Anyone got a hymn sheet?
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 12:27PM Another day another interview and another soundbite farting it's way out of White Hart Lane. This time Defoe complaining about sitting on the sidelines and how qualifying for the Europa League isn't a good idea because it would be too much of a distraction. Not sure how because to be fair to the lad he'd probably only get to play in the Europa League rather than the all important Premier League what with our imminent world-class forward signing (by imminent I mean 'for the love of God please').
Irony all over the place if he was to start on Sunday, a game where he might find himself in a position to score to take us to the hardly fancied Europa dream.
Defoe says no to Europe. van der Vaart says yes. Harry says no, yes, no, yes...depends on the weather.
We've lacked consistency on the pitch during the run-in which has cost us dearly. Wouldn't harm us to have some consistency off the pitch when people open their mouths. But I guess each to their own (agenda).
As for JD and his threat/plea. Had he not got injured, who knows? He did and he's struggled mainly because he hasn't always taken his chances and also because Harry hasn't always looked to use him. Possible argument that Harry has actually forgotten how to best use his favourite 'son', his mind on other selection and formation headaches. Don't think Defoe will ever improve on his current ability, but that's not to say that a decent pre-season and a run in the team wouldn't see him produce the goods again.
It's all very dependent on the ilk of forward we do end up signing and whether vdV will play just behind him or we opt for the more traditional partnership up front. The fact he's said what he's said (de ja vu) suggests as much as he references the buzz of playing for Spurs and the hunger he has...it's hardly the words of a committed player to the club. Just a player committed to himself, perhaps knowing deep down he just won't cut it any more. If he's weak in mind, then perhaps call his bluff.
Reader Comments (36)
Get rid asap.
Defoe has his moments of quality, but he just is not what we need from our striker in mour new 1 up top system..
now where are the hammers?!
Dont you mean a HYMEN sheet ????
He should try watching some dvds of chicharito. The guys scored important goals when used as a sub and worked his way into the team by virtue of his performances.
If we are going to stick with VDV, which I hope we do then Defoe’s chances are slim, apart from Europa League and subs bench. To get the very best out of VDV we need a striker who can play up top on his own, pace and power a must; so 3MP can pack his grip and get out of town. One from Adebayor, Benzema, Anelka or Drogba (getting on a bit) would fit the bill. I know two have played for the Scum and Chelski, but who really cares. Gallas has proven in the modern “long as you pay me the readies" culture that players can swap shirts and do the necessary as often as they change Bentleys (I am talking about cars not the gobshite who is currently picking splinters out of his arse at Brum).
Whatever we do we have to keep Modric.
With Robbie( I always wanted to play for West Ham/liverpool/Celtic/Wolves etc etc) Keane leaving the newley relegated Spammers maybe an opening the disgruntled one there?
Additional i here Ms Brady et al are looking for an English manager who knows the East End well.
With Ronnie and Reg out of the frame may i suggest Tony Adams (3 wins in 17) or Their favourite son Paul Ince whose record was equally abysmal at Blackburn,that should see them nicely into the third tier of English football,they desrve no better.
Tickets for the Olympic stadium anyone?
This Europa League debate is madness, 5 years ago we was happy to be in Europe we have one year in the champs league where we lose 5-0 on aggregate in the quarter finals and finish 5th and now we are apparently too good for the Europa League...... What a joke!
We would love to win that Trophy, it would be a bigger achievement than winning the domestic cups, and we would never win the champions league........players like Defoe, Krancjar, Bassong and Hutton who moan about lack of first team action can go and play in a competition watched all round the world.
I for one have watched Braga v Benfica and Porto v Villareal in recent weeks on channel 5 and found out soo much info on those clubs, just because there was nothing else on TV,.
Plus need I say we are currently 5th/6th best team in the league so without strengthening we wont get anywhere near 4th, and to strengthen we need the extra income the Europa League brings and the players it can attract, just this year, Aguero, Hulk, Falcao, Coentrao, Forlan, Rossi, Eden Hazard, Lukaku, Cassano, Lucas Barrios, Lavezzi and Luis Fabiano have all featured in that competition, players who would walk into this spurs side.
And I defo will be watching the final tonight
Jay, Why do you say that europa league would attract these players : Hulk, falcao, Eden Hazard, Lucas Barrios, Cassanno (milan ac) and Lavezzi will play in champions league with their club next season. Gervinho too.
Sorry jay, i hadn't correctly red your post.
P.S I really hope we see the end of Jenas, Defoe, Pav, Krancjar (coz he wants to go), Giovani, O'Hara, Bentley, Hutton and Bassong go at the end of the season.......that will bring us over 50m.
Then let Caulker, Rose, Walker, Naughton, Townsend, Parrett and Kane be in and around the first team
Just sign 2 strikers and a classy winger for competition for Lennon..............my picks Marin, Falcao and Drogba
Defoe will not score repeatily until he leaves us. He is not a team player and does not have a fantastic footie brain(hard watching Bent play the offside so well at arse)
With Defoe we will be lucky to finish top 8 so as our ambitions are higher than his talents we have no use, unless through injuries and then i would like youth to be given that chance.
