Article by David CoatesFollow e-Spurs!
This week has been a surreal one. I’ve never known the dismissal of a Manchester United manager to have such an effect on worried Spurs fans. From now until the day we get a new manager we will be linked with every possible name from David Moyes to Louie Van Gaal. I will worry about a new manager when the season ends.
My immediate thoughts are centred on what the new manager will be taking over at the Lane. The answer I have is that defensively, very little. I believe you have to build a team from the back. But this hasn’t always been the Spurs way. Whilst we have had some great individual defenders over the years we have, not since the Burkinshaw days, had a solid defensive unit. Our current group of defenders is particaulary worrying. Look at the names. Walker, Naughton, Rose, Dawson, Fryers, Kaboul, Vertoghen and Chricihes. That list of players is very under whelming and fills me with worry and has done all season. Naughton and Rose in my view are championship level players. I hear plenty of people saying that Danny Rose needs time. My argument is that he has been a left back since Harry Redknapp's final season. He has had two full seasons since to learn the role and he hasn’t. He is constantly caught out of position. He doesn’t tackle well and for an ex winger his crossing is awful. Kyle Naughton has similar attributes to Rose and isn’t good enough.
Kyle Walker is an England international. That speaks volumes about the standard of the England team and not Walkers excellence. When Walker came back from his loan at Villa I thought he was going to be exceptional. After a promising spell under Harry Redknapp he hasn’t improved at all in fact he has gone backwards. I don’t think you can blame the standard of coaching for all of his transgression. Walker in my view lacks football intelligence especially in the big games. Look at the mistake he made at Anfield last season when we were in full control of the game. Now bring it forward nearly a year and he does the same type of mistake against Chelsea at the Bridge. Walker lacks the football brain to learn from his mistakes so he continues to make them.
Zeki Fryers is a player I have high hopes for. He has the physique and the speed to be a good defender but he also seems to have the know how required. Fergie rated him highly and that is a great endorsement. I hope he lives up to his potential. I expect to see more first team games from him next season.
Kaboul for me is a worry. His contract is up this summer and his injuries have been awful. When he is good he is good but these good days are few and far between now. I cannot see him getting another contract. I’m not sure he warrants one.
Dawson, most fans agree, isn’t up to the premiership in terms of coping with class, speedy strikers who twist and turn him inside out. Against the Andy Carroll’s of this world he is workmanlike and that’s the opponent he loves. The aerial battles. Dawson has the passion and a genuine love of the club and for that I respect him but he isn’t a starting defender. A squad player for next season.
Vlad Chricihes is another one who is hard to work out. He has the touch and the skill but he is lacklustre on occasions and he needs to focus all the time, every game, if he wants to make it in the game. Next season will be an interesting one for him.
Jan Vertoghen in my opinion has been our biggest let down. This season has been difficult but it gave Jan the chance to take the team by the scruff of the neck and show his leadership qualities. He did the reverse. He has shown poor behaviour on various occasions. Anfield and the Bridge being the biggest examples of it. His body language clearly indicates he thinks he is bigger than Spurs and that’s a shame for me because I thought he could be a legend for us and our next captain. I was wrong and I would sell him in the summer.
Not much to work with then. But am I being too harsh? We can’t sell them all can we?
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A top manager like van Gaal, de Boer or even up-and-coming Pochettino can can get the best out of any under-performing player like Walker, Vertonghen, Chiriches, Paulinho etc. The recent incumbents (AVB and latterly Sherwood) do not appear to have been competent enough in their managerial nous to do this...Acton_Spur
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