The Chairman Speaks

Levy spoke at the annual shareholders meeting and gave the papers plenty to talk about. Of course some journalists used the Chairman's statements to draw unsupported conclusions, such as the Guardian here suggesting Berbatov may depart in January. Actually, Levy wouldn't deny that hypothetical so it must be true.

Here is Levy's full statement to the board.

Of particular note was the Chairman's efforts to dodge responsibility. Levy denied that the board played a role in the club's poor start and also put the decision to hire Ramos at Comolli's feet. Levy suggested it was the decision of the Director of Football to hire the Spaniard and that he would have a lot to answer for if Ramos doesn't succeed.

There has also been much speculation recently about the resources Ramos will be provided in the transfer window. If there is disagreement, I expect to see Ramos trying to sway the board through public opinion. I'm sure the board is still sick over the leaks with Jol and hopes to avoid this kind of situation. At issue appears to be whether Ramos can bring older players to the team who can not be expected to bring any return in future transfer dealings. If this is really a point of contention, I expect we'll hear more about this.

Hammers Game News and Viewing Options

With Malbranque and Kaboul out, it appears that Boateng will get a start tomorrow against the Hammers. While we're still waiting for the Taarabt start promised by the Daily Mail, there is a good chance that Boateng will play, given that he played in defense and midfield for Hertha last year.

So in the lead up to tomorrow's game you have Curbishly admonishing Bent for spurning West Ham for Tottenham. This from his weekly press conference. There is also the story of Matt Etherington, who couldn't break into the Spurs first XI, and believes it's the fault of the foreigners in the league. I wonder why that didn't hold Jenas, Lennon or Huddlestone back.

And for a few good profiles, there is this Times piece on Ramos, and this one on Antonio Escribano, our new dietician.

The game is tomorrow at 8:30am EST on Setanta with a replay at 1:30. You all are welcome to watch on broadband in the morning. I may catch the afternoon game.

COYS!

Robinson Dropped - It's All About Training and Commitment

Paul Robinson has been dropped from today's final Euro 2008 qualifier against group leaders Croatia. While it seems this is a poor time to make such a move, the Telegraph reported that the Spurs keeper performed abysmally in training leading up to today's match. This is an issue that continues to plague Tottenham.

Before Ramos' arrival, Spurs players lacked fitness under Martin Jol and suffered many late game collapses. Upon taking charge, Ramos started two-a-day training sessions and recently brought in a club dietician.

But there may be a deeper issue here beyond fitness. Training is about more than just running and doing drills. It is the time to improve skills and learn. It is also the time to develop a team understanding of how to respond in pressure situations. The effort a team exerts in training carries over into match day. If a club does not take training seriously, they do not develop consistent habits and teamwork leading to mistakes and poor decisions in matches.

Robinson's error-filled session on Monday reflects several years of Spurs' lackadaisical approach to training. Defoe once skipped a team meeting to watch the latest episode of Big Brother and joked about it afterwards - and this was a player fighting for a first team place. Ghaly was so uncommitted to training at Birmingham that his transfer was canceled after only one day.

It is the manager that sets the tone for a club. He sets the standard for team conduct and must demand the highest standards from his players. Jol does not appear to have sufficiently demanded hard work and commitment from his squad.

Training is also where the manager develops player skills and this also suffered under the Dutchman. Jol's helpless admission, "I am sh**ting myself every time someone has a corner against us," underscored his inability to improve the club's match preparation. But more importantly, individual players did not develop under Jol. Lennon never learned to cross the ball. Huddlestone did not become a strong tackler. Jenas did not learn how to control the midfield. Left-sided midfielders always played out of position. The defence did not learn to work together. Leaders did not emerge. There are many young players with considerable talent at Spurs, yet they have not improved under Jol.

Despite all the criticism leveled at the board for the clumsy way they handled Jol's firing, it was a move that needed to be made. There is a core group of promising young players at Tottenham. The only way they will reach their potential, and for the club to achieve Champions League football, is through strong leadership and a commitment to player development.

