- May 26, 2004
- 4,794
- 2,135
Good Week
Clint Dempsey
I don’t know exactly what he does, but Clint seems to turn up on the big stage.
Maybe he lulls the opposition into a false sense of security, they forget he is on the pitch, then bang!! He strikes. He has shown that he isn’t really a midfielder – he others very little outside the box, and while he is game I don’t think he is going to bust a nut covering for a his full back. As a result, I think the only two positions he can play are second striker up top, or coming in off that left flank in a forward three.
He won’t win over many fans and ultimately you want a better player in the starting XI, but he’s scored three against the top two sides in the country, so he must be doing something right!
Tom Huddlestone
I’m a fan of the Hudd, I think his passing ability is fantastic and through a lack of opportunity/belief from some managers, as well as some arsing around from Tom himself, the big man has yet to make the most of his undoubted ability. However, Sunday gave another recent example of what Hudd can offer.
We’ll talk about the changes later, but Tom is really suited to the system we employed in the final half hour against City. As one of three in the middle, Tom won’t get isolated or be pulled around the pitch too much. He can’t be easily marked because there are two other midfielders who are operating nearer the opposition’s goal and are a more worrying threat, and with the two full backs really the only ones offering width Tom gets plenty of opportunity to switch the play. As much as a better pressing system helped, Tom’s ability to move the play quickly from one side to another to work open the opposition was a fundamental building block for our comeback. Suddenly City looked exposed, tired, and disorganised.
Is it enough to earn a start on Saturday? That’s the big question, and it must be remembered that a player of Tom’s style will look better against tired opponents, with space opening up as it does towards the end of the game, when his side is on top. On the flip side his passing is badly needed in this side, especially with only full backs offering width, and Tom hasn’t looked too bad physically.
If AVB wants us to dominate Wigan, than Tom has to play.
Andre Villas-Boas
Speaking of whom, the manager deserves great credit for the tactical and personnel switch. They were integral to winning the game, although the thought naturally occurs that if he was so smart why didn’t he line up that way? Regardless, plan A wasn’t working, but plan B did, and the gaffer deserves credit.
Gareth Bale
Rushed back, struggled in the first half, but picked up a goal and an assist. Big players have big moments even when they are not playing well, and it’s a reassuring sign that even on a poor day Bale still delivers when he gets the opportunity.
Jon Obika
Another late winner. He’ll hope to start a game and score, hopefully setting him up for something next season.
Jermain Defoe
Back with a bang. If fit enough, will probably start at the weekend, and probably for the remainder of our games this season, more because the alternative is...
Bad Week
Emmanuel Adebayor
Now, I didn’t think Adebayor was doing that badly. I wasn’t going to include him on the list but when even the MotD panel are calling him out, I had to think again.
And that’s when it hit me. I didn’t think Adebayor had done badly because, for him this season, it wasn’t that bad. He chased after a few defenders, one a couple of headers, sort of got in the box. We’ve seen plenty of poorer performances from Manu, but it’s a sign of how crap he has been this season that basically looking like a more athletic Grzegorz Rasiak is above par.
Personally, my mind is already made up on the guy, he could score a hattrick per game for the rest of the season and I’d still want to move him on in the summer, but now the pundits are on his back and it will be near impossible for him to change their minds on him.
Scott Parker
Same as last week really – if Parker isn’t offering defensive solidity from midfield, then you might as well swap him for someone who can pass the ball.
It’s his lack of positional discipline that really worries me. He vacates the central area far too easily, and with Dembele looking to work off his midfield partner rather than be the one who ‘takes a stand’, so to speak, it leaves the middle of the park wide open, and City ran riot at times in the first half.
No doubt Parker could be helped by Dembele covering him, but really we don’t want Moussa sat in front of the defence while Parker hares forward, it should be the other way round. Given Parker is so lacking in attacking skill, and isn’t inclined to sit in central midfield, I’m not sure he really offers too much of what AVB is looking for. Unless Parker or his instructions change, I wonder if there are not better options elsewhere.
Dean Parrett
Missed him off last week, I was disappointed that Deano’s loan spell at Swindon was cut short. Well hyped when he joined from QPR, Parrett hasn’t enjoyed the loan system in the same way Townsend, Caulker, Walker and even Naughton have.
No doubt its difficult to use the loan market properly. You want your players getting games, in their right position, playing the right way, and it can be arguable that a player would not learn more staying at Spurs rather than playing long ball, ugly football against big, ugly opponents. Spurs won’t play that type of opposition most weeks, so why expose a young player to that?
But Dean is at an age where he needs first team football if he is to progress, so it is very disappointing another season has passed where that has not happened.
