Like the Ferrerro Rocher Ambassador, we at AANP Towers are rather spoiling you today. Not only are we providing a hastily cobbled-together list of potential Lane departees, but we’re also implementing the flawless, scientifically-proven Who-Would-Buy-Them guide to the standard of team they would attract, thereby ascertaining whether they’re worth keeping.The Hudd
Primarily on this list because he’s yapped a few times about needing regular first-team football. Opinion may be split about quite how good he is, but I don’t think anyone in lilywhite would want to see him leave. Problem is, he needs more strings to his bow in order to command that regular starting-berth. He needs to boss games against the Premiership’s bigger teams. A bit of energy wouldn’t go amiss either. I suspect ‘Arry will stick with Jenas or bring in a new, first-choice midfielder, and such straws would break this well-fed camel’s back. Rather a shame.
Exit Potential: 6.5
Who Would Buy Him? Fulham, West Ham.
David Bentley
Don’t pelt me with rotten tomatoes, but I rather like the lad. He’s obviously got oodles of talent beneath all that hair gel, but from day one it just hasn’t worked. A regular (ie 10 consecutive games) on the right-wing may well have seen him crack it, but instead he’s had to sit on the bench and mutter curses to his reflection in his pocket mirror, as Aaron Lennon has gone from strength to strength on the right. Whenever he has had the chance he’s tried far too hard, the Pele impressions rather unnecessary when he just needed to keep it simple. We’ll rue his absence if Lennon gets injured next season, especially if we do bring in the sort of big centre-froward who would thrive upon Bentley’s crossing ability. However, ‘Arry himself has said
‘David is obviously going to think, “hang on, I’m not in the team even when Aaron Lennon’s not fit, and maybe it’s time I moved on”’. Which rather spells things out.
Exit Potential: 9.5
Who Would Buy Him? Villa, Man City, EvertonDarren Bent
Poor sod. 17 goals in 42 appearances – precious few of which were 90 minutes in length – is a healthy record, yet we’ll probably remember him more for that miss against Pompey, and Mrs Redknapp comparisons it drew. He’s really not a bad striker, but neither is he the perfect foil for either Keane or Defoe, so it appears that another forward is on the shopping list this summer. Worth sticking a tenner on him to score against us next season.
Exit Potential: 8.5
Who Would Buy Him: Sunderland, Blackburn
Roman Pavluychenko
We’d all like to see him start at the Lane next season, refreshed and with a command of the vernacular that rivals Stephen Fry’s, but the straight-down-the-tunnel hissy-fit that accompanied his substitution vs Man City, at the tail-end of last season, left ‘Arry decidedly unimpressed. Whether or not he would be first-choice remains to be seen, but every now and then there have been flashes of class (Burnely at home, for example), and offloading him so soon would be a bizarrely impatient move.
Exit Potential: 6
Who Would Buy Him? Ooh, shiny foreign teams in the Champions League, that’s who.
Didier Zokora
The defensive midfielder’s position is now very firmly moulded into the barrel-chested shape of Wilson Palacios, and the Scott Brown rumours suggest that ‘Arry is looking elsewhere for an understudy. Do-do-do Didier is unlikely to want to stick around as fourth-choice right-back either, so it appears that the elusive goal will, like the contents of the briefcase in Pulp Fiction, remain tantalisingly unseen.
Exit Potential: 7
Who Would Buy Him? Monaco, Nancy. Or Wigan.
Jamie O’ Hara
Full-blooded, bulldog-spirit, never-say-die, heart-on-his-sleeve and other such tedious clichés are all well and good, but the scales tip rather heavily towards graft over natural skill with young Three-Touch O’ Hara. Not that I’d like to see the back of him – far from it. His energy, bite and left-footedness are valuable commodities in the Tottenham midfield, and his introduction vs Burnely in the Carling Cup, and goal vs West Ham, were indications of what he brings to the team. However, he is on this list because the Lennon-Palacios- Modric-A.N.Other midfield will leave little scope for regular starts, and this young man’s feet may soon start to itch.
Exit Potential: 5
Who Would Buy Him? Sunderland, Wolves
Giovani dos Santos
Would love to have seen him given a chance – Giovani left, and Modders in the centre would have been interesting – but ‘Arry doesn’t seen to fancy him, and he was apparently one fax away from joining Pompey in the January transfer window. Having all drooled over the Barca way in midweek, it seems a shame to let a Nou Camp alumnus wander merrily out the exit door, but such is the Tottenham way.
Exit Potential: 9
Who Would Buy Him? Villarreal, Deportivo. Or Ipswich.
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11 replies on “Sayonara Suckers – Who’s Leaving Spurs This Summer?”
I see all Premiership teams would like to have me, except Spurs!
Appreciate what you’re saying Squad depth but you can’t have £15m signings on the bench..they don’t like it!
Best Spurs blog on the net. The piece about Zokora was particularly amusing.
The more obvious solution is that Hudd be lent out on loan to Wolves for example, or Birmingham. Same could be true for O’Hara.
Forgive me for changing the subject slightly, but what kind of title is “Sayonara Suckers”? That’s no way to describe departing spurs players who don’t make the grade or fit into the set-up. Zokora ain’t no sucka, nor is O’Hara. If they leave I’ll bid those hard working lads farewell with a heavy heart, and remember the times we shouted “Yiddo, yiddo!” at them.
Hossam Ghaly on the other hand, is one mother of a sucka.
Aye, that’s a fair point. Was rushing it a bit because the Cup Final was about to start (missed the first goal, dammit) so picked the first title that sprung to mind – but I think I’d shake each of that lot by the hand and wish them well if they were moved on.
And agree with woodsidestriker – would prefer to see the younger players loaned out for regular first-team games, rather than sold. Can add Giovani and Taarabt to that list.
1: so Ricardo Rocha is staying, then?!
2: I hope Gio Does Santos stays- maybe Harry just thought he needed to toughen up a bit… oodles of talent.
also..
3: has AANP got his heart set on modric playing in the centre? wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed ‘out’ left and we got someone tougher in the centre.
Harry should have used the run in after we were safe to ‘blood’ a few of the youngsters,Bostock,Mason and Obika for example.
Huddleston should have had more pitch time too. Taarabt and Giovani are young enough to develop and whether they are loaned or given a chance we need to develop their undoubted talents.
Who knows we may have what we are looking for at the club already and save ourselves £15 million a throw on people outside.
Good blog but ‘best on the net’ implies that Jonathon hasn’t read mine.
rocha is gone! 14 appearances in 2 years. what a waste of time for all concerned.
and gilberto.. MAN we had a lot of dead-wood. i like a trim, flexible squad. keep players like chimbonda who can do a bit of everything.