Win tomorrow, go 2nd for at least a few hours. Win tomorrow, move to 31 points from 13 games. 10 wins from last 11. I feel like I'm playing Football Manager.
December is the busiest month of the season, with 6 games, 3 at home, 3 away. Trips to the Britannia, Carrow Road and the Liberty Stadium interspersed with the visits of Bolton, Sunderland and Chelsea to the Lane. Especially considering Chelsea's form and performances under Veesh-Boash, these are all very winnable games. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The point of this post is to examine our progress. Yes we're doing well, but how well?
Let's think of it in terms of the 40 point barrier that everyone loves to mention. It's pretty bloody pointless as teams have survived with fewer than 40 points and a West Ham team laden with talent like Kanoute, Defoe, Carrick and Cole contrived to go down with 42. But nevertheless it's still used as a meter of progress and probable survival of relegation. Relegation is not a relevant topic for us obviously, but I still consider the point in the season at which we hit the 40 point mark as in indicator of how the season is going. Teams that finish in the Top 3 tend to hit 40 points in late December/early January. If we win our next 4, we will reach 40 points before Santa comes down the chimney. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm not sure this has happened in the Premier League era.
In the 09/10 season, in which we finished 4th, we hit 40 points on the 26th January with a 2-0 home win over Fulham. Last season, when of course we missed out on the Top 4, we hit 40 points on the 2nd February with a 1-0 win at Blackburn. In comparison, in the 08/09 season, with the infamous '2 points 8 games' start under Ramos, we didn't reached 40 points until 21st March. I know we haven't done it yet, but the fact that we could reach 40 points before the year is out represents fantastic progress.
In addition to our overall point tally improvement on past years, we are also improving on last season when individual games are compared. If we replace QPR with say, West Ham (one lower half London rival for another), we have collected 9 points more this season than from the corresponding games last season, with our early season stuffing at the hands of City representing the only worse result than last season.
I've probably been prompted to write this by the feel-good factor surrounding the club at the moment. Failure tomorrow would be a crushing disappointment. But being as good as we are these days brings with it greater pressure. Winning games consistently against teams in the lower half of the table has long been an achilles heel for Spurs. Wins at Wigan, Wolves, Blackburn and West Brom so far this season suggests we may be beyond that. Blow them away at home, grind them down away. Works for me. Seems to be working for Tottenham. Come New Years Eve, people might have to start taking us very seriously.
Friday 2 December 2011
Thursday 20 October 2011
Rubin Kazan preview
My first post in a few weeks, due to a combination of factors. Post-Arsenal game, I was too busy watching the highlights over and over and sitting with a smug grin as Arsenal-supporting mates explained the result away with a combination of complaints about handballs and wobbly long range shots. Then came a state of catatonic stupor brought on by yet another bloody international break, followed by a disappointing result at St James Park. I didn't feel there was a great amount to say about our trip to Newcastle, Defoe is continuing to show flashes of his old self, we look infinitely more nervous at the back without King and the pros and cons of Van der Vaart is an article in itself.
Rubin Kazan tonight. All previews for the Europa League so far seem to have melded into one. Avoid injury, have a look at the kids etc etc. Sandro, Lennon and Rose should return and feature at some point, Bassong and Kaboul will start at the back because we don't have anyone else. Walker and Rose at full back make it a fairly solid back four. The return of Rose will probably push Townsend further forward on the left, with Lennon on the right and two of Sandro, Livermore and Carroll in the middle. Up front I would expect to see Gio playing in behing Pav.
Rubin will undoubtedly be our biggest test so far after (let's be honest) the Scottish, Greek and Irish pub teams we've faced so far. Best known for beating Barcelona at the Nou Camp a few years ago, Rubin have been crowned Russian champions twice in the last 4 seasons, finished 3rd last season and are currently sitting 6th in the Russian Premier League having won their last 2 games.
Rubin have a handful of players that a few Spurs fans will have heard of, particularly former Newcastle and Birmingham striker Obafemi Martins. I'm sure I wasn't the only one celebrating Martins' goal at Wembley earlier this year, but if we're not careful he is undoubtedly a player who can hurt us. Martins scored 4 goals in 7 appearances against us in his Newcastle days, one of which I'm sure many will remember being a cracker of a strike from distance.
Elsewhere, full back Cristian Ansaldi has been capped for Argentina, defender Salvatore Bocchetti has a handful of caps for Italy and obviously there is a scattering of Russian caps through the squad. Certainly not the strongest of opponents, but a side that demands respect certainly.
Both ourselves and Rubin will have an eye on the weekend and will know that a result tonight is not essential for qualification to the next phase of the Europa League. A nice aside is that is Pav has a decent game tonight it might encourage Rubin to buy him in January. We can hope.
COYS.
Rubin Kazan tonight. All previews for the Europa League so far seem to have melded into one. Avoid injury, have a look at the kids etc etc. Sandro, Lennon and Rose should return and feature at some point, Bassong and Kaboul will start at the back because we don't have anyone else. Walker and Rose at full back make it a fairly solid back four. The return of Rose will probably push Townsend further forward on the left, with Lennon on the right and two of Sandro, Livermore and Carroll in the middle. Up front I would expect to see Gio playing in behing Pav.
Rubin will undoubtedly be our biggest test so far after (let's be honest) the Scottish, Greek and Irish pub teams we've faced so far. Best known for beating Barcelona at the Nou Camp a few years ago, Rubin have been crowned Russian champions twice in the last 4 seasons, finished 3rd last season and are currently sitting 6th in the Russian Premier League having won their last 2 games.
Rubin have a handful of players that a few Spurs fans will have heard of, particularly former Newcastle and Birmingham striker Obafemi Martins. I'm sure I wasn't the only one celebrating Martins' goal at Wembley earlier this year, but if we're not careful he is undoubtedly a player who can hurt us. Martins scored 4 goals in 7 appearances against us in his Newcastle days, one of which I'm sure many will remember being a cracker of a strike from distance.
Elsewhere, full back Cristian Ansaldi has been capped for Argentina, defender Salvatore Bocchetti has a handful of caps for Italy and obviously there is a scattering of Russian caps through the squad. Certainly not the strongest of opponents, but a side that demands respect certainly.
Both ourselves and Rubin will have an eye on the weekend and will know that a result tonight is not essential for qualification to the next phase of the Europa League. A nice aside is that is Pav has a decent game tonight it might encourage Rubin to buy him in January. We can hope.
COYS.
Friday 30 September 2011
The Curious Case of Giovani dos Santos
Last night’s win over Shamrock Rovers was probably the most encouraging performance so far from young Gio. He seemed to fully believe in his superiority over the opposition from the start, something that a few others should have done, embarking on jinking runs and testing the goalkeeper regularly. His decision-making was not always perfect, but a goal and an assist marks a pretty good nights work and once again raises the question: does Gio have a role to play at Spurs?
Signed in 2008 as a 19-year old from Barcelona, he was tipped for greatness and heralded as a massive coup for Spurs. Perhaps alarm bells should have rung that Barcelona were prepared to sell a 19-year old who had scored a hat-trick on his final Barcelona appearance for just £4 million, but we were too excited to have bought a player who was named ‘Most exciting talent’ in World Soccer Magazine that Summer. After an impressive pre-season, his involvement in the infamous ‘2 points from 8 games’ start to the season under Juande Ramos didn’t help him settle in life at Spurs, while rumours that Gio enjoyed a Shandy more than most began to surface. Having slipped off the first team radar, a picture emerged of a well-lubricated dos Santos being carried out of the Spurs Xmas party in a way that would’ve made Ledley King proud. A few false dawns at Spurs were interspersed by loan spells at Ipswich, Galatasaray and Racing Santander, where reviews were distinctly mixed. Commitment and lifestyle seem to have been the issue with dos Santos, with Harry stating he wished Gio could pass a nightclub as well as he could pass a ball. Gio was apparently frequently late for training on Mondays, often having spent the weekends partying in Barcelona while the rest of the squad prepared for the weekend’s game. Despite interest from Udinese and Sevilla this summer, Gio, to the surprise of most, remains a Spurs player and seems to be getting a final chance to perform.
So where does Gio fit in? Does he fit in? His performance last night was good but Shamrock Rovers were a poor outfit. In his other performances this season he has been frustrating, running straight into people, picking the wrong pass and huffing and puffing in frustration rather than tracking back when losing the ball. Like Van der Vaart, he doesn’t seem to naturally fit into an orthodox system, wandering and not tracking back enough to play on the wing and too much of a luxury to play in the hole behind the strikers. Van der Vaart, despite criticisms over his fitness and pace, has the knack of being in the right place at the right time to score goals and provide crucial links in play. As much as I’d like to say he does, I don’t think Gio has this natural gift. He needs the team to be built to suit him, like Van der Vaart, but unlike Van der Vaart, is neither good nor effective enough to be given this luxury. In a squad where Tom Carroll looks to be developing into a good deep lying playmaker and Andros Townsend impressed with his skilful, quick dribbling and crossing, I’m not sure where Giovani fits into the Tottenham system. He may be thrown on as an impact sub from time to time in the league and will get starts in the Europa League, but I can’t see him becoming a regular starter. This won’t be enough for a player who has made no secret of his desire to return to Spain.
Like Adel Taarabt, he needs to go somewhere where they will build a team around him, where he will be the big fish. I expect him to be moved on, either in January or the Summer. He may become a big success somewhere else, probably back in Spain, but sometimes, even with the best will in the world, certain clubs and players are just a wrong fit. I’d love to be proved wrong and see Giovani become the player we all want him to be, but I just can’t see it.
Signed in 2008 as a 19-year old from Barcelona, he was tipped for greatness and heralded as a massive coup for Spurs. Perhaps alarm bells should have rung that Barcelona were prepared to sell a 19-year old who had scored a hat-trick on his final Barcelona appearance for just £4 million, but we were too excited to have bought a player who was named ‘Most exciting talent’ in World Soccer Magazine that Summer. After an impressive pre-season, his involvement in the infamous ‘2 points from 8 games’ start to the season under Juande Ramos didn’t help him settle in life at Spurs, while rumours that Gio enjoyed a Shandy more than most began to surface. Having slipped off the first team radar, a picture emerged of a well-lubricated dos Santos being carried out of the Spurs Xmas party in a way that would’ve made Ledley King proud. A few false dawns at Spurs were interspersed by loan spells at Ipswich, Galatasaray and Racing Santander, where reviews were distinctly mixed. Commitment and lifestyle seem to have been the issue with dos Santos, with Harry stating he wished Gio could pass a nightclub as well as he could pass a ball. Gio was apparently frequently late for training on Mondays, often having spent the weekends partying in Barcelona while the rest of the squad prepared for the weekend’s game. Despite interest from Udinese and Sevilla this summer, Gio, to the surprise of most, remains a Spurs player and seems to be getting a final chance to perform.
So where does Gio fit in? Does he fit in? His performance last night was good but Shamrock Rovers were a poor outfit. In his other performances this season he has been frustrating, running straight into people, picking the wrong pass and huffing and puffing in frustration rather than tracking back when losing the ball. Like Van der Vaart, he doesn’t seem to naturally fit into an orthodox system, wandering and not tracking back enough to play on the wing and too much of a luxury to play in the hole behind the strikers. Van der Vaart, despite criticisms over his fitness and pace, has the knack of being in the right place at the right time to score goals and provide crucial links in play. As much as I’d like to say he does, I don’t think Gio has this natural gift. He needs the team to be built to suit him, like Van der Vaart, but unlike Van der Vaart, is neither good nor effective enough to be given this luxury. In a squad where Tom Carroll looks to be developing into a good deep lying playmaker and Andros Townsend impressed with his skilful, quick dribbling and crossing, I’m not sure where Giovani fits into the Tottenham system. He may be thrown on as an impact sub from time to time in the league and will get starts in the Europa League, but I can’t see him becoming a regular starter. This won’t be enough for a player who has made no secret of his desire to return to Spain.
