A Problem like Sterling?

A Problem like Sterling?

Over the past couple of months, it’s been widely reported that Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling is seeking a move away from the club. Sterling, who won the European Golden Boy award for 2014, is currently being pursued by Manchester City, and so is stopping at nothing to secure a sky-blue shirt for next season.

The media is choosing to portray this saga in one light, and one light only - Liverpool are being undeservedly attacked and deserve great deals of sympathy.

The older generation's obsession with the Merseyside outfit means that Liverpool as a club can only ever be viewed in a positive fashion when in the spotlight. For everyone that isn’t a Liverpool fan, it’s incredibly nauseating.

This isn't helped by the fact that many pundits on Sky Sports are either Liverpool fans or ex-players (Redknapp, Souness, Carragher, Thompson...). Not so long ago, they were singing his praises and insisting he was the best thing since sliced bread - go against their beloved Liverpool though, and that means he's not that good.

Souness and Redknapp, gutted at Liverpool not finding an easier tie.

A recent Mirror article (http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/raheem-sterlings-spiteful-cowardly-attack-6043184#ICID=sharebar_twitter) has described Sterling’s actions as “borderline criminal”, insisting that he owes Brendan Rodgers and the club a debt for putting faith in him.

Yes.

An employer is owed by an employee for being good at what he does.

The Mirror article describes Luis Suarez’s exit as one with “class”, completely ignoring the fact he once went to two national newspapers insisting he wanted to move from Liverpool to Arsenal.

To keep the bias towards Liverpool rolling, the article slanders Manchester City, insisting that Sterling wouldn’t have been given the chance at the Etihad Stadium, completely ignoring the fact Sterling is an exceptional footballer.

Brendan Rodgers is being depicted as the victim, as if he is completely blameless in this ordeal - sure, it’s not like he played Sterling out of position for the entirety of last season.

Sterling played just 3 times on the right wing last season, whilst a further 3 times as an attacking midfielder (source: whoscored.com)

Many of the Liverpool faithful were calling for Rodgers's head after their 6-1 drubbing at Stoke City; he had run out of shocking excuses and weird, weird anecdotes. However, once a player turns against him, ooh suddenly they've gone too far. Hypocriticism at it's finest.

Reds fans are quick to claim that Sterling is at a club whose size that is perfect for his development, but after a whole year in a side without any identity or direction, is it really the right club in particular?

In May, Gary Neville wrote that “Liverpool are stuck in the past and in danger of becoming a provincial club”, and it’s a statement that’s hard to argue against. The club struts around off-the-pitch as if they’re still consistently winning titles and trophies, and they need to accept their current status.

Sterling’s agent confirmed a while ago that the England international wouldn’t sign a deal for Liverpool regardless of wage - somehow, Liverpool fans made up the idea that Sterling is money-grabbing. No lads, he’s ambitious.

Sterling was absent from training this week, citing illness as his reason. However, The Times reported that Liverpool sent a doctor to Sterling’s house to investigate whether this was true. Of course, the media sees Sterling as telling lies, instead of suggesting that he could legitimately be ill (oh, and they fail to highlight Liverpool’s actions as petty).

Classy, lads.

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, whose opinion is undoubtedly still held in high regard at Anfield, has claimed he is "very disappointed" by Sterling's actions...

Nice one, Stevie.

Whilst no player is bigger than their club, modern day football highlights that players are no longer willing to stay at one club, and instead wish to achieve goals elsewhere. Liverpool haven't realised this, and it echoes Neville's claims of their provincial status. They need to adapt and realise they're not being attacked, but are involved in a normal footballing situation - a club that succeeds doesn't stand in principle because their club is big.

This saga will surely only end with Raheem Sterling at Manchester City. Unfortunately, the media’s fixation with Liverpool will ensure life thirty-four miles over will be total, undeserved hell. If he feels (understandably) unhappy at Liverpool, then he has every right to leave.

A National Crisis

A 3-1 defeat at the hands of their Italian counterparts saw England’s under-21s dumped out the European Championships. Shock. I’m genuinely astounded. Who could have foreseen this?

(For new readers, yes, this is sarcasm)

It’s the same old story for the Three Lions, regardless of the setting, expectation, level or event. Remember the days when England weren’t boring, bottle-job let downs? Me neither.

