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"?

 

On Gareth Bale's Impending Departure

photo by paulswansen	via PhotoRee

No one can say we're not right on top of the news -- herewith, some office watercooler talk from earlier this morning:

Ed:  James!  Welcome back -- Long time, no see....  [looks at watch]  The boss told me you'd been off covering the Justin Bieber tour this summer.... [feigns excitement, mimics young girls screaming while waving hands wildly]

James: Yeah -- I had to cut back on that -- I'm more of a part time Belieber these days.  The whole spitting incident really shook me up....  [shakes head sadly].  But it's more than just that -- the whole faux hoodlum thing just isn't my scene, and I didn't have the wardrobe to pull it off completely.   It was fun while it lasted, but I just had to get out eventually.  I'm back on the football these days, for better or worse.  [Looks a bit forlorn]

Say, did you hear the latest? [attempting to cheer himself up]  According to some of my 'in the know' buds on Twitter, Spurs are about to sign Willian and Erik Lamela.  If there were any doubts that Bale is leaving, this would seem to settle it.

farlieonfootie [overhearing conversation from his corner office and butting in]: Plus Coentrao as a makeweight.  I heard the deal is already done and Real has been told to keep it on the down low until Levy gets his other transfer work finished.  Smart guy that Levy.  The Professor could use some of his help.

Maybe Ronaldo heading back to Old Trafford, as well?  One can always dream….

Ed: It's done.  There's more to Bale not playing than a medical issue.  He and Ronaldo are the Bayern model at Real Madrid -  like Ribery and Robben.

We Agree, I think

photo by Ed Yourdon	via PhotoRee

Scene: IN THE MIDST OF AN IMPASSIONED DISCUSSION BETWEEN CORRESPONDENTS ED AND JAMES

Topic:  SPURS

Dateline: YESTERDAY

Ed:  I wanted to note for the record that Spurs stunk and couldn’t score against Southampton, even though your whipping boy [Scott] Parker wasn’t playing.  

James: Well, dear Sir: Notwithstanding the absence of "My Whipping Boy" (I don't know if I really like how that reads) - the fundamental problem created by the impact of  Parker's skill set on this year's squad (e.g., sans Luka Modric) was not rectified by AVB's lineup last Saturday (of course it really wasn't rectified when Daniel Levy failed to get off his ass once again in the last two transfer windows).  To wit, there is no one, since the Sandro injury, who has been instructed to consistently occupy the defensive sweeper role (although I think that  Dembele, Parker and Jake  Livermore are more than capable).  And there is no one on the entire squad with the SKILL SET to recycle possession and trigger up field movement.  No one, that is, except for young Tommy Carroll - who for whatever reason AVB has chosen not to blood in this year. 

With the supremely athletic Sandro as a sweeper, Moussa Dembele was able to occupy the recycler role kinda sort of non-conventionally.  Specifically, Sandro covered so much ground that Dembele, after he got it from Sandro, could simply run the ball up field and then dump it into a void created by the sheer speed of the Sandro process, as opposed to running headlong into three opposing players and being dispossessed as Parker does most of the time.   What I can't for the life of me understand is why AVB doesn't just tell Parker to stay the f-- back there, do his whole pestering, tackling, disruptive thing and then get the ball to Dembele.

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.

Vindicated: Liverpool 3 - Tottenham Hotspur 2

We Have No Good reason To Put This Picture Here
photo by (matt)	via PhotoRee

It's surprising, but this is the first Spurs' game in quite awhile that Columnist James has elected not to cover.  Fortunately, for some reason, Columnist Scott picked up the slack:

Well, Liverpool finally did it.  They beat a real team above them in the table.  Yes, they previously beat Swansea but, come on, no offense to our Welsh friends, that’s not really the same thing as defeating an in-form Tottenham.  With three league wins on the trot now, whispers of Champions League can be heard through the cacophony of cries for Europa at least.  We’ll see.  For now, perhaps owing to my previous, self-inflicted anguish, I am choosing to remain even-keeled and see how it plays out.

