Hang on lads, I’ve had an idea…
As the Interlull looms ever over us, my ability to summon up even the vaguest interest in whether Defoe will play or score or reveal that he’s had the Ghostbusters logo shaved into his head ebbs into complete inertia.
But I have been – yet again – dwelling on our own overriding striker problem. If Defoe were to get a hattrick against Ghana, what effect would this actually have on us come say our next game against Wigan? Will it just delay the call for us to buy some crazy Carlos Kickaball in the hope that we don’t finish this campaign with a defender as our top goal scorer.
This season, perhaps more so than many has been marked (in the negative) as one where our strikers didn’t so much misfire as submit requests to be fired. Blackpool anyone? It is this inability to mix it up with these so called lesser sides that has failed us. We aren’t on a par with or worse than Blackpool – we might have carried on playing until four in the morning and failed to have got anywhere, but that wasn’t a unique outcome against ‘lesser’ sides, is it?
Here’s my answer: Adel Taarabt. And here also my three reasons why he’d be just the ticket.
He’ll break up play. And by this I mean for the team he’s playing for. You give him the ball and all predictability goes out the window. I’m not saying he’s unplayable, but I am saying he’s a curve-ball and frankly we lack one.
Self belief. Of all the footballers I’ve gawped at week in, week out, here is one guy that doesn’t suffer from the sort of fragile ego that permeates the Premiership. He’s insanely motivated and like Felix The Cat always comes complete with a bag of tricks. You send him out, he impacts.
And Arry Redschnapps could manage him. Yes he’s a head case (Adel), but if Neil Warnock can get him right then there really aren’t any excuses as to why Arry can’t. I’m sceptical he’ll ever be encouraged to be less selfish, but he can be told his place and deployed primarily when our more sophisticated options aren’t working.
I recall HR saying that “he had so much talent, it was scary”, and then going onto say, “if only we could get him to play as part of a team”.
HR had the best part of two years to turn him around, and much as I would like to see the team improved, if HR couldn’t do it the first time, I can’t see that it will be any easier this time.
One other thing that worries me is he has a very big ego, in what is effectively a well integrated team. We have some players who you might think are entitled to have a big ego, but they act modestly.
I think Taraabt may well develop into another Anelka, both in terms of talent, and the problems he causes everywhere he seems to go.
I think our team spirit this season has been like a “twelfth man” for us, and I would not want to lose that.
I’ve seen the silly little boy play several times this season …. he’s playing at a lower level amongst teams poorly organised in defence. He runs at people and gets away with it; in the Premier League he would be offered outside and quickly stifled. He also dives a lot and would quickly be spotted at the top level. Refs in the Championship just seem to fall for it, as if they feel the need to protect the rare ball player. He is JUST as greedy as ever and really has not changed. And NO ONE has come in for him from a big club. Doesn’t THAT say something to you?
Even though he’s done well at a lower level he still looks far too greedy and making the same runs down blind alleys and holding the ball too long or hitting hopeful shots rather than playing to his team mates in better positions. He has some good skills but I really don’t think he is enough of a team player for a higher level team
Not a player I would want back at Tottenham
Have you guys lost your mind? He’ll break up play all right – OUR OWN PLAY. I was there at the pre season game at Bournemouth, and Taarabt was given the role he wants, and looked ok for about 4 mins, and then subsequently frustrated the hell out of his teammates. He played terrible against a League One side where we won easily. People keep judging players by what they can do, rather than what they actually do. You are referring to a game (the Blackpool game) where a Taarabt was not what we needed – we needed a Scott Parker in that game. Someone to turn the midfield into our favour, because we were never in control of the match – depsite 11 million chances. Taarabt would not get a sniff of first team football at Spurs. The reason why he is doing ok at QPR is that a) he has gone down a level. b) he gets a first team place whether he plays well or badly. He would not get these at Spurs, and all that would happen is that Taarabt’s career would revert back to last season. plus you are forgetting another thing: Why the HELL would Taarabt want to rejoin Spurs? Back to where the last 3 managers did not rate him? He knows that he is better off getting promoted at QPR, or failing to get promoted due to points deducted…and staying in the Championship. I am sick of people bringing up Taarabt when we have Modric, Lennon, Bale, Vdv, Kranjcar, Hudd – all players with better football brains, with ability and intelligence and more quality.
Having said that, I have nothing against the guy, and I do wish that he does well in the premiership. But we all need to accept that it would never have happened at Spurs. A bit like VdV for Real Madrid (at a much higher level) – technically good enough, but does not fit.