Team vs Wolves

[DJS]

Parker needs to be kept for the Man City game as we're going to need to be really strong in midfield for that match.

Livermore played very well in the last game and deserves to play in this match.

Same team as Everton.

 

[robbiesavagehasbreasts]

If Lennon will be rested I'd rather see Defoe than Pienaar.

 

[Abdoujaparov]

Wolves have got a few decent players (Fletcher, Jarvis, Hennessey, O'Hara, Frimpong might come good), but they've got a terrible manager and they're playing like sh*t so it looks like the easiest game we've had in a while.

Most depends on how we approach this game though - attention seems to be drifting towards Man City already and we can't afford complacency or a lack of urgency as we try to pick their defence apart.

 

[felmani26]

For me the main thing Livermore's performance against Everton proved was that he's a good back-up option if needed. It was certainly a good performance, but if Parker is fit he should definitely play ahead of him, in my opinion.

Perhaps, but even if passed fit I doubt he will be at his tenacious best and with Frimpong and Henry snapping at his heels, it's not necessarily what the doctor ordered.

Just think it worked well against Everton our personnel and system and that Wolves will play in a similar vein. If we did change then i'd imagine it will be Lennon making way and Pienaar taking his place but i'd be surprised if we made many more changes than that.

 

[Dubwise]

I would like to see some of our fringe players get a run if injuries kick in we want them to be match ready.

I would consider playing either Pienaar or Kranjcar instead of Lennon, Lennon can be a good impact sub if we are having trouble breaking them down

It would Pienaar over Kranjcar for me all day long though, Jarvis is a decent player and we need someone who can track back and Kranjcar looked so slow against WBA.

So i would say

Friedel
Walker Kaboul Dawson Benny

Pienaar Modric Livingstone

vdv Bale

Adebayor

That should be enough to turn wolves over, if they park the bus Lennon and Defoe as impact subs

Thats the side i would like to see but we won't see it, Redknapp does not change a winning format, which has its pros and cons and is a debate for another thread

I would like to see us try some things in home games once we get a lead, just so we have some basis as to how it works in a game situation. e,g we got a goal up and bring on Corluka and push walker to right wing, or play Kaboul as a deep lying midfielder that screens the back 4 (i know that sounds absurd but i recall him doing it away at stoke to go effect i think) . I don't think these are things we should adopt as a permanent role but once we are 2-0 up in the 70th try some things out

I shall not critisise Redknapp, he doing better with Spurs than I am in FIFA so i guess he is more of a tactician than i am (who would have thought!)

 

[dvdhopeful]

I'd rather keep Livermore in and give Scott a long break - we'll need him more than ever for our run in Feb-Mar so having him as fresh and fit as possible will be massive. Livermore can do the job and the more experience he gets the better he will play.

I'd personally just go with the same as Everton.

 

[Mr Pink]

Interesting. Wouldn't mind Pienaar coming in for him though, especially as it would help contend with their 5 man midfield. Thought Pienaar looked sharp when he came on on Wednesday so hope we'd go for that rather than the always worrying 'VDV on the right' tactic.

Totally agree regarding Pienaar. I thought he looked good when he come on the other night, was watching him closely.

 

[dav3j]

I doubted VDVs fitness levels before but in recent games he's playing 90 and fighting till the very end as well. V WBA towards the end he tracked back, fought and tackled brilliantly at our RB position before playing the ball forward. It's as fit as he's been in his time with us I think.

Agree there, he was immense. Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him making the tackle on the back line! Have we seen him play two games in 4 days yet though?

 

[talkshowhost86]

In my opinion the best way to counter a team who go out to stifle us is to have as many players on the pitch who can use the ball cleverly and unpredictably. Especially with Sandro still unavailable, we'll never match them for might in the centre, but we can move the ball around too quickly for them to get anywhere near us.

You would hope so but quite often it doesn't work like that. When it's 4-5-1 v 4-4-2 it can often be a bit like playing with 10 men (the Chelsea game being a prime example of that) and we don't get into the game at all.

With any luck we would be good enough to outplay them even if they do pack the midfield but we at least need to have a plan B if that doesn't work in the opening 20 minutes.

 

[Cavehillspur]

Frimpong to get sent off :0)

 

[MrWoolley]

As long as Parker is fit, then I'd swap him with Livermore and the same again please. Wolves are always a hard nut to crack, an early goal would be ideal.

 

[talkshowhost86]

As long as Parker is fit, then I'd swap him with Livermore and the same again please. Wolves are always a hard nut to crack, an early goal would be ideal.

I have a question for you digger....when would an early goal not be ideal?

