ShelfSide18
Well-Known Member
- Aug 23, 2006
- 8,386
- 3,122
Isn't this pretty much the same as the Huddlestone debate, where we are essentially nitpicking over our excellent players? If anything, it just shows once more the quality we have at our club.
I know for one that Daws is a fuckload better than a lot of dross I've seen at WHL in my time, as are Kaboul and Bassong. Basically whatever partnership we put out, we're in safe hands and despite being a little leaky so far this season I don't think we have much cause for concern and am confident we will shore things up very soon and follow on from the last 2 seasons where our defence has been excellent.
As for the 3 of Daws, Kaboul and Bassong I guess I'm in a minority of one in holding Seb Bassong in highest regard out of the 3. I think the guy is fantastic, and last season, our best defensive season in the Premiership, he played a huge part in that and for someone so young and inexperienced it rarely showed. I don't think he has received nearly enough credit for what he did for us last season. He was magnificent.
Kaboul, hands up from me, I never thought he'd win me over from my initial scepticism, but he's even managed to turn me into a huge fan. I just thought he was too erratic, too unpredictable and he did make me nervous, but I guess that was unfair. He has all the attributes, and a fantastic attitude to go with it, I'm sold on the guy.
Daws is an excellent defender, but I do understand BCs concerns with him, although like Huddlestone am not quite as vociferous in my criticisms of him. He is a wholehearted player, and I genuinely think that his enthusiasm on the pitch does rub off on other players, it makes them feel more assured and motivated - I speak from personal experience on this as it is players like him that I always loved playing for/with, and others say the same, I'm sure this is no different here with Daws. As a player I think he has improved a lot with his positioning, and when he's on the ball where he is a lot more confident now than he was when we first bought him. I do think he does have the occasional problem where he is a bit rash, where he misreads situations but lets be honest, this afflicts all centre backs that have ever lived. The only reason I see it as an issue, and I suspect BC too, is that they are part of a trend, that one moment in an otherwise flawless 90 minutes where he loses all composure and makes a rash lunge, or misreads the flight of the ball etc leads me to conclude that it will always hamper his game and will prevent him from becoming a really top drawer CB. Like Hudd though, you just don't finish 4th with a passenger in CB/CM for a whole season, he was fantastic last season and inspirational to the team, and when he's back in the team I'll be more than happy. I do though think that a future CB partnership of Bassong and Kaboul is a defence with everything you really need to be successful, plus the advantage of both fully functional knee cartilage and age on their side.
But as I am at pains to point out, just like with the Hudd debate, we are talking here about the pro's and con's of the best squad we've had at Spurs since sliced bread was invented. Just think if SC had been around in those pretty dull days of the 90s where we had Ruel Fox and Andy Sinton on the wings, now we have threads criticising Tom Huddlestone and Michael Dawson, that alone shows how far we've come.
I know for one that Daws is a fuckload better than a lot of dross I've seen at WHL in my time, as are Kaboul and Bassong. Basically whatever partnership we put out, we're in safe hands and despite being a little leaky so far this season I don't think we have much cause for concern and am confident we will shore things up very soon and follow on from the last 2 seasons where our defence has been excellent.
As for the 3 of Daws, Kaboul and Bassong I guess I'm in a minority of one in holding Seb Bassong in highest regard out of the 3. I think the guy is fantastic, and last season, our best defensive season in the Premiership, he played a huge part in that and for someone so young and inexperienced it rarely showed. I don't think he has received nearly enough credit for what he did for us last season. He was magnificent.
Kaboul, hands up from me, I never thought he'd win me over from my initial scepticism, but he's even managed to turn me into a huge fan. I just thought he was too erratic, too unpredictable and he did make me nervous, but I guess that was unfair. He has all the attributes, and a fantastic attitude to go with it, I'm sold on the guy.
Daws is an excellent defender, but I do understand BCs concerns with him, although like Huddlestone am not quite as vociferous in my criticisms of him. He is a wholehearted player, and I genuinely think that his enthusiasm on the pitch does rub off on other players, it makes them feel more assured and motivated - I speak from personal experience on this as it is players like him that I always loved playing for/with, and others say the same, I'm sure this is no different here with Daws. As a player I think he has improved a lot with his positioning, and when he's on the ball where he is a lot more confident now than he was when we first bought him. I do think he does have the occasional problem where he is a bit rash, where he misreads situations but lets be honest, this afflicts all centre backs that have ever lived. The only reason I see it as an issue, and I suspect BC too, is that they are part of a trend, that one moment in an otherwise flawless 90 minutes where he loses all composure and makes a rash lunge, or misreads the flight of the ball etc leads me to conclude that it will always hamper his game and will prevent him from becoming a really top drawer CB. Like Hudd though, you just don't finish 4th with a passenger in CB/CM for a whole season, he was fantastic last season and inspirational to the team, and when he's back in the team I'll be more than happy. I do though think that a future CB partnership of Bassong and Kaboul is a defence with everything you really need to be successful, plus the advantage of both fully functional knee cartilage and age on their side.
But as I am at pains to point out, just like with the Hudd debate, we are talking here about the pro's and con's of the best squad we've had at Spurs since sliced bread was invented. Just think if SC had been around in those pretty dull days of the 90s where we had Ruel Fox and Andy Sinton on the wings, now we have threads criticising Tom Huddlestone and Michael Dawson, that alone shows how far we've come.
