We could've signed Bergkamp

[choda]

Yes further proof of how well our club used to be run has come out this week with the revelation that we could have signed Dennis Bergkamp before Arsenal did.

However, wisely we instead decided to spend the money on Chris Armstrong.:confused: :rolleyes: :o

This apparently is in Dennis's autobiography. He also says that he was a life long spurs fan... and that he always wanted to play for spurs!

So after Zidane you can now add Bergkamp to the list of players we were offered and turned down.:o

[suBerb]

Yes further proof of how well our club used to be run has come out this week with the revelation that we could have signed Dennis Bergkamp before Arsenal did.

However, wisely we instead decided to spend the money on Chris Armstrong.:confused: :rolleyes: :o

This apparently is in Dennis's autobiography. He also says that he was a life long spurs fan... and that he always wanted to play for spurs!

So after Zidane you can now add Bergkamp to the list of players we were offered and turned down.:o

I read somewhere that Bergamp's favorite player was Hoddle. So, there is no surprise that he was a spurs fan.

Zidane and Bergamp are players that make the difference. Signing them would change the history of the club. What a wrong decision not to buy such players? Unbelievable...

[taran]

What a mistake not signing zidane and berkamp you never know we might have one the treble or something and Arsenal might be in the championship. But the thing is we allwayas get managers who make mistakes expcept for Martin Jol

[DonJolSpurano]

read that story last week.

all i can say is...sugar and francis were idiots!!!

[hastingsyid]

Yes remember reading that also,bergkamp loved spurs and hoddle,typical tottenham in them days absolutely clueless

[Gregzy]

This thread has made my blood boil! To be honest, the Bergkamp thing isn't really news, he said as much before his first derby game, although not in as many words. Gerry Francis was a nice guy, but how he was ever allowed to manage a club of our stature is beyond me. Think of all the players we missed - Bergkamp, Zidane, Zola, Petit. The think of the ones we signed - Chris Armstrong, Andy Sinton, Ruel Fox

BAN THIS THREAD BEFORE IT STARTS GIVING ANYONE ELSE THE HEEBIE JEEBIES.....

Urgghh...off to take a shower before ringing my therapist..."Dr. Weinstein - it's happening again....."

[spurs61]

This thread has made my blood boil! To be honest, the Bergkamp thing isn't really news, he said as much before his first derby game, although not in as many words. Gerry Francis was a nice guy, but how he was ever allowed to manage a club of our stature is beyond me. Think of all the players we missed - Bergkamp, Zidane, Zola, Petit. The think of the ones we signed - Chris Armstrong, Andy Sinton, Ruel Fox

BAN THIS THREAD BEFORE IT STARTS GIVING ANYONE ELSE THE HEEBIE JEEBIES.....

Urgghh...off to take a shower before ringing my therapist..."Mr Weinstein - it's happening again....."


Lol, totally agree there Gregzy. Francis is responsible for the worst signing ever made in the clubs history, at least we got most of our money back for Rasiak, I will never forgive Francis for buying Ruel bloody Fox!:mad: He seriously signed Fox in preference to Dugarry and Zidane!!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes: :o :confused:

[JuicE]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

We had a lot worse players than Fox.

[spurs61]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

We had a lot worse players than Fox.

Name them. I'll accept Ramon Vega as being on a par with Fox but at least he put his body on the line and bled for the cause, even if he was utter dogshite.

[Spur]

Paolo Tramezzani.

[choda]

Clive Wilson.

[spurs61]

At least he was Tramezzani was cheap. In fact I know exactly why we signed him. Gross was told that he was not allowed to sign any players without first selling. He approached Pleat about buying Tramezzani and Pleat went to Sugar and said that he did not rate Tramezzani and questioned Gross' judgement of players. Sugar took one look at the potential transfer fee and wages and said "**** it, sign him, he's cheap. But that's the last one and he better not get it wrong". Ergo, a few months later Gross is history.

And Wilson was free. And played a few half decent games for us, impressive considering he was 106 at the time.

