Spurs v Celtic - Match Thread

[carrickature]

My surname's Killen. but i'm not from New Zealand.

 

[jonnyp]

I seriously have no idea where all this anti-O'hara feeling has come from, he was a firm favourite last season and I have no idea how opinions have changed on the basis of 2 wembley cup games. Maybe he is the new target now Zoko is gone.

I dunno what O'hara does so wrong. He works very hard and closes down quickly, shows great commitment. OK so he is not going to set the world alight or be the new Xavi, Gerrard, Cambiasso or Essien but he is a hard worker who always runs his socks off, he has shown he can score goals and set up goals. Also he gives us some balance on the left and some much needed bite.

This seems alot like the reaction to signing Crouch, smells of delusions of grandeur.

Jamie O'hara is still young and learning and is a damn sight better to watch in that midfield than Toda, Berti, Saib, Bunjecevic, Acimovic, Dominguez, Dozzell Clemence, Sean Davis, Etherington and damnit as much as I liked him I'd rather have him than Tainio!

O'Hara is so one-footed and technically limited it's almost embarrassing. His work-ethic is something to be admired but that's pretty much all he has going for him.

 

[Coyboy]

I seriously have no idea where all this anti-O'hara feeling has come from, he was a firm favourite last season and I have no idea how opinions have changed on the basis of 2 wembley cup games. Maybe he is the new target now Zoko is gone.

I dunno what O'hara does so wrong. He works very hard and closes down quickly, shows great commitment. OK so he is not going to set the world alight or be the new Xavi, Gerrard, Cambiasso or Essien but he is a hard worker who always runs his socks off, he has shown he can score goals and set up goals. Also he gives us some balance on the left and some much needed bite.

This seems alot like the reaction to signing Crouch, smells of delusions of grandeur.

Jamie O'hara is still young and learning and is a damn sight better to watch in that midfield than Toda, Berti, Saib, Bunjecevic, Acimovic, Dominguez, Dozzell Clemence, Sean Davis, Etherington and damnit as much as I liked him I'd rather have him than Tainio!

Exactly, he has been made a scapegoat as well as being out of position. It is because of the general, not just Spurs, dearth of left sided players that once a centre mid who happens to be left footed comes along he gets pushed out there.

I don't know how many games O'Hara has started in the centre but it is few, one of which was his excellent debut at Arsenal.

 

[Kendall]

His work rate is on the decrease for me, seems to give up easily when he loses the ball now and has zero ball retention skills.

 

[StockSpur]

that cup looks shit. could have easily been designed by a 13 year old.

like the home shirt

 

[StockSpur]

His work rate is on the decrease for me, seems to give up easily when he loses the ball now and has zero ball retention skills.

being forced out wide can do that, theres no room on the wing, hes not a winger, hes more suited to playing in the centre midfiled spot which allows more freedom to pass the ball back, forward, left or even to the right if you feel the need..

 

[StockSpur]

If I were Harry, I would have see enough over the last two games to see that a number of players just ain't good enough. If being ruthless or finding someone brave enough to buy, I would dispense of the following

O'Hara - No need to make comment, there are enough already posted
Chimbonda - Versatile, but does not excel
Keane - Past his best two season back. We're the mugs for buying him back
Pav - Can someone take that piano off his back
Bent - He's playing like he knows he gone. Put him out of his and our misery.

For a fleeting few minutes, Bostcok looks a fantastic prospect. I hope he gets his chance.

3 out of 4 recognised strikers, we are in the shit, crouch is the new messiah!!

 

[Legend10]

Personally I don't think O'Hara has enough all round game for a Premiership midfield player. However I think he could have a good career as a left back, he's good enough in possesion for this position, less of a problem for being so 1 footed, competetive and likes a tackle and has enough energy to get up and down. With some learnng time he would make a good FB for somebody.

As for the tournament the 2 big positives for me was that in Danny Rose we have a left sided player who likes to take players on. And from the little we saw I really like the look of Bostock, this boy looks a player to me. Comfortable on the ball, always looks to be positive and has some bite in his game with a sweet left foot.