Like Adel Taarabt, he needs to go somewhere where they will build a team around him, where he will be the big fish. I expect him to be moved on, either in January or the Summer. He may become a big success somewhere else, probably back in Spain, but sometimes, even with the best will in the world, certain clubs and players are just a wrong fit. I’d love to be proved wrong and see Giovani become the player we all want him to be, but I just can’t see it.
Thursday 29 September 2011
Shamrock Rovers Preview
Thursday night, Channel 5. It’s Europa League time and Shamrock Rovers, with ex-Spur Rohan Ricketts in tow, come to town. Who needs the Champions League eh?
Instead of trying to prize a £250,000-a-week striker off the bench in Munich, we will have a group of eager, fresh-faced youths champing at the bit for a crack at the Irish. Whilst I would obviously prefer to be playing Champions League football this week, the whole Tevez affair has been a disgrace and shows that while City’s money has bought them Champions League football, they remain a disharmonious group of mercenaries. I’d much rather watch my team’s kids desperate to impress while we have another organically created crack at the big time.
Harry has announced that we will field a slightly stronger side tonight, given the potential return to action of a handful of our walking wounded. Lennon, Rose and Pienaar look set to return, while Defoe has shaken off his mysterious illness.
I’d expect Cudicini to return in goal, with a probable back four of Walker, Corluka, Bassong and Rose. The return of Rose at LB could push Townsend back into his more familiar left wing role, although he may start on the bench if Harry wants to start with Pienaar. Lennon will start on the right, whilst I would like a central midfield of Livermore and Carroll. Both have impressed me this season and Carroll in particular, despite looking like a ball boy, could become a real talent. Up front, Kane, Pav and Defoe will battle for the two starting places. I would be tempted to go for Defoe and Kane given Pav’s general awfulness this season, but dropping him to the bench for a game like this is hardly going to improve his form and I’d give him a go alongside Defoe from the start, maybe hauling him off at half-time if he continues in his terrible vein of form. On the bench, expect the likes of Fredericks, Nicholson and Luongo, maybe with someone like Kranjcar babysitting.
Harry clearly has most of his focus on the NLD on Sunday and tonight’s game will be another case of avoiding injuries, blooding youngsters and easing injured players back into the fold. With all due respect to Shamrock Rovers, we should win this one easily. Let’s get behind the kids and show them what it means to wear Lilywhite on a European night. It doesn’t matter if it’s Shamrock Rovers or Bayern Munich. Let’s enjoy it.
Instead of trying to prize a £250,000-a-week striker off the bench in Munich, we will have a group of eager, fresh-faced youths champing at the bit for a crack at the Irish. Whilst I would obviously prefer to be playing Champions League football this week, the whole Tevez affair has been a disgrace and shows that while City’s money has bought them Champions League football, they remain a disharmonious group of mercenaries. I’d much rather watch my team’s kids desperate to impress while we have another organically created crack at the big time.
Harry has announced that we will field a slightly stronger side tonight, given the potential return to action of a handful of our walking wounded. Lennon, Rose and Pienaar look set to return, while Defoe has shaken off his mysterious illness.
I’d expect Cudicini to return in goal, with a probable back four of Walker, Corluka, Bassong and Rose. The return of Rose at LB could push Townsend back into his more familiar left wing role, although he may start on the bench if Harry wants to start with Pienaar. Lennon will start on the right, whilst I would like a central midfield of Livermore and Carroll. Both have impressed me this season and Carroll in particular, despite looking like a ball boy, could become a real talent. Up front, Kane, Pav and Defoe will battle for the two starting places. I would be tempted to go for Defoe and Kane given Pav’s general awfulness this season, but dropping him to the bench for a game like this is hardly going to improve his form and I’d give him a go alongside Defoe from the start, maybe hauling him off at half-time if he continues in his terrible vein of form. On the bench, expect the likes of Fredericks, Nicholson and Luongo, maybe with someone like Kranjcar babysitting.
Harry clearly has most of his focus on the NLD on Sunday and tonight’s game will be another case of avoiding injuries, blooding youngsters and easing injured players back into the fold. With all due respect to Shamrock Rovers, we should win this one easily. Let’s get behind the kids and show them what it means to wear Lilywhite on a European night. It doesn’t matter if it’s Shamrock Rovers or Bayern Munich. Let’s enjoy it.
Tuesday 27 September 2011
The Race for 4th: A comparison
What has shocked me most this season? Arsenal shipping 8 to United? Torres' miss at Old Trafford? Joey Barton's prolific tweeting? Sandro's barnet? No, it was the comment from arch-Gooner Alan Smith, admitting that Spurs are a stronger team than Arsenal now. Is this true? And are we not, following 3 wins on the bounce including the battering of Liverpool, favourites to reclaim 4th? Should anything less than 4th be considered a failure and an underachievement? Here are the Top 4 contenders:
I have no doubt that the Manchester clubs will finish 1st and 2nd this season. Probably by quite a distance unfortunately. United look stronger than last season and, as much as I hate to say it, City have moved on to the next level. Whilst it was inevitable that their unlimited spending would eventually push them towards the summit, it was still enjoyable to watch big names come and fail. Big fees don't automatically make you any good. Step forward Jerome Boateng, Aleksandr Kolarov, Robinho. But the signings of Nasri and Aguero have allowed a step up in quality. I doubt we would have conceded 5 if Parker and Sandro were involved but it was clear that they are no longer on our level.
Chelsea will probably make 3rd. They are catchable and I don't think we will be too far behind them, but I can't see them slipping out of the top 3.
So, who's getting that all important 4th place?
According to the bookies, Liverpool. Just. Liverpool are 6/5 to get it, fractionally ahead of ourselves at 13/10, followed by Arsenal at 9/4.
So, why are Liverpool favourites? They sit a point clear of us in the fledgeling table, albeit having played a game more. Pundits seem to adore Suarez and adore King Kenny and his policy of buying British. Suarez is clearly a very good striker but he seems to be prone to temper tantrums when a top quality defender neutralises him in the way that Ledley King has done in his two games against us. £35 million for Carroll, £7 million for Adam, £20 million for Henderson, £20 million for Downing. It all smacks of buying British for the sake of it. World class prices for not world class players. Yes Liverpool will roll teams over at Anfield more often than not, but I get the feeling that they will struggle on the road this season and get found out by the stronger teams in the league, like they were against us last week. They may be a work in progress but I think they are still behind us in terms of development and should finish behind us in the league.
Arsenal. What a start they've had. It's been great hasn't it? Losing Nasri and Fabregas, arguably their two best players and replacing them with good but inferior players in Arteta and Benayoun indicates how the goalposts have moved for Arsenal this season. Sczesney may be turning into an excellent goalkeeper but the defence looks as hapless as ever. New signing Mertesacker's default facial expression is one of bewilderment, which fits in perfectly with the rest of the Arsenal defence. Walcott's pace remains a threat but Arsenal seem in danger of becoming a one man team. Lose van Persie and they'll be in big(ger) trouble.
Now to us. Many Spurs fans were lamenting a shocking pre-season, what with the Modric saga rumbling on and a failure to bring any outfield players in before the start of the season. With hindsight, it was a pretty good pre-season. Keeping Modric was a crucial statement of intent and Redknapp's desire to bring in '2 or 3 top class players' has been fulfilled. In Big Bad Brad we now have a keeper who may be less lovable, but also is less prone to treating crossed balls like live grenades. Parker and Adebayor are considerable improvements on the players they have replaced.
Who, hand on heart, would you take from the Arsenal and Liverpool squads as first team starters, not just squad members? I would have Reina and a fit and on form Gerrard. I'm sure many people would have Suarez too but I would prefer Adebayor. From Arsenal, I would take Van Persie. That's it.
On paper we have a Top 4 team. Of this I have no doubt. Psychologically we need to accept this position. Prove we are one of the best teams in the country. Treat the lower half with distain and dispatch them. Go to the Emirates, Stamford Bridge and Anfield believing we are the stronger team.
I want to be playing Bayern Munich this week, not Shamrock Rovers. Let's leave that to Arsenal next season.
I have no doubt that the Manchester clubs will finish 1st and 2nd this season. Probably by quite a distance unfortunately. United look stronger than last season and, as much as I hate to say it, City have moved on to the next level. Whilst it was inevitable that their unlimited spending would eventually push them towards the summit, it was still enjoyable to watch big names come and fail. Big fees don't automatically make you any good. Step forward Jerome Boateng, Aleksandr Kolarov, Robinho. But the signings of Nasri and Aguero have allowed a step up in quality. I doubt we would have conceded 5 if Parker and Sandro were involved but it was clear that they are no longer on our level.
Chelsea will probably make 3rd. They are catchable and I don't think we will be too far behind them, but I can't see them slipping out of the top 3.
So, who's getting that all important 4th place?
According to the bookies, Liverpool. Just. Liverpool are 6/5 to get it, fractionally ahead of ourselves at 13/10, followed by Arsenal at 9/4.
So, why are Liverpool favourites? They sit a point clear of us in the fledgeling table, albeit having played a game more. Pundits seem to adore Suarez and adore King Kenny and his policy of buying British. Suarez is clearly a very good striker but he seems to be prone to temper tantrums when a top quality defender neutralises him in the way that Ledley King has done in his two games against us. £35 million for Carroll, £7 million for Adam, £20 million for Henderson, £20 million for Downing. It all smacks of buying British for the sake of it. World class prices for not world class players. Yes Liverpool will roll teams over at Anfield more often than not, but I get the feeling that they will struggle on the road this season and get found out by the stronger teams in the league, like they were against us last week. They may be a work in progress but I think they are still behind us in terms of development and should finish behind us in the league.
Arsenal. What a start they've had. It's been great hasn't it? Losing Nasri and Fabregas, arguably their two best players and replacing them with good but inferior players in Arteta and Benayoun indicates how the goalposts have moved for Arsenal this season. Sczesney may be turning into an excellent goalkeeper but the defence looks as hapless as ever. New signing Mertesacker's default facial expression is one of bewilderment, which fits in perfectly with the rest of the Arsenal defence. Walcott's pace remains a threat but Arsenal seem in danger of becoming a one man team. Lose van Persie and they'll be in big(ger) trouble.
Now to us. Many Spurs fans were lamenting a shocking pre-season, what with the Modric saga rumbling on and a failure to bring any outfield players in before the start of the season. With hindsight, it was a pretty good pre-season. Keeping Modric was a crucial statement of intent and Redknapp's desire to bring in '2 or 3 top class players' has been fulfilled. In Big Bad Brad we now have a keeper who may be less lovable, but also is less prone to treating crossed balls like live grenades. Parker and Adebayor are considerable improvements on the players they have replaced.
Who, hand on heart, would you take from the Arsenal and Liverpool squads as first team starters, not just squad members? I would have Reina and a fit and on form Gerrard. I'm sure many people would have Suarez too but I would prefer Adebayor. From Arsenal, I would take Van Persie. That's it.
