rosenthal

We do suck at the moment and were very lucky to win at Malta. Some strange selections from M. Olsen didn´t help but overall it´s a lack of quality. Bendtner is still our best striker by a distance and he is busy, destroying a career. We do have decent kids coming through and a lot of hope is pinned on them. Seems there'll be a managerial change at Denmark soon. Denmark struggle now, but will be okey as soon as the guys around 20 years old get some more experience - especially Fischer and Eriksen

Fowler had a decent spell in 2001/02 with his first season at Leeds. But he was finished as a top player long before that, 98/99 was his last good season with Liverpool. Dunno his story well enough to know what happened, but his quality dropped early in his career. Injuries, burned out, off pitch distractions? Shearer, Sheringham, Wright, Ferdinand, Fowler, Owen, Phillips, Collymore (for a while). Was a long list of quality strikers back then Could perhaps say that it's a surprise he wasn't selected for the first three of his 6 great Liverpool seasons, however that was Shearer's three 30+ league goals seasons with Blackburn.

FIFA rankings has them at 11th in Europe, not sure how many teams ranked behind them are actually better. Perhaps Russia and France (Bosnia are already above the Swiss, and England), but that would still place them among top 13. From seeing both recently I can definitely say the Swiss are better than Denmark (and Sweden for that matter, although Zlatan can make difference) at the moment. Haven't seen Bulgaria but it would surprise me even if they are improving, if they're so good then prove it on the pitch, The swiss has done so with their current good generation of players. Think you're underrating Switzerland, they're nothing special but do deserve their current position. Lucky draw this time around, which they still can mess up if Norway win tomorrow. From their group I'd say that both Albania and Iceland are also improving teams, although they haven't got anything to do in a World Cup.

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Football/Premier+League/Aston+Villa

Don't think any Villa fan would want that, but I do get the impression that many are a bit offended that Spurs weren't willing to pay his valuation when it became clear the money were there to spend. In hindsight we don't even know if Spurs were in for Benteke, from what's made public the picture points more towards agent play to get an improved contract. So far this season there's no doubt that it looks like a mistake not to sign Benteke, we're not producing the chances Soldado need so far - Benteke makes things happen by himself

At the moment Spurs has more or less zero net spent with wage budget at stand still. Could easily spend another 40-50m on deadline day if the ambition is there.

Don't feel we got too many players, teams do need double up in every position to get through a long season. Especially when there's UEFA football to handle as well. With the signing of Eriksen, perhaps we've got one attacking midifelder too many, Sigurdsson should perhaps be sold the way I see the team. But then again, Sigurdsson is only one of 8 home grown players as you can see of the underlined players. Might be even more transfers to come, though they are more likely to be depending on sales than what our previous ones were. Gomes, Assou-Ekotto and Adebayor are all players AVB is trying to get rid off, plus it can be speculated whether Sigurdsson will have a place still. If AVB were to get it completely like he want it, then he'd probably get Coentrao to replace Assou-Ekotto and Hulk to come in with Adebayor leaving. Townsend and Lamela can play both sides, unsure just what role AVB intend to use Lamela in. At Roma he used to play right a lot and cut in. Lamela and Eriksen are young enough to be considered as U21 players for the Premier League. Both of them and Zeki Fryers need to be registered as seniors for the UEFA Europa League due to rule that to be considered U21 in their tournaments players must have been with club for at least two years. GK: 25 LLORIS, 24 FRIEDEL, 1 GOMES? RB: 2 WALKER, 16 NAUGHTON CB: 4 KABOUL, 20 DAWSON CB: 5 VERTONGHEN, (6) CHIRICHES LB: 3 ROSE, 32 ASSOU-EKOTTO? + 35 Fryers DM: 30 SANDRO, 15 CAPOUE CM: 8 PAULINHO, 19 DEMBELE + 28 Carroll AM: 14 HOLTBY, (23) ERIKSEN, 22 SIGURDSSON? RW: 17 TOWNSEND, 7 LENNON ST: 9 SOLDADO, 18 DEFOE, 10 ADEBAYOR? + 37 Kane LW: (11) LAMELA, 21 CHADLI

We were getting closer to Liverpool and Arsenal's wage budgets before this summer's activities. But I'm not sure that it's grown much after the recent transfer dealings, as we've let some of our best paid players go as well Wouldn't surprise me if the new guys are rather evenly paid with what the old ones used to be. Bale = Lamela - 80k Parker = Soldado - 70k Gallas = Paulinho - 60k/70k Dempsey = Eriksen - 60k Bentley = Capoue - 50k Huddlestone = Chadli - 40k Caulker + Bostock = Chiriches - 25k

Christian Eriksen just confirmed. What a day!