Robinson's recent demotion in the England squad suggests that some players have yet to shed poor training habits. Ramos has a very good record of player development, turning Alves into a world class player and getting the most out of Kanoute and Baptista. Let's hope for Robinson and the rest of our young team that the Spaniard is able to instill the commitment and intensity needed for Spurs to reach their tremendous potential.

International News, Spurs Transfer Speculation

With the international break upon us, most focus is on transfer speculation. However there is a bit of newsworthy national team items.

As the FAI seeks a new manager for the Irish national team, the opinion of Robbie Keane has been sought which has yielded public comment about Jewell and Jol.

Other news has Darren Bent on his way to international service along with Jermain Defoe for England's crucial Wednesday clash with group leaders Croatia. With Euro '08 qualification at stake, these two are eager to make their mark.

And to the transfer news. There is plenty of news about who Spurs are targeting. I'm including some of the tabloids too.

David Villa, Valencia, 30M
Quotes from the agent are in Sky Sports citing News of the World and the Telegraph citing Spanish press. Unclear about the sources here, but it suggests that Spurs are not going to let Berbatov leave without a replacement in mind. It is also unclear whether this is a transfer preference of both Ramos and Comolli.

Armand Traore, Arsenal
Denilson, Arsenal
Martin Laursen, Aston Villa
Daily Telegraph
Without quoting other sources, the Telegraph reports on Spurs interest in the above players. Citing Espanyol's refusal to deal defender Dani Jarque, the paper reports that the team has watched out-of-contract Laursen at the recent Birmingham derby. Laursen is a talented defender, for certain, but his injury problems are familiar and unwelcome to Spurs fans at the centre back position.

Diego Capel, Sevilla
This is reported by Sky Sports quoting Spanish Marca, but has the player denying his interest in leaving Sevilla.

Julio Baptista, Real Madrid, Daily Star Sunday, 5M
Ramos managed the player at Sevilla before his move to Arsenal when he was a Tottenham target. Given the source, this seems rather speculative.

Abou Diaby, Arsenal, The People, 7M
Given his current team and the source, this seems highly implausible.

Response to Carrick

Someone fed a response to the press suggesting Spurs' interest in bringing back Carrick to the Lane. The Daily Mail reports that Tottenham is willing to pay 18 million pounds for him.

This is refreshing news for a few reasons that have nothing to do with Carrick actually returning to Spurs. First it demonstrates that Tottenham will respond in kind to those trying to undermine the club. Second, the story was splendidly backhanded. The article actually highlights that Carrick has lost his starting position, his playing time is on the wane, and he is actively seeking to remedy this away from Manchester United.

I don't know if we can credit Spurs management for drawing attention to Carrick's diminished role while appearing to flatter him with an offer, but if so it's certainly an improvement.

Carrick Woos Berbatov

Sky Sports reports that Michael Carrick is trying to lure Dimitar Berbatov to United. Of course, after the Ramos affair, it's difficult for Spurs fans to get indignant about someone trying to pry their away one of their top employees. While it doesn't seem like United has tapped up the Bulgarian, their intentions seem a bit clearer.

Although I haven't seen the context of Carrick's comments, it is unlikely he would make a statement like that out of the blue. Moreover, the timing was peculiar. A day after all the papers covered Berbatov's commitment to the club, these unsettling comments were made.

Let's hope Berbatov really has committed himself to Spurs. This kind of speculation is not helpful as the club is turning its season around.

Berbatov Impressed by Ramos

Sky Sports has excerpts from an interview with Berbatov who has plenty of praise for Tottenham's new manager. As quoted from a Bulgarian website, the striker explained:

"My first impression of him is that he's an incredible person.

"As a character, he talks to everybody on the team personally. He is a man who tries hard and he wants to help the team very much. He's the perfect one for the job."

Certainly Spurs fans hope this to be the case. Berbatov's play this past weekend was spectacular as he set up two of the four goals and his sublime touch seems to have returned. Even a few smiles cracked through his recent sour demeanor.