Clint Dempsey
I don’t know exactly what he does, but Clint seems to turn up on the big stage.
Maybe he lulls the opposition into a false sense of security, they forget he is on the pitch, then bang!! He strikes. He has shown that he isn’t really a midfielder – he others very little outside the box, and while he is game I don’t think he is going to bust a nut covering for a his full back. As a result, I think the only two positions he can play are second striker up top, or coming in off that left flank in a forward three.
He won’t win over many fans and ultimately you want a better player in the starting XI, but he’s scored three against the top two sides in the country, so he must be doing something right!
Tom Huddlestone
I’m a fan of the Hudd, I think his passing ability is fantastic and through a lack of opportunity/belief from some managers, as well as some arsing around from Tom himself, the big man has yet to make the most of his undoubted ability. However, Sunday gave another recent example of what Hudd can offer.
We’ll talk about the changes later, but Tom is really suited to the system we employed in the final half hour against City. As one of three in the middle, Tom won’t get isolated or be pulled around the pitch too much. He can’t be easily marked because there are two other midfielders who are operating nearer the opposition’s goal and are a more worrying threat, and with the two full backs really the only ones offering width Tom gets plenty of opportunity to switch the play. As much as a better pressing system helped, Tom’s ability to move the play quickly from one side to another to work open the opposition was a fundamental building block for our comeback. Suddenly City looked exposed, tired, and disorganised.
Is it enough to earn a start on Saturday? That’s the big question, and it must be remembered that a player of Tom’s style will look better against tired opponents, with space opening up as it does towards the end of the game, when his side is on top. On the flip side his passing is badly needed in this side, especially with only full backs offering width, and Tom hasn’t looked too bad physically.
If AVB wants us to dominate Wigan, than Tom has to play.
Andre Villas-Boas
Speaking of whom, the manager deserves great credit for the tactical and personnel switch. They were integral to winning the game, although the thought naturally occurs that if he was so smart why didn’t he line up that way? Regardless, plan A wasn’t working, but plan B did, and the gaffer deserves credit.
Gareth Bale
Rushed back, struggled in the first half, but picked up a goal and an assist. Big players have big moments even when they are not playing well, and it’s a reassuring sign that even on a poor day Bale still delivers when he gets the opportunity.
Jon Obika
Another late winner. He’ll hope to start a game and score, hopefully setting him up for something next season.
Jermain Defoe
Back with a bang. If fit enough, will probably start at the weekend, and probably for the remainder of our games this season, more because the alternative is...
Bad Week
Emmanuel Adebayor
Now, I didn’t think Adebayor was doing that badly. I wasn’t going to include him on the list but when even the MotD panel are calling him out, I had to think again.
And that’s when it hit me. I didn’t think Adebayor had done badly because, for him this season, it wasn’t that bad. He chased after a few defenders, one a couple of headers, sort of got in the box. We’ve seen plenty of poorer performances from Manu, but it’s a sign of how crap he has been this season that basically looking like a more athletic Grzegorz Rasiak is above par.
Personally, my mind is already made up on the guy, he could score a hattrick per game for the rest of the season and I’d still want to move him on in the summer, but now the pundits are on his back and it will be near impossible for him to change their minds on him.
Scott Parker
Same as last week really – if Parker isn’t offering defensive solidity from midfield, then you might as well swap him for someone who can pass the ball.
It’s his lack of positional discipline that really worries me. He vacates the central area far too easily, and with Dembele looking to work off his midfield partner rather than be the one who ‘takes a stand’, so to speak, it leaves the middle of the park wide open, and City ran riot at times in the first half.
No doubt Parker could be helped by Dembele covering him, but really we don’t want Moussa sat in front of the defence while Parker hares forward, it should be the other way round. Given Parker is so lacking in attacking skill, and isn’t inclined to sit in central midfield, I’m not sure he really offers too much of what AVB is looking for. Unless Parker or his instructions change, I wonder if there are not better options elsewhere.
Dean Parrett
Missed him off last week, I was disappointed that Deano’s loan spell at Swindon was cut short. Well hyped when he joined from QPR, Parrett hasn’t enjoyed the loan system in the same way Townsend, Caulker, Walker and even Naughton have.
No doubt its difficult to use the loan market properly. You want your players getting games, in their right position, playing the right way, and it can be arguable that a player would not learn more staying at Spurs rather than playing long ball, ugly football against big, ugly opponents. Spurs won’t play that type of opposition most weeks, so why expose a young player to that?
But Dean is at an age where he needs first team football if he is to progress, so it is very disappointing another season has passed where that has not happened.