. Gerrard; wasted on the left. Lampard; ? Terry & Upson; I am actually faster than either of them.

Need I go on?

Oh and before I go, forget the non-Lampard-goal. England made Germany look like worldbeaters. End of.

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The Passion of Capello

For those of you that thought England's manager lacked passion, or simply wasn't too interested, take a look at the below video.

Source: COYS

The bit with Stuart Pearce (you'll know the one after you've seen it) is hilarious!

Come on England. If we ever believed, then now is the time.

THBN Prediction: England 1-0 Germany.
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Knock-out stage could start early for England

England face a winner-takes-all clash with Slovenia in Group C on Wednesday.
The knock-out stages might be a week away, but England face a do-or-die date this week and Fabio Capello says it's one of the biggest game of his distinguished career.

After two draws against the USA and Algeria, England must win in Port Elizabeth against the World Cup's smallest nation, Slovenia to make it through to the last 16 and keep England World Cup odds to win alive.

Despite two below-par performances Fabio Capello's men are the overwhelming favourites to win the game at odds of 4/9. Capello is set to make changes to his side after the Cape Town debacle against Algeria - one of which is enforced with Jamie Carragher suspended.

Matthew Upson will replace Carragher and become John Terry's third central defensive partner in three group games. I still would have Dawson in there ahead of the guy that was a member of the team that nearly got West Ham relegated. The duo have played together plenty of times in qualifying and will be confident of keeping Slovenia quiet. Going forward England certainly haven't clicked into gear and Slovenia are sure to try and stifle Capello's men with a five-man midfield.

Whether the Three Lions match up to Slovenia in midfield and play Wayne Rooney on his own is debatable, but another area Capello will be keen to improve on is set-pieces.

England have failed to trouble their opponents from corners and set-pieces so far and it might be worth punting on Terry (who I think should have been on the same plane as Anelka) (22/1) and Upson (40/1) to get it right on Wednesday.

Both are expected to get forward for dead-ball situations and one of the towering centre-backs might prove to be the key to unlock the Slovenian defence.

Meanwhile, now is also a good time to get some money on the Italy and Spain World Cup odds to win. Both have made slow starts, so now is the time to back them!

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Which of the Six Spurs Stars Will make Capello’s Final Cut?

The news that six of our stars from the past season, Ledley King, Tom Huddlestone, Aaron Lennon, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe and, at long last, Michael Dawson made Fabio Capello’s provisional 30 man England squad for this summer’s World Cup finals in South Africa reflects well on the club in what has been an outstanding season.

England’s chances are reckoned to be good too. Betting exchange trading over the past few months has seen England emerge as clear third favourites behind Spain and Brazil and there is little doubt, barring another injury to one of our key players, England will take a strong 23 man squad on the plane down to South Africa in a few weeks time.

However will all six Spurs stars make the final cut? Let’s examine their chances...

Ledley King - Fabio Capello watched a few critical Tottenham games over the last few weeks of the season and he cannot have failed to have been impressed by King. Imperious as ever and with his knees standing up to the rigours of 3 games in 10 days, King is now a nailed on certainty to travel. Behind Terry and Ferdinand, he remains England’s firm third choice centre back and King’s form has been better than both Terry’s and Ferdinand’s for most of the season. So long as his knee holds out, King will easily make the squad and if Ferdinand and Terry’s form doesn’t improve, I would not be too surprised to see him make the team, especially after his performance against Mexico.

Michael Dawson - It seems like Fabio Capello may take four centre backs with him to South Africa and with Terry, Ferdinand and King all seemingly certain to go, Dawson faces a tussle with Jamie Carragher and Matthew Upson for the final slot. Form wise, Dawson’s the obvious pick. He has had a great season, especially when compared to Carragher and Upson. The downside is his lack of England experience. Carragher could well go due to his versatility (interestingly, Capello has no obvious right back cover for Glen Johnson) and if Carragher goes as Johnson’s back up, a spot could well open up for Dawson.

Aaron Lennon - I feel confident in asserting that Aaron Lennon is a nailed on certainty to travel to South Africa this summer. Even given his injury problems in 2010, Lennon has been the most productive right sided player for England over the past 18 months or so. Walcott and Wright-Phillips have had their chance but have not taken it as well as Aaron has. His return to fitness comes at an ideal time for Capello and it would be a huge shock, not to mention a terrible mistake, if Capello overlooked the winger.

Tom Huddlestone - Midfield is the area of the England team where places are perhaps up for grabs. Barry, Gerrard, Lennon and Lampard are certainties to go barring injury and it seems likely that James Milner, due to his versatility and performances this season, will earn a place. That does leave however 2-3 places up for grabs. Huddlestone faces direct competition from Scott Parker and Michael Carrick for a spot in the squad and much will depend on Barry’s fitness. If the Man City man doesn’t make it, Huddlestone’s chances of making the plane increase hugely as he is Barry’s most natural replacement ahead of the somewhat one dimensional Carrick, however if Barry makes the team, Tom may just miss out this time around. Also, how bad was Carrick against Mexico? What has happened to the lad?

Peter Crouch - Crouchy is guaranteed a seat on the plane barring injury. Quite simply, his goalscoring record for England is second only to Wayne Rooney in the current squad and he actually has a better goalscoring ratio for England than the United man. Heskey will make the squad because he is the ‘battering ram’ striker Capello favours to bring the best from Rooney, but he isn’t going to score you goals. Crouch is the only other option to Heskey and is a far better player technically and has a far superior goalscoring record. Quite simply, Crouch is a certainty to go and he can bring a few tubes of Pringles with him!

