Injuries? We laugh in the face of injuries
Friday, May 14, 2010 at 2:00PM It's time to pay kudos to Tottenham Hotspur - the unit. The team. The work laid out and delivered by Harry Redknapp and the march into battle the players repeated time and again, regardless of depletions, AWOLs and MIAs.
With thanks to THFC6061 (of Glory Glory) who is the (Ledley) king of statistics.
So, why 'the unit'? What made Spurs so special this season compared to previous (limp) efforts? Well for starters, resolve. Spurs have instilled a work ethic and spirit that means if we lose a player to injury, we get on with it, no complaints - with the replacement fulfilling his duties.
Now if you go back to Christmas/the New Year you'll remember all of us (yes, me included) holding our heads in the palm of our hands at the fact that we didn't quite spend during the window to fill the gaps in our midfield. Kaboul? Really? We shrugged. Again, this was a very subtle form of knee-jerk, mainly because we feared for the worst (lose Palacios, and we're doomed, dooooooomed I tells ya). When the reality of the situation was we had plenty in reserve to cope. As seen with the injury to Luka early on. Ye of little faith.
So, exactly what was the damage on paper concerning key players? You hear it from them lot over there in the swamplands telling us how they would have faired far better had they not lost players to injury. Using their logic, we'd have faired far better too. We all know it doesn't quite work like that, and had BAE not got injured, would Bale have broken through etc etc.
Anyways - to the stats. Below is a general overall breakdown, but for all the glory in Technicolor - please click here (and bookmark the site for reference as it's a gold mine of wealth). We've had a number of players out injured this season, but looking at key players, here are the numbers that mattered (but didn't quite knock us off our perch):
(All competitions)
Woodgate - 3 starts, 3 total appearances, 194 minutes players, (46 games injured) - Five game period saw Woody play three times, but has since spent a very lonely time stateside, with doctors struggling to work out what his injury is exactly (and how to fix it).
King - 20 starts, 21 total appearances, 1,637 minutes played, (29 games injured) - Vast majority of the season spent missing games and playing when his knee allowed him to do so, only managing to play 4 games on the trot in the finale to the EPL to aid our push for CL and his England ambition.
Lennon - 33 starts, 34 total appearances, 2,846 minutes played, (25 games injured) - Our Azza missed a run of 22 games which meant various shuffles in selection for Harry as he attempted to find the best formation to make up for the loss of one of most potent creative outlets.
Modric - 28 starts, 32 total appearances, 2,547 minutes played, (15 games injured) - Fourteen consecutive games missed in all competitions. Play him on the left or in the middle, when you lose Moddle you lose that craft and those dinking runs that allows us to dictate tempo offensively.
The Fab Four - 115 combined games missed through injury.
In addition:
Corluka (8 games missed towards end of season)
BAE (11 games missed - allowing for Bale to cement a first team place)
Bale (7 games missed at start of season)
Dawson (7 games missed at start of season)
Jenas (19 games missed through injury across the season)
Kranjcar (6 games missed at end of season)
Huddlestone (6 games)
We've had other players picking up knocks (Pav, Bentley etc) - but nothing out of the ordinary. The main key players cited above (Woodgate, King, Lennon, Modric) - are backbone players, imperative to the way we set out and play.
We got through the start of the season - special mention to Bassong who took his place against his centre-back partner without complaint and has been a quite superb signing for us. The King scenario is no surprise. We know he's not able to perform for us every week. So we make do. Having no Woodgate or Dawson didn't help but this is where people covered and got on with it.
Losing Modric was devastating. Felt like it would be detrimental to our progress. But we shuffled. Niko played a part on the left and at one point was quite simply unplayable as far as the opposition were concerned. He tore City a new one. Then when Modric returned, Lennon got injured, and again we had to balance the side to avoid any loss of cohesiveness in both attack and defence.
Moddle playing a part in central midfield, Wilson and Tommy sharing the other centre-spot. We showed adaptability and application with responsibilities given out by the gaffer.
