COYS, get a move on
Monday, September 13, 2010 at 11:52AM Hello. My name is Spooky and I am not a knee-jerker.
However, I am concerned.
Not 'last season was a fluke, we're going to finish 7th this year, all our players are sh*t, especially the sh*t ones, Harry doesn't have a clue' concerned. Just a little bit concerned. In fact, not that much, not really, mainly because if one lesson was learnt last season it was - believe, at all times, just believe.
I have complete faith in both our management and our squad.
Starting slowly, well, it's a common trait for several teams. It's just that, what with us losing a player a game (even when we - THFC - are not actually playing), you start to scratch your head about the lack of settlement with consistency, flow of play and tactics. It's all out of sorts and disjointed at the moment. And yes, I do prefer this ilk of crisis to ones of previous seasons when we would lose all the time (although technically back then it wasn't a crisis it was just standard form).
We usually lose at the Hawthorns, but just because we didn't doesn't make it acceptable that we failed to win. Perhaps if Modric hadn't have gone off. But still, not a one man team, are we? The point is, we conquered one level last term, we have plenty more to conquer this time round if we wish to stick around in 4th. Early days, but my money is on this season being practically identical to last in terms of how many clubs have their eyes on that 4th spot and how many can genuinely challenge for it.
If we wish to continue on forwards, we can't keep stuttering. Fact is, we have a chance to build on last time out, and possibly even make it a more comfortable experience (my heart, my poor weak heart, will surely give way if we have to do the same as 2010).
So, 1-1 away.
It's by no means disastrous, is it? The injuries however are not good, obviously, because after last season I would have hoped we had some luck and thus been able to select from a full strength squad for league and CL. But that's fantasy. Everyone always has an injury or two to deal with. Gutting two of ours came by the way of International duty, and a third thanks to plenty of kicks to Modric that saw him go off (thankfully no fracture, travelling to Germany with CL squad). He was triffic for us on Saturday.
We do have depth. But tinkering and mixing it up is having adversed effects, mainly because Harry can't settle on what is best and isn't helped by our run of bad luck with crocked players. It also has a fair bit to do with the first leg of the CL qualifier that saw us crashing back down to earth. And the fact we got a certain Dutchman on the cheap. No complaints there, but Harry has to fit him in quickly (perhaps fit in others around him quickly).
My concern is that we are making it difficult for ourselves, struggling to ignite and spark our season with some of that ye olde Tottingham magic. It's there. Just no bunny rabbit out of the hat. But please, do not head to the bathroom with a toaster. It's not quite David Copperfield, but then it's not exactly Tommy Copper either. Had Bale scored on Saturday, we'd be saying, good old Spurs, winning away without playing well, that's the sign of a proper side that is.
Why am I even entertaining the negatives and knee-jerks? Because I know a couple of you need the therapy. And I probably need some too.
Brilliant first half v City at the Lane. Couldn't quite find the net. The aforementioned Young Boys spanking away and recovery along with brushing past them in the return leg. Sandwiched in-between the Young Boys (what?) was a gritty ugly 2-1 away win at Stoke. Then we had the Wigan home defeat, which was just one of those days that we tend to have under Harry. A blip. Which we experienced last season, but still found the guile to correct and make up for them as the season flew past.
It's been erratic. Nothing more, nothing less.
Anything below amazing would be, considering the way we ended last season. But such is expectancy. We know what this team can do, so we are right to feel aggrieved that they are currently not producing the goods with swagger and swashbuckle. But no need to head-butt the panic button.
So, the WBA game. Decent first half, up until the mess (from our perspective) of an equaliser which saw Gallas ghosted and the rest of our defence do little as they watched the ball bundled over, cancelling out the Modric opener. We kept the ball well, carved out a few moves. Lost the impetus when Modric went off. Don't agree he's injury prone. Do agree he gets kicked a lot. Leave him along, ffs. He's only little! Ref, where's the protection?! vdV put in a good shift I thought, all things considering, debut away. 4-5-1, not quite working, mainly because Pav seemed lost up there on his own. He was playing right?
