Good morning.
Music to my ears. The boss wants to play in the Europa. By play, I mean he wants to field a proper team and restore some pride in those taking the field in our shirt for these matches.
The last gentleman in charge opted for what I would call a divisive approach. On one side of the dressing room sat the first teamers who were played every league game until they dropped. On the other side sat the ones he wasn’t talking to and the kids. The latter category played in the Europa and they – through little fault of their own – in the main served up some rather unmemorable football.
What we need to brace ourselves for here is squad rotation. Which is an intrinsically good thing. Look I understand; if something’s not broke you don’t fix it, but you can’t treat modern players like the boys from the 60’s and 70’s and run them into the mud. They are different horses these days. Once warhorses, now (on a good day) Group 1 racehorses.
“This competition is very important. It’s a tough competition, you have to play 15 games before you reach the final, so it’s hard and strenuous and the best teams out of the Champions League are playing.
“It gives access to the European Super Cup and, for me, I always thought it was a prestigious competition and it should be promoted like that because after the Cup Winners’ Cup disappeared, it is not only about the Champions League.
“If we can win a trophy, that represents a lot for Tottenham Hotspur’s history as well and would be something really special.”
It’s great to see us taking every competition seriously.
Just as a few have been commenting on Defoe (the age old debate).
Here is a summary of a few stats (excluding assists):
2012/13 only:
Defoe = 26 shots / 3 goals (1:9 ratio)
The following have a range of between (1:3 to 1:5):
Ba
Van Persie
Podolski
Gervinho
Tevez
Dzeko
…and a couple of others.
I spent 20 mins getting those facts off the web, but my VPN crashed at work and I lost the finer detail! So a summary will just have to do (stats off ESPN site if anyone actually cares).
My gut feel and personal view is that Ade will get far more games over the course of a season as he adds much more to the team.
Bris as a Spurs fan(i presume) you must be happy with the double by Defoe as it won the game on Sunday so why not give him credit.You forward stats to try and take from the importance of the said goals,you push Ade as the man,yet he is not in your stats,got to be a Bris Thing? :daumen:
I like Defoe, he is an excellent above average Prem striker – but I like to aim for the top four my friend. I did appreciate his 2 goals, absolutely I did – those 2 goals form part of his above looking stats shown above.. I’m just saying that based on the whole of last season Ade gave us much more, especially as a lone striker. JD has a role to play, course he does – especially against the lesse teams, I just think that Ade would be the better striker up top on his own against quality opposition. We also have some quality comming into the box now (at last!) so a bit of height in there can’t hurt now can it?
Last year Defoe’s goals to shot ratio was excellent I believe when he came off the subs’ bench. Even if it was teh same as Ade’s my issue is Ade will bring Bale and siggy who have great shooting talents into the game. It’s the assists of Ade that give him an edge to me and the fact that he can play big games and deliver.
I think that’s what I have been saying, i think? Although Im not sure I am thiking what I thought when I was trying to think if I was thinking exactly what I thought when i was thinking the same as you…? Maybe? :hae: :ermm:
Spurs Official Site:
Aaron Lennon perfectly summed-up the feeling in the squad ahead of Thursday night’s fascinating Europa League opener against SS Lazio.
“It’s a big game against a massive club,” said ‘Azza’, now one of our longest-serving players, as we prepare to take the first step on our latest European adventure against the Italian giants at White Hart Lane.
Lazio have a 100-per-cent winning start in Serie A and travel to Tottenham with three wins out of three under their belts, the latest at Chievo on Sunday.
With an attack spearheaded by legendary German striker Miroslav Klose and Brazilian international Hernanes catching the eye in midfield, it’s an eagerly-awaited Matchday One of six in Group J at the Lane. We also face Panathinaikos of Greece and Maribor of Slovenia.
“It will be a hard game but we’re looking forward to it,” said Aaron.
“I think the Europa League has improved as a competition over the last few years and playing in these big games improves you as a player.”
The fixture immediately evokes memories of the only player to feature regularly for both sides – the one and only Paul Gascoigne.
“Gazza was an unbelievable player, one of the greatest players ever to play for Spurs and of course England,” added Aaron. “I remember him playing for England, every time he pulled on that shirt he shone. He had amazing quality, such confidence on the ball and he was a matchwinner, as well as being a great personality.”
HH – am I going to get paid for the night shift this time?
:happy:
I would like to see us take every competition were in seriously, glad AVB seems to want to aswell.
I don’t think that should mean playing every first choice player in every game. Bu I think we should put out as strong as squad as possible thursday. Getting 3 points from possibly the strongest team in the group should allow us to rest a few in the later games.
Maybe rest Defoe as we need him for the league games. :shifty:
:-D
Winning becomes a habit and I want to do well in the Europa. Show’s intent and I think we have got the squad push on all fronts with a bit of rotation. COYS
:daumen: :daumen: :daumen:
Good job we didn’t treat The Cup Winners Cup in 1963 as a second rate competition.
TOPS,
That’s a little unfair BC//It did mean something then, as did the UEFA cup, but re-jiggin the CL to accommodate 4 places, made the EL a 2nd rate comp-make it worthwhile by giving the winners a CL slot and not putting failures into the KO stages and then I’d agree it’s worth going for