Spanked: Thoughts on Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal

photo by Franco Folini	via PhotoRee

A refreshingly realistic Ed, on Spurs' traditional end of season tailspin and other thoughts:

• Spurs decidedly played the part they historically play against Chelsea this weekend -- that of a fifth place team with pretty much no business making the top four.  They lost, of course, four to nil, and let's not kid ourselves into thinking that the game was actually closer than that.  It should have been 1 - 0 with Spurs down to ten men after about a minute if the refs had not made a charitable offside call.  And this was just a preview of what was to come, as it turns out, over and over and over and over....

• Chelsea let Spurs possess the ball, which Spurs did, but it was no surprise that Spurs did so harmlessly.  Kyle Walker was playing in an advanced role on the right and his lack of skill was exposed by Cesar Azpilicueta.  The Chelsea left back made it clear yet again why Ashley Cole now occupies a spot on the bench.  On the other side, Gylfi Sigurdsson is simply not enough of an athlete to make a difference out wide.  And Aaron Lennon, who buzzed around in the number 10 position more often that not, did his typical "I'm crazy fast and dart all over" routine but never threatened the goal.  Poor Spurs, outclassed and outmuscled.

• Was it the manager's fault?  Well, some blame could be allowed for Benteleb and Sandro being outmatched by Chelsea's pressing midfield of Ramires and Lampard.  Perhaps Dembele and Paulinho -- however tired they were -- should have been pressed into action, as Benteleb is a liability defensively and did make a poor pass right to Samuel Eto'o.  But ultimately the middle triangle of Chelsea just bossed the game because they were better.  Nemanja Matic is a tough holder, covering ground and making the middle a no fly zone.  Matic cost $21MM from Benfica.  Wait, how much did Spurs pay for Erik Lamela to warm the bench?

• A word on Jan Vertonghen is due.  The defender made noise about defecting from Spurs because he wanted to play in the Champions League.  To this I sometimes think -- if you were as good as you think you are , shouldn't you be able to carry Spurs to the Champions League?  Don't you bear some responsibility for them not making it?  Well, it seems the football gods agreed with me in part, as the first goal was the direct result of a Vertongen mental mistake.  Look, he's a great player and a terrific addition to Spurs, but dude, be a leader!

Overlooked: Four Who Missed Out on the PFA Team of the Season

photo by Tom (hmm a rosa tint)	via PhotoRee

By now we all know who made the Professional Footballers Association 2013 Team of the Season, but what about those who didn't?  farlieonfootie sends our crack reporting team in search of those who fell just short:

o Michu: How can the league's fifth leading scorer be kept off the team, particularly by the likes of Eden Hazard...?  Sure, the Frenchman showed some fancy footowork, but 17 goals can't -- and shouldn't --be ignored.  If the awards had been announced midway through the season, Michu would likely have won PFA Player of the season hands down.  Yes, he cooled off somewhat in the season's second half, but let's not forget what he did and what he meant to his team.  A certain oversight.

o Asmir Begovic or Simone Mignolet: It's tough to distinguish between the two, as they made spectacular save after spectacular save virtually all season long.  Injuries took their toll on Stoke's defense, and Sunderland is Sunderland -- but look at what their 'keepers did....  Think about how bad Stoke would be without the big Bosnian in between the sticks.  Hint: they failed to score in 15 of their games this season; that's relegation material if ever we heard it.  And as for Sunderland, 11 clean sheets with that motley crew is pretty damn impressive.  We love David De Gea, but come on -- someone give these two some love, as well.

The farlieonfootie Halfway-To-Home BPL Team of the Season

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With half of the BPL season now done and dusted, it's time to announce our editors' picks for the all-BPL starting XI.  This may be a slightly unbalanced side with no pure wingers, but these guys are so good they may even give the all-Spanish FIFA XI a run for their money.   Interestingly, only two sides (Manchester United and Everton) managed to get more than one player in the team, and Arsenal got no one at all:

o Goalkeeper: Asmir Begovic, Stoke City. The big Bosnian narrowly edges out Sunderland's Simon Mignolet for our pick in the nets.  Ably assisted by his well organized defense, Begovic has been stingier than Scrooge in conceding opposition goals this season.

o Right Back:  Pablo Zabaleta, Manchester City.  Not only is he a fine defender, but the Argentine shoots like a cannon and is capable of popping up on the scorer's sheet when you least expect him.

o Center Back: Ryan Shawcross, Stoke City.  Shawcross just re-upped his contract with the Saints, and you can see why Tony Pulis and the Stoke fans love him: big and rangy, the Englishman has become one of the more complete center halfs in the League today.   He's also a threat on set pieces in the opposition box.

o Center Back: Jan Vertonghen, Tottenham Hotspur.  He plays with such ease that it's easy to forget that this season is the Dutchman's first in the League.  He's currently holding only the narrowest of advantages over Norwich's Sebastian Bassong in our minds, but if we were forced to pick between the two of them we'd take the Tottenham man.

o Left Back: Leighton Baines, Everton. The Fifth Beatle may have started the season slowly, but he's come on like the freight train force of his free kicks and penalities.

o Midfield: Michael Carrick, Manchester United.  Criminally underated for much of the past few seasons, the Englishman's standard has been so high this season that he's impossible to ignore.  Pinpoint passing was only one of the many outstanding facets of Carrick's play in 2012.

o Midfield: Michu, Swansea City.  The Spaniard is the buy of the season, and he just can't seem to stop scoring.  A wonderful addition to his team and the League, Michu's fine club form may even see him force his way into the Spanish national team -- and that's saying a lot.

