VIEW FROM THE PARK LANE

by Mark Mizzi

This article will be published in the next edition of "The Cockerel"

In my first article of this series Spurs were in deep crisis, had collected just two points and the future did not look good at all. In that piece I wrote that the Club should give Ramos more time to turn it round.

I am writing this article on Christmas day. Ramos was given some more time but results did not improve. He was sacked and Harry Redknapp was installed in his place. I got the news from our Secretary Alex Cilia who texted me at 6.30am!

Though I always advocate consistency, I don’t think the Club had an alternative. Ramos is a top coach but the simple fact is that it was not working for him in the Premiership. Yes he won us the League Cup, but league results were nothing to write home about.

It was crystal clear that Ramos had lost the dressing room and the players wanted a change. His message was not coming across and the players were baffled by some of the tactical decisions. The language barrier did not help and it was not that easy for Ramos to change things during games. His lack of fluent English prevented one to one communication with the players and man management was inexistent.

Redknapp is known to be a very good man manager and a great motivator. In a few weeks he has instilled confidence and belief in our players and results have changed. The transformation of error prone Heurelho Gomes and Michael Dawson from accidents waiting to happen to strong and reliable players exemplifies Redknapp’s man management skills.

The players are happier, they know their roles and want to play for the new gaffer. As one journalist once said, it’s doesn’t matter whether you are a great coach or not. What matters is that you make your players want to play for you. Harry has certainly achieved this and more.

At the time of writing we are still in the middle of a relegation battle and the team is still prone to mistakes that cost vital points. Gomes’ error against Fulham, the soft goal conceded against Everton at the Lane and the last minute undeserved defeat against Newcastle show that we are still work in progress. But progress there has been. Just ask Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United fans.

I was at the Park Lane for the Blackburn and Everton games. We won one and lost the other but the experience was still great. Harry is turning it around in the League, we are in the semi-final of the League Cup and in the knock-out stages of the UEFA Cup while the Club has announced plans for a new stadium. The Academy is also doing very well and some of the boys have had the chance to be in the first squad.

A disastrous season may still turn out to be a positive one. Much depends on the January transfer window. Our attack is still very weak and with a proven striker we will be challenging in the top half of the table.

Redknapp has also got to strengthen the defence. Ledley King is a fantastic player but he is chronically injured, does not train between games and every match is touch and go for him. I am not saying we should discard Ledley. He will always be the King of the Lane but top drawer cover is needed very urgently.

I have been saying that we need a top class holding midfielder for about three years. Redknapp has come in and the first thing he said was that the squad is not balanced and the team lacks strength in midfield.. Let’s hope that the Club listens to Harry and this post- Michael Carrick problem is solved once and for all.

In closing I want to say a couple of words about the new stadium. A round of applause to Daniel Levy for deciding to stay in the same area. I always believed that the area is the heart and soul of any club and moving away is just not right. Tottenham Hotspur FC would not be the same out of Tottenham. If anything, the new stadium will be closer to Northumberland Park and Tottenham Marshes where our beloved Spurs started gracing English football.

The new stadium will be adjacent to White Hart Lane. The location and designs will ensure that the Club is able to remain in the area even during construction. The change from the old to the new stadium will take place over the course of one season and at no stage will capacity be less than that of the current stadium.

Architecturally the stadium design looks fantastic. Being a traditionalist I have to say I am a bit sceptic about its general bowl shape. Square stadiums are the hallmark of English football but sadly they are disappearing. What encourages me is that, according to the Chairman and the design company, the stands will be distinct from each other. We have not seen any interior projections yet but what I am hoping for is a modern trendy stadium on the outside and an English traditional “squarish” stadium on the inside.

Till next time…Come On You Spurs

Mark Mizzi- 25 December 2008
maltayid1882@gmail.com
www.spursmalta.blogspot.com

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR ANNOUNCE NEW STADIUM PLANS

The Club has recently announced plans for a new 60,000 seater stadium next to White Hart Lane. Here we reproduce excerpts from the official announcement as it appeared on the Club's official website

The Club is delighted to announce that, having concluded an extensive review of suitable sites and viable alternatives, its preferred stadium option is to remain at the Club's spiritual home in Tottenham - the option known to be the fans' favourite.

The existing 36,000 capacity stadium has remained unchanged for over a decade and the club is currently in the position of having 70,000 registered club members and a waiting list for season tickets of around 22,000 people.

The Club is preparing plans for a world class scheme incorporating a new stadium, Club museum, shops and homes, new facilities for the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and important public space. The plans will enable the team to remain at the current site throughout construction.

Daniel Levy, Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club said:
"The Northumberland Development Project would deliver a world class scheme and substantial new investment for Haringey and our supporters. It represents a significant step in the growth of the Club, with a proposed stadium capacity of 60,000 and would provide state-of-the-art facilities, important public space, new jobs and homes and a significant boost for the local economy.
"It would also enable us to provide a new base for the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation so that its award winning programmes can continue and have an even greater impact in the local community.
"Tottenham Hotspur is proud of its roots in Haringey. We have been in the Borough for 126 years and the Club is inextricably linked with this part of London. We believe that this scheme has the potential to create a truly inspirational environment for the Club and the community as well as acting as the catalyst for the uplift of the wider area.
"We are at an early stage of what is part of our long term plans for the Club and now we want the views of local people and our fans. I hope people will take the time to look at our plans and let us have their comments."

Councillor George Meehan, Leader of Haringey Council, said:
"I am delighted that Tottenham Hotspur has confirmed its commitment to remain in our borough.
"We have always regarded Spurs as one of Haringey's prime assets. They bring major economic benefits to our borough and carry out some excellent community work through the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.
"But more than anything, Spurs has played an integral role in giving a sense of identity to the area it calls home. Tottenham would not be Tottenham without its football club.
"We have been working extremely hard to regenerate the Tottenham area, which suffered so much from industrial decline. Real progress is being made, and it is extremely pleasing that Spurs has demonstrated that they share our commitment to this continuing regeneration.
"But, as always, we will consider very carefully any plans that are submitted to us, as we strive to ensure that a new stadium delivers real benefits for all who live and work in the area."

