Spurs v Wolves: The Making of the DVD (match preview)
Friday, December 11, 2009 at 2:37PM Match preview time. Shockingly short (by my usual standards). Busy weekend means I'm unlikely to be online tomorrow morning to allow for any form of blogging.
So...
Which Spurs will turn out at White Hart Lane this weekend?
Sexy swaggering Spurs (9-1 v Wigan) or the possession dominating chance wasting version (0-1 v Stoke)? It's not going to be the latter. It positively absolutely can not be the latter. We have to win. Quality on the pitch, pound for pound, player for player has to equal three fat points served up on a plate with a side order of chips and salad to compliment the spit-roast dished out, cooked to perfection, glazed and crispy.
Badly constructed analogy aside, we can't afford any slip-ups.
70% of the ball, wave upon wave of attack, 15/20 shots at goal - all of these stats will count for nothing if Stoke, I mean Wolves, sucker-punch us to win by a single goal.
I'm not suggesting we'll walk it. I'd like us to, but rather than believe that Wolves will be easily brushed aside, I'd like to think Harry and the players are well aware that these are the worst types of banana skins. That ruthlessness missing in the Everton game has to be back in abundance, much like it was against Wigan. Kill 'em off. Dismantle them. This isn't about not showing Wolves respect. It's about showing (us) the fans some.
Mental strength of a different kind required. Wolves have been easily bullied at times this season and it's all dependent on what Mick McCarthy decides to do tactically (defend with 10 outfield players behind the ball). If this game is open, it might end up being another DVD. It its not, and they frustrate us, then God help us and all the admins and moderators on all the football message boards across the internet.
City fudged it up at home against them, so there's evidence of fighting spirit in their ranks. That's the match template to avoid. Don’t rest on our laurels. Give them enough problems to be concerned with in order to overwhelm them. The Wigan template being the one we need to follow.
I don't expect Harry will change much. Maybe the re-introduction of Robbie Keane (in case we get a penalty, and he does loving playing against his former clubs) at the expense of Crouchie. Defoe will want to add to his tally and make up for the two points lost thanks to his less than confident spot kick. Niko has the chance to dictate tempo, with a certain other Croatian looking on. I'm hoping Luka gets his 20/25 mins of action, gently reintroduced to the side. I'm still going with one word: Galvanise. That's what he'll do when he's fully fit. And I can only imagine the type of noise when he stands on the touchline with a final stretch or two before running on to dink and sway and cut inside with the of the hairs on the back of my neck, long in hibernation, ripping themselves free from my skin and rocketing into the sky over North London.
No pressure Modric. No pressure lad.
Wouldn't change anything else. No King and no Woodgate means it's up Dawson to lead by example at the back. Bassong needs to improve. BAE will return to his usual composed quiet self after the antics up at Goodison Park. Daws has done well for us back there and although we suffered (shape wise) at Everton due to lack of 'experience' (yes, he's 26 years old but he's no Woodgate or King in terms of organisation) it should be a little more comfortable at the Lane. Well, as long as the midfield make sure the offensive play is scrumptious at best for our strikers to feed off. Although I'd happy score three from 5 chances than 1 from 15.
As for Azza. Hugging the touchline or counter-attacking, either way, get the ball over to him and let him do what he does best. Could well be a case of Niko to Lennon to the wing, cross/cut back, header/shot…goal.
Football. It's just plenty of running around and kicking it in the net® (all rights reserved Harry Redknapp).
Jenas for Wilson? What do you reckon? Might be the only other potential change. Might. JJ loves games like this (weaker opposition) and if he gets forward he'll cause little 'hampton a stiff problem or two. I live for the day to witness JJ bossing a game, running with complete impunity from deep in midfield, thrusting forward with guile and smashing it in to wheel away in celebration, chest out, proud and loving it. Oh gosh, did I just share with you my number one fantasy?
*Blush*
Huddlestone, for all the much-maligned discussion, will once more retain his place. If Wilson does play in midfield alongside him then he'll have plenty of time to run onto balls, edge of box, and play those pin point balls to feet that we do appreciate (and we do).
It's got to be professional.
Ridiculous that there's butterflies and nervous twitches in amongst the Spurs faithful, but such is the way of supporting this club. Nothing can ever be taken for granted.
COYS, sing up sing up.
Reader Comments (31)
I've had that same Jenas fantasy over and over and over again. No cold shower can make it go away.
We say this pre match most weekends now don't we? Expectations have changed which is why we react badly when we drop points. Still can't see us losing. Cant cant cant.
3-0 Spurs
i was pretty confident that we would take the three points just up to your final phrase ...
I can not even watch the game because of damn postponed match i have to play , damned. Wonder if carrying a blackberry on the field is allowed these days ?
I'd stick with Wilson in the middle with Hudd and bring on Jenas later in the game depending on how we are getting on. Wolves will be all over us physically, so need fighters in there.
Christ, are we really worried about Wolves? At home?
Don't answer that.
niko - wilson - hudd - lennon
If that midfield doesn't run them ragged, it's time to call it a day.
Only change from the everton game will be Keane for Crouch. 3MP has been wasteful in front of goal even though he linked up well with defoe and Arry likes to give players a chance against former clubs (lucky for keano he has quite a few). I think HR took our captain out of the firing line and gave him rest time after the disgraceful events in Paris but he will be raring to go.
