Luka Modric / Signs for Real Madrid

Chelsea have moved the responsibility of transfer to their director of football ages ago. Signing players without a manager in place is not so odd.

What I find more puzzling is who is doing that now Arnesen is gone. Did they appoint someone new.

There was a thing about this in the Sunday Times a few weeks ago, the speculation was there was some bird who has been managing a lot of Abramovich's non-football business affairs that is taking a bigger role in the Chelsea side of things these days, and may end up being director of football. I think that was it. It was interesting because she has no real football background at all.

It certainly is a strange organisation, Chelsea. I hope we dont turn into such a circus after SAF retires.
 
I don't really see how losing Modric is more important then us losing Ronaldo, who was at that time probably the best player in the world and involved in 50+ of our goals.

You are making it sound as if losing Modric will suddenly make Spurs a mid table side which is ludicrous. They have a decent squad, that needs improving. Perhaps they wouldn't have been in this situation if Lewis and Levy had supported Redknapp more in the summer, rather then panicking and trying to obtain a top striker in the January window.

The statement of intent really should be 'if you don't want to play for us, then leave, the club is bigger then one player and will move on to better things'. The club never wins in the situation Levy has put them in, players have the power.
If it ends up like the Berbatov saga, he'll end up hurting the club as this will run all summer, the player will leave right at the end of the deadline with no time to find a replacement.

This is spot on and raises an interesting point.

Spurs could implode over the impending Modric saga if they're not careful.

Harry Redknapp is on Skysports news and every radio station going giving it large about what a great player he is and how he's been assured by Levy that they'll never sell him. Levy has said the same - and fair play, he might mean every word of it.

Fact is, 99% of the time if a player wants out he'll get his move eventually - so Levy risks looking like a bullshitter with the fans if a deal goes through. Added to this Harry looks lke a mug and could take the hump about it all.

If they keep him and he isnt happy then that'll probably not end well either.

I agree its best to get as much as you can, make teh player request a transfer and try and get the fans on side. No player can be bigger than the club.

Will be interesting to see what happens in the end.
 
99% of the time if a player wants out he'll get his move eventually... If they keep him and he isnt happy then that'll probably not end well either.

Reading your comments and Datura's put me in mind of Rooney. Not contradicting what you are saying, that is obviously the norm and Roon is an example of that 1% exception. But still. Shows the players dont have all the power, even if they have most of it. Modric has some time left on his contract too i think, so in some ways Spurs are in a stronger position than we were.

And I absolutely agree with Harry's logic, they shouldnt be selling their best players, they should be reinforcing the squad, looking to break into the top 4. You can make the Ronaldo comparison but the difference was that was an exception, United dont tend to sell their best players to rivals, as the Rooney saga illustrated in the end. Spurs have been a bit of a feeder club for us for years, it is not like Modric is an isolated incident, it was Berbs before that and Carrick before that. If they show that level of ambition and bring in new players I dont think Modric would kick up a huge fuss.
 
None of his business?

You just don't get it, do you? When Chelski's owner - not the manager or Director of Football mind you - makes a bid for a Spurs player, and when details of the bid are then deliberately leaked in an attempt to unsettle that player (depsite Chelski being flatly told: no deal at any price), then the inner workings of Chelski become Harry's fecking business.

Besides, everybody already knows that Chelski are merely the plaything of Ambramovich and that all your managers become jerked-around puppets. So it's a bit late to object when a manager from another club joins the public discussion.

Yes, none of his business.

You have no proof that Chelsea leaked the bid. So it's not a fact.

Even if they did, they are within their rights to do so. Harry doesn't even bother leaking his transfer overtures, he tells the media who he's interested in and who his club is going after all the time, why can't Chelsea make their own bid a matter of public knowledge? Sure, Levi would rather they don't, but it's not up to him, is it?

