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Given the disastrous result last night in the Champions League, coupled with the recent poor form in domestic competition, it must be hard for a Spurs fan to be anything but awashed with bitterness. I, for one, cannot bear to read any more about the fashion in which we went down to Real Madrid. Instead, I wish to look forward to the summer and examine Tottenham’s previous transfer policy under Harry Redknapp. Let us turn our attentions to the type of player Tottenham need.

Despite being linked with the most exotic sounding players from all parts of the world, under Redknapp, Tottenham have predominantly bought players from within the Premiership. Unless I’m mistaken, other than Sandro, Van der Vaart, Khumalo and Pavlyuchenko, Tottenham have bought only players from within English football in the last three years.

Tottenham have picked up some bargains in doing this. Gallas on a free transfer, Kranjcar for £2m and Pienaar for £2m are just a few. You can add names like Bentley, Kaboul, Bassong, Palacios and Corluka to that list of players bought from other English clubs. But as well as signing proven Premier League talent, Tottenham have also invested in some of the best young talent in the country. Firstly in Gareth Bale and then in Kyle Walker, there are also a handful of good Tottenham prospects on loan around the country. Both types of player here, the young buck and the experienced player, represent good buys.

This has served Tottenham well in transforming them from a club at the foot of the Premier League to a fourth placed finish last year. But, if they are going to push on and make the feat of finishing in the top four a habit, do they need to adjust this transfer policy?

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A player of a similar standard to Van der Vaart is the kind of quality Tottenham need to bring in. But this was a freak transfer, a player of this quality is not going to be available for £8m every year. If he had not become available on transfer deadline day, Tottenham would not have even begun to think about trying to sign him. Tottenham need to be more proactive in looking for players and not wait to be offered them on the last day of the transfer window.

A player like Pienaar does represent good value, but he is hardly a player to take Tottenham to the next level. Kranjcar too, is a good player but he is not going to reach his full potential, playing week-in, week-out, at Tottenham. Additionally, rather than paying more money for foreign players like Bassong (£8m) and Palacios (£12m) from other Premier League clubs, shouldn’t Tottenham look to bring them in direct from abroad? This would see the squad continue to develop as it has done, but at a fraction of the price.

If Tottenham are going to establish themselves as regular top four finishers, Daniel Levy is going to have to bite the bullet and spend large sums on quality players. More money will be available if Tottenham use more imagination, Newcastle bought Bassong from Metz for £500,000. Fair enough, going abroad involves risk, Pavluychenko has not exactly been brilliant, but I think that Spurs are now at a stage where they have to be more imaginative than just buy decent Premiership players.

Tottenham’s signings under Redknapp, have been very much of a club looking to grow. Now the club has grown to achieved its preliminary goal (fourth place), we must use more imagination to ensure that 2010/11 isn’t a flash in the pan, ‘one-off’ season.

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To offer suggestions on signings, disagree or even concur with Joe, you can contact him on twitter.

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What is it with Newcastle United and central defenders? Error-prone centre-halves with the tendency to make costly mistakes at vital times have become common viewing on Tyneside in recent seasons. The names Titus Bramble, Claudio Cacapa and Jean-Alain Boumsong sends shivers down the backs of most Magpies fans and the club know central defence is a position they must get right if their return to the Premier League this season is going to be a successful one.

For a while it looked as though Argentina international Fabricio Coloccini’s name would be added to the unfortunate list of defenders who have failed to live up to expectation during their ill-fated spells at St James’ Park. A product of the famed Boca Juniors youth academy, the scraggly haired defender arrived at Newcastle in 2008 with a massive reputation following a hugely successful four year spell with Spanish side Deportivo La Coruña. After a promising start, the £10.3m defender’s performances, much like Newcastle’s, began to go rapidly downhill. A defensive horror show in a 5-1 defeat at home to Liverpool in December of that season was the sucker punch the Argentine failed to recover from as Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League.

The 28-year-old was expected to be one of the first major casualties in a Newcastle summer clear-out as the club came to terms with the reality of life in the Championship. The club were keen to save on the player’s reported enormous £70,000-a-week wages and were actively seeking a buyer. Newcastle’s inability to push through a cut-price exit highlighted just how badly Coloccini’s reputation had taken a battering following his dismal first season in English football.

