Tottenham Luka to the Future: Modric Signing Signals Spurs Ambitions!
The 2007/08 season was meant to be the year Tottenham finally broke up the usual Champions League quartet of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Instead Spurs are set to end their campaign in mid-table, which has become an all too familiar sight for Spurs fans over the course of Premier League history. However, the Carling Cup triumph and the recent signing of Croatian star Luka Modric shows that within this famous North London club, ambition still burns as bright as ever.
Spurs Have Something to Cro About!
Tottenham were one of a number of the biggest clubs in Europe who’d been linked to the 22-year old Dinamo Zagreb Croatian playmaker. But with illustrious names including the likes of Read Madrid, Barcelona, Ajax, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle heavily linked to the player few expected he would end up at White Hart Lane. Yet in the early hours of Saturday morning Spurs announced they had captured the much coveted midfielder for a fee ranging from £15.8million to £20million depending on which paper you read. In signing Modric, Tottenham have signalled both their intent and their lofty ambitions to the rest of the Premier League.
The Croat burst onto English club’s radars following his nation’s footballing displays in the home and away European Championship qualifying wins over England. He is a two-footed creative attacking midfielder who could fill Spurs troublesome left-midfield slot or play from a more central area. Tottenham have lacked a player who can consistently dominate possession from the middle of the park since the departure of Michael Carrick to Manchester United. As both Jermaine Jenas and Tom Huddlestone have failed to prove their long-term suitability to the role.
Modric Joins the List of Croatian Premier League Players
The former Dinamo Zagreb player could be a revelation for the North Londoners seeing as the majority of Croat’s who’ve played in England have all proved they can compete with the physical nature of the Premier League. Former and current stars including Davor Suker (Arsenal & West Ham), Slaven Bilic (West Ham & Everton), Aljosa Asanovic (Derby), Eduardo Da Silva (Arsenal), Niko Kranjcar (Portsmouth) and Igor Stimac (Derby) have all been Premier League successes and Modric could outshine them all as he’s arrived with the majority of his top level career ahead of him rather than being well past his best. Past and current Croat’s have proved they possess both the athleticism and desire to play in England but also the high levels of technical ability our nation seems to lack.
The First of a Number of New Arrivals at the Lane
There is expected to be a massive overhaul of the Tottenham playing staff this summer with at least 10 players rumoured to be on their way. Teemu Tainio, Darren Bent, Anthony Gardner, Younes Kaboul, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Lee Young-Pyo, Paul Robinson, Radek Cerny, Pascal Chimbonda and Ricardo Rocha are all expected to depart. Rumours also persist over the availability of established stars Michael Dawson, Aaron Lennon and the biggest name of all Dimitar Berbatov. If the majority of these players do leave then surely Spurs will be extremely busy in the transfer market. They seem to have abandoned their buy-British transfer policy after being strongly linked to various foreign stars. Spurs are reported to be interested in goalkeepers in the shape of Espanyol’s Carlos Kameni and Livorno’s Marco Amelia. Whilst Espanyol’s central defender Dani Jarque has been a long-term Ramos target Defensive midfield enforcers such as Valencia’s Ruben Baraja and Sevilla’s Christian Poulsen are also reported to be on the Spurs radar. The press have also linked the North Londoners to a vast array of attacking talent from Sevilla’s flying left-winger Diego Capel and Celtic’s Player of the Year Aiden McGeady to the more outlandish rumours of Barca superstars Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o. Whatever lies in store for Spurs in the summer, you can expect White Hart Lane’s revolving doors to be in constant use.
The Ramos Revolution
It took Juande Ramos just 3 months to end Spurs 9-year wait for silverware yet their League form has remained patchy to say the least. The Spaniard began his reign with the signing of Jonathan Woodgate from Boro who’s proven himself to be an unequivocal success, if not merely for his winning goal in the Carling Cup final. Tottenham’s League campaign may have been one big disappointment yet they have qualified for Uefa Cup football next season so can attract the standard of players that higher wage paying clubs such as Newcastle cannot. They also have a coach that is respected throughout Europe who’s already played a part in attracting both Woodgate and now Modric. So things are definitely looking up.
Ramos has received nothing but praise since his appointment, however, as Martin Jol found out, he’ll be judged far more harshly next season if Premier League improvement doesn’t materialise. As Spurs form has declined, clubs such as Aston Villa, Portsmouth, Man City and Everton have improved so Ramos has it all to do if Tottenham are to break into the top 6, let alone the top 4. Yet the signing of Modric signals the intent Tottenham have to climb back into the upper echelons of the Premier League and in the shape of Juande Ramos they have a Head Coach with both the experience and profile to help them do just that. Spurs fans will be hoping the Spaniard can perform similar miracles to those he performed in his successful spell at Sevilla. Then those at White Hart Lane can Luka to the future with far greater optimism!
