What Next For David Bentley?

David Bentley. The heir to David Beckham's throne on the right side of England's midfield. So it was written. But it didn't quite turn out that way.

Bentley started off at Tottenham's North London rivals Arsenal but made less than 10 first team appearances for the Gunners between 2002 and his permanent move to Blackburn Rovers in January 2006.

There was a loan spell at Norwich City for their ill fated Premier League season in 2004/05, and he impressed enough to earn another spell on loan in the top flight with Blackburn the following season. Then Rovers manager Mark Hughes saw enough during those first few months to want Bentley at Ewood Park long term and after signing permanently he marked his new contract by becoming the first player in Premier League history to score a hat trick against Manchester United, helping Rovers to a 4-3 win.

Seasons 06/07 and 07/08 saw Bentley's stock rise further with a string of spectacular goals and numerous assists and boy hood club Tottenham Hotspur came calling in July 2008 and parted with £15 million for his services. Bentley described the move as a dream and it looked like a perfect fit for both parties.

Bentley struggled during his first season, often played out of position and after the manager that had signed him (Juande Ramos) was sacked, he became a bit-part player at White Hart Lane. New manager Harry Redknapp watched Bentley score a stunning 40 yard volley in his first game in charge, a memorable 4-4 draw with Bentley's ex-club Arsenal, but quickly grew tired of Bentley's lackadaisical attitude and style on the pitch. Many fans commented that Bentley had all the talent, but needed to cut out the flicks and tricks and stick to what he was good at. Sound advice, but it fell on deaf ears.

For all the hype that surrounded Bentley during his early career, he has only managed to play for his country seven times, the last of those coming way back in August 2008 during a 2-2 friendly draw with the Czech Republic.

A rare run in the Spurs side came during their successful 09/10 season when he featured on the right of midfield and impressed after seeming more determined to work hard and put the team first. Aaron Lennon's return from injury saw Bentley return to the shadows though.

Two loan spells away from Tottenham followed for Bentley, firstly in the Premier League for the second half of 10/11 at Birmingham City. Despite being named Man of the Match on his debut against rivals Aston Villa, Bentley struggled for form and consistency during his 15 appearances for the Blues, managing just one goal and no assists.

The start of the 11/12 season saw Bentley loaned to London rivals West Ham United, recently relegated to the nPower Championship. He made just 5 appearances for the East Londoners before a knee injury seemingly ended his season. He was however, unexpectedly named in Spurs' revised 25-man squad list for the Premier League in February, but, more surprisingly, didn't make even a brief cameo.

David Bentley has found himself grouped with the likes of Jermaine Jenas, Sebastian Bassong, Giovani Dos Santos and Heurelho Gomes, the so-called 'dead wood' at Spurs. The majority of fans have been expecting most, if not all of these players to have been sold for the past few transfer windows, but other than the odd loan, all five remain at the Club.

But in an exclusive interview with the People, Bentley has revealed he is ready to start again at Spurs, after assurances from new Head Coach André Villas-Boas has given him a 'clean slate' to start over at White Hart Lane.

Bentley discusses how the media, and the fans, have portrayed him in the wrong way, denying claims he's a 'party boy' and how Redknapp didn't communicate with him when he was left out of the squad. Makes you wonder if he regrets soaking Harry after our 1-0 win over Manchester City at Eastlands. It also makes you question Harry's world renowned 'man-management' skills, were they just a myth? Did they only work if you were one of his favourites?

After seemingly having been written off by the media and fans alike, could Bentley be about to make a comeback in the white of Tottenham. New boss Villas-Boas likes to play with quick wingers, usually on the opposite side to their preferred foot to maximise goal scoring potential when they cut inside, and Bentley has never been know for his pace.

