Therefore when Bale returned for the 08/09 campaign under exciting manager Ramos there was real optimism Bale was going to immediatly return to his previously dazzling form for both club and country, however it didnt quite work out that way. When Bale played he looked unassured, and appeared to have lost the pace he once had, he also was very reluctant to get stuck into 50-50’s. Spurs’ dreadful start to this campaign again didnt help his cause, but it was evident Bale did not look the player he once was.

It then became a well known fact Bale had not won a Premier League game in a absurd amount of appearances which obviously went to his head. Redknapp became manager and Bale hardly featured for the rest of the season – Bale’s future looked bleak at Tottenham to say the least. Then the 09/10 season began and with his close friend and teammate for Wales, Gunter left to Forest, and there were rumours Bale was heading in the same direction – albeit on loan.

BAE had finished the last season well and continued to play at left back and scored a screamer against Liverpool on the first day of the season. Bale finally broke his Premiership duck in September 09 however only because he came on as a 85 min sub v Burnley. He played in the cup games, and suddenly the Bale Spurs had once knew showed signs of returning – a fantastic cross against United in the Carling Cup springs to mind.

Then January came and BAE got injured – finally Bale’s chance to prove his worth, and boy did he. In 2010 it could be said Bale has been Spurs’ best player with his fantastic runs down the flank, and considerable improvements to his defensive qualities, he can tackle now. I accept Bale is still a work in progress and isnt always up the scratch defensively, however I beleive Bale has the potential to become a Tottenham starter for the many years to come as he is very young and already looks better than the average at best BAE.

I also think Bale could quite easily become a left mid for spurs after his perfomance against Fulham because this would require less of him defensively, and he has the abilty to beat anybody with his skill and pace – imagine a midfield with aaron lennon and a on form bale on the wings? I just hope this dream will become a reality.

Following Sol Campbell’s disgraceful act of treachery way back in 2001, a defensive void at the club was created. The club needed a leader, a defensive rock and a hero- a player that could influence others and be respected by all in return. Players like this aren’t easy to come by, but we were fortunate. For Ledley King was willing to step into the breach.

In an era where players are criticised for moving too frequently and showing too little loyalty, Ledley King should be an example to all. He has been at Tottenham ever since he was a boy, and has gone on to make over 200 professional appearances. Had it not been for injury, King would have probably have made a number more appearances for Tottenham, but numerous pulls and strains and a worrying chronic knee problem have taken their toil on King’s career, and have stopped him from becoming one of the best defenders in the world. When he is fit and on form, he is definitely up their with the best centre-backs, but his knee injury prevents him from playing more than two games a week and other, similar injuries have prevented his international career from ever really taking off.

Nevertheless, King has always done his best to play through the injuries. He is such a crucial figure for Spurs, always leading by example and it’s hard to imagine Tottenham without him. His indomitable presence during the Carling Cup final against Chelsea was one of the games deciding factors and his partnership with Jonathan Woodgate has blossomed in recent months. He might suffer from the injuries, but King is still so very important to Spurs. At 28 and with the problems her suffers, his career is probably coming to an end but King Ledley deserves recognition for his loyalty, ability and bravery. A true Tottenham hero if there ever was one and our very own Captain Fantastic.

&border=0&rel=0&egm=0&color1=0x666666&color2=0xefefef' /> ]]> http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-2.html/feed 2 http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-10-spurs-players-of-the-decade-3.html http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-10-spurs-players-of-the-decade-3.html#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:15:06 +0000 Luke Brown http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/?p=851 Dimitar Berbatov.

Well well well, where to start? Berbatov went from being the darling of White Hart Lane to the villain of Tottenham in just a few, fateful weeks. His slick, at times arrogant style of play won him many fans, yet his departure to Manchester United left a bitter taste in the mouths of many a Tottenham fan, and his poor attitude saw him leave the club in a haze of disappointment and anger.

When he was playing well, Berbatov epitomised Tottenham Hotspur. He played with a swagger, a “shirt not tucked into shorts” confidence. Many regarded him as one of the most talented players to grace the Lane, walking in the company of Glenn Hoddle, David Ginola and Ricky Villa. At times he scored goals for fun, finishing moves gracefully whilst Robbie Keane worked tirelessly alongside him winning him balls and playing him in. Berbatov was undoubatly one of the most popular players during Martin Jols reign, and when the Bulgarian won the Premier League player of the month award with Robbie Keane, his popularity grew. Berbatov was the darling of the Lane, yet his desire for Champions League level football drove him to Manchester United, and out of the hearts of Tottenham supporters.

It wasn’t the fact that he wanted to play football at a higher level that aggrieved Spurs fans. It was the fact that he was willing to let his Spurs form suffer in an effort to force a move to Manchester United. His effortless style suddenly became lazy, his neat touches suddenly became rash pieces of showboating. He, of course, eventually joined Manchester United and joined Sol Campbell as one of Tottenham’s arch-nemesis, but there’s no doubt that Berbatov was one of the most talented players ever to play for the club. It’s just a shame he didn’t stay longer.

&border=0&rel=0&egm=0&color1=0x666666&color2=0xefefef' /> ]]> http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-10-spurs-players-of-the-decade-3.html/feed 0 http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-4.html http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-4.html#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:53:50 +0000 Luke Brown http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/?p=833 Jermain Defoe

Defoe first joined the club in 2004, following the relegation of his former club West Ham United. He was blasted by their fans, dubbed a “glory hunter” and a “rat deserting a sinking ship” however he quickly won popularity with his new Tottenahm fans, thanks in large to the goal threat he offered and his pacy style of play.

In the summer of 2007, Tottenham made forward Darren Bent their record signing when they signed him from Charlton for £16.5 million. The transfer immediately led to rumours linking Defoe to a move to another club, however he stayed on at Spurs and continued fighting for his place. Alas, he struggled to make an impression in the 2007/2008 season and in January completed a move to Portsmouth for £6 million. His Tottenham career, which had spanned four years and seen him net over 50 goals was seemingly over.

Defoe performed well for Pompey, striking up a extremely prolific partnership with Peter Crouch, hitting goal after goal. However Portsmouth’s poor financial situation once again clouded the players future in doubt and in January 2009, just a year after leaving Tottenham, Defoe was back at the Lane. He hit the ground running and once again established himself after performing well for Tottenham in our late Europa League hunt and started this season on fire, scoring five goals in five games. There’s no doubting Jermain Defoe is back in business, and all Spurs fans should be incredibly grateful.

Joking aside, I’m sure I wasn’t the only Spurs fan who felt Keane wasn’t deserving of a first team place. The forward must have heard a few of these mutterings for he was extra pumped up for the Burnley clash. His bustling presence in the first few minutes caused Burnley problems, but it was his sublime skill in front of goal that killed off their hopes of getting anything out of this match.

Tottenham were pressing the Burnley defence throughout and their centre-back pairing had a torrid afternoon, struggling to keep up with the pace of the game. Their match got off to a bad start when a mis-timed lunge on Jermain Defoe in the box was ruled to be a penalty, and Keane commenced to open up his account with one of the finest penalties you’re ever likely to see. Jenas doubled the lead a few minutes later with a deflected shot, after Burnley forward Steven Fletcher was unlucky to see a good goal ruled out for offside.

If the Burnley back-line were struggling, their strikers were at least making a game of it. Robbie Blake hit the post following a hideous Carlo Cudicini error and, truth be told, the player really should have hit the net. Burnley manager Owen Coyle looked crestfallen when he watched the shot hit the woodwork, and his mood was not improved by Robbie Keane’s second and Tottenham’s third, which came in the 74th minute. The Irishman converted Aaron Lennon’s low cross with a thumping shot that flew into the top corner. He completed his hat-trick just minutes later, this time beating Burnley ‘keeper Jensen with a low effort that flew into the side-netting.

At 4-0 the game was over and Keane’s fifth, a hopeful shot from an acute angle which wormed it’s way under the body of Jensen, merely proved that, for today at least, Keane’s every touch was magic. The final 5-0 scoreline was actually rather harsh on Burnley who could have came away with a point had they not been slightly unlucky in the first half. On current form they look too good to be relegated and they have some quality in their squad, but on this day the game really belonged to Tottenham’s four goal hero- Robbie Keane.

Opinion has long been split over Jermaine Jenas. Some like him, focusing on the goals he offers from midfield and the occasionally outstanding performance he puts it. Others don’t rate him at all, bemoaning his lack of consistency. I’m more in the “pro-Jenas” camp. True, he can be inconsistent, but he has been an important player for us over the years and he does weigh in with a few goals.

Jenas joined in 2005 from Newcastle, and has made 119 starts for Tottenham Hotspur. In that time he has scored 21 goals, offering a goal threat from midfield. He’s a good all-round midfielder, contempt at tackling, passing and shooting. With Kranjcar now at the club, Luka Modric could move into the middle, and if not Tom Huddlestone is always after Jenas’ place. However he has proved his worth under Redknapp and doesn’t look as if he is about to be dropped by the management. He was also one of the best players during Juande Ramos’ reign, once again proving his worth to the team.

There’s no doubt that Jenas isn’t as talented as either Modric or Palacios. However he is still a valubale player. His loyalty and presence in the middle wins him this place as Tottenham’s fifth best player of the decade, and it will be interesting to see whether he keeps his place in the coming months.