It’s amazing what a year in the Championship can do to a player however and Coloccini came through a potentially testing time in English football’s second tier with flying colours. The centre-back, known more for his classy style of defending than his physicality, dealt admirably with the uncompromising style of play renowned in the Championship. His sterling performances at the back last season has seen him become a firm fans’ favourite in the North East, helping Newcastle lift the title with the meanest defence in the league. His performances also seen him named in the Championship Team of the Year and manager Chris Houghton has tipped his defender to shine on his return to the top flight.

“Colo had a very, very good season, along with the other players. It’s important he carries that form into the Premier League season,” Houghton told The Chronicle.

“He was a foreign player coming to England two years ago, and the settling-in period is never easy. But now it’s about him and the other players maintaining the form that they showed last season.”

The pressure will be on the Argentine to deliver in the Premier League this season, even more so following the news his regular defensive partner Steven Taylor will miss the opening three months of the season with a dislocated shoulder. Coloccini will be Houghton’s automatic first choice in central defence, most likely alongside new signing Sol Campbell, with Mike Williamson providing cover until Taylor returns from injury. The Argentine still has a lot to prove and the pace of the Premier League will again test Coloccini’s top flight credentials. Coloccini certainly has all the attributes to be a hit in the Premier League and the two years of experience in English football will be a major benefit to Newcastle as they look to consolidate their position in the top flight this season.

Like this blog? Read more from this author below-

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Liverpool set for challenging season

Premier league clubs curb spending

Why Hodgson deserves better than Fayed cheap shot

This Tuesday night in the final round of the Champions League group fixtures throws together an intriguing battle, in more ways than one, as Chelsea take on Valencia at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have to avoid defeat, or a draw 0-0 against the Spanish club if they are to progress; Valencia need a win or force a score-draw, to advance to the knock-out stages of the competition. What makes the tie even more fascinating is that it pits two Spanish gunslingers in direct opposition of each other, both aiming for a prize which goes beyond Tuesday’s Champions League advancement; a place in next summer’s Spanish squad for Euro 2012.

As Chelsea’s Fernando Torres and Valencia’s Roberto Soldado go head-to-head, both strikers could not have had a more contrasting year. 2011 has saw one of the most dramatic falls from grace ever witnessed on a football field for Torres, whilst Soldado’s stock continues to rise at an impressive rate. It’s true that there were troubling signs in Torres’ form months before he decided to swap the red of Liverpool, for the blue of Chelsea back in January, in search of ‘career advancement’. But if the striker looked to blame his loss of form and his apparent lack of appetite for the game on the turmoil that surrounded the Anfield club at the time, he was proved very much mistaken. He has somehow managed to fall even further, enduring a nightmare time thus far since his British record £50million move, appearing to have lost all self-confidence and belief which once helped him become the most feared striker in Europe. Whilst wearing the blue of Chelsea, Torres has scored just 5 times in the 34 games he’s played (in all competitions) – and has received as many yellow cards as goals.

Whilst his drastic loss of form has been as mystifying as it is blatant for all to see, what is getting even more mystifying, with every passing week, is Roberto Soldado’s lack of inclusion in the Spanish national team set-up so far this year. After all, his statistics are blatant for all to see. Since joining his hometown club in 2010, Soldado has been a goalscoring machine and become a talisman. During his first season he netted 18 times from his 34 appearances in La Liga, and this season has increased his rate, notching 9 in 15 games. His Champions League credentials are mightily impressive too with 12 goals coming from just 15 games. To look at it another way, this year the hitman from Valencia has hit the target 26 times in his past 28 appearances across all competitions; a rate that is comparable with the likes of Robin van Persie, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – players who have been lauded week in, week out for their goalscoring exploits this season. If he carries on at this rate, surely Vicente Del Bosque, Spain’s mild-mannered national team coach cannot ignore him for much longer – and if Torres carries on at his current rate, should come at his expense?

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Torres has so far been spared the final indignity of being overlooked by the national team, but for how long can he live on past glories? It’s been rumoured in the Spanish media that the only reason for Torres’ continued inclusion in the national team over Soldado is down to his Madrid connections – where he was born, raised and captained Atletico Madrid. The argument falls down slightly when you consider Soldado himself spent 8 years in the Spanish capital, first as a youth-teamer, then progressing all the way through to the first team with Real Madrid. However one can’t help but start to think there may be something in it, as the weeks pass by and Soldado continues to impress. Of course Torres isn’t the only striker included in any Spanish squad so why should be the one to make way? Simple. The other strikers are performing. Sevilla’s Alvaro Negredo is central to everything good the club does, whilst the powerful Fernando Llorente continues to improve and impress, especially under Marcelo Bielsa’s guidance at Athletic Bilbao. With his 2011 form to go by, Torres appears to be living off his reputation – but what a reputation it is.

