Andre Villas-Boas has become a manager in demand. The Tottenham manager who has had a season of rehabilitation at White Hart Lane after his disappointing experience with Chelsea is among names being suggested for top managerial posts across Europe. At the time of the initial rumours of Jose Mourinho leaving Real Madrid the Spurs manager [...]
Napoli Approach Tottenham For Andre Villas-Boas - Hotspur HQ - Hotspur HQ - A Tottenham Hotspur Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion, and More
The twenty Premier League teams for next season are very close to being finalised, with the final place being decided this weekend in a £120m game between Crystal Palace & Watford. Both clubs have had new managers in the last 10 months and both are (almost) reaping the rewards. This means that 15 of the [...]
Premier League Managerial Changes: Do They Guarantee Success? Stats
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Tottenham travelled to Jamaica for an end of season exhibition match at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in The Bahamas. The club had accepted an invitation from the Government of The Bahamas to play the match which was one of the major events in the new 15,000-seat stadium in the year-long celebration to mark [...]
Tottenham’s Exhibition Match in Jamaica Ends In Scoreless Draw - Hotspur HQ - Hotspur HQ - A Tottenham Hotspur Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion, and More
Happy Friday Spursland! You know what keeps me up at night these days? The rumors that the Steinbrenners are looking to buy an English team. There is evil in English football: the far right chanting, the restrictions on standing, and Theo Walcott. But The Stienbrenners would be a bridge too far. The rumors have apparently been around for years and I was blissfully ignorant, but no longer. Someone find my my blankie to comfort me.
And now the "news"
Ramos Thinks Bale Is Perfect For Madrid-Sky Sports
Pipe down, you look like Fernando Torres if he was missing [redacted], your reputation is that of someone who has reached levels of douchedom not seen on this planet since Ted Nugent's facial expressions in the High Enough video. Nobody cares what you think, I would imagine several are surprised your brain works enough for you to speak.
So we miss out on the thing we wanted. And I mean this.
David Moyes Needs To Be Ruthless In Clearing Out The Dead Wood-SB Nation Soccer
Good Lord, I know you said ruthless but you weren't kidding with what you suggest here. This might be beyond Tywin Lannister levels of ruthless. It would be easier to just have typed out David Moyes should start just cutting people's heads off.
WAGNH Rumor Fantasy League-We Ain't Got No History
This is a level of genius I have rarely seen. it is so awesome I am furious that I cannot have an idea as clever as this. Furthermore (and this is inside baseball folks but who cares I'm pulling back the curtain) the way he organizes and aggregates everything makes it so it really isn't that much work for him. My mind is blown. Also we might be stealing it so look for that coming soon, maybe.
David Luiz Seems Fun-We Ain't got No History
He could totally be a stunt driver in some sort of stoner version of the Fast and the Furious.
MLB.coms Error Page Is The Best Ever-SB Nation
I have maintained that SB Nation's error page is the best in the world for some time. Not anymore.
We will also bring you a match report and reaction to the result here on tottenhamhotspur.com soon after full-time.
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Those of you who were looking to see Portuguese midfielder Joao Moutinho wearing a Spurs shirt next season, prepare to be let down.
French side AS Monaco, who were taken over by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev in December, have €100M to play with after the tycoon bought a majority share in the Ligue 2 champions. Porto star Moutinho is poised to be the first of many signings planned by manager Claudio Ranieri, who also targets Ramadel Falcao from Atletico Madrid, Carlos Tevez from Man City and Patrice Evra from Manchester United.
Real Madrid defender welcomes move for Spurs star.]]>
With endless speculation over whether or not Mr Levy will open up his chequebook this summer, it is easy to forget about the opposing end of the transfer window.
Spurs are one of the most financially sound clubs in the League, yet have been famed for high-profile leavers rather than big name signings in past seasons.
Yet there are still a few drifters amid the Tottenham squad. Drifters which that, unless they can prove themselves useful within the pre-season time scale, could find themselves folding up their kit and leaving N17 for new lands rather swiftly...
Hammers in for Real Betis midfielder.
Apparently, Andre Villas-Boas is being targeted by Napoli for their managerial vacancy. According to Metro, Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis said 'Yes' when asked by a Portuguese paper if Villas-Boas is among his targets. Below are a list of bullet points to help you understand this story and my thoughts on it.
"Jamaica have a lot of good players, many of whom play in Europe," said Clint.
