Beef Bagel

Yet another game on top of our two other cup runs and delicately poised league campaign was not exactly the answer we wanted from ninety minutes at Ninian Park yesterday. With two games a week are lined up for the rest of this month, it’s going to be hard on the players’ legs and hard on The Bagel’s wallet.

It was a fairly typical away performance for this season, with our XI not looking bad at all but distinctly lacking in cutting edge and the midfield never really getting control of the ball. It’s been on the verge of looking a little makeshift of late with Murphy, Malbranque (groin) and Tainio playing together, which has taken us all by a surprise, seeing as it was only a short while ago that we had 14 players fighting for a spot in the centre of the park. But then with our last goal made and finished by two of those three at Fratton Park, you can’t argue that they’re not doing their bit and The Bagel wouldn’t.

It all became apparent when Little Aaron took the field in a Tottenham shirt for the first time, in what seems like an age. With our lightening dwarf and Ledley sidelined, we tend to start looking a little ordinary and it was great to see that Lennon’s injury does not appear to have screwed him up too much. There was a hint of pulling out of a challenge but I’ll forgive the lad that in a heated cup tie against a burley English hating Championship outfit played in a bog in Wales.

The Little Aaron difference he makes is huge. Even if he’s not bamboozling the defence, teams put two men on him and the space that opens up in the middle is where we can really capitalise. Start giving the likes of Berbatov, Huddlestone and the Little Yiddo room to move and you’re going to get hurt.

Keano’s brief cameo was just as important. Good to get the blood pumping around his knobbly legs once more. Ever noticed the way he seems to run on his heels? Sort of makes him look like a wading bird at slow speeds, dipping around the estuarine marshes, which was actually quite appropriate given the state of the pitch yesterday.

I can’t help but wonder whether Defoe would have slotted the better of his chances, the one he dragged just wide of the far post, if Keano hadn’t been on the bench. We know how much better the Little Yiddo plays without another striker breathing down his neck. Was even his presence as a sub enough to cause doubt at the back of Jermain’s mind. I’m hoping this is not the Achillies heel our man, who does have so much going for him.

Dave Jones and Cardiff did everything they were supposed to do, as did their fans for that matter. You could tell, even through the Sky coverage that the home crowd sung up as loud and as unified as any set of winning away fans. I don’t envy the travelling Spurs, who went all that way to watch fairly dull encounter on a miserably wet afternoon and I don’t envy the team itself, who considering did a good enough job against a side at home and thirsty for blood. As MJ said,

“It was a typical afternoon to go out of the FA Cup.”

So, let’s be pleased that we didn’t and work on repaying that hostile crowd favour on 17th January when their fans get to see what a real stadium looks like.

Well, here we are. So much news and so little of it to believe. After catching an interview with MJ on Sky the other day, it’s hard to work out where the truth lies. On the one hand there’s the journalists, bless them, with so many column inches to fill and only a small clutch of stories with any fact whatsoever and on the other the managers, doing everything in their power to keep their dealings secret. So, when MJ is asked straight out if Spurs are going to do anymore transfer this January and he looks about shiftily for a second checking in his brain the exact words he is about to use and says no, exactly what are we to think?

To really pick this one apart, you need to know the context. Now our Giant Dutchman began this talk by making a point of saying that there had been no offer and will not be for Ashley Young. Now, there’s been a hell of a lot of press over the Watford left winger and ourselves as well as a host of other clubs, even Sheffield United, I’m reading today but I believe MJ on this one. So, ok. So then, our manager’s asked and I believe the precise question went something like,

‘Will Tottenham be making anymore major signings in this transfer window?’

There was a pause. One, maybe two seconds. He breathes in, looks to the left and then says, ‘No’. Now, that look to the left seemed like a check on all the enquiries that have been made for the players that he and the boy at the top actually want to buy. So perhaps these offers have been made and all look like they’re not going to happen, prompting the answer no new signings. This seems to mean that this ‘no’ is not an absolute definite ‘no’ but a very likely one and what it also means, or doesn’t mean, is that it says nothing about us selling players. That is something that could well happen and indeed there have been a few reports on that front over the last few days.

The word in the Canadian press is that Paul Stalteri has become the cheese in our trap as we temp every club, with which we wish to deal, with the full backs services.

‘e’s solid, e’s fit, got a nice tan. Plenty of Champions League experience. Look at his teeth. See healthy, good strong lad. Knows how to play at right back. Won’t let you down. Usually goes at £3m but I like yer face luv, to you, you can ave ‘im for £2m. Now I can’t say fairer than that. Any less and my wife I’ll kill me.’

You can understand the often maligned defender wanting to go to a club, where he get to play a little more often, particularly when we seem to be keen to sign another player in his position. From Champions League with Bremen, to third choice in London would be a little hard to take and if all this is true then it looks like we’re helping him find the door. The only problem is, if he’s part of a deal sweetener, exactly who or what are we looking at in return?

The Canadian Mirror is saying he’s already been offered to Everton. Should we assume that’s in return for Lescott plus even more cash than it would cost without Stalteri in the deal?

Good Old Calum is another poor chap who’s been rumoured to be knocking about in the back of the van as MJ & Comolli drive about from club to club pedalling their wares and for my money, a little unjustly. Davenport showed his ability at getting forward yesterday, which is perhaps his greatest strength. He doesn’t have the slide as gracefully as Ledley but he’s a better tackler than Safety First, Michael Dawson. He can score goals as he proved at Man City and the real point he is still developing. I can understand that MJ’s looking for the more or less finished article in terms of potential England centre halves but it seems we’re not getting anywhere with the likes of Upson, Davies, Lescott and now Anton Ferdinand as well but more on that in a minute.

