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The Departure of Robbie Keane

August 15th, 2011 Posted in Articles
Aug, 15 2011
12 Comments »

With Robbie Keane on his way to LA Galaxy THFC1882′s Rob Handworker takes a look back on the strikers Spurs career.

On signing him for Tottenham from Leeds Utd in 2002, our manager the God Glenn Hoddle  said that Keane was ideally suited to Tottenham and could make White Hart Lane his “spiritual home” for years to come.  Keane had an impressive debut at Spurs, winning a penalty during a 3–2 win over West Ham. Keane’s first goal for Tottenham came in a 2–1 win against Blackburn Rover at Edwood Park.  Keane was our success story of the season, during a disappointing campaign where we finished in 10th place, he finished as our top scorer with 13 goals, including a spectacular hat-trick in a win over Everton at White Hart Lane.  His rolls and corner flag celebration were fast becoming loved.

In the 2003-04 season we battled with relegation, but Keane’s goals played a major part in helping secure our Premier League status. A hat-trick against Wolves and a last minute penalty to equalise in the North London Derby against Arsenal were highlights as Keane once again ended the season as our top scorer with 16 goals.

His third season, 2004-05, was more frustrating. Despite finishing with his highest return of goals in a season for us, 17, he played second-fiddle to the likes of Jermain Defoe, Frederic Kanoute and Mido for much of the season. The frustration culminated in Keane storming from the dugout towards the end of a game against Birmingham City in April 2005 after all the substitutes had been used, meaning he would not get a chance to appear. He was fined £10,000 and forced to train with the reserves after the outburst and his future at the club was thrown into doubt.

The 2005-06 season started as the previous one had ended, with Defoe being preferred to partner Mido in Tottenham’s strikeforce. However, Defoe’s strike-rate continued to disappoint and Keane’s persistence paid off in November when manager Martin Jol eventually gave Keane a chance to replace Defoe and stake his claim. By March he had overtaken Mido as the top goalscorer at the club. Keane went on to finish the season with 16 league goals — making him the Premier League’s joint fourth top goalscorer that season. He had also been made the vice-captain, taking the captaincy on occasions when King Ledley was not available.

Keane was involved in a training ground fight with teammate Edgar Davids in December 2005, but the pair subsequently made up publicly and were seen encouraging each other on the pitch.  In February 2006, Inter’s owner and president, Massimo Moratti, admitted his regret at letting Keane go after being impressed by his performances at Tottenham.  Keane extended his commitment to Tottenham, signing a new four year contract in March 2006.

Keane had a slow start to the 2006–07 season which was further set back by a knee ligament injury that he suffered against Middlesbrough on 5 December 2006. His coming back from injury marked the beginning of a return to form and a dynamic partnership with Dimitar Berbatov.  Keane finished the season with a total of 22 goals in all competitions – the highest ever season tally of his career – scoring 15 goals in his last 15 appearances of the season.

Keane started in his 200th appearance for Tottenham in the final game of the 2006-07 season against Manchester City, scoring the first goal in a 2–1 victory that saw Tottenham secure fifth place in the league.

He signed a new five year contract with Tottenham on 28 May 2007.  On 26 December 2007 he became the thirteenth player in the history of the league to score 100 Premier Legaue goals. 2007 proved to be a remarkable year for the striker with a total of 31 goals and 13 assists from just 40 starts. His tally of 19 league goals in the calendar year was the highest of any player in the Premier League throughout 2007.

He scored his 100th competitive goal for Tottenham in the 2–0 win against Sunderland on 19 January 2008. He is the fifteenth Tottenham player to achieve this feat. On 24 February 2008 he won his first senior honour as a player as Spurs won the first League Cup Final to be played at the new Wembley Stadium beating Chelsea 2–1 after extra time.  On 12 April 2008 Keane made his 250th appearance for Spurs in the 1–1 draw with Middlesbrough. Keane finished the 2007–08 season equal top scorer for Spurs with Berbatov, with 23 goals in all competitions. His 15 Premier League goals making him the first Spurs player to score double figures in the Premier League in 6 consecutive seasons.  Keane in his Tottenham career won the club player of year three times (2003–04, 2005–06 and 2007–08); the first player to do so.

In July 2008 he moved on to Liverpool, with Daniel Levy saying that he was forced to sell him after the merseysiders unsettled Keane.  Keane’s statement when he joined them gave no mention of that but he did say: ”I’ve been a Liverpool fan all my life, going back to when I was a kid growing up in Dublin, and I always had a Liverpool shirt on my back”   This statement gave birth to the joke about him being a fan as a kid of every club he was linked with since.

He returned to Spurs in January 2009, at the same time Defoe also returned.  He was never the same player for me and has gone out on loan to Celtic (another boyhood favourite club) and West Ham Utd since he returned.

There are mixed feelings on Robbie Keane from the Spurs fans. Some love him, some never got on board with him even during the good times but all must agree he has been a good servant of the club, scored some cracking goals and given us some enjoyment and excitement over the years.

For me, I enjoyed watching him, he always gave his all for the club and I will have some quality memories of him but it’s the right time for him to leave.

