http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12876_7123575,00.html The 26-year-old former Chelsea,Arsenal and Portsmouth star has been linked with a switch to Spurs all summer and a reunion with his former boss at Pompey Harry Redknapp. Reports had earlier suggested that the White Hart Lane outfit were closing in on a â¬12million (£10.6million) deal for the defensive midfielder. However, when quizzed on the issue Diarra denied he was set to leave the Spanish capital and stated his belief that his future still lay at the Bernabéu. "The information about my departure is a lie," he told AS. "There is no agreement from Tottenham and I do not think there will be." Thoughts?
If this is true, its a proper downer, Diarra was the only one of the strongly linked or already brought in players that I actually rated - and thought would be of the pre-requisite quality.
Face it fellow Spurs fans, we are all going to be very disappointed come September 1st. Top 8 this year at best!
I'm already disappointed - so nothing new there. I'll be more disappointed at the end of next season though, when we lose what talents we have.
It's already on the other Diarra thread. I read the article this morning on the AS website. It's a direct quote from the player himself, given at the airport. He also said, "Remember, I have a contract with Real until 2013" This all suggests to me that it's something to do with wages. He get's very little game time under Mourinho - Nor is he likely to, in the future. So, unless he likes the idea of sitting on a bench for 2 years, then it seems to suggest he's not prepared to take a paycut.
Its amazing really, over the past few weeks I've been chided for my less than positive views - and now it appears that more and more people are all coming over to my viewpoint that this transfer window and the season that will follows will be an epic failure. Almost prophetic me!
Very strange that having finally broken into the top four, we appear to have sat back and stagnated rather than seized the opportunity. Perhaps the financial burden of a new stadium has take its toll, or that Levy does not want to entrust too much money with the England Manager position soon to be vacated. Either way, it could be a massive lost opportunity as this season it will be harder than ever due to the monies being spent by Utd, City and Chelsea, allied to Liverpool's new signings. I expect Arsenal to announce three or four additions soon as well.
Our one season the CL looks to be just that, a one season wonder. We simply can't attract the top players with our balance sheet, stadium capacity and wage structure. Levy is not a risk taker and simply won't go all out to take us to the next level and back Harry with a few top signings, no matter the cost. Liverpool have seized the opportunity to grab the place in the top 4 that Arsenal look like they may relinquish and I am pretty sure they will. Shame but that's football these days. It's just business and players have no professional integrity or ambition to want to be part of a building process, they just want instant success and a fat bank balance. It's just plain greed. I wonder how long Harry will put up with this to be honest. He must be thinking of putting his feet up in retirement as he can't take the club any further than he has in fairness. He's come to the end of the road if this is the situation we are faced with. He looks a frustrated man these days as well to be fair.
Why is Levy in the States right now at such a crucial time during the transfer window? Taking a holiday in Baco Raton no doubt!
I started a thread this week mentioning that Levy isn't cut out to do the DOF's transfer role and got shot down in flames. Now it appears I may have a point!
Yeah like thats going to happen, the excuses are already there - Harry's set him up for them with all the talk of we bid for Young, Jones etc and even Mata has admitted we were in for him. IF players don't want to come to us, because we can't pay them as much as others, can't offer them CL football, what can he do? As I've read, and said, before - we should have picked up these players to take us to the next level in the summer 2010 window but we vascillated and got beat to the punch - coupled with our obvious failure to get CL football again, it was kind of obvious we'd be going backwards this season. Really we should knock any ambition on the head for the next 8 months and do a Liverpool, buy all our players in January or at the very beginning of the next summer transfer window, get a full pre-season out of them and really attack on all fronts in 2012-13. If this means losing Modric and Bale then it will suck, but lets do something rather than standing still, thats all I want.
You can't believe the P.R. the club leaks out . Empty words, remember the host of world class strikers we were going to sign last winter. Just for us suckers. In my little time I have come across DB, I have always regarded him as the Golden Oracle, and very modest.
DB/"golden oracle" - serious question, not having a go Would you be happier if we signed Adebayor (or "Anybuyer") on loan for the season of if we signed absolutely no-one other than the couple of youngsters we've already got in? Although from what i read he was waiting for Diarra to sign before agreeing a loan. So that is probably off too. But anyway...?
We do need a striker, and I mean really need one, so I wouldn't be happy with him, however I would take him - as he is a different option to what we have and I'm sure he can do a job - but only on loan, I don't want him here at the start of next season.
In which case, Levy should immediately shut up about making Spurs a club who are going to challenge for top honours. Why say it, and then do **** all about making it happen?