The plans, which will be unveiled at the first public exhibition later this month, cover an area of around 20 acres including the site of the current ground and the adjacent industrial estate. The new stadium would be sited largely to the North of the existing one.

In policy terms, the area is within the 'Tottenham High Road Regeneration Corridor' and identified in the Haringey Unitary Development Plan (UDP) as a "major site for potential redevelopment" to act as a "catalyst for prime regeneration".

The transport infrastructure around the stadium is already in place, with 4 stations (White Hart Lane, Northumberland Park, Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale) and over 100 buses an hour serving the stadium area. Together these deliver a total capacity in excess of 90,000 passengers an hour.

On Friday 14 November, the Club will launch a special section of the website dedicated to our future plans. Please visit it at www.tottenhamhotspur.com/futureplans to see the emerging plans and to let us have your comments.

Whilst we are at the beginning of a long process, should we receive the necessary planning permissions, preference will be given to existing season ticket holders and corporate customers to retain their status in a new stadium. Priority for any new season tickets will go to our One Hotspur Bronze members, who make up our season ticket waiting list. Any current season ticket holders who are interested in obtaining additional tickets for friends and/or family members in a new stadium will therefore need to ensure those individuals are signed up to the One Hotspur Bronze membership scheme.

HARRY REDKNAPP FLOK JUANDE RAMOS

Dan l-artiklu gie pubblikat fuq "L-Orizzont" tal-Hamis 30 ta' Ottubru 2008

Fil-gimghat li ghaddew tkellimna dwar il-krizi ta’ Tottenham Hotspur. Dakinhar kont ghidt li l-aghar haga li setghu jaghmlu Tottenham kienet li jkeccu l-maniger u jergghu jibdew mil-gdid. Izda minn dakinhar ‘l hawn is-sitwazzjoni ggravat u fl-anniversarju tat-tkeccija ta’ Martin Jol u l-hatra ta’ Ramos, l-istess Ramos sab ruhu bla xoghol.

Il-partitarji ta’ Tottenham kienu qed jistennew xi haga ssehh. Is-sitwazzjoni kienet saret tali li l-affarijiet ma setghux jibqghu sejrin kif kienu. Kritici, gurnalisti u partitarji stennew li il-mannara kienet se taqa’ fuq ras id-Direttur tal-Futbol Damien Comolli. Comolli kien fil-mira tal-partitarji minhabba l-percezzjoni generali li dan falla fis-suq tat-trasferimenti u m’akkwistax dawk il-plejers mitluba minn Ramos.

Il-loghoba tal-Hadd li ghadda kontra Bolton kella tkun immarkata minn protesta tal-partitarji kontra c-cermen ta’ Tottenham Daniel Levy b’wiehed mill-appelli ppjanati jkun propju it-tkeccija ta’ Comolli. It-tkeccija ta’ Comolli ma kienet se tbiddel xejn fil-grawnd u dan Levy gharfu tajjeb. Huwa gharaf ukoll kif inehhi t-tapit minn taht saqajn il-partitarji billi bejn is-Sibt u l-Hadd mhux biss nehha lil Comolli izda wkoll lill-maniger Juande Ramos u l-assistenti tieghu Gus Poyet u Marcos Alvarez. Fil-ghodu il-partitarji ta’ Tottenham sebhu bl-ahbar li Harry Redknapp kien inhatar maniger gdid.

Levy ma waqafx hawn. Mal-hatra ta’ Redknapp huwa habbar li l-klabb kien se jmur lura lejn sistema tradizzjonali ta’ maniger Ingliz li jkun ukoll inkarigat mit-trasferimenti u hekk se jabbanduna s-sistema ta’ Direttur tal-Futbol li tant gabet antipatija mill-partitarji.

B’dawn id-decizjonjiet Levy laqat zewg ghasafar b’gebla wahda. Fuq naha agixxa b’mod li halla l-partitarji minghajr ebda skop jew lok ta’ protesta ghax tahom li riedu u fl-istess hin rega’ gibed is-simpatija tal-midja Ingliza li tant attakkat u kkritikat ‘il klabb taht it-tmexxija tieghu.

Ic-cermen ta’ Tottenham tkellem ukoll dwar it-trasferimenti u ammetta r-responsabbilita tal-klabb li ma rnexxielux jakkwista sostituti ta’ Keane u Berbatov

Levy nizel minn fuq il-pedestal tieghu u ghamel dak li riedu n-nies. Barra minn hekk lill-partitarji tahom maniger tan-nies. Redknapp huwa maniger li, f’sens metaforiku, jitkellem l-istess lingwa li jitkellmu l-partitarji u r-relazzjoni tieghu mal-midja hija wahda tajba. Bid-decizjonijiet tieghu Levy mar lura lejn il-bazi u se jerga’ jaghti laqta’ Ingliza lill-klabb li, bhal f’hafna klabbs ohra, kienet sparixxiet. Minn mira tal-kritici Levy sar bniedem li qed jerga’ jaghti cans lill-klassi tal-manigers Inglizi fi klabb ambizzjuz.

Izda x’wassal ghad-decizjoni ta’ Levy u shabu id-dirigenti ta’ Tottenham li sena biss wara li kkommettew ruhhom ghal wiehed mill-akbar kuntratti manigerjali fl-Ingilterra jiddeciedu li jnehhu lill-istess maniger u t-tim tekniku tieghu biex minfloku jahtru lil Redknapp? Hawn ta’ min jibda biex jghid li jekk il-hatra ta’ Redknapp kienet sorpriza ghal kulhadd, mhux hekk kienet ghall-istess Levy li fl-ewwel kummenti tieghu, qal li kien vicin li jakkwista l-firma ta’ Redknapp darbtejn ohra.

