Onward and Upward: Thoughts on Spurs' New Swagger, and Yesterday's Victory over Manchester United

photo by iheartspam	via PhotoRee

Ed returns to our pages with some thoughts on United and Spurs:

I hate to disagree with the bossman and it will surely cost me a paycheck or a painful assignment (can you say "Wimbleton Wombles?"), but I don't think United were uninspired against Spurs, I just think they were a combination of unlucky and not that super.  By unlucky I mean that they had plenty of chances and shoulda' woulda' coulda' converted a bunch of them if it weren't for cruel chance.  Plus I think that Lloris attack of Ashley Young was deserving of a penalty even though Young vaulted him.  By "not that super" I mean that this is a team with a suspect midfield and a defense that is good but no longer great.  To continue to pull of games like they used to you actually need top-tier talent across the board, and right now they have some great guys but not enough.  I do like Rooney at midfield though -- always have and always will -- why not try him at the Scholes position and put Welback up top with Chicharito or RVP?  Just a thought.

As for Spurs, well, AVB is gone and Tim Sherwood is in and the team is starting to look a lot like Harry Redknapp's from a few years back.  During the outrageously fun "Festive Season," a season that used to be perilous for teams like Spurs, the Spurs have launched into a new (old) formation and have acted like the team that Gareth Bale took to the Champions League.

Was AVB really that bad?  Well, he certainly had a prolific impact on Roberto Soldado, a striker who used to score repeatedly and now can't make so much of a tap in.  But I can't blame him for Emanuel Adebayor, a player who only shows up to play when it's a contract year.  Adebayor was halfway out of the BPL -- probably on to mediocrity in the League 1 or some such thing -- but now has probably put some life back into his career.  Interestingly, he's currently the most important "new addition" in the Spurs lineup.  AVB's banishment of Adebayor obviously worked though not to the benefit of the banisher, and the serial behavior that earned Adebayor his sentence might also make him easier to sign (but please only give him a year-to-year deal).

As for Benoit Aaaou-Ekoto, well, that's harder to explain.  His replacement, Danny Rose, is definitely a high quality player.  But behind him, Kyle Naughton seems a disaster to me.  And remind me the point of taking a player who could probably have fetched the team $5 to $10MM and dropping him so far out of sight as to make him worthless.  Clearly it isn't hard to get into the AVB doghouse.

Spy vs. Spy: Intercepted Spurs' Correspondence

Photo by Terry Robinson on Flickr

 

 

Despite numerous assurances to the contrary, it appears the National Security Agency is still spying on ordinary Americans -- and ordinary is exactly the way that we would describe the level of insight in this recently intercepted dispatch between Correspondents Ed and James:

 

[James]: For the record, I think Daniel Levy is a freaking moron and AVB is not far behind.

 

[Ed]: It's really hard to know.  If AVB was the personnel guy, then he couldn't get it done with his own players and it's hard to judge Levy other than for bringing him in only to relieve him so quickly.  Only the players know who is truly to blame -- maybe both of them....

 

[James]: AVB got his tactics colossaly wrong on too many occasions.  You can't play the likes of Dawson and Kaboul in a high line and insist on playing guys like Soldado and Defoe as lone strikers.  On the other hand, they spend £100 million to bring in essentially six versions of the same player over two years, while still thin at center half and full back.

 

[Ed]: And only one striker.  And no top tier guy. 

 

[James]: But hey, they still netted £10 million after Gareth Bale and wage savings...!  They can't get anyone good mid-season.

[Ed]: You can't question Levy's negotiating skills....  It will be interesting to see what a new coach does. I hope they get someone good.... I imagine Uncle 'arry is wondering what he could've done with £100 million.

 

[James]: It'll be Tim Sherwood as season-long Interim Manager in my opinion.  There was a really good article in the Telegraph about how Levy f-ed up the Moutinho deal at the last minute over £1/2 million.  Negotiation Skills: you get what you pay for....  Most of the guys they got are young with "sell-on" value.  So who gives a s-t if they all play the same position?  Make it work, Mr. Manager, and get us the Top Four and win the Europa league.....  And, oh, play exciting, attacking football.

 

[Ed]: Hah!  We saw from the beginning that they needed more creative guys...plus they're more fun to watch.  Arsenal just spent £40 million for one guy and now look amazing.  World class talent is where it's at.

Water Cooler Talk: On Spurs' Many Isssues

The Corporate Office, in the midst of another lavish redecorating scheme
Photo by Romana Klee on Flickr

 

 

Heard around the office recently:

Ed: James...!  [eyes widen] To what do we owe this great pleasure....?! [Expresses shock, slaps his knee while doubling over with laughter]

James: I'm back in town, Ed.  [grimaces, folds arms in front of chest and leans on wall next to the water cooler] Spurs are struggling, and so are the Gators, but I can't keep hiding forever.  My family needs me. [shakes head dejectedly].

