NORMAN GILLER’S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 360
Submitted by Norman Giller
Harry Kane’s two goals in yesterday’s desperately disappointing draw at Newcastle added more fuel to the fire of the hottest topic in British football: “Should Our Harry look for pastures new this summer?”
In the last few weeks I’ve seen Harry sold on line to either of the two Manchesters, Real Madrid, Barcelona and – favourite – set up for a reunion with his old commander Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint Germain.
Television pundits, particularly straight-talking Roy Keane, ex-Gooner Ian Wright and once-a-Spur Graeme Souness, insist the time is right for Harry to move on. They, of course, could not care less what Tottenham fans think. Their job is to say it as they see it. Those of us who follow the fortunes of Spurs are weighed down with one-eyed bias.
Let’s face it, at 27 – 28 on July 28 – Harry is at the peak of his power as a player and as an earner. If he is ever going to cash in, this is the moment, when he is again the leading scorer in the Premier League and in net-busting form for club and country.
There is no tougher negotiator than Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, and he is unlikely to let Tottenham’s star man go for a penny less than a world record £175 million, maybe even £200m. There will be several clubs who will be thinking: “We can raise much of that by selling three or four of our all-star squad.”
You can bet that Dan the Man – if he cannot talk Harry into staying a Spur – will do all he can to ship him abroad, rather than have him scoring goals for a rival Premier League club. He could soon be having some interesting chats with his former employee, Professor Pochettino in Paris.
If I were Harry’s father – and his career is managed by his Dad, Patrick, and older brother, Charlie – I would be advising him to move on if Spurs are not in the Champions’ League next season.
I personally would love him to stay at Spurs and take over from the great, one-and-only Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham’s all-time record goal scorer, but rising above my dedication to the Lilywhites I see the sense of Harry moving on to one of the world’s major clubs as soon as the Euro championships have been decided this summer.
He would immediately treble his earnings and bolster his chances of collecting medals to prove that he is one of the most devastating goal scorers of all time.
I can almost hear you saying, ‘Why does he need more money?’
Let me tell you, there is never enough money to do the things you want to to do. I have four grandchildren and two twin great grandsons. I would love to be able to leave them each a million pounds when I kick the bucket (with Harry Kane accuracy and power).
But, sadly, they will be getting peanuts, unless my books start selling in their millions rather than in ones and twos. (Uh, don’t hold your breath, Norm – Ed.).
Our Harry will be able to look after his wonderful wife, Kate, her family, their three children, Mum and Dad, brother Charlie and favourite people, and have a lot left over to help deserving causes. Just imagine being able to help your loved ones get started with a house and the best educations that money can buy. I promise you can never have enough money if you have any imagination and a desire to help others.
All is just speculation at the moment, but the Euro championship final is due on July 21 – one week before Harry’s 28th birthday. That’s when I expect him to make a decision whether to stay as king of the new White Hart Lane or push for a gold-plated move. Fingers crossed.
I have left all comments on yesterday’s match at Newcastle to our guest reporter Declan Mulcahy, standing in HERE for the redoubtable Paul H. Smith. Our Spurs Odyssey guru got his priorities right over Easter and spent his time with his new, first grandson Linden rather than stay locked in to his obsession with Spurs.
Bet Paul would like to give him a million pounds right now. Harry Kane could!
The jury remains out on José Mourinho, and to silence the lynch mob he must bring down mighty Manchester City in the League Cup final on April 25 and/or clinch a Champions League place with a top-four finish.
My regular readers (okay, reader) will know we have been ticking off the matches hopefully on the way to silverware in what is the Centenary of the 1921 FA Cup win, the Platinum celebration of the 1951 Push and Run title, the Diamond Jubilee of the 1961 Double Year, the Ruby anniversary of Ricky’s ‘Goal of the Century’ in the 1981 FA Cup final triumph, and, of course, the Pearl anniversary of the last time Spurs won the FA Cup in 1991.
Another two points frittered away yesterday means there are now just nine matches left for Spurs to turn this season around …
Sun 11 Apl Man United (home, 4.30, Premier League)
Fri 16 Apl Everton (away, 8pm, Premier League)
Wed 21 Apl Southampton(home, 6.00, Premier League)
Sun 25 Apl Man City (Wembley, 4.30, League Cup final)
Sat 01 May Sheffield United (home, TBA, Premier League)
Sat 08 May Leeds United (away, TBA, Premier League)
Wed 12 May Wolves (home, TBA, Premier League)
Sat 15 May Aston Villa(home, TBA, Premier League)
Sun 23 May Leicester City (away, 4.00, Premier League)
It’s vital that Mourinho has all his squad in the right frame of mind for these final games, starting against his former club Manchester United at home on Sunday.
Keep the faith. COYS!
The 31st week of season seven of the Spurs Odyssey Quiz League challenge. A quick call-over: There are still more than 40 of you jostling for first place, including two-times champion David Guthrie, 2019 title holder from Down Under Graham Eyre and reigning Quiz Queen Emily Hadjinicolaou. All of you have got every question right and have each amassed a maximum 90 points. I will be “sorting you out” in May with my killer tie break challenge. Meantime, this week’s question is:
The rules are the same as in previous seasons. I ask a two-pronged question with three points at stake – two for identifying the player and one for the supplementary question. In the closing weeks of the competition I break the logjam of all-knowing Spurs-history experts with a tie-breaking poser that is based on opinion rather than fact.
This year’s prizes for the champion: a Harry Kane framed and signed photo two, books from my Greavsie collection with autographs from Jimmy Greaves, Steve Perryman and Dave Mackay, and, most important of all, a framed certificate announcing the winner as SOQL champion.
Last week’s SOQL question: Who played in FA Cup finals in 1967 and 1975, won 35 caps and against which team did he captain Tottenham in a Uefa Cup final?
The answer: Alan Mullery, who not only captained Spurs against Wolves in the 1972 Uefa Cup final but also headed a dramatic goal in the second leg at White Hart Lane to clinch victory in what was his final appearance for Tottenham before returning to Fulham. He and Bobby Moore combined to lead the Cottagers to the 1975 FA Cup final, at Wembley where they were beaten by West Ham.
See you back here same time, same place next week. COYS!
