Rafael van der Vaart is not best pleased with life at Tottenham Hotspur of late. He has been effectively marginalised in the first time by a switch in formation and the searing form of Luka Modric; he was incredulous at being left out of Spurs’ Europa League group stage squad, criticising the club for displaying a lack of ambition. Harry Redknapp took action at the weekend to correct the issue – but it backfired on Tottenham, nearly costing the team all three points at St James’ Park.
Redknapp’s tactical basis thus far in the 2011/12 Premier League season has been to stick to an old-fashioned but flexible 4-4-2 system, and it has worked wonders for Tottenham. Since their opening defeats at the hands of the Manchester giants, Spurs were in some of the best form in the league, as demonstrated by superb victories over both Liverpool and Arsenal.
But in an attempt to revitalise van der Vaart, who is not always effective in a wide position and lacks any desire to track back when his team is not in possession, Redknapp chose to return to last year’s unpopular 4-5-1 for the trip to Newcastle on Sunday, restoring van der Vaart to his preferred trequartista role while pushing Modric (right-footed) and Bale (left-footed) onto the left and right wings, respectively.
Clearly, van der Vaart’s low mood has forced Harry’s hand. It is well known of the mercurial Dutchman that he is not blessed with the world’s most resolute mindset. But just as obvious is that Redknapp and Tottenham have not learned how to deal with temperamental star players, despite their previous experience of such personalities (David Ginola springs to mind, for some reason).
Modric has been quoted this week as saying he is unsure he wants to sign a new deal at White Hart Lane – although since he is already tied down to the club for five years, with Daniel Levy showing no sign of wanting to relinquish his services, it would be fiscally prudent to do so. Now it appears van der Vaart must be accommodated, even if it is at the detriment of the team as a collective.
Redknapp was heavily praised by journalists attending the post-match press conference for a “stroke of genius” in introducing Defoe, but the Englishman brushed that compliment aside. “If I was really clever,” he responded, “I’d have started him and maybe we’d have won the game.”
It should be noted that the blame for the tactical switch cannot be solely laid on van der Vaart’s insecurities. Redknapp himself emphasised that he was switching the shape around to account for Newcastle’s strength in the middle of the park. Yohan Cabaye and Cheik Tiote are one of the more industrious central-midfield pairings in the Premier League at present and a big part of why the Toon are still unbeaten in mid-October. But with Spurs in such strong form themselves, should Redknapp be gambling on switching strategies for a game of this importance, when a strong return was so vital to keep up the momentum of the derby victory following the international break?
The decision to rest Defoe from the start risked hampering his burgeoning relationship with new strike partner Emmanuel Adebayor. Bale and Modric were extremely quiet until they switched over after the first half-hour. Van der Vaart scored the penalty to give Spurs an initial lead, and had a good game, but he would still have been on the park to take the spot-kick in a 4-4-2 and Modric, Bale and Defoe would have performed better (if the 2011/12 season thus far is anything to go by). Take a good look at the video Harry – here’s hoping you switch back to what has been working by the time Spurs face Blackburn next weekend.
Written by Rob Schatten for FootballFanCast.com
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Don’t know if you noticed, but the 4th team in the league were on the same pitch? Maybe that had something to do with little spurs not winning too?
Talk about London bias in the media!! Sheesh!
UTD111, Yeah sorry about that, yes United played really well and it could easily gone either way. The team we played against Liverpool, I (and possibly a few others here)think would have given you more of a problem. This is an inhouse discussion about ongoing team selection and not really about the toon/Spurs game.
Defoe?!! Are you sure? For every goal he scores, he screws up at least 2 goal scoring opportunities for someone else to score – that’s if he’s managed somehow to stay on-side.
Needed to go a long time ago and his inability to step up is mirrored by the team falling short time and again.
Until we lose this underachieving, one-dimensional, immature, unintelligent little boy, we’ll be in the same boat!
Accommodating VDV is a no brainer based on goals scored alone.
Most strikers dont score every time Juxta. I agree with most of the contributers to this discussion VDV is the one that is causing the problem even though he is scoring.
I have said this on many forums but he would be brilliant as an impact sub when both teams are tiring. The formation we played without him at Liverpool would be worn out early in the second half. If he and Sandro came on as reinforcements then most opposition teams would roll over and die.
Juxta last year with out 451 system between our 4 strikers and VDV they scored around 40 in all competitions between the lot of them, the season before with 442 the 4 strikers scored around 80 between them. VDV is a novelty that is costing us, snap milans hand off for 15 million. He restricts us in scoring goals and cant play right midfield, just look at arsenals goal against us, he just let song walk past.
