Harry and his athletes

[DC_Boy]

When Harry joined, some /many people thought he's bring in quite a few 'big, strong, fast' players

interestingly he's bought niko, almost the antithesis of 'athlete' (a 'bargain' may be the operative selling point here) - keane ditto (not the 'bargain bit' obviously and Crouch, see above (quite a long way above actually

for sure we've got in a couple of 'fairly athletic' players in jd and wp, and a definite 'athlete type' in Bassong, but overall it's not been quite what some/many expected

 

[rebrab]

Good point. I think, above all, this shows Redknapp's flexibility and eye for talent of various kinds. Whereas at Pompey he payed for cheaper, Athelete types, with more money comes the ability to buy more expensive, skilful players like the ones he has brought in at spurs.

 

[DC_Boy]

cheers rebrab - i remember how a lot of people thought that Ramos would buy a certain type of player and he didn't either

interesting how managers can be more flexible than some people think

whether harry or JR made the right choices is a different call, but they both have been surprising in their choices for many

 

[Kyras]

I think on a lower budget, you buy players to fit certain categories to form a team, where as on a larger budget, with higher aims, such as CL qualification, you need better all round footballers, as at a higher level, you need more than just one good trait.

 

[dontcallme]

I remember reading an article about Harry and Jamie Redknapp was quoted saying how his dad loves a flair player. Sure he got in big physical athletes for Portsmouth but at that level you need to be able to sometimes bully games, this never stopped him bringing in the likes of Kranjcar, Alessandro and probably a couple of others I can't think of.

It doesn't surprise me that he has gone for more technically gifted players but he needs to be sure to get the right balance.

 

[yanno]

Hi DC_Boy :grin:

The really odd thing for me is that 'Arry has always seemed to prefer athletes in the middle of the park and flair players out wide, and yet he continues to pick Huddlestone at CM.

At Pompey, he ended up with strong athletes - Papa Diop, Lassana Diarra and Muntari - in a 4-5-1, and converted the flair player, Krancjar, into a left-sided midfielder.

The season before, he did the same with Andres D'Alessandro, who'd always been a CM playmaker, but was put at LM by Redknapp.

And of couse he's pretty much always played Luka Modric at LM despite the fact that he's a CM for Croatia.

Of course Diarra is now at Real Madrid and Muntari at Inter. I have little doubt that Redknapp would sign both of them for Spurs if they were available. The biggest surprize for me is that Redknapp has not played our best two CM athletes - Palacios and JJ - together that much, often preferring Huddlestone to JJ.

 

[Coyboy]

Apart from most of the second half of the season.

 

[BerbatovandKeane]

Hi DC_Boy :grin:

The really odd thing for me is that 'Arry has always seemed to prefer athletes in the middle of the park and flair players out wide, and yet he continues to pick Huddlestone at CM.

At Pompey, he ended up with strong athletes - Papa Diop, Lassana Diarra and Muntari - in a 4-5-1, and converted the flair player, Krancjar, into a left-sided midfielder.

The season before, he did the same with Andres D'Alessandro, who'd always been a CM playmaker, but was put at LM by Redknapp.

And of couse he's pretty much always played Luka Modric at LM despite the fact that he's a CM for Croatia.

Of course Diarra is now at Real Madrid and Muntari at Inter. I have little doubt that Redknapp would sign both of them for Spurs if they were available. The biggest surprize for me is that Redknapp has not played our best two CM athletes - Palacios and JJ - together that much, often preferring Huddlestone to JJ.

I think that's more modern football, rather than anything Redknapp specific. The 'perfect' midfield has been about playmaker-destroyer-quaterback-winger for a long time. It's Kaka-Gattuso-Pirlo-Seedorf or Ljungberg-Vieria-Petit-Overmars

 

[yanno]

I think that's more modern football, rather than anything Redknapp specific. The 'perfect' midfield has been about playmaker-destroyer-quaterback-winger for a long time. It's Kaka-Gattuso-Pirlo-Seedorf or Ljungberg-Vieria-Petit-Overmars

Not really.

Redknapp had two CM playmakers at Pompey, Krancjar and Pedro Mendes, and ended up playing neither of them regularly - even when he picked three central midfielders (Diarra, Muntari and Diop). Redknapp turned Krancjar into a LM, and Pedro Mendes left for Glasgow Rangers to get playing time.

Your scum reference is totally different. Vieira and Petit were a destroyer and a holding player, Overmars and Ljunberg both had pace to burn, and were never CMs.

Milan's 4-1-2-1 is a system used by hardly any other big team - until Ancelotti became coach of Chavski.

Where there has been a change is that classic Number 10 playmakers, like D'Alessandro, Krancjar and even Arteta (who was a Xavi/Iniesta type when he a kid at Barca) now get played as wide midfielders, even though they don't have much pace.

