Given the fickle nature of football fans there’s every chance that those who have been calling for Ledley King’s head at the end of the season, will have changed their mind having viewed his performance against Liverpool on Sunday. I’ve seen a lot of articles that casually include his name on a list of outgoing transfers from White Hart Lane with many claiming that it’s time to retire or release the big centre-back and send him packing.
I’m one of those people who believed that his time was up a couple of seasons back. My opinion hasn’t changed. I believe that it’s best for Tottenham if he leaves the club. I understand how good a player he is when he’s fit and how vital he could be for Spurs, I just can’t see him ever fulfilling his potential.
You can be the best player in the world – you can be Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, but that counts for naught if you’re only going to pay five-or-six games a season because you’re injured on a regular basis.
It’s no coincidence that Tottenham managed to keep a clean-sheet against Kenny Dalglish’s free-scoring Liverpool with Ledley King on the pitch. He commanded the penalty area, was calm and assured and did not look like a man who has spent a long-time out of the game this season. The trouble now is that we probably will not see him again until half-way through next season.
My feeling is that Michael Dawson is the future of Tottenham’s defence. Not only has he been commanding at times this season against top opposition, but it’s a fact that Spurs have kept 13 clean sheets this season: 11 with Dawson in the side and only 2 without him. He’s beginning to establish himself as damn near essential to this Tottenham defence.
As such, Dawson requires a permanent partner, so they can gel together and form a fearsome defence. All the chopping and changing in Tottenham’s back-four can’t be healthy for Dawson’s development. If Spurs want their defence to have the respect equal to those at Manchester United and Manchester City, they require a healthy dose of regularity.
The only way Tottenham could justify giving Ledley King a new contract would be through a Pay-as-you-Play system. It’s too costly to have somebody as injury-prone as he is on a regular, big contract. As much as I respect the player and the man, if a PAYP contract cannot be arranged, I believe his time at White Hart Lane may be up.
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Best player we have with 1 leg.. Cant let him go. If he can play at all, he is worth keeping.
It’s a shame we will never see a fully fit King, Gallas, Woodgate combination. They are all top quality. Dawson great, but just lacks that yard of pace, and doesnt quite have the quality and calmness on the ball.
I half agree. On this year’s evidence, and taking the embarrassing world cup episode into accouint (he lasted 30 mins as I recall), you have a point. However dont jump the gun. He played a lot of matches last season, without him there is no way we’d have been in the champions league this season. I remember all too vividly the horror show of Bassong and Kaboul at centre back away to Sunderland last year!
If we can get a repeat of last season out of him, say 20 league games, then he’s a keeper for sure. Others have said it, I can only echo their words: He is the best and most influencial player we have when fit – better than Modric, better than Bale. Just look at the difference he made on Sunday. No panickly last ditch defending, no unmarked runners coming through us like a hot knife through butter. The guy is simply class – he reads the game better than any other defender in the PL. You might not notice him as much as a Gallas – there are few despairing blocks, few heroic goal line clearences – but thats simply because he doesnt get himself in those last ditch situations. He snubs out danger before it has even arisen. Come on Ledley – squeeze another 25 games out of that body and get us back in the CL.
Its clear that he is THE vital link in our side. Leds is our captain and the whole team responds to him. If he can play 20 games next season that would make the difference but even having him fit for some key fixtures is still a massive bonus. No doubt we would have finished higher with a fit Ledley King, but the fact our leader and most valueble player hasn’t been fit seems to be underestimated outside of Spurs, more so perhaps than if Terry missed a season for Chelsea or Fabregas for Arse etc. We have essentially got used to having a second choice central pairing whilst still competeing with the elite. Ledley needs to be involved in ANY way possible.
Dawson is a nice bloke and all that and tries hard but frankly he should not be our future. Too many unnecessary handballs, fouls, penalties and his distribution is woeful. How many of you groan when you see him bringing it out of defense as you know he will either a) hit to directly to the opposition keeper, b) play in a team mate who is being marked and therefore lose possession or c) hoof it out of play/beyond the striker.
Keep Ledley on the books. What harm can it do.
Have to agree with the sane majority King is peerless. Dawson is a tugboat with a massive turning circle and is incredibly slow. He will never be top class. He is slow in mind and body and is totally reactive. To mention him as the future shows how little you know about football almost as much as trying to get rid of the KING.
WHEN IN ROME DO WHAT THE ROMANS DO PAY AS YOU PLAY !
Ledley cannot leave whl as long as we can get a few games a season out of him we need to keep hold of him. He is a natural born leader and the team is so much more organised with him on the pitch Its so rare you get a player that gives a club the whole of their footballing carrer these days. He is the best cb in england and we would be fools to let him go. LEDLEY IS THE KING OF THE LANE