Beef Bagel

I’ve got to admit, I was a little nervous about all this takeover speculation yesterday. It doesn’t make any difference who and what and where they’re from the Middle East of the Far East or East London. The fact is that General Levy is doing a good job and The Bagel wants him to stay.

I got the impression when all those United fans took to the streets before the Glazier family took over and it seemed they were more bothered about their English club falling into the hands of Americans than the leadership of their football business. I don’t think there’s any room for xenophobia in football. How can you bitch about foreign money in the game when half your side comes from abroad?

No, what frightens me is the latest craze amongst many foreign owners for instant success. I wouldn’t mind if it were just the likes of the CL clubs firing their managers after less than a season when they don’t pick up the European Cup, the league and mail on the way in to work. When Sven’s out on his ear after a fucking good season at City, that’s the kind of foreign investment worth worrying about. You don’t need me to eulogise about the Receding Swede but he brought in good players, did the double over their greatest rivals - none less than the best club in Europe - and managed to get them into the UEFA Cup,  albeit through European Cat Flap.

Whatever General Levy has done about which we may not have been so proud, he has given us longevity and a steady increase in fortunes. Juande, his staff and his players need time and I’d hate to see some clueless investors come in, throw money at the club and expect that to bring in the League Championship by the end of the season.

Fortunately, the club has denied they’re about to sell up their 82% share of Spurs despite the tip of Joe Lewis’s financial iceberg, melting in the Bear Grylls collapse or whatever it was called. The fact is that even if the £250m was tabled, it’s a good £150m short of what ENIC are after, so we’re safe for now. Besides, with a few more Modrics and Johnny Two Saints we’ve a good chance of improving that value in the next few years. A good businessman knows best of all when to get out, and this is not the time.

An exciting addition to the Yiddo Share Index (YSI) is rumoured to be on its way in the form of one David Bentley, who the press are claiming was a boyhood Tottenham fan despite his youth experience at the scum. My arse. What self-respecting boyhood Tottenham fan would ever play for arsenal? Oh yeah. Well, obviously the likes of Campbell and Bergkamp were never true; merely sham fans with not one iota of Lilywhite and blue blood in them.

As it goes, according to once source, the England winger has already signed for £9.5m rising to £12m subject to a medical. I’m not saying that the medical is going to cost £2.5m, I’m mean, that’d be one hell of a medical. You’d be looking to have every cell checked for that. No, the signing is subject to a medical, the fee subject likely to appearances or CL qualification or such.

Now, last week’s suspect rumour turned out to be bang on the money, so with a 1 in 1 strike rate, I’ve every reason to feel confident in today’s grapevine tremors, and besides, that conditional deal does sound very Spurs.

Should it turn out to be true, then Bentley’s arrival gets The Bagel’s thumbs up but as Jimmy Crazy Box (nee No Skype) discussed, the ex-arse would have to be taken down to Tottenham Marshes baptised and cleansed before being allowed to set foot in WHL. £12m seems relatively reasonable for an English player wanted by the likes of the Big Four and seen as David Beckham’s long term replacement in the England set up. I wonder if he’ll bring MGP with him for the other wing?

I did read one article saying that our courting of Bentley and even his arrival would not necessarily mean the end of Little Aaron as a Spur. It’s a little militant and I don’t particularly agree with it all but the general gist is that we’d be looking to play five in midfield and the likes of Johnny Two Saints, Luka the Mod, Bentley, Little Aaron, Steeeeeeve and JJ would all play as attackers of varying strengths and positions. Not sure this is the Perfect Juan’s ultimate plan but you could definitely see more than just three of these playing with a holding midfielder behind them, unless the plan is for JJ and Modders to hold between them? Food for thought anyway.

Don’t play with that wand! It holds vast powers. Only a real sorcerer can use it, not a stupid peck like you.

The Bagel.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 1:34 pm and is filed under 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.