After a 3-2 win over Germany’s youngsters back in March, it looked like Gareth Southgate was the right man to lead the under-21 side after all. A nearly flawless qualifying campaign and the emergence of several Premier League stars to boot, it seemed like England would have a chance at the Championships in the Czech Republic. Alas, as with all other England sides, this journey was cut short.

Taking senior internationals such as Raheem Sterling and Jack Wilshere to the Championship would have been sticking duct tape over the obvious cracks in the foundations of English football - we would have been cheating ourselves. Those seniors played no part in Southgate’s prior plans, and bringing them in would have shown a complete lack of belief in both the under-21s he’s trusted in, and the plan set out to succeed in this tournament.

Over the next few days, blame will be passed around by the media between Southgate and his squad, but both are to blame. There is real quality in that cluster of players, but Southgate failed to squeeze the best out of them. A slow and mind-numbingly painful brand of football helped the likes of Nathan Redmond, Jesse Lingard and Alex Pritchard stand out, but ultimately made everyone else look like brainless entities.

The lethargy and diminished-motivation in this England side is one that’s resonant of the senior side, but not with the under-21s of the past couple of years. The suddenly arrogant mentality of Southgate’s side cost them at this tournament, just like England at every other tournament since the turn of the century.

The cycle of England’s failures is so repetitive that it’s no longer gut-wrenching - it’s just plain comical.

Unfortunately, this continual underperforming on big stages has led the English public to underrate their own players, regardless of age or achievement. Three games without a goal, and people think Harry Kane is a “fraud” and isn’t a promising talent. The lad scored thirty-one goals already last season. Thirty-one. That’s a big fucking number, don’t you think?

Raheem Sterling won the prestigious European Golden Boy at the back end of last year, yet suddenly he’s average and won’t become world class. The knee-jerk reaction amongst football fans is laughable.

Yeah these players are pony, aren't they lads?

So, what happens now?

Calls have been made for Southgate’s head in spite of the progress he’s overseen, but failing to deliver when it matters most could see him leave a role he’s undertaken for under two years. The older generation are pleading and praying that Glenn Hoddle will take over as under-21 boss or even land Roy Hodgson’s job.

Oh boy.

As a player, it’s undeniable that Hoddle was a genius in a league of his own. Since hanging up his boots, however, it seems as though he left a few brain cells behind with them.

Hoddle failed as a manager and is now failing as a pundit; appearances on Sky Sports are becoming fewer and fewer, and whilst he had commitments with Queens Park Rangers up until February of this year, it comes of no surprise.

Tottenham fans who were privileged enough to watch Hoddle play every week must realise that the man is not the Messiah - his words aren’t a divine right to follow. This became frighteningly apparent when he suggested Spurs play a 3-5-2 under Andre Vilas-Boas, with Andros Townsend occupying a free role and incorporating two poachers in Roberto Soldado and Jermain Defoe. I won’t even begin to pick out the flaws of this plan because of its amateurish absurdity.

*Shudders*

Southgate should keep his job until the next under-21 tournament at least, and hopefully, he’ll be able to recreate the form and freedom played in qualifying on the big stages too.

Beyond that, the FA simply must overhaul their coaching system if England are to become a great footballing nation again. Old ideologies regarding patriotism and privileges to play for England must be abandoned, and tactical coaching, perhaps implemented from foreign staff (don’t get me started on the nationalist regime currently in place at St. George’s Park), must be introduced. Mentalities of English players have to be stronger too, but this won’t improve if the senior manager only motivates the thought of sleep.

The English have to step out and dare to be different, to try new things in the pursuit of success. However, with the venomous nature of the English press poisoning the minds of the country, a shift into new territory is in doubt.

A Daily Mirror article (http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/brentford-appoint-head-philosophy---5929799) this week mocked Brentford FC for appointing a Head of Football Philosophy and Player Development.

“How will the players have time to kick a ball with all that philosophising they will be doing?” the article says. A nationally respected newspaper is mocking the Bees for using a certain football model, simply because it’s different.

 

The idea could be brilliant and win Brentford promotion, but could send them back to League One - however, the Mirror haven’t given it a chance yet.

 

This pessimism regarding foreign ideas is plaguing the English game, and soon, it will leave us eating the dust of every other major footballing nation.

The Mirror mocked Brentford as if every English philosophy has been a success. The England side are becoming a joke, a parody of themselves; to quote Einstein, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

If we have to hire foreign staff in search of long-term success, then so be it. The international game isn’t about pride anymore - it’s about winning, with style and a flourish. Like it or not, we have to adapt to keep within touching distance of the footballing elite.

