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.
Monday, 7 March 2011
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Inter at the San Siro - OMG
First of all, apologies for the lack of posting recently, a combination of being away, an excruciatingly dull international break and a spot of writers block has conspired to slow this blog down. Fingers crossed, we are back up and running.
Inter. San Siro. Champions League. These are the games that I dreamt of as a young boy in the mid to late-90s watching men like Paolo Tramezzani and Jason Dozzell pretending to be footballers. We've come a long way since then and we deserve this stage. There is no better time or opportunity to announce to the giants of Europe that Tottenham Hotspur has arrived.
If we aren't up for this game then my idea of professional football is badly skewed. Am I naive to think that footballers these days dream of playing in games like this? Or is it all Rolexes, Bentleys and prostitutes? If standing in front of 80,000 people at the San Siro as the Champions League music rings out doesn't raise the hairs on the back of every single player in Lilywhite's necks, then that is a very sad thing indeed. I play in a weekly Powerleague team and was amazed when during a routine bit of handbags on the pitch next to us prompted one of the players involved to rush to his bag behind the goal and produce a knife with a 6 inch blade. What sort of mentality is this? 'Off to play football tonight, have I got everything? Boots, shinpads, knife. Yep, good to go.' I want to be reassured tomorrow night that for our young team, a game like this still means everything and should be the pinnacle of a number of careers so far. 'Arry shouldn't have to say a word to pump them up. Setting and opposition should be all they need.
So what can we expect from the game tomorrow night? I think there isn't a sane Spurs fan out there that wouldn't take a point now if offered it. But can we take all 3 points? Why not? An advantage Spurs have in this year's Champions League is the mystery factor. Teams aren't sure what to expect from us. The Werder Bremen director dismissed our threat out of hand and we played Bremen off the park for 45 minutes in Bremen and should have won the game. We will threaten Inter and we will create chances. It's how we cope at the back that will define tomorrow's game. Make the mistakes we made against Bremen and quality like Sneijder and Eto'o will massacre us. If Bassong does his rabbit in the headlights impression that he did against Young Boys then Inter will show no mercy. Defend solidly and we will have a chance. Inter are not as scary as they were last season. Rafa Benitez was comically bad with last season with his hilarious 'guarantee' of 4th place. If Mourinho were still in charge then I would be much more worried. Admittedly, playing a team containing the European goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker of the year doesn't bode well. But I hear rumours from Italy that midfield hardman Esteban Cambiasso and European striker of the year Diego Milito are out of the game. Of course there is strength in depth and of course the likes of Maicon, Sneijder and Eto'o are all available, but I guess I'm just trying to stress that this isn't a foregone conclusion. Inter will be nervous of us too.
So what from Spurs? Big performances from each and every one if you please. I think what I'll do is go through my ideal XI and have a think about their roles:
Gomes: More experience at this level than most in our team. Will certainly have work to do tomorrow. More word-class saves and less rolling about crying when a stiff breeze goes by. Gomes needs a Snickers-wielding Mr.T to roll onto the pitch in a tank to tell him to stop acting like a crazy fool.
Hutton/Corluka: Tricky one this. Hutton's attacking instincts could be useful but is defensively a bit suspect and is slow on the turn. Corluka badly out of form and was poor at Bremen but could be a safer option at the San Siro. I'd be tempted to be bold and go for Hutton.
Bassong: Needs to take a deep breath, focus and listen to Gallas next to him. No playing silly buggers at the back. If in doubt, hoof it out. If Heskey can outfox you, so can Samuel Eto'o.
Gallas: Needs all his experience at this level. Take charge of our defence and keep talking to Bassong. A key night for him.
BAE: Such an underrated cog in our machine IMO. Quick, calm, solid at the back and can support Bale in attack. Will need to be at his best against the marauding Maicon.
Lennon: Signs against Fulham that he may be coming back into form? With VdV out, Azza needs to step up and be a key attacking outlet again.
Huddlestone: Same old same old from Thudd. Needs to get his foot on the ball and use it. Needs to be a calming influence if Inter start to get on top.
Jenas: I'm not a fan of Jenas. He annoys the hell out of me on a Saturday. But in VdV's absence he could be useful at the San Siro. Needs to impose himself and use his athleticism to get up and down the pitch and ensure we don't get overrun in the midfield.
