Midfield majesty
Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 11:06AM Continuing the season review from here.
It’s the midfield’s turn now.
Huddlestone
Strange how things can turn out. One persons misfortune can lead to someone else coming to the forefront unexpectedly. Happened with Bale when BAE was injured. Happened with Sandro when Huddlestone was out. Might struggle to get back in now.
It’s been a mixed season for big Tom. A few seasons back, I discussed his merits and the fallacy of his immobility and his under-rated work ethic (he can occasionally boss games). His got the mad skillz with an array of volleys and thunderbolt shots and elegant passing that has a touch of the Hoddle about it. The dirty, darker side to his play needs to be policed as there’s nothing worse than seeing one of your own lash/kick out with studs.
Hudd offers something different to Sandro, but in a 442 (with vdV playing behind a lone striker) you would probably prefer the defensive qualities of the Brazilian to the offensive play Tommy has to offer. Mainly because he (Sandro) protects Modric who is then free to dink and dictate. What I do like, in terms of our squad, is that we have a rich variety of talent within our midfield pool – all players giving us something different.
The new conundrum (worth revisiting separately) is how best do we line-up to accommodate them? 2-6-2 anyone?
The bigger conundrum might actually belong to Hudd who might feel he needs to play week in and week out to truly maximise his potential.
Modric
I love Luka. So good you might not even notice him. His peers obviously didn’t. Although everyone else watching football from the stands or on television did. You can hardly miss his non-stop energetic coverage of every blade of the midfield grass. Always looking to play a pass or get on the end of one. Always recycling the ball with an almost Barcelonaesque presence. He is the control centre of the side, everything goes through him. The tempo, the possession. He’s imperative and quite simply irreplaceable. Because how would you go about replacing a world class player when perhaps signing one would prove to be a task of impossibility in this current climate of CL demands and ridiculous wages.
Luka spoke out recently, he’s an honest down to earth man. He’s happy at the club and isn’t looking to move on. We won’t sell him, we won’t look to sell him. Levy has already said this. Although money is money and if a bid came in for him that sat around the £35M-£40M and his agent whispered ‘150k per week’, an honest man wouldn’t lie to himself when questioning his loyalties to his own self being.
If you’re better than someone who is earning twice as much as you elsewhere, scratching your head you will.
I’m a romantic and with Spurs being in good nick with several top drawer players, I hope as a team they all have ambitions to stick together and achieve something at the club that works against what we’ve come to expect from history.
He might not score many goals but he’s magical with the ball at his feet. The fact everyone will be looking across to the Lane this summer speaks volumes about his quality. He would turn any midfield in this country into a better one.
Bale
This is what Tottenham is all about. Sign a young talented player, mishandle him through development and injury blips, almost destroy him and almost send him out on loan and then end up with one of the most iconic moments in our recent history: Bale, in the Champions League, destroying the reigning champions.
Okay, so yes there is plenty of style hype to run alongside the genuine substance. Gareth Bale is technically gifted, physically strong (or not – more later) and possesses great speed and agility. He’s also got an eye for goal. Unknown quantity in the CL meant he had a field day on occasions. Back home, one or two did their homework on the lad and nullified him. Although it’s hardly disparaging if you note how many times the opposition placed two men to mark him.
People who prefer to linger on the negatives are missing the point. There are no negatives. Just varying degrees of positives, some of which need nurturing to full bloom. He’s young. He’s learning. He’s had to deal with plenty, especially with regards to expectations and the extra attention after that hat trick.
‘Doesn’t do it in the league’ some have muttered. Well, sure, he’s not devastated opposing teams week in week out. But then his opta stats along with memorable moments might have been doubled had many of his brilliant crosses to head and across the six yard box found a forward. Not his fault movement from our frontline in and around the box let us down on numerous occasions.
He will improve, he’ll learn new tricks and his manager has to continue to play a part in progressing him. He’s a target, as we all saw with the tackle from Adam. He goes down easily, probably because he wants to protect himself. You can hardly blame him, it’s not like he isn’t being fouled. He is. He just takes a moment’s pause to make sure he isn’t broken. Someone still needs to toughen him up as it’s all in the head.
Modric might be the trigger, but Bale is the bullet. And he needs to remain in our gun.
Lennon
Whether it’s because of the bench warming or loss of form and focus, Lennon has not been at his best. Sacrificed by Harry, I get the feeling that Aaron is at times disillusioned. He’s shown glimpses of what he can do but as cited by Tom over at thfc1882, we’ve never seen the best of him at the same time as Bale and you wonder whether an opposition could live with all the questions fired at them if both our flankers were at full pelt together. I’m not suggesting one is detrimental to the other. It’s probably just bad luck and circumstance. But much like Bale needs development and a word in his ear, someone at the club has to drill home to Azza when best to cut in and when best to cross. He still possesses the pace. He’s a weapon that won’t do much damage loaded with blanks.
