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 would like to see Walker play on the right side of midfield ala Bale.
Friedal
England made a mistake by not making room for Hoddle. Any footballing nation would have built the team around him. Rafa’s not a luxury. He’s a necessity. Along with Bale, Modders, Adrian, Parker and Sandro.
My front six:
Modders Sandro Parker Bale
Vdv
Ade
The likes of Dafoe, Krankie, Lennon etc are quality and much valued support.
Spot on… :daumen: Lennon, Krankie and Defoe make excellent impact substitutions depending on the opposition along with Hudd when he is fit and dare I say it, Dawson (but only when King is fit)
Like it, but I would put Krankie ahead of Sandro. I think we missed him against the gooners.
LOL, now I know you are on a wind up!!
Is this a close enough :winke: Gareth Hunt?
Krankie was playing against Dippers. He wasn’t playing against the Gooners. Perhaps you would like to compare the two score lines before you make worthless, moronic comments, Mr Unfilled Cavity.
Beast, ‘Krankie’ was also playing against Man City!! Perhaps you would like to add that scoreline in to your equation!!
Niko is a class player, but comparing him and Sandro for the same position is stupid, quite frankly so are you!
The Man City game is irrelevant as none of the team turned up that day and the addition of Sandro would have made no fucking difference at all, you twat.
Krankie is a forward playing midfielder and scores goals, Sandro does not – he’s a defensive midfielder. Modric plays deep as well so this then leaves Parker on his own and huge hole in the middle of the park.
Plus I was not comparing him with anyone. I was stating that for the game against the Gooners he would have made the difference just as he did against the Dippers. Engage your brain before responding.
LOL, so you only want to include the games we won to support your cobblers?
I don’t even need to wake up to respond to you, let alone engage my brain!!
Back under your stones you little slugs or I’ll get some salt. :winke:
Hello Gareth!
What game are you referring to,’cos we’ve only played four games in the PL this season, the first two being bys or gifts to the opposing teams. This of course being due to Levy’s outstanding skills at preparing us for a new season – something he manages to achieve every year. We then get brown nosing jerks like you telling us how great Levy is.
‘Brown nosing jerks’WTF, you total mug, it’s pointless try to educate a moron like you.In fact I’d have more chance in getting my dog to speak Latin than making you understand the most elementary errors you make in your assumptions. As you’re clearly in need of an argument and enjoy pissing people off, become a JW or Mormon or do somthing positive for once. Or should I remind you yet again of your own mantra?
“I’m a bigot and proud of it”, what a complete idiot you are Old Fruit! Levy isn’t just great- he’s a flippin’ God-Old Fruit!, but then again I’m not a bigot-so I can change my mind if educated to consider my perspective-unlike you, eh?
I remember Michel Platini stating that if Hoddle was French, he would have been the 1st name on the team sheet and a generation of players would have been built around him.
I think most people other than Greenwood and Robson said pretty much the same, but there were a few results mainly the 4-1 v Wales that put paid to that notion. Typical press reaction afterwards labelled Hoddle a luxury player thereafter, and we all know the press pick England sides and we wonder why then England fail so often in the big ‘uns
Agree. A sad and pathetic indictment of the top bods within the national team set up for 40+ yrs!
Never mind, Twichy will sort them out…… ;-)
;-)
That’s a great team. But now that he’s a world-beater, how long before Modders starts banging on about “no like play right wing”?
We could always recall J***s, he didn’t mind the right? ;-)
Ah,the poor sod, I miss him :angel:
I think Modders plays on RM but not RW.
If he plays RM but narrow he can influence play by cutting in and we have Walker to overlap.
If we play Sandro and Parker in CM we will always have them to cover.
Modders played LM before with Bale at LB. Modders played narrow and allowed Bale to overlap.
Otherwise, 3-5-2 with Bale and Walker as wing backs, Sandro Modric and Parker CM and Ade + vdv up front.
So many options!
I’ll try that one again:
Friedel
Charlie Kaboul King A&E
Walker Sandro Modric Parker Bale
Ade
Game Changing Subs: VDV, Defoe, Lennon, Thudd
Who is going to tell VDV he is now a game changing sub ? How would his coming on for the last 20mins disrupt the team balance? If he can`t last the 90mins he should move to Sunday League Football, sell him while he still has value and buy in a potent striker for 12mill more, no more trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, no more tantrums and all players know their place.
