Spurs reject Crouch swap offer for Berbatov

[Powerage]

I'm a hyprocrit, I've often wondered if I was a pro footballer at this level, how would I spend my career? Well I would have too say as much as its frowned on, I would wanna play for a few different clubs in a few different leagues, and unfortunately when players like Carrick and eventually Lennon, Berbatov, Robbie Keane etc get picked by the top 4 of one of the G14, its too much of an offer to turn down.

When someone plays for the top 4, they are untouchable, Spurs and everyone else can look at them and say, fook me Gerrard would be awesome at White Hart Lane, but we can never afford them and we can't offer them a better a deal. When someone outside of the top discovers someone of incredible ability, its only a matter of time until the offer of medals, 75,000 people at Old Trafford or The Immigrants, top European football and mega bucks salary tempts them away.

This is the reason the Prem is now a 4 horse race for all trophies and Champs League.

[faversham]

I think they will have the money, but not be prepared to spend it all on Berbs.

I wouldn't disagree with that, which may account for why, if there is any truth in this story, Crouch might have been offered as part of the deal.

I don't think that Rafa is an idiot who thought that a straight Berby-Crouch swap would have ever been on. As I say, I don't believe the story for one minute.

[faversham]

My exact thoughts, if we are trying to break into the top 4 then we shouldn't be selling our best players to them.

I don't think we are a selling club. Carrick was sold because he wanted to leave and we had little choice with only two years left on his contract.

Our finances are good, we don't need to sell. I'm one of those who believe that Levy has high ambitions for the club. Even if Levy is a business man, he knows that he can’t afford of offload his assets, if he wants to see the ‘business’ grow.

The reason why players leave has nothing to do with us being a selling club; it’s because players like Carrick feel that another club can better meet their own ambitions and because they can pay them more. We can’t currently complete with the top four on either point.

Unless we have them under a long term contract, then I don’t think we have much choice but to sell players who want to move on.

The club is doing a very good job of bringing in young talent and picking up more experienced bargains like Berbatov, Zokora and Malbranque. They are also doing well to get them on to long term contracts.

We just need to be patient whilst we make opportunities to break into the top four and we are going to lose talented players along the way.