They used to say a striker had done his job if he scored, but that is no longer the case – and was never really the case with Fernando Torres, who offered so much more. This old adage has no relevance in Spain today, as the country who promotes the use of the false-9 formation. Strikers must do more than simply wait for a goalscoring opportunity, and the Torres of old would be one to be involved in all attacking build-ups. He was never a great goalscorer at international level, however he has scored decisive goals – including the one hailed as the most important in the country’s history; in the final at Euro 2008 which ended Spain’s tag as the ‘nearly men’.

Whilst Torres may not be an automatic first choice in Spain’s starting XI, a situation that stretches back to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, he is still being called up – and currently it appears to be at the expense of Soldado. When they met earlier on in the season, the game finished 1-1 with Torres unlucky not to score whilst Soldado hit the Valencia goal. When the two meet on Tuesday night, the protagonist maybe firing himself through to both club AND country European glory in 2012.

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If you want to read more from myself including news, thoughts and views you can follow me on Twitter @fantasista1077 or visit www.footballmundial.co.uk thanks!

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South Korea thumped Honduras 4-0 in Friday’s friendly action, while China and New Zealand were forced to share the spoils.In front of 30,000 fans in Seoul, the South Koreans produced a professional performance to see off their Central American opponents with ease.

Playing for the first time in South Korea this year, Cho Kwang-Rae’s side took the lead after 28 minutes when Lee Jung-Soo found the back of the net.

The hosts doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when Kim Jung-Woo made the most of good build-up play from the country’s new captain, Park Chu-Young, and fired his shot past Honduras shot-stopper Noel Valladares.

With the game petering out, the hosts added more polish to the scoreboard with goals inside the last 10 minutes from Park and Lee Keun-Ho.

New Zealand came from behind to grab a 1-1 draw against China at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium.

The All Whites, who impressed at the 2010 World Cup, made a horror start when an own goal from Andrew Boyens gave China the lead after just two minutes.

Du Wei’s header required a save from Glen Moss but his parry struck Boyens and hit the back of the net to give the hosts the early initiative.

But the equaliser came when Michael McGlinchey launched a shot from distance that beat substitute goalkeeper Cheng Yuelei seven minutes into the second half.

In other results, Estonia shocked Uruguay 2-0 courtesy of goals from Konstantin Vassiljev and Vjatseslav Zahovaiko, Montenegro overcame Uzbekistan thanks to a Simon Vukcevic strike and Lithuania defeated visiting Poland 2-0 with Saulius Mikoliunas and Edgaras Cesnauskis getting on the scoresheet.

Matches between Kuwait and Jordan and Qatar and Tunisia were postponed.

The destination of Mezut Ozil come the end of this summer’s transfer window has been the subject of wild speculation ever since the German international sparkling displays at the World Cup. The Werder Bremen midfielder has been linked with a number of Europe’s top clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid but Manchester United seem to be in pole position to land the talented playmaker whom I believe to be the natural successor to legend that is Paul Scholes once the ginger wizard hangs up his wizened old boots.

Ozil possesses many of the same attributes that Scholes has already perfected in his game such as the ability to pick a killer pass. Ozil formed a formidable partnership with Brazilian Diego in Werder Bremen’s midfield and managed to contribute an impressive 15 assists despite a disappointing 10th place finish in the 2008-2009 Bundesliga. Last season saw Diego leave the Weserstadion for Juventus which left Ozil as the main creative force for Bremen and Ozil made sure that the Bremen faithful didn’t miss Diego too much. Ozil continued his impressive trend of assists, laying on 14 for his teammates while contributing 9 goals from midfield.

Ozil’s ability to get goals from midfield is another facet of his game that is also true of Scholes’. Due to his advancing age, Scholes’ goalscoring exploits aren’t what they used to be but he still has the technique and ability to score from both inside and outside the area. Ozil’s goal against Ghana showed both his eye for goal and his incredible technique as he lashed a left-footed half volley into the corner of the net.

Where the two differ is mainly down to age. Ozil is certainly faster than Scholes as seen in Germany’s fourth goal against England where Ozil roasted Gareth Barry for pace and squared for Thomas Muller to finish past David James. His movement off the ball is excellent and his pace enables him to be able to get in behind opposition defences.

Ozil could prove to be the creative spark that Manchester United need to wrest the title from Stamford Bridge this season. If Scholes isn’t in the squad, United will look to Fletcher and Carrick to play in the central berths. While solid, it lacks the dynamism and invention that Ozil would undoubtedly bring if Sir Alex Ferguson decides to sign him.

