Was there a game on Sunday? There was? You'll have to fill us in on what happened. Strangely, there doesn't seem to be any recollection round these parts of a proud Tottenham side actually playing football this past weekend.
Okay, okay. We saw it. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't enjoyable. It was an utterly shambolic way to start a football match, up there with the worst moments of Young Boys away and Inter at the San Siro. It was as if the entire side, or just the defence, had a collective mental breakdown and forgot their basic skills. Even Dawson, the normally imperious Dawson, had a total meltdown. If Young Boys was more Keystone Cops, then this was as laughable as Police Academy.
To compound matters, Dawson's suspended. Throw that into the melting pot of injuries that is the rest of our defence and we're left with only Bassong and Gallas, of which Gallas isn't even 100%. But, with every cloud comes a sliver lining (apparently). It's transfer deadline day and we all know what that means. It's not as if Tottenham aren't synonymous with a hectic deadline day but we've also got the country's most last-minute deal-loving manager. If you're a professional football in England, you'll be linked with us today. If you're a striker in La Liga, it seems, you'll be linked with us today.
It all kicked off in the aftermath of the Fulham defeat last night. Sergio Aguero for £38 million. Madness! Do we even have that much to spend on a striker, yet Levy's adamant we can't afford to redevelop White Hart Lane? The bid was turned down but if you believe the rumours, we also went for Alvaro Negredo, Fernando Llorente and Diego Forlan. And we got turned down by Guiseppe Rossi and Villareal earlier this month. AND there's the whole Andy Carroll saga to consider. AND we may end up nabbing a last minute defender as cover.
We need to lie down. There's too much going on. No point trying to get any work done today Spurs fans - from now until the end of the day, it's going to be chaos. Fasten your seatbelts and pray for a new striker (not Mido).
31 January 2011
26 January 2011
Player profile: Jermain Defoe
Has he really been with us for almost seven years!? The 'loan' spell at Portsmouth doesn't count. He was always our player. Tiny little striker who, at times, scores goals almost as prolifically as he seduces women in Chinawhites. Is part of a select band of just four players who have scored a whopping five goals in one game, which he achieved in a 9-1 molestation of Wigan. On his day, he's one of the most lethal strikers in Europe. When it's not his day, he's a bit frustrating to watch as he tends to sulk and moan at his ill fortunes. Still our most dangerous striker. Has a mixed record internationally but a recent hat-trick seems to have put him in people's good books. He was also the only striker to score for England at the World Cup in 2010, which says as much about that farce as it does Defoe. Has dated more women than is probably healthy and likes to spend his time away from the club getting his name in the gossip columns. Probably not as bad a role model as the likes of Rooney, Gerrard and Terry but very much symbolic of the modern generation of footballers. He's also one of Peter Crouch's favourite people in the world.
24 January 2011
Pienaar, Madrid muggings, BAE Brilliance and Newcastle
Apologies for being a bit M.I.A over the last week. Here's a scarily efficient round-up of the events we may have missed:
Steven Pienaar
Say what you like about whether we need him or not - he cost £3 million, for goodness sake. We could sign him twice and it'd still be a good deal. This blog saw an Arsenal fan tweeting last week that signing Pienaar was 'bad business' for Spurs but since when was a £3 million deal for a highly-rated midfielder considered to be a rough deal? And, besides, we may end up needing him a lot more than the cynics are suggesting. Bentley's jumped ship to Birmingham, Kranjcar's desperate for first team football somewhere else and dos Santos? Well, many fans will have forgotten who he even is. For the money spent and for depth he'll add to the squad, this is a good deal.
Redknapp mugging
The first time Redknapp has been mugged since he forked out £3 million to resign Pascal Chimbonda in 2009. The story has it that he and Kevin Bond were in Madrid on a bit of a scouting trip/boys tour and, upon exiting the Bernabeu, were affronted by six pickpockets. Harry, true to his nature, saw fit to joke about it in the press the next day and as long as the culprits didn't happen to find a list of potential strikers in his pockets then we can safely assume there's no long term harm done.
Assou Ekotto interview in the Mail
BAE is a remarkable character. In his last high profile newspaper interview, he claimed that football was simply his job and that he wasn't in it for the personal enjoyment. He's about as detached from the stereotypical modern footballer as you could possibly imagine and this Daily Mail interview lends plenty of support to that idea. We learn that Benny loves Nandos, drives a Smart Car and isn't interested in John Terry's rejects. The best quotes:
'I really don't care if he ***** prostitutes. I really don't. What people do in their private lives is up to them. The journalist in France ask me about Rooney. She say he doesn't score a lot of goals. I say yeah. She say he sleeps with prostitutes. I say yeah, and then I say his wife have to be sad. And it end up in the paper, "Rooney a whore sh***er". I saw Patrice Evra when we played United, and I told him to pass on a message to Rooney. I told him it was a bad translation and he said "cool". When I saw Rooney last weekend, in the line-up when we all shake hands, he smiled at me. He understands.'
