3 Players I Wouldn't Mind Tottenham Selling in January

Let's face facts. We have a pretty big squad at Tottenham currently and it's highly unlikely that we will go through the January window without shipping a few players out. We're also light in a few areas (like striker) so it makes sense we'd shift some dead weight to raise funds for purchases too. As such, take a look at my way too early look at four players I wouldn't mind seeing sold in January. Note, this doesn't mean I want them out of the Club, just that I wouldn't hate seeing a sale at a decent price.

1. Nacer Chadli-The Dolphin is simply a lesser version of Clint Dempsey who we sold without a modicum of fanfare. He contributes the occasional goal but contributes very little else. With the recent acquisitions of wide men in Son and N'Jie I can't see a place for him here long term. Originally, I thought he'd serve as our backup striker but our Korean import has stolen that role as well. It might be best to get rid of Chadli while there's still significant value in him across Europe.

2. Tom Carroll- I hate to break it to you and Tim Sherwood, but the diminutive midfielder won't be playing for Barcelona any time soon. He isn't a bad player, but his size really limits his ability to play week in, week out for a top level Premier League Club. He is neat and tidy on the ball, but who do you see him playing in front of...Dier? Mason? Bentaleb? If the answer to those questions is no (which it should be) then you have to be ok with selling Carroll for a nice profit.

3. Federico Fazio- We just have to admit we missed out on this purchase. His lack of pace is ill-suited for our high line, high press system and he failed to start in the Europa League this week. He's clearly not a part of Pochettino's long term plans and I think he can contribute at a lesser team. Much like Chadli, January might be the time to sell while we can still recoup considerable value.

Disagree? Let me know about it in the comments section or on social media. Also, don't bother with the criticism for discussing the transfer of current players..I'll just ignore it.

How crazy should Tottenham fans go for Dele Alli?

Tottenham fans have officially initiated the Dele Alli hype machine. Whether you fell in love with the 19 year old midfielder after his diving header for goal against Leicester or one of his many nutmegs the affection is undoubtedly there. This begs the question, how crazy should Tottenham fans go over our young starlet at this point?

Most often I'm accused in this space of being a "happy clapper" but this piece may be characterized more as trying to pour cold water on the Tottenham player. I say this even though I've developed a pretty healthy man crush on Alli already.

I'm a sucker for a good nutmeg and if nutmegs were a statistic, Dele Alli would lead the world.

Unfortunately nutmegs and tricks do not make the world go round. If they did, Nathan Oduwa would be Messi. As of right now, Alli's style is ahead of his substance by just a hair. He has a little more flash than substance. The idea that he is a must start player ahead of the likes of Christian Eriksen that I've seen flying around Twitter today need to be tempered quite a bit. I like the lad's potential quite a bit, but the worst thing we could go for his long term success at Tottenham is to rush him into being an every week starter too soon.

Right now, Alli should continue to be involved in the squad no matter who the opponent might be. He is even entitled to continue on as a starter for the time being while Eriksen, Mason and Bentaleb deal with their injury issues. When everyone is fit, he should remain involved, but isn't a lock starter. He should be deployed as a dynamic super sub to preserve his fitness, confidence and emotional wellbeing throughout the long Premier League grind. We don't even really know what Alli's best position is yet. He has functioned at a high level as a No 10, but may very well be better suited as a CDM given our team's current needs.

Now I may have thrown cold water on some fans are spectators for Alli this year, but I am definitely not cooling down anyone's long term ideas. I think he has the potential to be Tottenham's best player. I say that with zero qualifications. I believe Harry Kane is a world class striker, Hugo Lloris a world class keeper and might even put Christian Eriksen in that same category. Dele Alli has the ability to play for any club in the world if his development continues at the current pace. I think he could walk into England's midfield right now over someone like Jonjo Shelvey and should own their midfield in a few years. The phrase the sky is the limit gets thrown around an awful lot, but it rally is true for the precocious Alli.

So go crazy Tottenham fans. Let's not bury our young midfielder this year with crazy expectations though. Let's wait until next season to put him on the cover of our Under Armour ads and FIFA 17.

