The Soccer Blog: Jermain Is Not A Happy Teddy

Friday, 11 March 2011

Jermain Is Not A Happy Teddy

By: Robert Reed | March 11th, 2011
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2482854809-16022011144018 ‘I thought of leaving in January,’ said Jermain Defoe, ‘I wasn’t playing in the big games.’ That was last week, and since then he has had to watch from the bench as an unused substitute for the biggest Spurs game in decades. How do you feel now, Jermain?

It has been reported recently that Harry wants a clear out of all our strikers in the Summer to start from scratch. After Defoe’s return to scoring form against Wolves he could possibly have changed his mind, but that could prove irrelevant as, if recent comments and team selections are anything to go by, Defoe may make the decision for him. The question is though, would that be such a bad thing? Harry’s first team has Rafael van de Vaart playing off a front man who can hold the ball up, and that ain’t Defoe. He is a good player to have on the bench to change things and get a goal but he clearly would not be happy as an impact sub.

It’s no secret that our front line has underperformed this season. Nobody has stepped up and taken the initiative. Some rave about Pavlyuchenko, claiming he doesn’t get picked enough and should be a regular, but he has had more than enough chances to stake his claim. He pops up with the odd goal, but is anonymous for large periods of any game we play him in.

Crouch has proved effective in Europe where his height has caused problems for opposition defenders, but in the Premiership he has been largely found out. Although he is tall he can be out muscled and, if not, teams concentrate on getting to the knock down first rather than trying to beat him in the air. Knock downs aside though, he will never be a twenty goal a season striker which is what we need in our first team.

So should we be looking to start over with a new strike force? I think whatever happens we should be starting next season with a new attacking coach. Les Ferdinand’s sole duty at the club is to get the strikers scoring and whatever he’s selling, they ain’t buying it. If one were not performing you could put it down to the player, but all of them? I think Les has to go.

There is of course the issue of replacements being in place before we sell. There are all sorts of stories being bandied about and while most are undoubtedly just newspaper talk some must have some substance. Didier Drogba is one player being linked, but is the best way to progress buying players who become surplus to requirements with our rivals?

Jermain-Defoe-is-stretche-006 Probably due to Van der Vaart’s ravings about what a great life it is playing for Harry, Sergio Aguero has been reported to have said that Redknapp is a manager he would like to play for. All well and good, but if the worst happens and we don’t qualify for the Champions League next season I cannot see him wanting to join Spurs and play in the Europa League. Even I don’t want us to play in that.

Connor Wickham is a very promising player who we have been repeatedly linked with and would doubtless be a good signing, but apparently he is a huge Liverpool fan and has his heart set on joining them. Options are looking thin on the ground.

I just hope that in the summer we will have learned our lesson from the January transfer window. Leaving everything until the last day does not work and we have to get the deals we want sewn up as soon as possible. Manchester City snapped up Edin Dzeko early and he cost them around £27 million. That may have sounded a lot at the time, but getting a player like that for such a price would have been seen as a bargain in the cash crazy closing days of the window. Levy knows he made a mistake, but just how costly a mistake will depend on whether the lack of a new striker will cost us a Champions League place next season.

Some of these loan deals have to stop too. If we cannot get a decent price for our strikers in the summer then we should hang on to them until a replacement is unquestionably in place, not just loan them out for the sake of saving on wages. We have loaned Keane to West Ham and while he may not be what he was we did it thinking we would sign a new forward. What if we have an injury crisis up front? VDV is crocked half the time, so a couple more injuries and we could end up losing points for the sake of doing West Ham of all clubs a favour. We also have two questionable right backs in Alan Hutton, who clearly cost us three points against Wolves, and Corluka who has two speeds; slow and stop. Aston Villa however are enjoying the services of our player Kyle Walker who is scoring goals, earning rave reviews and playing himself into the England squad. The club’s loan policy needs looking at.

We are having a good season but mistakes have been made, particularly in January. Let’s just hope that we have learned from them and that whatever we do with our strike force in the summer we do it in a sensible and timely fashion.

COYS!

You can follow me on Twitter @ RobertReedUK

Some Related Spurs Posts:Why Spurs Should Be Considered Favourites To Finish ThirdBale Or Modric Go To United? You’re Living In The Past, FergieSpurs Are Where They Should Be, Without Over-PerformingWill ‘Last Minute Levy’ Have Another Ace Up His Sleeve?Spurs’ Ideal Scenario

Category: Blogroll, Champions League, Harry Redknapp, Players, Premier League, Team News, Transfers, UEFA Cup

Tags: alan hutton, Aston Villa, Blogroll, Champions League, Chelsea, Harry Redknapp, Jermain Defoe, Manchester City, Peter Crouch, Players, Premier League, Premiership, Robbie Keane, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Spurs, Team News, Tottenham, Tottenham Hotspur, Transfer Rumours, Transfers, UEFA Cup, Vedran Corluka
Tweet « Roll On Quarter Finals! | Home | Comments | Add your comment Tony | March 11th, 2011 at 5:04 am

If you look at the striker January signings, only ONE has scored successfully – West Ham’s Ba – and that is a loan. Suarez has looked good at times, but has a solitary goal – and that was actually an own goal. Dzeko has scored in cups, but no goal in the league – despite City scoring many goals since he arrived. Torres has drawn a big fat zero. Jury is out on Carroll. So was not signing a striker in January a mistake? I think no. The way Spurs play makes the goals come from all over the park. This is why our strikers get low totals right now. I prefer it this way. To me, only Tevez would improve our team. Finding a striker who could improve us will be difficult – but we shouldn’t do a panic buy in Jan. It should be a measured approach in summer.

ant | March 11th, 2011 at 5:27 am

who would he go to that can match his ambitions!!
man u, arsenal, chelsea, man city, liverpool wouldnt sign him, so he would just end up at a lower league team like Villa, sunderland or something like that!!
would there be any point of him doing that???

Jay | March 11th, 2011 at 5:49 am

I was slating Defoe for weeks his 2 goals against Wolves were good but thats typically him, he doesnt score for ages then grabs a brace against a poor side, we need someone to be a menace every game, I would like to see Aguero due to raw ability he aint far off Tevez quite similar.
With Defoe let him go where ever he wants.
I would keep Crouch as 4th choice, get Drogba in as Redkanpp will do a Gallas with him, Ageuro as 1st choice and then get a young guy with potential, Wickham, Lukaku etc.
I hate Pav and Defoe

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