The Physio room at Tottenham is becoming ever more crowded as Steven Pienaar joined a growing list of casualties after a head injury picked up in training. Pienaar clashed heads with fellow new signing Bongani Khumalo and was reported to have been knocked unconscious. He is expected to be out for two weeks.

Could the injury problems have led to the bizarre site of two goalkeepers on the subs bench last night? Both Cudicini and Pletikosa were present among the substitutes. This is the second time that this has occurred this season and puts into question Harry’s decision to scrap the reserve side and send so many players (both young and experienced) out on loan.

Meanwhile, Ledley King’s operation has been put back a week, after he reportedly missed his flight because he couldn’t find his passport! Having been lauded as having the strongest squad in the league earlier on in the season, we now seem to be down to the bare bones. Let’s hope that the game against Bolton doesn’t result in any more casualties.

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21 COMMENTS

  3. The injury crisis is an ongoing phenomina at WHL. Something that we need to contend with. More importantly is the question of us having to fill in the gaps where we are vulerable. Going shopping & entering the transfer market is the only solution but this serious issue seems to be overlooked year in & out.This is the prime cause of Spurs been non achievers.

  4. There must surely of been one worthy youngster
    we could of had on the bench instead of 2 gk’s,
    makes no sense to me?
    Wish old bacon-face would explain.

  5. So we have
    GK- Gomes, Cudicini, Pletikosa
    FB- Hutton, Corluka, Ekotto
    CB- Bassong, Gallas (just about), Woody (for how long), Khumalo
    MF- Lennon, VDV, Palacios, Sandro, Jenas, Krancjar
    ST- Crouch, Defoe, Pav
    19 players available 3 goalkeepers
    16 outfield players, 1 Khumalo he doesnt trust
    So 15 first teamers, and of those how many need dropping due to bad performances…Hutton, Bassong, Defoe

    So literally no options yet we can afford to send out Gio, Keane, O’Hara, Walker, Naughton, Townsend, Bentley away on Loan

    Makes no sense the majority of those are either full or U21 internationals and all start as first teamers for there clubs again the majority on loan to teams in the premiership.

    Friggin ridiculous

    • Isn’t it obvious that Redknapp, along with the rest of the coaching staff are not fans of Gio, Keane, O’Hara, and Bentley?

      How many times have we read that O’Hara “may” have to leave to get first team football? Even while he was with Portsmouth last season he was talking about leaving. Keane has been a shadow of himself since his return from Liverpool. We see how reliant he was on Berbatov, without him he looks average and uninterested. We have long been told of Dos Santos’ lack of effort, social life, and genuine lack of effort. Bentley is the only one who I feel could truly offer something. Hopefully his time with Birmingham will help secure a move away, for his sake.

  7. I feel strongly that this saying is most fitting where harry is concerned: the one eyed man is king, only in the land of the blind…I know GdS never really lite us up, but from what I saw, his bare minimum was about as much as what Defoe and Crouvh offer. Pav is clumsy, but scores very nice goals, but if harry don’t rate him then y is he there.

    he always plays weakend sides against Man u and without discounting his help getting us in to the cleague, his team selection and insistence on this new one up top formation is not working. Bale and Vdv and modric have carried us this season game after game and Harry just seems to be a mtivator, as his logic whilst not being in doubt, is a little illogical. COYs

  8. We will be fine, pienaar, Bale and Modric will all be back in two weeks time and Dawson has 2 games left, so will be back as well.

    Ledley King we barely have, Gallas will recover in time then given rest when Dawson returns, we have woody restored to fittness and bassong & Dawson played the bulk of games last season.

    Tough game this weekend but at least we are at home, so if we get behind them, we can get them through it. Kind run of fixtures coming up in the league, Bolton @ home, Sunderland Away, Blackpool Away. Then we have a break from the lge because Arsenal are in the League cup final. Dont play again in the lge until the 6th March at Wolves, leaving us with a run in that a fair chunk will be at home. Have faith, 7 wins in the next 10 lge games will stick us on 62pts with 4 to play. 70pts will get top 4 guranteed this season, it will put us in the position we need to be. I think we can get 9pts from the next 3 games to get us ready for the week off.

