- May 26, 2004
- 4,797
- 2,139
Let’s see who has enjoyed the last seven days or so and who has struggled...
Good Week
Kyle Walker
Quite a week for young Kyle. Last Sunday he picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year, this Sunday he smacks in a 25 yard free kick. My first thought was ‘wow’, second thought was ‘why hasn’t he been on free kicks before???’. Having seen the little nick off Dunn it’s not quite the world class strike we thought it was but nonetheless, even without the deflection it looked like it was going on target, which is a big step forward for our free kicks.
Sandro
The man was a beast. Coming in for Scott Parker, the Brazilian Warrior put in a master class performance, breaking up play, making tackles, distributing the ball and also crashing a shot off the bar.
His performance showed how he differs from Parker – Scotty will go haring after the ball like a greyhound chasing a rabbit, which has a positive effect on his team mates. Sandro tends to cover the defence a little better, is more physical, looks to have a better range of passing and a thunderous shot. I’m not saying he is better than Parker, but Sandro showed that Parker is not the be all and end all and Harry doesn’t need to run the Super Side Parting into the ground before giving him a rest.
Danny Rose
Alongside Sandro, Rose really stood out for me, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence they were the freshest members of the starting eleven. Rose was running hard and fast done that left channel from the very beginning and it was his surges, and Sandro’s breaking up of the play, that gave us a good tempo and got others, primarily Modric, playing well.
Again, showed that Benny doesn’t need to be run into the ground.
Caulker, Kane, Carroll...
News that Harry should be staying on next season means the young players are more likely to get game time and have a future at the club. My biggest worry with a new manager coming in was that the potential stars at the club would be overlooked as the new man seeks short term glory, and we would miss out on some quality home grown talent.
Vedran Corluka
He was right. Harry hasn’t used his squad properly, and when he is forced to two of the three best players on the pitch are brought in from the outside.
Bad Week
Harry Redknapp
With news of Hodgson being interviewed for the England job, it’s funny how Harry’s rhetoric has changed. Saturday it was ‘can’t blame Modric if he wants to leave’, Sunday night it’s ‘Bale is already at a top club’. Unless events take a drastic change, this is the best job Harry will ever have.
I wouldn’t have had any complaints if he had taken the England job if offered, no matter where we were at the end of the season, but his rent a quote style only works when he is at least giving the impression that he is doing his best for Spurs. Harry didn’t worry to say a cross word about anyone when everything he said was being scrutinised by the FA, which might make him seem a nice, caring bloke but it’s no good for a club manager. If the England job was not going to available in one year’s time (sooner as it turned out) would Harry have been so understanding with Modric wanting to move to Chelsea? Somehow I doubt it.
Gareth Bale
The Welshman’s ego has grown into a monster, and on Sunday it got a little dent as Walker received the fans adulations and the TV’s praise. The Welshman was ineffective for the most of Sunday’s game. His header that hit the bar before van der Vaart was a high point but it only went to show that the only times he should be coming off that left flank is when he is getting into the box to get on the end of crosses.
Too often he was as deep as Modric, his pretence to get on the ball and try and instigate play misguided. Bale has many qualities but not the ability to play and work the ball in tight spaces in the middle of the park, especially when his back is to goal. What he needs is space to run into, with or without the ball, and if he is going to come inside it needs to be in an advanced position so he is joining Adebayor in attack and can provide a penalty box threat – not getting narrow in midfield and congesting the space Modric and van der Vaart operate in.
Us Fans
At this rate May 19th in Munich is going to be a massive day for us. The only thing worse than missing out on the Champions League is missing out on the Champions League because Chelsea have won the bloody thing.
Good Week
Kyle Walker
Quite a week for young Kyle. Last Sunday he picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year, this Sunday he smacks in a 25 yard free kick. My first thought was ‘wow’, second thought was ‘why hasn’t he been on free kicks before???’. Having seen the little nick off Dunn it’s not quite the world class strike we thought it was but nonetheless, even without the deflection it looked like it was going on target, which is a big step forward for our free kicks.
Sandro
The man was a beast. Coming in for Scott Parker, the Brazilian Warrior put in a master class performance, breaking up play, making tackles, distributing the ball and also crashing a shot off the bar.
His performance showed how he differs from Parker – Scotty will go haring after the ball like a greyhound chasing a rabbit, which has a positive effect on his team mates. Sandro tends to cover the defence a little better, is more physical, looks to have a better range of passing and a thunderous shot. I’m not saying he is better than Parker, but Sandro showed that Parker is not the be all and end all and Harry doesn’t need to run the Super Side Parting into the ground before giving him a rest.
Danny Rose
Alongside Sandro, Rose really stood out for me, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence they were the freshest members of the starting eleven. Rose was running hard and fast done that left channel from the very beginning and it was his surges, and Sandro’s breaking up of the play, that gave us a good tempo and got others, primarily Modric, playing well.
Again, showed that Benny doesn’t need to be run into the ground.
Caulker, Kane, Carroll...
News that Harry should be staying on next season means the young players are more likely to get game time and have a future at the club. My biggest worry with a new manager coming in was that the potential stars at the club would be overlooked as the new man seeks short term glory, and we would miss out on some quality home grown talent.
Vedran Corluka
He was right. Harry hasn’t used his squad properly, and when he is forced to two of the three best players on the pitch are brought in from the outside.
Bad Week
Harry Redknapp
With news of Hodgson being interviewed for the England job, it’s funny how Harry’s rhetoric has changed. Saturday it was ‘can’t blame Modric if he wants to leave’, Sunday night it’s ‘Bale is already at a top club’. Unless events take a drastic change, this is the best job Harry will ever have.
I wouldn’t have had any complaints if he had taken the England job if offered, no matter where we were at the end of the season, but his rent a quote style only works when he is at least giving the impression that he is doing his best for Spurs. Harry didn’t worry to say a cross word about anyone when everything he said was being scrutinised by the FA, which might make him seem a nice, caring bloke but it’s no good for a club manager. If the England job was not going to available in one year’s time (sooner as it turned out) would Harry have been so understanding with Modric wanting to move to Chelsea? Somehow I doubt it.
Gareth Bale
The Welshman’s ego has grown into a monster, and on Sunday it got a little dent as Walker received the fans adulations and the TV’s praise. The Welshman was ineffective for the most of Sunday’s game. His header that hit the bar before van der Vaart was a high point but it only went to show that the only times he should be coming off that left flank is when he is getting into the box to get on the end of crosses.
Too often he was as deep as Modric, his pretence to get on the ball and try and instigate play misguided. Bale has many qualities but not the ability to play and work the ball in tight spaces in the middle of the park, especially when his back is to goal. What he needs is space to run into, with or without the ball, and if he is going to come inside it needs to be in an advanced position so he is joining Adebayor in attack and can provide a penalty box threat – not getting narrow in midfield and congesting the space Modric and van der Vaart operate in.
Us Fans
At this rate May 19th in Munich is going to be a massive day for us. The only thing worse than missing out on the Champions League is missing out on the Champions League because Chelsea have won the bloody thing.