Good morning.
The Bale”s on the wing; The Jakes’s on the scoreboard; God’s in his Heaven – All’s right with the world…
First up I want to tackle the obvious charge that this was only Hearts and Hearts weren’t very good. Agreed that was the case. So this gives us an accurate gauge of quite how unspectacular the SPL really is. The Jambos, don’t forget are the widely regarded third best firm up there. Ouch.
Anyway. The Jam Tarts weren’t completely useless and to their credit they not only ran all night and remained determined to mount a comeback. My point being they were hard tackling and in Tottingham’s faces all night long.
Gomes -6 You make me nervous
Walker – 6.32 Lots of positives, more please
Dawson – 7.64 Every inch a captain. That’s what she said
Kaboul – 7.57 Rock solid
A&E -8 Assured and intelligent
Azza –7.58 Few trademark runs, but lots of clever little passes
Kranjcar – 8 Blimey he’s good. I doubt Arry noticed
Livermore – 8 Really decent type, a pleasure to see him in the shirt
Bale – 8.023 The mega bids in January will have many clutching their teddies
VDV – 8.024 Red hot & Dutch
Defoe – 7 The best I’ve seen him in years. More please
Hudd – 6.89 Very, very assured.
Townsend – Give him more game time, someone…
Pav – Not on for very long …I s’pose
Gorgeous highlights HERE courtesy of TonguesTooShortToFelch
PLEASE don’t let us get carried away by this …….. we were clearly playing Division 1 midtable, and all that you can say as a plus was that we did the job without any fuss. I thought Huddlestone was sloppy, and Pav was plain lazy. I thought Walker was good going forward but not otherwise, that Lennon was imaginative and didn’t need to speed so much with Walker taking that line and him dropping inside. Krank and Livermore were up for it and it was the best Defoe in a long time (he was trying against Bilbao also). I loved Kaboul’s enthusiasm – there was little clogging him and Daws ….. I think that the missing players were signficant: Crouch and Sarge are off, I suspect, and I think we need to hold our breath as to whether the same is true re. Modric ….. it may be down to whether we can tie up a replacement, though I really hope we don’t give in to those cheating bastards. The situation is going OK, but is no cause for celebration – despite a profitable year we just don’t compete in the cash stakes.
Misery!
Hope I don’t sit next to you anytime soon! :winke:
Bit harsh on Walker I feel, his first real game for us, he made that great tackle to force the Hearts player off the ball and tweeked his knee when doing so. He looks like one not afraid of putting his foot/head/body where it hurts…..a young Stevey Perryman perhaps?
But agree we should not get carried away but use this as a stepping stone for the next challenge away to Man U.
I agree, he made a great tackle & used his pace to get back on him after he made the mistake in the first place.
I’m not having a go at him, or you, though. Promising player, who played well last night. But a young Steve Perryman? Sorry, no one can come close in my eyes to Stevie P. He is Mr Tottenham to me.
I’m too young to have seen the double side, I started watching Spurs in ’68. And for me, he is the greatest club player we have had in that time. There may have been more skillful, better technical players, but we have not had a better skipper or clubman in the 43 years I’ve been going.
Steve Perryman – There is no one bigger (except me in my profile pic).
I couldn’t agree more….Steve Perryman loyalty and consistency personified…. :daumen:
I understand what you’re saying and you’re right but it’s the manner of victory rather than the level of opposition that mattered. e don’t give out gubbings against poor teams often, especially not away from home. Under strength yet little interchanges that would have been befitting of the first team. If that kind of positive mentality and determination can be shown for 38 league games then the sky is the limit. Reasons to be cheerful 1,2,3
After watching Walker last night I can’t help thinking that we could perhaps ‘do a Bale’ and play him in Lennon’s place from time to time, for me he looked much better going forward than he did defending apart from the odd last ditch tackle.
As for the rest of the team, I thought everyone did a good job but at the start of the second half when Hearts did put us under some pressure Gomes looked like a disaster waiting to happen…I like him but not when he is short on confidence which for me he has been for a while now, lets face it he didn’t have a lot to do last night but still came away from the game looking questionable.
Looks like Crouchinho is off with Wilson judging from last night.
Pav is now cup-tied in Europe, and id imagine thats because Adebayor is on his way in to replace Crouch.
So VDV, Defoe, Adebayor and Pav looks like the likely line up. Not bad but it is a shame we’ve not splashed out on another top striker too.
Transfer window is not over yet Spurfect….patience is the key! I would still like to see Ruiz in (Pav out), he looks to be the most afordable in terms of price and wages.
HR wasn’t watching Ruiz in Holland this week. He was checking on Cordoza.
Rumour mill in a frenzy about:
OUT-
Hutton
Sarge
GDS
3MP
IN –
Ade
Diarra
Tasci
Farfan
Cahill
I mean Cardozo
Likewise, bringing in Ruiz would be affordable and add that extra bit of class. Think we’ve limited Pavs chances of leaving now by playing him last night. Teams in Europe will see his cuptied – this will either put them off of knock his price down a bit. Domt see why he didnt take young Kane up there and bring him on instead. Wouldve been a good experience for him.
Cahill is the defender we need if we’re going to get someone new in there. Dawson, Kaboul and Cahill would be a great trio of younger Centre backs, will Gallas there for experience and hopefully King also more this season.
Wouldnt mind thid line up however
Gomes
Walker Dawson Gallas Ekotto
Diarra Sandro
VDV Modric Bale
Adebayor/Defoe
Kane didn’t go as he was probably still on his way back from Switzerland after playing in the NextGen tournament along with the rest of our promising youngsters.