Harry has to stick him on the right and the coaching staff have to work on his decision making. At full pelt, it’s hairs on back of neck dancing time. We need him rejuvenated and not wasted, much like how Fabio managed to do within the England set-up.
Sandro
If you remember his first few appearances, the main criticism would have related to Sandro’s lack of comfort with the pace of the English game. Understandable. Which is why Harry slowly introduced him, what with pressures of moving to a cold country and settling into our way of life. But what struck me was the kids apparent unfazed demeanour and the manner in which he went about his business on the pitch. He made mistakes, he picked himself up and he got on with it.
Mental strength in abundance and therefore not a concern in my mind that we had found ourselves a winner. A player who believed in his ability to succeed for us. It’s early days but there is nothing to suggest otherwise. He’s a gem. But then he hardly arrived to Spurs from a nothing club. He starred for Internacional in their 2010 Copa Libertadores win.
No more mistakes, no more mis-reading of the games tempo and no more clumsy tackles and yellow cards (well, almost). In the Champions League he was quite simply superb. The pick of the bunch his performance away to AC Milan. His general defensive awareness as good as we’ve had, probably since Carrick. He allows others to flourish forward as he sits back and protects.
I’m excited at the prospect of seeing him in the team from the start of next season.
van der vaart
Just when the transfer window was about to shut, we were gifted a world class player at a steal. You can hardly say no. What you can say is, ‘how best to fit him in?’
I’m uncertain whether we’ve figured that one out. With a more robust centre-forward up ahead of him, perhaps we’d have seen more goals in our favour. He creates, he assists and he scores and he isn’t/wasn’t even 100% at any given moment during the course of the season. I hope his summer and pre-season is a great one because if he returns at the top of his physical peak, it will feel like we’ve signed him all over again.
I must have used the word galvanised a thousand times this season. It’s what Rafa does. His self-belief has proved vital and he’s practically dragged us up from the ground screaming and shouting in games, scoring all important goals and leading from the front – even though he’s not playing up front and can sometimes lose himself in deep areas between the defence and midfield that would leave Robbie Keane blushing.
Fourteen goals in a season of tinkering. Again, if Harry works out how to accommodate our key players in a formation that befits their talents and ability you’d be hard pressed to find a more attractive, pulsating midfield in the country.
Not to end this part of the review on a downer...
Palacios/Pienaar /Kranjcar/Jenas
Palacios has never fully recovered from his lowest ebb. A destroyer in his first season, he’s lost that intensity and with the emergence of Sandro and the inclusion of vdV and Bale on the left wing with Modric in the middle makes it extremely difficult and unlikely that he can work his way back into the side. A crying shame at £14M. I like him. He’s a good hard working lad who has lost his way and has failed to reclaim his past form. Again, we’ve been here many times before with players who we have written off and they’ve come back stronger. Just have a feeling that won’t happen for him at Spurs. Especially if we do end up signing another midfielder in the summer. Which I hope we don’t (other than perhaps a right-winger to cover Lennon).
Pienaar has been subjected to countless shrugs of despondency since his arrival. I’ll just say this: He was Everton’s player of the season. He’s no mug. Squad players should not be dismissed and he can and will do a job for us. He’s been here 5 minutes, give him a chance. Yes, he’s South African, and I would be dismayed if he was signed simply as a commodity (Khumalo anyone?) to aid with our SA fanbase. Okay, I admit he hardly fitted into the criteria we needed – but then when do we ever sign the right type of player? Charlie Adam – where would he have fitted into the side had he arrived during Jan? I think Pienaar is essentially a ‘Harry’ signing. Nice and cheap (wages excluded) and doesn’t quite make sense but does when he can offer cover. I'm trying to remain upbeat on this one. I'm probably in denial.
Kranjcar. Last season so so vital. This season, marginalised. Don’t think Harry utilised him enough and can’t see him at the club next season. Beautiful footballer and not too bad with the skills (boom boom). Rotation could have been slicker from the gaffer and Niko should have played far more minutes. Can’t remember what game it was now, but he was awful (along with one or two others) when given a start...but you wonder how much of that was down to man-management on the training pitch and sheer frustration.
