Shaping Up

More to the point, it's been a while since Ed has written anything: 

It’s been a while since I’ve written on Spurs, and a lot has happened.  First and foremost, Harry Kane put us past Arsenal with two magnificent goals.  Kane continues to play at a high level and pundits are wondering if this run is real or if he’s doomed to return to the norm or something below that.  We shall see.  Regardless, he seems to look like he knows how to play even if he’s not scoring, and Kane and Eriksen have become a terrific punch for Spurs.

The following week despite some good play int he first half, Spurs lost on a Mario Balotelli goal in the final minutes.  What are the odds of that happening?  Well, prior to his snatching the penalty kick ball out of the hands of his captain this week, Balotelli had about one goal for Liverpool, so I’d say the odds were pretty low.  But to be fair, this shot was really just a tap in for Super Mario, so it would have been hard to mess it up.  But what I liked most about this game was that Spurs seemed extremely annoyed and frustrated at the end of the game — as if they felt they should’ve won the game.  I can’t recall seeing a Spurs team react like that to a loss against a big Club.  Interesting, and I think a good sign.  (On an unrelated note, I’m still not sure why Brendan Rodgers thought bringing this guy in was a good idea; clearly a desperate move by a desperate manager.  But while Rodgers has Liverpool playing well with the return of Daniel Sturridge, it seems that the number of players he brought in that didn’t work out seems a luxury that only could be afforded the bigger clubs.

Kandy Kaned, Glovers and Stevie G.

Ed is still in the holiday mood:

Spurs are usually a team on decline in the festive season.  Too many games for too thin a squad.  But not this year.  After a scoreless draw against Manchester United (we’ll take it against that payroll), Harry Kane went big and busted up Chelsea for Spurs best win in the BPL perhaps . . . ever?

The emergence of Kane has dramatically changed Spurs.  With 17 goals in about as many games in all competitions, Spurs seem finally to have found their striker.  His emergence from the Spurs own academy makes it even sweeter.  One might be tempted to say that the team is finally catching on to Mauricio Pochettino’s direction — and I’d say there is something to that — but correlation is not equal to causation and it still remains difficult to tell.  Recall that the same was said of Brendan Rodgers brilliance when he had Suarez and Sturridge, but now that they’re gone the press would say he can’t get anything right.

Kane is not merely scoring, but he’s playing the target man especially welll, and he’s also taking the space aggressively with the dribble like few strikers I’ve seen in the league.  Kane isn’t that fast, but he’s fast enough and clever enough to use leverage and positioning to keep him in front of defenders.  He’s a pleasure to watch operate and will most certainly be called up for England in the future.

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I should note my sorrow at the loss of the Yeovil Town Glovers at the hands of a somewhat fortunate Manchester United.  The Glovers gave 110%, and for most if not all of the match made me wonder why players like Rooney and Falcao were paid so much more than some of the players on the mid-third division team.

The FA Cup is a great competition, but at no time is it greater than the third round when premier league clubs have to play at tiny grounds throughout the country.  It’s simply a pleasure to see top tier players go against what appear to be true club teams on un-pampered (and sometimes awful) grounds.  There’s simply nothing more fun than watching Eden Hazard kick a ball into a tree behind the goal, or Steven Gerrard put one into a busy road next to the pitch.

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Wait, did I mention Stevie G?  His departure from Liverpool will, I suspect, mark the

I Know What You're Thinking (about United, Spurs and Liverpool)

Ed weighs in on some football and a fantasy trip to the Hawaiian Islands:


I've decided to take a brief time out from my recent Magnum PI immersion and give you, my many fans, a few tired thoughts from the weekend's action.

 

First, United under Van Gaal is starting to look more like United did under Alex Ferguson -- more the red ferrari than the blue Vauxhall wagon of Moyes's tenure.  They're winning when they really shouldn't be, and scoring when the other team seems to have more chances.  Part of that always seemed to be luck when Ferguson did it, but interestingly it looks the same for Van Gaal.  In addition, Van Gaal seems hell bent to prove that you can be totally weird and yet still beloved by fans and players alike so long as you are winning.  As I write this, I remain unclear as to why he likes to do his homework during games, and why sometimes it appears that he needs to be nudged and awoken to the fact that his team has just scored.  His post game interviews?  Not really English.  Kind of.  Maybe a little.  But not really.  And finally, the flat face, the kooky hair style -- really?  

 

Second, Spurs fans love affair with Harry Kane is getting as strong as Higgy-baby's love affair with the Lads.  Alongside a forgettable Roberto Soldado, Kane scored yet again and did a terrific job as target man as well.  As for another Spurs' Academy product, Ryan Mason, I'm still unclear why he's starting.  He's certainly feisty and decent with the ball, but Dembele showed he is dramatically better both offensively and defensively.  I suspect Moussa will be included in the starting lineup more frequently in the weeks to come.