In support of Jermaine Anthony Jenas
Monday, November 15, 2010 at 8:25PM No - the blog has not been hacked.
Welcome to the JJ and Pav Appreciation Society. Membership is free.
You'll have noticed four things this past weekend. That's if you are straightforward with your honesty. I know I did, and it was echoed by others. A minority it would seem in parts - but I guess due to past crimes many of us struggle to come to terms when attempting to quantify then justify and compare one of the greatest of Spurs conundrums...and any supporting acts touring at the same time.
The rest shrugged and stated nothing has changed. And it probably hasn't. Because their perception of Jermaine Jenas has remained constant so it supports their opinion of the player, no matter what changes around him.
Now before you start accusing me of over-reacting or suddenly acquiring misty eyed delusions, I'm just pointing out that both Jermaine Jenas and Roman Pavlyuchenko (two of the most much maligned players we possess who sit on the bench of besmirch with Bentley, Keane and one or two others) played well. That's it. Not saying that for example JJ has suddenly achieved redemption and is owed respect and medals of honour or that Pav is the answer to our lack of cutting edge up front.
All this article wishes to state (in a traditional long-winded manner of therapeutic acceptance and apology) is that to balance out the Spursverse and stop the stars from falling from the skies, it's only fair we get into the habit of acknowledging those that deserve some praise, be it a gentle pat on the back or something more. The culture of knee-jerk, blame and favouritism remains and its easy to ignore anything that might contradict your opinion. We are guilty of it.
And sure, it was only Blackburn Rovers, but then it was only Sunderland, Bolton, Everton, West Ham, Wigan etc etc. We need players performing, no matter their apparent squad importance.
Both Jermaine and Roman deserve polite plaudits. I'm hoping this won't send some of you into cardiac arrest. So considering how quick we are to throw rotten fruit, it's only fair right? And equally so, my feet are firmly on the ground in terms of expectancy from both players. Because we've been here before, especially with JJ, who has flattered to deceive countless times. When he does play well its easy to confuse a standard performance for most other players with something sublime or superb thanks to it's rarity when he delivers the goods. And soon you come to the common conclusion that it's a blip, a positive spike of energy, and normality will resume. It's the ongoing soap opera we follow with Jenas, the same plot line repeated over and over again.
Not sure if its the smell of the NLD that has him looking sharp and focused, in time for a possible hopeful obligatory Tour de force cameo against the scum. Or if he has simply dug a little deeper with no spot-light on him. Arguably one of our best performers on Saturday against Rovers. What with rumours of Huddlestone crocked (now confirmed - 3 months), although both are completely different ilks of players, on form, Jenas isn't too shabby a player to have as a replacement. On form. Which is where the problem has always been. He's not always on form. Or to put a finer point on it - he's never the player we expect him to be. Which in some ways is the reason so many of us look on in despondency and always expect him to be below average. Even when he's not.
JJ is nondescript, say, in comparison to a Hudd or a Luka. You know the strengths and weakness of both of these players but with Jenas, he's just box-2-box but doesn't excel in one particular area other than his energy levels and his long-busting runs. When on form. With Hudd, it's his quarter-back stance and power-shots and vision and Luka is a crafter, a dinking magic man. JJ is always meant to be something, but we're never quite sure what that something is meant to be.
On Saturday he covered the pitch with intent and purpose, wanting it, playing balls to the flank for Bale, cross pitch marauding runs and some trademark box to boxing, driving forward (almost scored) eating up the space ahead of him. He's played decently a few times this season, but in comparison to the Bale and vdV hype, nobody tends to notice. Unless he plays sh*t, then we notice.
I know I've probably been guilty of ignoring him and grabbing the Kleenex for fast wrist action when watching Gareth destroy the left wing. Kleenex obviously required to wipe away the tears of joy from my eyes as my wrist struggles with the constant grabbing of the remote to rewind and replay.
This time though, I've found myself basking in Jenas tackling and battling on the field of play. Okay, basking is a touch too far. Pleasant. It was pleasant to see and with our injuries, it's fairly joyful to have a forgotten player reminding us that he can still offer his services to the side. Unlike Bentley who never appears likely to re-discover form he possessed prior to his move to Spurs.