He does however, have great ability with the ball at his feet. He can pick out a great cross or a pass with ease and has the ability to find the net too, be it from open play or from a set piece. It remains to be seen who Villas-Boas will play in his three man midfield. But looking at Bentley's career pre-Tottenham, and during his rare good performances in a Spurs shirt, while there is an obvious lack of pace, he's still sufficiently mobile and has been utilised more centrally on a regular basis. Defensively he may not be as aware as the likes of Scott Parker, Sandro, Tom Huddlestone or Jake Livermore, but if he played as the furthest forward of a trio, he could use his vision and technical ability to unlock defences. With two compatriots with greater engines than Bentley, his defensive work load would be reduced and while not shaking his defensive duties entirely, he could preserve his energy for attacking, spreading the play to the wings and trying his luck from distance.

A solid pre-season of training, matched with some game time, could bring Bentley back into the fold under 'AVB'. While he may not be every fans cup of tea,;he is one of us, a Tottenham supporter.

And there's nothing quite like watching one of your own.

The Chairman's Dealing With It

André Villas-Boas has today been confirmed as Tottenham Hotspur's new Head Coach on a three year contract. I know, you know that already. By now I'm sure you also know everything else that every other blog and media outlet has regurgitated and forced upon you.

• 34 years old.
• Opposition scout for José Mourinho at Chelsea and Inter Milan.
• Won four trophies in his solitary season with FC Porto and remained unbeaten during their successful league campaign.
• Bought out of his Porto contract for 15 million euros by Chelsea.
• Sacked from Chelsea less than a year into this three year contract.
• Glaring failure outside of Portugal and doomed to fail before he's even begun at Spurs, or so the nation's media would have you believe.

What does all this mean for Spurs then?

The thing that has stuck out for most people since the appointment is 'AVB''s job title; Head Coach.

Harry Redknapp was the first man in charge of Spurs for many years without that title, gone was the meddling Director of Football, Harry was in charge of everything. Wasn't he?

Chairman Daniel Levy has seemingly been in charge of overseeing the ins and outs at Tottenham since Damien Comolli left back in 2008. Every interview from Harry during the summer or January  transfer windows also seemed to end with his faithful Spurs catchphrase; 'The chairman's dealing with it.'

Could we now see a change to how things are done at Spurs. Will AVB be working with a new Director of Football or will the rumours of a transfer committee turn out to be true?

Talk that Technical Co-ordinator Tim Sherwood would be appointed AVB's DOF seems to have cooled, but it still seems apparent that Sherwood will be handed a more senior role within the Club, and could be involved with the transfer committee. But who else? AVB will obviously have a say in who the Club signs, with the apparently imminent signing of Gylfi Sigurðsson likely to have been at his request. Daniel Levy is also likely to take part in any decision making. While Club Secretary Darren Eales also seemed to have heavy involvement in any purchasing done by Spurs.

A new head scout could be appointed, to also consult with the board. Graham Carr of Newcastle United, and once of Spurs, would have been an excellent candidate for this role. But after signing an 8 year contract extension recently, it seems unlikely, which is a huge shame because his track record for the Magpies in recent seasons has been superb.

Villas-Boas is likely to add to his backroom staff, with fitness coach Jose Mario Rocha and opposition scout Daniel Sousa already on board. Any further additions are likely to give us an idea as to how transfers will be handled.

I will also be interested to see who is appointed as AVB's assistant head coach. Could this be the post for Sherwood? Clive Allen is also still with us, surviving Redknapp, Bond and Jordan's dismissals. If Sherwood moves up, he could return to his previous role of working with the reserve team, or the Development Squad as it is now known.

Various sources and journalists are reporting that AVB will be handed a hefty war chest to mould the team how he wants to and we've already been linked with lots of names.

Moutinho, of Porto, a player once bought by Villas-Boas, seems to have timed his recent quotes well, mentioning how he'd work with AVB again in the morning. If Luka Modric, as expected, ships off to Madrid, he would be an ideal replacement. There are sure to be other names linked with us in the next few weeks, including a few we might not expect.

Tom Huddlestone is the latest Tottenham player to be linked with a move away from the Lane. Ex-Spurs Head Coach Martin Jol is rumoured to be keen to bring Huddlestone to Fulham, likely as a replacement for the departed Danny Murphy.

I think it would be a huge mistake to lose Tom from our ranks. He's one of the best passers in the Premier League and he's so effortless with his shooting. He's undoubtedly deadly from long range and when the ball falls to him outside the penalty area, most fans are expecting something special. He doesn't always find the net, but he usually succeeds in leaving a few opposition players crumpled in a heap.

