Hearts can signal their title ambitions when they take on champions Rangers in the Scottish Premier League season-opener on Saturday.The SPL has regularly been a two-horse between Glasgow rivals Rangers and Celtic, with the blue half of the city celebrating last season when Walter Smith’s side won the title.
Rangers, with Ally McCoist now in charge, and Celtic are again expected to be battling it out for the top prize, but Hearts manager Jim Jeffries has made a number of solid inclusions to his squad and looks to have a team capable of testing the top two.
That assertion will be put to the test on Saturday by the defending champions, who have brought in just one player during the off-season despite an injection of cash from new owner Craig Whyte.
Spaniard Juan Manuel Ortiz is the only new face at Ibrox this season, with El-Hadji Diouf, Richard Foster, Vladimir Weiss, and Kyle Bartley all departing.
However, McCoist’s side head into the season in good form following a 2-0 friendly victory over English Championship outfit Blackpool on Tuesday, and Hearts will need to be switched on from the outset if they are to cause an upset.
Elsewhere on the opening day of the season, Aberdeen host St Johnstone while Inverness travel to Hibernian.
Aberdeen boss Craig Brown will be hoping his side can continue to build on the improvements made since he took over in December 2010, and the hosts will be expecting a first-up win against a St Johnstone side which had the worst goal-scoring record in the SPL last season.
Celtic begin their campaign on Sunday with a trip to Edinburgh to face Hibernian.
Last season’s runners up have returned from a successful pre-season tour of Australia and manager Neil Lennon should have new signings Adam Matthews, Kelvin Wilson and Victor Wanyama to call on at the weekend.
Lennon’s side lost the title to Rangers on the final day of the season in May, and will be desperate to snap their rivals’ run of three straight championships.
On Monday, Dundee United kick off their campaign with a home match against Kilmarnock.
Peter Houston’s side finished just two points shy of third-placed Hearts last term, and the inclusion of experienced pair Willo Flood and John Rankin in midfield will have the Tannadice faithful confident they can build on their strong display last term.
Newly promoted Dunfermline host St Mirren in the final game of the round on Monday.
From being a young, aspiring lower league player with plenty of potential, to one of the best wingers currently in the Championship, Garath McCleary has deservedly received the Championship Player of the Month award for March. Whilst it might for some players, be a regular, taken for granted award, for McCleary, it couldn’t be more different.
Since his move from lower-league side Bromley, McCleary’s ride to being a weekly inclusion in the Nottingham Forest starting line up has been far from smooth. He showed glimpses of quality from the very start of his Forest career, soon flaunting his fine ability of taking on players, using his speed, coupled with his skill to parade past them. Having joined for a mere sum of £25,000, expectations weren’t high for the winger, and he certainly showed exceeding these low expectations would be a breeze.
However, injuries and lack of first team oppurtunities were a momentus part of why McCleary’s Forest career didn’t kick off completely. Often declaring his obvious talent in the few chances he got over the years, McCleary, and the majority of the Forest fans were left wondering why he wasn’t being given more chances to showcase his talents.
If there is one word that has stayed with McCleary during his time at Forest, it’s been ‘promise’. By some, he was labelled as the ‘super sub’, and nothing more, because in seasons gone by he’s rarely got a run of 3/4 games, where he could establish himself, and unveil himself so Forest fans could make an accurate assessement of his ability.
In his place usually in previous seasons was the energy of Paul Anderson, who was a Billy Davies type player, hence why he was favoured over the hungry and patient McCleary. Anderson was, and still is, more of a runner than a footballer. Brilliant at tracking back and helping the full-back when he could, but when it came to forward play, he was a figure to make up the numbers, rather than actually producing the goods with the ball at his feet, frequently shying away when gifted the chance to take on a player and produce a cross worthy of trying to challenge optimistically for.
In defence of Billy Davies though, it worked. As the saying goes, ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it’. Without a doubt, it wasn’t broken. It was just a matter of whether Billy had it in him to gamble on McCleary, with the fear that it may damage the way the team was currently playing, which was rather successful, managing 2 consecutive playoff places. In addition, it was occasionally evident that Billy didn’t have faith in McCleary, which reflected in McCleary’s play in patches of last season, every so often not parading past a player, when it was ever so blatant to fans McCleary had all of the attributes to do so.