Ed: I'll bet..! [rolls eyes]. 

James: Hey, here's some gallow humor you'll appreciate.  I heard this on the radio yesterday: AV, no plan B. [looks at Ed hopefully for a sign of encouragement]

Ed:  [picks up the thread of the conversation and runs with it in earnest] You know Spurs' biggest problem is Roberto Soldado doesn’t score, James.  Worse, he isn’t even a threat to score.  He can’t beat anyone with the ball, doesn’t head them in, doesn’t kick them in.... Frankly, I'm not sure what his strength is....  Van Persie doesn’t dribble by people, but when he gets the ball up front he puts it in the back of the net.  Lewandowski's the same way.

James: While Soldado gets pretty much zero service with nary a cross from the two inverted wingers that AVnoplanB continually insists on playing, nor a through ball from our ineffectual number 10's caught in the middle of all that congestion, he is also inherently unsuited -- like Defoe -- to be a lone striker. That's what I really still don't understand about that acquisition. [scratches his head] The only one who is even theoretically suited for this system is...wait for it...wait for it.... Adebayor! Aaaarrrrrgghhh!!!!! [puts gun shaped finger to his head and pulls imaginary trigger]

Ed: [chuckles] I never watched Soldado in La Liga so I really don’t know what they did with him or what his strengths are.... But frankly I haven’t seen any strengths yet. [frowns and pauses] By the way, I think AVB agrees with you about Adebayor. Where’s that guy been, at the Russian affiliate?

 

James: [snickers] 

 

Ed: [light goes off inside his head] Hold on a minute: Did you just use the word "nary"?

 

Spurs (and Such)

Ed Composing
photo by Max Braun	via PhotoRee

Ed's got more than a few thoughts on the young season:

o The loss of Willian to Chelsea didn't seem to affect Spurs that much against Swansea yesterday at White Hart Lane.  Unlike in their first game, Spurs out-athleted the Swans AND looked good on the ball.  Capoue was particularly good both on the ball and in defense, allowing Spurs to push both Dembele and Paulinho forward and to play with only one holder, in basically a 4-1-4-1.  This is close to the preferred lineup of AVB, and not surprisingly, of Jose Mourinho.  It simply takes the right person to be that holder, and with both Capoue and Sandro on the roster, Spurs should be able to field this lineup with regularity against teams other than the top four or five.

o For years American fans have questioned the athleticism of European soccer players, that is:  "Wouldn't it be better if the players were bigger and faster?"  Spurs are riding that experiment now, and after the smallest of samples the first reviews are positive.  Dembele, Paulinho, Chadli, Aboue, and Sandro are all big and fast.  They were able to completely stifle the Swansea passing game for most of the match.  Even though United beat this same Swansea team handily, United could barely touch the ball and had no answers to Swansea's position.  Indeed it was merely the supremely talented Van Persie that was the sole difference maker in the sides. Spurs, however, dominated the ball but both struggled to score and were somewhat unlucky to have not scored.  And this remains the deficiency of Spurs -- the lack of a true creative number ten.

o AVB is not unaware of this deficiency, attempting to pull in Willian for £30 million.  But the deal fell through at the last minute when Mourinho gleefully stole him out from under their noses at £32 million. It's fine for Spurs to be angry at Mourinho and Chelsea for this, but frankly they have no argument.  Even if the sole reason that Chelsea stole Willian from Spurs was to keep their rivals (okay too strong a word) from getting him -- as it has been reported that AVB and Mourinho seem to think -- that's still just a whine and not an argument.  If you want to keep Willian, either offer more or convince him that he's not going to play at Chelsea like he will at Spurs.  Or that with him, Spurs have a realistic chance of actually winning the league.  Are they really that far from Chelsea?  I'm starting to think not.  

o It seems now that Spurs are targeting a new number 10.  What's nice about this is that it's clear that AVB understands that Gilfy, though a nice player, is not the solution for a top-tier club at the number 10 position.  He is simply outshined from an athletic standpoint by so many of his teammates.  And while we are celebrating all of these new Spurs and the acumen it took to pick them up, we can't forget Holtby, who frankly has yet to impress and seems now more an extra than anything else.  That said, this transfer period has seemed miles and miles ahead of teams like United (they couldn't use Capoue or Paulinho?), or of course Arsenal, a team that annoys me more each year (there's nothing worse than arrogant mediocrity, it's so. . . . French).  

