Wednesday, September 15, 2010
We've Moved!
Cartilage Free Captain now has it's own dedicated domain with a spiffy logo. Check us out over at http://www.cartilagefreecaptain.com
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Review: Tottenham 2-2 Werder Bremen
Obviously, if you would have told me the match was going to be a 2-2 draw before it started, I would have taken it. In fact, that's exactly what I predicted a mere 20 minutes before the match. Werder and Spurs are pretty evenly matched teams, but that's not what it looked like in the first 30 minutes of the game.
No, in the first 30 minutes, Spurs absolutely dominated. The first goal, an own goal, came as a result of the brilliant work of Gareth Bale and would have been finished easily by Peter Crouch if it wasn't tapped into the back of the net by Petri Pasanen. The second goal came just six minutes later off of a brilliant header by Peter Crouch. Spurs continued to create opportunities, but would fail to score again. Of course, they would come to regret this.
Despite struggling to create opportunities while Spurs dominated in the first half, Werder were able to find their breakthrough in the 43rd minute. In a move that was completely against the run of play. Hugo Almeida headed home a perfectly placed cross that dropped just between Ledley King and Benoit Assou-Ekotto and was too far out for Carlo Cudicini to reach. It was that goal that gave Werder the motivation to press on and take over the game.
Only two minutes into the second half, Marko Marin equalized with a brilliant strike from 25 yards away. Only two minutes later, Rafael van der Vaart was subbed off because of fitness issues. That substitution would allow Werder Bremen to dominate the midfield for the rest of the game.
Both teams created a fair number of chances with Werder dominating the play in the second half, but the match would end 2-2. It was a fair result, as both teams had played well enough to earn a point and neither had played poorly enough to lose.
While the substitution of van der Vaart was obviously motivated by fitness, not tactics, and had to be made, the decision to bring on Robbie Keane was a curious one. Actually, I'm being generous. The decision to bring on Robbie Keane was a poor one. Unsurprisingly, it took all of five minutes for Robbie Keane to singlehandedly kill three separate attacking moves with his atrocious passing. For the better part of 45 minutes, Keane was absolutely useless. Every time I heard the color commentator use the words "positive" or "skill" in reference to Robbie Keane, I felt as if I needed an antacid. The only appropriate sentence using those three terms would be "I am positive that Robbie Keane lacks the skill to play at this level."
Say what you will about the deficiencies of Peter Crouch, but he worked his tail off today. This is more than can be said about Roman Pavlyuchenko on most days. In the departments of technical ability, tactical acumen, and pace, Pav is superior to Crouch by a fair margin. When it comes to work ethic, Pavlyuchenko's ability is...sporadic? In the games where he runs and fights as hard as he can for every ball, Pavlyuchenko is Tottenham's best striker. This happens about once every four appearances. Today, Crouch's work ethic was a massive contribution to Spurs' great first half and it was encouraging to see that they are able to play with him as a lone striker.
As good as we were in the first half, I think we have to consider what might have been if Thomas Schaaf had the [balls/brains?] to start all three of Marko Marin, Wesley, and Aaron Hunt. It was obvious that the game began to change when Hunt was brought on for Bargfrede, but it really changed in the second half. Having all three of those players on the pitch was just too much of a demand on Jermaine Jenas and Tom Huddlestone, making the Keane for van der Vaart substitution even more puzzling. It's not like Aaron Hunt entered the game after Keane did, he was brought on in the 37th minute. Harry saw how much Hunt changed the game and brought Keane on for VdV? Mind-boggling. The fact that we got straight-up creamed once Werder had their best team on the pitch is not encouraging.
Negatives aside, a point is a point. Getting a point on the road against Werder is a great result. The 2-2 draw between Twente and Inter Milan was a good result for us as well. Nothing that happened today changed the qualification prospects of any of the four teams in Group A. All four teams have reasons for concern and reasons to be optimistic.
Hopefully, Spurs forget about all of the things they screwed up today and take the momentum from their play in the first half into this weekend. A home match against Wolves should be three points, but based on what we've seen this season, it's nowhere near a lock, especially if Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher are both 90 minutes fit.
No, in the first 30 minutes, Spurs absolutely dominated. The first goal, an own goal, came as a result of the brilliant work of Gareth Bale and would have been finished easily by Peter Crouch if it wasn't tapped into the back of the net by Petri Pasanen. The second goal came just six minutes later off of a brilliant header by Peter Crouch. Spurs continued to create opportunities, but would fail to score again. Of course, they would come to regret this.