No squad depth they said? I remember we got burnt after Robbie Keane's comments about the strength of our team on the pitch and on the bench. But across the season, he has had his comments vindicated - even though the irony of him being up in Scotland whilst we took 4th is no doubt hurting him bad.
Every time we lost a player, Harry tweaked it. Bale coming in for BAE for left-back, then shifting forwards to left-flank resulting in a flourishing lefty relationship between the two.
Huddlestone. More on the big lad in the next few days. Stay tuned. But I'll note here that he has time and time again proven the critics wrong and has been one of our most vital players in central midfield.
Kaboul, equally maligned, proved in the end that he was worth bringing back. Yes, he's raw and very much rough in parts. Whether there's a diamond underneath all the dirt, we'll have to wait and see. But he covered well (had his comedy moments) but should be applauded for his efforts. When it mattered, he dared to do.
At any given moment this season, we've had someone key out on the sidelines. More than one at any given moment in fact. It worried us. It didn't appear to worry the team.
The players deserve the accolade. It's a team game and we did more than enough to prove we are a team and one that doesn't crumble or lose heart because we are without a talisman or two.
The surprise factor also helped. Bale's resurgence. Pav's free-scoring goal-scoring stint. Love it when it all comes together when the Gods do everything in their power to test your resolve.
Well done.
Reader Comments (32)
I've tweaked a muscle and haven't been available for selection, but I'm just about ready to return.
30 different players played for us in the league season. I think that just goes to show how good our squad was / is. COYS
Losing Lennon and Modric in the manner we did, I did thing we'd go completely off the rails. All talk of no major Jan signings and we kept pulling it out the bag regardless.
Brilliant.
Christ, that website looks hard work for the site owner. Any stats on the amount of David Bentley step-overs this season?
30 players utilised in the PL this season
19 NINETEEN different goalscorers in the League this season.
That means (if you take away the 3 gk's that appeared Gomes, Carlo, Alnwick) that ONLY 7 players we utilised this season failed to score!
A good question would be, NOT name the 19 goalscorers BUT Who DIDN'T score!!
It was a truly magnificent season for us and credi goes to the TEAM and how they performed as a unit. Harry hasn't just built a coherent side and unit, he's built and instilled a strong team spirit and ethic. A spirit that sees players wanting to win for eachother and for the collective. It's something we haven't had for what must be a decade and what a difference it makes.
COYS
We are POWERFUL !
Another massive point is that with Woody and King missing, we found a future England CB in Dawson at last who's built a solid relationship with Bassong (ooh).
Who knows what we'd have if they'd both been around more this season.
Do you know, I'd completely forgotten about Didier Zokora. My God, he was shit.
Ah yes. The Zok. The only thing he was good for was those runs from midfield. The ones where he runs and runs like a locomotive. In one direction. Just straight. His Carling Cup final run was his most epic.
19 different goal scorers. That is truly aspiring.
Wasn't the Carling Cup final run ended in a truly typical Zokora fashion.................. a horrifically off-target shank when he may well have scored.
Players like him used to give me hope that I too, could one day become a footballer.
Assou-Ekotto
Bale
Dawson
Bassong
King
Corluka
Modric
Rose
Krancjar
Huddlestone
Palacios
Jenas
Lennon
Bentley
Defoe
Crouch
Pavyluchenko
Gudjohnsen
Keane
Aspiring? Shelf Side, you sure you meant to use 'aspiring'?
Players who didn't score in the league:
Kaboul
O'Hara
Dos Santos?
Walker
Naughton
errrrr.....
Hutton
Livermore
Am I right?
Our Back bone. It's made of Adamantium.
Our back bone? Adam Ant? Is he singing our CL song for next season?
Fox Mulder
You may well be bang on the money.
The only one I think may be wrong is Dos Santos, but then I can't think of anyone else who played and didn't score this season!!
woodgate played and didn't score....did he?
Think Bentley also deserves a bit of credit for coming in and doing a job. Probably the only player in the squad who hasn't played well at some point for us this year is Alnwick.
I think not qualifying for the Europa helped our cause somewhat. The number of games required is going to be a major distraction for city if they want 4th next season.