Bale: What can you say? Surely the man Inter fears most. If Bale has a good game, Spurs have a good game. His threat may also force Maicon to abandon his surges forward which could be crucial.
Modric: By his own admittance not at this best at the moment but with VdV out, I expect him to be sitting in the hole behind the striker. We know how good he is. He is a genius. The return of Moddle tonight please.
Crouch: Maybe slightly unfair on Pav as he is a better goalscorer. But there is something about Europe that, like England duty, tends to bring the best out in Crouchie. Maybe continental defences don't know what to do with him. Will need to have this thinking cap on because he won't get much change out of Lucio and Samuel otherwise.
We should be full of confidence. We have players that can hurt any side in the world. I'm not saying we will win, but I'm saying that Inter will have to be at their best to beat us. They will underestimate us at their peril. Maybe, just maybe, an upset could be on the cards.
To the Spurs fans who will be there. We want to hear you drowning out the Inter fans. A lovely, long 'Oh When the Spurs' ringing out at the San Siro. This is what we wanted. Let's make some history.
COYS.
Inter. San Siro. Champions League. These are the games that I dreamt of as a young boy in the mid to late-90s watching men like Paolo Tramezzani and Jason Dozzell pretending to be footballers. We've come a long way since then and we deserve this stage. There is no better time or opportunity to announce to the giants of Europe that Tottenham Hotspur has arrived.
If we aren't up for this game then my idea of professional football is badly skewed. Am I naive to think that footballers these days dream of playing in games like this? Or is it all Rolexes, Bentleys and prostitutes? If standing in front of 80,000 people at the San Siro as the Champions League music rings out doesn't raise the hairs on the back of every single player in Lilywhite's necks, then that is a very sad thing indeed. I play in a weekly Powerleague team and was amazed when during a routine bit of handbags on the pitch next to us prompted one of the players involved to rush to his bag behind the goal and produce a knife with a 6 inch blade. What sort of mentality is this? 'Off to play football tonight, have I got everything? Boots, shinpads, knife. Yep, good to go.' I want to be reassured tomorrow night that for our young team, a game like this still means everything and should be the pinnacle of a number of careers so far. 'Arry shouldn't have to say a word to pump them up. Setting and opposition should be all they need.
So what can we expect from the game tomorrow night? I think there isn't a sane Spurs fan out there that wouldn't take a point now if offered it. But can we take all 3 points? Why not? An advantage Spurs have in this year's Champions League is the mystery factor. Teams aren't sure what to expect from us. The Werder Bremen director dismissed our threat out of hand and we played Bremen off the park for 45 minutes in Bremen and should have won the game. We will threaten Inter and we will create chances. It's how we cope at the back that will define tomorrow's game. Make the mistakes we made against Bremen and quality like Sneijder and Eto'o will massacre us. If Bassong does his rabbit in the headlights impression that he did against Young Boys then Inter will show no mercy. Defend solidly and we will have a chance. Inter are not as scary as they were last season. Rafa Benitez was comically bad with last season with his hilarious 'guarantee' of 4th place. If Mourinho were still in charge then I would be much more worried. Admittedly, playing a team containing the European goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker of the year doesn't bode well. But I hear rumours from Italy that midfield hardman Esteban Cambiasso and European striker of the year Diego Milito are out of the game. Of course there is strength in depth and of course the likes of Maicon, Sneijder and Eto'o are all available, but I guess I'm just trying to stress that this isn't a foregone conclusion. Inter will be nervous of us too.
So what from Spurs? Big performances from each and every one if you please. I think what I'll do is go through my ideal XI and have a think about their roles:
Gomes: More experience at this level than most in our team. Will certainly have work to do tomorrow. More word-class saves and less rolling about crying when a stiff breeze goes by. Gomes needs a Snickers-wielding Mr.T to roll onto the pitch in a tank to tell him to stop acting like a crazy fool.
Hutton/Corluka: Tricky one this. Hutton's attacking instincts could be useful but is defensively a bit suspect and is slow on the turn. Corluka badly out of form and was poor at Bremen but could be a safer option at the San Siro. I'd be tempted to be bold and go for Hutton.