Lower Your Expectations

Ed Has Lowered His Expectations Ever Since He Supported For John Edwards for President
photo by John Edwards 2008	via PhotoRee

Caution:  This article by Correspondent Ed was written under the influence of an adult beverage.  Or two:  

It's pathetically easy to be a fan of Manchester United.  At least it used to be.  David Moyes is a great coach, but will he have Fergie's touch?  Unlikely, because like him or hate him, Fergie was one of the top coaches of all time.  That's a tough bar to meet.  Look for United to remain in the top four due to their budget; but don't expect too many top finishes.  It's definitely going to heat up in Manchester when Pellegrini shows up at City.... 

###

I've never hated Arsenal as much as I have this year.  Their perpetually annoying manager aimed for a top four spot, and despite embarassing themselves in the Champions League and playing pretty poorly most of the season, it looks pretty certain that they are going to make it.  This is a team with a poor goalkeeper, worse defenders, and some retread forwards and midfielders.  Great coaching?  I guess.  But anyone that has no answer to Olympiakos in the Champions League Group stage ought to be ashamed of themselves.  And guess what -- next year in the Champions League someone else is going to embarrass these guys.  Arsenal is flush with cash yet all they hope for is mediocrity.  This is pathetic and sad, and underserving of a Champions League position.

###

Headlines

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In case you were under a rock the past couple of days:

o First, Caros Tevez, now Samir Nasri....  It's bad enough that City already had one player banned from driving for six months this week -- but two?   Seriously -- are they unable to afford a driving instructor? 

Q. What did City's star midfielder say when offered a four year contract worth £45 million?

A. Ya ya.

o Is anyone the least bit surprised that Joey Barton is embroiled in yet another controversy?  Having worn out his welcome in England, Barton is well on his way to becoming a persona non grata in France, as well.

o The very definition of false bravado: Andre Villas-Boas confidently declaring that the ankle injury sustained by Gareth Bale last night "will not derail their season."  Oh, ok -- thanks for clarifying.  We were under the apparently false impression that Spurs were largely a one man team this season. Maybe two, if you count their other top scorer of late, Jan Vertonghen.

o False bravado, part II: Fernando Torres will fire on for the rest of the season -- or so says Rafa. Perhaps a cautionary note is called for: a brace by the Lone Ranger -- or is it Fernando Zorres? -- against a middling European team does not mean the Spaniard is back.

This is farlieonfootie for April 5.

AVB and Me

When Ed Thinks, it's Kind of Like a Nuclear Explosion
photo by Candida.Performa (on vacation)	via PhotoRee

Ed on football, and no, he's not kidding:

On Spurs

I'm starting to think that AVB is reading my posts.

This week against Swansea, after seeing Emmanuel Adebayor miss an easy chance of a great pass from Moussa Dembele, and thereafter create absolutely no chances of his own, he finally pulled him for Jermaine Defoe.  Defoe is ice cold right now, but at least he moves and can control the ball well, and at least he doesn't miss easy sitters.  No player on the team has been more of a disappointment this year than Adebayor.  He's become Spurs' Fernando Torres.  It's time for him to be benched.

Gareth Bale, however, continues to grow and carry the team while playing in the number 10 spot.  His first pass this week to Jan Vertonghen was perfect, as was Vertonghen's control and finish.  Vertonghen is far an away the best Spurs' signing this season, and one wonders if he will be kept away from the top teams in the off season.  Also note to players -- learning to juggle allows for just such control as Vertonghen showed not hat goal.

But returning to Bale, it was nice to see him play passes like that and to distribute so well from the position.  He's clearly capable of doing so, and now he's showing how to do it.  And note to Spurs fans:  it's okay to be carried by a star player.  See, e.g. Manchester United.  Without RVP, they might be mid-table.  Sir Alex's "genius" in this League seems to be getting four top tier strikers and rotating through the one who's the hottest.  How he keeps the ego's in check is the secret -- perhaps his is so big all others wilt in its presence.

Bale's goal was also terrific, where he stole a page from Jermaine Defoe and quick-footed it past Michel Vorm before the keeper knew he was even taking a shot.  The big windup, while self-satisfying and often allowing for a hard shot, is overrated.  The quick release is king for true goal scorers.

Hard To Be Happy: Internazionale Milan 4 - Tottenham Hotspur 1

Photo by Salim Virji on Flickr

If James Thought He Was Having a Bad Day, Just Wait
Until He Sees What Correspondent Ed Did to His Bike

James may be back, but he's not altogether happy:

Yes, Spurs are through to the last eight in the Europa League but, make no mistake, today was a train wreck at the San Siro from the manager on down. AVB has been sterling this year for the most part and, with this team missing both Bale and Lennon, it's likely not even the reincarnation of Bill Nicholson would have conjured a solid win out of this team.