[choda]

At least he was Tramezzani was cheap. In fact I know exactly why we signed him. Gross was told that he was not allowed to sign any players without first selling. He approached Pleat about buying Tramezzani and Pleat went to Sugar and said that he did not rate Tramezzani and questioned Gross' judgement of players. Sugar took one look at the potential transfer fee and wages and said "**** it, sign him, he's cheap. But that's the last one and he better not get it wrong". Ergo, a few months later Gross is history.

And Wilson was free. And played a few half decent games for us, impressive considering he was 106 at the time.

As I remember it Wilson was an improvement on Edinborough. Not that that says much.

[Gregzy]

Fox was awful, but I think he scored against Arsehole which would be one redeeming quality. I don't recall Andy Sinton ever doing anything other begging the question "Why?" and having me debate whether or not to throw myself off the bridge at Ally Pally Station on the way home..

However, I have two words to strike fear into all our hearts...

Jason. Dozell.

STOP IT THOUGH!!!! WE MUST SPEAK NO MORE OF THE DARK TIMES!!!!!!! IT'S ALL COMING BACK......PLEASE MR SUGAR, RESIGN, WE'LL BE GOOD....NO, PLEASE MR. FRANCIS, DON'T BRING ROSENTHAL ON, I'LL DO ANYTHING.......arrgggghhhhhhhhh...I thought the drugs had worked...

[hodgy]

i also read somewhere that we could have signed eto.

[spurs61]

Fox was awful, but I think he scored against Arsehole which would be one redeeming quality.

I think you've got confused here. Fox's only trick and redeeming quality was disappearing up his own arsehole in practically every given game. :p ;)

[choda]

i also read somewhere that we could have signed eto.


We were close to signing him under Hoddle. But that was different. He wasn't offered to us. Hoddle wanted him and tried to get him.

In fairness to Hoddle he knows a good player. The only problem is nobody wants to play for him.

[spurs61]

i also read somewhere that we could have signed eto.


Look, stop it this is getting depressing. Not only could we have signed Eto'o instead of Barca (although you would have questioned his ambition) but he begged us to. He scored against England for Cameroon, took the piss out of Campbell and Seaman and dedicated his goal to Spurs fans.

[DonJolSpurano]

the thing with bergkamp was that he was pretty cheap (around £3M) as his career had really stalled in italy.

sugar was approached and said he'd ask francis wot he thought. now, we'd just lost klinsmann and needed a new forward.

sugar didnt get back in touch with the agent/journo fella (some guy who now works for the express) so he phoned him up a week later to find out the clubs stance, as bergy really wanted to sign.

sugars reply: "my manager has thought about it but see's him more as a midfielder and we need a striker".

a little while later, we signed armstrong for £4.5M.

good business alan...you're fired!!!

[Gregzy]

Look, stop it this is getting depressing. Not only could we have signed Eto'o instead of Barca (although you would have questioned his ambition) but he begged us to. He scored against England for Cameroon, took the piss out of Campbell and Seaman and dedicated his goal to Spurs fans.



Oddly enough, I was going to ask about that on these pages - I was sure I remembered that happening!

But yes, this really is getting depressing. Let's just take a deep breath, close our eyes and forget all about the mid to late nineties...

[DiamondGeezer]

rebrov was the worst signing ever!

[spurs61]

Sorry, but that betrays the fact that you are not a regular attendee at WHL. Sergei was class and still is, he had the misfortune to be managed by an inept fool with no apprectiation of the little mans' talents.

[DiamondGeezer]

im not being funny im not saying he was a bad player

but we payed £11m for him and got nothing from him yeah he was unlucky to have some of our worst managers managing the team at the time but wot did he really do?

if ur there so much u will know right?

[Spur]

Sorry, but that betrays the fact that you are not a regular attendee at WHL. Sergei was class and still is, he had the misfortune to be managed by an inept fool with no apprectiation of the little mans' talents.

Thats it completely. I think some players like Rebrov and Blondel were just mis-managed. I was looking forward to Rebrov returning to the team after his 2 year loan spell just as much as he was. I hate the fact that Sheva hates us now because of it as well, he'll be trying to take out his frustrations out on us on Sunday.

[spurs61]

im not being funny im not saying he was a bad player

but we payed £11m for him and got nothing from him yeah he was unlucky to have some of our worst managers managing the team at the time but wot did he really do?

if ur there so much u will know right?