THFC1882 would like to wish him the very best of luck and continued success in the future.

Cheers Robbie.

COYS

Rob

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Spurs Wars V: The Spurs Strikes Back

August 14th, 2011 Posted in Articles
Aug, 14 2011
No Comments »

Episode V of Spurs Wars sees Spurs fight back from 3-1 and 4-2 down against our local rivals at their gaff, in what was Harry Redknapp’s first North London Derby in October 2008.  What a welcome!  The game was memorable for an outstanding David Bentley goal, plus a quality Jermaine Jenas goal, yes I know, in the same game, who would have believed it! You know the rest of the story, now enjoy the action once again as we shocked the Gunners with a fantastic last minute fightback and took the smug smiles off their faces. Love it.

THFC1882 are proud to present an AL-GIL-ZEAN PRODUCTION for your entertainment and enjoyment; the story of this magical game in our historic battle

Spurs Wars Episode V: The Spurs Strikes Back

 Big Version Spurs Wars Episode V

To be continued……..

 

COYS

Stuart Watts ( @studub on twitter ) and Rob Handworker in association with Al-Gil-Zean ( @whitehartXchang on twitter )

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King amongst men, but what now for Ledley?

August 10th, 2011 Posted in Articles
Aug, 10 2011
10 Comments »

THFC1882 is pleased to present another guest writer. This look at Ledley King is from Gareth Johnson.

Gareth Johnson is a rare breed … a born and bred Geordie .. and a Spurs supporter! “It has to be a genetic disorder” says Gareth, who has supported the club for 24 years. “It is a rather rubbish story why I support Spurs but, to save the question, it has nothing to do with Chris Waddle or Paul Gascoigne and started when I was about 6 or 7 (1987 ish)”. I asked Gareth who his favourite player was and got this answer ”As a Times reader, it is a striker known as Edward Sheringham, Teddy to every other person in the country.”

You can follow Gareth on Twitter ( @GMMJohnson ) and now read what he has to say on one of the best centrebacks to ever grace White Hart Lane:

 

At the end of the 2004/2005 season, I remember reading a quote from Ledley King on the Tottenham Hotspur Official website. Although the exact content escapes me, he was basically commenting on his ever present season and his happiness at playing in every game. Famous last words almost. It was to be the beginning of the end of one of England’s finest central defenders.

Ledley Brenton King, just 24, was forging himself a reputation as excellent central defender. Calm yet imposing, pace with poise, he was allowing (some) Tottenham fans to forget the departure of Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell. With Northallerton’s finest Michael Dawson (his middle name is a rather dull Richard) joining in 2005. The future looked bright. King and Dawson, both youthful, both with bags of ability and potential, were heralded as the foundations for which Tottenham could build upon. Then the knee injury happened …

Whilst everything on Wikipedia cannot be trusted, I think it speaks volumes that King’s career is split into three sections on the site .. “1997-2001”, “2001-2006” then “2006 – present”. The 1997-2001 is really the formative years and him breaking into the team. 2001-2006 was King at the peak of his powers. 2006-present could really be renamed “Post knee injury”. Type “Ledley King ” into google and the search engine with bring back “Ledley King twitter”, “Ledley King fastest goal” and then “Ledley King knee”. We have not really seen Ledley King at this peak of his powers for five years and I concur with Wikipedia that his career should be cauterised after the knee injury. Before 2006, I genuinely think, with only a hint of Spurs rose tinted glasses, that there wasn’t a better English defender. Now we are faced with a naturally gifted defender that has played just 59 games in three seasons, including just 9 in all competitions in the 2010-11 season.

The brief history of Ledley at White Hart Lane above was a little self-indulgent as I searched the archives for info on our longest serving player. Watching YouTube clips of his brilliance and reading old match reports paints vividly a picture of a top class player and professional cruelly cut down by injury. For those younger supporters or those that forget how good Ledley has been, search for yourself, you will not be disappointed. However, this is 2011 and we now have on our books a player where the tag “injury prone” does not really justify his problems and an issue that perhaps Harry and his coaching staff need to address urgently.

With just days to the big kick off, I love discussing the up and coming season and where Tottenham may finish, who we might sign and equally, the starting XI! The starting XI discussion always starts with “if fit” .. and “if fit” is to be used, Ledley King would be the first name on the team sheet. However, in the discussions I have had, even “if fit” doesn’t get Ledley in … because we know he won’t be fit. So he has to be removed from all thoughts and processes. This is also a dilemma that Harry and his staff have to face. I firmly believe that a settled backline is absolutely key for success. To be honest, I think you need to know firmly a starting XI and you build on that. Ledley cannot be part of it. He may dip into the odd game, but you need to build that solid foundation. I am not a house builder, but I presume that if you lay foundations then, every now and again, take a foundation away, replace it for a week, then put the original foundation back, your house won’t be as solid. For that reason, I think Ledley has to be excluded from first team thoughts …

Ledley feels like a “monkey on the back” as they say. No centre back ever sure of this place in the starting line-up .. as Ledley might be back and play. No partnerships can be built up over the long term … because Ledley will come back every now and again. No rhythm. I just don’t think it works. I also think it affects the entire backline, especially when he is also unable to train. When he plays, he is brilliant, but it does not really help the likes of Dawson, Kaboul or Gallas, his partners at the back, of indeed Assou-Ekotto, Corluka and dare I say it, Gomes.

