Article by e-Spurs Writer Gary Smith (UK)
As we enter the close season, ineptly named since we all know a close season doesn't really exist in football, perhaps it is time to address some of the misconceptions being bandied about and to find some positives in the negatives.
A lot has been written about how Spurs should reinforce and strengthen the team and a lot of criticism has been levelled at certain players, some of it justified and some of it more a case of people grabbing and hanging on to the tail of a passing trend. So, lets examine some of those to whom this criticism has been directed and also those who have escaped fairly lightly.
Harry Redknapp is a good place to start. It has now become popular to deride his tactics, affability with the media and generally perceived 'wide-boy' persona and to issue statements contrasting and applauding the more academic and tactically astute judgements of AVB. Fair enough to a point; but aren't these the same people who were singing from the rooftops when Spurs were producing breathtaking performances as witnessed in the exhilarating 5-0 destruction of Newcastle at the Lane last season. There were numerous other matches in which Spurs simply took the breath away and, disappointing as the season end may have been, there were many more exciting moments than mundane times. In any other season, fourth would have been seen as an unbridled success.
This of course, is not to say that the appointment of AVB was a mistake and, as he has shown in the face of adversity this season, he has shown a resolve and vision which bodes well for the future. There is no need to justify the appointment of AVB by producing asinine references to Redknapp. They are different types of managers and have simply brought different qualities to bear on Spurs - some positive and some not quite so positive!
Another who I feel has become a victim of the bandwagon effect is Scott Parker. Some people seem to forget that he was our player of the season last year and have been carried along with the ageist argument that 'his legs have gone' and that he is a burden to the Tottenham midfield. I prefer to disagree with the first perception - at 32 he is not old and some of these people who are jumping on his age are the same ones who are crying out for David Villa, a mere baby at 31. Slightly ironic. I do feel however that, perhaps like Redknapp, Parker has had his time. The team and system are evolving and they no longer suit his style of play. He is not a creative, free scoring midfield player - never has been and never will be. Much as we would like him to turn into a version of Frank Lampard it just isnt going to happen. However, in saying thank you and goodbye there is no need to suddenly berate him for qualities that have proved essential to Tottenham's progress.
Jermaine Defoe has become another victim of lets find a culprit for failing to finish fourth. Some people seem to have forgotten that at the beginning of the season he was virtually winning games on his own - scoring freely in much the same way that Gareth Bale has done in 2013. sure, he lacks consistency but then he always has. No point in suddenly seeming surprised by this. He is a goalscorer which is what we have needed - not a Platini or Zidane. The fact the goals dried up owes as much to the collective effort of the team as well as his own injuries.
Finally - one player who I think is extremely fortunate to have escaped a barrage of criticism which would have been wholly deserved is Adebayor. I said at the beginning of the season (pleaded would be more accurate!) - don't buy him because history shows that he is consistent only in following his self-serving needs. Never have I seen a player so lackadaisical and disinterested than Adebayor. His lack of passion and commitment has, quite simply, been embarrassing and an insult to Spurs' players past and present. I was reading through a team sheet of Spurs' legends the other day and the names Mark Falco and Garry Brooke jumped out at me. Neither blessed with sublime skill or technically gifted, but what they did contribute was passion and desire. Will Adebayor be remembered like this - methinks not Many apologists suggested his inane grin after that penalty miss was an expression of distress. After his collective performances of the season I remain to be convinced.
One bandwagon which I will jump on and which does have credibility is the necessity for improving areas of the team. However, in our desire to look ahead let us not become clouded on what has gone before. There are negatives and positives but all have contributed to where we are now - which is at the crossroads of what could be an outstanding and history shaping season.
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Are you kidding with this article? First off, Adebayor has received plenty of criticism, and well deserved after his stunt he pulled at the ACN. Second, I don't care what Scotty Parker did in past seasons, this year he sucked. He can take his pirouette skills back to east London for all I care. And Defoe? Wow, single handedly winning games? What a joke. The guy doesn't know what a pass is (unless he's complaining about not getting one), can't dribble, and is absent half the time. Get rid of all that dead weight and bring in some real talent. I'm sick of hearing Spurs "pundits" settling for mediocrity. And while we're at it, lets finally put some pressure on Levy to break the bank and get with the times. This isn't the 2000 Spurs anymore, we need to spend money to receive money.