I’m fully expecting a middle aged man named Trevor from Wolverhampton to contact me insisting “We need English managers to manage England! These foreigners have won us nothing!” and so on.

Yeah, like the English managers have won us so much. I can’t get enough of this country’s winning habits.

Roy Hodgson's England are a tedious chore to watch

A manager, just like any other person applying for a job, should not be judged on his nationality, race, religion or ethnicity, but by his skillset.

If we want better English managers, then overhaul coaching systems too. Clubs and countries don’t hire managers based on their fancy name or ego-size, but by their skills and ideas (which, for the record, is why John Barnes is not in a job).

In line with this idea, English managers and coaches shouldn’t be scared to move abroad and broaden their horizons. Newcastle United appointed Steve McClaren as their new manager, who has managed in Germany and the Netherlands, whilst his new assistant, Ian Cathro, was the assistant manager at a successful Valencia side last season - this blend of international ideas could stand the Magpies in good stead (until they’re prematurely written off by the press).

FA Chairman Greg Dyke set England a target to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup. If he thinks this goal is realistic, then he must mastermind a national revolution. 

Scout Report - Alex Pritchard

The aura Mauricio Pochettino has brought to Tottenham Hotspur has been refreshing. Spurs are playing some of their best football for a while, the big games no longer result in massacres, and the squad is as youthful as ever.

Harry Kane, Nabil Bentaleb and Ryan Mason are just a few to benefit under Pochettino, and over recent weeks, Spurs fans have been reading a lot about the impact of loan star Alex Pritchard.

Tottenham by blood and Brentford by affiliation, I have been fortunate to watch Pritchard many times this season, and if there’s one thing I have to say about the matter, it’s this - believe the hype.

When you hear about the marvels of a young star, it’s usually just stat-padding. Sure, they’ll score or assist or keep clean sheets, but ultimately, they don’t offer a lot to a team, ultimately failing to make it at the highest level.

Pritchard isn’t that kind of player.

Brentford have surprised many punters this season, and many tipped them for relegation straight back to League 1. They operate on a tiny budget, play in a small, dilapidated stadium, and live in the shadows of their fellow London clubs. By theory, the Bees shouldn’t survive in the Championship.

Manager Mark Warburton has turned Brentford into what their fans sing from the terraces - “The Barcelona of the lower leagues”. The players on the books at Griffin Park aren’t the usual route-one taught lads you expect in the Football League. The likes of Jota, Alan Judge and Pritchard make Brentford a side easy on the eye and one fighting for promotion.

Like Tottenham, Brentford play with a high pressing 4-2-3-1 with a fluid midfield trio. Pritchard usually starts on the right, but covers an equal distance through the middle and on the left. He works immensely hard, and glides across the pitch with an ease and swagger that has left the Brentford faithful wanting more.

With a drop of the shoulder, Pritchard is gone; you’re not going to catch him. He may not be the paciest player, but he’s quick enough to beat one man and work magic with it, whether it be through a mazing dribble or a pick-pocketing pass.

His head may look like it’s down, concentrating on keeping the ball glued to his boot, but he’s really just drawing pictures in his mind. The understanding Pritchard has with his teammates in admirable to say the least, and he does well to judge where his teammates are. Rarely does Pritchard make a mindless mistake unlike so many Tottenham players, and yes, his free-kicks really are that great.

Does Pricthard have a future at Tottenham? Absolutely. Pochettino loves integrating young players into the team, even ones written off long go (RE: Ryan Mason). The praise he’s received from Warburton is very high indeed:

“Alex is at his best with the ball at his feet.

“He sees a pass. He’s the best player I’ve seen in this division, certainly, to receive the ball on the half-turn at pace.

“Left or right side, he has the ability to take it on the half-turn and for us, how we play, that hurts the opposition.

“Technically he’s outstanding. For me, Pritch is nailed on Premier League.

“I’d never be disrespectful enough to speak about what Spurs should do or could do with him.

“But in my opinion – and I’m a Spurs fan, by the way – I think he is more than good enough to go and positively impact their playing squad.”

An extremely hard worker, a talented footballer, and has the mentality that’s aided the likes of Kane and Mason break into the Tottenham team - Alex Pritchard could be next.

