Defoe proves Tottenham squad strength
by our special correspondent, whose views are not necessarily those of the webmaster
The winter looks to be finally taking its toll. Sandro, William Gallas and Jake Livermore all limped off (or stumbled off in Livermore’s case) as Spurs secured a precious 1-0 win over West Brom at White Hart Lane that, while lacking some of the flair that helped secure three points at the Hawthorns in November, certainly demonstrated an attribute that had previously been missing from White Hart Lane – grit.
Even those more interested in the best Paypal casinos will tell you that the festive period has always proved to be an obstacle course where plenty of teams trip, slip and slide down the league as they get swamped by fixtures, and it certainly would have set alarm bells ringing in Harry Redknapp’s ears when Emmanuel Adebayor admitted after the 1-0 win over Sunderland last month that he and his team-mates were starting to feel a bit “leggy”.
But Spurs continue to tick along, moving forward at an unrelenting pace while those around them struggle to cope with the demands paced upon them in the race for a top four spot.
A case can be made for and against Redknapp’s insistence to stick with pretty much the same line up each week, but while the team are still winning there can be few dissenting voices.
Every slip is ruthlessly capitalised on at the top – Manchester United overhauled a five points gap to Manchester City in a matter of weeks at the top of the table after just a minor stumble from Roberto Mancini’s men while Liverpool’s and Arsenal’s dropped points over the festive period have left them six and eight points behind Spurs respectively.
It is to their credit then, that Tottenham are proving themselves as a very efficient points machine indeed, racking up the wins and keeping the pressure up at the top, and it is at this incredibly crucial time that the strength in depth of Redknapp’s squad comes to the fore.
Scott Parker missed his first game since joining over the summer against the Baggies, while the first choice defensive partnership of Ledley King and Michael Dawson were also absent alongside Aaron Lennon on the right wing.
Enter Jermain Defoe. The England international has endured a stuttering season so far as Rafael Van Der Vaart’s presence continues to cause him to spend long spells on the sidelines – so desperate is he for first team football that he was willing to make a fool of himself by dying his hair blonde in order to stand out.
However, somewhat surprisingly, Defoe is the club’s leading scorer in all competitions despite his regular absence from the starting XI.
In what was hardly a vintage performance his wriggling, squirming strike proved to be the difference between the two sides at the Lane, and in a game on a windy winter night that required nothing more grandiose than three points in the bag, Defoe ensured his side took the spoils.
Elsewhere “squad players” stood out. Gallas, before he left the pitch looked as assured as ever alongside the ever-impressive Kaboul who, before the start of the season, would surely be struggling to get a game if Redknapp could call upon all members of his defensive line.
Sandro is another to have stepped into the breach in recent weeks and while he had little time to impose himself on the game before being substituted, the Brazilian remains as dynamic as ever and showed his worth in making the tackle that set up Tottenham’s goal against Chelsea in December.
Few could argue Tottenham have ever had a stronger squad. They have now enjoyed their best start to the season since the fabled 1960/61 season.
The question of title contenders keeps on rearing its ugly head. That is an impertinent question at this time, 19 games in to the season. There is a run of winnable home games coming up before a crucial February with away games against some of the big boys, only then can this season’s goals be assessed.
Much has been made of the key players in this Spurs team, but as clichéd as it is, Squads win trophies and not teams, and Redknapp’s men are ably demonstrating that game by game.
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