Il-karriera tal-manigers hija marbuta mar-rizultati u r-rizultati ghal Tottenham ma gewx. Fl-ewwel stagun tieghu ma’ Tottenham Ramos rebah il-League Cup izda l-forma fil-kampjonat ma tjiebet xejn minn dik li beda l-ahhar stagun tieghu ma’ Spurs Martin Jol. Mir-rebh tal-League Cup lil hawn Ramos rebah biss tlett loghobiet tal-kampjonat u dan ir-rekord negattiv ma setax iregi fi klabb li l-ambizzjoni tieghu hi li jiccalingja lill-ewwel erba’ timijiet.

Ir-ragunijiet ghal dawn ir-rizultati negattivi jistghu ikunu hafna. Wiehed irid jaghmilha cara li dan ma jfissirx li Ramos huwa maniger hazin. Bhal hafna ohrajn kont fahhart il-hatra ta’ Ramos ma’ Tottenham ghax il-kwalitajiet ta’ dan il-maniger huma indiskutibbli. Ramos huwa kowc b’kapacitajiet kbar imma l-avventura tieghu fl-Ingilterra ma hadmitx.

Kif qal Levy, dan ma kienx tort ta’ xi individwu izda tort kollettiv. Madanakollu fl-ahhar mill-ahhar il-maniger huwa responsabbli tar-rizultati. L-ideali hu li zzomm l-istess maniger, taghtih aktar zmien u thallih jasal fejn irid. Il-problema ta’ Tottenham hi li ma kellhomx aktar zmien, Tottenham ga tilfu punti prezzjuzi kontra timijiet li suppost qed jiggieldu kontra r-relegazzjoni u d-dirigenti ma setghux jibqghu b’idejhom fuq zaqqhom.

Il-kunfidenza tal-plejers ta’ Tottenham sparixxiet u l-plejers kellhom bzonn bidla biex almenu psikologikament jibdew pagna gdida. Din ma kinitx l-uniku problema. Bil-vantagg tar-retrospettiva kien car li l-plejers ma kinux kuntenti taht Ramos. Tajjeb kemm hu tajjeb Ramos, il-plejers ma riduhx u fl-ahhar mill-ahhar ghaddiet taghhom. Huma l-plejers li jaghmlu jew ikissru maniger. Bil od il-mod qed johrog car li uhud mill-plejers ta’ Tottenham imminnaw lil Ramos u anki tkellmu kontrih mad-dirigenza tal-klabb.

Kummenti ta’ plejers bhal David Bentley, Jermaine Jenas u Jonathan Woodgate hargu fil-berah dak li kienu qed jahsbu l-plejers ta’ Tottenham fid-dressing room. Il-messagg ta’ Ramos ma kienx qed jasal u tattikament hadd ma kien cert mir-rwol tieghu. Id-decizjonijiet ta’ Ramos li jaghmel bidliet numeruzi f’kull loghoba kemm fil-plejers u kemm fil-pozizzjonijiet taghhom kienu bdew jaghtu l-impressjoni li ma kienx jafx x’inhu l-ahjar tim tieghu u dan kompla hawwad il-plejers u ghaqqadhom kontrieh.

Dan kollu gie kkonfermat mill-atteggjament tal-assistent ta’ Ramos Gus Poyet li kellu l-inkarigu li jkun il-pont bejn il-maniger u l-plejers. Ghall-ewwel din is-sistema kienet qed tahdem izda meta l-plejers bdew iressqu l-ilmenti taghhom ma’ Poyet u dan ma kienx qed ikollu rispons pozittiv minghand Ramos, sab ruhu f’sitwazzjoni difficli. F’ghajnejn Ramos Poyet seta’ deher li qed imur kontrieh fil-waqt li f’ghajenjn il-plejers deher li mhux qed jaqdi dmiru u jwassal il-messagg taghhom lill-maniger.

Id-differenza fl-atteggjament ta’ Poyet kienet cara. Fejn qabel dejjem kien jitkellem b’mod li jidher spalla ma’ spalla ma’ Ramos, fl-ahhar gimghat beda joqghod lura u donnu ried juri li hu ma kienx parti mid-decizjonijiet li ma kinux qed jinzlu tajjeb mal-plejers.

Il-lingwa lanqas ghinet lil Ramos iwassal il-messagg tieghu kif xtaq. Ghalkemm Ramos kien imexxi t-tahrig bl-Ingliz hu ma kellux il-kmand tal-lingwa biex jwassal il-messagg li jrid b’kunfidenza u b’awtorita. Dan id-difett kien jidher aktar meta jkun irid ibiddel xi haga waqt il-loghobiet u sar aktar gravi meta Poyet beda jzomm pass lura anki fuq it-touchline biex ikompli jiskolpa ruhu mid-decizjonijiet ta’ Ramos. Dan kollu naqqas l-awtorita ta’ Ramos fuq il-plejers u, kif deher fl-ahhar gimghat, tellfu d-dressing room.

Il-mitstoqsija l-kbira issa hi fejn se jmorru Tottenham b’Redknapp. Bhal kollox l-ghazla ta’ Levy ghandha l-pozittiv u n-negattiv. F’dawn l-ahhar snin Tottenham kellhom plejers zghazagh li kulhadd stenna li se jsiru stilel kbar. Dawn mhux biss m’ghamlux progress izda uhud minnhom ghamlu rigress. Plejers bhal Lennon, Huddlestone, Bale, Zokora u Jenas m’ghamlu ebda progress notevoli fil-waqt li plejers bhal Michael Dawson u Paul Robinson ghamlu marru lura.

Min-naha l-ohra Harry Redknapp huwa maghruf li jiehu l-ahjar mill-plejers tieghu u jaf jizviluppa l-plejers. Il-paraguni huma odjuzi imma m’hemmx ezempju ahjar minn paragaun bejn Paul Robinson u David James li nghaqad ma’ Portsmouth u rega rebah il-flokk numru wiehed tat-tim nazzjonali Ngliz.