He looks like he could fit into AVB's tactics, employed in either of the deeper lying midfield slots, and his eye for a pass will definitely be a required weapon if Modric does leave.

AVB is likely to get a proper look at the majority of our squad when they return to training next week, and who knows who will suddenly find themselves as a major part of his plans, or not as the case may be.

Giovani Dos Santos? Jermaine Jenas? Heurelho Gomes? David Bentley? Rafael van der Vaart? Jermain Defoe?

One thing is for sure, today, exciting as it has been, is unlikely to be the most eventful day at White Hart Lane this summer.

Set Your Sights High, Mr Levy

Fellow blogger Ben McAleer wrote a great piece this week about the new manager, whoever he may be, needing a great deal of patience (read it here).

I couldn't agree more. We as football fans are fickle at the best of times and being thrown into such a state of uncertainty following Harry's departure this will only be amplified greatly.

Even those of us that were happy to see Redknapp leave Spurs will admit to having had our doubts over it truly was the best move for the Club. From a personal point of view, the longer we remain without a manager, the more I wonder what  chairman Daniel Levy has planned for us.

I am convinced however, despite moments of weakness, that we'll be better off in the long run without Harry. That phrase; long term, leads me back to Ben's article. Whoever comes in and takes over, whether it be in total control or under the stewardship of a Director of Football, will have a long term strategy that will hopefully see Tottenham compete at the top during their tenure.

But this could come at a price. I'm not expecting, unlike some of you, that we will drop out of contention at the top of the league and return to our glory days of mid table obscurity, but we could finish outside of the Champions League places for at least one season as the new man attempts to stamp his authority on the team and implement his tactical approach on the team.

We can't see this as failure though, we must see this as part of the plan, building for the future. Calling for patience is all well and good, but a lot of fans are prone to knee-jerk reactions. But if the development is clear to see, I would like to think our supporters will back the manager and not jump on every little mistake and call for his head if there is a poor run of results. I can't imagine seeing as poor a run as we did from February onwards this season again any time soon.

There seems to be three main candidates for the post. David Moyes and Laurent Blanc could be in line for the job, but are unlikely to want to work under a D.O.F. and would want total control of the team and recruitment. This goes against Levy's apparent desire to return to the continental model and employ someone to oversee the transfer side of the Club. Which leads me to believe that ex-Chelsea and Porto boss Andre Villas-Boas is favourite.

Some media outlets, particularly in Europe, are leading us to believe that a deal is already in place, but won't become official until July 1st due to an agreement with Chelsea as part of his dismissal in March.

The talk of our players not being keen on AVB's return to London makes me laugh. Luka Modric being one of the names mentioned, is it not ironic that he was desperate to work with him a year ago, but not now. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Chelsea weren't that far behind us when Mr Abramovich sacked him. With, in my opinion, a vastly inferior squad being carried by a few headline names.

His record at Porto was fantastic and with the backing of our board, the players and a good working relationship with a Director of Football, if we have one, he could transform us into a fantastic, competitive side.

I've heard arguments for Moyes and Blanc, neither which inspire me with much optimism or excitement. Blanc has a good record in France, and with his international side. Personally, I think he will remain in his current role, a win tonight against Spain would add backing to his cause though.

Moyes is a talented manager. He's worked wonders at Everton on a limited budget and kept them competitive in an unforgiving league. To me, he's the safe choice. Which leads me back to the quote that inspired this blog.

Bill Nicholson only ever wanted this Club to succeed. To be willing to gamble and reap the awards. Moyes isn't a gamble. We'll probably stay around our current position. I don't think he'll take us to another level.

AVB has the talent, tactical nous and most of all the desire to succeed that could push us on to that next level. His 'failure' at Chelsea means he has a point to prove, he didn't become a bad manager over night.

So, Mr Levy and the board, set your sights high, gamble, and bring in a man to build a legacy at our great Club.

To dare is to do.

