The reason the Premier League is seen as one of the greatest football competitions in the world is that a game is never over until the final whistle - or until one team is truly out of sight (see Manchester united 8-2 arsenal). Once in a while, though, comes a game in which one team coasts from start to finish.
For Spurs fans, these stress-free, blood pressure-friendly encounters are very few and far between but Harry Redknapp's ticker could not have had an easier 90 minutes against Aston Villa last night if his doctor had written the match himself.
Villa fans must have been pretty worried by what they saw. We were impressive but we weren't tested by our opposition. They caved too easily in the first half, and then spent the second waiting to get back on the coach - there was simply no industry and no fight from them at all.
If there's one thing that Villa can do this season, it's score goals; Gabriel Agbonlahor's pace is a constant threat and it's always a concern that Darren Bent is going to prove himself to us at some point. But we needn't have worried.
Alex McLeish set up a defence-heavy side, possibly in the hope that their pace up front could hurt us on the counter. He obviously didn't do his research, however, as Younes Kaboul, Kyle Walker and Benoit Assou-Ekotto out-paced even his fastest assets whenever asked.
It's our front six that get the pundits and the punters talking but it took only two of them to do the damage as Gareth Bale and Emmanuel Adebayor twice combined to put us in firm control by half-time. That's not to say that the others weren't a threat. Luka Modric, Rafa Van Der Vaart and Aaron Lennon were relentless in probing the wings and switching possession trying to pierce their way through Villa's two banks of four.
The sixth member of our "front six" is surely up for debate. You would assume it was Scott Parker but Kyle Walker gets forward even more often and his power, pace and link-up play with Lennon are fast turning our right-hand side into a force almost as potent as our left.
At the Lane, we always give our guests chances and maybe Villa thought that if they just let us have the ball then they could hit us on the break when we slipped up - but we didn't slip up.
A noticeable change in our attitude last night was that we were in no mood to give the ball away cheaply. Even at our best, we have had a horrible habit of squandering possession with a difficult ball, when a short pass would do the job. But last night's possession stats tell the story; we had 59 per cent overall and a massive 68 per cent in the second half.
Modric and Parker were at the centre of the way we kept the ball for long periods, pushing Villa back, then tugging them out of possession and attacking the space created.
This morning's headlines suggest that the Premier League title is a possibility for us "on this form". I won't get that carried away just yet. We rode our luck against both Blackburn and Fulham and, although it's great to see us "grinding" out results, we've come mighty close to coming unstuck on a few occasions.
Having said that, if this is how we play while we're grinding out results, I can't wait to see us in top form.
Tuesday 22 November 2011
Friday 4 November 2011
Harry's absence no cause for concern
Firstly, obviously our best wishes extend to Harry Redknapp. We wish him well in his recovery and look forward to his return in a fortnight - but just how do the side get on without Chief Motivator in the dugout?
No sooner did I get into work this morning, somebody made a smart-ass comment about last night's result. "Spurs aren't the same force without Harry on the sidelines are they!" To which I spent the next five minutes explaining in no uncertain terms how he had totally - - and gloriously missed the point.
A few people have labelled our Europa League campaign as pointless; fielding a reserve team in far-flung destinations such as Russia and Greece. I would argue, however, that this is exactly the reason that the competition is so important.
A youthful second-string side put up another good fight last night but the fresh new faces do seem to be struggling in front of goal. That's now the third European outing in which we've failed to find the net.
Our four goals in the Europa League proper have so far come from Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Gio Dos Santos - all seasoned internationals, and it does make you wonder at just how high a level our squad players can compete.
Tony Gale was on Sky Sports News this morning discussing the merits of our midfield unit and just how well Scott Parker and Modric work together.
But what happens if a few of that midfield suffer injuries? Can the youngsters cope with being thrown into the fray? Our draw at Newcastle last month is starting to look like a very good result but, whilst you can't win them all, we were in front twice and a midfield shake-up clearly weakened our attacking options.
Jake Livermore has been solid in his ascent to the first team but far from a revelation and it leaves me unconvinced that our strength in depth is currently sufficient to account for injuries and to challenge at the top level all season.
Only time will tell if Livermore, Tom Carroll, Ryan Fredericks et al have what it takes but the chance to play regular football can only be a good thing. They will be far more capable of dealing with an away substitute appearance at, say, the Stadium of Light, having experienced a tough away encounter at Rubin Kazan (conquerors of Barcelona, lest we forget.)
But what of Redknapp's two-week leave? While his effect cannot be underestimated, his deputies Kevin Bond and Joe Jordan are more than capable of keeping the ship on course. When Harry arrived at the club, he insisted on complete control of his own backroom staff and, in situations like this, that will play a key role.
Bond and Jordan have worked with Harry for years and form part of a working unit that knows how to apply the gaffer's methods to ensure that the team aren't adversely affected by his absence.
No sooner did I get into work this morning, somebody made a smart-ass comment about last night's result. "Spurs aren't the same force without Harry on the sidelines are they!" To which I spent the next five minutes explaining in no uncertain terms how he had totally - - and gloriously missed the point.
A few people have labelled our Europa League campaign as pointless; fielding a reserve team in far-flung destinations such as Russia and Greece. I would argue, however, that this is exactly the reason that the competition is so important.
A youthful second-string side put up another good fight last night but the fresh new faces do seem to be struggling in front of goal. That's now the third European outing in which we've failed to find the net.
Our four goals in the Europa League proper have so far come from Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Gio Dos Santos - all seasoned internationals, and it does make you wonder at just how high a level our squad players can compete.
Tony Gale was on Sky Sports News this morning discussing the merits of our midfield unit and just how well Scott Parker and Modric work together.
But what happens if a few of that midfield suffer injuries? Can the youngsters cope with being thrown into the fray? Our draw at Newcastle last month is starting to look like a very good result but, whilst you can't win them all, we were in front twice and a midfield shake-up clearly weakened our attacking options.
Jake Livermore has been solid in his ascent to the first team but far from a revelation and it leaves me unconvinced that our strength in depth is currently sufficient to account for injuries and to challenge at the top level all season.
Only time will tell if Livermore, Tom Carroll, Ryan Fredericks et al have what it takes but the chance to play regular football can only be a good thing. They will be far more capable of dealing with an away substitute appearance at, say, the Stadium of Light, having experienced a tough away encounter at Rubin Kazan (conquerors of Barcelona, lest we forget.)
But what of Redknapp's two-week leave? While his effect cannot be underestimated, his deputies Kevin Bond and Joe Jordan are more than capable of keeping the ship on course. When Harry arrived at the club, he insisted on complete control of his own backroom staff and, in situations like this, that will play a key role.
Bond and Jordan have worked with Harry for years and form part of a working unit that knows how to apply the gaffer's methods to ensure that the team aren't adversely affected by his absence.
Tuesday 1 November 2011
QPR result is good prep for important run
Three points at home against QPR was no more than the fans expected but the national press exaggerometer is already swinging wildly out of control. Suddenly, not only are we a shoo-in for fourth place but we're the team the neutrals love to like.
If you add Sunday's 3-1 victory over our newly promoted neighbours to battling victories away at Wolves, Blackburn and Wigan then maybe they have a point.
One of the banes of Martin Jol's reign as boss was our inability take points off "the big four" with any regularity; a step which was seen as essential to make that final push towards Champions League football.
This term we have already beaten Arsenal and put four past Liverpool but last season we took only three points in total from our post-San Siro fixtures against Blackpool, Wolves, West Ham and Wigan and that's why the QPR result is so important.
Optimistic Spurs fans will now be etching a big '3' on their prediction sheets alongside Fulham, Aston Villa, West Brom and Bolton, whereas cynics will be counting the banana skins - but a good win with some terrific football is exactly the sort of preparation we needed.
The arrival of Gareth Bale into goalscoring form is more than welcome as Adebayor seems to have lost his compass. The big man fluffed a few chances on Sunday but is linking up well with Rafa Van Der Vaart and his (current) work rate more suits our style of football than Jermain Defoe or Russian whinger Roman Pavlyuchenko.
Scott Parker goes from strength to strength and Saturday proved once again just how convincingly he and Luka Modric can control the centre of the park. I had backed Bassong for a start and, whilst it can only be to his benefit to secure a run of games, you always want your strongest 11 on the pitch and it's now clear that Sunday was our strongest line-up.
One niggling concern tapping away at the back of my mind is that we'll have used up four of our five home games against the big sides by Christmas (we face Chelsea at the Lane on December 22).
In early 2012, we have away games at Eastlands, Anfield, the Emirates and Stamford Bridge all within an eight-game stretch and one of the home ties sandwiched between those is Manchester United.
It makes for difficult reading and highlights the significance of making our current good form count. With the youngsters filling the Europa League line-ups, the senior names can be kept fresh and hopefully we can rack up some points before the going gets really tough.
Regardless of shoo-ins or banana skins, the next six games will define our season.
If you add Sunday's 3-1 victory over our newly promoted neighbours to battling victories away at Wolves, Blackburn and Wigan then maybe they have a point.
One of the banes of Martin Jol's reign as boss was our inability take points off "the big four" with any regularity; a step which was seen as essential to make that final push towards Champions League football.
This term we have already beaten Arsenal and put four past Liverpool but last season we took only three points in total from our post-San Siro fixtures against Blackpool, Wolves, West Ham and Wigan and that's why the QPR result is so important.
Optimistic Spurs fans will now be etching a big '3' on their prediction sheets alongside Fulham, Aston Villa, West Brom and Bolton, whereas cynics will be counting the banana skins - but a good win with some terrific football is exactly the sort of preparation we needed.
The arrival of Gareth Bale into goalscoring form is more than welcome as Adebayor seems to have lost his compass. The big man fluffed a few chances on Sunday but is linking up well with Rafa Van Der Vaart and his (current) work rate more suits our style of football than Jermain Defoe or Russian whinger Roman Pavlyuchenko.
Scott Parker goes from strength to strength and Saturday proved once again just how convincingly he and Luka Modric can control the centre of the park. I had backed Bassong for a start and, whilst it can only be to his benefit to secure a run of games, you always want your strongest 11 on the pitch and it's now clear that Sunday was our strongest line-up.
One niggling concern tapping away at the back of my mind is that we'll have used up four of our five home games against the big sides by Christmas (we face Chelsea at the Lane on December 22).
In early 2012, we have away games at Eastlands, Anfield, the Emirates and Stamford Bridge all within an eight-game stretch and one of the home ties sandwiched between those is Manchester United.
It makes for difficult reading and highlights the significance of making our current good form count. With the youngsters filling the Europa League line-ups, the senior names can be kept fresh and hopefully we can rack up some points before the going gets really tough.
Regardless of shoo-ins or banana skins, the next six games will define our season.
Thursday 27 October 2011
Familiar defence would be a welcome consistency
William gallas could be fit for Saturday's visit of QPR but reports suggest that the gaffer will stick with Sebastien Bassong and Younes Kaboul in the centre of defence.
The defensive pairing is neither regular nor favoured but they did a great job in dealing with blackburn's aerial bombardment last Sunday and deserve another chance to team up.
Our defensive options are spending more time visiting the physio than the training pitch at the moment, so we're crying out for some consistency at the back and Brad Friedel would no doubt be grateful if the revolving door stopped just long enough to for him to get some familiarity with the faces in front of him.
I mentioned last week that I'm not a huge admirer of Bassong. Harry brought him in on the promise of big things and he has flattered to decieve; scoring the odd goal and making the odd last-ditch challenge but struggling with confidence.
However, the Cameroon international's White Hart Lane career has been stop-start to say the least. He was originally forced out of the starting 11 when Michael Dawson started fulfilling his potential and now only seems to step in when we need an extra big man at the back, or when Ledley King comes off injured.
Whether Bassong is up to the task of an extended run in the first team remains to be seen but his performance last week should certainly have earned him another chance.
The defensive pairing is neither regular nor favoured but they did a great job in dealing with blackburn's aerial bombardment last Sunday and deserve another chance to team up.
Our defensive options are spending more time visiting the physio than the training pitch at the moment, so we're crying out for some consistency at the back and Brad Friedel would no doubt be grateful if the revolving door stopped just long enough to for him to get some familiarity with the faces in front of him.
I mentioned last week that I'm not a huge admirer of Bassong. Harry brought him in on the promise of big things and he has flattered to decieve; scoring the odd goal and making the odd last-ditch challenge but struggling with confidence.
However, the Cameroon international's White Hart Lane career has been stop-start to say the least. He was originally forced out of the starting 11 when Michael Dawson started fulfilling his potential and now only seems to step in when we need an extra big man at the back, or when Ledley King comes off injured.
Whether Bassong is up to the task of an extended run in the first team remains to be seen but his performance last week should certainly have earned him another chance.
Monday 17 October 2011
Newcastle took advantage of mixed-up midfield
So much for a back bone. Just as it looks like we are churning out some sort of consistency at the back, Ledley King pulls up and it's back to the treatment table for the club captain.
I never have much confidence in Sebastien Bassong, I find that he lacks confidence and confuses those around him. He is pacey for a centre-back and can chase back and challenge but his clumsiness is a constant penalty risk.
That said, Bassong came in a did a solid job at St James' on Sunday. Annoyingly, where we lost out against Newcastle was in midfield.
Bale started on the right, Modric was farmed out wide to accommodate Jake Livermore and the result was nobody really knew what they were doing. Too many times the ball went backwards when we could have broken upfield and, whilst it's nice to see us protecting possession, it is our pace going forward that really causes teams problems.
The central pairing of Scott Parker and Modric that had worked so well against Liverpool and Arsenal was missing, and starting Livermore alongside the footballer of the year was a gamble that didn't pay off.
The youngster has slotted into the Europa League side well and is confident and assured with the ball at his feet but what Modric does so well is to take the ball off the anchor midfielder, and drive through the midfield, into the final third. With Parker and Livermore we were static, inviting Newcastle forward to harass for possession.
The proof of the pudding came just after half-time when Livermore failed to follow Demba Ba into the box and the Senegalese gobbled up the gaping space around him to force home Newcastle's equaliser after Van Der Vaart's penalty put us in front before the break.
Having lost control of the midfield and merely treading water, we needed a goal out of nothing, which is the ideal situation for Jermain Defoe. Sides like Newcastle are always going to give him space to shoot and it was in typical fashion that he restored our lead.
It was also in typical fashion that he insisted on shooting down the keeper's neck with minutes remaining, when a square ball to an unmarked Adebayor would have won us the game. Lee Dixon on Match Of The Day claimed that the striker is always going to shoot if he gets a sight of goal, but that's precisely the reason we all get so annoyed with Defoe. He has to start looking up when it matters most as it's the difference between one point and three points.
It's difficult to blame anyone for Newcastle's equaliser, with the power and accuracy that Shola Ameobi lashed the ball past Friedel. By that stage, Newcastle were rampant, they knew wehas lost our shape and the 50,000 Geordies in St James' smelt blood.
I appreciate that we are missing some key midfielders and that Jake Livermore needs to be given his chance, but messing with a tried-and-tested unit is always asking for trouble. When possible, the first names on the team sheet need to be Parker and Modric, next to each other, in centre midfield.
I never have much confidence in Sebastien Bassong, I find that he lacks confidence and confuses those around him. He is pacey for a centre-back and can chase back and challenge but his clumsiness is a constant penalty risk.
That said, Bassong came in a did a solid job at St James' on Sunday. Annoyingly, where we lost out against Newcastle was in midfield.
Bale started on the right, Modric was farmed out wide to accommodate Jake Livermore and the result was nobody really knew what they were doing. Too many times the ball went backwards when we could have broken upfield and, whilst it's nice to see us protecting possession, it is our pace going forward that really causes teams problems.
The central pairing of Scott Parker and Modric that had worked so well against Liverpool and Arsenal was missing, and starting Livermore alongside the footballer of the year was a gamble that didn't pay off.
The youngster has slotted into the Europa League side well and is confident and assured with the ball at his feet but what Modric does so well is to take the ball off the anchor midfielder, and drive through the midfield, into the final third. With Parker and Livermore we were static, inviting Newcastle forward to harass for possession.
The proof of the pudding came just after half-time when Livermore failed to follow Demba Ba into the box and the Senegalese gobbled up the gaping space around him to force home Newcastle's equaliser after Van Der Vaart's penalty put us in front before the break.
Having lost control of the midfield and merely treading water, we needed a goal out of nothing, which is the ideal situation for Jermain Defoe. Sides like Newcastle are always going to give him space to shoot and it was in typical fashion that he restored our lead.
It was also in typical fashion that he insisted on shooting down the keeper's neck with minutes remaining, when a square ball to an unmarked Adebayor would have won us the game. Lee Dixon on Match Of The Day claimed that the striker is always going to shoot if he gets a sight of goal, but that's precisely the reason we all get so annoyed with Defoe. He has to start looking up when it matters most as it's the difference between one point and three points.
It's difficult to blame anyone for Newcastle's equaliser, with the power and accuracy that Shola Ameobi lashed the ball past Friedel. By that stage, Newcastle were rampant, they knew wehas lost our shape and the 50,000 Geordies in St James' smelt blood.
I appreciate that we are missing some key midfielders and that Jake Livermore needs to be given his chance, but messing with a tried-and-tested unit is always asking for trouble. When possible, the first names on the team sheet need to be Parker and Modric, next to each other, in centre midfield.
Sunday 16 October 2011
Can Spurs new backbone with stand pressure of the 'favourites' tag?
Red-top reading neutrals will have casually flicked onto Sunday's derby expecting a home win. Maybe not just a home win but a white-and-blue-wash of epic proportions. Total domination from Tottenham, and complete annihilation of arsenal.
In contrast, as a spurs fan, the emotional build-up was confusing. Going into the game as the bookies' favourites was unfamiliar territory, so used are we to the mantle of "the underdogs", but could the players cope with the extra pressure?
Total annihilation of our neighbours was always going to be cloud cuckoo talk, but that didn't stop the nagging feeling that nothing except a win would really satisfy..
Despite the billing of Potent Attack vs Shaky Defence, the reality was quite different. We reverted to the nervy derby-game default setting and failed to capitalise on Arsenal's shortcomings.