I suppose you might still not be impressed and you might cite something I've always preached about Jenas. When he plays well, as aforementioned, it's a blip. Levy's original poster-boy for 'sell-on value'. He is the perpetual prince of potential, forever we await for him to grow out of footballing puberty and then grow some much needed balls. Belief, he lacks it. And the home support equally so lack belief in him. Hence the target on his back. We all want him to be the player he's expected to be.
He was never (going to be) a blood and thunder die hard mentally strong player we could build our midfield around. Whereas perhaps now, he can simply offer us some energy and directness, not as a Plan A, but as a Plan B.
We stand by the likes of Modric etc when they under perform because we know how well they can consistently play when on form. We hate on JJ because we expected him to be Gerrardesque in terms of stamping his authority on games. Perhaps not so much these days. Once upon a time when we lacked class in our midfield, he was our only hope. Hence the misguided faith and expectancy that weighed down on his fragile ickle mind. Now the landscape is one of riches so Jenas can - when given the opportunity - get on with doing the hard graft work whilst others swagger and silk.
He has played well this season, with a couple of poor performances thrown in. Much like many of our players have too. Considering how easily we excuse some of these players and look the other way and whistle.
So what four things did I notice on Saturday? Not rocket science this.
1) JJ played well
2) Pav played well
3) JJ still gets maligned via the 'Jenas is crap' reflex
4) Pav gets support from the crowd even when he's missing 'open goals'
Now the latter is great to see. Not the missing of open goals, but the support. Roman shots wide a glorious chance, then misses a penalty, but still we cheer him on and when he scores we lap it up. He always notches up a goal does Pav, even though most of the time he lacks much of anything else. But we seem to accept him. Did play very well against Blackburn and showed the type of movement we need from a forward whilst we wait for JD's return. And he showed strength to get on with it and stick the header away.
As for JJ, when the pressure isn't on, he turns it on. And we could go on talking about how a player who needs to be handled with care is not the right type of player for the club in the direction we wish to continue going. But it wouldn't be so much of a problem if we didn't treat him like he goes around bragging he's the best midfielder in the country.
Well done Jenas, I appreciate your efforts. You're not exceptional in any great way and your abilities are less special than say the likes of Modric and Huddlestone and company that offer those dinking runs and sublime passing but on this type of form, if we just accept you for what you are and can be (a solid squad player) then hopefully we'll see more of this from you. With the odd anomoly that has you playing out of your skin. And we promise not to expect from you every week.
Consistency, it's all we want.
JJ. Not reinventing bread just lightly toasting it. The Marmite is optional.
Support your team. Support your players*.
*if you play sh*t JJ, I will ruin you mate.
As for Pav, he needs a run in the team, otherwise we'll never know if he's just the right man in the right place when coming off the bench (Darren Bent anyone?) or a forward who can work as part of a cohesive fluid Spurs side.
As for the game itself. Good to have you back Spurs. Well, at 60%, but good enough. Disappointing to concede two late on, especially in the soft manner we did, but otherwise it's important to knowingly nod at the fact we scored four goals at home comfortably with two goals from forward players in a 4-4-2 formation (bastardised a tad to account for vdV's wondering into central positions).
Back to basics Tottenham and Harry. Huddlestone injury to be discussed later. NLD previews on the way.
Onwards Spurs.
A lot. At the minute. Hoping that minute turns into hours.
Reader Comments (93)
Spurs fans have lost confidence in the team. We now have very shallow expectations and low ambitions. Peter Crouch is good - compared to high school footballers. But at the level of the premiership, he is consistently the worst striker on the pitch irregardless of the team we play. Show me a team with a more unable striker currently? We have really lowered our standards!
Jenas? Come on! People! Is this the best we can ask for ourselves? O'hara is much better than this guy. So is Bostock I kid you not. Have some courage and belief. Liverpool should have a Gerard and us guys a Jenas, right? How will we compete.
Love articles that split opinion so wildly. It's also funny how people don't read what is written most of the time if they don't like the subject matter. If you don't like Jenas then that's fine, everyone has their opinions and I presume we all pay our hard earned for those opinions, but Spooky isn't saying he's transformed and should be playing week in week out instead of vdV or Modric. He simply stated a fact, which was on Saturday he played well, as did Pav even with his misses.