While the team has lacked width and pace with Moussa Dembele playing on the right the last two games, he has been sorely missed centrally. Scott Parker and Jake Livermore do not exactly splash the canvas like Picasso. That combined with AVB's insistence to both play a high line with over an over-40 goal tender (Brad Friedel) and center half (William Gallas, in perhaps the worst game of his career) and play a 4-4-2 with Jermaine Defoe and Emanuel Adebayor up top against a team duty bound to attack on their home ground was pure folly. Lastly, the decision to loan out Andros Townshend, who has played superbly for QPR, and sacrifice the now necessary cover for Aaron Lennon has proved costly.

But AVB was probably over confident. Doubtless, the entire squad - save Jan Vertonghen, Dembele and Gylfi Sigurdsson - played that way. They were the clones of the Inter team that collapsed at The Lane last week with one vital exception: Spurs scored a goal. Beyond that, however, one was convinced that this would go down as the one of the worst examples of Spurs-cursed karma in their long history of cursed karma.

Bottle Broken: Tottenham Hotspur 2 - Arsenal 1

photo by Julia Manzerova	via PhotoRee

If not broken, there must have been at least a few empty bottles in Correspondent James' office after Spurs' victory over Arsenal in the North London Derby on Sunday:

One of the things we love about English footie is the extent to which the clubs tend to adhere to long standing historical attributes, irrespective of changes in owners, managers, grounds, etc.  This is particularly true of Spurs with their “To Dare Is To Do” ethos.  Their tradition is of winning trophies and of wide open, fluid, daring, European football and they’ve pretty consistently stuck with that same methodology over their 130 years or so of existence.

Of course, one of the attributes that has caused untold amounts of psychological trauma for supporters over not quite so long a time frame (thinking early 70's, apart from the odd League Cup thrown in) has been Spur’s tendency toward psychological fragility or, as the English like to say, to “bottle” it.   At the decidedly Spurs-like risk of jinxing this thing in its infancy, it may very well be time to pronounce this particular historical attribute dead and buried.  And what better time to do so than on the heels of an euphoric derby victory against Arsenal?

Yesterday’s victory pretty much epitomized how Spurs have generated their current unbeaten run of 14 in all competitions.  It has not always been pretty.  It has not always been all that daring.  Most of these matches have been taught nail-biting affairs – down to the wire scrapes that Spurs have historically lost many more times than won.  The point against United in the snow when Dempsey scored in injury time.  A come from behind win at the Stadium of Light.  A 67^th minute wonder strike from Bale at the Hawthorns.  Another one in the 80^th at Carrow Road.  Bale’s match winner in the 87^th against Newcastle, injury time at West Ham, and the two ridiculous free kicks against Lyon.  And then Dembele with a minute left on the home leg against Lyon.

And then yesterday against the hated rival.  Holding -- holding! -- a one goal lead for most of the second half while the goalie, center halves and defensive midfielder played with cajones the size of church bells.  And this on the one year anniversary of the painful and historic collapse at the hands of Arsenal last February and of AVB’s sacking at Chelsea.

On Gareth Bale's Current Purple Patch and More

photo by GriZ ♥♥	via PhotoRee

Jonathan Wilson's article in The Guardian yesterday touched off a spot of debate around the office water cooler.  In the article, Wilson credits Gareth Bale's rampaging "purple patch" of form to Spurs' more compact shape, a development the author attributes to -- of all things -- the fact that Tottenham no longer employs a "reactive style" US goalkeeper. 

 

Some of us beg to differ, as shown in the following exchange.  It was ultimately a debate that raged to oblivion and back -- and like all good debates, ended with the enticing prospect of a cold beer:

 

[Correspondent James]: That Jonathan Wilson article from this morning was interesting....

 

[farlieonfootie]:  Yeah.  I was with him until he credited Bale's recent form to the fact that Brad Friedel wasn't playing anymore, i.e., Bale is a better player because of Hugo Lloris.  So let me get this: Spurs' poor form to begin the season was because they had an American in goal.  That's a bunch of plonk, as they say over there....

 

[Correspondent James]: Well, his logic is sound anyway.  Although the more compact style of play could be equally attributable to Spurs' loss of Luka Modric.  I mean, if there's no one on the team capable of completing longer passes then you've got to be more compact, right?

 

[Correspondent Ed]: It’s a stretch to credit Lloris for anything other than great goalkeeping. 