Our movement was disjointed, passes went astray and we struggled to assert authority over the midfield. Jermain Defoe and Adebayor were less of a partnership up front and more just two players playing near one another, Rafa van der Vaart seemed out of his element on the right hand side and Modric was finding little space to manoeuvre.
The noticeable difference our side, tellingly, wasn't anything to do with going forward, it was our organisation at the back, helped in no small part by our two newest players. Scott Parker and Brad Friedel are everything we've been lacking a the back. Focused and enterprising the pair provided a protective sandwich for a back four that has at times looked like, well,like Arsenal's.
Parker plugged away, never gaining control of the game but always hassling Arsenal as they knocked on our back door, tirelessly re-bolting any locks that Ramsay and co attempted to pick. Friedel meanwhile stood firm, coming to claim crosses and stopping straightforward shots with no trouble.
Younes Kaboul's game is also benefitting from a renewed confidence in those around him. The picture he tries to paint of this cultured European centre-back is still completely transparent but he's getting to the balls that matter and involving himself in less dreaded defensive mix-ups..
Even Ledley King seems ready to play a lot more often these days, maybe with Scott Parker as a shield, the pressure on big Led's knee may have been lightened.
The captain is back in the side today, which has got to be some sort of record. Once again, the fear of a slip-up looms large. Newcastle have started well and once again, we go in as favourites - finger crossed we deal with it as well as we did against Arsenal.
In contrast, as a spurs fan, the emotional build-up was confusing. Going into the game as the bookies' favourites was unfamiliar territory, so used are we to the mantle of "the underdogs", but could the players cope with the extra pressure?
Total annihilation of our neighbours was always going to be cloud cuckoo talk, but that didn't stop the nagging feeling that nothing except a win would really satisfy..
Despite the billing of Potent Attack vs Shaky Defence, the reality was quite different. We reverted to the nervy derby-game default setting and failed to capitalise on Arsenal's shortcomings.
Our movement was disjointed, passes went astray and we struggled to assert authority over the midfield. Jermain Defoe and Adebayor were less of a partnership up front and more just two players playing near one another, Rafa van der Vaart seemed out of his element on the right hand side and Modric was finding little space to manoeuvre.
The noticeable difference our side, tellingly, wasn't anything to do with going forward, it was our organisation at the back, helped in no small part by our two newest players. Scott Parker and Brad Friedel are everything we've been lacking a the back. Focused and enterprising the pair provided a protective sandwich for a back four that has at times looked like, well,like Arsenal's.
Parker plugged away, never gaining control of the game but always hassling Arsenal as they knocked on our back door, tirelessly re-bolting any locks that Ramsay and co attempted to pick. Friedel meanwhile stood firm, coming to claim crosses and stopping straightforward shots with no trouble.
Younes Kaboul's game is also benefitting from a renewed confidence in those around him. The picture he tries to paint of this cultured European centre-back is still completely transparent but he's getting to the balls that matter and involving himself in less dreaded defensive mix-ups..
Even Ledley King seems ready to play a lot more often these days, maybe with Scott Parker as a shield, the pressure on big Led's knee may have been lightened.
The captain is back in the side today, which has got to be some sort of record. Once again, the fear of a slip-up looms large. Newcastle have started well and once again, we go in as favourites - finger crossed we deal with it as well as we did against Arsenal.
Friday 26 August 2011
Soo-pah Pav fails to proves his point
Spurs fans arrived at the final game of last season unsure which – if any – of our strikers would reappear in the shirt. Would it be Rossi, Forlan, Hulk, Falcao or Leandro Damiao lining up come August? Surely not Emmanuel Adebayor.
We needed to win to secure a Europa League spot and Roman Pavlyuchenko delivered the goods in style with a long-distance brace that condemned Birmingham to the Championship and left us all thinking, "Why can't you do that every week?"
This was a player who had sulked most of the season about not getting enough games. The manager in turn would routinely question his attitude and focus, only throwing him on late as a last resort. So was Pav's performance against Brum a show for the shop window or had he just pulled his finger out and saved his skin?
"When he is on form he is fantastic," said Redknapp afterwards. "I have been to France to watch players three times this week and I’m looking at them and thinking they’re not as good as Pav is."
The summer seemed to herald a new dawn for the Russian, the gaffer was blowing his trumpet and even Pav's agent was claiming, "Roman wants to stay in London. His heart belongs to Tottenham." Strange for an agent not to be pushing for a lucrative deal elsewhere, we thought.
They say you're only as good as your last game and, if the start to this season has been anything to go by, the maybe agent Oleg Artemov was desperate to trade on his client's Birmingham brace and secure a lucrative contract extension before Pav shattered the illusion in his next game.
Last night, Roman was arguably the most experienced pro on the field. The opposition was, to put it mildly, rubbish, and the stage was his to shine.
Needless to say, Soo-pah Pav missed two decent chances and was twice flagged offside and got himself booked just to top it off. The sight of Adebayor in the stands was a huge relief.
We needed to win to secure a Europa League spot and Roman Pavlyuchenko delivered the goods in style with a long-distance brace that condemned Birmingham to the Championship and left us all thinking, "Why can't you do that every week?"
This was a player who had sulked most of the season about not getting enough games. The manager in turn would routinely question his attitude and focus, only throwing him on late as a last resort. So was Pav's performance against Brum a show for the shop window or had he just pulled his finger out and saved his skin?
"When he is on form he is fantastic," said Redknapp afterwards. "I have been to France to watch players three times this week and I’m looking at them and thinking they’re not as good as Pav is."
The summer seemed to herald a new dawn for the Russian, the gaffer was blowing his trumpet and even Pav's agent was claiming, "Roman wants to stay in London. His heart belongs to Tottenham." Strange for an agent not to be pushing for a lucrative deal elsewhere, we thought.
They say you're only as good as your last game and, if the start to this season has been anything to go by, the maybe agent Oleg Artemov was desperate to trade on his client's Birmingham brace and secure a lucrative contract extension before Pav shattered the illusion in his next game.
Last night, Roman was arguably the most experienced pro on the field. The opposition was, to put it mildly, rubbish, and the stage was his to shine.
Needless to say, Soo-pah Pav missed two decent chances and was twice flagged offside and got himself booked just to top it off. The sight of Adebayor in the stands was a huge relief.
Tuesday 23 August 2011
Harry plays peacemaker as Modric loses fans' respect
Harry Redknapp has claimed that he holds the key to convincing Luka Modric to stay put and that the situation can be sorted with a decent chat and an improved contract – but David Pleat says "sell up" and some fans already see yesterday's no show as the final straw.
"If anyone can pick him up, I can. I have a great relationship with him," the gaffer explained, but says that Modric's relationship with the chairman might need more work.
"They probably fell out a little bit over that first meeting," added Redknapp. "If they can have a meeting and resolve the whole situation and Daniel tells him we need him, he is important and that we are ambitious and will bring one or two players in, you might find the boy will be okay."
Former boss David Pleat says different. He says that Tottenham should face up to the fact that Modric doesn't want to stay and cash in before it's too late, even hinting at some underhand tactics on Chelsea's behalf.
"Spurs are being forced to lose a player because someone has done their business behind the scenes and now he’s seeing £150,000 a week or whatever Chelsea are saying they’ll pay him," Pleat told Talksport.
"With Modric it’s simple – he’s asked for a transfer so he doesn’t want to play there. He shouldn’t be a hero with the fans because he doesn’t want to play for the shirt.
“So Tottenham need to maximise the price and get every penny they can for him. And to pacify the supporters, they should take good money, plus a player. That would help."
Last night seems to have been a big turning point with the fans as a number of forums seem to suggest.
Nasri was willing to put in a good shift for Arsenal despite his Manchester City move looming large, and John Obi Mikel turned out for Chelsea even though his father had been kidnapped. Yet poor little Luka Modric has to stay at home because he can't get his own way.
The Croatian claims to love and respect the Tottenham fans but he was still willing to sit at home while thousands of supporters forked out for tickets and transport to Manchester only to see their depleated side outplayed in midfield, desperately lacking someone who could open up the defending champions.
Modric's head wasn't in the right place. Or so we are told. Well £60,000 a week should be enough to put anybody's head in the right place. Even Cesc Fabregas continued to play for his employer despite his head being elsewhere.
As Kevin Bond said, everyone has their price and, despite Daniel Levy's strong stance over the summer saga the simple truth of the matter may be that Chelsea haven't matched our valuation.
If the Blues don't come through with an acceptable offer in time, then Modric will have a huge job clawing back the respect of the White Hart Lane faithful.
Maybe that Monday-night trip up to Manchester doesn't seem such a bad idea after all, eh Luka?
"If anyone can pick him up, I can. I have a great relationship with him," the gaffer explained, but says that Modric's relationship with the chairman might need more work.
"They probably fell out a little bit over that first meeting," added Redknapp. "If they can have a meeting and resolve the whole situation and Daniel tells him we need him, he is important and that we are ambitious and will bring one or two players in, you might find the boy will be okay."
Former boss David Pleat says different. He says that Tottenham should face up to the fact that Modric doesn't want to stay and cash in before it's too late, even hinting at some underhand tactics on Chelsea's behalf.
"Spurs are being forced to lose a player because someone has done their business behind the scenes and now he’s seeing £150,000 a week or whatever Chelsea are saying they’ll pay him," Pleat told Talksport.
"With Modric it’s simple – he’s asked for a transfer so he doesn’t want to play there. He shouldn’t be a hero with the fans because he doesn’t want to play for the shirt.
“So Tottenham need to maximise the price and get every penny they can for him. And to pacify the supporters, they should take good money, plus a player. That would help."
Last night seems to have been a big turning point with the fans as a number of forums seem to suggest.
Nasri was willing to put in a good shift for Arsenal despite his Manchester City move looming large, and John Obi Mikel turned out for Chelsea even though his father had been kidnapped. Yet poor little Luka Modric has to stay at home because he can't get his own way.
The Croatian claims to love and respect the Tottenham fans but he was still willing to sit at home while thousands of supporters forked out for tickets and transport to Manchester only to see their depleated side outplayed in midfield, desperately lacking someone who could open up the defending champions.
Modric's head wasn't in the right place. Or so we are told. Well £60,000 a week should be enough to put anybody's head in the right place. Even Cesc Fabregas continued to play for his employer despite his head being elsewhere.
As Kevin Bond said, everyone has their price and, despite Daniel Levy's strong stance over the summer saga the simple truth of the matter may be that Chelsea haven't matched our valuation.
If the Blues don't come through with an acceptable offer in time, then Modric will have a huge job clawing back the respect of the White Hart Lane faithful.
Maybe that Monday-night trip up to Manchester doesn't seem such a bad idea after all, eh Luka?
Monday 22 August 2011
Man United 3-0 Spurs: Initial reaction
I missed the first half of that. Two Manchester United fans have told me we played well in the first half. And the pundits said we played well in the first half. At least I didn't get my expectations up unnecessarily then.
Well nobody ever took any points off Manchester United by just playing well in the first half and it's scant consolation for a second-half performance that had the words "mid table at best" tattoed all over it in large "I told you so" letters.
Let's get one thing straight. Manchester United are better than us. It doesn't take 22 years without a win at Old Trafford to figure that out. But based on our showing in the last 45 minutes, we still look too similar to the side that won only three of our final 12 games last term.
We appeared jaded and impotent going forward. Early on, we kept possession well and we knocked the ball around confidently but we were bereft of ideas and never looked a threat to a largely inexperienced Man United defence.
Our centre backs and midfielders are still too happy to pump the ball up to nobody in particular, giving possession away too cheaply in the process. Then, when we did push into the final third, the ball was hit inaccurately at goal rather than dropped into the box to test a wobbly David De Gea in the United net.
There have been stories of Defoe looking sharper, stronger and more determined but he still didn't look the intelligent team player we are craving and Rafa Van Der Vaart still looks unfit.
All in all, we're left wondering exactly what we did with our pre-season other than counter act headline after headline of inaccurate Luka Modric speculation.
We may be missing a number of first-team players but a strong line-up still refused to press United on the ball and gave them enough time to appear the finished article.
We're not foreseeing doom and disaster. We're just making our disappointment clear.
After the Everton game was cancelled, we certainly didn't expect to start the campaign with a win. But lesser teams than us have beaten the Red Devils at Old Trafford in the past 22 years and it's fair to think that with this current Spurs team we can at least give them a game that lasts longer than the first half.
Well nobody ever took any points off Manchester United by just playing well in the first half and it's scant consolation for a second-half performance that had the words "mid table at best" tattoed all over it in large "I told you so" letters.
Let's get one thing straight. Manchester United are better than us. It doesn't take 22 years without a win at Old Trafford to figure that out. But based on our showing in the last 45 minutes, we still look too similar to the side that won only three of our final 12 games last term.
We appeared jaded and impotent going forward. Early on, we kept possession well and we knocked the ball around confidently but we were bereft of ideas and never looked a threat to a largely inexperienced Man United defence.
Our centre backs and midfielders are still too happy to pump the ball up to nobody in particular, giving possession away too cheaply in the process. Then, when we did push into the final third, the ball was hit inaccurately at goal rather than dropped into the box to test a wobbly David De Gea in the United net.
There have been stories of Defoe looking sharper, stronger and more determined but he still didn't look the intelligent team player we are craving and Rafa Van Der Vaart still looks unfit.
All in all, we're left wondering exactly what we did with our pre-season other than counter act headline after headline of inaccurate Luka Modric speculation.
We may be missing a number of first-team players but a strong line-up still refused to press United on the ball and gave them enough time to appear the finished article.
We're not foreseeing doom and disaster. We're just making our disappointment clear.
After the Everton game was cancelled, we certainly didn't expect to start the campaign with a win. But lesser teams than us have beaten the Red Devils at Old Trafford in the past 22 years and it's fair to think that with this current Spurs team we can at least give them a game that lasts longer than the first half.
Thursday 18 August 2011
Hearts v Tottenham: Live
Welcome to Taxi For Maicon for text coverage of our first leg Europa League tie against Hearts at Tynecastle.
Starting XI: Gomes, Walker, Kaboul, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Livermore, Kranjcar, Bale, Van Der Vaart, Defoe.
We'll be providing a purely Spurs voice; totally biased and typically cynical. Keep checking back here for updates of the game.
7.45pm: Spurs kick off to a chorus of boos from the Tynecastle crowd. Some neat passing in the opening moments, interspersed with us giving the ball away far too easily before Van Der Vaart releases Bale down the left to no avail.
7.50pm: GOAL Hearts 0-1 Spurs (Van Der Vaart)
One-twos all round from Spurs, after threatning just moments before with a shot from the edge of the box, VDV exchanges passes with Defoe. He looks like he's lost posession on the edge of the box but it deflects back into his path through the middle and the Dutchman slides it easily under the keeper to open the scoring.
7.55pm: Ideal start for Spurs and Hearts haven't really hit back. VDV is dropping deep and looking to make things happen. Defoe looks quick and all our lads look reasonably assured in possession.
8.00pm: GOAL Hearts 0-2 Tottenham (Defoe)
Class goal. Absolutely class. Lennon changes pace quickly to come in off the LEFT touchline, plays yet another one-two with VDV before feeding Defoe's run into the box. Not exactly a close first touch from Jermain but he's onto it like a flash and tucks it away easily.
8.03pm: Hearts have nothing so far. Before the second goal John Sutton hit a wild effort at goal from a long way out. Surely it's a bit early for desperate measures. Maybe not.
8.09pm: Kyle Walker looking to prove himself at right-back this evening and, as Hearts start to press, he gets back well to challenge Templeton. Our defence is wobbling a bit the more the ball is pumped into our box and the home fans are regaining a voice as their team grows in confidence.
8.12pm: GOAL Hearts 0-3 Tottenham (Livermore)
Another man looking to impress is Jake Livermore; and he's done just that. Slick passing in midfield between VDV, Defoe and eventually Livermore who slams the ball near post and it goes in after a touch from the keeper.
8.15pm: Remember last year's Euro qualifier? We were on the wrong side of this scoreline by now. Our lads would do well to remember that and I'm sure Harry Redknapp will point that out at half time. But as yet, we're still on the attack and Jermain Defoe acrobatically directs Lennon's cross from the right onto the bar, only to be called offside.
8.21pm: Kranjcar finds Bale on the left. Hearts are well aware of his danger but that isn't stopping him. He flashes down the wing and wins a corner from which Kaboul drifts in at the far side of the box to control and volley over.
8.30: That's half-time and it's the end of a good half of football. A nice way to start the season if we can keep it up.
8.46pm: Hearts kick off the second half.
8.50pm: Pressure from Hearts as they force three corners. It's difficult to have any more confidence in our defence. Gomes gets a touch on the third corner, but Andrew Driver bundles into the box and gets a shot away only for his own player to eventually deflect it wide.
8.55pm: Our grasp on this game is getting slippery as a strong Kaboul challenge sees him booked. He got the ball but his studs were up, fair decision. The 35-yard free-kick comes to nothing.
9.02pm: On the sideline, Tom Huddlestone is getting a shirt on and his presence would be useful in the centre of midfield right now. Van Der Vaart gives the ball away and Templeton flies onto the ball and tears through the middle of our defence. But Walker makes another impressive interception in front of Gomes and Livermore. Huddlestone comes on for VDV, and makes an immediate impact running onto a Defoe pass but fires his shot wide.
9.05pm: GOAL Hearts 0-4 Spurs (Bale)
Huddlestone's made a huge difference and is controlling the midfield. Gareth Bale runs onto a chipped pass from the big man, his first touch takes him past the keeper as his pace leaves the Hearts back line looking for a flag, simple tap in after that.
9.11pm: Andros Townsend comes on for Gareth Bale.
9.18pm: Hearts are getting dirty. Not physical, dirty. Kranjcar, Assou-Ekotto and now Kaboul are going to be bruised tomorrow.