He scored a great goal against blackpool but the miss against wham was just terrible and this inconsistency is more west ham than spurs. sell him now we will get a price but only sunderland and the like will buy him, no man city, utd or chelsea.
These players played in the Europa League this season, I dont like the myth its a waste of time and we are too good for it, we have been a long way off fourth this season.........I believe the Europa League will help to attract players more than no europe at all........if the names mentioned played in the competition for there clubs knowing that they would be at the start of the season then theres no saying that more wouldnt do the same.
I just dont get the reasoning behind people saying the Europa League is a distraction, Harry just doesnt know anything about squad rotation and kills our players off and then blames injuries. see Bale, Ejkotto, Gallas...
Levy needs to take some control!
I am bored of harrys constant waffle in the press, particualrly his column in the Sun which basically gives other fans a stick to beat Spurs fans with.
Surely HR gets paid well enough without having to whore himself out to whoever pays the most.
I agree. more discipline in the ranks. Harry's truthful approach to questions has proved to all Spurs fans that sometimes we do not want to hear the truth, just a plain answer that toes the line will do!
Ian
Spurs ended 4th last season with Defoe our highest scorer with 18 league goals and 24 overall.
None of our strikers have hit form this season...coincidence or a result of our changed system & injuries?
JD got 8 goals in two games last year. Hull and Wigan. Started the season on fire, so hit form for two games.
After Xmas got 4 goals (inc 1 pen) so this whole form v class argument doesn't hold water for me. Give JD enough chances he will score, he always shoots from outside the box with power so he will score some of those as well.
But he can't be relied upon to score 20goals a season. Has he ever done that in the league? 2 games 8 goals - that gave him 36 to score 12 more and he failed last season.
Crouch, Pav or JD, their form over the past few years show none as a 20 goals a season player. Berbatov was miles ahead of all 3 and look at his goals to games ratio this year. And now playing in a team that supposedly does not play to his strengths and vice versa.
We need two new strikers end of story. Up to the club to find them and then hope Harry "likes" them.
Diaz is right, I don't understand the love for Defoe, he isn't good enough.
He hits two spells a season where he will score against the weakest teams in the league, then nothing. Won't score for months. It's happened in both he's spells at the club. Same at Pompey.
When he isn't scoring, all he does is shoot wildly, give the ball away or run off side. This season, he's added, miss easy chances to the mix.
The fact that he came out and said 'Arry hasn't given him a chance is laughable.
He's going, he just wants to make it look like he's loyal but has been forced out. It worked last time.
I remember seeing Defoe in a game against leicester that ended 4-4 & he banged in a brace. At the time, i thought this guys going to be a goal machine. However, we evolved into squad football team & he didn't.
When he is the main man & under no pressure,he is lethal. When he has to think about it or play out of his comfort zone for the sake of the team, he doesn't cut it. He can't score from spot or often enough against the best, he can't beat the off side trap & he is not a team player. I think he is too mentally weak for the level we aspire to.He needs to be a big fish in a small pond.Having said all that, I would keep him as i don't think we will achieve the desired 3 in and 3 out up front this close season.
Whether or not there's an arrival of a new striker, if Defoe can't get in the team ahead of Crouchy or Pav, then the writing's on the wall... bigtime!
No-one can blame the selection of VdV, nor a lack of opportunities for his form... he works hard enough no doubt, but if u want regular football as a striker you've got to deliver when you get your chance, if you don't score goals or at the least create goals for others then a player who does will start ahead of you.
The season before berbatoss arrived defoe scored 20 or so in partnership with Keane.
And all this bollocks of a 20 a season man cliche crap is nonsense.
We need someone who can score goals.....and in Defoe we have one. Keep him and sell Pav/3mp/PSB.
If the FW's get support next season from Bale/vdV/Sandro/Lennon then they dont actually need to score 20 league goals. If you see what I mean.
Whats happened to Defoe is tragic but its very simple.
Defoe plays on instinct (or call it confidence if you want). I've been sayin for weeks that Harry has damn near destroyed him with his insistence on playing vdV in the role he does (especially when clearly burnt out/not fit)
Defoe knows that to get into the one remaining FW place on the teamsheet he needs to expand his game and adapt to the bastardised system we were playing. He has done that to his own detriment.
Defoe gets the ball now and has to think. Normally in a straight 4-4-2 you'd have an attacking partner to work with. With vdV's propensity for coming deep defoe gets the ball and has too many decisions to make...back to CM's? out to wingers? etc.
When Defoe gets the ball...has a look at the goal...decides..i'm gonna f*cking score...he normally makes a damn good stab at it. Look at the goals against wolves and west brom
Good riddance. Has come up with the goods at times over his two stints, but not anywhere near enough. Now go f**k yourself you shit cunt, with someone like swansea or reading being your level.
