Spurs news: More questions than answers...

By Deep Blue
August 8 2005

I think most, including myself, would have looked at the Porto game as an indicator as to how we will line up and play this season. Jol surely would by now have his first choice eleven for the opening game decided more or less and his formation settled in his mind

I strode in to the stadium and took up my lofty perch in south stand (admittedly slightly inebriated) looking forward to having a multitude of questions built up over this pre-season answered. Alas I couldn’t have been more wrong; I left the stadium as confused as a monkey with a banana in each hand, with even more questions than before.

"442 or 433....?"

To begin with, looking out at the 36,100+ fans in the stadium for the friendly and absorbing the buoyant mood, hearing the ridiculously loud applause for Davids warming up. I couldn’t help wondering if we are entering, for the first time in a long while, an age of the glory seeking spurs fan? The type who you never knew was fellow fan, but now apparently bleeds lilywhite and is proud to show of his/hers new (and probably first) kit, with “Davids” emblazed on the back. Could a generation of fans be looking back in twenty years time and saying that it was the Spurs team under Martin Jol that first got them to follow Tottenham. That, when they were little, their dad took them to watch Davids crunch into opposition and Defoe finish with aplomb, which ensured that they fell in love with the club? I truly hope so…

The most glaring question for me and one which truly bothered me, was, where was Naybet? A key man last year and the true team captain, I fully expected this to be his first run out with the team. His aging legs may not have allowed him to feature in pre-season, but surely he would get one run out before the beginning of the new season. Ok he didn’t feature in pre-season last year and hours after signing for us was clearing balls and blocking shots from the future champion’s league winning Liverpool team. But this was different; he is already at the club and his absence was glaring. Why didn’t he get a run out? Will he even feature heavily this year? Has Dawson now shown enough to start along side our official captain? (imo yes) Questions, questions…

At least we will know what formation we will field this coming season, ah yes as expected a modified 442 with a deep lying Carrick, with two wingers on either flank (one considerably faster and slimmer than the other..) and an all action box to box midfielder chasing everything in front of him (Tainio starts, but this will surely be Davids role come the opening game). A big man and small man up front, ah yes as expected that’s how we lined up, I can now tick the formation box. But no, in the second half when Davids comes on to a standing ovation, Tainio remains on the pitch, as does Defoe, even with the arrival on Keane (his like for like replacement, surely?), what’s going on? 433 that’s what! With the back 4 remaining the same the midfield now consisted of Carrick centre stage in midfield being “minded” by Davids and Tainio and boy did Davids take to that duty (I could hear bones being bruised even from south upper!), it seamed like a great idea but would we suffer from a lack of width in the premiership?

"soon everyone will be a spurs fan.."

What about the absence of Kelly, outstanding last year and in this pre season, imo we missed his probing runs and attacking overlaps down the right hand side. Stalteri deputised well and crunched a few player’s who dared to take him on, but didn’t look match fit and anyway, does he deserve to immediately start ahead of our young Irishman? What kind of message does this give out to other youth team products? If you make it into the first team and impress all season we will still replace you with an older and were credits due more experienced player?

Other players drew similar thoughts. During the Peace cup, Mr Cerny, showed he was an able deputy and displayed a trait missing from Robinson’s repertoire last season, playing the short pass to the defence, allowing play to build from the back. Was this a new part of Jol’s tactics, now drilled into our goalkeepers? It was an added dimension I enjoyed. Watching Robbo’s return however threw this into doubt for me as he seemed to stick to his normal howitzer punts up field, are we ever going to see the soft short ball like Cerny uses, used by our England’s No 1? I truly hope so In the absence of King and Naybet, Gardner and Dawson started and credit where it is due, did very well. Dawson of the two looked the better player but I was oddly comfortable that Gardner wasn’t going to mess up, as has became his trademark (although he did notably lose the ball in a dangerous area on one occasion), can these two repeat this level of performance in the hustle and bustle and higher tempo of the premiership?

"with such a height advantage, Gardner is bound to win the header...perhaps not! Eye's on the ball would help!"

Did I really see a Tottenham team, not at full strength look so comfortable playing a top European side? (this is also only a friendly pre season game and that has to be taken into account for the perfomances of both sides) It honestly looked like we were in second gear (we have more than one gear now!!!) for the majority of the match and rarely troubled by them. We also showed an attacking fair and from Defoe, clinical finishing that could be the difference between 3 and 0 points next year. A solid back line, and energetic and pacey midfield and a lethal strike force, is this really Tottenham I am watching?

Looking at the match program it’s clear we have a young squad, albeit packed with internationals and with a few older, experienced heads. But honestly can such a young team ever win anything or do well in the premiership, a Mr Hanson once informed us that this was impossible, but an older Scotsman was heard to find this statement most amusing come the end of that season…

Ok so we have youth, talent, experience, all well drilled in two formations which we appear comfortable to switch between. Good team spirit, a charismatic manager and an iconic player of world class pedigree. Is the future really bright and lilywhite? Will we be singing “Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur” and be referring to recent triumphs in the following years? Will we be looking back in years to come, explaining to our children that this was the start of an era that rivals Bill Nick’s?

So many questions and such a long article, all inspired from one pre-season game? Perhaps on reading this you feel able to answer some of my questions, or want to share some of your own amongst fellow spurs fans, I can recommend no place better than on the message board here on the North London Pride section of the Sports Network site. I’d love to hear your opinions as would the rest of those on this board and hopefully you can answer some of my questions and help me sleep at night!!

One things for sure, this season will be long and I’m sure will throw up even more questions (“can we sustain our title bid..” perhaps), I cant wait…