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Rafa van der Vaart

Kiedis

Well-Known Member
Aug 4, 2013
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8,490
Rafa was a great player, but he could have chosen to stay at Spurs and fight for his place and prove the manager wrong (as Dawson did). Instead, he opted for a club where he would be the undisputed star, while it also gave him the possibility to be closer to his (then) wife.

Not being man enough to stand by the decision and instead blaming it all on AVB along with a cheap dig at the guy strikes me as pretty weak.
 

dudu

Well-Known Member
Jan 28, 2011
5,314
11,048
Rafa was a great player, but he could have chosen to stay at Spurs and fight for his place and prove the manager wrong (as Dawson did). Instead, he opted for a club where he would be the undisputed star, while it also gave him the possibility to be closer to his (then) wife.

Not being man enough to stand by the decision and instead blaming it all on AVB along with a cheap dig at the guy strikes me as pretty weak.

He said it was his mistake and he regrets it, implying that he only really blames himself and he should have stayed on despite what AVB had said.
 

TottenhamMattSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
10,925
16,007
Rafa was a great player, but he could have chosen to stay at Spurs and fight for his place and prove the manager wrong (as Dawson did).

Not being man enough to stand by the decision and instead blaming it all on AVB along with a cheap dig at the guy strikes me as pretty weak.

I think deep down you know as well as the rest of us that:

When AVB made his mind up there was no way back for VDV. He'd hardly have played if he even made the bench. And. ..

Dawson didn't fight his way back in. He got back in because we had non stop defensive injuries all season long. He was and is a brave but technically limited defender.
 

Bing

Well-Known Member
Aug 28, 2008
1,099
1,522
Honestly one of my fav Spurs players of all time...him, Modric, Bale...what a squad.

It is sad because right now not only do we seem a million miles away from that in quality terms but the joy, passion and excitement seems to be gone as well.

Hoping Poch can turn it around but I think we really hit the sweet spot with that team and manager.
 

TottenhamMattSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
10,925
16,007
Honestly one of my fav Spurs players of all time...him, Modric, Bale...what a squad.

It is sad because right now not only do we seem a million miles away from that in quality terms but the joy, passion and excitement seems to be gone as well.

Hoping Poch can turn it around but I think we really hit the sweet spot with that team and manager.
It gets my goat when harry haters say "it wasn't all great football sometimes it was boring"
That's entirely true.
They fail to mention that it has been as dull as ditch water ever since with only the occasional moment of glory.
I know where I'd rather be
 

nicdic

Official SC Padre
Admin
May 8, 2005
41,857
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I think using this as a stick to beat AVB with is a little harsh. He even says in the article he was thinking of leaving because of personal reasons and it was being told he wouldn't be first choice that made the decision easier to make. It wasn't just AVB.
 

Kiedis

Well-Known Member
Aug 4, 2013
2,926
8,490
I think deep down you know as well as the rest of us that:

When AVB made his mind up there was no way back for VDV. He'd hardly have played if he even made the bench. And. ..

Dawson didn't fight his way back in. He got back in because we had non stop defensive injuries all season long. He was and is a brave but technically limited defender.

He got like 15 minutes like a sub in the first game and started the next League game before he was sold. It's not like he was made to train with the U21s.

Dawson started the season behind Vertonghen, Gallas, Caulker and Kaboul. During the season, he climbed the ladder and was first Choice. Kaboul being injured the entire season was a factor, but it's not like both Gallas and Caulker was injured the entire time.

But it's not really important.
 

EJWTartanSpur

SC Supporter
Jan 29, 2011
4,805
10,087
Interesting that he mentions playing the number 6. It's something I'd have at least liked to see tried. In the knowledge that his body has deteriorated and he couldn't continue to chase all over the pitch, it could've been a real possibility to withdraw him further back, cut down the amount of running he had to do and define his role into something completely different. Like a better version of Danny Murphy for Fulham. He had the first touch, the passing and vision, and despite his short legs/blowing out his arse a little, he was actually quite tigerish in closing down players and displayed some dig in doing so.

Would have been/would still be interesting to see him playing deep alongside a DM anchor and influencing the game by starting and knitting moves together without the need to constantly get forward ( and then have to try and get back ). I'd imagine he would still pop up with a goal or two in crunch situations and his penalties were always class under pressure.
 

nicdic

Official SC Padre
Admin
May 8, 2005
41,857
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Interesting that he mentions playing the number 6. It's something I'd have at least liked to see tried. In the knowledge that his body has deteriorated and he couldn't continue to chase all over the pitch, it could've been a real possibility to withdraw him further back, cut down the amount of running he had to do and define his role into something completely different. Like a better version of Danny Murphy for Fulham. He had the first touch, the passing and vision, and despite his short legs/blowing out his arse a little, he was actually quite tigerish in closing down players and displayed some dig in doing so.

Would have been/would still be interesting to see him playing deep alongside a DM anchor and influencing the game by starting and knitting moves together without the need to constantly get forward ( and then have to try and get back ). I'd imagine he would still pop up with a goal or two in crunch situations and his penalties were always class under pressure.
Talk of him playing 6 is silly, his best attributes are his finishing and knack of being in the right place at the right time in the box. You have to give him a free role off a harder working striker.
 

NEVILLEB

Well-Known Member
Nov 6, 2006
6,733
6,335
I think using this as a stick to beat AVB with is a little harsh. He even says in the article he was thinking of leaving because of personal reasons and it was being told he wouldn't be first choice that made the decision easier to make. It wasn't just AVB.

However you dress it up its abysmal judgement on AVB's part.

His job is to keep the star players happy, not persuade them to leave.

The man is a tit.
 

NEVILLEB

Well-Known Member
Nov 6, 2006
6,733
6,335
We were well on course to challenge for the title before Harry decided he was the next England manager and took his eye off the ball.

You don't think it had anything to do with Ledley King getting injured?
 

sundanceyid10

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2013
3,379
8,319
You and me both mate.
And the fact he slagged the fans off after.
The only interesting thing of note that night was that Harper was time wasting all match then a late penalty goes in and he wants to rush everything. Ball goes out for a hull goal kick and a cheeky spurs fan in the south stand wouldn't give him the ball back. He went mental.

Served the time wasting **** right.

Anyway, I digress.
Team Rafa all the way.

and when Huddlestone blasted that shot into the crowd, and Spurs started singing oh Tommy Tommy, was very amusing in an otherwise truly dreadful game of football with more sideways passing than I have ever seen.
 

Database

Active Member
Dec 17, 2014
403
612
You don't think it had anything to do with Ledley King getting injured?

Fun fact:

2011-12 P W D L Record % Goals A GA Avg
With King 21 11 4 6 61.90% 25 1.19
Without King 17 9 5 3 67.65% 16 0.94
Total Games 38 20 9 9 64.47% 41 1.08

This is a paid fact brought to you by Database.
 

nicdic

Official SC Padre
Admin
May 8, 2005
41,857
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You don't think it had anything to do with Ledley King getting injured?
No. It had everything to do with the manager concentrating more on talking himself up for England rather than actually achieving something.
 
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