On paper we have a Top 4 team. Of this I have no doubt. Psychologically we need to accept this position. Prove we are one of the best teams in the country. Treat the lower half with distain and dispatch them. Go to the Emirates, Stamford Bridge and Anfield believing we are the stronger team.
I want to be playing Bayern Munich this week, not Shamrock Rovers. Let's leave that to Arsenal next season.
Friday 23 September 2011
Wigan Preview: Nothing less than 3 points.
09/10: Season Aggregate Tottenham 12 Wigan 1
10/11: Season Aggregate Tottenham 0 Wigan 1
So last season was a spectacular come-down after our crushing of Wigan home and away (particularly home) from the season before. How we failed to score against them last season after blasting 12 past them in 2 games is unforgivable. The game at White Hart Lane was the classic dominate, fail to score, get hit with sucker punch script that we went by too often last season. From what I remember, the game at the DW was a dull, forgettable bore draw.
Wigan are a team that I've tipped to go down pretty much every season since they came up and they continue to prove me wrong. I quite like them as a club, I like Martinez and their 3-2 win over Arsenal last year gave me great pleasure. Having said that, there's nothing in this Wigan side that should concern us too much. N'Zogbia has moved on, Rodallega remains something of an enigma and even after scoring more goals in the past 2 weeks than he's managed in the previous 3 years, Franco di Santo hopefully shouldn't trouble us too much. Play half as well as we did against Liverpool and we should win.
But therein lies the Tottenham conundrum. How many times in the past have we picked up a great win at home and then rolled over against an average team up north. Shaking off our failure to kill off the weaker teams in the league is essential to our hopes of returning to the Champions League. Our form against the bottom half of the table last season was well documented and unacceptable. Beating the bottom 6 teams in the league home and away is not too great an ask and provides 36 points. Which, based on last season is over half way to finishing in the top 4 and half way to finishing 2nd.
With the additions of Friedel, Parker and Adebayor, we should be more clinical up front, solid in the midfield and less prone to brainfarts in goal. All of which should make us too strong for Wigan. Gallas and Sandro should return, but on the back of 4 consecutive clean sheets, I reckon if it ain't broke don't fix it. Gallas should only come in if Harry wants to ensure Ledders is fit for Arsenal by resting him.
It's games like this that define season intentions. The best teams in the league win at places like Wigan even when they aren't playing particularly well. We are one of the best teams in the league and we should win tomorrow. If we don't, our hard work against Liverpool will be undone and it's back to the drawing board.
Keep focused. 3 points. Nothing less will do.
10/11: Season Aggregate Tottenham 0 Wigan 1
So last season was a spectacular come-down after our crushing of Wigan home and away (particularly home) from the season before. How we failed to score against them last season after blasting 12 past them in 2 games is unforgivable. The game at White Hart Lane was the classic dominate, fail to score, get hit with sucker punch script that we went by too often last season. From what I remember, the game at the DW was a dull, forgettable bore draw.
Wigan are a team that I've tipped to go down pretty much every season since they came up and they continue to prove me wrong. I quite like them as a club, I like Martinez and their 3-2 win over Arsenal last year gave me great pleasure. Having said that, there's nothing in this Wigan side that should concern us too much. N'Zogbia has moved on, Rodallega remains something of an enigma and even after scoring more goals in the past 2 weeks than he's managed in the previous 3 years, Franco di Santo hopefully shouldn't trouble us too much. Play half as well as we did against Liverpool and we should win.
But therein lies the Tottenham conundrum. How many times in the past have we picked up a great win at home and then rolled over against an average team up north. Shaking off our failure to kill off the weaker teams in the league is essential to our hopes of returning to the Champions League. Our form against the bottom half of the table last season was well documented and unacceptable. Beating the bottom 6 teams in the league home and away is not too great an ask and provides 36 points. Which, based on last season is over half way to finishing in the top 4 and half way to finishing 2nd.
With the additions of Friedel, Parker and Adebayor, we should be more clinical up front, solid in the midfield and less prone to brainfarts in goal. All of which should make us too strong for Wigan. Gallas and Sandro should return, but on the back of 4 consecutive clean sheets, I reckon if it ain't broke don't fix it. Gallas should only come in if Harry wants to ensure Ledders is fit for Arsenal by resting him.
It's games like this that define season intentions. The best teams in the league win at places like Wigan even when they aren't playing particularly well. We are one of the best teams in the league and we should win tomorrow. If we don't, our hard work against Liverpool will be undone and it's back to the drawing board.
Keep focused. 3 points. Nothing less will do.
Wednesday 21 September 2011
Lots of Silver Linings to be had.
Once again, one negative result and the optimism created from a terrific win is drowned in a sea of doom and gloom. I wasn't one of the brave and hardy souls who travelled to a cold and wet Stoke on a Tuesday night, the type of occasion that pundits love to imagine would test Barcelona. Those who travelled knew full well, as I think we all did, that it wasn't going to be the swaggering, swashbuckling display we saw on Sunday, but nevertheless were disappointed with what was served up.
There are those that say it's not the Tottenham way. We pride ourselves on our traditional cup success and going out in the third round with a second string team just isn't the done thing. It's disappointing yes, but I'm not too downhearted and here's why. (I'm not even going to use the 'Tin-pot Mickey Mouse Cup excuse').
Penalties. Yes we lost on them again. In my years supporting Spurs I have now seen 6 shootouts and we've lost every single one. Add to that supporting England and my experience of shootouts reads 11 shootouts, 1 win, 10 defeats. But at least 6 out of 8 successful penalties last night was an improvement on our usual success rate. Is it stupid to suggest Corluka as a regular penalty taker when he's on the pitch? He's stepped up and converted in our last two shootouts: last night and the Carling Cup final v United, with great calmness and confidence. Credit must go to the kids who had the minerals to step up, even poor old Massimo Luongo.
Clean Sheet. Again, we tinkered with our team and defence and kept a 4th consecutive clean sheet. Stoke may have made changes to their line-up too but what they put out was still a pretty strong line-up and keeping out 4 decent Premier League strikers in Jerome, Jones, Crouch and Walters for 120 minutes was encouraging.
I'm in the camp that believes it's good and important to see academy players get a go in the first team. Most or maybe all might not make the grade at Spurs, but it's still more positive than seeing a team full of disaffected reserves going through the motions.
If nothing else, last night confirmed that Pavlyuchenko and Gomes do not deserve places in the first team and should be moved on in January. Both still have good reputations in their homelands and if we can get close to £20 million for Crouch and Palacios then we should be able to get something similar for these two. They remain two of the remaining pieces of deadwood in a squad that was pretty well trimmed on deadline day.
Was great to see Sandro back last night, crazy hair and all. Gallas also came through 90 minutes against Brentford last night and slowly but surely we are getting a fully fit squad. With midweek games only every other week now, hopefully the worst of our injury problems are behind us.
Like PAOK, last night's game was just something to get through with a bigger challenge on the horizon. In a weeks time, we'll have forgotten we were ever in the Carling Cup.
Onwards and upwards.
There are those that say it's not the Tottenham way. We pride ourselves on our traditional cup success and going out in the third round with a second string team just isn't the done thing. It's disappointing yes, but I'm not too downhearted and here's why. (I'm not even going to use the 'Tin-pot Mickey Mouse Cup excuse').
Penalties. Yes we lost on them again. In my years supporting Spurs I have now seen 6 shootouts and we've lost every single one. Add to that supporting England and my experience of shootouts reads 11 shootouts, 1 win, 10 defeats. But at least 6 out of 8 successful penalties last night was an improvement on our usual success rate. Is it stupid to suggest Corluka as a regular penalty taker when he's on the pitch? He's stepped up and converted in our last two shootouts: last night and the Carling Cup final v United, with great calmness and confidence. Credit must go to the kids who had the minerals to step up, even poor old Massimo Luongo.
Clean Sheet. Again, we tinkered with our team and defence and kept a 4th consecutive clean sheet. Stoke may have made changes to their line-up too but what they put out was still a pretty strong line-up and keeping out 4 decent Premier League strikers in Jerome, Jones, Crouch and Walters for 120 minutes was encouraging.
I'm in the camp that believes it's good and important to see academy players get a go in the first team. Most or maybe all might not make the grade at Spurs, but it's still more positive than seeing a team full of disaffected reserves going through the motions.
If nothing else, last night confirmed that Pavlyuchenko and Gomes do not deserve places in the first team and should be moved on in January. Both still have good reputations in their homelands and if we can get close to £20 million for Crouch and Palacios then we should be able to get something similar for these two. They remain two of the remaining pieces of deadwood in a squad that was pretty well trimmed on deadline day.
Was great to see Sandro back last night, crazy hair and all. Gallas also came through 90 minutes against Brentford last night and slowly but surely we are getting a fully fit squad. With midweek games only every other week now, hopefully the worst of our injury problems are behind us.
Like PAOK, last night's game was just something to get through with a bigger challenge on the horizon. In a weeks time, we'll have forgotten we were ever in the Carling Cup.
Onwards and upwards.
Monday 19 September 2011
Spurs 4 Liverpool 0: Here are our Top 4 Credentials
What a difference 90 minutes of football at White Hart Lane makes. 2 weeks ago, the final whistle blew on a chastening experience against Manchester City, where Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero showed that our Champions League playoffs with City are a thing of the past 2 weeks ago I shuffled into work with my beloved team bottom of the table on -7 goal difference. Peter Crouch had just spent another 90 minutes doing a poor impression of a Premier League striker and Niko Kranjcar was being used as a holding midfielder. Today, I'm reading every report, watching our goals over and over, we sit above Arsenal and since Dzeko curled his 4th of the day past Friedel, we've scored 6 unanswered goals. Things are looking up.
I'm not going to do player ratings; everyone excelled, everyone looked 10x their red counterparts. A little rundown of the game first, then a few special shoutouts.
The start was what we want everytime. Too many times last season did we explode out of the traps, dominate teams and have them on the ropes early but fail to land that early haymaker. Instead, we've missed with an Ortiz-style headbutt before stepping back apologetically for not quite connecting and getting a Mayweather sucker punch in the gob. Instead, we got our just reward, as our wantaway Croat curled a sumptuous scorcher beyond Pepe Reina. Reina must hate keeping at the Park Lane end. I doubt he'd quite recovered from Assou-Ekotto's bullet from a few seasons back as he could only stand and wave at Modric's strike as it screamed by. I've always said that Luka Modric can't shoot...
Liverpool were awful but we didn't give them a chance to be anything else. Just like the game against Chelsea the season before last, we put our foot on their throat early on and didn't take it off. Dalglish has made such an effort and spent so much money on developing a British core to his team that he may have missed the point that, at the moment, British players simply aren't very good. I was very surprised that Kuyt played no part yesterday and losing Meireles looks like a poor bit of business. Would he have been sold if he were English?
The sendings off certainly made things easier but we were comfortably on top before then and I'm sure we would have gone on to win without them. I'm so glad we didn't sign that fat thug Adam. His tackle on Parker was a straight red tackle and his sending off readdressed the karmic balance after his horrible stamp on Bale last season went unpunished. Good riddance.
One criticism from our performance is that we should have been out of sight before the second sending off. But from then on, it was a case of how many we would get. For a moment, it looked as if Defoe had ballsed up his chance after being sent clear by VDV, but he reminded us of his predatory instincts with a sharp finish after turning Enrique. Then enter Adebayor. What a difference a top quality striker makes to our efforts. Imagine if it had been Crouch instead of Adebayor today. He would have flopped around like an injured Daddy longlegs, scuffing good chances and holding his head with that stupid grin on his face. I knew Adebayor was big and strong and knew where the goal was, but I was hugely impressed by the subtlety of his game. Dropping deep, linking the play and working very hard. I really don't care if he's playing for a move to Madrid. If he stays fit and keeps up his work rate, I have no doubt he will fire us into the Top 4. His goals yesterday were beautiful in their finesse, composure and ruthlessness.