But Hoddle played him on his own up front for a lot of the games he started and got the team to lump high balls up to Rebrov. Basically Hoddle didn't fancy Rebrov because he wasn't "his signing" and he wanted a rough tough frontman, so he set out to make Sergei look useless. I'ver always said that if I were on the board then I would make Hoddle repay every penny of Rebrov's transfer fee. When we signed him, Sergei was one of the most feared strikers in Europe. Watch him play tonight, you should see what I'm talking about.....

[MiloMinderbinder]

The problem with Rebrov was that he was kind of ahead of his time in the Premiership, no one played with a forward in the hole at that time, therefore not only the management but the players also did not know how to get the best out of him and once his confidence had been eroded that was that. There's no doubt amongst observers of the game that the guy was/is class but he needs a team around him to fulfill his great talent.

[JuicE]

Sorry, but that betrays the fact that you are not a regular attendee at WHL. Sergei was class and still is, he had the misfortune to be managed by an inept fool with no apprectiation of the little mans' talents.

I think this has been an issue for many years. Mismanagement of very talented players and the inability to get the best out of them or allow them to have an impact.

If we had of signed Et'o, Bergkamp or Zidane etc, would they have been the same players they turned into? I doubt it! Who knows? We have lacked leadership in the team management and in the boardroom for sometime and it is impossible to say what might have been.

All i know is that we have the chance to make real stars of some good young talent at the club so fingers crossed we make an effort to help them shine. We might finally be getting it right!

[JuicE]

Name them. I'll accept Ramon Vega as being on a par with Fox but at least he put his body on the line and bled for the cause, even if he was utter dogshite.

Are you serious? We've had piles of shit for years! Fox wasn't as bad as many and neither was Sinton. I say "that bad" not good or great! Sinton used to put in some effort at least and Fox at least ran at defenders.

I spent many an unhappy season watching from the East Stand and trying to find positives and i didn't see too many, but, effort was appreciated.

[Gregzy]

I spent many an unhappy season watching from the East Stand and trying to find positives and i didn't see too many, but, effort was appreciated.

Fair play - I spent those years on the lower south and the only positive I ever found was that at least I didn't have the best view of the shit that was on display....

[JuicE]

Fair play - I spent those years on the lower south and the only positive I ever found was that at least I didn't have the best view of the shit that was on display....

I sometimes wished to be seated behind the uprights! LOL:D

[choda]

I think this has been an issue for many years. Mismanagement of very talented players and the inability to get the best out of them or allow them to have an impact.

If we had of signed Et'o, Bergkamp or Zidane etc, would they have been the same players they turned into? I doubt it! Who knows? We have lacked leadership in the team management and in the boardroom for sometime and it is impossible to say what might have been.

All i know is that we have the chance to make real stars of some good young talent at the club so fingers crossed we make an effort to help them shine. We might finally be getting it right!

The cream always rises. So the way our club was run they'd have probably come and then left. But at least we would've had them for a time and then got a shitload of money for them.

However, there's no point in dwelling on the past for too long (especially 94 to 2004). The club just wasn't run properly anyway, even if we had had good times with them like we had the Ginola, and Klinsmann and others.

The thing we should be celebrating now (myself included) is the fact that we are possibly the best run club in the premier league.

We've an awesome chairman who has setup a world class structure at our club. We are moving in the right direction in all ways and we are also not passing up good players to add to that now either.

COYS!!!!

[spurs61]

I spent many an unhappy season watching from the East Stand and trying to find positives and i didn't see too many, but, effort was appreciated.

Really, where did you sit. I've sat East stand for 20 years.

[neilmcnab]

and you guys wonder why sol campbell eft spurs... look at the ist of who we cud have signed and who we ended up with...we are always the laughing stock...arsenal have always had 1 over us...for the last 10-15 yrs cos of gross mismanagement and lack of ambition...we need to demand better...our expectations are to low ...just being in prem was enuf for our board...in my view campbell done us a favor... in the long term... highlighting the clubs lack of direction... and silverware

[DonJolSpurano]

Name them. I'll accept Ramon Vega as being on a par with Fox but at least he put his body on the line and bled for the cause, even if he was utter dogshite.

hey, vega earnt his transfer fee for the last ditch sliding tackle on heskey (who granted, had a bad back) in the 99 worthless cup final during the first half.

he was through on goal, walker was cacking himself and going to his knees as usual and we would have surely been 1-0 down. but all of a sudden the big useless suise came sliding in when all was lost and saved the day for spurs.

i'll always thank him for that.

