Good morning.
Our players won’t have been looking forward this. I’m not looking forward to this and the full extent of my involvement will be nudging the volume up and liberating something ice cold and imported from the Frigidaire.
QPR have made a mess of things. The chilling words of Neil Warnock, ‘I’ll remember where I left QPR …in the Premiership.’ may become indelibly tattooed on Tony Fernandez’s mind come the last day of the season.
Warnock may not be to everyone’s taste, but I still rate him and if left to manage with half decent resources he’d probably be a better than good Premiership manager.
Mark Hughes has his gang delicately poised 3 points above the burn outs that are Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves. My point being that this is wounded beast territory. Never more so than with QPR. Their form has fallen into a very simple pattern. They lose away and win at home. Their last 3 scalps being Swansea, Arsenal and Liverpool.
I chatting to a Spurs fan on Sunday about this and we both agreed that psychologically the pitch at Loftus Road appears narrower. It isn’t of course, but the way the ground is laid out it just feels that way.
So the board then.
fig.1=like a limiter in a car, the rear guard must stay in position. Parker, Walker and Benny aren’t the best men to play forward balls. fig.2=Modric mustn’t get bogged down playing ‘rush defensive mid’ his role must be forward distribution. fig.3&4=go wide and stay wide.
The plan here simple. Try to create space in the final third and take the initiative. This game could deteriorate rapidly into school playground game of punt and run with nobody having either control or a plan. With the ‘wing backs’ muzzled because they simply aren’t good enough at delivery, they can sit deeper and five defensive players ought to be enough.
It’s completely pointless playing into QPR’s hands and letting Azza & Bale ‘drift’ centrally in what will feel like a tight pitch anyway must be stopped. Adebayor and Saha need service and if it is supplied they have got more than enough to beat Paddy Kenny.
QPR are where they are because they do not play great football. Not because of bad luck or because they upset the gods. Spurs need to step up with a plan and stick to it. A casual approach with some ropy 442 or fielding players who either lack ability or class (hello Ledders and Half Nelsen) is guaranteed to be a waste of everyone’s time.
Eye-catcher bets from Boylesports.com 1-3 Correct score is 12/1, Last goalscorer Saha 11/2 and Spurs to win by 2 goals 11/1.
IF we line up to battle on Saturday, we can win. Match QPR for what they have, the way they play and our extra quality will win out in the end. Team:-
Friedel, Ekotto, King/Gallas/Nelson, Kaboul,Walker, Bale, Parker, Sandro, Lennon,Van der Vaart , Adebayor. Second half subs, Defoe, Modric.
We need to simply battle battle battle and then twist the thumb screws as the game wears on. I would even be tempted to put livermore in place of Van der Vaart and go for midfield dominance allowing Bale and Lennon to join up wwith Adeybayor. Sub in Modric Defoe and Van Der Vaart for late game possesion football and incisive pace for counter attacks with Defoe.
If we win then Chelsea win won’t be bad, our confidence will grow, Arsenal will look back over their shoulders and we will have a game in hand to take back third. In honesty, other results no longer matter. We need to win our games, however we do it. Look at Chelsea against Barca. Would you be happy with 5 one-nils in games we conceded most of the possession? I would at this stage. 5 wins and I think we would get third and so who cares if Chelsea win Champs league.
first!!!
second!!!
Twat !!!
Are you seriously suggesting we play with only one recognised Centre Back? It’s a very attacking line up you’re suggesting but perhaps a little risky (especially for set pieces against)!
I take your point, but I don’t see the value in giving shirts to people who aren’t up to the job.
Our defence is in tatters and deep lying (and no pointless running up-field, please) 3+2 I would hope is enough. Arry of course will play King in goal, Livermore instead of Parker and Modric on the left wing. :dizzy:
It’s all about us, our approach, our commitment and our resolve. Somewhere Redknapp will have have to find a growbag and sink his gonads deep into the bloody thing. Either drop/rest/bench VDV or Modric, it matters not who and play Sandro for at least an hour.Tight pitch and hostile crowd will need to be negated by damned hard work and an authoritarian approach from the outset.
Well said, sir.