Some of Spurs’ best football this season has come from the flanks and many supporters feel that it’s no coincidence that our better results have come about when both Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon have been in the team.
That situation isn’t like to happen for the foreseeable future though and Lennon’s persistent hamstring problem will cause him to miss tomorrow’s game against Bolton and the midweek league match at home to Stoke.
On the left wing, there is cover for Bale, even if it may not be in the same class. Although this cover has dwindled since January with Steven Pienaar and Andros Townsend out on loan, we still have Danny Rose and Niko Kranjcar if needed.
On the right side however it’s a different story and although Sandro and Jake Livemore have been used in that position, neither can replicate the wing play that Lennon has shown in this campaign.
In the last couple of years, Aaron Lennon has come in for his fair share of criticism but maybe we miss him more than we realise.
what about Dos Santos?
No chance. I hate Dos Santos and manufacture a lot of excuses for keeping him out of the team.
I’m surprised anyone bought my story about his clubbing after letting Ledley and Robbie getting away with drunken murder
So Harry what did Gio ever do wrong to you; spit in your Burrito or something? So what if he did, us fans want what’s best for Spurs on the pitch despite what Gio gets up to elsewhere. I don’t think you enjoyed Bentleys ice bucket that much either did you?!
I would rather see Dos Santos placed on the right wing if Lennon is unfit. He has played there befoe and did really well, even scoring a goal in the Europa. He is quick, can cross a ball and has a good shot on him. He also did his fair share of defending in that Europa game. Whoever plays there it cannot be Bale and Modric has to play midfield. When Modric plays in the centre he pulls all the strings for the team and makes things happen. If Redknapp doesn’t do this then he wants shooting.
The obvious choise is dos santos but for some reason redknapp will not give the lad a chance and wants rid asap!!!
ChuCk Gio in there untill lennons fit can’t be that bad
Id love to see Danny Rose on the right reckon he would do a good job.
Townsend would have been the obvious replacemnet, Dos Santos is a very able deputy, but Harry will stick Kranjcar there. I would put Bale on the right, Put BAE on the left as a winger and put Rosebehind him, as BAE thinks he is Bale anyway.
Never..BAE can’t cross a bale or take players on like bale. That is suicide. Bale left, modric centre, anyone from krancjer/dos santos/rose/livermore on the right.
That would be a disastrous side doomed to failure.
Agree, overall Lennon has been good for us and is underrated.
I pray to god Harry doesn’t try 2 stikers again. I think we should take the opportunity to play the Barca system of 4-2-3-1.
Have Parker with extra defensive cover of Sandro to free up front 4 of Bale. Modric, RVDV with Ade up top.
COYS
Walker can slot into right midfield no problem. He has the pace to pin teams back and provides balance allowing s to play our favoured 4-4-1-1. Then play Livermore at right back or move Kaboul over depending on who is fit to cover him.
Agree with you to play Walker in the Lennon role and get Livermore to cover the Right back position (he has played there before)….or also consider Smith for that right back position now.
Kaboul shone at Pompey at RB, but we’re short of CB’s, shame is that it looks as if Caulker could be doing us a job but I guess his season long loan is binding.
Bang on Leon ! the kid has serious pace and can cross as well as score. But do not want to see Kranjka/ VDV or Bale on the right, they are not comfortable there.
it’s got to be gio. playing bale right and modric left plays two players out of position for no reason. bale always looks out of sorts on the right anyway
Going back to basic and what works earlier is of the utmost important now. The team need to be balanced and work hard for each other again (Bale are you hearing me?)
Pace and balance were what makes Spurs so dangerous earlier on. It also helps with our decisively fast counter attacks (what happened to that now?) I would play all important/best players in their best position. So Bale has to stick on the left and assist BAE hard during defensive play. Modric should only play in the middle. Lennon is out now….so who has that pace to recreate the same effect? Answer, get Walker to play right wing and the occasion switching of wings with Bale (note “occasion” switching of wings – not permanently). While we wait for Naughton to come back next season to cover the both full backs position, give the right position to Livermore. He has plenty of energy and is able to to defend decently. Smith can also be considered for the right back position now. Let the rest of the available players, play in their best position; whether it is 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1. The players must concentrate the full 90mins from now on….no lapses and Spurs will be alright……but im not a tactical genius and i am not Arry. Coys
Gallas-Kaboul-Nelson-Assou. Walker-Parker-Modric-bale. Ade-vdv. Could give assou a rest and go Kaboul-King-Nelson. Walker-Parker-Modric-Sandro-Bale. Ade-VDV
Get Iago Falque back from Southampton and give him a chance to play on the right. This is unlikely to happen because Harry is reluctant to give youngsters a chance. Livermore has been the exception to this usual Harry way, for some reason.
There are other creative youngsters at Spurs who could give it a go like Cristian Cebellos and Alex Pritchard. If Harry wants to stick with his favourites, then play Livermore there, or move Walker into this position with Kaboul behind him in the right back position.
OK – lets say we feel we don’t have any natural right wingers to take Lennon’s place. Then we put a body in there with the hope they do us a job (ex. Rose, Krankie, GDS, VDV etc). If it doesn’t work out then that’s one position not at full strength.
What we don’t do is move Bale to the right, Modders to the left and potentially f**k up 3 positions.
you here this man Harry, he knows his stuff.