Of course, I was anything but even-keeled as I soaked up the game against Spurs last Sunday when the Reds hosted the Londoners at Anfield.  With Daniel Sturridge back in the lineup along with that breath of fresh Brazilian air known as Philippe Coutinho, not to mention Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard, an increasingly healthy Lucas Leiva and the resurgent Stuart Downing, it was not surprising that Liverpool dominated play for the first 10 minutes.  Their aesthetically pleasing, high-tempo ball movement was visual candy that culminated with a tootsie roll finish of Coutinho to Jose Enrique to Suarez for the flick past Hugo Lloris at the near post.  The finish was brilliant but the vision, of first the Brazilian, then the Spaniard, was sweeter still.

Coutinho has been an excellent addition and, just like Sturridge, has immediately blended into and elevated the team.  Jose Enrique, especially, seems to be benefitting from the new number 10, linking up with him repeatedly on the way to a final pass into Suarez or Sturridge.  Gerrard also continues his climb to his former glory – his 27^th minute, perfectly-weighted, one-touch through ball for Suarez was amazing and more evidence that the captain has more years of quality in the tank.

Around about the 36^th minute, the commentators said something that agrees with what I have been saying for some time – that Suarez seems to have halted, or at least lessened, his diving tendencies.  I was thrilled that it was noticed and I sincerely hope it will continue.  He will probably always complain about calls, which I can accept if he at least doesn’t try to manufacture them.  After all, he has already been denied penalties in other games and it will continue, such as when Benoît Assou-Ekotto yanked him down in the 39^th minute.

All this stands in stark contrast to the biggest diver/actor in the league – Gareth Bale.  He is truly an amazing player and will no doubt become legendary but, quite simply, he is a habitual diver.  When he was writhing on the ground in the 44^th minute, I found myself comparing him to a certain feature of the female anatomy.  All the more so when he was perfectly fine less than a minute later and able to deliver a picture-perfect cross for Jan Vertonhen to head home.  His theatrics were on display again in the 52^nd minute when he fooled the ref to get a BS free kick, then Jamie Carragher was pulled down (no call) and Vertonghen scored again to put the visitors ahead 2-1.

Easy Street: Tottenham Hotspur 3 - Internazionale Milan 0

photo by NCBrian	via PhotoRee

If James is writing, Bale is scoring:

Spurs strolled through an Inter Milan side today that appears to be a shadow of the team that Tottenham shocked in the Champions League group stage in 2010.  The Nerazzurri, struggling through transition, injuries and only one point off the pace for a Champions League places in Serie A, appeared as if they were happy to focus only on that for the rest of the season.  Spurs, on the other hand, are on a quest for both a European trophy and Champions League next year and, based on recent performances, are well on course for both.

Inter’s meek display should take nothing away from a dominating performance by the Lilywhites.  A fair score would have been five -- or even six -- to one or two.  Spurs took the lead only six minutes in on a headed goal from You Know Who off a fantastic cross from the ascendant Gylfi Sigurdsson (official MOTM).  It was Siggy who doubled the lead only twelve minutes later after a nice exchange from Mousa Dembele to Aaron Lennon, who gave Inter fits all night.  Also excellent were Jan Vertonghen who scored off a corner on a Bale delivery in the fifty third minute (Spurs scored on a corner!!!), Dembele and Scott Parker (unofficial MOTM).

Bottle Broken: Tottenham Hotspur 2 - Arsenal 1

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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. 

 

Perched in Third: Tottenham Hotspur 3 - West Ham United 2

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Correspondent James' current form on the keyboard is almost as good as Gareth Bale's current form on the pitch:

There was a ton of tension and drama last night as Spurs took on West Ham at Upton Park. Of course, West Ham's home is one of those wonderful old English football stadiums like White Hart Lane.  And there was a nice pre-game tribute to England hero and former Hammer Sir Bobby Moore.  And there was Spurs desperately needing three points to maintain their four point gap on Arsenal, and West Ham needing the three points to help stay up.

