Quite enjoying the fact we are debating about having too many quality players to fit in a team and i would never of thought i would have seen this day back when Hazard and Dozzell were bossing our midfield!
I think we all agree that VDV cannot play right-mid against stronger teams.By the same token, Modric must remain our playmaker and not be played out of position. Parker and Sandro are the base of the midfield then Modric plays centre mid with Bale and Lennon on the flanks. (It's ironic that Lennon and Defoe get through more work defensively than VDV, they are probably the two smallest players in the Prem) Lennon and Walker would make as good a pair as Benny and Bale. VDV sits in the hole until he runs out of puff with Ade as the lone striker. Rafa provides goals early on usually, so there could be a case for withdrawing Ade into the hole and getting Defoe on with half an hour to go. He is probably the last man tiring defenders wants to see and Ade seems to be able to play anywhere across the front.
Only if we're up against snails on that side! we'd get ripped by pace imo, as a general rule you'd expect you're DM to get across and help. Other teams have wandering creative types and counter their negatives with organisation, I think Harry is still looking for VDV's best spot, but I think the balance of KW and VDV is ok.
Chirpy - isn't that a 12 man team. It's not that VdV doesn't work hard - he's just a terrible tackler - so he needs to be played far enough up front where that doesn't matter. Having the pace of Lennon and Defoe on the bench against the top teams works for me but Harry also needs to find a way of rotating the squad against the poorer teams to ensure that they all remain sharp.
I can really see Defoe sitting on the bench every week and not sulking. There are also cracks appearing with what Harry says about VDV and what VDV thinks so i'm not sure it can end too well.
He won't always be on the bench if Harry rotates properly against the weaker teams. He can always go and join a club where he is an automatic selection, but he'll never win anything then - he's not good enough to be more than a squad player for a top side.
We look much more secure with both Sandro & Parker in midfield. Which, for me, leaves a straight choice between Defoe & VDV. We looked like being overun in midfield until Sandro came on.
You're right! Sandro benched then. Your point about rotation is well made. Looks like Harry is looking at the squad a bit more holistically this year and it seems to be paying dividends.
More rumblings from Harry this morning i see Ref Defoe and Rafa. I think Harry is right in that if Vdv gets asked to play and do a job he should just do it, great player but part of me thinks its going to end messy! :-(
As has been mentioned VDV is part of the solution, not the problem. He's a top player, better than Defoe, and despite Harry's love of 'old Hammers', he surely knows who to pick if he has to choose. VDV's finishing is on a level that only Greaves and perhaps Lineker can match in my 50+ years of following Spurs. VDV's last two goals have been simply breath taking, few players in the Prem are cpable of finishes like that. Also, vitally, they have been opening goals, as I believe was the one against Hearts, where again the finish was exemplary. In reality, there is plenty of oppotunities for all our players, as long as we stay in the Europa and keep competitive in the league, we have many, many, big games coming up.
Fair comment totsfan. Overall Klinsmann was a better player than VDV, and perhaps Greaves and Lineker too, but I was thinking just in terms of finishing. Yes Klinsmann was a great finisher, but there's something about Greaves, Lineker and VDV when it comes to a goalscoring chance, the goal seems to get bigger for them, whereas for most players it seems to shrink. But I certainly wouldn't argue against Jurgen being rated alongside Greaves, Lineker and VDV in the 'finishing stakes'.