If both can continue that form, especially now THud is injured then we'll be better for it. Instead of the constant moaning and griping at JJ maybe it's time some fans took each game as a whole. If he's playing well, give his praise and don't just consistently lambaste the guy because of past performances. I've never understood the constant praise Pav gets from fans when players like Crouch, Bentley, JJ etc can do nothing right.
I am an advocate of constructive criticism and praise when due, so here it is, WELL DONE JJ! However, imagine the comments on here and the many other Spurs blogs had Blackburn been more assertive and pressed our MF, wonder how JJ would have coped? Like many a time before, when we have been pressured He (JJ) has disappeared and buried his head in the sand. I hope one is wrong, but too many below par performances have set the concrete and the boots are ready for their premier and last dive, too inconsistent for my liking.
As for Pav, I would like to see him get a fair crack at the whip, how has Crouch warranted a regular start? Beggars belief, OK, Pav missed a pen and one on one with the keeper but, redeemed himself with a well placed headed goal, give him his rightful chance, I am sure he will not disappoint.
Well done Jenas! Don`t let me down after showing that you can actually play a decent game, now try and do it week in/out PLEASE.
Well done Pav, more of the same PLEASE.
COYS!
Love the Burn's joke
I think JJ still has people defending him because of the fact that he keeps quiet and really wants to stay at Spurs (probably because of his salary ) , he does not get into drunk incidents at clubs , never puts on a big mouth in the press and he has never reacted to the fans for all the stick he is been getting.Which probably is his number one problem , he has skill and stamina but he lacks the arrogance to be really good.
If you would ask him to list the best midfielders at Spurs he would probably pick all the rest before himself , but if you'd ask the same question to for instance Bendtner , he would pick himself before Van Persie , Bendtner and Walc*nt ...
To be the best , you need to be convinced that you are the best OR be Gareth Bale and have an amazing god given talent ,such a talented player with a modesty about him that warms my heart. I once saw an interview with the young cristiano where they asked him who was the better player , Zidane , Pele or Maradona and he pointed at himself. Disgusting in a way but in another way he works and wants to be on that Level. Modesty isn't always a plus in the modern game.
No one complained when Crouch scored the goal that sent us into the champions league. If JD was fit he'd probably have laid on 10+ assists for him by now.
I've always wanted to Jenas to come good, hopefully the niggling injuries he's played with in the past are over, and he is starting to find some confidence in his own ability. With Hudd out, boy do we need our other midfielders to step up!
How long since you were all slagging Bale and saying he'll never make it and should be sold. I'm not saying JJ is going to come on like Bale, that's a once in a lifetime freek event! But how long since Hutton was mutton, now's he's first choice.
Pav has goals in him, that's not in doubt. His effort was, but if he puts in effort and scores goals, what's not to like?
They are all Spurs players, our boys. If they wear our shirt, support them, hope they get better, hope the training they get improves them, changes their mental attitude etc. We all have good days and shit days, JJ, Bale, they're no different.
COYS!
"*if you play sh*t JJ, I will ruin you mate" - vintage Spooky!
A Liverpool fan friend of mine recently pointed out that all the great matches I harp on about in recent years all feature Jermain Jenas, weird. He also pointed out that Pav can't score easy goals, only the hard ones, therefore I have to insist that we force Pav to wear an eye patch making all shots considerably harder and increasing the chance that they are scored, and possibly creaming some of the buzz from the Johnny Depp film down in greenwich at the moment. All hail Super Piratechenko.
Jenas, IS mr inconsistant, he blows hot & then cold unfortunately in the past it has been more often than not cold, not that it means he is woefull at these times, he is a victim of of his own capabilities he can do a Bale/vdv on his day but then will have half a dozen games without any noticible impact, so fans find it hard to understand how someone so skillfull can lose his mojo so often & for so long.
He is no longer a first teamer at WHL, this seems to have had the effect of a red hot poker up his jacksy, he is now somewhat more consistent, instead of blowing hot and cold, he now gives perennially warm performances, and easily warrants a place of rotation in the team, if he could get his goal scoring mojo back, now that would cause HR another welcome midfield headache.