Despite struggling to create opportunities while Spurs dominated in the first half, Werder were able to find their breakthrough in the 43rd minute. In a move that was completely against the run of play. Hugo Almeida headed home a perfectly placed cross that dropped just between Ledley King and Benoit Assou-Ekotto and was too far out for Carlo Cudicini to reach. It was that goal that gave Werder the motivation to press on and take over the game.
Only two minutes into the second half, Marko Marin equalized with a brilliant strike from 25 yards away. Only two minutes later, Rafael van der Vaart was subbed off because of fitness issues. That substitution would allow Werder Bremen to dominate the midfield for the rest of the game.
Both teams created a fair number of chances with Werder dominating the play in the second half, but the match would end 2-2. It was a fair result, as both teams had played well enough to earn a point and neither had played poorly enough to lose.
While the substitution of van der Vaart was obviously motivated by fitness, not tactics, and had to be made, the decision to bring on Robbie Keane was a curious one. Actually, I'm being generous. The decision to bring on Robbie Keane was a poor one. Unsurprisingly, it took all of five minutes for Robbie Keane to singlehandedly kill three separate attacking moves with his atrocious passing. For the better part of 45 minutes, Keane was absolutely useless. Every time I heard the color commentator use the words "positive" or "skill" in reference to Robbie Keane, I felt as if I needed an antacid. The only appropriate sentence using those three terms would be "I am positive that Robbie Keane lacks the skill to play at this level."
Say what you will about the deficiencies of Peter Crouch, but he worked his tail off today. This is more than can be said about Roman Pavlyuchenko on most days. In the departments of technical ability, tactical acumen, and pace, Pav is superior to Crouch by a fair margin. When it comes to work ethic, Pavlyuchenko's ability is...sporadic? In the games where he runs and fights as hard as he can for every ball, Pavlyuchenko is Tottenham's best striker. This happens about once every four appearances. Today, Crouch's work ethic was a massive contribution to Spurs' great first half and it was encouraging to see that they are able to play with him as a lone striker.
As good as we were in the first half, I think we have to consider what might have been if Thomas Schaaf had the [balls/brains?] to start all three of Marko Marin, Wesley, and Aaron Hunt. It was obvious that the game began to change when Hunt was brought on for Bargfrede, but it really changed in the second half. Having all three of those players on the pitch was just too much of a demand on Jermaine Jenas and Tom Huddlestone, making the Keane for van der Vaart substitution even more puzzling. It's not like Aaron Hunt entered the game after Keane did, he was brought on in the 37th minute. Harry saw how much Hunt changed the game and brought Keane on for VdV? Mind-boggling. The fact that we got straight-up creamed once Werder had their best team on the pitch is not encouraging.
Negatives aside, a point is a point. Getting a point on the road against Werder is a great result. The 2-2 draw between Twente and Inter Milan was a good result for us as well. Nothing that happened today changed the qualification prospects of any of the four teams in Group A. All four teams have reasons for concern and reasons to be optimistic.
Hopefully, Spurs forget about all of the things they screwed up today and take the momentum from their play in the first half into this weekend. A home match against Wolves should be three points, but based on what we've seen this season, it's nowhere near a lock, especially if Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher are both 90 minutes fit.
Spurs vs. Werder Bremen Preview
Today, Tottenham Hotspur kick off their first UEFA Champions League group stage campaign with a difficult fixture in Bremen. Werder may have sold Mesut Özil and lost Claudio Pizzaro and Per Mertesacker to injury, but they will still provide a stiff test for Spurs. The Weserstadion is always a difficult place to play.
Whoever Harry Redknapp chooses in his holding midfield and fullback positions will have their hands full with Wesley, Marko Marin, and Aaron Hunt. Werder does not have a direct replacement for Özil, but those two players, along with the way Philipp Bargfrede makes runs from a deeper midfield position, will cause some problems for Spurs. Hunt has not been given the start, but he's likely to get plenty of time to make an impact as a substitute. Young target man Marko Arnautovic could be a bit of an x-factor. Surprisingly, he starts alongside Hugo Almeida. Werder has frequently played 4-4-2 variations, but many expected them to go 4-3-2-1 with Pizzaro out of the lineup and both Hunt and Marin behind Almeida.
