Article by Lee MasonCheck out e-Spurs Facebook Page
The end of an era. Dawson was signed in 2005 without any fuss. He played a large part in our progression over that period of time, particularly his leadership. Under the tutelage of Ledley King he improved greatly, he scored a few memorable goals (notably against Chelsea in 2006) and put his body on the line to save our skins many a time. But it was his attitude that was most impressive. He was a player that inspired fight in the team. Always firing the lads up after he had used his left buttock to block a shot or when he detached his kneecap and lobbed it to deflect a shot. Hyperbole aside, he was a genuinely lovable scamp, a sort of old school defender who would give his all; as if we bought him from a cryogenics lab where 1980s defenders were frozen in their peak. This is a matter of perception though, since I am aware that many a Spurs fan would still point out that he would turn like Cruise-ship...In bad weather...Navigated by a seasick cave dweller...But we cannot forget his past. It would appear that as he played in systems which didn't fit him his leadership on the pitch faltered. The last season or so he would make a catastrophic error in defence and then try to boost everyone else with a shout and a few claps despite it being his mistake. He was no longer able to lead by example. His good games outweigh the bad overall, his mentality is exactly what we are missing right now. He will do well at Hull, where the media's magnifier is less powerful and they play a system where his abilities will be a plus.
And so to another fan favourite, The Beast himself; Mr Sandro. As the rumours and later legitimate sources surfaced on the news it felt like watching someone hold my happy sacks in a vice while they surveyed the potential torture tools for said sacks. The decision to sell was strange in that Sandro, whilst not back to his normal self seemed to be the best option in either a solo defensive midfielder role or as one of two in the favoured 4231. That was until Capoue began playing incredibly well over the first few games of the season. I would have liked to have seen a Capoue and Sandro central midfield partnership. I have faith in Bentaleb for the future, but in the short term, Sandro and his power would have been a better fit beside the in-form Capoue. Bringing in Stambouli will hopefully mean that Capoue and Stambouli are the future combo. Again, like Dawson, I think we will see the best of Sandro at QPR and I would not be surprised if Sandro gets signed by a bigger club at the end of the season.
We have Sunderland away this weekend and the Black Cats have drawn their only home game this season. This was against Man United, who admittedly have been woeful so far this season. However we cannot take away from their result against the stuttering United team they faced.
Against QPR away at the start of the season Sunderland had 60% possession but failed to earn even a point. They pushed QPR and matched them on shots; on and off target. Against West Brom last week they again earned a draw after a fight back.
With the two draws they managed to have less possession, this also shows how much they were territorially pegged back by the opponents, using the counter as an effective response. Our response to Sunderland should be to hit them with high pressing immediately like we did against QPR, hopefully our attacking players will create more following on from our loss to Liverpool at home. I will be interested to see if Fazio or Stambouli get a run out, but would expect Capoue and Bentaleb to start. We should be too strong for them...But if we go to the Stadium of Light too contemptuous like the Persians at Thermopylae against the Spartans then we could be in for a surprise.
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Shame about Sandro, but Daws, sadly, was showing signs of age in the high energy style Potty has introduced. But, as you say, his attitude will be sorely missed.
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