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Spurs remain in touching distance of the top four, kept outside of the hallowed Champions League places on goal difference. That difference is so acute, however, that it's hard to avoid the sneaking suspicion that it might prove crucial at the end of the season. With a significant gap between fifth and sixth spot, there's every chance the sides currently occupying the first five places will look the same come the end of May. But will it be Champions League or Europa League for Tottenham Hotspur?
In recent weeks the focus has been on the team’s misfiring strikers and on Harry's failure to bring in a forward during the January transfer window, despite being associated with just about everyone going. Peter Crouch puts in a good effort when he plays but two league goals is a pretty abysmal haul for a centre forward. Even Alan Hutton has achieved that total and has had fewer appearances in which to do it. Jermain Defoe has admittedly suffered with injury but has looked worryingly out of sorts in recent weeks. The fact that he has not scored at all in the league this season is no doubt preying on his mind and perhaps a goal would help turn his season around. Fabio Capello would have been given plenty to think about as he watched Crouch and Defoe line up against Bolton.
With Robbie Keane off to West Ham - where, naturally, he scored on his first start - that leaves Roman Pavlyuchenko as Spurs' remaining out and out striker. Despite the fact that he has outscored both of his teammates, he continues to be the third choice option, a fact that has led him once again to start talking about a move away. The manager has hardly poured oil on troubled waters with his comments on this situation - "If he's not happy then he will have to sort it out with the chairman. It's up to Super Pav, isn't it?"
The sarcastic tone of Redknapp's remarks may have been unintentional. It's also possible that he was not thinking of the Russian striker in his comments praising Spurs' saviour against Bolton, Niko Kranjcar:
"He's continued to work hard and show the right attitude, continued to train even after training, do his sprints, his running, spends time shooting every day and generally shows a great attitude. He's not one of the boys who throws the towel in and spits his dummy out when he's left out of the team, he's the exact opposite to that."
Whether or not Pavlyuchenko can be regarded as having "spat the dummy" is open to question, but there can be no doubt that Kranjcar is not only a gifted footballer but also a conscientious and grounded individual. With the addition of Pletikosa, Harry now has four Croatians in the first team-squad and this is not the first time he has had occasion to commend their attitude, either individually or as a group. The chances are, however, that Kranjcar will leave the club if, as seems likely, he continues to warm the bench. That would be a great shame since - as his wonder strike at the weekend showed - he has plenty to offer in a Spurs shirt.
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Comments
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Posted by paul on 02/09/2011
Our failure to secure a world class striker signing or two is the end of our champions league pursuit..simple as that.
Our forwards are hopeless and couldnt hit the inside of a barn door. We have to rely on Van and Bale, both of whom are now injured. Massive massive mistake by Rednapp not getting who we needed.
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Posted by Tom on 02/09/2011
Redknapp's attitude towards Roman Pavlyuchenko is perplexing on several levels. That Harry has a favored starting 11 is hardly surprising, but surely even he recognizes the need for proper squad rotation. It seems that Redknapp is not much for the numbers game, yet surely even he has noticed that Pavlyuchenko is the most prolific striker available to him. The fact that Roman does not show the same dedication to training as Kranjcar should not blind the manager to his relative quality - in this case being the best remaining striker on the team. But then Redknapp has shown a penchant for ill-use of those who are out of favor with him. Exhibit A for which is Darren Bent, who in retrospect was not given a proper chance to shine and eventually run out of town (at a cut rate price) by Old Jowls. Well, now both Pavlyuchenko and Kranjcar seem to soon follow Bent out the door. Should Spurs miss out on the top four, I don't see them able to get a truly world-class striker in the summer either.
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Posted by brian on 02/09/2011
Harry is a fool to treat such talented and loyal players with the contempt that he shows. It can backfire on him.
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Posted by Curtis on 02/09/2011
The one thing that continues to give me hope is that we have not yet had a stretch of being in really crackling form. If we could put a month together like we opened and closed last season, then we could force our way into the party again.
Of course, the flip side is that we don't have much time to find that form.
COYS!!
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Posted by Indyfan on 02/09/2011
The Pav saga is fast becoming a tragedy in this talented player's career. How did it all start? Of no help to Pav was his inabiltiy to learn English for much of his tenure at Tottenham to date. Perhaps this translated into training problems with harry finding it hard to communicate with him. The presence of three of Harry's favorites, Keane, Crouch and Defoe obviously affected his chances of being as close to the manager as he might have liked. The generally favorable support Pav has received from Spurs fans may have irritated Harry - hence his sardonic reference to "Super Pav" the other day. Pav's widely published complaint about his need to play and decision to leave asap is understandable but has further widened a gap in his relations with Harry.
IMHO Harry should swallow his pride and give Pav the extended chance the player has never had at WHL. Why? - because he is at this time themost productive striker on the Spurs roster and if there is one thing Tottenham lacks, it is GOALS
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Posted by EdmSpurs on 02/09/2011
Totally agree with you Colin. Kranjcar is an asset we can't afford to lose and our strikers are not good enough. Our defense has been better this year but we can't seem to put the ball in the back of the net. As Harry said, only VdV has filled his quota. Who is going to step up?