Aside from the obvious attacking stars, special mentions should go to the back four. Walker was as solid as I've seen him, King was King, Kaboul completely neutralised Carroll and looked every inch the successor to King's throne and my man-crush on BAE continues. He's just lovely isn't he?
Another special mention goes to Scott Parker. Wasn't sure what he would bring when we signed him but he was excellent yesterday. I've rarely seen someone work so hard, putting his body on the line and allowing the like of Modric and Bale to do their thing. He's looking like an inspired signing.
Deep breath. It was just one game. Anything less than 3 points at Wigan will undo this fantastic result and performance. Alan Smith declaring that Spurs were probably a better team than Arsenal now made me choke on my Horlicks last night. Let's prove it the week after. I want another Adebayor slide.
Sandro, Gallas, Lennon, Huddlestone, Pienaar on the mend too? I've had a bloody good weekend. How was yours?
Come on you Spurs.
I'm not going to do player ratings; everyone excelled, everyone looked 10x their red counterparts. A little rundown of the game first, then a few special shoutouts.
The start was what we want everytime. Too many times last season did we explode out of the traps, dominate teams and have them on the ropes early but fail to land that early haymaker. Instead, we've missed with an Ortiz-style headbutt before stepping back apologetically for not quite connecting and getting a Mayweather sucker punch in the gob. Instead, we got our just reward, as our wantaway Croat curled a sumptuous scorcher beyond Pepe Reina. Reina must hate keeping at the Park Lane end. I doubt he'd quite recovered from Assou-Ekotto's bullet from a few seasons back as he could only stand and wave at Modric's strike as it screamed by. I've always said that Luka Modric can't shoot...
Liverpool were awful but we didn't give them a chance to be anything else. Just like the game against Chelsea the season before last, we put our foot on their throat early on and didn't take it off. Dalglish has made such an effort and spent so much money on developing a British core to his team that he may have missed the point that, at the moment, British players simply aren't very good. I was very surprised that Kuyt played no part yesterday and losing Meireles looks like a poor bit of business. Would he have been sold if he were English?
The sendings off certainly made things easier but we were comfortably on top before then and I'm sure we would have gone on to win without them. I'm so glad we didn't sign that fat thug Adam. His tackle on Parker was a straight red tackle and his sending off readdressed the karmic balance after his horrible stamp on Bale last season went unpunished. Good riddance.
One criticism from our performance is that we should have been out of sight before the second sending off. But from then on, it was a case of how many we would get. For a moment, it looked as if Defoe had ballsed up his chance after being sent clear by VDV, but he reminded us of his predatory instincts with a sharp finish after turning Enrique. Then enter Adebayor. What a difference a top quality striker makes to our efforts. Imagine if it had been Crouch instead of Adebayor today. He would have flopped around like an injured Daddy longlegs, scuffing good chances and holding his head with that stupid grin on his face. I knew Adebayor was big and strong and knew where the goal was, but I was hugely impressed by the subtlety of his game. Dropping deep, linking the play and working very hard. I really don't care if he's playing for a move to Madrid. If he stays fit and keeps up his work rate, I have no doubt he will fire us into the Top 4. His goals yesterday were beautiful in their finesse, composure and ruthlessness.
Aside from the obvious attacking stars, special mentions should go to the back four. Walker was as solid as I've seen him, King was King, Kaboul completely neutralised Carroll and looked every inch the successor to King's throne and my man-crush on BAE continues. He's just lovely isn't he?
Another special mention goes to Scott Parker. Wasn't sure what he would bring when we signed him but he was excellent yesterday. I've rarely seen someone work so hard, putting his body on the line and allowing the like of Modric and Bale to do their thing. He's looking like an inspired signing.
Deep breath. It was just one game. Anything less than 3 points at Wigan will undo this fantastic result and performance. Alan Smith declaring that Spurs were probably a better team than Arsenal now made me choke on my Horlicks last night. Let's prove it the week after. I want another Adebayor slide.
Sandro, Gallas, Lennon, Huddlestone, Pienaar on the mend too? I've had a bloody good weekend. How was yours?
Come on you Spurs.
Friday 16 September 2011
PAOK 0 - 0 Spurs: Player Reviews
It was dull, it was tedious and at times you were tempted to flick over and have a look at what was on Animal Planet instead, but in the end Harry got what he wanted, a point on the board and no injuries. With Liverpool looming and a group where home wins against Shamrock Rovers and PAOK should send us through, it was never going to require blood and guts effort. The postponed Everton game allowed for a full-strength team at Hearts which was, with hindsight, massive overkill. Since then, it's been 2 games contested by kids and disaffected reserves, no goals scored, no goals conceded. European glory nights indeed.
Credit must go to the PAOK fans for what seemed like a fantastic atmosphere. The shirtless, bouncing Greek masses were a great advertisement for the Europa League, even if the football wasn't. In terms of entertainment, second place must go to the referee, who approached the game with the usual zealous authority of continental referees. Strange free kicks for both sides, a re-taken penalty, a harsh yellow for diving for Kane and an even harsher yellow for trying to take a quick free kick for Carroll. If Europa League refs keep handing out yellows like last night, our under-11s may be getting a look in before too long.
Not much to write home about in terms of incident and chances, a few near misses for Yago Falque and a late flurry from PAOK denied by Cudicini and the bar was about it. So how did the kids and the adults looking after them fare? Onwards:
Cudicini: 6 Fairly competent display from our professional back-up keeper. Terrific save late on kept us in the game but was slow and sluggish coming off his line when giving away the penalty.
Walker: 6 Good and bad sides of Walker as usual. Lightning quick, strong and confident going forward. Defensively improving but again, lapses in concentration saw him out of position too often and Corluka took a booking covering for him in the second half.
Corluka: 6 One of our most senior players and wasn't too troubled by anything over the course of the night. Probably a bit too lumbering to play centre half against better teams but looked in control, certainly in comparison to Bassong.
Bassong: 5 Worrying decline since his promising first season with us, now looks panicked, awkward and painfully one-footed. Letting a cross go by him because he assumed Corluka was covering, allowing a PAOK player to miss from 6 yards was a cardinal defensive sin. Get well soon, Dawson and Gallas.
Townsend: 6 Unfortunate that injury to Danny Rose forces Townsend's inclusion at full back. Inventive, quick and skilful, young Andros could be a handful on the wing but he is clearly not a full back. Also needs to learn to release the ball sooner. Watch his teammates get frustrated the next time he runs up a dead end.
Falque: 6 Technically very good and found himself in good positions but didn't stand out unfortunately. Had our best two chances when having a shot cleared off the line in the first half and curling just wide in the second. Bit more game time and he could be an asset.
Carroll: 7 Pre-pubescent in stature but was excellent with the ball at his feet, recycling possession and keeping the game ticking over. Intelligent and with a good eye for a pass, like a (very) mini-Tom Huddlestone. If Tom gets on the creatine and gets down the gym he could have a future.
Livermore: 8 I thought he was great last night. Big, strong and deceptively quick, he already looks like a more senior member of the squad. Super run forward and calmness under pressure nearly led to a goal and he patrolled the midfield well. I thought he would be a bit out of his depth in the first team but he's proving me wrong. Long may it continue.
Dos Santos 5 Missed opportunity for Gio and reminded us perhaps why he hasn't had much of a look in at Spurs. Wasteful when in good positions and had an annoying Walcott-esque tendency to run straight into people instead of going round them. Attitude was poor, anymore shrugging and not tracking back when he loses the ball could lead to a Glasgow kiss from Joe Jordan.
Kane: 6 Should have had a penalty and very unfortunate to be booked for diving when clearly tripped. Looked more comfortable when he dropped deeper in the second half and was able to run from deep. Certainly worth more game time.
Pav: 4 What can you say? A man with 43 caps for Russia and in a team of teenagers he was the worst player on the pitch. Touch of a rapist, zero vision and please: Stop Fucking Shooting From 35 yards. I've been a supporter of Pav when others have dismissed him but now, as long as Adebayor and Defoe remain fit, I don't want to see him again.
Fredericks: N/A Can't really give him a rating as he was only on for 10 minutes and touched the ball no more than 3 times. Pace to burn and eager to show it off. Did well to beat a man on the outside (Lennon take note) but was bizarrely penalised for doing so.
Well, an awful game but one that the kids would've enjoyed and we've come out of an away game with a point which is not to be sniffed at. I don't think a DVD of that one is imminent. Let's forget all about it. Liverpool next. Now you're talking. Preview coming soon.
Credit must go to the PAOK fans for what seemed like a fantastic atmosphere. The shirtless, bouncing Greek masses were a great advertisement for the Europa League, even if the football wasn't. In terms of entertainment, second place must go to the referee, who approached the game with the usual zealous authority of continental referees. Strange free kicks for both sides, a re-taken penalty, a harsh yellow for diving for Kane and an even harsher yellow for trying to take a quick free kick for Carroll. If Europa League refs keep handing out yellows like last night, our under-11s may be getting a look in before too long.
Not much to write home about in terms of incident and chances, a few near misses for Yago Falque and a late flurry from PAOK denied by Cudicini and the bar was about it. So how did the kids and the adults looking after them fare? Onwards:
Cudicini: 6 Fairly competent display from our professional back-up keeper. Terrific save late on kept us in the game but was slow and sluggish coming off his line when giving away the penalty.
Walker: 6 Good and bad sides of Walker as usual. Lightning quick, strong and confident going forward. Defensively improving but again, lapses in concentration saw him out of position too often and Corluka took a booking covering for him in the second half.
Corluka: 6 One of our most senior players and wasn't too troubled by anything over the course of the night. Probably a bit too lumbering to play centre half against better teams but looked in control, certainly in comparison to Bassong.
Bassong: 5 Worrying decline since his promising first season with us, now looks panicked, awkward and painfully one-footed. Letting a cross go by him because he assumed Corluka was covering, allowing a PAOK player to miss from 6 yards was a cardinal defensive sin. Get well soon, Dawson and Gallas.
Townsend: 6 Unfortunate that injury to Danny Rose forces Townsend's inclusion at full back. Inventive, quick and skilful, young Andros could be a handful on the wing but he is clearly not a full back. Also needs to learn to release the ball sooner. Watch his teammates get frustrated the next time he runs up a dead end.
Falque: 6 Technically very good and found himself in good positions but didn't stand out unfortunately. Had our best two chances when having a shot cleared off the line in the first half and curling just wide in the second. Bit more game time and he could be an asset.
Carroll: 7 Pre-pubescent in stature but was excellent with the ball at his feet, recycling possession and keeping the game ticking over. Intelligent and with a good eye for a pass, like a (very) mini-Tom Huddlestone. If Tom gets on the creatine and gets down the gym he could have a future.
Livermore: 8 I thought he was great last night. Big, strong and deceptively quick, he already looks like a more senior member of the squad. Super run forward and calmness under pressure nearly led to a goal and he patrolled the midfield well. I thought he would be a bit out of his depth in the first team but he's proving me wrong. Long may it continue.
