Berbatov back?

[InOffMeLeftShin]

Palacios would be so exposed Chimbo.

You think? I don't think Modric/Kranjcar would do that much less defensively than Huddlestone. They would arguably work harder and keep pace better. We'd probably retain possession better (less hollywood balls) and put more pressure on the opposition.

It is easy to say having Modric in the centre would leave us exposed, but in all honesty I think he reads the game that much better than Huddlestone there would be little difference.

 

[Luka Lennon]

You think? I don't think Modric/Kranjcar would do that much less defensively than Huddlestone. They would arguably work harder and keep pace better. We'd probably retain possession better (less hollywood balls) and put more pressure on the opposition.

It is easy to say having Modric in the centre would leave us exposed, but in all honesty I think he reads the game that much better than Huddlestone there would be little difference.

My biggest concern with Modric in the center would be he couldn't really play his natural game. Modric at his best floats around pulling defences apart popping up everywhere. If he played centrally he'd need to play a far more disciplined game than he's used to playing for us and I'm not sure he has enough physical presence to play that disciplined a role.

But on the flip side a midfield of

Kranjcar Modric Palacios Lennon

could be deadly if Modric and Kranjcar swapped positions through out meaning they could both float about abit taking turns. One thing is for sure it would be very interesting to see how it panned out. Hudd though for me is on the verge of becoming a very good player for us and the more he plays the better his decision making will become. Very exciting times at Tottenham. :grin:

 

[BringBack_leGin]

You think? I don't think Modric/Kranjcar would do that much less defensively than Huddlestone. They would arguably work harder and keep pace better. We'd probably retain possession better (less hollywood balls) and put more pressure on the opposition.

It is easy to say having Modric in the centre would leave us exposed, but in all honesty I think he reads the game that much better than Huddlestone there would be little difference.

I agree with this completely, but then again like you I'm a bit of a purist.

 

[ultimateloner]

I don't think there is much debate over whether Modric would do better than Hudd in the middle. Modric is better at everything. However if Modric plays CM then he would sit much deeper, where he would do less damage. You might argue that there are attacking CMs in the Prem - but i don't think that is Modric's game. He doesn't have Lampard's shot or Gerrard's runs. What he does have is all-round ability. Put him anywhere in the final third and something's going to happen.

Overall i think sticking him to the wings makes us most balanced as a team. Both our flanks are now well covered, and Modric could play a cameo role in the middle if needed.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

I don't think there is much debate over whether Modric would do better than Hudd in the middle. Modric is better at everything. However if Modric plays CM then he would sit much deeper, where he would do less damage. You might argue that there are attacking CMs in the Prem - but i don't think that is Modric's game. He doesn't have Lampard's shot or Gerrard's runs. What he does have is all-round ability. Put him anywhere in the final third and something's going to happen.

Overall i think sticking him to the wings makes us most balanced as a team. Both our flanks are now well covered, and Modric could play a cameo role in the middle if needed.

I hear what you are saying and I absolutely agree that he seems most suited to playing wide in the Premiership. The problem is that we have Lennon, Kranjcar and Modric (some problem to have I know) and ideally you'd want them all playing. For me Modric is the first name on the team sheet as he gets the team playing and makes everyone else look better with his instinctive movement and his ability to link play even in tight situations.

The reason he might get a game in central midfield is for exactly that reason. I'm not sure he'd have to be that deep, certainly not for the majority of the time. He could have a limited defensive job and still be effective. What I mean by that is as long as he tracks back, puts pressure on opponents when they are trying to get the ball out of defence and makes himself readily available for the second ball then he would probably be offering something equal or greater than what we get defensively from Huddlestone.

I don't think that will limit his attacking potential particularly, it may even enhance the attacking potential of our team. If he is going to be pulling the strings throughout the middle of the park we are going to get more intelligent transition play and will probably be able to counter quicker and with less risk of giving the ball away immediately. He'd also have even more options with his passing by being able to pass both ways or into the strikers as he brings the ball forward. Being Modric he'd instinctively play it and move forward into a space ready for a return ball (the kind of thing you might see Fabregas doing for Arsenal and key to why they tick so much better when he plays). He'd basically be anchored around the position of the ball always ready to give and receive.

As far as the balance goes in the side, I simply think we'd keep the ball a bit better and prevent unneccesary pressure on us a bit more. In any case getting over run in central midfield isn't that big of an issue for us particularly. Not many teams play with particularly attacking central midfielders, most goals we concede come down the wings in open play and our backline squeezes that space pretty well anyway.