Of course, as good as Werder is, they do have their deficiencies. Torsten Frings is now 33 years old. While still a quality player, he's beginning to show his age and can't quite cover as much ground as he used to. That combined with Per Mertesacker's injury and Bargfrede's tendency to get forward means that Werder is possibly susceptible on the counter attack, as evidenced by a good chunk of their qualifying tie against Sampdoria and their week one loss to Hoffenheim.
The question looms for both teams: Which Werder/Spurs side will we see? Both of these teams have immense talent and immense collapse potential. It wouldn't be that surprising to see a 0-0 draw, a 2-2 draw, or for either team to win 3-0. These are two of Europe's ultimate Jekyll and Hyde teams. When they're on, they're on. When they're off, they suck.
Werder's backline, in particular, is very guilty of this. They played brilliantly against Bayern Munich on the weekend, but have every capability of committing numerous mental errors and allowing Spurs to score in buckets.
Despite saying last season that tactics are only about 10% of the game with the other 90% being just how players perform on the day, Harry Redknapp has now made comments that he doesn't think 4-4-2 is a viable option on the road in Europe for Spurs. Unfortunately for him, there are concerns about the fitness of Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric. Both are able to play and traveled with the team, but neither is expected to be 90 minutes fit.
Rafael van der Vaart is in the starting lineup, but I don't expect him to go the full 90. Both Modric and Krancjar are available off the bench and one, if not both of them should enter the match at some point. Jermaine Jenas has been handed a start due to concerns about the fitness of Modric and the form of Palacios. Jenas has had a wildly inconsistent career, but he's a superb athlete who produces occasional flashes of brilliance, so he could make Harry look like a genius or a donkey.
Tactically, this match could get interesting, but I think that both teams will play similar styles that cancel each other out, leaving this one up to individual performances. Based on Spurs' recent form and the way Marin played against Bayern, I'm not sure if that benefits us. The good news is that Ekotto is starting, meaning Bale has been moved up to left midfield and will have more freedom to bomb forward with reckless abandon.
Mental errors should make more of a difference in this game than most. Both of these teams are very prone to awful mental mistakes, but both teams also occasionally put in spectacular, flawless performances. I've got a hard time believing both teams will keep complete focus. It could get sloppy.
Tottenham Hotspur lineup (4-4-1-1, left to right): Cudicini/Ekotto, King, Kaboul, Corluka/Bale, Jenas, Huddlestone, Lennon/van der Vaart/Crouch
Werder Bremen lineup (4-4-2, left to right): Weise/Pasanen, Silvestre, Proedl, Fritz/Wesley, Frings, Bargfrede, Marin/Arnautovic, Almeida
Prediction: Werder Bremen 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Whoever Harry Redknapp chooses in his holding midfield and fullback positions will have their hands full with Wesley, Marko Marin, and Aaron Hunt. Werder does not have a direct replacement for Özil, but those two players, along with the way Philipp Bargfrede makes runs from a deeper midfield position, will cause some problems for Spurs. Hunt has not been given the start, but he's likely to get plenty of time to make an impact as a substitute. Young target man Marko Arnautovic could be a bit of an x-factor. Surprisingly, he starts alongside Hugo Almeida. Werder has frequently played 4-4-2 variations, but many expected them to go 4-3-2-1 with Pizzaro out of the lineup and both Hunt and Marin behind Almeida.
Of course, as good as Werder is, they do have their deficiencies. Torsten Frings is now 33 years old. While still a quality player, he's beginning to show his age and can't quite cover as much ground as he used to. That combined with Per Mertesacker's injury and Bargfrede's tendency to get forward means that Werder is possibly susceptible on the counter attack, as evidenced by a good chunk of their qualifying tie against Sampdoria and their week one loss to Hoffenheim.
The question looms for both teams: Which Werder/Spurs side will we see? Both of these teams have immense talent and immense collapse potential. It wouldn't be that surprising to see a 0-0 draw, a 2-2 draw, or for either team to win 3-0. These are two of Europe's ultimate Jekyll and Hyde teams. When they're on, they're on. When they're off, they suck.
Werder's backline, in particular, is very guilty of this. They played brilliantly against Bayern Munich on the weekend, but have every capability of committing numerous mental errors and allowing Spurs to score in buckets.
Despite saying last season that tactics are only about 10% of the game with the other 90% being just how players perform on the day, Harry Redknapp has now made comments that he doesn't think 4-4-2 is a viable option on the road in Europe for Spurs. Unfortunately for him, there are concerns about the fitness of Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric. Both are able to play and traveled with the team, but neither is expected to be 90 minutes fit.
