February 6, 2010 by el wehbi
A bit of a contradiction, but this was a fantastic match to watch. It ended in an unfortunate draw for a Tottenham side which assumed the Tony Soprano role of bossing the opposition around. The opposition here being a quality Aston Villa.
The 1st half was intense right from the start. Villa’s counter-attacking was constantly met with clinical defending, instantly mirrored with a wave of Spurs counter-attacking. Unfortunately, to no avail.
Crouch was a major weapon in the 1st. Villa had little or no answer for our long range passing game to the lovable giant. They seemed to rarely get a touch on the ball. We had a foot in every direction they attempted a pass. On the attack, Spurs were much more composed and tactical in the build up of play. A 4-touch combo involving (in order) Bentley, Crouch, King and Defoe at the 40th minute was Spurs best chance of the half.
When the 2nd half whistle arrived, I was praying for more tenacity over the next 45 minutes. Was it too much to ask for? Am I a greedy supporter? Not if you compare me to the 30-odd thousand fans at the Lane. Greedy and smug bastards. I love each and every one of you.
A resurgent Villa side came about. Not so much on the counter attack as one would expect, but trying to use their forwards to draw fouls in dangerous places. Two close set pieces and they were left with nothing.
Defencively, they accomplished all they set out for. Keep a clean sheet and maintain momentum for their 4th spot run.
Palacios was doing his job in the midfield. On the attack though, his passes were quite weak. He managed to be at the right place at the right time, but then he seemed to taint it with Zokora-esque decision making. His role is all about heart and intimidation. Check on the list for both of those attributes.
Modric was a delight, but needs to work on his finishing. Add a little more muscle in his shots and he could be a major threat within shooting range.
“Boy wonder” Bale was super-impressive. BAE must feel nervous watching these spectacular performances he’s putting in consistently. Bale made Ashley Young look amateurish at best.
So at the end of the day, was today’s match a disappointment? We did enough to warrant the win, but without goals being scored we sealed a brilliant display but not a brilliant victory. Still, this could have been one of our best performances in a long time. If we manage to play like this week-in week-out, we could very well be on our way to the Champions League. That’s if we score, of course.
What did we lack? I can’t say it enough but there is a need for another instinctual finisher. I’m not going to go on and on over this issue; the window is closed and we must make with what we have. We can do it.
What did they lack? Defence being the exception, they lacked everything. “Are you West Ham in disguise… Boring boring Villa.”
Classic.
Tags: Aston Villa, Counter-Attack, draw, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Peter Crouch, Spurs, Tottenham Hotspur
Posted in match review | 3 Comments »
February 3, 2010 by el wehbi
The short-lived January window officially came to a close the other night with a few surprises, twists and turns. It wasn’t the usual erratic Tottenham we’ve all grwon to love, but it was filled with the ever-redundant Harry vs. Pav quotes constantly gracing Newsnow. Snooze.
So we all know that Gudjohnsen and Kaboul have arrived. The signing of Gudjohnsen was a positive move in my opinion, a player who has played at the highest level and has tasted success. He may be off in the fitness department, but I’m sure Harry sees something promising in having him around. In regards to Kaboul, I guess it was a deal which was done out of necessity more than admiration. Woodgate has been unable to overcome his groin injury, while at the same time we cannot depend on King to stay healthy game-in game-out. We need options. Whether Kaboul is up for the job is another question. Apparently, he also has the ability to slot into the RB role, where since Hutton and Naughton (both RBs) have been loaned out, Corluka will desperately need cover.
Giovanni Dos Santos has also been loaned out to Galatasaray. I hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of him. I worry though that all these loan spells have done nothing to boost his morale at Tottenham. Not being wanted can have a major affect on any player. Bent. Who am I kidding? Act like a professional FFS.
So it was looking to be a boring window, but then came the highlight of it all. Keane’s move to Celtic could be the highest profile transfer of this window. I’m sure Celtic fans would like to think so. I mean, at the end of the day, he’s back at his “boyhood club”. It makes me wonder if Keano could be the luckiest player in the world? I mean, to play for both of your boyhood clubs in the span of two years must be an amazing accomplishment. Not.