Harry Redknapp ghandu wkoll esperjenza kbira f’kull livell tal-futbol Ingliz u huwa motivatur kbir. Fis-sitwazzjoni kritika li jinsabu fiha fil-mument Spurs zgur li ghandhom bzonn kemm lil xi hadd li jaf tajjeb il-loghoba Ingliza u kif ukoll lil xi hadd li jista’ jgholli l-moral u jimmotiva l-plejers. Kien ovvju li Ramos, kemm minhabba n-nuqqas ta’ kmand komdu tal-lingwa u kemm minhabba li kien qed jigi imminat min-numru ta’ plejers, dan ma setax jaghmlu.

L-ammissjoni ta’ Ledley King li taht Redknapp il-plejers kien qishom nehhew balla minn fuq l-istonku u s-sodisfazzjoi tieghu ghax il-klabb hatar maniger Ingliz tghid kollox fuq kif kienu qed iharsu lejn Ramos il-plejers fl-ahhar gimghat.

Il-lingwa u l-konoxxenza tieghu tal-ambjent tal-futbol Ingliz tghin lil Redknapp ikun ahjar f’dak li huwa man management. Tghinu aktar ikun qrib il-plejers u jikkomunika ahjar maghhom biex b’hekk jiehu l-ahjar minnhom u jtihom il-kunfidenza li ghandhom bzonn. Ramos bata hafna f’dan l-aspett. Dan ix-xoghol pprova jaghmlu Poyet izda s-sistema ma hadmitx. Il-plejers iridu maniger biex ikellimhom direttament, jispirahom u jimmotivohom. Meta dan ix-xoghol jithalla f’idejn haddiehor l-awtorita u r-rispett jintilfu.

Redknapp se jgawdi wkoll mill-abbandun tas-sistema tad-Direttur tal-Football . Kif kelli l-okkazjoni nghid drabi ohra is-sistema ta’ Direttur tal-Futbol mhix wahda hazina izda wiehed irid joqghod attent hafan kif ihaddimha. Fil-klabb ta’ Tottenham tant ma hadmitx li fl-ahhar transfer window kien qed ikun Levy nnifsu li jmexxi l-parti l-kbira ta’ negozjati mal-plejers fil-waqt li Comolli thalla fil-genb. Comolli ngab ma’ Tottenham taht l-impressjoni li kien parti mportanti mit-tim ta’ nies li skoprew it-talenti zghazagh fi hdan il-klabb ta’ Arsenal izda wara kien sar maghruf li kemm dam ma’ Arsenal, l-uniku skoperta notevoli li kien ghamel kien Gael Clichy.

Minkejja dawn il-punti pozittivi il-hatra ta’ Redknapp tibqa’ riskjuza. Redknapp kellu success ma’ kull klabb li kien izda l-aspetattivi ta’ dawn il-klabbs qatt ma kienu kbar daqs dawk ta’ Tottenham. L-oghla objettivi li qatt kellu Redknapp kienu li jistabilixxi klabb fil-parti ta’ fuq tal-klassifika tal-Premiership. Minkejja li dan l-istagun huwa prattikament mitluf, il-miri ta’ Tottenham huma ferm oghla u l-pressjoni hija akbar ukoll.

Redknapp dejjem kien is-suggett tad-diskussjoni dwar jekk hux tajjeb biex imexxi klabb kbir jew le. Hemm min sahansitra xtaqu jmexxi t-tim nazzjonali Ngliz fil-waqt li ohrajn jahsbu li s-successi ta’ Redknapp huma relattivi ghax gew ma’ klabbs fejn l-ambizzjonijiet m’humiex kbar, il-bagit huwa limitat u l-pressjoni hi minima. Il-kritici jiddubitaw kemm dan il-maniger jista’ jaghmilha ma’ klabb kbir u kemm jista’ jkollu success ma’ plejers ta’ profil gholi.

Min naha tieghu Redknapp qal li ma setax jirrifjuta dan ic-cans. Huwa qal li ma’ Portsmouth il-finanzi kienu limitati wisq u hu ma setax iwassal ‘il klabb aktar minn fejn wasslu. Redknapp kompla li, minkejja l-pozizzjoni prekarja fil-klassifika, Tottenham huwa klabb kbir bi stejdjum kbir, bagit konsiderevoli u set up bhal tal-klabbs il-kbar. Fl-eta ta’ 61 sena dan kien l-ahhar cans ghal Redknapp biex jipprova lilu nnifsu fl-oghla livell. Ghalih it-test jibda issa.

FAREWELL TEEMU

Finnish midfield battler Teemu Tainio has left us to join Sunderland.
The Finnish international, 28, has penned a three-year contract and is Roy Keane's first summer signing.
"Teemu has showed versatility, playing in different midfield positions for both Tottenham and his previous club, Auxerre," said Black Cats boss Keane.
"But his experience in particular and the fact he has played more than 40 international games shows he has a lot to offer Sunderland."
Keane is also interested in adding three more Spurs players to his squad.
Steed Malbranque, Younes Kaboul and Pascal Chimbonda have all spoken to the former Manchester United captain after a fee for all players was agreed with the Club.
Tainio joined us in 2005 and played in 83 League and Cup matches in his three seasons at White Hart Lane.

Good luck Teemu and thanks for the memories

THE HUDD SIGNS ON

Tom Huddlestone has signed a new five-year contract, committing his future to the Club until 2013. The midfielder, called up to the full England squad for the end-of-season internationals against the USA and Trinidad and Tobago, made 43 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring four goals.

Tom also played a big part in the League Cup success at Wembley - coming on as substitute and forcing Wayne Bridge into the handball for the penalty that brought us back into the game.

Now 21, Tom has represented England from Under-15 level through to Under-21s and is one of the most experienced players in the current U21 squad - earning his 26th cap and scoring against Wales in May, 2008.

MIRKO RANIERI JOINS THE ACADEMY

Italian 16 year old goalkeeper Mirko Ranieri has joined the Club from Perugia.