Why Hugo Lloris can't be a Tottenham legend

Hugo Lloris is a world class keeper who we should all be proud to have at Tottenham. Furthermore, he captains our side with dignity, class and we never have to worry about him putting the Club in a negative light. So why do I, and many other Tottenham fans, struggle to feel the same connection with him in comparison with many of his less talented teammates? 

Don't believe that Lloris and Tottenham fans have a disconnect? Let me ask you, do you believe that Hugo Lloris is committed to Tottenham? Do you believe he cares about the Club in the same way as Ryan Mason or Danny Rose do now? How about Sandro a few years ago? Of course not, we see his measured statements and responses as a clear sign that he will leave us sooner rather than later. We do view him as more of an employee as opposed to being one of our own.

The first thing many will jump to as the reason is Lloris' French nationality. There is no denying that a certain rift exists between France and England ideologically for a variety of reasons that aren't worth going into here. Yet, I don't see that ideological gap preventing other Premier League fan bases from embracing French players. Newcastle and now, Palace fans, have been quite supportive of Yohan Cabaye for example. Even at Tottenham our fans have formed a very special connection with midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, who only recently chose to represent Algeria over France. In short, Hugo Lloris being French is not to blame for the distance between he and our fans.

So we must get to the real reason of the disconnect. Hugo is just too much of a politician. His comments in the media drain our affection for our keeper over time. He is the subject of frequent transfer speculation and never comes out with a firm denial of interest in other clubs. Nor does he ever come out and fully commit his future to Tottenham. Instead, his comments always stop just short of what we want to hear. Our captain never says I'm fully committed to Tottenhan without the phrase "at the moment" follow quickly behind. He won't say in the press that he is not interested in playing for Manchester United without ruling out future interest. His comments always leave the door cracked just enough for him to be able to leave Tottenham without being accused of lying. It's this measured rhetoric that builds that wall between he and fans.

That carefully worded communication doesn't make Hugo a bad person or even a player I don't want to stay at Tottenham. All but the most ridiculous of our fans can recognize his quality. What that hesitancy to fully commit does mean is that our fans won't ever attach themselves to Lloris like we do other players. He will be regarded as one of our best keepers ever, but barring a significant philosophical shift he will never be a Club legend.

What must Erik Lamela do to succeed at Tottenham?

Erik Lamela arrived at Tottenham two years ago with a huge price tag hanging over his questionable haircut. The results since then just haven't been there for the Argentinian starlet and Spurs fans have almost all given up on the Club's record signing. Nonetheless, he has continued to factor into the squad and most recently provided a sparkling assist to Ryan Mason's game winning goal at Sunderland. Still, Tottenham fans remain down on him which begs the question: what must Lamela do from this point forward to succeed at Tottenham?

Success means different things for different players. While Academy products like Tom Carroll or Harry Winks can succeed by coming part time starters for Tottenham the same cannot be said for high priced imports like Lamela. Our standard for his success must, justifiably, be higher. On the other hand, his price tag is now a sunk cost. To continue to judge him by his superstar purchase price seems a bit silly and unfair. Susequently, it seems logical that we should place his expectations somewhere in between those of an unheralded academy product and a player recently compared by Pochettino to Messi.

As always, the real devil is in the details. Lamela should be judged a success somewhere in the middle of that vast gap. I believe for him to succeed he must first, become a consistent starter. This does not mean he regularly starts Europa League and Cup matches, it means he must assert himself as a first choice attacker in our starting XI in the biggest games. This isn't to say that we should expect this to happen immediately. On the contrary, it's quite logical to use our lesser fixtures to build up his confidence in the immediate future. Ultimately he must become first choice to be a success at Tottenham.

Hang in though, simply being one of our starters still isn't enough to brand Mr. Rabona a Spurs success. He must thrive in that role to a certain degree and become a well above average Premier League player. To do this he must contribute double digit goals and/or assists for a successful Tottenham side. To provide a comparison he must reach the level of impact of a James Milner or In-form Kevin Mirallas to be considered good enough to be a success. He must become a player that strikes fear in the opposition and frankly, solicits praise and bids from opponents throughout Europe.