The Unbalanced Fan

As a football fan, I confess to being an optimist, a believer that one day everything will eventually sort itself out. I’m not an eternal optimist mind you, I do recognise faults and flaws, but I believe my balance between pessimism and optimism is just about right.

Football is a game of opinions. You can use stats all you want, but opinions are what define football.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed the varying emotions amongst football fans- ecstasy, misery, annoyance, fury, delight, the lot. Recently though, it seems all of these feelings are becoming overridden by bitterness.

On the surface, everyone seems like a pessimist; every player is a fraud, every player deserves to be sold, every match should be won 5-0. Each large fan base seems to have a negative cloud floating over their heads, and it makes you wonder if they’re being ungrateful or right on the money.

Tottenham Hotspur

I’ll start with my beloved Spurs.

In a season of expected transition, people still find an excuse to bemoan what could be a downward spiral. Back in August, we asked for a respectable league finish (no mention of the top four whatsoever), an improved brand of football, and a good performance in the cups. Mauricio Pochettino claimed in his first interview he wanted to create a team the fans could be proud of- isn’t that what we’ve got?

One week we’re celebrating the team we have, claiming we should fear no side, and the next it’s making us suicidal- I’ve never seen such a bipolar fan base. Satisfaction doesn’t last long at White Hart Lane, despite the expectance of a transitional season.

So what do we do? We scapegoat someone. Earlier in the season, Danny Rose was targeted with abuse and unnecessary cruelty whenever he put a foot wrong, despite proving to be a better left back this year than Ben Davies. Thankfully, half of the fan base has changed their tune and realised playing Rose is far more beneficial, but a lot of his work still goes unrecognised.

After Rose, we come to the biggest scapegoat I’ve ever seen in my time of supporting Spurs- Erik Lamela. Much like our season, we didn’t expect Lamela to break too many waves, but to have a season of transition- reminder, this is technically his first season in England, and it’s following a five month back and thigh injury. But let’s just forget that. Let’s lament every action that doesn’t warrant a price tag that was out of his hands. Let’s rip him to shreds despite the obvious poorer performances elsewhere on the pitch.

This slating of Lamela began back in September, and many people didn’t buy into the idea. However, the idea of criticising the Argentine’s every action has become a popular one, and unfortunately a bandwagon one. People are selling out their own beliefs in order to fit in, seem popular. Instead of doing the right thing and backing our player, they try and fake an opinion on him.

It doesn’t end there either. Against West Ham, Lamela was one of our best players, yet he still drew in more criticism than players such as Mousa Dembele and Ryan Mason (who, for the record, played shamefully). I even saw an instance where someone created a fictional on-field event and slated Lamela for it. Completely fictional. Didn’t exist. Never happened.

It has to stop; even fans of other clubs were recognising how unfair this treatment was. He will improve; Look at the others who have underperformed: Capoue, dropped; Kaboul, dropped; Adebayor, dropped. If Pochettino didn't believe in him, he would have dropped him long ago.

Chelsea

Somehow, somehow, Jose Mourinho has managed to convince an entire fan base that there is a campaign against Chelsea Football Club. It’s extraordinary.

No one will deny that Chelsea should have had more luck in terms of refereeing decisions, but what team doesn’t? We all have decisions go against us, we all have games that seem like nothing will go our way, but that’s football. Mark Noble should have been sent off against Tottenham, Southampton should have had two clear penalties in the opening five minutes vs Liverpool, but I don’t think Mauricio Pochettino or Ronald Koeman will be on Sky Sports tomorrow ranting for twenty minutes about how unfair that was.

Whilst the standard of refereeing in the Premier League is quite poor (and I’ll give credit to Mourinho for bringing this to the media’s attention), there is no campaign against Chelsea. They are simply going through a period that seems like nothing goes their way, but that’s not the case. Many times in the past (believe me, many), Chelsea have been fortunate with crucial decisions. However, you don’t see these being made public by Chelsea fan accounts, do you?

The West London club need to calm down; if they want to blame a possible derailing of a season on refereeing, then Mourinho truly does have every Chelsea fan in the palm of his hand.

Manchester United

Much like Tottenham, Manchester United were expecting a transitional season, but one that would see them qualify for the UEFA Champions League. At the moment, that scenario looks very likely, but it still isn’t pleasing United fans.