Having said this for bazillions of times…Rafa is NOT the man! Modric is!!! The team MUST be built around him, NOT Rafa. Pleasing Rafa will make the team suffer. Modric is our ticket to next season’s CL. Spurs playing in CL (even without Modric…if he still leave next summer…)will still able to attract big players of similar class or better. Pleasing Rafa will not guarantee us CL…and Modric will definitley move by then, Rafa himself will go, Lennon & Bale will too. Ade will no longer be interested for an axtended loan spell (and we can’t afford to as well). For all you know, come next season, NO CL (again…!), the good players gone for good and we are left with a bunch of mid-table footballers with some crocked backlines and the oldest GK in Friedel… and remain as a mid-table club! Imagine that! Sound really scary eh…??
Whatever it is, Harry… or should it be Levy?..better sort this out NOW..PRONTO!!
COYS!!
Yup … what he says
I said all this 11 months ago…
Ultimately, when Redknapp takes the England challenge, it won’t make any difference – unless Mourhinio steps in.
Yup…no difference. Except, he’ll leave the Club and it’s Chairman in the lurch as he did to Portsmouth.
juxta you are chatting shit. Defoe’s 18 league goals got us champions league football in the first place. Rafa might score but no one else does when he plays and the TEAM’S peformances are weaker. He is just as selfish but his serious lack of pace and fitness hnder the team. He should play where asked or leave, he is only concerned with himself.
Anyway it isnt even specifically about Defoe. it is about spreading out the defense. We have a welth of attecking options and it makes absolutely no sense to pinpoint a lone striker for opposition markers? The moment we have two actual strikers the defense has to mark them .. this gives our strong wide players Bale and now Walker space. If they mark all of them it frees up Modders who has shown us has a good hoof on him too. Hard to defend against a team like ours if the personnel are all in place. VDV moves them about and clogs up the middle through that he scores and the rest of the team look crap.
VDV, undisciplined positional wise and in the way of other players, as you said Colin, an impact player at His best can swing a game. But! He will not sit down and take it, and will throw some of his toys out of the pram at being on the bench for most of the time.
Arry needs to grow some with this matter, because, it will cost us in the long term.
With the injury situation the way it is now we can`t afford to sit back and hold a tight lead, we have to take the initiative and go for the jugular.
I`d introduce Walker to the RW role in Lennon`s absence and put Charlie at RB, play 4-4-2 (why change a winning formula) or a 3-5-2.
COYS!
Winning formula what planet are some of u on especially the planks who wrote this garbage ,really know your football Thats it blame VDV for our ills,
“Burgeoning relationship” 1.5games where do u watch it on your laptop How often u watch do u watch spurs with blinkers on Defoe is not a TEAM player never has been,he is a striker and all strikers are selfish sometimes at determent to their own side,lost count amount times i have watched defoe shot instead of BLOODY passing it LIKE SUNDAY ,same for ady game we should have one
VDV is a team player if u watch the game him an modders link up superbly last season and this ,but Harry doesnt do tatics or anything really and admits it. Sunday modders right wing WASTE, two goals down to walks side, nothing said no vdv to moan at. VDV and modders are not BLOODY wingers they are very good at what they do pass and move
Three goals against ARSE away last year springs to mind.scored and made 2
winning formulas 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 balls players win games not formulas
HAVE a look at each game u pillocks system changed [if you like in almost every game
What was man shity at home 4-4-bloody2 wigan 4-4-1-1 or was it 4-5-1 ARSE 4-5-1 it doesn’t matter its what players he puts out and is the balance right against man shity we new kranks and modders too lightweight but arry didnt care and CROUCH up front still lost 5-0 THAT WAS 4-4-2
Points taken re: VDV but at least his selfishness is somewhat in proportion with making a decent pass to a player in a better goal-scoring position which is why he offers more.
If Defoe had just an inch of that in his game, we would have beaten Newcastle on Sunday.
Why aren’t Chelsea, Man U etc making offers for Defoe if he’s such an asset?
I think you’re all being rather immature and silly. If I didn’t know better, I’d have to say you haven’t been watching Spurs over the last few years.
VDV is undoubtedly in form, and plays best in his AM/2nd striker role that he prefers. Playing him in a 4-5-1 as a second striker isn’t a far cry from playing 4-4-2, and his passing alone makes it worthwhile. It’s all very well saying “build the team around Modric”, but not only do they play well together, a team without one of them in and in a comfortable position would be all the weaker for it.
Or just sell VDV to United, that’s bound to do Spurs no favours and United tons.