'I could be single again if I want to finish my life alone. Maybe it would be interesting, yeah. But I don't want to meet a girl who has been touched by a player from Fulham or Chelsea. You understand? Fantastic. If I meet a model and she has known 255 men before me, I'm really not interested. I prefer to keep my one; someone I have known for a long time. I wouldn't say I'm religious. I stay in bed on a Sunday morning. But I had a Christian upbringing and I believe in God. I don't play with my girlfriend.'
'I have nothing against the culture of girls in football. I will go out with the players sometimes to the nightclubs. I was not there in Ireland (when Spurs players went to Dublin against Harry Redknapp's wishes). I had to go to France. But this year I was there. Two years ago I was with them. It's just I don't drink. I have never drunk.'
'I just wonder why some people carry on the way they do. When they make an interview and say I want to be at a club for ever, kissing the badge, blah, blah, blah, and in six months they are not there any more. I wonder why they lied six months before. Or when they sign for a club claiming they wanted to play for them all their lives. I see no point in doing that. I come here because it's a cool club - not because I dreamed of one day playing for Tottenham. I never dreamed about any club. I just wanted to be a footballer.'
'I enjoy my life at Tottenham. I like Harry Redknapp. He is cool guy. I like him for not making us stay in a hotel the night before home matches. He trusts us. Treats us like men. And I enjoy playing in this team. With Gareth Bale. We have a telepathy. As we showed against Inter Milan, we are capable of anything. Now, though, we have a problem. Having tasted the Champions League, we do not want to finish fifth and the manager gets angry when we drop points.'
Benny, you really are the man.
Newcastle
Disappointing not to have swept aside a team without two of their best players? Yes. Relief that we escaped with a hard-fought point? You bet. With minutes to go and with Spurs looking set to add to their dire record at St James' Park or the SportsDirect.com @ St James Park or whatever the place is called, a last minute leveller was just what the doctor ordered. Spurs weren't at their best - and they probably needed to be to win at a place like Newcastle - but they were in the game and created enough quality chances to have scored from. The home side did so equally as well and they'll be mightily aggrieved to have only earned a point.
Bale, starting at left in BAE's absence, was removed from the game early with a back injury, yanking one of the biggest strings from our attacking bow. Pienaar gave a solid debut on the left flank, perhaps not one to earn too many headlines. Up front Defoe looked lively but a tad non-threatening, as he has done for some time now. He needs games to find his range, for sure, but how much time do we have to give? With Crouch and Pavlyuchenko also more of the hit-and-miss variety, our desperate need for a striker increases.
Final mention goes to Lennon, who has scored three goals this season, two of which have arrived in the last minute. He's had a good season on reflection, nowhere near as bad as some have claimed yet not really touching his outstanding best from late 2009. Yet, he has a knack of popping up and either scoring or creating chances, even if he's had a quiet game. If Bale is set for a spell on the injury table, then it's imperative that Lennon takes over the mantle of chief wing destroyer.
That's all for now folks. Stay tuned for the thrills and spills of the FA Cup next week and/or hopefully news of a new signing. It's only a matter of time, surely.
*Become a fan of TBFWHL on Facebook and follow us on the Twitter. You know it makes sense.*
Steven Pienaar
Say what you like about whether we need him or not - he cost £3 million, for goodness sake. We could sign him twice and it'd still be a good deal. This blog saw an Arsenal fan tweeting last week that signing Pienaar was 'bad business' for Spurs but since when was a £3 million deal for a highly-rated midfielder considered to be a rough deal? And, besides, we may end up needing him a lot more than the cynics are suggesting. Bentley's jumped ship to Birmingham, Kranjcar's desperate for first team football somewhere else and dos Santos? Well, many fans will have forgotten who he even is. For the money spent and for depth he'll add to the squad, this is a good deal.
Redknapp mugging
The first time Redknapp has been mugged since he forked out £3 million to resign Pascal Chimbonda in 2009. The story has it that he and Kevin Bond were in Madrid on a bit of a scouting trip/boys tour and, upon exiting the Bernabeu, were affronted by six pickpockets. Harry, true to his nature, saw fit to joke about it in the press the next day and as long as the culprits didn't happen to find a list of potential strikers in his pockets then we can safely assume there's no long term harm done.
Assou Ekotto interview in the Mail
BAE is a remarkable character. In his last high profile newspaper interview, he claimed that football was simply his job and that he wasn't in it for the personal enjoyment. He's about as detached from the stereotypical modern footballer as you could possibly imagine and this Daily Mail interview lends plenty of support to that idea. We learn that Benny loves Nandos, drives a Smart Car and isn't interested in John Terry's rejects. The best quotes:
'I really don't care if he ***** prostitutes. I really don't. What people do in their private lives is up to them. The journalist in France ask me about Rooney. She say he doesn't score a lot of goals. I say yeah. She say he sleeps with prostitutes. I say yeah, and then I say his wife have to be sad. And it end up in the paper, "Rooney a whore sh***er". I saw Patrice Evra when we played United, and I told him to pass on a message to Rooney. I told him it was a bad translation and he said "cool". When I saw Rooney last weekend, in the line-up when we all shake hands, he smiled at me. He understands.'