I'm not saying we should do it because especially at the moment it isn't broken so why change it, but I don't really see it as an issue. If you don't really understand what I am on about, I'm sure you could find a number of threads that I have rambled in about it in more detail.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Thing is, Modric's game may be a bit restricted if he had to go centre as he wouldn't have the same space or freedom to dribble, but as has been pointed out, our game wouldn't suffer because he does work his socks off and he does demand possession wherever he is anyway. He could do everything either Hudd or Jenas does. Therefore, it's a question of whether our left hand side could cope without him, and the answet to that is a big Niko Kranjcar shaped yes.

I guess, if you accept that Modric could play in the middle just as well if not better than Huddlestone (note, I like Huddlestone, this is just conjecture), the real question is 'what is more vital to our team, having Huddlestone in the middle or Kranjcar on the left'. Because, in my opinion anyway, Modric can play in each of those players positions better than said player, it comes down to that.

Anyway, we won't be able to find that out (if we ever do) until Lennon is fit again, but I'd love us to try, and succeed, with Lennon and Kranjcar on the wings and Modric in the middle with Palacios. I honestly think that if that worked we'd have the slickest, quickest and most exciting midfield in the league.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

Thing is, Modric's game may be a bit restricted if he had to go centre as he wouldn't have the same space or freedom to dribble, but as has been pointed out, our game wouldn't suffer because he does work his socks off and he does demand possession wherever he is anyway.

That's alright he is absolutely brilliant at finding space and even better at manipulating the ball and creating something when there isn't any space. He actually has all the abilities to cope with creating in a packed out midfield and he'd probably do it in a way where he would completely take opposition players out of the game.

I think a lot of people right off the whole idea because his stint in the centre of midfield at the beginning of last season was unsuccessful. I think it's fair to say that we are a completely different side now and he is a lot more settled.

 

[Coyboy]

What about the Double Pivot? You traitor. I think the danger of having Modric in the middle is that he may be wasted a tad. I am far from against it, in fact in principle I am in favour of it, but I think we work well as we are with two midfielders who almost rotate in going forward to join attacks and while Modric may well read the game better than Hudd- better than anyone- he isn't as good defensively in terms of tackling, which Hudd has become better and better at, and positionally to snuff out attacks.

I have never bought the lazy cliche that Modric is lightweight, he is pretty pugnacious but I am not sure he has the defensive side to his game that Huddlestone has or that playing him in the middle will not limit his attacking prowess. I would be more than happy to see it tried but I am not too worried if Kranjcar misses out, it's a squad game and Lennon and Modric seem susceptible to niggly injuries. Bringing either off the bench is a great asset to have.

In practice everyone knows we don't play Modric on the wing. We have Palacios and Huddlestone behind him, Modric drifts in to dictate play and Lennon an orthodox winger. It works well if it does as a by product deter BAE from going forward which is a shame given his crossing skills.

 

[Raxscallion]

In some ways, the formal position of our midfielders is irrelevant anyway. One of the joys of watching Spurs this season has been the constant swapping of position amongst our midfield four. They take responsibility for a certain area of the pitch by default of course, but Mods playing on the left wing doesn't preclude him creating in the middle.

 

[michaelden]

The story was that Keane refused to train and demanded a move to Livers when he heard the offer was in.

 

[michaelden]

--------------Gomes--------------
Corluka---Woody---Bassong-- -BAE
------Palacious-------Hudd---------
Lennon-------Modric-------Krancjar
--------------Berbs---------------

:hump:

 

[StartingPrice]

The story was that Keane refused to train and demanded a move to Livers when he heard the offer was in.

I have never heard this, and will adjust my opinion accordingly if it verified.

Can you provide verification? - Because the stories about Berbs are so well known that I am amazed none of Keane's many detractors have ever mentioned it, especially when his behaviour was compared favourably to Berbs.

 

[Dougal]

I have never heard this, and will adjust my opinion accordingly if it verified.

Can you provide verification? - Because the stories about Berbs are so well known that I am amazed none of Keane's many detractors have ever mentioned it, especially when his behaviour was compared favourably to Berbs.

'ITK' followed the Levy statement. Some applied it to Keane, some to Berbatov. Some to both.

'However, when a player's head is turned and their commitment is absent, particularly when they occupy key positions such as that of striker, they become a negative influence in a team dressing room in which they were once a positive addition and influence. This is the situation we now have on our hands, with both Dimitar and Robbie having made it clear that they wish to leave for Manchester Utd and Liverpool respectively.'

Pick your ITK, pick your story.

33,000 up

 

[Kendall]

--------------Gomes--------------
Corluka---Woody---Bassong-- -BAE
------Palacious-------Hudd---------
Lennon-------Modric-------Krancjar
--------------Berbs---------------

:hump:

Replace Hudd with Carrick and Bassong with King and thats a title challenging side.