The player has obviously read reports of his own precarious position as has had this to say,

“This is the season I know I must push on.

“I’m just hopeful I can do it. I’ve been here a long time, been very patient and when called upon, I like to think I have done it.

“This is where I see my future. I’m playing while others are out and it is bringing the best out of me. I know our manager loves young players and he’s certainly been supportive. It’s an easy option to look elsewhere, but I believe in myself and I believe I can do it here. I hope others feel the same.”

Good words. Good ethic bit and I do agree with him when he says he’s done what has been asked of him. What we need to see now is him doing more than that, more than we expect. His goal against City was a start. Now we need some heroics at the back. He looks like he needs a little time down the gym but that aside I’m sure he’s got it in him. Good luck Calum.

Ah yes, Anton Ferdinand or Jar Jar Binks as he’s apparently known. As I say, he’s the latest name to be linked with the Spurs given our long term fitness concerns over Captain Ledley. £4m was the offer that we supposedly handed Curbishley for the strangely surplus defender but the new man in charge was hoping for something more along the lines of £7m. Naturally, our response will be to make the offer along with free Baby Face Gardner, who’s also in the back of the van, playing snap with Stalteri and Davenport.

The problem seems to be that all of these top English centre halves are sitting at inflated prices, while everyone knows that Chelsea are still looking for cover. Each manager with one for sale is hoping they’ll be the ones to strike it rich with enough time to spend their lottery winnings and save their arses and their jobs. When Chelsea do make their move, we should see a little more action on this front. Fingers crossed it’s not a deal with the Irons, involving Shaun Philips as the Cockney barrel of monkeys club has increased their offer to £12m as well as agreeing to match the diminutive winger’s wage demands of a whacking £70,000! May it make them bust.

It’s clear the Hammers don’t have too much of a problem meeting such demands as apparently Curbs has been crawling about the Lane as much as we’ve be hovering over Upton Park and yes, even more to follow on that. Edgar D, favourite of last season’s campaign, seems to have pretty much outlived his usefulness in the Tottenham shirt and the East End manager has made him an offer of actually getting to ply his trade, with the same £50,000 a week but with the major drawback of having to do so dressed in claret and blue. The Dredded Dutchman has rejected the advances and you just have to respect the guy’s spirit and love of all things Spurs when he’d rather stay and fight for his place.

“Edgar has not said he’s unhappy at the club. Even though Edgar is not playing a lot for Spurs, he likes the club very much.”

So says a source close to the player but who knows what the Daily Star mean when they say that. The could be referring to a mayonnaise bottle he used at a greasy spoon when the midfielder last ate his trademark double sausage, double egg, bubble ‘n squeak and grilled Stroopwaffeln.

And yet more rumours linking us and Wet Spam and I quite like this one. Nigel Reo-Coker’s falling out with the East End fan base has been well documented and I’d feel like fucking them over if I were him as well. Well, I’d feel like fucking them over anyway based on the fact that they’re scum but the England U21 captain’s got a good reason to after all the shit they gave him. So what better way than to play for us, given that Milwall are below his standard. A young, tough central midfielder could just be what the doctor ordered to get our pistons moving away from home. So, let’s give the lad the Bagel treatment.

To give him his full name, he’s Nigel Shola Andre Reo-Coker. He’s only 5′9″ but all of it solid anchored under the weight of a 12 stone 3 pounds. Here’s his head…

…God damn, what a rush.

Apparently the midfielder’s got until tomorrow to decide whether or not he wants to leave West Ham, so expect to find out the results of this one pretty damn soon. Do we want him? I’d say a big yes. Like a young Davids sans dreads. Between him, Didier Zee and Tommy H, we’d get that engine room sorted. Oh yeah, the price. £5m apparently. Sounds reasonable enough to me.

The one that’s fresh today is a link between us and Gabriel Heinze. Never saw that one coming. Never thought he’d come back from injury as it goes. Should United manage to sign Gareth Bale, there’s a good chance they’d be looking to offload the Argentinian full back, who’d now be third choice on the left side.

Heinze’s no spring chicken at 28 years old but from what we saw before his injury, he can certainly play. He’s 5′10″ and just over 11 stone and self-styled as ‘The most aggressive left back in the world’ you’d think he can take care of himself, unless of course that’s referring to stabbing the opposition after the game. Here’s his head…

…doing what he and his countrymen do best.

The player’s been attracted to the Lane by the history of great Argentines who’ve played for us, Villa and Ardiles and I assume Taricco, who for some reason he forgot to mention. I somehow doubt we want to buy yet another left back for the collection but with Chimbondabonda to compare on the other side I can appreciate the temptation. Not personally to fussed by this one but let’s just have a reminder of what the man they call ‘Gringo’ can do…

…which is be a little wanker by the looks of things. Apologies for the soundtrack.

Right. Enough. This news is coming in faster than I can report it. You can have the rest tomorrow. The only important thing left to say is that should we beat Cardiff second time around, we’ll be facing either Southend or Barnsley at home. No problemo.

Busy, busy bagels.

The Bagel.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 8th, 2007 at 4:51 pm and is filed under Match Reports, Transfer News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.