Hello Goodbye - In comes Defoe, out goes Bent
Friday, May 1, 2009 at 7:23PM So is it really goodbye Darren Bent? Out injured for two weeks, it’s doubtful we’ll see him again this season which means next time we do, he’ll be holding up a shirt for his new club and smiling to the cameras. Much maligned Bent© has been in useful form with the odd ball in the onion bag trickery in recent weeks. Let’s not go over old ground relating to goal-ratio V what does he do with regards to team-play? argument, as it’s more than obvious that Harry has already decided he will be one of the players moving on.
Whether David Bentley is another casualty remains to be seen. He’s also been cited by Harry in his pre-match interview. Suggestions that Lennon and Modric are ahead of him in the selection process. Suggesting the bloody obvious or what. Although if David’s nightmare has been because of personal problems (as he stated) then he should buckle up and prove himself rather than scarper off to another club. Wasn’t it his dream to play for his boyhood club? Well, one of them. I think pro-footballers tend to have around 3-4 boyhood clubs they dream of representing. If little Aaron got injured, then who would cover him? Keep the Bentley. Just needs a wash and polish to sparkle again.
If you can’t tell, Harry has been busy with various sound-bites and a key one is the suggestion that Roman is very much in his plans. Something Pav’s agent has also confirmed by stating that it’s unlikely the Russian will be moving on. But then again, when do we ever believe football agents? Not sure whether we’ll see Pav tomorrow or not. He’s in the squad but so is Jermain Defoe who’s had a more than difficult time recently on a personal level. Could be quite emotional for the lad on Saturday if he plays and scores. I’m glad we have him back and I’m sure he’ll get another rapturous reception.
After the dramatics of last weekend, I’m looking forward to a more simplistic outcome tomorrow. If we don’t concede it will be a sixth successive clean sheet at White Hart Lane. I’m hoping we do the business offensively, rack up that goal advantage and just try to reclaim a little bit of that buzz we had when we were 2-0 up at Old Trafford.
Are you bothered with Europe? I can't decide whether the extra 16 (or whatever it is) games will distract us from the league (which has to be the priority next season - I wouldn't mind seeing an attempt at pushing for 5th spot) or whether playing in the Europa League/Uefa Cup will allow Harry to 'play the kids'. Although it's not an impossible competition to win. But taking it seriously means we need a strong squad. Stronger. If Champions League clubs can fight for the title and the CL then (on a lesser level) I guess we could do the same with 5th spot and the Uefa Cup (can't get use to Europa). I think I just bothered myself into being pro-Europe.
Regardless, there is still a matter of mathematics and if we want the bonus of Europe we need to beat WBA and City at home and do more than well at Everton and Liverpool. Over to you Harry and the boys. Hopefully we can turn it on.
Talking of turning it on, Juande Ramos (just one league defeat since taking the helm at Real Madrid) is looking for a win in El Classico to close the gap with Barca to just one point. Could be some game that. Love a bit of La Liga. It’s been a stunning managerial performance from the ex-Spurs man, one that might just earn him the job on a permanent basis. See – this is what happens when you apply yourself, give it 100% and select players in their right positions and have clear tactics. Us over here in N17 might not have the ‘superstar’ players, but we had more than enough for Ramos to assert his authority and style of play on the team. Our squad wasn't (isn't) exactly below average in terms of ability. And although there was much made of the signings being a mish-mashed selection of players reminiscent of different pieces from various jigsaw puzzels - it should not have ended in tears in the manner it did.
Which means he failed because he struggled with England and the EPL, or his methods didn’t quite get through to our players. You don’t need to point towards the difference in class of some of our players in comparison to the not-so-Galactico-but-still-sublime Madrid squad. Fact is, Harry has the same group of players (with additions) than Ramos had for the best part of last season, the pre-season and the opening eight games of this season. Maybe he tried too much too quickly and confused the fuck out of everyone.
Eight games. Two points.
And let's remember, Madrid were in a God awful slump before Ramos turned up there and changed things around. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Seems Harry and Juande aided the re-discovery of confidence for their respective clubs. The only thing that's been proved wrong is the suggestion that Ramos could replicate his La Liga form at a club outside of Spain.