Ultimately, Bale is being given tremendous freedom to roam central, right, left, back, wherever.  This is allowing him to find pockets and make runs from deep in the backfield. 

That said, just as it’s hard to give Sir Alex much credit for RVP's play, when he was was pretty much the same amazing player at Arsenal, it’s similarly difficult to give AVB too much credit for b=Bale's form.  Sometimes with talent like that the best thing you can do is not interfere -- which, fortunately, AVB has not done. 

 

Eight is Enough

photo by eschipul	via PhotoRee

If Correspondent Scott has three ideas, Correspondent Ed wants eight:

1. Dimitar Berbatov, the bossman's never-ending man-crush, is the reason to watch Fulham. He directs traffic, he calmly holds and distributes, and he scores. It remains unknown why no one other than Fulham made a run at Berbatov. You think Liverpool would benefit from him? How about Spurs? The guy led the league in scoring a few years ago for United and it turns out it wasn'tvv just because he had a good team around him. This should be obvious from anyone whose seen Bulgaria play -- Berbatov runs the show there just like he does for Fulham right now. Martin Jol is getting a lot of credit for Fulham's play this year; he's a good manager, but let's face it, it doesn't hurt to have one of the best strikers in the league on the squad.

2. Wait, what just happened at Chelsea? DiMatteo out and Rafael Benitez -- the Desperate One -- in as "interim" coach? What's the point of this again? Chelsea has all the resources in the world, but their wealthy and determined Russian kleptocrat is hurting his team with the constant changes. DiMatteo may not be one of the best coaches in the league, but he deserved a full season at least after winning the Champions League and setting his team on the right path. Benitez will be little if any improvement, and then he'll be gone. Wierd way to run a team.

3. Liverpool isn't getting too many breaks this year, and that continued against Spurs on Wednesday. The team is improving, and probably deserved at least a point in the game. But unfortunately you can say that often about the team. At the end of the day, I stand by my thoughts of an earlier post. As Bill Parcells used to say, "you are what your record says you are." I think Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool's player apologist, might want to hit his team with a little more tough love to jump start them for the rest of the season. To be honest, the BPL is more fun when Liverpool is good. Heck, it would be most fun if all the teams were good. Salary cap anyone?

4. Zlatan Ibrahimivic's goal against England is getting a lot of replay. I don't think it's as well deserved as all that. Granted, it was a bicycle kick from distance, but it was more or less lucky insofar as he was simply trying to get something on goal. Rooney's goal against Man city -- a bicycle kick volley off a corner kick, was far more impressive.

Give That Man a Hand: Week 12 in the BPL

photo by miss pupik	via PhotoRee

o Spurs fans: after watching the Gunners smash five past your team on Saturday, we have a suggestion for your Manager's new theme song.... Let us know your thoughts:



o Sign o' the Times: Juan Mata created more real chances in his first five minutes on the pitch than Fernando Torres created in over an hour.

o Chelsea with Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard are lacking only one thing: a real live striker who can put the ball in the net. If the Blues can persuade Radamel Falcao to sign on the dotted line, watch out.

o Carlos Tevez and Player of the Week Sergio Aguero manhandled an Aston Villa club that had given the Citizens' cross-twin rivals all they could handle the week prior. And ominously for future opponents, David Silva looked fairly good, as well.... But City's best player by far was wearing black: Linesman Adrian Holmes saw hand balls the way some actors see dead people -- imagining things that don't exist. With one fail swoop City were literally handed a game that not only gave them first place, but the resulting five goals they put past the hapless Villans also allowed the Sky Blues to take the lead on goal differential for the first time all season.

o And speaking of handing a result to the other side, Referee Martin Atkinson somehow managed to fluff yet another in a long career of missed penalties and imagined infractions. Atkinson's generous interpretation of Sean Morrison's arm save overlooked the act that the Reading player who stopped Nikica Jelavic's goal bound shot was not their 'keeper, and gave the Royals their very first win of the season.

Seeing Those Not Believing

photo by SteveR-	via PhotoRee

Ed on Spurs:

The press can beat up on Andre Villas-Boas all it likes for his errors in formation: the high line providing chances for the opposition; his inability to adopt to Roberto Mancini's back three and the flooding of the midfield; his removal of Emmanuel Adebayor for Jermaine Defoe instead of Clint Dempsey for Defoe. Unfortunately, the reality was in the personnel.

Tom Huddlestone is a decent holding midfielder. He's big and tough and not a bad tackler, but he has nowhere near the ball control skills of Scott Parker or the midfield of City. Sandro is another good holding defensive midfielder; not very creative and somewhat lacking in ball control skills. In short, the Huddlestone/Sandro midfield is all they have right now, but it's far from top of the table. Spurs are simply not good enough to be down two starting midfielders in Moussa Dembele and Scott Parker and still compete with the best teams. Could any team?

