Willian, It Was Really Nothing

Article by @ginolasleftfoot Tue 27th August 2013

‘Usurper!’ is the cry, heralded across London this weekend, much as it was a week earlier in Liverpool as the Brazilian, Willian finally took his blindfold off to see he had pinned his tail firmly in Chelsea’s backside.

Tottenham’s summer transfer dealings have been lauded by football experts, as they have managed to effectively balance the impending sale of Gareth Bale and the need to reinvest in the squad. AVB’s deft media front has allowed Levy and Franco Baldini to pursue and acquire the calibre of players that generally could be considered beyond a team who can only offer Europa League football, without much interference from other clubs.

Sadly, as the transfer deadline looms closer, chairman and managers alike seem to have their sights firmly set for any profitable last minute transfer activity. Various sources cited Abramoivch’s influence as pivotal in William’s last minute rethink.

Before any real energy is wasted in firing insults Chelsea’s way, the fact that they are currently a far more attractive outfit than Tottenham must be acknowledged. Champions League football, the opportunity to be coached by Jose Mourinho, serious contenders for the Premier League and the depth of quality in the squad are all factors that would naturally make a player want to join that club. Therefore in the current climate, one cannot fault Willian in his choice.

The only real question that doesn’t appear to have been raised or answered is, Why?

AVB had a clear tactical intention in pursuing Willian, as it is clear from Tottenham’s latter end of friendlies, league results and Europa League competition, that the role behind Soldado needs to be filled. Sigurdsson is effective and shouldn’t be written off but Willian would have provided that thrust through the middle of the pitch that Bale was so known for last season.

Villas Boas appears very close to establishing his vision of how Spurs should play and if we factor the other transfer targets of Lamela, Eriksen and Hulk, it shows the type of player AVB is searching for to complete his team. Interestingly, no other strikers have been mentioned in Tottenham’s transfer speculation which further strengthens the belief that Villas Boas is looking to achieve a collective approach to goal scoring.

Willian stood an excellent chance of completing 75% to 80% of Tottenham league fixtures (Villas Boas has been purposeful in his signings, all have featured in the three competitive fixtures so far), added to that the Europa League and domestic cup competitions and he would have had a platform from which to mount a challenge for a place in Brazil’s squad for next years World Cup.

One wonders what Mourinho’s intentions for the Brazilian will be amidst a midfield crop of the most exquisite vintage; Juan Mata, Frank Lampard, Eden Hazard, Oscar, Andrea Schurrle, Marco Van Ginkel, Kevin de Bruyne have all staked a claim for the five midfield places, with Ramires as the sixth firmly positioned in front of the defence. WIllian cannot expect to start immediately with Chelsea beginning the domestic season strongly in classic Mourinho style.

If player mentality plays any part in the make up of a successful modern day footballer, then questions marks should be raised over a player who signs for a club without the WHY? being answered. And if reports are true about Chelsea’s trigger happy reaction to WIllian’s medical at Tottenham, then it only further exemplifies the excellent work Daniel Levy has done in establishing the Tottenham Hotspur brand.

The positive spin on the affair is that it’s unlikely Chelsea will further meddle in Tottenham’s targets as they enter a transfer wrangle of their own, locking quills and inkpots with Manchester Utd over their unhappy chappie Wayne Rooney. And in Willian, they have signed a player who has twice glanced over his shoulder when he should have been true to his date. And you know what Mamma used t’ say about those kinda guys!

Apart from Villas Boas’ deadpan sideswipe regarding the imminent arrival of Romanian centre back, Vlad Chiriches from Steaua Bucherest;

“Maybe someone steals him as well.”

Spurs have made no public admonishment towards Chelsea about the matter. Unlike several other clubs, Tottenham are rarely embroiled in transfer spats (The Bale Saga it will be known as; not The Bale Spat) and have simply continued on with their business.

Chirches comes highly rated as a promising young international who at the age of 23 already has 19 caps with the national team. His signature is seen as an upgrade from the departed Steven Caulker, who joined Cardiff in the search for first team football. An admirable quality. The Romanian’s signing has been somewhat bizarrely protracted due to Steaua’s Chairman; the often outrageous and currently imprisoned, Gigi Becali, (for those of you in search of how utterly bonkers this man truly is, listen to those ramble chaps @FootballRamble), taking a firm stance from his prison cell to offer this quote to the Romanian newspaper ProSport;

“Who are Tottenham?! Do not do any transfer, my name is Gigi Becali, I’m not a slave to anybody!”

With strong indications of Erik Lamela’s possible arrival, the murmurs of the Hulk being available and the future of Christian Eriksen coming to a crossroads (just without that heavy delta blues and soul trading business), there appear to still be a wealth of talent for Tottenham to pursue.

 

Every time he appears on the Chelsea bench, training top on, having to do inane stretches, in my head I’ll have Morrrisey in a Lilywhite Spurs shirt, scarf held aloft like those gladioli of old, singing.

Willian, Willian it was really nothing…….

@ginolasleftfoot

 

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