VDV article by Darren Lewis.

[dimiSpur]

You can't all be comparing VdV with Rooney and saying it's all great players that have this attitude. Why? Because Rooney is in a different league to Rafa. VdV when not playing well offers very little to the team. He's not quick, he's not aggressive, he doesn't interchange passes with anyone. He just comes deep into Luka's area and leaves the lone striker isolated.

So to say it's ok he gets angry and shows this disrespect to his teamates because "all good players are like that" doesn't wash.

And anyway, Rooney's attitude is bad off the pitch/on it towards referees. He doesn't show selfishness, bickering at manager's decisions as Rafa has done a few times of late.

I'm not for a second suggesting that he's not been great for us or that we should dump him out the side/Club. But it's no lie that he's been poor of late, and shown frustration at the manager for recognizing this. He's thus tried to vent his anger on field, resulting in performances like the one against West Ham, where he was coming deeper than Sandro to receive possesion, instead of sticking nearer the striker to be the link between midfield and forward line. (even if that forward line is pathetic)

 

[WhiteStripe]

VDV is one of the best players we have had at Spurs for a very long time in terms of natural ability. I love watching him play. That doesn't hide the fact that because of buying him, we have had to change our style/formation. This wouldn't be an issue if we had the striker to fit with him, but we don't. We either need to a)buy the right striker (my favoured option) or b)cash in on him and revert to our original formation.

 

[dimiSpur]

VDV is one of the best players we have had at Spurs for a very long time in terms of natural ability. I love watching him play. That doesn't hide the fact that because of buying him, we have had to change our style/formation. This wouldn't be an issue if we had the striker to fit with him, but we don't. We either need to a)buy the right striker (my favoured option) or b)cash in on him and revert to our original formation.

I'd rather we went for option a) aswell, although it worries me a little that in the season we've gone 4-2-3-1, we've had one of the lowest scoring seasons in ages. 19 goals is it at WHL this season in the league? Very poor.

 

[WhiteStripe]

I'd rather we went for option a) aswell, although it worries me a little that in the season we've gone 4-2-3-1, we've had one of the lowest scoring seasons in ages. 19 goals is it at WHL this season in the league? Very poor.

Since Jan we've scored summat like 16 goals in total.

 

[dimiSpur]

Not very good goal tally at all.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

You can't all be comparing VdV with Rooney and saying it's all great players that have this attitude. Why? Because Rooney is in a different league to Rafa. VdV when not playing well offers very little to the team. He's not quick, he's not aggressive, he doesn't interchange passes with anyone. He just comes deep into Luka's area and leaves the lone striker isolated.

So to say it's ok he gets angry and shows this disrespect to his teamates because "all good players are like that" doesn't wash.

And anyway, Rooney's attitude is bad off the pitch/on it towards referees. He doesn't show selfishness, bickering at manager's decisions as Rafa has done a few times of late.

I'm not for a second suggesting that he's not been great for us or that we should dump him out the side/Club. But it's no lie that he's been poor of late, and shown frustration at the manager for recognizing this. He's thus tried to vent his anger on field, resulting in performances like the one against West Ham, where he was coming deeper than Sandro to receive possesion, instead of sticking nearer the striker to be the link between midfield and forward line. (even if that forward line is pathetic)

VDV is definitely in the same league as Rooney. First half of the season their respective influences were virtually reversed. But they both offer similar things, and play in similar positions. At his best Rooney may be slightly above VDV in that league but it is definitely the same league.

VDV is one of the best players we have had at Spurs for a very long time in terms of natural ability. I love watching him play. That doesn't hide the fact that because of buying him, we have had to change our style/formation. This wouldn't be an issue if we had the striker to fit with him, but we don't. We either need to a)buy the right striker (my favoured option) or b)cash in on him and revert to our original formation.

We do have a striker to fit with him, and it has proved fruitful at times, it's just that in an ideal world, as you say, we need a better one than Crouch - one who can score more himself as well. Nearly all the top sides that I can think of play with a version of the 4231 we have played with VDV this season.