Not that Ramos is suggesting anything himself. It’s more a case of the tabloids doing that thing they do with words. But the suggestion made is we made a mistake in sacking him. But we all know that’s a little daft. The mistake was offering him that dizzying contract in the first place. Although at the time some (including me) felt it might work based on what he had achieved at Sevilla. And that’s the crux of it. To reiterate, he’s obviously far batter over there than he is over here. And the underlining feeling I get is that he is a little more bothered by his current job than he was when he looked like a lost kitten in Battersea Dogs when employed by Daniel Levy.
I’m sticking £10 on a Spurs/Barca double tomorrow.
Reader Comments (14)
We'll have way too much for WBA tomorrow. I can see JD tearing it up too if he gets the nod from Harry. Looking forward to it. and if results go our way we might be joint 7th by close of day.
COYS
Don't be too shocked if we got rid of Bentley. For the amount spent on him, its plain stupid that he will spend most of his time sat on the bench. First Bent, now Bentley. Wasteful we've been too many times. I hope Harry signs players we need much like he did with Palacios and doesn't fall for the time old tradition of signing hyped players.
Spooky, I think Spurs and Madrid are similar in one very obvious way. The players attitudes were pathetic prior to the new coach arriving. I know confidence (lack of) is the reason given and when Ramos went to Madrid and Harry to Spurs, they turned it round. But its 50%-50% isn't it? The players reacted to new management which begs the question - why didn't they react at first time of trouble?
Out with Bent and Pav if I was boss. Defoe, Keane and two new strikers - one of them a top class forward and the other a youngster so thats either a kid from the reserves or someone like Frazier Campbell.
By top class I dont mean Jones of Sunderland.
Maybe we can sign that kid El Hamdaoui from AZ Alkmaar. Meant to be pretty useful.
I rate Pav highly. I'd have him and JD up front tomorrow with Keane on the bench.
We did sign that kid el hamdoui, Jol didn't htink much of him and we flogged him to AZ or heerenveen actually I think. Then sods law he's now scoring for fun. Typical spurs, we could end up with him and crouch as our front line next year and both were already at the club once!
'think' - typo sorry
Dutch league is vastly over-rated. And El Hamdoui never really got started for us, always injured.
Cannot Harry bring his missus on for 20 minutes or so as Bent is now out. I know she is not match fiit but I hear she is great at set pieces.
She's great at head.
Heading. She's supposed to be great at heading.
Cough.
/whistles
ramos tried to inject probably good styles of ideas etc but in communicating with the team failed to lift
people when underacheiving....mental side of the game....the EPL is a different animal..note barca are moaning at chelseas physical side ..........redknapp seems to be more of a realist when sorting players heads.....Bent critics will want him around for the final games.....Defoe will turn it on!!
spurs 3 wba 0
Looks like you came good on those bets, Spooky.
Barca are balls deep at the Bernabau. 6-2 as we speak.
Ramos is being dragged to the centre spot by a cloaked henchman with a pistol.
Gruesome.
Everyone seems so eager to get rid of bent, why is this? i know he has a lot of shortcomings but you can't argue with statistics- bent has scored over twice as many league goals as any other spurs player this season. they might not have all been scintillating demonstrations of skill (mainly tap ins, deflections and shin-ins IIRC) but the boy gets puts em in, consistently. can that be said for any of our other players? keane isn't firing at the moment, pav has been well short of what's needed for me (though i think he's done enough to earn another season to proove himself) and defoe, well he has been extremley unfortunate for a variety of reasons since returning in january and hasn't had much of run out, but has looked lethal on occasion.
so to the summer. lets get rid of bent then yeah? we'll bring in either an over rated, over priced flop (santa cruz anyone?), for £15 mill, as usual, or someone from the continent, who could, like pav, need a 'bedding in season', and we are back to square one. have we not learnt out lessons from last summer? get rid of our top goal scorers without bringing in proven replacements will end in tears (and a new manager come october/november).