Ledley has one year left on his contract and I truly believe this should be his last. It should be the last to retain his legacy at White Hart Lane, his personal health and also for the team. When Dean Ashton retired I read an excellent piece in a paper where he was told he could continue to play .. but he was risking his ability to walk in the future. I would hate to see Ledley, in years to come, being pushed to a game in a wheelchair because his knee has been destroyed because of a “one more season” mentality.

So, as we sit on the cusp of the 2011-2012 season, I look to Ledley as more of a cup competition player. Someone that may play in the Europa league and the domestic cup competitions and pass on his experience to the youngsters that we hope will play in those games. I truly believe the likes of Kyle Walker, Jake Livermore and Andros Townsend, to name but three, would benefit from playing alongside a player of King’s stature. I also think it would help the likes of Dawson and Kaboul to be told they are first choice and to move forward, together, as a pairing.

I don’t know if King has thought about retirement, I guess so, and it will be difficult for him to stop playing, but I hope, as the season finishes in 2012, King retires and takes up a coaching position. I think King passing on his knowledge from the side lines to the likes of Steven Caulker would be hugely beneficial in the years to come.

Ledley King has, and always will be, one of my favourite players. Footballers will often say their bodies tell them when to stop playing, I think Ledley’s has been telling him this for a few years now …

Gareth Johnson

Don’t forget to check our comprehensive 2011/12 Season Preview

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2011/12 Spurs Season Preview

August 8th, 2011 Posted in Articles
Aug, 08 2011
4 Comments »


THFC1882’s Stuart Watts takes a look at the season ahead, Rob Handworker offers his thoughts throughout.

The Odds

(All odds are those offered by majority of bookies using www.oddschecker.com on 8th August)

Premier League winners: 50-1

Top 4 Finish: 3-1

Premier League Top Scorers: Defoe & Van der Vaart 33-1; Pavlyuchenko 50-1; Crouch 66-1

Europa League Winners: 14-1 (joint second favourites with Roma, behind Atletico Madrid, Sevilla & PSG)

FA Cup winners: 12-1

Carling Cup winners: 12-1

 

The Players

As it stands there are barely any personnel changes so the playing staff remains reassuringly familiar. Or is that worryingly familiar? It’s a bit of both really, there are still players who are surplus to requirements and we STILLHAVEN’T BOUGHT A STRIKER!!

Goalkeepers

Our one senior signing – please insert your own joke – is of course Brad Friedel and despite legitimate concerns that he is on the decline he will provide competition for the starting spot. It must be hoped that we don’t end up with a merry go round in goal with Gomes and Cudicini also involved. Successful sides need a settled number one that the defence can have confidence in. I’m not convinced that any of the three have staked a preseason claim to be that man, Friedel may well get the nod ahead of Gomes at the start to motivate the Brazilian to get his head straight and push for his place back.

Rob’s view: “I think Gomes will be first choice with Friedel as back up, at the start of the season anyway”

Defenders

At right back, Corluka will face very stiff competition from the ever improving Kyle Walker. With the amount of games we will hopefully be involved in, Walker has to get a good amount of games, he is confident going forward and better defensively than he is given credit for.

On the other side, Benoit Assou-Ekotto will continue as our first choice. His vast improvement and growth into one of the most consistent and crucial members of this Spurs team has been one of the highlights of Harry Redknapp’s reign. The one thing he has lacked is competition, last season saw the emergence of Danny Rose and he will surely push BAE for his place if he continues to develop.

In the centre as much as I would love to see Ledley there every week, being realistic it’s highly unlikely we’ll see more than the odd calm,assured and classy performance from the King. Therefore it’s important that we develop a partnership, like a settled goalkeeper, a solid centreback partnership is crucial for a successful side. It looks increasingly as though that will be Dawson and Kaboul, with Gallas perhaps also suffering from fitness issues as the years catch up. Kaboul showed last season that he is developing into a centre back who can take on the role that Ledley has for so long been the master of; reading the game, dropping back to cover when needed, stepping up to intercept and distribute at other times. He still makes the odd mistake but has cut them drastically and is maturing and increasing in confidence. His debut for France at the end of last season shows that Laurent Blanc thinks he’s got something too. If he’s given the chance Younes can become a fixture at the heart of the Spurs defence for years to come. Dawson will continue to do what he does, play the role of the heroic defender throwing himself at everything and is an effective foil for Kaboul. Bassong is heavily tipped to leave, if not he provides adequate if unspectacular cover.