Grave Digger

There's an idea for Harry Redknapp now he has left Tottenham Hotspur. Grave digger. He'd be perfect for it. He's dug one already; his own.

This isn't an anti-Redknapp piece, not at all. I'm incredibly grateful to Harry for the job he's done at Spurs. He came in (2 points from 8 games, remember?), stabilised a team going the wrong way, and pulled us back up the league.

I don't think any of the fans or the board expected us to move on so quickly in 2009/10. 4th place saw us qualify for the Champions League for the first time in the modern era. Harry brought us some memorable nights in that competition. 3-4 at the San Siro versus Inter. Beating them 3-1 at the Lane. And of course winning 1-0 at the San Siro against AC Milan.

We also consistently competed with those big four clubs that we had struggled against for so long. We've recorded wins against Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal, home and away, as well as Chelsea at home. Manchester United remains the only scalp we were unable to take.

But in 10/11 we faced the same problems as this season, though this season we were able to find different excuses. The team's form fell away in March. Our Champions League exploits may have taken their toll on the squad, but you have to question why it happened the next season too, at almost exactly the same time. It couldn't be coincidence, could it? Unlikely.

Watching the problem arise in 11/12 again, Redknapp was powerless, seemingly, to prevent the slump and seemed devoid of ideas.

I suggested Harry could work as a grave digger for a few reasons. Most importantly, he let the England saga roll on for so long. As fans, I think we would have appreciated some honesty early on. He could have come out and said, 'Yes, I'd like the job, but I won't be discussing it again until after the Fulham game and I won't be meeting with anyone.' Brilliant, let's finish the season, then worry about it.

That didn't happen though, and it disrupted our season badly. He's told us he didn't agree that it did, but he was told by those around him it did.

Harry also failed to make the fans feel part of it. Everyone on the social networking sites has said the same thing; with Harry, it was always them, never us. That's how he talked about the fans, or sometimes worse, the team. The Club, and the fans, stuck by him through his tax evasion trail. He was inundated with messages of support and thanked us following his trial's completion. But that was seemingly forgotten very swiftly, as he started to bat his eyelashes at England.

His short term planning also didn't help his cause. He always seemed to be preparing to only be here until the end of the season. Ryan Nelsen and Louis Saha, our January signings, failed to inspire the majority of fans, especially given the names we had been linked with.

If Harry wanted to stay at the Club as much as he said he did recently, he should have felt that way even when there was a chance of managing England. He won an FA Cup with Portsmouth, but he made his name at Spurs. His comments just made us feel like second choice. And no man is bigger than the Club. If he didn't want to commit while there was the possibility of a better offer, then he shouldn't be at the Club.

A new manager will hopefully be given a long term contract and be given financial backing, as well as some patience from the supporters. Alan Pardew was given a surprising five year contract at Newcastle United and given substantial backing from Mike Ashley. The player and mentality he has brought to the club has changed their fortunes massively.

Should it be Moyes, Andre Villas-Boas or Martinez, let's get behind them, back them, and support the club, not just the manager.

It's Martinez for me. This article goes a long way to making a decision for me. He, like Brendan Rodgers, could go on to become one of the best managers in the world, let's just hope he can achieve it at Tottenham.

Could do Better

We've gone from having three proven Premier League and international strikers to being left with just one; Jermain Defoe.

Defoe is a bit of an enigma, he's in the top 10 all time goal scorers for Spurs, yet many supporters don't seem to rate him, or write him off when he gets caught offside for what seems like the thirtieth time in a match.

I've seen plenty of our fans say we could do better than 'JD' and that he should be improved upon, but one thing none of us can deny, is his love for Tottenham Hotspur. It's refreshing to see a player take the Club to heart in the way he has, much like Michael Dawson has.

Lets look at the stats; he scored 11 Premier League goals this season from 25 appearances, not a bad record. Even better when you consider he only started 11 games and came off the bench on 14 occasions. 3 goals in the FA Cup and a further 3 in the Europa League gives him an impressive 17 goals in all competitions from 22 starts and 18 substitute appearances.