I don't care if other clubs, Spurs included, make bids for Chelsea players and tell the press about it. It's their money and their transfer plans. It's when you start making public comments on other club's private business, like who calls the shots and who makes decisions, you cross the line. Stick with your own problems, how CFC operates shouldn't be Redknapp's concern and/or subject of his interviews.

I'm tired of repeating the same thing over and over so let's just leave it at that.
 
To be honest 90% of the football world regards Chelsea as a bit of a circus when it comes to the way the club is run, with the other 10% comprising the likes of Madrid and City who are in similar positions. It is not like Redknapp is saying anything that comes as news to anyone who knows the slightest amount about football.

It is a bit like the Giggs / Twitter thing. OK, people arent supposed to talk about Giggs in those terms, but then it comes to a point that it is out there, there is nothing to be gained by being discreet.

Same with Chelsea. On the whole you dont talk about the shennanigans at other clubs. But then there is Chelsea / Abramovich, the whole thing is such a farce you cant be blamed for commenting on it.
 
this may all be a smokescreen for our real target.

Fergie and Gill are a good team.

I expect a surprise signing.

Agreed - one thing is for sure, that we will not enter into auctions with the likes of Barca, City, Real or Chelsea. These 4 clubs were not interested in None of the players we signed (or are allegedly close to signing with us) till now.

I have the feeling that we will sign a central midfielder after Chelsea and City have done their business.
 
To be honest 90% of the football world regards Chelsea as a bit of a circus when it comes to the way the club is run, with the other 10% comprising the likes of Madrid and City who are in similar positions. It is not like Redknapp is saying anything that comes as news to anyone who knows the slightest amount about football.

It is a bit like the Giggs / Twitter thing. OK, people arent supposed to talk about Giggs in those terms, but then it comes to a point that it is out there, there is nothing to be gained by being discreet.

Same with Chelsea. On the whole you dont talk about the shennanigans at other clubs. But then there is Chelsea / Abramovich, the whole thing is such a farce you cant be blamed for commenting on it.

If you're a tabloid journo or some guy on an internet forum, you could say whatever you want. The man in Redknapp's position shouldn't.
 
Agreed - one thing is for sure, that we will not enter into auctions with the likes of Barca, City, Real or Chelsea. These 4 clubs were not interested in None of the players we signed (or are allegedly close to signing with us) till now.

I have the feeling that we will sign a central midfielder after Chelsea and City have done their business.

I don't think our timing will correlate to either Chelsea or City's close of business. I think we will just pull something out of the bag, that nobody is expecting.

We always have the most likely signings every season and every club is linked to them.

There is nothing I have seen so far this season that makes me believe we have bid on anybody other than Jones, Young and De Gea.
 
I'd be really surprised if Berbatov agreed to go back to Spurs, seems he hated it there to begin with so why would he want to go back?

I'd imagine a move to Germany or Italy would be on the cards if we did get rid of him.

I would hate for him to be gone.

He gives us a very different option to Chcho and he plays well with Rooney too.

But taking his age into consideration, it is understandable he wants to be a starter unless he is injured.
 
Reading your comments and Datura's put me in mind of Rooney. Not contradicting what you are saying, that is obviously the norm and Roon is an example of that 1% exception. But still. Shows the players dont have all the power, even if they have most of it. Modric has some time left on his contract too i think, so in some ways Spurs are in a stronger position than we were.

And I absolutely agree with Harry's logic, they shouldnt be selling their best players, they should be reinforcing the squad, looking to break into the top 4. You can make the Ronaldo comparison but the difference was that was an exception, United dont tend to sell their best players to rivals, as the Rooney saga illustrated in the end. Spurs have been a bit of a feeder club for us for years, it is not like Modric is an isolated incident, it was Berbs before that and Carrick before that. If they show that level of ambition and bring in new players I dont think Modric would kick up a huge fuss.

Rooney was slightly different as that started in October when the transfer window was closed so SAF had some time to work on him (plus he couldn't sign for anyone else).