Rafael van der Vaart is in the starting lineup, but I don't expect him to go the full 90. Both Modric and Krancjar are available off the bench and one, if not both of them should enter the match at some point. Jermaine Jenas has been handed a start due to concerns about the fitness of Modric and the form of Palacios. Jenas has had a wildly inconsistent career, but he's a superb athlete who produces occasional flashes of brilliance, so he could make Harry look like a genius or a donkey.
Tactically, this match could get interesting, but I think that both teams will play similar styles that cancel each other out, leaving this one up to individual performances. Based on Spurs' recent form and the way Marin played against Bayern, I'm not sure if that benefits us. The good news is that Ekotto is starting, meaning Bale has been moved up to left midfield and will have more freedom to bomb forward with reckless abandon.
Mental errors should make more of a difference in this game than most. Both of these teams are very prone to awful mental mistakes, but both teams also occasionally put in spectacular, flawless performances. I've got a hard time believing both teams will keep complete focus. It could get sloppy.
Tottenham Hotspur lineup (4-4-1-1, left to right): Cudicini/Ekotto, King, Kaboul, Corluka/Bale, Jenas, Huddlestone, Lennon/van der Vaart/Crouch
Werder Bremen lineup (4-4-2, left to right): Weise/Pasanen, Silvestre, Proedl, Fritz/Wesley, Frings, Bargfrede, Marin/Arnautovic, Almeida
Prediction: Werder Bremen 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Monday, September 13, 2010
Monday Links (09/13/10)
Contrary to popular belief, Spurs have been to Europe before - The Guardian
Bremen will be without Claudio Pizzaro vs. Spurs - SuperSport
Somehow, Luka Modric does not have a broken leg and will travel to Germany - ESPN Soccernet
Redknapp ready to play it safe - UK Press Association
Kyle Walker joins QPR on a one month loan - The Guardian
Rafael van der Vaart was pleased with his debut - Sky Sports
More news and speculation about Spurs' planned new stadium - Goal.com
Bremen will be without Claudio Pizzaro vs. Spurs - SuperSport
Somehow, Luka Modric does not have a broken leg and will travel to Germany - ESPN Soccernet
Redknapp ready to play it safe - UK Press Association
Kyle Walker joins QPR on a one month loan - The Guardian
Rafael van der Vaart was pleased with his debut - Sky Sports
More news and speculation about Spurs' planned new stadium - Goal.com
Spurs vs. West Brom Review -or- Is This Real Life?
Really. Really. Really? REALLY?
Yeah, that happened.
For the second time this season, Spurs have dropped points against a relegation candidate. It was the third performance in all competitions that could fairly be classified as embarrassing. Spurs drew West Brom 1-1 after such a mediocre performance, I had to stop myself from saying that we lost.
What really hurts is that West Brom weren't particularly inspiring. Against Wigan, as much as that loss hurt, at least they looked good for periods of the game. Wigan played some fantastic football in the 10 minutes leading up to their winner. West Brom did nothing.
Harry Redknapp's tactical decisions weren't the best, but I don't think it would be fair to fault him for his initial lineup. Harry attempted to get his best players on the field together, and with Defoe injured, the lineup he chose was a perfectly reasonable one. However, it seemed apparent very quickly that Gareth Bale wasn't having the best time at left back. He wasn't nearly the threat that he usually is on the left hand side and he looked like a defensive liability. When Luka Modric was injured in the first half, I was sure that Redknapp's decision would be to put on Ekotto and move Bale farther up the pitch. Instead, the change was a like for like with Niko Kranjcar replacing Modric. Unsurprisingly, Bale's defensive deficiencies were partially (if not mostly) at fault for West Brom's equalizer.
The later substitutions, Keane for Pavlyuchenko and Crouch for Lennon were even more puzzling. I can't begin to dissect what Harry was trying to accomplish with those substitutions. Unsurprisingly, once Pavlyuchenko came off, the team looked aimless and disjointed. It never really felt like the equalizer was coming.
Rafael van der Vaart had a solid debut, as did William Gallas. They can hardly be faulted for the draw (I almost wrote loss again). The team as a whole just had no direction after Modric went down. Pavlyuchenko didn't appear to be working that hard, Gareth Bale looked confused at left back, Niko Kranjcar didn't exactly offer anything positive or negative, and Wilson Palacios gave the ball away frequently. When the players who have been with the side and who know each other aren't clicking, it's hard to blame van der Vaart for the result.