Rob view: “Defensively we look solid….a combination of Dawson, Kaboul, Gallas and when fit King providing competition for the centre back positions… outstanding and ever improving Benoit Assou-Ekottu at left back…… Kyle Walker back at the club after his successful loan spell at Aston Villa last year, where he showed his quality and got priceless Premiership experience and I expect him to make a massive challenge for the right back spot with Corluka”

Central Midfield

Luka Modric remains the key component and he will need to be up for it from the off. His pre-season appearances suggest he is capable of performing to his own excellent standards. There is no exact replacement in the squad so when Modric is rested the team dynamic will shift slightly. Huddlestone obviously provides a superb range of passing but with significantly less mobility. Niko Kranjcar really isn’t suited to the deep lying playmaker role and is much more effective higher up the pitch or cutting in from the left. Tom Carroll from our academy does look like a player who can perform the ‘Modric role’ but it remains to be seen whether he’s loaned out or retained for cup & European duties. Dean Parrett may be another younger player given an opportunity.

Before he was injured in training at the Copa America with Brazil, Sandro would have looked certain to start in the other central slot. Until his return, Huddlestone may be asked to take on a more destructive role or Jenas could be given yet another opportunity to claim a first team place. Assuming no one buys him, but they haven’t for the last few years so it seems we’re stuck with him. It’s being heavily tipped that Lassana Diarra is soon to complete a move. If that’s true then he would be a great signing and would slot into a holding role perfectly. It could be said his arrival may hold Sandro back, though again if we are competing on multiple fronts there should be enough games to go round and keep both fresh and sharp.

Rob’s view: “The biggest plus has to be that Luka is still in the ranks and can pull the strings for us and drive us forward…. one of the stars of the second half of the season, Sandro, when he returns from his injury surely has to be the first choice defensive midfielder”

Saluting the Sargeant

A quick word on Wilson Palacios, it looks increasingly like he will leave. If so he will go with all my best wishes and thanks for his time at the club. His reaction to his brother’s death has often been cited as the reason he’s gone off the boil. Undoubtedly such a traumatic event would affect anyone and one thing that stays with me from that period is his reaction when he found out. I’m sure you know the story.

“Upon hearing the news in the middle of the night, Palacios didn’t want to wake Harry Redknapp so waited in the hotel lobby for morning before telling the manager and asking if he could go home.”

Such consideration for others at a time of ultimate grief is the mark of a stronger man than most. THFC1882 wishes the best of luck to a man who always represented our shirt with honour and heart.

 

Wide and Attacking Midfield

Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale are still the obvious first choices on the flanks. Bale has looked incredible in pre-season and seems pumped and in good health for what it’s hoped is an even better and even more influential year for the Welsh wonder. Cover on the left will more than likely be provided by Pienaar and Kranjcar and they obviously provide a completely different threat to Bale’s pace, skill and dynamism. Pienaar remains unconvincing and has much to prove in a Spurs shirt. Kranjcar is a more skilful option than Pienaar who along with good passing and vision also offers a goal threat. Niko deserves more of a chance this season than he got last year and can be a vital squad member in a busy season.

Kranjcar can of course also offer back up to Rafael van der Vaart in the role just off the strikers and this is a position he has performed well for Croatia. Rafa will still be the first choice in this position assuming he’s fit and that the right striker for that formation has been purchased. Rightly so too, van der Vaart at the start of last season was an absolute revelation and with a good pre-season behind him, looks motivated for another crack with Spurs. He seems to really enjoy it at Spurs and is happy in London, not many clubs have ever seen a truly settled van der Vaart, this could be his chance to show what he can do over the course of a whole season. If he can stay fit and perform at the height of his abilities from August through to May, Spurs will have a real chance of pushing back up the table.

On the right, if as expected David Bentley is sold, loaned or ignored, Aaron Lennon is left without much competition. Aaron performs best when his place is under threat, Bentley’s arrival motivated him to some of his best form. If it was up to me, we’d be looking to buy one of Junior Hoillett from Blackburn or HSV’s Dutch International Eljero Elia, both of whom can provide a pacey skilful threat on either wing. I remain unconvinced that we are even looking to improve in this area or have the money to do so anyway. Andros Townsend may conceivably provide cover, but it seems unfair to ask him to play on the right when the majority of his young career has been spent on the left. Whatever happens, Lennon really needs a big season to take him to the next level.

Rob says: “Our two wingers, Lennon and Bale, will be crucial again this season and both created a lot of chances last season which hopefully our strikers will put away this year.”

Strikers

All summer I’ve dreamt of writing a season preview and doing a big bit on our new squad improving striker. Oh well. Maybe next year. For now, it’s all about what we’ve got. Pavlyuchenko’s goals per minute record says categorically that he should be given more opportunities to start, but like the other strikers playing as a lone front man with Rafa behind doesn’t suit him. If we play 4-4-2 however the Russian absolutely deserves a chance to show what he can do if given the managers confidence. Jermain Defoe has not looked too sharp in pre-season but got a goal on Saturday and that may be what he needs to kick on and get back to his goal poaching best. Again he’s completely unsuited to playing on his own up front, but it’s not that long ago that he and Pavlyuchenko showed they may have the basis of a good understanding. Crouch’s link up with van der Vaart kept the big man in the team longer than it should have last year and if a new striker comes in I can see him being the one to go. Crouch is only ever at best, plan B, especially for a club with Spurs traditions, the diagonal to the big man at the back stick is anathema to all we stand for. In other news we still own Robbie Keane. Wow.