9.19pm: GOAL Hearts 0-5 Spurs (Lennon)
Counter attack. Townsend breaks clear, outside of the boot ping to Defoe on the left who swings it in for Lennon to tap in. The Hearts fans are leaving and the Spurs fans are singing for Super Pav, who comes on for Defoe.
9.26pm: We're still knocking it about and pressing Hearts into their final third. Kranjcar looks eager to make his mark on the game, although at 5-0 you can't help think it's a game he should already have made his mark on. He's been solid but not uber-creative. Probably not enough to push for a start at Old Trafford at the weekend anyway.
9.30pm: A goal for the home side probably isn't going to change the tie, but you'd prefer we kept a clean sheet. Ryan Stephenson comes forward onto a headed clearance and drives the ball hard and low. It fizzes a foot past the right of Gomes' goal.
9.35: Almost some champagne footy from our front line as Lennon, Townsend and Pav probe for the space to create a sixth. But that's it. Final whistle. Game over. You never want to say job done, but we're not just in the driving seat, we're sat on the bonnet.
That's it from Taxi For Maicon this evening. Thanks for reading and keep checking back for news and opinion pieces throughout the week.
Starting XI: Gomes, Walker, Kaboul, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Livermore, Kranjcar, Bale, Van Der Vaart, Defoe.
We'll be providing a purely Spurs voice; totally biased and typically cynical. Keep checking back here for updates of the game.
7.45pm: Spurs kick off to a chorus of boos from the Tynecastle crowd. Some neat passing in the opening moments, interspersed with us giving the ball away far too easily before Van Der Vaart releases Bale down the left to no avail.
7.50pm: GOAL Hearts 0-1 Spurs (Van Der Vaart)
One-twos all round from Spurs, after threatning just moments before with a shot from the edge of the box, VDV exchanges passes with Defoe. He looks like he's lost posession on the edge of the box but it deflects back into his path through the middle and the Dutchman slides it easily under the keeper to open the scoring.
7.55pm: Ideal start for Spurs and Hearts haven't really hit back. VDV is dropping deep and looking to make things happen. Defoe looks quick and all our lads look reasonably assured in possession.
8.00pm: GOAL Hearts 0-2 Tottenham (Defoe)
Class goal. Absolutely class. Lennon changes pace quickly to come in off the LEFT touchline, plays yet another one-two with VDV before feeding Defoe's run into the box. Not exactly a close first touch from Jermain but he's onto it like a flash and tucks it away easily.
8.03pm: Hearts have nothing so far. Before the second goal John Sutton hit a wild effort at goal from a long way out. Surely it's a bit early for desperate measures. Maybe not.
8.09pm: Kyle Walker looking to prove himself at right-back this evening and, as Hearts start to press, he gets back well to challenge Templeton. Our defence is wobbling a bit the more the ball is pumped into our box and the home fans are regaining a voice as their team grows in confidence.
8.12pm: GOAL Hearts 0-3 Tottenham (Livermore)
Another man looking to impress is Jake Livermore; and he's done just that. Slick passing in midfield between VDV, Defoe and eventually Livermore who slams the ball near post and it goes in after a touch from the keeper.
8.15pm: Remember last year's Euro qualifier? We were on the wrong side of this scoreline by now. Our lads would do well to remember that and I'm sure Harry Redknapp will point that out at half time. But as yet, we're still on the attack and Jermain Defoe acrobatically directs Lennon's cross from the right onto the bar, only to be called offside.
8.21pm: Kranjcar finds Bale on the left. Hearts are well aware of his danger but that isn't stopping him. He flashes down the wing and wins a corner from which Kaboul drifts in at the far side of the box to control and volley over.
8.30: That's half-time and it's the end of a good half of football. A nice way to start the season if we can keep it up.
8.46pm: Hearts kick off the second half.
8.50pm: Pressure from Hearts as they force three corners. It's difficult to have any more confidence in our defence. Gomes gets a touch on the third corner, but Andrew Driver bundles into the box and gets a shot away only for his own player to eventually deflect it wide.
8.55pm: Our grasp on this game is getting slippery as a strong Kaboul challenge sees him booked. He got the ball but his studs were up, fair decision. The 35-yard free-kick comes to nothing.
9.02pm: On the sideline, Tom Huddlestone is getting a shirt on and his presence would be useful in the centre of midfield right now. Van Der Vaart gives the ball away and Templeton flies onto the ball and tears through the middle of our defence. But Walker makes another impressive interception in front of Gomes and Livermore. Huddlestone comes on for VDV, and makes an immediate impact running onto a Defoe pass but fires his shot wide.
9.05pm: GOAL Hearts 0-4 Spurs (Bale)
Huddlestone's made a huge difference and is controlling the midfield. Gareth Bale runs onto a chipped pass from the big man, his first touch takes him past the keeper as his pace leaves the Hearts back line looking for a flag, simple tap in after that.
9.11pm: Andros Townsend comes on for Gareth Bale.
9.18pm: Hearts are getting dirty. Not physical, dirty. Kranjcar, Assou-Ekotto and now Kaboul are going to be bruised tomorrow.
9.19pm: GOAL Hearts 0-5 Spurs (Lennon)
Counter attack. Townsend breaks clear, outside of the boot ping to Defoe on the left who swings it in for Lennon to tap in. The Hearts fans are leaving and the Spurs fans are singing for Super Pav, who comes on for Defoe.
9.26pm: We're still knocking it about and pressing Hearts into their final third. Kranjcar looks eager to make his mark on the game, although at 5-0 you can't help think it's a game he should already have made his mark on. He's been solid but not uber-creative. Probably not enough to push for a start at Old Trafford at the weekend anyway.
9.30pm: A goal for the home side probably isn't going to change the tie, but you'd prefer we kept a clean sheet. Ryan Stephenson comes forward onto a headed clearance and drives the ball hard and low. It fizzes a foot past the right of Gomes' goal.
9.35: Almost some champagne footy from our front line as Lennon, Townsend and Pav probe for the space to create a sixth. But that's it. Final whistle. Game over. You never want to say job done, but we're not just in the driving seat, we're sat on the bonnet.
That's it from Taxi For Maicon this evening. Thanks for reading and keep checking back for news and opinion pieces throughout the week.
What have we learnt, if anything?
In keeping with Tottenham's season so far Taxi For Maicon is kicking off somewhat late and, in keeping Tottenham's transfer policy, we've also had a quiet summer.
The reason? Luka Modric. Every time we opened the paper, searched for 'Spurs' on Google or spoke football in the pub, it was the same old story. Certain publications were so desperate to push the story on that they've all now admitted that the Croatian never actually handed in a written transfer request.
We arrive at our opening game tonight, in very much the same condition we finished the season, so just what can we take from our summer?
Sales and strikers were top of the agenda at the end of last season and, whilst we wasted no time in securing some competition for the No.1 jersey, movement has been slow.
In the back of our collective mind, a concern manifested that the Modric saga would mirror the Dimitar Berbatov calamity of 2008, selling him at the last minute for a bumper fee but leaving no time to use the monies to fill the remaining hole – three months on and that concern has developed into a very realistic fear, as he's been left out the squad to play Hearts with a "groin injury".
Moving on, you would like think that after a full and successful pre-season, our squad would be in tip-top shape and raring to go but, to add to Luka's groin problem, we're missing Sandro, William Gallas, Steven Pienaar, Jermaine Jenas, Luka Modric, Tom Huddlestone and Wilson Palacios.
In fact it doesn't feel like we're in any stronger position than we were when the final whistle blew in our last game against Birmingham in May and today our first game back is soiled with the embarassment of the squad not being able to find a hotel in Edinburgh.
It's at least worth remembering that in May the bookies slashed the odds of Harry Redknapp joining Chelsea, so at least we still have our manager – for the time being.
Seeing some of the friendlies was also a reminder of the sort of quality we do have in the squad. Gareth Bale was back to business as usual, tearing down the left flank, Rafa Van Der Vaart, was scoring free-kicks for fun, even Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch found their shooting boots.
As far as building on last season goes, we all expected a bit more organisation, ambition and progress before the season kicked off rather having to wing it and take our chances with last-minute transfers again.
That said, progress is ultimately judged on the pitch and it'll be a relief to finally get the season underway. Next stop, transfer deadline day.
Wednesday 27 July 2011
Niko's four-midable performance
MK Dons 3-5 Spurs
Niko Kranjcar reminded everyone just what he is capable of as he was involved in four goals during our 5-3 friendly win over MK Dons at Stadium: MK last night.
The midfielder created three and scored a stunner to show Harry Redknapp that his Spurs career may yet have some legs.
It didn't take long for the Croat to get into his stride, releasing Roman Pavlyuchenko with a perfect pass after just eight minutes. The Russian striker beat the offside trap and fired into the top corner to open the scoring.
Kranjcar was at it again 20 minutes later, again creating for Pavlyuchenko, who latched onto another accurate pass and hammered the ball past David Martin in the MK Dons net.
MK Dons regrouped and hit the ground running after the break. Luke Chadwick pulled one back with a curler from 25 yards and Jabo Ibehre stunned Spurs when he prodded home the equaliser in the 72nd minute.
But Kranjcar regained the limelight in style. First his shot was parried by Martin allowing Spurs youngster Harry Kane to put us back in front before Niko unleashed a dipping 35-yard volley that flew past sub keeper Ian McLoughlin to make it 4-2.
Ibehre pulled one back for the Dons before Kane's second of the night guaranteed us the win in the 89th minute but it was Kranjcar who will take all the plaudits and certainly give Redknapp something to think about as the new campaign approaches.
Spurs team (4-4-2):David Button (Archer, 86); Nathan Byrne, Vedran Corluka (Tom Carroll, 82), Milos Veljkovic, Danny Rose; David Bentley, Jake Livermore (Massimo Luongo, 46), Niko Kranjcar, Andros Townsend; Roman Pavlyuchenko, Jermain Defoe (Harry Kane, 76). Subs: Ryan Mason, Jonathan Obika.
Niko Kranjcar reminded everyone just what he is capable of as he was involved in four goals during our 5-3 friendly win over MK Dons at Stadium: MK last night.
The midfielder created three and scored a stunner to show Harry Redknapp that his Spurs career may yet have some legs.
It didn't take long for the Croat to get into his stride, releasing Roman Pavlyuchenko with a perfect pass after just eight minutes. The Russian striker beat the offside trap and fired into the top corner to open the scoring.
Kranjcar was at it again 20 minutes later, again creating for Pavlyuchenko, who latched onto another accurate pass and hammered the ball past David Martin in the MK Dons net.
MK Dons regrouped and hit the ground running after the break. Luke Chadwick pulled one back with a curler from 25 yards and Jabo Ibehre stunned Spurs when he prodded home the equaliser in the 72nd minute.
But Kranjcar regained the limelight in style. First his shot was parried by Martin allowing Spurs youngster Harry Kane to put us back in front before Niko unleashed a dipping 35-yard volley that flew past sub keeper Ian McLoughlin to make it 4-2.
Ibehre pulled one back for the Dons before Kane's second of the night guaranteed us the win in the 89th minute but it was Kranjcar who will take all the plaudits and certainly give Redknapp something to think about as the new campaign approaches.
Spurs team (4-4-2):David Button (Archer, 86); Nathan Byrne, Vedran Corluka (Tom Carroll, 82), Milos Veljkovic, Danny Rose; David Bentley, Jake Livermore (Massimo Luongo, 46), Niko Kranjcar, Andros Townsend; Roman Pavlyuchenko, Jermain Defoe (Harry Kane, 76). Subs: Ryan Mason, Jonathan Obika.
Saturday 23 July 2011
Spurs 3-0 Orlando Pirates
It was a case of "Crisis? What crisis?" today as our lads saw off the Bucs to win the prestigious Vodacom Challenge - otherwise dubbed the Tottenham Hotspur Trophy.
Our route to the final was brief and simple, as a 1-0 loss to Kaizer Chiefs and a 1-1 draw with the Orlando Pirates were enough to see us qualify for the showpiece final. Qualify? Who are we kidding? We recieved a bye to the final based purely on the fact we are the mighty Tottenham Hotspur - maybe we should have tried that in the Champions League.
The Kaizer Chiefs were less than chuffed that, despite managing what we hadn't - a victory - they were still knocked out of the competition. Rough justice, but that's the way it goes. Money talks, as do shirt sales, corporate identity and household names.
Most Premier League teams seem to win more silverware in pre-season than during the full season and everyone seems to have at least one title to their name come opening day. But, whilst it's easy to mock a competition organised purely to give our squad a full-ego massage, it did signal distinct progress in our pre-season preparations.
Rafa Van Der Vaart scored twice, including his second free-kick of the tournament, so we know where the goals are coming from in the event that we continue to make no signings whatsoever. Defoe scored a poacher's goal, of which he was incapable last season. And Gareth Bale can still do what he does best, as Defoe's goal came from a pinpoint Bale cross.
So far so good. Add to that a clean sheet for Hilarious Gomes (we're calling him this until we're proven wrong) and a smile, a real displaying of teeth from captain Luka Modric as he lifted the trophy.
See Luka, that's exactly what you can expect next season if you stick about, plenty of goals, plenty of silverware - plenty of smiles. Honest.
Our route to the final was brief and simple, as a 1-0 loss to Kaizer Chiefs and a 1-1 draw with the Orlando Pirates were enough to see us qualify for the showpiece final. Qualify? Who are we kidding? We recieved a bye to the final based purely on the fact we are the mighty Tottenham Hotspur - maybe we should have tried that in the Champions League.
The Kaizer Chiefs were less than chuffed that, despite managing what we hadn't - a victory - they were still knocked out of the competition. Rough justice, but that's the way it goes. Money talks, as do shirt sales, corporate identity and household names.
Most Premier League teams seem to win more silverware in pre-season than during the full season and everyone seems to have at least one title to their name come opening day. But, whilst it's easy to mock a competition organised purely to give our squad a full-ego massage, it did signal distinct progress in our pre-season preparations.
Rafa Van Der Vaart scored twice, including his second free-kick of the tournament, so we know where the goals are coming from in the event that we continue to make no signings whatsoever. Defoe scored a poacher's goal, of which he was incapable last season. And Gareth Bale can still do what he does best, as Defoe's goal came from a pinpoint Bale cross.
So far so good. Add to that a clean sheet for Hilarious Gomes (we're calling him this until we're proven wrong) and a smile, a real displaying of teeth from captain Luka Modric as he lifted the trophy.
See Luka, that's exactly what you can expect next season if you stick about, plenty of goals, plenty of silverware - plenty of smiles. Honest.
Wednesday 13 July 2011
Dawson rubbishes contract disagreement
Michael Dawson has shot down press reports claiming that his is in dispute with the club over wages.
Today's papers say the club captain was offered a contract extension but found the basic wage insulting.
But Michael has moved quickly to dispel the rumours circling around him. He said: "I have no idea where this story has come from - it certainly has not come from myself or any of my representatives.
"I think I have always demonstrated that I am a proud player and captain of this club and nothing has changed in that respect.
"I have an excellent relationship with everyone at this club from the chairman, to the players to the supporters and I wouldn't want false reporting such as this to impact on that.
"There has been absolutely no fallout with anyone whatsoever. I still have four years left on my current contract and no issues regarding it whatsoever. It is an honour to be captain of this football club and my sole focus is on getting ready for the new season with Spurs and, hopefully, England as well."
Today's papers say the club captain was offered a contract extension but found the basic wage insulting.
But Michael has moved quickly to dispel the rumours circling around him. He said: "I have no idea where this story has come from - it certainly has not come from myself or any of my representatives.
"I think I have always demonstrated that I am a proud player and captain of this club and nothing has changed in that respect.
"I have an excellent relationship with everyone at this club from the chairman, to the players to the supporters and I wouldn't want false reporting such as this to impact on that.
"There has been absolutely no fallout with anyone whatsoever. I still have four years left on my current contract and no issues regarding it whatsoever. It is an honour to be captain of this football club and my sole focus is on getting ready for the new season with Spurs and, hopefully, England as well."
Monday 11 July 2011
The damage is done, so let Luka leave
I'll apologise for the Luka Modric fracas being the continued topic for discussion but Spurs' summer is on a knife-edge and the way we handle this is going to be a defining factor in the direction the club takes.
As usual, the story from each side is strikingly different and it seems that both sides have reneged on promises: Levy may have said he would discuss big offers for the Croatian, but Modric also said he was happy at Spurs and that he wouldn't chase a transfer.
Shielding your eyes from the summer sun and peering down the road to Ashburton Grove, it's painstakingly obvious what happens if you let these situations get on top of you.
The Fabregas-Barcelona debacle has rolled over and over for years, like a rusting old water wheel dredging dirt to the surface every time a transfer window comes around.
You can see the scene in Dubrovnik last summer, when our chairman was desperate for the Croatian to extend his contract…
Modric probably presented his dealbreaker, in which he would be allowed to speak to any big club that came in, Levy probably brushed it off, making a passing comment that "we'll discuss it at the time". Both sides go away happy, Levy knowing he's got his man, Modric feeling his demands have been met.
Until now, a season on, the chairman has forgotten his throwaway comment where as Modric is clinging to it. In fact, not so much clinging to it, as tugging at it and tearing the very fabric of his relationship with Tottenham Hotspur.
The difference with the situation at Arsenal is that, after all these years, they seem to have sorted it. Arsene Wenger has today announced that, while press speculation raged over Nasri and Fabregas seeking summer moves, both of them will now stay put. Simple as that, dealt with behind closed doors and announced with authority.
Tottenham and Modric, on the other hand, are getting into a very public spat. Daniel Levy's initial statement of intent to keep Modric was impressive. A staunch "no" was exactly what needed to go out into the public domain, but in private, he needed to take a more personal approach.
Holding Modric against his will is a recipe for disaster and will unsettle all the team's most important players. This doesn't mean we should let everyone leave whenever a bigger club comes in, but treating him like a decent human being and giving him some rope to play with is far better than a stone-wall "get out of my office".
Levy isn't exactly a man-manager and, if anything, he should probably have let Harry Redknapp do the talking. Tell Modric "give us one more season, see where we're at next summer or, if you're desperate, you can leave in January."