This season however, has perhaps summed up his Nottingham Forest career so far. Starting the season injured, missing the whole of Steve McClaren’s reign as manager, therefore meaning McCleary sadly couldn’t impress, because McClaren was out of the door quicker than McCleary galloped past Leeds’ Carl Robinson in Forest’s recent 7-3 thrashing.
With McClaren having resigned, McCleary must’ve been thinking what could’ve been, as McClaren spoke weekly of his love for typical wide players, and his intention of discovering some, failing with attempts to sign the likes of highly rated Dutch winger Wesley Verhoek, now at FC Twente with McClaren, and reportedly missing out on last resort Lloyd Dyer, currently plying his trade at Leicester City. We will never know if McCleary was fit, whether he would’ve been the solution to all of McClaren’s problems, but if he was, he would’ve prevented the travesty that has been the 2011-12 season at Forest.
With Twitter rumours flying around hinting McCleary was set to retire, because of the seriousness of his injury, there was a definite element of confusion surrounding what was wrong with McCleary, as new manager Steve Cotterill was in desperate need of reinofrcements. With the degree of uncertainty, came an element of caution. It was vital McCleary wasn’t rushed back into things, because we didn’t know how quickly the injury could flare up once again.
Chris Gunter, the Welsh right-back was handed the job of covering for McCleary at right-midfield at times. Gunter, being an enthusiastic young player, also a type that would do anything for the team, happily obliged. Despite being a vital part of the side that beat Middlesbrough at home, during Cotterill’s honeymoon period, it was still apparent Gunter was there as a temporary figure. Unfortunately for ‘Gunts’, he’s been unfairly thrust into the right-midfield position too often this season, being an enemy of his own flexible nature.
Welsh full-backs will never make it as wingers anyway, will they?
When McCleary finally got back to fitness, it was well worth the wait. The player that fans had seen endure a rocky ride for a few years, was eventually getting a run of games to show what he’s made of. Being an integral part of the group that beat the likes of Birmingham, Ipswich, Coventry, Leeds and Crystal Palace, scoring some beauties along the way.
Steve Cotterill, to some, has been horribly guilty this season, but McCleary’s form is largely down to him. Being a weekly fixture in the team was something McCleary was desperate for, meaning he could finally transform his promise, into concrete, undoubted ability. The highlight of McCleary’s ressurgence was the 4 goals against Leeds United. The factor that maked this performance all the better, was the fact by this point, McCleary was a marked man. McCleary’s form had become public, and started to feature highly in the thoughts of managers as they prepared to face Forest. Paul Robinson, an experienced Premiership defender who has turned out for Bolton and West Brom, was the Leeds player given the job of coping with McCleary. The old-fashioned left-back, who is typically known to like the physical aspect of the game, also liking a hard tackle or two, was left shaking in his boots by the undefendable form shown by the magical McCleary on the night.
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If that hadn’t woken the nation up to McCleary’s talents, nothing could. With McCleary’s contract ending in the summer, many Premiership clubs have been keeping tabs on the in-form man, and with Forest’s financial future uncertain, it may be a matter of ‘who’ to depart to, rather than ‘if’.
Whatever happens with McCleary, it’s been great to revel in the brilliance of of the man, even if it does prove to only be for a short period of time. What also becomes continually clear is that it’s his attitude and determination that got him in the position he is in today, and judging by what we see on the pitch, and the language used on Twitter, he is ready to strive further, to progress his career.
If that’s with Forest, then all Forest fans will be elated. If he finds himself elsewhere next season, I will be eternally thankful to him for being an important part of the Forest revival, which has seen them close to rescuing themselves from what was a daunting situation earlier in the season.
You either love Vuvuzelas or you hate them; personally I detest them and I am absolutely delighted to see Tottenham have had the good sense to ban the plastic horns at White Hart Lane next season.
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who got frustrated with them this summer. The sound is horrendous and watching England in South Africa brought back horrible memories of the Blackburn defeat at the Millennium Stadium in 2002 where the stadium was filled with similar contraptions that were equally deafening should you be in the vicinity of them.
The official line coming out of Tottenham is that they are in danger to public safety and I am not surprised, given that during bad results at football clubs all around the country there will be a minority of supporters who will undoubtedly be tempted to launch them at rival fans.