I must admit that prior to his substitute appearance at Sunderland my flicker of Lamela hope was all but extinguished. With his creativity in the game's closing moments he at least stoked the fire a bit. There is still a long way for him to go if he is to become a regular, above average starter for Tottenham and she his label as a flop.

Can Andros Townsend adapt and thrive for Tottenham?

Andros Townsend made his season debut for Tottenham earlier today against Sunderland and made a very positive impact. The English International looked confident, assertive and even unselfish on the ball. Could his brief substitute appearance be a definitive sign that Townsend has turned over a new leaf?

Before this season began I would have been happy to see Townsend sold to any of a number of his alleged suitors. Instead, while wide man Aaron Lennon was shipped off to Everton, Townsend remained at White Hart Lane. His Tottenham career may have even be saved by the mild injury he picked up that delayed his season debut. Now, after just one substitute appearance that did not see him score or assist, I'm bullish on his chances at being a key part of this team. 

My criticisms of Townsend are pretty basic. He can be a very selfish player whose focus on scoring can blind him to the presence of his teammates. His errant shooting can be a danger to anyone within the first thirty rows from corner flag to corner flag. There is a fine line between self belief and delusion and by my standards Andros frequently falls on the delusional side. While these deficiencies can be maddening, they are also infinitely correctable. If Mauricio Pochettino could reign him in and make him a creator as well as a finisher, then we could have a brilliant young player.

The winger we saw come on as a substitute and mauraude down the right wing was not a selfish player. He balanced his forays equally between heading down the flank to cross the ball in for Harry Kane and cutting inside in search of shooting opportunities. He created multiple chances for others and could have easily seen his subtle ball to the back post converted by Kane. In all honesty, he deserved an assist and on most days, would've seen Kane bury the chance. He found the perfect balance between looking for his shot and looking to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. It was as if Mauricio Pochettino and the coaching staff had managed to provide Townsend with a brain transplant. If he continues to play with this attacking balance be might be the answer to Tottenham's attacking needs.

The real question is whether or not this was an isolated change or a harbinger of a new Andros Townsend. If it's the latter, there is certainly ample opportunity for him to find a place in the starting XI. Given Nacer Chadli's lack of impact against Sunderland, Townsend could certainly impress Poch enough to get a start in his stead. While we all wanted to see Son and N'Jie infuse pace and creativity in the Tottenham attack, Andros Townsend may have been the solution right under our collective noses.

Ten Jobs Adebayor Could Still Perform for Tottenham

We've all been shaken by the news that Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has informed striker Emmanuel Adebayor that he has no future at the club. I couldn't disagree with Poch more. In fact, I think there are plenty of jobs that Adebayor could still perform to earn his keep at the club. Here are the top 10 jobs that he could fill to earn his wages:

1. Ju Ju Identification Specialist- You never know when some random elements of Ju Ju could be lurking in a dark corner of White Hart Lane. Fortunately for us, Adebayor is an expect in the dark arts of the African continent and could really be valuable at helping us finding any miscellaneous Ju Ju. Unfortunately, he's shown no capability to combat the Ju Ju so we would have to hire someone separately for that.
2. Barber- This is clearly a skill of his as evidenced by the myriad of hair styles he's utilized throughout his time at Tottenham. Whether you want braids, an afro or a close shave Ade could take care of it for you.
   
3. Accountant- Anyone who makes that much money and has that type of time on their hands surely spends a great deal of time counting it right?
4. Security Guard- I believe the old saying says that if you want to catch a thief, then you should hire one. Do you know anyone who's stolen more money from Tottenham? If this adage is true, he could save the club millions.
5. Heart Surgeon- Adebayor has somehow managed to not only survive, but also play Premier League football with no heart for several years now. Opening a clinic where he could teach others to do so would save millions of lives annually.
6. Military Officer-Because you know, he likes to salute.
   
7. Immigration Officer- As many times as he has failed to return to Tottenham on time from international duty I can only assume he's an expert on immigration and travel.
8. Dress Maker- This might shock a few of you, but true Tottenham fans know that Adebayor frequently wears a dress as part of his native garb. He could bring these same stylings to White Hart Lane to help fans stay cool during the warmest of days.
   
