By Sunshine
August 29 2005

The transfer window is drawing to a close and the squad is still short of a player or three. If we’re going to play 4-4-2, then senior back up for Reid and Routledge is required. Routledge is out for a couple of months and Jol is playing Tainio quite plainly out of position in order to cover. It is obvious that he (rightly) does not consider Lennon to be ready for a full-time role in the Premiership, especially not in a side which aspires to a top 6 finish this season.

Reid, on the other wing, has no back up. It is rumoured that Ziegler will be loaned out, whilst the incoming Lee, who can also play left wing if necessary, has been bought as a left back, since the feeling last term was that Edman had not fully convinced Jol (resulting in Atouba being picked ahead of him, especially for home matches).

In the middle of the park we have talent to spare: Davids, Carrick, Tainio, Davis, Mendes, Brown…even Huddlestone (though I doubt the big youngster will feature much in the league this year), so that is hardly a worry, which makes the fact that we’re going for Jenas a bit odd, unless Jol wants to use him on the right flank, which is an option I’d agree with, for the time being (i.e. Whilst Davids is at the club and available for selection). If anything, we can get rid of one of our central midfielders (the choice is yours: Brown if ability is the main consideration, Davis if his injury record and high wages bother you or Mendes if you think he’ll not put up with sitting on the bench/in the stand for much longer).

In defence there is only one thing that worries me: When King is unavailable, Gardner gets to play. I’ve nothing against Gardner’s brand of football, just as long as he doesn’t ply it in a Spurs shirt. Much as it pains me to see such great potential unfulfilled, the lad simply isn’t good enough for a top 6 side.

Dawson is doing very well, Naybet’s there just in case and Davenport looks like being the back up starting next season.

King is a different sort of centre back, a very precious one: He reads the game well, is quick (Dawson, Davenport and Naybet need someone like that next to them) and doesn’t often commit unless he’s certain he’ll get the ball. He lets the other centre backs be the aggressive ones and he complements their style of play. A sort of modern sweeper (using the term very loosely, indeed), if you will.

Getting a quality back up for King isn’t a priority, given the other flaws in the squad, but it should certainly be addressed in twelve months’ time.

Up front is where we need the club to invest and they need to do so now.

Defoe is a natural born killer and he knows he needs to perform this season if he’s to book a ticket to the World Cup in Germany, so no issues there.

Mido is a talented player, but I have my doubts whether he’ll be at full-throttle throughout the campaign.

Keane is a great striker to have as back up for Defoe, though I’m by no means certain that he’s happy to have to recite the role of a reserve.

The real need, given that Defoe and Keane are not compatible and that Kanouté has since left the club, if for the club to draft in a target man as a first choice striker to pair with Defoe (and the still young Mido will have to bide his time and earn his time on the pitch).

Talk has produced the names of Kuyt and Cissé, both of which would be great signings. However, we are also being linked with Lucarelli, Carlton Cole and Koller (heaven forbid), which is all very worrying. They are fodder (the Livorno player, Lucarelli, being the best of the bunch, but even he has the touch, as the saying goes, of a rapist) and not the sort of players I’d like to see as first choice at the club, not now that we finally seem to be building a squad worthy of our noble traditions.

Now is the time for Levy to stand up and be counted: Get it right, please, this season has the potential to be our best in recent history and all we long-suffering Spurs fans deserve that to be the case.