New White Hart Lane Approved!

Approved!

Well, that was one of the most boring web meetings I've ever sat through and it was all for you!

After 3+ hours of faffing around, Haringey council finally gave a unanimous decision in favour of the Northumberland project going ahead.

Over to you Boris.

There were some council members worried that Tottenham Hotspur simply wanted to build a supermarket. It had to be explained to them that the club had spent just over 5 years and £10 million in reaching this far, therefore, to propose such a thing would be plain silly.

The Spurs spokesman was also asked to comment on the rumour that we had tabled a bid for the Olympic Stadium. This was met with a firm "I am unable to comment on that" remark. Mind games eh, and I only thought football managers used them.

We should be given the final approval within a two to three week period.

What team does Boris support?

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Real Madrid target Bale

Gareth Bale's electric start to the season hasn't gone unnoticed by some of Europe's biggest teams. Reports in Spain claim Real Madrid are looking to move for the Welshman when the January transfer window opens. Bale, has been used mainly as a winger by Harry Redknapp this season but it looks as though Jose Mourinho wants to sign the Welshman as a left-back.

Madrid narrowly missed out on Aleksandar Kolarov who opted to join Manchester City and have been left short in that department. Although I am sure Gareth Bale would be obviously flattered by the interest, Spurs would be highly unlikely to sell possibly our best player.

Bale has recently signed a new long term deal at White Hart Lane, committing himself to the club until 2014. His start to this season has seen him look like a world-class winger and he's got an eye for goal to. Remember that strike against Stoke?



His other man of the match performance came in the Champions League qualifier against Swiss side Young Boys. Bale had a hand in all four of Tottenham's goals as we went on to reach the group stages. The Spurs betting suggests that we have an decent chance of progressing in the tournament and Bale will no doubt be a vital part of any success.

It has been a dramatic change in fortunes for the players who signed for the club from Southampton as a 17-year-old. It took nearly two years and 24 games for Bale to finish on the winning Spurs side in a league match.

Of course, that was a statistic that couldn't really be blamed on him and he has now developed into the quality winger we see before us today. Bale has a delicious delivery from the left flank and is also deadly when it come to set pieces. He has enough pace to cause oppositions full-backs no end of problems. If Redknapp can keep Bale on track, we will have an excellent player and Spurs will be a consistent challenger for silverware.

However, all Spurs players will need to be at their very best as they head into a tough week. Although the Aston Villa betting suggests Tottenham will pick up three points next Saturday, we will have to do so after a midweek Champion's League game.

Should it make it easier for us just because we are facing the underdogs of our group? No, I don't think so. FC Twente drew 2-2 with Inter Milan and showed that they can compete. Bale and the rest of the lads will have to dig deep if we are to win both matches.

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Harry Confirms Possible Signing

Harry Redknapp has confirmed that we are in the process of signing South Africa international defender Bongani Khumalo.

"We're in the process of doing a deal. We had him over on trial and we like him. He has potential. We've got a tie up with SuperSport, so we've taken him. It will be a great chance for the kid. He's a great lad. He comes from a poor background and he's desperate for a chance and we're going to give him a chance."

Harry has always said that he will only sign a player if he can bring something new to the squad. From what I've heard in relation to Khumalo, the lad is extremely powerful, but can also run a bit to.

I can't remember the last time a trial worked out for both club and player, other than the Eric Cantona case with Leeds, and that turned out to be okay. I am a firm believer in player trials. The management team can assess the players skill, but more importantly, his mental strength. Khumalo obviously fitted into the group well enough for Harry to take the plunge and it will be interesting to see how he does with a move to London.

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The Big One - For West Ham

Even with the midweek debacle, the majority of our players have been well rested and let's face it, they deserve to give us something to cheer about. 

I can see us getting a win, purely because we are a lot better than West Ham at this point in the season. I know that football doesn't always work like that, but from seeing West Ham on one occasion live this season against Bolton (yes, I was asked to go, and thinking that I could possibly get lucky, went along), they were about as lucky as I was on the night. Terrible and dross are but two adjectives that spring to mind. I haven't watched a team so inept of confidence since the Ramos days.

Has Grant lost the dressing room? Maybe he has. I think a few West Ham fans will come on here and let us know the answer to that. 

With The Modfather back in action today and with Bale and Transit (VDV) on form, I can't see us getting anything but a win.

We may not be the most consistent side at the moment, but this is a London derby and surely that's got to count for something? Of course, we all know that this match means more to the Hammers than it does to us, but as things stand, anything they could get from the game would be a bonus.

As I said above, I can see our attacking play overwhelming them, especially in midfield. Unless Parker can pick up Transit, we may run riot. Our new Dutch maestro is beginning to show why many Real Madrid fans were left disgusted at losing him; and imagine, he's been carrying a niggling calf injury, but has still shown us why he truly can be placed in the "Worldclass" category.

Even if fellow Spurs lovechild Parker can chase him out of the game, who will mark Bale and Modric? I ate my words after the Arsenal match, but I can't see me having to eat humble pie after this game has run its course.

THBN Prediction: West Ham 0 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur

One to Watch: Gareth Bale

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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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