| S |
|
62% |
| P |
|
59.5% |
| U |
|
55.25% |
| R |
|
53.5% |
| S |
|
46.25% |
| = |
|
55.3% |
Form Guide August 2011
P W D L F-A GD Pts
4 1 1 2 6-8 -3 0
(2 Europa League Matches)
Pos:- 20th
· May 2011 figures
· Last year's figures
August 2010
Let the season start for real!
In truth, August 2011 is one that most Spurs fans would just like to forget. Our season (along with that of Everton) started later than the rest of the league, due to the disease of riots that started in Tottenham after our friendly with Athletic Bilbao, and which did spread throughout the country. The riots were not at all football related, but the scars will be seen around Tottenham, and other places for a long time to come.
Our football season got off to a somewhat unreal start at Tynecastle with the 5-0 trouncing of Hearts, in which Rafa van der Vaart starred; 5 different players scored; and the gap between the Premier League and the Scottish Premier League was there for all to see. The second leg was a bit of a non-event, in which several Spurs youngsters made debuts, including Harry Kane, who won a penalty, which he saw saved. Since this tie, Spurs have sold another youngster, who hasn't had a sniff of first team football, to Hearts. This was 18 year old Callum Tapping, who is a Scottish under-19 International.
The month of August and almost the entire close-season for Spurs was over-shadowed by the Luka Modric saga. Daniel Levy made an early and forceful statement to assert that Modric would not be sold, and he kept his word, despite repeated and ever-increasing offers by Chelsea. The word was that on transfer-window deadline day, Chelsea were offering £30 million plus defender Alex for last year's Spurs player of the year. Modric made his one appearance of the month in the game against Manchester City, and he'd better get his head down starting next Saturday, because on the form displayed against City, his heart was not with Spurs. Mind you, maybe he still hasn't got his head right, as he didn't feature in Croatia's 3-1 win over Malta on Friday.
Many Spurs fans are disappointed with our summer transfer activities, and Spurs have made a profit in the window, with the free acquisition of Brad Friedel, the loan transfer of Emmanuel Adebayor, and the £5 million purchase of Scott Parker, who will be 31 next month. Parker played well in England's 3-0 win over Bulgaria, but as a long term investment, he does not match the aspirations of Spurs fans.
However, most pundits I heard thought that Spurs had a good window, because they off-loaded some surplus personnel in the shape of Crouch, Palacios and Hutton (sold), and Jenas and Bentley (loaned for the season). Spurs would have let Bassong go to QPR too, if their offer for Bolton's Gary Cahill had been accepted. However, Daniel Levy was not to be swayed by the asking price for Cahill, in his last year now at The Reebock.
Those first two league games against the Manchester sides are best forgotten. I think they'll be battling it out for the title, with Chelsea also in the running, but once again fourth place will be up for grabs. Whether Spurs can kick-start their season quickly enough to have another tilt at that spot remains to be seen.
Sadly, Van der Vaart sustained a hamstring injury in the City game, and could be out for up to 6 weeks, although he personally claims that he'll be back sooner. We've yet to see Gallas, King or Pienaar, and an in-form Modric. Adebayor and Parker have yet to make their debuts. We've used three goalkeepers in our four games, and have a fourth (Alnwick) in the squad of 25 named on 1st September. Friedel has played in both Premier League games, and at this early stage (despite the defeats) scores just enough to win the Spurs Odyssey player of the month award.
All I can say really is let the season start for real this Saturday at Wolves!
Don't forget to check out the cumulative appearances and grades for the players as the season progresses - below. The grades are based upon a mark out of ten, given by Spurs Odyssey readers.
...if you want to read reports of the matches played during this month, then links are on the Spurs Odyssey Fixtures page here. By working your way back through the previous month's figures, you can review the performances over more than 10 years!
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Key:
S Skill levels
P Pluck (ie effort)
U Unforced errors*
R Resolve (defensive ability)
S Score ratio (goals to shots)
= Overall mark Total Percentage
Percentages given for each category.
* less errors equals a higher mark
The Spursometer was brought to you by Spurs Odyssey in association with My Eyes Have Seen The Glory.
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