That way, if we get these "two or three big signings", Modric may have a change of heart. Now, however, the damage is done and we have a situation that needs arresting before it spirals out of our control.
Tell Chelsea that if they meet the £35-£40m valuation this month, then he can leave. If not, he's a Spurs player next season. end of. That way, the ball is in Chelsea's court and Modric can see how far his new favourite club are prepared to go to sign him.
But it needs doing right and it needs doing quickly because at the moment, you get the feeling that the knife-edge we're sat on at the moment is in danger of slicing us in two.
As usual, the story from each side is strikingly different and it seems that both sides have reneged on promises: Levy may have said he would discuss big offers for the Croatian, but Modric also said he was happy at Spurs and that he wouldn't chase a transfer.
Shielding your eyes from the summer sun and peering down the road to Ashburton Grove, it's painstakingly obvious what happens if you let these situations get on top of you.
The Fabregas-Barcelona debacle has rolled over and over for years, like a rusting old water wheel dredging dirt to the surface every time a transfer window comes around.
You can see the scene in Dubrovnik last summer, when our chairman was desperate for the Croatian to extend his contract…
Modric probably presented his dealbreaker, in which he would be allowed to speak to any big club that came in, Levy probably brushed it off, making a passing comment that "we'll discuss it at the time". Both sides go away happy, Levy knowing he's got his man, Modric feeling his demands have been met.
Until now, a season on, the chairman has forgotten his throwaway comment where as Modric is clinging to it. In fact, not so much clinging to it, as tugging at it and tearing the very fabric of his relationship with Tottenham Hotspur.
The difference with the situation at Arsenal is that, after all these years, they seem to have sorted it. Arsene Wenger has today announced that, while press speculation raged over Nasri and Fabregas seeking summer moves, both of them will now stay put. Simple as that, dealt with behind closed doors and announced with authority.
Tottenham and Modric, on the other hand, are getting into a very public spat. Daniel Levy's initial statement of intent to keep Modric was impressive. A staunch "no" was exactly what needed to go out into the public domain, but in private, he needed to take a more personal approach.
Holding Modric against his will is a recipe for disaster and will unsettle all the team's most important players. This doesn't mean we should let everyone leave whenever a bigger club comes in, but treating him like a decent human being and giving him some rope to play with is far better than a stone-wall "get out of my office".
Levy isn't exactly a man-manager and, if anything, he should probably have let Harry Redknapp do the talking. Tell Modric "give us one more season, see where we're at next summer or, if you're desperate, you can leave in January."
That way, if we get these "two or three big signings", Modric may have a change of heart. Now, however, the damage is done and we have a situation that needs arresting before it spirals out of our control.
Tell Chelsea that if they meet the £35-£40m valuation this month, then he can leave. If not, he's a Spurs player next season. end of. That way, the ball is in Chelsea's court and Modric can see how far his new favourite club are prepared to go to sign him.
But it needs doing right and it needs doing quickly because at the moment, you get the feeling that the knife-edge we're sat on at the moment is in danger of slicing us in two.
Thursday 30 June 2011
Olympic stadium is a distraction from the job in hand
The club yesterday made a statement explaining their intentions to push on with a further appeal over the process by which the right to play in the Olympic Stadium was awarded to West Ham.
The statement read:
"The Club has today (Wednesday) applied to the High Court to renew its application for permission to bring a claim against the London Borough of Newham and the Olympic Park Legacy Company, the Mayor of London and Government Ministers for judicial review of their decisions underlying the bid process for the conversion of the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games. Under this process the Club now has the opportunity to present its case at an oral hearing at the High Court."
I'll be honest, I don't care. This whole stadium issue is not only tedious and a clear dead end but it indicates that the club is not totally focused on the top priority, which is developing our squad for next season.
We have six weeks to negotiate enough outgoing deals to fund some big improvements to the squad and to convince Luka Modric and Gareth Bale not to ply their trade elsewhere. Right now, there is no evidence of anything happening.
Yes, the club needs a bigger stadium, supporters are on season ticket waiting lists for years on end and regular folk can't get into a home game for love nor money (well, they can get in for money, but most people don't have enough of it to afford the few seats that do go on general sale). But is there really any point in having a 60,000 seater stadium full of pissed-off, embittered football fans all discussing what went wrong in the summer of 2011?
Daniel Levy is undoubtedly going to leave a long-standing legacy at Tottenham but it remains to be seen whether it will be a successful team that we can all be proud to support or whether it will be a stadium debacle that cost us our seat at the top table.
Tuesday 21 June 2011
O' Hara on the move as the board gets shirty over Modric saga
Outgoing transfer alert! We've sold Jamie O'Hara to Wolves for £5million. Is it really a coincidence that this happens immediately after the Luka Modric saga stepped up a gear?
Chairman Levy was always adamant that we need to sell before we buy and Modric's suggestion that he wants to leave has now sparked our summer into action.
The official line is that we can match Modric's ambition and are prepared to prove that by bringing in the big names necessary to mount a serious Top 4 assault next term.
If that's the case, then the O'Hara sale is a good sign that the wheels are in motion and we can expect a few more to follow relatively soon as the club look to free up funds for some major signings.
The club have also released pictures of the new home strip for next season. I'm pretty sure that the last one was meant to last the full two seasons as promised and we weren't all going to have to go and buy yet another new home shirt?
Irked or annoyed you may be, but the club have a foolproof cure for this... it's Luka Modric, in the new Spurs shirt, surely they wouldn't release a picture of him in the suave, retro-style new kit and still sell him. Look how happy he is, he must be staying. Last year's shirt? we've forgotten it already.
What everyone's keenly rejecting to notice is that, in our new away shirt Modric looks more than a little bit like he's wearing the colours of a certain local rival.
Maybe that's part of the Modric stay-put package, "If you stay and play for us, we'll let you wear a Chelsea shirt, hell, you can all wear Chelsea shirts.
Chairman Levy was always adamant that we need to sell before we buy and Modric's suggestion that he wants to leave has now sparked our summer into action.
The official line is that we can match Modric's ambition and are prepared to prove that by bringing in the big names necessary to mount a serious Top 4 assault next term.
If that's the case, then the O'Hara sale is a good sign that the wheels are in motion and we can expect a few more to follow relatively soon as the club look to free up funds for some major signings.
The club have also released pictures of the new home strip for next season. I'm pretty sure that the last one was meant to last the full two seasons as promised and we weren't all going to have to go and buy yet another new home shirt?
Irked or annoyed you may be, but the club have a foolproof cure for this... it's Luka Modric, in the new Spurs shirt, surely they wouldn't release a picture of him in the suave, retro-style new kit and still sell him. Look how happy he is, he must be staying. Last year's shirt? we've forgotten it already.
What everyone's keenly rejecting to notice is that, in our new away shirt Modric looks more than a little bit like he's wearing the colours of a certain local rival.
Maybe that's part of the Modric stay-put package, "If you stay and play for us, we'll let you wear a Chelsea shirt, hell, you can all wear Chelsea shirts.
Saturday 18 June 2011
Redknapp urges board to keep Modric promise
Harry Redknapp says Daniel Levy has "got to stand by" his statement that the club are not prepared to sell Luka Modric at any price.
Speaking to radio station TalkSport, Redknapp suggested that any U-turn over the sale of the Croatian could plunge us into mid-table mediocrity - an exaggeration maybe, but Redknapp has now made his feelings well clear.
The gaffer said: "“It’s a happy thing to have a player like Luka Modric, who has suddenly turned into a £50million, £40million player and everyone wants him.
“We’re lucky we’ve got him and we aren’t selling him, that’s what the chairman says and that’s good enough for me.
“If we sell Luka Modric where are we going as a football club? We’ll have to accept then that we’re a middle of the table team that will finish in the top-half next season and really that’s not what the chairman wants, it’s not what I want. It’s not, most importantly, what the fans want.
To read the full statement, visit Talk Sport.
Speaking to radio station TalkSport, Redknapp suggested that any U-turn over the sale of the Croatian could plunge us into mid-table mediocrity - an exaggeration maybe, but Redknapp has now made his feelings well clear.
The gaffer said: "“It’s a happy thing to have a player like Luka Modric, who has suddenly turned into a £50million, £40million player and everyone wants him.
“We’re lucky we’ve got him and we aren’t selling him, that’s what the chairman says and that’s good enough for me.
“If we sell Luka Modric where are we going as a football club? We’ll have to accept then that we’re a middle of the table team that will finish in the top-half next season and really that’s not what the chairman wants, it’s not what I want. It’s not, most importantly, what the fans want.
To read the full statement, visit Talk Sport.
Chairman stands firm over Modric
Daniel Levy, I'm proud of you. I woke up to the news that Luka Modric wants to leave and my heart sank but today's club statement has cheered me up.
It's going to be extremely difficult to keep hold of him if he actually wants out, and we don't want to be in the same situation as Arsenal with Fabregas.
We either need to convince Modric that this is where he belongs, or let him go - keeping him here against his will is counter-productive and you'll probably find that early next week he'll either sign a vastly improved contract or hand in a transfer request.
What Levy's statement on the club's website this morning has done, is swung the balance of power back in our favour. It is now clear that Chelsea, or anyone else, will have to not only break, but bulldoze the bank to land the Croatian.
Here's what the chairman said on the official club website, www.spurs.co.uk
"I wish to make it absolutely clear, as I have said previously, that none of our key players will be sold this summer. We are building a team for the future to consistently play at the highest level and retaining quality players is crucial to that.
"In respect of Luka Modric, we are not prepared to sell, at any price, to Chelsea Football Club or any other club.
"We made our stance on this issue abundantly clear in writing to Chelsea. They chose to ignore it and then subsequently made the offer public.
"For the avoidance of any doubt, let me reiterate that we shall not enter into any negotiations whatsoever, with any Club, regarding Luka.
"We now consider this matter closed."
It's going to be extremely difficult to keep hold of him if he actually wants out, and we don't want to be in the same situation as Arsenal with Fabregas.
We either need to convince Modric that this is where he belongs, or let him go - keeping him here against his will is counter-productive and you'll probably find that early next week he'll either sign a vastly improved contract or hand in a transfer request.
What Levy's statement on the club's website this morning has done, is swung the balance of power back in our favour. It is now clear that Chelsea, or anyone else, will have to not only break, but bulldoze the bank to land the Croatian.
Here's what the chairman said on the official club website, www.spurs.co.uk
"I wish to make it absolutely clear, as I have said previously, that none of our key players will be sold this summer. We are building a team for the future to consistently play at the highest level and retaining quality players is crucial to that.
"In respect of Luka Modric, we are not prepared to sell, at any price, to Chelsea Football Club or any other club.
"We made our stance on this issue abundantly clear in writing to Chelsea. They chose to ignore it and then subsequently made the offer public.
"For the avoidance of any doubt, let me reiterate that we shall not enter into any negotiations whatsoever, with any Club, regarding Luka.
"We now consider this matter closed."
Friday 17 June 2011
The fixtures are out...
As promised, the fixtures are out and, say what you want about having to play everyone twice regardless, a good start is always essential to sustain a decent Top 4 campaign.
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Tottenham v Everton, 15:00
Saturday, 20 August 2011
Man Utd v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Tottenham v Man City, 15:00
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Wolverhampton v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Tottenham v Liverpool, 15:00
That's a difficult opening, whatever way you look at it, but it does mean that if we can get 10 points on the board it will have been a terrific start. Nobody wants to play Manchester United that early on, but our record up there is dreadful, so it's difficult to look at is as anything but zero points. That said, United can be slow starters, so maybe it'll be of benefit to play them before they get into their stride. And if we can get a result it'll set us up perfectly to take on Manchester City at home the following week.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Wigan v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Tottenham v Arsenal, 15:00
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Newcastle v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Blackburn v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Tottenham v QPR, 15:00
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Fulham v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Tottenham v Aston Villa, 15:00
Saturday, 26 November 2011
West Brom v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Tottenham v Bolton, 15:00
Saturday, 10 December 201
Stoke v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Tottenham v Sunderland, 15:00
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Tottenham v Chelsea, 19:45
Monday, 26 December 2011
Norwich v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Swansea v Tottenham, 15:00
Monday, 2 January 2012
Tottenham v West Brom, 15:00
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Tottenham v Wolverhampton, 15:00
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Man City v Tottenham, 15:00
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Tottenham v Wigan, 19:45
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Liverpool v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Tottenham v Newcastle, 15:00
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Arsenal v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Tottenham v Man Utd, 15:00
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Everton v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Tottenham v Stoke, 15:00
Saturday, 24 March 2012
Chelsea v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Tottenham v Swansea, 15:00
Saturday, 7 April 2012
Sunderland v Tottenham, 15:00
Monday, 9 April 2012
Tottenham v Norwich, 15:00
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Bolton v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 21 April 2012
QPR v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Tottenham v Blackburn, 15:00
Saturday, 5 May 2012
Aston Villa v Tottenham, 15:00
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Tottenham v Fulham, 15:00
I was going to attempt to break the season down into six-game blocks and make appraisals of our chances in each section. However, we've all been following football for long enough to know that predictions at this stage are futile. Especially when there are future transfers and European draws to take into account. One thing that is for sure is that very few of these games will remain on Saturdays, so don't put any ink in your diary just yet.
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Tottenham v Everton, 15:00
Saturday, 20 August 2011
Man Utd v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Tottenham v Man City, 15:00
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Wolverhampton v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Tottenham v Liverpool, 15:00
That's a difficult opening, whatever way you look at it, but it does mean that if we can get 10 points on the board it will have been a terrific start. Nobody wants to play Manchester United that early on, but our record up there is dreadful, so it's difficult to look at is as anything but zero points. That said, United can be slow starters, so maybe it'll be of benefit to play them before they get into their stride. And if we can get a result it'll set us up perfectly to take on Manchester City at home the following week.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Wigan v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Tottenham v Arsenal, 15:00
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Newcastle v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Blackburn v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Tottenham v QPR, 15:00
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Fulham v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Tottenham v Aston Villa, 15:00
Saturday, 26 November 2011
West Brom v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Tottenham v Bolton, 15:00
Saturday, 10 December 201
Stoke v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Tottenham v Sunderland, 15:00
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Tottenham v Chelsea, 19:45
Monday, 26 December 2011
Norwich v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Swansea v Tottenham, 15:00
Monday, 2 January 2012
Tottenham v West Brom, 15:00
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Tottenham v Wolverhampton, 15:00
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Man City v Tottenham, 15:00
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Tottenham v Wigan, 19:45
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Liverpool v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Tottenham v Newcastle, 15:00
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Arsenal v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Tottenham v Man Utd, 15:00
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Everton v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Tottenham v Stoke, 15:00
Saturday, 24 March 2012
Chelsea v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Tottenham v Swansea, 15:00
Saturday, 7 April 2012
Sunderland v Tottenham, 15:00
Monday, 9 April 2012
Tottenham v Norwich, 15:00
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Bolton v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 21 April 2012
QPR v Tottenham, 15:00
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Tottenham v Blackburn, 15:00
Saturday, 5 May 2012
Aston Villa v Tottenham, 15:00
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Tottenham v Fulham, 15:00
I was going to attempt to break the season down into six-game blocks and make appraisals of our chances in each section. However, we've all been following football for long enough to know that predictions at this stage are futile. Especially when there are future transfers and European draws to take into account. One thing that is for sure is that very few of these games will remain on Saturdays, so don't put any ink in your diary just yet.
Friday 10 June 2011
Spurs have a busy summer, but where's the activity?
Over a week into the transfer window and teams are beginning to show their intentions. While Liverpool and Manchester United are making huge offers early on, Spurs have signed ageing Brad Friedel on a free transfer.
What United and the Reds have moved quickly to indicate is not just their willingness to spend but their desire to plan for the future.
Spurs, on the other hand have delved into the bargain bucket for a transient solution to the goalkeeping conundrum, adding yet another name to a squad bursting at the seams in the process.
In case you didn't know, Liverpool have agreed terms with Jordan Henderson over a £16-20million switch from Sunderland, whereas Blackburn's young defender Phil Jones is close to securing a high-profile £17m switch to Manchester United, along with Aston Villa's Ashley Young.
Interpretation of our Friedel freebie depends on who pushed for the transfer; board or manager. If Harry Redknapp was the instigator, then it signals he's looking for short-term gain; maybe he's seriously eyeing the England job so isn't looking past next season, or maybe he just wants a wise, experienced head to bring some much-needed organisation to our back four.
The worry, and it is a big worry, is if it was the board's choice. Arsenal may only have shelled out £1million on their first signing Carl Jenkinson this week, but the Finland Under-21 star's capture does signify that Arsenal still have one eye on building for the future.
Our mid-noughties tactic of signing young british talent seems to have fallen by the wayside. Maybe it is seen in part to have backfired; Jermaine Jenas is unable to hold down a first team place, Tom Huddlestone is failing to fill the boots of his own huge potential and the £18m capture of David Bentley can only be seen as a tremendous waste of resources.
Potential ability costs a lot of money at the moment and clubs are only too happy to hold out for £20m-plus for largely unproven players. You can't blame chairman Levy for waiting to find a proven talent before he signs the big cheques but he has to back the manager and, with Redknapp seeing fit to repeat in public that he wants "Daniel to go out and get three fantastic players", there are signs that the support is not forthcoming.
If murmurs in the press are to be believed then Levy's enthusiasm over the Redknapp reign may be at a low ebb but this is a crucial time for Tottenham and the chairman cannot afford to let his interest wain. The fans can accept we need to sell before we buy but so far Redknapp has claimed that Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Peter Crouch are not for sale, and that even Robbie Keane could force his way back into the team.
Levy needs to get a move on and kickstart our summer, as the rumoured streamlining of the playing staff seems like a distant memory. If Jamie O'Hara heads to Wolves and Robbie Keane joins Martin Jol at Fulham we are still above the 25-man Premier League quota even before adding to the squad.
The Friedel transfer is done and, who knows, maybe it'll take the pressure off Heurelho Gomes giving him a chance to get his confidence back. Friedel could even teach the Brazilian how to catch a ball with two hands. But from now on, players need to go, full stop. The board can't be messing around waiting for as much money as possible, we need gaps on the team sheet and space in the payroll. Cue the exodus...