'I could be single again if I want to finish my life alone. Maybe it would be interesting, yeah. But I don't want to meet a girl who has been touched by a player from Fulham or Chelsea. You understand? Fantastic. If I meet a model and she has known 255 men before me, I'm really not interested. I prefer to keep my one; someone I have known for a long time. I wouldn't say I'm religious. I stay in bed on a Sunday morning. But I had a Christian upbringing and I believe in God. I don't play with my girlfriend.'
'I have nothing against the culture of girls in football. I will go out with the players sometimes to the nightclubs. I was not there in Ireland (when Spurs players went to Dublin against Harry Redknapp's wishes). I had to go to France. But this year I was there. Two years ago I was with them. It's just I don't drink. I have never drunk.'
'I just wonder why some people carry on the way they do. When they make an interview and say I want to be at a club for ever, kissing the badge, blah, blah, blah, and in six months they are not there any more. I wonder why they lied six months before. Or when they sign for a club claiming they wanted to play for them all their lives. I see no point in doing that. I come here because it's a cool club - not because I dreamed of one day playing for Tottenham. I never dreamed about any club. I just wanted to be a footballer.'
'I enjoy my life at Tottenham. I like Harry Redknapp. He is cool guy. I like him for not making us stay in a hotel the night before home matches. He trusts us. Treats us like men. And I enjoy playing in this team. With Gareth Bale. We have a telepathy. As we showed against Inter Milan, we are capable of anything. Now, though, we have a problem. Having tasted the Champions League, we do not want to finish fifth and the manager gets angry when we drop points.'
Benny, you really are the man.
Newcastle
Disappointing not to have swept aside a team without two of their best players? Yes. Relief that we escaped with a hard-fought point? You bet. With minutes to go and with Spurs looking set to add to their dire record at St James' Park or the SportsDirect.com @ St James Park or whatever the place is called, a last minute leveller was just what the doctor ordered. Spurs weren't at their best - and they probably needed to be to win at a place like Newcastle - but they were in the game and created enough quality chances to have scored from. The home side did so equally as well and they'll be mightily aggrieved to have only earned a point.
Bale, starting at left in BAE's absence, was removed from the game early with a back injury, yanking one of the biggest strings from our attacking bow. Pienaar gave a solid debut on the left flank, perhaps not one to earn too many headlines. Up front Defoe looked lively but a tad non-threatening, as he has done for some time now. He needs games to find his range, for sure, but how much time do we have to give? With Crouch and Pavlyuchenko also more of the hit-and-miss variety, our desperate need for a striker increases.
Final mention goes to Lennon, who has scored three goals this season, two of which have arrived in the last minute. He's had a good season on reflection, nowhere near as bad as some have claimed yet not really touching his outstanding best from late 2009. Yet, he has a knack of popping up and either scoring or creating chances, even if he's had a quiet game. If Bale is set for a spell on the injury table, then it's imperative that Lennon takes over the mantle of chief wing destroyer.
That's all for now folks. Stay tuned for the thrills and spills of the FA Cup next week and/or hopefully news of a new signing. It's only a matter of time, surely.
*Become a fan of TBFWHL on Facebook and follow us on the Twitter. You know it makes sense.*
Player profile: Rafael van der Vaart
Given to Spurs by Jose Mourinho as a gift No-one's quite sure why - perhaps it was to keep Liverpool down in their place. Who knows. The official 2010 Bargain of the Season. Signed for a ridiculously cheap £8 million, he bounded into the Spurs team and immediately set about making us look bloody awesome as a result. ALWAYS scores when he plays at White Hart Lane (not factually correct). Formed an on-pitch relationship with Peter Crouch so telepathic, the government began to ask questions as to its legitimacy. Before a Champions League game with FC Twente, he drank far too much fizzy orange and went out onto the pitch so full of sugar, he managed to miss a penalty, score and then get sent off. Celebrated the winner against Aston Villa by passionately kissing an elderly woman in the crowd (again, not strictly true). Is probably going to leave us at some point in the next year, if you subscribe to negative lines of thought. Made himself an icon to Spurs fans everywhere by equalising against Arsenal away and celebrating by telling the 3 Gooners actually making noise to pipe down. Just an all round, top-quality Yiddo.
17 January 2011
The Magnificent Mr Modric
That was an opportunity, was that. Make no mistake. Manchester United, backs to the wall, a man down, holding on for dear life, a buoyant home crowd willing us on... and yet there was to be no last minute heroism. No reward for the near constant pressure being applied by the excellent Spurs midfield. No breaking of a win-less streak that goes back to 2001. United, for one more season, at least, remain the monkey on Tottenham's back.