The 6ft 2" international has represented Italy at U/16 level. He will form part of the Spurs academy.

GOMES DEAL AGREED WITH PSV

The Club has announced that we have reached agreement with PSV Eindhoven for the transfer of goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes to Spurs, subject to the player agreeing personal terms, passing a medical examination and obtaining his work permit.
The Brazilian international, was an ever-present member of PSV's title-winning squad last season, when he conceded only 24 goals in 34 league games.
He made his name at Cruzeiro in Brazil, debuting in 2002 before securing his move to Europe and PSV in 2004.
Since then, he has won four Dutch titles in succession with PSV, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2004-05.
Gomes will be no stranger to us Spurs fans - he was outstanding in our UEFA Cup Round of 16 matches against PSV last season when we were ousted on penalties.

Heurelho Gomes Profile

Heurelho da Silva Gomes was born on February 15, 1981 in João Pinheiro, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Club career

He started his career at Cruzeiro until moving to PSV Eindhoven in July 2004 after being scouted by Piet de Visser for the Dutch club, where he made his debut against FK Crvena Zvezda on August 11 of that year.

At first, there were critics, saying that Brazilians 'should be on the field, not in the goal'. In other words, there were doubts if Gomes was reliable enough. Those doubts were quickly erased. Even though he conceded two goals in his debut against RBC Roosendaal, which PSV won 5-2, he proved himself to be a reliable goalkeeper.

Gomes established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He played a major part in PSV's four latest consecutive titles in the Eredivisie and in the great European achievements. In his first season, PSV immediately reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, where in the 14 attempts before, PSV wasn't able to reach the second round. In the following seasons, PSV progressed each time from the group stage.

In the Eredivisie, Gomes is known for his outstanding reflexes, which has saved points from PSV more than one time. Also his trademark throwing ability is well known. Gomes is able to throw the ball all the way deep into the opponents half. Also before the start of the match and second half, Gomes jumps up above the goal with his shoulders, pumping up the PSV-supporters.

Gomes is a crowd favorite at PSV. He can speak Portuguese and Spanish, but has learned to speak quite a few words of Dutch. Most Dutch-football fans can't understand why he isn't in the starting eleven of Brazil. Even though the rivalry between PSV,

Feyenoord and Ajax is intense, fans from rival clubs showed sympathy for the Brazilian. Most notably is his excessive cheering when his teammates score. In the match in Rotterdam against Feyenoord, Gomes injured himself after overcheering when his teammate Phillip Cocu scored the 1-0. Gomes was able to play further and even saved a point with a wonderful dive, which most goalies would find unstoppable.

Notable achievements

Gomes has achieved a lot since his stay at PSV. He held a clean sheet in 60 percent of his Eredivisie-matches. No other goalie has ever achieved that. In his first season, Gomes didn't concede a goal in 971 minutes. In the same season, Gomes had an another goalless streak. This time he didn't concede a goal in 817 minutes. In his third season, 2006-2007, he had again a notable streak. Gomes didn't concede in 956 minutes, which eventually played a huge part in PSV's surprise championship title. PSV won the Eredivisie 2006-07 title, after having the same amount of points as Ajax, but PSV finished first due to a better goal difference (+50, against +49 for Ajax). Even though those were very impressive stints, it wasn't enough to break the record of Heinz Stuy, who set the record in 1971 with 1082 minutes. Gomes did set a record, though. In the 2007-08 season, Gomes kept a clean sheet in his first 5 games.

International career

Gomes made his debut for Brazil in 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Although the competition is for senior national teams, Brazil chose to send an Under-23 squad to the competition. Gomes made 5 appearances as Brazil went to the final and finished second after being beaten by Mexico 1-0.

Despite being part of the Brazilian squad that won the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, as the third-choice keeper behind Dida and Marcos, Gomes did not receive any playing time. He was also excluded from then coach Carlos Alberto Parreira's final 23-man roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

It wasn't until his inclusion on the team for a series of late-summer friendlies, as a consequence of new Brazil coach Dunga's desire to play many of the Seleção's younger stars, that Gomes has finally gained some consistent playing time in goal. On August 14, 2006, he was called up for a friendly against Norway, which ended in a 1-1 draw. On September 3, 2006, he played in Brazil's 3-0 defeat of rivals Argentina at Emirates Stadium in England. Two days later, Gomes kept a second consecutive clean sheet in a 2-0 victory over Wales at White Hart Lane. His latest stint between the sticks was during a 2-1 win over Ecuador on October 10, 2006.

ROMA AT WHITE HART LANE

AS Roma, runners-up in this year's fiercely-contested Serie A title race, will be the guests for Spurs' final pre-season friendly of the summer.

The match will take place at White Hart Lane on Sunday 10 August 2008, kick-off 4pm (Malta time) and sees Ramos' boys face the likes of Christian Panuci, Alberto Alquilani, Daniele De Rossi and Simone Perrotta - all in Italy's Euro 2008 squad - and renowned striker Francesco Totti, forced out of the tournament through injury.

Ticket prices will be £25 for West and East Stands, £20 for North and South Stands and £10 for concessions in all Stands. A booking fee of £1.00 per ticket will apply to all bookings. Tickets for this match will go on sale from 10.30am on Tuesday 17 June.

Please note that due to the ongoing renewals process no priority will be given to One Hotspur season ticket holders or members. All tickets will be sold on a first come first served basis. A maximum of 6 tickets per transaction can be purchased.

To buy your tickets to see this match please visit www.tottenhamhotspur.com or call the NEW TICKET HOTLINE on 0844 844 0102. Supporters are advised to book their tickets early for what is sure to be an extremely entertaining friendlY

DOS SANTOS TO JOIN

The Club today announced that we have reached agreement with Barcelona for the transfer of Giovani dos Santos, subject to a medical and agreeing personal terms.

The 19-year-old Mexico international made 28 senior appearances for the Catalan club last season, scoring three goals, after displaying his credentials in the B team, where he made 27 appearances and netted five times.