Some good news did come out of the match, though. Luka Modric did not break his leg as first feared and will travel with the team to Germany to face Werder Bremen in Champions League. Based on the way the team looked after Modric went out, they might need him.
Spurs have now scored only three goals in their first three games without facing any of the big three. It appears that without Defoe, Spurs are a team that needs their superstars to take over games by themselves to win.
I waited a while to write this because I thought I would be in a better state of mind than I was Saturday, but I'm not. I don't know what to make of this draw or this team. Right now, I'm not optimistic at all, and I'm extremely frustrated with Harry Redknapp.
The team doesn't have a whole lot of time to get their heads right before the matchup with Werder, a team that has the ability to beat anyone 4-0 and lose to anyone 4-0. They were conservative against Bayern at the weekend, but Almeida was rested and Marin showed some fantastic skill. They will provide a stern test, for sure. I'll preview that match tomorrow.
Yeah, that happened.
For the second time this season, Spurs have dropped points against a relegation candidate. It was the third performance in all competitions that could fairly be classified as embarrassing. Spurs drew West Brom 1-1 after such a mediocre performance, I had to stop myself from saying that we lost.
What really hurts is that West Brom weren't particularly inspiring. Against Wigan, as much as that loss hurt, at least they looked good for periods of the game. Wigan played some fantastic football in the 10 minutes leading up to their winner. West Brom did nothing.
Harry Redknapp's tactical decisions weren't the best, but I don't think it would be fair to fault him for his initial lineup. Harry attempted to get his best players on the field together, and with Defoe injured, the lineup he chose was a perfectly reasonable one. However, it seemed apparent very quickly that Gareth Bale wasn't having the best time at left back. He wasn't nearly the threat that he usually is on the left hand side and he looked like a defensive liability. When Luka Modric was injured in the first half, I was sure that Redknapp's decision would be to put on Ekotto and move Bale farther up the pitch. Instead, the change was a like for like with Niko Kranjcar replacing Modric. Unsurprisingly, Bale's defensive deficiencies were partially (if not mostly) at fault for West Brom's equalizer.
The later substitutions, Keane for Pavlyuchenko and Crouch for Lennon were even more puzzling. I can't begin to dissect what Harry was trying to accomplish with those substitutions. Unsurprisingly, once Pavlyuchenko came off, the team looked aimless and disjointed. It never really felt like the equalizer was coming.
Rafael van der Vaart had a solid debut, as did William Gallas. They can hardly be faulted for the draw (I almost wrote loss again). The team as a whole just had no direction after Modric went down. Pavlyuchenko didn't appear to be working that hard, Gareth Bale looked confused at left back, Niko Kranjcar didn't exactly offer anything positive or negative, and Wilson Palacios gave the ball away frequently. When the players who have been with the side and who know each other aren't clicking, it's hard to blame van der Vaart for the result.
Some good news did come out of the match, though. Luka Modric did not break his leg as first feared and will travel with the team to Germany to face Werder Bremen in Champions League. Based on the way the team looked after Modric went out, they might need him.
Spurs have now scored only three goals in their first three games without facing any of the big three. It appears that without Defoe, Spurs are a team that needs their superstars to take over games by themselves to win.
I waited a while to write this because I thought I would be in a better state of mind than I was Saturday, but I'm not. I don't know what to make of this draw or this team. Right now, I'm not optimistic at all, and I'm extremely frustrated with Harry Redknapp.
The team doesn't have a whole lot of time to get their heads right before the matchup with Werder, a team that has the ability to beat anyone 4-0 and lose to anyone 4-0. They were conservative against Bayern at the weekend, but Almeida was rested and Marin showed some fantastic skill. They will provide a stern test, for sure. I'll preview that match tomorrow.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Spurs vs. West Brom -or- Dear God We Can't Possibly F**k This Up...Again
Remember the last time I titled a post like this? It was before the Wigan game, a game I thought we couldn't possibly lose. I made jokes that Spurs screw up stuff like this all the time, but I never really entertained the possibility that Spurs might actually lose at home to Wigan.