Jenas? Injured for the best part of the season other than one decent cameo spell. He seems to be the perpetual squad player, always in and around the first team. But this season we’ve hardly had time to make disparaging comments because he’s hardly had the time on the pitch to live up to our low expectations of him. It’s not quite fair to be honest to say anything negative about the lad. He’s not been at the races. Another player who might be on his way in the summer. Because I can’t see how he’ll fit into the team any time soon. It's either him or Pienaar.
Next up, the forwards (or lack of).
Reader Comments (20)
Love this: Modric might be the trigger, but Bale is the bullet. And he needs to remain in our gun.
Unfortunately for Huddlestone his lack of pace is a real problem and always was going to be if we ever found someone better. Many people asked whether he'd get back into the team and in reality the answer to that should be no if we play Sandro and Modric in the right positions.
First choice from the bench though, unless we alter our out of fashion ridged 4-4-2.
great assesment of the midfield , am looking forward to the forwards review ... would like to read what a positive mind like yourself can find in their performance this season
Another midfield player would be wasting our money , certainly if Harry can decide who comes in.
Hudd is almost the perfect player. If he had the pace, oh dear lord, imagine...
Sandro and Hudd guarding back four, Modric behind lone striker, Bale at LB (much as I like BAE, his positioning is sometimes of the schoolboy variety). Oh, and Harry at Second-Hand Fridge.
I don't think Hudd is a player of the level of PL.
He is too slow and also chickenhearted.
I firmly believe that we need a player like Parker.
Parker is the kind of player that Spurs are desperate missing in their squad:
an experienced and commanding midfielder with a strong personality and, above all, a winner's character.
He is a tremendous box to box midfielder with a better shooting and scoring ability than Sandro and Modric as well an accurate passing ability.
But most important he has a leader's character that neither Sandro or Modric have and he can have a more efficient impact on the game of Spurs.
With Parker in their squad and the addition of one or two proper strikers, a reliable keeper and a proper CB, Spurs would be able not only to challenge a top four place but to compete also seriously for the title in the PL next season.
Just imagine a midfield of Parker, Sandro, Modric, VDV!!
Hudd to replace Sir Ledley of the One Knee?...
@IoanX
no room for Bale or Lennon then? 8-O
I disagree regarding Lennon. HR has just had issues with where to play VDV which is why Lennon gets dropped every now and then.
I think he's performed very well this season and has shown when to cut in and when to cross - his delivery is much better than given credit for.
He also has great work ethic, def a fav player of mine.
Huddlestone is never going to cut it as a Hoddle mkII his passing is so predictable & the success rate is at best is average & he redefines the meaning of slow ,I don't understand why he has so many plaudits.
FYI - our most successful win ration is with Modric & Hudd in the middle since the prem start. I think Hudd is class, switches the play quickly from side to side which allows the wingers space and unsettles the oppositions formation.
Purely coincidence, he shows flashes of class now & then but we need a floodlight not a strobe!
Modric cannot be sold. At whatever cost. By far the best player in the squad, in my opinion.
When he was bad, everyone else was disgusting (e.g. away to Real Madrid).
Modric is one of the best players I have ever seen at the lane & I mean the away teams as well!!!
He must never ever leave.. irreplaceable simply put!
To state the obvious we need to keep all of our key midfielders and wingers. Possibly the best midfield in the country.
Think its time for Jenas to go, Pienaar to stay. Pienaar is versatile and hard working, can cover most midfield positions, so useful to have on the bench or in an injury crisis. I think he will prove a good buy. I would be gutted to see Krank go but it looks inevitable. Bentley's gotta go but we'll probably have to take a huge loss on him, and it looks like O'Hara's staying at Wolves, good luck to him.
I really hope Lennon hasn't fallen out with Harry, Lennon is still improving and his decision making is decent now but still could get better, we need to keep him.
I like the idea of Hudd at the back too, great distribution and his lack of pace wouldn't be as exposed. It would take him time to adapt but would be good in the long term, also means we can keep Mod and Sandro together in the middle. Either way we have to keep him, his passing and shooting skills are tremendous.
With wingers like we've got we need Hudd in the middle supplying them, he's the only one who can play perfect balls in to Bale and Lennon behind the full backs. It comes as no great surprise we scored F.all while Hudd was out yet hit 3 in his first game back.
Sandro is NOT a defensive mid...even if he is 6ft+ and breaks up play well. The boy can play and is as good going forward and shooting as he is at tackling and interceptions. Sandro will be all that Parker is and more....so we have no need for Parker. Or Charlie Adam. Or Jenas.
Huddlestone
Our sweeper in waiting.
Modric
Sublime.
Bale
Don't care if he's inconsistent, fantastic to watch.
Lennon.
The only way is Essex. Agree with Yidal.
