Archive for November 20th, 2010

“I can’t see us getting more than a point” – a Spurs fan talks to Gunnerblog

11 comments November 20th, 2010

Morning all.  Quick post today as I’ve overslept and need to get to the ground for the game.  Ahead of this afternoon’s derby, I’ve had a chat with my Tottenham-supporting friend Adam Nathan to get their perspective on the game.  Enjoy.

How do you feel about Tottenham’s season so far?

I think we have done quite well, all factors considered. We look like we will progress from an extremely tough Champions League group which is a fantastic achievement for a first-time entrant and whilst our league form has been erratic, we still sit in 7th and not far off 4th place. Considering we have played the entire season with plenty of injuries but most importantly NO decent strikers (Peter Crouch doesn’t count), I’m pretty pleased with how we are going. Fans are always going to be critical and want more from their team, especially given the highs of last year, but I think we have achieved everything we could have asked for at this stage of the season, namely progression from our Champions League group and still being nicely in touch with the top four.

To what extent do you think Champions League qualification has affected domestic form?

I don’t think it has affected our form any more than other factors such as injuries and lack of striking options. We have picked up 7 points from the weekends after our 4 games so far which is a pretty decent return, and apart from the Bolton game which was a bit of a disaster, we have performed well in the games after group matches too.

The biggest gripe I have about our attitude towards the Champions League is that, especially at the start of the season, we were really prioritising Europe over domestic football, which could be the difference between Champions and Europa League qualification in May. As great as its been dining at Europe’s top table, I think we should be focusing predominantly on the Premier League again this year as we will only truly progress as a club with continual qualification for the Champions League.

How do Spurs fans feel about the signing of William Gallas? How has he settled in to the team?

Overall, I think he has done pretty well in a Spurs shirt. He came to us having had no pre-season which would affect even the best of players, so a slow start was to be expected. However, having been given a decent run of games he has performed fairly well in most games and outstandingly in others, namely along side Younes Kaboul on that fantastic night against Inter.

Sadly, a fair proportion of our less tolerant fans seem to take immense pleasure in him making a mistake so they can label him an ‘Arsenal agent,’ which quite frankly is a disgraceful attitude to adopt; the guy has come here for a pretty small weekly wage and is clearly giving it his all for the club – that he played for Arsenal and Chelsea really shouldn’t matter anymore. It will probably take a goal in the derby tomorrow for him to fully win over the rest of the ‘fans,’ which is a great shame really.

Who is Tottenham’s most important player: Bale, Modric or Van Der Vaart?

That really is a tough question to answer, and one that I’m sure every fan will have a differing opinion on. I think I’m going to go with the Welsh wonder as he gives us a genuine fear factor; I doubt there is a single player or manager out there that wouldn’t jump for joy if Bale was injured when we played them, and as a result, he is pretty much indispensable.

In saying that, both Modric and Van Der Vaart have been outstanding this year and we would be massively affected if either of them were ruled out for any game; Luka because of the amount he gets on the ball both in bringing it out from the back and linking play in attack, and Van Der Vaart because he gives us a touch of genius that we haven’t really had since Ginola. When he plays off the striker he is an extremely dangerous opponent for any side, and one that I expect Alex Song to keep a very close eye on tomorrow afternoon.

Will Arsenal’s 4-1 win at WHL in the Carling Cup have any bearing on today’s game?

No I don’t think it will do at all. We had a mixture of second and third string players on the pitch that night and apart from Ekotto, there won’t be a starter tomorrow who also played a part in the Carling Cup fiasco. That said, I was extremely disappointed to see our line-up that night as I thought it would be a really good chance for some of our younger players like Bale and Huddlestone to register another win against the red-shirt of Arsenal that Spurs players have come to fear so much in the past 5-10 years.

Who do you think to be the key players on each team today?

On our side the three players previously mentioned will have to have great games if we are to win the match, whilst we will also be reliant on solid performances from Kaboul, Gallas and Gomes if we want to take even a point from the game. The return of Aaron Lennon will hopefully also be crucial as he has often looked dangerous playing against Clichy – we will need him and Bale to get plenty of balls into Crouch from decent positions and hope that Van Der Vaart can feed off as many scraps as possible.

In terms of the Arsenal side, Song and Fabregas will as always be crucial in stopping their opponents and re-starting your attacks. I have, along with everyone else, been really impressed with Nasri this year and am very worried about the effect he may have if he drifts away from his wide position. When Huddlestone is absent we often concede too much space in front of our back four and that is where Nasri seems to have done a lot of his good work from this year, the goal against City being a classic example.

Intriguingly, Fabianski will also be an important player for both sides and could be the man that decides the result. He has shown a real improvement in form over the past few weeks but I still don’t entirely trust him to avoid a rush of blood and give away a goal. I expect us to create quite a few chances tomorrow as it will surely be an open and attractive game to watch, so the performance of Fabianski could determine whether we win, lose or draw.

Finally, would you venture a prediction?

Tough one to call but I can’t see us getting anything more than a point out of the game. Without Dawson, King and Huddlestone we are going to be a bit light through the centre of the pitch and I expect Arsenal to take full advantage – unfortunately for us. I can see us going 2-0 down by half time, pulling a goal back shortly after the break but then losing a goal on the counter attack to decide the match. Both teams’ performances are often polarised: we play either superbly or terribly, and if we do happen to catch you on an off day we will simply have to take advantage. Sadly I don’t see the Arsenal players giving up the chance to take top spot by 3 o’clock tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks to Adam for answering those questions.  He’s surprisingly moderate, for a Spurs fan, so if you want to hear more from him, including his reaction to the match, follow him on twitter.

Right.  Off to the ground.  Come On You Gunners.


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