Overall for Spurs, Defoe has scored 118 goals in 298 appearances, yet we still tend to question him at every given opportunity. The main problems most have with Defoe is his undeniable greed. We saw Gareth Bale berating him after he chose to shoot, and miss, rather than play the simple ball to the Welshman for what was a much easier chance. Defoe just shrugged. He's spoken many time of his relationship with ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright and how the most important thing he taught Jermain was to always hit the target, something he seems to take to fair on occasions and just shoots for the sake of it. But then, you don't score if you don't shoot right?

Defoe, as our only senior striker, is sure to stay next season, especially given the tragic death of his father this week, he's bound to be keen to stay close to home and not risk uprooting his family and moving away.

But where do we go from here? Harry Kane and Cameron Lancaster both made first team debuts this season; Kane impressing in Europe and then on loan at Millwall, while Lancaster made a solitary appearance as a sub' against Wigan. Lancaster is sure to be sent out on loan next season to gain first team experience and it remains to be seen if he is seen as part of the future of the Club, or was it simply needs must at the time.

Kane scored an impressive 9 goals in 27 appearances after joining Millwall in January and caught the eye of many Spurs fans with his impressive finishing and work rate he was reported to be showing in the Championship. Kane's future is uncertain, he could end up back in the Championship on loan, or ideally for Spurs, at a lower end of the table PL club next season.

He could, of course, stay with Spurs for the first part of the season and be heavily involved in our Europa League campaign again if Harry chooses to use the competition as a way to blend our youngsters in with the first team again. I'd like to see him get some game time again, probably in the Championship as he doesn't look quite ready for the Premier League and it would be a shame to watch him sit on someones bench all season.

Adebayor has told the twitter-verse his representatives are in discussions with Spurs, so a deal will hopefully happen. I was very impressed with Adebayor after he joined on loan from Man. City. I'd watched him for years score goals against us and wasn't sure he would be accepted at Spurs, but after watching him chase down every Villa defender during our 2-0 win at White Hart Lane in November I knew he would be just fine.

His finishing leaves something to be desired, but a record of 17 goals in 33 appearances in the league begs to differ. But he's not just a goalscorer, add to his 17 goals, 11 assists, and you've got the perfect front man to play as a lone striker. But not all Spurs fans are as accepting. His indifference in front of goal, as well as a tendency to go missing from games saw some supporters label him, like Defoe, as not good enough, 'could do better'.

Better? I struggled to find anyone, within our alledged price range, that would be a marked improvement on these two. Not to mention the allegedly released Louis Saha, who most fans never took to, but I saw as a player who wouldn't need to play every week, but could still come off the bench and score a goal out of nothing, see Bolton at WHL in the FA Cup. He almost had a touch of the Berbatov's about him, but most fans were quick to write him off.

Loic Remy has been touted, along with most other strikers in Europe that have batted their eyelashes at the Premier League. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is most fans choice, but I believe his wages to be beyond our limit; he earns a reported £90K per week at Schalke. His scoring record, however, is superb; 248 in 377 appearances. If Levy is going to show ambition this summer, he's a signing that would mark a real statement of intent, but paying those sorts of wages could have a negative effect on the Club overall, with current players looking for parity with their own contracts.

Steven Fletcher, of Wolves, has been mentioned too, and while he might not excite fans in the same way Huntelaar might, he's a proven Premier League striker that has managed double figures in the PL in consecutive season despite playing in a struggling side. Who knows what he could achieve in a strong, positive team. Like Saha, he's unlikely to be first choice, which he may be happy with, but probably won't kick us on to the next level.

Dimtar Berbatov is likely to leave Man. United this summer, and personally, I would love him back at the Lane. He was a breath of fresh air at Spurs and formed a fantastic partnership with Robbie Keane during his time here. Wages again could be a stumbling block, along with many fans contempt for the Bulgarian after he forced a move to United in the summer of '09.

Demba Ba is a favourite of mine as I've said before, I'd like him at Spurs. His Newcastle and Senegal team mate Papiss Cisse is an excellent striker too, but we seem to have missed out there and he seems keen to stay at The Magpies.

