Although Roman Pavlyuchenko seems to be the current favourite among the Spurs faithful on the back of his goal scoring exploits, manager Harry Redknapp doesn’t appear to be a massive fan of the Russian.
Regarding Pavlyuchenko, Redknapp has been quoted as saying, “when he wants to play and wants to work he’s great.” He has been a bit more positive about the striker since those comments but I still feel like it’s painful for the Spurs boss to say anything complimentary where Pav is concerned.
I don’t know what’s gone on during training, maybe he is lazy, but generally when Pavlychenko has been given a chance to play, he has scored. While I’m a bit unsure about the rest of his game, you can’t argue with a striker that gets in good positions and puts the ball in the back of the net.
I think you can understand the reasons why Pav would have got disheartened and perhaps a little lazy since Harry’s arrival. When a player signs for that type of money, he would expect to be getting regular football. Not even making it onto the Tottenham bench at times must have hurt. Maybe he didn’t handle himself in the best possible way but a lot of this can be put down to his agent and them trying to get a move away from the Lane during the transfer window.
It must have been even more frustrating seeing Robbie Keane be allowed out on loan as well as Eidur Gudjohnsen’s arrival. Pav probably thought that he would be in the exact same position before the transfer window opened, sitting on the bench if he was lucky. With no World Cup to showcase his talents in, it was looking like being an awful season for the Russian.
Luckily, he took the opportunity of a twenty minute window against Wigan to turn things around. His sudden appearance in the team has made the season more interesting at a time when it was becoming a bit stale and will hopefully give our other strikers something to think about.
I’m not totally convinced by Pav’s overall play but he’s scoring for fun and you can’t help but love him! Why doesn’t Harry?
Tough love, even handed for everyone. If you don’t train hard you don’t play. Fair enough, regardless of what talent you have, you got to earn your place.
A patently insincere article. Get off it.
Harry couldn’t be any more clear. If he trains well, works hard and takes his opportunities then he’ll get games. Reading between the lines, Pav and his agent were angling for a move back to Russia and at that time, he wasn’t really trying for Spurs. Since Keane went and Harry made it clear that Pav has to stay until Summer, Pav has knuckled down and THAT is the reason he got his opportunity. Harry doesn’t have to love Pav or anyone else and I for one, prefer it that way – If they perform in training and in games, they earn the right to be picked – If they’re lazy or not interested, they lose that right. Well done to Pav for turning it round – Now keep doing it for the rest of the season – You never know – he could become a Spurs legend.
He’s been here fore 18months and not bothered to learn english… I think that shows enough..
If he had worked hard with every aspect, including showing up at English classes, in training and showed loyalty to the club, I think he would been much more involved.
The only problem has been Keane the captain…
Harry has probably felt pressured to play high profile, high earning Keane ahead of Pavlyuchenko even though Keane has not been the best option…
Now that this is out of the picture, I bet Pavlyuchenko will blossom even more!
COYS!
Fans don’t have to deal with Pav on a day to day basis. We don’t know what kind of attitude he has in training, whether he pitches on time. We know he is struggling with English. The thing is that Pav with the right attitude could be some much better. Even against Everton, there were times where he would not jump for a ball or could have been more agressive and put himself about. he is a very talented but lazy guy.
People calling Pavlyuchenko lazy obviously haven’t seen him play.
He runs all over the pitch chasing down balls, gets in brilliant positions. Against Everton he was in free space 3 times but Bale didn’t pick him out.
Could of easily got a hatrick if Bale had seen him in the positions.
Oh and if you think Harry doesn’t love players you’re wrong, he completely bums Crouch who’s useless and should be sold.
Sign of the times I’m afraid.
If the great Jimmy Greaves was playing now, Redknapp wouldn’t have him in the squad let alone the team. You see, all Jimmy did was score goals,… loads of them, but work rate, tackle back, training, you’re having a laugh Harry!!!
I watched Redknapp play, he was a lazy little B as well.!!
singer – I have to disagree. If Greavsie was playing now (even with the personal problems he had back then), he would be first on Harry’s teamsheet whether he trained or not – but then no-one scored goals like Greavsie did, before or since. btw I also watched ‘Arry on the wing – was he lazy? – he used to do a lot of running!
Spot on Parklane67
Excactly right nobody has the god given right to be in the first team and Harry has been consistent with his views on Pav as well as Bentley when he wasnt playing, if they work hard they will be considered for the starting 11.
Simple.
I was there Sunday and Pav didnt stop running and working for the team i’m really pleased for the Lad.
