After a couple of gloomy weeks, it was to be expected that Jermain Defoe’s three goals in his last two games would attract a raft of praise amidst suggestions that the striker should be first choice to partner Adebayor on any Tottenham team sheet.
Some have said that Defoe is the most natural finisher in the club and the comments received from team mate Rafael van der Vaart just serve to sum up the plaudits he’s been receiving.
“He’s one of the best finishers here in England and he’s showed that over many years,” said Rafa. “We needed him, and the first goal was something special.”
Manager Harry Redknapp however was typically candid over the player’s chances of starting this weekend.
“You know Louis Saha has been scoring goals as well, he has been coming in and scored. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Is the choice for Saturday a difficult one or is it a little more clear cut after the last two games?
For sure… at the moment he is in form!
although who he partners is a trickier question!
Lazy Ade?
Unfit VDV?
or Saha!
None of VdV, Saha or Defoe pose much of an aerial threat. Ideally you’d have a strong, tall presence in the middle and someone quicker to play off them. We have too much of the latter and only Ade for the former. This is where Damiao/Llorente/… would add so much to the team.
Saha, VdV, Defoe play too similarly to choose between, although VdV helps out slightly more in the midfield and can cover out wide as well (even if he doesn’t like to). For that reason I’d say Ade/VdV is the best starting pair with Defoe next up — reward his time at the club since I don’t see much else between him and Saha.
Defoe should definitely start at everton, he looks like our only striker at the moment who is not afraid to take shots and after his two great taken goals on wednesday how could you not start him.. COYS.
Yes. Only so that we can see why he doesn’t get as much playing time as the easily impressed believe he deserves.
He’s not perfect, but at the moment he is looking sharp (and has done all season to be fair to him). I also don’t think him and VdV work as a partnership, which does Defoe no favours. We have great wingers, but without a target to cross to, it makes it a lot easier to defend against.
With Lennon out now, move VdV wide right, Defoe should work up top with Adebayor.
Good points, but I get the impression Adebayor doesn’t like playing with Defoe as he’s too greedy.
Ade can’t moan about having a greedy strike partner when he dosen’t shoot enough himself! Ade should concentrate on not trying to be the opposition friends and turn back into that horrible c**t that used to do us over everytime he played against us!
Vdv on right = Vdv coming inside = Baines has a free path up to Kyle. If Everton play Drenthe on left as well, then Kyle will be well overrun. But the most important fact is that Vdv is not a wide player. If you are going to play someone out of position wide on right, then it has to be a disciplined, battling player.
As lennon is out could we not play bale on the right and rose on the left? Ade and defoe up top!!
Unlike the other guys, it is a NO. It is funny how people criticise Harry for not being tactical, yet people want to change the normal lineup (start Defoe instead) but without any tactical reasoning whatsoever. Everton = tight, physical game = no space = not ideal conditions for Defoe. Defoe is in goalscoring form, but Adebayor plays better overall. The only reasoning I can see for playing Defoe is to try and get him to play on confidence (on the back of recent goals) – and perhaps not to break his confidence by leaving him out again… but what is more important? Defoe’s confidence or maximum points? Defoe’s finishing last night was excellent – but Stevenage at home is different to Everton away.
What more reason do we need to change the formation than 2 wins from our last 5 games, 1 being against Stevenage!
When a stiker is in form you play him!
Please remind me again how good Ade was against, Utd, the goons, Stevenage or Liverpool! His last decent game was Newcastle, but they didn’t even turn up!
Defoe is our only striker(apart from VdV who’s not a striker) who has a contract with us longer than the end of the season, so we know everytime he plays for us his heart is really init!
I can’t count the amount of times I’ve watched Ade and he don’t looked interested at all!
Its funny how he’s not hungry like he was for Madrid! He knew that if he didn’t play well there, he’d be on the bench! No matter how he plays for us though, he’s an automatic starter, I think he needs a reality check, Just like Defoe!
Please nobody has scored more goals for minutes on the pitch than defoe if that was ronney who banged them two goals in you all would be kissing his bum lol.
I can’t remember the last time one of our other strikers shot the ball at goal with purpose apart from saha I would say he is are only striker the rest are just forwards there’s a differance
At EPL level, it is a fact that you cannot just wait for the ball and score – you are required to defend from the front and put in a shift. The only exception is if you are scoring 30 league goals in a season. Defoe ain’t getting that in a million years as he has only got half that twice in his entire top flight career. If simply putting the ball in the net was the only thing you want in a striker, then a top four club would have signed Darren Bent 5 years ago – let alone now. Defoe scored 2 brilliant goals yesterday, but apart from that he had no chemistry with Adebayor, Vdv, Bale, or anyone. He did not chase like Ade did, who won the ball back many times, and provided options for us. Football is a team game and players should be picked on how well the team plays with them.
This is a no brainier Defoe and Adythis should have beena the pairing all season Van has scored one goal since October i think. When we started these two played against at the time unbeaten Woles who also had one of the best defences we won 2-0 and both of them scored. Then Van returned and 4411 was preferd Aby got us home with Bale Lennon Walker Ekotto and the odd van goals then they dried up and Harry carried on. Why Harry plays a five man midfield is he is not confident in our defence but our strengths are in attack and when we defend we mostly draw or get beat. What is worrying me is Friedel is the wrong side of Forty and starting to show it in a long hard season and every free kick crossand distance we are conceding and Managers have noticed this in our last two games. We are also starting to pass at the back for to long and then when we attack there is a crowded penalty area and its harder to score. The goal Defoe scored was a 50 yard pass and a lovely shot this should be a lesson our tempo needs to rise or we ill get walloped by over energised Everton popular in my area the North West without this tempo we would win this game but the real Everton are the ones before Christmas.
Here’s a stat that kinda goes against my argument to not play Defoe (I believe in looking at both sides). Defoe has scored one goal in each of his last 5 premier league starts. WBA, Bolton, WBA, Man C, Man U – however that is W, W, W, L, L… Lost the last 2 he started in – although tough games.
As long as Harry plays Modric in the middle with Sandro, and Bale wide left (and stays there), and on the right A proper right winger to give us width ! Then it does not matter who plays up front. As long as our midfield create chances, the goals will come.
We haven’t got a “proper” right winger fit for the everton game!
I would normally say yes, but against Everton I am not so sure. We also need the likes of adebayour to help in defence.
I think emergencies call for drastic measures! Push Kyle walker up as a right winger, he’s better going forward anyway, play kaboom right back, king and nelson/gallas in the middle.
Defoe has always been better coming on as an impact sub, just Harry never puts him on with enough time to make an impact!!!! Well scoring at 3-0 down against utd with 5mins left isn’t exactly an impact.