Llorente has been linked with us again, seems to happen every few months now. A strong European Championship could add to his fee so we may miss out there too, if he even is a target that is.

I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised by a relatively unknown striker during the Euros that we'll hopefully try and get, but I wouldn't put my money on it.

Lets just hope we don't start September with Fraizer Campbell on loan and another returning striker none of us wanted. Rasiak?

In Defence of the Defence

So far I've looked at the centre of our midfield, our wide options and our goalkeeping situation and in an ideal world I've brought in Cabaye (depending on Modric's desire to leave), Hoilett and Kasper Schmeichel.

In terms of whoever starts the season in front of whoever our goalkeeper is, well your guess is as good as mine. There is still so many questions to be answered. Will Ledley King stay another year? The general consensus in the papers currently is yes. Will William Gallas head off to sunnier climes for a final swan song before he wraps up his career? All that talk has gone quiet, so that remains to be seen. He was hardly seen until late this season, and he was solid when called upon. But the pace he once had has left him and he was, at times, exposed because of this.

My gut feeling is that King will stay another season, as well as Gallas. But for me, I'm not keen on seeing either again. Ledley has been unbelievable for us all throughout his career. But playing with the injury he was alleged to have this year, as well as his knee problem has led to many fans calling for him to retire before he tarnishes the fine image every Spurs supporter has of him.

I can't imagine Gallas being happy to sit on the bench for very long, assuming he can keep himself fit. And he has a strong personality in the squad and won't be afraid to voice his feelings if he's unhappy. Harry's refusal to rotate at the appropriate times means he'll once again pick his favourites and they will play until they, inevitably, get injured. Those in reserve will then come in, and like Bassong this season, look way of the pace and be exposed and then ridiculed for it if they make a mistake.

Ryan Nelsen, despite Harry's comments to the contrary, is likely to be gone. He was an unusual signing, probably one the Club thought they could get away with because he would come in and be happy to sit on the bench for four or five months.

Kaboul has been our stand out player in defence, and arguably the whole team, all season. He's matured massively and lead from the back when he can't have been sure who he would be partnering come the weekend. I've said on a few forums and on twitter that if Harry had the bravery, or even the sense, to stop chopping and changing our defence every week and stick with Kaboul and Bassong, (best friends off the pitch) we'd have looked more comfortable at the back.

As I've mentioned, when Bassong was brought in, be it in the Europa League, or his rare excursions in the Premier League, he was not match fit and lacked that sharpness that comes with a run of games. If Bassong had been given that run, instead of hoping the swelling in Ledley's knee has gone down, or that Gallas could manage ninety minutes, he would have regained that, and probably looked as good as he did when he played a lot of games on our way to fourth in 09/10.

Playing Bassong allows Kaboul to play as the right of the two central defenders, where he is clearly more comfortable and would let him build an understanding with Kyle Walker at right back, instead of switching from left to right, depending on who was fit to partner him. Bassong, when really on his game, is strong, quick and good on the ball, something we haven't seen in two seasons.

Rumour has it that Jan Vertonghen, of Ajax, will have his medical today before signing on the dotted line. While I'm delighted to see us trying to do some early business, it makes me wonder what will happen to the four centre backs I have already mentioned, assuming Kaboul will still be first choice.

I think we all can see Bassong leaving, along with Nelsen, those two are almost certain to leave. Question marks hang over King and Gallas. But there's still another two central defenders soon to be reporting for pre-season training; Michael Dawson and Steven Caulker.

Dawson has had an awful couple of seasons with injury, but knowing the fighter he is, you wouldn't bet against him returning and battling back to the player he was. Daws' has always been a favourite of mine because of the passion he brings when he plays. He's a Nottingham boy, but if you cut him open he would probably bleed lillywhite. He loves playing for Spurs and does so for every one of us that will never be good enough. He's spoken about the honour he feels when he plays for our great Club and when he captains the team. I would hate to see him fit and not playing because of new signings or because of the old timers overstaying their welcome.