And it's weight that'll keep them down, just, tantalisingly just, below the level of out and out title contenders. All others sides in the top five bubble have been dispatched. Man City? Not yet this season but seen off twice last year. Chelsea? No wins at White Hart Lane since 2005 and held to an even-stevens 1-1 draw this season. Arsenal? It's doubtful anyone has forgotten Saturday 20th November 2010 quite yet. United remain the one team left to beat, the last remaining piece of the puzzle. Then and only then can Spurs realistically say they can be considered as strong challengers to the Premier League crown.
They did get close yesterday but it wasn't close enough. Harry Redknapp opted for Peter Crouch up top supported by Rafa van der Vaart but the result was that Spurs had very little bite in the final third. So much so that despite dominating the possession and corner stats, Spurs tested Edwin van der Sar very little. Crouch went close in the first half when supplied by Hutton and van der Vaart fired a near post header just wide after good work from Bale on the left but both chances seemed to sum up Tottenham's shortcomings. Excellent approach play but no finish.
Whereas the vast majority of the side earned positive ratings, one man in particular deserves stellar praise. All season, he's sat back in midfield and let Bale and van der Vaart take the plaudits while he orchestrates things. He does this not in search of praise or acclaim but in the simple satisfaction of knowing that he's the workhorse and the heartbeat of this Tottenham side. That man, as if you needed telling, is Luka Modric.
In a season where there were very slight mutterings of him playing for his place after the spectacular arrival of van der Vaart, Modric quickly dispelled those words and set about playing some of the best football of his career. From his deep-lying midfield role, he's able to either sit back and pull the strings of take the ball and drive Spurs forwards with his intelligent running and staggering close control.
Yesterday, Modric stood out in a game crying out for inspiration. Receiving the ball in any position, he looked completely at ease. His control allows him to wriggle in and out of awkward positions to the point where his team-mates can give him the ball despite him being surrounded and have confidence in his ability to retain possession and set up an attack. Rarely has this been better displayed than yesterday.
Despite being one of the smaller men on the field, Modric stood above the rest as a creative force. There are few midfielders in the world that don't play for Barcelona that can claim to be better than him. As Bale and van der Vaart struggled to make the breakthrough in their advanced positions, Modric shone as Tottenham's main driving force, earning swoons from the crowd whenever he was in possession. It's true that he's had to take a back seat somewhat to the headline-grabbing antics of his team-mates but it doesn't appear to have had a detrimental effect. Were it not for Bale's pace or van der Vaart's goals, Modric would be a shoe-in for player of the year.
It may have been an opportunity missed by Spurs as they settle for fifth place at the end of an intriguing weekend but they need not worry as they're very much moving in the right direction. When a player of Modric's class and ability is but the quiet enforcer of the side, you know you're watching a team packed full of talent. This blog has lamented Spurs' inability to properly replace Michael Carrick ever since 2006 but it now finally looks as if they've gone one better. Yesterday, Carrick was merely a casual observer on the field as Modric danced past him time and time again.
If Spurs can keep hold of this mercurial talent, then it could be a prosperous few years to come for both player and club.
15 January 2011
The pretenders to the throne versus the kings
"Tomorrow their challenge could not be more basic. Bale has to reclaim belief in the suspicion that at his best he is beyond restraint, that he is indeed the most exciting, free-spirited and inherently intelligent young footballer in the world. Van der Vaart has to show again the ability to read a game more shrewdly than anyone around him. Modric has to play with the creative joy that accompanies his best work – and punch at least twice his weight.
Given all that, Spurs can indeed bring a new and exhilarating snap to a laggardly season. It will not be a moment too soon."
We rarely begin with quotes on this blog but the above seemed so appropriate it would have been criminal to just ignore it. It's courtesy of James Lawton in The Independent and comes as part of an article claiming that a Spurs win over Manchester United on Sunday would be the most beneficial result to the entire Premier League as it would be similar to a shot in the arm for a flagging league season.
Lawton labels Spurs as 'gifted outsiders' to the Premier League title chasers but claims that a win over United could change all that and put Harry's team in the ascendancy. Sure, it's certainly got the makings of a box office showdown. United, unbeaten all season (somehow), the leaders of the pack at the top of the league, and Spurs, full to the brim of exciting players and the possessors of some of the most eye-catching results this season. Bale versus Rafael. Van der Vaart versus Carrick. Dawson vs Berbatov. Redknapp vs Ferguson. The young pretenders versus the established kings.
So what price on a Spurs win? A win over Man Utd hasn't been enjoyed since 2001, when a Willem Korsten brace was enough to secure the spoils. Times have most certainly changed since then, however, and the Spurs side that United will face tomorrow is perhaps the closest to them in terms in quality of any Tottenham team they've played in the last 20 years. And this past year has been all about breaking long standing records. No league wins over Arsenal? Forget about it.