What United and the Reds have moved quickly to indicate is not just their willingness to spend but their desire to plan for the future.
Spurs, on the other hand have delved into the bargain bucket for a transient solution to the goalkeeping conundrum, adding yet another name to a squad bursting at the seams in the process.
In case you didn't know, Liverpool have agreed terms with Jordan Henderson over a £16-20million switch from Sunderland, whereas Blackburn's young defender Phil Jones is close to securing a high-profile £17m switch to Manchester United, along with Aston Villa's Ashley Young.
Interpretation of our Friedel freebie depends on who pushed for the transfer; board or manager. If Harry Redknapp was the instigator, then it signals he's looking for short-term gain; maybe he's seriously eyeing the England job so isn't looking past next season, or maybe he just wants a wise, experienced head to bring some much-needed organisation to our back four.
The worry, and it is a big worry, is if it was the board's choice. Arsenal may only have shelled out £1million on their first signing Carl Jenkinson this week, but the Finland Under-21 star's capture does signify that Arsenal still have one eye on building for the future.
Our mid-noughties tactic of signing young british talent seems to have fallen by the wayside. Maybe it is seen in part to have backfired; Jermaine Jenas is unable to hold down a first team place, Tom Huddlestone is failing to fill the boots of his own huge potential and the £18m capture of David Bentley can only be seen as a tremendous waste of resources.
Potential ability costs a lot of money at the moment and clubs are only too happy to hold out for £20m-plus for largely unproven players. You can't blame chairman Levy for waiting to find a proven talent before he signs the big cheques but he has to back the manager and, with Redknapp seeing fit to repeat in public that he wants "Daniel to go out and get three fantastic players", there are signs that the support is not forthcoming.
If murmurs in the press are to be believed then Levy's enthusiasm over the Redknapp reign may be at a low ebb but this is a crucial time for Tottenham and the chairman cannot afford to let his interest wain. The fans can accept we need to sell before we buy but so far Redknapp has claimed that Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Peter Crouch are not for sale, and that even Robbie Keane could force his way back into the team.
Levy needs to get a move on and kickstart our summer, as the rumoured streamlining of the playing staff seems like a distant memory. If Jamie O'Hara heads to Wolves and Robbie Keane joins Martin Jol at Fulham we are still above the 25-man Premier League quota even before adding to the squad.
The Friedel transfer is done and, who knows, maybe it'll take the pressure off Heurelho Gomes giving him a chance to get his confidence back. Friedel could even teach the Brazilian how to catch a ball with two hands. But from now on, players need to go, full stop. The board can't be messing around waiting for as much money as possible, we need gaps on the team sheet and space in the payroll. Cue the exodus...
Thursday 26 May 2011
Strikers while the iron's hot
Levy's statement over the weekend championed our "settled team" which, whether you agree with his sentiments or not, indicates that he is not willing to tear up the squad and start again. We're clearly in the market for a goalkeeper and maybe a long-term centre-back, so at the very most we're looking at four notable arrivals.
Striker. It's the word on everyone's lips. And the first position we need to address. It's likely to be Keane and one other out the door, probably depending on the best offer, so we need at least a big-ish name and a well-renowned bargain.
The agent for FC Porto's Radamel Falcao, who scored a record 17 goals in the Europa League this season, has claimed that Spurs and Arsenal have matched his client's £26m buyout clause in a fight for his signature. And yesterday we were closely linked to Leandro Damiao, Internacional's £13.2m-rated who has netted 16 goals in Brazil's Gaucho state championships - we're supposedly fighting Barcelona for him, but, guess what, he's best mates with Sandro. Could next season have a distinctly Samba swing to it?
The prospect of "the new Didier Drogba", Belgian Romelu Lukaku (£17m-£18m), being tutored by the real Didier Drogba really excited me, but it now seems most likely to happen at Chelsea as they've reiterated their intentions to keep the Ivorian.
Goalkeeper. Signing Friedel is not the road to go down. We'll get one, maybe two seasons out of him and he'll retire. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually retires this summer anyway. It's the end of the season and we're not looking for a quick fix. Ben Foster is the man, or better if possible, but someone fresh who can really grow into the position. I wouldn't ditch Gomes entirely, but he's got to be ready to play second fiddle after losing his confidence so badly recently.
Only expect a centre-back along the lines of Ryan Shawcross or Gary Cahill if we can really barter a price for them and, bar one or two smaller acquisitions, I think that might be our lot.
We know the midfield is fine, the defence will shore up with a broad-shouldered organiser between the sticks, so it's the front line and the keeper that needs the most attention.
More importantly, it needs doing quickly and decisively. I'm all for shopping around and doing the best deal possible but we don't want to be active until the deadline again. We got lucky by finding Rafa Van Der Vaart last season but we can't rely on last-minute deals. If Levy wants the settled squad he so happily claims, then we need to be ready well in advance.
Striker. It's the word on everyone's lips. And the first position we need to address. It's likely to be Keane and one other out the door, probably depending on the best offer, so we need at least a big-ish name and a well-renowned bargain.
The agent for FC Porto's Radamel Falcao, who scored a record 17 goals in the Europa League this season, has claimed that Spurs and Arsenal have matched his client's £26m buyout clause in a fight for his signature. And yesterday we were closely linked to Leandro Damiao, Internacional's £13.2m-rated who has netted 16 goals in Brazil's Gaucho state championships - we're supposedly fighting Barcelona for him, but, guess what, he's best mates with Sandro. Could next season have a distinctly Samba swing to it?
The prospect of "the new Didier Drogba", Belgian Romelu Lukaku (£17m-£18m), being tutored by the real Didier Drogba really excited me, but it now seems most likely to happen at Chelsea as they've reiterated their intentions to keep the Ivorian.
Goalkeeper. Signing Friedel is not the road to go down. We'll get one, maybe two seasons out of him and he'll retire. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually retires this summer anyway. It's the end of the season and we're not looking for a quick fix. Ben Foster is the man, or better if possible, but someone fresh who can really grow into the position. I wouldn't ditch Gomes entirely, but he's got to be ready to play second fiddle after losing his confidence so badly recently.
Only expect a centre-back along the lines of Ryan Shawcross or Gary Cahill if we can really barter a price for them and, bar one or two smaller acquisitions, I think that might be our lot.
We know the midfield is fine, the defence will shore up with a broad-shouldered organiser between the sticks, so it's the front line and the keeper that needs the most attention.
More importantly, it needs doing quickly and decisively. I'm all for shopping around and doing the best deal possible but we don't want to be active until the deadline again. We got lucky by finding Rafa Van Der Vaart last season but we can't rely on last-minute deals. If Levy wants the settled squad he so happily claims, then we need to be ready well in advance.
Thursday 19 May 2011
25-man squad points to mass exodus
The end of the season is in sight and people are beginning to discuss how many players we need to bring in for next season and who they should be. But with a worrying amount of dead wood and the added pressure of meeting 25-man squad regulations, we need to get busy offloading players before we even think of bringing anyone in.
So just who, realistically, could be shown the door this summer?
You'd imagine Robbie Keane and David Bentley will be the first through the exit door as they are already out on loan. The problem is that Keane didn't really perform at West Ham and, having been relegated, they're in no position to be throwing money around. That, and the striker will not want to play in the Championship if he can help it.
Wolves, where Keane started his career, would get the emotional vote for his signature, but Celtic may be interested after he impressed Neil Lennon on loan last season. He should probably never have left Hampden Park in the first place.
Bentley will also prove difficult to get rid of, as Birmingham have cited the same old problems with his attitude that are bound to turn off potential employers. We are going to have to take a huge loss on his original fee (that's a theme we're going to have to grin and bear this summer), I would think a £6m bid from Mark Hughes' Fulham is about the best we can hope for, although Newcastle have a tendency of spending big money on flair players, unless they've learned their lesson after relegation.
Giovani Dos Santos is also out on loan, and the smart money is on him signing a full contract at Racing Santander, although a lot of Spurs fans
would like to see him given the chance to impress in our first team as we've never really seen what he can do. However, Gio soon turns 22 and no longer has a free pass into the squad, next season he'll have to be registered on the list 25, and that may not be a risk worth taking.
It's barely worth mentioning Jonathan Woodgate, if he goes then we aren't going to get any money for him, if he stays, he'll never make the 25-man squad. Best bet? Give him a coaching role and be done with it, the man knows positioning like nobody else and the sooner that knowledge is passed on to
our shaky defence, the better.
So far, so simple, then there's Niko Krancjar, Roman Pavlyuchenko and, as of yesterday, Jermain Defoe, who have all bemoaned the lack of first team opportunities and could be looking to get away.
Krancjar has been rumoured to interest QPR, he's one of the few
who we may make some money on as we was originally a bargain at £2m. QPR of course have the financial clout, and could be in the market for a playmaker if their star prospect Adel Taarabt is prised from their grasp in the close season.
Surely Pavlyuchenko's writing is finally on the wall. He whinges and whines every season when he doesn't get a game and then he gets given a run in the team and never takes the opportunity, missing hatfuls of chances in the process. We all know he's got the talent, he shows some wonderful vision and scores some good goals but the application for a full season's work isn't there and Harry must have had enough by now.
I'd expect Crouch to escape all but the biggest of culls, such is his effectiveness in Europe. He also has a positive attitude, never complaining to the press, and Redknapp will be mindful of the partnership he struck up with Rafa Van Der Vaart at the start of the season, it's gold if they can rediscover it.
Apart from all this, there's the small matters of what to do about our dysfunctional keeper and our wonderkid winger. I do of course mean Heurelho Gomes and Gareth Bale. How we handle those two could prove to be season, or era-defining. But getting the small things right comes first and, as far as sorting the men from the boys goes, it's open season.
WE'll look into inbound possibilities after Sundays game when we know our European fate. See you then.
So just who, realistically, could be shown the door this summer?
You'd imagine Robbie Keane and David Bentley will be the first through the exit door as they are already out on loan. The problem is that Keane didn't really perform at West Ham and, having been relegated, they're in no position to be throwing money around. That, and the striker will not want to play in the Championship if he can help it.
Wolves, where Keane started his career, would get the emotional vote for his signature, but Celtic may be interested after he impressed Neil Lennon on loan last season. He should probably never have left Hampden Park in the first place.
Bentley will also prove difficult to get rid of, as Birmingham have cited the same old problems with his attitude that are bound to turn off potential employers. We are going to have to take a huge loss on his original fee (that's a theme we're going to have to grin and bear this summer), I would think a £6m bid from Mark Hughes' Fulham is about the best we can hope for, although Newcastle have a tendency of spending big money on flair players, unless they've learned their lesson after relegation.
Giovani Dos Santos is also out on loan, and the smart money is on him signing a full contract at Racing Santander, although a lot of Spurs fans
would like to see him given the chance to impress in our first team as we've never really seen what he can do. However, Gio soon turns 22 and no longer has a free pass into the squad, next season he'll have to be registered on the list 25, and that may not be a risk worth taking.
It's barely worth mentioning Jonathan Woodgate, if he goes then we aren't going to get any money for him, if he stays, he'll never make the 25-man squad. Best bet? Give him a coaching role and be done with it, the man knows positioning like nobody else and the sooner that knowledge is passed on to
our shaky defence, the better.
So far, so simple, then there's Niko Krancjar, Roman Pavlyuchenko and, as of yesterday, Jermain Defoe, who have all bemoaned the lack of first team opportunities and could be looking to get away.
Krancjar has been rumoured to interest QPR, he's one of the few
who we may make some money on as we was originally a bargain at £2m. QPR of course have the financial clout, and could be in the market for a playmaker if their star prospect Adel Taarabt is prised from their grasp in the close season.
Surely Pavlyuchenko's writing is finally on the wall. He whinges and whines every season when he doesn't get a game and then he gets given a run in the team and never takes the opportunity, missing hatfuls of chances in the process. We all know he's got the talent, he shows some wonderful vision and scores some good goals but the application for a full season's work isn't there and Harry must have had enough by now.
I'd expect Crouch to escape all but the biggest of culls, such is his effectiveness in Europe. He also has a positive attitude, never complaining to the press, and Redknapp will be mindful of the partnership he struck up with Rafa Van Der Vaart at the start of the season, it's gold if they can rediscover it.
Apart from all this, there's the small matters of what to do about our dysfunctional keeper and our wonderkid winger. I do of course mean Heurelho Gomes and Gareth Bale. How we handle those two could prove to be season, or era-defining. But getting the small things right comes first and, as far as sorting the men from the boys goes, it's open season.
WE'll look into inbound possibilities after Sundays game when we know our European fate. See you then.
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Fluctuating fortunes
A swagger, sorry, make that stagger, of inconsistency has plagued our season. Many a promising run of results has been halted with an inexplicable result, a heinous defensive error or a misfiring squaddie on the front line. Ultimately, it's thwarted our Champions League hopes but thankfully, our fluctuating fortunes know no prejudice and on Sunday we pulled off another unthinkable result.
One win in 13 games. That's not good. In fact, it's rubbish. Multiply that by the Anfield factor, where we hadn't won in 18 years, and by kick-off time I had all but given up on it.
Then, we pull off one of the results of our season - that's probably over playing it a bit but until yesterday we all thought our season was over. Redknapp didn't want the Europa League spot and we were all bracing ourselves for a lynch mob of money men to come for our prize assets. I even turned to my girlfriend just before kick-off to state, "I have never been so sure in my life that Spurs are going to lose a game."
Now, we're in a commanding position to qualify for Europe via the league for the fourth time in six seasons. I'm not going to make this one of those "everything's fine", Harry Redknapp-endorsed comments, we should have done better in the last three months, but we're where we are and, like I said last week, if we want regular success, we really should be in Europe.
Involvement in the Europa League will keep more members of the squad active, fit and happy, and get us used to juggling priorities during these long seasons - not to mention bringing in some prize money to keep the board, and the sponsors, sweet.
It's actually been a good season for breaking new ground and settling some old scores in the meantime. It's 25 years since we did the double over the Reds and, funnily enough, Kenny Dalglish was in charge the last time we did it back in 1986-87. We beat them 1-0 home and away, with Clive Allen scoring at Anfield in October and Chris Waddle back at White Hart Lane in March.
Clive Allen scored 49 goals in all competitions that season, a feat which remains unmatched to this day - we could have done with him up front this season. Well, we could have done with him up front any season. We could have done with anyone up front this season.
Rafa Van Der Vaart's goal on Sunday was great to watch, I know it deflected, but his reaction - instinctively grabbing the badge on his shirt and running to the Spurs fans - was great to see, and indicates he might not want to go anywhere. Much the same with Luka Modric, rumours are flying about if he'll be off in the summer, but he cared enough to take the penalty and if he thought he was in the shop window, then he needn't have put his reputation on the line.
If VDV and Modric stay put then we're half way to keeping morale high for another bash next season – all we need now is a good old-fashioned goalscorer... Clive Allen, anyone?
One win in 13 games. That's not good. In fact, it's rubbish. Multiply that by the Anfield factor, where we hadn't won in 18 years, and by kick-off time I had all but given up on it.
Then, we pull off one of the results of our season - that's probably over playing it a bit but until yesterday we all thought our season was over. Redknapp didn't want the Europa League spot and we were all bracing ourselves for a lynch mob of money men to come for our prize assets. I even turned to my girlfriend just before kick-off to state, "I have never been so sure in my life that Spurs are going to lose a game."
Now, we're in a commanding position to qualify for Europe via the league for the fourth time in six seasons. I'm not going to make this one of those "everything's fine", Harry Redknapp-endorsed comments, we should have done better in the last three months, but we're where we are and, like I said last week, if we want regular success, we really should be in Europe.
Involvement in the Europa League will keep more members of the squad active, fit and happy, and get us used to juggling priorities during these long seasons - not to mention bringing in some prize money to keep the board, and the sponsors, sweet.
It's actually been a good season for breaking new ground and settling some old scores in the meantime. It's 25 years since we did the double over the Reds and, funnily enough, Kenny Dalglish was in charge the last time we did it back in 1986-87. We beat them 1-0 home and away, with Clive Allen scoring at Anfield in October and Chris Waddle back at White Hart Lane in March.
Clive Allen scored 49 goals in all competitions that season, a feat which remains unmatched to this day - we could have done with him up front this season. Well, we could have done with him up front any season. We could have done with anyone up front this season.
Rafa Van Der Vaart's goal on Sunday was great to watch, I know it deflected, but his reaction - instinctively grabbing the badge on his shirt and running to the Spurs fans - was great to see, and indicates he might not want to go anywhere. Much the same with Luka Modric, rumours are flying about if he'll be off in the summer, but he cared enough to take the penalty and if he thought he was in the shop window, then he needn't have put his reputation on the line.
If VDV and Modric stay put then we're half way to keeping morale high for another bash next season – all we need now is a good old-fashioned goalscorer... Clive Allen, anyone?
Thursday 12 May 2011
Why Spurs must qualify for the Europa League
There is no denying that the Europa League has become the graveyard shift of European football; the night watchman, if you will, but don't shirk it's importance too readily.
Until this week, I felt that, should Spurs fail to qualify for the Champions League, I'd prefer we finished 6th, thus not qualifying for the Europa League, such is the draining nature of Europe's second tier but it has become all too evident that it is vital to our continued development as a "big side" that we qualify for the
competition next season.
Arguments suggest that both Man City and Liverpool have been far better this season since being knocked out of the competition and even while they were in it they had to wade through a sea of minnows such as Aris Thessalonika, Red Bull Salzburg and Lech Poznan while we routinely lined up against world football's finest - so are we really better off without the Europa League, after all, we did better in the Premier League in 2009/2010 when we didn't have the distraction of European football?
These may be valid points but not the correct attitude if we're driving towards success. Our main enemy at the back end of this season has been stamina and, in truth, our final big push of the season was the tie against AC Milan; two hard-fought games against a top team.
