Slipperduke
The Camden Cad
When rumours of talks between Tottenham Hotspur and Luka Modric's representatives leaked out, I assumed foul play. With Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool all thought to be sniffing around the young Croatian midfielder, surely Modric's agent was releasing an SOS call to the big guns. A kind of declaration of intent.
"If one of you lot doesn't hurry up and show me the money," the agent must have thought, "I'll let him sign for Spurs. Don't think I won't do it!" It's always embarrassing when someone calls your bluff, isn't it?
Not that Tottenham have anything to be ashamed of, they've just secured the signature of one of Europe's most exciting footballers. I studied Modric in March for one of my Eurowatch articles and I fell in love with him there and then. He's so light-footed that he seems to dance over the turf without disturbing a blade of grass. He is the attacking midfielder that Tottenham have been crying out for. The central source of creativity that they need if they are to challenge the big four. The question is, will he survive the first season?
Modric is very small. So small that if he was forced to wrestle a sparrow for his dinner, there's a good chance that he'd go hungry that night. However, I seem to remember similar concerns about Gianfranco Zola and he seemed to survive quite happily. He's certainly fleet-footed enough to dodge the heavier challenges, though he has at least one international team-mate who can warn him about the physical defenders over here.
My real concern is The Curse Of White Hart Lane. The horrific jinx that kicks in every time Tottenham get their sticky mitts on a player capable of taking them up to the top level. The shin splints that consumed the formative years of Nick Barmby's career. The back and knee problems that turned Steffen Iversen from European young gun to a limping relic of broken dreams. Darren Anderton, who was so prone to injuries that, to paraphrase the late, great Brian Clough, if he'd have been a racehorse, they'd have shot him.
These days, the curse manifests itself fully in the form of Ledley King. The Tottenham captain has suffered so badly that he has already had to deny rumours that he'll be retiring this summer. King is one of the finest centre-backs in English football and a confidence generator, pumping waves of pure courage across the back four. Alongside him, Michael Dawson looks international class. Without him, Dawson is remedial class. Somehow, it seems that Jonathan Woodgate is just about bearing up, but that's only a matter of time, surely?
But, in the unlikely event that Modric can survive all that, Tottenham could be on the brink of an exciting new dawn. A fit King and Woodgate is as good a defensive partnership as you'll find anywhere in Europe. Alan Hutton looks like he's been in the team for years and Aaron Lennon, while not the most skilful of players, still has enough pace to cause any defence problems. With Modric in the middle and Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane up front, you've got half a top class team there. Tottenham now have the potential to convincingly challenge for fourth. Unfortunately, they're still Tottenham, aren't they? Something's bound to go wrong.
Luka Modric may be one of the best midfielders on the continent, but suddenly all I can see are a serious of muscular problems, a wonderful solo goal against Bournemouth in the Carling Cup, a horrifically dislocated knee-cap, a long fight back to full fitness and a period out on loan at Shakhtar Donetsk.
"If one of you lot doesn't hurry up and show me the money," the agent must have thought, "I'll let him sign for Spurs. Don't think I won't do it!" It's always embarrassing when someone calls your bluff, isn't it?
Not that Tottenham have anything to be ashamed of, they've just secured the signature of one of Europe's most exciting footballers. I studied Modric in March for one of my Eurowatch articles and I fell in love with him there and then. He's so light-footed that he seems to dance over the turf without disturbing a blade of grass. He is the attacking midfielder that Tottenham have been crying out for. The central source of creativity that they need if they are to challenge the big four. The question is, will he survive the first season?
Modric is very small. So small that if he was forced to wrestle a sparrow for his dinner, there's a good chance that he'd go hungry that night. However, I seem to remember similar concerns about Gianfranco Zola and he seemed to survive quite happily. He's certainly fleet-footed enough to dodge the heavier challenges, though he has at least one international team-mate who can warn him about the physical defenders over here.
My real concern is The Curse Of White Hart Lane. The horrific jinx that kicks in every time Tottenham get their sticky mitts on a player capable of taking them up to the top level. The shin splints that consumed the formative years of Nick Barmby's career. The back and knee problems that turned Steffen Iversen from European young gun to a limping relic of broken dreams. Darren Anderton, who was so prone to injuries that, to paraphrase the late, great Brian Clough, if he'd have been a racehorse, they'd have shot him.
These days, the curse manifests itself fully in the form of Ledley King. The Tottenham captain has suffered so badly that he has already had to deny rumours that he'll be retiring this summer. King is one of the finest centre-backs in English football and a confidence generator, pumping waves of pure courage across the back four. Alongside him, Michael Dawson looks international class. Without him, Dawson is remedial class. Somehow, it seems that Jonathan Woodgate is just about bearing up, but that's only a matter of time, surely?
But, in the unlikely event that Modric can survive all that, Tottenham could be on the brink of an exciting new dawn. A fit King and Woodgate is as good a defensive partnership as you'll find anywhere in Europe. Alan Hutton looks like he's been in the team for years and Aaron Lennon, while not the most skilful of players, still has enough pace to cause any defence problems. With Modric in the middle and Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane up front, you've got half a top class team there. Tottenham now have the potential to convincingly challenge for fourth. Unfortunately, they're still Tottenham, aren't they? Something's bound to go wrong.
Luka Modric may be one of the best midfielders on the continent, but suddenly all I can see are a serious of muscular problems, a wonderful solo goal against Bournemouth in the Carling Cup, a horrifically dislocated knee-cap, a long fight back to full fitness and a period out on loan at Shakhtar Donetsk.