As Lawton points out in the featured quote, Spurs will needs their A-list players to bring it. Bale needs to rediscover that bit of mystery about him that makes him such a difficult prospect for full backs. Rafael is inexperienced but has the pace to match the young Welshman and Bale will have to choose his line of attack carefully. Van der Vaart has a big role to play in nullifying the United midfield and providing the extra spark of genius with his passing and movement. Modric, one of the most unheralded players of the season so far, needs to sit back and play the creative game that he has been fulfilling excellent all season. And don't forget the others: Aaron Lennon has looked scarily impressive at times in recent weeks and Jermain Defoe's brace against Charlton last week showed signs that his swagger may be returning.
Spurs can win, for sure. But overcoming United is no easy prospect, as every team to have played them this season will testify to. Berbatov generally struggles when he plays back at the Lane but underestimate him at your peril. Nani proved to be our nemesis back at Old Trafford in October and whoever has the job of marking him will need to be on full alert. And, to top it all off, we'll need to have Lady Luck on our side. Typically, she's usually dressed in red when we take on United as the farcical nature of their second goal at Old Trafford earlier this season shows.
It's perhaps not overstating things to describe this as the biggest game of our season so far. Isn't it? A win lifts us not only higher up the table but psychologically too. If beating Arsenal made the players believe they could beat anyone then overcoming the league leaders and the side that's had such a hold over us for so long should have a similar effect. Lose and it's not necessarily the end of the world but it would add fuel to the fire to those who say Spurs still aren't ready to mount a title challenge.
And maybe we're not quite ready yet. But, ultimately, a sign of a successful side is beating the teams around you. And seeing as we're now firmly entrenched in the new 'Top 5', adding United to our list of scalps should be all the motivation needed. We're underdogs, for now, and that's the way we prefer it.
What do we reckon then? Heads says draw, heart says win?
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Given all that, Spurs can indeed bring a new and exhilarating snap to a laggardly season. It will not be a moment too soon."
We rarely begin with quotes on this blog but the above seemed so appropriate it would have been criminal to just ignore it. It's courtesy of James Lawton in The Independent and comes as part of an article claiming that a Spurs win over Manchester United on Sunday would be the most beneficial result to the entire Premier League as it would be similar to a shot in the arm for a flagging league season.
Lawton labels Spurs as 'gifted outsiders' to the Premier League title chasers but claims that a win over United could change all that and put Harry's team in the ascendancy. Sure, it's certainly got the makings of a box office showdown. United, unbeaten all season (somehow), the leaders of the pack at the top of the league, and Spurs, full to the brim of exciting players and the possessors of some of the most eye-catching results this season. Bale versus Rafael. Van der Vaart versus Carrick. Dawson vs Berbatov. Redknapp vs Ferguson. The young pretenders versus the established kings.
So what price on a Spurs win? A win over Man Utd hasn't been enjoyed since 2001, when a Willem Korsten brace was enough to secure the spoils. Times have most certainly changed since then, however, and the Spurs side that United will face tomorrow is perhaps the closest to them in terms in quality of any Tottenham team they've played in the last 20 years. And this past year has been all about breaking long standing records. No league wins over Arsenal? Forget about it.
As Lawton points out in the featured quote, Spurs will needs their A-list players to bring it. Bale needs to rediscover that bit of mystery about him that makes him such a difficult prospect for full backs. Rafael is inexperienced but has the pace to match the young Welshman and Bale will have to choose his line of attack carefully. Van der Vaart has a big role to play in nullifying the United midfield and providing the extra spark of genius with his passing and movement. Modric, one of the most unheralded players of the season so far, needs to sit back and play the creative game that he has been fulfilling excellent all season. And don't forget the others: Aaron Lennon has looked scarily impressive at times in recent weeks and Jermain Defoe's brace against Charlton last week showed signs that his swagger may be returning.
Spurs can win, for sure. But overcoming United is no easy prospect, as every team to have played them this season will testify to. Berbatov generally struggles when he plays back at the Lane but underestimate him at your peril. Nani proved to be our nemesis back at Old Trafford in October and whoever has the job of marking him will need to be on full alert. And, to top it all off, we'll need to have Lady Luck on our side. Typically, she's usually dressed in red when we take on United as the farcical nature of their second goal at Old Trafford earlier this season shows.
It's perhaps not overstating things to describe this as the biggest game of our season so far. Isn't it? A win lifts us not only higher up the table but psychologically too. If beating Arsenal made the players believe they could beat anyone then overcoming the league leaders and the side that's had such a hold over us for so long should have a similar effect. Lose and it's not necessarily the end of the world but it would add fuel to the fire to those who say Spurs still aren't ready to mount a title challenge.
And maybe we're not quite ready yet. But, ultimately, a sign of a successful side is beating the teams around you. And seeing as we're now firmly entrenched in the new 'Top 5', adding United to our list of scalps should be all the motivation needed. We're underdogs, for now, and that's the way we prefer it.
