Spurs need Real Men to get them out of this mess?

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has warned his Tottenham flops that they are in a relegation scrap. He told them “You got us into this mess, you get us out of it.”

“Of course I’m concerned. If you look at results over the past year, you have to be concerned.

“They had two points from eight games when I came here, pretty scary.

“You look at the back end of last season after winning the Carling Cup and see how many points they’ve got.

“But that’s been three away games in a row — last minute at Newcastle, last minute at West Brom and now today.”

Redknapp has bought Jermain Defoe in this transfer window, however does not expect many more buys. Jermaine Jenas, Aaron Lennon and David Bentley all started on the bench yesterday.

“It looks like a certain type of player right through, the same type of player. We’ve got plenty of flair but we’re in a relegation scrap. We need some men and some characters who want to get us out of this.

“That’s what you’re looking for when you’re in our position. We’ve got some but not enough at the moment — that’s the problem. You can put your life on Ledley [King], put your life on [Jonathan] Woodgate, on [Michael] Dawson, [Didier] Zokora, [Jamie] O’Hara. You’d put your life on them.”

So is Harry right? Does Harry have the players to pull Spurs out of this mess? Do they need more fighters on the pitch?

There are only so many combative players a team needs and in my view we have enough of those to make it a non-issue. I don't see how Harry can moan about not having enough tough players and then go on to list half the starting XI as tough - it doesn't seem to make much sense. I don't remember him making this excuse when we were winning every game. We very nearly got a draw at Wigan which would've been a decent result but one lapse in concentration and it was all over - hence these comments. Had we managed to hang on for a draw I've no doubt Harry would've been praising the 'spirit' of the team. It's a fine line.

Against Wigan we played with more 'tough' players in one team than we have done all season and we ended up creating bugger all, sitting back and inviting pressure, which tells me that you need a balance. Bale was weak a LB but then he's not the first-choice in that position. In King, Woody and Dawson we have 3 hugely dedicated, no-nonsense players to rotate in the CB positions. Corluka is a big, strong lad who is currently our RB and has been solid as a rock all season.

In midfield we also should have sufficient grit and strength. Zokora has bags of energy and usually gets deployed in the DMC role to try and protect the defence a bit. He often does a good job but he does lack a bit of class once he actually gets the ball. He's never going to play a killer through-ball and never (it seems) going to score a goal, but then that's not really his job. If we had our first-choice RB fit (Hutton) then Corluka would be free to challenge Zoks for the defensive-midfielder role - a position where he has excelled in the past. O'Hara is also a feisty player but one with a bit more quality going forward than Zoks, plus as a natural lefty he brings some balance to the team. He'll always do his best for the club and he's gradually earning the respect of the fans because of his attitude. The Hudd is a silky passer of the ball but unfortunately isn't a big tackler; if he was then he'd have a very well-rounded game. Lennon is obviously an offensive player through and through but when he tracks back (which is fairly often) there aren't too many who can get away from him, even if he doesn't go in for the tackle and just gets himself between the ball and our goal, thus buying the team some time to regain position.

Up front, Defoe is quite a fiery, tenacious character. If Harry wants a 'character' up front but doesn't think Defoe fits the bill (as Defoe doesn't make his list), then he should reconsider either his own transfer policy or his comments. Pav has a good work-rate and often drops deep to help out and link up play. Bent usually tries hard but isn't getting the right kind of service at the moment.

Despite talking about the physical side of the Spurs squad, I think Harry was also clearly referring to the mental side of it. Do we have battlers? Do we have players who give as much as they can throughout every match? I think so, but not in abundance. Bentley should be one of these players as he supposedly 'loves the club' but he just hasn't found his feet since his transfer. I think our squad has enough character and certainly enough quality to survive the drop but I think we need to find out what our best team is and build some consistency. Quickly. At the moment we're more of a collection of hugely talented individuals, rather than a team.

That right there is the nail on the head.

upon reading the topic and the beginning of the post that was what i was thinking.. you were looking at it wrong.

my perspective is that Spurs are blighted with the same disease that West Ham had before Curbishley weeded it out. you are ridden with bling boys.

Lennon, King, Huddlestone, Defoe, Jenas, Bent and Bentley are all of the same kind. we had a similar problem with the likes of Ferdinand, Reo-Coker, Harewood etc always out and about at some VIP club or other.

i imagine the problems at spurs are beyond the white lines of the pitch...

id say there is an awful lot more to this than what Redknapp is letting on which was behind his rant at his own players the other day. reading between the lines leads you to more than just an on pitch attitude.

i also know that Defoe and Bent are not the best of friends thanks to a dalliance with a certain plastic chested bint of Big Brother fame. this is not speculation either.

put simply priorities are being questioned and rightly so.

