Watching the Tottenham v Liverpool game last week, the subject of whether 'Arry would swap Lennon's flank to have a go at Faubert came up. I expressed the hope that he would try, given Lennon's left peg is weak and he becomes largely ineffective when moved to the opposite flank, but now everything has fallen into 'Arry's lap with the news that Ilunga will miss the game.
With all the talk of the need for a right back and a striker or two, many have overlooked the absence of adequate cover for Ilunga, a squad deficiency masked by his fitness all last season. Spector came on against Wolves and his first three touches were dire. He isn't even our first choice right back and, playing on the opposite flank, he looks awkward on the ball and vulnerable off of it. 'Arry must be sniggering over his Manila envelopes at the thought of isolating our American one on one with the flying Lennon. It would be no surprise to me if the game was won and lost as a result of the injury to Ilunga.
Some will point to the signing of Daprela but he is just a kid and has not yet been tested in the Premiership. Would it be fair to throw the lad into a game of this magnitude? I think even the Romans allowed the Christians to practice a bit before they threw them into the gladiatorial ring!
Sunday is going to be one hell of a test. I have tipped Tottenham as dark horses to win the Premiership and it is a crying shame that we go into the game still looking for two strikers, with a make shift right back playing as first pick and with no adequate cover for the left back position. Why did we buy Kovac in the circumstances?
12 comments:
Spurs fan in peace here. Well written article! Sundays game will be tough despite what anyone thinks. We are on fire but you have the quality to cause an upset. Defoe got all the credit in the recent england game, personally i thought Carlton cole was brilliant. Great to see them both playing well in an england shirt. I do feel for west ham, you have a good manager, good young players etc. I think with some investment it could be the difference between pushing on and falling behind the pack. Obviously Carlton cole is under alot of pressure. My prediction for sunday is a spurs win. I think we will have too much strength and depth. Also our midfield is on fire. You will have a chance if parker, spector and upson have good games. Paliocos, defoe and lennon will be vital. This doesnt include Modric.
Before all the pikey/ jew comments are submitted just wanted to say i enjoy playing you boys. Yes arsenal are our rivals, but there fans have no passion. Same as chelsea, our clubs still have real fans which reflets on the atmosphere.
COYS - PREDICTION = 1 - 3 Defoe to score at some point
also spurs fan in peace, the irony is that you are struggling in the forward department and at right back, we have got crouch and pav on the bench, and have 4 quality right backs in corluka hutton naughton and chimbonda, i agree with previous that you need more investment
Agree. Tough game. Will have a decent atmosphere as ever and should be about 1000 times better than that dire 2-0 win last season. Reckon it will be close. I hope WH put us under pressure because this Spurs side has to be able to pass the test of having a team have a right go at us away from home.
2-2 IMO.
In the midst of a report on David Gold I came across the bad news that Ilunga is out for a month with a fractured jaw. Now that IS bad news. He's one of our TOP players, really adds a lot to the team. We'll find it tougher without him. Let's hope Johnny Specs can adjust a little better to the position on Sunday. He will have had more time to prepare. C'MOM Specs, show us some of that Yankee Spirit!
I saw the same report mate, I hope it is wrong. Ilunga should have been Hammer of the Year last season - he was our best and most consistent player by a country mile.
This one is too close to call. Alright Spurs have had the better results since we came back up, but I honestly believe that getting the results is about when you meet a side. Last season when we first met Spurs back in November, they were going through a bit of a resurgence after Arry took over while we were still going through a transition period with the players still trying to get to grips with Zola's tactics. Now if that game had of been around September when we were winning games and Spurs looked so hapless under One Day, the result would have probably gone our way. The second game happened at a time we Spurs went on another resurgence, while our side had been seriously depleted with long term injuries to key players, but had that game been in January when we were having a bit of a resurgence ourselves with all of our key players fit and while we still had Bellamy and Spurs were going through aonther blip, again the win would have probably been ours. So as it is just the start of the season, it's a case of toss a coin into the air and see where it lands to make a prediction.
Except Spurs come into it on the back of two fantastic results and with confidence high. How distracted might Collins and Upson be? Look what happened to Everton when Lescott was unsettled by transfer rumours. unfortunate timing for the game again in my book, especially with Millwall next up three days later.
Good to hear from Spurs fans with something constructive / positive to say. Agree totally with you about the atmosphere. Our clubs have more in common than our closest, geographically speaking, rivals ie Arsenal, Millwall which is why the vibe is genuinely passionate.
I enjoy good friendly banter with all my Spurs supporting mates.I'm too long in the tooth now, to get off on the abuse and insults, wasted energy I say.
Spurs are on top form so I can't see an easy game. Due to our lack of fire power up front and injury to our left back, I would be happy with a draw but expect the worst. Having said that we ain't Hull!
Hammersfan, Lescott wants to go to City and has put in a transfer request and is not completely mature as a player. Whereas Upson on the other hand is older, more mature and therefore less likely to get his head turned as much as Lescott and Upson unlike Lescott has exactly been throwing his toys out of the pram and handed in a transfer request because we have priced him out of move now, has he? So I would say that Upson and Collins are more professional than Lescott, Zola will probably field Tomkins with Upson on Sunday. Yes Spurs will probably go into the game with confidence running high after two decent wins, but you could always get over confident and therefore slip up and we aint exactly Hull who are definitely going down this term IMHO, so we should be a tougher test on for them on Sunday. All I am saying is that is too near the start of the season to call. We had a decent win on Saturday albeit Wolves being our minnows because that game could have quite easily been a banana skin for us, but we showed our Premier League quality and superiority and quite comfortably, won the game, so we do have some reason to be quite confident ourselves.
HF 12:23 I know you did the posting times gave it away. Another flushed
2233 I genuinely have no idea what you are talking about. Please explain and I will reply.
Oh 2233, don't be a numpty mate!
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