Of course, in the midst of all of that, it may be unnecessary but nevertheless important to note, the fans of the respective clubs hate each other.  The Hammers, in the panoply of Spurs' bitterest rivals, are somewhere just behind Arsenal and juggling with Chelsea for second place, depending upon which of the two clubs’ retrograde Neanderthal groups of fans has lodged the most recent round of gas chamber hissing, Nazi salutes or other assorted anti-Semitic abuses at Spurs fans.

Yes - we do hate the Spammers.  And with a North London derby approaching in only six days’ time, the aforementioned perilous four point gap over Arsenal, the fortuitous opportunity to hop Chelsea into third with three points, the ESPN commentary of the inane Steve McManaman and the incredibly pedestrian play of Spurs' midfield (and by "pedestrian" I mean literally walking - Spurs midfield has been walking) yesterday's match shaped up to be an all-around rant inducing stress-fest for this correspondent.

It did not disappoint. For Spurs fortunes were once again saved by the Greatest Player In The World™ with two more simply ridiculous long range strikes balanced between a garbage goal picked up by someone not named Bale:  the seemingly resurgent Gylfi Sigurdsson.  The Hammers' goals came in ways that were almost as maddening as the horrific play in Spurs' midfield in the first half.  The recently lambasted Scott Parker stupidly slid into Andy Carrol in the box and the same obligingly slotted the ball into the top left corner of the goal on the ensuing free kick.  And, mid-way through the 2^nd half, West Ham burned Spurs' high line in a shambolic display not seen since late summer with Joe Cole of all people punching an angled shot past Hugo Lloris into the far corner.  This put West Ham up 2-1, and with Jussi Jasskelainen making incredible saves under waves of pressure from Spurs, this correspondent was left thinking of other recent and painful Spurs’ February collapses.

Missing Sandro: A Spurs' Diary

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In which Spurs' fan Columnist James returns from exile in Siberia:

It is tough to articulate just how abysmal Spurs' midfield performance has been since the injury to Sandro.  I know, I know -- last sixteen of the Europa League, mouth watering tie with Inter coming up, Top 4 in the Prem, The Greatest Player In The World™ ("TGPIW"), etc. etc.  But a series of singularly marvelous one-off goals by TGPIW (for the last four weeks running) and Moussa Dembele today (in Spurs' 1-1 second leg to advance in the Europa League against Lyon) have only served to paper over serious cracks in this squad since the Sandro injury.

And the most glaring of these cracks lies at the feet of (sadly, because he is one of my favorite players) one Scotty Parker.  To think that the RAF Captain was once captain of England and was voted Spurs' most valuable player last year is astounding.  His performance today was just terrible.  And while Dembele was not much better prior to his wonder goal that saved Spurs, it has been the switch from Sandro to Parker that seems to have seriously disrupted Spurs' transition and flow while in possession. 

It has been posited quite convincingly that Parker's core skill set is just not a good match both for AVB's system and the pairing with Dembele, but that fails to explain Parker's abject failure to adjust his game and just get rid of the ball.  Or of AVB's failure to clearly instruct him to simply fulfill the Sandro enforcer role and free Dembele for the charging runs.  It is true that Dembele and Parker are similar in that they like to hold and not look for (or are incapable of finding) the quick pass / through ball.  But that was the case with Dembele before the Sandro injury and Spurs' were not nearly this bad.  Recently, Spurs' offense has been just about non-existent save for TGPIW™'s wonder strikes and this is simply not sustainable. 

Neither can Dembele's decline -- traced back to the very same Sandro injury -- be regarded as a coincidence.  With Sandro so effectively protecting the back line, sweeping back and forth and springing Dembele up the field, Spurs were not exactly the fluid tiki-taka countering team they were with Modric, but their speed in transition enabled them to at least play the counter at times quite effectively.  Now, however, their transition and possession is like watching paint dry with Parker doing his pirouettes around the ball and Dembele dribbling all over the place with nary a decent pass between them. 