ReplyDeleteTend to agree with Footiemad's comments, but in a nice way. Tottenham doesn't have the bottomless pit of funding from billionaires like the top four regular clubs but more proactive spending on two or three targets each transfer window (and unloading the Bentleys and Gomeses years faster) rather than spreading the risk by overloading the midfield would have shown firmer results by now. Spurs have been chipping away at the edges of top four for 8 or 9 years now, and if the same approach is taken time and again that's as high as we'll ever get. How much longer before exhausted Spurs fans suffering from failure fatigue watching the kamikaze moves of management decide to desert in droves? A decade of being the "nearly" men is too much frustration to ask of anyone. As these things tend to go in cycles, how long before we get a truly mediocre owner/management that will settle for mid table for another quarter century? Also getting really tired of the line that goes we should be happy about Harry's fourth place -- as self-satisfied as he obviously was. No, fourth is not ok when you're throwing away second or third with both hands by focusing on your career moves.
ReplyDeleteIn 2011/12, Parker did what was asked of him - tidy-up, get the ball, pass to Modric. In 2012/13, after a serious injury, he was asked to do more because Dembele didnt always live up to his big-name billing on a consistent basis. Parker tried but its not his game - but by then, AVB had run out of options in CM. Huddlestone and Livermore - one-paced (slow) and 'nearly' men; Sandro - injured; Holtby - still settling-in; Caroll - maybe too much of a risk in a tight run-in (an arguable point though). So Parker stayed in the side - not consistently awful, but nowhere near the 2011/12 form. As for 'getting rid of deadwood' - dead easy on Playstation but less so in real life as other teams have to WANT those players. And even giving them away (bad business in itself) doesnt work if clubs dont want the superstar wages. AVB made progress last year with a team a lot less capable than Harry had - we lost 4th place because of our form at home and especially our lack of preparedness at the start of the season. So this year - lets not leave it till 3 games in before we get players on-board and lets have a clear plan of how to proceed a) with Bale and b) without Bale. Last year, we had no post-Modric plan in place and it showed in those early games. Its not rocket science.
ReplyDeleteDembele hasn't lived up to his big name billing consistently? Do me a favour. Dembele has been our second-best player this season, behind Bale. An absolute revelation in midfield.
ReplyDeleteThe problem was that Sandro was too good to be replaced; with The Beast keeping watch behind him, Dembele was free to rampage forward. Scotty Parker simply can't do that in the same way, and so when we installed him to replace Sandro, Dembele's rampages were cut shorter and shorter as he had to hang back and help Parker out.
I love Parker for all he's done for us, but this is the time to look to the future.
AVB's system is that of keeping possession of the ball, this makes it hard for players' of average vision and skill to find the forward pass that opens up the 8 man defence, so the ball goes backwards or sideways. Mind you it might help if the runs from the forward players found or created space, we need a midfield player who is a cut above that what we have going forward and a striker who can hold the ball up long enough for the rest of the midfield to get up with the play. We haven't got either.
ReplyDeleteWhatever happens regarding ins and outs,i just hope it is sorted out as quick as possible,according to the reports in the media,Real Madrid have set a deadline regarding Bale!
ReplyDeleteThis maybe true but as we well know and rightly so in my opinion they will have to pay a kings ransom to get him off Levy.If they do succeed although i have my doubts we then would have the money in place to let AVB free to build his team as he would wish.We do seem to have some promising youngsters,Carroll particularly and he will surely feature this season whatever,should be an exciting time.COYS!
Dembele, although a good player,He's not a Modric. Parker is not a lampard. I would like to have seen Holtby playing more in this area, he showed a terrier like work rate aswell as good vision. The real problem though was playing with only ten men for most of the games when Abebayor was on the pitch.We all know this, we sit there season after season, waiting with hope in our hearts that Levy will spend big, or just spend something, on a quality twenty goal a season striker. Will this season be different? whoever he gets, Damaio, Villa, Hulk or Solado, i want it to be sooner rather than later and they do the business.
ReplyDeleteNot often that I read an article and then all the comments. But an interesting article with some thoughtful responses - thanks to all contributors. A comment i'D MAKE is the need for a smooth transition. We'd love stability but you only get that when you have built a team that can win things and we are not there yet.
ReplyDeleteThe instability, as last season, comes from Spain's second-best team (you know, the one with the President with no class). A change of manager is difficult enough but with RM tapping up Modders and a dragged out conclusion, well it's all been said above. Spain's second best team (let's rub it in) are at it again with their dirty tricks, trying to de-stabilise Spurs to get Bale and now for good measure our coach. Big compliment to AVB, being their 3rd choice for coach at the second best team!
If we can start the season with AVB on the touchline (most probable) and Bale on the teamsheet (still probable) then adding a top class striker and addressing the midfield, we may actually achieve progress through transition. But this time we will need to be bold and back AVB who, like Bale, are happy where they are - unlike Modders!