  9. Next 10 games in the the lge, excluding arsenal re-aaranged home tie.
    Bolton (H)
    Sunderland (A)
    Blackpool (A)
    Wolves (A)
    West Ham (H)
    Wigan (A)
    Stoke (H)
    Man City (A)
    WBA (H)
    Chelsea (A)

    We have 7 games in a row against sides lower then us, 5 in the bottom half of the table and all 3 of the sides in the relegation zone in a row. We have a kind run, Chelsea & man City have games agst liverpool, each other and Man united during the next 7 games, so we will know by the time we go to eastlands just what we require again, we could be in 3rd by then if we adpat the right tactics and formation in these games and get up for them, its a kind period up coming for us even though no easy games

  10. Sod’s law is the problem. Our squad was bloated, we have more internationals on our books than any other team in Europe (maybe the world). Keane, bentley, o’hara, Gio, naughton, walker, townsend weren’t playing. We let them go on loan for obvious reasons: playing time and getting the wages off our books. We’ll recoup money by selling Keane, Gio, O’Hara and Bentley in the summer, the others will come back with 1st team experience under their belts.

    The squad is still big enough to cope. Huddlestone will be back soon, Modders is only out for a couple of weeks, Woody’s back. No need to panic.

  11. Well said Elmarshio, there is far too much doom and gloom written and said. We are in a great position right now. 5 behind City with a game in hand, they have forgotten how to win and we still have to play them at 3-points-lands. And this without a host of top drawer players who will all be back for the crunch time of the season.

    There’s also far too many people taking Redknapp’s top of the head assessments seriously. Pienaar out for 2 weeks due to concussion? 2 weeks? Its nonsense – nobody misses two weeks with concussion. He’ll probably be back in contention for the weekend. We need to keep Gallas fit, that is a given. I would also be recalling Caulker now. Further up the pitch, things cant be that bad, given that last night Kranjcar couldnt get a game last night. How many other teams could have an injury ‘crisis’ and still not find a place for a player of Nico’s quality?

  12. Elmarshio,I like your optimism indeed if we can get nine points from the next three games that will give us tremendous momentum,however Sunderland away will be very difficult!! Here’s hoping anyway.

  13. The main problem is the 3 big games (Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City) as well as Liverpool who seem to be getting it together. Really need to win the other 10 and then take a bit from those 4 games.

    I think we need more than 70 points for a 4th place unless Man City implode

  14. Lets look at it this way…..Say 70pts gets u 4th or greater.

    Man United need 16/42 left
    Arsenal need 21/42 left
    Man City 24/39 left
    Chelsea 26/42 left
    Tottenham 29/42 left

    United have 4 games involving those rivals to come 2 home 2 away
    Arsenal have 2 games involving those rivals to come 1 home 1 away
    Man City have 3 games involving those rivals to come 1 home 2 away
    Chelsea have 4 games involving those rivals to come 3 home 1 away
    Tottenham have 3 games involving those rivals to come, 1 home 2 away

    Chelsea basically have a double header against United, but majority of those big 6pts at home, Man City are likely to be the ones we battle it out with. Spurs have a great record at Eastlands and they dont seem to like playing against Spurs. They could lose at old trafford as they often do and they are due a defeat to Chelsea sooner or later.

    Liverpool have a big say in this with a game against each one of the top 5 sides in the league.

    Yes Sunderland will be a hard game, but I think they may be hurting a little from the Bent Saga and it is a prime time to go there I believe.

  15. All these posible permutations are making me giddy.
    One game at a time. Bolton will be difficult enough. Shame they got Sturridge, he’s quite useful (scored 5 against our reserves the other week!). Maybe Khuomalo can knock out some opponents instead of his teammates. Maybe Ledley isn’t the brightest after all.
    When’s Huddlestone back??? Isn’t that the most important question in the world right now? Certainly more important that whether the muslim brotherhood are gonna take over the soddin middle east that’s for sure

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