Another game, another three points for Tottenham and Harry Redknapp. The old adage of winning while not playing well but picking up three points has been a distant stranger to Spurs in the past yet has held true for a handful of their recent encounters; so often have they been accused of being flat track bullies that it must almost be just as pleasing to edge past the likes of Blackburn while under-performing than it was to blast past Liverpool for Redknapp.
Spurs have rumbled into life after a galling start to their make or break Premier League season; two tests failed at the start of the new campaign have given way to a run which now stands at five wins and one draw in their last six league games. Happy times at the Lane it would seem.
But there is a little headache developing for Redknapp, and while it may be a welcome one there is no doubting that one of two rather large egos will be hurt sooner rather than later.
Emmanuel Adebayor has arrived at the club and there is no doubt he is number one – but who is the man to play alongside him and contribute the goals to fire Spurs into the Champions League once more?
Rafael Van Der Vaart and Jermain Defoe are the prime candidates for the job; before the 2-2 with Newcastle Redknapp admitted there wasn’t room for both men in the side – against Arsenal, Redknapp tried to accommodate both men which frankly didn’t work. Van Der Vaart – classy but not exactly full of running – was stranded on the right wing and was perhaps at fault for the Gunners equaliser while the midfield pairing of Luka Modric and Scott Parker were overrun by Arsenal’s central trio and unable to provide the ammunition for Defoe to fire.
Defoe has always thrived on being the little aspect of the classic little and large centre forward partnership. Peter Crouch proved to be the ideal foil at Portsmouth which helped facilitate his move to Spurs while the same player helped bring the best out of him as he bagged 18 goals in the 09/10 season, so surely he can play alongside Adebayor, a man with twice the talent of Crouch?
There is no doubt about Defoe’s ability as a finisher despite his lean spell last time round, he is perhaps the most natural finisher in the Spurs team, but there is certainly some doubts about his quality as an all-rounder, about whether is a fit for Tottenham’s pass and move verve.
Van Der Vaart meanwhile arrived at Spurs as the golden boy, as a man to build the team around as they went in search of making an impact in the Champions League, but since his arrival his veneer has been somewhat tarnished by his inability to finish a game, giving rise to theories he is either unfit, unhappy, or unwilling to chip in with enough effort to match his undoubted finishing and passing.
The Dutchman has proved himself as the perfect link between midfield and attack and has scored four goals in his last four league games, and appears to be the man Redknapp prefers.
Defoe will no doubt get the nod at some point but Van Der Vaart’s all-round ability, his contribution to the scoresheet and his influence mean the writing could be on the wall for Defoe.
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