Most of our attacks the season before last were directed at a pacy striker (ie Defoe) who then was either offside, shot straight at the keeper or scored a significant number of his goals in one game)
I'm surprised you ask Schteff why JD was so ineffective, he only played 20 odd league games only starting about half of them, he never really got going again after the England injury. Plenty of crosses went fizzing across the area with the slothes still ambling toward the posts. I don't believe you haven't seen that either. I discussed this elsewhere, that taking JD, Bale, and Lennon out, leaves us so slow at the business end its unreal. If you haven't already, have a think about it. Losing one is not a good idea...sometimes using pace can be the only thing that unlocks a resolute defence in a match....remind you of anyone last year!
Our only "strategy" last year seemed to be cross the ball for Bambi to knock down for VDV. It worked for a short while, but it's hardly rocket science, and it didn't take opposing defenders long to stop Crouch getting to the Ball. I think we'll have to come up with something slightly more creative next season!
All he's ever had is excuses from Spurs fans, he had the same after his injury the season before when he struggled. You're right about the amount of crosses that went across the 6 yard box going begging, if Crouch had half a yard more pace he could've got another 4-5 goals last season. We peppered most teams with all sorts crosses and if we had just one striker with a bit of nous they'd have been able to spot when Lennon was going to cut it back, or when Bale was going near post. I keep getting told that Defoe wasn't fit last season, or needed more match practice but there comes a point when you simply can't afford to keep giving him game time when he's not going to offer anything. Surely by our last game of the season he should've been fine? It wasn't the nastiest injury and certainly wasn't career threatening. The last game aginst Birmingham summed it up for me, he had everything going for him plenty of rest, he was playing against a nervous defence that had played far more than him, he was in a 4-4-2 and yet he contrived to be annonymous. He came deep when we were attacking without offering an out ball, he wasn't even in the area when crosses came in, he just stood, pointed and shouted as the game passed him by. The Notso similarities were unnerving. He was unfit/out of form and yet complained when he was on the bench. The biggest problem for me is that he hasn't improved since we first signed him from West Ham. I'll take your point about pace but I don't think Defoe adds anything of value to the squad so NEW FAST STRIKER is required whether we sell him or not.
Defoe threatened to quit in the January window and I wish he had. I'd been watching his form for a while and you cannot keep blaming the injury. We will get a striker or two when necessity calls but Defoe and Keane have to go.
It was more reasoning than making excuses Schteff, I think we might be slightly at cross purposes here, I'm not a staunch Defoe fan either tbh. My point really was not to remove the only pacy forward we have without replacement, I still feel he is a good option later in a game against tired legs, but doubt he'd agree with that! . My patience is running out too, as I always thought he might kick on, but you're right, he's added nothing to his rather predictable game. You know what'll happen if we sold him though...30 goal season!