Pav Pav Pav Pav, imho i think this is more clear cut, is Pav worth a place in the team YES, can he score goals YES, has he got a good goal scoring record for us YES, is the team more likely to play on the deck with him starting over Crouch YES, does he make runs down the channels unlike Crouch YES, has he got better feet & heading ability than Crouch YES, has he been given a fair crack of the whip from HR NO, does he look lazy at times YES(so did Berbs( and no im not saying theyre in the same league)) , can he have very quiet matches YES(goal poachers can do that a lot, and still put the ball in the net).
OK i admit it im not a Crouch fan his awkwardness is personified in the Premier league & Refs (WRONGLY) constantly see him as fouling players if he is anywhere near them, he is not particularly good in the air in fact he is better on the deck, if somewhat unaesthetic to watch.
He has been found out in the PL for the most part and is woefully uneffective, however he still would be first choice in european games, as they have not yet become aware of his flaws and hence are unable to cope with him.
good article, and fantastic vid at the end
I agree that JJ played pretty well on Saturday.
I don't accept that he was responsible for weak defensive midfield.
On the contrary, I felt he worked incredibly hard to cover for VdV's 90 minute walkabout.
This is what left us exposed and I 'm sorry to say that we will continue to struggle with a 4-4-2 while he is one of the midfield 4.
With Hudd out I think JJ will be battling with Wislon & Sandro for the 2nd central midfield slot alongside Luka.
Right now JJ is in pole position and I am willing to bet he plays in the NLD as Wilson is too indisciplined and Sandro, though almost certainly the best long-term prospect, is too inexperienced.
I reckon he may play the same team as started Saturday, but with JD on the bench.
Totally disagree that we should play in "defensive/destroyer"mode. Those who have succeeeded there this season has taken them on and we definitely have the creativity/firepower to cause them bother.
However we do need to tighten up defensively or they will exploit us in a way that BRFC could not.
If Pav can work as hard as he did on saturday (first time I have EVER seen him play like that) then we should be looking to hang onto him & shift out Mr Stick Insect in January in exchange for a quicker, tougher central striker.
Crouch is a one-trick pony and is pushed around far too easily by Prem defenders.
He may bother Euro teams, but that is a dozen games a year, not the 38 which still matter hugely to our continuing evolution into a proper top team.
10 Point gap coming soon
I've said it a billion trillion times, we've got a tendency to exaggerate in this country, a primal need to sensationalise.
Why can't ok be just that? Why can't someone just be solid, reliable, dependable, or conversely, why can't they just be under par, not as good? These days, it seems they have to be amazing, astounding, the fastest, the bravest, the best or else they're just 'shit and they know they are.'
Jenas was ok. Perhaps slightly closer to good, and further away from mediocre. If he can maintain this form, then we've got something to expect. If he can't, then there should only be one thing to expect and that's a transfer. In a head to head with a player in a similar position Pienaar, I'd chose the latter. A bit more coaching would work wonders on that boy available for tuppence at the end of the season from Everton. Still, we can only work with what we've got and that's whoever is going to come in to take Thudds midfield spot whilst he's out.
Jeeenas has staked a claim, lets see if he can build on it and perhaps become regarded as decent player rather than marmite.
In relation to the scum game : I really liked the comment from Bruce after the Chelsea- Sunderland game : in short he just said that he might as well have a go at them and play some attacking football. That's the spirit of the game, if you have skilled attacking players than just have a go at the opposition , even if it is a top 4 club. We always lose to one of them away so why don't we just have a go ... Audere est Facere
Spot on there Belgian Spur. Good teams are good because of their talent, but they become greater because of the fear they instill in other teams. We should learn from Sunderland. We need to show the top teams no respect whatsoever and just go for it. That way we shall turn from a good team into a great one. It's (nearly) all in the mind. COYS. They don't like it up them.
With regards to Pav, what i like about him is his ability to score important goals. He tends to do nothing then pop up with a winner or a crucial equaliser. jenas...just a squad player, but he has a chance here like bale did to show what he is worth.