Leeds tonight. Praying for success.
Tags: Celtic, Eidur Gudjohnsen, January, Robbie Keane, Tottenham Hotspur, transfer market, transfer window, Younes Kaboul
Posted in transfer market | 2 Comments »
January 30, 2010 by el wehbi
Before the match, a friend of mine asked me “which Tottenham do you think will show at Birmingham today”? I replied, the “Everton” Tottenham. You know, the Tottenham that comfortably lead a match by two goals and then decide they’ve had enough and should just sit deep in their half. The “upset special” Tottenham. I wish I was horribly wrong about that. I really do.
We’ve seen it all before my friends. I’m sure the boys have watched numerous video reels, each clearly pointing out the reason why they face upsetting moments like this: fear of failure. You instantly see it about to unfold when opponents begin to apply even the slightest of pressure. Whenever in the lead, the last 10, 15 or even 20 minutes seem to last for an eternity. The “fleeing army” decision-making process instantly comes into play. Almost every time unfortunately. It is yet again a confidence issue.
Looking back, I think we played Birmingham quite well. The fact is, they are a team that has only allowed 6 goals (7 including Defoe’s today) at home. That is impressive. The pace of the match was eerily slow, but I felt we were building it up at a steady rate. The quick touches and passes were not going to necessarily work against this lot; not in the beginning anyways. Birmingham thrive as the team that can slow down the pace of play. Either you take it to them like Chelsea did last week, or you retreat and let them smell the fear. Obviously, we chose the latter.
Hudd was just not in form. Modric was showing signs of greatness here and there (should have nailed that first attempt little one), but nothing that was going to seal the deal. Palacios put in a hardworking performance. Bentley was the hardest working on the pitch… I’m impressed with his attitude these days. Midfield rating is 6/10 (thanks to the hard work the latter two put in).
The pair up front? Nothing special. I am glad (and relieved) Defoe scored but no excuse, their rating is an abysmal 4/10 .
The back 4 and Gomes were solid for most of the match. It’s only at the end that hesitation came into play, clouding their judgement occasionally. The goal in the dying minutes was nothing short of heartbreaking. Birmingham simply did not deserve it. But that’s just how the story goes, we fought hard and did not have the goods to wash away the Tottenham cliché. Defence are rated at 7/10 (could have been an 8 boys).
Match officials: 5 minutes of extra time. Why exactly?
Tags: Birmingham City, draw, mifield, pressure, ratings, Spurs, Tottenham Hotspur, upset
Posted in match review | Leave a Comment »
January 28, 2010 by el wehbi
I’m back in commission. The last few fixtures and disappointing results have left me in a bit of a slump. More than a bit. I just can’t seam to deal with the Tottenham shenanigans gracefully. But in the end, I have myself to blame for that. Harry’s tactics (or lack thereof) and the squad’s bi-polar attitude is something I should have expected when it counted.
I won’t bother getting into what has happened over the past few weeks and the disappointments which have surfaced. All I know is that every team we played could have been beaten. They all looked to be on the back foot and somewhat frail. What do we do? Put on a bow tie, collar, cuffs and a suit, walk out and serve them a win.
The last few games left me wondering if Spurs really have the desire and drive to be a top 4 team. Confidence seems to drop in and say hello every once in a while. But the fact that we cannot muster it consistently is beginning to get old. How much more do the boys need to realize that they have the potential? Another 9-1 victory?
Don’t hold your breath fellas.
Fast forward to the Fulham match last night. What a performance! The boys from Craven Cottage are never easily brushed aside. But last night seemed to be, dare I say it, easy. We played with hunger. Viciousness. Urgency. That is when Tottenham are at their best. When they show a sense of urgency. The attack came in from the left. The middle. The right. Midfield. Defense. Everywhere!
Seeing Bentley on the pitch made my day for some reason. Lady luck paid him a visit, and he deserved it. The team deserved it. Seeing Bale flourish, push our offence forward every chance he had, almost gave me lock-jaw! He has been impressive in every outing he has had in place of BAE thus far. The boy is definitely morphing into something stellar. I don’t know what it is, but stick around folks, it will be worth the wait.
