We continue our preview of the 2012-13 English Premier League season. This week we turn our gaze on Tottenham Hotspur.
2011/2012 RESULT: Fourth
MANAGER: Andre Villas-Boas
RECRUITMENT
Ins: Andre Villas-Boas (Free), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Hoffenheim), Jan Vertonghen (Ajax)
Outs: Harry Redknapp (Free), Ledley King (Retired), Emmanuel Adebayor (Manchester City – Returned from Loan), Vedran Corluka (Lokamotiv Moscow), Niko Kranjcar (Dynamo Kiev), Ryan Nelson (QPR), Lois Saha (Free), Oscar Jansson (Shamrock Rovers), Bongani Khumalo (PAOK – Loan), Massimo Luongo (Ipswich Town – Loan), Ben Alnwick (Barnsley)
ANALYSIS
To put it bluntly, Villas-Boas has inherited a squad of players that is the wrong end of five years of rushed transfers. The above list demonstrates this.
The squad is messy, disorganised and severely lacking in a stocktake – and the above transfers don’t even included the players returning from loan spells.
The untidy nature of the ‘bargain basement’ transfers under Redknapp and his predecessors has left the Tottenham squad fat, confused and lopsided: one full time striker, 12 midfielders (8 of which are centre mids), nine defenders and three ageing goalkeepers.
This needs to change, and this change must be more than the sum of it’s parts. It has to symbolise a new era for Spurs: gone with the underachieving, wage hogging excess fat that were ‘nearly theres’ (that’s YOU Bentley, Bassong, Jenas, Gallas and Dos Santos), and hello to something younger, more exciting… and better.
To do this, first and foremost on Villas-Boas’s list of concerns is to give Levy some emotional support and encourage him to budge on his £40 Million evaluation of Modric. He’s got to go, and go fast (for squad cohesion, and to prevent being ripped off on transfer deadline day).
Realistically, Modric is justified in demanding a transfer from Tottenham: he stopped being a Tottenham player the second Drogba scored the winning penalty to seal Chelsea THAT Champions League victory. Fact. Relationship over. It’s not him, it’s us.
Then the fun begins, Villas Boas subsequently sells our symbolic midfielder and perennial deadwood under achievers and purchases something better: less quantity, more quality. The cash from the Modric sale, and freed up wages, will trigger key signings in this exact order:
1) A replacement CM (Moutinho, Willien, Moussa, Carzola, the fat bloke from your five-a-side – it doesn’t really matter who)
2) Emmanuel Adebayor
3) A target man up front
4) A younger goalkeeper
These key signings, plus the promotion of young talent such as Caulker and Rose, will provide Tottenham with the balance across the pitch it needs.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Gylfi Sigurdsson. The 22 year old Tottenham freshman is a fantastic purchase. Strong in the air, intelligent off the ball, good passing range, strong and skilful with the ball at his feet, unique ability to ghost past players and most importantly, an absolute Kraken in his right boot.
Seriously, his shot stops time. And no, he is not a replacement for Luka Modric: sitting in the hole just behind the striker, this guy will score goals and set up just as many, but will not be our playmaker.
And for the budding fantasy manger, he will be on penalties. And free kicks. And corners. If he stays injury free and gels with the squad, this guy will be a legend before Christmas.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Reflecting on the transfers and subtle team mechanic changes (4-2-3-1 and suicidally high defensive line), this year’s Tottenham will be a new look squad with the same playing style: fast, stylish and relentless attacking play while remaining responsibly rubbish at the back.
Our philosophy will focus on scoring one more than the opposition. Our squad has been strengthened, but so has everyone else’s, so expect us to finish a comfortable fifth. Without the legend of our ‘Cartilage Free (ex)Captain’, we predict the penalty box hero Michael Dawson to be skipper.
Dawson will do so from the bench until his long term injuries sort themselves out – that or Andre Villas-Boas ditches his suicidally high defensive line, whichever comes first. Vice captaincy goes to our future club legend, Sandro.
PREDICTED FORMATION
– – – – – – – – Friedal – – – – – – – –
Walker – Kaboul – Vertonghen – Assou-Ekotto
– – – – Sandro – – – – Modric replacement
Van Der Vaart – – – Sigurdsson – – – – –Bale
– – – – – – – Adebayor – – – – – – –
FUN FACT
Tottenham do not have a reserve team. The decision was made in 2009 that it would be more beneficial for their youngsters to be loaned out to other teams to gain first-team experience in a competitive environment. If this has been a success is still up for interpretation.
The likes of Kyle Walker and Steven Caulker have certainly benefited from their respective loan stints, but how has it affected those players on the fringe of the first team? Would Niko Kranjcar or Gio dos Santos have been able to push for more first team start had they been playing week-in-week-out right under the nose of their manager?
It will be interesting to see what Andre Villas-Boas’ take on the reserve situation will be.
joelus
Roar Rookie
Absolutely, re: squad depth Tottenham are in the same boat as Arsenal and Liverpool. The EPL moves in cycles...Spurs have, and probably always will be, a cup team. Hopefully we can get our hands on a trophy :)
EddieDicker
Roar Rookie
I think spurs will miss Harry's man management skills. As you say, the squad is fairly disorganised, but each player would of known their role come match day, and he enabled them to play some great attacking football. AVB left his Chelsea squad fairly bewildered at some of his team selections. While you can appreciate him putting his own personal stamp on a club, he simply doesn't have the resources he had available to him at Chelsea to get offside with any of his key players. Missing out on the champions league may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for AVB and Tottenham. Even if he doesn't lose Modric, the squad is too thin to keep up with the likes of Man U and City when the games start coming thick and fast. It was around the busy Christmas period that Spurs title charge fell away and they ended up in the scrap for 4th. It will be interesting to see how they go this year. They are definately capable of a top four finish but alot will depend on injuries and AVB's tactics.