Written by Christian Goodbrand
Tags: Juande Ramos, Luka Modric, Premier League, Spurs, Tottenham Hotspur, white hart lane
April 28th, 2008 at 12:07
You might think it signals Spurs’ ambitions, but just how come not one of the Champions League clubs came in for him? If he’s happy playing in the mickey mouse UEFA cup then either no-one else has confidence in him, or his own ambition is sorely lacking. I’m guessing none of Man Utd., Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool, nor any of the top three or four in Germany, France, Italy or Spain came in for him. Which explains why he’s gone to a small club instead.
April 28th, 2008 at 12:30
Spurs have consistently shown their ambition by paying over the odds for players who were going to propel them to former glories, only to fall well short when tested whre it counts - on the pitch rather than in the media. Sergei Rebrov or Darren Bent come to mind, but there are countless others. Mofric may or may not turn out to be a success, but are we to be treated again to the annual pre-season boasts about how great the Spurs re going to be ? In any event the gain of Modric is unlikely to offset the loss of Berbatov, the one signing (by Martin Jol) who has actually proved to be astute in rectn years.
April 28th, 2008 at 13:37
Harry Barracuda: Learn to read the selection of articles regarding Modric’s move to spurs… Should you actually discover your natural ability to comprehend, you will see that Spurs were EXTREMELY early and secretive about this transfer. Nobody expected it. Why would you NOT want to play under a manager of Ramos’ calibre? Apart from this season, we’ve proven that we can come knocking at the door of the top four so Modric would be forgiven for being ambitious enough to help crack that and be a star in the process… Like I mentioned before, READ the bloody article before you come out with nonsense like that.
April 28th, 2008 at 14:18
Dear Alex
What you mean is that, apart from falling apart as we usually do (How many of the last 10 games have the Spuds won?), we’re really going to be big time next season.
We’ll wave down at you next season and look forward to hearing the cries of “We’ll crack the top 4 next season.”
All the best
April 28th, 2008 at 15:31
It’s interesting to see that Modric is not the player every top club was after once Spurs sign him. Just because we had he balls to go out and get him there is no need to put his signing down. I know it hurts alot of anti-Spurs fans to see we can still attract big names despite a relative success filled few years but whether you like it or not Daniel Levy has moved swiftly again to bring us a top up and coming star. As our placing in the richest list of clubs shows, we are and always will be a big club!
April 28th, 2008 at 17:22
Modric is a big name is he, like Torres etc? And just because you are placed in the richest clubs list makes you a big club does it, you spurs fans are so, so deluded. Being a big club is about winning and competing for meaningful trophies on a regular basis, something that you dont and never will do, playing in Europes elite league, not the mickey mouse equivalent UEFA cup. Keep dreaming, and keep bleating on about how this is your year, blah blah blah, because when the season starts for real and you melt away like always its all the much sweeter
April 28th, 2008 at 17:25
Another £20million spent on the mini Chelsea. Lots of people criticising Man City for not doing better after spending cash however how much have Spurs spent over the last 3 seasons, third behind Utd and Chelsea I’d wager. However the press seems to be very soft on mentioning this - perhaps Modric will come up with the goods and prove the exception to the very mediocre rule.
April 28th, 2008 at 17:36
Abdullah: Winning? What have you won in the last 3 seasons exactly? er, well, erm…yep Nothing, Nowt, Zip, Zilch…I understand we haven’t been that successful over the years but just because we are showing ambition don’t be jealous. I think you’ll find our names on silverware this season, not yours!
April 28th, 2008 at 17:38
Stevieme, I think you’ll find we have recouped alot of that cash unlike United and Chelsea in the sales of Defoe, Carrick etc. We will also sell alot of players in the summer, we are not a bottomless Russian pit like Chelsea so no idea what you are on about
April 28th, 2008 at 17:52
What have you won in the last 9 years? One mickey mouse cup, wow that a real reason to be jealous isnt it, have you won the premiership ever, ever played in the champions league, won the league twice at you most hated rivals, that something to be jealous about you mug. I think you will find we have won the Emirates cup this season, which is on par with the shit cup that you have won, although you celebrate it like you have won the premiership, which I might add you will never win! If winning a worthless cup is ambition in your blinkered eyes then you are welcome to it.
May 1st, 2008 at 06:45
Abdullah, we are an improving team so up intil the last couple of years we have been terrible since long ago. I can admit that. Now we have a good team and with a few more key players we can go places. To say we don’t compete for honours is nonsense. The last two seasons we went to quarter finals and semis in every cup we played and were knocked out by top opposition. This season we beat Man City away, Arse 5-1 then played the better footy against Chelsea to win the mickey mouse cup you talk of. Champions league would be nice but Rome wasn’t built in a day. We WILL get there soon i’m sure. You’re just worried we are improving that’s all.