Don't want to be the one who treads dog shit into the carpet but can't the same (and more if you factor in the quality of opposition) be said for us next year? (should we qualify of course)
Just our luck we'll win the CL and get relegated.
At least the rules state we can defend it as winners.
In 4 years time we could have won the Champion's League 4 times whilst playing in the Ryman Premier.
We where tested to the max with injury's but this will shock some of our fans except the scary one spooky but of all the players i missed through injury Hudds was the one and if spooky has done some stats for us will prove he was more pivotal to us winning than some of our fans think. I hope Cappelow lets him play because i really think he could be the X factor just like Sumo's voice when she shocked our nation Big Tom will be a Sensation .
Whilst it is reassuring that we have so many players that can score goals, I'd feel more relaxed if our strikers were a tad more productive. Is it down to them or the quality of the delivery? Discuss.
Kaboul. After a worryingly shakingly start, he has suddenly propelled himself into my favourites list, which currently includes everyone except for Defoe and possibly Crouch and occasionally Pav and nearly always Jenas.
we have always had our celebrity players but not a team. Who can forget the fanous 5 when Ossie was manager. Harry deserves the credit keeping squad players happy even if some didnt realisse driving you car while pissed into a ditch was illegal! Love his old school style of management showing that puting players in the right positions and treating them like people is better than somme foreiign managers obsession with over complicating thngs. Lets be honest most footballers are simple men!!!!
Dunno about 'men' nowadays but they're certainly simple. Credit does have to go to old Arry boy though. Worked wonders, triffic etc
fair play I take back the men part Harry is the press's dream with his own language triffic etc. Never tought wluld ever feel interlligent but thanks Harry!
http://www.myfootballfacts.com/530.jpg
I love how in almost every picture of Bassong when he has the ball, he looks like he's in flat out cartoon panic.
The way Harry shuffled the pack was genius, what was so good was that the when performances peaked, they echoed or surpassed those of some of the greats. Krancjar/ Ginola, Gomes/ Jennings, Dawson/ Butcher, Moddle/ Ardiles, Bale/ Mitchell Thomas (ho ho!), Huddle/ Hoddle, Pav/ Sheringham, Defoe/ Archibald, Jenas/ Anderton... But, before the injury, Lennon was outstanding. I suspect a left back support service is being set up at the PFA as a result of his form until December. We did very well but I think that was the injury that cost us even greater achievements. Hats of to Bentley for turning it around though.
Could just be another rumor, and don't know anything about this player, but if true, this could be a very interesting signing. Check out http://www.spurs-web.com/2010/05/15/galatasary-star-on-verge-of-spurs-move/
Not sure where he would fit into the side though.
Anyone know more about this player?
Yes we suffered injuries that would have derailed previous Spurs sides.
But we also got lucky with injuries in key positions like CD + CM.
Daws+Seba and Hudd+Wilson were available almost every game.
arda turan - was great (to a certain extent) in euro 08. is a quick, strong, direct winger, bags of skill and tekkers, superb passer, has an awful lot in his locker, tho ripping it up for Gala doesnt mean much where the PL is concerned...but definately way better than tuncay dont worry. Hes the sort of player who when you look at his skill set you think he'd be ideal for the PL...hes got all the skill and a great right foot but he also seems strong and quick, and is decently built for a 'winger'. if we can get him for anything less than 7mil its good business. Wether he progresses from being an out and out right winger into anything else is also yet to be seen.
I'm still finding it surreal that we are discussing Champions League.
Bale would definitely have broken through because BAE was supposed to be going to the African Cup of Nations anyway. Harry was slowly introducing a previously confidence drained Gareth into a winning team and seemed to have timed it to perfection. It's almost as though Redknapp knows what he's doing.
The improved mental resolve and can-do attitude has more than made up for the inevitable physical deficiencies that occur over a season. Every player seems to have been instilled with the belief that they can come into the team and do a job as well as the player they're filling in for. Hats off to Harry and the coaching team for that one. Maybe they should hold life coaching sessions for some of the knee-jerking doubters and haters among us.
Looking forward to the Hudd write up!