You would assume that because of that match, I am entertaining the possibility that Spurs might lose to West Brom. Well SCREW THAT. No, I am going to be a blind fanboy for once. I am always the "realistic" fan, the guy who asks "what if?" Not today. We are going to beat the living piss out of West Brom, goddamn it, and I don't care what you say.
Yes, I know that Peter Odemwingie is really good. I did a daily podcast during the last African Cup of Nations, I'm a big fan of his. But he will NOT score on Ledley King and William Gallas. No no no no no no no. I won't give them credit. I don't wanna. We are awesome.
Okay, I'm sorry. I'm done acting like a two year old. Let's talk about what Spurs are going to do in this match. Jermain Defoe is unavailable, so Harry has to make some adjustments. If he's intent on staying with his English 4-4-2 with Peter Crouch up top, his logical partners are Robbie Keane, who is in awful form, or Giovani Dos Santos, who is also not in very good form. Harry could play Pav and Crouch together, but that never works and gives us a dangerous lack of speed. We could throw VdV into this setup with Crouch, but I'm not a big fan of him playing a more advanced role with Crouch as the center forward, it just doesn't feel like they would work well together.
So, what to do? Harry Redknapp has actually played five in the midfield this season, so it wouldn't shock me to see Huddlestone, Modric, and VdV all in the midfield with Pav as a lone striker. For me, this is the best option.
But really, it shouldn't matter. We should be able to put 11 random players on the field and beat West Brom. West Brom sucks. COYS.
You would assume that because of that match, I am entertaining the possibility that Spurs might lose to West Brom. Well SCREW THAT. No, I am going to be a blind fanboy for once. I am always the "realistic" fan, the guy who asks "what if?" Not today. We are going to beat the living piss out of West Brom, goddamn it, and I don't care what you say.
Yes, I know that Peter Odemwingie is really good. I did a daily podcast during the last African Cup of Nations, I'm a big fan of his. But he will NOT score on Ledley King and William Gallas. No no no no no no no. I won't give them credit. I don't wanna. We are awesome.
Okay, I'm sorry. I'm done acting like a two year old. Let's talk about what Spurs are going to do in this match. Jermain Defoe is unavailable, so Harry has to make some adjustments. If he's intent on staying with his English 4-4-2 with Peter Crouch up top, his logical partners are Robbie Keane, who is in awful form, or Giovani Dos Santos, who is also not in very good form. Harry could play Pav and Crouch together, but that never works and gives us a dangerous lack of speed. We could throw VdV into this setup with Crouch, but I'm not a big fan of him playing a more advanced role with Crouch as the center forward, it just doesn't feel like they would work well together.
So, what to do? Harry Redknapp has actually played five in the midfield this season, so it wouldn't shock me to see Huddlestone, Modric, and VdV all in the midfield with Pav as a lone striker. For me, this is the best option.
But really, it shouldn't matter. We should be able to put 11 random players on the field and beat West Brom. West Brom sucks. COYS.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Thursday Links - 08/09/10
Redknapp backs Gallas for timely debut - The Independent
Hutton wants first team football - ESPN Soccernet
Defoe out for six weeks (I guess the initial reports were BS, sigh) - Sky Sports
Portsmouth can't sign a player after the deadline because "we're not Spurs." (I think they have every right to be pissed at the FA about this) - Yahoo! Eurosport
Bristol City sign Tottenham's Danny Rose on loan - BBC Sport
Wild rumor time! Tottenham willing to shell out £22m for Ashley Young - Goal.com
Bremen without Mertesacker vs. Spurs - AFP
Game preview tomorrow kiddies, glad I could get you caught up on all the latest Spurs news and rumors.
Hutton wants first team football - ESPN Soccernet
Defoe out for six weeks (I guess the initial reports were BS, sigh) - Sky Sports
Portsmouth can't sign a player after the deadline because "we're not Spurs." (I think they have every right to be pissed at the FA about this) - Yahoo! Eurosport
Bristol City sign Tottenham's Danny Rose on loan - BBC Sport
Wild rumor time! Tottenham willing to shell out £22m for Ashley Young - Goal.com
Bremen without Mertesacker vs. Spurs - AFP
Game preview tomorrow kiddies, glad I could get you caught up on all the latest Spurs news and rumors.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The International Break is Over...as is Michael Dawson's Month
Yep. Michael Dawson is set to miss at least six weeks after sustaining both cartilage and ligament damage. It's a good thing we just signed William Gallas, but that doesn't stop me from being pissed that one of our players got injured on international duty.
