glory glory david ginola
Written on the imminent departure of David Ginola to Aston Villa
Ginola is the player who on his day
can bring the fantasy to any side. His ability is beyond question
and the dribbling skills he displays have not been seen at the Lane
for many a long year. The frequent substitutions and the final ignominy of being dropped for the games at Kaiserslautern and Manchester United were the straws that broke the camel's back. It was clear that the Frenchman could no longer play where, as he said, he was not respected. In terms of using Ginola in a rotation system, the argument does not really stand up. Have Tottenham such riches within the squad that they can afford to rest such a talent ?? However, then when you look at Daveed, he is not getting any younger and a fee of £3 million must rate as good business for the corporate minded Tottenham board.
As for the fans, well, they love Ginola.
He is a throwback to the days when Spurs were about Glory and not
boring the other side to death, so his departure is perceived as a
move in the wrong direction. But such views are tainted with
emotion, which is what football is all about. There are fewer and fewer players like Ginola in the game today. The sort of player that Tottenham used to provide an atmosphere for them to thrive in. Times have changed and it appears that David has no role to play in the Spurs side of 2000-01, despite George saying he would like him to stay. Having him on the bench to use in bursts and to exploit tired legs would be a great asset, but I think Ginola wants to play all the time. That is something he cannot be guaranteed at White Hart Lane it seems. I will be sorry to see him go, as he has provided so many moments to remember, but should the inevitable happen, the club will go on. Maybe as a paler shadow of it's former self though.
Wyart Lane |