Zokora Vs Muntari

[Daredevil]

I think this will be a very interesting battle to see. Zokora will have his work cut out for him, but I see him really being up for this one.

The rivalry between the African players always seems pretty fierce to me, so I don't think either will hold back. As long as Zokora can close him down and not let any left-foot screamers take off, I think he'll be able to handle him.

Who do you fancy winning this one?

 

[mark87]

Zokora will really need to bring his game up to scratch against Muntari and not let him destroy us like he did Villa.
Just a matter of being on him like a shadow and closing him down as soon as he gets the ball and not allowing him to shoot on goal.

 

[themanwhofellasleep]

As I watched Muntari score two wonder goals, I couldn't help but think that we'd bought the wrong player.

 

[Kendall]

Muntari is class

That there is a fuck up from Comolli, how can 'arry have landed Benjani and Muntai & we end up with Mr Average Zokora

 

[donny1013]

well it seems DC only looks to France, as Muntari was at Udinese in Italy. Watched the game against Villa and he was superb, the way he took the second goal was coolness personified. His one negative is his temperament so we should get in his face as it were. I know who i would prefer out of him and the attacking CB Zoko

 

[joey55]

I don't see there being any reason why Zokora and Muntari would really battle each other particuarly. JJ needs to worry more about Kranjcar and Mendes, not Muntari. Zokora, on the other hand, needs to concentrate on his positional game, rather than particular opposition players. He can't allow himself to get dragged out of position and he has to sit and protect the back 4. It is JJ who needs to get into their faces and stop them playing. Kranjar and Mendes are the two the make the play, so JJ has to interupt their rythem. Muntari, who is excellent and i wished we signed him, isn't a player teams can really pay special attention to. You just have to hope our defenders do their job better than he does his. If there is a player Zokora has to watch out for, it is Utaka getting in behind on the break, as he is very quick. The back 4 and Zokora will have to be positionally very good and if we get caught out, it will be down to Zokora to match Utaka for pace. I think individual battles are more of a media thing than a reallity. In the Spurs TV segment with Zokora, it seemed like the interviewer was trying to convince Zokora he was going to be in an individual battle with Muntari, rather than Zokora himself saying so.

 

[Spursking]

It is an interesting battle between two of Premier Leagues best central midfielders.

Portsmouth have an impressive squad, and like I have said before - Harry has always been good in the transfer market. He has also learned the rule of buying French/african players, with Benjani, Muntari, Utaka, Diop, Kanu, Distin, Pamarot, Lauren their main performers. Traore and Mvuemba are also involved.

The mixture between strength, pace and tecnique is the key here.

We have to be at our very best tomorrow, if we are to beat Portsmouth. I have to admit that I admire the way Harry works with Portsmouth, and it is no surprise for me that they are doing quite well.

Let's hope Tottenham can stand up and put in a great performance on Saturday. We need another 3 points.

 

[yanno]

SK - since when was Kanu a French/African player?

He is African, but has never played in France, nor does he come from a former French colony.

 

[Supersonic]

Theres one major part of those key skills Zokora lacks Spursking.

Its called technique. Notice the shocking way that a professional footballer cannot strike a football. SO hes kind of at disadvantage

 

[Spursking]

SK - since when was Kanu a French/African player?

He is African, but has never played in France, nor does he come from a former French colony.

You understand what I mean, man. It is either French or African. Some have dual nationalities.

 

[pistol14]

It is an interesting battle between two of Premier Leagues best central midfielders.

You what???:shrug:

 

[yanno]

You understand what I mean, man. It is either French or African. Some have dual nationalities.

OK. Thanks for clarifying. :up:

Although African is not a nationality, and that's not being pedantic.

 

[Yidiot]

....Harry has always been good in the transfer market. He has also learned the rule of buying French/african players....

no one ever taught me that rule. when i was at school the national curriculum didn't include scouting or management. can you explain the rule?

is it like height x thigh circumference x (pronounceability of last name - size of afro) = scoutingmanagement rating?