I've noticed this phrase being used alot recently. In fact I'm sure I've said it myself. Surely an early goal would always be good. Unless in scoring the goal, Adebayor somehow impales himself on the goalpost :shrug:

 

[Dubwise]

As long as Parker is fit, then I'd swap him with Livermore and the same again please. Wolves are always a hard nut to crack, an early goal would be ideal.

I would like to ensure he is fit for Man City, the way they ran through our midfield in the debacle earlier in the year has me waking up in cold sweats

Wolves will park the bus like WBA, we need to be able to break them down and Parker is not the most creative

I really think Pienaar should start, i feel he has something to offer in a game like this, surely he has to have one decent game in a spurs shirt?

Its a shame football is not interchange instead of substituting, we could bring kranjcar on each time we win the ball and attack and sub him as soon as we lose it because he is the kind of player to unlock a side like wolves but i was ashamed to see him in a spurs shirt the other week, i could not believe he was a professional athlete we was so slow

 

[Dubwise]

I have a question for you digger....when would an early goal not be ideal?

I've noticed this phrase being used alot recently. In fact I'm sure I've said it myself. Surely an early goal would always be good. Unless in scoring the goal, Adebayor somehow impales himself on the goalpost :shrug:

isn't there that quote from some dutch guy about the 1974 world cup final that they scored to early and thats why they lost

maybe that occaison? although i dont agree i was just trying to find some kind of evidence

 

[ohwhenthespurs]

I have a question for you digger....when would an early goal not be ideal?

I've noticed this phrase being used alot recently. In fact I'm sure I've said it myself. Surely an early goal would always be good. Unless in scoring the goal, Adebayor somehow impales himself on the goalpost :shrug:

"If anything, they've scored too early"
"If anything, he's hit it too well"
"It's harder to play against 10 men than 11"
Ahh, the inanities of sporting cliches. 10 years spent working as a sport journalist made me thoroughly sick of all of them.

 

[montylynch]

O'Hara would want to make his mark on this game, as would Frimpong, being a gooner. Henry is a rough tough midfielder who i can see will have the job of taking out Modric and Bale. I just hope the ref is big enough to stamp out any rough arse tactics they'll bring down with them.

No change for me even if Parker is fit, i'd rather we save Parker for Man C than see him get clattered and possibly crocked by one of the above. I'd also like to see defoe get half hour, purely for the fact that Ade can't play next week.

 

[talkshowhost86]

"Lennon takes on Stephen Hunt brilliantly. Little pass inside to Van der Vaart, now on to Modric. Oh delightful ball from Modric! Bale is in down the left, he pulls it back to ADEBAYORRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wonderful goal from Tottenham. Really lovely goal and it's 1-0 to Spurs. They were expecting pressure today but that early goal will settle them down."

"That's right Jeff it was ideal to get that early goal"

"Well you say that Dennis but it appears that by scoring that goal Spurs have inspired the wrath of the Antichrist and now Satan himself has taken to the pitch and is ripping the head from every player whilst Saddam Hussein disembowls the referree."

"Indeed Jeff...clearly the early goal wasn't ideal at all"

 

[cwhite02]

Much as I like Defoe, and he's scored well this season, VDV has been unbelievable lately so I can't understand why you'd leave him out. Whether from the right or in the middle, lately VDV has been absolutely superb every time and absolutely ran the show against Everton.

Agreed with. VDV has been in great form. Same team as Everton with Parker in if he's fit.

 

[Timberwolf]

I have a question for you digger....when would an early goal not be ideal?

I've noticed this phrase being used alot recently. In fact I'm sure I've said it myself. Surely an early goal would always be good. Unless in scoring the goal, Adebayor somehow impales himself on the goalpost :shrug:

I hate it when we score early against Man Utd- it seems to make them angry. I specifically remember the 3-1 game at home a couple of years back when Defoe scored a bicycle kick in the first minute. Rather than pushing on we started sitting back and inviting pressure and, before you knew it, we were 2-1 down.

If a team doesn't have great self belief (which we didn't have back then) then I think scoring early against 'superior' opposition can sometimes have negative effects. The team is not used to the situation they're in and are subconsciously aware that they need to have to hold onto this lead for 80 or more minutes. This prevents them from settling in and playing their natural game and instead they start getting nervous and cagey, playing into the hands of the opposing team. On the other hand, if the team takes the lead later in the game they know they only have to hold onto it for 20/30 minutes and thus they have greater belief in themselves.

I don't think this is an issue for us anymore, though. Our team spirit is great and I'd much prefer we score early in all games because the team genuinely believes they're a match for anyone.

 

[sussex.spur]

Parker needs some game time so that he will be 100% ready for City - I'd be happy with Parker playing 60 mins. Hopefully we will be 2-0 up at that point, but I can see this being a harder game than Everton.