“Following discussions with the police and representatives from the local licensing authorities, the club will not be permitting vuvuzelas or similar instruments into White Hart Lane on match days.
“We are concerned that the presence of the instruments within the stadium pose unnecessary risks to public safety and could impact on the ability of all supporters to hear any emergency safety announcements.” Daily Telegraph
Hopefully it won’t take long for other clubs to follow suit, for not only will they make for a terrible atmosphere (in my view of course), but the fact that these could be used as possible missiles in moments of frustrations. While I appreciate that some would like to see them in football grounds across the country next season to replicate the carnival atmosphere they created in South Africa this summer, they should also appreciate that in the most part the atmosphere between rival clubs in England is anything but carnival, especially when the stakes are high.
Should the Premier and Football League’s insist that Vuvuzelas are banned from all stadiums in the country? Or do you believe they represent little harm at all?
Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
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Jamie Carragher has admitted the Premier League title is probably out of Liverpool's reach this season.
The Reds ended the last campaign in a disappointing seventh place – their lowest finishing position since the Premier League began 18 years ago.
A change of manager has brought Roy Hodgson to Anfield but Carragher doesn't anticipate breaking his league title drought this season.
The 32-year-old defender has made almost 650 appearances during 15 years in the first team.
"People have said 'You've done this and that for Liverpool' but we've not won a trophy for four years and that is annoying me a little bit," he said.
"I certainly don't want to go on another couple of years not winning one before I finish at Liverpool.
"I don't see any reason why we can't win a trophy this season or the next couple.
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"The one I haven't won is the league, but I suppose that will be very difficult this season going from seventh last season.
"But I see no reason why we can't have a good go and have a trip to Wembley."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
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Is it actually possible to feel sorry for Chelsea? We’re not entirely sure but the usual mix of jealousy and begrudging hatred has been absent of late. That surplus of ill-feeling isn’t going to waste as Harry Redknapp and his Spurs side are doing irritatingly well.
They have as much chance of winning the Premier League or Champions League as Redknapp does of winning Rear of the Year but they’ll still hang in there long enough for him to get the England manager’s job once Capello gets sick of trying to turn a pig’s ear into a silk purse.
The form guides, Spurs unbeaten in five, Chelsea without a win in four, tell us to back the home side in this one but the odds favour Chelsea at 8/5, if only slightly. Ancelotti’s side are going through the club’s worst run in ten years but with players of their quality it has to come to an end soon. The same can be said for Spurs’ good run. Five games is far too consistent for them and you should back them to come unstuck against Chelsea.
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Chelsea at 8/5 to win Drogba at 5/1 to score the first goal has to be a great shout. He is the only likely candidate these days who is likely to find the back of the net for Chelsea. With Defoe finding his scoring boots again, he is not a bad price either for the first goal at 11/2 Over 3.5 goals is 11/5.
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With Terry back in the side these days, it will be a tall order to keep a clean sheet at White Hart lane, but this match has got goals written all over it which makes this week’s Money Back Special a tasty prospect:
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“If there are more than four goals in this game, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st / last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on the match”
Let’s hope it is the exciting encounter that Paddy Power envisages, and if you fancy backing the goals market as well, then over 3.5 goals is 11/5.
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Wayne Rooney has admitted that he would like to see Robin van Persie join Manchester United.
The Netherlands international has expressed his desire to leave the Emirates Stadium, with the Red Devils, Manchester City and Juventus leading the chase for the Dutch maestro’s signature.
Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that discussions with Arsenal are ongoing, and Rooney hopes Van Persie moves to Old Trafford.
“Of course, he’s a player I admire. He has been amazing for Arsenal over many years. Last season was probably his best, he scored a lot of goals,” Rooney is quoted as saying by The Sun.
“If he does come here, he’d be a great addition to the squad.
“I’d like to think we would work well together — but you’d have to ask the manager.
“There are a lot of forwards here already with myself, Welbeck, Chicharito and Berba is still here.
“So there are a lot of forwards fighting for a place here.”
Rooney went on to admit that winning the Premier League title back was the number one priority this season.
“It’s a good opportunity for us now to bounce back.
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“This is our chance to show everyone we’re a good team and capable of winning the league. That’s obviously our aim this season,” he concluded.