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.

Somebody That I Used to Know

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He somehow arranged for a paid summer vacation from his most generous of employers.  But all good things must come to an end, and now it's time for Correspondent Ed to make his way back to the home office:

It's 80 something degrees and I'm descending down into the New Jersey transit on my way to somewhere near Newark when I hear the glorious sound in the distance of Spurs fans singing.  Oh, it's so quiet at first, like the small echo of the voices of all those tiny little beautiful Who's in Whoville on Christmas Eve, but yes, it's there, and it's getting louder and louder as I descend:

Oh when the Spurs

Go marching in

Oh when the Spurs go marching in!!

And so begins the 2012 to 2013 season, and not unlike a 60-something Madonna peep-show/concert, I'm back in your FOF grill, covering your favorite footie from Milan to Minsk.  So let the eggings of the boss-man farlieonfootie begin!!!

And as I sit at the 50 yard line of the stellar Red Bulls Stadium, fighting of the rays of burning sunshine and checking out the "Yids from Austin" sign in the upper decks, I couldn't help but think back to days gone by with that favorite uncle that I never met.  And yes, even though our new AVB looks so pret-a-porter, I have to admit that when they fired Uncle Harry at the end of last year I pulled a full Katy Perry, as in:

In another life

I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were

The one who got away

The one who got away. . . .

Holy-no-way-I-just-heard-it-in-my-head in the acoustic version.  Seriously, I'm totally crying right now.  Damn you, Katy Perry!!!

And speaking of tears, what's going on with Luka Modric?  This is death by deli slicer!  I think we all need some closure.  Luka's right, he's not worth 40MM pounds, but he was so dreamy on the pitch for Spurs, wasn't he?  He may not have had much of a shot, and yes, he was a defensive liability, but his control and creativity made the Spurs so much fun to watch.

In another life

We'd keep all our promises

Be us against the world . . . .

Wow, I'm totally drowning some tears in my Boddington's Pub Ale right now (The cream soda of beers, 4.7% ABV, smoother than a new necktie and reliable as a best man, B+).  Especially now that I'm watching Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore absolutely brutalize the middle of the pitch against the Red Bulls.  They look more like middle linebackers than holding midfielders.  Ugh.

But at least there's Gylfi Þór Sigurðsson.  Perfect name and a perfect Spurs player -- not dominant, but great on the ball, creative, and a terrific finisher.  Not sure why Swansea sold himand not sure how Spurs won that battle to sign him.  The only question is where does VdV play?  If they can keep him happy it would be nice to do what the top tier clubs do and have them both.  Dare we dream?  Or do we just dare to do?

Whatever.

Spurred Onward: Thoughts on Tottenham's Pre-Season

Photo by Dark Dwarf on Flickr

The farlieonfootie corporate staff had the opportunity to see Tottenham Hotspur during their recently concluded tour of the United States, as they took on Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls in beautiful (not really) Harrison, New Jersey. But if the game's surroundings were not picture perfect, the soccer-only stadium they've built on the outskirts of Newark was not too shabby, offering great sight lines from every seat, and up close views of the stars from North London.

Spurs needed two goals in the second half to overcome a tough and determined Red Bulls side, 2-1. On a night in which Tim Cahill made his MLS debut, Gareth Bale headed in the equalizer, while newcomer Gylfi Sigurdsson offered a glimpse of what Spurs' fans can only hope will be his regular season form with the game's third goal, the game winner.

In no particular order, here are some thoughts on the game and Spurs heading onto the 2012/13 season:

o Tottenham lack a target man up top. Unless Spurs can re-sign Emmanuel Adebayor, they may be in trouble against any defense which is stiffer than New York's.  While the Lily Whites moved the ball easily between the 18s, their attacks continually broke down for lack of a man in the middle.

o Sigurdsson's form last season was not an aberration. The guy is going to be very good, and by the end of this season may have Spurs fans asking the question "Luka Who?"  Although he may not be as silky smooth on the ball as the Croatian playmaker, and is clearly not a like-for-like replacement, Gylfi is much more direct in his style, and easily a greater threat on goal than the soon-to-be-Real-Madrid man.

o What is Huerelho Gomes still doing on Spurs?  Just asking....

Gareth Bale orders a taxi for Maicon 

o Jan Vertonghen looks to be a serious upgrade for Spurs in central defense, an area that has plagued the North London club at times over the last few seasons. Looking steady and assured, Vertonghen appears to give Spurs' back line some defensive muscle and a steadiness they can count on....

o ...that is, if new manager Andre Villas-Boas' preference for playing a high-line defense doesn't continually put the team under pressure from the ball over the top. Chelsea never really caught on to the plan -- or didn't have the personnel -- to compress the pitch, so it will be very interesting to see if Spurs sink or swim under the pressure of trying to learn something new.