Steed Malbranque...

[TheVoiceofReason]

Isn't he actually...
quite good?

I've completely changed my mind.
After my last 'Steed Malbranque' thread, I decided to take a closer look at the Frenchman, see what the fuss was all about.

...And I decided that he actually does a bit. Not a lot. But enough. More than Jenas anyway.

I was wrong.


High five, Steed?

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Probably been our most consistant player this season, which isn't bad considering he is constantly played out of position.

 

[C0YS]

Why? Why? Why?

do you always have pictures of him with a Fulham shirt,...............you can't be Simon Davies in disguise? or could you?:think:

 

[bomberH]

Up there with Keane and Bale as our best players this season.

Football First will never show exactly what he does constantly throughout a game, which is why some of our supporters and loads of other team's supporters won't appreciate exactly what he does for the cause.

He is the prime example of a 110% player (even though i hate that saying).

 

[AllSeeingEye]

Not sure if he warrants all the praise above in terms of consistency, but today he was outstanding.

Him and Lee were positive throughout the match and served the left side a treat.

Man of the match for me.

 

[Gazza123]

Best player this season in my opinion he always gives 100%.

 

[Juande_Ramos]

If Juande had a reliable player on the left wing I bet he would play Malbranque in the middle. One of the best Spurs players.

 

[SpurSince57]

I think he might. Unfortunately, since we blew the chance to sign Petrov and Bale keeps getting injured, we don't have much option but to play him wide at the moment.

 

[Juande_Ramos]

I think he might. Unfortunately, since we blew the chance to sign Petrov and Bale keeps getting injured, we don't have much option but to play him wide at the moment.

Petrov is a player who runs very fast, but is not a great footballer. Spurs can/should do much better than that if they want to challenge the top four.

 

[Bill_Oddie]

There's absolutely no doubt that Steed has been very, very good for us for some time.

My only concern is that he has always been excellent for sides in the bottom half of the league, but has (arguably, perhaps) failed to hold down his place when given opportunities in a more successful (if you can call top 7/8 successful) team. I'm sure he'll help us get up to challenging for UEFA Cup spot, but he may not be enough to actually push us over the line.

Sorry if that sounds harsh and I really can't back this up with any logic or stats. Certainly unfair given his excellent current form but thought it worth mentioning.

 

[Black]

Steeds needs to play in midfield were he is behind the strikers and have bale on the left

 

[SpurSince57]

Petrov is a player who runs very fast, but is not a great footballer. Spurs can/should do much better than that if they want to challenge the top four.

But he can whack in a quality cross. I know what you mean, I don't think he's a great footballer, he's no Ginola and still less a Cliff Jones, but we could certainly have signed him this summer, and he would equally certainly have given us more options than we have at the moment; we are reliant on a hugely promising kid who's been worryingly injury-prone so far, and Malbranque, who might be more effectively employed elsewhere.

No-one is entirely sure why we didn't sign him, but Bulgarian sources suggest it was nothing to do with doubts over his knee injury, much more that Levy offered him totally derisory terms. It was reported that he's earning silly money at City, but this seems not to be the case. :shrug:

In the end, there really aren't that many good LMs about. I can hardly see del Nido selling us Adriano!

 

[bomberH]

There's absolutely no doubt that Steed has been very, very good for us for some time.

My only concern is that he has always been excellent for sides in the bottom half of the league, but has (arguably, perhaps) failed to hold down his place when given opportunities in a more successful (if you can call top 7/8 successful) team. I'm sure he'll help us get up to challenging for UEFA Cup spot, but he may not be enough to actually push us over the line.

Sorry if that sounds harsh and I really can't back this up with any logic or stats. Certainly unfair given his excellent current form but thought it worth mentioning.

Bill my overseas friend, are we talking about the same player here? You talk about him like he's had a few clubs. I'm pretty sure Steeeeed has only played for Lyon, playing in both the Champions League and UEFA cup, and Fulham, where he was their best player by a mile.

You may be right about the whole 'pushing over the line thing' but if nothing else, he'd be a magnificent squad player. But that's doing him a disservice at the moment, because he's been brilliant for us this season.