 

[Supersonic]

I think its much simpler.

i.e. black = good

(no racism intended by the above statement if you are offended then sue me, biatch)

 

[MattWilliams]

Admittedly Muntari scored two great goals in the Villa game, but he was poor the rest of the game. He didn't really seem to have much of a clue for most of the match, just swung his leg a couple of times and got 'lucky'...

It's going to be one hell of a battle. I thought Villa were the much better team last week, but they couldn't cope with Portsmouth's physicality. That's where the fight is. They are a big, strong and fast team. Will our lads be up for the battle? Will we get caught in shambolic defence-all-over-the-place situations? If we do, we're (£**(£ed!

Fingers crossed we take the game to them, because they've got a few players who potentially might lost their heads, go into clunky challenges and get sent off....

 

[WhiteHart4Ever]

I don't see there being any reason why Zokora and Muntari would really battle each other particuarly. JJ needs to worry more about Kranjcar and Mendes, not Muntari. Zokora, on the other hand, needs to concentrate on his positional game, rather than particular opposition players. He can't allow himself to get dragged out of position and he has to sit and protect the back 4. It is JJ who needs to get into their faces and stop them playing. Kranjar and Mendes are the two the make the play, so JJ has to interupt their rythem. Muntari, who is excellent and i wished we signed him, isn't a player teams can really pay special attention to. You just have to hope our defenders do their job better than he does his. If there is a player Zokora has to watch out for, it is Utaka getting in behind on the break, as he is very quick. The back 4 and Zokora will have to be positionally very good and if we get caught out, it will be down to Zokora to match Utaka for pace. I think individual battles are more of a media thing than a reallity. In the Spurs TV segment with Zokora, it seemed like the interviewer was trying to convince Zokora he was going to be in an individual battle with Muntari, rather than Zokora himself saying so.

Well, youre right AND wrong.

However, it will def not be a Zoko/Muntari match. If anything, more Mendes/Jenas. If he is allowed to pass the ball around I fear that Kranjcar, Utaka, Muntari and Benjani will find space to challenge Dawson/Kaboul on the ground - which might turn out to be a bit ugly.

 

[Partizan]

Muntari seems like a Cahill type of player to me. Zokora needs to hold his position and block any advance from Muntari as opposed to chasing him around, he is also a player that loses his temper very easily and Zokora is very good at exploiting that.

 

[SpurSince57]

It is an interesting battle between two of Premier Leagues best central midfielders.

Portsmouth have an impressive squad, and like I have said before - Harry has always been good in the transfer market. He has also learned the rule of buying French/african players, with Benjani, Muntari, Utaka, Diop, Kanu, Distin, Pamarot, Lauren their main performers. Traore and Mvuemba are also involved.

The mixture between strength, pace and tecnique is the key here.

We have to be at our very best tomorrow, if we are to beat Portsmouth. I have to admit that I admire the way Harry works with Portsmouth, and it is no surprise for me that they are doing quite well.

Let's hope Tottenham can stand up and put in a great performance on Saturday. We need another 3 points.

Lauren has had three starts and played just over 200 minutes. How, exactly, does that qualify him as a 'main performer'? Kanu has been very much secondary to Benjani and Utaka this season. Traore has made one start and one sub appearance. Mvuemba has played for precisely ONE minute. That's really involved. Obviously Kranjcar, Davis, Johnson, Campbell, James and Hreidarsson have played no part whatsoever in Pompey's success.

This is quite an astonishing lack of knowledge for the director of a professional scouting organisation. So much so that one has to wonder whether said director watches much football at all.

 

[Babylon22]

Shows how far we've fallen when we have to stop other teams skillful players from playing. Would any top team have to go out of their way to stop Jenas or Zokora?

 

[The Apprentice]

They're both dogshit.