I'm not applauding Vimhawk's post, because I've supported Spurs for over 50 years, so for him to call into question my Spurs supporting credentials is way OTT to me. I vividly remember the relegation year, and am happy with my levels of perspective. King is finished, and Harry's failure to see that has done great damage to our season. No need to turn Ledley into sausages, just let him gracefully retire, and stop this farce now. It's not King's fault BTW, it's Harry's, maybe Levy's too if it's true we could have got Cahill in.
Friedel Smith Nelsen Walker Rose Parker Sandro Livermore VDV Ade Bale is how I feel ATM, BUT IT'S PROBABLY TOO RADICAL (apologies for caps) . So really I'm not sure what to suggest, except no King, no Lennon, and no BAE. But others probably need dropping too.
Do you want Champions League or Championship football? Walker at CB? He played there like 5 times for Northampton, stick him up against an in-form Bobby Zamora and we're f*cked, we all know Walker isn't solid defensively. Rose for BAE? No Modric? Thrusting Smith into a must win game? Are you sure your watching the right Spurs here?
That lineup looks ok to me GH - and I too take exception to having my support-credentials doubted for simply stating what I am observing!! Things are clearly not right otherwise we would still be 12 or more points ahead of the pack and likely in the Final. That we are not says a lot about the way the squad has been managed and the tactics used. But I will keep singing and supporting at every game - as always!!
We need pace at the back. So why not try Lennon there? VDV at left back, making surging runs outside Sandro on the left wing, who I think should be given a chance in that role.
OK - so you were there for the relegation year. But that does not automatically mean that you learned from it. Were you calling for Burkinshaw to be sacked or were you of the opinion that if we kept with him he would get us instant promotion and maybe win things for us? Just cos people experienced something or were around when it happened does not automatically validate their opinion. I'm reminded of someone I use to know who would go on about how they'd "traveled the wooorld" (and they had - for some years) yet a less imaginative and and more closed minded person you could not wish to meet. I'm not so sure that you can accuse others of being OTT and say your perspective is just fine when you think we should be playing Walker at CB, a completely untried youngster at right back (and is he not out on loan anyway?) and decide that, whatever else happens, Lennon MUST NOT play. Because er...he's not one of our best eleven players. And I guess he's the reason we hit such a dip in form recently. I mean - he's barely looked like he's been on the pitch for most of those games, right?
On the one consideration of Walker at Centre Half, I actually think he could make a go of it. His defending has improved a heap over the season and he won't get caught out of position so much from there. Pace is important in the role. Problem is we have gone from dozens of right backs to seemingly only one. Smith is too inexperienced to come in now. Don't understand the anti Lennon sentiment though. When confident and fit is one of the best right wings in the business.
Just a quick mention on Adam Smith.... I think it's easy to forget he has now made almost 80 Football League appearances along with a few International caps at various age groups. It would be a big ask for the lad to come into the first team right now, but he is not quite as inexperienced as some think. At the end of the day though, I think we all know that Harry will do what he always does and stick with his tried and trusted, which means that if King declares himself fit, then he will play.
Can you stop banging on about King and Gallas., They were clearly not 100% fit fot that game, but were picked anyhow. Under those circumstances they give it a go and risked further long term injury(s) because there was simply no one ealse worth risking on the day. Now you are focusing on how poor they were in insolation and disregarding others, who although fit, were did NOT perform particularly well. I think the pair of them (King and Gallas) deserve soom credit for a least standing up to be counted. I also think you should redirect some of your scary feeling to the management of these players.
His defensive side has improved, though I still don't think he's defensively sound enough to play CB in the Premier League. He doesn't seem "rugged" enough and I'd be worried about how he'd read the game from CB too.
You can play with line ups and formations all you like but what is more important is to get Spurs playing with some belief and heart. I hope Harry has it in him to reverse the decline.
And if we want belief, it's important that the first team have it too. Remember how our hangover from the end of 2007-8 continued with horrific effect at the start of 2008-9? It happens to lots of clubs - Bolton have had one hell of a hangover from last seasons' FA Cup semi capitulation this season - so throwing a bunch of youngsters on the pitch now is madness. If we were going to use youngsters, I'd prefer they had a cameo in a dead rubber match at the end of the season - such as Livermore coming on against Brum in our final game last season - rather than throw them in at the deep end now. The only youngster we have that could step into the team and look like they belong is Caulker, but he's not an option right now.
If fit... Friedal Walker Kaboul King (Nelson) Rose Bale Sandro Parker Modric VDV Adebayor With Lenny up our sleeve to inject pace and creativity if needed
Well said Relayer, I'm keeping the faith as you are. However the way Harry and the team have performed since the turn of the year gives people every right to criticise.
Bajan it's not King and Gallas' fault they were picked it's Harry's. But King and Gallas is a scary combo, because it's too old and injury stricken. Why Nelsen was taken on board (no pun intended ) by Harry, and then not played from the start in at least one of our last two games is beyond me. I've nothing against King and Gallas, I just don't want them two starting another game.
Fair comment Spurf, but can Harry do it? I doubt it. Surely some of the players who aren't playing with sufficient belief and heart need to be dropped. Otherwise it will probably be more of the same at Loftus Road and if we lose there, then the season is gone as far as top 4 goes. We've already had a barren season silverware-wise, again, under Harry. He keeps banging on about how we haven't won much in the last twenty years. That's true, but under him we've won nothing, and I'm pretty sure he will leave us in the summer as a manager that won nowt with us.
Fair comments OS, in ways it's unfair to ask Smith to come into a losing team, but usually that's the way opportunities occur. Anyway can sit down and name the same old same old for Saturday, and Harry probably will. Will it work, we'll see.
