Having been mugged in Madrid earlier in the month, Harry Redknapp then spent the final days of January trying to force ?35million on someone in Spain. The attempt failed and Redknapp gave the impression that the experience had been every bit as awful as having his pockets emptied outside Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon Stadium.
As the dust settled on Monday's spending frenzy, Tottenham's manager was plainly annoyed that rival managers Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Mancini and Kenny Dalglish all had new strike options, while he had acquired only Steven Pienaar in midfield and Bongani Khumalo at the back.
Redknapp had spoken boldly of a title challenge at the turn of the year and wanted chairman Daniel Levy to back his ambition with a statement signing. Yesterday, he explained the will had been there to spend more than ?30m on a top striker but it had proved impossible.
The one that got away: Villarreal weren't lured by Tottenham's lucre
Manchester City beat them to Edin Dzeko,?Liverpool to Andy Carroll. Redknapp had second thoughts about Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero proved too costly, and Villarreal refused to sell Giuseppe Rossi.
By the time Levy turned his focus to the consolation of Phil Neville and Charlie Adam, his offers were too little and too late, and Redknapp's patience was tested.
Asked why Tottenham did not move for?Blackpool midfielder Adam until 20 minutes before Monday's 11pm deadline, the manager shrugged and said: 'Pass.' Pushed, he added: 'It was late. I can't answer that. I don't want to start criticising.'
Asked why the opening bid for Neville had been only ?500,000 - an offer?Everton boss David Moyes branded 'disrespectful' - Redknapp said: 'Yes, it was a pretty low offer for a good player. I can't argue with that.'
Confusingly, Levy seemed desperate to satisfy the request for more firepower. 'He wanted to bring someone in for big money,' said Redknapp. ' If Villarreal would've sold Rossi, we would've brought him in. I think he offered ?35m in the end. Villarreal just didn't want to sell him.
Late license: Spurs failed in bids for Neville (left) and Adam (right)
'He asked me if I wanted Suarez the other week and I felt he was a top player, but he plays as a second striker and I've got (Rafael) van der Vaart. We needed a Forlan or a Carroll or a Rossi.
'Carroll would've been a good signing for us. Forlan was a deal we couldn't do. He was on ?140,000 a week - massive money - and they wanted ?15m, and he's 31, nearly 32. There's only a return if he takes you into the Champions League again.'
There is plenty of scope for friction between a manager's selfish preference for seasoned players with quality guarantees and a board's pursuit of careful investment in younger players with sell-on value.
'It's hard to change,' said Redknapp, who can point to the success of Van der Vaart, 27, and William Gallas, 33, compared to 21-year-old Brazil midfielder Sandro and 24- year-old South Africa defender Khumalo, who have been slower to adapt.
Spurs are short of defenders and Jonathan Woodgate will start his first game in 15 months at Blackburn tonight if Gallas is not fit, but Khumalo, signed from Supersport United last month, is not ready for the Premier League.
Levy might counter the argument with Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, both worth several times what the club paid for them. But eating away at Redknapp is the fear that a quiet January will cost Spurs the Champions League football which lured Van der Vaart to White Hart Lane and might keep Bale and Modric at the club.
'Our task is harder now, for sure,' he said before dashing to Italy to watch European opponents AC Milan last night. 'At the start of the window, I felt the title was up for grabs. It's getting harder because the other teams have strengthened their squads. 'You look at Chelsea now and think they could win the league. We've got to keep going. It's going to be hard but not impossible.'
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Source: Daily Mail
Source: Daily Mail