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Scholes has proven in Sunday’s Community Shield victory against Chelsea that he has no intentions of slowing down, producing an imperious passing display that Chelsea simply had no answer for. Ozil has a long way to go to be a player of the same calibre as Paul Scholes but he certainly has the potential to do so.

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Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas has confirmed that Michael Essien is making good progress from knee surgery, and has pinpointed a December return for the influential midfielder.

The Ghana international has been absent from the Stamford Bridge first team for the entirety of this campaign, but the Portuguese coach is hoping to have Essien available for selection before the turn of the year.

“Essien is making good progress and we’re thinking end of December,” the ex-Porto trainer told the club’s official website.

Chelsea are on a poor run of form after losing their last two league games, and dropping Champions League points against Genk in midweek.

The Blues’ were without Jon Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba for the 1-1 draw at the Cristal Arena on Tuesday, but the African duo will be back available in the near future.

“Obi has returned to training straight away after we returned from Genk and will be fit for selection,” Villas Boas said ahead of Saturday’s trip to Ewood Park to face Blackburn.

“Hilario has done an almost full session today but we still think [he will return] only after the international break.

“Didier will start training as we enter the second week of the international break and we hope he’ll be available for the Liverpool game,” the coach concluded.

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Chelsea travel to Lancashire on Saturday in fourth place, nine points behind runaway leaders Manchester City.

By Gareth McKnight

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Another international week and yet another club v country row as Wales and Tottenham sling mud over each over the responsibility of Gareth Bale’s injury. It appears another one is the offing as Stuart Pearce is set to upset both Wenger and Dalglish by picking Wilshere and Carroll for the summer tournament.

In the papers this morning there has been a mixed bag of stories that includes Nani concerned by his playing position; Wenger tried to sign Reina, while Bernstein urges FA not to resist change.

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Modric – Spurs are superior – Sky Sports

Nani: I am not free to express myself – Guardian

Wenger tried like mad to sign Reina last summer – Daily Mail

Welsh whinging has Spurs seething – Mirror

Pearce set to anger Wenger and Dalglish – Guardian

Spurs keep their iron Will – Sun

Liverpool join chase for Roma defender – Mirror

The eight disgruntled Aston Villa stars in revolt over Houllier’s rules – Daily Mail

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Bernstein urges FA not to resist change – Guardian

Neuer: I’ll never play for Manchester United – Mirror

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Having completed the acquisition of Thomas Hitzlsperger last month, West Ham United look set to make their second major signing of the summer in the form of Mexico international Pablo Barrera. Despite facing stiff competition from Espanyol and Premier League rivals Everton, West Ham United are expected to finalise the signing of the UNAM Pumas man later this week. Although Barrera featured three times for Mexico at the World Cup, little is known in England about the 23-year-old. What can Hammers’ fans expect to see from Barrera next season?

23-year-old Mexican Pablo Barrera is a versatile attacking player. Although he is predominantly used in his favoured right-wing position, Barrera is capable of performing on the opposite flank too. Since making his senior debut for UNAM Pumas in 2005, Barrera has appeared 85 times for the Mexico City-based side, racking up 18 goals over the course of four and a half seasons.

The winger made his international debut in 2007, but established himself as a staple of former manager Javier Aguirre’s squad in 2009, featuring in Mexico’s victorious Gold Cup campaign. So far Barrera has appeared 24 times for El Tri, scoring three goals.

Nicknamed ‘Dynamite’, Barrera’s strongest attributes include his explosive pace and close control, with his qualities typifying those of lightning-fast, touchline-hugging wingers of yore. Barrera is adept at shooting with both feet, and his record at UNAM Pumas indicates that he has a good eye for goal. Prior to the World Cup, Barrera was his club side’s top scorer, a respectable feat for a midfielder and even more impressive when considering the fact that he plays in a more withdrawn role for UNAM Pumas.

Although Barrera is a regular starter at club level, he has primarily been used as an impact sub for his country (his three appearances at the World Cup were as a substitute). Whilst this fact is attributable to former manager Aguirre’s tactical preferences, Barrera has shown glimpses of how devastating he can be when brought on from the bench. During Mexico’s recent World Cup clash with France, Barrera’s surging pace drew a foul from French left-back Eric Abidal, with the resulting penalty securing a crucial 2-0 victory for El Tri.