Dos Santos 5 Missed opportunity for Gio and reminded us perhaps why he hasn't had much of a look in at Spurs. Wasteful when in good positions and had an annoying Walcott-esque tendency to run straight into people instead of going round them. Attitude was poor, anymore shrugging and not tracking back when he loses the ball could lead to a Glasgow kiss from Joe Jordan.
Kane: 6 Should have had a penalty and very unfortunate to be booked for diving when clearly tripped. Looked more comfortable when he dropped deeper in the second half and was able to run from deep. Certainly worth more game time.
Pav: 4 What can you say? A man with 43 caps for Russia and in a team of teenagers he was the worst player on the pitch. Touch of a rapist, zero vision and please: Stop Fucking Shooting From 35 yards. I've been a supporter of Pav when others have dismissed him but now, as long as Adebayor and Defoe remain fit, I don't want to see him again.
Fredericks: N/A Can't really give him a rating as he was only on for 10 minutes and touched the ball no more than 3 times. Pace to burn and eager to show it off. Did well to beat a man on the outside (Lennon take note) but was bizarrely penalised for doing so.
Well, an awful game but one that the kids would've enjoyed and we've come out of an away game with a point which is not to be sniffed at. I don't think a DVD of that one is imminent. Let's forget all about it. Liverpool next. Now you're talking. Preview coming soon.
Tuesday 13 September 2011
PAOK Thessaloniki: They have a Venereal Disease for a Striker.
It's games like this that make managers like Harry rue participation in the Europa League. If we had lost our final game of the season and Liverpool had won theirs, then it would be Liverpool jetting off this week to Thessaloniki while we put our feet up and prepare.
Oh well, I believe that no true Spurs fan can tire of Lilywhite nights in Europe. Be it in Milan or Thessaloniki, there's something about European nights. It may not have the glitz and the glam of the Champions League, but Spurs belong in Europe and I for one am looking forward to it.
So what to expect? A spot of digging online tells me that PAOK finished 4th in the regular season of the Greek Superleague, behind the 3 Greek teams that people have heard of, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens. PAOK beat Ukranian side Karpaty Lviv 3-1 on aggregate in the last qualifying round and are seeded 3rd in our group. I can't say I've heard of anyone in the PAOK squad, but striker Dimitris Salpingidis has almost 50 caps for Greece and seems to be their main man. A word of warning, don't spell Salpingidis wrong in google, as I've also discovered that Salpingitis is 'an infection of the uterus lining, fallopian tubes, or ovaries'. Lovely.
Nevertheless, the little I've seen of Greek football reminds me of Turkish football, the fans will be loud, the atmosphere will be intimidating, particularly if, as expected, Harry throws the kids out there. But barring any major hiccups, there isn't anything in PAOK to really trouble us.
So who will we see in Lilywhite? Harry has suggested that not many of the players who featured against Wolves will even travel to Greece, what with the small matter of the Scousers on the horizon. Van der Vaart isn't even registered to play in the Europa League and I very much doubt that the likes of Bale, Modric and Adebayor will be risked.
So kids it is? This may resemble a school football team going on tour for the first time. 24 hour coach journey, Gio drinking vodka and coke at the back disguised as regular coke, Harry Kane doodling on a sleeping Joe Jordan, Andros Townsend winning the 'pull a moose' competition at a Thessaloniki club after the game, and sitting at the front will be a handful of grumpy looking seniors, Pav and Bassong trying to sleep.
I'd like to see Gomes start. He may have lost his place and seems to be on his way out, but I still have a soft spot for the Brazilian loon. A strong performance will at least keep Big Brad on his toes.
At the back expect starts for Corluka and Bassong. If Danny Rose is still injured then maybe we will see Townsend continue at full back, a role he played with mixed results against Hearts. With Dawson out for 2 months, Gallas on the missing persons list and Ledley doubtless back in bubble wrap, Kaboul will probably partner Bassong.
The rest of the team frankly I have no idea. Tom Carroll, Ryan Fredericks, Harry Kane and Soulyemane Coulibaly were all conspicuous by their absence from a Spurs XI draw with West Ham yesterday, so we could see at least one or two start, with the others possibly on the bench. Livermore will return to the starting lineup in midfield and Pav will probably start up front. I would certainly like to see Gio start and at least see Yago Falque at some point. In the very least, PAOK will be as confused as to the Spurs starting XI as we are.
Let's be honest, speculating as to whether the likes of Carroll and Coulibaly will feature is a lot more fun than expecting starts for people like Jenas and Hutton isn't it?
The order of the day will be to avoid injuries and give the kids a chance to impress. With winnable home games against PAOK and Rubin and what should be a home and away banker against Shamrock, defeat will not be the end of the world. But it wouldn't help fragile morale ahead of Liverpool would it?
Thursday nights. Channel 5 (Or ESPN, whatever). Embrace it. European glory nights. Let's enjoy it.
Oh well, I believe that no true Spurs fan can tire of Lilywhite nights in Europe. Be it in Milan or Thessaloniki, there's something about European nights. It may not have the glitz and the glam of the Champions League, but Spurs belong in Europe and I for one am looking forward to it.
So what to expect? A spot of digging online tells me that PAOK finished 4th in the regular season of the Greek Superleague, behind the 3 Greek teams that people have heard of, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens. PAOK beat Ukranian side Karpaty Lviv 3-1 on aggregate in the last qualifying round and are seeded 3rd in our group. I can't say I've heard of anyone in the PAOK squad, but striker Dimitris Salpingidis has almost 50 caps for Greece and seems to be their main man. A word of warning, don't spell Salpingidis wrong in google, as I've also discovered that Salpingitis is 'an infection of the uterus lining, fallopian tubes, or ovaries'. Lovely.
Nevertheless, the little I've seen of Greek football reminds me of Turkish football, the fans will be loud, the atmosphere will be intimidating, particularly if, as expected, Harry throws the kids out there. But barring any major hiccups, there isn't anything in PAOK to really trouble us.
So who will we see in Lilywhite? Harry has suggested that not many of the players who featured against Wolves will even travel to Greece, what with the small matter of the Scousers on the horizon. Van der Vaart isn't even registered to play in the Europa League and I very much doubt that the likes of Bale, Modric and Adebayor will be risked.
So kids it is? This may resemble a school football team going on tour for the first time. 24 hour coach journey, Gio drinking vodka and coke at the back disguised as regular coke, Harry Kane doodling on a sleeping Joe Jordan, Andros Townsend winning the 'pull a moose' competition at a Thessaloniki club after the game, and sitting at the front will be a handful of grumpy looking seniors, Pav and Bassong trying to sleep.
I'd like to see Gomes start. He may have lost his place and seems to be on his way out, but I still have a soft spot for the Brazilian loon. A strong performance will at least keep Big Brad on his toes.
At the back expect starts for Corluka and Bassong. If Danny Rose is still injured then maybe we will see Townsend continue at full back, a role he played with mixed results against Hearts. With Dawson out for 2 months, Gallas on the missing persons list and Ledley doubtless back in bubble wrap, Kaboul will probably partner Bassong.
The rest of the team frankly I have no idea. Tom Carroll, Ryan Fredericks, Harry Kane and Soulyemane Coulibaly were all conspicuous by their absence from a Spurs XI draw with West Ham yesterday, so we could see at least one or two start, with the others possibly on the bench. Livermore will return to the starting lineup in midfield and Pav will probably start up front. I would certainly like to see Gio start and at least see Yago Falque at some point. In the very least, PAOK will be as confused as to the Spurs starting XI as we are.
Let's be honest, speculating as to whether the likes of Carroll and Coulibaly will feature is a lot more fun than expecting starts for people like Jenas and Hutton isn't it?
The order of the day will be to avoid injuries and give the kids a chance to impress. With winnable home games against PAOK and Rubin and what should be a home and away banker against Shamrock, defeat will not be the end of the world. But it wouldn't help fragile morale ahead of Liverpool would it?
Thursday nights. Channel 5 (Or ESPN, whatever). Embrace it. European glory nights. Let's enjoy it.
Monday 12 September 2011
Wolves v Spurs: A Run Down
Well, we're off and running. Having overslept and missed the start of the Premier League season thanks to Tottenham High Street going up in flames, we stumbled bleary-eyed, still in our pyjamas, in front of the Manchester freight train. The seemingly endless tedium of the international break over, we picked ourselves up, marched into the Black Country and returned with our first 3 points of the season. The journey starts here.
Our starting XI was encouraging. The absence of VDV allowed a return to a good old fashioned 4-4-2, with a debut for 'Manny' alongside Defoe, with Parker alongside Modric in the midfield. The return of Ledley King was a welcome sight, as we are quite simply a much much better team when he is playing. Ledley isn't human, he can't be. Like the Terminator, he could spend the week getting shot, blown up, put through industrial crushers etc and still emerge, brush himself down, have a light jog on the Friday and put in a world-class 90 minutes on the weekend. I have no doubt that if we get 30 games out of Ledley this season, we will qualify for the Champions League. They can give people new hearts, livers, limbs; why can't they replace his bloody cartilage?
I'm not going to give a blow by blow, I'm sure everyone's seen at least the highlights and read countless reviews of the game. It wasn't a pretty win but it was the only way a win was going to happen. Molineux has been a difficult place for Spurs to go in recent years and Wolves were flying high after a good start. Everyone knew that if Wolves scored first, they would probably go on and win the game, considering our mental fragility at the moment. The flood of negativity on twitter over our first half performance was irritating. What were people hoping for? We aren't Barcelona, I hate to say it but we're now a long way off City, we aren't going to go to Wolves, have 60-70% possession and dispatch them by 3 or 4 goals. We needed to keep things tight, remain patient and the individual quality of players like Modric, Bale and Adebayor would create chances. This is exactly what happened. We are a better team than Wolves and as long as we kept them at bay, our superior quality would eventually shine through.
The point of new signings is to improve the squad and that is exactly what Friedel, Parker and Adebayor have done. Friedel pulled out another excellent save to deny Karl Henry in the first half and it's nice not to have your heart in your mouth every time a cross or corner drifts into the vicinity of the goalkeeper. Parker is a nice mix of industry and invention, patrolling and breaking up play but also getting forward to set up the opening goal. A certain step up from Sgt Wilson's bull in a china shop approach and inability to pass the ball 6 yards. Parker should be a valuable member of the team, at least until the return of Sandro. Despite clearly not being fit, Adebayor already looks a class above our strikers of last season. Strong and quick, his ability to move into the channels and drop deep to link play was encouraging. Can you imagine Crouch beating the offside trap, rounding the goalkeeper and calmly slotting it home? Can you imagine Defoe beating the offside trap?
This is going to be a season where we have to take things one game at a time. Beat Liverpool next week, and we can start to believe that we can really push for the top 4 again. Lose to Liverpool, and we sink back into the mire of depression and recrimination. Back to back home wins against Liverpool and Arsenal? Yes bloody please.
Come on you Spurs.
Our starting XI was encouraging. The absence of VDV allowed a return to a good old fashioned 4-4-2, with a debut for 'Manny' alongside Defoe, with Parker alongside Modric in the midfield. The return of Ledley King was a welcome sight, as we are quite simply a much much better team when he is playing. Ledley isn't human, he can't be. Like the Terminator, he could spend the week getting shot, blown up, put through industrial crushers etc and still emerge, brush himself down, have a light jog on the Friday and put in a world-class 90 minutes on the weekend. I have no doubt that if we get 30 games out of Ledley this season, we will qualify for the Champions League. They can give people new hearts, livers, limbs; why can't they replace his bloody cartilage?