It was his performances playing for his country at the FIFA World Under-17 Championships in 2005 that caught the attention of the Nou Camp side. Mexico emerged as winners in Peru and Giovani was named second best player in the tournament, while he was ranked in the top three players of the FIFA World Under-20 Championship staged in Canada in 2007.He has since been capped on five occasions by the full Mexico national team.

Earlier in the day Barcelona had also confirmed the deal on their official website. Barcelona stated that:

"The Mexican will sign for the club managed by Juande Ramos until June 30, 2013 for a fee of six million euros plus another five million depending on the player's appearances for the London club during his five-year contract.
"FC Barcelona also maintain 20% of the financial rights to any possible transfer of the player during his first two years of contract and 10% on any transfer from his new club, Tottenham Hotspur FC."

Dos Santos said: "I love Tottenham's plans, they are very ambitious.

"I know Juande Ramos and of all the offers I had, this was the most challenging from a sporting point of view."

DOS SANTOS PROFILE

Giovani dos Santos Ramírez (born May 11, 1989 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico) is a Mexican attacking midfielder or forward, who plays for FC Barcelona and the Mexican national team. Dos Santos was a member of the Mexican National U-17 team that won the 2005 U-17 World Cup held in Peru.

Dos Santos is the son of a famous Brazilian football player Gerardo dos Santos, better known as "Zizinho", who played for the Mexican soccer clubs América and León in the late 1980s; Gio's mother, Liliana Ramírez is Mexican. Dos Santos has two brothers and two half-brothers, the older, Eder, currently plays for Socio Águila in the Primera División A as a defensive midfielder, and the younger Jonathan, plays for FC Barcelona, in the Juvenil A category.
Dos Santos' father is seen as the driving force behind his son's career, as he founded a school in Monterrey, named São Paulo in México, at which he coached his own, and many other, children.

In 2001, São Paulo participated in the Dallas Cup, a prestigious youth tournament in the USA, winning the U-12 category with Dos Santos as a member of the team. Zizinho decided that Dos Santos was ready to begin a professional career and was able to get him a trial with the Mexican first division team Club Monterrey, where he quickly progressed through the youth ranks to join their third division team.

During the FIFA U-17 World Championship 2005, Dos Santos managed to assist half of the goals of the Mexican team during the tournament, a fact that, combined with his abilities, awarded him the Adidas Silver Ball as the second best player of the tournament, finishing behind only the Brazilian Anderson.

After the U-17 title, Dos Santos returned to Barcelona and the Juvenil A category where he helped his team to make a comeback in the league and win the regional title. This title allowed them to participate in the Youth Copa del Rey, where they faced other regional champions, among them their historic arch-rivals, Real Madrid. Dos Santos once again played a significant role during the tournament and helped the team win the national title of the Juvenil A category.

In 2006, Dos Santos was invited on the pre-season tour of FC Barcelona's senior squad. During a friendly match on July 29, 2006 he scored in his senior team debut game against Danish club AGF Aarhus. Hugo Sánchez, the ex-manager of the Mexican national team, called on him for the first time for exhibition games against Panama and in early September. He made his debut against Panama on September 9, 2007.

In the U-20 World Cup Qualifiers he scored twice; once against St. Kitts and Nevis in the 86th minute and the second against Jamaica in the 56th minute. He was forced to sit out the last game against Costa Rica as he had received a yellow card in the previous match. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, but Mexico still qualified, finishing top of the regional group.

During the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup Mexico was placed in Group C, where they were drawn against Gambia, Portugal, and New Zealand. On July 2, 2007, Dos Santos and the rest of the Mexico team played against Gambia and won 3-0, with Giovani opening the scoring in the second half with a superb volley into the top left-hand corner from outside of the box. Dos Santos then played against Portugal, where Mexico won 2-1, scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot. As Mexico had already qualified from the group, he was rested for the game against New Zealand. In the last-sixteen Mexico played against Congo, dos Santos returned to the starting line-up and yet again opened the scoring with a goal from the penalty spot in a match that Mexico won 3-0. In the quarter finals, Mexico were eliminated by Argentina, with a close fought game ending 1-0. Dos Santos was awarded the Adidas Bronze Ball, behind the Argentines, Sergio Aguero and Maximiliano Moralez.

During the summer of 2007, Dos Santos was once again invited to join Barcelona's senior squad on their pre-season tour. On August 29, 2007, Dos Santos received dual nationality and was included in the official first team squad. He made his competitive and league debut on September 2, 2007 during a 3-1 home win against Athletic Bilbao, coming on for Thierry Henry in the 62nd minute.

Dos Santos made his Champions League debut on September 19, 2007 during a 3-0 home win against Lyon. He came on as a substitute for Xavi in the 79th minute.

On May 17, 2008, Dos Santos scored a hat trick against Real Murcia, with a final score of 3-5, granting a victory to Barcelona on the team's last game of the 07-08.

BOSTOCK AGREES TO SIGN

Tottenham Hotspur FC today announced that the Club has reached agreement with John Bostock to join us.

The 16-year-old midfielder was previously a schoolboy with Crystal Palace, making his First Team debut for the Eagles when he came on as a second-half substitute against Watford in October 2007.
He went on to make a further two starts as well as two appearances as a substitute for the Championship club.

Sporting Director Damien Comolli said: "We are very pleased that John has decided to join us. We know he has the talent but we also know he is only 16 and so we will not rush him. He will have time to develop and will be working within a very talented development squad".

Speaking after signing, John added: "I am definitely ready to make this move and Spurs is the team I wanted to join. I feel this is a club with a great future and this is where I want to be to develop my potential and improve as a player."

End of Season Porchetta

A nice group of Malta Yids met for an end of season Porchetta at "Ic-Chief" in the limits of Siggiewi. The food on offer was the traditional Maltese "Ghagin il-Forn" and delicious pork ably and very patiently prepared by our host "Ic-Chief". The setting was a quite secluded farm house in the middle of nowhere and so, for once, we did not wake up any neighbours.