Giovani Dos Santos – a product of the Barcelona youth system promised so much when he arrived at Tottenham Hotspur, but in fairness he has delivered so little. Why is this? The youngster seems a permanent fixture in the Mexico national team but appearances for his club are few and far between.
After an impressive World Cup during the summer I’m still somewhat surprised to see that Dos Santos has remained anonymous and a stranger to the Spurs first team. However it seems that the young Mexican remains upbeat and eager to impress. He says “When I left Barcelona my dream was to be a success in the Premier League – and I still think that is possible.” With his obvious ability and enthusiasm to succeed I’m left puzzled as to why he hasn’t made the grade.
At a glance It would seem that he just isn’t part of the managers’ plans and therefore little playing time has led to the young Mexican failing to live up to his billing. “During my time at Spurs I just haven’t had any luck. There have been injury setbacks, difficulties adapting, and few chances from the coach.” It appears I am not alone in my opinion as Dos Santos express’ the reasons behind his evident short comings.
Digging deeper I discover that appearances have been limited due to the Mexican’s love of the London nightlife. Fair to say, Redknapps patience ran out thus explaining the players’ lack of playing time. Redknapp jokingly tells us that “If he could pass a nightclub as well as he can pass a ball he would be alright.” Redknapp then goes on to say “he’s got bags of ability and fantastic skill. He’s had a great World Cup. If he knuckles down this year he could be a top player. He’s a nice kid and I hope he keeps his head down and gets on with the job.”
With Redknapps appreciation of the player and the man, his days at White Hart Lane are by know means numbered. It is clear that the young Mexican is still part of the managers’ plans, but only if he can get his head down, trains well and avoids the nightclubs. At this moment in time Dos Santos has promised so much and delivered so little, but if he can maintain his positive attitude and fantastic ability I have know doubt that one day he will light up the Premier League.
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It’s an important couple of weeks for Roberto Mancini, as he aims to win silverware in the form of the FA Cup and ensure Manchester City qualify for the Champions League next season. Here’s how the Italian is feeling and where he thinks the club will be in five years time…
How important was your time at Leicester City in giving you an insight into English football so that you understood the culture when you came to manage at Manchester City?
I have very good memories from my time at Leicester but it was a very short period of time because I only stayed there for one month. After a month I had to start my career as a manager in Italy. It was a fantastic month for me as I learnt a lot about different cultures and different games and it was fantastic for me.
What are the main differences that you can identify between managing in England and managing in Italy?
In Italy your job is only with the squad and on the pitch every day. In Italy we have a sporting director and a general director who take care of decisions. Here in England the manager has everything under control for everything regarding the team.
What is the best way to manage the expectations that come from managing a top club?
I am very happy to manage here at Manchester City as it is a big challenge. I think we can become a top team in two or three years. We have improved a lot and this for me is a good squad and I am very proud to be here.
Modern football is very much a squad game. How do you manage a dressing room where you have 20 international players who want to play every game?
It is very difficult when I have to choose a first eleven because I understand the feelings that players gave when players are on the bench, it is very difficult. When you have 20 top players it is more difficult because every player is different but this is my job and when a manager chooses, he chooses the best players in the team. It is not easy when you have 20 different players in your team. You can only win if you have good players.
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How important is Carlos Tevez as your captain in delivering your message and your aims on and off the pitch?
Carlos is very important for us because he is a fantastic player. We also have other important players in the dressing room. Having five or six players like Carlos or Yaya this is very important for the team.
It can be a big change for a foreign player when he has to adjust to playing in a new country and new environment. What steps can you take as a manager to help new players?
I think that in other countries it is easy but England it is very difficult for every player because the football in England is different from Italy, Spain and Germany. I think that every foreign player who comes to England needs a minimum two or three months to understand the Barclays Premier League.
Ten years ago you wrote an essay about the Trequartista. Do you think this is a role that David Silva can fulfil for Man City?
Trequartista is an important position in the team. For me David Silva is a fantastic player because his technique is incredible and he understands when is the right time to pass the ball.
What is the idea of the hill you have had built on the training ground?
The hill is important for the players. This year we have not had much time to use the hill because we have been playing every three days, but in pre-season or when we are playing once a week there are some players who like to use the hill.
It is important for any manager to set targets in both the short and long term. What are your aims for Manchester City this year?