"They are using this match to prepare for their World Cup qualfying matches and that's exactly what I'm looking forward to as well.
"We know Jamaica are a good team and they will be ready to play."
Jamaica have some familiar names - Jermaine Johnson (Sheffield Wednesday), Adrian Marriappa, Garath McClaery, Jobi McAnuff (all Reading), Rodolph Austin (Leeds), Dane Richards (Burnley), Theo Robinson and Jermain Beckford (both Huddersfield) all ply their trade in England.
Listen: I've said some things on this blog. A lot of the stuff I've said, I've said in jest. But just so we're clear: I'm not joking when I say there is no Tottenham Hotspur transfer target I want more than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Name: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Age: 23
Team: Association Sportive Saint-Étienne Loire
League: Ligue 1
Primary position: Hard to say. The front one, I guess?
Can also play: All the other front ones.
Should I copy-and-paste the WhoScored interview with Aubameyang, complete with stats? Because that shit essentially makes the case for me.
Even though Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored 38 goals in all competitions during the 2011-2012 season, you would have been forgiven if you'd approached a possible Spurs transfer for the Gabonese international during the summer of 2012 with some skepticism. After all, Leandro Damião looms large in all our imaginations, Fernando Llorente was still an option, and Emmanuel Adebayor had put in a decent shift at the striker position the previous season. Why take a risk with a young striker in an emerging league who more than doubled his goal-scoring total from the previous season? Couldn't Aubameyang just be a flash in the pan? What would happen when Ligue 1 defenses got their stuff together and decided to mark the guy?
Well, if you had doubts before, you can pretty much put those to bed now. Aubameyang scored 37 goals in all competitions this year, missing last year's total by one goal. (By the by, do you know who scored more goals than PEA in France? Zlatan Ibrahimovic. That's it.) And here's the thing: It's not just that the man can score goals. Aubameyang is also tied for joint fourth in Ligue 1 in assists with nine this season, feeding Brandão and other Saint-Étienne players at an astonishing rate. His dad is a former scout for AC Milan. He's fast, he's strong, he's intelligent. He's as good on both the left and right wings as he is in the middle of a 4-3-3. I mean, just look at his work:
Aubameyang has mentioned Dortmund and Milan as dream destinations, and last summer he revealed he was creeped out by Levy & Co.'s approaches to his father. I think it's pretty clear Spurs are not on PEA's radar, or at least not in a positive way, which would make a transfer far less likely. With today's rumor that Newcastle are interested in Aubameyang's services, maybe it's time for Levy to make amends with the Aubameyang family and sign him up.
Likely price: £10M
Probability that valuation is wrong: If Spurs get involved in a bidding war with one of the continental giants, that number could go up significantly.
Team's willingness to sell: Who can say? I mean, Saint-Étienne would take a major step backwards without PEA, but money is money. If the fee is right, I have a hard time seeing les Verts turning us down.
Fit at Tottenham Hotspur: Good to great. The worry I have about Aubameyang is that he seems to be at his best when running on to the ball in a quick counterattack as opposed to seeking out pockets of space created by Andre Villas-Boas's high line system. That said, Aubameyang has shown himself to be supremely adaptable, so there's a good chance he learns to work with less space in front of him.
Possibility he ends up at Spurs: Not all that rosy, given last summer's botched approach and PEA's affection for BVB and Milan. That said, for the right money, he'd probably come around.
Grade if this transfer goes through at likely price: A+. In terms of value for money, there isn't a better striking option for Tottenham Hotspur this summer than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Given his goalscoring prowess, passing ability and positional flexibility, Daniel Levy should buy Aubameyang right. effing. now.
Changes to Champions League rules agreed today could see Europe’s top nations having up to five teams in UEFA’s top club competition.
Ten realistic big-name signings that could help make the Emirates Stadium side title challengers again.
UEFA are considering winners of the Europa League (from 2015) will win a place in the Champions League.
It's not as good as it might sound.
For starters, the competitions identity is clouded. It's an afterthought that currently exists to appease faltering clubs that fall out of the CL after the group stage. If UEFA announced that no side from the Champions League would parachute into the Europa League then we might start to see less of an indenity crisis and a true competition begin to reshape into something worth winning, not because of add-ons but because it matters.
But it doesn't matter because only one competition does in this dear old modern landscape we love to hate and hate to love.