Well, yes. United and City are so chock full of expensive top class strikers that they can pull it off. United pretty much did so last year amid talk of Wesley Sneider and the unretirement of Paul Scholes. To be honest, I still don't understand why someone with his ability retired to begin with. I've said this before and I'll say it again – play until you can't play any longer. It's a game. It's fun. I still play and all I get out of it is the occasional fist bump.

 

The Brits like to speak about the economic disparity in the league – class warfare being a (detrimental) staple of English (and current American) politics and thinking. But in the case of the BPL and pretty much all the leagues in Europe, there are a few billionaire teams and everyone else. Occassionally a team like Spurs can sneak into the top four – very occassionally – but they begin each season with zero chance of winning the title. Or do they?

And Speaking Of: Week 11 in the BPL

photo by Medmoiselle T	via PhotoRee

o Could it be that Olivier Giroud is finally coming good?  We're happy to recognize when we need to eat our words, and we didn't think we would ever need to type the following, but the Frenchman has scored a bunch lately, both for club and country. Aberration, or a preview of things to come?

o 4 points for QPR after 11 games?  We've heard of patience, but the Rangers current situation is being ably assisted by borderline irresponsibility from owner Tony Fernandes.

o And speaking of QPR, how excited is everyone for Rangers vs Southampton next week?  We've got some laundry to do, so let us know how it turns out.

o Memo to AVB: The game is 90 minutes long. Not 75. Not 80. Not 85. 90. Please tell your team.

o Super Subs: The City of Manchester is holding a competition to determine the best substitute in world football -- Edin Dzeko or Player of the Week Javier Hernandez.  No matter who wins, their respective teams would be in a world of hurt without them.

o We've said this before on this page, but Ramires is an out and out thug with few redeeming qualities. King of the cheap shot, Chelsea fans need look no further than the Brazilian to figure out that the John Terry blow came from friendly fire, after Ramires intentionally pushed Luis Suarez in the back and straight into Terry's knee.

o Did Chelsea flatter to deceive early in the season, or are they just hitting a bad patch of form?  We think its the former, and the early schedule may have helped the Blues rack up more early points than they deserved.

Goose Eggs: Week 10 in the BPL

photo by Vagabond Shutterbug	via PhotoRee

o Could someone please tell us why Theo Walcott is sitting on the Arsenal bench, especially with the Ox out injured...? Wethinks Arsense Wenger knows more than he is saying about the Englishman's long-term future....

o After re-watching the highlights of United's 2-1 victory over Arsenal on Saturday, we're still scratching our heads at how the Reds failed to match last year's 8-2 victory -- certainly the scoring chances were there for the taking.

o Only time will tell if the Citizens nil-nil draw with West Ham United was two points dropped or a point gained. Both sides passed up multiple chances to win in a scoreline that was unlucky to finish knotted at goose eggs.

o Spare a thought for poor old Chelsea. As if a trip to Wales to play the Swans at the Liberty wasn't hard enough after the week they'd endured, Chelsea's slim 1-nil lead was greeted with...hailstones. Are you kidding us?!

o Andre Villas-Boas has gone for a much simpler look this season: gone is the multi-pocketed Inspector Gadget trench coat, replaced by a cleaner-looking simple rain coat. Although if we were being unkind we might say he looked a bit as if he mistakenly borrowed his much smaller brother's coat this weekend.... And the collar on the Potuguese bossman's shirt may be getting a bit tighter, too, after his curious decision to remove Jermaine Defoe from the field of action with his team down a second half goal at home. Can anyone see Sir Alex or Roberto Mancini making a move like that...?

Please Cancel the Fruit Basket: Week 8 in the BPL

photo by Earl-Wilkerson	via PhotoRee

o We have no idea what Andre Villas-Boas was furiously scribbling in his notebook on the sideline of spurs' 4-2 loss to Chelsea on Saturday, but we hope it had something to do with teaching his players how to hold onto a second half lead.

o farlieonfootie held an office competition this week, in which the loser was forced to watch all of Fulham hosting Aston Villa on Saturday at Craven Cottage. Needless to say, the boss lost -- twice. Although Fulham may have nipped the win in the dying moments, we were long asleep by that time despite the daytime kickoff.

o So if it's time for the Tyne-Wear derby it must be time for the referee to perform a pre-game check on the whereabouts of his red card. This time is was Cheick Tiote playing the part of the unwilling participant, a victim of his own aggressiveness and the natural order of things when these two rivals collide. Of course, it took about 45 minutes for Sunderland to figure out they were the team with the man advantage, but by the time they worked it out it was all they could do to manage a draw with an undermanned Toon side.

o We'll bet James Milner isn't planning to send any fruit baskets Vincent Kompany's way this week. After finally being handed a rare start in midfield for the Citizens, Milner may be forgiven for being slightly peeved at his Captain, who momentarily forgot his role as last line of defense while he was busy daydreaming what it must feel like to be Cristiano Ronaldo. Needlessly stripped of the ball while attempting to carry it across the midfield line, Kompany left Milner totally exposed.