It is odd that Ledley can play 90-mins with no knees and a dodgy groin yet VDV’s pipes are blowing at 70? Taking into account that midfielders run more than CH’s its still baffles me
Is there something wrong with him do we think?
I watched him make that run for the goal against Wigan and he actually runs very much like Ledley does now.
Maybe we are doing him an injustice; maybe he just isnt recovering from his various injuries and cant get match fit
thoughts?
Even last season he struggled with fitness from the start, the slump in form of the team was in part due to this and the lack of pre-season training. Hopefully the new shirts containing superchips will show who is putting in the effort and who is coasting throughout the last quarter. VDV is magic for an hour, should accept his shortcomings and play the team game.Now i`m off for a plate of those superchips and a steak pie.
It has been reported (for example here) that he has been playing without cartilage in one of his knees since he injured it in 2002. So basically the same situation as King, although for such injuries each case is different and it may not have exactly the same ramafications for VdV as for our long-serving talisman.
They do both seem to suffer a lot of hamstring injuries, but we can’t really conclude for sure that these are connected to the knees. Hamstrings are by far the most common sporting injuries, and have a number of potential causes. Obviously in King’s case, limitid training and conditioning is a contributing factor, but as far as I know VdV goes through full exercises with the rest of the squad when he’s fit.
He’s got a weird gait at times, and does seem to struggle, more so after an hour. Yet the thing I found strangest of all, none of this appeared during last seasons game against the Goons and a few noteable others. It’s as though his desire and sheer willpower drives him on during these particular games, a real headshaker to be sure!
If VdV’s pipes are blowing at 70, that is worrying, cos he’ll likely have been sat on the bench for at least 5 minutes already. :freu
LL,
I believe I mentioned VdV’s removal of his meniscus, plus its likely long term effects on this blog last season – and how often he only plays two-thirds of a game.
A bit broken, in effect.
@MS
Stupid bloody blog site, cant directly reply to your quip about pipes; very good sir, very good
I guess we’ll find out soon enough about VDV’s injuries. Personally I’d take him running around in a bit of pain; that shows real committment but prefer him to be able to play 90-minutes without running like a blokes whose shat himself
MS
I know you have. I remember it. Just thought it would be better to cite a newssource rather than you. Reliable as you are
:freu
As far as I am concerned if VDV is available he starts with Ade, it really should be as simple as that.
I like Defoe and unlike some others I am glad he is still at Tottenham, but he is not world class, VDV is.
Here, Here,balance, balance, balance- either or, not both and what a bench! It’s all down to accepting the position and looking at the teams welfare. But personally I thought Ade and Defoe were more mobile and dynamic than Rafa and Ade. Also I got the impression that they enjoyed playing together, whereas I didn’t get that same vibe with Rafa and Ade, but not bothered too much either way as it’s evident that both combo’s work and all three clearly doesn’t.
Total sense :daumen:
Make war whilst making love, much more fun…. you know the line about her sister surely?
Strange as this may sound….I completely agree with you. Absolutely everything that you said, lets hope Arry does too… :-)
Why strange, I generally go with your take on things, probably with the exception of how the club’s run from the top, but hey ho, it’s all opinion at the end of the day, we pays us dosh and takes us choice.
Sorry Essexian, we must have posted at the same time as I was replying to PhilMcAvity which is indeed strange…. :-)
Especially when I am replying positively…
Well it had to happen sometime!! :daumen:
Us agreeing on something I meant.
Well, at least you’ve both got commom ground which is the successful elevation of our beloved team. Where better to start? Manly hugs chaps-(sniff)
Make Love, Not War….my new outlook… :angel:
“Manly hugs chaps”
I’d prefer a beer but beggars can’t be choosers!!
available needs defining PM
Like i said earlier; I think VDV is carrying an injury he cant shake.
I think it depends on whether he is telling Arry thr truth about his fitness. Try watching a re-run of the goal against Wigan, he can barely get his legs moving
I will say one thing though; WHEN he is fit enough to play 90-mins then I agree he starts before Defoe