One player who’s impressed in preseason is Harry Kane. The teenage forward has scored goals at every level he’s played at and may well get a chance in the cups and Europe. His quick feet, quick footballing brain and physical presence make him a threat whether dropping deep or playing higher up the pitch. It’s important not to expect the world from him but he is an exciting prospect. Soulemayne Coulibaly must at 16 be considered too young to really look at breaking through this season, despite his prodigious performances in the U-17s World Cup.

Rob’s view: “If we don’t sign anyone I fully expect Pavlychenko to be first choice striker and Defoe has worked hard on strengthening during pre-season and is looking fitter. I would say like many, the strikers as a whole can’t perform as badly as last year”

The Tactics

We are unlikely to see much innovation here. 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2 will be the order of the day. The former is dependent on a new forward coming in to be truly successful. The big question when 4-4-2 is employed is what do you do with Rafael van der Vaart? Last season saw Redknapp claim the right wing was ‘his’ position in that shape. Redknapp is of course overlooking Rafa’s lack of tactical discipline which saw him leave massive spaces and full back exposed, leading to goals conceded against West Brom and worse, the Arsenal among others. So the wings aren’t the answer. Nor is central midfield, Rafa thrives in a free role between the lines and would again leave the rest of the team exposed at times. So as much as I don’t like to say it, when 4-4-2 is the order of the day, Rafa should be the man sitting it out. Redknapp displayed a reluctance to rotate anyone, Rafa in particular last year, it will be interesting what he does this year considering he’s already the stressed the burdens we face this year.

Harry Redknapp takes a lot of flak when he ‘inverts’ our wingers, but for once I’ll stand up for him. As all the top teams prove week in week out, it is a potent threat that can scramble defensive plans. It doesn’t have to happen all the time but there are certain game situations where it could and should be used. The major issue is, that it appears Bale and Lennon are slightly allergic to the ‘wrong’ wing, although Bale did look more comfortable there in pre-season and it should be remembered that a few of Lennon’s famous last minute goals have come cutting in from wide left.

Rob’s view: “Another alternative is to play 2 defensive midfielders, Modric just in front of them pulling the strings, with Bale and Van Der Vaart either side of a central striker in a three pronged attack. Bale and VDV would thrive in these roles and we would still have the cover defensively….though I fully expect the 4-4-1-1 system to be the main formation used this season, switching to others when Van Der Vaart is rested or when we play in different competitions”

 

Crunch Times

Our first six games have been hyped as a nightmare start and it is indeed a tough one. It seems to have been overlooked that our seventh Premier League fixture is the North London Derby at The Lane. Christmas and New Year is also critical, between 26th December and 14th January Spurs play Norwich, Swansea, West Brom and Wolves and if any lesson is learned from last year, it should be that we have to find ways to win those games. February 25th sees us visit Arsenal and around this time we also play Liverpool and United while we’ll hope to be back into Europa League action. This will show whether we have the squad depth to cope and remain competitive. Final day of the season will also be a bit sentimental as Big Martin Jol will bring his Fulham team to White Hart Lane for the first time (assuming we don’t meet them in a cup first). Jol will undoubtedly get an incredible reception and rightly so for a man who has shown the club and fans his love and respect always, even after he was so disgracefully discarded.

Rob’s view: “Our opening fixtures are daunting to say the least and we also have a Europa Cup playoff 2 legged tie during this period as well. It could make or break the season, if we start badly it could set the tone and we might struggle, whilst if we fly out of the traps and take victories and points off our rivals the confidence will be high and anything possible”

The Prediction

Cups

Having always believed that football is about glory and silverware – as a Spurs fan that has obviously more often than not remained an untested belief – I personally hope that we make serious efforts on all fronts this season. Redknapp has already said that Europe and the Cups are an opportunity to give youth a chance, to some extent of course this is true, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of the chance of bringing a trophy back to White Hart Lane.

I’m predicting a Europa League win (more out of hope than actual belief we’ll try). I think we’ll make the quarter finals of both domestic competitions, our youth falling heroically against a more experienced side no doubt.

Premier League

I would love to think Spurs are going to push back into the top four and challenge the two Manchester clubs who I believe will fight it out for the title this year. However, unless we make two big signings, one striker (did I mention we STILL NEED A STRIKER!!) and one other player who improves the squad, not just takes a place, we will finish 6th I believe. Higher is achievable but without increased competition in certain positions will be an extremely tough ask.

Rob’s view: “With the current squad I am going to say 5th again but no nearer the champions league places then last season. If we get one, maybe 2 proven strikers in then the top 4 is a definite possibility for me. I also believe we will have good cup runs this season and get to one final. Positive thinking I know, but we are Tottenham, super Tottenham from the Lane and to dare is to do!”

 

Whatever happens and however the season turns out, we’ll be here at THFC1882 to give you our thoughts, match previews and reports, some guest writers offering their opinion on Spurs along with what we hope are going to be some other interesting features. Here’s a to Glory, Glory season……….