Game Day Beer Review: Lagunitas Brewing A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' American Pale Wheat Ale

Photo by emilydickinsonridesabmx on Flickr

Columnist James, distraught over the prospect of rooting for an AVB-led football team, decides to focus his energies instead on ABV....

Beer: A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' American Pale Wheat Ale

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, California

ABV: 7.5%

Appearance:  Pours honey gold, looks almost like a macro lager, very light gold with voluminous and quickly dissipating head

Smell:  Honey and malt, balanced with light hops and touch of grapefruit

Taste:  Wow!  The smell lightly previews what can only be called a wheat beer IPA.  Pine, citrus and hops balanced by malts and honey - somehow strikes the perfect balance between the lightness  of a wheat with the substance of a serious pale ale.

Mouthfeel: The lightness and carbonation of a wheat with the substance of an ale.

Overall:  Superb!  A fantastic redefinition of a wheat beer striking a perfect balance of wheat crispness and hoppiness.  A-

To Axe or Not to Axe?: Thoughts on Terminating Harry

photo by apasciuto	via PhotoRee

Tottenham's firing of Harry Redknapp is debated by Columnists Ed and James, Spurs fans both:

Ed:  What the hell happened?  I don’t understand getting rid of the guy who gave you three of your four most successful seasons ever in the BPL consecutively.  I saw somewhere that Harry’s among Spurs' longest lasting managers, which says something about the organization.

I’m sure they blame Harry for the collapse into 4th position (a position, by the way, that they never achieved in the BPL before Harry), but really, it was still a stellar year for Spurs.  As for his loyalty, I’d be interested to see what you read James.  I’m a bit of a cynic when it comes to loyalty in pro sports – it just doesn’t seem there is ever any from either side.  It’s all just a pure contract thing.

Also, why did Spurs wait until the two most promising coaches (Brendan Rodgers and Paul Lambert) were already gone?  David Moyes is a good coach if they can get him (why exactly would he like to leave a team that he has such security at for a team which will have higher expectations but too little money to back them up?).  It seems to me that Spurs are just longing to be back in 11th place.

James: Where do I start?  Harry's a relentless self promoter; constantly refers to Spurs in the third person; says things like "you"  (instead of "we") are lucky to get 4th/5th and that ("we") never had it so good since he got there ("you" had two points from eight" when 'I" got here" over and over and over); whored himself out for the England job after Levy and the club supported him through the tax thing to such an extent that they shut down his daily press briefings....

Conventional Wisdom

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Correspondent James is pretty pumped up by the happenings at White Hart Lane:

"Spurs never win a game in hand."  This piece of conventional Spurs' wisdom was repeated more frequently over the last few weeks as supporters confronted the surreal quality of the Lilywhite's superior form in the Premiership since August against the innate pessimism ingrained over 51 years of frustration and heartbreak.  It was the latter of these two sentiments that predominated heading into yesterday's key "game in hand" clash with a Toffees side that, while lacking firepower, is usually disciplined and well-prepared under David Moyes.  And so, we prepared for the harsh removal of the "game in hand" that we had wrapped ourselves in like a warm blanket since the first chilly days of autumn.

There were also more tangible reasons to be pessimistic: namely, injuries in the center of the field.  With both Sandro and Parker gone, the key role of holding midfield would fall to the promising youngster Jake Livermore.  Moreover, as now both William Gallas and Ledley King were down, the center half pairing with Younes Kaboul would be Michael Dawson, just returning from a long-term achilles injury and playing in preference to the erratic Sebastien Bassong.  

Alas, as has been the case with Spurs all season, the need for pessimism was non-existent.  Spurs turned in a very solid 2-0 win yesterday in which Dawson displayed very little of the rust one would expect after such a long lay off, and third choice holding mid-fielder Livermore turned in a poised man-of-the-match performance.  That designation would be challenged by Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who turned in a wonder strike from thirty five yards out to put Spurs up two in the 63rd minute, and Rafael Van Der Vaart, who, for the fourth straight game, ran his Dutch socks off and pin-pointed sublime passes all over the field.  Perhaps more impressively, no one on the squad possessed the jitters that appeared to predominate amongst the crowd at the Lane.  Rather, they played their typical composed and flowing game, dominating possession and getting by far the better of the chances.  