What do we reckon then? Heads says draw, heart says win?
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14 January 2011
Holding out for a hero
This blog missed a lot of the FA Cup happenings at the weekend due to illness. But, fear not - the worst of it is over and we're back with a comeback that Lazurus himself would be proud of.
So anyway, it's all been kicking off. Beckham: Will he? Won't he? Will he again? It's all a bit too much hassle for one ageing star if you ask us. It would have been swell to have had him coming on in the last five minutes against Man Utd next week and tonking in a free-kick from 30 yards to win the game but, frankly, it just ain't likely. The party line is that he's training with the side and the pictures released on Twitter made for fun viewing. But with time running out rather quickly, it appears Sir David's stay will only be a flirt and not a full-blown love affair.
But enough about Becks. Hands up who wishes that, for all our recent success, it would have pretty sweet to have one or a few homegrown Tottenham boys in the ranks? Yes, Peter Crouch started his career at the Lane a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away and Ledley King is as Spurs as they come. But with Ledders closer to the retirement home (or Faces Nightclub) than the football field this season and Crouch something of a peripheral figure in Redknapp's Brave New Spurs, there remains a distinct lack of proper youth talent.
In fact, there's been a void for a while. Jamie O'Hara tried his best to be the Spurs-kid-what-done-good after a couple of promising displays and a few chest-beating celebrations in front of the Park Lane but unfortunately he turned out to be, well, erm, he was, erm, he was just awful. And it didn't exactly help when he cheered for Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi final last season.
Enter the latest boy genius to be given a chance: Andros Townsend. Thrown into thedeep end shallow end against Charlton in the Cup, he responded with a performance of general confidence and ability, with neat turns, eye-catching tricks, positive runs and a debut goal that may well be talked about for a few years to come. His driven strike from the edge of the box may not have set the cat among the pigeons in the manner that Danny Rose's Arsenal volley did but it did get the pulses racing amongst the Spurs faithful.
Goal or no goal, the boy looked good. He looked very able on the ball, perhaps the first indicator of genuine talent, and he didn't seem to be overawed by playing with the big boys. Admittedly, tougher tests will come but there's been talk about his ability by those in the know for some time now and his debut performance will only strengthen the rumours that he's the next product of the youth academy to make it big.
Others may still have their chance: back in September, this blog tipped Steven Caulker to be the next one to step up and there's growing reviews about the chances of your younglings. The decision Redknapp made two years back to scrap the reserve side and send more of our young players out on loan seems to be paying off.
Whether we'll be watching Townsend parade the Premier League trophy around the newly developed White Hart Lane in a few years time is perhaps up for debate.
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So anyway, it's all been kicking off. Beckham: Will he? Won't he? Will he again? It's all a bit too much hassle for one ageing star if you ask us. It would have been swell to have had him coming on in the last five minutes against Man Utd next week and tonking in a free-kick from 30 yards to win the game but, frankly, it just ain't likely. The party line is that he's training with the side and the pictures released on Twitter made for fun viewing. But with time running out rather quickly, it appears Sir David's stay will only be a flirt and not a full-blown love affair.
But enough about Becks. Hands up who wishes that, for all our recent success, it would have pretty sweet to have one or a few homegrown Tottenham boys in the ranks? Yes, Peter Crouch started his career at the Lane a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away and Ledley King is as Spurs as they come. But with Ledders closer to the retirement home (or Faces Nightclub) than the football field this season and Crouch something of a peripheral figure in Redknapp's Brave New Spurs, there remains a distinct lack of proper youth talent.
In fact, there's been a void for a while. Jamie O'Hara tried his best to be the Spurs-kid-what-done-good after a couple of promising displays and a few chest-beating celebrations in front of the Park Lane but unfortunately he turned out to be, well, erm, he was, erm, he was just awful. And it didn't exactly help when he cheered for Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi final last season.
Enter the latest boy genius to be given a chance: Andros Townsend. Thrown into the
Goal or no goal, the boy looked good. He looked very able on the ball, perhaps the first indicator of genuine talent, and he didn't seem to be overawed by playing with the big boys. Admittedly, tougher tests will come but there's been talk about his ability by those in the know for some time now and his debut performance will only strengthen the rumours that he's the next product of the youth academy to make it big.
Others may still have their chance: back in September, this blog tipped Steven Caulker to be the next one to step up and there's growing reviews about the chances of your younglings. The decision Redknapp made two years back to scrap the reserve side and send more of our young players out on loan seems to be paying off.
Whether we'll be watching Townsend parade the Premier League trophy around the newly developed White Hart Lane in a few years time is perhaps up for debate.
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7 January 2011
The Assou Ekotto debate
The Tottenham left back slot. Brave men have tried but few have succeeded in the mountainous task of making it their own and earning praise. Erik Edman had a valiant crack at it in 2004/05 but his efforts weren't deemed acceptable, even despite that 40 yard cracker at Anfield. No matter who the incumbent is, there always seems to be universal debate over his suitability to the role.