Jermain Defoe - Surely Defoe won't miss out on another World Cup at the last minute? My real concerns are that he may. Defoe’s chances increase greatly if Capello takes five strikers, but if the Italian opts for four, as seems likely, and with Rooney, Crouch and Heskey certainties, then it is a straight tussle between Defoe and Bent for the final spot on the plane. Defoe has the shirt at the moment thanks mainly to his England form over the past 12 months or so, but Bent is in form. A couple of goals in the forthcoming friendlies should cement Defoe’s place in the squad, but if Bent takes his chances instead, I really feel Jermain could miss out. However Defoe is made of stronger stuff these days, he has already seen off the challenges of the likes of Man Utd misfit Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Roman Pavlyuchenko to earn his starting place in the Tottenham first team, I’m sure he will do the same over the next two games with England.

Capello’s Final 23 : A Prediction:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green

Defenders: Glen Johnson, Jamie Carragher, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines

Midfielders: Aaron Lennon, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry (if not fit: Tom Huddlestone), James Milner, Theo Walcott, Adam Johnson, Joe Cole

Forwards: Peter Crouch, Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey, Jermain Defoe




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Capello's vote of no-confidence

Fabio Capello has started to surprise people. The ill-advised dabble into entrepreneurship through his Capello Index brought back memories of the Sven Goran Eriksson years, but it was his seemingly sudden shift in selection policy that raised more eyebrows.

Capello has always stressed the importance of fitness and form over status and past performances, but he has abandoned that approach in recent weeks. The recruitment of Jamie Carragher and the failed wooing of Paul Scholes have tarnished the manager's reputation for giving the most deserving candidates a chance, regardless of other factors.

Forget the Capello Index, the begging of retired players to return will do more damage to team morale. The established pecking order has been thrown out, with performances during the qualification campaign ignored in the hunt for experience. It says little for Capello's faith in the in-form younger options.

Carragher and Scholes have had moderate club seasons and should have been left as ex-internationals. It will be scandalous if the superior Michael Dawson or Ledley King misses out on the final squad because of Carragher's return. The World Cup betting makes England third favourites for the tournament, and they will need a strong backline if they are to live up to expectations.

The fans might not be too impressed either. Carragher was rightly criticised for the manner of his retirement and the prolonged sulk shows his indifferent attitude to the national shirt.

The initial inclusion Joe Cole and Gareth Barry is understandable, as they are amongst the best options in their respective positions. However, anyone who has placed an England World Cup bet will be horrified if players who are clearly lacking fitness are taken to South Africa.

Capello has plenty of good will to draw on, but we might look back on recent weeks as the period that Capello started to lose support from players, fans and media.

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Disgrace!

So far this morning, all I've been reading, listening to and viewing on TV, is that Liverpool's Jamie Carragher has been asked back into England contention by Fabio Capello.

Hold on a sec; am I missing something here? Isn't this the guy that said himself in an interview that he wanted to retire from the England scene because he would rather spend more time with his family than warming the England bench?

This season, Capello has thus far dismissed Michael Dawson. Why? You'd have to ask him. Instead of going by his own rules, he decides to bring back a player that has said that he'd rather lay on his couch than sit on the England bench.

Talking about Capello's rules; the one that springs to mind is where he specifically said that unless a player is playing regularly and in form, he would not be picked to join the England squad.

Call me biased, but Michael Dawson has done more than enough to warrant a place in the final 23 man squad. What has Jamie Carragher done? In my opinion, he's gone backwards. We all saw that his legs had gone in the first game of the season when we beat them convincingly 2-1. Since then, he's helped his team to a possible 6th position in the Premier League. We're talking about Liverpool by the way; he's helped Liverpool to a possible 6th position finish.

Dawson has worked his socks off and helped Tottenham Hotspur to a possible 3rd place finish.

Oh, and don't get me started on about Emile Heskey. Fabio, why even tell the media what your selection policy was, if you yourself can't stick to it?

Of course, Capello could decide to take both; but that's not why I am ranting on. Instead of assuring Michael Dawson of a place, he's assured Carragher of a place in the final 23 man squad, if we are to believe reports.

Absolute disgrace!

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David Beckham vs. Aaron Lennon

Groin for concern

I read Rob Smyth's article about putting things into perspective and to be honest with you, I couldn't agree more with Smythee.

Fair enough, the fact that Beck's will miss the World Cup and could never play again, is of course, terrible. But for the life of me, I can't fathom why the English media haven't made more of Aaron Lennon's injury, which could, in effect, also rule him out of the final 23-man squad that Capello will pick?

Let's not beat around the bush on this one, Lennon has made the right wing his. He is a better winger than both Shaun Wright-Phillips and Theo Walcott. I'm not saying that based on my Spurs bias. The facts speak for themselves. He not only has the pace, but has an awareness about him, not to mention that his crossing has improved massively.

Harry Redknapp on the weekend, said that he doesn't even know when Lennon will be back. Surely that should be setting the alarm bells off in Fabio Capello's head? If Beck's was going to go to the World Cup, I very much doubt he would have had a large influence on the pitch. Rather, he would have been utilised as an inspiration for the rest of the players. No matter what you think of the lad, David has the respect of most of the England players, if not all of them.

If reports are right about him mulling over whether or not he should fly out with the team, even though he won't be playing, then I think he'd better realise and realise fast, that being an England mascot was his original role.

Anyway, I wish a speedy recovery to David Beckham and to Aaron Lennon.

COYS!!!





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