Even more impressively, each week has seen Spurs appear to notch ever closer to embracing the classic Dutch style of flowing football. The key to this appears to be Gareth Bale's new found proclivity for drifting into the middle and creating chances from there for himself and others.  This in turn brings Assou-Ekotto charging up the flank to create numerous crosses or even, like yesterday, opportunities for himself.  Meanwhile, Kaboul now seems to charge up the middle with great frequency, Van der Vaart and Luka Modric roam all over the field, Emanuel Adebayor hustles up and down the field holding up play and forwards as a whole sprint back to cover on defense.  Meanwhile, Spurs can insert youngsters like Livermore or veterans like Dawson, just returning to the lineup, to reliably anchor the back while everyone else attacks.  Not even Spurs' leading goal scorer Jermaine Defoe can consistently make it onto the pitch. As Uncle Harry said yesterday, if you can't enjoy watching this then there's something wrong with you.

A Thin Line

photo by Cam Genereux	via PhotoRee

James is here with the latest from White Hart Lane:

Spurs entered the weekend facing a resurgent Sunderland squad under newly appointed Manager Martin O'Neill in a proverbial "trap" game before the Thursday blockbuster derby against Chelsea at the Lane. Spurs were coming off their first loss since August after being robbed of at least a point by the now infamous Chris Foy at the Britannia, and in middle of the top four chasing pack of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea who all were, for the most part, not losing.  The stress level increased with the news that gareth Bale was not available due to an ankle injury, and leaped off the grid when Aaron Lennon went down with a probable torn hamstring 30 minutes in.

With Lennons's injury, the signature element of Spurs attack - pace down the wings - pretty much disappeared, and into that void surprisingly stepped the person of Roman Pavlyuchenko, the languid, lazy Russian whose depressed work rate stands in such stark contrast to Emanuel Adebayor. Although I am certain I audibly moaned upon his insertion, it comes as no surprise from a karma standpoint that Super Pav scored the game winner.  He's done this sort of thing his whole career at Spurs - mope around in a completely disinterested fashion and then - suddenly - the ball is on his foot and he scores a marvelous goal.

This one occurred in the 61st minute and came courtesy of a beautiful back-foot pass from Man of the Match Rafael Van Der Vaart, who had shifted to "wing" upon Lennon's removal, but who really seemed in the second half to make up part of a diamond-and-one formation with Luka Modric' beside him in the middle, Scott Parker in back, and the constantly offside Adebayor up front.  This actually seemed to work reasonably well in the second half, as Spurs enjoyed the better of the chances and left the pitch clearly the superior side on this day, but well short of the dynamism they have shown with a healthy Bale and Lennon on the flanks.  In short, they looked fairly average - clearly better than the Sunderlands of the world, but perhaps not up there with the competition at the top of the table.

Game Day Beer Review: Oskar Blues Brewery Dale's Pale Ale

Photo by Bernt Rostad on Flickr

Beer: Oskar Blues Brewery Dale's Pale Ale

Appearance: Strong orange – copper with a thick white head and impressive lacing.  Looks like an IPA.

Smell: Very hoppy, with noticeable hints of pine and a little citrus.  Smells like an IPA.

Taste: Prominent but not overpowering west coast style hops flavoring with restrained notes of citrus and pine and a nice malt overlay to balance things out.   Tastes like an IPA – a really good IPA.

Mouthfeel: Thick and substantive; but also smooth if that make sense.  Satisfying after one, but sessionable as well.

