Tag Archives: ledley

Injury Crisis or Opportunity?

Posted by on September 22, 2009 3 comments

It seems like we are reverting back to the Spurs of a few years ago with awful luck where players getting injured is concerned. After losing Bassong and Ledley on Sunday, our defence is literally in pieces. Woodgate has no imminent return date and although Dawson isn’t too far away now, him leading the line is something I don’t want to think about.

There is no doubt about it, Tottenham are left without a commanding presence at the back with the current defensive injury list. There is no real centre half that is fit for that matter other than the vastly inexperienced Dorian Dervite. Corluka and or Hutton are able to play in the middle but it isn’t their preferred position. We do have options at full back but again there is nobody I would call dominant or a leader.

The only plus point is the fact this has happened prior to a run of somewhat easy games. I realise no games in the Premier League are easy, but if you have to blood some youngsters, I’d prefer to do it against Preston and Burnley rather than Man Utd and Chelsea. Hopefully Dawson, King and Bassong will all be back by the time we go to Bolton a week on Saturday. Kevin Davies will have a field day against a Spurs defence full of inexperience and players out of position.

I’m am holding out in the hope Alan Hutton will come into his own now he’s put some of his problems behind him. He settled with the agent that has been giving him grief since his move to Spurs this week and he has had a fair bit of time to get back to full fitness after his long term injury. Hutton has never really played to his full potential since he arrived at Tottenham. Admittedly, some of that has been down to injury but there has also been personal issues holding him back. Now is really his chance to show what he can do and win a regular first team place in Harry’s side.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves but…

Posted by on August 17, 2009 7 comments

That was one of the most impressive Tottenham performances I have seen for many a year. I’m not saying everything about the play was perfect but the way we kept our heads after the penalty was exceptional. In previous seasons, we would have gone on to lose the game.

There are no two ways about it, Liverpool were completely outplayed. If Robbie Keane had been at all clinical in front of goal, the game would have been over by half time. It wasn’t a Liverpool team at their best but it was their best team. Torres couldn’t cope with Ledley and Gerrard had no answers either.

It was beginning to feel like on of those days when Tottenham were squandering chance after chance but then came Beniot Assou-Ekotto’s strike straight out of the top drawer. I didn’t rate him at all a few months ago but Harry has transformed Ekotto into a very good player. If he can add a few goals this season he’ll be invaluable.

Wilson Palacios is fast becoming my favourite player, I’m sure a lot of you feel the same. It just seems like he can’t put a foot wrong. He works tirelessly for 90mins, can tackle, go forward and never gives up. In his post match interview yesterday Harry Redknapp said Palacios is the type of player Tottenham have been missing for a number of years and I agree 100%. We look like a top 4 side when he plays it’s that simple.

I still panic when Gomes has to do anything. It makes the game more exciting but I can do without it to be honest! He had very little to do yesterday but still managed to try his hardest to give the game away by taking Glen Johnson out. Luckily, the rest of the team managed to continue their relentless pressure on Liverpool and come up with a winning goal. Sebastien Bassong made the perfect debut and it was great to see him get the winner. On what we have seen so far, Harry certainly knows his stuff in the transfer market.

I more expectant than hopeful about Wednesday’s game at Hull and that is very unusual. Our home form has been exceptional for a while now, let’s make ourselves a formidable outfit away from the Lane too.