This anger isn't directed at anyone in particular. Capello did nothing wrong and I'm not about to go on a crusade about international dates, ripping into Platini and Blatter. It would be pointless. I'm just frustrated that a player was injured in a match that had little to nothing to do with the well-being of Spurs.
There is some good news, though. Jermain Defoe appeared to completely mess up his ankle in the following match against Switzerland, but despite being both stretchered and substituted off, it appears that Jermain is just fine. I doubt he'll start this weekend against West Brom, but it's very possible that he could be on the bench. Bullet dodged.
After a week off, I'm excited to get back to club football. Even though I'm a passionate supporter of the United States national teams, I don't care much for international football. I'd rather watch two teams at the bottom of La Liga or Serie A than an England match. Other than the Spurs match this weekend, I highly recommend watching Athletic Bilbao-Atletico Madrid, Juventus-Sampdoria, Hoffenheim-Schalke, and Borussia Dortmund-Wolfsburg.
We're back on our regular schedule here at CFC after the international break and Labor Day weekend. Expect your regular Thursday links tomorrow and a match preview on Friday. I'll be less arrogant than I was before the Wigan match, I promise.
This anger isn't directed at anyone in particular. Capello did nothing wrong and I'm not about to go on a crusade about international dates, ripping into Platini and Blatter. It would be pointless. I'm just frustrated that a player was injured in a match that had little to nothing to do with the well-being of Spurs.
There is some good news, though. Jermain Defoe appeared to completely mess up his ankle in the following match against Switzerland, but despite being both stretchered and substituted off, it appears that Jermain is just fine. I doubt he'll start this weekend against West Brom, but it's very possible that he could be on the bench. Bullet dodged.
After a week off, I'm excited to get back to club football. Even though I'm a passionate supporter of the United States national teams, I don't care much for international football. I'd rather watch two teams at the bottom of La Liga or Serie A than an England match. Other than the Spurs match this weekend, I highly recommend watching Athletic Bilbao-Atletico Madrid, Juventus-Sampdoria, Hoffenheim-Schalke, and Borussia Dortmund-Wolfsburg.
We're back on our regular schedule here at CFC after the international break and Labor Day weekend. Expect your regular Thursday links tomorrow and a match preview on Friday. I'll be less arrogant than I was before the Wigan match, I promise.
Friday, September 3, 2010
A Little Time Off
With the international break and Labor Day weekend, I'll be taking a little hiatus from CFC until Tuesday. We'll return then with some content for everyone. Hopefully this site will be moving over to SBNation within the next couple of weeks.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Rafael Van der Vaart Signs with Spurs
Well, that came out of left field.
Real Madrid were apparently so desperate to get rid of Van der Vaart that they were willing to take £8m for him, or roughly 2/3 of what they paid for him in the first place. Supposedly, an £18m transfer for Bayern Munich had fallen through the day before deadline day, and as a result, VdV was available for a discount price. Despite not needing him, Harry Redknapp couldn't resist getting a player of his quality for such a cheap price.
And really, Van der Vaart was cheap by just about anyone's standards. He played 26 games for Real Madrid last season, scoring 6 goals and tallying 7 assists. He started in the World Cup and made 5 total appearances for the tournament runners-up. The midfielder has 16 goals in 83 international appearances and 92 goals in 249 top flight league appearances for Ajax, Hamburg SV, and Real Madrid.
So, Spurs fans might be wondering how Van der Vaart fits into Spurs' regular setup. Truth be told...he doesn't. Van der Vaart is used to playing higher up the pitch than Spurs' central midfielders ever do. While he's competent as a winger, he's not good enough in that role to displace Bale or Lennon.
There are a few possibilities for fitting Rafael Van der Vaart into a Spurs' starting lineup. Let's give them a look:
1. He comes in for Ekotto. Bale shifts to left back and either Van der Vaart or Modric plays on the left with the other playing in the center. Against better teams with lots of attacking threats through the middle, VdV could play on the left with two of Sandro, Huddlestone, and Palacios in the middle.
2. We play only one of Huddlestone, Palacios, and Sandro, let VdV play the way he likes to play, and ask the defensive midfielder to do a lot of work. This is a role that does not suit the talented and intelligent, yet large and lead-footed Tom Huddlestone at all. The best man for this role is Palacios. Playing this way would be a really bad idea in Champions League. It could potentially be super effective against teams like Blackburn, Sunderland, Birmingham, and Stoke who do not have central midfielders who can pass or dribble worth a damn (slight exception for Riveros, there).