The other positive was of course Naughton proved conclusively that he will be around the first team picture this season.

 

[Shanks]

If he is supposed to be a centre midfielder, then we would have been better off keeping Zokora as back up rather than O'Hara.

I am not jumping on any badwagon, or making him a scapegoat, because it is early int he season, but he doesn't have much pace, technique and his heart (which helped him out a lot), seems to have dropped.

Maybe thats down to motivation, he must know he doesn't have much hope at Spurs.. it's through no fault of his own, he just simply isn't good enough.

 

[Dundalk_Spur]

I have to agree with Shanks. I thought O'Hara was a shining light last year with the heart he showed when no-one else was. However he is very limited in his ability, and I fear he will too be on his way out.

 

[Coyboy]

If he is supposed to be a centre midfielder, then we would have been better off keeping Zokora as back up rather than O'Hara.

I am not jumping on any badwagon, or making him a scapegoat, because it is early int he season, but he doesn't have much pace, technique and his heart (which helped him out a lot), seems to have dropped.

Maybe thats down to motivation, he must know he doesn't have much hope at Spurs.. it's through no fault of his own, he just simply isn't good enough.

No he doesn't have pace and therefore struggles on the wing but to say he doesn't have good technique is just wrong. He has shown this in goals he has scored and his passing and crossing ability. He may not ever be a regular Spurs player but being played out of position- twice in one game- is not going to reveal his technique too much and he still put a few good balls in yesterday, including the one from which Modric nearly scored.

Maybe he has lost heart, I am not sure but for people to suggest that is his only asset is patronizing and just wrong. He and Zokora are different players with different motivations. We don't know the true motivations for selling but it is likely that he wanted first team football which we were unable to offer and a good offer came along from Seville.

 

[mrboombarrakoomba]

did anyone notice ledley during the game? he looked very moody. even when his son looked up on him and smiled he was very glum indeed chewing away.

 

[Shanks]

No he doesn't have pace and therefore struggles on the wing but to say he doesn't have good technique is just wrong. He has shown this in goals he has scored and his passing and crossing ability. He may not ever be a regular Spurs player but being played out of position- twice in one game- is not going to reveal his technique too much and he still put a few good balls in yesterday, including the one from which Modric nearly scored.

Maybe he has lost heart, I am not sure but for people to suggest that is his only asset is patronizing and just wrong. He and Zokora are different players with different motivations. We don't know the true motivations for selling but it is likely that he wanted first team football which we were unable to offer and a good offer came along from Seville.

He does struggle on the wing, and I already highlighted that he was much more assured at left back.

My judgement may be wrong to you, but it is not wrong to me. He has technique and talent enough to be a good footballer, but he lacks technique/pace/ability for a team that should be challenging top 6 of the premier league.

I can't argue that he wouldn't be a useful player for the squad, can pick up and do a job in midfield, and at left back (thats centre and left mid), but he will never be a starter and will probably struggle to even make the bench as even the young players that came on (Bostock/Rose), are much better equipped with better technique, pace and passing ability.

It's not patronising for me to say, it's just an observation over time, which I have made. It's not that I don't like O'Hara in anyway, he just doesn't excite me as a player, and I personally believe he lacks technique, pace and a few other attributes that would make him an asset to our team.

 

[Coyboy]

I am not saying he should be a starter for us, although he has seldom been played in the centre regularly I just think your characterisation is wrong; it's the cliched characterisation here- all heart no technique, a trier- you don't score goals like he did at West Ham or hit long range accurate passes like he does often without very good technique.

In as much as being good enough for a top six side, I wouldn't say that Nigel Reo Coker, Craig Gardner, Phil Neville, Lee Carsley, Nicky Butt or many other similar players have a better technique than O'Hara but most get or have played in the middle and not out wide. O'Hara has become a utlity player and his true talents have become concealed and his main weakness, lack of pace, has become underlined and magnified due to being played on the flank-left back and left mid.