In future, we must be able to deal with these big occasions mid-season and not save them up for the final exchanges like our terrific run at the end of last season. Milan came at us and came at us for two games and our defences held out, but not without cost; our league campaign trundled over the rumble strips and onto the hard shoulder.
The Europa League may be a lot of games but it builds up our stamina and keeps the side used to long seasons. If we really want to build on our reputation as a promising side then we have to be mentally and physically fit enough to stomach gruelling campaigns of 60+ games, while jetting all over the continent - to not qualify for Europe would be a backwards step.
Our other big problem this season has been failing to bury the smaller teams. Far too often have we dominated a game only to lack the killer instinct when it matters most. William Gallas has lately hinted that complacency has played its part and maybe that's a result of playing your Milans and Madrids so often.
Getting our waders on and slogging through eight or ten games against smaller teams may well get us used to beating teams in regular games, the smaller occasions, then maybe we'll not struggle so much against the West Hams, Wigans and Blackpools of the division next season.
Failure to qualify for the Champions League is not a disaster, but we have to make a final surge for the Europa League as, however you percieve the competition, it could be exactly what we need.
Until this week, I felt that, should Spurs fail to qualify for the Champions League, I'd prefer we finished 6th, thus not qualifying for the Europa League, such is the draining nature of Europe's second tier but it has become all too evident that it is vital to our continued development as a "big side" that we qualify for the
competition next season.
Arguments suggest that both Man City and Liverpool have been far better this season since being knocked out of the competition and even while they were in it they had to wade through a sea of minnows such as Aris Thessalonika, Red Bull Salzburg and Lech Poznan while we routinely lined up against world football's finest - so are we really better off without the Europa League, after all, we did better in the Premier League in 2009/2010 when we didn't have the distraction of European football?
These may be valid points but not the correct attitude if we're driving towards success. Our main enemy at the back end of this season has been stamina and, in truth, our final big push of the season was the tie against AC Milan; two hard-fought games against a top team.
In future, we must be able to deal with these big occasions mid-season and not save them up for the final exchanges like our terrific run at the end of last season. Milan came at us and came at us for two games and our defences held out, but not without cost; our league campaign trundled over the rumble strips and onto the hard shoulder.
The Europa League may be a lot of games but it builds up our stamina and keeps the side used to long seasons. If we really want to build on our reputation as a promising side then we have to be mentally and physically fit enough to stomach gruelling campaigns of 60+ games, while jetting all over the continent - to not qualify for Europe would be a backwards step.
Our other big problem this season has been failing to bury the smaller teams. Far too often have we dominated a game only to lack the killer instinct when it matters most. William Gallas has lately hinted that complacency has played its part and maybe that's a result of playing your Milans and Madrids so often.
Getting our waders on and slogging through eight or ten games against smaller teams may well get us used to beating teams in regular games, the smaller occasions, then maybe we'll not struggle so much against the West Hams, Wigans and Blackpools of the division next season.
Failure to qualify for the Champions League is not a disaster, but we have to make a final surge for the Europa League as, however you percieve the competition, it could be exactly what we need.
Sunday 8 May 2011
Cough, cough, splutter
The past month or so I've been able to hear a quiet chug, chug, chug sound somewhere in the distance. Initially, concerned I was going mad, I decided to ignore it but as it got louder and more noticeable I asked around a bit, coming to the conclusion that it was some form of tinnitus.
Yesterday, however, it reached a peak and it dawned on me that no qualified psychologist or medic was needed for a diagnosis; the chug, chug, chug sound was in fact the sound of Tottenham's season coughing and spluttering to a halt as we ran quite convincingly out of gas.
People are quick to point the finger after results like yesterday and, as anyone who read my last post will know, I feel that Redknapp had to make an example and drop Heurelho Gomes. But I'm willing to stand by his decision as I find it admirable that Harry is willing to stand by the guy and it shows that he has a strong sense of ethics and fairness - Gmoes did make three world class saves yesterday - and if you ask me, Taylor-Fletcher dived for the second penalty.
In truth, the fuel gauge has been firmly in the red for weeks and weeks and two hard-fought legs against AC Milan either pushed us over an edge we had already reached, or they took the wind out of our sails entirely. Either way, the whole experience probably accelerated the slide towards exhaustion that has seen us unable to kill teams off.
Harry Redknapp was a guest on Match Of The Day 2 earlier this evening (Sunday) and, whilst I admit, he is beginning to sound like a broken record with his, "Who are we gonna knock out the Top 4; not United, not Arsenal etc" on top of the "two points from eight games" mantra, I do think he is setting his stall out with regards to next season.
Redknapp has said a number of times that he genuinely believes he can win a title with Tottenham. Only recently has he started to admit that he "needs to add some real quality over the summer." He realises that our misfiring forwards have let us down badly this term. Be it lack of confidence or talent, it can't be tolerated. It certainly can't be lack of service!
We're all grateful for the experiences that have come with this season, it was beginning to look like we'd never see nights like that again, but the way the team has juddered to a halt is far from acceptable. We're meant to have a large squad of talented midfielders and we are either not using them, or they aren't playing ball.
Squad players have to accept some time on the bench and work to prove themselves. We as fans can't judge as we don't see them train from day to day but certain players have fought their way back into the squad in the past (Palacios, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko), so it seems that the manager is only too willing to give players a go when they've earned it.
With that in mind, you can only deduce that the supposed brilliant squad we had assembled lacks a bit of depth and, above all, a bit of determination. Coming from two goals down is one thing, but turning a bad run around under pressure is quite another and it's where we've fallen flat this season.
It's been a long time since we've had a manager who believes we can win a title and, whether you believe him or not, you get the impression the board would be crazy not to throw their weight behind him...
It could be an interesting summer.
(There's also the small matter of whether or not the Europa League is really worth being in, but I'll wait until after the Man City game before I mention that at all)
Yesterday, however, it reached a peak and it dawned on me that no qualified psychologist or medic was needed for a diagnosis; the chug, chug, chug sound was in fact the sound of Tottenham's season coughing and spluttering to a halt as we ran quite convincingly out of gas.
People are quick to point the finger after results like yesterday and, as anyone who read my last post will know, I feel that Redknapp had to make an example and drop Heurelho Gomes. But I'm willing to stand by his decision as I find it admirable that Harry is willing to stand by the guy and it shows that he has a strong sense of ethics and fairness - Gmoes did make three world class saves yesterday - and if you ask me, Taylor-Fletcher dived for the second penalty.
In truth, the fuel gauge has been firmly in the red for weeks and weeks and two hard-fought legs against AC Milan either pushed us over an edge we had already reached, or they took the wind out of our sails entirely. Either way, the whole experience probably accelerated the slide towards exhaustion that has seen us unable to kill teams off.
Harry Redknapp was a guest on Match Of The Day 2 earlier this evening (Sunday) and, whilst I admit, he is beginning to sound like a broken record with his, "Who are we gonna knock out the Top 4; not United, not Arsenal etc" on top of the "two points from eight games" mantra, I do think he is setting his stall out with regards to next season.
Redknapp has said a number of times that he genuinely believes he can win a title with Tottenham. Only recently has he started to admit that he "needs to add some real quality over the summer." He realises that our misfiring forwards have let us down badly this term. Be it lack of confidence or talent, it can't be tolerated. It certainly can't be lack of service!
We're all grateful for the experiences that have come with this season, it was beginning to look like we'd never see nights like that again, but the way the team has juddered to a halt is far from acceptable. We're meant to have a large squad of talented midfielders and we are either not using them, or they aren't playing ball.
Squad players have to accept some time on the bench and work to prove themselves. We as fans can't judge as we don't see them train from day to day but certain players have fought their way back into the squad in the past (Palacios, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko), so it seems that the manager is only too willing to give players a go when they've earned it.
With that in mind, you can only deduce that the supposed brilliant squad we had assembled lacks a bit of depth and, above all, a bit of determination. Coming from two goals down is one thing, but turning a bad run around under pressure is quite another and it's where we've fallen flat this season.
It's been a long time since we've had a manager who believes we can win a title and, whether you believe him or not, you get the impression the board would be crazy not to throw their weight behind him...
It could be an interesting summer.
(There's also the small matter of whether or not the Europa League is really worth being in, but I'll wait until after the Man City game before I mention that at all)
Monday 2 May 2011
Spurs must act quickly to localise Gomes damage
Heurelho Gomes is a talented shot stopper and a likeable guy. But enough is enough. Saturday's costly blunder is not just one too many, it's too many too many.
Spurs must act quickly to remedy the situation, by starting Carlo Cudicini in our next game against Blackpool at home.
I'm aware that the ball didn't actually cross the line but goal-line etiquette seems to work differently where Spurs are involved, remember Pedro Mendes 'goal' against Man United?
The linesman may have made a mistake but he should never have had to make the decision in the first place. The technology debate should have raged on a different day, between two different teams because this was a routine catch for Gomes from a speculative Frank Lampard hit'n'hope - and he blew it.
The reason it is so important that Spurs act over the Gomes situation, apart from the obvious fact that our hopes of a Top 4 finish are hanging by a thread, is that we have a team to protect and build upon and our best players will grow disillusioned if we don't look to solve the problem.
I don't for a minute think that Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, Rafa Van Der Vaart and Luka Modric would all seriously consider leaving just because we don't make the Champions League this season. If that is on their agenda then frankly they can go because it's the wrong attitude and shows their heart isn't in the right place.
However, for any top player with promise, talent and ambition, I can't imagine anything more frustrating than putting your all in every game, getting the team into a winning position and protecting a lead only for it to be continually undone by defensive gaffes, and it's happened a number of times this season.
It is that frustration that is likely to bring unrest simmering to the surface and I fear it poses a much bigger threat to keeping our team together than our final league position does. Gomes' latest blow damaged our Champions League hopes, there is no denying that, and it's important that the problem is not allowed to rumble on into next season.
It's not always Gomes, admittedly. We make a lot of defensive howlers but it could all stem from having no faith in the man between the sticks. Our centre-backs routinely panic over long balls and fail to deal with crosses; even corners that should be dealt with as second nature become a battle of nerves.
We are desperate for some confidence at the back, especially in time for next season and, if our best players are to pledge allegiance to our cause then they need reassurance that Harry Redknapp will make difficult decisions quickly. And that means dropping Gomes with immediate effect.
Spurs must act quickly to remedy the situation, by starting Carlo Cudicini in our next game against Blackpool at home.
I'm aware that the ball didn't actually cross the line but goal-line etiquette seems to work differently where Spurs are involved, remember Pedro Mendes 'goal' against Man United?
The linesman may have made a mistake but he should never have had to make the decision in the first place. The technology debate should have raged on a different day, between two different teams because this was a routine catch for Gomes from a speculative Frank Lampard hit'n'hope - and he blew it.
The reason it is so important that Spurs act over the Gomes situation, apart from the obvious fact that our hopes of a Top 4 finish are hanging by a thread, is that we have a team to protect and build upon and our best players will grow disillusioned if we don't look to solve the problem.
I don't for a minute think that Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, Rafa Van Der Vaart and Luka Modric would all seriously consider leaving just because we don't make the Champions League this season. If that is on their agenda then frankly they can go because it's the wrong attitude and shows their heart isn't in the right place.
However, for any top player with promise, talent and ambition, I can't imagine anything more frustrating than putting your all in every game, getting the team into a winning position and protecting a lead only for it to be continually undone by defensive gaffes, and it's happened a number of times this season.
It is that frustration that is likely to bring unrest simmering to the surface and I fear it poses a much bigger threat to keeping our team together than our final league position does. Gomes' latest blow damaged our Champions League hopes, there is no denying that, and it's important that the problem is not allowed to rumble on into next season.
It's not always Gomes, admittedly. We make a lot of defensive howlers but it could all stem from having no faith in the man between the sticks. Our centre-backs routinely panic over long balls and fail to deal with crosses; even corners that should be dealt with as second nature become a battle of nerves.
We are desperate for some confidence at the back, especially in time for next season and, if our best players are to pledge allegiance to our cause then they need reassurance that Harry Redknapp will make difficult decisions quickly. And that means dropping Gomes with immediate effect.
Saturday 30 April 2011
Vital run-in is no time for an autopsy
Im bored. I'm bored of the problems, bored of the concerns and bored of the questions.
Is our season finished? Have our hopes of fourth spot evaporated with our goalscoring ability? Has Harry Redknapp taken us as far as we can go (a stupid and all too common question)? The list is endless and relentless.
Yes, if we don't beat chelsea today, then we are probably not going to qualify for the Champions League. But it's not mathematically impossible and, until that point, i'll be backing the team to the hilt. Vital run-ins are not the time or place for post mortems.
Recent weeks have led me to suspect that as a group, our squad is running out of steam for this term. The will and the ambition is clearly there, we came back to draw against Arsenal, but it doesn't look like there's enough gas in the tank to see us over the finishing line.
To me, that's perfectly understandable and perfectly acceptable. The season started with an almighty bang in August and we kept it going until Christmas, in January we began to roll with the punches a bit, bouncing back off the ropes on occasions but focusing efforts and raising our game for the two tough but ultimately successful legs against milan. The fact that we are still fifth in the table is actually a minor miracle. the only questin that Spurs fans should be asking is 'have we enjoyed this season?'
We attacked a new level of challenge with style and we reacquainted the club with a generation of football fans around Europe beginning to think 'whatever happened to Tottenham Hotspur?'. The answer, from those with a sound mind, is always an almighty 'Yes'.
If we can't beat Chelsea today, then we'll probably all look to the West Brom game as the day our hopes faded. But can't is a big word, and it's a word that this Spurs team don't always know the meaning of. So here's hoping...
Is our season finished? Have our hopes of fourth spot evaporated with our goalscoring ability? Has Harry Redknapp taken us as far as we can go (a stupid and all too common question)? The list is endless and relentless.
Yes, if we don't beat chelsea today, then we are probably not going to qualify for the Champions League. But it's not mathematically impossible and, until that point, i'll be backing the team to the hilt. Vital run-ins are not the time or place for post mortems.
Recent weeks have led me to suspect that as a group, our squad is running out of steam for this term. The will and the ambition is clearly there, we came back to draw against Arsenal, but it doesn't look like there's enough gas in the tank to see us over the finishing line.
To me, that's perfectly understandable and perfectly acceptable. The season started with an almighty bang in August and we kept it going until Christmas, in January we began to roll with the punches a bit, bouncing back off the ropes on occasions but focusing efforts and raising our game for the two tough but ultimately successful legs against milan. The fact that we are still fifth in the table is actually a minor miracle. the only questin that Spurs fans should be asking is 'have we enjoyed this season?'
We attacked a new level of challenge with style and we reacquainted the club with a generation of football fans around Europe beginning to think 'whatever happened to Tottenham Hotspur?'. The answer, from those with a sound mind, is always an almighty 'Yes'.
If we can't beat Chelsea today, then we'll probably all look to the West Brom game as the day our hopes faded. But can't is a big word, and it's a word that this Spurs team don't always know the meaning of. So here's hoping...
Friday 22 April 2011
Top 4 On Friday - North London derbies
Yet another impressive comeback against our closest rivals and it's beginning to look like we might be some sort of bogey team for them nowadays. Maybe it's the never-say-die attitude or even just the wingers, either way it's led to this week's Top 4 On Friday being based on; memorable derby days.
4. Arsenal 1-1 Spurs, April 22, 2006
Fans of the Martin Jol era will have fond memories of this one. The Dutchman had us chasing fourth spot for the first time since the start of the Premier League and to break the so-called Big Four would have been a massive achievement. Obviously it was Arsenal we were fighting tooth and nail for the final Champions League spot.
We were four points ahead and three games from the end of the season, a victory would have all but confirmed us in the top four but Robbie Keane's strike was cancelled out by a slick Arsenal goal finished off by Thierry Henry.
But the game will be forever remember for the sight of Arsene Wenger and Jol squaring up over our opening goal. Wenger felt that Edgar Davids should have put the ball out of play as an Emmanuel Eboue and Gilberto collided in the penalty area; needless to say, the Frenchman had no case, the Arsenal players had injured each other, but we all got this picture as a memento.
3. Spurs 5-0 Arsenal, April 4, 1983
This was literally days after I was born. Massive few weeks for my dad (also a Spurs fan, obviously). Anyway, needless to say I can't remember it, so I can't do it justice, but neither side has won the derby by a five-goal margin ever since. Here's the highlights...
2. Spurs 5-1 Arsenal, 22 January, 2008
Arsenal fans will always remember this one because they still sing about it. Even though we won. They can mock us all they want for releasing a DVD of it, but it makes great television as we didn't just play them off the park, we totally embarrassed them with as good a 90 minutes of football as I have ever seen.
Juande Ramos had us attacking with pace and with a lethal end product. Sadly, it didn't last all season, but it did see off Arsenal in this League Cup semi-final and eventually won us our first silverware since 1999.
1. Spurs 3-1 Arsenal, April 14, 1991
"In the North London Cup they was only runners-up, now they can't get the Double up the Arsenal." Chas and Dave's lesser known 1991 FA CUp song says it all.
Gazza's outrageous free-kick puts us one up and Gary Lineker doubled the lead minutes later. Alan Smith dragged one back but the year ended in one and Gary Lineker's solo effort secured us a trip back to Wembley.
The Goons were fighting for another double and, whilst they did end up winning the league that year, we weren't going to let them have the Cup.
4. Arsenal 1-1 Spurs, April 22, 2006
Fans of the Martin Jol era will have fond memories of this one. The Dutchman had us chasing fourth spot for the first time since the start of the Premier League and to break the so-called Big Four would have been a massive achievement. Obviously it was Arsenal we were fighting tooth and nail for the final Champions League spot.
We were four points ahead and three games from the end of the season, a victory would have all but confirmed us in the top four but Robbie Keane's strike was cancelled out by a slick Arsenal goal finished off by Thierry Henry. But the game will be forever remember for the sight of Arsene Wenger and Jol squaring up over our opening goal. Wenger felt that Edgar Davids should have put the ball out of play as an Emmanuel Eboue and Gilberto collided in the penalty area; needless to say, the Frenchman had no case, the Arsenal players had injured each other, but we all got this picture as a memento.