[choda]

and you guys wonder why sol campbell eft spurs... look at the ist of who we cud have signed and who we ended up with...we are always the laughing stock...arsenal have always had 1 over us...for the last 10-15 yrs cos of gross mismanagement and lack of ambition...we need to demand better...our expectations are to low ...just being in prem was enuf for our board...in my view campbell done us a favor... in the long term... highlighting the clubs lack of direction... and silverware

Stop ****ing defending that piece of shit.

We discussed his before loads of times. We don't wonder why he left. Get it into your brain that is was the way he shit on the club and the fans in every possible way that pissed us off.

Do me and everybody else here a favour and don't say that ****ball did us a favour. He couldn't have ****ed us over more.

Daniel Levy is the guy who's turned his club around. Don't be blinded to it. Absolutely nothing to do with that slimey ****.

Everybody knew the club was being run badly before and after big ******.

And we're not a laughing stock now and certainly won't be as we keep progressing.

[DonJolSpurano]

arsenal have always had 1 over us.

ALWAYS?!? :eek: :eek: :eek:

[spurs61]

hey, vega earnt his transfer fee for the last ditch sliding tackle on heskey (who granted, had a bad back) in the 99 worthless cup final during the first half.

he was through on goal, walker was cacking himself and going to his knees as usual and we would have surely been 1-0 down. but all of a sudden the big useless suise came sliding in when all was lost and saved the day for spurs.

i'll always thank him for that.


I had completley forgotten about that, thanks. Also Ramon is a smashing bloke and loves Spurs to pieces. I think he still comes to some games from tie to time.

[Gregzy]

I had completley forgotten about that, thanks. Also Ramon is a smashing bloke and loves Spurs to pieces. I think he still comes to some games from tie to time.

Yes, limited though his abilites were, he did usually try to perform to the best if them. I remember him in an interview being genuinely hurt that he was getting tick from the ever-relaible "Certain sections...".

I'd also forgotten about his Heskey-stopping in '99 - that was a good day for the not-quite-so-goods; Nielsen scoring, Vega timing a tackle properly and Justin Edinburgh being the victim of someone else's lack of sportsmanship (although there was a degree of karma in that...).

All this really proves why it is ESSENTIAL to win something this year - we can't allow any more commentators to say "Of course, the last time Spurs won a trophy, it was George G****m in charge"

[RuFuS]

I sometimes wished to be seated behind the uprights! LOL:D


Especially at Ginola freekicks :p

[RuFuS]

But Hoddle played him on his own up front for a lot of the games he started and got the team to lump high balls up to Rebrov. Basically Hoddle didn't fancy Rebrov because he wasn't "his signing" and he wanted a rough tough frontman, so he set out to make Sergei look useless. I'ver always said that if I were on the board then I would make Hoddle repay every penny of Rebrov's transfer fee. When we signed him, Sergei was one of the most feared strikers in Europe. Watch him play tonight, you should see what I'm talking about.....


Spot On ;)
I was at OT FA semi V SCUM and for the life of me i could not work out why Hoddle had Rebrov marking Lee Dixon. At first i thought it was my imagination until my cousin pointed out to me that when scum got a corner Rebrov would track Dixon coming in late from the half way line leaving no one up front.
Then when the Scum keeper had the ball, Rebrov went over to Dixon to stop the short throw out. I thought that Dixon should be looking at Rebrov not the other way round.