Bassong: Needs to take a deep breath, focus and listen to Gallas next to him. No playing silly buggers at the back. If in doubt, hoof it out. If Heskey can outfox you, so can Samuel Eto'o.
Gallas: Needs all his experience at this level. Take charge of our defence and keep talking to Bassong. A key night for him.
BAE: Such an underrated cog in our machine IMO. Quick, calm, solid at the back and can support Bale in attack. Will need to be at his best against the marauding Maicon.
Lennon: Signs against Fulham that he may be coming back into form? With VdV out, Azza needs to step up and be a key attacking outlet again.
Huddlestone: Same old same old from Thudd. Needs to get his foot on the ball and use it. Needs to be a calming influence if Inter start to get on top.
Jenas: I'm not a fan of Jenas. He annoys the hell out of me on a Saturday. But in VdV's absence he could be useful at the San Siro. Needs to impose himself and use his athleticism to get up and down the pitch and ensure we don't get overrun in the midfield.
Bale: What can you say? Surely the man Inter fears most. If Bale has a good game, Spurs have a good game. His threat may also force Maicon to abandon his surges forward which could be crucial.
Modric: By his own admittance not at this best at the moment but with VdV out, I expect him to be sitting in the hole behind the striker. We know how good he is. He is a genius. The return of Moddle tonight please.
Crouch: Maybe slightly unfair on Pav as he is a better goalscorer. But there is something about Europe that, like England duty, tends to bring the best out in Crouchie. Maybe continental defences don't know what to do with him. Will need to have this thinking cap on because he won't get much change out of Lucio and Samuel otherwise.
We should be full of confidence. We have players that can hurt any side in the world. I'm not saying we will win, but I'm saying that Inter will have to be at their best to beat us. They will underestimate us at their peril. Maybe, just maybe, an upset could be on the cards.
To the Spurs fans who will be there. We want to hear you drowning out the Inter fans. A lovely, long 'Oh When the Spurs' ringing out at the San Siro. This is what we wanted. Let's make some history.
COYS.
Friday, 1 October 2010
New Stadium or Olympic Stadium: What's going on?
There seems to be a lot of confusion this morning as to where we are planning to spend our long-term future. Are we building our new stadium after Haringey council unanimously approved our plans, or are we doing the unthinkable and moving to East London and the Olympic Stadium after 2012, possibly changing our name to Stratford Hotspur in the meantime?
I for one think this is very sound and sensible planning from Daniel Levy. Obviously, priority number one is a brand spanking new stadium on our current White Hart Lane site. I don't for a minute think Levy would ever consider moving us to East London. There would be uproar and revolt. But there are still plenty of hoops for us to jump through before we can start building our new home. There are plenty of things to trip us up. Furthermore, the new stadium will cost a hell of a lot of money. We don't want to cripple ourselves financially for the future trying to pay for it. Levy says we were told that if we did not put in a bid for the Olympic Stadium now, we wouldn't get another chance. It would be stupid not to, right?
I don't think anyone can deny that Daniel Levy is a) an excellent businessman and b) a Spurs man. The Financial Times was the first to announce that our bid for the Olympic Stadium will be a joint bid with the entertainment and facilities management company AEG and that it is with a view to leasing out the stadium. I believe our involvement with the Olympic Stadium may be a money-making scheme to either help pay for our new stadium construction or as an additional income should we be forced to stay at White Hart Lane if our new stadium plans fall through. I don't think actually moving to the Olympic Stadium ourselves is a serious consideration to Levy. It couldn't be, could it? Please, no. Just. No.
Screwing over the Hammers is an additional perk in this process. I for one think it would be fun to buy West Ham's 'spiritual home' as David Gold has called it and then lease it back to them. We could charge them extortionate amounts or evict them midway through the season or other fun things like that. Seriously though, I think this move is a sound business move from Mr. Levy. It would be silly to put all our eggs in our new stadium basket when there is still much work to be done. Putting in an application to the Olympic Stadium when there is no commitment to go through with it makes a lot of sense. It could make us money in the long-run and it has pissed off the Hammers. Win-win.
In Levy we trust. Many say he is a business man first and just wants to make money. But you don't buy a football club to make money. He has Spurs at heart and wants what is best for the club. Believe in him.