Benoit Assou Ekotto, the latest incarnation, polarises opinion like few before him. Well, except Jenas, perhaps. BAE has been the man in possession for over two years now. Signed back in 2006 under Martin Jol, he struggled to make an initial impact, got injured and was drafted in and out of the side by subsequent managers like a desperate ex-girlfriend with little self esteem. Until Harry came along. Redknapp saw in BAE a talent that those before him were unable to. He put him in the side and made him his first choice. The rest, as they say, is history.
Acclaim for his performances was slow but it's a measure of his improved stature that when Gareth Bale made his startling improvement in form during BAE's absence last season, the Cameroon international still walked straight back into the side upon recovery. Today, he draws one of two opinions from fans: either an angry frustration at a player who appears not to have met a risk he didn't fancy a little flirt with or an equally angry frustration with the first set of fans for not appreciating how much he's improved and what he offers to the side. Either way, he's a contentious topic.
After Wednesday's 2-1 reverse at Everton (a result, by the way, that should only be viewed upon as a blip - the inevitable result of a gruelling schedule), BAE was singled out for particularly harsh criticism from Match of the Day pundit Alan Hansen, who labelled him as 'not very good', among other more colourful descriptions. Admittedly, his performance in that game was below par. Too often he was missing from crucial positions and he allowed Everton full back Seamus Coleman too much space. But those that have regularly watched BAE play would tell you fervently that this was, similarly like his team, an anomalous performance.
This blog is of the opinion that BAE is doing a fine job. Working in tandem with the rampaging Bale means that inevitably he'll often be exposed but, what he sometimes lacks in common sense, he more than makes up for in confidence and single mindedness. He's managed to nullify some of the most threatening wingers going at times over the last few seasons. In the 2009 Carling Cup final, he put in a containing job on Cristiano Ronaldo so fierce, the flash winger had very little impact on the game. He's put in some excellent displays in the Champions League this year, moving the ball around with ease in attack and putting in the necessary hard yards when we're stretched.
For Hansen to flat out claim that he's worth nothing speaks volumes about his ignorance on this particular topic. Even Spurs fans not 100% sold on BAE will grudgingly admit his improvement. Perhaps the ill-informed criticism is rounded off when Hansen asserts that Assou Ekotto is 'no good going forward'. With all due respect, has he actually been watching the same player? Bear in mind, however, that this is the same Alan Hansen who claimed that Heurelho Gomes was 'the worst keeper he had ever seen'. Clearly he never watched Ian Walker (sorry Ian).
But enough about what we think: what's your take on BAE? Was Hansen right? Do we all need to wake up and realise that he's just not cutting the mustard? Or are the pro-Benny camp the ones with the most to shout about? The floor is yours...
4 January 2011
Player profile: Gareth Bale
Some say he was born to play for Spurs. Others just stand there, jaw to the floor, STILL lost for words as he absolutely burns down the wing, leaving a trail of weary defenders in his wake. And, to think, he used to be a bit rubbish. Signed by Martin Jol ages ago and announced himself with disgracefully good free-kick against Arsenal. Then got injured and retreated into his shell to hibernate for about two and a half years. It's not confirmed but rumour has it he spent this time with a Buddhist monk, who taught and trained him the ways of The Force and how to basically run like a freaking bullet. The monk motivated young Bale by placing a poster of Brazilian full back Maicon up on the wall at an unreachable height, slowly lowering the image with every step of progress Bale took. "This", the monk said, "is your destiny. You will one day learn the skills to make this all-conquering right back look like Stephen Carr after a trip to Spurs Christmas party." Came back into the side under the guise of a left back but it was all part of his plan to lure the world into a false sense of security. In January 2010, Bale flipped a switch that had been placed on his left calf and transformed himself into a wing machine. He took no prisoners. He single-handedly (well, sort of) drove Spurs into the Champions League and when they arrived there, he twice took on the man who'd haunted his dreams for so long and twice made an absolute meal of him. Is probably the best player in the world right now (not really).
2 January 2011
Beckham: a late Christmas present?
Happy New Year one and all.
Welcome to 2011 where, you'll all be delighted to discover, three points still exist. The 1-0 win over Fulham packed about as much punch as a small rabbit holding a white flag but are we really in a position to complain about a third win and second clean sheet on the spin? Didn't think so. It was hardly vintage Tottenham but after a jam-packed schedule, they can be forgiven for being a tad lethargic with their ideas so long as the necessary three points were procured. And is it not a sign of a successful team that they win when not at their best?
Disappointingly though, if our ability to get three points still exists in this new calender year, so does our strikers' lack of goal threat. 1-0s will do fine so long as we keep winning regularly but there'll come a point soon where our lacks of goals will hurt us and though Defoe is possibly on the cusp of a rich vein of scoring, his absence leaves a void and he can't be relied upon to do it all himself. So for all the talk of Hollywood signings (Beckham! Beckham!), a new striker should surely remain as our priority, should it not? As nice as it would be, we can't rely on Bale and van der Vaart to score all our goals.