9. Daniel Levy's Replacement for Early Transfer Dealings- We all know that Daniel Levy waits until the last minute to start his transfer negotiations so we could just use Adebayor as a stand in for the first half of the window. Nothings's getting done anyway and that is his specialty.
10. Plumber- This is perhaps the perfect job for Emmanuel Adebayor. He is simply phenomenal when it comes to being full of shit for long periods of time and coming out smelling like a rose.

Hope you've enjoyed this list, please share and comment!

When will Son Rise for Tottenham?

I have to admit that the International Break has taken a toll on me over the last two weeks. I've had way too much time without the opportunity to see our beloved Tottenham compete on the pitch. The time apart has caused all of us to spend way too much time dreaming of how our new signings can impact our squad for this weekend's match at Sunderland. Perhaps the most speculated upon player is new attacker Son Hueng Min. Simply put, I'm worried that two weeks of dreams commingled with YouTube views have blown our early expectations for the Korean forward way out of proportion.

Let me clear one thing up right off the bat: I'm optimistic that Son will prove to be a very good player/signing for Tottenham. He has an outstanding record internationally for South Korea and in the Bundesliga for both Bayern Leverkusen and HSV. What I am not convinced of is Son's ability to walk right into the squad and infuse life into what has been a moribund Hotspur attack.

The first thing about Son that gives me pause is his slight frame. He measures at barely six feet tall, which is no problem, but he weighs in at just 168 pounds. The Premier League might be the most physical league in the world and I worry about his slight frame being knocked off the ball easily. Certainly, slight players can make up for their lack of girth with skill and speed (ie Christian Eriksen) but it's the exception rather than the rule.

Secondly, I just worry that expecting a player to sign, go away on international duty, come back to training for a few days and be ready to start the next weekend is too much to ask for almost anyone. We could've signed Messi and I'd still worry that his talent would be significantly hidden by the lack of understanding he would have with his teammates. We can't really expect Son to mesh with our attack immediately. This adjustment will be made more difficult by the fact that we don't exactly have established continuity amongst our attacking midfielders. We don't know if Eriksen will be fit and the early returns from Chadli, Dembele and Lamela have been mixed at best. We cannot expect Son to come in and flourish in our unstable attack.

Maybe Son will come in and prove to be the anecdote for what is troubling the Tottenham attack. The much more likely scenario is that he will show flashes of ability as he becomes more comfortable with his surroundings, teammates and competition. Remember to be patient with him and hopefully we can avoid a Tottemhamesque meltdown on Sunday.

Well Done English FA: Livermore Deserves Compassion

It's easy to criticize England's Football Association (FA) for its high profile flops and failures, but this article isn't about one of those unfortunate incidents. This is a compliment to the English FA for showing compassion to a man in his time of need.

Jake Livermore faced a possible two year suspension after testing positive for cocaine use in May of this year. Normally I am happy for the FA and any Club to drop the hammer on a player who tests positive for a banned substance. Only in this case there was an extremely large extenuating circumstance. Livermore had just suffered the death of his newborn child before the failed test.

Yesterday, BBC Sport broke the story that after the FA's disciplinary hearing the provisional suspension against Livermore had been lifted. This means that he is now eligible from the FA's perspective to play immediately. The 25 year old midfielder has not been reinstated by Hull City as of yet but I expect that's just a formality.

In today's world where everyone seems to be against showing compassion to any human being I was relieved to see Livermore receive just that from the FA. As our social media timelines are filled with our fellow citizens arguing about whether or not to extend aid to immigrants it was refreshing to see this small kindness paid to a man in need. 

As a father I can't imagine what I would do if I were to lose a child. Using an illicit substance would probably not be my therapy of choice but I can't really know since I'm never been in that position. Maybe I would go that route. Perhaps my vice would be something legal, but it might be even more morally reprehensible. The point is that thankfully, few among us can know how we'd react. He underwent a terrible tragedy at a young age and made a substantial mistake. His punishment was a several month suspension and having his name dragged through the mud in the press. That seems a sufficient price to pay for a moment of weakness after a tragedy.

So well done to the English FA for making the right, compassionate call on the Livermore case. Your stock just went up a tick in my book.