I for one think this is very sound and sensible planning from Daniel Levy. Obviously, priority number one is a brand spanking new stadium on our current White Hart Lane site. I don't for a minute think Levy would ever consider moving us to East London. There would be uproar and revolt. But there are still plenty of hoops for us to jump through before we can start building our new home. There are plenty of things to trip us up. Furthermore, the new stadium will cost a hell of a lot of money. We don't want to cripple ourselves financially for the future trying to pay for it. Levy says we were told that if we did not put in a bid for the Olympic Stadium now, we wouldn't get another chance. It would be stupid not to, right?
I don't think anyone can deny that Daniel Levy is a) an excellent businessman and b) a Spurs man. The Financial Times was the first to announce that our bid for the Olympic Stadium will be a joint bid with the entertainment and facilities management company AEG and that it is with a view to leasing out the stadium. I believe our involvement with the Olympic Stadium may be a money-making scheme to either help pay for our new stadium construction or as an additional income should we be forced to stay at White Hart Lane if our new stadium plans fall through. I don't think actually moving to the Olympic Stadium ourselves is a serious consideration to Levy. It couldn't be, could it? Please, no. Just. No.
Screwing over the Hammers is an additional perk in this process. I for one think it would be fun to buy West Ham's 'spiritual home' as David Gold has called it and then lease it back to them. We could charge them extortionate amounts or evict them midway through the season or other fun things like that. Seriously though, I think this move is a sound business move from Mr. Levy. It would be silly to put all our eggs in our new stadium basket when there is still much work to be done. Putting in an application to the Olympic Stadium when there is no commitment to go through with it makes a lot of sense. It could make us money in the long-run and it has pissed off the Hammers. Win-win.
In Levy we trust. Many say he is a business man first and just wants to make money. But you don't buy a football club to make money. He has Spurs at heart and wants what is best for the club. Believe in him.
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Glory Glory Nights R Us: FC Twente Preview
After the appetizer of Young Boys (behave), the arrival of Schteve McClaren's former charges FC Twente signals the arrival of the Champions League proper to the Lane. The Champions League music and the flag waving against Young Boys set my heart fluttering. We've made it to the promised land. We may not be here again next year but for now who cares, we're here, let's have fun. Champions League footie under the floodlights. The atmosphere is going to be electric. I can't bloody wait.
So what can we expect from Twente? Well despite the fact that the 'Wally with the Brolly' has moved on they are Dutch Champions so they can't be shit. A warning as to the dangers of Twente can be found in their draw with Inter in the first game, not just in the result, but in the manner of the goals. The first a cracking free kick from Theo Janssen and the second an own goal from a Theo Janssen corner. Twente are a threat from set pieces and last time I checked we aren't too hot at defending them. The left boot of Theo Janssen will be a huge threat all night and we need to keep corners and silly free kicks around the box (Mr. Bassong take note), to a minimum. That being said, as long as we keep Twente on the back foot as much as possible I think we will be ok.
Now to the boys in European all-Lilywhite. It is possible we will have no-one who missed the West Ham back (although fingers crossed on Gomes and Assou-Ekotto). However, I'm confident that we will still be too strong for Twente. We have seen in the past that visiting teams in the Champions League tend to be cautious and defend deep. Hopefully this should mean that our patchwork defence does not come under too much sustained pressure. Nevertheless, we need all our attacking players firing on all cylinders, including our cigar-chomping winger. Whether 'Arry gives him the arm round the shoulder or the kick up the backside, we need Aaron back on form and soon. I want to see Huddlestone in the quarterback role, exuding authority and stroking balls left, right and centre. Modric and VdV buzzing around like blue-arsed flies creating space, openings, chances. Even if he starts at LB in the absence of BAE, Bale needs to be the unplayable simian marauder we know he can be. Crouch may not be able to hit a barn door in the Premiership but stick a Champions League badge on his arm and he becomes a goal machine. Another couple tonight please Crouchie.
Our club is built upon these floodlit European nights. Glory glory Tottenham Hotspur and all that. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world.
COYS.