joelus
Guest
Great to hear, I think our system of loaning out youth players is doing wonders. Luongo is a talent, and hopefully we get Mat Ryan's signature as well. Put a bit of pressure on the zimmerframes between the sticks :)
joelus
Guest
Actually, Rafa is more than capable of playing wide right as an Inside Foward: he just does not enjoy doing it. He started many of Tottenhams matches either out wide, or in the center and frequently swapped with Bale (who often was started in the middle, the game against Norwich springs to mind). He started wide right in the home game against Arsenal (in which he both scored, and was responsible for their goal by not tracking back); away at Sunderland (in which he actually fluffed a sitter after drifting in late from the right); and at home to Stoke, again another game in which he scored after starting wide right. I think he combines extremely well with Walker whilst in that position, far more so than Lennon. His defensive duties have often come under some very unfair criticisms too: whilst deployed at CAM he was asked to be a striker in the box, and a CM in defense, a difficult job for most players. If you look at the stats regarding his defensive work rate whilst in CAM and RM, especially the game against West Brom (as fantastically documented in this article http://www.eplindex.com/8100/van-der-vaart-another-side-stats.html) - he is more than capable of doing his hard yards. This is compounded by the fact that in a 4-2-3-1 he would be required to do far less defending. To be honest, I think a third option for our current CM woes would be to start Rafa there: he would do a suburb job at playing CM next to Sandro, using that left boot of his to dictate our play from a withheld, deep position - this would require far less running up and down the pitch, and would mean he could complete the full 90mins - milking our Dutchman's vision for all it's worth.
joelus
Guest
That was a Redknapp problem. We had the depth last year, but Arry refused to change his Starting XI and alienated some technically gifted players, especially in Kranjcar. I wish we had him now to be honest, great player.
joelus
Guest
Absolutely, no matter what CM we buy they wont be anywhere near as good as Luka. And Huddlestone will be the man to replace him in the middle anyways .We all know he is a freak at passing the football and dictating play (a la Carrick days) but he hasn't played one competitive game in an entire year so he will be very, very, very rusty. Expect Spurs to stumble in the first quarter of the EPL without a fit and gelled playmaker.
joelus
Guest
Hey Brian Scotty 'The Artic Fox' Parker is still injured, looks to be out for another 6 or so weeks. Plus, to be honest... hes not all that great a footballer: heart and all, throws himself around, love him to bits, but Spur's have to move on to bigger, better, younger things. Sandro is that man - he only loses the ball so he can win it back again :). He has better tekers, faster over the pitch, more dynamic in attack, and fits in to AVB system much better... he has also put in some quality shifts for us in the past - him puking during the Blackburn match springs to mind. If a fit Scott Parker walked into WHL right now, AVB wouldn't pick him as (in my humble opinion) as he slows the play up far too much... I know this sounds terrible, but he plays far too many sideways passes.
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
I hear young Aussie Massimo Luongo has basically been getting man of the match in all of his pre season games for Ipswich Town so far and playing the important play maker role at the tip of a diamond formation.Has been singled out for praise by the manager as well,a good season in the Championship for him and hopefully he'll be knocking on the door when he returns back to Tottenham next year after his loan spell.
Mick H
Roar Rookie
main problem is their squad depth, first team is good on paper and exciting to watch, but when key players get injured, such as Bale, Parker etc, they suffer and don't have the same quality coming from the bench. CL qualifications would stretch them in this department too and when we get into the very busy parts of the season, the team suffers most through that period.
hawker
Guest
liverpool and chelsea are well off the pace for the title.
tonysalerno
Roar Guru
Tottenham will struggle in the opening stages of the EPL, having to adapt to a change of coach and meshing the side after some big signing during the off season. It will be a good season with the likely culprits of Man U, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool all racing for the title. Tottenham will eb in the mix but i don't know if spurs will perform this season. #comeback Rednapp
conor kelly
Guest
bale isnt the heart of the team, modric is. if we keep modric then we will be all good. our team is way better then arsenals on paper and as good as chelseas who dont have players of the quality of modric and bale. tottenham will come 4th for sure mate
conor kelly
Guest
No scott parker...? what? apparently modric is not going. It would be great for the team if he stays, he might not want to, but jut one more season i definately think we can get 4th for sure. I think we need to change our formation too. 4-4-1-1 it tough with 1 striker and we need room for both siggurdson and rafa. – - – - – - – - Friedal – - – - – - – - - - --- -- - - – Kaboul – Vertonghen –- - - -- - – -walker – - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - assou- - --- -- -- - - - - - - -- - - - parker modric- - - - - - - - - - - - - -lennon - -- - - - -siggurdson - - -- - - - -- - bale- -- - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- adebayorr - - -- - - - - -- - -- - - BENCH: rafa (modric, lennon, bale or sigg will be injured most games), sandro, gio dos santos (fight for spot with lennon), townsend, dawson, defoe, gomez/cudi, rose, tommy hud, coulibaly, livermore, caulker tell me that team is not WAY better then arsenal, newcastle, liverpool, and maybe even chelsea?? COME ON YOU SPURS!!! teach lennon to play wing and ATTACK the play, rafa cant play on the wing look at that formation and imagine the runs to goal that bale, lennon, siggurdson or even modric could make
Brian
Guest
No Scott Parker in XI? Spurs were very unlucky to miss Champs League and I don't see them making top 4 again. The current squad even with Adebayor looks inferior to Man C, Man U, Arsenal & Chelski, and that's assuming Liverpool under perform as always. The X factor is Bale but on the flipside if he gets injured I can see Spurs around 7th-10th.