Top 10 Premier League Managers I'd Want at Tottenham

We've seen just enough of the Premier League season to make wild assumptions about all of its managers. I don't look at managers in a vacuum though, I view them all through potential Tottenham lenses. As such, let's take a look at the ranking of the top 10 current Premier League managers that I'd want to coach my beloved Club.

1. Jose Mourinho- Look I get it, he's a complete prick. He might have the easiest job in the League currently given Chelsea's finances to boot so I can understand why some would question his managerial ability. However, this game is about winning trophies and "the special one" does that on a regular basis. Add in the fun he'd with Arsene Wenger and the Scum and he tops the list for me.
2. Garry Monk- I love his style. I love that he's English. More importantly, I love that he has Swansea punching significantly above their weight. He's also a reported lifelong Spurs fan so that has to move him up the list for any supporter. He made Gylfi Sigurdsson look like Messi so he must be doing something right.
3. Mauricio Pochettino- A lot of fans have taken to criticizing Poch over his lack of a plan B, emphasis on youth, etc but I think he's done a fair job so far. Time will tell whether or not he'll take us from good to great, but I still think he has a fair chance. Don't forget how much we all loved him when he had Southampton playing beautiful football. We've seen glimpses and I think we'll get there.
   
4. Roberto Martinez- I know that Everton haven't exactly clicked on under Martinez, but I still like the cut of his jib. He's an affable fellow who is engaging with the media and also with his players. He has instituted an attractive style of football for the Toffees and knows how to work with a Club that isn't super rich. He might not be a sexy choice but he's a proven winner.
5. Ronald Koeman- Southampton still play really attractive football despite the departure of Pochettino. The real question is, is Koeman just carrying on the Pochettino tradition or has he added his own style to the Saints? I think it's a combination of both and that's good enough to hit fifth on this list.
6. Manuel Pellegrini- This man is underrated as a manager. He might not be a tactical genius, but he is able to meld a very diverse group of egos into a coherent team more often than not. This is a skill that most managers simply don't have. My concerns for him and Spurs would be that he has no clue how to work with a budget. Not sure he'd have us punching above our weight.
   
7. Alan Pardew- I know most people don't like him and I agree, he's an a#$hole of epic proportions. However, he has Crystal Palace playing great right now and you can't question his managerial prowess. He's sort of like Mourinho lite in that respect. Add the fact that he's on his best behavior right now in hopes of getting the England job and it'd be a good time to have him at Spurs.
8. Louis Van Gaal- This is quite a drop for a man that many of us wanted Spurs to hire just over a year ago, but his style hasn't exactly lit the Premier League on fire. He is a quality manager tactically, but his arrogance and rigidity have caused him to fail for United at times. I think if he were at our help we'd finish fifth every year despite playing a variety of crazy formations.
9. Tony Pulis- This no-nonsense manager wouldn't mesh well with those of us who crave stylistic football, but we wouldn't be in any danger. He'd sort out of our defense and make us a really difficult task to defeat. Unfortunately we would finish 10th every year and die of boredom in the process.
   
10. I don't think he is a particularly astute tactical manager and he's been found out after Suarez's departure. However, he does preach an attacking, attractive style of football and seems capable of conning management to spend loads of money despite a lack of results. I think our entertainment factor under Rodgers would be high, but our results would be uneven. Ironically, I think he's got a little Harry Rednapp to him. Make of that, what you will.

Hope you've enjoyed this. Please share wherever possible and comment away. I want to hear your reactions!

Tottenham's Missing Link: What's Wong with Nabil Bentaleb?

It's early in the Tottenham season but something has clearly been missing from the promising side we saw at the end of last year. A certain spirit that flowed through the Hotspur squad has gone missing. There are a number of potential reasons for this absence but for me the most likely culprit is Algerian midfielder Nabil Bentaleb.

It's been a pretty miserable start of the season for Bentaleb. He was quickly dropped from the starting 11 in favor of Eric Dier who is quite possibly playing out of position and still being selected first. How could this happen to a player who last year was arguably the team's best midfielder?

My theory is that the youngster simply has experienced too much success too fast. It's easy to forget how young Bentaleb really is. He won't turn 21 until November and that makes him easily one of the youngest members of the squad. He is significantly younger than his typical midfield pairing Ryan Mason despite looking to be the eldest of the pairing. Still, only a short time ago Bentaleb was a largely unknown player who was thrust into the first team amid critical cries of being Tim Sherwood's pet.

