Outstanding stuff as ever from our very own, Finn.
Oscar Wilde once said: “There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”
I’m not sure if the usual disappointment of not signing the footballing world’s best after being linked with them all summer, is better or worse than simply not being linked with anyone?
I suppose there’s no disappointment in being let down when there’s never been a let up, but equally it feels like we’ve not even “had a go” and rather than disappointment there’s a lingering sense of shame like we’ve thrown in the towel before throwing a punch.
As with most other Spurs fatalists, I’m trying to anticipate the ending of this story; not easy when I’m on the page 78 and the only words I’ve seen are “be brave” on page 41 and “we might sign no-one” on page 66 – both were printed in the same 50% grey wash as Donna Cullen’s foreword.
What concerns me now as we approach the final pages of this window is Levy’s ego; it’s as big as his arms are short and his pockets deep – the classic small man syndrome. He simply cannot allow himself to be seen to have failed and I fully expect him to spend on a player to persuade us that we (read he) have not failed (again). His persona in the transfer market seems to have taken over; he has to live up to his own hype as the mean machine of wheeling and dealing.
If I am truly misjudging you Mr Levy and you really are hard at work in a Cullen-esque frenzy of dealings to get us top quality reinforcements, then I am truly sorry.
However my spider-sense after years and years of this, suggests you to be a creature of habit who simply cannot help but obey your own personal strain of Tourette’s to squeeze the life out of any opportunity.
As such I expect to see some sort of face saver which I’m sure will be the extension of contracts for Eriksen and Alli (I’d expect Christian is already done but they’re waiting for Dele to get back), but after that the jury is out.
If Levy goes to form he will bring in 2-3 players, one of which will be reasonable, one a donkey and the third (the one we’d really like to get) will be a deal that will probably fall down at one minute before midnight.
Of course the spin will be that Daniel “really tried” to get a marquee signing, but the complexities of the window and how short it was this year made it just impossible to do such a complex deal in the time available.
None of this is new to anyone here or indeed anyone in the football world and there’s where the problems start. Whatever Levy proposes, clubs & agents will immediately assume (and probably rightly so) that because its Daniel Levy it’s a low-ball. His reputation means that clubs and agents know that they will face protracted negotiations designed to wear them down and hamstring them in other chain-based opportunities.
I think that Levy has become more invested in “the game” than in the outcome. But because he need to win at all costs with the transfer fee, the “terms”, the wages and so on, no-one out there wants to play with him anymore.
Its alarming to think that maybe we don’t get the chance at decent players – because at the top level it really is a sellers’ market. Can we seriously persuade players that we are one of Europe’s top clubs when we act with such penury?
So I turn to another blank page still with no ending in sight……..
