Good question - 3 fans' favourites that are not at all my favourites are Lennon BAE and JD, I don't particularly rate any of them, and can never grasp why they are liked so much. My faves are Kaboul, Dempsey, Lloris, Daws, Jake, Ade, Bale, Dembele, Parker probably some others too But Bale is poor this season, Jake's been disappointing lately - so it might all change
care to expand on that SC, as I was hoping Freund would make a decent coach, yet I did notice during games that avb cuts him off in the middle of Freund talking, doesn't bode well for their relationship.
Well, given the highly unimpressive start AVB has made, maybe he should listen to Freund a bit more. So far AVB reminds me of Hodd the manager in his misplaced arrogance and poor team selection.
It was an arrangement which was presented to AVB as a 'fait accompli' and one he felt ineasy about from the start because he had never met Freund before. Apparently the pair of them haven't exactly hit it off, mainly because AVb isn't convinced Freund has what it takes to coach at this level. A view also allegedly shared by a couple of first teamers, although to keep this in some perspectiive, the players concerned are those who have had their nose put out of joint.
The more that comes out, the more I feel AVB only took this job to try and prove a point about what happened at Chelsea and has gone along with decisions just because he is new in the job and its soon going to end in chaos. We don't seem to have any team spirit, any real identity, players are already saying "give avb time". Now apparently our manager and assistant don't see eye to eye, any more positive news!
Paul Robinson's total proof of this. Definitely added to the entertainment, even in games where he had virtually nothing to do. Robbo, what's the score, Robbo, Robbo, what's the score?
Coming through the ranks and staying loyal does go along way to securing a place in the fans hearts. There is also a sort of novelty factor that does not necesarily make a player the fans favourite tag but does endear players to fans - a la Timothy Atouba.
Well of course the Freund appointment was one to get fans onside rather than a sound footballing decision. This sort of appointment really frustrates me. Have we learned nothing from the Ossie/Hoddle appointments? I can see absolutely no reason at all why Freund is a coach at a top-level EPL club. He was coaching Germany's U-17s or something, wasn't he? And that's the totality of his experience! Is it because it was hard to find someone less senior than AVB to work as AVB's assistant?! I mean - at the very leat a coach has to have a strong relationship with the manager. In this case Freund has neither a solid coaching background OR loyalty/rapport with the manager. So I guess all that geeing up the White Hart Lane crowd then getting booked 10-15 years ago has paid big dividends!
We always have good relationships with our 'keepers to be fair and Gomes was on his way to a similar level before he started costing us points regularly again. Forgot about that nutcase, point well made
Atouba - along with effort/loyalty(?), sheer ability and oddness there's another way to become a fan favourite - do something amazing very early on in your career (for Atouba it was that Newcastle goal, wasn't it?). See also the way that so many Spurs fans (including myself) had such a high opinion of Taraabt based purely on a turn (or a bit of skill that took him past someone - can't remember) he did with possibly his first touch of the ball on his senior debut.
for me Atouba's moment was the cruyff turn/drag back in our 6 yard box. I didn't thank him for it at the time though. Taarabt had a good game against Derby i think
for me it was seeing Jimmy Greaves weave in and out past about 5 defender's, then around the keeper and put the ball in the net.
Atouba did up getting booed by the Spurs 'faithful' though as his career collapsed here. But I agree there are so many ways to become a fans' fave that to me seem illogical, but hey football is an irrational game in many ways.
A flair player I think sometimes has it easier. They do something spectacular (all the better if it's been recorded and often replayed) and it's remembered. They get remembered for the times their trickery pays off and tend to be forgiven (perhaps unlike keepers and defenders) for when it doesn't. Their contribution throughout the match is often not questioned. I'm honestly not trying to pick on anyone but for example Ginola is generally well loved but I would argue perhaps for his ability to be spectacular rather than for his contribution throughout 90 minutes. And please believe me I'm not saying Ginola isn't a great player, just that he is probably better remembered than say Tony Galvin who I think played in a similar position and I would argue was generally extremely effective for the whole game without so much flair. Indeed, for the time he was at Spurs I would always have Galvin as first or second on the team sheet for the fact that he would always perform. As I said, flair players don't tend to be remembered when they don't perform. (Again I don't mean to be over harsh on Ginola, I'm just using him as an example.) There's also a problem that a lot of the output of past players was never recorded, so modern fans don't get the opportunity to properly assess how great they were. For example I would argue that Hoddle was actually better than many fans think today, because a very large amount of incredible stuff he did was never taped. I'll never forget the expectation when we got a free kick just outside the box and Hoddle stepped up.... I can say that from personal recollection, although I am not old enough to have seen Greaves but I'm sure the same applies.
Loyalty, strong determination, good consistent performances and recognising the fans. In regards to Zokora, YV I'm with you in terms of actually rating him. Gave everything on the pitch, may not have been blessed with ability like Luka for instance but he never gave up, put in some really solid performances, never jumped out of a tackle and was loved by the crowd because of his dance which sounds silly, but was really appreciated, it's nice to know some players realise and acknowledge the fans and so even doing as little as a clap/ gesture or in Zokora's case a dance, just puts a smile on your face when leaving the stands. Kaboul usually comes over to us in the Park Lane at the end of a game we've won and pats the badge which gets us roaring and chanting his name. Bale's usually the last one to go into the tunnel after the final whistle and applauds all sections of the fans which gets the "Bale, Bale, Bale" chant going. Dawson too, like Bale applauds the fans. Most players in fairness do give a little clap but them three of note, really do show their appreciation to us. Things like that stick in the memory of the crowd and therefore helps to raise their profile amongst us, which contributes to their "fan favourite" status greatly.
Zokora was probably helped by his failure to score, bizarrely. Paired him up with Freund in the Spurs' collective psyche, as another 100% commitment midfielder who never shirks a tackle, gives his all and never hits the back of the net. If he'd have scored in the Carling Cup final against Chelsea when he was 1 on 1 with Cech, I think I may have exploded. You just knew it wasn't going to happen, though! Still had my favourite moment of his in that game, despite that. His reaction to the whole penalty incident was great entertainment. His recent attempt to kick racism out of football was well worth a watch, too: [video=youtube;i5v0_wv-9co]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5v0_wv-9co[/video]
Zvonomir Boban became a national hero for what he does at 6:01... [video=youtube;uXr1Z-MiApo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXr1Z-MiApo[/video]
I remember being shown that by a good friend of mine who's a Spurs/ Fener fan. He found it hilarious even though it was against Emre!
