Harry With Money and The Champions League. Oh Shit. (Transfer Thread)

Talksport are windup merchants, it's just to get people to call in so they make their money and have material for the show.

To put Van der Vaart's fee into perspective, ManYoo spent practically the same amount on Bebe and even more on Smalling. So it's not just Milner and Man City he looks like a steal in comparison to.

Here's to a Robben/Sneijder style impact

 

And I would point to this transfer as only happening because we are in CL. Without that I doubt vdV would have joined. We got a bargain.

Look forward to seeing how he is used. Regarding the earlier comment about changing formation just because of him, I don't think that is true - 4-4-2 needs to be changed for some games anyway, Europe primarily but not exclusively.

 

The only position I can see him really thriving and being at his best and beyond that is playing off the striker. He isn't really a winger, nor do I think he is big enough to play in the middle in the prem from the off. Modric still stuggles and I still think that when Bale was not featuring Modric was best utilized out there.

Will have to see what Harry thinks up if anything. We do have a robust midfield though to mix and match in there if we wanted to pack the middle of the pitch. Also he does give us another threat from the center of the pitch if he decides to get forward. Although only him and Modric will do it well. Great signing for the cash and when he leaves I'm sure we will make a big profit.

What kind of wages is he on?

 

probably somewhere above or around 70k, still a pay cut mind considering he comes from madrid (because of taxes in spain)

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPN_LMA2tyA"]YouTube- Rafael Van der Vaart[/ame]

43 sec. in

 

Here is some talk from two guys off espn soccer net about your new signing Van Der Vaart.

What do you all think?

Espn SoccerNet Video

 

Marcotti is a fool, always has been. Michallik sounds like he has actually bothered to watch us play.

Makes me laugh when people try to compare Modric to Van der Vaart, anyone who has watched them both knows they are very different players. Modric is best in central midfield as a possession player linking the play, he is the heartbeat of a team. Van der Vaart prefers the central attacking midfield / second striker role, looking to score and create goals higher up the pitch.

 

modric is nothing like vdv, the latter scores a lot more goals. vdv has 136 career goals while modric 56.

vdv is a playmaker (#10 in ajax terms) in every sense of the word, it's a shame sneijder is ahead of him in oranje since both deserve to be on the pitch at the same time.

there was lots of talk in holland about the big 4 playing together (vdv, sneijder, rvp & robben), but van marwijk prefers a more defensive line-up with kuyt instead of vdv.

 

Is Vaart expected to start his first game for Spurs, or will he have to work his way up from the bench??

 

I guess he will be on the bench. Doubt HR dare to mess up the system so fast. Maybe if we have only 1 striker left, then he will play.

 

Although if Modric is still injured or recovering (as he is likely to be) and VdV is match fit, 'Arry might throw him right into the deep-end.

 

Hmm...not too sure if he can play CM. Read that his stamina is not that good and don't usually last a game.

 

God, I love Redknapp when he throws his temper tantrums
And LOL @ reporter apologizing afterwards

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KKKJ3HEZmw"]YouTube- Harry Redknapp Interview "F*** OFF, I'm no wheeler dealer!"[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRZTna7tRHk"]YouTube- Harry Redknapp[/ame]

 

The truth hurts....not a wheeler dealer..?? LMFAO...!! 'Arry wrote the book on it.

 

Not sure where you read that, but of course he can play a whole game, and of course he can play CM. His best position is in the hole, but he can really play anywhere across the midfield (not unlike Modric in that respect) which is one of the reasons he's such a good buy. And maybe he was used mostly as a substitute at Real Madrid, but he can certainly play 90 mins and, in fact, did so most of the time at Hamburg.

Having said so much, he will probably take a little while to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League, but the fact that he played in Germany and Holland will help--as opposed to David Silva, e.g., who has only ever played in Spain.

 

i think this is what he was referring to..

 

Ah, I see... well, I would argue that VDV's lack of minutes for Madrid (and for Holland) has more to do with their respective wealth of options and less to do with his stamina, but I guess we shall see.

 

I do not recall Van der Vaart being subbed off regularly for Hamburg, and the Bundesliga is a more physical league than La Liga. I guess we'll see, we have plenty of sub options to bring on for him in any case.

 

Not sure where this rumor about vdv's lack of stamina comes from but I can say as someone who's been following him since his first game at Ajax that his stamina is definitely not an issue. Whatsoever.

 

I remember him outrunning Kuijt in more than just one game for Oranje. That is pretty impressive to me.

 

Glad to see all the support from the Ajax folk in this thread. I ain't got a bad thing to say about that club, moreso now that Big Martin Jol is in charge. I hope they cause a massive upset or 2 in the group stages and we'll both make it to the round of 16.

Anyhoo, thanks for all the kind words regarding Van der Vaart.

 

I don't normally do this, but;

Robben said;

"Before Rafa [Van der Vaart] signed, I’d still have had Arsenal down as the stronger team - but now I don’t think there is anything between them," Robben told the Daily Mail of his former Real team-mate.

"With Rafa on board, Spurs really do have one of the very best midfield players in the Premier League, maybe even the best.'

Robben's current team Bayern Munich had made a bid for Van der Vaart, but a move did not materialise.

"I don’t know why he didn’t join Bayern in the end. I really wanted him but Spurs have bought a gem.

"In terms of his vision, his range of passing, his ability to split a defence and his eye for goal he is as good as Cesc Fabregas, Steven Gerrard and of course Frank Lampard.

"He is that bridge for Spurs that makes them go from a very good Premier League club to a team capable of taking on and beating any side in Europe on their day.

"When you consider the amount of money Real Madrid and Manchester City have spent on players, it’s almost unbelievable to think what Spurs reportedly paid for Rafa.

"Madrid almost gave away one of the best players in the world – but that’s their style.

"They got rid of me and Wesley Sneijder in the same summer and I went on to win my domestic league and get to the Champions League Final while Wesley went on to win the treble and become the best player in the world.

"Madrid’s mistake will very much be Spurs’ gain."

And the man who may have convinced Van der Vaart is Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, who have have scored an own goal by helping bring his fellow Dutchman to London - for Spurs!

"I knew of his interest in England and that van Persie had been speaking with him about how great life in London was," Robben added.

"I think when Robin was trying to convince him how great London and the Premier League was, it was as though he was trying to convince him to join Arsenal.

"It’s kind of backfired on Robin a little bit now, though, because he has signed for their biggest rivals."

 

Lol. Robben does give some good interviews now and then.

 

Agreed.