Has injury highlighted Tottenham’s transfer failings?
Whilst most England fans would have been relatively pleased with what they saw from England on Friday, supporters of Tottenham Hotspur would have been horrified to see Michael Dawson go down with what looked like a season ending injury. Thankfully, if that is the right word, Dawson will only be out for six to eight weeks rather than most of the season, but it leaves Spurs boss Harry Redknapp with a major headache in central defence and begs questions about his operations in the transfer market this summer.
It has been a seemingly cursed position for Spurs in recent seasons, with Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King suffering terrible injury woes and Michael Dawson now joining them. Woodgate has already missed out on Spurs’ 25-man squad this season and now their have to be doubts about his playing career. Ledley King is a fantastic defender, but everyone is aware of his chronic knee problems which often leave him on the sidelines. It means Spurs have three fully fit centre-backs, Sebastien Bassong, Younes Kaboul and William Gallas, and Redknapp will be fervently hoping they are able to hold the fort until Dawson returns from injury, King will be able to play in some games, but he cannot be relied upon to make frequent appearances. Dawson’s injury will have left Harry Redknapp a very concerned man and he may well be pondering his actions in the transfer window this summer.
Spurs made three senior signings in the window, Sandro, William Gallas, and in a move that has perplexed some Spurs fans, Rafael van der Vaart. No one would question Van der Vaart’s quality but some have questioned whether Spurs really needed an attacking midfielder. I happen to think that for £8 million Van der Vaart is very good value and it is more the players Redknapp hasn’t signed than the one’s he has. In my view, Spurs transfer priorities this summer should have been a striker and one or ideally two centre-backs. Redknapp did sign Gallas, but he may now regret not signing another as Dawson’s injury will leave them with four centre-backs, one of which will not be able to play very often and three that will have to prove themselves over the next few months.
Personally I like Sebastien Bassong, he is big and strong and has a touch of class about him, but for a centre-back he is still relatively young and his game can be marred by inconsistency. Younes Kaboul is again a talented player but he has yet to fully prove himself at this level. William Gallas is a hugely experienced operator who will provide can old head in partnership with Bassong or Kaboul that they both probably need. The former Arsenal captain is however, moving in to the twilight of his career and last year he did not display the best form of his life, and Spurs fans will be nervous about whether he can do a good job for them.
Dawson’s injury does leave question-marks over Harry Redknapp’s transfer policy this summer. Whilst the players he brought in are of good quality, in a season when Spurs will be looking to cement a top-four finish in an increasingly difficult league, it is not certain that Spurs have strengthened enough to achieve this this season. If a top class striker such as Luis Fabiano had been brought in, and another centre-back to just give them depth in this position, you would not bet against Spurs mounting a serious challenge for a top four spot. You still wouldn’t now, but Spurs transfer policy this summer may well have made it just that little more difficult.
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How many top class defenders do you want at one club!!! Your a complete numbnuts. Have a look at the rest of the squads in the premier league including the so called top 4 and Man city as well and look if any of them have more top class central defenders than us Dawson, King, Woodgate, Bassong, Kaboul and now Gallas! King does get a lot of injuries, Woodgate is permanently injured but if they were fit Levy would never have allowed the signings of Gallas and Kaboul. And you want another!! If the worst comes to the worst we’ll have to use Hudd, Corluka and Sandro!! 6 international centre backs on the books and you want more! Fabiano would have been great but at that price would have been ridiculous! But heres a thought for you if all 25 of our squad get injured in the next 2 weeks maybe it will show up how bad we have done in the transfer market! maybe we should have had a squad of 50 players to cover for the 25 players we have picked!!!
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With respect a load of dribble. Spurs could have done with another centre-back but would have had to get rid of another, they still have 3 fit centre-backs, Huddlestone, King, Corluka and a couple of youth players who probably can cut the mustard in the middle. They can only have 25 players in the squad. The conversation really is a none-starter, who worth their salt is not going to want to come in and challenge this lot?
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Durbspur: Couldn’t agree more – great response. We also have Walker who proved pre-season that he is capable of playing CD in a pinch.
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gotta agree with Durbspur….how many centre backs can one team have in there squad to be considered significant cover? We have King and Dawson, if either is injured then we have Gallas and Bassong, if either of them gets injured we have Kaboul and then, and only then should we panic. The way people go on it’s as if every teams 25 man squad should consist of 10 centre backs alone!!!
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I think some fair points have definitely been made. However, discount Woodgate for a start, and consider that King will not be able to play that many games. It is perhaps more of a matter of quality rather than numbers in cover for Spurs central defence, Gallas looked shaky for Arsenal last season and Kaboul and Bassong are inconsistent. Redknapp could have perhaps made a top-class centre back one of his priorities.
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It would have been ridiculous for Spurs to have signed yet another centre back – unless someone who is clearly superior had become available at a reasonable price. There are only so many centre backs that we can accomodate at any one time. King, Dawson, Gallas, Bassong and Kaboul is already a crowded list (and I’m assuming that we won’t see Jonathan Woodgate on a football pitch any time soon……if at all). Add to that, Corluka, Huddlestone and Walker, who can all play in the position. And let’s not forget Steven Caulker – one of the most promising young centre backs in England who has already proved himself at Football League level. Barring further really bad luck with injuries, we’ll cope fine without Daws (best wishes for a speedy recovery for him nevertheless).
So the only real failure this summer was the failure to sign a Drogba or Torres like striker who can genuinely play up front on his own, when needed (especially in the Champions League).
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I don’t agree with Matt either Spurs have enough centre backs to make do with,It was very important to have another striker one that could play up front alone that way we could get the best out of our midfield contingent shifting the formation playing 5 in midfield getting the best out of the likes of modric van der vaart and bale .Such a quality midfield reminds me of the 87 teams midfield hodge hoddle allen ardilles and waddle and of course they played with one up front.funnily enough in 1987 david pleat did make a very dodgey signing in the autumn of that year bringing in nico claesen when clive allen was well on the way to his record 49.I think redknapps just signed players of good value without paying attention to where we need players,his said as much himself but with all those attacking midfielders we really have got to find a way to get as many of them in the team as possible and that all depends on the striker being able to play up front alone
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It is funny how some seem blissfully unable to see the wood for the trees when it comes to their team.
With regards to Spurs’ centre half options, I rate the injured Dawson highly, Woodgate is, or was, a class act, but perpetually crocked, a write off. King is undeniably a fine player on his day, but the unfortunate situation he has can make him a liability too, especially now with the 25-man squads. Kaboul and Bassong are average at best and Gallas has, in my opinion, faded badly in the last couple of years.
This leaves us with Dawson, two crocks, one has-been and two never-will-bes. As the OP says, quality always trumps quantity… Can any of you really say you would take say Gallas and Bassong over the likes of Hangeland or even someone like Richard Dunne? If so then you are deluded.
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Michael
We can see the wood for the trees. But it is unlikely we were going to sign anyone without shipping anyone out. Rafael van der Vaart was an opportunity, and he was hardly going to stay in Madrid not getting any games. Dunne isn’t really any better than what we have got likewise Hangeland. Delusion is thinking you are the authority on players abilty.
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