Now I want you to sit down and relax. Take some deep breaths. If you don’t I can’t possibly be responsible for the result.
This is a quotation from that awfully nice Mr Ramos of the Tiny Totts reported in the Guardian.
“Tottenham have a clear philosophy and have had for years. We are on the stock exchange and have to balance the books. The idea is to buy young players with potential and talent.”
Now I want you to put that in perspective. When Levy “captures” (as the Guardian so amusingly put it) David Bentley for about £15m (yes this is not a wind up, £15 million) Levy will have spent over £100m in the last three transfer windows.
True, he sold Carrick to Manchester Bankrupt for £17 million, but even so.
A year ago you will remember how we laughed until we cried when Levy spent £34.5m on Darren Bent (£16.5m) and three others now forgotten. Ramos then turned up and promptly spent £22.5m on defenders so that the Tiny Totts could finish in the bottom half of the table – which they duly did.
So far this transfer muck-around they have spent £30m, including £16.6m on Modric and another cartload full on Giovani dos Santos. Both of these players could end up costing them more and more because of the agreements with the selling clubs. If they play, Tottingham pay.
So while Arsenal keep getting millions as the players they have previously sold are sold on for a profit (one thinks of Mr Bentley, whose transfer to the Totts will bring further income to Arsenal through the Blackburn agreement) Tottenham spend it.
When you look at the make-believe world at the end of White Hart Lane (that’s the opposite end from where Wood Green Town used to play) you realise that Arsenal are actually having a very smooth ride in the transfer market. Largely because when we talk about bringing in youngsters with potential we sign Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott. And Nic Bendtner. And Gael Clichy. And Kolo Toure. And Carlos Vela.
And half a dozen others who will play tomorrow.
What with all the nervous comments about players who are leaving?
Come on guys, dont you remember the wild comments when Vieira
or Henry left? we were supposed to become as useless as you know
who. But we actually did so well that it had to take massive injuries to
major players to dislodge our fingers from the EPL title and even the it was 4 points that was the difference.
Some daft individuals even claim that as soon as we lose Ade or Van Persie we would collapse which is nonsense. I think Bendtner is itching
to step up to the plate while Van Persie was missed last seaxson but
only marginally. Hleb is gone and I am sure we will miss him in some
ways but we will find a replacement that will more than make up for
the loss.
This Arsenal and every manager in this land knows that we have decent human resources. Paradoxically, its our own supporters who have most doubt.
supporters