van der Vaart out for a Month?

[Gareth Keown]

yeah.... Dawson needs to hurry back so that he can put Gallas on the subs bench.... after all, he was a Gooner wasnt he.... wouldnt that be just lovely...

[dedleysting]

yeah.... Dawson needs to hurry back so that he can put Gallas on the subs bench.... after all, he was a Gooner wasnt he.... wouldnt that be just lovely...

 

[Gareth Keown]

Dedley..... why the  ??

surely for many weeks now everyone (bar 1 to my knowledge) was certain how superior the full England intl Dawson is now, as compared to the mercenary, ageing past-it crybaby....

it must surely be of the greatest relief to most, to see Dawson gliding across the pitch in the place of the ex-Gooner....

now who was that silly person who thought different ?? 

[dedleysting]

We all know Dawson won't be putting Gallas on the bench they way Gallas has been playing of late.
 
Im just pleased to have Dawson back in the squad as we have lost Kaboul for a couple games. Also Daws return will add some much needed competition for the CB parings, as we look to tighten up at the back.

[PaulInRome]

The strength of the team is such that we can lose key players and still play great football and top teams. I'd almost forgotten about Defoe, and actually I have forgotten about King! VdV is a key player but I think we can carry onwinning without him for 3 or 4 weeks. He'll be back for the next round ofthe Champions League and that's when we need him.

[taimedowne]

Hopefully with the current bad weather we might get a couple of postponements which would give us a chance to get a few fit without missing to many games.

[Metalanimal]

VdV is a huge loss for us, maybe now Kran will get a shout this is the times we need quality in depth and why somehow we need to keep the likes of quality likes of Kran happy somehow.  WHat is the staus of Jenas at the mo?

Kaboul was starting to look solid and dam useful both defending and going forward, I hope neither are long term absentees they will be missed.

With our injury list and league + CL position the next few months are going to be make or break for the season.

I wish all our players that are currently out with injury a speedy and full recovery!

[Gareth Keown]

I can't make myself think that vdV will be hugely missed now that Defoe is back.... I think that despite his excellent goals-assists stats, he makes us slow on the counter and we AS A TEAM play less efficiently.... just my opinion of course..

without a proper lone-striker of the calibre needed, the 4-4-2 which players eg. Defoe and even Keano can give us, as well as Crouch and Pav, gives us the best chance of playing with that Spurs style/movement that is nearly unique in the Prem (only WBA are coming close with their own 4-4-2)...

we get bogged down especially in the midfield with vdV.... and it slows down our movement and fluidity...

if we get in the right type of striker now required, I actually do believe we can win the Prem this season... we have the best goalkeeping, defensive and midfield mini-squads in the league...

the only thing we lag the usual suspects in is in the BALANCE of our striker-options.... Benzema (or similar) will cure that.

[aspursfan]

I don't see him ever slowing the game down. He passes as soon as the ball reaches his feet. If anything he's faster on the counter than we're used to. VDV is usually either playing as a striker, directly off the striker or on the wing.. Normally directly off the striker.

Since he's always playing for us in an attacking position I'm not entirely sure the word "despite" belongs before his "excellent goals-assist stats."

And no, I'm not trying to pick your post apart, I just don't understand your logic here. Let's just say for example that we put O'Hara in the position that VDV has been playing, just off the striker. If when he played in that role we scored more goals from open play and set pieces than using a traditional 4-4-2 with 2 traditional strikers up front, would you say that he's bogging us down in midfield?

Sometimes we do get bogged down in midfield. I've seen BAE slow down play inexplicably. I've seen Huddlestone do the same, but at least you expect a pass to come out of it. Every time I've seen VDV on the ball it's in an attacking position, unless he's tracking back to defend.

[dedleysting]

I don't see him ever slowing the game down. He passes as soon as the ball reaches his feet. If anything he's faster on the counter than we're used to. VDV is usually either playing as a striker, directly off the striker or on the wing.. Normally directly off the striker.

Since he's always playing for us in an attacking position I'm not entirely sure the word "despite" belongs before his "excellent goals-assist stats."

And no, I'm not trying to pick your post apart, I just don't understand your logic here. Let's just say for example that we put O'Hara in the position that VDV has been playing, just off the striker. If when he played in that role we scored more goals from open play and set pieces than using a traditional 4-4-2 with 2 traditional strikers up front, would you say that he's bogging us down in midfield?

Sometimes we do get bogged down in midfield. I've seen BAE slow down play inexplicably. I've seen Huddlestone do the same, but at least you expect a pass to come out of it. Every time I've seen VDV on the ball it's in an attacking position, unless he's tracking back to defend.

Couldn't of put that any better mate
 
Keown is spouting bubbles....again!

[Gareth Keown]

vdV has usually been played behind Crouch.... the easiest way for teams to then defend is to push up their back4 and so congest play in the midfield especially, that way Crouch's 2nd balls dont land in the pen-box.... how many times have we seen vdV virtually pick up the ball from the toes of the CBs ??...

other teams do this cos neither Crouch nor vdV have the pace to trouble advanced backlines, using balls 'over the top' into space behind the CBs.... like we could do when Bent's pace was in the team upfront...

THAT is what I meant by vdV clogging up the works, without the right striker to play ahead of him...

[YidJoe24]

I'm just struggling to understand why Harry chose to start Rafa when he was a doubt before the game. As much as I love 'Arry sometimes I do question some of his selections. Nevertheless, we are still a quality side without Rafa, and as much as he will be missed we can still win our games without him.

[CountPuchi]

I think its more to Rafa wanting to play even though he is injured! lol

[ugs]

At least Modric has been playing at the top of his game recently so we still have at least one playmaker in form and fit. Hopefully Van der Vaart will be back and fit ready for our Christmas fixtures so we can push on during the busy period  and set ourselves up ready for the second half of the season and CL knockouts.
 
 

[Gareth Keown]

At least Modric has been playing at the top of his game recently so we still have at least one playmaker in form and fit. Hopefully Van der Vaart will be back and fit ready for our Christmas fixtures so we can push on during the busy period  and set ourselves up ready for the second half of the season and CL knockouts.
 
 

I too hope that Vaart is fit soon..... but only to sit on the subs bench until further transfer developments in January...