Ruiz is average. A poor league makes him look good…like Keane in the SPL.
Few comments:
– Really encouraging game from Defoe. He seems to have come into this season wanting to prove something which is just what we need. He did take a selfish shot or two in the second half. I still am suspicious – it will take a long time to convince me that he’s reformed.
– Great, great pass from Lennon for the second goal. Wow. His career-best pass. Please tell me there is progression there. Lennon could still be a superstar if he ever learns to make great passes.
– Krancjar had a very good game but I think everyone’s getting a little excited. His lack of pace was evident even against Hearts. The guy’s a great player but I don’t see anyone becoming a top four team with him playing centrally. Great skills, cracking shot, solid PL player. He’s good enough to play for us. But I don’t think he’s good enough to take us where we want to go, which is even higher. I like him better than Jenas, but as a sixth-string midfielder Jenas is more versatile and content with the role. Krancjar is too good for that role but not good enough to get into our first XI very often. We need to sell him and hopefully that performance last night was a good shop window.
– Love Livermore. If we can get Diarra we’ll have four players for the two DM positions in the 4-2-3-1 that we will want to play.
– If really are going to get both Diarra and Adebayor, I will be thrilled. We probably need more but talk about two perfect additions (at least on paper).
– I would not sell 3MP even if this happens. What happens if and when Ade is hurt? We’ll have a problem, that’s what, since if we want to keep our formation and keep VdV playing where he belongs, we’ll have a choice between Defoe and Pav, neither of whom can play the position. We are better off with Ade obviously, but he won’t play 38 PL games in all likelihood. Crouch is an ideal squad player. He’ll take the role and not complain, he badly wants to stay a part of the team, and he makes a great substitute since – even if it means we start hoofing it – the other team has to adjust to him and he can nick goals. Defoe and Pav look like very different players, but they are alike in that they are 4-4-2 players all the way. We should keep one of them and sell the other. I am not saying Crouch is clearly better than either, just that if we want to have VdV we need more than one player who can play solo striker.
– Finally, all the talk about Harry and the negativity…I didn’t see much of a problem on the pitch. This team has now been deep in the CL together and ought to be a far more seasoned and mature bunch. Yes, they collapsed down the stretch last spring, but don’t think they didn’t learn from that. Crushing Hearts means little, but they certainly looked like a polished, confident, professional outfit last night, even with Walker/Livermore/Townshend added to the mix. We will see. But that was awfully smooth last night. Awfully smooth, boys. I feel foolish for getting my hopes up based on that…but at the same time, I’ll bet Wenger watched, and I’ll best he’s nervous.
I think last night showed Defoe & VDV can work well toegther when there is support from others. IF JD is all alone in/around the box then he has little option. Last night VDV or Livermore or Kranjcar were close to him, he had options and he laid the ball off well, and moved well for return passes. Sharp quick movement, pull the trigger, which is his strength.
Problem last season for me was Deofe was on his own, Wingers out wide, VDV drifting, Modric middle of the park, Hudd/Sandro deeper still, Defoe is isolated. Even Adebayor will struggle in that set up. Kranjcar & Livermore were quite advanced at times, Lennon and Bale came inside more and this all added to the numbers so that 1-2s and quick sharp 1st time passes were possible and achieved.
JD definitely has a roll to play, he has had a pre season with VDV and the relationship looks improved. Also good variation with bale coming central on occasions and getting in for that goal. His pace will scare any defence and to some extent it is watsted on the wings where he will be double marked, by pacey FBs and more easily nullified. centrally, running at someone like Terry/Carragher and not Evra/Cole he can have a real impact.
Looks good.
I find it increasingly difficult to defend the SPL on these occasions but while Hearts are the 3rd best team in Scotland with the 3rd highest budget they are prone to finish 20 odd points behind The Huns who were getting beat by the Solvian Champions and us who were grimly and gamely taking part in a no score draw against some Swiss Cup Winners.
The game up here is in a state. Even The Huns runs to the final of this competition a few years back saw them only win 2 games and statistically makes them the worst ever team to contest the final.
It’s a financial reality that while the rich drag themselves away from the have nots the have nots are now akin to two bums fighting and for the SPL it so happens that the other bums are better at football than us.
Arse end of the Championship is a good indicator.
But, as I hate those Hearts cunts, I quite enjoyed your result and like the away fans ode to my gaffer.
I’ve always like The Tottinghams.
Hail Hail
Hoping you finish above the blue noses,if only Samaras slotted that peno last season
If only Samaras had stayed at Man Citee
I think most peoples views on Gomes are lazy,we are told by the commentary team every time how unreliable he is,flaps for the ball etc.All i would change is to make him hold onto the ball sometimes instead of the immediate distribution he normally does.The commentators seem to have their teeth sunk into Man U’s new goalie de Gea,so Gomes might have a little rest from all the bullshit said about him,Tottenham’s number 1
I saw that big bad Brad was pertched on the subs bench which was either a statement by Harry that he still doesn’t trust Gomes (even against the mighty Herts) or he was just keeping him keen…..or maybe he’s using his presense to spur Gomes on to recapture his composure.
Either way I do agree with harry that he makes my hair (whats left of it) fall out when ever he sticks his lanky paws out in a vein attempt to keep a clean sheet.
I liked the way Brad handled the bottles of water around while on the bench,he treated them with a lot of respect not llke whinger.