 

[StartingPrice]

'ITK' followed the Levy statement. Some applied it to Keane, some to Berbatov. Some to both.

'However, when a player's head is turned and their commitment is absent, particularly when they occupy key positions such as that of striker, they become a negative influence in a team dressing room in which they were once a positive addition and influence. This is the situation we now have on our hands, with both Dimitar and Robbie having made it clear that they wish to leave for Manchester Utd and Liverpool respectively.'

Pick your ITK, pick your story.

Thanks D., but that is not quite what I was thinking. When I think of Berbs I am specifically thinking of the fact that after Keane had leeft he refused to play - although we have no definitive proof of this, it is common knowledge. The fact that Levy said both players had expressed themselves in favour of moves to Liverpool and United, and that Levy had then said this had a negative impact on the dressing room, is not the same thing at all. Keane was asked if he wanted the move to happen and, given his age, the status (CL) of the club involved and the fact that it was his boyhood club, I can understand his decision, though it was a bit disappoionting. Berbs, on the other, refused to play at a time when the Purple Nosed Rogue was attempting to undercut us by over £10 million, and could have forced us to accept this deflationary price. That is disrespecful in the extreme. If it is proven that Keane refused to train I would view his behaviour more dimly (though still not as a bad as The Bulgar). I wasa little surprised, though, because I thought the offer and the move happened during the summer break:shrug: So, did he definitively, with proof, please, refuse to train or not?

 

[Dougal]

Thanks D., but that is not quite what I was thinking. When I think of Berbs I am specifically thinking of the fact that after Keane had leeft he refused to play - although we have no definitive proof of this, it is common knowledge. The fact that Levy said both players had expressed themselves in favour of moves to Liverpool and United, and that Levy had then said this had a negative impact on the dressing room, is not the same thing at all. Keane was asked if he wanted the move to happen and, given his age, the status (CL) of the club involved and the fact that it was his boyhood club, I can understand his decision, though it was a bit disappoionting. Berbs, on the other, refused to play at a time when the Purple Nosed Rogue was attempting to undercut us by over £10 million, and could have forced us to accept this deflationary price. That is disrespecful in the extreme. If it is proven that Keane refused to train I would view his behaviour more dimly (though still not as a bad as The Bulgar). I wasa little surprised, though, because I thought the offer and the move happened during the summer break:shrug: So, did he definitively, with proof, please, refuse to train or not?

What I meant to say was there can be no proof, just the usual hearsay. There was the story that Berbatov refused to come on as sub against Newcastle when Jol asked him. I assumed that was what the strike talk was about but only the people involved and the 'ITK' know for sure and they obviously pass on their 'ITK' without agenda as you know

 

[StartingPrice]

What I meant to say was there can be no proof, just the usual hearsay. There was the story that Berbatov refused to come on as sub against Newcastle when Jol asked him. I assumed that was what the strike talk was about but only the people involved and the 'ITK' know for sure and they obviously pass on their 'ITK' without agenda as you know

Thanks again D. But that is my point.

With Berba there was a definitive story (still, a story, I know), about the Newcastle game, which we all know and accept to be a verified 'story' (even if a story that cannot be 'proven) - to make a subtle difference.
With Keane, I have never heard of a story that he refused to train and demanded to be off; therefore what I was asking of Michaelden (I think that's his user name) was some kind of verification that this 'story' is in common knowledge, (notthat it is a story that has been proven to be true in some legal sense). Because, as I said, we all know the story (unprovable) about Berba, but I have never heard this about Keane, and it seems strange to me that the anti-Keane brigaade should never have mentioned it when the pro-Keane mob (which includes me) states that Berba's actions were far worse as he refused to play, whereas Keane never did anything remotely like that. Refusing to train and demanding a move is kinda like that, so why have I never heard it? I have heard the Levy statement that the players wanted the respective moves to happen, and that the dressing room had been affected (not specifying who or in which way). But that, still, is different from 'refusing to train and demanding a move'.

So, again, can the poster provide any evidence that this claim isn't something invented by his (or her) self spontaneously, and is actually comon knowledge:shrug:

 

[TopSpurMan]

But has he really? He has performed well below par for a player that cost 30 milion quid imo.

that is an interesting point in that i'd hate to say what any player that cost 30m would have to do for me to consider him value for the club. quite frankly i'd not want to think think that about any bloke

 

[Bonjour]

For £30million, I'd expect blowjobs for the entire shelf side.

 

[Jon Shelfside]

Man U have left him out of the squad for todays game at Birmingham.

I would have him back.