Why bring Greaves into this? He was one of a kind, up there with Best and Gazza as really great players, today only Rooney has that kind of God given talent. However Pav is a talent but not in their league. He is a first rate finisher–rarely does he not hit the target when he has a chance. Crouch is good but essentially he commits the team to one strategy — the long ball which he might or might knock down for a fellow striker. This is a good option for changing tactics if the game needs variety but not the way to start as it is so one dimensional.
The fact is Harry didn’t buy PAV. Just like Bent, Bentley, Bale, Hutton, Gunter all good players who have left or nearly left, That Harry didn’t buy. Thank goodness BAE had to have an Op.
I think this has got to be personal. If that’s so Redknapp is bang out of order.
Some have mentioned Jimmy Greaves, and of course you can’t compare anyone to him. The fact remains that irrespective of anything else Pav SCORES GOALS and that is a strikers job. Maybe he can’t speak English but he can and does speak GOALS.
Pav is a striker and a striker requires scoring regular. That’s what Pav does. You can work hard but if you don’t score, you are of little use to the team. Strikers must score. As simple as that and Pav has better scoring ratio than Peter Crouch. It’s difficult to score when you don’t play regularly and unsure about your future at the age of 28.
How do you know if Pav is not training hard? I very much doubt that. Pav was Huus Hiddink’s choice. Huus is a very good coach. In fact, Huus met with Redknapp oncee earlier this season discussing Pavlyuchenko not playing regularly.
Moreover, Peter Crouch and Defoe were brought by Redknapp to Spurs from Portsmouth and also Crouch played under Redknapp in Southampton. It appears to me that Redknapp made up his mind who will partner Defoe and it suited him fine having Pav on the bench.
Excuses such as Pav does not speak English, does not train hard enough, does not play like Wayne Rooney (I’ve read those a couple of times) are unacceptable.
I don’t blame Redknapp preferring Crouch; it’s just top managers find a way to keep all players happy in the team. They rotate players. Look how Wenger, Ferguson or Angelotti rotate their players in their respective clubs. Or the coaches in big Europeans clubs. Harry Redknapp does not have that experience; he always managed smaller teams with best players playing and others given a chance to play occasionally.
I think Harry Redknapp got it wrong.
There have many top players who only scored goals. Gabriel Batistuta, Luca Toni, Oliver Biehorf, Zlatan Ibrahimovic just to name a few. How can you force a guy to change his style of play at the age of 28? He is 3-4 years away from finishing his career at top flight.
I think it’s personal more than anything and it’s obvious. I think Spur’s fans supporting Pav more because he is scoring and being treated unfairly.
What’s English has anything to do with anything here? It’s a professional game. You don’t need to be a shakespare to play a game of football.
Reason he’s got the arse is because when Redknapp joined Spurs, Pav said he and Bentley had a laugh that Redknapp had a face that looked liked it was drunk all the time. Which to be fair -it does, and was quite an amusing quote from the lad.
The argument that Pav is lazy in training and therefore doesn’t deserve to play in the real games falls flat on its face when you consider we had the non-scoring Peter Crouch in the side.
Would any manager in their right-mind really continue to play Crouch over Pav?
I’m just glad that he’s now in the team and Crouch isn’t, although if Pav doesn’t continue to knock them in, you can rest assured knowing that Redknapp won’t give him the chances he gave Keane and Crouch.
It’s blatant favouritism from a manager too stubborn to do what’s right for the team. Every time Pav scores, the more stupid Redknapp and the signing of Crouch look. If we do miss out on the CL by a point or two, Redknapp needs to take a long hard look in the mirror.
On a lighter note, go check eBay – some dude is selling “super Pav” mugs. Just got one for the old man.
As a Spartak Moscow fan, I hope very much that Pav scores a dozen and a half by the end of the season, but that this still keeps Spurs out of the top four.
The onus then will fall squarely on Harry for not playing him earlier.
Even Rednapp’s dog saw that coming.
I agree with Alex. How many matches we could have won if only Pav had been given a chance to play more often. I hope he does now.