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Posted by TriniHotspur on 02/09/2011
Harry's blatant favouritism for English players is becoming quite a burden on the team and affecting results. As you have rightly pointed out the stats speak for themselves Pavluchenko has more goals than Crouch despite playing bit part roles for the season. Also Kranjcar is last on the midfielder selection even below the likes of Jenas. The only reason I see why Jenas is playing is because he is English because he offers nothing to the team either defensively or offensively.
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Posted by Devinho on 02/10/2011
Pav is a whiny snot as far as I can see and while he possesses a shred of quality it is only recognizable because of how sh**e in front of goal he usually is. He should take a lesson from Krancjar and put up or shut up. If he had a good attitude he might improve his touch and care more about the team winning rather than his name being on the score sheet, which is often to the detriment of the team.
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Posted by Felto on 02/10/2011
I cannot believe that Harry hasn't given Pav more of a chance over the last couple of months. 2 goals from Crouch given his game time has to be amongst the worst returns in the league. How he continues to be the chosen striker (more often than not) is beyond belief. JD will get his touch back eventually but until it does, Pav HAS to play. Yes he can be lazy and look disinterested but then so does Berbatov and look how he's going given half a chance. And Pav is arguably a better finisher. HARRY - give Pav a decent chance, it's not like we're playing unbelievably at the moment. Let's be honest, we were extremely luck to pick up 6 points from our last 2 games - we probably deserved 2, at most.
Seriously, something needs to happen or we're no chance for the top 4.
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Posted by EDavids 26 on 02/10/2011
Quite the Super Pav lovefest going on I see, but let's be serious, he's such a frustrating player to watch. It would seem he has all the right tools, but then you watch him shoot from 30 yards every time he gets a snip at goal and you remember why Harry overlooks him. And what's this about squad rotation? In reality we've had injuries all year and hardly have been able to play with Harry's preferred lineup. What we need is consistency. We need to get our backline settled and allow Gallas-Dawson to gain some sort of solidity alongside BAE and Corluka. Also I think we've got to stick with Crouch-Defoe up top in a proper 4-4-2 so we can stretch the field and allow Modric and VDV space to play underneath. Accomodating VDV and Pienaar caused the pitch to become cramped and Harry must remember Spurs aren't Barcelona and it's not La Liga. No surprise to me that we won two in a row after being forced to play the formation that got us into the top four last year.
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Posted by Cait The Spurzgrrl on 02/11/2011
I will say only this for Crouch: he's done a brilliant job setting up VDV for all those goals. I'd just like to see him paired with a poacher with whom he can work, which it doesn't always seem is Defoe (I do like JD, don't get me wrong, I'm just not sure he works well with Crouch anymore, for some reason).
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Posted by Zwelo Khupe on 02/12/2011
Cait: Crouch does not set VdV; VdV is such an intelligent player that he reads the game to put himself in places where he get rebounds from Crouch. Defoe lacks this i must say. Crouch seldomly wins the ball despite that most defenders are 2 to 3 feet shorter (he is useless) Pav's goal against Chelsea was quality; Crouch would never score a goal like that ever. Redknapp is a manager fit foe Bolton, West Ham, Sunderland, Stoke etc...not big clubs like Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd. You have to rotate players when you aRE playing deep into European competitions and challenging for the league title. How we have bowed out of the FA Cup and League Cup is evidence of Harry's limitations. Harry must go take on the England job and Spurs get Joakim Leuw (German gaffer)
Kranjcar has to figure in the line-up more often...he is always compared to VdV and Lennon...WHY? He should be ahead of Jenas or Pienaar at the very least.
We will end up behind Liverpool...come on people
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Posted by Zwelo Khupe on 02/13/2011
NIKO KRANJCAR, what a player......world class.
Why did we bring in Pienaar? Even if $3million is a bargain. Why is Jenas on the field, he doesn't score nor does he defend. Harry for England right NOW
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Posted by dave lush on 02/14/2011
zwelo khupe are you sure you are a spurs suppoter.It is hard to believe that you understand the game at all. Harry was the one that got this team where it is. The injury problems have been really bad,they won at Sunderland without four of there best players .To really understand what he does you would have to be at the training ground to see who is putting out and who is not. He is a players manager and most of the players will die out there for him thats what makes him special.This team has come a long way since he took over but sometimes the formation does not work,you can,t be right every time.They tried one of those quote wanderful foriegn managers before him and what a disaster that was, give him a chance.He has a great squad and almost all of them give a hundred percent.I suggest you go and support some other team we are doing fine
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Posted by runners on 02/15/2011
out of the premier league, spurs have one of the biggest squads. We have so much depth that its only normal for some runt who doesn't want whats best for the team to be b*tchin.
rather than complaining about whats happening just let it unfold. right now we are above chelsea, currently occupy 4th spot with a game in hand, and if we win that, leapfrog man city into 3rd!
By the way crouch has been important to us this season. True he hasn't scored many goals, but he has assisted or had a contribution to many of our goals. Not to mention how many his scored in champs league!
Posted by Norman Maistry on 02/15/2011
Harry is a good Manager no doubt, but he prefers English players. This is why Pav is sitting on the bench.As for JD he needs more reserve games to start scoring goals.
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