Anybody wanna Lallana? Should the Spurs make a stealth bid?

Spurs fans have been focused on adding attacking options for the majority of the transfer window, but the majority of that attention has been paid to the striker position. To be sure, cover for our boy Harry Kane is required, but are we really that much more settled in the three attackers behind our star striker? I would say that we have lots of room for improvement in the attacking midfield as well. After all, are any of you entirely satisfied that Lamela, Dembele, N'Jie, or Alex Pritchard should play big minutes this year? I thought not, here's my crazy idea: submit a stealth bid for former Pochettino star Adam Lallana.

Let me disclose that the chances of this actually happening are approximately 1,000,000 to 1. This is an exercise in the "what if" not the "what will." So suspend your disbelief a moment and let's look at the pros and cons. 

The Pros: There are quite a few obvious reasons why Lallana would be attractive to Tottenham. The first, is that he is a former Pochettino player who blossomed under our current manager who clearly knows how to utilize his strengths. Secondly, he is young and English. If you don't think that matters to Spurs then you clearly have not been paying attention over the past 18 months. Thirdly, let's not forget the lad is very talented. He was a borderline star for Southampton only two years ago and his performance catapulted him into the senior English squad. What's more, is that he would fit very well into our current collection of attacking midfielders. Imagine the possibilities of Eriksen and Lallana attacking the opponent in unison. Their interchanges would be as deadly as their strikes towards goal.

The Cons: The largest argument against this is that Lallana isn't really as good as he was two years ago for Southampton. His time in Liverpool has been lackluster so maybe he simply isn't as good as we once thought. He would also command a very high transfer fee given Liverpool's lack of desire to sell to Spurs coupled with the investment they made in the young starlet. Some would even argue that Lallana is too similar to Eriksen and would leave Tottenham too vulnerable on the defensive side of the pitch. The pitch against Lallana would center around his price tag and him not being "exactly" what the side needs (aka a striker).

Conclusion: While the price tag for young English players has been ridiculous of late, I think getting Lallana for around 20M would be a coup. There is some truth to the argument that he and Eriksen playing together would leave us light on the defensive end, but I think the addition of a stronger defensive midfielder would rectify this issue. We would have a squad weighted towards the offensive end of the pitch, but we're Tottenham..to dare is to do, remember?

Truth, Fairness and Daniel Levy

Daniel Levy is an easy target. He is tasked with operating Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in a responsible financial manner in an age where transfer fees and player wages sky rocket. He has an uncanny resemblance to Dr. Evil of Austin Powers fame and rarely engages the fans in any meaningful way. I understand why he frustrates us and becomes the punch line of a variety of jokes. The man even deserves serious criticism for a variety of his choices as Chairman (red on the kit, bowing too much to corporate interests, etc) but I am sick and tired of the venom directed at his negotiation tactics.

I am writing this on the eve of our match against Stoke and the story dominating Spurs at the moment is the possibility of Arsenal swooping in to hijack our long rumored purchase of Clinton N'Jie. This has produced a wave of anti-Levy sentiment citing his penny pinching as the reason for us losing out. The truth is we as fans are likely correct that Levy refusing to cave in on some relatively minor point of negotiation has caused this stress in the deal. Where our fan base is wrong, is when we classify this as some horrible character flaw of Daniel Levy that exemplifies his lack of ambition. 

Let's face some facts here. We are not blessed with the financial advantages of our competitors at the top of the League Table. ESPN recently released their kit valued for the season and we finished sixth in the revenue produced from sponsors. Our stadium size limits our revenue. We are not owned by an individual obsessed with winning at all costs. For us to have the type of success we want (aka competing for League titles and regular Champions League appearances) we have to punch above our weight. This isn't a death sentence but it is a reality we must recognize. It's part of what makes us Spurs.

Daniel Levy realizes this. He, more than any of us fights against this financial reality on a daily basis. He and the Club have taken very logical and systematic steps to address these issues. We built one of the finest training centers in the world to attract young (and therefore relatively cheap) talent. Whether we sell them for a profit or incorporate them into our First Team they help us compete financially. We are moving forward with plans to build a new stadium that will drastically improve our capacity for ticketing and sponsorship revenue. The stadium plans likely hamstring Levy's spending even more than normal in the short term but still will provide financial benefit in the long term.