Gary Neville wrote this week about how if the owners at Manchester United wanted an attacking brand of football, they would have hired a manager with that philosophy. They didn’t, and United fans need to accept that. Many were expecting the man that had supposedly taught Pep Guardiola at Barcelona- this wasn't quite the reality. The Red Devils in danger of drifting away from the rest of the pack like last year, and the faithful at Old Trafford need to instil more trust into Louis van Gaal. 

The club should finish in the top four and are the favourites to win the FA Cup, and whilst whatever United achieve can't really be considered much of an achievement in this era, it's a huge step forward.

Arsenal

With Arsenal, their fans aren’t so much ungrateful, but rather deluded. This isn't fan bias, it's a clear truth. Whilst I know some sense-seeing Gooners, a lot of their fan base is an embarrassment. Adrian Durham wrote this week how Arsenal fans overrate their own players to compensate for lack of silverware and competing in the big competitions, and I fully agreed with him (despite what I may think of the Talksport presenter).

At Crystal Palace, Olivier Giroud scored his 50^th goal for Arsenal, and giving how much criticism he receives at the Emirates, it’s a great achievement for the Frenchman. But of course, there would be some fans that would ruin such a good record.

It was later revealed that Giroud reached 50 goals for Arsenal quicker than Didier Drogba did at Chelsea, and manager Arsene Wenger compared Giroud’s 50 goals at Arsenal to Robin van Persie’s 48 at Manchester United.

With Drogba’s record, yes, I’ll grant Arsenal fans an excuse to be excited. I will not, however, let them believe Chelsea fans compare Drogba to Henry. Not once have I seen a Chelsea fan compare the two, but Arsenal fans love to claim they have.

With van Persie, I think he’ll take his Premier League title at Old Trafford over his loss in the race to 50 goals, don’t you?

Arsenal’s fan base stinks of an inferiority complex, and the Gooners who don’t talk such nonsense need to make themselves heard.

Do fans need to find the right balance between positivity and negativity, or is that what makes football so interesting?

The Power of Determination

For a number of years, Tottenham Hotspur wasn’t exactly the hotbed of exciting youth prospects. In fact, the only player of great significance to have been produced from our academy in recent times has been Ledley King, and his career was littered with persistent knee problems. In spite of this, King would continually prove to be the much needed rock in our defence when called upon.

In the past few months, one Spurs player has been at the centre of worldwide media attention- Harry Kane. The rise of the academy graduate has been outstanding, and he certainly deserves the praise.

A year ago, Kane was a novelty, a gag in a season full of failures- Many assumed his kicking of the ball into the stands at Old Trafford before subsequently spitting on himself would be the highpoint in Kane’s career. Oh how wrong we were…

At the conclusion of the 13/14 season, Kane had bagged three league goals in lilywhite, and was turning a few heads. It looked as if we would enter the Pochettino era with Kane as a solid third choice striker. Again, how wrong we were.

With 23 goals in 35 games this season, Kane is the subject of global football news. He has scored more goals than any other Premier League player in all competitions, and is the second-highest scoring Englishman in the top flight. An unprecedented, and unexpected windfall.

So how did Kane embark on this rise?

After last season, it was clear Kane was a good poacher and a decent target man, but no one could have foreseen this rise. In addition to building on those attributes, he is now capable of hitting them from distance, with precision, with subtlety. His dribbling, passing, link up play and work rate have all visibly excelled. One particular quality has allowed this growth- his determination.

There’s no way this kind of ability sprung up overnight, and so there’s only one explanation for such a breakthrough. It’s obvious Kane wants to succeed; his desire to fight for every ball and chase down the opposition at every opportunity is just one exhibit of this fact. On the ball, he looks comfortable and confident, and teams are scared of his power.

Kane isn’t just blasting them home against part timers in the Europa League either. He has five goals against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool so far, and we are still to face Manchester United, Manchester City and Southampton this season.

With Kane’s outrageous rise to the top, it raises the following question: Is a footballer’s greatest trait their determination?

If Kane was the only example of such a rise, then this argument would be flawed, but look at some of the world’s greatest footballers:

Cristiano Ronaldo put in extra hours after training at both Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United to reach the legendary status he’s now achieved; Gareth Bale had to rise from an abyss of averageness to the greatest player in English football in order to earn his dream move to Real Madrid; Luka Modric spent four years under the radar at Tottenham, one year as a scapegoat at Los Blancos, before playing a key part in winning ‘La Decima’; Paul Pogba was overlooked by the greatest manager of all time at Manchester United, but is quickly becoming an elite footballer at the age of 21.

