After the Window: Spurs

Spurs late summer looked a lot like the one experienced across North London at Arsenal. What the acquisitions lacked in romance and long term strategic benefit they more than made up for in being effective near-term band-aids. Spurs needed something new at forward and a deep-lying player to both win the ball and start the attack. It certainly would have been nice to find a reliable partner for Michael Dawson but presumably the combination of Ledley King and William Gallas will be able to get the job done for 80% of the matches over the course of the upcoming season.

Season Preview: West Ham United

Overall Outlook - It's been quite some time since I felt like I had any idea what the people assembling the Hammers roster are thinking.  It seems that every year they go out of their way to overstock one or two positions where they really didn't need any more support in the first place.  This year the overstocking seems to be coming at strikers who aren't target players.  With Franco [ed note. Franco was released at the end of last season], Diamanti, and Sears already on the books to vie for time opposite Carlton Cole they have now added Frederic Piquionne and Miralem Sulejmani and are rumored to be after Yakubu as well.  Hard to know why they'd be doing that when there are other positions that are in need of more help perhaps anywhere and everywhere across the back line which is adequate but hardly rock solid.

Four-year Villa deal for Reo-Coker

Nigel Reo-Coker will sign a four-year contract when he finally completes his move to Aston Villa from West Ham in an £8million deal.The clubs have agreed on a compromise fee after Villa made an initial £7million offer while the Hammers were looking for £8-9million for a player who cost them £500,000 when he joined from Wimbledon three and a half years ago.

I'll admit to having a soft spot for NR-C ever since the opening weekend of the 2005-2006 season when he was listed as a defender and kick-started my fantasy triumph that year. But now he's the next domino to fall after Parker to WHU and McCann to Bolton.  Good bit of business for WHU as they make a ton of money on NR-C, selling him for even more than they spent on his replacement, Parker, who is probably the superior player. But perhaps a change of scenery and the chance to work with Martin O'Neill will help NR-C who didn't have a stellar sophmore season in the Premiership.

Scott becomes Upton Parker

West Ham have completed the £7million signing of England midfielder Scott Parker from Newcastle on a deal until 2012.Parker has agreed a five-year contract and becomes the Hammers' first signing of the summer.

The 26-year-old was captain at Newcastle last season but was keen on a return to London.

And a move to Upton Park sees Parker link up again with Alan Curbishley, his former manager at Charlton.

First domino falls.

Parker Poised For Hammers Switch

West Ham appear to be on the verge of clinching the £7million signing of Newcastle and England midfielder Scott Parker after fighting off late interest from Tottenham.

...

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley sees Parker as a potential captain and the ideal replacement for current skipper Nigel Reo-Coker, who has handed in a transfer request.

Parker, who is celebrating the birth of his third child this week, is keen on a return to London where his family is based and a move to Upton Park would see him link up again with Curbishley, his old boss at Charlton.

Newcastle's new manager Sam Allardyce is reported to be eyeing out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton as a potential replacement for Parker.

Quite the midfield carousel, isn't it? And as they say, "where she stops, nobody knows".

So, based on this, does ManCiteh build around NRC? And why were Spurs interested in Parker? Don't they have the center of the midfield covered with Jenas, THud, Zokora, Tainio, etc.? Or are Spurs now linked to any young(ish) English player, regardless of actual need or interest. I'm surprised he wasn't rumoured to be heading to Villa, to be honest. They have dollars to spend and have been linked with anyone and everyone else.