Happy Days: Tottenham Hotspur 2 - Aston Villa 0

photo by UggBoy♥UggGirl [ PHOTO // WORLD // TRAVEL ]	via PhotoRee

 

 

He's baaaack. We're talking about Correspondent Ed, of course....:

 

I was all geared up for an article by Correspondent James after the Spurs beat poor United at Old Trafford for the first time since I was in college. I could taste the put downs of the boss-man. The zingers about RVP's petulance and Scholes' crazy big age. But unfortunately it didn't happen, and now the moment has passed. But Spurs followed up that victory with yet another win. So instead of lamenting the Spurs – comfort food to most Tottenham fans – let's give them some big love for a nice start to the campaign.

It all starts with the Manager, of course, and for now it's hard not to conclude that AVB seems to have found his home. Despite his somewhat bizarre handling of the Hugo Lloris / Brad Friedel mess, AVB has made the right calls of late. Part of that is due to Clint Dempsey, a player that's been an improvement over Gylfi Sigurdsson at the Number 10 position. Dempsey may be less of a pure distributor than Gylfi, but he's much better on the ball and more dangerous near the goal. He and Defoe have successfully opened up space for Bale and Lennon by virtue of their strong runs off the ball, something Gylfi is more reluctant to do as he seems more of a holder than a thrusting attacker.

With respect to Defoe, who would have thought that he would have more goals at this point in the season then Wayne Rooney ? Defoe has shown his critics yet again that he's a dangerous front man with a quick release. Will Defoe fade away once Emmanuel Adebayor returns from injury? Perhaps, but hopefully not.

Spurs defense has been notable as well. William Gallas, who Uncle Harry brought to Spurs for exactly zero pounds, has been tremendous at the back. I'm not sure what Arsenal saw as the problem with the defender other than his age. But age alone doesn't dictate ability, and clearly he's led the defense as well as most any center back in the EPL. Compare him to United's Rio Ferdinand, for example, and tell me who has had a better season.

Jan Vertonghen has also been very strong offensively as well as defensively. He's done a much better job than I thought he could at left back with BAE out of the lineup. He's marches forward still seem a bit awkward to me, but they're definitely effective.

Thoughts on the Barclay's Premier League Season To Date

Columnist Randy Likes a Close Up View of the Action
photo by barbourians	via PhotoRee

What with all the excitement of the famed FIFA international break, we practically had to chain ourselves to our desk (that's right, we all share one desk here at Corporate) to hammer out the following piece.  Herewith, our semi-lucid thoughts on what's happened so far in the World's Most Exciting LeagueTM:

o Yaya Toure May Be the Most Influential Player in the League: It's no longer a certain diminutive Spaniard who drives the City bus, but a rock hard Ivorian who has become the new measuring stick by which all BPL midfielders are judged.  Although he's eminently capable of just sitting back on the pitch to break up opposition play and transition the ball toward City's offensive movement, it's when Roberto Mancini allows Toure the freedom to roam forward that opponents really begin to fret.  Toure's already bagged two goals in the team's first three games, and has left the rest of the BPL asking only one question: How do you solve a problem like a Yaya...?

o Liverpool's Not as Bad as Their Record Would Indicate: We're going out on a bit of a limb here, but we don't believe the reds will finish the season in the 18th position in the League table that they currently occupy.  17th place possibly, but definitely not 18th.  In all seriousness, though, Liverpool is clearly in a transitional phase, and undergoing a rather strenuous adjustment to Coach Brendan Rodgers' new tactics and schemes.  They'll gradually get there, and we see it as a substantial postive that the new man has decided to bite off the many problems King Kenny saddled the club with in last year's transfer market -- which clearly serves to show that management has learned a bit of collective folk wisdom from the Deep South: "If you've got to eat a turd, don't nibble at it."  The bet here is that Liverpool is only a striker away from challenging for a Europa League spot, and a couple of additional players away from being back in contention for the big time.

