Paul Smith, the webmaster of Spurs Odyssey has once again been selected to provide player profiles for the Professional Footballers' Association Annual "Who's Who" Directory. Published in time for the start of each new season, the directory gives an account regarding all players for the 92 league clubs who have made at least one full or substitute appearance in any official competitive game during the preceding season.
Paul has written the profiles for all 30 Spurs players who fulfil the necessary criteria, and has been given permission to reproduce them here.
This first item deals with the two goalkeepers who have played for Spurs this season:-
Paul Robinson has had another difficult year for both club and country. The Spurs keeper has suffered various bouts of injury, lost form and confidence, which has led to him losing his first team place for Spurs and England. Robinson was not selected for the crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia, and has since been snubbed by new England coach Fabio Capello. At club level, Spurs’ new coach Juande Ramos dropped Robinson after he carried a long kick by Reading’s Stephen Hunt over his own goal-line. Paul was selected for Spurs’ Carling Cup victory, but had to sit out the closing games of the season whilst Radek Cerny kept goal. Paul is still capable of great reflex saves, but has at times been let down by a lack of confidence in his area, and poor positioning for free kicks. The former England number one is of course not helped by the fact that the eyes of the media often fall upon the England goalkeeper as much as they do the head coach.
Radek Cerny has been a great servant to Tottenham Hotspur during his three year loan spell from Slavia Prague. This year the goalkeeper has made more first team appearances than in any other. Radek won a first choice place over Paul Robinson, but lost that place before the Carling Cup Final, when he had to be satisfied with a place on the bench. Cerny has made 13 Premier League appearances this season and 7 in other competitions. In a season where Spurs conceded 79 goals in 57 games, Cerny was not involved in the 5 games when Spurs conceded 4 times, and he conceded a total of 24 goals. Radek’s highlights include playing in both legs of the Carling Cup semi-final against Arsenal, including of course the 5-1 win for Spurs, and he will also have enjoyed the game against his home team in Prague. At the end of the season, Radek signed for Championship side Queens Park Rangers.
The next instalment of profiles will cover the Spurs defenders.
· Season Review (1) - Form Guide
· Season Review (3) - The Defenders
· Season Review (4) - The Midfield
· Season Review (5) - The Strikers
· Season Review (6) - Re-live the Carling Cup Final!
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