will van der vaart be a certain starter, and at who's expense?

[handsomecake]

well?:shrug:

first name on the team sheet for me

 

[brett.spurs]

One of the strikers for me.

 

[hughy]

Yup, a striker. No way is he first name on the team sheet though, considering he's never even played a game in English football.

 

[klinnical]

One of the strikers or BAE if Bale is pushed to LB

 

[Kendall]

One of the strikers and a change of formation for me too. I think Bale will finally move to left back nigh on permanently to accomodate this.

 

[coldasice199]

definatly be first team.

I reckon one of the strikers or ekotto to be most worried. Most likely one of the strikers.

 

[fazza]

Palacios for me, Huddlestone has come on to much lately and Palacios is spending more time on the bench now. Unless we move to 4-2-3-1, then Probably dare I say it Defoe. You'd need a tall guy that can hold the ball up in that formation and only Crouch can do that currently, kind of anyway.

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

It does look like we might change formation to the 4-5-1/4-3-3 deal.

If not it could be at either Palacios/Ekotto's expense.

 

[mil1lion]

Gomes, King, Bale, Modric and VDV are 1st choice for me if on form and fit.

 

[ethanedwards]

One of the strikers for me.

Agree. Heard a Dutch jouno on the radio, stated VDV's favoured psition is playing behind the striker, but he can adapt to various formations.

 

[C0YS]

one of the strikers, and Fazza I think Defoe is largely underrated at holding up the ball.

And formation of 4-4-1-1

 

[THOWIG]

VDV or Kranjcar behind Crouch for me. With Defoe being another option and Keane and Pavlyuchenko having a nice relaxing few months until January.

 

[Spurger King]

Gomes, King, Bale, Modric and VDV are 1st choice for me if on form and fit.

If on form and fit I'd add Lennon to that as well.

 

[NickHSpurs]

This paves the way for Bale to become the left back Harry has said he wants him to be.

Ekotto will be dropped, Modric LM with Hudd and VDV in the middle.

Anyone who suggests dropping Huddlestone needs shooting!

 

[nferno]

bae definately. we are not gonna abandon 4-4-2 (as much as i prefer 4-3-3) and Bale is undroppable at the moment in time.

away from home however, i agree that one of the strikers will be dropped for a liverpool style 4-5-1 where vdv does gerrards job of almost being a second cf.

 

[trifon]

i will be hugely disappointed if harry doesnt start using 4-5-1 more extensively.

also, while van der vaart is best used off the striker, he IMO in most cases needs a hard working, willing-to-link CF to get the best out of him. crouch for me it is. i'm aware of the mobility and strength issue re crouch, but i see enough movement and firepower from our wings and midfield now

 

[C-oops]

Bae has had a few dodgy moments butbthey have been through being a bit too cocky I feel. Doesn't make him a bad player that needs dropping. Are people forgetting his performance against city on the opening day? A rocket up the ass is all he needs... Bale left wing is looking unplayable so for me it would have to be a striker that's dropped with vdv playing behind a lone forward, ( probably crouch for now). Hudd and modric in the middle and Lennon right. If we played 433 then and only then would I drop bae. Move bale back and play palacios or sandro with hudd and then modric vdv and Lennon behind a forward

 

[danielneeds]

I think VDV is a lot like Lampard. Not a lot of pace and not great in a 442, but if you put the right players around him, he makes those late runs into the box that are so hard to defend against, and can score with either foot.

 

[trifon]

i know it's little off topic, but i can't understand why is everybody omitting palacios? he's having a bad patch, but every top team needs a hard worker and runner in midfield. we hae our runners (palacios, jenas) and holders (huddlestone, hope sandro fits in well) and we should use them properly

 

[Welshiespursboyo]

Palacios is a good player. But we now have an abundance of midfielders and I think the players we have will mean palacios is relegated to the bench.