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Rose tinted glasses

Frozen_Waffles

Well-Known Member
Jan 26, 2005
3,760
9,505
I remember a time when a stale, stagnant Spurs team under AVB slowly started to crumple and lose its edge and tenacity. It happened to coincide with the injury of a young attacking left back that at the time was highly criticised by his own fans.

Fast forward a few years and now we see a completely different more talented Spurs team stagnating a little again. We have recovered and put in a strong performance against Fulham due to some, what I can only imagine strong words from the manager. Of course two losses out of three is not a disaster, but the manner of each of the defeats has been sobering. Words could be used to describe certain players, individual mistakes, but for my eyes we have missed a driving force, an edge and a captain.

Few would see Danny Rose as captain material, perhaps he is seen as a little too reckless at times, a bit too aggressive and not the type to scream at others on the pitch. However in my eyes he is the ideal captain for Tottenham Hotspur. He is overly aggressive in the tackle, every winger who has ever faced him as received a clattering of some sort and more often than not a fairish one. My belief is that other Spurs players are inspired by this, they see a bit of reaction from opposing players and It drives the emotions up, it gives them the drive and the tenacity needed to win games. It gives the crowd an edge and as such the players.

It’s not just in his tackling, but his wing play he has excited as well. Especially in a more advanced role when Spurs play three at the back he has attacked with pace flair and driving runs, something that very few other Spurs players do.

In a recent interview he confessed to being a “managers pet”, always in the office of the manager discussing ways to improve and become a better player and tactics. This way of thinking would seem to be working as he has now clearly established himself as the best left back in the country, albeit with little competition.

Saying that our players lack motivation is a strange thing with such a young team, and I think this is not the case. However our slow build up at times is probably the cause of most of our problems. It makes the crowd nervous if we are not on our game and the players show little cause to excite, our attacking players are always facing an organised deep defence as we give them plenty of time to prepare. We also do not have the players to go at defenders, except our fullbacks.

This is where the 352 comes in handy, it gives our full backs license to be wingers and in doing so we have width and we are no longer a one dimensional team. With two players running at defenders and putting crosses in we are suddenly a different team. Even if the team is not playing too well and moving it slow, all you need is a few marauding runs and a few crosses and the fans and players can be reinvigorated. However with a 352 you have to have the full backs or wingers to do it, few teams do. Without Danny Rose we cannot do it or we would struggle. Luckily we have a great replacement on the right, but although I rate Davies as a defender he is not a wing back.

As we have seen if we lose Kane for a period of time we are in trouble, but I would say Rose is as valuable as Kane, he is not just an excellent player but a driving force for the team and from everything I hear an ideal role model for younger players.

There is one thing that should be mentioned here, Danny Rose is still improving. Let that sink in, he is the best in England and up there in Europe but he is still getting better, attacking wise I think he will begin to show us more and more and we could see a winger who turned to a full back who then turned in to a winger again.

Players do not become this good over night, he has been years in the making. We need to remember these players take time, they don’t all peak at 20 and those that do are not always still so amazing at 25. I would even go as far as to say that age does not matter and it is all down to attitude. That’s why Poch is the best manager we have had in a long time, he rates players on attitude and work rate, not only on current ability.

On ability Danny Rose is the best in the league in his position, on attitude; what other player spends hours in the manager’s office talking tactics. Work rate, well I would be surprised if anyone actually does more average sprints in a game than Rose.

He is the most vital player who in my eyes gives us passion. Eriksen may give the composure, Kane the goals, Dele the flair but I think he gives us the heart.

Hopefully he gets back soon; because I fear without him things could slip away from us this season.
 

dannythomas

Well-Known Member
May 17, 2004
3,757
2,813
Nice post. Some players' importance is only evident when they are not available. I 'm not sure when Rose is back but it can't come soon enough.
 

JimmyG2

SC Supporter
Dec 7, 2006
15,014
20,779
Some players are inhibited by being made captain
and others thrive on it.
I suspect it will cramp his style.
Someone else is needed to contain his enthusiasm and attitude.

Love this boy.
 

Tiberius Gracchus

Well-Known Member
Jan 22, 2004
746
1,822
Would be my favourite player if it wasn't for Kane. I chuckle to think about all those years I was slagging him off, saying he was clumsy, made stupid mistakes and would never come good (not that he'd care about my opinion, of course!) - but it goes to show how little fans like me really appreciate the game. I say that as someone who goes to 10 or 12 games a season

In a similar vein I was also highly dismissive of Kane and Walker.

But at least I'm consistently wrong - I also tipped Rohan Ricketts, Dorian Dervitte and Dean Marney to become all-time Spurs greats... So I no longer trust my own judgement!
 

18Klinsmann

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2005
1,254
494
Well, I've had a soft spot for Danny ever since that "memorable strike" on his debut, which is one of my fondest Spurs memories. Currently he is, as you say, one of our most important players and has the potential to become a real Spurs legend. Without him we are just not the same team.
 

Bilko

Well-Known Member
Jul 21, 2004
951
614
He is one of our most consistent players- always fighting where others dissappear
 

diamondlight

Well-Known Member
Nov 16, 2006
1,263
1,326
I chuckle to think about all those years I was slagging him off, saying he was clumsy, made stupid mistakes and would never come good (not that he'd care about my opinion, of course!) - but it goes to show how little fans like me really appreciate the game.
I knew he'd come good. That goes to show what a huge amount I know about the game.
 

diamondlight

Well-Known Member
Nov 16, 2006
1,263
1,326
Well, I've had a soft spot for Danny ever since that "memorable strike" on his debut, which is one of my fondest Spurs memories. Currently he is, as you say, one of our most important players and has the potential to become a real Spurs legend. Without him we are just not the same team.

Despite its relative insignificance in the grand scheme of things, that's probably my favourite ever Spurs goal. A sweeter strike you'll never see.
 
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