Tags: attack, David Bentley, Fulham, Gareth Bale, tactics, Tottenham Hotspur, Urgency
Posted in Rants, match review | 4 Comments »
January 18, 2010 by el wehbi
I don’t understand it. Let me rephrase that. I don’t want to understand it. How many times will we let the same old cliché have its way with us? The fact that we cannot beat teams like Hull, Stoke and Wolves is quite annoying to be honest. How we are aiming for a top 4 spot baffles me at this point.
So what’s the deal?
The tax man is comin’ to getcha!
The decision to play Keane once again left many frustrated. He actually had a few chances and put in some good runs, but it just wasn’t working. The Crouch and Defoe partnership is definitely our most potent form of attack. We needed the 3 points, especially with everyone in the table around us losing or drawing. We needed to win this Harry! And we most definitely needed the full 3 points before our trip to Liverpool.
Harry promised that his sole focus would be football and not his tax issues. I clearly didn’t see it. Excuse my case of blue balls…
A case of blue balls
The level of frustration was comparable to a high school makeout session!
I haven’t had a chance to go back and look at the statistics, but Myhill single-handedly took apart our attack. When are we signing him by the way?
In a previous post, I asked the question “do we need a proven and experienced striker”? I believe it more than ever now that we desperately do. We need quality other than Defoe. We are not going anywhere in this league without more quality up front. FULL STOP.
And that just seemed to add to an even more frustrating issue which was the negative support. Unfortunately, instead of getting behind the squad, they just started booing and yelling quite early in the match. How does that make sense?
The positive
Another clean sheet.
Tags: attackers, draw, Harry Redknapp, Hull City, Peter Crouch, Robbie Keane, strikers, Tottenham Hotspur
Posted in match review | 2 Comments »
January 15, 2010 by el wehbi
The canceled Liverpool match stained my week with a bit of poo, so I decided to take a break from Spurs blogging all together. But then thanks to TOMM, Alan got me thinking again. Defoe and Crouch are doing well together. Without them, would Keane and Pav work in their place? Fill in their shoes? Even to a minuscule degree? I honestly don’t think so. Keane is in a slump. Pav is just not feeling it. We would be in a bit of a pickle.
I wouldn’t mind if we brought in some added firepower to energize our attack. I’m talking about experienced forwards. Tested ammunition. For once, it seems that we do have players, other than forwards, contributing to the goal rush. Quite an important factor if we are to be of any threat in this second half of the season. But I honestly feel, we do have the quality in terms of play-build-up. The type of play-build-up which would hand any poaching forward an opportunity to celebrate.
Keane used to be a striker who could sense the ricochet of the ball. To a ridiculous degree. Obviously, his lack of confidence has destroyed his “Spidey” senses. When he’s on form, he is a potent weapon. Just ask Liverpool management. Approx. 20 million quid’s worth of potency. True, he wasn’t destined for legendary status at Anfield, but Robbie does have it in him. Can we wait around for him to shine again? I’m afraid not. There’s just too much at stake Mr. Keane. I would love for him to come back stronger than ever. To rightfully claim that captain’s armband. To declare himself a living legend at the Lane. But dreams are one thing, and reality is another.
Would a Van Nistelrooy type be attractive? How about Diego Forlan? Julio Cruz? How about Kanoute back at the Lane? I’m just throwing names out there with no type of footballing reasoning or logic to back it up. All I’m saying is, we need finishers to kill off opponents early. Simple really. Our defence has the ability to shut out teams. Our midfield, one which we complained about constantly in recent times, has the potential to be one of the most potent in the league. Our striking core seems a little weak in comparison. Defoe skews the graph definitely, Crouch is the support, Robbie needs his confidence back, and Pav is beginning to remind me of Berba “The Incredible Sulk”.
Do we need to add firepower to our core? Am I crazy to think “yes”?
Tags: attack, firepower, forwards, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Robbie Keane, Roman Pavyluchenko, Spurs, strikers, Tottenham Hotspur
Posted in Rants | Leave a Comment »
January 6, 2010 by el wehbi
Should we?