So why do we repeatedly curse Levy's financial conservatism? It's not as if we are not investing money we save on transfers and/or wages back into the Club. Our training facility and upcoming new stadium are the clear benefits of our conservative finances. The millions of dollars that Daniel Levy saves the Club on multiple transfers throughout each season add up and pay for these things. The shirt sales that Khumalo sold in Africa? Those sales may have paid for the physio room in the training center. The money we got out of selling Lewis Holtby after just one season? Perhaps that's a concession stand in the new stadium. The point is that these "little negotiating points" add up to things that Levy sees are crucial to the future elevation of Tottenham.

Him working hard to save us money has undoubtedly cost us players who could have helped our squads over his tenure. Maybe an aggressive bid for Morgan Schneiderlin would've secured us a Champions League place last year. Those criticisms are fair and I will often join other fans in them. What isn't fair, is to paint Levy as a Chairman who doesn't care about winning. He likely cares more than you or I but sees a different path for long term success. He sees a new stadium as the key to making us financially strong enough go challenge any Club in the Premier League. That is why he is a miserly negotiatior. His savings go to strengthen the Club's foundation; not to the pockets of ENIC.

If after the new stadium is built and paid for we still lag behind our competitors in transfer fees and wage structures then by all means, let's fire away at Daniel Levy's ambition. Right now we don't have any reason to doubt his desire to help the Club we love be the world's best. Moving forward let us appreciate the cut throat negotiations that Daniel Levy presides over because each one gets us one step closer to an even playing field. 

There are plenty of justified reasons to criticize Daniel Levy. Lack of ambition for Tottenham just isn't one of them.

Five Tottenham Questions That Will Define The Season

The season is nearly among us and the general consensus seems to be that Tottenham will once again finish just outside Champions League qualification. However, there seems to be a fair amount of uncertainty around major aspects of the squad. Given that uncertainty, I believe there is still a wide variance of where our beloved Spurs could finish. I see room to move up or down largely based on the following 5 burning questions.

1. How good is the Vertonghen-Alderweireld partnership be? 

Last year individual errors in defense plagued Tottenham more than anything else. In comes Toby Aldeweireld as the Club's highest profile signing to date as the man charged to fix this issue. I am very optimistic about the partnership based on several factors. First, Toby has a full season of Premier League football under his belt at Southampton where he performed very well. He will have a small learning curve and we don't have to guess whether or not he can compete. We know he can and a repeat of last year's play would be an upgrade for us. Secondly, he has a great relationship with Vertonghen stemming from their time playing together for Belgium. Let's face it, Vertonghen is not the easiest teammate to communicate with so their prior relationship eases my concerns there. Add those factors to the quality we have seen from both in the preseason and there is every reason to feel like the Spurs defense will be much more consistent this season.

2. Can Harry Kane avoid the sophomore jinx?

Harry burst onto the scene last year and lit up the Premier League and ultimately became an English international. Yet the past is littered with one season wonders who find goal scoring magic for a time but can't sustain it. While I must admit that I am not confident Kane will be a top 5 striker in the League this year I don't believe last year was a fluke. I think he will suffer some this year from increased defensive attention and the mental fatigue that inevitably follows such a rocket like rise to stardom. I am even almost certain that he won't match his goal tally from last season even considering he will have a full season as our first choice striker. He will however, continue to be a good striker for Spurs and his performance floor is quite high. The reason for the safety in projecting his performance is his tireless work rate. There is some randomness to finding the back of the net but he will continue to create chances because he will grind and put himself in dangerous positions. Worst case, we still have an above average striker who suffers a mild dip after his meteoric rise.

3. So Kane can score goals, can enough other players chip in?

This question will largely be answered by those who will fill the three spots behind Kane every week. Christian Eriksen is, in my view, a world class talent that will produce goals from open play and set pieces. If Alex Pritchard or another player can provide him more regular rest throughout the year I believe he will perform at a high level without the burnout that have sullied his last two campaigns.

The next man who will try to supplement the scoring is Nacer Chadli. Whether he is playing wide or as the backup striker he must contribute goals consistently. He had a good return last year in terms of goals but he must add to that this season while also impacting the game in other ways. I think he will continue to perform at a Dempsey like level which isn't enough to justify the minutes he will receive. He is a good squad player but relying on him to start every week speaks to the challenges we face offensively.