So what can we expect from Twente? Well despite the fact that the 'Wally with the Brolly' has moved on they are Dutch Champions so they can't be shit. A warning as to the dangers of Twente can be found in their draw with Inter in the first game, not just in the result, but in the manner of the goals. The first a cracking free kick from Theo Janssen and the second an own goal from a Theo Janssen corner. Twente are a threat from set pieces and last time I checked we aren't too hot at defending them. The left boot of Theo Janssen will be a huge threat all night and we need to keep corners and silly free kicks around the box (Mr. Bassong take note), to a minimum. That being said, as long as we keep Twente on the back foot as much as possible I think we will be ok.
Now to the boys in European all-Lilywhite. It is possible we will have no-one who missed the West Ham back (although fingers crossed on Gomes and Assou-Ekotto). However, I'm confident that we will still be too strong for Twente. We have seen in the past that visiting teams in the Champions League tend to be cautious and defend deep. Hopefully this should mean that our patchwork defence does not come under too much sustained pressure. Nevertheless, we need all our attacking players firing on all cylinders, including our cigar-chomping winger. Whether 'Arry gives him the arm round the shoulder or the kick up the backside, we need Aaron back on form and soon. I want to see Huddlestone in the quarterback role, exuding authority and stroking balls left, right and centre. Modric and VdV buzzing around like blue-arsed flies creating space, openings, chances. Even if he starts at LB in the absence of BAE, Bale needs to be the unplayable simian marauder we know he can be. Crouch may not be able to hit a barn door in the Premiership but stick a Champions League badge on his arm and he becomes a goal machine. Another couple tonight please Crouchie.
Our club is built upon these floodlit European nights. Glory glory Tottenham Hotspur and all that. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world.
COYS.
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Spurs are just like Real Madrid
There has been a lot of negativity flowing around the blogs and discussion boards regarding our beloved club and after back to back derby defeats it is understandable.
However, a lot of this ill-feeling is directed towards 'Arry, claiming that he has lost the plot and has taken us as far as he can etc etc. Basically every criticism certain fans had of Martin Jol, dusted off and recited re: Mr. Redknapp. I personally was a fan of our lager-drinking Dutchman and only conceded that he needed to go when it had appeared that he had lost the dressing room, an irreversible and fatal action. So why does 'Arry, in the eyes of many Spurs fans, need to go? To many, our indifferent start to the season suggests a return to inconsistency. A return to our soft underbelly away from home. A clear failure to adequately strengthen the side over the summer in the shape of a world class striker. With heightened expectations, 'Arry has revealed himself to be unable to cope with the pressure of juggling league and Champions League. He has shown himself not to be tactically astute enough to rotate players and tinker with formation. If 'Arry stays in charge, we will be out of the Champions League before Christmas and sitting in midtable. 'Arry out.
Absolute ballbags.
'Arry achieved what 99% of people thought wasn't possible, considering the strength on paper of the established 'Big 4' and the wallet of City, and qualified for the Champions League. We're not in the relegation, we're 8th. We're 3 points off 3rd. Wigan parked the bus and hit us with a sucker punch. It happens. A draw away at West Brom looks a credible result seeing as they turned over that lot down the road on their own patch. Two outstanding displays of goalkeeping kept us from thumping City and getting at the very very least a draw against the Spammers. A win at Stoke is difficult for anyone. Wolves beat us twice last season. 2-2 in Bremen is a very good result and should have been better.
Let's not forget our injuries. Sky Sports is awash with talk of injuries crippling United ahead of their game with Valencia. No Rooney. No Giggs. No Scholes. United have big problems they say. If they lose at the Mestalla this will be why. You can't underestimate the effect that injuries have on a team. No King, Dawson, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto, Kaboul, Defoe or Gomes against West Ham. Arguably 5 of our strongest 11 and 2 first choice back-ups. Away at a team that always raises their game against us. How is a defeat under those circumstances 'Arry's fault? Would Corluka have played like Beckenbauer at CB if Mourinho had been in charge? Would Green have played worse if 'Arry had picked a different lineup? Injuries disrupt consistency, confidence and fitness. If Chelsea had gone to Upton Park without Cech, Terry, Ivanovic, Alex, Ashley Cole, Essien and Drogba and lost, would people have been deriding Ancelotti's tactical know-how? Of course not. People will say that with players like VdV, Modric and Bale we should be beating teams like West Ham anyway. It doesn't work like that. If you have a patchwork defence in place ahead of a goalkeeper they may not be entirely confident in, then leaking goals is a distinct possibility.
