Have you noticed that watching Tottenham is getting more and more like watching England. Both are a group of highly rated internationals who are not quite as good as they look on paper, both raise their game when they are the underdog, both sets of fans are convinced that the object of their support is better than they actually are, both haven't really acheived anything truely impressive since the 1960's - and both are shit at penalties.So inevitably it was left to an England international to end our season. Not that I blame Jenas, in all fairness it wasn't a terrible penalty, it was well placed but just at the wrong height. Chimbonda however is rapidly becoming something of an annoyance to me with his recent and not-so-recent antics. He's the kind of player that would fit in perfectly at Chelsea.
All in all, we was robbed. Tottenham did what they set out to do, win the game, and were by far the better team on the night. The only problem was that PSV refused to be broken. Our final ball was a let down time and time again, and whilst I can see the merits of the long ball game for the last 15 minutes of a match, I can't believe we adopted that tactic virtually from kick-off. Spurs are at their best when the ball is on the ground. Hoofing it up field and hoping for the second ball is NOT a tactic I want to see start creeping in on a regular basis.
Ramos has some difficult (and not so difficult) decisions to make this summer. For example - how many of you expected Robbo to save a single penalty? Compare that to the 'feeling' you must have had about Gomes and his ability to be the star of the show. The fact that he got a touch to three of our penalties suggests that we were perhaps lucky to even make it to Chimbonda's lame attempt. A big club needs a big character in goal, after wavering for quite a while I am now firmly in the "Robbo must go" camp - I suspect that Ramos is with me.
Next on my hit list: Lennon. I'm still at the wavering stage with him, but be honest, is he overrated? Bags of pace for sure; but no end product and extremely poor finishing let him down too often for my liking. Yes, yes I know what you are going to say "He's young, he must be allowed time to develop and progress", but I am not seeing any signs of progress - in fact, if anything I think he's actually getting worse. I don't think I'm ready to bring the hatchet down on him just yet, but in my opinion he's on borrowed time.
In other areas Hutton and Gunter means we can let Shimbomba (quote: David Pleat) go without worrying about back up, Daws, King, Woody and Kaboul are decent enough options and Gilberto and Bale are both good enough. So, goalkeeping aside, options in defence are not too shabby. Jenas and Huddlestone are coming on leaps and bounds under Ramos, Zokora must be kept is for not other reason that for his ability as a utility man, and Steed is solid without being spectacular.
We are blessed with strikers (yes, Bent IS good enough) so in my opinion Ramos and Comolli need to go out and buy 2 extremely expensive flair players for the wings and a world class keeper. (I'd be back dangling £12m in front of PSV for Gomes as he has ability AND entertainment value - not to mention the most incredible throwing ability I've ever seen!)
So there you have it. One trophy will have to do this year - and who amongst us would not have taken that back in October? Come On You Spurs, and bring on next season.
8 comments:
my one fear if we were to buy gomes is that our central defenders would be out through injury even more than they are now
I totally disagree with opening comparison to England.
1) You don't seem to take any account of the youthful nature of the squad - meaning they will improve;
2) You don't seem to take any acocunt of the fact that there has been a change of manager mid-season, making it injudicious to make a judgement bsed wholly on a partial season. Wait until the end of next season for clarity and fairness of judgement. But if you must make a judgement take into account the fact that a trophy has been won in that partial season, European qualification achieved, and a season saved.
3) It is apparent that Juande Ramos (and Comolli and Levy) clearly perceived that the defence had to be revamped. It therefore makes it ironic that one of the lynch-pins of thatprocess, the impressive looking Hutton, has been ineligible for UEFA games. Gilberto (don't judge him on that one mistake) has hardly been introduced; and Gunter is youthful and cup-tied (but has looked pretty decent in the glimpses seen.
4) Next seaosn will be starting with some crucial injured retrnees. Bale, who has looked World class (and I mean that literally) will be back. Ekotto will return as cover (and I don't share the confidence that he will be out in the summer, most seem to have), and, most importantly (I hope) Ledley King will be available next season for the start of the season (and I firmly believe that his abscence, which wasn't anticipated, was the primary reason for the woeful start to the season.
So, a penalty shoot-out to a very decent (and just below the top-tier of European clubs) PSV under these circumstances is hardly a disaster, or justification for such sweeping generalisation.
Very good article...I agree about Chims, and Robbo definitely needs to go. How did he become so bad in the past two years? Lennon however showed major improvement the first month under Ramos but now has digressed.
I'm beginning to think that selling Defoe is going to really bite us in the arse although I believe given some more action Bent can show his class.
If Lennon can start using that form he showed two summers ago, we'll be fine on both wings...remember, we still have Mr. Bale waiting to run down the left side.
I'm honestly excited about the next two years, but I'm very nervous about Berb's intentions this summer now that there's no Champion's League birth.
i agree that we need a world class goalkeeper, but most importantly i feel a classy midfielder is in order.. we have a lot of average midfielders, but the only one with a bit of flair is lennon. malbranque was the most improved player under ramos but he performances have recently declined. Nevertheless our biggest problem this summer will not be who to sign, but how to keep berba. i think he wont be willing to stay withough champions league football.
as for last night, i dont blame chimbonda for missing the penalty, but i do have a few questions. why didn't Malbranque or Lennon take one? no courage? they shouldn't be on the pitch if they dont have the guts to take one. look at young o'hara.. although he almost messed it up, he had the balls to take it..
We've won more than England have in a few years....
Don't forget we have a trophy in the cabinet...obviously I am as gutted as you all are too!
Defoe won't bite us in the ass. He was never gonna displace keane and the Berb, and can you remember watching him for Spurs in the last season or two? Frustrating is a kind word.
£30m fixes everything!
3 players,
1 - Ricardo - Goalkeeper
2 - Rafael Van Der Vaart - AMF
3 - Jerèmy Mènèz - LWF
These 3 would make us top 4 contenders.
Ricardo has proven on many occasions (especially against England for Portugal) that he is world class and would be a much better option than Robbo.
Van Der Vaart.. what more can i say? Holland captain and would add creativity to our midfield and install a winning mentality.
Mènèz - This boy is already what were hoping Taarabt will turn into. bags of pace, skill and power. will one day win top honours with a top European side.
On the whole, we need more invention and a real rock behind Woody and King, then we will really start to shine!
Loan Bent out to Europe for a year. He seems like a nice enough guy but he HAS to learn how to be a centre forward. At the moment, he's getting cruelly exposed and it's doing his confidence no good.
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