3. Spurs 5-0 Arsenal, April 4, 1983
This was literally days after I was born. Massive few weeks for my dad (also a Spurs fan, obviously). Anyway, needless to say I can't remember it, so I can't do it justice, but neither side has won the derby by a five-goal margin ever since. Here's the highlights...
2. Spurs 5-1 Arsenal, 22 January, 2008
Arsenal fans will always remember this one because they still sing about it. Even though we won. They can mock us all they want for releasing a DVD of it, but it makes great television as we didn't just play them off the park, we totally embarrassed them with as good a 90 minutes of football as I have ever seen.
Juande Ramos had us attacking with pace and with a lethal end product. Sadly, it didn't last all season, but it did see off Arsenal in this League Cup semi-final and eventually won us our first silverware since 1999.
1. Spurs 3-1 Arsenal, April 14, 1991
"In the North London Cup they was only runners-up, now they can't get the Double up the Arsenal." Chas and Dave's lesser known 1991 FA CUp song says it all.
Gazza's outrageous free-kick puts us one up and Gary Lineker doubled the lead minutes later. Alan Smith dragged one back but the year ended in one and Gary Lineker's solo effort secured us a trip back to Wembley.
The Goons were fighting for another double and, whilst they did end up winning the league that year, we weren't going to let them have the Cup.
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Goons' problems could be just Fab
It's derby day, so I'm going to talk about Arsenal and, in particular, Cesc Fabregas. If you haven't read about it then basically he's said that Arsene Wenger would never have lasted so long without winning a trophy in Spain.
Fabregas added that Arsenal need to decide whether they want to be in the Champions League every year or whether they want to win trophies.
Well, Cesc. Put quite simply, you are an idiot of the highest degree.
Aside from the obvious murmurings of tension that are bound to arise from the captain's outburst, Fabregas would do well to remember that, the season before he broke into the first team, Arsenal won the Premier League without losing a game.
Has the midfielder even stopped to think that Arsenal's trophy drought could be all his fault! The evidence is there in black and white, he breaks into the first team, success dries up.
I'm not seriously suggesting that Cesc Fabregas is the scourge of the Woolwich Arsenal but he would do well to get his head down and stop continually bitching about the club that made him. Everyone at Arsenal knows he's going to Barcelona at some point and they don't need another whingeing ninny making them look stupid in the meantime. Isn't Arsene Wenger enough?
In fact, it was Wenger's policy of exposing youngsters to big occasions and putting his faith in new talent that gave Fabregas his chance in an Arsenal jersey and allowed to become such a huge name in football at just 23 years old, he should be grateful and show a bit more respect.
Fabregas had the chance to become one of the great Arsenal captains of all time but he has instead focused his mind on what everyone around him is doing wrong rather than focusing on his own shortcomings.
After the season we've had at Spurs, I would happily trade in the chance of winning the FA Cup or the League Cup now and again, if I knew we'd be involved in the Champions League every year - as that far outweighs the short-term glory of a minor trophy (and sorry, but the FA CUp is a minor trophy these days).
It seems to be a case of "the grass is always greener" for Fabregas and the point he seems to be missing is that if Arsenal are ''nearly there'' every year, then it's much easier to take that extra step, ride your luck a bit and end up with some silverware.
He's conveniently forgetting that Arsenal only crashed out of the Champions League by one goal; a goal for which he gave away possession attempting a silly backheel on the edge of his penalty area; a move every bit as naive and inexperienced as any of the players he is undermining.
If the petulant Goon really wants to win a title then he needs the players he is captaining to be willing to play for him and give 100 per cent all season long. Questioning the whole ethos and caliber of the club and it's players is hardly the mark of a true professional, especially before a North London derby of this importance.
So, my original point stands. The man is an idiot. But who are we to complain?
Come On You Spurs.
Fabregas added that Arsenal need to decide whether they want to be in the Champions League every year or whether they want to win trophies.
Well, Cesc. Put quite simply, you are an idiot of the highest degree.
Aside from the obvious murmurings of tension that are bound to arise from the captain's outburst, Fabregas would do well to remember that, the season before he broke into the first team, Arsenal won the Premier League without losing a game.
Has the midfielder even stopped to think that Arsenal's trophy drought could be all his fault! The evidence is there in black and white, he breaks into the first team, success dries up.
I'm not seriously suggesting that Cesc Fabregas is the scourge of the Woolwich Arsenal but he would do well to get his head down and stop continually bitching about the club that made him. Everyone at Arsenal knows he's going to Barcelona at some point and they don't need another whingeing ninny making them look stupid in the meantime. Isn't Arsene Wenger enough?
In fact, it was Wenger's policy of exposing youngsters to big occasions and putting his faith in new talent that gave Fabregas his chance in an Arsenal jersey and allowed to become such a huge name in football at just 23 years old, he should be grateful and show a bit more respect.
Fabregas had the chance to become one of the great Arsenal captains of all time but he has instead focused his mind on what everyone around him is doing wrong rather than focusing on his own shortcomings.
After the season we've had at Spurs, I would happily trade in the chance of winning the FA Cup or the League Cup now and again, if I knew we'd be involved in the Champions League every year - as that far outweighs the short-term glory of a minor trophy (and sorry, but the FA CUp is a minor trophy these days).
It seems to be a case of "the grass is always greener" for Fabregas and the point he seems to be missing is that if Arsenal are ''nearly there'' every year, then it's much easier to take that extra step, ride your luck a bit and end up with some silverware.
He's conveniently forgetting that Arsenal only crashed out of the Champions League by one goal; a goal for which he gave away possession attempting a silly backheel on the edge of his penalty area; a move every bit as naive and inexperienced as any of the players he is undermining.
If the petulant Goon really wants to win a title then he needs the players he is captaining to be willing to play for him and give 100 per cent all season long. Questioning the whole ethos and caliber of the club and it's players is hardly the mark of a true professional, especially before a North London derby of this importance.
So, my original point stands. The man is an idiot. But who are we to complain?
Come On You Spurs.
Friday 15 April 2011
Top 4 On Friday - Famous Fightbacks
Spurs used to be more prone to throwing away leads than clawing them back but this season we have more than made up for it with a few big comebacks - sadly, the four-goal deficit to Real Madrid proved too big a task.
Here, Taxi For Maicon looks back at the occasions when we have completed the turnaround in Top 4 On Friday - Famous Fightbacks.
4. Spurs 4-4 Aston Villa, October 1, 2007
Languishing in the bottom three, Martin Jol's tenure was grinding to a halt. We'd won just one of our first seven games and despite Dimitar Berbatov putting us 1-0 up, we found ourselves trailing 4-1after an hour.
Jermain Defoe coming off the bench seemed to spark us into life and, after he hit the post, Pascal Chimbonda netted the rebound. Robbie Keane added our third from the spot and we had eight minutes remaining to save Martin Jol's job.
When Villa hesitated over an injury-time corner, Younes Kaboul slammed the ball home to equalise and spark wild celebrations. Jol held on for another few weeks before being relieved of his duties during our dismal 2-1 home loss to Getafe in the UEFA Cup.
3. Spurs 3-2 Cardiff, September 2, 1961
One of the purposes of Top 4 On Friday is to do some delving into the annals and provide a bit of info on occasions that people may not be old enough to remember, and in the process, learn a bit myself.
Anyway, speaking to my dad, a lifelong Spurs fan, he remembers being at White Hart Lane for the visit of Cardiff City the season after we had won the Double.
With all eyes on us, Spurs had made a reasonable start to the season but prior to the Cardiff game, a derby win against Arsenal was sandwiched between a home draw and an away loss to West Ham and at 2-0 down, it looked like Cardiff were going to get the better of us as well.
However, a penalty from Danny Blanchflower and goals from Bobby Smith and Cliff Jones won the game for us and set us back on track for another memorable season that almost saw us clinch the double again, had the league title not eluded us by 4 points.
2. Spurs 6-2 Southampton (aet) March 1, 1995
FA Cup replay during a tumultuous season at White Hart Lane. Southampton were two goals in front at half time and it looked like our season would be over early.
Step forward Ronnie Rosenthal to bag a brace to take the game to extra time, converting his hat-trick soon after the restart. Goals from Teddy Sheringham, Darren Anderton and Nicky Barmby hammering home
our advantage.
Hugely significant not only for the fightback on the pitch but the fact that we had six Premier League points deducted and were thrown out of the FA Cup due to financial irregularities. Chairman Alan Sugar fought to have the decision overturned and we were reinstated in the Cup.
After this result, it looked like our name might be on the trophy, we went on to beat Liverpool 2-1 in the quarter-final (another comeback), eventually losing to Everton 4-1 in the semi-final.
1. Arsenal v Spurs
Take your pick really. Two of the Top 4 could have been recent games against Arsenal. In October 2008, as well all know we were stranded at the foot of the Premier League and Harry redknapp had just arrived.
4-2 down at The Emirates with minutes remaining, Jermaine Jenas strode forward and curled a beautiful third for us and, deep into injury time, a Modric volley came back off the post for Lennon to slide home and square a game we had no right to win. If you're looking up the game highlights then keep an eye out for David Bentley's magical opening goal.
Then, of course, there was November 22, 2010. We turned Arsenal over in their own back yard after 18 years of waiting. 2-0 down at half-time, Gareth Bale set us on our way with the firston 50 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, a Rafa Van Der Vaart free-kick was transformed into a penalty by a Cesc Fabregas handball. The Dutchman converted and with five minutes left, it was his crossed free-kick that Younes Kaboul clipped past Lukasz Fabianski for the sweetest three points of recent years.
Here, Taxi For Maicon looks back at the occasions when we have completed the turnaround in Top 4 On Friday - Famous Fightbacks.
4. Spurs 4-4 Aston Villa, October 1, 2007
Languishing in the bottom three, Martin Jol's tenure was grinding to a halt. We'd won just one of our first seven games and despite Dimitar Berbatov putting us 1-0 up, we found ourselves trailing 4-1after an hour.
Jermain Defoe coming off the bench seemed to spark us into life and, after he hit the post, Pascal Chimbonda netted the rebound. Robbie Keane added our third from the spot and we had eight minutes remaining to save Martin Jol's job.
When Villa hesitated over an injury-time corner, Younes Kaboul slammed the ball home to equalise and spark wild celebrations. Jol held on for another few weeks before being relieved of his duties during our dismal 2-1 home loss to Getafe in the UEFA Cup.
3. Spurs 3-2 Cardiff, September 2, 1961
One of the purposes of Top 4 On Friday is to do some delving into the annals and provide a bit of info on occasions that people may not be old enough to remember, and in the process, learn a bit myself.
Anyway, speaking to my dad, a lifelong Spurs fan, he remembers being at White Hart Lane for the visit of Cardiff City the season after we had won the Double.
With all eyes on us, Spurs had made a reasonable start to the season but prior to the Cardiff game, a derby win against Arsenal was sandwiched between a home draw and an away loss to West Ham and at 2-0 down, it looked like Cardiff were going to get the better of us as well.
However, a penalty from Danny Blanchflower and goals from Bobby Smith and Cliff Jones won the game for us and set us back on track for another memorable season that almost saw us clinch the double again, had the league title not eluded us by 4 points.
2. Spurs 6-2 Southampton (aet) March 1, 1995
FA Cup replay during a tumultuous season at White Hart Lane. Southampton were two goals in front at half time and it looked like our season would be over early.
Step forward Ronnie Rosenthal to bag a brace to take the game to extra time, converting his hat-trick soon after the restart. Goals from Teddy Sheringham, Darren Anderton and Nicky Barmby hammering home
our advantage.
Hugely significant not only for the fightback on the pitch but the fact that we had six Premier League points deducted and were thrown out of the FA Cup due to financial irregularities. Chairman Alan Sugar fought to have the decision overturned and we were reinstated in the Cup.
After this result, it looked like our name might be on the trophy, we went on to beat Liverpool 2-1 in the quarter-final (another comeback), eventually losing to Everton 4-1 in the semi-final.
1. Arsenal v Spurs
Take your pick really. Two of the Top 4 could have been recent games against Arsenal. In October 2008, as well all know we were stranded at the foot of the Premier League and Harry redknapp had just arrived.
4-2 down at The Emirates with minutes remaining, Jermaine Jenas strode forward and curled a beautiful third for us and, deep into injury time, a Modric volley came back off the post for Lennon to slide home and square a game we had no right to win. If you're looking up the game highlights then keep an eye out for David Bentley's magical opening goal.
Then, of course, there was November 22, 2010. We turned Arsenal over in their own back yard after 18 years of waiting. 2-0 down at half-time, Gareth Bale set us on our way with the firston 50 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, a Rafa Van Der Vaart free-kick was transformed into a penalty by a Cesc Fabregas handball. The Dutchman converted and with five minutes left, it was his crossed free-kick that Younes Kaboul clipped past Lukasz Fabianski for the sweetest three points of recent years.
Thursday 14 April 2011
Moving on from Madrid.
For the last eight months, the Champions League has been Tottenham's bit on the side; a wealthy spinster mistress satisfying our long-standing lust for the big occasion.
Like all whirlwind romances, it was a great experience and yes there were some fantastic nights and some glorious moments but if Spurs want it to blossom into a serious relationship, then we have to learn some valuable lessons.
True, we had a great run, we went further than expected and we played some fantastic football along the way but we came up woefully short against Real Madrid and the two-legs against the nine-time European champions highlighted some shortcomings; namely in concentration and killer instinct.
Realisitcally we were never going to overturn a four-goal deficit last night but we were giving it a right good go and when the opportunity arises you can't go skying the ball out of the stadium like Roman Pavlyuchenko did when he ran unchallenged onto Aaron Lennon's first-half cutback.
Concentration has proven to be a bit of a bugbear all season and yes, Heurelho Gomes has the ability to save shots that no other keeper on earth could but he was arguably at fault for three of Real's five goals, without which, 2-0 would have been an entirely respectable result.
It's not just Gomes, our whole backline fell asleep for Adebayor's second header at the Bernabeu as they did at Wolves and Blackpool to name just two other games recently.
Luka Modric featured prominently in yesterday's press claiming that even if we didn't qualify for the Champions League next season, the team would stick together and build on what they've started.
Obviously this is a great relief to hear, especially after Gareth bale recently said he'd be happy to learn a foreign language if he moved abroad, but big players need a reason to stick about and if that reason isn't success then it has to be belief.
It must be very disheartening for a top player to put his all into a game only for a lack of concentration elsewhere on the field to undo everything.
That is why Spurs need not to move on totally from the Madrid game; to forget it entirely would be naive and dangerous. Instead they must admit their inadequacies and get to work on sorting them out.
Only if a wiser Tottenham team emerges from the ashes of our Champions League quarter-final can we look back on it as a truly invaluable experience.
Like all whirlwind romances, it was a great experience and yes there were some fantastic nights and some glorious moments but if Spurs want it to blossom into a serious relationship, then we have to learn some valuable lessons.
True, we had a great run, we went further than expected and we played some fantastic football along the way but we came up woefully short against Real Madrid and the two-legs against the nine-time European champions highlighted some shortcomings; namely in concentration and killer instinct.
Realisitcally we were never going to overturn a four-goal deficit last night but we were giving it a right good go and when the opportunity arises you can't go skying the ball out of the stadium like Roman Pavlyuchenko did when he ran unchallenged onto Aaron Lennon's first-half cutback.
Concentration has proven to be a bit of a bugbear all season and yes, Heurelho Gomes has the ability to save shots that no other keeper on earth could but he was arguably at fault for three of Real's five goals, without which, 2-0 would have been an entirely respectable result.
It's not just Gomes, our whole backline fell asleep for Adebayor's second header at the Bernabeu as they did at Wolves and Blackpool to name just two other games recently.
Luka Modric featured prominently in yesterday's press claiming that even if we didn't qualify for the Champions League next season, the team would stick together and build on what they've started.
Obviously this is a great relief to hear, especially after Gareth bale recently said he'd be happy to learn a foreign language if he moved abroad, but big players need a reason to stick about and if that reason isn't success then it has to be belief.
It must be very disheartening for a top player to put his all into a game only for a lack of concentration elsewhere on the field to undo everything.
That is why Spurs need not to move on totally from the Madrid game; to forget it entirely would be naive and dangerous. Instead they must admit their inadequacies and get to work on sorting them out.
Only if a wiser Tottenham team emerges from the ashes of our Champions League quarter-final can we look back on it as a truly invaluable experience.
Tuesday 12 April 2011
Crouch turnaround is fine example as Spurs eye grandstand finish
Man the drawbridge, ready the trumpets and strike up a fanfare because here comes the lilywhite cavalry and we're galloping back into the race for fourth spot.
Hold your horses! We've a few more big hurdles to worry about yet, and anyone from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Man City could yet prove to be our Becher's Brook.
But Saturday was a big step, filling in a worrying chasm between results and expectation and Peter Crouch led from the front in the How To React In A Minor Crisis stakes.
Everyone was screaming for an apology from Crouch last week and, I have to admit, at Taxi For Maicon, we were getting concerned for our angly gangle man; he is usually the first to confront the cameras, claiming that Spurs can win the league or England can win the World Cup, but he went suspiciously quiet after his sending off against Real Madrid.
Had Crouch gone into hiding, we mused? Was he sat in a dark room, crying over the morning papers, consumed with the guilt of letting the side down, or was he tearing his hair out over the confirmation that his legs are longer than he ever realised?
Not so. He did exactly what he should have done in the circumstances; got his head down, let the dust settle and and concentrated on making amends as quickly as possible.
We didn't make things easy for ourselves, 3-2 is by no means a resounding return to form but it is a vital step in clawing back some confidence.
If Crouch turning things around to score twice against Stoke on Saturday is the example that leads the rest of the squad into home straight on a sprint finish, then it will more than have made up for his moment of madness against Real Madrid.
Hold your horses! We've a few more big hurdles to worry about yet, and anyone from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Man City could yet prove to be our Becher's Brook.