Sandro
Our most important player? How hard is it to find a Roy Keane or Viera?
VdV
Winning mentality
Palacious
Shown he can excel in a partnership with Sandro when needed for certain games.
Pienaar
Too early to judge.
Niko
If only he'd been given Pienaar's playing time.
Jenas
Unambitious mentality.
I love Modric, We all love Modric. But good as he has looked, he was part of the goalscoring problem this season. He should be our Fabregas, providing goals and assists by the dozen. He didnt last a season. Why? Occassionally too deep, and - dare I say it - occassonally too keen to keep possession when the killer pass is required. I know there is this myth that we create loads of nailed on chances which the forwards fail to convert, but it isnt true. There are times - we all know this if we watch them week in, week out - when we simply dont look like scoring. Most of the home games since Xmas fall into this category. IMO Modric needs to deliver more goals and more assists. By god he is good enough to do this, there is no criticism there. It is Redknapp's job to work out how to do it.
One canot really complain, hand on heart, about last season's results. We finished 5th, which is one better than we should finish if you take player wages as a proxy (Liverpool should have finished higher). We got the the qtrs of the CL, beating AC and Inter en route - way beyond what was expected (these clubs have wage bills that are mutliples of ours). But despite this, there is a feeling shared by many that the team isnt as good as its constituent parts. Our points tally was a disappointment - worse than last season but with far better players (Gallas and VDV having been added, Bale playing the whole season). We are fluid, good at ball retention, but didnt have the cutting edge that a midfield of our quality should have. Bale, Sandro, Hudd, Modric, Lennon should be unstoppable. We should look as fluid as Arsenal do. A look at our goal difference tells a real story - we didnt steam roller anyone this season, and never looked like we would either. Really, it wasnt all down to the strikers.
Incidentally, regarding Jenas, it is interesting that our only real run in the league we had in 2011 was with him in the team (winning away to Blackburn, home to Bolton, away to Sunderland). Without that run we'd have been mired in mid-table.
I'm hopeful of big things next season. No big names are leavng. VDV will have a full pre-season. Sandro has settled in. Surely one striker will arrive (Ba and or Gyan seem likely - I would also love Odemwingie who was the best player on the pitch when WBA came to town last month). If all that holds true, I dont see why we canot challenge for the league to be honest
Forget Parker by the way. He has played week in week out for a team that has basically been relegated twice in 2 years (WHam only got 35 points last season and should have been relegated). He did nothing at Wham in his first year and failed at Newcastle and Chelsea before that. He isnt good enough for the top and is now 30 years old. Jenas or Palacios would have looked just as good in that WHam team - its easy to stand out when your team mates are that bad. Even Hitzelsperger - never remotely good enough when at Villa - was seen as an improvement to their midfield
I wouldn't be me if I didn't point out the effect of playing sandro with Hud in certain games. two defensive midfielders with fast wingers was the model on which some of the most succesful teams are made.
However, this throws up more issues, modric has to play (end of), so play him on left as an old school inside left with Bale as LB bombing down the wing. One option for sure, but does it make the most of our little magician, so solid.
Sandro is more of enforcer, Hudd still has the highest distribution of short and long passes for spurs (ask any dull stato on individual game stats).
When reviewing the year for our midfiled, it is easy to forget that early on in the season, Bale was controlling games from LB with mod drifting in from the left to accomodate.
Next season is challenging, as it's al about balance, we have the elements there, but how to make them work together and more importantly with our forwards, is the biggest concern looking at what we have. We have skill, pace, defensive ability, distribution, creativity and that little something special in our midfield, Just not all of them in any four players, diffferent games, different approach. Wouldn't that be a thing to behold.
Great write up, agree with every word (apart from the "fallacy" about Hudd). I think we'll be sorted with Modric and Sandro as a pairing next season, and genuinely believe its the best in the league. The fact you get scum around saying they would take those two says it all.
Going forward this might not be popular but I think we’d be better off with an “inside” type to replace Lennon. Someone who can link up with Modric and VDV and knows how to pull apart a midfield will probably do more for our attack, especially now we’ve got Walker to bomb on from fullback. Plenty of targets out there – Marin, Turan, dare I say it someone like Hleb. I do love watching our wingers in full flow, but having two hugging the touchlines has been worked out to an extent, and left us short in the midfield battle at times. Old Trafford and Stamford bridge were the perfect examples – Modric had no-one in white anywhere near him, and we couldn’t do anything. The guys still so good that he’s dominated most the time anyway but I really think he needs more support or he’ll run himself into the ground eventually, and I include VDV and Bale in that! I just hope Harry’s got the balls to get that across to them!