Yes, 10 point gap coming soon, yadda yadda yadda. You'll still end up winning nothing and we'll have to endure another year next season of statements like 'the kids will mature this year, that's for sure'. But don't fret, you'll have beaten Spurs which is as good as a piece of silverware for you now. We can send you a DVD of the game and you can stick it in your trophy cabinet.
How ironic that 'next year' is now copyrighted to the Arsenal.
I cant read the comments as most as usual are B******t from fickle fans yes I have grown to hate a large amout of my own fans as they are full of it.
1st Pav when he plays enough games he gets better Harry he played well and wont be the first striker to miss a pen and a 1 on 1. The fans love him because they like quality...he needs games thats all I see
2nd Jenas give him a break, I nearly clobbered some muppets next to me at a pre season friendly mouthing their brainless views about him, we bought a good player we now have a good team and coach and he needs more games but I think in fact know he has been fairly consistant this season and Saturday was probably the highlight
nuff said bring on the scum, long gone are the days when I think 1 player out Hudd makes the result ,Gallas will be fired up too alongside Modric back to best and VDV, Crouchie get angry and aggressive
COYS
Can't put it in their trophy cabinet Spooky,the lock has seized up......
'Aggressive'
I'd say that would be the key on Saturday. Aggressive in terms of desire, not dirty tackles.
MASSIVEYID.ARMCHAIR/PUB/TERRACE EXPERTS.I HAVE SUPPORTED SPURS FOR 43 YEARS.FROM STANDING ON A CRATE IN THE PAXTON AS A KID.SPURS ARE THROUGH MY BLOOD.JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOUR FA COACHING BADGES DOES NOT MEAN YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL.YOU SEEM TO THINK THAT YOUR OPINION IS GREATER BECAUSE OF YOUR FA BADGES.MY MATE HAS THEM FA BADGES TOO.AND I HATE TO UPSET YOU,BUT HE THINKS JENAS IS SHIT TOO.FOOTBALL IS ABOUT OPINIONS.AND I STILL STAND THAT JENAS IS A WASTE OF SPACE.WE PLAY LIKE WE HAVE 10 MEN WHEN HE PLAYS.HE DOES THAT SILLY DANCE IN FRONT OF OPPOSITIONS PLAYER,BUT DOESNT WIN THE BALL.AND HES GETTING PAID THOUSANDS FOR THAT.IM NOT ONE WHO SHOUTS ABUSE AT OUR PLAYERS,AS I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALWAYS SUPPORT THEM.BUT I MUST ADMIT THAT I WILL BE OVER THE MOON WHEN JENAS FINALLY LEAVES.AND ON LEAVING,IF YOU THINK YOUR OPINION IS GREATER JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR BADGES.WEBB AND CLATTENBURG HAVE BADGES TOO,DOES THIS MAKE THEM KNOW THE GAME MORE?.IF YOU STILL THINK YOUR OPINION IS GREATER BECAUSE OF YOUR BADGES.THEN PLEASE DO US ALL A FAVOUR AND GO AND DO A BIT OF SCOUTING DOWN THE ROAD FOR THE ARSE.JENAS GOOD?
JJ has played well this season.....I put this down to 2 things:
Last season he was injured and played through a lot of it until the end of the season. I read an interview where he said that he went for an op at the end of the season, and once recivered spent the whole summer getting fit for this season. He was having pain killer injections just to get through training last season.
Now he is fully fit and apparently feels all the better for it, able to give his all. I'm a bog standards 5-a-side player and even I know that the fitter I am the better I am.
Also, JJ has genuine competition for his place. rather than sulk, he has rolled up his sleeves and upped his game. he now gets a chance to play 10-15 games, so hopefully he will not take his place for granted.
I have always supported JJ, but this summer i had reached the end and cared not if he moved on, in fact for £8-10m i would have driven him to his new club! Now I am please that we have held on because he has undoubted quality, and is shwoing us more oftern these days....lets hope his like for a goal vs Arsenal has not deserted him!
least ive seen my team win the league, in fact 5 times you mug
Is your keyboard broken MKYID? I converted your text to lower case so people can read it a little easier. It was hurting my eyes.