Herein lies our connection with Real Madrid. Fans of Spurs and Real have unfulfillable expectations. At Real, Vicente Del Bosque won the domestic double but was sacked for failing to win the Champions League. Mangers since have been sacked for winning the league but not Champions League and more recently failing to topple a Barcelona side which is arguably the greatest ever. If Mourinho wins the Champions League and league this year but fails to defend one or both next year, he will probably be sacked. At Spurs we have lower but equally unattainable goals. Every time a manager achieves something at Spurs, we raise the bar too high too soon and sack him for failing to reach it. We want Martin Jol to get us into the top 6. Done. Keep us there? Done. Top 4? Failed and sacked. 'Arry. Champions League? Done. Signs in the first 6 games that we aren't going to mount a title challenge? Calls for his head.
Please please please let's stop the knee-jerking. 'Arry is the best we've had in years. We're 6 games into the season. Half our squad is injured. We will be ok. Believe. In 'Arry we trust.
Sunday, 26 September 2010
Curse of the Champions League?
I would like to be clear straight off the bat that I am not trying to excuse our terrible performance against the Hammers yesterday. I do not believe in curses, jinxes or the work of Eileen Drury.
But I have noticed an interesting pattern that has emerged across the leagues of Europe. This is not designed to make us feel any better about our sluggish start to the season. But maybe it will comfort us just slightly that we are not alone. Harry, pundits and journos have all talked about the 'Champions League Hangover'. If I can stick with this metaphor for a moment, the best teams can handle the boozy midweeks of the Champions League and are fresh to consume the meat and potatoes of the following weekend's league fixtures. The others are glugging down Resolve and smell of the meat and potatoes makes them go all queasy.
Metaphor out of the way, I'm not sure whether I subscribe to the 'hangover' theory, but I get the feeling that at Spurs the whole Champions League thing is all new and exciting and Harry and the players are struggling to find the balance between CL and EPL. Do the players constantly have one eye on the San Siro? Is a rainy night at the Reebok just not what it used to be? (No, it's exactly what it used to be. Shit.) But maybe we are struggling to get our heads down and grind out some back to back wins in the league when we have big exciting Champions League games on the horizon.
Anyway, here is why at least Spurs are not alone in struggling to mix the two.
Spain:
La Liga's participants in the Champions League are perfect examples of experienced Champions League teams that can mix League and Champions League. Valencia, Real Madrid, Barcelona. Siting 1, 2, 3. Something for all to aspire to.
Italy:
Inter are another example of an experienced team that can juggle both. Top of the league and unsurprisingly so. AC Milan are 5th. But Roma, a team perhaps similar in stature to Spurs, are languishing in 17th.
Holland:
Ajax may be top but Champions Twente are 4th with just 3 wins from 7. In the Dutch League 4th isn't very good.
France:
The two French participants have made league starts that make Spurs look like they have flown out of the blocks. Auxerre, who took the same play-off route into the Champions League that we did are 17th with 0 wins and 5 draws from their first 7 games and Lyon are 19th, having already lost 4 times.
Germany:
Our old friends Bremen have had a very similar start to ourselves, sitting 12th with 2 wins from 6 games but including a 4-1 defeat this weekend. Schalke 04 are currently 17th in the Bundesliga without a win.
I know each team will have particular circumstances and reasons as to why they may or may not have started well. But these are all good teams, they wouldn't have finished in the top 3 or 4 of these leagues if they weren't. We are a good team. Let's not panic. Some seasons you start slowly. Is the Champions League a burden if you aren't an Inter, Barcelona or a Chelsea? Some teams across Europe, Spurs included, may feel in the coming weeks that it is.
But I have noticed an interesting pattern that has emerged across the leagues of Europe. This is not designed to make us feel any better about our sluggish start to the season. But maybe it will comfort us just slightly that we are not alone. Harry, pundits and journos have all talked about the 'Champions League Hangover'. If I can stick with this metaphor for a moment, the best teams can handle the boozy midweeks of the Champions League and are fresh to consume the meat and potatoes of the following weekend's league fixtures. The others are glugging down Resolve and smell of the meat and potatoes makes them go all queasy.