Fast forward that fresh faced lad who looked to have been thrown to the wolves to the player we have now and quite a lot has happened. He has played extensive minutes for Tottenham and has frequently been our emotional leader. Perhaps even more impressively he played big minutes for Algeria in the Workd Cup. His exploits for both Club and country have made him a sort of cult hero amongst fans. And did I mention that he is still just 20 years old?

It is folly for us to expect a player so young to be the model of consistency. I look back to the level of responsibility I had at Nabil's age and I was barely able to keep my dog alive. I certainly couldn't have handled the money, fame and pressure that Bentaleb has experienced over the past 12 months. Yet we, as fans, forget about the personal lives of our favorite athletes despite our yearning to know about their personal lives. We forget he is still a kid with lots to learn about life, his profession and himself.

The good news is that young Bentaleb could bounce back into form as easily as he lost favor. If he does, expect Tottenham to rediscover the drive in the middle of the pitch that unlocked our creativity late last season. With all due respect to Eric Dier and Ryan Mason, an in form Nabil Bentaleb puts them both in their proper secondary places.

The Real Beal Deal: Why the Wizards haven't maxed Bradley Beal...yet

I have to give it to the Washington Wizards, they fooled me at first. I read the headlines about them struggling to reach an extension deal with young star Bradley Beal and quickly scoffed at the incompetence of the Wizards front office. Upon further review, they fooled me and many others with a media smoke screen all designed to aid their quest for Kevin Durant next offseason.

I don't think many of us would doubt that Bradley Beal is a max player in today's NBA. He is, after all, just 22 years of age and plays a position (SG) that lacks high quality, young talent throughout the League. The former Florida Gator is coming off a year where he shot just over 40% from three despite battling some injuries throughout the year. Add in his apparent chemistry with franchise point guard John Wall and the Wizards front office should be highly motivated to lock Beal up long term no matter the cost.

Next season there will be an unprecedented number of teams with cap space and not enough free agents to soak it all up. As a result, even if the Wizards have some concerns over Beal's health moving forward, they would still be motivated to offer him a maximum extension to retain him as a part of their young core. If they let Beal walk they'd be powerless to replace him with a shooting guard anywhere near his ability. Add these factors up and he's a must max guy.

That's why it caught me by surprise when media reports started to leak out that described friction between Beal and the Wizards. How could Washington even contemplate letting him become unhappy with the franchise by messing around with his extension? Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a clearly inferior player, just got taken care of by the Hornets, so the natural next step would be for player's of Beal's capability to start to receive max offers. Instead, media reports claimed that the Wizards front office hadn't yet made up its mind to max out Beal. Something about this just didn't seem right with me.

My initial reaction was to question the sanity of the Wizards front office. Had they lost their minds? Were they really trying to play hardball with Beal and his camp in a year where players with much less upside would receive max extensions? I even thought maybe there had been a rift between John Wall and Bradley Beal that we would hear about in the upcoming days. Only something seismic like a beef or insanity could explain this level of GM incompetence outside of Sacramento.

And then it hit me. This is all a smokescreen. The Wizards have all but taken out an ad in the Washington Post to let Kevin Durant know they are going to pursue him by all means necessary in the off season. While they will have maximum cap space no matter what they do with Beal to offer KD, they are cleverly waiting to extend Beal until they know the outcome of their Durant pursuit. Next summer, Beal's cap hold for the Wizards should be approximately 7 million dollars less than a maximum salary based on his rookie deal. In other words, if the Wizards wait to sign Beal until after they are finished chasing Durant (or any other high profile free agent) they can preserve maximum flexibility.While it's unlikely that this sum will be the difference in acquiring a player of Durant or Al Horford's quality next summer it simply doesn't make sense for the Wizards to give up that flexibility. Provided Beal is comfortable playing this game in the media with the Wizards it's a smart play. They can fake difficult contract negotiations with Beal in the media deep into next summer. Then, as their last move in free agency they can sign him to the same max contract he's wanted (and they've been willing to provide) all year long. 