MKYID says:
massiveyid.armchair/pub/terrace experts.i have supported spurs for 43 years.from standing on a crate in the paxton as a kid.spurs are through my blood.just because you have your fa coaching badges does not mean you know everything about football.you seem to think that your opinion is greater because of your fa badges.my mate has them fa badges too.and i hate to upset you,but he thinks jenas is shit too.football is about opinions.and i still stand that jenas is a waste of space.we play like we have 10 men when he plays.he does that silly dance in front of oppositions player,but doesnt win the ball.and hes getting paid thousands for that.im not one who shouts abuse at our players,as i think that we should always support them.but i must admit that i will be over the moon when jenas finally leaves.and on leaving,if you think your opinion is greater just because of your badges.webb and clattenburg have badges too,does this make them know the game more?.if you still think your opinion is greater because of your badges.then please do us all a favour and go and do a bit of scouting down the road for the arse.jenas good?
Yes and yet you still feel the necessity to tell me about it. Such is your apparent need to justify your existence.
Get this though, nobody actually cares. But hey, nice of you to slum it down here with us. We even have something in common now, what with your constant looking back at the past.
Yay for all concerned. Perhaps one day you'll actually converse and discuss football with other football fans rather than come across as a cunt. Oh hold up that's because you....ah, never mind.
"you mug"
What a lovely term. If you take the earliest recorded meaning (1560's) apparently you're calling someone a drinking vessel. If the definition is from the 1850's, then the term derives from thieves' slang relating to someone that has been robbed, duped - hence todayed usage of teh word 'mugged'.
Lets consider what we worth valuable as fans. Surely the currency of choice for the majority of fans is entertainment. Throughout our history, even during tough barren patches where a win was hard to find especially after so many years of glory, our club still entertained.
You could argue that at the start of Wengers tenure at the lot down the road, pretty football has been played and trophies won, and the wealth of entertainment was abundant. However these days, with the dust on the trophy cabinet inches deep, if you were to compare clubs and their entertainment value - one might argue that you'd be hard pushed to find a more entertaining team than Spurs.
So. You've got to consider who's actually been mugged? Those conoisseurs of boring boring football, or the innovators of push and run ethos?
Hey there Spooky
Come on now a cunt's a useful thing. Good article though and it has provoked a bit of thinking and opinion. The thing is that Jenas carried an injury for a long time without ever getting to the bottom of it. He says its all fixed up now and I actually believe him. I think he's going to surprise a few people during Hudds absence. This Spurs team need to hold their own until we get some injured bodies back and until the January window, when we should sign a decent striker.
As for Pav, I've had enough of him. He's had a bit of a run and misses too many chances, as well as he's as lazy as '''cut the bags'''. Lets give Jenas a run in the side and I think he'll cut the mustard.
Trembly, far too rational and instructive. I'd have gone with a simple "most scum fans have always had a 10 point gap"
haha seattle , that's just classic stuff , well done !
And for all the praise JJ is getting , he will probably be under par against the scum and will be slated again on various blogs and messageboards , one game at a time mentality aye
Never has been and never will be good enough for Spurs! This guy has the consistency of diarrhoea and cannot pick out a simple pass without it going nowhere near its intended target. Kranjcar should be playing instead as he has more talent in his right toe than Jenas has in his whole body. I wish Harry would wake up and play Nico.
Sorry this is off topic but there are rumours Harry has been taken ill and is having tests for a possible heart problem.
Does anyone know if there is any truth in this ?
well said mark.totally agree about kranjcar and jenas.
thanks for that rysharp
Sorry but Pav is blatantly useless 4 games out of 5 and lazy like he dont even want to be on the pitch.
Get well soon Harry.
God, please bless "massiveyid" for his comment on *November 15, 2010 at 11.12pm*
Real football fans actually UNDERSTAND the game of football. Others just watch it, and have never sat down to think about the sport.
Boooo urns! They're shouting boooo urns sir!
No worries mate. Wasn't trying to have a go.
Normally I'd agree with the premise of starting Kranc instead of JJ but with current form in mind I'll go for JJ. For me it's more important that VDV, Bale and Modric are destroying the Arse midfield and JJ can just do his running around-there but not there thing he does.