Metaphor out of the way, I'm not sure whether I subscribe to the 'hangover' theory, but I get the feeling that at Spurs the whole Champions League thing is all new and exciting and Harry and the players are struggling to find the balance between CL and EPL. Do the players constantly have one eye on the San Siro? Is a rainy night at the Reebok just not what it used to be? (No, it's exactly what it used to be. Shit.) But maybe we are struggling to get our heads down and grind out some back to back wins in the league when we have big exciting Champions League games on the horizon.
Anyway, here is why at least Spurs are not alone in struggling to mix the two.
Spain:
La Liga's participants in the Champions League are perfect examples of experienced Champions League teams that can mix League and Champions League. Valencia, Real Madrid, Barcelona. Siting 1, 2, 3. Something for all to aspire to.
Italy:
Inter are another example of an experienced team that can juggle both. Top of the league and unsurprisingly so. AC Milan are 5th. But Roma, a team perhaps similar in stature to Spurs, are languishing in 17th.
Holland:
Ajax may be top but Champions Twente are 4th with just 3 wins from 7. In the Dutch League 4th isn't very good.
France:
The two French participants have made league starts that make Spurs look like they have flown out of the blocks. Auxerre, who took the same play-off route into the Champions League that we did are 17th with 0 wins and 5 draws from their first 7 games and Lyon are 19th, having already lost 4 times.
Germany:
Our old friends Bremen have had a very similar start to ourselves, sitting 12th with 2 wins from 6 games but including a 4-1 defeat this weekend. Schalke 04 are currently 17th in the Bundesliga without a win.
I know each team will have particular circumstances and reasons as to why they may or may not have started well. But these are all good teams, they wouldn't have finished in the top 3 or 4 of these leagues if they weren't. We are a good team. Let's not panic. Some seasons you start slowly. Is the Champions League a burden if you aren't an Inter, Barcelona or a Chelsea? Some teams across Europe, Spurs included, may feel in the coming weeks that it is.
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Rise of the 4-5-1?
With the news today that Defoe will be out of action for 6 weeks despite personally claiming to be fit to face West Brom on Saturday, I got to thinking about the potential for Spurs to adopt that most fashionable of formations, the 4-5-1, on a more regular basis.
With the good old 4-4-2 we failed to break down a Wigan team that Blackpool put 4 past and so far our only league win has come from a 4-5-1 formation at Stoke. I know this is simplifying the argument but the advantages for Spurs are there for all to see now that Defoe is out. First of all, who from our other strikers is going to score on a consistent basis? And who can work together as an effective partnership? Pavlyuchenko is a talented striker but runs hot and cold and when he's cold he's colder than a Moscow winter. Keane is a ghost these days and I think his days as an effective Spurs player are long over, although I hope I'm proved wrong about that. Crouch is good at what he does which is receiving the ball with his back to goal but he is never going to score consistently as he showed last season and the very best defenders in the league can effectively neutralise him. Playing two of our other strikers together has rarely worked in the past and would seem to take up a spot in the starting XI that could go to a more effective player.
Here is where my argument is based. We have just signed Rafael Van der Vaart. We already have Modric, Kranjcar, Bale and Lennon as forward thinking midfielders. Despite having a bit of a stinker against Wigan I think Huddlestone is crucial to our efforts and so should start every week, pinging passes long and short onto a sixpence and generally exuding a quiet authority. Which, if we were to play the 4-4-2, would leave Van der Vaart and Modric to battle for the final midfield spot, assuming 'arry continues to play Bale on the left wing and BAE at full back. This to me seems like a waste. With a 4-5-1, we can have someone like Crouch or Pav lead the line, while Bale and Lennon maraud down the wings, Modric and Van der Vaart wander around with guile and ingenuity generally causing havoc in front of the defence, whilst Huddlestone, Palacios or Sandro can sit back and keep an eye on things. Crouch's general lack of goals would not matter so much if the likes of Van der Vaart, Bale, Modric and Lennon are chipping in with close to double figures themselves.