‘Arry talks a lot of crap. He likes his boys and that’s it. I recall he said in the press that he had had to sit down with Gio’s family to get him to see things his way. He also said that to Gio’s credit he had done everything that was asked of him and would soon be featuring. He just neglected to mention that it would be in Turkey. Gio, Pav, Bentley, Bale, it’s all the same charade. At least Gio’s getting to play for a real manager. Pav, Gio, Bale, Bentley, Hudd, King, O’Hara, Defoe, Keane, Crouch, Gomes have all been castigated in the press by the man with the arm around their shoulders. Add to that anyone who wants to have a pint or a Christmas party and the list is basically the entire squad. I don’t expect him to be best pals with the lads, but he could really do with stopping airing his dirty laundry in public. He’s supposed to be bigger than the agents and players, but then it’s always been about Harry, ‘asn’t it? COYS
harry hasent got a clue
I agree entirely
Pav links up well with the players around him. Modric in particular and for my money is our cleverest striker. We seem so much more creative as a team with him on the pitch. Im a bit biassed tho as i instantly took a shine to Pav for some reason and have never rated Crouch. I like to think there is some footie logic in there somewhere tho. Wish i could have seen Greavsie play btw, but then im gratefull to have seen Gazza COYS
How can you say pav is lazy,do you see him train. ok so he dont defend that well, but he was all over the place trying to score and assist against Everton,or would you prefer teachers pet crouch, who cannot run faster than me mum, who is 80.
what i have been saying on webs for last year thats its all about harry and always will be remember arry called us scum and since then i have disliked him but doesnt mean i stop going but various football things over the last year
makes me dislike him more, first of all harry thinks his imune that is dangerous in this game slagging players off in the press constantly top managers dont do it matter of fact not many do
Harry did not want to bring pav on against wigan only the crowd kept on and he got pissed off but did not know who to take of asking everbody who to.
the rest is history for now pav is far better technically than crouch also pulls players all over the place and put the back 4 under pressure a lot more so he didnt jump so bloody what, crouch jumps but you neaver know where the ball is going and he doesnt hold the ball up as well as pav next he doesnt work as hard so what forewards are there to score why waste energy running all the place crouch doesnt run everwhere but neaver gets slagged off but he still keeps havin a pop at pav and believe me he trains just as hard as every body
A lot that has been said on here i agree and have already said espicially about his favs and his players he brought really annoys me.
Remember last years games in the uefa cup the negative attitude of harry during the game
We know we have a good side, some people saying its all down to harry only when it suits him still harping out about how he got us out of relegation finishing in the top 7 should be a matter of coarse with the quility we have
And for those others greaves was brilliant
he could head the ball as well 2 goals against manu and leicester [shilton] made him look silly were amazing but there was loads with gilly etc i have been lucky to have watched loads since then
Heyyyyy.You Always know when a manager is an idiot.A Brit Idiot.It’s not hard to spot teams over the years like:Aston Villa with 6 first choice strikers,2 of them bought from there new manager Graham Taylor:Allbäck,Juan Pablo Angel,Bosko Balaban,Dion Dublin,Darius Vassell and ladys and gents-Peter Crouch.
Mark Hughes-he arrieves having already Valeri Bojinov,Felipe Caicedo,Benjani Mwaruwari,Daniel Sturridge,Darius Vassell and quickly spot the gap in there and take care of it by buying:Robinho,Tevez,Roque Santa Cruz,Craig Bellamy,Emmanuel Adebayor.Job-done
How about our idiot?we all know-Bent,Pav,Campbell,Gio possible striker and there we are Keano Reevs,Selfo,Petter,Gudjonsen…well top 2 manages are already sucked and prove they are not good for this job what will happend with 3th in my list?
Top 4-easy :)get sir Roy Hodgson who can deal with top 4 teams with players like Kelly,Bobby never Scora,Danny Murphy ….what he will do with players we got-5 years on a road Uefa Champions League…It’s not about Pav…it is about Arry the one who can put you in the acking reserve team if you ‘it ‘im with the ball if he do a T V star show again.simple
About Pav-simple as well.just ‘acking arry first choice at any time at any score was right back-for right back…well hutton gone,Naughton-gone…no choice.2nd choice would be if petter is there keano or the other way around.well keano is gone…that’s how we face that problem with pav became atlast 1st choice as a sub!!! ad then 1st choice in the team…poor Arry…what have you done in jan transfer – you’ve gone agains you…i’m hearing you got some probs with CM?really?!? how come?…oh well you did not sell so you can not buy…who did you sell last year so you got 5 shots-only 1 and 1/2 on target??top 4-give me a break-it’s not like lossing something so we can open the kitty-it’s ok to deal with blind chairman and ‘acking manager
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I see a Celtic shirt in that closet…
Pav is too often a passenger – did so little on Saturday that it was like playing with ten men.
Perhaps Harry sees this as more significant than Pav’s ability to draw air hearts.
Some pics of us training for the Pompey game. Gr8 to see Aaron back –
http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/tottenham_hotspur/22413/photos-tottenham-train-for-portsmouth-fa-cup-semi-final.html
I think you answered your own question in your last paragraph ‘I’m not totally convinced by Pav’s overall play’ I guess Harry feels the same way.