I'm not going to give a blow by blow, I'm sure everyone's seen at least the highlights and read countless reviews of the game. It wasn't a pretty win but it was the only way a win was going to happen. Molineux has been a difficult place for Spurs to go in recent years and Wolves were flying high after a good start. Everyone knew that if Wolves scored first, they would probably go on and win the game, considering our mental fragility at the moment. The flood of negativity on twitter over our first half performance was irritating. What were people hoping for? We aren't Barcelona, I hate to say it but we're now a long way off City, we aren't going to go to Wolves, have 60-70% possession and dispatch them by 3 or 4 goals. We needed to keep things tight, remain patient and the individual quality of players like Modric, Bale and Adebayor would create chances. This is exactly what happened. We are a better team than Wolves and as long as we kept them at bay, our superior quality would eventually shine through.
The point of new signings is to improve the squad and that is exactly what Friedel, Parker and Adebayor have done. Friedel pulled out another excellent save to deny Karl Henry in the first half and it's nice not to have your heart in your mouth every time a cross or corner drifts into the vicinity of the goalkeeper. Parker is a nice mix of industry and invention, patrolling and breaking up play but also getting forward to set up the opening goal. A certain step up from Sgt Wilson's bull in a china shop approach and inability to pass the ball 6 yards. Parker should be a valuable member of the team, at least until the return of Sandro. Despite clearly not being fit, Adebayor already looks a class above our strikers of last season. Strong and quick, his ability to move into the channels and drop deep to link play was encouraging. Can you imagine Crouch beating the offside trap, rounding the goalkeeper and calmly slotting it home? Can you imagine Defoe beating the offside trap?
This is going to be a season where we have to take things one game at a time. Beat Liverpool next week, and we can start to believe that we can really push for the top 4 again. Lose to Liverpool, and we sink back into the mire of depression and recrimination. Back to back home wins against Liverpool and Arsenal? Yes bloody please.
Come on you Spurs.
Wednesday 7 September 2011
Levy vs Redknapp: Long Term vs Short Term
As we know, all summer long, Levy maintained his stance that Modric would not be sold at any price. Redknapp initially sided with his chairman but towards the end of the window began to imply that he believed Modric should be sold, citing his unhappiness and the 3 or 4 'top top' players he could bring in with the money the transfer would raise. Rumours began to circulate that Levy was becoming increasingly frustrated with Redknapp's constant sound-bites to the press, often shrugging and claiming ignorance of what was happening above his head, usually through the window of his car as he drove in and out of Spurs Lodge. Redknapp seemed frustrated with what appeared to be tight-fistedness on the part of the chairman, claiming that Spurs had to sell before they could buy and couldn't compete with the money spent by teams like City and Liverpool on transfer fees and wages.
The difference between Levy and Redknapp is more than just stubbornness and a difference of opinion over our wantaway Croat. It is a classic clash of short vs long term thinking.
Daniel Levy is in it for the long haul. His continued obsession with flogging the dead horse that is the Olympic Stadium and the maybe-not-quite-dead horse that is the NLDP shows that his primary goal is sustainable financial power and security that will allow Spurs to compete at the top for years to come. This is why he won't sanction the breaking of the strict wage structure at the club in an effort to crack the top 4 again at the risk of our financial future, a la Leeds United. Sanctioning a move of £5.5 million and a wage of probably no less than £45,000 for a 30-year old in Scott Parker was a break from the norm, most likely seen as an unfortunate necessity following our midfield's mauling at the hands of United and City. Levy has been burnt before, blowing £15 million and 3 years worth of £50,000 a week on David Bentley for no return. He won't allow this sort of spending again unless he's absolutely sure of the player and the judgement of the manager. It's pretty clear to me that Levy doesn't trust Harry's judgement. Selling Modric, even for £40 million on deadline day, would simply demonstrate to our rivals that with enough persistence, our best players will always be available. Furthermore, it demonstrates to our best players that signing a new deal, even for 5 or 6 years, means nothing at all, because with enough kicking and screaming you can leave anyway a few months later. Having an unhappy player on the books and having our pre-season preparations disrupted may be damaging in the short-term, but Levy has acted in what he believes are our best interests long term.
Redknapp on the other hand is displaying classic short term thinking. He knows (or maybe hopes) that with Fabio Capello resigning next summer, he won't be at Spurs beyond the end of the season. Keeping Modric as a signal for the future that Spurs are not a selling club doesn't benefit Harry at all because he won't be around long enough for it to be relevant to him. All he gets out of the deal is a disgruntled player on his hands. Let's have a look at some of Harry's transfer targets this season, whether successful or not. Friedel, Parker, Bellamy, Cole. All players designed for the here and now, all 30+ with no resale value whatsoever. Harry doesn't care that they'll be past it in a few years time (if they aren't already) because he'll be long gone by then. Self-preservation has always been Harry's number 1 goal. He'll have a crack at the top 4 this season, but won't lose any sleep if he doesn't get it. His column in the Sun, constant chats to Sky Sports and on Talksport and fantasy football adverts with Jeff Stelling keep the press and public onside so that if he fails, he'll shrug, blame the financial clout of City and Liverpool and sod off with the public's positive opinion of him still intact.
In my opinion, Levy is a man with a plan and with Spurs' best interests at heart. Redknapp is a man who his preparing to cover his own arse and is eyeing up the exit.
In Levy we trust.
The difference between Levy and Redknapp is more than just stubbornness and a difference of opinion over our wantaway Croat. It is a classic clash of short vs long term thinking.
Daniel Levy is in it for the long haul. His continued obsession with flogging the dead horse that is the Olympic Stadium and the maybe-not-quite-dead horse that is the NLDP shows that his primary goal is sustainable financial power and security that will allow Spurs to compete at the top for years to come. This is why he won't sanction the breaking of the strict wage structure at the club in an effort to crack the top 4 again at the risk of our financial future, a la Leeds United. Sanctioning a move of £5.5 million and a wage of probably no less than £45,000 for a 30-year old in Scott Parker was a break from the norm, most likely seen as an unfortunate necessity following our midfield's mauling at the hands of United and City. Levy has been burnt before, blowing £15 million and 3 years worth of £50,000 a week on David Bentley for no return. He won't allow this sort of spending again unless he's absolutely sure of the player and the judgement of the manager. It's pretty clear to me that Levy doesn't trust Harry's judgement. Selling Modric, even for £40 million on deadline day, would simply demonstrate to our rivals that with enough persistence, our best players will always be available. Furthermore, it demonstrates to our best players that signing a new deal, even for 5 or 6 years, means nothing at all, because with enough kicking and screaming you can leave anyway a few months later. Having an unhappy player on the books and having our pre-season preparations disrupted may be damaging in the short-term, but Levy has acted in what he believes are our best interests long term.
Redknapp on the other hand is displaying classic short term thinking. He knows (or maybe hopes) that with Fabio Capello resigning next summer, he won't be at Spurs beyond the end of the season. Keeping Modric as a signal for the future that Spurs are not a selling club doesn't benefit Harry at all because he won't be around long enough for it to be relevant to him. All he gets out of the deal is a disgruntled player on his hands. Let's have a look at some of Harry's transfer targets this season, whether successful or not. Friedel, Parker, Bellamy, Cole. All players designed for the here and now, all 30+ with no resale value whatsoever. Harry doesn't care that they'll be past it in a few years time (if they aren't already) because he'll be long gone by then. Self-preservation has always been Harry's number 1 goal. He'll have a crack at the top 4 this season, but won't lose any sleep if he doesn't get it. His column in the Sun, constant chats to Sky Sports and on Talksport and fantasy football adverts with Jeff Stelling keep the press and public onside so that if he fails, he'll shrug, blame the financial clout of City and Liverpool and sod off with the public's positive opinion of him still intact.
In my opinion, Levy is a man with a plan and with Spurs' best interests at heart. Redknapp is a man who his preparing to cover his own arse and is eyeing up the exit.
In Levy we trust.
Tuesday 23 August 2011
United 3 - Spurs 0: Player Ratings
A bit of a curate's egg of a performance from Tottenham last night. For those of you who haven't heard the term before, it can be basically explained as something that is both good and bad in parts, but as a result is entirely spoiled. No biased refereeing to blame it on this time, just the fact that United's weakened team was much stronger than our weakened team. We had our moments, defended strongly in the first half and hit the post in the second. If Lennon had picked out Van der Vaart instead of dallying on the ball we may have gone into the final half hour a goal up. We didn't and once United scored, they pulled away like an Aston Martin at the lights, as the Tottenham Ford Sierra jolted and stalled. Bottom of the table, 0 points 1 game, Redknapp out etc etc. To the ratings:
Friedel - 8
Bit of a surprise starter seeing as our Brazilian loon started at Tynecastle in mid-week. But Big Brad was probably our stand-out performer, making a string of top quality saves (the worldie from Cleverley's low drive being the highlight) and generally looking calm and assured. It's nice not to have your heart in your mouth every time a corner is whipped into the vicinity of the goalkeeper. The Sky microphones also picked up the constant stream of communication from Friedel to his defence. Promising start.
Walker - 6
A couple of bright forays forward in the first half before sickness cut his night short. I get the feeling that weaker teams in the Premiership will be tortured by this boy, but in a game where he has to do more defending than attacking, his weaknesses are a bit more apparent. Gave Young too much room and respect and was caught out of position more than once.
Dawson - 6
As usual, solid and no nonsense. We know he's a bit slow on the turn and although I rate Dawson as one of the best around, I can't help get that nagging feeling that he continues to struggle against the very best strikers in the league.
Kaboul - 7
Excellent in the first half, struggled a bit more (as they all did) in the second. I really like Kaboul as a player and think he's an automatic starter these days. He has all the physical attributes to be one of the best around and once he irons out the occasional lapses in concentration, he'll be a formidable obstacle. Could easily have been sent off for leaning his head into Nani. How stupid can you get? Got sent off against Newcastle for doing exactly the same thing to Tiote.
BAE - 7
I love Benny. So cool he could play the game with a fag in his mouth. Even against a flowing United attack he never looks ruffled and only goes route one as a last resort. Not his greatest display, but he hardly puts a foot wrong these days.
Lennon - 5
He's lost his mojo. Rather oddly, Evra really seems to struggle against Lennon but even with this in mind, he still seems reluctant to take on the full back on the outside and put balls in the box. His glorious chance to set up Rafa in the second half summed up his terrible decision making.
Kranjcar - 5
Plenty of nice touches and intelligent passing but he's not a central midfield and is certainly too much of a luxury to play there against United. Lacked the basic mobility and work rate to compete last night, leaving Livermore with far too much to do. I like Kranjcar and I hope he stays but his cameos in central midfield should be reserved for games against pub teams like Hearts.
Livermore - 6
Worked hard (he bloody had to), did the basics and you can't ask for much more from the lad on a debut at Old Trafford. Left exposed by Kranjcar and unsurprisingly struggled to pick up the movement of Anderson, Cleverley and Rooney. Heart says he has a big part to play this season, head is whispering that he may be a bit out of his depth. I hope I'm wrong.
Bale - 6
Made a couple of promising runs in the first half but faded into obscurity as the game went on. I know it's difficult to make a big impression on the game when United hold on possession so well but we need people like Bale to provide an outlet for a counter attack. Need to see more from him.
Van der Vaart - 7
Occasionally frustrating and perhaps a little too keen to take the 'shoot on sight' tactic literally, Rafa was still our most creative attacker last night. Linked well between the midfield and a lonely looking Defoe and worked De Gea more than anyone. Good to see him get 90 minutes and looking fitter than at any stage last season. Hopefully those niggling injuries are behind him.
