If Bale is out, who plays in that wide left position. Can't put a central mid out left it will be very unbalanced.
Redknapp will have a range of options if Bale is out, PL. He could try to make things a little more solid in the middle by moving Modric back out to the left and putting Sandro alongside Parker. He could go with a more like-for-like replacement with either Rose or Townsend. There's also Pienaar or Kranjcar to consider, though it's probably too soon for the Croatian. I guess it's possible that he could go with two up front and use Lennon and van der Vaart on the wings, too.
HI PL, we could easily put Luka out left, and it wouldn't unbalance us necessarily. I don't know if you think it's necessary to have two wingers to be a balanced team, so I leave that for you to say. For me though there's no need to have two wingers, indeed I think two wingers can unbalance a team. However, when they are as brilliant as Lennon and Bale currently are, then they are worth it. But mostly, the top teams don't play two wingers, preferring a more balanced side with three or more mids, one or more being a wide mid. When City beat Norwich 5-1 last week, they didn't start with any wingers at all, Nasri being a wide mid for me. Arsenal have rarely played two wingers under Wenger, and typically yesterday, they played just one. Chelsea, like Arsenal have eschewed two wingers for decades now, and in their win at Toon didn't start with any wingers at all, like City. Man U have quite often played two wingers, but typically didn't last season when they won the League (Giggs no longer plays as a winger). Yesterday they did have two wingers, though Nani often acts more like a striker. For Stoke, without Bale I would have Parker and Livermore/Sandro as two DMs then Lennon VDV Luka, then Ade. Four mids in one way, but equally four attackers. 4-2-4 as much as 4-2-3-1. For me, it's all about the 'front 6' and playing in a fluid, creative style. Fortunately Bale will play, I'm 99.99999% confident about that. My 'normal' footballing beliefs would see Lennon replaced by Sandro or Livermore to beef us up against Stoke's aerial onslught, but Harry's incredibly attacking philosophy has won me over as it's getting fantastic results as well as delvering scintillating football, so I expect the same front 6 as v Bolton, except maybe VDV for JD. That isn't a defensive move of course, as VDv is a brilliant attacker.
Well put GH10- makes sense. Talking of Townsend, read a small article where he had a training ground bust up with someone and was removed from the group and then kicked over a bin. Can anyone expand on this?
Cheers PL Re Townsend, I suspect it's a storm in a dustbin It must be frustrating for Townsend, he's a player I rate and I think could play in the Prem. However, he has too many in front of him at Spurs. If we go out of the Europa, I think he's best out on loan.
Right song, wrong video, Spurf. [video=youtube;0tZ6AleCouk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tZ6AleCouk[/video]
You were Spurf, but the original video was hideous! Flo should sack her people and stick some Spurs clips on her next release.
Stoke are unchanged from the side that won at Everton. One alteration for Tottenham from the win against Bolton as Rafael van der Vaart comes in for Jermain Defoe.
Yep I thought Bale would play. So pleased my favourite player VDV is back, on the strength of that I'm going to upgrade my prediction to a Spurs win COYS - off to the pub soon, happy viewing to Spurs fans everywhere
