What more can I say? We finally saw Champions League football at the Lane, and it wasn’t just a taste like everyone, even some of ourselves predicted.
Wins against the giants of Milan showed Europe that the Tottenham game could translate on the biggest stage. Sure, the resounding defeat to Real Madrid expounded some of our problems, but no one can take away anything from our gutty performances since that fateful night in Bern.
Our domestic cup campaigns were sour, and that is putting it mildly: a quick in-and-out against those-who-shall-not-be-named in the Carling Cup, and a horrible, worse than reserve team effort against Fulham in the FA Cup cancelled any hope of Wembley glory.
As for the Premier League, it was a year of soaring highs and extremely desperate lows. Wins away against those-who-will-now-be-named-out-of-spite, Arsenal, and Liverpool were no doubt the highlights of the campaign.
Conversely, early losses from the beginning home to Wigan and at West Ham spelled out what was to come from our matches against the bottom clubs in the Premiership. Out of a possible 30 points against clubs that finished 16th or lower, Spurs accumulated a paltry total of 11.
Had the draws at home to Blackpool and West Ham, as well as the goal-fest at Wolves been wins, Spurs would have not only finished in the Champions League places, but bumped our Woolwich ‘neighbours’ out of the top four.
Sadly, hindsight is slightly better than 20/20. Spurs’ troubles were plentiful, but I believe the triumphs during the whole 2010/11 outweighed the shortcomings.
With another European tour to look forward to, albeit in the Europa League, and a campaign that will surely test the resolve of the top four clubs, this summer’s silly season will prove to be make or break for Tottenham’s near future.
First move, Brad Friedel. Decent signing, especially when it costs us nothing. Could spell the end of Gomes’ lacklustre, but sometimes glorious, reign. But is he really the keeper to push Spurs on into the top four again? I’d rather have someone young, and surprisingly, French, with Steve Mandanda and Hugo Lloris topping my list.
Never-ceasing rumblings continue about Harry’s search for a striker to oust our quite anaemic strike force. The names that keep coming up, Leandro Damiao, Pablo Osvaldo Drogba, Adebayor, Vucinic, the list could go on as Spurs are linked to nearly everyone who has ever scored a goal in the past year; something our strikers only did 17 times domestically last season.
As for the midfield, there is the continuing pursuit of Scott Parker, a tough-nose player with a solid defensive work ethic. Wait a minute; don’t we already have someone with those exact credentials?
True, Sandro may be young and only a half-season veteran of the Premier League, but he has bags of quality that England, and Europe have noticed in his short run with Spurs. Realistically, I would take Parker, save him from Championship purgatory (which I’m sure he will never experience), but only for a price hopefully less than £7 million since he may end up being no more than a squad player.
On Wednesday night, after a recent flurry of rumours and gossip from various sources, Chelsea tabled a £22 million bid for our POY, Luka Modric. That number could only be summed up by in one word: comical. I have all the faith in the world that Luka will remain at the Lane for the 11/12 season, but the only price I could see Daniel Levy turning his head for would be double what Chelsea bid.
For our other highly touted players in Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart, it seems they are intent on playing for Tottenham in the upcoming season. Rumours for the duo have practically ceased, much to the delight of the Spurs community and myself.
Rumblings of changes in our defensive contingent have been few and far between. Only a few names have been thrown around, such as a pre-United bid for Phil Jones, and the possibilities of bidding wars for Christopher Samba and Roger Johnson.
A few names could be on their way out of the Lane as well, including, but not limited to our whole strike force, Sebastien Bassong, Gio Dos Santos, Wilson Palacios, and Jermaine Jenas.
No matter what happens, we know this is just the start of a long, strenuous, agonizing, but no doubt exciting period. Once one large name moves, the dominoes will fall. It is just a matter of time.
But first things first, 9:00am on Friday will tell where our heroes, whether current or new, will begin their quest.
At least we know it won’t be in East London.
-Audere est Facere-