Caulker has had a superb season and the Swansea fans have nothing but nice things to say about him. See Peter Thomas' superb article on our young pretender here. He comes back to Spurs eager to make a mark on the first team in the way Kyle Walker did this year after impressing at Q.P.R. and Aston Villa respectively. He has all the talent to become a legend at Tottenham. His composure on the ball and his reading of the game off it have drawn comparisons to the one and only Ledley King, and rightly so.

Brendan Rodgers seems, annoyingly so, destined for Liverpool. This could throw into doubt a return to Swansea next season on loan. But also open up the possibility of a move to Merseyside for Caulker himself, who Rodgers has waxed lyrical about since his loan to Wales. This would frustrate me massively because it's obvious what a talent he is, but could be another to slip through our net because of mismanagement or an unwillingness to trust youthful talent.

Kyle Naughton is another returning to Spurs with something to prove. When he was signed along with Walker from Sheffield United, he was the more established of the two young full backs. Roles has reversed however and Walker is now once of our most important players.

Naughton impressed on loan at Norwich, not quite to the same extent as Caulker at Swansea, but enough for the Canaeries' fans to want him back next season. He has covered both right and left back this season and been solid in both positions. He's clearly more comfortable on the right, but that versatility should see him earn a place in our squad as cover. Whether he'll be satisfied with that remains to be seen.

Vedran Corluka is likely to leave too, admitting he would prefer to make his loan move to Bayer Leverkusen permanent. 'Charlie' is a player I see as badly treated by Spurs and another example of what happens when the squad isn't properly rotated. Kyle Walker suffered late in the season from fatigue and this surely must have been considered when allowing Corluka to leave, but leave he did and Walker played the last few weeks with a broken toe and went on to miss out of a place in England's Euro 2012 squad.

Danny Rose could leave during the summer too, either on loan or permanently. Ideally I'd like to see Rose join a Premier League team on loan and then we can judge him. Ian Harte can't go on forever for Reading and if Brian McDermott is willing to rotate then that could be a good move for Danny.

Ideally I'd like to see us start next season with a back four of Walker, Kaboul, Vertonghen, and Assou-Ekotto (who I haven't even mentioned as he continues to go from strength to strength at left back for us and will hopefully be here for years to come). With our luck with defensive injuries, if Caulker remains at the Club he is still likely to play up to thirty games in all competitions, which hopefully would be enough for him to stay.

Dawson and Caulker, if retained, MUST play consistently, not just the odd Thursday night excursion. Naughton too, he can cover both sides and can attack and defend with composure. If at least one of King and Gallas are retained, it can only be as fifth choice, they can't continue to be dropped into the team when deemed fit enough.

I'm hoping Harry can change his ways, although rumour has it that he's off before the weekend. Rodgers seems to be off to Anfield, while Martinez has pledged his future to Wigan. I can't see Harry going without a replacement already lined up, but who does that leave us with? AVB? I have my reservations.

“It is better to fail aiming high than succeeding aiming low. And we at Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory” Bill Nicholson.

Between the Sticks

So, in an ideal world, for me anway, we've got Cabaye (depending on a certain Croatians desire to leave) and Hoilett. For me, early business is a must this summer. If we leave it late, again, we will end up priced out of moves for the players we really want, and end up with uninspiring alternatives. Nelsen anyone?

The next area of the team/squad I want to consider is between the sticks; our goalkeeping situation. Despite Harry's recent comments regarding Heurelho Gomes possibly having a future at the Club, I don't see that as a possibility.

He's taken a lot of abuse from a lot of people, including the majority of the media and our own fans. In truth, a lot of it is deserved. He's made a lot of high profile errors and has cost us points at crucial times. It could be that he's just not made for such a high profile league and struggled with the pressure and constant persecution after every game.

He seems destined for a move back to PSV in Holland where was seen as a hero. This could be another apparent flaw in Harry's world famous 'man management'. An 'arm around the shoulder' could have worked wonders with Gomes. Maybe it came, and had no effect, or maybe Harry pulled another Darren Bent and the Brazilians confidence is shattered beyond repair, in England at least.

