Keep 'em or get rid of 'em?

Hola. Easy reading and thinking to accompany your lunch break browsing. Blatantly stolen from a thread over at GG this. I like the simplicity, mainly because of the difference in opinions it ends up invoking. Us Spurs fans are fragmented when it comes to favouritism and view points over who is worthy of retaining a Lilywhite shirt.

So, the question of the day is - Keep 'em or get rid of 'em?

List the squad players. Then tag them. Like so. Add additional comments if you feel like it:


1. Gomes - Keep

2. Hutton - Get rid (Not sure why he was signed in the first place, but he's not quite fitted in since arriving from Scotland. Good on the offensive, not so good defending)

3. Bale - Keep (Much like Hutton better going forward than staying back, but he's 20 years old and this investment should be the one that goes some way in proving whether our coaches know how to develop a young player. We've made a mess of it thus far thanks to initially throwing him into the first team way too quickly)

5. Bentley - Get rid (It's just not working out and even if it was we'd have to sell Lennon to Chelsea before he gets a look in)

6. Hudd - Keep (He's 23 years old. Let's not give up on him just yet)

7. Lennon - Keep (VITAL)

8. Jenas - Get rid (Can we afford to keep him as a back up? Would he want to sit around on the bench? He rates himself, managers rate him, everyone apart from the vast majority of fans. Not sure keeping a 5 games per season footballer is worth the hassle of sitting around waiting for those rare performances to unfold in front of us)

9. Pav - Get rid (Infamy infamy they’ve all got it in for me)

10. Keane - Get rid (Hands up if you think Robbie has lost his mojo?)

12. Palacios - Keep (VITAL)

13. Walker (the old man goal keeper) - Get rid (replace with a young keeper, one that is of genuine promise as oppose to another Alnwick type of signing. The other Walker should remain out on loan)

14. Modric - Keep (VITAL)

15. Crouch - Keep

16. Naughton - Keep (send out on loan)

17. GDS - Get rid (sorry, but unless I'm underestimating the injury issues at hand, I don’t see the hype with this one)

18. Defoe - Keep

19. Bassong - Keep

20. Dawson - Keep

21. Kranjcar - Keep

22. Corluka - Keep

23. Cudicini - Keep (It's the right thing to do)

24. O'Hara - Get rid (not good enough, bless his heart and effort, but he is no different to Zokora in this way)

25. Rose - Keep

26. King - Keep (After his knee finally defeats him he should be offered a coaching role at the club)

27. Alnwick - Get rid (Doesn't appear to be any good)

29. Livermore - Keep

30. Dervitte - Get rid (Was he U-18's captain? Not sure if our scouting sucks or we simply are not the right club for certain types of yoof players. Mainly because we don’t appear to give them a chance to break into the first team. Either our priorities are with establish bought older players or these 'kids' are not half as good as we thought they'd be)

32. BAE - Keep

39. Woodgate - Keep

Actually, giving that list a second glance leaves me wondering if us (Spurs fans) are going to be fragmented at all with this. I think it's more than obvious who the deadwood is. Although one or two on the GG thread are making suggesting like 'Sell Crouch' and there is also a minority who still think players like Roman and David (Bentley) have a future in N17.

Obviously, getting rid of certain players is dependant on whether new ones come in as replacements/better revisions. For example, selling Jenas would mean we would need to make sure depth is kept in the central mid positions by plugging the gap with a brand new quality player. One with end product.

The young lads (Livermore, Rose and also Bostock who wasn't mentioned above) have to be developed with us much care as I hope Bale gets from the coaching staff. At some point, they either need to play a part in the first team or be sold on. The lack of promotions from the academy side means either the players stagnate or they're over-hyped (Johnnie Jackson anyone?). If they have the talent, use them. Otherwise, loan them to sides where we can truly tell how good they are in preparation for Prem football. I guess its an internal policy too. If we are always willing to splash out £15M on big name signings, then the yoof will not get a chance.

Keane. Controversial. Again, can't see us selling him unless we line someone up to replace him. And to be fair I don't think this is likely to happen this season. What we can't do is remove too many players and lose consistency re: squad selection. The summer is probably going to be more key to departures and arrivals than this window. Which Harry is suggesting will be a quiet one.

The truth will out.

So. Knock yourselves out. Discuss away.

Heroes and Villains - Part I

Was going to write up an award-style blog looking back at 2009 and it's highlights but thanks to some inspiration I'm opting to go instead with a heroes/villains piece. A sort of player-by-player review and accompanying aspirations for each individual for the year ahead.

Gomes - Hero

All gone a little quiet hasn't it? We usually have to listen to plenty of 'ooh look he's flapping' sound bites when commentators knee-jerk as per their contractual mantra on being overly critical of our Brazilian import and his keeping abilities. Okay, so he was a bit shaky for a time and struggled with the odd injury and brought it on himself, but he's not only dug deep, he's fought hard to reclaim some pride and done so with some breathtaking saves and some consistency with decision making. He has personality, and unlike Robinson before him, he has belief and it's a true testament to his character that he has rebuilt himself in this fashion. He has captured the types of headlines that made him a transfer target in the first place. On form, he wins us points. And he's on form. We do not need David James.