COYS

Stuart Watts (@Studub on Twitter) with Rob Handworker

 

If you want a cheeky flutter on Spurs this season you could do worse than check out this site I discovered recently: FreeSportsBets.com

 

 

 

 

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Spurs vs Athletic Bilbao Match Report

August 6th, 2011 Posted in Articles
Aug, 06 2011
10 Comments »

Our pre-season campaign was rounded off by a 2-1 win over an impressive Athletic Club Bilbao side, who gave us an ideal test before our opening Premier League game against Everton next week.  There was an extremely impressive and vocal crowd at the Lane for our only home game of the pre-season.

We started the game in Redknapp’s favoured formation of 4-4-1-1 with Krancjar playing in the Van Der Vaart role (who was out injured), behind Roman Pavlyuchenko alone up front.

We lined up as follows:

Spurs: Gomes (Friedel, 46); Corluka (Walker, 46), Dawson, Bassong (Kaboul, 46), Assou-Ekotto; Huddlestone (Bale, 46), Lennon (Livermore, 80), Jenas (Defoe, 46), Pienaar (Modric, 24); Kranjcar; Pavlyuchenko (Crouch, 46)

The visitors set up in a typical Spanish 4-2-3-1 system and looked classy and cultured from the off, carving out an opening in the first minute with a ball over the top, that Ander Herrera latched onto, with our defence seemingly still in the dressing room, and he forced Heurelho Gomes into an early low save.

A further sign of the visitors dominance came in the 11th minute when Bilbao talisman, and reported Tottenham target, Fernando Llorente was only inches away from connecting with Igor Gabilondo’s corner in front of goal.

We should have taken the lead on 15 minutes though with our only real chance of the half, when Vedran Corluka played in Lennon and he pulled the ball back for Kranjcar 10 yards out who should have hit the target but didn’t even force Iraizoz into a save.

Up to this point we were looking sluggish, scrappy in possession and lacklustre to say the least.

We were eventually punished on 25 minutes when a Herrera corner took a flick off the head of Pavlyuchenko and was neatly volleyed home into the bottom corner by centre-half San Jose, after he lost his marker well.  Bilbao were deservedly in the lead.

Steven Pienaar had already limped off with a stomach injury just before the goal and was replaced by Luka Modric who got a rousing reception from the fans when he entered the fray.

There were no other real opportunities in the half as Bilbao took a grip on the game and totally took control of it without ever really showing the necessary drive to score more goals.

Spurs really struggled to get into their stride or any rhythm in the first half and looked totally out of sorts,  maybe because of the starting personnel not playing much together.  Aaron Lennon was the only decent performer of the half giving the visitors’ left back a bit of a ‘mare with his trickery and pace.

The second half saw a different Spurs side emerge from the tunnel buoyed by the 5 substitutions Harry made at the break, which must have come after him having a word “in the lads’ shells like” after a poor display in the opening 45 minutes.  It certainly gave the team a well needed injection of life, pace and direction.

We reverted to 4-4-2 with Crouch and Defoe up front, and a very attack-minded midfield four of Lennon, Kranjcar, Modric and Gareth Bale.  There was also a first Spurs appearance at the Lane for Brad Friedel in goal.

It paid dividends almost instantly when we found ourselves back on level terms just five minutes after the break.  Bale, impressive throughout this pre-season, broke down the left after being released by a sublime ball from Modric and crossed for Crouch.  It was slightly behind him but he adjusted himself well to sweep home left-footed as he was falling.  The keeper got a hand to it but couldn’t stop the ball nestling in the back of the net.

Three minutes later, the comeback was complete.  The visitors failed to clear their lines at a corner, the ball was worked back out to Lennon by Kaboul and he crossed low for Defoe to slam into the roof of the net from 6 yards out.  Defoe is starting to look sharp again after really working hard during the close season.

Bilbao did come close to getting back on level terms just after the hour mark when Llorente found some space in the box and connected at the near post from Herrera’s corner which hit the bar and then Jon Aurtenexte’s follow-up shot deflected inches wide with Friedel just having to watch it go past his left hand post.

We should have put the game beyond doubt however, with 20 minutes remaining, when Lennon danced through the defence and was adjudged to be upended by David Lopez in the box, even though no contact was actually made.  Kranjcar stepped up to take the penalty but hit it straight at Iraizoz.

Spurs were now in control of the game and were creating opportunities.  Kranjcar and Bale came close to adding to the score in the minutes that followed – the latter volleying wide from the edge of the box after Crouch’s knock-down from a Assou-Ekottu cross and the Croatian showing great close control to beat a couple of men in the box before being foiled again by the goalkeeper.

Llorente put a header over on the stretch at the other end in response but the second half performance alone made us deserving winners.

The result and second half display were both perfect for us to take some confidence into next weeks game.  I thought Kaboul and Walker both showed enough to be starters next week and great to see Crouch and Defoe both scoring and showing glimpses of their old partnership.

Overall we have had a solid pre-season and have a settled squad.  It’s a shame we still have no first team acquisitions going into the start of the campaign but with Modric still at the club, I believe we have a great season ahead to look forward and I, for one, can’t wait for it to start next week.

