NEWCASTLE v SPURS Spurs are broken ... is nothing LES FERDINAND
LES FERDINA FERDINAND has waded in over Tottenham’sTotten summer on the tran transfer sidelines, insisting: “Spurs aren’t broken – so what’s the panic panic?” An And as Mauricio Poc Pochettino’s stars pr prepare to kick off a against Newcastle, Ferdinand – who played for both clu clubs –reckons Rafa Ben Benitez has more to worry about than his Argentinian riva rival, with Toon fans desperate for new faces to help them survive in the Premier League bear-pit. While the Pre Premier League’s big guns have been spendingsp for fun since last season, Tottenham’sTotte summer has been overshadow overshadowed by radio silence on new arrivals at White Hart Lane. And it’s be been the same on Tyneside, with former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Benitez growing more frustrated with owner Mike Ashley and a lack of transfer market ac activity. But it’ it’s Spurs’ failure to strength strengthen that has been the big shocksho after finishing second to Chelsea in May. And an eve- of- season outbur outburst by £ 65,000- aweek E England left- back Danny Rose – claiming he and ot other leading Spurs stars be believe they should be paid mo more –has only added to the g gloom. But d despite the unrest, Ferdinand isn’t buying into the dooms doomsday scenario. “Everyon “Everyone is going on about Spurs not signing anyone, but Daniel LevyL is notorious for doing his business in the l as ast week of t he w window,” says F Ferdinand. “So I’m sure Spurs will bring someone in - they look to be getting Davinson Sanchez from Ajax - but if you look at the first team, if it isn’t broken, why fix it? We are guilty in this country at times of doing that. Spurs are in a strong position because of the team they’ve got. They don’t need to bring someone in just for the sake of it.
“New signings must add to what they’ve already got.”
Ferdinand, who had a six- year spell at Spurs after leaving Newcastle and is now director of football at QPR, wasn’t impressed with Tottenham’s business last summer.
But he reckons if Harry Kane, Dele Alli ( right) and Christian Eriksen click again they’ll be challengers just like the last campaign.
“If you look at the players they brought in last season like Vincent Janssen and Moussa Sissoko, you have to ask yourself what impact did they have? There wouldn’t be too many who really impacted the side last season,” he says.
Drilled
“It was the boys who were already there who did it. There is a team there and it is hard to improve it. I understand everyone saying they need to bring in another striker alongside Harry Kane, but Son Heung-min scored 20-odd goals last season.
“If you look at the rest of the team, they let Kyle Walker go, but that was good business. Kieran Trippier came in at the back end of last season and Walker was struggling to get back in.
“Spurs in the past have been notorious for selling, but on this occasion they were under no pressure to sell, but did so because it was a good deal.”
While Spurs need silverware, for newly- promoted Newcastle the immediate ambition is more basic – survival.
Benitez has added five stars, including Jacob Murphy, Florian Lejeune, Javier Manquillo and Christian Atsu – but not the headline signing fans wanted. Ferdinand says: