Spurs are set to miss out Vlaar

[Sneijder1]

Jul 3 2005




By Duncan Wright


TOTTENHAM could fail in their effort to sign rising Dutch defender Ron Vlaar - because of the man they missed out on appointing as their new director of football.

Spurs had been lining up a £4million bid for the AZ Alkmaar ace but Vlaar is now being touted to join Ajax, who have just appointed Martin van Geel as their new football director.

Tottenham were interested in appointing Van Geel as the replacement for Chelsea-bound Frank Arnesen but lost out to Ajax.

Now Van Geel, who had been director of football at Alkmaar for three years, wants to go back to his former club to sign Vlaar.

The 20-year-old is regarded as a future international in Holland.

[PoshSpur]

What's happening with the DoF position?? Are we going to fill it? It doesn't look that way at the moment does it?

[Danners9]

We are, but things take time. Unsurprisingly clubs don't want to lose their top man.

[PoshSpur]

who's your choice?

[sendorange]

I have heard different things on this. One of them being that the club may just keep it with Jol and Levy until next year, particularly as post world cup 2006 there may a few more top people available.

[The Double]

I have heard different things on this. One of them being that the club may just keep it with Jol and Levy until next year, particularly as post world cup 2006 there may a few more top people available.

Do you think Levy is cut out for this sort of thing?

[sendorange]

Do you think Levy is cut out for this sort of thing?
well they've said they're working off the already agreed player list, so Levy will just be negotiating the money side of it, which is chairman he would have been involved in anyway.

As a short term thing it will be ok, just as long as they get someone good in by next summer

[PoshSpur]

well they've said they're working off the already agreed player list, so Levy will just be negotiating the money side of it, which is chairman he would have been involved in anyway.

As a short term thing it will be ok, just as long as they get someone good in by next summer


....if that is the case, then I feel Levy will do just fine. But waiting an entire year? I am not sure that would work.

The two of them are apparently in German. Maybe they are agreeing a fee with Nuremburg for Mintal.

[THFC1]

I am convinced about Levy, i wasn't when he arrived but he done well for the club over the Arnesen saga. Maybe waiting a year we might be able to attract a better DoF by qualifying for Europe.

[Danners9]

who's your choice?


Bit of a silly question there..

Because, 1) i don't know every director of football in european football, 2) it's got nothing to do with me and 3) no one knew who Martin van Geel was before he was linked to Spurs then took up the Ajax job. So it could be absolutely anyone.

I swear Jol said he didn't want to do both jobs, he said it's easier if he is allowed to concentrate on the players and not the admin or business behind it.

Paul Robinson said that he was expecting a new director of football in because that's the way the club is set up.

[PoshSpur]

Bit of a silly question there..

Because, 1) i don't know every director of football in european football, 2) it's got nothing to do with me and 3) no one knew who Martin van Geel was before he was linked to Spurs then took up the Ajax job. So it could be absolutely anyone.

I swear Jol said he didn't want to do both jobs, he said it's easier if he is allowed to concentrate on the players and not the admin or business behind it.

Paul Robinson said that he was expecting a new director of football in because that's the way the club is set up.




....you mean you don't know every director of football in european football?? :D :D

Jol did say that it would be best if one was appointed asap.

A sporting director doesn't only look after the scouting of players. He takes care of the academy & training centres, making sure they are the best around. That is why Chelsea took him and paid so much compensation, not for his scouting abilities.

Me and you could have told Levy to buy Huddlestone, Routledge & Lennon. But me and you don't know the ins-and-outs of how to make an amazing training complex & academy.

[Danners9]

i know names and what club they are at, but not 'know' in the footballing sense of what they could bring to the club and whether they would fit in. The important thing about appointing someone.

If it was Football Manager you'd go with the guy with the best reputation or the best stats but that's not reality and not always the best way to do it.

Ps, i think you underestimate my level of genius. I could too manage all those things ;)

[Rabbi Keane]

I have heard different things on this. One of them being that the club may just keep it with Jol and Levy until next year, particularly as post world cup 2006 there may a few more top people available.

.... and they are in Germany?
Jürgen Klinsmann comes to mind.

[Danners9]

Klinsmann spends most of his time in Los Angeles and flies back to Germany once a month when they don't have games, and obviously more when they do.

[Rabbi Keane]

He'd be in Germany lately though with the Confederations cup.

[Danners9]

Yess... but then going back home to Los Angeles where he's been for the past 5 or 6 years.

Even when Germany has qualifying games he only turns up for those matches and then goes back again. It'd be a major change moving his family from LA to London, but you never know, perhaps he's had enough sunshine and wants some rain.

[Lillywhite]

who's your choice?

Damien Comolli

[Rmort99]

This DoF business is gonna take a long time. Not only do they have to find the most suitable man for the job, he must also have a sense of loyalty. There's two extremes of course - Pleat, completely loyal and completely useless; Arnesen, brilliant but a complete 'kin rat.

There aren't many countries which use DoF's so that limits our selection pool somewhat. I think Levy & Jol are just gonna see how it goes for the time being. Let's face it, we're now saving £600k per year

[THFC1]

There's two extremes of course - Pleat, completely loyal

Like a dog :p

[jumhed]

Yess... but then going back home to Los Angeles where he's been for the past 5 or 6 years.

Even when Germany has qualifying games he only turns up for those matches and then goes back again. It'd be a major change moving his family from LA to London, but you never know, perhaps he's had enough sunshine and wants some rain.

Oli Kahn has been moaning about Germany's style under Klinsmann. Saying 'There's too much attacking.' Basically, in the Confederations Cup, Germany scored 15 and conceded 11 in 5 games, which is Ossie Ardiles-esque in its attacking madness! Klinsmann's reply to Kahn was, 'Well, I was a striker and I like to see goals more than you like to see clean sheets.'

I detect a future Spurs manager, and I don't mean Kahn.