COYS

Rob Handworker

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Europa Cup Qualifying Round Draw News

August 5th, 2011 Posted in Articles, Europa League
Aug, 05 2011
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This morning was the draw for the qualifying round of the Europa Cup.  A two legged affair, that if we win, we go forward into the the group stages of the competition.

This time last year we were all excited about who we would be drawn against in the Champion League qualifying round but this competition is a real chance for glory.

We qualified for the play-offs automatically and have been drawn against Heart of Midlothian.   We will travel to Edinburgh for the first leg on August 18th, with the return leg at White Hart Lane a week later.  Drawing Hearts has helped the travelling situation immensely as we have avoided seemingly trickier ties against Spartak Moscow and Trabzonspor.

The game after the first leg is Manchester Utd at Old Trafford on Monday 22nd, 8pm kick-off, with Manchester City at home on the 28th after the second leg, 1.30pm kick off.

It will be the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides and whilst we shouldn’t take them lightly (they finished 3rd last year in the Scottish Premier League), we should progress without too many problems. Famous last words!

COYS

Rob Handworker

 

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Move over Redknapp, there’s a new Harry in town!

August 2nd, 2011 Posted in Articles
Aug, 02 2011
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Harry Edward Kane to be precise and whilst he won’t be our new manager, he has a very good chance of being a super star for us in the very near future.

The 6ft, just turned 18 year old forward from Walthamstow has all the attributes of the first class striker that we are dying out for. He is big and strong, can hold his own, has speed and certainly knows where the goal is. He is also intelligent and can drop a bit deeper and link up the play as well. I know from people who have seen him playing live (Stuart being one of them) that he is in the Wayne Rooney/Robbie Keane mould. This kid has scored goals at whatever level he has played.

Kane’s career started in the Tottenham youth system in 2008. He made 22 appearances for Tottenham U18s during the 2009–2010 season, scoring 18 goals.He was also named on the first-team bench on two occasions but didn’t get onto the pitch.

He has played for the England Under17′s (3 appearances, 2 goals) and Under 19′s (5 appearances, 6 goals) already.

In the January transfer window he went on loan to League 1 side Leyton Orient and showed in the 18 appearances for them (9 starts and 9 substitute) just how classy he is. Many O’s fans were trying to get Barry Hearn to sign him permanently or get him back on loan for the upcoming campaign, as they hold him in such high regard. He scored 5 goals for them during his loan period.

Unfortunately for the Orient fans, Spurs hold him in a very high regard as well, as his biography on the official website says:

“Playing just behind a central striker, Harry made a huge impact during his first full season in our Academy, establishing himself as one of the most highly-rated young players at the club.”

Spurs’ Under-18 coach Alex Inglethorpe also stated on the club’s website after Harry got called up for England duty:

“It’s fantastic for the academy and Harry that he’s been recognised in this way. He’s a lovely lad, a terrific young player with a great work ethic and one who will keep on improving.”

Apparently he is also renowned for being a dead ball specialist as well and scored a fair few goals last season from them. Another string to the young man’s bow as he fights his way up the footballing ladder.

He has taken a very active part in our pre-season preparations, with playing, scoring and impressing at both Barnet and MK Dons as well as featuring in the match at Leyton Orient. They were all for a Spurs XI side.

Is Harry Kane ready for first team duties? Well it would be a massive risk but other 18 year old have done it in recent times and prospered. Will Spurs do it? Most certainly not. Mr Redknapp is not the sort to bring through young talent and take risks as he thinks too much of his reputation. I hope he gets a lot of opportunities this season but these will probably be mainly in the cups unless we get a whole host of injuries.

One thing for sure though, our gangster sounding striker is certainly a gem and what with Danny Rose, Kyle Walker, Tom Carroll and Andros Townsend the future is rosey at the Lane.

COYS

Rob Handworker

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Redknapp gets his excuses in before a ball is kicked?

August 1st, 2011 Posted in Articles
Aug, 01 2011
17 Comments »

With less than two weeks until the Premier League season kicks off, Spurs are still to make their big move in the transfer market. I hope Brad Friedel doesn’t read this, but if he is our big play then I’m sure we’re in for a long, hard fight for mediocrity this year. That a striker remains Spurs top priority is no secret. Its only been the priority for the past three transfer windows. With Mirko Vucinic signing for Juventus, another ‘supposed’ target has fallen by the way side. This leaves an ever dwindling number of likely candidates for us to pick from.

With that in mind, most Spurs fans probably didn’t want to wake up to this mornings latest Harry Redknapp interview. Surprisingly this one wasn’t for Sky Sports, The Telegraph being his organ of choice this time to get his message out there.

These are the quotes from the article which I’m sure you’ve all seen by now:

”Fergie [Sir Alex Ferguson] has come out and said there are five teams in it,” said Redknapp. “He didn’t mention Tottenham. He stuck Liverpool in there this year. And probably, with what Liverpool have brought in, at the moment it’s looking that way.”