Fresh injuries to Lennon and BAE will not make our voyage into the second half of the season any brighter. We will definitely be missing the sheer pace of both these players when we visit Liverpool. A team which we badly embarrassed on our home ground, bruised and battered, left limping not knowing what hit them.
Is it the end of our campaign? Last season’s Spurs: definitely. This season’s Spurs? Definitely not! It’s as simple as this. When Modric was injured, there was widespread panic that we were about to spiral down the league table. But everyone did their part, stepped up to the plate and, in the end, carried us through. We did lose Defoe to a three match ban where we lost to Stoke at the Lane and lost miserably to a very confident Arsenal squad at the Emirates. My explanation for that is at the time, the other strikers were simply not carrying their weight.
Missing one or two players should not and will not affect our performance. We have depth for once. Ask Martin Jol how he would have loved having that during his tenure.
So what exactly will we do?
The loss of BAE was bound to happen considering he was leaving at this exact time for the African Cup, representing Cameroon. Bale was going to get his chance regardless and the young boy is looking mighty fine these days (no I am not a pedophile), but how will he work on defence? Dominating and standing out against Peterborough is one thing. Liverpool is another. I am positive though. He needs to play in order to improve and fine tune his defencive skills. So let it be now. Defence is where we will make it or break it. We know we can score. Let’s capture last season’s brilliant clean sheet performances. This time around, we have the potential to accompany those clean sheets with more than just one goal.
The void left by Lennon, in a way, will give Redknapp less headaches when it comes to squad selection. At the moment, Kranjcar is on a high and constantly putting in top drawer performances. Little Modric is back and it’s only a matter of time before he gains match fitness and assaults anyone in his way (how do you bench Modric anyways?). The Croatian duo will be a nuisance. They will insult your intelligence. They will make you think twice as they constantly drop into the middle of the pitch and then back out onto the wings. As an opponent, who do you cover?
Well then, technically that means that our opponents should be worried, right?
UPDATE: Just thought I would add this little nugget in before Sunday’s match at ‘pool…
Why is it that right before this major away match, the media (and Spurs official site) has quotes from our players mouthing off and making it seem like the 3 points at Anfield are already in the bag? I’ve read quotes from Niko and Daws, but the one headline that almost made me choke was Bassong challenging Torres! Uh… boys… settle down… keep the trash talking for the pitch please. We all remember Robbie and Ledley’s pre-Arsenal match tattle. How did that turn out for us? Feel free to prove me wrong though.
COYS!
Tags: Aaron Lennon, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, depth, Gareth Bale, Harry Redknapp, Jermain Defoe, Liverpool, Luka Modric, Niko Kranjcar, Tottenham Hotspur
Posted in Rants | 7 Comments »
January 1, 2010 by el wehbi
Now that 2010 has arrived, one tends to sit back and reflect on 2009 and see what positives he / she could build on to make the new year a better one.
I’ve already posted on the looking back bit, but there is a key factor that will determine our success in the coming months. It popped into my head this morning when I was slowly rolling out of bed (post-new year celebratory mode) that the January window is upon us, which means other teams and managers will be doing whatever it takes to unsettle our squad, especially if we’re pushing for any of the top spots.
Harry and Levy will have to make this January window a smooth transition with quick transactions, if any. Players who are on their way out need to be perished! Players on their way in should be secured early. No Prima Donnas! We need the hardworking team-oriented type. The Kranjcar(s), Palacios(es) and Crouch(es) of this world. We don’t want a PR machine. We want top 4!
Yes, I said it and took the liberty of speaking on your behalf too. We want top 4!
With the way we have been playing lately, we are showing all the right signs of breaking into the top 4. Whether we imitate Aston Villa’s attempted top 4 run of last season is another story (they ran out of wind at the end), but we should aim for the maximum and die trying. I know many of you are cringing at my potential jinxing of our whole season, but we do have the players to pull it off. I believe it! Now, getting them to play with 150% focus and determination is another issue, but that’s not my job now… is it Mr. Redknapp?
