The Engine Room

Article by Sean Walsh

Danny Blanchflower, Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne, Luka Modric, Rafael van der Vaart. Just some of the truly talented players to grace the midfield of Tottenham Hotspur. Sadly, they’re not at White Hart Lane anymore, and we’ve moved on. Fans have been letting the world know that the squad we have this season is one of the best we’ve ever had- but would you take one of those midfielders and stick them right into AVB’s 11?

For me, there's no question. We may have a lot of midfielders, but be honest, is there one that stands out? If one of those players retired today, would you talk about them over a cuppa or a good ol’ Chick-King and reminisce about them? I didn’t think so. We have some good players, but none are exactly world class individually. Individually! AVB needs to realise that right now the players are playing as 11 mercenaries, not as a team. The passing is sloppy, there’s an obvious lack of communication, and not one player seems to want the ball anymore. What happened? Where’s the passion gone? Why does it seem like the logo on the front means less than the name on the back? Something’s got to change.

There’s been so much uproar over the lack of chances created and goals scored that it’s signalled the beginning of a scapegoat free-for-all. AVB criticised the atmosphere, the fans criticise the tactics, the players criticise the pitch (I saw someone say that it was easier when everyone blamed Jenas, but that’s for another time). The matter of the fact is simple; we lack ambition on the pitch, and it starts in the midfield.

Everyone knows that the midfield is where the action happens, where matches are mostly won and lost. As I said before, our midfielders individually are some of the best in the league, but as a team? Well, I use the term ‘team’ loosely. We’ve had several different midfield combinations so far this season, usually rotating between Mousa Dembele, Paulinho, Sandro and Etienne Capoue. As I said, individually remarkable players, but you can only play a certain combination AND expect to function as a team. What has become obvious to fans recently is that Dembele and Paulinho shouldn’t be playing in the same 11 when playing the 4-2-3-1. Last season, we looked to have uncovered a gem in our Belgian talisman, being able to drive the team forward and create chances, as well as covering for Sandro when he decides to burst through the opposition back line. Now, when I say covering, I mean covering, not ‘let’s make Mousa an anchor-man’. He can tackle, yes, but it isn’t his job. Playing Dembele only works when he plays alongside someone who’s more defensive-minded, not a box-to-box player in Paulinho. This guy evidently has tons of ability; only Neymar and Iniesta were recognised as superior to him at the Confederations Cup. However, his nature to dawdle back after making a (usually unrecognised) run into the box on the prowl for goals leaves gaps in the midfield, and leaves Mousa to take over, not to cover.

Another thing I’ve noticed about these two is that every time they see an opening to pick a through-the-needle pass, they bottle it, and pass sideways, which is becoming an increasingly annoying habit. It’s not a lack of ability- I’ve seen both players make some incredible passes over the course of their careers. What’s more likely is a lack of confidence and understanding. Neither player has really hit top form this season, and you could attribute this to the many new faces at the club; it could be argued that once the team begins to gel, the passes will flow (and hopefully the goals as well). But the best players make others around them look good too, and that is unfortunately not the case with Dembele and Paulinho.

I touched on the idea that we need a true anchor-man or ball winning midfielder (Let’s not forget Scott Parker was once England captain when playing in our colours). Luckily, we have two- the beast, and the beast.

I’ll start with the beast that’s been a beast at Tottenham longer than the other beast- Sandro. On his day, one of the best tacklers in the world, a player who’s never afraid to challenge for the ball; Sandro does his job, and can make his midfield partner look good. Hell, he made Wilson Palacios look like Yaya Toure in the San Siro a couple of years ago. Sometimes, however, his bravery and eagerness is his downfall. Say a player with the acceleration of a gazelle and the agility of a grasshopper gets away; Sandro will still make the challenge, regardless of where the ball is. What’s likely is that he’ll clip his heels and be booked. Don’t get me wrong, I love Sandro and think he’s a wonderful player, but he needs to hold back sometimes and recognise that we have some great defenders that can deal with someone that gets away from him.

Now someone who does have such awareness- the (new) beast, A.K.A Etienne Capoue. £9million from Toulouse seems a steal at this rate, with the Frenchman already on the good side of the Tottenham faithful (and we won’t delve into that ‘bad’ side…). His full debut against Swansea was one that puts so many others to shame; He was tactically sound, had the composure of a penalty taker in the World Cup final, and timed his tackles to complete perfection. And this was only the first time he started- the 20 or so minutes he played at Crystal Palace were of the highest quality, making more interceptions than any other team that weekend. For £9million. Definitely some shrewd business by Daniel Levy and Franco Baldini, and credit where it’s due. What he lacks right now is match fitness and playing for a top team (come on, Toulouse are hardly the crème de la crème), not to mention having to learn a new language and form a bond with his new team-mates.

All of our midfielders could be considered ‘engines’, and could probably run for hours on end (if I recall correctly, Paulinho played 300 minutes in 8 days at one point this season), but the combination of these engines will be the key to giving Tottenham’s season a real kick-start. Who knows? Maybe these combinations could go down as some of the best in Spurs history and will have fans drooling for decades.

It all starts in the midfield. Pull your finger out AVB, ‘To Dare Is To Do’, remember?

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