So it's pretty easy to label that a barnstormingly successful festive period. The two red cards were, in the end, a minor blot on what looks on paper like a flawless copybook. Fourth place is ours for now (Chelsea have a game in hand) but, as this blog has been at pains to point out over the past few weeks, the name of the game should be keeping ourselves as entrenched in the top five bubble as possible. We can't afford to worry about other teams. All we need do is win the games we should be winning and hope that we can pull off a surprise when we face our nearest challengers. Case in point? Man Utd at the Lane in a few weeks. Opportunity knocks.
But why are we going on about football? This is a transfer window, for goodness sake! Surely every piece on here should be discussing potential new signings and inane rumours? Well, maybe not every piece but you can certainly expect our name to be linked with a plethora of signatures. The first name to be thrown out is that of David Beckham - this time it hasn't been the papers putting two and two together, Harry's come out himself and publicly vouched for it.
Would Becks be worth the gamble? It'd be a three month loan deal so we wouldn't be paying LA Galaxy any astronomical fees. And the wage structure at Spurs is very much set in stone so he wouldn't be on any special money. One might argue then that signing Beckham on a short term deal is a no-lose scenario. That's certainly the way this blog sees it. The experience he has accrued over his career could be of incredible benefit to a Spurs dressing room high on talent but perhaps lacking in trophy winning nous. Beckham is a role model and a positive influence. He won't teach Lennon how to deliver 40 yard killer passes but he'll be able to offer the wisdom of his years.
Harry's already stated the obvious in that Beckham won't be playing week in week out. But surely he'd be a great option to have on the bench. If he manages to ping across the ball that Crouch nods home to grab us three points away at Sunderland then it'll surely have been worthwhile. Other players are certainly required but signing Beckham just seems like a solid bit of business from Redknapp - the kind of signing he's made his name on.
What's the good word then? Should we all be getting Beckham on the back of our shirts? Or would Pienaar be more appropriate?
Welcome to 2011 where, you'll all be delighted to discover, three points still exist. The 1-0 win over Fulham packed about as much punch as a small rabbit holding a white flag but are we really in a position to complain about a third win and second clean sheet on the spin? Didn't think so. It was hardly vintage Tottenham but after a jam-packed schedule, they can be forgiven for being a tad lethargic with their ideas so long as the necessary three points were procured. And is it not a sign of a successful team that they win when not at their best?
Disappointingly though, if our ability to get three points still exists in this new calender year, so does our strikers' lack of goal threat. 1-0s will do fine so long as we keep winning regularly but there'll come a point soon where our lacks of goals will hurt us and though Defoe is possibly on the cusp of a rich vein of scoring, his absence leaves a void and he can't be relied upon to do it all himself. So for all the talk of Hollywood signings (Beckham! Beckham!), a new striker should surely remain as our priority, should it not? As nice as it would be, we can't rely on Bale and van der Vaart to score all our goals.
So it's pretty easy to label that a barnstormingly successful festive period. The two red cards were, in the end, a minor blot on what looks on paper like a flawless copybook. Fourth place is ours for now (Chelsea have a game in hand) but, as this blog has been at pains to point out over the past few weeks, the name of the game should be keeping ourselves as entrenched in the top five bubble as possible. We can't afford to worry about other teams. All we need do is win the games we should be winning and hope that we can pull off a surprise when we face our nearest challengers. Case in point? Man Utd at the Lane in a few weeks. Opportunity knocks.
But why are we going on about football? This is a transfer window, for goodness sake! Surely every piece on here should be discussing potential new signings and inane rumours? Well, maybe not every piece but you can certainly expect our name to be linked with a plethora of signatures. The first name to be thrown out is that of David Beckham - this time it hasn't been the papers putting two and two together, Harry's come out himself and publicly vouched for it.
Would Becks be worth the gamble? It'd be a three month loan deal so we wouldn't be paying LA Galaxy any astronomical fees. And the wage structure at Spurs is very much set in stone so he wouldn't be on any special money. One might argue then that signing Beckham on a short term deal is a no-lose scenario. That's certainly the way this blog sees it. The experience he has accrued over his career could be of incredible benefit to a Spurs dressing room high on talent but perhaps lacking in trophy winning nous. Beckham is a role model and a positive influence. He won't teach Lennon how to deliver 40 yard killer passes but he'll be able to offer the wisdom of his years.
Harry's already stated the obvious in that Beckham won't be playing week in week out. But surely he'd be a great option to have on the bench. If he manages to ping across the ball that Crouch nods home to grab us three points away at Sunderland then it'll surely have been worthwhile. Other players are certainly required but signing Beckham just seems like a solid bit of business from Redknapp - the kind of signing he's made his name on.
What's the good word then? Should we all be getting Beckham on the back of our shirts? Or would Pienaar be more appropriate?
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