Paul Parker: Forget money, why would anyone want to leave Tottenham?

Forget about Harry Redknapp guiding Tottenham to the quarter-finals in 2011. The 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in the Bernabeu was Spurs’ best performance in the Champions League – and they did it with a makeshift team.

On paper, the idea of playing Harry Kane and Fernando Llorente together was the worst decision in the world. What was Mauricio Pochettino thinking?! No other manager in the Premier League would have even considered it.

It proved a masterstroke. Having two strikers comfortable on the ball, both with appreciation for bringing team-mates into play, made life very difficult for Real Madrid. It caused big problems, in particular for Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, and made Llorente look as though he had partnered Kane for years.

Pochettino got it right in Madrid. Spurs deserved their point – and all because they didn’t simply sit back and hope. Sure, they set out to not concede, but this was a positive performance. Everyone was raving about Hugo Lloris in the aftermath, but he didn’t have a great deal to do aside from two brilliant saves. It wasn’t like his goal was peppered. No, this was a brilliant team display where – for once – the pressure didn’t get to Spurs.

Not that they should get too carried away. The reverse fixture at Wembley will probably be trickier to get a result, with Real less likely to commit as many players forward and leave space in behind. Spurs have got the momentum and – if they want to avoid talk of the Wembley hoodoo resurfacing – can’t afford to lose. Even if it is against Real Madrid.

It’s still going to be difficult for Tottenham domestically.

Playing at Wembley Stadium is tough – it’s not their home and it doesn’t create a good atmosphere. Players raise their games when they come to Wembley Stadium, perhaps for the only time in their careers, so Spurs won’t have an easy ‘home’ game all season.

I think Spurs would accept finishing in the top four again, keeping them in the Champions League ahead of their move to a new stadium that should prove more profitable. This season should be seen as one final learning curve ahead of next season.

The press are trying to cause trouble at Tottenham with stories about ‘he’s earning this’ and ‘he’s earning that’. It distracts players, as in the case of Danny Rose, which is a massive shame. Does an extra £20-30,000 really make a difference when you’re earning close to £100,000-a-week? Does it really make a move worthwhile?

Too many players chase a figure, rather than looking at what they can achieve, and should hang their heads in shame.

With that in mind, why would anyone want to leave Tottenham? It’s a club that’s investing in its future – both on and off the pitch – and are building a squad full of young, hungry talent that is already challenging for the Premier League. If you’re at a top club, playing regularly, enjoying your football and being paid reasonably well, that should be enough… even if you’re being offered more money elsewhere.

Take Rose, for example. Before his injury, he had made the left-back slot his own. Why would he pile pressure on himself by moving to another team, especially when he wouldn’t necessarily be a guaranteed starter? If Kane wants a move to Manchester United or Real Madrid, who’s to say that he would play every week and be happy? The grass isn’t always greener and there aren’t many players who play every game for the top teams.

If Rose and Kane win the Premier League with Spurs, they would be held in much greater esteem than if they were part of a United or Madrid juggernaut. And Spurs really are that close, even if it’s unlikely to happen this season at Wembley. Tottenham is a great place to be at the moment – no-one should want to leave.

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