Got to be the best chance of giving one of the forgotten young spurs players an opportunity on the right wing. Also what has happened to Adam Smith? How come he is never on the bench competing with Walker for the right back position? I guess he is too young for Harry.
It must be a nightmare to be a young player at Spurs, knowing that you have a one in a million chance of ever making it to the first team.
Knowing that the manager prefers to put players in the wrong positions and mess up the team, rather than putting young players in there who actually play in those positions.
Harry prefers a short term strategy, than a long term one which is why he brings in the older players.
Maybe Harry wanted to make a token gesture to show that he does like the young players, so he selected Livermore as a one-off example. This way, it meant that it would be more difficult for people to accuse him of bringing in old players as a quick fix.
Livermore does not offer more promise than some of the other Spurs youngsters, who have drifted into oblivion.
It is strange how Falque was signed permanently and then immediately loaned out to Southampton. Exactly the same thing happened to Jamie O’hara and he was eventually sold.
Could it be that Redknapp has no intention of playing Falque and that the reason he signed him permanently, was as a selling investment?
Only time will tell on this one.
It’s got be Walker, definitely ! Play Nelson or Livermore right back and King/Gallas and Kaboul centre backs, why Redknapp can’t see this is beyond me…
Dear me…i wonder sometimes do people actually watch or know anything about football. Kyle walker couldnt play right wing in a million years. 1. He has no skill 2. Playing as a full back u have a different outlook on the game, ur always facing up the pitch and have more space to run into. He plays there perfectly. At right wing he will be marked, no space and facing away from the opponents goal. It would be totally alien to him and a waste of a very good right back. Stick niko or gio right wing!
At least than he will be making the opponent left back busy to do any critical damage to the right side of Spurs defence? Will that occupy the likes of Ashley Cole in the next few games. If Bale can draw out 2 players and Walker to draw out at least 1 player, wouldn’t that free Modric/VDV to do more damage? Also Livermore/Smith/Kaboul if played right back, can bomb forward and overlap for a cross/cut back at the opponent by-line. These 3 players have the energy like Walker to run the whole day.
Yes he can ! You know nothing of football. technically, Walker is an attacking wing-back, who happens to be able to defend a bit as well in a traditional 4-4-2 (think; a less technically adept version of Dani Alves and you’re not far off). Now, onto your duff points: 1. he has no skill ? I’m not even going to waste my time on that one. 2. Always facing up the pitch ? So what, wingers face the same way don’t they ? Less space to run into ? What do you think Bale does on the left wing ?? He also has “little space to run into” but manages to break down the right back. Walker has shown on numerous occasions he can break down the opposition left back so why not do it as a right winger ?? Alien ? Why, how many times have you seen Walker marauding into the opposition penalty area, never ? Or have you been watching different games to the rest of us…besides, the Spurs-Arsenal match should give you plenty of evidence as to the skill he’s capable of from the right.
Oh, and tracking back wouldn’t be a problem. If Livermore or Nelson are playing right back he would be the best right sided player to provided defensive cover, wouldn’t he ?
dont play bale kranjar modric vdv there harrys played them all there and we end up with 2 players out of position leave bale on the left either play dos santos or push walker up there and play kaboul right back and put gallas back in centre back
Livermore blows. I’ve never been impressed with him. Iago Falque. Bring him back. He’ll be just like Modric in a season or two. I’ve got some faith in him, but he needs to get his shooting game up.
I say work with a 4/5/1. You gotta keep in mind your lineup should be based on the team you’re about to play. Thinking about Man U, this is what I’d recommend.
BAE, Gallas, Kaboul, Walker.
Thankfully with BAE and Walker along the wings they can slow down Javier H’s pursuit along the wings or through balls.
Bale, Parker, Dos Santos.
With this setup, you could dominate against Rooney’s wannabe midfielder positioning. The fast wingers need to be able to defend along the pitch as well though. Rooney will be sure to pass as much as he can, but with Bale’s and Dos Santos’s fast pace, they can cut off Rooney’s involvement with buildup play. 1 Pass, 2 Pass, 3 Pass, Goal
Modric, VDV.
Are you serious? How is this a question. Modric is a quick lil bugger that can pass in a 360 manner, and that being coupled with VDV’s passion to get the ball and rip one at the top of the box, they won’t have much of a problem breaking down the defense. BUT the only problem I see here is VDV getting lazy and not make the necessary runs from the balls that he gets played in the midfield. (Thats only a maybe.) CROSS CROSS CROSS
Adebayor.
This guy provides more versatility than our other prominent striker Defoe. He’s got speed, he’s a big body in the box, and keep in mind that he can also thread short passes in the box or right outside the box if needed. Make sure he’s running along the wings because the height mismatch of Evra or one of the Man U brothers makes him a deadly weapon.
Totally blanked about the fixture being passed. But still I’d stick with that formation. Bolton won’t be too much of a problem as long as the Spurs show up for a fight.
If anyone here knows better than Harry, (the man who has worked in football for 50 years) then maybe you should apply for the Spurs job. I hear it’s vacant soon. By the way, Lennon has only played 14 league games for Spurs all season, That’s only 50%. So it’s fair to say that the right wing hasn’t really been a problem on the pitch, just in forums.
F him
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