I still think Spurs should have showed more ambition in the summer but they didn't strengthen enough and suffered for it. The panic bids in January reinforced that.
 
Come to think of it he's very unlike the usual Chelsea player. Chelsea are all about power and Modric is fairly fragile despite being a fine player.
 
Come to think of it he's very unlike the usual Chelsea player. Chelsea are all about power and Modric is fairly fragile despite being a fine player.

My view is that despite being quite small, Modric is quite tough and isn't afraid of physical play. He's not one to power through a bunch of players but, he'll tackle strongly and won't get bullied.
 
Come to think of it he's very unlike the usual Chelsea player. Chelsea are all about power and Modric is fairly fragile despite being a fine player.

Well Chelsea tried to add this before when they signed Deco and tried to switch to the diamond. It didnt work for them and they havent brought in an alternative since.

My feeling is that could be the plan. Stick him left of a diamond, Ramires right with Essien continuing to be the holding player and Lampard at the front

Some might suggest he could be the one at the tip of the diamond, but I dont personally believe he's productive enough to play there
 
My view is that despite being quite small, Modric is quite tough and isn't afraid of physical play. He's not one to power through a bunch of players but, he'll tackle strongly and won't get bullied.

Depends who he's battling against. Someone like Yaya Toure will plow through him like he's not even there
 
Modric was probably the best player in the league last season, Toure was parked in a high position since he can't hack 90 mins in CM in the PL.

Dont you ever tire of posting bs?

How would you feel about Fabregas to Barcelona and spending the entire amount on Modric then?
 
The only bullshit I see around here comes from you as usual.

I'll take that as an "I'd love us to spend the entire amount we get for Fabregas on Modric as I truly believe he was the best player in the league last season"

Well I'd love that too. Here's to hoping either Chelsea or yourselves want to pay way over the top for him
 
Haha Modric the best player last season? It's arguable if he was even in the top 10. He was merely one of Tottenham's best players in a decent season.
 
Haha Modric the best player last season? It's arguable if he was even in the top 10. He was merely one of Tottenham's best players in a decent season.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he would have picked Tottenham's Luka Modric as his player of the season.

Modric, who lost out to team-mate Gareth Bale in the PFA vote, has long been linked with a move to United, and Ferguson feels the Croatia international should have received the award, while acknowledging the impressive season Arsenal's Jack Wilshere has had.

"Luka Modric, and I think the boy [Jack] Wilshere has really emerged as a great young talent," he told Inside United.
 
Modric probably was the best player in the league last season.

Lots of players had good half seasons (Bale, Nani, Tevez, Berbatov, Wilshere, Rooney etc.) but Modric was very good from start to finish.

I'd say it was very harsh to say Nani only had half a season.
 
For me, it kind of shows how poor some of the leading lights were last season, because I don't think Modric was all that great. Sure, he was consistent, but in a normal season, he wouldn't be mentioned.
 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he would have picked Tottenham's Luka Modric as his player of the season.

Modric, who lost out to team-mate Gareth Bale in the PFA vote, has long been linked with a move to United, and Ferguson feels the Croatia international should have received the award, while acknowledging the impressive season Arsenal's Jack Wilshere has had.

"Luka Modric, and I think the boy [Jack] Wilshere has really emerged as a great young talent," he told Inside United.

Bizarre. Everyone overrates Tottenham's team so much. They had the best central midfielder, the best winger, one of the best front players... Yet they finished 18 points behind us and scored less goals than 7 other teams (and equaling relegated Blackpool).

As for Modric personally he didn't look particularly special, just one of the better parts of a decent team. His record of 4 goals and only a few assists backs this up. From what I've seen he is in the Carrick mould - brilliant when given time/space but when harrassed ineffective.

I'd put him behind at least 3 United players (possibly 4), at least 2 Arsenal players, two City players and one of his own teammates.
 
For me, it kind of shows how poor some of the leading lights were last season, because I don't think Modric was all that great. Sure, he was consistent, but in a normal season, he wouldn't be mentioned.