 

[Coyboy]

did anyone notice ledley during the game? he looked very moody. even when his son looked up on him and smiled he was very glum indeed chewing away.

To be fair the camera did then switch, maybe he was pissed off that Spurs couldn't get him an extra seat for the kid of Mr. Spurs.

 

[Marty]

To be fair the camera did then switch, maybe he was pissed off that Spurs couldn't get him an extra seat for the kid of Mr. Spurs.

Or, more likely, he's just disappointed because he can't play.

 

[Shanks]

I am not saying he should be a starter for us, although he has seldom been played in the centre regularly I just think your characterisation is wrong; it's the cliched characterisation here- all heart no technique, a trier- you don't score goals like he did at West Ham or hit long range accurate passes like he does often without very good technique.

In as much as being good enough for a top six side, I wouldn't say that Nigel Reo Coker, Craig Gardner, Phil Neville, Lee Carsley, Nicky Butt or many other similar players have a better technique than O'Hara but most get or have played in the middle and not out wide. O'Hara has become a utlity player and his true talents have become concealed and his main weakness, lack of pace, has become underlined and magnified due to being played on the flank-left back and left mid.

And I would say that list, maybe bar Carsley and Gardner (Gardner, I haven't seen much of), have a much better technique than O'Hara.

It's just a matter of difference, he may be able to hit a pass on target, but he is often caught in possession due to shoddy control and doesn't hit a simple p[ass quick enough - lacking in technique.

It's no cliche, as I haven't really read any threads on O'Hara before, just what I have seen.

As for playing in his proper position, he rarely does, because he isn't good enough to get in his proper place.

 

[WhiteStripe]

And I would say that list, maybe bar Carsley and Gardner (Gardner, I haven't seen much of), have a much better technique than O'Hara.

It's just a matter of difference, he may be able to hit a pass on target, but he is often caught in possession due to shoddy control and doesn't hit a simple p[ass quick enough - lacking in technique.

It's no cliche, as I haven't really read any threads on O'Hara before, just what I have seen.

As for playing in his proper position, he rarely does, because he isn't good enough to get in his proper place.

Thats the key for me Shanks. He could get away with a lack of pace (Paul Scholes isn't the quickest of players) if he had the ability to control the ball and see a pass in the blink of an eye. Ha cannot do this and therefore often loses posiession, or passes into trouble.

If you notice, a large percentage of the goals we concede come from mistakes made by us when in posession of the ball.

 

[Coyboy]

And I would say that list, maybe bar Carsley and Gardner (Gardner, I haven't seen much of), have a much better technique than O'Hara.

It's just a matter of difference, he may be able to hit a pass on target, but he is often caught in possession due to shoddy control and doesn't hit a simple p[ass quick enough - lacking in technique.

It's no cliche, as I haven't really read any threads on O'Hara before, just what I have seen.

As for playing in his proper position, he rarely does, because he isn't good enough to get in his proper place.

You really think he has worse technique than P Neville and Reo Coker? How are those better? I admit that I have often been too harsh on Neville to tease my Evertonian bro and Dad as he does offer the team leadership and experience, as well as good positioning and consistency but in terms of passing, crossing and shooting-how he hits the ball- he is not. And Reo Coker isn't much better either.

I am not saying O'Hara should be or ever will be a regular starter for us but he does offer more than just trying. Just trying didn't claw us back into the semi against Burnley. It was his excellent crossing, mainly. As for the chicken-egg argument that he has not been played in the centre because he is not good enough, I don't think it's that simple. He has played there and done well but he is only young and so I don't think it helps him or the team to be played in positions that accentuate his weaknesses.

To be perfectly honest, it is difficult to make any assumptions off a pre season signing which I am not doing but off his sporadic appearances since December 07.

 

[Coyboy]

Or, more likely, he's just disappointed because he can't play.

You're right. I am sorry.