da dobrowin： Let’s be honest; if we didn’t know already, Tottenham have got away with blatant robbery in signing Rafael Van der Vaart for £8m. The Dutchman was excellent at Ajax and Hamburg, and restricted at Real Madrid. When he did play for Los Blancos he rarely let the side down, but was up against some of the stiffest competition when attempting to seal a place in the first team: anyone competing with Ronaldo, Kaka and Ozil was always going to have expect some time on the bench.
da bet sport： Simply because Real Madrid have quality players overflowing from their regal ranks, Van der Vaart’s price crashed, and at the bong of the transfer window gong, Daniel Levy was made aware of his new price. Levy subsequently asked Harry Redknapp’s opinion, and there was little hesitation in the response – ‘let’s have him’.
For the money that Spurs paid Real, they could have bought a homeless Portugese player no one had heard of, as well as a pretty plush house for him to live in, nearly all of Kenwyne Jones (perhaps minus the dreadlocks), or a third of James Milner (I know City’s prices are inflated, but let’s roll with it).
Instead of those options, Spurs have got their hands on a playmaker cut from the silkiest cloth. Still only 27, Van der Vaart boasts 85 caps to his name, and consistently chips in with a fair share of goals regardless of where he is played. He has operated on the left wing – although Spurs are pretty much sorted in that department – but is far more effective when given license to wander, playing just off a striker. That said, against FC Twente on Wednesday, Spurs had both Crouch and Pavlyuchenko on the pitch, as well as Modric, and Van der Vaart was still a bundle of activity. Redknapp should be credited for being brave and aggressive in his choice of formation and personnel, as it reaped the rewards, even with ten men.
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In the same game, Van der Vaart’s sending off was slightly naïve. It was more born out of adrenalin, and an eagerness to prove his commitment to the cause. Whereas some playmakers can be somewhat lightweight, dare I say even lazy, often slouching around when not in possession and only coming alive when they are the focus of attention. Van der Vaart is not one of those players; hungry and industrious, there is grit to go with the guile.
In such a bloated transfer market, bargains are genuinely rare things. If they do come, they are usually from the lower leagues and take time to grow into their new status. Javier Hernandez looks like he has the potential to be a bargain at Old Trafford, City paid relatively little for Adam Johnson, and there others that can always be noted. But in Van der Vaart, Spurs have a readymade superstar. His nationality means that his English will be naturally perfect, he has big club experience, has international tournaments under his belt, seems devoid of any ego, and has plenty of years to give to Tottenham.
£8m is very little when you think of the figures that are shelled out on players today. Chelsea parted with £17m for Ramires, United spent £10m on Chris Smalling, and Nicola Zigic cost Birmingham just over £6m. For my money, (well, Spurs’ money) it looks like the best bit of business this summer, and probably for a while before that.
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