More stuff I noticed/thought about post-match:
CC in goal saved us in the second half. Some quite desperate/wonderful saves to keep us holding onto the point. But I'd rather have the Brazilian mentalist Gomes back between the sticks.
Defending wasn't Kingesque. Struggled with set-pieces. Gallas? Off the pace. Mugged for the goal, but then we played like mugs in our attempt to defend it.
Lennon is struggling with his form. Perhaps we need a fit Bentley to give Azza a psychological kick up the head. I don't buy all this 'he's been found out' BS. It's a lull, not been bright since his return from injury. He'll get there.
WBA were dirty (ooh small team bullied us, so unfair), and thought Webb was lenient/blind on a few occasions, and yes, Modric did seem to be kicked an awful lot. Have I mentioned that yet already?
Pav offered not a lot. The fact he started and Keane didn't says all you need to know about what Harry thinks about Robbie. If Robbie comes good, no doubt we'll get the same sound-bites we heard when Bentley re-discovered his form (although that didn't quite work out long term any ways).
Wilson Palacios needs to be given extended time off to sort out his head. I don't agree that we over-rated him based on his early performances and that those decent games masked all his average games. Some of us are saying this. The thing, with his brother, clearly screwed him up (would screw anyone up) and he has not been the same since. He has lost his composure. Not that he was a beautiful studs on ball type of player before, but he was Gandalfesque with his 'You shall not pass' ethic in centre midfield, biting ankles and such. He is the definition of 'all over the shop' currently. Fast-track Sandro please.
vdV showed plenty of class and has quite obviously settled in quickly with the squad and did not look out of sorts at all. Good range of passing, vision and technical abilities. No shocker there. Not too bright on pace, but then we knew that. Don't agree with the suggestion that he has no work rate or physical presence (I need to stop reading message boards). He was all over the pitch. But do agree that if we don't get our forward conundrum sorted out, we won't be using him to full effect. Can't wait for a WHL showing. Bit more freedom to sex it up, and hopefully over the next few weeks he'll blossom with the mechanics of the EPL.
Tactics. The formation died when Modric went off. Huddlestone disappeared and lacked any control over the midfield. I'm still content he was given the captaincy over Gallas. Didn't work, but still content. Moddle is vital. But let's have some reminiscent of structure please when we have to change it because of a departure.
I just don't like Bale at left-back, even though I knew he'd start there. I'm sure Harry, I know Harry is astute enough to see what did and didn't work. And what with all these injuries, bare bones and tings, we might find ourselves having to take advantage of the misfortune and settling down with the key players we have available in key positions, without tinkering. That's if we manage to avoid any further losses. We'll muddle through, but will prefer to Moddle through.
So where does the spark come from?
Plenty of candidates. Just hope it happens mid-week then at home to Wolves. Because, may God have mercy on Glory Glory and all the other Spurs message boards and blogs if we don't win at the Lane next weekend. Perhaps the slow start is simply nerves what with the CL just up ahead for us. If we are getting distracted by Europe, then we might as well call time on our EPL top 4 challenge right now.
Focus, Spurs, focus. Momentum. Build it up. Then turn it on.
Concerned? Nah. Just impatient. COYS.
Reader Comments (67)
Sorry, as davspurs said. Great minds think ali...
For me Crouch has to start up front if we are going 4-5-1. Why? Because it worked at stoke. If you play the ball to feet he will hold it up and he will work hard for the ball. Bale and Lennon either side would need to work hard to get beyond the defence and pick up through balls from VDV, Modric aned Huddlestone, who would be my midfield 3. Very Attacking 4-5-1/4-3-3 (whatever you want to call it). With no pace in our strikers at least Crouch's height gives them something to think about. Its not ideal but its the best we can do I think, unless Pav decides to go on a run of form again. Frankly I find the guys first touch too frustrating to watch. Keane as a loan forward could be interesting, keep the ball on the floor etc: would probably be awful though!