Trouble is Redknapp has messed about so much lately and moved VDV around and paired him with Defoe. Crouch and VDV had a great game in Milan, then haven't started in the league in the next four games.

 

[WhiteStripe]

We do have a striker to fit with him, and it has proved fruitful at times, it's just that in an ideal world, as you say, we need a better one than Crouch - one who can score more himself as well. Nearly all the top sides that I can think of play with a version of the 4231 we have played with VDV this season.

Yeah I agree Crouch has fitted well, but we need a striker that also scores. Crouch doesn't do this enough and we are therefore too reliant on VDV et all to score the goals. So for VDV to work, we need more than Crouch. I'm happy with Crouch in the squad, but we need a more prolific goalscorer as 1st choice if we play the current system next season.

So basically, I AGREE WITH BC. End thread, end life. :shootmyselfinhead:

 

[EastLondonYid]

Lets really be honest....he scored goals when he arrived, and became a cult hero, lately he has been nothing short of pants!....he has a great personality which makes him likeable, but lets not fuck about, he needs to regain some form very very soon, or our season will fizzle out before our very eyes which will be so disappointing because we have been so good, it will all be forgotten all the great stuff we have achieved,

I think we have to reasses our strike force big time next season, the ones we have got are simply not good enough, they are decent but we have evolved and they have been left behind....that is my honest opinion.

 

[dimiSpur]

VDV is definitely in the same league as Rooney. First half of the season their respective influences were virtually reversed. But they both offer similar things, and play in similar positions. At his best Rooney may be slightly above VDV in that league but it is definitely the same league.

Well we'll agree to disagree on this one then. Rooney for me is amongst the best players in the world. Even when off form he is pivotal to both England and Man United. He can play in a variety of positions so well. He's quick, aggressive and even gets back! He can score all kinds of goals and he has shown himself able to pair up with any kind of strike partner. VdV has only been able to link up with Crouchy knockdowns.

If VdV was available tomorrow not many top, top clubs would come in for him, whereas Rooney would spark a global money auction with even Barca and Real interested.

Like I said, I think VdV is a great player, but isn't world class. A player that has to have a partner that suits him to be effective isn't world class. Rooney can play on his own and destroy teams.

 

[EastLondonYid]

VDV is definitely in the same league as Rooney. First half of the season their respective influences were virtually reversed. But they both offer similar things, and play in similar positions. At his best Rooney may be slightly above VDV in that league but it is definitely the same league.



We do have a striker to fit with him, and it has proved fruitful at times, it's just that in an ideal world, as you say, we need a better one than Crouch - one who can score more himself as well. Nearly all the top sides that I can think of play with a version of the 4231 we have played with VDV this season.

Trouble is Redknapp has messed about so much lately and moved VDV around and paired him with Defoe. Crouch and VDV had a great game in Milan, then haven't started in the league in the next four games.

Serious :bs:....so if you were offered Rooney or vdv for the same money you would be stuck?:duh:

Rooney is a fucking monster compared to vdv.....absolutely ridiculas statement.

 

[Zimmy]

Said a couple of months back that his star was beginning to fade. He's a class player but he seems to be floundering in the current sytem, and so does the team for that matter.

 

[felmani26]

Rooney, love him or hate him, has work ethic in spades though so albiet he's had a poor season by his standards, he's contributed to the team's play in almost every single game.

Van der Vaart is a maverick player who doesn't conform to coventional systems but is undoubtedly talented, which is all very well when he's on form and has his head on right but once things go a bit awry then i'm afraid with every passing game his inclusion is a detriment to our team.

We've all waited for things to click into gear for several weeks now, even months for an above average team performance so i'm sorry, time has passed now and we have to be pro-active in trying to resuce this season and if that means dropping VdV for the cause then so be it.

 

[StockSpur]

he wil lgo, its about him noone else.

