Would Spurs Really Miss The 'Argos Beckham'?

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The New Voice Of Football column at FootballFancast.com

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos has not even been in the hotseat at Real Madrid for a week and already the media have linked the Spaniard with January moves for his former charges Didier Zokora, Aaron Lennon and the ‘Argos Beckham’ David Bentley along with Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Now while Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has reportedly said that only Lennon will be allowed to leave White Hart Lane for the Bernabeu at top-dollar of course at £20million. Would it not make more sense to offload Bentley to the La Liga Champions?

You see I feel that under Harry Redknapp, Lennon has started to show the sort of form that propelled him into the England squad a couple of years ago, while ‘Argos Beckham’ might have scored a wonder-goal against bitter rivals Arsenal at the Emirates, but apart from that isolated incident has really flattered to deceive in the White shirt of Tottenham since his big-money move from Blackburn Rovers in the summer.

No doubt that ‘Argos’ is a good player with excellent technique, but does he do enough for the full 90 minutes game in game out? The answer is no, Bentley is quick to drift out of games when the going gets tough. Lennon on the other hand although tackling is definitely not his forte is willing to track back and do his bit for the good of the team, while Bentley seems to have somewhat of an allergy to his own penalty area at times and can often be seen jogging behind an opponent, who is busting his gut to get forward to score against Tottenham.

The other thing that Lennon possesses that ‘Argos’ does not have is blistering pace. Pace can unsettle any defender, just ask Manchester United starlet Rafael, who Lennon gave a torrid time to in the clash against the European Champions on Saturday.

So if Ramos truly does want to bring the ‘Argos Beckham’ to Los Merengues to follow in the footsteps of the ‘Real McCoy’? Should Spurs not bite their hand off stick Lennon back on the right and then use the bundle of cash they receive from Real to get a naturally left-sided player in at White Hart Lane, which would give Spurs better balance.

Even though selling Lennon would represent a massive profit on the measly £1million they paid Leeds United for the speedster in 2005. I feel that it is Bentley, who is the expendable one and not Lennon, should Ramos be able to prise any cash out of Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon next month.

Spurs Tell Real Madrid Lennon Will Cost £20million

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Tottenham Hotspur have told La Liga Champions Real Madrid that they will have to pay £20million for winger Aaron Lennon, but have also insisted that Lennon is the only player that will be allowed to leave White Hart Lane for the Bernabeu in January, according to the Daily Mirror.

Since former Spurs manager Juande Ramos took over at Los Merengues earlier in the week the former Sevilla coach has been linked with a number of his former charges at Tottenham. Lennon along with David Bentley and Ivory Coast International Didier Zokora are all reportedly on the radar of the Spaniard.

However, according to the Daily Mirror, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has told the Spanish side that only Lennon will be allowed to leave the Premier League club. With Spurs determined to get top-dollar for the former Leeds United player in a similar stance that saw strikers Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov leave for Liverpool and Manchester United respectively in the summer.

Should the North London club manage to get the full £20million asking price for Lennon off Real Madrid? Then it would represent a massive profit on the winger, who cost Tottenham just £1million in 2005, when he arrived from Elland Road.

21-year-old Lennon has scored 11 goals in 137 appearances in all competitions during his time at White Hart Lane and his performances for Spurs propelled him into the senior England set-up in 2006, with the winger being capped 9 times by his country. Lennon was also the youngest player to play in the Premiership, while at Leeds, when he made his senior debut for the Whites against Tottenham aged 16-years and 129 days in 2003.

Zokora Joins Spurs Players Bentley & Lennon On Ramos Wish List?

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Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos, who replaced the sacked Bernd Schuster at La Liga Champions Real Madrid on Tuesday, has revealed that Ivory Coast International Didier Zokora was the player that “impressed” the Spaniard most during his time in charge at the Premier League club.

Since taking up the post Ramos (left) has already been linked with January bids for Spurs wingers Aaron Lennon and David Bentley in the Spanish media. With the new coach at the Bernabeu needing to strengthen the right hand side of Los Merengues midfield.

Now Ramos has declared that 27-year-old Zokora was his most trusted player during his tenure at White Hart Lane, with the former St Etienne midfielder able to play in a number of positions for the former Sevilla coach at Spurs.

When asked, who his favourite player at the Premiership club was by Marca, Ramos replied: “The player that impressed me most was Zokora.”

An offer from Real could be forthcoming in January for Zokora due to an injury to Mali International Mahamadou Diarra being ruled out for the rest of the La Liga season, which has left the new Bernabeu boss short of numbers in the centre of the La Liga sides midfield.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will be reluctant to let Zokora leave Spurs, despite the former Portsmouth boss preferring England Under-21 International Tom Huddlestone to Zokora since his arrival from Pompey, when fit.

However, should Real make a substantial offer for Zokora, who cost Tottenham £8.5million from Les Verts in 2006. Then a switch to La Liga could materialise, with Redknapp needing to raise transfer funds to land targets of his own in January as he looks to stamp his own mark on the squad at White Hart Lane.

Spurs Coach Ferdinand: "With Harry In Charge This Place Is Going To Be Fun"

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Former England International and Tottenham Hotspur player Les Ferdinand, who has joined Spurs as part of new manager Harry Redknapp’s coaching staff has questioned the management style of previous boss Juande Ramos, with the former striker claiming that the Spaniard’s poor communication skills failed to install confidence in the players at White Hart Lane.

While, Ferdinand has questioned the methods of Ramos he is backing new chief Redknapp make Tottenham ‘entertainers’ again and has revealed how the mood has changed at the North London club since the former Portsmouth manager took over.

Tottenham are unbeaten under Redknapp, winning 5 out of 6 games in all competitions and scoring 18 goals in the process, with Ferdinand attributing this change of fortune for Spurs solely to Redknapp.

“At times, Spurs have been the great entertainers of The Premier League over the last few seasons and, if the last three weeks are any guide, there won’t be many dull moments this year,” he told The Daily Mirror.

“With Harry in charge, this place is going to be fun.

“I walked into the training ground today and the mood was so upbeat. Everyone had a spring in their step.

“Less than a month ago, there was doom and gloom around the place. I saw David Bentley filling in at right back and Luka Modric stuck out on the left side of midfield.

“I won’t make any disparaging remarks about the previous manager and Juande Ramos is no mug if he can win the UEFA Cup.

“But if you can’t communicate with your players and you are struggling to get your message across, that is going to transmit itself to the pitch.

“And if you are playing for a manager who chops and changes every week, looking like a coach who is trying to find his best formation and his best team, you’re going to start doubting him.

“It has taken only one man to give the whole club a lift and, all of a sudden, there’s a feel-good vibe that only winning brings to a club.”

41-year-old Ferdinand played for Spurs between 1997-2003 and scored 33 league goals in 188 league matches for Tottenham during his six-years at White Hart Lane.