Baker's too old, this generation of U21 are born in 1992 or later. Using wikipedia to check Villa squad, the only players that qualify would be Gary Gardner and Daniel Johnson

If UK let Spurs represent them in the Eurovision then I actually think Sandro could win it

Made room for Capoue by selling Huddlestone, loaning out Livermore, while Parker is likely to be off as well. Not too many midfielders at Spurs, just very high quality and a decision to upgrade many in a short spell of time. Reckon there'll be six senior midfielders competing for three spots, while some of them are versatile and can play wide or in defence. First choice: Sandro, Dembele, Paulinho Challengers: Capoue, Holtby, Sigurdsson U21 options: Dombaxe, Carroll, Bentaleb

Still struggle with an unbalanced midfield and the everlasting issue of trying to force both Gerrard and Lampard into the same midfield. They are good, but just as Spain had to ditch Raul to improve as a team, I look forward to the day the golden generation are totally retired from the national team. If only manager had the balls and the players the attitude to sit on the bench and do a job coming on

His brother had just died.

Capoue will offer cover for the central defence as well, which is needed at a time with three first choices out injured and Caulker sold. Long term it's to replace 2-3 players that our on their way out though (Huddlestone, Parker, Livermore)

Rafa asked to leave Spurs to save his marriage. That didn't work out very well, but at least he tried.

No doubt, Bale has been talking about spanish football and Real for years. We all know it will happen, it's more a question of this summer or the next

Agree. Also for someone like Bale who never will go to the Euros or the World Cup he dont want to miss a chance like this I reckon. I actually think we'll see Wales in the EURO soon. The number of teams have been increased, those who have to do play off these days will in the future be directly qualified. That with the increase of quality in welsh football and Gareth Bale, i think there's every opportunity for them to be in the EURO 16 or 20. World Cup is another case though.

Agent that has dealt with Spurs failed to mention that their club owner would demand that Chiriches played the Champions League play off for them <= is the word Will be a month untill he can join if he have to play the play off for them, might scupper the deal

Could be AVB fine tuning the squad into his own image. Like most of the best up coming managers these days, AVB like his central defenders to be quick and as confident on the ball as midfielders. His football vision doesn't include the traditional english centre back who's there just to win in the air and boot the ball upwards. AVB wanted to sell Michael Dawson last summer remember, and I'm sure he wouldn't totally be against a sale now neither even if Daws has somewhat won him over with his flawless attitude. Caulker does seem to be on his way, BBC even mention a medical at Cardiff. Hear talk of a two years buy back clause which I'm very happy with. Makes me a bit sad, but with a buy back clause I reckon there's very little risk involved. If he's good enough we can bring him back, and today he does need more game time than he'd get at Spurs. Can imagine Swansea fans being gutted, they loved him there, won't be nice for them to see him at their rival

Vlad Chiriches is said to be joining, Steaua club president claimed the transfer is done Still wouldn't like to see Caulker go though, he's been shaky at times but so were King and Kaboul at same age.

£400m + Levy's chasing a £200m sponsorship deal for the stadium, which also plays into the Bale deal as having the most profiled player in the Premier League is worth shitloads from a marketing point of view

Innocence of womens football gone as player dive for a penalty in the EURO final?

I've come to terms with Bale leaving for Real Madrid and have no problem with it. Just hope that it will happen next summer and not this, cause if he stay I think he can have a 35 league goals season giving us the best chance of the title in my time following Spurs. No matter what do, we wont get screwed over. Either we'll have the best player in the league or we'll get a shit load of money and build on. After Berbatov and Modric we're not new to this. Spurs will stay strong and compete in the top 5 with or without Bale. Spurs hasnt fluked ourselves to our posision and just got lucky with one player, he's a product of the good work the club has done for over a decade and will contintue with for the future.