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Good Week/Bad Week

Krafty

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2004
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2,099
Back after a week’s holiday/hiding, we start with a Frenchman and end with a frog.

Good Week

Hugo Lloris

His selection for the derby with Woolwich showed he is now firmly number 1, and his performance both in Rome and against West Ham cemented his position. Against Lazio he produced a few very good saves that kept us in the game, was extremely alert of his line, and earned the credit that this column has stated every keeper needs for when they do make an inevitable error.

On Sunday Lloris didn’t have that much to do but what he did have he dealt with very well. Very quick off his line, pleasingly commanding in the air, and a blossoming relationship with the fans. Everything is coming up roses for Hugo, and there is the added bonus that Deschamps will now only say nice things about the club (and maybe pick Younes more often).

Tom Carroll

Started in the hostile Stadio Olimpico, played a delightful through ball for Bale’s goal that was wrongly ruled out, and despite appearances he was not out muscled or out fought.

Making match day squads consistently, the little man is moving from promising youngster to credible option for any and all games.

Jermaine Defoe

Two more goals for JD, shutting up the Hammers fans who had given him stick ever since he left their club. The first was extremely well taken, with Defoe showing great strength to get past two men in a tight situation, although his finish did seem to fall into the category of ‘smack the leather off the bloody thing’. Just with Adebayor looked to be back as the main man JD has come in and done the business, and another goal on Wednesday will make him undroppable until Christmas.

Michael Dawson

First league start since February, Daws looked like he had never been away. Gallas has struggled recently but I wonder how much Dawson’s selection was to do with Andy Carroll as opposed to Billy G’s form.

Regardless, Dawson showed us what he can do, and added some great moments of composure to retain possession. There was the odd 50 yard switch ball that didn’t come off, but its useful to have a variety of passing to keep the opposition on their toes.

Clint Dempsey

Best game in a Spurs shirt by far, and the main reason for that is explained below, but an assist, a lovely little ball to put Lennon in for the third, and more of a goal threat. Clint looked a lot better, more like the player at Fulham, and if he can perform like that on a regular basis with the odd starring role then he will be a great option for the manager.

AVB and the Hudd-Sandro-Dempsey-Defoe rectangle

Given we played on Thursday, I’m not sure how much credit AVB should get for this, and how much was a result of West Ham’s pretty poor performance, but something clicked on Sunday.

AVB had stated we had not played 4-4-2 that much before the Maribor game, but he obviously recognised that even if he did not have two out and out strikers at his disposal, the team looked a lot happier in a formation that resembled the tried and trusted.

What was key to out good performance and to Clint Dempsey’s impressive turn was his starting position – much higher than previous, meaning when he came deeper to get on the ball he was operating between the lines of the opposition’s midfield and defence, and not falling into the clutches of the oppo’s central midfielders. With Defoe pushing on ahead and pushing West Ham back, Dempsey had more space to operate, and most importantly Sandro and Huddlestone pressed right up to the halfway line and beyond (the third goal being a prime example of how we should look to play at home).

AVB is noted for his opposition scouting, and with West Ham using Carroll as their plan A (and with no plan B) the obvious answer is to press the opposition whenever they have the ball so they cannot get their head up and hit the big man. This should be how we look to play at the Lane regardless of the opposition (give or take) and it is no surprise this tactic coincided with our best performance at the Lane this season.

Sandro was a beast yet again, and while Huddlestone struggled early on he performed better in the second half and got stuck in, at least by his usual standards.

Bad Week

Brad Friedel
As Lloris goes up, Friedel goes down. Slightly surprising he wasn’t allowed to move to Blackburn – if he had wanted to that is – as he’ll be gone in the summer one would expect, and its not like we don’t have cover in the GK position.

Emmanuel Adebayor

A reckless lunge provided yet another blip in Ade’s stop-start season. Just when it looked like he might get a run of games he does something silly, and his performance against Lazio was lazy-o. JD’s goals and Clint’s performance at the weekend will make it harder for Adebayor to come back into the starting line up.

The Society of Black Lawyers

How they must be regretting electing the attention seeking Peter Herbert as their chairman. While he threatens to report Spurs fans to the police, the FA are reporting West Ham fans for anti-Semitic chanting. In Herbert’s world we should all be locked up, while any sane person at the Lane on Sunday or Rome during the week will know who the villains and who the victims are.
 

Chris_D

Well-Known Member
Feb 24, 2007
2,652
1,278
I've just about had it with the society for lawyers of one colour only who can judge everyone else's racism because they've appointed themselves. No doubt they'll be complaining about Adolf Hitler songs from the West Ham fans? I'd sooner they just crawl back under their rock.
 

onthetwo

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2006
4,583
3,407
Excellent, succinct summary.
Im thinking of renaming the Society of Black Lawyers the 'Society of out of work lawyers' which i suspect is the true reality of their situation.
 

lazarus

Well-Known Member
Sep 10, 2004
6,101
96
We called them 'Pikeys' and they said 'Adolf will be coming to get you'.

We cant chant "we'll sing what we want", calling ourselves Yids/Yiddos; then call West Ham fans a bunch of 'pikeys'!

Pot-kettle-black?

We'll loose the moral high ground with those kind of chants and we certainly can't be hypocritical by demanding West Ham get done for anti-semitism.
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2003
9,188
11,151
We called them 'Pikeys' and they said 'Adolf will be coming to get you'.

We cant chant "we'll sing what we want", calling ourselves Yids/Yiddos; then call West Ham fans a bunch of 'pikeys'!

Pot-kettle-black?

We'll loose the moral high ground with those kind of chants and we certainly can't be hypocritical by demanding West Ham get done for anti-semitism.
there lies the problem, with the FA and uefa looking to bring charges against Lazio and west ham that really does leave our arguement flawed as much as I hate to say it.
Whatever way you look at it that bloody 'erbert will no doubt be proclaiming that 'victory is his'...
 

Sweetsman

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2011
6,673
6,588
Well, Abu Hamza's been deported and so someone has to take his place. Step forward, Peter Herbert.
Another bad week for Mr Jiggins, too.
 

doom

Well-Known Member
Dec 13, 2003
2,368
1,338
very good analysis although I think the improvement in Dempsey had more to do with Dawson and Lloris pushing the backline up so there wasn't that gaping hole in the middle - probably why Sandro was so immense too. I think it was more of a 4-4-1-1 than a 4-4-2 though.
Defoe's goal was one of the best I've seen from him. He took the ball from about halfway went past 1 player twice plus 2 others (one clattered into him) and still had two in front of him before unleashing that thunderous shot
 

yid-down-under

Well-Known Member
Sep 21, 2003
3,181
4,016
Sorry doom I was supposed to agree with your thread; spot on mate.

I will have to say though, was galas rested against west ham so he could play against Suarez? We'll see on Wednesday I suppose.......
 
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