Whisper it...

[Booney]

...but does anyone else think that the injuries to Bale and Modric turned out to be a blessing?

With all fit, the temptation will always be to play a midfield of Bale, Modric, Lennon and one other with VDV just in front. Wonderfully gifted though they all are, I feel that this leaves us massively light in midfield - particularly away from home.

Harry may have some difficult decisions when they are all back.

 

[bubble07]

...but does anyone else think that the injuries to Bale and Modric turned out to be a blessing?

With all fit, the temptation will always be to play a midfield of Bale, Modric, Lennon and one other with VDV just in front. Wonderfully gifted though they all are, I feel that this leaves us massively light in midfield - particularly away from home.

Harry may have some difficult decisions when they are all back.

maybe with Modric but Bale would have played left back. With all that space down Milans right Bale would have created shit loads

I think we can still keep that solid line up by playing Bale left back and Modric left mid for away ties and tough away league games

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

Bale, Lennon, Modric, VDV and one of Palacios/Sandro and hopefully Hudd when he comes back will give us another option.


Both widemen work very hard and cover their fullbacks. Modric works his socks off and is actually very good at getting his foot in and VDV floats about and fills gaps. With a Sandro or Palacios deeper, that midfield is fine and far better than the one we have been lining up with.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Nope, I think that in the circumstances we did the right thing and it all worked well, including Pienaar starting instead of Niko (something I was dead against) but I also think that if Modric was able to take his place in the middle with one of Sandy or Willy, and Bale was our left instead of Pienaar, we might just have killed them. I'm not complaining in the slightest, it was a wonderful performance and result, but I am a firm believe in not adapting to the opposition but instead imposing your best lineup and style on the opposition.

 

[brett.spurs]

Bale wouldn't have played left back if he was available.

 

[Azrael]

A lot has been said that without our three star men we are an average side. I think the game proved otherwise. But, to suggest we are better without them is nonsense. Our past performances has shown the opposite.

 

[jonathanhotspur]

...but does anyone else think that the injuries to Bale and Modric turned out to be a blessing?

Funny you should say that. I felt injuries were a blessing in disguise last season. When we lost Huddlestone and a few other key players this season, I reminded myself of that.

 

[Adam456]

maybe with Modric but Bale would have played left back. With all that space down Milans right Bale would have created shit loads

I think we can still keep that solid line up by playing Bale left back and Modric left mid for away ties and tough away league games

Jesus wept. Here we go again

How many times do you want to see us concede from LB and see Bale spend large periods pegged back before the half-way line before you stop suggesting that we play our best attacking player in defence

Seriously :shrug:

 

[Adam456]

Bale wouldn't have played left back if he was available.

Yes would have been ludicrous

 

[onthetwo]

...but does anyone else think that the injuries to Bale and Modric turned out to be a blessing?

With all fit, the temptation will always be to play a midfield of Bale, Modric, Lennon and one other with VDV just in front. Wonderfully gifted though they all are, I feel that this leaves us massively light in midfield - particularly away from home.

Harry may have some difficult decisions when they are all back.

I think the injuries have forced us to battle a bit more than usual leading to away wins in places that we'd normally be expected to lose. We miss them more at home where opposition get men behind the ball more quickly.

 

[KingKay]

I said this at the time, i dont think we would have won away at Blackburn and Sunderland with VDV, Modric and Bale in the side. I agree there's some tough decisions to be made.

 

[WhiteStripe]

Whilst Benny performs as impeccably at LB why we are even suggesting bale playing there is down right preposterous!!

 

[CosmicHotspur]

We don't know whether we would have done even better if all our players had been fit and Bale and Modric had been in the squad and the same applies to any other players out injured or sick.

Given the option, I would much rather Harry had all our players to choose from to pick the best team to get the measure of and beat the opposition, whoever they are.

 

[guate]

I don't think that it's a blessing as 'Arry almost always wants to play with his best team and that includes these two, but what it does do is give him more options thereby allowing him to rotate better in the future.
Niko, Sandro, Corluka have all forced their way into the side lately due to injuries to others, and just like last season have stepped up when really needed.
Because those replacing injured players are stepping up to the plate 'Arry will now be able to rotate better as he has more confidence in his squad players.
All we need now IMHO is for our strikers to step up also (Crouchie, bless his heart did so at the San Siro) and we could even get 2nd or 3rd place come the end of the season.

 

[ThorntonSpur]

when someone gets injured ie hutton and his replacement does well harryn often keeps them in the side, this is correct in my opinion.

 

[Bobbins]

Secretly, and to an extent, yes.

I've been saying (not on SC admittedly) for months that players shouldn't have automatic starting places when there are perfectly good replacements desperate to play.

Lennon was off form earlier this season - Bentley should've been given a chance.

Bale actually had a run of 5 or 6 games where he did very little a few months back - Niko should've been given a chance.

To be fair to Modric, he's been pretty immense all season.

The point is still that if players drop their form, others should be given a chance.

 

[Booney]

Still think that the addition of Pienaar means Harry will be more inclined to play Bale OR Lennon away from home.

 

[Kendall]

I agree with the OP and felt it during the game. Redknapp would have played Bale and Modric and we would've been as 'open as a barn door'.

The team largely picked itself and it turned out to be a pretty much perfect setup, especially the two CMs, by default.

 

[Mr Pink]

Still think that the addition of Pienaar means Harry will be more inclined to play Bale OR Lennon away from home.

Yeah I think you're right on that one...maybe not all away games, but certainly some of them.

 

[JollyHappy]

Not for the first time I repeat my view is that in the Premiership our best formation is 4-4-2 cos that's what Harry is used to.

So when Bale, Modric, Huddlestone, Lennon and VDV are fit, the balance goes awry as VDV plays as second striker. Yes I know he has scored the goals but maybe that lack of balance is affecting the other striker. Even Harry said in the post match interview at Milan that he had to adjust things because vDV was playing too deep and basically, much as VDV is world class, he is not capable of sticking to a game plan for 45 mins.

Dropping Bale to left back is an option but a bit silly if he is in the form he was earlier in the season.

There is no answer to this and so I think this thread is spot on that we have got lucky with unlucky injuries.