Overall: These wonderful cans seem to be almost replacing Sierra Nevada as the de facto Pale Ale, at least in the towns I frequent.  And with good reason – this is a big, bold hoppy pale ale but not overpowering like the stronger IPA’s.  Both flavorful and drinkable.  A+  

Game Day Beer Review: Stevens Point Brewery Point Cascade Pale Ale

Photo by soundfromwayout on Flickr

Beer: Stevens Point Brewery Point Cascade Pale Ale

Appearance: Surprisingly clear, light golden beer with very thin head and not much lacing.

Smell: I get some fruit/citrus overtones, but mostly yeast.   Again, surprising for this style.

Taste: The word that comes to mind is bland, perhaps the blandest pale ale I’ve ever had.  It is over carbonated and certainly crisp, but tastes more like a summer lager than a pale ale.

Mouthfeel: Very thin – soda water.

Overall: Huge disappointment from a brewery I respect.  I really like their marzen but this is just flat out poor.  Served in the environmentally favorable container –  a can –  that many craft breweries are moving to, so they do get props for that.  Otherwise, a big disappointment.  Maybe something decent on a hot summer day, but that’s about it:  C-

The Sky -- or Rather Third Place -- is the Limit for Spurs

Photo by Basibanget on Flickr

Just when you least expect it, up pops Columnist James with a report on the happenings over at White Hart Lane:

As November dawns in the Premiership so many of August's questions have been answered so unexpectedly and so many new questions have been created.  For example, as Mario Balotelli trudged off the ground of an exhibition in Los Anegles after a tragically misguided back footer, we all thought that Mancini would fail to manage the colossal egos on City as he had in the past.  That, and his stubborn insistence to maintain a conservative/Italian defense first mentality would doom City to more underachievement. Shortly thereafter, after an 8 goal emasculation of the Gooners,  we were asking not whether, but by how many points United would run away with the table this year.

Alas, as we encounter the first frosty nights of Autumn, it is City and not United who appear poised to run away with things even after the inevitable Tevez blow up and Balotelli antics.  While United find themselves struggling with injuries and disappointed with the play of a mid-field that many questioned going into the season, it has been City -- after their almost absurdly easy dismemberment of United two weeks ago at Old Trafford -- who are being hailed as the English Barca. And to reinforce the vital importance of an effective and balanced mid-field in modern football, City has benefited hugely from balancing the contributions of the magnificent David Silva with the dogged workmanship of the holders Yaya Toure and James Milner.

Which brings us to Spurs:  another club whose play has been compared to Barca of late, who have answered a different set of August questions in a most unexpected manner and who have, most surprisingly, benefited hugely from the contributions of a superbly talented, well balanced and, most importantly, committed mid-field.

Game Day Beer Review: Foothill Brewing Seeing Double India Pale Ale

Photo by Andrea_44 on Flickr

Beer: Foothill Brewing Company Seeing Double India Pale Ale

ABV: 9.50% 

Presentation: Poured from a 32 oz growler from Morganellis Party Store, Columbia SC

Appearance: Classic IPA copper/orange, with a nice two finger tan head, giving away to consistent lacing on all sides.

Aroma: Floral, pine, earthy, citrus - typical IPA - and nicely apparent.

Taste: Superior.  Not the over-the-top hop bomb of many doubles but a very complex, drinkable ale.  The initial sweet maltiness combines with a pine/earthiness before giving way to the fruity hop blast at the end, with a faint alcohol overlay.

Overall: Outstanding combination of complexity and drinkability, with a very well hidden high ABV. This beer made me very very happy, and not just because of the monster ABV. I will definitely drink this again, hopefully often.  A+

Game Day Beer Review: Odell Brewing 90 Shilling Scottish Ale

photo by MacKinnon Photography	via PhotoRee

Beer: Odell Brewing 90 Shilling Scottish Ale

ABV:  5.50%

Appearance: Amber, with minimal head and decent carbonation.

Smell: Some citrus overtones, with herbal hops and malt.

Taste: Sweet malt is nicely balanced with a touch of hop, mild bitterness to finish.

Overall: I'm not a huge fan of Scottish ales, but this is a fine offering from this excellent Colorado brewery. I will have this again: A.