o AVB Had Better Start Winning.  And Soon:  He's won only three of his last 15 BPL games as a Manager, and although we believe that both he and Spurs will come good eventually, there's a significant caveat to our thinking: if the Portuguese version of Inspector Gadget doesn't pick up the pace soon -- and by soon, we mean very soon -- his second visit to London may be no more pleasant than his first.  The press love a good villain, and despite his boyish good looks (according to Columnist Ed, who has a bobble-head AVB doll firmly ensconced on his desk) Villas-Boas has already been given all the rope he'll need to hang himself.  Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Ruh Roh! Trouble Ahead for Spurs?

photo by Brett L.	via PhotoRee

Ed is back with some thoughts on Spurs' slow start to the season:

Spurs have now played three games against only mediocre BPL competition and they haven't won once.  Worse, they've only looked good in one half of one game – the first half last week against West Brom – and even then they didn't seem to get enough really good chances.  And double worse, it's painful to say it, but they look startlingly similar to Chelsea last year when they were managed by AVB.  As Scooby Doo would say:  Ruh Roh.

So here are my questions for AVB:

1.                  Defoe.  The offensive 4-2-3-1 is certainly a formation that works and is popular internationally. However, Spurs seem to be playing this formation with Gylfi Sigurdsson deep, the two midfielders holding even deeper, the wingers wide on the lines, and the diminutive Defoe all alone front and center. Defoe is obviously not someone that's going to win and retain possession.  He's also too small to capitalize on any high crossing balls launched in by Bale and Lennon.  So is Gylfi playing too deep?  If not, why are you playing this way with Defoe in the lineup?  And why did you sign an extension with Defoe if you intend to play this way? 

2.                  Double D's.  Spurs picked up Dempsey and Dembele.  Both are attacking midfielders like Gylfi Sigurdsson. Where are they going to play?  Why have you gone three deep at one position?  Are you intending to change formation?

3.                  Van Der Vaart.  Why did you part with VDV?  It seemed clear in from game one, and it seemed confirmed by your starting him in game two, that VDV outplayed Sigurdsson in the attacking midfielder position.  VDV possesses the ball better, passes better, and put 13 in the back of the net last year. Granted, VDV isn't fast, but what did you gain by letting him go?

Week 3 in the BPL: Traveling Down Route One

Photo by Dougtone on Flickr

o We're hoping Sam Allardyce drove along Route One to get to Upton Park on Saturday, because that's the same path that his football team took as they laid waste to Fulham with a comprehensive 3-nil victory on Saturday. Direct and dangerous, the Hammers used newly signed forward and former Liverpool whipping boy Andy Carroll to his best advantage, outleaping and outmuscling a Fulham defense that looked surprisingly sluggish and confused. If he was slumping in his seat last week, Big Sam must have been parading around like a peacock after this one -- even the second half introduction of Dimitar Berbatov did little to sway the course of the contest. It's too early to tell, of course, but if this weekend was a sign of things to come for Fulham, look out below.

o Another game, another draw snatched from the jaws of victory for Andre Villas-Boas and Spurs this weekend. He can change personnel and systems, but AVB can't change the fact he hasn't had a League win in quite some time. There are lots of new names to integrate into the squad, and the feeling around here is that it may take a fair bit of time for this newlook Spurs' squad -- replete with Dembele, Dempsey, Sigurdsson and Lloris -- to find their footing. Let's hope Daniel Levy displays some patience as the new Manager's seat on the sidelines begins to warm up.

o For the first time in a long time, I think Liverpool may be headed in the right direction under new head man Brendan Rodgers, despite their 2-nil loss to Arsenal this weekend. The Scousers looked smooth and flowing in the midfield Sunday, combining lots of movement off the ball with dangerous interplay between the squad's many accomplished midfielders. Once they have adapted fully to Rodger's way of playing, Liverpool will lack only one thing: a true center forward, rather than a racist diving cheat who can't seem to find the net on a regular basis.

o Luis Suarez plays as if he's never seen a clear chance on goal that he didn't think he could easily put well over the bar.

o BTW, can someone please tell me why Pepe Reina is considered a world class goalkeeper?  Talk about double standards.... Reina's Sunday howler gave the Gooners their second goal of the afternoon and all we could think about was this: imagine the reaction in the British tabloids if David De Gea had done that?!

o On a weekend in which we saw plenty of strikers miss open headers -- Olivier Giroud comes to mind -- how is it that Michu needed only the slightest of openings to bury his fourth goal of the season against Sunderland on Safurday?  The Spaniard is proving to be the buy of the season, at least for the early going, and Manager Michael Laudrup can only hope that his midfielder's strong start to the campaign can help the Swans through a tough time now that Neil Taylor is out with a broken ankle and Chico Flores is lost to suspension.