Good morning and welcome to the breakfast show.
The quotes below hit the back pages of the Sun yesterday and drew some pretty predictable thoughts from me. But first, over to Van der Vaart…
“I have definitely had a series of irritations. You want to play in the position where you do best. But if I have to chase after an attacking full-back every time, I can’t play my own game to my best ability.
“Sunday was not the first time I have played out wide and I was given the freedom to move infield. But you could see from the goal I scored that my strength lies in the centre of midfield.
“It proves that I am more dangerous when I am close to the goal than when I play out on the wing. I do what the manager asks me to but I hope this won’t be a regular occurrence. In my opinion he made a mistake in making his comments about my most recent injury.
“He took me off because he did not want to take any risks with me. I can understand that but I am convinced I could have played for 90 minutes. I was amazed to be taken off. I felt I’d played a great game. I scored and also three times put team-mates in one-on-ones with Arsenal’s keeper.
But I could perhaps understand it from a tactical viewpoint. Arsenal’s left-back was continually moving upfield and I’m not the type of player who consistently runs after opponents.”
Nothing there I can really disagree with in that. He’s right.
The dangers here though are screamingly obvious. Speaking out in the press against your manager can never be described as inspired. This can of course, be viewed as a sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander moment. I can’t think of anyone in football who is more media friendly than our Aitch after all, including those working as full time pundits.
But you must scratch your head and ponder why this can’t be resolved ‘in house.’ There’s nothing controversial there, other than the fact it reveals that Rafa is as depressed by his manager’s infatuation with Defoe as everyone else is.
3MP was torn still suckling from Arry’s breast (what a deeply upsetting image, I apologize) despite the inarguable fact that he was rubbish. I define rubbish in this instance as being hired as a goalscorer and failing to score any.
Defoe will have to be removed by specialist surgeons.
The entirety of last season was spent hoping someone would score. And while we waited Rafa was juggled about as he doesn’t play the lone striker role. Now Adebayor has landed we are still juggling.
The NorfLandinDarby™ was partly dogged by Defoe’s selection over Sandro and my fear is that Arry won’t be changing his mind anytime soon. Van der Vaart has his faults but on balance he’s a classy character who routinely assists and scores goals. His name ought to be one of the first on the team sheet.
If Defoe really is – as we are surely being led to believe – ‘pulling up trees’ in training, then it down to him to then force his way past lesser players. If there aren’t any then he either has to work harder or bide his time. But you cannot have a situation where he’s hogging a place to little purpose.
We’ve been here before though, haven’t we? PSB was fielded endlessly to the mind numbing sorrow of all those unfortunate enough to be watching.
Will Arry see sense, or will this serve as a catalyst for one the best players we’ve signed in my lifetime to be sold off sooner rather than later?
‘I can’t think of anyone in football who is more media friendly than our Aitch after all, including those working as full time pundits.’
Are you telling me that rent-a-gob isn’t actually a full time pundit?
Couldn’t agree more. Some will argue that Defoe put an honest shift in on Sunday, and that he and Adebayor are forming a great partnership.
I’d agree with the former, but I like my forward players to score, and that includes the big occasions. As for the latter, I don’t believe Defoe could form a partnership with a Fisher Price nut and bolt. It has echoes of VdV making the gormless one look good at the early stage of last term.
Get VdV behind the big man and bring Sandro in to bolster the middle pronto. Defoe can have the 20 minutes when VdV’s batteries run out.
Find myself in full agreement with you on this one. I like Defoe and think he is an asset to the team, but VDV has to start in his best position.
He is arguably our best striker and creator. I understand Harry having some difficulty fitting all the squad together. It is not easy. Playing Sandro and Parker means Modric has to move and thats not an easy call.
But your suggestion to give Defoe super sub chance solves one issue.
Show me one game VDV started that he had a great last twenty mins. He is not a natural athlete. We won the derby because sandro came on. So to sum up, VDV is being precious, and harry is winning points. No guesses for who wins.
You can count on one hand the amount of games VdV has played the full 90 minutes so not really a valid point….
It’s very difficult to play well in the last twenty minutes when you’re not on the pitch.
:lol:
Thats because harry knows his fitness ego he has not done us anything in the last twenty (apart from get less and less involved in the preceding mins. Duh. You think we have an idiot in charge?
Yes, I do… :-p
Bring on Defoe for the last 20 – problem solved!
Let’s not forget that on one of the few occasions VDV had the opportunity to complete a full 90 mins he decided to haul himself off some time before the end.
Until vdv can play for 90,mins he can get used to substitutions. If you play in a position whether its your preferred one or not you have a role and duties to perform. Including tracking back. Twitchy doesnt do irony and i am sure vdv’s little outburst will earn hima spell on the bench or a few cameo apperances/early baths which ever is convenient at the time.
On the subject of defoe he is past it. Ok he will come up with a good finish every now and again but how many does he miss? Where is his link up play? How many chances are spurned by his shoot from anywhere approach (sound familiar pav?) He is selfish beyond belief.
Will someone explain to me how we all woke up one day in a world with certain players (strikers especially) cannot play in striker related roles or with other “categories” of striker? Bullshit.
sorry but i have to disagree. arry’s infatuation is with vdv. he dropped defoe last year for long periods and about this time last year was heard in one interview to say words to the effect of, “well i put him on the wing but he wandered wherever he wanted and for a player like that then what can you do?”
truth be told i sat and watched defoe make three tackles in the right back position on saturday and also watched vdv’s pathetic half effort when they scored. if he is on the right then he needs to help the full back, poor walker spent half the afternoon screaming at him. i can see playing him against weaker teams but in the middle i prefer modric (note how ell he tackled back when he went out on the the right side after vdv went off), and i can see playing him against good teams away from home with one up front, he can pass well and might takle back a little. his big prob is the lack of pace but he passes well for others. bbut if we are playing away at man city wd we not want to think of a central three of parker sandro and modric with lennon or even walker on the right side of midfield? i have some sympathy for the view that vdv causes us problems, they are only nice problems if he keeps his mouth shut. and of course he shd come off if he is on a booking and not covering when arsenal are attacking.
ps sandro will be our very own brian robson or roy keane, this guy has everything
Harry has also indicated that having Sandro and Parker will make us hard to beat which would suggest away from home they both play and Defoe doesn’t with VDV, Modric and Bale interchanging in midfield.
Harry didn’t have an obsession with Defow last year and was happy not to pick him so it is merely a horses for courses approach.
Many didn’t agree with the team he put out for NLD game, I didn’t, but many did. In the end we won which was the object of the exercise so Harry’s tactics worked, give up possession in the anticipation that we can do more with it when we have it.
We didn’t do very well when we had one-on-ones otherwise it would have been a comfortable victory.