Notes from a sporting week 09/06/08

Nadal confirms status as king of clay:

Watching the French Open’s men’s final on Eurosport wasn’t the easiest of viewing, mainly due to the ridiculously over the top artistic vision mixing of the channel’s directors. However, on the review programme that followed there were some interesting comments made by ex-world number one Mats Wilander.

The Swede said he cannot wait until next year’s French Open, as like most people who troop to Roland Garros, he will be desperate to see Roger Federer break his duck in Paris and win the one slam to elude him.

It is hard to disagree with Wilander; such is the way in which Federer has charmed the world with his magnanimity and multi-lingual charm. He is alone as an undisputed number one in that unlike the likes of Michael Schumacher or Tiger Woods, you feel little shame cheering him on.

That said, it is no bad thing that Nadal continues to be his nemesis on clay, this time demolishing him 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 to keep some kind of check and balance in men’s tennis. Furthermore with Novak Djokavic come up fast there is now a real threat to the Swiss in the other three slams. Imagine how truly dull men’s tennis would be if Federer cleared up every time?

Of course Federer will take no compensation from the fact that he lost to someone who has won the last four French Open titles and who has yet to lose at Roland Garros. That he lost in such an appallingly bad manner will probably haunt him until the start of the 2009 tournament. Sure he’s had health problems this year, but the way he mistimed shots, misjudged angles and length and gave away silly point after silly point mean that he has a lot of work to do between now and Wimbledon, be it physical or mental.

There have been many reports since the turn of the year questioning whether we will ever see the best of Federer again and we should have a clearer picture of his future once Wimbledon has finished. Of equal importance will be seeing how well Nadal does there and whether he can demonstrate that he is more than just a one-surface player. Wilander may be excited by what will happen down the Bois de Boulogne next year, but there are a lot of staging posts along the way that will be as equally significant for what shape men’s tennis will be in 12 months time.

New model Spurs taking shape:

It wasn’t a bad weekend to be a fan of Tottenham Hotspur. Firstly their team pulled off a major coup by taking Giovanni Dos Santos off Barcelona’s hands for an initial £4.7 million and then watched as their new signing Luca Modric opened the scoring in Croatia’s win over Austria at the European Championships.

In past summers, for supporters of other clubs, it has become a part of the summer to watch with amusement as Tottenham fans work themselves into a frenzy at news of their impending signing of one big name or another before those hopes are quickly dashed. Certainly the biggest name to have been linked with Spurs in recent summers was Rivaldo, before somewhat inevitably he turned them down in favour of AC Milan, a team who was playing in the Champions League.

There was a chance of a similar situation occurring this summer, with all the talk surrounding Samuel Eto’o joining the White Hart Lane outfit from Barcelona. With respect the lilywhites, such a move is highly unlikely given that the team will only be playing UEFA Cup football next season and has yet to feature in Europe’s premier club competition. However, the signings of Dos Santos and Modric should quieten such noises, yet give fans some hope that they can move forward in 2008-09.

Both signings should fit into the traditional Spurs tradition of good, intelligent footballers and whilst they aren’t household names now the powers that be are clearly optimistic that they can develop as players in north London and turn Tottenham into regular Champions League participants. Whilst Spurs fans wouldn’t appreciate anyone mentioning it, it is a policy that worked wonders for their bitter rivals down the road at Arsenal.

Dos Santos, whose transfer fee could rise to £8.6 million, will provide an attacking threat from the left, whilst hopes will be on Modric that he can pull the strings in midfield in the way that Glenn Hoddle and Ossie Ardilles once did. Great praise has to go to Tottenham manager Juande Ramos for pulling off the signings as there is little doubt that both will have received a number of significant offers, such is the level of their reputations. It also speaks volumes for the respect in which Ramos is held that he could persuade them to join him at White Hart Lane.

Having led Sevilla to two successive UEFA Cups, one of the reasons Tottenham were so keen to get him on board was because of the clout he would bring to the transfer market and transfer dealings. Whilst Martin Jol did extremely well to get Spurs into fifth place two years in a row and was highly popular, the decision to sack him, whilst hardly painting Spurs’ management in a good light, shows that they were willing to make tough, unpopular decisions for the sake of the club.

The signings may not be the most earth-shattering purchases in Tottenham’s history, but they do show the direction the club should be going in. Along with defenders Jonathon Woodgate and Alan Hutton they demonstrate that Ramos has a strategy when buying players. Good at their job and old enough to be of benefit to the club either on the field or in the transfer market they show that the club thinks that they won’t break into the top four by a sudden splurge of cash on one or two big names, but through a well though out policy towards players who will fit into the model and grow together.

Of course there remains a chronic need for the club to keep hold of striker Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian has been at the heart of everything the team has down well over the last few years, but is famously temperamental and has an agent who has no compunction over making eyes to the Champions Leagues clubs elsewhere in the country. Holding onto to him will be the next big job for Ramos and whether he does or not is likely to define whether Spurs make the step up to the next level or keep living their deluded dreams for the foreseeable future.
JI 09/06/08