”You’re looking to be a top-four team and it’s difficult. We can’t pay the wages that those clubs pay. We pay good wages but some of the other clubs have gone crazy haven’t they?”

“The top players are massive money. How do you compete with the Man Citys of this world?”

“It’s like when you’re a kid and they give you the most improved player of the year award? You’re useless,” said Redknapp.

Firstly I’m sure any kid who got the ‘Most Improved’ award for their school/club this summer has spent the whole day asking mummy and daddy if they really are ‘useless’ but more importantly what does this all mean for Spurs?

In all honesty there is little to be argued with what he has actually said, most reasonable and level headed Spurs fans must surely realise that it is going to be very difficult for us to get back to the Champions League places. Liverpool stormed into Europa League contention on the back of their January sales splash and the inevitable tide of emotion that accompanied Dalglish’s return. They have continued their ambitious spending, whilst some of it may seem misguided, it should be remembered that Damien Commolli is the driving force of it. When he was at Spurs he was criticised for over spending on young talent, yet many of those players have made the grade and are seen as essential parts of the Spurs squad. I’d suggest it’s far too early to judge how well they can do, but if they were to add a centreback and left back they would be extremely dangerous. Across Lancashire, both Manchester clubs have shown intent in the transfer market and looked ominously good in pre-season, they will for me make up the top two this season. Closer to home our two biggest rivals have gaps in their squads to fill but will still be challenging at the top this season. Arsenal may yet lose their captain and heartbeat, Fabregas, but Wenger has coped with the loss of big names before and still kept his club fighting for the big prize. In Gervinho they have also signed a livewire attacking force who already appears to be linking well with Van Persie, that does not bode well for any defence. Over in West London, Chelsea now have one of the games finest young managers in Andres Villas Boas. He may have lost Michael Essien for much of the season and still need a playmaker (ours isn’t for sale) but with the quality already at his disposal they are still going to be a very tough team to beat.

With all that considered, it clearly is going to be difficult. Our wage structure is no secret either, it’s held us back for a number of years, but at the same time allowed us to be a profitable and sensibly run club that has very little fear of doing a ‘Leeds’ or a ‘Portsmouth’.

So why does it bother so many Spurs fans when the manager comes out and says what many are thinking? There are a few reasons: Considering Redknapp himself said that Spurs need to show ambition to keep Luka Modric, how does this kind of public statement help? It doesn’t. It also isn’t what we want to be telling any potential new signings. Juan Manuel Mata may be seemingly nailed on for Arsenal already, but if he wasn’t, the World Cup winner is hardly likely to swap Champions League football for, at best, sixth is he? Redknapp’s constant media presence grates as much as anything else with many now. To some it barely matters what he says, its the fact that he’s saying something, anything, AGAIN! We joke about it, but it really does seem as if his health is at risk if he doesn’t talk into a microphone or dictaphone at least once a day. An embarassing advert for Sky Sports fantasy football has not helped his case at all. In a summer when Spurs have scraped the barrel of signings, it seems a little disrespectful to have him talking about signing ‘x,y and z’. He’s clearly working from a script but I can’t have been the only one to cringe when he talks about playing ‘Huddlestone off a striker’, surely he could have asked them to change that line? That’s beside the point though, would you see Ferguson, Wenger or Dalglish do that? For those struggling, the answers ‘no’.

With Redknapp’s faithful assistant, Kevin Bond also talking in the press today, this time about ‘Modric having a price’, it appears that instead of the club, it is the manager who runs our media policy.

This is a huge problem. Daniel Levy and other senior figures have all stayed resolutely ‘on message’ over Modric and transfer policy. That the manager and his assistant are punting their own message points to a club divided with no direction. Levy has always impressed those within the football world with his astute running of Spurs, the current disastrous media/PR campaign is certainly not typical of Levy’s rein at the club. George Graham in fact was sacked for speaking out over transfer policy when ENIC first took over. That ‘The man in the raincoat’ was never welcomed by the fans undoubtedly made this easier but one must wonder how much longer Levy can put up with the red tops favourite rent-a-quote manager. I’m not alone in wishing that the club would get a grip on the manager and his media-whore ways.

Going back to today’s statement from Redknapp, there are a few theories as to what he’s trying to achieve. One being that he is sensibly lowering expectations, in the hope of exceeding them and claiming more glory. Another theory is that he’s trying to force Levy’s hand in the transfer market, though the fact that we still have to offload overpaid average players surely precludes that. The final theory is that Redknapp has realized that he’s been found out at this level and is making his excuses before we’ve even kicked a ball in anger. That he still has eyes on the England job after Capello is obvious. Were he to endure a difficult season with Spurs falling further down the table, and his stock with it, that could prove tricky. Unless of course he’s already told us how hard it will be.

As we approach a massive season it must be hoped that the manager can start to focus on his job. If he’s reading this and needs a reminder, that job is managing our team, whilst not spilling his guts to the press every day or making sure he’s got Rooney in his fantasy football team.

If he can’t do that and performances on the pitch do not meet Levy’s standards, it won’t be long before the chairmans patience wears thin. If it isn’t already.

COYS

Stuart Watts
( @Studub on Twitter )

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