Vertonghen ends contract speculation....literally

After much rumour and cryptic messaging from the player, manager and agent, Jan Vertonghen has finally confirmed that he is not signing a new contract with Tottenham.
He said;
" I am not signing. We agreed not to and I would prefer not to say why. I still have four years left. I am very happy at the club and I think they are happy with me. That’s where it ends.”

When asked if the decision to not sign a new contract was due to lack of game time, Vertonghen expressed that he knows he will have to fight for his place in the match day squad, although with over twenty changes in the last couple of games, what that match day squad is, is anybody's guess!!

“The squad is very big and you have to work hard to play every game. I hope I am playing again soon.
I want to play in every game on the weekends and midweek. I want to play in the biggest games - that is what you are a footballer for.

The sentiments are certainly nice to hear, but let's not kid ourselves, Jan Vertonghen is not signing a new contract because he will be off next summer. He does have four years left on his current deal, but contracts mean nothing in modern football sadly, and not signing suggests there is something he is not happy with, but what?

Champions league? You're having a laugh!

One of the problems we have with keeping the best players, Modric, Berbatov, Bale etc, in the long term is due to the fact that we cannot offer Champions league football on a regular basis. It is great to hear Vertonghen say how happy he is at the club, but when he signed he said he was joining Tottenham to play at the highest level. He may have been talking about the Premiership, but ultimately, he wanted to be playing in the Champions league and now, in his third season, that prospect is looking unlikely. Again.

Promises, promises , turn to dust....

We have a good number of centre backs now at Spurs, and Vertonghen did himself few favours last year with his attitude on the pitch, but for me, he is still one of our best players and should he a shoe in to start against the Wanderers this Saturday tea time. Hopefully he will become a first choice again and just maybe we could see him in the lily-white of Spurs for another season after this one. But I somehow doubt it. I just cannot see spurs getting into the top four this season, so winning the Europa league has to be a priority. Doesn't it?

I wonder just how often players will be dangled the carrot by a certain somebody saying Tottenham are on the verge of being a top four team before they all realise it is just smoke and mirrors.

Hopefully Vertonghen will stay, but do not be surprised to see him elsewhere next season, and somewhere that can guarantee him champions league football. With any luck though, that team may just still be Tottenham Hotspur.....

 

Will be shocked if he doesn't play on sat .. Surely he's in with Kabul .. Naughton might have played his way in too but i doubt it .. That will be it id say the rest will be the same as last sun .. As for the new contract , don't get it at all why he was offered one if he has 4 years left on his last one .. What's he done in the last 6 to 12 months to deserve it , except go around with the hump for half a season .. Feckin earn the damn thing first .. What are we as a club even thinking , rewarding an attitude like his .. Setting a great example to the rest of the squad ..

 

Big statement from Jan and there's an awful lot in there to speculate about, that Jan was offered the captaincy before it was given to Kaboul might have something to do with it, he's not even one of the vice captains. The timing of Kaboul being named as captain also seems relevant in as far as Jan not playing in the league since. There certainly does appear to be some sort of breakdown between the player and management but regardless of that Jan is our best CB by far and should be playing first team. Saturdays line-up will tell us a lot about the new manager , the team and where its going.

 

It is not just CL. He needs to play for top club that has a winning mentality, may be because he himself doesn't offer anymore ( he used to when he lead Ajax in '11 and '12). But he is a quality CB, he can do his job quite respectfully surrounded by winners at top level club in, perhaps, lesser league. The man is 27 years old. At this age you think about how many trophies did I raised, you know... He got just a few in Netherland to date. He might had looked at Poch and figured that should Argentinian ever build a winning squad at WNL he would be either close to retirement or gone by then. To keep him from re-joining De Boer or whatever else he could have in mind Spurs have to start winning. Like getting FA Cup or Europa. That may change his mind.

 

The false promises of challenging, top 4 and Cups are exactly the same for the players as for the fans. Sell your best dilute the talent and no extra investment in the first team will not help achieve anything.
Jans attitude at times is very questionable but will be another case of top player disillusioned by it all and will want to go to a club that is genuine and serious about achieving titles etc.
Until Levy and Enic p;ss off or change their ways this will be and is a constant cycle.

 

Tell u what guys this is a massive statement and says a lot more about
the club rather than jan. People will be divided over this story but my stand is this. Yes Jan was questionable in his approach last season but its nothing new in modern footy that top players want to be played in thier best positions. Right or wrong that's it. He doesn't want to settle for second best and has been made the same false promises that sol Campbell was made and all those we've lost in between. One or two see Jan as a mercenary and their entitled to an opinion but he could have easily signed and doubled his salary and still get a move as did modric and bale months before they left. To me this is a bold statement from Jan saying he is not happy where the club is or where its going. He's not happy at playing second fiddle to second rate players and leaders... Sound familiar? Yeah does to me too. Sounds like he's echoing the thoughts of many on this forum. Does that make him a mercenary or someone standing up for the fans?