Brutally stated by @drwinston001 on Twitter, one of the key areas that will allow this competition to slowly move out of the shadow of its bigger bullying brother is if UEFA levelled out the prize money between the two competitions. Two key points to this.
The first is - it will close the financial gap between the clubs competing in the CL and EL. The second is a by-product of the first. The competitiveness of said clubs, due to that extra financial clout, would make them stronger meaning that any potential for the current dominant top tier of the hierarchy to push further away would be held back.
But that isn't the point is it? If we retain a cynical outlook the rich (who can't possibly fail not to get richer) are comfortably allowed to do just that (get richer) and the gulf between them and the rest will grow, holding down any potential for a mass change at the top. The CL changed everything. That and the television money earned domestically. The big time players have already been defined and there is no necessity for that to change. Because why would they want to risk the power and the money for any upstart to come within punching reach of a knock-out blow?
My cynical outlook concludes with the fabled European Super League that will one day soon replace the Champions League.
From a Tottenham perspective, I'm hoping by 2015, it doesn't matter too much as we should be finishing 3rd or better (aim high right?). However, if the Premier League era is about to shift towards a time-share where clubs are swapping around in the top positions, if we do happen to find our way into the Europa League post 2015, do we take it seriously? If we don't or we get knocked out, then finish fourth, someone who has finished well below us in the league but has won the EL might well take the CL place from us.
That's a prominent question. To clarify - if someone (in England) wins the EL and we (or anyone else) happened to finish 4th - does that place become void to avoid 5 clubs representing the same country in the CL?
Confused? Don't be. UEFA are making it up as they go along. The rules change to make sure they fit whatever whimsical agenda currently floating around in their big empty heads.
How does the winner of the UEFA Cup defend it if they've qualified for the CL the following season? Get knocked out of that to drop back into it?
No chance of a Champions League spot just going to a champion or domestic cup winner? Of course not. Now that would be whimsical.
What a mess.
Twitter time-line action from:
It's end of season poll time.
Newcastle not in for Liverpool striker.
We all know by now that despite putting in a tremendous effort, and playing well for large parts of the season, Tottenham's quest to finish in the top four of the Premier League ultimately failed on the final day.
They came tantalisingly close to qualifying for the Champions League, missing out by the slenderest of margins. In fact, when it came down to it, only six points separated Manchester City in second and Tottenham in fifth, so as disappointed as Spurs fans will be, they should be proud of what was yet another fantastic season.
Of course, we're now at the end of the season, and it's normally the time when the rumour mill goes into overdrive, especially about the best players in the league.
Spurs fans must be worried that their star man, Gareth Bale, might seek a move away from Tottenham because of their failure to qualify for the Champions League, but in my opinion, Bale shouldn't decide his future on a whim. Instead, he should think long, hard and very carefully about what he chooses to do this summer.
Let's look at both sides of the coin shall we?
If the worst were to happen, and Gareth Bale decides he wants to move on, where would he go? You would have to think he would command a transfer fee in excess of £50million and there are very few clubs in Europe who could afford a fee of that size.
In England, you would be looking at teams like Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. The Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona might also be able to stretch to that, and there's Bayern Munich in Germany, as well as PSG in France.
Even if Bale does decide to leave North London, moving clubs isn't a guarantee of success. Other players have moved for big transfer fees, like Fernando Torres at Chelsea and Torres has had a tough time of it.
Cesc Fabregas chose to move to Barcelona from Arsenal and he's found games hard to come by. When Cesc does start games, he's substituted more often than not. Who's to say it would be different with Bale? As good as Bale is, nobody knows what the future holds, and it may not work out for him.
Tottenham had a very good season last year, but they know what they have to do to go that extra mile and keep up with their rivals at the top end of the Premier League table.
In my opinion, Bale would be best served staying at Spurs, at least for the short term. By staying loyal to them, Bale has the chance to be part of something special.
I've got absolutely no doubt that chairman Daniel Levy will help Andre Villas-Boas invest in the squad during the upcoming transfer window and if Bale sees that Spurs are making the right moves, it could be enough to persuade him to stay.
Spurs need to add more attacking options to the squad. Only having Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor up front hindered them at times last season and that's something Andre Villas-Boas will want to address in the summer.
I've already mentioned that I believe Bale would be better off staying at Tottenham for at least another season. He's only 23 (he'll be 24 in July), so has plenty of time to win trophies during his career, whether that's at Tottenham or elsewhere.