With Barrera’s fee rumoured to be in the region of £4m, West Ham United may have landed themselves one of the bargains of the summer.

The following clip highlights Barrera’s abilities:

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Follow all things Claret and Blue at www.twitter.com/WestHam_News

Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

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Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup

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If you had have asked Newcastle United supporters at the start of the 2017/18 season who was going to be their most important player by the end of their first campaign back in the Premier League following a one-year absence, not many would have said Ayoze Perez.

The Spaniard had scored nine goals and provided a further seven assists in 36 Championship appearances to help the Tyneside outfit make an immediate return to the top flight under Rafa Benitez, but you got the feeling that the St James’ Park faithful still weren’t convinced about whether the 24-year-old should be a regular starter.

That perhaps stemmed from the fact that they feel Perez didn’t do enough when they were in the Premier League previously – 13 goals and two assists in 70 outings.

Benitez is clearly a huge fan of his fellow countryman however, and he started him in the No.10 role on the first day of the campaign for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur, which ended in a 2-0 defeat.

The 24-year-old picked up his first assist of the season on his third league appearance in the 3-0 success against West Ham United at St James’ Park, while his opening goal didn’t come until his eighth outing when he netted in the 2-2 draw against Southampton at St Mary’s in October.

Even at that early stage, Magpies fans on Twitter were frustrated with Perez and didn’t feel he was contributing enough, and that was even more apparent when he went from that October day on the south coast until New Year’s Day without picking up a single goal or assist.

It was clear by this stage that Newcastle were probably going to be fine from a defensive point of view in their bid to avoid dropping straight back into the Championship, but that their lack of goals could cost them.

The likes of Dwight Gayle and Joselu weren’t doing enough up top, while Matt Ritchie, Christian Atsu and Jacob Murphy weren’t getting on the score-sheet from wide areas like they may have been expected to.

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Perez helped his team pick up a crucial three points against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on January 1 with the only goal in a 1-0 win, while he produced key assists in the draws against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth in February.

The 24-year-old’s key part of the campaign came at the end of March and into April – the business end of the season – however, when he scored the winner in the 1-0 victory against fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town, before he scored one and assisted the other in the 2-1 success away at Leicester City.

That result meant that a triumph against Arsenal at St James’ Park would take them past the magic 40-point mark and preserve their Premier League status for at least another year, and that is exactly what they did as the Spaniard scored the opener in a 2-1 win.

Perez had hit form at just the right time, and three more goals arrived before the climax of the campaign – including two on the final day against Chelsea.

Had it not been for the 24-year-old – who produced when it mattered most and was pivotal in earning his team 15 points (draws against Southampton, Palace and Bournemouth and wins against Stoke, Huddersfield, Leicester and Arsenal) prior to them surpassing 40 points – Newcastle would likely be on their way back to the Championship now.

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Not only did he prove to be the Tyneside outfit’s best and most important attacker, he was their most important player in general, too.

Should the attacking midfielder – who at his age still has plenty of time to improve – take his run of six goals in eight matches into the 2018/19 campaign and continue to replicate it, he will quickly become a target for the top six clubs in the Premier League who are always looking for naturally gifted and clever forward players.

Perez may not have been admired by Toon supporters on occasions, but that changed in recent months and he has the technique and quality to play at the very highest level – as long as he adds some consistency to his game.

If he does that in August and beyond, the 24-year-old may not be a Newcastle player any longer when the 2019 January transfer window closes.

Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp has paid tribute to Reds boss Jurgen Klopp for improving Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this season.

Eyebrows were raised when Liverpool paid £35m to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal during the summer transfer window.

Indeed, the England international struggled for consistency during his time at Arsenal.

Oxlade-Chamberlain initially found it difficult to break into the Liverpool first team, but the 24-year-old has been a regular in recent weeks, and played a key role in his side recording a 5-0 win over Swansea City on Boxing Day.

Pundit Redknapp has claimed that he was unsure about the move when it occurred, but has paid tribute to Oxlade-Chamberlain’s improvement at Anfield.

Redknapp told Sky Sports:

“I wasn’t sure about the move for him to start with and I was wondering how he was going to do, but he has surprised me.

“I looked at him at Arsenal and it was like he was treading water and going nowhere, but under Jurgen Klopp I am seeing a completely different player.

“I am seeing he is fit, with a great attitude and wanting to win tackles.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain has scored twice and provided two assists in 17 Premier League appearances for Liverpool this season.

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The attacker, who is valued at £27m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has also netted once in four Champions League appearances since making the move to Anfield.