Why Spurs shouldn't pick over West Ham's corpse
Posted by Sport.co.uk on: 16 May 2011 - 11:33
Author: Joe Minihane
With West Ham staring Championship football in the face, the transfer rumours have already started swirling. Where are the Irons’ best players going to be turning out next season? With crushing inevitability, Spurs appear top of the list of destinations. But with a relatively settled squad and the need to keep wages in check, there’s every reason why Redknapp and Levy shouldn’t bother swooping down on the Boleyn Ground and relieving West Ham of their best and brightest.
A year ago, I was all for Scott Parker pulling on a Spurs shirt. Despite plenty of arguments with fellow Tottenham fans, I honestly felt he would give us added steel in midfield. Huddlestone and Palacios hardly engendered confidence, then as now, while Sandro remained a young and unknown quantity. But now there really is no need to nab Parker.
Most importantly, there’s not a place for him. Sandro and Modric have looked immense in the middle of the park, the latter’s playmaking passes complimented by the Brazilian’s uncompromising approach to mopping up anything that could potentially cause the back four any concern. Huddlestone provides ample cover, with Pienaar capable of fitting in and Palacios always available when the need arises.
Then there are the issues of Parker’s wages, age and fitness. His recent achilles injury helped speed up West Ham’s demise and during his stints at Chelsea and Newcastle, he was always a fixture in the treatment room. At 30, he’s not fully over the hill, but would offer no more than a couple of seasons at the top level, while his financial demands are believed to be behind Spurs’ failure to land him at the start of the current term.
So, what of the other options? Rob Green appears destined for Villa, but with Spurs in need of a new number one, would he be a smart option? No chance. He’s as error prone as Gomes, with a similar penchant for great reaction saves followed by woeful lapses of concentration. Surely Birmingham’s Ben Foster will be the go to choice, especially if we help sink the Blues down at the Lane this weekend.
Carlton Cole? Spurs already have one misfiring, overly self-assured England striker among their ranks. Adding Cole to Defoe won’t work. He won’t deliver the 20 goals minimum that the club needs from a new striker. He’s the cheap option, of course, but that doesn’t mean Redknapp should be busting out the cheque book.
Demba Ba certainly looks sharp, and is the only Hammer I’d be keen on. But it’s doubtful he’d be anything more than an impact sub. What Spurs need is a striker who can play nine games out of ten and score in at least half of them. Who that is remains a mystery, but Ba, for all his poaching prowess against Wigan this weekend, is not first choice.
That leaves the likes of Mark Noble and Matthew Upson. The former being a midfielder, he’s of little use to Spurs. The latter has looked so devoid of leadership qualities that it’s hard to believe he’s the captain of the Hammers. If Spurs do buy a new centre back, he shouldn’t be it.
Will Redknapp buy from Upton Park? Don’t bet against it. Will he be right to do so? Certainly not.
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