There's usually a tendency to exaggerate the positives of players people haven't really witnessed. Then you see people in their twenties making great claims about a player in the 70s, based on what they heard, a highlight reel or two, or historical consensus. Restricting it to the Premiership actually gets you genuine opinions. (bar the wumming )
The problem was that, like Rio did at West Ham, he clearly started listening to his hype and became a bit blase with some of his performances against the lesser teams (which we were, at the time, a hell of a lot closer to in terms of league position than we have been recently), which isn't something you want to see when he's accompanied by Ramon Vega at the back.
Campbell lied...on several occasions. He claimed he'd never join Arsenal, he claimed he was a spurs player and fan so under no circumstances would he join Arsenal...he claimed he wanted to sign a new contract while running his one down. He is simply a great player who is also a money grabbing, self serving, arsehole like many others...what differentiates him for spurs fans was he dumped on us and was our captain and cost us approx £18 in transfer fee (United were reported as offering that 2 years previously)... Another more interesting thing about him is that even at Arsenal and Pompey he is not particularly fondly remembered even though he was a great player for both teams... As for the criticism of spurs fans...look at gooner fans with Nasri, Adebayor and Cole (and Bentley for that matter)...like it or not some players over step lines. I guess it is about what matters to you.
Cole didn't leave Arsenal because he wanted an additional £5k a week. He left because Arsenal agreed to it and then went back on that agreement.
Sorry mate but to claim that Campbell's behaviour is some how not as bad as cole's or Adebayor's is a joke. Do you not think that the fact that Campbell got an astronomical signing on fee because no transfer fee was needed is not as money motivated as Cole? If Campbell just wanted to leave he could have said that he would not be signing a contract but instead he lied to drag things out so he could run his contract down. He cost the club close on £20m. Cole left and you got Gallas AND £5M. Do you not think that Campbell lying for two or three years, professing his love of spurs as our home grown captain and then ****ing off down the road is some how less disrespectful than anything Adebayor did? I think you are either being naive or are on a wind up. Campbell should have left the right way...and allowed the club to sell his contract and make a bit of money. He dumped on spurs, lied to Arsenal when they gave him a free by signing for pompey (getting another decent signing on fee due to no transfer cost) after stating he was going abroad and then sued pompey when they were falling apart for unpaid bonuses and then left on another free (and making yet more in signing on fee's due to no transfer costs). Then there was the Notts County fiasco and leaving on a free etc. Greedy and souless in my opinion...and cos he did it to us I have no time for his legacy at spurs...just like gooners don't give a **** about Adebayor, Cole and Nasri. Cole and Nasri have won the league since leaving you...cole won it 3 times, along with 2 or 3 league cups, 2 or 3 FA Cups and the CL too but you still consider he left for 'mainly money reasons'...really?????
In the case of Rio's move to Leeds (not MUPLC), his move was made for financial reasons - by selling him, West Ham could afford to bring in Kanoute permanently, so it was a calculated risk. In the case of Campbell, it wasn't justified because we tried to negotiate a new contract but he never even met with the club (whilst making claims about "red tape" to the media to make it sound like he wasn't the reason contract talks were stalling) and, as RCL said, allowed his contract to run down so he could leave and pick up a decent pay-off for doing so. In many ways, it doesn't matter that he joined Arsenal - he wanted to move to a CL club in London, which meant they were the only option at the time - it would've been just as disloyal and self-interested if he moved to Chelsea, West Ham, Fulham, Charlton or Barnet because they were a London club in the CL. His actions at Pompey, Notts County and Newcastle - money first, professionalism second...and lie about Spurs fans when you get the chance also indicate what kind of person he is.
Current votes for left midfield... Nick Barmby: 10 David Ginola: 130* Steed Malbranque: 15 Gareth Bale: 794 No room for Dalmat, Dominguez, Jackson or Etherington? For shame!
How can Ginola be so far behind? At least that's four players that deserve to be considered, even if the lead choices are pretty obvious.
Does anyone get the impression a lot of young fans might be voting? Thats almost a team of currently playing players. And the 1 that isn't was elected by the goons
Stupid polls..ultimately football is about enjoyement....Campbellend took it all away the day he decided to move in the way that he did....therefore not enjoyable or even deserving of respect..this pantomine is not all about what one does with the ball. Do you think teams like Bolton or Wigan who are always flirting with relegation dont have player of the decade etc polls? i mean i dont see why they should since they are rubbish...but naay football is not all about that..it is about joy these people bring to us as fans...so ****ball can fuk off for however good he may have been..he blew it all away. i dont have a diffrent set of rules for football and a diffrent set for the rest of my life..if someone is a sly twat then they get exposed as such despite everything else as it demonstrates that really they only had their own agenda at heart and the club,fans etc(in ****balls case,Spurs) was a by product or necessity in achieving ones goals....yes i dont expect a declaration of love..but i expect respect..gave none...getting none...simple...dismissive after he left therefore we are dismissive of whatever he thinks he did for us.
I picked him in my XI on the first page of this thread. But the truth is, that vote was affected by Arsenal fans. It was admitted on the official site.
Either a lot of the fans voting on the poll weren't Spurs fans before 2007...or we picked up a lot of plastics under Harry.
I think the former. It's a shame because Ginola was the only shining light in a truly awful few years (League Cup aside). But, what with the poll being on Facebook, I think a lot of the young fans have been voting on it. That's not to say Bale shouldn't be chosen, because he has been brilliant, but Daveeeed deserves more recognition! If only 'Arry was still in charge, we could have had Bale in the Centre-Mid category
Nick Barmby: 49 David Ginola: 1272* Steed Malbranque: 58 Gareth Bale: 4920 First of all, so much for Pele saying that Barmby could be one of the best players in the world. Secondly, if Defoe gets picked ahead of Teddy or Klinsmann, I riot...
Who I voted for. :::EDIT::: Central midfield ballot is in David Howells: 85 Allan Nielsen: 69 Steffen Freund: 347 Gus Poyet: 89 Michael Carrick: 237 Jermaine Jenas: 43 Tom Huddlestone: 143 Wilson Palacios: 28 Luka Modric: 2801* Scott Parker: 984 No Zokora...but who the hell is voting for Jenas?!?
Strikers ballot up... Teddy Sheringham: 131* Jurgen Klinsmann: 341 Les Ferdinand: 14 Robbie Keane: 40 Jermaine Defoe: 46 Dimitar Berbatov: 37 Roman Pavlyuchenko: 10 Peter Crouch: 15 Rafael Van Der Vaart: 160 Emmanuel Adebayor: 19