This year our target at the start of the season was to finish in the top four and be in the Champions League. I think we deserve to achieve this because we have been at the top most of the season with United and Arsenal, always being between first and fourth position. We now have eight games until the end of the season and we will do everything to be in the Champions League next season.
What are your aims for Manchester City over the next five years?
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It is very difficult to predict, in football the situation can change every five weeks. In my opinion Manchester City will be one of the top clubs in Europe in the next five years.
What would it mean to beat Manchester United in the Semi-Final of the FA Cup to help you achieve your aims?
I don’t know what will happen in the semi-final because it is very difficult to tell over just one game. When you play in such a big game like this against Manchester United anything can happen. We want to go to the final for sure, but of course so do Manchester United.
Is the Barclays Premier League in your opinion the best league in the world?
Yes. In my opinion the Barclays Premier League is the best league in Europe now because during every game the stadium is full. The players in the Premier League are the best in the world because the game is played at such a fast pace and every game is difficult for every team.
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It’s a simple question and one had I asked at the very beginning of the season, would have seemed like a no-brainer in favour of the Mexican.
Last season Chicharito was arguably the biggest positive in United’s entire campaign bursting onto the scene with a series of memorable and important goals that quickly established him as one of the world’s most lethal young strikers.
While Chicharito was bagging goals with aplomb for United, Danny Welbeck was busy impressing, albeit to a lesser degree at Sunderland. The Mancunian may not have set the scoring charts alight but he did bag some important strikes and proved he could hack it in the Premier League, a lesson United took heed of.
This season, Welbeck has stepped it up a gear, scoring freely and linking up with the likes of Cleverley, Anderson, Nani and Rooney to give United the sort of football that’s often been missing these past couple of seasons. Meanwhile Chicharito, recovering from a head injury picked up in pre-season, hasn’t been able to enjoy a real run in the side yet, although he’s still managed to bag a brace of goals at the Reebok.
Welbeck’s actually played one less league game than Chicharito- mainly due to a hamstring picked up against Arsenal, but has shone since his return bagging two goals against Basel and a late nerve calmer in the last league game versus Norwich.
The question then is who should start against Liverpool at Anfield a week on Saturday? Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez , who took the Premier League by storm last season or Danny Welbeck, who’s done something not too dissimilar this season?
Personally, I think you should start the form player in a game that should United win, would give us the boost to make our start to the season almost unreal. Welbeck couldn’t have done much better this season and while Chicharito is definitely a big game player, I feel he’d be more useful coming off the bench should he be needed than Welbeck would.
It’s a great problem for Sir Alex to have to wrestle and either way there’s no real wrong answer, tell us which young striker you’d start against Liverpool?
Read more of Justin’s articles at Red Flag Flying High
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Having clinched the signing of Emmanuel Adebayor from Manchester City for a deal believed to be in the region of £5m, Tottenham clinched their most important piece of business of the entire summer, so with that in mind, is it all starting to come together at White Hart Lane?
The short answer is ‘maybe’, and while I’m not trying to be facetious (it just comes naturally), there are still a lot of incomings and outgoings to contend with as Daniel Levy seeks to get the best bang for his buck, while new boss Andre Villas-Boas attempts to make his mark on the side he inherited from predecessor Harry Redknapp.
Michael Dawson, somewhat surprisingly, looks as if he’s heading towards the exit door after being deemed surplus to requirements by the Portuguese boss for being too slow and cumbersome. While these are of course legitimate criticisms of Dawson, given the Ledley King had retired before the start of pre-season, he was the club captain elect and while Jan Vertonghen and Younes Kaboul looked the first-choice pairing, it’s a shock that both Steven Caulker and William Gallas are preferred at the moment.
QPR and Stoke are the teams in for him and the £8m mentioned seems a fair fee for a 28 year-old with past injury problems, but it’s still an extremely bold move from Villas-Boas and a great show of faith in Caulker, who spent last year on loan to huge success at Swansea.
Elsewhere, Danny Rose looks as if he’s edging towards a loan move to Sunderland as Kieran Richardson seeks a move further south, while Tom Huddlestone has been made available for loan, with Stoke again interested, not to mention the fact that David Bentley, Jermaine Jenas and Giovani Dos Santos are thought to be available for transfer. That’s a hell of a lot of activity left to potentially go through in just over a week, particularly when you bear in mind that Tottenham did come fourth last season, after spending most of it in third place.