Of course, every good player has a backstory that required them to overcome adversity to reach the soaring heights of the footballing world. Some are still being developed today:

Our own Nabil Bentaleb was released from French third division side USL Dunkerque and rejected by Birmingham City before being snapped up by ourselves. Bentaleb made his professional debut in December 2013, and was part of Algeria’s 2014 World Cup squad.

Following that milestone, Bentaleb has become a pivotal part of Mauricio Pochettino’s system.

Despite still being just 20, Bentaleb has become a leader in the middle of the Park. When he plays, he controls the game with maturity and passion, something that we’ve lacked in the middle of the park for a while.

Again, another outstanding rise. Some of our players, however, could be on the way down that spiral.

Despite a personal good run of form, Mousa Dembele is detrimental to our system. The Belgian slows down our play and is forcing Christian Eriksen to play out wide where he is nowhere near as effectual when playing in the centre. This is essentially a metaphor of Dembele’s career. Whilst he is clearly a talented footballer in some sense, he’s been pushed further away from the opposition goal throughout his career- he was a striker when playing in Belgium and the Netherlands, and arrived at Tottenham as a deep lying midfielder.

Maybe Dembele was never meant to be played so high up the pitch, but his recent performances suggest he is better played in the hole behind the striker. His negative thinking on the field has prevented him from becoming a top bracket player.

Determination is a problem for other players in our side too. During Erik Lamela’s injury in January, we saw the Andros Townsend who hit the footballing scene back in August 2013. However, like his former self, Townsend quickly fell back into his bad habits of keeping his head down, running into nowhere and thinking shooting will solve everything. It’s a shame really, because when Townsend got going he really looked exciting. Hopefully, he’ll keep his head down in another sense and come back an even stronger player.

I leave you with that question once more then: Is a footballer’s greatest trait their determination?

Debunking Myths

“Let us aim high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory”- a take on Bill Nicholson’s quote that gets blasted around White Hart Lane before kick-off. But it’s a quote that’s digging deep into the mindset of the Tottenham faithful, and it’s not beneficial.

People need to realise Spurs are not a top four club; the Harry Redknapp era was one where the lilywhites overachieved. Like Levy, when things aren’t going 100% fine, fans get on the backs of the players, manager and board. If Tottenham keep that bar raised so high, disappointment will always be the outcome, and the transitional era will never end.

The fans are voicing their frustration, evident through the booing at the end of each half vs Stoke, but where has it gone wrong? It’s time to put an end to some theories:

“It’s all Daniel Levy’s fault”

No. In a word, no. If you want Daniel Levy to walk, reconsider your choice of club. We simply couldn’t afford some of the players Pochettino wanted in the summer- Musacchio and Schneiderlin would have cost Spurs in excess of £60m. Is it Daniel Levy’s fault the players aren’t fulfilling what’s been asked of them? Why golly, yes it is, let’s burn him and put a stake through his heart!

Whispers after the summer window suggested that Levy wants Poch to see how he does this season, then give him full control over transfers next year. Also, has anyone considered Tottenham don’t have a net spend is because they’re managing finances until the new stadium, and then splash the cash?

“The players aren’t pressing like Pochettino wants!”

Since pre-season, there's been no sign from anyone at the club that a high-pressing system will be deployed. In fact, Pochetinno’s Southampton dropped their pressing game in the second half of last season so I don’t see why so many were expecting it at the Lane.

“We would be fine under AVB or ‘Arry!”

Harry Redknapp made the most of the three world class players at his disposal, and AVB’s playing style wouldn’t suit the players here, much like last season. The Portuguese should have been allowed the duration of last season at the club, but it didn’t seem like we would reach our goals.

“Players with passion are better than those who don’t care!”

Not necessarily. Some people have the idea that just because a player shows emotion and passion that they’ll somehow make a team a winning one. That is false.

Andros Townsend is a lifelong Spurs fan, so in theory, will play for the shirt and with all his heart. That is false. Townsend is one of the most predictable players I’ve seen grace the turf at White Hart Lane; his on-the-field actions are comparable to a song on your phone stuck on replay. Our captain, Younes Kaboul, would have been given that title because of his enthusiasm and leadership, when in fact, his performance against Stoke left many wondering if he was actually playing so poorly on purpose. Suave characters like Hugo Lloris and Christian Eriksen are our best players, and although they don’t scream or shout, are a class above the rest of the current crop.