[neilmcnab]

wake da fuk up man ... levy came many years after cambell... ok ive been supportin spurs nearly 30years ok... and ive seen many players come and go... some stayd 1 season some 2 seasons we were a joke up till 2 years ago... no investment in players and ground improvements training etc,,,,be real mate.... it took players to leave in no uncertain way.... for us to realise we were bein mugged as supporters.....maybe you guys love to be loosers i dont mate... as a boy i used to watch both the arse and spurs.... and we did play much better football but they got results and trophys.... and it equates to success in any language... we wer e in the wilderness.... and have been since the premship begun... only now are we creating a team strong and deep enuf to actually challenge for honours... so dont be fouled ...campbell cud of stayed and we still wuda won shit all...as the management had no ambition

[Spur]

wake da fuk up man ... levy came many years after cambell... ok ive been supportin spurs nearly 30years ok... and ive seen many players come and go... some stayd 1 season some 2 seasons we were a joke up till 2 years ago... no investment in players and ground improvements training etc,,,,be real mate.... it took players to leave in no uncertain way.... for us to realise we were bein mugged as supporters.....maybe you guys love to be loosers i dont mate... as a boy i used to watch both the arse and spurs.... and we did play much better football but they got results and trophys.... and it equates to success in any language... we wer e in the wilderness.... and have been since the premship begun... only now are we creating a team strong and deep enuf to actually challenge for honours... so dont be fouled ...campbell cud of stayed and we still wuda won shit all...as the management had no ambition

Where's all this come from? :confused:

[JuicE]

Really, where did you sit. I've sat East stand for 20 years.

Just about everywhere depending on the season. Upper or lower but mainly lower. I've sat in every stand and even went to a company event and sat in the Posh West stand.:D Warren Mitchell (Alf garnett), Martin Chivers & Martin Peters were our hosts for the day.

[JuicE]

All this really proves why it is ESSENTIAL to win something this year - we can't allow any more commentators to say "Of course, the last time Spurs won a trophy, it was George G****m in charge"

My last Spurs game and our last competetive trophy! We do need that UEFA Cup!

[choda]

wake da fuk up man ... levy came many years after cambell... ok ive been supportin spurs nearly 30years ok... and ive seen many players come and go... some stayd 1 season some 2 seasons we were a joke up till 2 years ago... no investment in players and ground improvements training etc,,,,be real mate.... it took players to leave in no uncertain way.... for us to realise we were bein mugged as supporters.....maybe you guys love to be loosers i dont mate... as a boy i used to watch both the arse and spurs.... and we did play much better football but they got results and trophys.... and it equates to success in any language... we wer e in the wilderness.... and have been since the premship begun... only now are we creating a team strong and deep enuf to actually challenge for honours... so dont be fouled ...campbell cud of stayed and we still wuda won shit all...as the management had no ambition

Where is this hard to discern point coming from? Is there a point?

I don't like being lectured on things I've been banging on about for years. Our only difference of opinion is how you for some reason want to paint Campbell's behaviour as acceptable.

But you can't paint over giant gaping cracks my friend.

The thing that turned this club around was a really top chairman taking over the club from a guy who didn't know dick about football.

I'll say it again:

Stop ****ing defending that piece of shit Campbell.

We discussed his before loads of times. We don't wonder why he left. Get it into your brain that is was the way he shit on the club and the fans in every possible way that pissed us off.

Do me and everybody else here a favour and don't say that ****ball did us a favour. He couldn't have ****ed us over more.

Daniel Levy is the guy who's turned his club around. Don't be blinded to it. Absolutely nothing to do with that slimey ****.

Everybody knew the club was being run badly before and after big ******.

And we're not a laughing stock now and certainly won't be as we keep progressing.

[DonJolSpurano]

wake da fuk up man ... levy came many years after cambell.

Actually you're wrong.

Levy was the chairmen when Campbell left.

He took charge in Feb 2001. He then appointed Glenn Hoddle as boss in April 2001. Then, in the summer of 2001, Sol Campbell left on a free to The Scum.

For a fan of 30yrs, you dont know much about your club.

[choda]

I suppose he's only come into the public eye since he's been given credit for doing a good job. It seemed like Campbell left way before Levy took over.

The timing doesn't matter anyway. It's Levy that turned the club around, nothing to do with Campbell.

It's actually proof that Levy took over before he left and was going to turn the club around anyway with or without him. However Campbell financially ****ed over the beginning of his tenure.

And that helped him turn the club around did it Neil?

Levy just knows what he's doing, that's nothing to do with Campbell leaving. Don't you think Sugar was trying his best?