England match tonight.. Kaboul v. Crouch? I think I'll watch the Apprentice instead.
This is Jenas' first run in the team since Redknapp became manager, so lets see if Harry's management skills can do what they did for our other underachievers.
It doesn't matter what Crouch does for the team, Spurs is all about beautiful football, and he is not beautiful.
Same line up as Blackburn for the NLD please. Gallas to score own goal/get sent off/score the winner/be anonimous and booed by both sets of fans.
sang to the theme of flash.
"CROUCH AHAAAH, leader of the spurs attack!"
just for people who say there is no crouch song....there should be now.
"he's big, can head. his feet hang out the bed...peter crouch, peter crouch!
Jenas frustrates fans because they no he has more than he gives and he his the type of Footballer who thrives on the adoration from the fans something he doesnt have but at the moment he is feeling wanted and his football is benefiting for it Keanes is dead . We fans are part of all footballers slump in form the other part is life style and Injury. We booed our team in the week against Wunderland who beat Chelsea, it also looks like Hudds was playing on one ankle and he could have bean for weeks he will be sadly missed. get fit soon Big Man. Our best system with four strikers and no hudds is 442 just look at Bale when he crossed he had two heads to aim for Pav got it with the other system it would have gone in to touch unless Lennon was there to retrieve it.
I am gulity of Jenas Bashing, on Saturday whenever Modric had the ball I coooed with Awe, when Jenas lost the ball or didn't make a tackle I tutted and exclaimed his lack of quality, however overall he did have a good game, and we need him, I read somewhere an interview where he said he'd been playing with Injury the last few seasons and this is the first Season where he's had a Pre season, I reckon now with the Hudd out we could see the Jenas that used to get picked for England. On Pav - theres an Old Guy that sits in front of me and whenever Pav messed up he said to his pal "not so super Pav, he's ueless!" While I find it strange the fans sing his name what ever performance he puts in I can also see the quality he has in touch and movement, plus he he has the "striker instinct" which Crouch will never ever have, of being right place right time and he gets his shots off. Bently should also get a run in the team, he linked up great with Hutton against Bolton for the last 15mins and against Sunderland and was unlucky not to score / get a penalty, his main problem is if it doesn't go for him he starts trying too hard and forgets he is in a team, but he should start against the ARSE for Sure.
Spurs fans have been picking their favourites regardless of what goes on in the game for as long as I have been a supporter. Back when I first started going to matches in the mid 70s it sometimes seemed only Pratt and Perryman actually cared whether we won the game, it made no difference, the fans had decided John Pratt was rubbish, what he did on the pitch didn't count. Nothing has changed. Jenas has been fit this season so is playing much better than when he was playing with pain killing injections, not really rocket science. But for many fans it doesn't matter. He and Hudd are both limited players in different ways, but Hudd can do no wrong and JJ can do nothing right. In reality Jenas is a player at his best when he runs with the ball, like Bale he has both speed and stamina, however he doen't have Bale's close control or upper body strength. His tackling isn't great, but still better than Hudd's, and he has surprised me with the quality of his passing this season. If we are playing a team that has come for a point and is packing the defence I would play him ahead of Hudd every time and on current form he gets in ahead of Kranjcar. Hopefully the coaching staff won't be playing favourites like some of the fans.
[Spencer] "I have got a bad feeling he will go missing on saturday like he normaly does when we play big games away from home."
Perhaps my memory is frazzled, but I always thought Jenas generally performs well (and scores) against the Arsenal?
[tobears] "My issue with Pav is that after, how long is it now? he still hasn't even a basic grasp of the English language... "
I recently read an article about Robert Pires who never bothered to learn English. That didn't stop him from being one of the PL's best midfielders.
Just to add my two penneth to the great Pav & JJ debate: I think JJ is a good midfielder. Not a world beater but a very accomplished midfielder. Perhaps he is better after a good run in the team? I don't think many players are able to flip in and out of the team yet still consitently perform to their best. Regarding Pav, again, a good striker that isn't a regular starter. He could do with a good run, but now that JD's close to fitness, that's probably not going to happen.
Good blog.