We could have had a better start in the league this season, but the only game that was really a BAD result was at home to Wigan, if that was a draw or a win then it would have been a very solid start, if not amazing (other than the YB 1st leg, but we made up for that in the 2nd).
may i just say how much better of a tottenham blog this is than that god awful triffictottenham.
The one player that is everpresent under Redknapp and seems impervious to blame on these blogs is Huddlestone. No-one has a bad word to say about him. On saturday (yes I was there) he was nowhere. Totally anonymous. At least Palacios chases about and makes it difficult for the opposition . He's knackered at the end because he's had to do Hudds work for him. Hudd cant defend (too slow), his passing was truly awful (too casual) and his shooting, even under no pressure, completely off target. He scores 3 goals a season and people still urge him to "shooooot!". Anyone notice he was one of the few NOT on international duty? Know why? Because he is NOT GOOD ENOUGH! Oh but he's a great prospect, you say. How long is he going to be a prospect??
Behave yourself mike. Hudd is a dead argument because he has proved himself under Harry.
Please gawd let us ave Modric on the pitch in Germany.
With him in the middle and Crouch up top and Pav in London watching on TV... then I fancy us to get something from the game.
Lets face it a draw would be a fantastic result from our first ever CL game away in Bremen.
Don't assassinate me but I believe this 4-2-3-1 formation is the one for Jenas. It would work well, with Hudd instructed to stay back and hold, Jenas can play box to box and supoort the work of Modric/Kranjcar/VDV/the wingers. Palacios can eat some bench wood with style.
Don't worry chaps. I'll be back in the UK soon and the spurs can start winning again. They just know I couldn't make the first 6 or 7 games and didn't want to upset me by playing amazingly.
Speaking of which, finally got round to buying my tickets to the Twente game today. Champions League? At the Lane you say? On the first day I'm in London for 4 months? Ah go on then!
Cudicini
Corluka King Gallas The Kraken
Sgt W. Hudd
Lennon VDV Krankie
Crouch
If Kranjar starts he will have a field day imo, but I really was not sure about crouch/keane only reason being playing on the counter keane is a lot quicker but Crouch offers a easy out-ball to chest or feet and Werder are without their centre backs Naldo & Mertsacker so he should have a field day.
Defoe is our david villa believe it!!!
Oh yeah GET OFF SGT WILSONS BACK AND SUPPORT HIM
He needs all the support he can get. IMO I really think he needs time out from football and therapy help.
But on a brighter note if reports are true that we signed The great Honduran hope in young Anthony Lozano then you would think Wilson would adopt him as his young brother and that could help to ease the pain and get him back focused on war in the midfield
Supporting him is what we do week in week out. He needs a rest. We don't want another Paul Robinson on our hands. He completely wasted away what with our reluctance to drop him.
Chiv, Huddlestone hasn't proved himself at all. He's improved but until he's still far too inconsistent, slow and prone to going missing. Can't understand why this Sandro fellow hasn't even been included in the CL squad when O'Hara has. Baffling.
The time is now for the unexpected so i m going to put my money on the revival of one JJ, and what better game to finally become the player he could be then a CL game ?
Clearly the sober-minded among us who have pointed out that we are still building and can't really expect to wind up in the top 4 are right. The piece on Levy in the Guardian today makes it clear that that's what he's thinking too.
Even so we have every right to expect more from our beloved Spurs.
COYS!!!!!!
It's comforting to know that not many teams are in form as of yet. Liverpool are slowly building momentum; City are beatable (especially with Tevez up front and alone); Villa have internal issues to deal with; etc. The season has just started and we have the talent to retain 4th (or better).
Blackpool to win the league. COYS!
anyone know if modric is gonna play? My main concern is watching us run out of steam again in the last 20mins as experienced a couple of times this season.......perhaps the lads need some of that energy stuff davspurs is always banging on about.
Krancjar will do the business tonight if modric is out.
COYS
tonight....
cudicini
corluka / gallas / king / BAE
Hudd
Gio / Krancjar / VdV / Bale
Crouch