 

[Krafty]

I was a little worried when we signed Rafa that he would come with the mentatlity that he had been at Real madrid and he was our big player and all this. The start to his Spurs career, with all the plaudits, would make anyone think they were top dog...

He hasn't looked completely fit in 2011, and his form has been poor. I think he is dropping too deep, and Harry should have had the balls to bench him while others were playing better and VdV was struggling. We have enough quality that we dont need to risk players when they are half fit or off form (unless they are a defender where everyone is dropping like flies)

However I dont think there is a massive issue, just a recalibration needed. I dont think Harry has juggled the squad correctly and needs to get a picture in his mind of our ideal team, not try to shoe horn VdV and Modric and Sandro, and two strikers, into the same side.

Whenever you hear VdV being interviewed he always seems a calm guy.

 

[kaz Hirai]

roll on the, Gareth Bale should be benched Thread

 

[hybridsoldier]

VDV will be back to his best, I mean if you read the shit these guys write apparently Torres is the worst striker to ever even look at a football. 1 goal later and it will be "Torres is back", "Torres is god" etc

I think its a good article and he has said a lot of truths but like TheVoiceOfReason said, the motive here is typical british media build u up and tear you down.

 

[kdspur]

i feel we dont have right personnel around vdv to make him even better so when things arent going right like now we all have moan. yes he might not be playing well but we right right personnel around him to make him tick.. we need a couple of proper strikers to get that extra out of him and see benefits imo.

the likes of having jenas defoe pav and even crouch around him is not good.. yes cruch has set up few gaols for him but all they were were knock downs from crosses. whose to say a etoo. lukaku, cavani , wickham etc cud not do same.. its about finding right partner for him and at moment he aint got one.

 

[riversmonkey]

He's simply not match fit at the moment(and by this I mean capable of completing 90 minutes twice a week). It's beginning to become a norm that he lasts around 65 minutes max. You can't blame VDV for his body letting him down.

He averages 75 minutes on the pitch
http://www.myfootballfacts.com/Rafael_Van_der_Vaart.html

Though with injuries rampant throughout the squad, his fitness has come under more scrutiny because of his worth to the team goals wise.

 

[3Dnata]

i feel we dont have right personnel around vdv to make him even better so when things arent going right like now we all have moan. yes he might not be playing well but we right right personnel around him to make him tick.. we need a couple of proper strikers to get that extra out of him and see benefits imo.

the likes of having jenas defoe pav and even crouch around him is not good.. yes cruch has set up few gaols for him but all they were were knock downs from crosses. whose to say a etoo. lukaku, cavani , wickham etc cud not do same.. its about finding right partner for him and at moment he aint got one.

True if he were at United he could be looked upon as a new Cantona but at Spurs with no strikers and defensive worries he gets picked by some for being class.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I've argued the Rooney/VDV same league thing without stats, and with just what my eyes tell me I know VDV and Rooney are definitely in the same league. As I said previously Rooney on a good day is higher in that league but it's definitely the same league.

VDV is one of our hardest working players. He regularly sees as more ball than some of our other CM's, always sees double that of players like Bale and Lennon. On tuesday night for example he covered more ground - stastically - than anyone else in the first 45 minutes. He isn't quite as aggressive as Rooney, but he is aggressive and does graft for the team. They both hate losing.

The stats from this years EPL are very comparable too. Rooney has played 120 mins more but has only made 5 more accurate passes, giving the ball away far more than VDV. (VDV 709/887 80%, Rooney 714/940 75%). They both have 10 goals, Rooney has 11 assists to VDV's 6. Considering the quality of striker/player Rooney has to work with that's pretty good from VDV. VDV has created more chances 44/41 and has scored his goals from half as many shots as Rooney. Rooney has contested 7 tackles, winning 6. VDV has contested 37 winning 23.

Clearly they are the same league. Real Madrid don't shop anywhere other than that league generally.