Source: FOOTYMAD
Shake it up, Harry!
Stop the press! It is finally time for a non-Modric-transfer-saga post! Tottenham’s first team squad is back in action during their preseason tour of South Africa while the younger players are in Algarve playing a series of friendlies against Championship opposition. Though neither of the South African friendlies necessarily finished as planned, I have seen good signs of things to come from the squad. For starters, Gareth Bale already looks to be in mid-season form and seems to have completely overcome his ruptured ankle ligaments. His runs and crosses absolutely tore through both Kaiser Chiefs’ and Orlando Pirates’ defences. Only problem is his work may have gone unnoticed due to a lack of firepower in front of goal coupled with Spurs’ inability to unlock the South African resistance. Van der Vaart’s goal yesterday against Orlando Pirates was a moment of brilliance, as well as a welcome sight for any Spurs supporter. I cannot recall in recent memory a player on this team scoring directly from a free kick. Knowing the dead-ball prowess of a number of the players (i.e. VDV, Bale, Niko, Modric, THudd), I find it hard to believe that Spurs haven’t capitalized on those chances. In defence, newly contracted U21 stars Danny Rose and Kyle Walker have been impressive. Rose played the entire match against Orlando and never put a foot wrong, while Walker made his preseason debut in the second half and made a few barnstorming runs forward from right back while nullifying the left side of the opposition attack. For me, it seems Kyle has already written his name on the starting team sheet against Everton. If his performances for Villa and QPR last season didn’t already sway the manager, then I’m sure another stellar 45+ will do the trick. As for Rose, his ascendency as a left back has continued and he looks a confident, strong backup for BAE. If it weren’t for BAE’s general reliability, and status as a White Hart Lane favourite, Rose would be an easy fit into the starting XI. In terms of the rest of the squad, there hasn’t been much of anything to note. Dawson is still his normal self; Khumalo needs a bit more experience; Keane seems past it, Corluka can’t run; Cudicini is a decent backup; and Friedel does a fantastic Gomes impression. The story of notoriety from the preseason so far surprisingly comes from our squad in Portugal. On Monday, Tottenham announced the signing of 16-year-old Ivorian sensation Soulemayne “Soli” Coulibaly, the striking talent who caught fire at the U-17 World Cup scoring an inconceivable 9 goals in 4 matches. The deal is thought to be worth £2m, which seems a major coup for the next “Drogba,” who also attracted interest from Real Madrid and Manchester United. Soli was thrown into the Tottenham XI setup in the Algarve for a friendly against Brighton on Tuesday and had an immediate impact, scoring a goal as a second-half substitute and earning praise from the Brighton matchcaster, who called his performance “impressive” and described the boy as a “livewire.” The striker also hit the inside of the post with a shot outside of the box. Coupled with the strong outings from Andros Townsend and Harry Kane, Tottenham seem to have some decisions to make regarding their young talent. Most supporters would like to see the youth get a chance in the first team, seeing as their names, if under 21-years-old, do not count to the 25-man Premier League squad list. Townsend announced himself during an FA Cup tie against Charlton last season, scoring a left-footed belter, while Kane impressed on loan at Leyton Orient and continues to find the back of the net consistently with Tottenham XI squads. At this point, Kane seems worth a punt in the first team, even if just for the two upcoming friendlies against Brighton (again) and Athletic Bilbao. The same should be said for Soli, who is quickly becoming one of the hottest prospects in world football and could be a starlet for Spurs if he’s handled correctly. Almost every goal the 16-year-old scored at the U-17 World Cup was class as the boy used strength, technique, and his poacher’s sense to bag an eye-opening tally. Townsend’s situation is a bit more difficult because of the overwhelming amount of talent in the Spurs midfield. At this point, he could possibly be considered 4th choice on the left wing behind Bale, Pienaar, and Niko, leaving him with slim to none chances at starting unless there were an injury crisis. I assume he’ll go on loan yet again this season, but hopefully to one of the newly promoted sides in Swansea, QPR, or Norwich for a taste of Premier League action. If I could, I would plead with Harry Redknapp to give the boys a chance and shake things up for once. Sadly, the only thing this post will be shaking is some readers’ heads. Let’s hope that shake turns out to be more of a nod.