Midfield is where games are won and lost and it showed against Young Boys in the first leg that getting overrun in the middle of the park can lead to massacres. I believe that we are a better team than Werder Bremen but I am concerned that if we get our tactics wrong, as we did in Switzerland, we could get thumped again. This season we will be coming up against seasoned European teams who are used to playing with five in the middle. Teams experienced with the 4-5-1 can dissect 4-4-2 fairly easily. Can you imagine a midfield two of Huddlestone and Palacios for example against a Barcelona midfield three of Xavi, Iniesta and Mascherano? Ouch.
Midfielders who can score 15-20 goals a season are the Holy Grail for teams. All the best teams have one. Fat Frank at Chelsea. Gerrard at Liverpool (although they may not be a top team anymore). Messi at Barca. Ronaldo at Real. Manchester Utd may not have one free scoring midfielder anymore but the likes of Giggs, Scholes, Nani all chip in with close to double figures. The days of effective strike partnerships, little and large, Quinn and Phillips, Yorke and Cole, Shearer and Sheringham, are over. If you have a lone striker who can score frequently (Drogba, Torres, Rooney), then you don't need a second if you have two or three midfielders who can score on a regular basis.
Maybe the injury to Defoe could allow Spurs to contemplate joining this formation revolution?
With the good old 4-4-2 we failed to break down a Wigan team that Blackpool put 4 past and so far our only league win has come from a 4-5-1 formation at Stoke. I know this is simplifying the argument but the advantages for Spurs are there for all to see now that Defoe is out. First of all, who from our other strikers is going to score on a consistent basis? And who can work together as an effective partnership? Pavlyuchenko is a talented striker but runs hot and cold and when he's cold he's colder than a Moscow winter. Keane is a ghost these days and I think his days as an effective Spurs player are long over, although I hope I'm proved wrong about that. Crouch is good at what he does which is receiving the ball with his back to goal but he is never going to score consistently as he showed last season and the very best defenders in the league can effectively neutralise him. Playing two of our other strikers together has rarely worked in the past and would seem to take up a spot in the starting XI that could go to a more effective player.
Here is where my argument is based. We have just signed Rafael Van der Vaart. We already have Modric, Kranjcar, Bale and Lennon as forward thinking midfielders. Despite having a bit of a stinker against Wigan I think Huddlestone is crucial to our efforts and so should start every week, pinging passes long and short onto a sixpence and generally exuding a quiet authority. Which, if we were to play the 4-4-2, would leave Van der Vaart and Modric to battle for the final midfield spot, assuming 'arry continues to play Bale on the left wing and BAE at full back. This to me seems like a waste. With a 4-5-1, we can have someone like Crouch or Pav lead the line, while Bale and Lennon maraud down the wings, Modric and Van der Vaart wander around with guile and ingenuity generally causing havoc in front of the defence, whilst Huddlestone, Palacios or Sandro can sit back and keep an eye on things. Crouch's general lack of goals would not matter so much if the likes of Van der Vaart, Bale, Modric and Lennon are chipping in with close to double figures themselves.
Midfield is where games are won and lost and it showed against Young Boys in the first leg that getting overrun in the middle of the park can lead to massacres. I believe that we are a better team than Werder Bremen but I am concerned that if we get our tactics wrong, as we did in Switzerland, we could get thumped again. This season we will be coming up against seasoned European teams who are used to playing with five in the middle. Teams experienced with the 4-5-1 can dissect 4-4-2 fairly easily. Can you imagine a midfield two of Huddlestone and Palacios for example against a Barcelona midfield three of Xavi, Iniesta and Mascherano? Ouch.
Midfielders who can score 15-20 goals a season are the Holy Grail for teams. All the best teams have one. Fat Frank at Chelsea. Gerrard at Liverpool (although they may not be a top team anymore). Messi at Barca. Ronaldo at Real. Manchester Utd may not have one free scoring midfielder anymore but the likes of Giggs, Scholes, Nani all chip in with close to double figures. The days of effective strike partnerships, little and large, Quinn and Phillips, Yorke and Cole, Shearer and Sheringham, are over. If you have a lone striker who can score frequently (Drogba, Torres, Rooney), then you don't need a second if you have two or three midfielders who can score on a regular basis.
Maybe the injury to Defoe could allow Spurs to contemplate joining this formation revolution?
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