GOALKEEPER COACH APPOINTED

Tottenham Hotspur FC have announced the appointment of Hans Leitert as first team goalkeeper coach. The 35-year-old will join the Club from Recreativo Huelva.

Born in Vienna, Austria, Leitert was the national team’s Under-21 goalkeeping coach for six years, as well as enjoying two seasons with Panathinaikos. As a player, Leitert represented his country at Under-18 and Under-21 level before a wrist injury forced him into retirement having been the youngest goalkeeper in the Austrian top-flight during his time with VfB Mödling.

He began his coaching career with his former club’s youth side before taking full-time coaching positions with Rapid Vienna and Austria Vienna.

Leitert, who holds a Master’s degree in Sports Science, has also been invited to speak at goalkeeping lectures on behalf of UEFA.

Perry Suckling will revert back to his role as Academy Goalkeeping Coach having ably stepped up to First Team duties since October, 2007.

Sporting Director Damien Comolli said: “We took a lot of care in our search for a new First Team goalkeeping coach. It is a crucial position at the Club, not only in terms of training and developing the First Team goalkeepers, but also because we have got a lot of quality and potential in goalkeepers of a younger age group - so it was a very important choice for us.

“We believe Hans will bring many qualities to the Club. He is a forward thinking coach who likes to employ new methods, a very enthusiastic individual who has lived and worked in different countries with different influences and has also worked with UEFA. He joins us with glowing references and an excellent reputation.

“Perry has done a fantastic job during his time with the First Team and I would like to thank him for his work. I know Juande has appreciated his commitment and efforts, but Perry’s passion lies with coaching younger goalkeepers- he was keen to return to his position within our Academy, that is a great ideal to have and we are delighted to have him at the Club.”

BUFFET DINNER

Tottenham Hotspur Malta are organising a Buffet Dinner

on Friday 13 June at Il-Kastell Winebar in Tarxien.

The event will start at 8.30pm.

Tickets are on sale at Euros 24 for adults and Euros 12 for children between 5 and 12 years.

Menu

· Antipasto table with 10 different types of Salad.
· Baked pasta with pesto and meat ragu.
· Penne with green Pesto.
· Beef olives cooked in traditional Maltese sauce.
· Drumsticks with bacon and mushroom cream.
· Grilled fish Kebabs.
· Vegetables and potatoes of the day.
· Free flowing foreign wine, soft drinks and water.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL THE CLUB ON 21231192

LUKA MODRIC TO SIGN

Tottenham have won the race to sign highly-rated Croatia midfielder Luka Modric for a fee believed to be £15.8million.
Spurs have agreed personal terms with the 22-year-old, who was reportedly courted by many of Europe's top sides, and he will leave Dinamo Zagreb to start a 6-year contract at White Hart Lane this summer subject to his passing a medical.

LUKA MODRIC PROFILE

Luka Modrić (born September 9, 1985 in Zadar, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Croatian football midfielder who currently plays for Dinamo Zagreb and the Croatia national team. Modrić agreed terms on 26 April 2008 to join Tottenham Hotspur for the start of the 2008–09 season. He was named the Prva HNL "Player of the Year" in 2007.

Club career

Dinamo Zagreb
Modrić signed for Dinamo Zagreb as a 16 year old in 2002, but after a season with the youth side was loaned out in 2003 to Zrinjski Mostar in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina where he quickly showed his potential, becoming Bosnian League Player of the Year while still just 18 years old. He later claimed that "someone who can play in the Bosnian league can play anywhere"[citation needed], referring to the physical nature of the Premier League. The following year he was loaned to Inter Zaprešić and played one season for them, helping them to second place in the league and gaining the Croatian Football Hope of the Year award in 2004, before being recalled Dinamo Zagreb in 2005.Such was the regard for his abilities, Modric was rewarded with a 10 year contract through to 2015.
At his team Dinamo Zagreb he usually plays as playmaker, on the left side of the field. His natural position is that of central midfielder and he plays as playmaker solely due to his capabilities to cover that role as well and to leave room for designated defensive midfielders in Dinamo's 4-2-3-1 formation. He uses both feet to play, and his biggest strength is his swift offensive positioning without the ball, as well as his great ability to read and react to the game well in many situations.

Tottenham Hotspur
Modrić agreed terms with Tottenham on April 26, 2008 subject to a medical and receiving a work permit.The player's contract is for a period of up to six years beginning in the summer of 2008.Tottenham have confirmed that the total fee to be paid is £16.5 million, equalling the club's record fee set by Darren Bent's move in 2007.

International career
Modric' performances earned him a call up for international duty, playing for the Croatian U-17, U-19 and under-21 teams, and soon progressed to his country's senior national team. He made his senior international debut in a friendly match against Argentina on March 1, 2006 in Basel, Switzerland. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany he made two substitute appearances in the group matches against Japan and Australia. He scored his first international goal in Croatia's 2-0 victory over Italy in a friendly match played on August 16, 2006 in Livorno.
Honours

Individual- Bosnian League Player of the Year: 2003 , Croatian Football Hope of the Year: 2004, Croatian League’s Player of the Year: 2007[2]
Club (Dinamo Zagreb)- Croatian First Division League: 2006, 2007 , Croatian Super Cup: 2006, Croatian Cup: 2007

LEDLEY KING SPEAKS
Here we reproduce an interview with our captain Ledley King which appeared on http://www.myfreesport.co.uk/. Enjoy:

You really upset the odds in the Carling Cup Final, has it sunk it yet?
Yeah it has to be honest. It came and went so quickly because we had so many league and UEFA Cup games around that time, so there wasn't really time to dwell on it. When you play a team like Chelsea in a final you know you're going to have to be at your best. We went in as underdogs and that took a bit of pressure off of us. We were able to relax and just give it our all.
A lot of the players hadn't won anything before or even played in a final so the dressing room was an emotional place afterwards, but I think that's what gave us that extra determination to win. For me personally, with the season that I've had with injuries, the chance to come back and play at Wembley and then to win was like a dream.