Defoe - 6
Looked pretty sharp and like a man eager to impress. It was always going to be difficult playing alone up front against a team of United's quality. Caught in two minds a couple of times when in good positions and was very unlucky to hit the post late on. If that had gone on we'd be praising his predatory instincts.
Subs:
Corluka - 6
Did OK, solid and unspectacular as usual.
Huddlestone - 5
Clearly not fit. A passenger against the rampant United of the last 15 minutes. Certainly looked a mistake bringing him on.
Pav - 5
Was he on?
Deep down we all knew it was unlikely we would get anything from last night's game, especially without the likes of King, Sandro and Modric. 1-0 and I wouldn't have been too downhearted but 3-0 means our goal difference takes an early kicking and we sit bottom. The second leg at Hearts looks like good timing, hopefully serving as a nice morale booster against City. A win on Sunday and hopefully at least Diarra in (I doubt hugely that Adebayor will sign before Sunday, City won't let him make his debut against them), and things will start to look much healthier. It could be worse, we could be Arsenal!
Friedel - 8
Bit of a surprise starter seeing as our Brazilian loon started at Tynecastle in mid-week. But Big Brad was probably our stand-out performer, making a string of top quality saves (the worldie from Cleverley's low drive being the highlight) and generally looking calm and assured. It's nice not to have your heart in your mouth every time a corner is whipped into the vicinity of the goalkeeper. The Sky microphones also picked up the constant stream of communication from Friedel to his defence. Promising start.
Walker - 6
A couple of bright forays forward in the first half before sickness cut his night short. I get the feeling that weaker teams in the Premiership will be tortured by this boy, but in a game where he has to do more defending than attacking, his weaknesses are a bit more apparent. Gave Young too much room and respect and was caught out of position more than once.
Dawson - 6
As usual, solid and no nonsense. We know he's a bit slow on the turn and although I rate Dawson as one of the best around, I can't help get that nagging feeling that he continues to struggle against the very best strikers in the league.
Kaboul - 7
Excellent in the first half, struggled a bit more (as they all did) in the second. I really like Kaboul as a player and think he's an automatic starter these days. He has all the physical attributes to be one of the best around and once he irons out the occasional lapses in concentration, he'll be a formidable obstacle. Could easily have been sent off for leaning his head into Nani. How stupid can you get? Got sent off against Newcastle for doing exactly the same thing to Tiote.
BAE - 7
I love Benny. So cool he could play the game with a fag in his mouth. Even against a flowing United attack he never looks ruffled and only goes route one as a last resort. Not his greatest display, but he hardly puts a foot wrong these days.
Lennon - 5
He's lost his mojo. Rather oddly, Evra really seems to struggle against Lennon but even with this in mind, he still seems reluctant to take on the full back on the outside and put balls in the box. His glorious chance to set up Rafa in the second half summed up his terrible decision making.
Kranjcar - 5
Plenty of nice touches and intelligent passing but he's not a central midfield and is certainly too much of a luxury to play there against United. Lacked the basic mobility and work rate to compete last night, leaving Livermore with far too much to do. I like Kranjcar and I hope he stays but his cameos in central midfield should be reserved for games against pub teams like Hearts.
Livermore - 6
Worked hard (he bloody had to), did the basics and you can't ask for much more from the lad on a debut at Old Trafford. Left exposed by Kranjcar and unsurprisingly struggled to pick up the movement of Anderson, Cleverley and Rooney. Heart says he has a big part to play this season, head is whispering that he may be a bit out of his depth. I hope I'm wrong.
Bale - 6
Made a couple of promising runs in the first half but faded into obscurity as the game went on. I know it's difficult to make a big impression on the game when United hold on possession so well but we need people like Bale to provide an outlet for a counter attack. Need to see more from him.
Van der Vaart - 7
Occasionally frustrating and perhaps a little too keen to take the 'shoot on sight' tactic literally, Rafa was still our most creative attacker last night. Linked well between the midfield and a lonely looking Defoe and worked De Gea more than anyone. Good to see him get 90 minutes and looking fitter than at any stage last season. Hopefully those niggling injuries are behind him.
Defoe - 6
Looked pretty sharp and like a man eager to impress. It was always going to be difficult playing alone up front against a team of United's quality. Caught in two minds a couple of times when in good positions and was very unlucky to hit the post late on. If that had gone on we'd be praising his predatory instincts.
Subs:
Corluka - 6
Did OK, solid and unspectacular as usual.
Huddlestone - 5
Clearly not fit. A passenger against the rampant United of the last 15 minutes. Certainly looked a mistake bringing him on.
Pav - 5
Was he on?
Deep down we all knew it was unlikely we would get anything from last night's game, especially without the likes of King, Sandro and Modric. 1-0 and I wouldn't have been too downhearted but 3-0 means our goal difference takes an early kicking and we sit bottom. The second leg at Hearts looks like good timing, hopefully serving as a nice morale booster against City. A win on Sunday and hopefully at least Diarra in (I doubt hugely that Adebayor will sign before Sunday, City won't let him make his debut against them), and things will start to look much healthier. It could be worse, we could be Arsenal!
Sunday 14 August 2011
The Striker Search: 17 days to go.
If it wasn't for the riots, we'd be one game into our season, and still no marquee striker signing.
Adebayor, Rossi, Llorente, Leandro Damiao, Negredo, Drogba, Gyan, Zamora (!), Ruiz, Falcao, Hulk have all been linked, with varying degrees of seriousness and so far, not a bean. Pav, Crouch, Defoe and even Robbie Keane remain.
So what are we expecting? Personally, I have faith and feel that Levy will pull someone out of the bag. More than likely we will see someone arrive on deadline day, much to Jim White's squeaking delight on Sky Sports News. I will be in Barcelona on deadline day and will no doubt rack up a terrifying phone bill checking for updates every half an hour. I will also hold out a hope of spying Daniel Levy sneaking out of the Nou Camp, maybe with David Villa under his arm.
I think Keane will go, possibly to the MLS and his boyhood club, the LA Galaxy. Crouch could possibly be off to Stoke along with Sgt Wilson, where he will spend the season standing next to the goalkeeper as Rory Delap throws footballs at him. Pav will stay and infuriate and delight us in almost equal measure for another year at least. Out of all of our striking options the man I'd least like to see go is Defoe. I'm in the camp that believes last season was an anomaly for Defoe, where getting injured early on, playing catch up and having a dip in confidence all contributed to a poor season. I was pleased with Harry's comments recently that he expects a big season from Defoe. I think with an early season goal or two, Defoe could hit 15 to 20 goals this year, like we know he can.
There has been a lot of talk this pre-season about two of our youngsters, Harry Kane and Soulyemane Coulibaly and how they could be the answer. 8 goals from Kane this pre-season and positive reviews from a loan spell at Orient last year is very encouraging. It's more likely to see Kane off on loan again this season, preferably to a Championship team, which would be better for his development than the odd Europa League substitute appearance. Despite the famous 9 goals in 4 games at the u17 World Cup this summer and 2 in 2 in a Spurs shirt, we should remember that Coulibaly is 2 years behind Kane in his career, being only 16 years old. I wouldn't expect to see him in the first team picture anytime soon. Ideally Coulibaly will get his head down and score better than a goal a game in the academy team, which is historically what top class strikers have done. Either way, he's very exciting and one to watch.
So who's it going to be? A few sites have announced that a loan deal for Adebayor is virtually done. Personally I would be very happy with this. He certainly knows where the goal is, particularly at White Hart Lane. I don't see why his mercenary tendencies should be an issue; as we've learnt from Modric this summer, there's no loyalty left in football so why should we care if someone unashamedly wanted to play for someone else before signing for you? If he's working hard and scoring goals for Spurs that's all that matters. Plus he hates Arsenal which is always a Brucie bonus.
Knowing Spurs, the reporter camped outside Spurs Lodge on deadline day will announce someone completely different stepping out of a large car at half 11. Or Jonathan Walters being shown round the canteen. Either way, did you really expect all business to be done weeks in advance and full focus on the season ahead?
It's Spurs. Here we go again.
Adebayor, Rossi, Llorente, Leandro Damiao, Negredo, Drogba, Gyan, Zamora (!), Ruiz, Falcao, Hulk have all been linked, with varying degrees of seriousness and so far, not a bean. Pav, Crouch, Defoe and even Robbie Keane remain.
So what are we expecting? Personally, I have faith and feel that Levy will pull someone out of the bag. More than likely we will see someone arrive on deadline day, much to Jim White's squeaking delight on Sky Sports News. I will be in Barcelona on deadline day and will no doubt rack up a terrifying phone bill checking for updates every half an hour. I will also hold out a hope of spying Daniel Levy sneaking out of the Nou Camp, maybe with David Villa under his arm.
I think Keane will go, possibly to the MLS and his boyhood club, the LA Galaxy. Crouch could possibly be off to Stoke along with Sgt Wilson, where he will spend the season standing next to the goalkeeper as Rory Delap throws footballs at him. Pav will stay and infuriate and delight us in almost equal measure for another year at least. Out of all of our striking options the man I'd least like to see go is Defoe. I'm in the camp that believes last season was an anomaly for Defoe, where getting injured early on, playing catch up and having a dip in confidence all contributed to a poor season. I was pleased with Harry's comments recently that he expects a big season from Defoe. I think with an early season goal or two, Defoe could hit 15 to 20 goals this year, like we know he can.
There has been a lot of talk this pre-season about two of our youngsters, Harry Kane and Soulyemane Coulibaly and how they could be the answer. 8 goals from Kane this pre-season and positive reviews from a loan spell at Orient last year is very encouraging. It's more likely to see Kane off on loan again this season, preferably to a Championship team, which would be better for his development than the odd Europa League substitute appearance. Despite the famous 9 goals in 4 games at the u17 World Cup this summer and 2 in 2 in a Spurs shirt, we should remember that Coulibaly is 2 years behind Kane in his career, being only 16 years old. I wouldn't expect to see him in the first team picture anytime soon. Ideally Coulibaly will get his head down and score better than a goal a game in the academy team, which is historically what top class strikers have done. Either way, he's very exciting and one to watch.
So who's it going to be? A few sites have announced that a loan deal for Adebayor is virtually done. Personally I would be very happy with this. He certainly knows where the goal is, particularly at White Hart Lane. I don't see why his mercenary tendencies should be an issue; as we've learnt from Modric this summer, there's no loyalty left in football so why should we care if someone unashamedly wanted to play for someone else before signing for you? If he's working hard and scoring goals for Spurs that's all that matters. Plus he hates Arsenal which is always a Brucie bonus.
Knowing Spurs, the reporter camped outside Spurs Lodge on deadline day will announce someone completely different stepping out of a large car at half 11. Or Jonathan Walters being shown round the canteen. Either way, did you really expect all business to be done weeks in advance and full focus on the season ahead?
It's Spurs. Here we go again.
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Can you smell the fear?
It seems that AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has been taking night classes at the Alex Ferguson school of mind games by claiming that we are not one of the strongest in Europe and that we took advantage of 'mistakes' and the counter attack at the San Siro to win. Now it seems to me that Mr. Allegri would not be saying these things if he were not very very nervous about coming to White Hart Lane tomorrow night. By claiming we are not one of the strongest teams in the competition it would seem on the surface that all he is doing is setting up an even bigger fall for Milan. Surely he should be saying 'Ooh it'll be really difficult for us, Spurs could go on and win the whole thing'? In fact I think Allegri is trying to trigger the one weakness we have showed in the Champions League this year: stage fright. By claiming we still have a huge task ahead of us and are still European minnows, I can only think Allegri is hoping Spurs let the occasion get to them and choke like they did early on against Young Boys and Inter at the San Siro.