Keane, Defoe, Modric and Lennon. The key to our early season success could be reunited on the pitch come Saturday about 4.10 and rip apart a resiliant Wolves defence. On the carpet at White Hart Lane I genuinely believe Keane and JD are the best combination up top.
2-1 is my shout! I expect us to score twice before a Joddy Craddock set piece goal in the 80th minute to give us a nerous finale!
COYS
'It's not going to be the latter. It positively absolutely can not be the latter.'
It's goingto be the latter isn't it, I can just tell it's going to be. I hope I'm chuffin wrong onthis one.
(Get your 'Harry out' ready for monday just in case spooks)
Levys tactic is to have us win 9-1 at least three times per season, meaning mass production of special dvds that will go towards transfer funds and the building of the new stadium. It's a shrewd business model and I'm liking it.
Jenas to play and dominate? You're always hogging the Kleenex Spooks, please let me have one or two!
COYS!
I'm not a big fan of Mick McCarthy. I laughed out loud when Roy Keane told him to 'Shove it up his bollacks' when leaving the World Cup squad in 2002.
With that in mind, I suggest we shove it firmly up Wolves' bollacks and score at least 6 before half-time.
Smoke on that, Michael.
Smoke on that.
War and Peace could also be described as "Shockingly short (by your usual standards)"
We'll lead those poor little lambs in wolves clothing to the slaughter and have them on the rack to go with that plate of chips and green salad.
Could be a goalfest at the Lane tomorrow.
Got a feeling in my water.
Tonk at 3:41
Well done, mate. I think you have summed up the essence of what it means to be a Spurs supporter in three short sentences!
fair play mate, you obviously love super tottenham from the lane, but I can't let your woeful ignorance of the wolves pass without comment.
one thing you can be sure of is that we will not play with 10 men behind the ball, unless we're defending our lead in the last 10 minutes. We came to this division as champions having scored nigh on 100 goals. although SEB has yet to start firing and Kights is out injured we still play with some vim and vigour, providing we get out of the blocks on the front foot. If you watched our game against your illustrious north london neighbours you would have seen that we dominated the first half hour. Bullied indeed!
I live in Manchester, and a Yid mate invited me to Old Trafford the other night, where I felt you had a lot of the play but not the ruthlessness of Utd. Bentley tried to do everything the hard way to little avail, and keano seemed to slow down your attacks and hold up play rather than turning and penetrating, which i found upsetting as i'd only paid the 40 quid to see him really. Utd scored with pretty much their first sight of goal, and that ruthlessness will more than likely see you victorious come the final whistle on saturday.
I haven't mentioned Milijas, but be warned! He's just started coming good for us and if you watch some of his highlights on youtube you'll wonder how harry never thought to buy this little maestro - a world cup captain this summer, for £2.6m! that said, how you ever got krancjar for about 50p i'll never know.
If he doesn't nick some points for us I'll settle for another Keano hat trick.
COME ON ME BABBIES!!!
spurs should win 2-0 wiv plenty of shots on goal going to waste......i repeat "should"win 2-0....i repeat "should"win 2-0..
uefa cup 1972 justice federation - nice post mate. Loving you're username ;)
What Spooky was doing in his original post was not a case of whathe expected Wolves to do rather predicting the ways Spurs might force Wolves to do or what we might end up doing ourselves.
If that makes any sense.
0-1 Wolves already. So much for a new DVD.
Thanks a lot, Spooky, for jinxing everything with your post. To lose this 1-0 is just so typically Spurs.
Pathetic. 3 games on the trot where we outplay the opposition and end up farked. I don't have any answers, I'm completely mystified.
What a waste!!!
And the other results went for us today. I love Spurs.
Amazingly, we might still be fourth if United beat or draw vs. Villa. I've had enough of trying to accomodate Robbie Keane but I'm really at a loss as to do now aside from praying Woodgate and King get healthy. If Keane isn't happy sitting when his form is shite than we make off without him. Not sure what to do about the defense but we have to keep more clean sheets or we'll end up 7th.
I actually hope they make a DVD of this match. And make Harry and the players watch it everyday. For all our possession, I think we had 1 decent effort on goal? All flash and no substance. We don't need 9 goals in one fucking match, how about 1 goal, just 1 stinking goal when it really matters?
Call me a knee-jerker but this game proves what many of us still don't want to admit to. We just don't have that special something that we need to really belong in the top 4. Of course we might still somehow wind up in the top 4 but we certainly don't play like a team that BELONGS IN THE TOP FOUR.
We look good on paper but you just see it and feel it. We don't believe in ourselves, don't have the mental courage, strength and focus.
Helps that a lot of the 3rd rate teams hovering around us seem to lack the same mental courage too :)
Could we have done what villa just did at Old Trafford? Be honest.
I did warn you about Milijas...
You know where you can shove the DVD !
We're exactly where we deserve to be. On the outside looking in. last 7 games, 8 points with a pitiful loss to Arsenal and 6pts dropped at home to shite sides. Too busy blowing ourselves to notice that we've been average for months. I blame myself for getting this upset. I told myself over and over again that I wouldn't get drawn into believing it was different this time. After Wigan and us pummelling Villa, I fell for it all over again. And to answer "could we do what Villa just did at Old Trafford?" Yes, for 60 minutes and we'd then go on to lose by 3 goals.
Sadly, I think that is exactly the correct answer to my question, Tim :)
But you left out the bit about "against 10 men"