Were there times you thought you'd never have a moment like that?
Yeah maybe, I've been playing for a long time now. The last time I played in a final (the 2002 League Cup final defeat to Blackburn) I was only 21 and at that age you take it for granted that these things will come round again quickly. But I ended up having to wait six years to play in my next final.

How knackering was it walking up all those steps having played two hours of football?
It was tough! Maybe one of the toughest parts of the day (laughs)! It seemed like those steps were going to go on forever, but knowing that when you get to the top you'll be picking up a trophy certainly helps.

How much of that Carling Cup success is down to Juande Ramos?
Without wanting to take anything away from Martin Jol, a lot of it. The new manager has come in and when you look at what he was able to win with Sevilla; back-to-back UEFA Cups and domestic trophies in Spain, you obviously know that you've got a manager who's a winner. That has really has rubbed off on the team, all of a sudden there is a belief that we can win things and that really helped us against Chelsea. His knowledge and reading of the game are superb; he always knows what needs to be done to beat the opposition.

How's his English coming along, does he shout at the players in English yet?
He's quite calm. His emphasis is more on hard work than shouting and being aggressive, so he doesn't shout too much. His English has improved a lot in the short time he's been here, I've been impressed. But with Gus Poyet and Marcos Alvarez (Spurs' new fitness coach) both speaking really good English anyway there really hasn't been any problem at all.

A lot has been said about the changes to the players' diets and training under the new manager. What have the main differences actually been?
I think the press have maybe gone a little bit over the top about it all. When he first arrived he had us working very hard, we started off with double sessions with a lot of running and clearly his first thoughts when he arrived were to make us a lot fitter. Some of the food that we eat has been changed but it wasn't as severe as has been documented in some places. It's been more subtle changes really.

Will you miss all the Jaffa Cakes?
If the manager says he wants us to cut things out we'll give it a try and we're certainly not complaining at the moment. There used to be a few Jaffa Cakes laying about but I'm sure other teams still have them. But we all want to be the best players we can be and the changes in the diet seem to be helping.

How does he differ to Martin Jol?
There are some similarities. Both of them like the team to get the ball down and play, you can see that from how we've played over the last few years, but now there's that extra emphasis on our fitness and our diet. I think we've always had good players, we finished fifth in the last two seasons so Martin Jol was obviously doing something right. We're growing up as a group of players and we're starting to realise that we need to reach our potential. With the manager's help, along with Gus and Marcos, we're looking to move to the next level. Sometimes you just need a bit of change to do that.

And where is that next level?
The top four is definitely what we have to look at. Me and the rest of the players are all desperate to play in the Champions League, that's our dream and we still see that as the next step. At the same time we want to have more cup runs and win more trophies but we need to be a lot more consistent to achieve that.

Ah, the ‘c' word. Is consistency the key to breaking the ‘Big Four' then?
Definitely. We've proven that we're a talented side and that on our day we can beat the top teams, so it really boils down to being able to grind out the results every week and build the points to be able to challenge the top sides all season. We aren't that far away from it, we've got a good squad and I think we'll probably strengthen again in the summer.

How important is it to keep Dimitar Berbatov? How good is he?
He's a top player, one of the best about at the moment. It goes without saying that you don't want to lose your top players and I think us having just won a trophy might just give him the belief that we might be going places. I think the way he plays sometimes gets misconstrued as sulking, but that's just him. He's a quiet player but he's very passionate about his football. I've played with some very good players over the years but I think his touch is possibly the best I've seen. The way he pulls the ball down out of the air is incredible. You can play him a bad ball and he can make it look good. I'm sure the club will be doing everything they can to keep hold of him.

How much of a boost was it that Fabio Capello picked you in his first England squad so soon after your initial comeback from injury?
It was a huge boost. It was actually a little bit catch 22 because, although I was back playing, I still didn't feel that I was right with my knee and I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to train. But it was great to know I was in his thoughts after only a couple of games. I'm desperate to play for England but at the moment I'm still searching for the consistency of playing games every week. I want to make sure I'm 100% before I start to really think about England again.

You've obviously had more than your share of time on the treatment table. Can you explain to us exactly what the latest problem has been?
I was playing on an injured knee for a few seasons, but at the time it didn't really seem like a major problem. Gradually I just made it worse and when I eventually did have the operation it was maybe a little bit more complex than it should have been. I always want to play if I feel I can and at the time the injury was there but I could play through it. I made the decision to keep playing until I really had to have the operation.

How frustrating is it not to be able to play week in, week out? At what stage do you hope/expect to be able to play twice a week again?
As a player when you've been out for six months what you really need are matches in order to get back to full fitness and consistency, so it's been difficult playing one game and then missing out in the next three. I'm still searching for that fitness because I'm not playing week in week out but we had important games that I really wanted to play in and I felt that if I could get myself right for certain games it would help the team.
I'm not sure exactly when I'll be back playing twice a week again. Now my main aim is to prepare myself for next season and do everything possible to ensure that I don't have any problems next year.

There have been rumours that you may even be forced to retire due to your injuries, is there any truth in this? Does this get you down or give you determination to prove the doubters wrong?
I've read a lot of stories about my situation over the last few weeks but I honestly believe that when I do finally get it all right there won't be any more problems in the future. It's just talk. I've heard it but I have no idea where it came from. It's never nice to read stuff like that about yourself but I don't feel like I have to prove anything to anyone, all I want to do is play football. I'm not retiring, let's put it that way.

NORWICH FRIENDLY

Spurs will travel to Championship side Norwich City for a pre-season friendly on Monday, July 28. Kick-off at Carrow Road will be at 8.45pm.
Tickets are priced at Adults £12, OAP/Under 21 £7, Under 12's £3 and our fans can buy tickets direct from Norwich - contact the Carrow Road Ticket Office on 0870 444 1902.
Tickets to all supporters go on sale.