Earlier this year, Bale was being mentioned in the same breath as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of being one of the best players in the world. By staying at Spurs and proving just how good he is for another full season, he might just end up making believers out of all of us.
Although finishing fifth in the league must have been a disappointment for everyone at Spurs, my gut feeling is that Gareth Bale will stay to try to help them get back in to the Champions League. It's all about ambition. If Bale believes he can achieve his goals of competing for trophies and qualifying for the Champions League at Spurs, then he won't go anywhere.
It'll be interesting to see what happens, but I think that ambition, not money, will determine where Gareth Bale's future lies.
Read more Tottenham Hotspur news on BleacherReport.com
Italian giants enter chase for Real Madrid striker.January signalled the arrival of The German Under-21 captain as Lewis Holtby completed his £1.5 million move from FC Schalke. Having already signed a pre-contract agreement to join the club this summer, the club then took up the option of bringing the transfer forward for just £2 million. So how has Holtby done in his first half-season at Spurs?
Outlined as a key target very early on in the Winter Transfer Window, he made his first appearance for the club coming on against Norwich for a 20 minute cameo at the latter end of January, impressing with a performance of energy, creation and willingness. This was then backed up by an admirable showing in the following game against West Brom as he replaced Jermain Defoe in the first half and continued where he left off at Norwich. Fans marvelled at the stunning bargain purchase the club had made and were soon calling for him to be offered first team opportunities.
It seemed those wishes had been granted with Holtby starting three of the sides next four games across all competitions in February and March though fatigue became evident in his play across the course of a full ninety minutes, his time off during the Bundesliga’s winter break appearing to catch up on him. Tackles were often rash and energy low, albeit the performances delivered with great passion and commitment.
An impressive showing against his boyhood club, Everton, was enough to regain confidence in the youngster as he looked to have finally adapted to the pace of the Premier League. This was then followed by a match turning cameo against Manchester City as his assist for Defoe’s pivotal goal proved key to Spurs picking up all three points, whilst remaining combative and alert alongside Tom Huddlestone.
To put it simply it’s been a mixed bag of success, though it would perhaps e unfair to expect anything more for a player of his age in a new league joining half way through the season. Positives have been his passion, passing abilities and build up play whilst negatives mainly centre around poor discipline with tackling that the recently retired Paul Scholes would have been proud of.
It still remains unclear as to his most effective position with Holtby having been employed at centre midfield, left midfield and just behind the striker, though the performances against Man City and Everton would suggest that a deeper role suits his game better.
In terms of commitment to the club and the side, Holtby passes on all fronts. His Social Media presence has been positive in conveying his enjoyment at playing for Spurs as well as his responses to interviews whilst on the pitch you always feel like Lewis has given his full effort to help the cause.
The young midfielder still has much to learn but is in the best environment to do just that. These five months have been solid, but now is the time for Holtby, with a full pre-season under his belt, to realise his potential and help lead Spurs to glory next season. The raw tools are all there.
This is the last serious award for the season and it's the one that I think is the most contentious. Moment of the season could be almost anything. It could be a goal, it could be a news item, it could be just about anything. I think there are some clear contenders for this award, that I will list below.
To me, the moment of the season boils down to three choices. The first is July 3, 2012. Andre Villas-Boas was announced as the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur on that day. Given the names that had been floated Villas-Boas seemed to be the best choice, though there were plenty of reservations following his time at Chelsea. In the end, the hire proved to be an inspired one as AVB quickly won over the fans and the players. This hire was certainly season defining.
The second season defining moment might have been one of the biggest surprises. On transfer deadline day, Tottenham wrapped up the signing of French international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. While it would take time to integrate Lloris into the squad, he would eventually become an integral member of the Spurs defense, enabling AVB to play the style of football he was accustomed to. The transfer itself though was a surprising coup. Very few saw the deal coming and the price itself was surprisingly low.
The final moment that defined this season for me, was the victory at Old Trafford. The celebrations by the players and coaches showed everyone just where the team was at. It was an incredible win even without the fact that Spurs hadn't won there in 23 years. The victory didn't exactly serve as a springboard for an amazing run, but it certainly was an indicator of how the season would go.
As with yesterday's goal of the season post, I'll leave it to you, the readers, to provide the nominees and then rec the ones that you think are most deserving of an award. So, commentariat, who
Spanish giants REALLY want White Hart Lane winger!