SPURS' biggest star is wanted by a host of European football giants.
Following a season of top-notch displays by the individual in question, media attention and crowd adulation, the money men have taken notice.
The manager is touting the importance of keeping our prize asset and the chairman is having his heels reinforced ready to dig them firmly into the tarmac on Tottenham High Road.
It's a familiar story.
We have all been here before. Luka Modric went to Real Madrid for £30million in the final week of August 2012 and chairman Daniel Levy eked an extra few bob out of Manchester United in the deadline-day 2008 sale of Dimitar Berbatov for £32m - and we all knew it was only a matter of time until it was Gareth Bale under the spotlight.
If the Modric saga is anything to go by, then we might just keep Bale another season on a "wait and see" basis but when we fail to strengthen enough to match the player's ambitions next season, he will be off.
Is there really reason to feel renewed hope that, this time around, we might get it right?
All the sounds coming out of the gossip vents around White Hart Lane seem to indicate "yes".
Bale is "set" to sign a contract extension, manager Andre Villas-Boas has "identified" a big-name midfielder and a marquee striker to strengthen the squad, certain "names" will be sold to make way for improvements and owner Joe Lewis has agreed business must be "done early" in the window in order for the side to ready for the start of the season.
That would all be very encouraging to hear but is it just a smokescreen to keep us all quiet after yet more ultimately self-inflicted heartache? Many Spurs fans have been calling for these things for years, so why has it taken until now for the club themselves to realise?
It's not always that simple - obviously - but in the opening three games of the 2012-13 season we took only two points. We lost at Newcastle and drew at home with West Brom and Norwich. A run of four straight wins followed.
Players rarely arrive just ready to slot in. They need accommodation, language lessons, not to mention overcoming homesickness or just convincing/arguing with their families or other halves over the move -remember the furore over Hugo Lloris not getting first team football immediately after his arrival last summer?
A few more weeks to settle down - without the August departure of most of our midfield (Modric and Rafa van der Vaart) - might have yielded those two vital extra points to put us in fourth place.
Surely we learned the perils of a bad start after losing Berbatov, when an impressive pre-season campaign spiralled into an infamous - and, thanks to former boss Harry Redknapp's penchant for repetition, unforgettable - two points from eight games.
To Villas-Boas' credit, he seems to have the players, the press and the board on his side - all key ingredients for a successful summer.
But until we arrive at next term with a squad ready to give it their all from the word go, then the fear will remain that all these encouraging signs are just to drive up the season ticket renewals until we rush out deadline day with a chequebook flush with the funds of a freshly sold Gareth Bale.
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Rarely has a team arrived at White Hart Lane with as little ambition as Aston Villa
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.
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.
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.
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