3. We *gasp* experiment with different tactics. We know it's not Harry's thing, but with Pavlyuchenko, Van der Vaart, and Sandro, we now have three players that are absolutely tailor made for the 4-2-3-1 setup that everyone and their mom is using these days. This setup is unlikely to have massive effects, positive or negative, on Aaron Lennon, Gareth Bale, Giovani dos Santos, Niko Kranjcar, Tom Huddlestone, or Wilson Palacios. Obviously, this formation renders Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe irrelevant or ineffective, most likely. Luka Modric is a bit of a wild card, as he could play as an attacking central midfielder, central midfielder, or on the left wing. His role would likely either be as a player who is thrown into one of those roles due to a specific matchup against an opponent or as a super sub.
So, if you were thinking that Rafael Van der Vaart was going to be plug and play somewhere, you were mistaken. How Redknapp uses VdV might reveal a lot about him as a manager. If he can't make slight tactical adjustments to find room for a player of VdV's quality, he truly is a rockhead. If he throws VdV into Spurs' current setup with no adjustments and hopes it just works, he's an even bigger rockhead. How VdV is utilized will go a long way towards whether or not Spurs reach their ambitions. Let's just hope that he is used properly.
Real Madrid were apparently so desperate to get rid of Van der Vaart that they were willing to take £8m for him, or roughly 2/3 of what they paid for him in the first place. Supposedly, an £18m transfer for Bayern Munich had fallen through the day before deadline day, and as a result, VdV was available for a discount price. Despite not needing him, Harry Redknapp couldn't resist getting a player of his quality for such a cheap price.
And really, Van der Vaart was cheap by just about anyone's standards. He played 26 games for Real Madrid last season, scoring 6 goals and tallying 7 assists. He started in the World Cup and made 5 total appearances for the tournament runners-up. The midfielder has 16 goals in 83 international appearances and 92 goals in 249 top flight league appearances for Ajax, Hamburg SV, and Real Madrid.
So, Spurs fans might be wondering how Van der Vaart fits into Spurs' regular setup. Truth be told...he doesn't. Van der Vaart is used to playing higher up the pitch than Spurs' central midfielders ever do. While he's competent as a winger, he's not good enough in that role to displace Bale or Lennon.
There are a few possibilities for fitting Rafael Van der Vaart into a Spurs' starting lineup. Let's give them a look:
1. He comes in for Ekotto. Bale shifts to left back and either Van der Vaart or Modric plays on the left with the other playing in the center. Against better teams with lots of attacking threats through the middle, VdV could play on the left with two of Sandro, Huddlestone, and Palacios in the middle.
2. We play only one of Huddlestone, Palacios, and Sandro, let VdV play the way he likes to play, and ask the defensive midfielder to do a lot of work. This is a role that does not suit the talented and intelligent, yet large and lead-footed Tom Huddlestone at all. The best man for this role is Palacios. Playing this way would be a really bad idea in Champions League. It could potentially be super effective against teams like Blackburn, Sunderland, Birmingham, and Stoke who do not have central midfielders who can pass or dribble worth a damn (slight exception for Riveros, there).
3. We *gasp* experiment with different tactics. We know it's not Harry's thing, but with Pavlyuchenko, Van der Vaart, and Sandro, we now have three players that are absolutely tailor made for the 4-2-3-1 setup that everyone and their mom is using these days. This setup is unlikely to have massive effects, positive or negative, on Aaron Lennon, Gareth Bale, Giovani dos Santos, Niko Kranjcar, Tom Huddlestone, or Wilson Palacios. Obviously, this formation renders Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe irrelevant or ineffective, most likely. Luka Modric is a bit of a wild card, as he could play as an attacking central midfielder, central midfielder, or on the left wing. His role would likely either be as a player who is thrown into one of those roles due to a specific matchup against an opponent or as a super sub.
So, if you were thinking that Rafael Van der Vaart was going to be plug and play somewhere, you were mistaken. How Redknapp uses VdV might reveal a lot about him as a manager. If he can't make slight tactical adjustments to find room for a player of VdV's quality, he truly is a rockhead. If he throws VdV into Spurs' current setup with no adjustments and hopes it just works, he's an even bigger rockhead. How VdV is utilized will go a long way towards whether or not Spurs reach their ambitions. Let's just hope that he is used properly.
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