Are Spurs Leaving You Satisfied This Summer?

It hurt like hell for a few days, but now my sun burn has started to peel. Is there anything more satisfying than peeling away dead skin? Women’s Football, Two and a Half Men and even an in-depth report on the Ashes all become far more enjoyable as you attempt to peel off a large section of unbroken  skin.

As I scanned for my next area of attack, I pondered, what else other than an enthusiastic 7 minutes, when the mood strikes the girlfriend leaves me so satisfied during the summer?

“We are proud to announce….”

Those magical words that appear not often enough on the official Spurs website. Occasionally they leave me rather deflated when the name Dempsey, Saha or Nelsen appear after it, but when it says Lloris, Vertonghen or Paulinho it’s a different matter.

Spurs signing a top class international in pre season, before SSN start their countdown is once of the great moments of the summer.  I remember fondly the day we signed Jurgen Klinsmann, announced Luka Modric and David Ginola swept into White Hart Lane, brandishing his newly Veeted chest.

In long summer days where football news of a concrete nature is scarce, what beats an official club announcement of a new classy signing?

“I think Spurs will be my team.”

Last week my girlfriend and I had guests over from Colombia. Their youngest son, a magnificently well mannered boy of nine is besotted with Barca, Messi and anything which has “Mes Que Un Club” printed on it. When I asked him who he supported in England, he shrugged his shoulders and mentioned without enthusiasm Man U and Chelsea.

As he prepared to leave to early Monday morning he confessed: “I support Spurs now.”  Glorious is the mind of a child, and how easy is it to turn to the Lilywhite with a few pieces of merchandise, playing only with Spurs of FIFA13 and a YouTube clip of Bale.

The moment a new Tottenham fan is created, especially one who will now become an emissary to all things Spurs in Bogotá is truly satisfying.  The first step to Latino domination has been taken.

<silence>

You hear that? Listen hard, really strain yourself? Can you hear that noise from the Gooners? Are they still walking with a bounce in their step? Has their glorious fourth place cup win faded? Or are they concerned that they are now nothing more than a bargaining chip? Something other clubs/players/agents use to get the star client a move.

Real Madrid want to sign Luis Suarez, Liverpool want 40 million, deep inside Anfield a marketing intern comes up with a bright idea….”Lets leak a story about Luis chomping at the bit to go to Arsenal and force Madrid’s hand.”

In Florence Stevan Jovetić wants to go to Juve or Man City, so he drops a big hint about signing for Arsenal, the result…it looks very likely he will get his move to City.

In France young striker Yaya Sanogo and his agent hatch a plan.

“I want to go somewhere successful” says Sanogo

Agent replies: “let’s start a rumour about you going to Arsenal.”

Sanogo signs for Arsenal. Agent given a slap, which echoes satisfyingly round the Emirates.

Number 11

Its summer so pretty much anything which can be used to link Bale with Real Madrid is apparently newsworthy. Marca and various British papers announced that to make Bale happy the Spanish giants have reserved the number 11 for the Welshman. The fact that no one at Madrid wore this number last season seems to have escaped most people; in fact the last player to don this historic number was QPR’s midfielder Esteban Granero.

It really is incredible foresight for Madrid to reserve a number for two years, especially since their actual interest and Zinedine Zindane’s annoying sound bites only started after Bale’s epic performances last season.

The 8^th July Spurs kit launch may have been a bit of a cheese fest, but there is no doubting the satisfaction that we all felt when Bale emerged from the wall wearing his number, at our club.

Le Nouveau Riche

So it may in the long run be bad for English football and it may inspire Bale to go and play abroad, but if you don’t find PSG and Monaco out Man Citying/Chelseaing, Man City and Chelsea, you need to check your pulse. For too long these two clubs have waved their golden cheque book and been able to claim pretty much whoever they liked, but no more.

PSG and Monaco between them are sweeping up the players that once looked destined to wear sky or dark blue. Yes we won’t get to see Edinson Cavani and Radamel Falcao being critiqued by pundit Overlord Alan Shearer, but at least we won’t have to stomach them celebrating a deflected goal with a racist, lardy boy and air rifle wielding sex text pest left-back.

My fellow Spurs fans get your satisfaction wherever you can this summer.