Do more in 2010: Instinctive out of this world shot-stopping, and the simple things.
Do less of in 2010: Crying, using brain in scenarios where there is too much time to think.

Bentley - Villain

I have nothing personal against David Bentley. I don't know him. I know of him only by what he does on the pitch and how he presents himself as a Tottenham player in the public eye. So at the moment it's fair to say he's coming across as a bit of an apologetic prick. We've been here so many times with David, trying to figure out what's going on in that head of his. Dealing with facts, pure footballing facts, he's been the ultimate flop. Claims to be a Spurs fan, dream move, la la la, and apart from that goal he's struggled to find an ounce of self belief that would help elevate his confidence to a passable level.

He has attempted to showboat himself out of trouble and it's been one face palm on top of another. But then it's not all his fault. Yes, that's right, let's pin it on the DoF system and Comolli simply because everything is the fault of the Frenchman. Making a 'big money name player of the moment' signing in the wake of Robbie Keane leaving for Liverpool. A player who can only play right-wing and but is hardly a wing-wizard. There is no doubt he has ability. And you'd think, Bentley cross + Crouch head = Goal goal goals. But alas, he's either injured or on the bench and rarely showing any signs of life.

Even with Azza out, I'd much prefer to see Niko and Modric in the starting line-up rather only one of the two Croatians and Bentley slotting in on the right.

Time to end this. Reserve team football to Sunderland perhaps. Not sure I see the point in loaning him out to anyone. Get something back for our troubles. Anything. Let’s face it, it won’t be £15M.

Do more in 2010: Play football rather than play football from memory.
Do less of in 2010: Star jumps, lurking on rooftops, living in skips.

Jenas - Dysfunctional side-kick

The definitive poster-boy is still in Lilywhite. You know what, I can never imagine him wearing another shirt. Honestly, don't mean to scare you, but he's become synonymous with Tottenham. He's like the physical representation of the club. Promises much, delivers little. And with the club showing (dare I say it) signs of changing, perhaps its time for us to firm-handshake and man-hug a goodbye to JJ - who bless him, remains in a state of flux. Apparently, he's a good player. So say all managers who have managed him. I guess he must be something akin to Pele out on the training pitch. But when he was once upon a time a first team starter, he's seen himself relegated and lost in the mighty big shadow of Tom Huddlestone.

So, what does Jenas do exactly? Splits fans, as ever. And it's been discussed to death. He was meant to be the complete midfield. Box to box, defend, attack, score. He's got the lungs. But he lacks the heart. What we get instead is plenty of potential and little end product. But that term, 'potential', is very much an easy way out, forgiving his inconsistency. Fact is, if he doesn't fulfil expectations perhaps its because those expectations are beyond him. When JJ 'turns it on' he's immense. And the mistake made is expecting or believing that particular version of JJ is the one he should be producing week in and week out. The reality is different. Jenas may well be an average player who once in a while excels to giddy heights. Or maybe, just maybe, he's a good player - not good enough for the Top 4, but good enough for teams outside of the cartel and one that won't be plucked away from us, in the same fashion as Carrick was. This can't be as good as it gets, can it?

Every summer we say 'this is the year for him'. I've been saying it for 4 years now. And still we wait. I like him. I wish he was arrogant, I wish he was a piece of shit personality wise. Driven by the desire to be the very best. Look at Lampard of Gerrard. In comparison, there is no comparison.

At the moment, Hudd offers more than JJ does.

Do more in 2010: Tackle boy, don't be afraid, you're not going to hurt it. It feels no pain. It's a football. It loves to be treated rough.
Do less of in 2010: Playing hide and seek out on the pitch. WE CAN SEE YOU, THERE'S NOWHERE TO HIDE.

Palacios - Hero

Here's to a better 2010 for Wilson. Last year was not a good one for the lad and his performances since very early season have been a mix bag. Maybe not as disciplined or sharp with his passing as he can be when completely on top of his game. He's been off-key. But he still brings something to the side that we have lacked for an age. He's a beast. A brick wall. The defensive enforcer we have desperately wanted for. Even a Wilson at 60% is better than a Zokora at 80% (although if we are talking pure comedy and dancing then obviously Wilson is rubbish in comparison). Harry has to get him playing with discipline again. The second part of the season needs us to be completely on top of our game and with Modric back and Niko looking to play a part in the same line-up, we have to be strong in the centre. Is another DM on the way? Sandro? I'd go with that if whomever arrives is an understudy for Palacios. He needs a time out every now and again. He is vital to our midfield and our progression. But he is one man. And no, bringing back Jamie O'Hara is not the answer to the understudy question.

Do more in 2010: Bite. Bite them. Bite all of them.
Do less of in 2010: Air miles. Any chance we can move all Honduran international games to London?



Crouch, Defoe, Kranjcar, Hutton, Huddlestone, Pavlychenko, Bassong, Corluka, King, Assou-Ekotto, Woodgate, Bale, Lennon, Keane, Modric, Giovani and Dawson to follow...