But Saturday was a big step, filling in a worrying chasm between results and expectation and Peter Crouch led from the front in the How To React In A Minor Crisis stakes.
Everyone was screaming for an apology from Crouch last week and, I have to admit, at Taxi For Maicon, we were getting concerned for our angly gangle man; he is usually the first to confront the cameras, claiming that Spurs can win the league or England can win the World Cup, but he went suspiciously quiet after his sending off against Real Madrid.
Had Crouch gone into hiding, we mused? Was he sat in a dark room, crying over the morning papers, consumed with the guilt of letting the side down, or was he tearing his hair out over the confirmation that his legs are longer than he ever realised?
Not so. He did exactly what he should have done in the circumstances; got his head down, let the dust settle and and concentrated on making amends as quickly as possible.
We didn't make things easy for ourselves, 3-2 is by no means a resounding return to form but it is a vital step in clawing back some confidence.
If Crouch turning things around to score twice against Stoke on Saturday is the example that leads the rest of the squad into home straight on a sprint finish, then it will more than have made up for his moment of madness against Real Madrid.
Friday 8 April 2011
Top 4 On Friday - Game-changing gaffes
Peter Crouch's foolish red card on Tuesday night may well have given us a mountain to climb in the European quarter-final home leg, but it did at least give Taxi For Maicon an idea for the Top 4 On Friday.
It's not going to make pretty reading but this week we're looking at Tottenham's biggest game-changing gaffes.
I should qualify, that I'm aware Peter Crouch's sending off is probably worthy of the No.1 spot, but we all know what happened, so I've left it out.
4. Sol Campbell - FA Cup semi-final vs Newcastle, Apr 1999
Having already won the League Cup earlier in the season, Spurs fans were dreaming of a Cup double. The Newcastle semi-final was a nervy affair and we felt hard done-by when the ref denied us a penalty for a blatant Nikos Dabizas handball in the second half.
Then, in extra-time, with the game evenly poised, Gary Speed played a one-two with Duncan Ferguson and our Sulzeer Jeremiah inexplicably threw his arm up to slap the ball as it sailed over him. Shearer scored the pen, then a wonder strike just to rub it in. Newcastle won the game and we missed out on a final with Man United.
3. Heurelho Gomes - Champions League group stage, Oct 2010
Our unpredictable goalie could maybe have made a clean sweep of the whole Top 4 game-changing gaffes, but this one made by far the biggest "clang".
We were already 1-0 down after Inter Milan scored with their first attack of the game but, as our defence was again caught out, Gomes raced kamikaze-style from his goal to challenge Jonathan Biabiany.
Clattering the attacker, Gomes was immediately show the red card and we were down to ten men after just 8 minutes. Gareth Bale's second-half hat-trick deflected media attention away from the blushing Brazilian but there is no denying it changed the course of the game.
2. Gary Mabbutt - FA Cup Final v Coventry, May 1987
Mabbs was a model captain at Tottenham, making 482 appearances and becoming our longest-serving player between 1982-1998, but that doesn't take away from his extra-time nightmare at Wembley.
Tied at 2-2, Spurs had led twice and were pinned back by goals from Dave Bennett and Keith Houchen, the latter a diving header which was named goal of the season by the BBC.
Early on in extra-time, Mabbutt threw himself at a cross, which looped up off his knee and over Ray Clemence in our goal. Terrible luck, but It won the tie for Coventry and was the first time we had ever been beaten in the FA Cup Final.
At least Mabbutt had a further 11 years to make up for it.
1. Paul Gascoigne - FA Cup Final v Nottingham Forest, May 1991
This was meant to be Gazza's FA Cup Final; he'd already set Wembley alight with his famous free-kick in the semi-final against Arsenal and had scored some brilliant goals in a memorable Cup run.
Worked up and raring to go, the bullish midfielder threw himself into the task and was lucky not to be booked for a hefty studs-up challenge on Garry Parker. Gazza followed up with an awkward lunge on Gary Charles, injuring himself in the process and ending his involvement in the game after just 15 minutes.
Stuart Pearce scored from the resulting free-kick and, whilst Spurs battled back to win their eighth FA Cup, Paul Gascoigne's knee – and his hopes of a dream final – were left in tatters.
It's not going to make pretty reading but this week we're looking at Tottenham's biggest game-changing gaffes.
I should qualify, that I'm aware Peter Crouch's sending off is probably worthy of the No.1 spot, but we all know what happened, so I've left it out.
4. Sol Campbell - FA Cup semi-final vs Newcastle, Apr 1999
Having already won the League Cup earlier in the season, Spurs fans were dreaming of a Cup double. The Newcastle semi-final was a nervy affair and we felt hard done-by when the ref denied us a penalty for a blatant Nikos Dabizas handball in the second half.
Then, in extra-time, with the game evenly poised, Gary Speed played a one-two with Duncan Ferguson and our Sulzeer Jeremiah inexplicably threw his arm up to slap the ball as it sailed over him. Shearer scored the pen, then a wonder strike just to rub it in. Newcastle won the game and we missed out on a final with Man United.
3. Heurelho Gomes - Champions League group stage, Oct 2010
Our unpredictable goalie could maybe have made a clean sweep of the whole Top 4 game-changing gaffes, but this one made by far the biggest "clang".
We were already 1-0 down after Inter Milan scored with their first attack of the game but, as our defence was again caught out, Gomes raced kamikaze-style from his goal to challenge Jonathan Biabiany.
Clattering the attacker, Gomes was immediately show the red card and we were down to ten men after just 8 minutes. Gareth Bale's second-half hat-trick deflected media attention away from the blushing Brazilian but there is no denying it changed the course of the game.
2. Gary Mabbutt - FA Cup Final v Coventry, May 1987
Mabbs was a model captain at Tottenham, making 482 appearances and becoming our longest-serving player between 1982-1998, but that doesn't take away from his extra-time nightmare at Wembley.
Tied at 2-2, Spurs had led twice and were pinned back by goals from Dave Bennett and Keith Houchen, the latter a diving header which was named goal of the season by the BBC.
Early on in extra-time, Mabbutt threw himself at a cross, which looped up off his knee and over Ray Clemence in our goal. Terrible luck, but It won the tie for Coventry and was the first time we had ever been beaten in the FA Cup Final.
At least Mabbutt had a further 11 years to make up for it.
1. Paul Gascoigne - FA Cup Final v Nottingham Forest, May 1991
This was meant to be Gazza's FA Cup Final; he'd already set Wembley alight with his famous free-kick in the semi-final against Arsenal and had scored some brilliant goals in a memorable Cup run.
Worked up and raring to go, the bullish midfielder threw himself into the task and was lucky not to be booked for a hefty studs-up challenge on Garry Parker. Gazza followed up with an awkward lunge on Gary Charles, injuring himself in the process and ending his involvement in the game after just 15 minutes.
Stuart Pearce scored from the resulting free-kick and, whilst Spurs battled back to win their eighth FA Cup, Paul Gascoigne's knee – and his hopes of a dream final – were left in tatters.
Wednesday 6 April 2011
Finding a cure for the Bernabeu Blues
Scared to look at the papers today? You bet! And with good reason. Peter Crouch will wish he had pulled an Aaron Lennon and chickened out before kick-off because the cut-throat wordsmiths all have their pen-knives out and the logically challenged striker gets a deserved verbal kicking.
I don't blame Crouch exclusively for what happened last night. In fact, his sending off forced us to play with the ball on the ground and build from the back, rather than just lumping the ball forward. The way we dealt with the remainder of the first half was admirable but with only 10 men, fatigue was bound to set in and, for that, Crouch has to shoulder some responsibility.
The morning after the night before, and our recent results can no longer be twisted into having one eye on a glory, glory night; now they just look like a bad run. Sky Sports continues to play that advert for the road to the Champions League Final at Wembley but suddenly the feeling of involvement has all but evaporated. The season goes on regardless, and we need an almighty dusting down session before the Stoke game at the Lane on Saturday.
Games thick and fast, that's what suits Spurs best, right? Ten-day breaks between games certainly haven't seemed to work. We do relish our chances as the underdogs, however, and after this rotten run of results we are certainly underdogs to get back into the Top 4.
The European adventure has felt all along like we were flying by the seat of our pants; prevailing despite injuries and unfamiliar gameplans and still proving our worth on countless occasions. When you live on the edge, sometimes you fall off with a bump.
The rest of the season is now going to be about character; what's done is done and it is up to those who have played badly or made mistakes to dig in and find that something extra. I wouldn't say that the Champions League is a total lost cause - if any Spurs team can overturn this sort of deficit, it's this one - but it's unlikely. Very unlikely.
For now, we're going to have to put up with the sneers and the jibes. Men versus boys, finally found out, simply not good enough; you know, that sort of thing. The best tonic is a good performance and more importantly now a good result.
But there is another cure for the Bernabeu Blues:
On opening a Christmas card from my girlfriend, what should fall out but a copy of Spurs v Inter Milan. Immediately I stuck in it the DVD player and rewatched the game in its entirety. I then watched the highlights and then homed in on what I've come to call Bale's goal, watching it over and over. I watched it again last night.
Of course, we all know it wasn't Bale who applied the finishing touch but that third goal against the Champions League holders is as much the Welshman's as anyone else's.
From Younes Kaboul's interception, the touch to Bale, the quick thinking as he knocks the ball past Maicon and the audible gasp of crowd anticipation as he gives chase, the perfect ball across the box, again the crowd volume soars as 35,000 realise we're actually going to beat Inter Milan, Oh When The Spurs Go Marching In and Andy Gray stating "I have never, ever, seen a player do what he does." The whole thing constitutes a wonderful moment that sums up our season in Europe.
Nobody realistically expected us to win at the Bernabeu, yet everybody knew we might just get hammered. Next time you see an advert for the Wembley final, or a negative newspaper column, don't look back to last night, because it's not the sum total of what we've achieved along the way.
True glory may be out of our reach for the time being but being a football fan is as much about glorious moments as glory itself, so before you turn your attentions to Stoke and our end of season run-in, take some time to reflect on what we've done along the way. You won't be disappointed.
I don't blame Crouch exclusively for what happened last night. In fact, his sending off forced us to play with the ball on the ground and build from the back, rather than just lumping the ball forward. The way we dealt with the remainder of the first half was admirable but with only 10 men, fatigue was bound to set in and, for that, Crouch has to shoulder some responsibility.
The morning after the night before, and our recent results can no longer be twisted into having one eye on a glory, glory night; now they just look like a bad run. Sky Sports continues to play that advert for the road to the Champions League Final at Wembley but suddenly the feeling of involvement has all but evaporated. The season goes on regardless, and we need an almighty dusting down session before the Stoke game at the Lane on Saturday.
Games thick and fast, that's what suits Spurs best, right? Ten-day breaks between games certainly haven't seemed to work. We do relish our chances as the underdogs, however, and after this rotten run of results we are certainly underdogs to get back into the Top 4.
The European adventure has felt all along like we were flying by the seat of our pants; prevailing despite injuries and unfamiliar gameplans and still proving our worth on countless occasions. When you live on the edge, sometimes you fall off with a bump.
The rest of the season is now going to be about character; what's done is done and it is up to those who have played badly or made mistakes to dig in and find that something extra. I wouldn't say that the Champions League is a total lost cause - if any Spurs team can overturn this sort of deficit, it's this one - but it's unlikely. Very unlikely.
For now, we're going to have to put up with the sneers and the jibes. Men versus boys, finally found out, simply not good enough; you know, that sort of thing. The best tonic is a good performance and more importantly now a good result.
But there is another cure for the Bernabeu Blues:
On opening a Christmas card from my girlfriend, what should fall out but a copy of Spurs v Inter Milan. Immediately I stuck in it the DVD player and rewatched the game in its entirety. I then watched the highlights and then homed in on what I've come to call Bale's goal, watching it over and over. I watched it again last night.
Of course, we all know it wasn't Bale who applied the finishing touch but that third goal against the Champions League holders is as much the Welshman's as anyone else's.
From Younes Kaboul's interception, the touch to Bale, the quick thinking as he knocks the ball past Maicon and the audible gasp of crowd anticipation as he gives chase, the perfect ball across the box, again the crowd volume soars as 35,000 realise we're actually going to beat Inter Milan, Oh When The Spurs Go Marching In and Andy Gray stating "I have never, ever, seen a player do what he does." The whole thing constitutes a wonderful moment that sums up our season in Europe.
Nobody realistically expected us to win at the Bernabeu, yet everybody knew we might just get hammered. Next time you see an advert for the Wembley final, or a negative newspaper column, don't look back to last night, because it's not the sum total of what we've achieved along the way.
True glory may be out of our reach for the time being but being a football fan is as much about glorious moments as glory itself, so before you turn your attentions to Stoke and our end of season run-in, take some time to reflect on what we've done along the way. You won't be disappointed.
Tuesday 5 April 2011
This stage of the season is neither the time or place for sitting on the fence
Yesterday, I posted a rubbish, nothingy blog; fuelled only by the belief
that I simply had to update the site to prove to readers that Taxi For
Maicon hasn't run out of gas.
The offending post - which you can read below but I would recommend against
it - laboured over a few warbled points before concluding nothing in
particular so, to the 10 readers who logged on yesterday, I apologise.
Nobody ever won anybody over by sitting on the fence and, at a time when
updates have been scarce, Taxi For Maicon needs to win over readers.
In a similar fashion, no team with their head somewhere else ever won a
football match. Spurs' recent Premier League results, let's not sugarcoat
it, have been terrible; no wins in four games against the division's bottom
four teams. A run of games doesn't come much more friendly than that and we
have three points to show for it.
On Saturday, Spurs played a game of sit-on-the-fence football, seemingly
saving themselves for tonight's most prestigious affair keeping one nervous
eye on the ball and the other on not getting injured and it is an attitude
that undermines the success of reaching the last eight of the Champions
League.
I'm not naysaying or whining, I'm just saying that Tottenham have not been
playing like worthy challengers and that needs to stop - tonight. The last
eight is neither the time or the place for hesitation.
We got our current European reputation by attacking with pace, power and
intelligence, so we need to rediscover the game that got us here.
It doesn't matter if we win or lose the tie, everyone knows what we've
achieved; but to go down with a whimper and not give it 'a real go' would
be a disservice to our European campaign.
If this is what the players have been waiting for then here we go... It's time to climb down off the fence and stand up and be counted.
that I simply had to update the site to prove to readers that Taxi For
Maicon hasn't run out of gas.
The offending post - which you can read below but I would recommend against
it - laboured over a few warbled points before concluding nothing in
particular so, to the 10 readers who logged on yesterday, I apologise.
Nobody ever won anybody over by sitting on the fence and, at a time when
updates have been scarce, Taxi For Maicon needs to win over readers.
In a similar fashion, no team with their head somewhere else ever won a
football match. Spurs' recent Premier League results, let's not sugarcoat
it, have been terrible; no wins in four games against the division's bottom
four teams. A run of games doesn't come much more friendly than that and we
have three points to show for it.
On Saturday, Spurs played a game of sit-on-the-fence football, seemingly
saving themselves for tonight's most prestigious affair keeping one nervous
eye on the ball and the other on not getting injured and it is an attitude
that undermines the success of reaching the last eight of the Champions
League.
I'm not naysaying or whining, I'm just saying that Tottenham have not been
playing like worthy challengers and that needs to stop - tonight. The last
eight is neither the time or the place for hesitation.
We got our current European reputation by attacking with pace, power and
intelligence, so we need to rediscover the game that got us here.
It doesn't matter if we win or lose the tie, everyone knows what we've
achieved; but to go down with a whimper and not give it 'a real go' would
be a disservice to our European campaign.
If this is what the players have been waiting for then here we go... It's time to climb down off the fence and stand up and be counted.
Monday 4 April 2011
On the hard shoulder of Top 4 Freeway
Right, Taxi For Maicon is back. What did we miss? Well, Spurs are still struggling to score goals, we're still picking up defensive injuries and we're still dropping points to struggling teams.
We didn't make it to the game on Saturday and, just like a watched kettle never boils, a watched scoreline never updates. I went through one of those awkward afternoons of forever clicking 'reload' on the BBC Sport mobile phone site whilst still trying to remain useful in my surroundings.
Come on, lads. What's going on? We've become known as one of the best attacking teams in the Premier League yet we seem to be stuck on the hard shoulder of Top 4 Freeway waiting for an AA van.
We're going to need more than fan belt or a monkey wrench to tighten the cogs and wind ourselves back up for a busy, and difficult, end of season.
That's our third 0-0 in a row and by the looks of it the old "you score three, we'll score four" attitude is stuttering to a halt. Instead it's opposing defenses saying, "well if you aren't going to score then we'll just take a point thanks."
Many will be reaching desperate measures by now and if Gareth Bale doesn't dig out his shining armour and ride to the rescue then we can probably expect the curmudgeon choir to strike up a "woe is me" chorus.
Although if our run of no-score draws stretches to four with a clean sheet against the nine-time European champs at the Bernabeu tomorrow night, you'll be hard-pushed to find anyone complaining.
We didn't make it to the game on Saturday and, just like a watched kettle never boils, a watched scoreline never updates. I went through one of those awkward afternoons of forever clicking 'reload' on the BBC Sport mobile phone site whilst still trying to remain useful in my surroundings.
Come on, lads. What's going on? We've become known as one of the best attacking teams in the Premier League yet we seem to be stuck on the hard shoulder of Top 4 Freeway waiting for an AA van.
We're going to need more than fan belt or a monkey wrench to tighten the cogs and wind ourselves back up for a busy, and difficult, end of season.
That's our third 0-0 in a row and by the looks of it the old "you score three, we'll score four" attitude is stuttering to a halt. Instead it's opposing defenses saying, "well if you aren't going to score then we'll just take a point thanks."
Many will be reaching desperate measures by now and if Gareth Bale doesn't dig out his shining armour and ride to the rescue then we can probably expect the curmudgeon choir to strike up a "woe is me" chorus.
Although if our run of no-score draws stretches to four with a clean sheet against the nine-time European champs at the Bernabeu tomorrow night, you'll be hard-pushed to find anyone complaining.
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