 

[BerbatovandKeane]

Not really.

Redknapp had two CM playmakers at Pompey, Krancjar and Pedro Mendes, and ended up playing neither of them regularly - even when he picked three central midfielders (Diarra, Muntari and Diop). Redknapp turned Krancjar into a LM, and Pedro Mendes left for Glasgow Rangers to get playing time.

Your scum reference is totally different. Vieira and Petit were a destroyer and a holding player, Overmars and Ljunberg both had pace to burn, and were never CMs.

Milan's 4-1-2-1 is a system used by hardly any other big team - until Ancelotti became coach of Chavski.

Where there has been a change is that classic Number 10 playmakers, like D'Alessandro, Krancjar and even Arteta (who was a Xavi/Iniesta type when he a kid at Barca) now get played as wide midfielders, even though they don't have much pace.

Has Krancjar ever played in CM? I got the impression he's always either been a LM or a second striker. Teams haven't been able to get away with players like him in CM since the late 80s heyday of old school European playmakers. I don't think anyone would even contemplate it these days. Even Modric with his added industry hasn't been tried in CM since January.

 

[mil1lion]

And fast attacking fullbacks.

 

[yanno]

Has Krancjar ever played in CM? I got the impression he's always either been a LM or a second striker. Teams haven't been able to get away with players like him in CM since the late 80s heyday of old school European playmakers. I don't think anyone would even contemplate it these days. Even Modric with his added industry hasn't been tried in CM since January.

Yes. Kranjcar was always a CM playmaker. His dad, who was national coach, even picked him there for Croatia. Then Modric came through, and Luka became the CM playmaker. Because Redknapp was converting Niko into a LM at Pompey, Kranjcar then started playing at LM in a 4-4-2 for Croatia too.

I still believe that Luka has the burst of acceleration and tenacity to play CM for us. He'd certainly have been a much better option alongside Palacios and JJ yesterday than Huddlestone, who has neither acceleration nor tenacity....

 

[DC_Boy]

Hi yanno

I'm no expert on harry's pompey - but I do know quite a few people on various spurs boards/news now, etc, predicted a certain type of transfer policy from harry that so far hasn't materialised

so far harry's mix has done well overall for us, but obviously there are question marks too

had jj been fit at the start of the season doubtless he and wp would have played more games together than they have

overall wp has disappointed a little so far this season, but i understand the trans-atlantic travelling on top of family tragedy can't have been easy to deal with (to say the least)

 

[west indie]

good to see you back dc boy, young bale's no snail? i said in the team for arsenal thread that arry should of had a midfield of bale-jenas-palacios-bentley as bale has the ability to go past players and would of brought a bit of balance.

 

[DC_Boy]

good to see you back dc boy, young bale's no snail? i said in the team for arsenal thread that arry should of had a midfield of bale-jenas-palacios-bentley as bale has the ability to go past players and would of brought a bit of balance.

Hi WI and i agreed with your team (check the thread if you haven't - hutton and bale for corluka and hudd

but of course HR didn't buy Bale - however take the point that he maybe could play him some more

not an easy call of course

 

[tRiKS]

When harry first came in he added Palacios straight away so Arguably with Jenas, who is more an athelte than technician most weeks, he had his midfield power and pace and out wide in lennon he had massive pace. On top of that he then played his best player in a wide LM role. I think you can make a decent case to say that he has reverted to the same blueprint.

His one defensive edition has been Basssong an athelete and he made bid for Kenywene Jones before the opportuinuty for crouch came along. I would wager that if pav does go that his replacement is a powerful runner, not nessesarilty above 6ft but certainly someone that defenders would bounce off (yakubu, martins etc)

Niko Kranjcar is not an athlete but for a flair player he's very big. If harry recognised he needed more craft but didn't want to totally compromise on physique then Kranjcar offers at least an areial advantage over many opposition wingers and full backs.

Overall i don't see a great difference in his buying strategy.

 

[DC_Boy]

When harry first came in he added Palacios straight away so Arguably with Jenas, who is more an athelte than technician most weeks, he had his midfield power and pace and out wide in lennon he had massive pace. On top of that he then played his best player in a wide LM role. I think you can make a decent case to say that he has reverted to the same blueprint.

His one defensive edition has been Basssong an athelete and he made bid for Kenywene Jones before the opportuinuty for crouch came along. I would wager that if pav does go that his replacement is a powerful runner, not nessesarilty above 6ft but certainly someone that defenders would bounce off (yakubu, martins etc)

Niko Kranjcar is not an athlete but for a flair player he's very big. If harry recognised he needed more craft but didn't want to totally compromise on physique then Kranjcar offers at least an areial advantage over many opposition wingers and full backs.

Overall i don't see a great difference in his buying strategy.

fair comments triks - but crouch and keane?