It's a ruse similar to what San Antonio pulled with Kawhi Leonard this summer. There was never any doubt on the Spurs' side that he was a franchise cornerstone and a max player, but there was no advantage to moving quickly to lock him up. He could only hit restricted free agency, so even if he was an unwilling participant in the ruse he had no leverage to change the situation. The Spurs played this game so well it landed them LaMarcus Aldridge as a result (in concert with other moves). The Wizards hope their version of the gambit ends up in Kevin Durant.

Only time will tell whether or not the Wizards media ploy will pay off in a third star to pair with John Wall and Bradley Beal. The only sure thing is that Bradley Beal will sign a max offer with the Wizards whenever Washington's front office has pursued everyone else.

Does Tottenham Really Miss Gylfi Sigurdsson?

There is quite a groundswell among Tottenham fans that argue that selling Gylfi Sigurdsson to Swansea as part of the Ben Davies transaction in July of 2014 was a large transfer mistake. This is an easy argument to buy into as Gylfi plays well for the "in form" manager Garry Monk and Tottenham's midfield largely underperforms. However, further examination pokes quite a few holes in the theory that Gylfi would play a large role for Tottenham under Mauricio Pochettino.

If your argument is that hanging on to Gylfi is that he should have been sold for more money or that Ben Davies wasn't a worthy exchange player then I can't find fault with you. At the time it certainly seemed that Davies was a great target and the rumored 7M valuation seemed fair. As it turns out, neither of those things may have held true. My beef isn't with you.

If your belief is that we should have held on to the Icelandic midfielder because he would be a starter for our favorite Club....well my beef IS with you. Personally, I like Gylfi and his game. I'm a sucker for players with an eye for goal who contribute in other areas and he fits the bill. As a matter of fact, I find Sigurdsson to be a superior alternative to Nacer Chadli. Unfortunately, as my regular readers have surmised, I don't find Chadli to be a worthy starter. 

Gylfi Sugurdsson just doesn't move the needle for a Mauricio Pochettino side pushing for the top four. This isn't because he isn't a high quality player. Instead it comes down to a matter of fit. An industrious attacking midfielder who poaches goals but lacks the ability to press high up the field just isn't what Tottenham needs. Tottenham's most recent purchased of Son and N'Jie highlight what Poch is looking for out on the wings. His system needs players who can stretch the field with their pace out wide and cut inside with an eye for the net. In case you've forgotten, Gylfi out wide is not exactly a blur of speed. The only place that he could occupy in Pochettino's system is as a number 10.

Unfortunately for the Icelandic Swan (this nickname should totally catch on by the way) Christian Eriksen resides in this spot for Spurs. Eriksen is a superior player in almost every aspect. He is faster, has a higher work rate, and features more incisive passing than Sigurdsson and also is the better of the two on set pieces. Would a player of Sigurdsson's caliber really be happy with the occasional substitute appearance and Cup starts? No, and nor should he be. That's why he made the best move for his career and moved to Swansea City.

It is typical of Spurs fans to love a player once he is gone even in spite of the presence of superior options on the current squad. In just this way, the absence of the Icelandic Swan has made our hearts grow fonder, while our heads should tell us that both Club and player are made better by his departure.

Eight Things Every Tottenham Fan Should Do During International Break

Like it or not, the dreaded International Break in the Premier League season is upon us. While we know  that we can't derive maximum enjoyment from a weekend without Spurs football, it doesn't mean that we should let the weekend pass us by. Follow these eighg steps to get the most out of your International Break!

1. Do something with your significant other/family- The trick is you want to do something memorable at the exact time slot you usually devote to Spurs. That way, you can always point back to it if your family tries to say you always put Tottenham first. Don't tell your family that Spurs aren't playing due to the break, let them believe you just chose them first for the weekend.

2. Adopt an international side to watch- Preferably choose a nation other than your own. This will distract you while you watch the match and also increase your world football knowledge. Think of how impressed your friends will be when you speak knowledgeably on some Icelandic youth that we have reported interest in during the next Transfer window. The more obscure the nation you choose to adopt the better. Bonus points for choosing an Eastern European side.