Just out of curiosity, how do you know that Bent and Defoe aren't friends?

That's why I desperately miss Edgar Davids, the man was a plodder around the midfield and like a pittbull full of a solid stamina. A man with a mission who never gave up. Players like Lennon are brilliant but they are unable to retreive theit full potential when it comes to teams like Stoke, Wigan, Hull, West Brom which all play very simple and with a solid severity without any technical demands. Spurs still want to play their famous cavalier football of the 60ies/70ies/80ies but today the game has become very body fit and straight so the once famous style does not work anymore. Teams like Man U or Arsenal also have problems with teams who are very simple and destructive.

i have contacts Joey boy.

they are all Faces regulars (amongst other London clubs). its quite well known i thought?

There was a WAGS program on the other night.

It seems most of the other WAGS have a problem with Defoe's mrs.

And it said in the papers.

which ones? can't say ive seen it. my trusty currant bun hasn't touched upon it.

what does it say?

is Defoe still with that bint from Big Brother?

BJ: add Steely to your list of ITK's please!

id wager that i know an awful lot more than a lot of those 'ITK's

as for the spurs players 'private' lives... you can see it for yourself down Faces or numerous other dives. Spurs are the new West Ham in terms of bling boys and big time charlie's.

What is ITK's?

Well I saw it a few days after Defoe signed as it was part of the article about Darren Bent apparently wanting to leave I posted that he wanted to leave in the Spurs rumours section I cannot remember if I said whether that was the reason but it definately has been in the papers.

i dont quite think he would want to leave over it. sounds like a bit of good old fashioned sensationalism. however there is certainly friction between the two.

the point of myself mentioning it is that there seems to be behind the scenes problems at spurs in much the same vein as there was at west ham. although the chances of Redknapp shagging one of your players wives is pretty slim it has to be said.

Of cause it wasn't just about Defoe's missus that he apparently wanted to leave but it was rumoured he was devestated Defoe had returned as he has only just this season worked his way up to a good chance of starting and now he is probably back to sitting on the bench if Roman Pavlyuchenko cant start peforming in premier league games especially away from home.

i dont blame him

I am always amazed to read that team wnat to rough up to save themselves instead of trying to play football and score goals

To be honest neither do I. I am starting to feel his time with Spurs isn't going to be a sucssesful one, I have always thought up until recently that he was going to come good or at least would be able to come good. Now though, I can't see it, for him to be a sucsses it would mean our team altering the way we at least try and play football to accomodate his style of offensive play. That would basically mean building a team around Darren Bent which is laughable really, he is a decent striker and all but you can really only build teams around very good players and Bent doesn't fall into that category. I do retain a slight bit of hope that he could alter his style of play to get more involved in games, and not just wait and wait for someone to hit a ball over the top for him to chase. He is a good finisher and that's why I want to keep him he just needs to become more selfish and want to get involved and make more runs and demand tha ball be played to him when he makes those runs.

Back on topic, do we need more physicality on the pitch? Of course we do. Zokora is the only midfielder who starts regularly that is willing to get stuck into the challanges. I don't think it is quite as simple as that though. We have been loosing games in recent weeks and at the start of the season because in my opinion we are relying on Luka Modric to be the only creative player on the pitch and he hasn't quite cut it this season. That's why I feel we need to go back to the sort of line up we played when Harry first took over, It isn't the most combatitive midfield but I think every player will try.

RM - Lennon - Although a small player he is feisty and isn't given the credit he deserves as he does get back and help out the right back.
CM - Jenas - Not the best footballer offensively or defensively but he is a runner and sometimes I think that is better than a strong tackler.
CM - Huddlestone - Excellent range of passing, may compliment Defoe brilliantly and although is a shocking tackler he is still a big lump to get round.
LM - O'Hara - Decent left foot but here is the important peice of the midfield I reckon, high energy, strong tackler and does give everything for the cause.

All English aswell. So although I feel if we play Modric in a 4-4-2 we do need more muscle I would be tempted to give him a rest for a few games see if we can pick up some points with a different style of midfield. He hasn't exactly set the league alight like we'd all hoped.

i await the signing of several premier league 'old hats' on big wages to get you through short term costing you loads of money in the long run until your once sound financial position becomes shaky and unstable. it will be at that point Redknapp retires.

Even if we do spend quite a bit of money of vetran premier league players I feel our financial situation won't be as bad you'd hope Steely. No matter how much I do not like alot of what Levy does he has got us in a very safe financial situation. Until the new stadium get's built then we will be right in the thick of it for a while.