The third spot is the glaring weak link to the goal scoring tally. No matter who plays there, I don't see them contributing double digit goals. Lamela has the talent, but seems destined to flop at Tottenham. Mousa Dembele will provide quality support for the defense his aversion to penetrating the final third hamstrings him. Other options like Tom Carroll, Andros Townsend or Alex Pritchard also seem much better suited for Europa Leage time. The lack of quality at this position could be our undoing.

4. Is the Bentaleb/Mason pairing good enough?

I'm afraid the short, but accurate answer is no. Bentaleb has the ability but suffers from the lack of a quality, experienced partner to learn from. Mason, played reasonably well last season but seems to be better suited to play in a three man midfield. I admire his spirit too, but he might be out of his depth as a starter at a Club with Champions League ambitions. The strengthening of the back 4 will help mask this partnership's deficiencies at times, but not at the most crucial moments. The only hope I have for our CDM partnership is for a late transfer addition or a Delli Alli ascendancy rivaling that of Kane's a season ago. This could allow Bentaleb to assume the role of the holding midfielder which may suit him better in the long term.

5. Who will join before the Transfer Window closes?

No matter what you think of Daniel Levy it would be foolish to think we won't add talent closer to Deadline Day. Personally, I believe we will add a striker, a defensive midfielder and possibly a hybrid wide forward/striker. How would your outlook change if we added Berahino, Moutinho and Bender? I don't foresee this type of drastic help but if we could add three players who could benefit us three points each that could change our finishing position significantly. I think realistically we can add one player who will be a clear upgrade as a starter so I don't believe transfers will change my outlook all that much. Maybe Pochettino's private target is Gareth Bale or Paul Pogba? I suppose there are less likely things......like Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger revealing a torrid love affair between them.

So what will happen?

The season will be full of the usual twists and turns but our destination will likely be 5th once again. Success for me will be defined by how many first teamers we can develop from our youthful contingent. If several players like Delli Alli and Josh Onomah prove themselves as capable Champions League capable talents then our future is very bright. If not, we will enter the next off season still hoping for Levyto catapult us into the Top 4 with shrewd transfer business. Unfortunately we know how that story ends.

It's Not About Race: Why Spurs fans prefer Soldado to Adebayor

Both Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado are seemingly at the end of their time as Tottenham strikers but almost universally, fans wish Soldado the best while hoping Adebayor is finally consumed by the Juju. Why do Spurs fans remain sympathetic to Bobby while burying Adebayor?

Right off the bat let me address the possibility that this is based on race. I imagine for some fans this might be the case, but I don't see it as the primary motivation for many fans. I think the cultural relatibility of Soldado for most fans is significantly higher than Adebayor's given their backgrounds but at best, that is an undercurrent for most.

The real reason behind the difference between the two in fan's minds comes down to visible effort in the pitch. Close your eyes and think of Soldado....chances are the image in your mind is of his face marred in angst after a near goal. Now do the same for Adebayor...you likely get an entirely different image. Perhaps you are like me and are cursed to see the image of he and Sherwood locked in salute, maybe you see him loafing after a loose ball or even in an Arsenal kit. The point is we have always been convinced of Soldado's effort and care for his performance while Adebayor has frequently been absent both physically and emotionally.

The psychology behind this is pretty straightforward. We can all relate to Soldado as a man who gives his best effort and is suitably frustrated. Who among us hasn't tried their best and failed at something? On the other hand, there are precious few Tottenham fans know what it feels like to squander enormous talent while being made rich with zero apparent misgivings. Adebayor is the classic villain while Soldado represents the quintessential Everyman hero. It is a story old as time. To sum it up, we like Soldado because he gives a damn. We ridicule Adebayor because he doesn't.

Lastly let me say to critics who will defend Adebayor due to his personal difficulties you can save your breath. I know that Adebayor's family is as crazy as a box of ducks and that he has done a great deal of charitable work. Ever wonder why we seem to know every twist and turn of Adebayor's life? We know because he wants us to see his personal life as a justification or counterweight for his lack of on field performance and effort. I don't blame him for the strategy but let's view it for what it is. It's a public relations strategy from his agent not a series of heartfelt mea culpas.

So fellow Yids continue on wishing Soldado the best while hoping the Juju finally does Ade in. After all, he once played for Arsenal. Do we need a better reason for our disdain?