Keeping top trio is the key for Tottenham

Last updated : 14 June 2011 By Team Talk

Some fans would say that it was a disappointing season for Tottenham; others would say that, thanks to their success in the Champions League, it was a great season for them.

Being a Spurs fan myself, I would say it was a good season; not getting a Champions League place is obviously very disappointing, especially after doing so well on our debut in the competition, but I can't really complain with the effort the team put in overall during the season, which featured moments of brilliance from Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, and an excellent signing in Rafael van der Vaart.

Modric, Bale and van der Vaart have all been linked with moves away from White Hart Lane, but it's absolutely vital we hold on to them this summer if we are to continue growing as a club as they are the heartbeat of our side.

Croatian maestro Modric was a pivotal figure and I can't really recall him having a bad game at all. After hinting that a move away from White Hart Lane wouldn't be a problem, it looks like Spurs will struggle to keep Modric.

It would be a massive loss as I can't really see a decent replacement who would be willing to come to the Lane who would have anywhere near the quality that Modric possesses, especially as we can't provide Champions League football for at least another season.

As for van der Vaart, it was a great bit of business from Harry to lure the Dutchman to the Lane. His crossing and free-kicks were spot on, and his scoring record wasn't too shabby at the start of the season either, popping up with a goal in just about every home game he played in before Christmas.

He did fade as the season wore on, but he arguably had a better first season with Spurs then Dimitar Berbatov did when he moved over from Bayer Leverkusen in 2006 - so hopefully the future is bright for him.

Now to Bale. What is there to say about the Welsh wizard that already hasn't been said? His performances in this season's Champions League and his head-high volley against Stoke in the Premier League briefly made him the hottest property on the planet, and luckily for Spurs fans, he's under contract until 2015, although that means little in today's footballing world.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto deserves some credit for Bale's elevation as they combined brilliantly on the left flank, with their pace and ability to cover each other working very well in a lot of games.

In my opinion, without Assou-Ekotto behind him, Bale would not have had as good a season as he did, as Ekotto's service to Bale was brilliant, and his defensive nous gave the Welshman the freedom to fly up and down the wing.

We've also had our fair share of disappointments, though, with bungling keeper Heurelho Gomes and goal-shy striker Jermain Defoe top of that list.

Gomes had been known to make the odd mistake now and then, especially in his first season in a Spurs shirt, but it looked as if these horrendous gaffes were behind him. As it turned out, they weren't.

Defoe, meanwhile, scored just four league goals this season, having been our top-scorer the previous season. To be fair to Defoe, the inclusion of van der Vaart meant he saw himself on the bench more often than not, as Redknapp liked to play 4-5-1 with van der Vaart tucked in behind Peter Crouch.

Looking to the future, Kyle Walker is one to watch and has the talent to become not just Tottenham's first-choice right-back, but also England's.

In the transfer market, I feel it's vital that Spurs buy a quality striker this summer; Diego Forlan would be my ideal signing, although we have been linked with Didier Drogba, who is unlikely to be Lane-bound due to our lack of Champions League football.

Harry says he wants to land 'three quality signings' and if he does that, alongwith hanging onto our three top men, next season could be a very exciting one for Spurs fans.

Source: Team Talk

Source: Team Talk