Bored of the Stratford
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 3:48PM Oh for the love of God. There's an England game this evening?
Well, sod that. Looks like I'll be firing up Football Manager and continuing my THFC save game (I'm top by the way, around 15 games played in the Prem, two points clear). So, what with this not being a full-on international break and just a standard non-event of a friendly (loving the ITV advert trying to hype it up as a battle of two sleeping giants licking their wounds and trying to rediscover themselves…sorry ITV, you're better off trying to sell me rocking horse sh*t) here's a quick-fire round-up of Spurs news that has made me twitch these past few days.
Niko (via agent) is once more putting it out there that he might leave due to lack of games. On the one hand you might compare him to Corluka who was dropped due to loss of form and hasn't got back in because Harry is someone who does like to reward players for their good forum (Hutton - although I'd much prefer a more positional savvy Charlie working in tandem with Aaron rather than a rampaging Alan not giving a toss about anyone else on his flank including opposing players). Corluka says he will just dig deep and try to reclaim his place. Bravo. That's what we want to hear from our players. On the other hand, it's not like Niko has had much of a chance to hit his stride. A game here or there is more likely to produce a Bolton away performance rather than anything top drawer.
However, I'd refuse to let him go. What with the way we lose players to injuries from one month to the next.
Elsewhere, van der Vaart revealed that we have a clipboard in the dressing room that doesn't get used by the gaffer. No shocker. You can't put your hands around a clipboard and tell it how clippy and boardy it is. Harry is a man manager, I wouldn't go as far as saying tactics and opposition strengths are never discussed. The evidence is there and can't be argued against in terms of focus and game plans (Arsenal/Chelsea/City away last season - Inter at home this season). Unless all these performances were birthed from a brand of belief that Spurs players can occasionally conjure up like a rabbit from a top hat.
Stratford. Bored of it now. You've got every Tom, Dick and Harry coming out denouncing this that and the other about how we can't expand the Olympic stadium or move there or whatever. It's all redundant. The great irony is how many journalists and bloggers are making this out to be a Spurs v West Ham battle with only the one winning through and emerging victorious in the end - us or them. One massive massive problem here. We're going to have our Northumberland Development Project approved, thus remaining in N17. And the consequence of this is we win, and WH lose. Because if you ask any Hammers fans who do not work for the Daily Mail what they think - they'd rather remain where they are now than move to a stadium which they will only ever fill up by selling cut price tickets to Orient fans.
Defoe is almost back. One word of advice. More than one word. Patience for all concerned. Let's not rush him back. Let's allow him time to settle back into the side (he might not need time and be all guns blazing - but still). If we get him back to 100% from now till the end of May, we'll be happy. Everyone will be happy. Including his dear old friend, the offside rule.
COYS.
Reader Comments (18)
Bye bye Niko.
Linesmen everywhere will be going to Specsavers to make sure they're ready for Defoe's return.
Alan Hutton has been excellent going forward this season, so much so that Redknapp decided against playing a right-winger on Saturday and Hutton played fullback and midfield. He's put a lot of good crosses in too. A lot. As for Corluka he is slow and he can't mark for toffee. Right-back is our weakest area and we ought to look for one in January.
Niko Kranjcar won't play until Gareth Bale is injured. Agree that we should keep hold of him, because if Bale does get injured he's a perfect replacement. Surely he'd be willing to wait it out until the summer with a team in the Champions League rather than going to a mid-table side.
www.youllwinnothingwithyids.com
Boris has another week or so before he officially announces his approval.
Fingers are crossed. Will be soul destroying if it was rejected at this stage.
It happens in football. Niko was the darling of the Lane last season but because of Bales continued emergence he hasnt got a chance in hell of playing out on the left. Harry should try him in the vdv role behind the forward if we go back to 451.
"0Including his dear old friend, the offside rule." - Great Line
I don't think we need more right backs Jack as we currently have Hutton, Corluka, Kaboul, Walker, Naughton and Smith (I think Smith plays there).
Can you say a list that long for left back?
West Ham to Stratford. Support the campaign.
Right back is not our weakest area, the strikers are.... by about as much as Defoe is generally offside
Jack - Corluka is a great defender, that is his main strength, to suggest he can't mark only highlights your apprent lack of footballing knowledge. Hutton normally floats crosses into the keepers hands and relies on mistakes (Howard) to make them look half decent. Also he makes gilberto look like a good defensive full back!
Niko is not a perfect replacement for Bale, they are totally different players, if he wants out, sell him to the highest bidder.
Same team that started against Blackburn for me!!!!! COYS
I agree totally Ossie. Hutton for me is a loose canon. No one knows what he's going to do. His crosses are to who exactly? 2/3rds of the way up the pitch to a striker that can't really head them in from that angle. Crouch is hardly Sir Les is he?
Word (rumour) is that Niko returned from his summer hols more than a little overweight. Harry did not consider him and it's taken time to get back in the good books.
Beat me to the punch there spooky. At first read I thought VDV was either joking or being sarcastic. I guess it reflects on the field...
Is our 'Arry a modern day footballing managerial genius?
if charlie ain't up for it, and we get dawson or king back in defence, I would like to see Kaboul there. He is having a solid season, and looked very good there last year + he will be pretty disciplined so will link up well with lennon. Lennon ends up defending too much when hutton goes motoring past him towards the corner flag!
If Newcastle and WBA can win there....
Bollocks. Wrong article.
"Arsenal/Chelsea/City away last season" - 3 out 38 matches. I counter with Wolves, twice and Pompei in the semi-final and pretty much every other match we played in the league in January and the first half of February.
"Inter at home this season" - 1 out of (counts on fingers quickly) 5. I counter with the first match against Bern, the second half against Werder Bremen, the first half, no, the whole first match against Inter, because the second half was pretty much all Bale. Whom Harry wanted to send out on loan, remember?
"Unless all these performances were birthed from a brand of belief that Spurs players can occasionally conjure up like a rabbit from a top hat." Note that the really good CL match results were at home after we had already played the first leg away, giving the players a chance to figure it out for themselves.
Yep, I'm going with the bunny theory.
Let's hope the lads can pull something out this Saturday.
Two more goals for Krancy last night..
I will be deeply saddened to see Niko go. He came into the squad and gave us swagger, quality and that touch of class which helped elevate the team as a whole. It's sad to see that this is how he is being repaid for all his hard work... but that's football for ya!