Depends what you mean by a "normal" season but it was unusual that both the title contenders didn't have any players that stood out for the whole season. The season's best player usually comes from a team that's challenging to win the league, if only because their performances come in much higher profile games.
 
Bizarre. Everyone overrates Tottenham's team so much. They had the best central midfielder, the best winger, one of the best front players... Yet they finished 18 points behind us and scored less goals than 7 other teams (and equaling relegated Blackpool).

As for Modric personally he didn't look particularly special, just one of the better parts of a decent team. His record of 4 goals and only a few assists backs this up. From what I've seen he is in the Carrick mould - brilliant when given time/space but when harrassed ineffective.

I'd put him behind at least 3 United players (possibly 4), at least 2 Arsenal players, two City players and one of his own teammates.

Agree with the first sentence but that's not Modric's fault. If Spurs weren't relying on dross like Jermaine Jenas alongside him, donkeys like Pavulychenko up front and a bunch of cripples in central defence, then they would have definitely made a better fist of getting into the top four.
 
Depends what you mean by a "normal" season but it was unusual that both the title contenders didn't have any players that stood out for the whole season. The season's best player usually comes from a team that's challenging to win the league, if only because their performances come in much higher profile games.

I don't remember a season where all the leading players had such inconsistent/downright poor seasons. It said it all that players like Adam, Parker and Bale were being recognised in the final shortlists.

Rooney was poor early on, Tevez had a terrible couple of months in the spring, RvP did his usual half a season crocked, Fabregas never hit the heights, nor did Lampard or Gerrard, Drogba was below par, Torres awful. It's not normal have that many leading players all off their game.

Even the good performers: Nani, Nasri, VdV etc: all had spells where they were indifferent.
 
Agree with the first sentence but that's not Modric's fault. If Spurs weren't relying on dross like Jermaine Jenas alongside him, donkeys like Pavulychenko up front and a bunch of cripples in central defence, then they would have definitely made a better fist of getting into the top four.

Spurs rarely relied on the likes of Jenas though, there midfield/attack regularly consisted of:

Lennon Modric Sandro/BigTom Bale
________VDV
______Crouch/Pav


If the hype were to be believed that would be one of the top attacking sides in the league. To score a pitiful 55 goals is something that Modric/Bale/Lennon/VDV/Pav etc have to accept responsibility for (individually and together).

Especially since Modric is supposed to be the creative force, who's allowed attacking freedom because of their tendancy to play a holding player.
 
Spurs rarely relied on the likes of Jenas though, there midfield/attack regularly consisted of:

Lennon Modric Sandro/BigTom Bale
________VDV
______Crouch/Pav


If the hype were to be believed that would be one of the top attacking sides in the league. To score a pitiful 55 goals is something that Modric/Bale/Lennon/VDV/Pav etc have to accept responsibility for (individually and together).

Especially since Modric is supposed to be the creative force, who's allowed attacking freedom because of their tendancy to play a holding player.

That would be VdV.

Out of all the 5 players you named, Modric has the least responsibility when it comes to scoring/assisting goals.

His role was really to link defence and attack, while Sandro ran around tackling people. Something he did fairly well in the back end of the season but not very well beforehand.

For the record, Jenas played 20 PL games last season.
 
That would be VdV.

Out of all the 5 players you named, Modric has the least responsibility when it comes to scoring/assisting goals.

His role was really to link defence and attack, while Sandro ran around tackling people. Something he did fairly well in the back end of the season but not very well beforehand.

For the record, Jenas played 20 PL games last season.

VDV was closer to the likes of Rooney than a creative midfielder, he played off the striker (often Crouch). This seems to be ratified by the fact that we are in need of a creative midfielder (desperately) and are constantly being linked to him. My irk however is that in this role he's not all that creative, and if he isn't supposed to be a creative midfielder then I'm not really sure what he is, or who to compare him too (maybe Carrick a 3-4 years back?).