 

[Tottenham_OZpur]

Not sure if he warrants all the praise above in terms of consistency, but today he was outstanding.

yeah I know after the Derby game where he was great he then had a poor run of games and actually got dropped by Jol or was always subbed off. So I am very surprised some people actually think he has been our best player this season so far Eek

have to say though, he has been good of late, so he deserves some praise for that :wink:

he also puts in the effort, even though I don't think he is 'top 4' quality, if all the players put in the same effort we would be better off and is a reason why I think he is liked :wink:

 

[batigol]

Well, it's late but better late than never. I'm referring to your realisation that Malbranque is actually very good in our midfield even with him being played out of position constantly.

As for people who still don't think he is one of our best player or that he isn't "top 4 quality", which I have no idea what that is about, I honestly think they haven't been watching him enough. If you mean top 4 quality being like Paul Scholes, Gerrard, Alonso, Hargreaves, Lampard or Fabregas then it's true that he isn't as good as them. Neither are JJ, Zok, Thudd, TT, and any of our other CMs unfortunately. He is definitely not poorer than Benayoun, Flamini, or Jon Obi Mikel though.

Since he has arrived, Malbranque has got his head down and worked hard, quietly, and efficiently for the team and coaches (be it Jol or Ramos). He has hardly played in his favoured position and has been willing to work his socks off wherever he has played. Granted that he took sometime to get into groove and arriving at Spurs when he was injured certainly didn't help. However, he has already scored crucial goals, created multitudes of chances, and made many of his clever tackles and interceptions in most games he played that has proven his worth to us. I say clever because unlike players like Zok/ JJ/ Thudd/ TT, when he makes a tackle or interception, he not only takes the ball away but wins it back completely which is something very hard to do as he has amazingly sticky feet. Just remember how he ran back 40 yards to stop two key counter-attacks attempted by Man C in yesterday's game and you can see his importance defensively. Besides Berbs and Keane, he is the most technically accomplished player in the squad.

He deserves alot more recognition for his work in our midfield. Matter of opinions but I think at this point, he is more crucial for us than JJ or Zok

 

[Bill_Oddie]

Bill my overseas friend, are we talking about the same player here? You talk about him like he's had a few clubs. I'm pretty sure Steeeeed has only played for Lyon, playing in both the Champions League and UEFA cup, and Fulham, where he was their best player by a mile.

You may be right about the whole 'pushing over the line thing' but if nothing else, he'd be a magnificent squad player. But that's doing him a disservice at the moment, because he's been brilliant for us this season.

Was he not at the bar-codes, too? I often wonder if I imagine him earning a reputation as a 'flat-track bully' there, which has never really left my opinion of him.

However, you're absolutely right, and I feel a bit of a swine dissing the bloke when he's produced some top performances for us, without showing any signs of the arrogance and petulance that we might have expected given his reputation at Fulham.

 

[rulocal]

Up until now I think Steed has been a player that splits opinion. He certainly has with my mates. I feel he is still "tainted" by the og against Seville, which is a shame.

 

[ShadyRay]

we could certainly have signed (Petrov) this summer

I love the way you keep slipping in comments like that, daring someone to say "We wanted to sign him, but he wanted too much money so took a pay day at Man City". Then you get another chance to trot out "No, he actually only wanted £12,000 a week, but we offered him £5.50 an hour and a banana so he turned us down, and I'm ITK on this".

Was he not at the bar-codes, too?

No, he wasn't.

If you mean top 4 quality being like Paul Scholes, Gerrard, Alonso, Hargreaves, Lampard or Fabregas then it's true that he isn't as good as them. Neither are JJ, Zok, Thudd, TT, and any of our other CMs unfortunately. He is definitely not poorer than Benayoun, Flamini, or Jon Obi Mikel though.

Bad example. I don't know if you've seen much of Arsenal this season, but he's been fucking awesome.

 

[Bill_Oddie]

He didn't? Shit. In which case, I feel rather daft. Who the hell am I thinking of? Patrick Kluivert possibly. I...errr...always get those 2 confused

I'd apologise to everyone but you're all a bunch of prats, so I'll save it for if ever I meet Steed himself.

 

[fozzi44]

If Juande had a reliable player on the left wing I bet he would play Malbranque in the middle. One of the best Spurs players.

so would I. Really think a left winger is essential in Jan or the Summer, it would really balace the team out.