Tags: Daniel Levy, Harry Redknapp, January, top 4, Tottenham Hotspur, transfer market
Posted in Rants, transfer market | 3 Comments »
December 30, 2009 by el wehbi
Been off-line (sort of) for the last couple of days and decided to wait a few days before commenting on how we did in our past two matches, and where we stand with the new year only a few days away.
Fulham @ Craven Cottage
A match which I was truly tense over. Fulham had just come off a stunning victory against Man United at home… and not a narrow one, but by 3 goals! Not an easy feat for anyone to achieve, even the currently-mighty Chelsea. Whether Man U weren’t at their best that day is irrelevant because winning at the Cottage is a tedious assignment for any visitor. I have a lot of respect for the Cottagers and their manager because they are a small team with a small ground and big aspirations, and whichever way you look at it, they are quite consistent in their own right. Roy Hodgson has his squad playing some lovely, hardworking football.
I might have missed something but why we started Keane and not Defoe was beyond me. I guess we were in need of muscle and not speed? That couldn’t have been it. We were lacking in the firepower department and I was expecting a halftime sub. Redknapp obviously didn’t see it my way. We took action too late in a game we possibly could have won. Reading Harry’s comments after the game, it seemed like we went to Fulham to run away with a draw. Did I welcome the point? Yes. Even more so, the clean sheet. Zamora was not even on the pitch in my mind so a job well done to to the defence and Gomes.
West Ham @ the Lane
Poor Zola. A decent squad plagued with endless injuries. Kicked off the match and Lennon instantly exposed any potential hamstrings in the defence. Brilliantly quick and in executioner mode that day, Lennon sliced through them effortlessly leaving behind limping Hammers. Little Modders scored the first which was a joyous moment. I got a bit choked up to be honest. The second goal took forever, with Defoe looking frustrated and lacking in the creativity department but he made it happen and remains the top scorer in the league.
Defencively is where my true happiness lies. Another clean sheet making it 4 since our spanking of Man City. Palacios showed signs of his old self. Must be my disastrous short-term memory but I forgot how menacing he truly is. Ledley returned to our defence in fantastic form taking any logical explanation for a player’s need to train and play in matches a load of rubbish (obviously that rule isn’t applicable to just anyone). He is truly a role-model for any player in the league.
Perspective and looking forward
It’s been a great season so far and there is a whole other part of this story waiting to be told. I honestly couldn’t have predicted that we would be sitting in 4th at the arrival of the new year. 4 clean sheets in a row against feisty opponents bring back nostalgic memories of last season’s record run and what it meant to the squad’s morale. Lock & load Spurs! We need to come out firing after the new year. Happy New Year to everyone!
Tags: Aaron Lennon, Craven Cottage, Fulham, Jermain Defoe, Ledley King, Luka Modric, New Year, Roy Hodgson, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham, White Hart Lane
Posted in match review | 3 Comments »
December 21, 2009 by el wehbi
I’m cutting straight to the chase here, but this was a manager’s game won purely on tactics. Is it just me or is Harry getting comfortable with early substitutions?
Tactical choices. I was delighted to see Keane and Jenas come on. Yes, I said it. Not something you hear often, but I said it. Each added the right amount of bite to put us 2 ahead and seal the victory.
This new “not afraid to mash it up” Redknapp is a joy to watch. He’s actually getting up off of his seat these days and not just sending his bulldog Joe to tear someone’s head off.
Harry has Spurs playing attacking football with a strong focus on defense, and I believe the boys are responding quite well. There are still a few things that need immediate attention if we are to sustain any sort of momentum leading into the new year, but overall, things lay on the positive end of the spectrum at this moment.
Watching Tottenham in the last two matches, I have come to realize that it must be quite the difficult task to balance the squad. You need the perfect mix of attacking, midfield and defensive authority to win a match. Let alone, winning two matches back-to-back without conceding any goals.
Tags: balanced squad, Blackburn Rovers, Harry Redknapp, managerial tactics, substitutions, Tottenham Hotspur, victory, win
Posted in match review | 4 Comments »