Should have put above I think we should keep JD, but in his current role as a sub or squad player, and pretty much for the reasons TomT has put above. But if he wants to play every week I don't see it being for Spurs. Harry put a lot of faith in him this year and he failed to produce most of the time.
The ability to think "shoot" is not really enough for your main striker to have at the top level. I think on his day when things are going right he can be a danger but that's it.
And this year he played in a 4-4-2 a lot. I think people would be surprised if they saw how many times it occurred. VDV spent a lot of time injured as well so it wasn't always with him playing as well, which seems to be the common opinion on here.
Seen the interview on SSN now and I don't have a problem with anything he said. Fully understand why he said what he said, but perhaps now wasn't the right time to say it.
Tough not to comment when you're passionate about something though.
As with all interviews / reports from players the important things to bear in mind are context and timing.
It would appear that there's still a solid spurs 'love to hate' thiing going on in media ever since levy threw the standard chap out of town. (In fact there is also growing one over at goon central currnetly, so they too are getting it in the neck, whereas the mancini 'love in' has started in preparation of next season - go figure).
They (The media) have longer memeories than some of the fans it would seem, and so you can see the un-edited interview and then read a report in any given rag / online opinion, and believe they are two entirely different things.
As for the timing, well when interviews happen and when they are released / extracted from are sometimes two entirely different things, and so mixing of previous and current quotes only compounds the 'context'.
The only exception is Harry, there's a 'cast-iron' soundbite coming your way as we speak, and will be for some time to come.
We may not like it but these soundbites might yet win us the 'fair play' award of the season. Another tick in the england selection managerial box for harry then.
This summer I shall be avoiding most itk's and newsnow reportings on the same interview by ten different people, as tragically work has escalated, and coping with three different time zones is doing my nut in already. I can't afford the time to keep track of whom we are(n't) singing every day for two months only to have the inevitable reporter outside our training ground on 30th Sept. So media blackout time and rock up in August, expecting to be disapointed.
I am thinking of becoming the new 'north korea' for a few months.
On the plus side, there's always Holloways pre / post match interviews to look forwards to, I hope they stay up somehow, Spurs have to do them a favour and beat brum soundly.
Time to start a facebok campaign for 'holloway for england'...........
btw, is it just me or does Sheik Mansour look like Pedro from Napolean Dynamite?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13452638.stm
@Diaz
You are probably right actually...I didn't mean to keep him as a main striker either.
What I meant (and I think you did get my overall point) is that there's too much going on in his head and his 'instinct' has been dampened(!?) You just have to let him do what he does best. In some cases it works and sometimes it doesnt.
Anyway having a striker like Falcao up alongside him would help. It would take the pressure off him for a while. If we were winning week in week out and JD's lack of goals weren't causing us to lose points then the pressure wouldnt be as great. He also knows that Crouch and Pav aren't that great and is probably frustrated that Crouch gets as much gametime as he does.
Injuries do have an effect too.
Tricky , spot on about Holloway - the man must have iron balls for letting his team play like that. He just does not revert to a defensive style of play , they have a go at everyone. He gets criticized by the Liverpool groupie on MOTD for being naive and what not but i just admire the fact that you can promote offensive football even if your very survival in the league depends on it.
Just have a go and keep on attacking , naive yes but damned it must be a great experience as a Blackpool fan ...
Why can't we go for Demba Ba? I think we should definitely get him!!!!
What do yall say?
He'd be too tired to sign the contract after his efforts this season. ;)
I'm still here. I have no inspiration to write at the moment. Probably tomorrow late evening.
That and the rapture is almost upon us.
THE RAPTURE TRULY IS UPON US!! HARRY TO CHELSEA!!111
God damn it, Spooky, you had me all excited!
Had just read this interview http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/may/20/tottenham-jermain-defoe-harry-redknapp which made it depressingly clear that no new tricks were being learned and we can expect more of the same next season, just more west ham like. Then I come over here, hoping for a bit of cheer or at least a laugh or two, see your full cap announcement. Briefly believe my prayers have been answered when it's only the usual speculative crap from the daily star.
Not nice, Spooky. Not nice at all.
Soz. The ITKs much like the Mayans are full of shit.
If that was Niko's last game for us today, which it probably is, I only hope he goes abroad. Came on and was full of movement and one touch football.
Made Hudd look like a statue - which he virtually was in the second half.
Not having a go at big Tom, coming back from a long while out will take him a while to get back to fitness, but Niko is such a class act it feels wrong to let him go.
Harry got lucky today with Pav, again showing what he brings that Crouch does not, the ability to shoot. If we get a more mobile striker maybe he should stay ahead of Defoe.
Who'd be a football manager................5th place not too shabby, but looking at where City ended up we could have been 2nd. Imagine if Harry did that we'd probably have to pay him taxes like a Roman emperor and bow in his presence.