With Gomes on his way out, that leaves two; first choice Brad Friedel and his able deputy Carlo Cudicini. With a combined age of 79, they can't go on forever. Take nothing away from Friedel though, he's been a great signing and provided our ever changing defence with a sense of confidence in the man behind them, which is invaluable. He kept 14 clean sheets, our highest since 1986/87. He's had some criticism for staying on his line, but when he has the likes of Kaboul, King and Dawson in front of him who can blame him, you would expect our centre backs to be able to deal with any aerial threat. It certainly makes a difference knowing it's their responsibility, and in Kaboul's case, he doesn't have to worry about Gomes coming for every ball, including the ones he will never reach, and risk being knocked out by the Brazilians obscure style. Remember Stoke away a few seasons ago?

So will this be the window that we go looking for a new, young goalkeeper to take up the mantle of our number one?

There's already been media speculation, with a few names mentioned. Tim Krul, Ben Foster and Michel Vorm are just some of the 'keepers we've already been linked to. Krul is a superb shot stopper and at 6'4" has the potential to be commanding in the air, something our current roster of goalkeepers lack.

Foster has improved a massive amount since leaving Manchester United, seeming to react better when there isn't quite the same amount of pressure. I don't think he's quite at the standard we need. He's close to Friedel and Cudicini; he's solid if unspectacular.

Vorm really got the eye this season. He was relatively unknown outside of Holland before Brendan Rodgers snapped him up for Swansea last summer. He was a mainstay on Match of the Day this season as he continued to impressive for the Welsh side and pulled off one spectacular save after another. He also caught the eye of those football purists, who watched him perform like a veteran midfielder when in possession of the ball. He was used as a third defender when Swansea had the ball, which was the majority of the game, and set the free flowing side on their way, passing out from the back.

It remains to be seen whether he's just had a good season, or if he's the real deal, much like the rest of his team. My personal choice hasn't been spoken about an awful lot, just the odd murmuring. His dad, Peter, was voted the best goalkeeper in the Premier League recently, and his son has bags of potential.

Kasper Schmeichel has become somewhat of a journeyman goalkeeper. He joined his dads old club Manchester City in 2004 and went out to no fewer than six clubs on loan. His former City manager Sven Goran Eriksson brought him to Notts. County in August '09. The Danish stopper only conceded 29 goals in 43 games during his spell with the Magpies and kept an impressive 24 clean sheets.

Financial difficulties saw him agree to leave the club and forgo his wages in a gesture to the club, something well received by everyone involved with County. A year with Leeds United followed and he stood out once again, particularly during the Third round clashes with Arsenal in the FA Cup which saw him named as player of the round after helping Leeds to draw 1-1 at the Emirates before losing the home replay 3-1.

Sven once again called on his services when he took over at Leicester City and again I was shocked to see him, not only become available, but be overlooked by all the Premier League clubs. A minimal fee, believed to be around £1 million, acquired his signature. A out of character red card featured in his first month but he quickly reverted to what he knew best, frustrating opposition forwards.

An impressive 17 clean sheets, in a struggling team, and four penalty saves earned him the clubs player of the season as well as the award from his Leicester team mates.

Eriksson has gone on record as saying that when he was at City he couldn't split Joe Hart and Kasper in terms of their ability. Hart has gone from strength to strength, whereas Kasper has had to drop down the leagues and earn the respect he now commands.

Every time I've seen him I've been impressed. He's big, strong, commanding and incredibly agile for such a powerful man. Given the fee he was signed for, I wouldn't expect Leicester to ask for a ridiculous amount extra and he could be a fine investment. If Friedel is to be first choice again this season, Schmeichel could blend in to the team in the Carling Cup and Europa League fixtures and be kept fit should he be called upon for the Premier League games.

At 25 he still has at least 10 years at the top of his game, and we all know most 'keepers don't hit their peak until they reach their thirties. He will continue to improve and impress, I just hope he's doing it at White Hart Lane.

My girlfriend, in one of our Spurs conversations I force upon her, summed it up perfectly. 'Gomes isn't very good. Friedel's old. And so is Cudicini.'

'Nuff said. Daniel, sign him up.

“It is better to fail aiming high than succeeding aiming low. And we at Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory” Bill Nicholson.