So the transfer window has (pretty much) closed for another season, and I have to say that Spurs have had a very, very weird January; re-signing Jermain Defoe, who left the previous January, and both Pascal Chimbonda and Robbie Keane, who both left in the summer. Here are my thoughts on these three re-signings:
§
Jermain Defoe: Even though we made a loss on this deal, paying more for him this time around than we received from Portsmouth last January, I am very very happy indeed to have Jermain Defoe back at the Lane. He never wanted to leave a year ago, and his return will prove to be a real boost for us. In my opinion, he should be our first-choice striker hands down for the rest of the season – if he is fit to play. Jermain is fast, both with his feet and his head, and poses a constant danger to any defence in the country.
My verdict: £££££ – a maximum of five pound signs for an excellent piece of business!
§
Pascal Chimbonda: Given Spurs’ current defensive inadequacies, especially at left back, the re-signing of Pascal Chimbonda, who left last summer for Sunderland, is a shrewd piece of business from Harry Redknapp. Chimbonda can play across the back four, and his versatility means that if anymore of our centre-backs get injured Corluka is free to switch to centre-back, with Chimbonda jumping in at right-back. With all our players fit, however, Chimbonda should always get the nod over both Assou-Ekotto, who has been consistently poor this year, and Gareth Bale, who has also disappointed, at left back. That said, in his first spell at Spurs, Chimbonda was by no means faultless defensively, and often looked a little disinterested, as if he was not fully committed to the cause. In this sense, he has something of a point to prove in his second spell back at the Lane.
My verdict: £££1/2 – three and a half pound signs. A sensible purchase, but the jury’s still out on whether Chimbonda will prove a long-term solution for our defensive problems, or whether he is simply a short-term stop gap.
§
Robbie Keane: Even though there was a lot of chat towards the end of the transfer window about the possibility of this move, I still find myself in a state of shock that Keane has returned to White Hart Lane, just five months after he left under somewhat acrimonious circumstances last August. Liverpool paid around £20.3 million for the Irishman, who only played 19 games for the Reds, but in return Spurs have (according to reports [BBC]) only paid a measly £12 million to take him off Liverpool’s hands (that’s the initial figure, and could rise depending on appearances etc.). This represents an £8.3 million profit for Spurs – which is truly astonishing. While Keane always gave his all for Tottenham, and cannot have become a bad player in five months, I have a number of reservations about this deal:
1. This is very different from the Defoe and Chimbonda deals, in that neither of those players really wanted to leave Spurs in the first place – they were forced out for other reasons (mainly because they were unwanted). In contrast, Keane – to the shock and horror of the Spurs fans at the time – handed in a transfer request which effectively forced the club to sell him to Liverpool (a club that Keane had apparently ‘supported since he was a boy’). The whole saga caused problems in the Spurs’ dressing room, and is probably one of the reasons Spurs have performed so badly this season (that and Berbatov’s exit). At the very least, there was certainly some bad blood between Spurs and Keane after his departure, so much so that rumours suggest Harry Redknapp had to personally convince the unwilling Daniel Levy that Keane was worth buying back.
2. Linked to this, one has to question Keane’s motives for returning to Spurs: is it because he really wanted to come back, or was he simply forced out because Benitez no longer wanted him (the measly transfer price would suggest the latter, and that Liverpool were very eager to offload him to the closest available taker). At the very least, Keane will have some apologising to do to the Spurs’ fans, and will need to prove his commitment to the club (never doubted until this last summer) all over again.
3a. One of the reasons Jermain Defoe originally left the club was that he couldn’t get into the Spurs’ starting line-up with Keane and Berbatov the preferred strikers. At the time, it was accepted that Keane and Defoe, both small players, couldn’t play well together up front. I have trouble seeing whether Harry will be able to solve this dilemma by finding a way of playing them together, or whether one of them will simply miss out every week and have to warm the bench. For me, Defoe has to be first choice – and the fact Spurs have just paid £15 million to get him back, compared to just £12 million for Keane, would suggest Redknapp may agree here. As long as Defoe is the first name on the teamsheet, I won’t be too bothered, but I will be disappointed if he falls behind Keane in the pecking order.
3b. On a similar note, Robbie Keane likes to play in ‘the hole’ just behind the front man. So, according to Harry Redknapp, does Luka Modric. Modric has arguably been our best and most inventive player this year. Harry needs to figure out how he can accommodate both him and Keane in the side, given their similarities, without inhibiting either player’s game.
My Verdict: £££ – given these concerns, only three pound signs for Keane I’m afraid. Robbie must still be a quality player, but how he will fit into this team, and whether he is truly committed to the club, is questionable. Only time will tell. Personally, I would have preferred Roque Santa Cruz.
Wilson Palacios flew back to Honduras yesterday to be with his family after the remains of his brother, who had been kidnapped back in 2007, were found and identified 150 miles from the nation’s capital. This is why he missed Tottenham’s game against Everton.
Seven Sisters Road 
Recent Comments