3. Detox- You probably indulge in some sort of alcohol, drugs or gluttony as part of your Spurs fandom. Give it a rest this weekend so you can come back prepared once the season kicks into high gear. Remember, the Premier League season is a marathon, not a sprint.

4. Work on a new song- We have some new players that are devoid of popular songs inside the stadium. This is your chance to make your mark! Imagine your limerick resonating throughout White Hart Lane applauding the efforts of Clinton N'Jie!

5. Research Ju Ju- You can never be too careful. Ju Ju has ruined Emmanuel Adebayor's career at Spurs so there's no telling what it might do to your own life. Knowledge is power so safeguard yourself against the dark arts.

6. Troll Arsenal fans- I really shouldn't have to tell you to do this because you should delight in this practice all year round. Pick up your efforts this weekend. Whether or not you choose the full kit wanker down the street or just want to tweet at Jack Wilshere's injury riddled body, do it with gusto!

7. Learn something about Tottenham history- Pick up a book on the history of the Club or watch a documentary on the career of Ardiles. Part of the beauty of being a Tottenham fan is connecting with the Club's rich, proud and colorful history. It's all well and good to know everything about Tottenham in its current form, but if you don't know the history you're cheating yourself out of the full fan experience.

8. Browse the great selection of Spurs blogs/podcasts, etc in the web- Of course I hope you read my blog and other published works regularly but there are a lot of other good Spurs fan content out there as well. Start out with The Fighting Cock, HotspurHQ.com and branch out from there to see what you really like.

5 Sneaky Tottenham January Transfer Targets

The Transfer Window slammed shut for Tottenham fans yesterday and left the Squad short on talent and depth in the eyes of many fans. Let's not wallow in despair, enjoy this look ahead at 5 potential stealth targets for January. Note, these are only off the radar ideas, I'm deliberately omitting obvious targets such as Saido Berahino.

1. Daley Blind- We remain short of cover in the midfield and the current Manchester United product has a great deal of experience playing there. He is playing significant minutes at center back for the Van Gaal side right now, but he is hardly a world class option there. It is entirely likely that United spend big in January to acquire a big name there and push Blind back into a crowded midfield. I don't think he would be first choice for them there and while he would still be a useful squad piece, he would become surplus to requirements. Enter Spurs to swoop in with money to spend and assurances of first choice status as a CDM. Maybe this is wishful thinking, but it's an easy ideal to construct.

2. Fabian Delph- I am not convinced that Delph will be happy sitting on the bench in Manchester City. He is a terrific talent who can be an engine in the midfield for almost every side in the Premier League. Unfortunately for him, Manchester City just has too much talent in the midfield for him to secure regular playing tune. If he grows discontent quickly then Tottenham would be wise to launch an aggressive bid. It's likely that City purchased him partly as insurance in case they were not able to sign De Bruyne. For the right price they would likely let him go and he would be happy to move to a side where he could play regularly and secure his international status.

3. Barrie McKay- This is likely the first time many of you have run across the name of the young Rangers winger. The tricky player features for Rangers ahead of Nathan Oduwa for Spurs confidant Mark Warburton. My rationale on this is pretty simple. If they have a young player who is better than Oduwa then he is surely destined to move on. Spurs will see him a great deal watching our loanees and the relationship between the two clubs would make a deal relatively easy. Perhaps McKay is not the right young Rangers player to make this list, but I think we will be in a position to acquire sum premium talent leaving the Scottish power.

4. Leroy Fer- I am amazed that he is still at QPR despite questions over his fitness (he failed a medical at Sunderland last month). He proved he can compete at the Premier League level and he would be available for a pretty modest fee. If QPR isn't in a dog fight for promotion I'd look for them to move players in January. Charlie Austin isn't the only one on their side who could help Spurs, Fer would compete for a starting spot immediately.

5. Viktor Fischer- He appears to be the next in a long line of Ajax products to move on in a big money deal. Given Tottenham's obvious need for cover at striker why shouldn't they go to the Ajax well once more? Fischer fits the same sort of profile as Harry Kane while also being able to play out wide. He would cost us a significant fee but Ajax has proven to be a reasonable negotiating partner in the past. Perhaps Eriksen could even help coax the starlet to move to the Lane.