Allegri is asking for trouble. These comments of his show he is struggling to find positives. He is already making excuses about the number of midfielders Milan are missing. The size of the occasion will only focus Lilywhite hearts and minds. In the going on 20 years I've sat at White Hart Lane I've never experienced an atmosphere like our Champions League games. Spurs won't choke at the Lane. We won't let them.
Now to the 'mistakes' Milan made which gave us the win in Italy. What mistakes were those? Employing a one-paced backline that struggled against our pace all game? And that was without Gareth Bale. Playing an over-the-hill borderline psychopath in midfield? Not easily rectifiable really.
I have to agree that we took advantage of the counter attack at the San Siro. Well done for spotting that. But who wouldn't play the counter attack away from home in Europe? Bit like saying 'We knew they would use that tactic. They did use it and as a result they won.' Not exactly doing us a disservice. Plus, if Allegri really thinks that the counter attack will form a big part of our game tomorrow then he's in trouble. a) We should attack them from the word go, put the foot on the throat and don't take it off like we did to Inter. b) If we do hit them on the counter, can they stop us? They'll have to go for the win, push people forward and gamble on attacks. Gareth Bale has already showed he likes the big occasions and if Milan struggled against a Bale-less counter attack, then I cannot wait to see our Welsh marauder in full flight tomorrow.
It really doesn't matter what Allegri says about us. If we play our own game, stick it on Crouch's head, give it to VdV, Bale, Modric and Lennon as much as possible, don't play silly buggers at the back then I believe we will win. Against Inter we lost concentration just once, gave Eto'o a yard too much space and he scored out of nowhere. Ibra can do exactly the same. Let's put in another performance that makes Europe sit up and take notice. Let's put ourselves into the hat for the next round and ensure that every team in Europe fears drawing us. Let's show Allegri what one of the smallest teams in the competition can do.
Allegri is asking for trouble. These comments of his show he is struggling to find positives. He is already making excuses about the number of midfielders Milan are missing. The size of the occasion will only focus Lilywhite hearts and minds. In the going on 20 years I've sat at White Hart Lane I've never experienced an atmosphere like our Champions League games. Spurs won't choke at the Lane. We won't let them.
Now to the 'mistakes' Milan made which gave us the win in Italy. What mistakes were those? Employing a one-paced backline that struggled against our pace all game? And that was without Gareth Bale. Playing an over-the-hill borderline psychopath in midfield? Not easily rectifiable really.
I have to agree that we took advantage of the counter attack at the San Siro. Well done for spotting that. But who wouldn't play the counter attack away from home in Europe? Bit like saying 'We knew they would use that tactic. They did use it and as a result they won.' Not exactly doing us a disservice. Plus, if Allegri really thinks that the counter attack will form a big part of our game tomorrow then he's in trouble. a) We should attack them from the word go, put the foot on the throat and don't take it off like we did to Inter. b) If we do hit them on the counter, can they stop us? They'll have to go for the win, push people forward and gamble on attacks. Gareth Bale has already showed he likes the big occasions and if Milan struggled against a Bale-less counter attack, then I cannot wait to see our Welsh marauder in full flight tomorrow.
It really doesn't matter what Allegri says about us. If we play our own game, stick it on Crouch's head, give it to VdV, Bale, Modric and Lennon as much as possible, don't play silly buggers at the back then I believe we will win. Against Inter we lost concentration just once, gave Eto'o a yard too much space and he scored out of nowhere. Ibra can do exactly the same. Let's put in another performance that makes Europe sit up and take notice. Let's put ourselves into the hat for the next round and ensure that every team in Europe fears drawing us. Let's show Allegri what one of the smallest teams in the competition can do.
Monday 7 March 2011
Ossie's Knees Returns. Wolves 3 Spurs 3
After a Jonathan Woodgate-esque absence, Ossie's Knees returns. Where better to return than a frustrating draw at Molineaux?
No doubt in my mind we should have won this game. Almost goes without saying these days that we concede the first goal away from home. Wolves started well yes but regardless of what the shockingly biased Chris Coleman would have you believe (did Spurs do something to him?), Spurs never looked on the ropes and there was no surprise when we turned it around and went in front not once but twice. The biggest surprise was that once we went in front we failed to see it out in the last few minutes, something we've actually been pretty good at this season. Once again we were our own worst enemy not putting away our chances to kill the game off before getting hit with a sucker-punch. We failed to convert any of our 15,000 chances against Blackpool until it was too late and then after three terrific goals out of nowhere yesterday, first Gareth Bale and then a resurrected Defoe failed to put the game beyond Wolves. I can't help but worry that the 5 points we have missed out on against Blackpool and Wolves will come back to haunt us. Our Top 4 destiny is still in our own hands with trips to Chelsea and Macnhester City, but now there's really no room for error. At least 4 points needed from those two games I fear, as well as maximum points from all our remaining home games. We are making it difficult for ourselves, but would we do it any other way?
Let's get the negatives out of the way first. Step forward Mr. Hutton. So Harry chews him out for giving away a stupid penalty at Fulham, is forced into bringing him back in due to Charlie's injury and what does he do? Gives away a stupid penalty and is very lucky not to get sent off. Hutton struggled all day against the dangerous Matt Jarvis, constantly backing off him and allowing him to deliver crosses into the box, which resulted in the Fletcher equaliser. Charlie's injury is looking more and more significant now and I for one am looking forward to next season when we can see Corluka and Walker battle it our for the right back spot.
Now what of our fruit loop Brazilian goalkeeper? Personally I believe he was fouled and the Stearman goal was correctly disallowed. He may have been a bit tentative and should have attacked the ball but Stearman was looking and Gomes and jumped into him. A clear foul in my humble opinion. Plus Gomes also showed us his best side, pulling off a worldie to deny Milijas. Our first half was overall too sluggish and it took us too long to cope with the runs into the box of the Wolves midfielders, particularly Milijas.
So what of the positives? Praise be, our strikers scored! JD's first was textbook Defoe. Given space outside the box, low backlift, sweetly struck deliciousness. His second showed what confidence can do for you. Placement over power this time, JD knew exactly where he wanted to put it and gave the keeper no chance. Will we see the goals flow now? I bloody well hope so. He will probably lose his place against AC to the most prolific beanpole in Europe, but would you bet against him coming off the bench to bang in his 100th goal in Lilywhite? Pav was his usual frustrating self. Anonymous for the majority of the game but pops up with a well taken goal. Say what you like about our Russian friend but he knows where the goal is.
A special mention should also go to Sandro. It's taken him a while to get to grips with the English game but yesterday was another performance of quiet authority and maturity. I've noticed he has a great eye for the intelligent forward run but doesn't neglect his defensive duties. With Palacios going through phases of being unable to string basic passes together and his tendency to give away clumsy fouls in dangerous areas I would have Sandro in the team ahead of him each week now and I hope he keeps his place against Milan on Wednesday. He has the potential to be our midfield enforcer for years to come.
Perhaps the most exciting moment of yesterday's game was the return of one Gareth Bale. The lad could sit have spent the last six weeks sitting on the sofa eating custard creams and watching Cash in the Attic, but he was instantly the most dangerous and athletic player on the pitch, tormenting the rugby player Wolves had playing at full back. It's easy to forget how good players are when they're out injured and I think most of us could be forgiven for forgetting just how good our Welshman is. It adds another layer of excitement to our game with AC that we will see Bale and Van der Vaart together again for the first time in two months.
All in all, a frustrating case of what might have been, but let's follow it up with another glory glory night at the Lane.
No doubt in my mind we should have won this game. Almost goes without saying these days that we concede the first goal away from home. Wolves started well yes but regardless of what the shockingly biased Chris Coleman would have you believe (did Spurs do something to him?), Spurs never looked on the ropes and there was no surprise when we turned it around and went in front not once but twice. The biggest surprise was that once we went in front we failed to see it out in the last few minutes, something we've actually been pretty good at this season. Once again we were our own worst enemy not putting away our chances to kill the game off before getting hit with a sucker-punch. We failed to convert any of our 15,000 chances against Blackpool until it was too late and then after three terrific goals out of nowhere yesterday, first Gareth Bale and then a resurrected Defoe failed to put the game beyond Wolves. I can't help but worry that the 5 points we have missed out on against Blackpool and Wolves will come back to haunt us. Our Top 4 destiny is still in our own hands with trips to Chelsea and Macnhester City, but now there's really no room for error. At least 4 points needed from those two games I fear, as well as maximum points from all our remaining home games. We are making it difficult for ourselves, but would we do it any other way?
Let's get the negatives out of the way first. Step forward Mr. Hutton. So Harry chews him out for giving away a stupid penalty at Fulham, is forced into bringing him back in due to Charlie's injury and what does he do? Gives away a stupid penalty and is very lucky not to get sent off. Hutton struggled all day against the dangerous Matt Jarvis, constantly backing off him and allowing him to deliver crosses into the box, which resulted in the Fletcher equaliser. Charlie's injury is looking more and more significant now and I for one am looking forward to next season when we can see Corluka and Walker battle it our for the right back spot.
Now what of our fruit loop Brazilian goalkeeper? Personally I believe he was fouled and the Stearman goal was correctly disallowed. He may have been a bit tentative and should have attacked the ball but Stearman was looking and Gomes and jumped into him. A clear foul in my humble opinion. Plus Gomes also showed us his best side, pulling off a worldie to deny Milijas. Our first half was overall too sluggish and it took us too long to cope with the runs into the box of the Wolves midfielders, particularly Milijas.
So what of the positives? Praise be, our strikers scored! JD's first was textbook Defoe. Given space outside the box, low backlift, sweetly struck deliciousness. His second showed what confidence can do for you. Placement over power this time, JD knew exactly where he wanted to put it and gave the keeper no chance. Will we see the goals flow now? I bloody well hope so. He will probably lose his place against AC to the most prolific beanpole in Europe, but would you bet against him coming off the bench to bang in his 100th goal in Lilywhite? Pav was his usual frustrating self. Anonymous for the majority of the game but pops up with a well taken goal. Say what you like about our Russian friend but he knows where the goal is.
A special mention should also go to Sandro. It's taken him a while to get to grips with the English game but yesterday was another performance of quiet authority and maturity. I've noticed he has a great eye for the intelligent forward run but doesn't neglect his defensive duties. With Palacios going through phases of being unable to string basic passes together and his tendency to give away clumsy fouls in dangerous areas I would have Sandro in the team ahead of him each week now and I hope he keeps his place against Milan on Wednesday. He has the potential to be our midfield enforcer for years to come.
Perhaps the most exciting moment of yesterday's game was the return of one Gareth Bale. The lad could sit have spent the last six weeks sitting on the sofa eating custard creams and watching Cash in the Attic, but he was instantly the most dangerous and athletic player on the pitch, tormenting the rugby player Wolves had playing at full back. It's easy to forget how good players are when they're out injured and I think most of us could be forgiven for forgetting just how good our Welshman is. It adds another layer of excitement to our game with AC that we will see Bale and Van der Vaart together again for the first time in two months.
All in all, a frustrating case of what might have been, but let's follow it up with another glory glory night at the Lane.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)