“Erik Lamela will be our Bale” (see date August 2014)

I believe some people have now realised we’re going to have to wait a bit longer to see the best of Erik Lamela. The truth is, he is still adjusting to the Premier League, and it could take the entirety of this season to become accustomed. The club’s record signing only played nine times last season, and never started a game at White Hart Lane. For him, last season was the very slightest of learning curves- it’s this year that he’ll learn the vital lessons.

Like the rest of our team, he’s not a guaranteed starter, and will have to work hard in order to win his place back in the side. But as he said this week, he’s not giving up on the challenge ahead.

“The problem at the back is entirely the defence’s fault!”

The defence has no protection. Dire performances from Kaboul and Fazio don’t change the fact that there’s no strong character in front of them. Unlike his first impressions, Etienne Capoue has proved to be a liability. The lad has no grit, and is a shadow of the smooth operator that impressed fans at the start of the 2013/14 season. Whilst having the current iteration of Sandro would be no better due to the edge he’s lost, Tottenham desperately need a man who is willing to risk everything and will protect the back four- Capoue is not that man.

Have a little patience.

Striking Gold with Harry Kane

Tottenham Hotspur’s match at home to Asteras Tripolis will most likely be remembered for Erik Lamela’s moment of magic (well, it was beyond magic, but that’s beside the point). However, amidst the jubilation, one man stepped up to the plate once again and proved his worth for Spurs- Harry Kane.

It wasn’t long ago that many people were ridiculing the fact Kane was Tottenham’s third choice striker (if you claim to have never made a Harry Kane joke, you’re lying). But now, it’s a totally different story, with the academy graduate pressing for an England call and, certainly based on form, showing his worth to claim a Spurs starting spot.

You can look at his recent record and say “pick him” simply because he’s providing goals when Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado aren’t, but it’s when you look deeper at Kane’s game when you realise he deserves to start. The system Mauricio Pochettino is introducing requires three main qualities from his man up top- good link up/hold up play, precise finishing and an admirable work rate. At the moment, Kane is the only option who fits the bill.

Okay, one wouldn’t simply look first glance at Harry Kane and say “genius”, but the man has a brain. A big, bulging, footballing brain. His awareness of the space around him is one thing, but he can string a pass a good twenty yards, and I don’t mean a pointless Paulinho pass either. Our system is fluid, especially further up the pitch, and Harry Kane would allow the likes of Erik Lamela, Christian Eriksen and Nacer Chadli to make the most of their darting runs and forward thinking.

Whenever Kane picks up the ball from about twenty-five yards, I expect many are now half-expecting him to ping one into the keeper’s far hand post. To be fair to him, that’s becoming a regular occurrence, especially in the Europa League. A hat trick is a hat trick regardless of opposition, and I imagine it’s going to make defenders wary. Adebayor has netted just once this term and Soldado, despite his lack of service during his tenure here, will most likely not be the prolific goal scorer we've dreamt of. The sooner Kane makes his mark in the Premier League, the more likely he is going to develop into the centre forward we've been dreaming of.

Positioning is a troublesome attribute when discussing Tottenham’s striking options. Adebayor is likely to roam out to the wings and back again at turtle’s pace, whilst Soldado may stand their waiting for the ball or drop deep, get involved but we’ll lose a man up top. With Kane though, he strikes the right balance. He comes deep to collect, hold up and get involved if need be, but can also act as a target man. Combine this with the fact we play with two inside forwards and have one of the world’s best prospects playing in the hole and it’s the perfect recipe for much needed goals.

Now the question is, how do we handle him?

Earlier this week, I was debating whether paying £15million for West Brom forward Saido Berahino would be a good deal- my answer was “at the moment, no”. That’s a huge price tag for someone so young and inexperienced; pressure would probably get to him. Fans were also touting Berahino as “the new Defoe” which, although flattering, is yet more pressure on the young man’s shoulders- we mustn't make the same mistake with Kane.

So far in his career, Kane’s good performances have come when people don’t really expect it, and whilst we should start expecting it more, fans and players alike mustn't be relying on him to be the sole source of goals. In his interviews, he’s seemed very humble, and that shouldn't change. He has the right attitude, good ability, and a manager who’s made it clear he wants to work with him.

Harry Kane has been starting to excite people, and he deserves to be starting vs Newcastle.