There’s also the giant elephant in the room that is this summer’s most repetitive transfer saga involving Luka Modric’s move to Real Madrid, which looks set to be completed later this week. Replacing the Croatian playmaker will be of paramount importance and the fees mentioned range from £24.5m to £39.5m, which more than anything, just highlights that while nobody really has a clue, that the level of negotiation taking place is of a reasonably high risk level as we edge closer to the end of the transfer window.
Nevertheless, the arrival of Adebayor was a much-needed signing and even with Villas-Boas tinkering the the club’s style and how they press off the ball and higher up the pitch, he is certainly more suited to the lone striker role than Jermain Defoe is, despite a decent goalscoring display in their opening day defeat away at Newcastle. The Togolese forward finished last campaign with 17 goals and 11 assists in the league and he neatly threads the play together well, while simultaneously acting as a focal point for their attacks and his return is a welcome one.
While I don’t buy into the criticisms of chairman Daniel Levy, for the way the club is run is extremely responsible and prudent,Tottenham have been left in a position where they are conducting most of their business after the start of the season, which is far from ideal. Adebayor, much in the same way that Robin van Persie at Arsenal, hasn’t had much of a pre-season to speak of and the deal has taken, partly due to Adebayor’s outlandish request that the transfer fee be paid to him directly, a full two months later than everyone initially though and their progress, in the short-term at least, may still be hindered.
Porto midfield Joao Moutinho has been heavily linked with the club when Modric departs, but given their stance over Chelsea’s pursuit of Hulk, the club are known to be tough negotiators and Portuguese international could cost as much as £30m, but at 25 years-old, he would represent a sound long-term purchase for the future.
There had been rumours that the club had targeted Roma midfielder, the hugely talented Miralem Pjanic as a cheaper alternative, but the player’s agent Michele Gerbino had this to say on the proposed £12m deal, telling reporters: “Tottenham made a move for him, but both Roma and Pjanic thanked them for their interest and politely declined the offer. This is not the time to move or consider any other offers. The lad has tied himself to this project and first of all wants to do well at Roma. Besides, the club locked him down. Basically, he will not be moving. Pjanic had a very positive year, adapting easily to Serie A and you can see that from how quickly he learnt to speak Italian. He’s very happy at Roma.”
With Huddlestone and Jenas both looking to be moved on and with Scott Parker still injured, the club need to get somebody in to replace Modric and Gylfi Sigurdsson, as some may think, was never bought as his replacement as he plays a lot higher up the pitch, merely to supplement the existing options within the squad.
Some strength in depth could also be needed out wide to compliment the existing duo of Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale. Both are key to the shape of the side and whenever one is injured, the entire balance is affected, with Adam Johnson and Willian targeted. The fact that Johnson is available now for a much more reasonable fee of around £10m, as opposed to the ridiculous £15m mooted earlier in the summer, and that he’s already adjusted to the Premier League could see him preferred.
So where else do the club need to strengthen? Up front, with youngster Harry Kane still third-choice, they could still do with another striker, but Leandro Damiao’s price in negotiations with Internacional has fluctuated wildly and it seems as if the club are trying to nail jelly to a wall with that one.
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They also require a new goalkeeper eventually too, although it looks as if they are going to persists with 41 year-old Brad Friedel surely in his final year at the club, maybe even his career, but they’ve so far buckled at Lyon’s £15m valuation on Huge Lloris – it’s not a top priority as a replacement for Modric and another striker perhaps are, but it’ll need addressing sooner rather than later, with neither Gomes or Carlo Cudicini anything more than back-up now.
It’s strange that so close to the end of the transfer window, that the club is still in such a state of flux with concerns to their transfer activity. The next nine days represent a pivotal point in their season both on and off the pitch and if they manage to conclude all of their business in that time, I see no reason why they can’t finish in the top four again this season, but at the moment it’s a big ‘if’, even if the Adebayor deal is a step in the right direction. The current top eight, the majority of teams are in a period of transition, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea the main example, and while Tottenham certainly are themselves, they appear to have more potential at the moment for future deals, which could change where they ultimately finish up by the end of the campaign.