&border=0&rel=0&egm=0&color1=0x666666&color2=0xefefef' /> ]]> http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-5.html/feed 0 http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-6.html http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-6.html#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:35:43 +0000 Luke Brown http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/?p=807 Luka Modric

There’s no doubt that Luka Modric is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest footballers in Europe. He shone at Euro 2008, propelling the Croataians forward with his supreme playmaking ability, before joining Tottenham and doing exactly the same thing at the Lane. His passing, his vision, his delivery- all are fantastic. Already there are fears that he might “do a Berbatov” and leave the Lane for a bigger team, but hopefully the Croatian will have noted that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, as Berbatov has found out.

Modric was signed for £16.5 million, the same fee the club paid for Darren Bent. Modric is ten times the player though and, unlike Bent, has found himself playing in a crucial role for Spurs last season. However his Tottenham career didn’t get off to the best of starts under Junade Ramos and the midfielder struggled to make an impact on games, leading to criticism that he was “too lightweight” for the English Premier League. The imminent arrival of Harry Redknapp worked wonders for Modric and he suddenly started playing with a graceful fluency, quickly silencing his critics. It soon became apparent that his vision and ability to execute the moves he foresaw was outstanding, and Modric became an integral part of the Spurs team. The arrival of Wilson Palacios also helped out Modric, for now there was someone who could be relied on to win the ball in midfield and distribute it to the attacking players.

Modric has started the majority of his Tottenham games out on the left. The transfer of Niko Kranjcar might see Modric move into the middle, but it’s likely that Redknapp will use Kranjcar as a direct replacement for Modric. The small midfielder has settled into life at the Lane well, and looks to be one of Tottenham’s most promising players.

&border=0&rel=0&egm=0&color1=0x666666&color2=0xefefef' /> ]]> http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-6.html/feed 0 http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-7.html http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-7.html#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:14:59 +0000 Luke Brown http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/?p=804 Aaron Lennon

One of the signings of the decade in my opinion. Bought from Leeds for just £1 million, Lennon has became a key player for the club. He has made 124 appearances for Spurs, scoring 14 times. Known for his electric pace and direct running, Lennon is one of Tottenham’s most exciting players and has also taken great strides in his search to become England’s first choice right winger.

Whilst he has been one of the clubs better players in the last three seasons (subsequently being nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year three times in a row), Lennon has attracted some criticism from both Tottenham fans and other supporters. His much maligned final ball is focused upon relentlessly by both the fans and the press, and other people have also raised fears about his poor form in front of goal. Lennon has done his best to silence his critics in the last few months and has been in the form of his life, scoring two late winners for Tottenham and impressing for England in the 5-1 thrashing of Croatia. Most pleasingly though has been his crossing in the last few weeks. It has come on a great deal and has given us a great deal of threat when we attack from the wings, especially when Peter Crouch is preferred to either Robbie Keane or Jermain Defoe.

Aaron Lennon’s place in the Tottenham squad is undoubtedly safe and the winger also looks like he might well have just become Fabio Capello’s first choice number 7. I sincerely hope he gets his chance, Lennon is an attacking, thrilling winger and will always create opportunities once he starts running with the ball. In an excellent move, the club also offered the youngster a new contract to the player in March 2009, which ties him to the club until 2014. A new contract was a wise move from Mr.Levy, as Aaron Lennon has a very bright future ahead of him.

&border=0&rel=0&egm=0&color1=0x666666&color2=0xefefef' /> ]]> http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-7.html/feed 0 http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-8.html http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/the-top-ten-spurs-players-of-the-decade-8.html#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:06:43 +0000 Luke Brown http://spurs.footballblog.co.uk/?p=801 Michael Carrick

They say you don’t know how good it is until it’s gone. Well that’s true in the case of Michael Carrick. He spent two seasons at the Lane, appearing 64 times, before leaving to move to English Champions Manchester United. When he eventually left I was disappointed, but paid more attention to the fortunes of the more enigmatic players, such as Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov and Aaron Lennon. In the seasons that followed however, I came to realise just what a player Michael Carrick was.

Carrick is a wonderful passer of the ball, and created many attacks during his time at the Lane. Bought from West Ham for just £2.75 million, Carrick became a key player whilst playing under Martin Jol and led the team to a fifth place finish, Tottenham’s highest ever finish in the Premier League. During the years we had him at the club, we had a number of midfielders on the books at the club, and yet Carrick was arguably the best. He did so much “unseen” work whilst playing in the middle, winning tackles, searching out the front men and feeding players in. It was no surprise when a big club came calling, and Carrick eventually left for around £18.6 million.

Carrick is now playing an important role for Manchester United and his departure hit the club hard, as no real replacement had been signed. The eventual signing of Luka Modric went some way to filling the gap Carrick left (like Carrick, Modric is a very good passer of the ball), but the midfielders all round ability is still missed.

When news filtered through that the club had signed a little known Wigan midfielder for £12 million, I wasn’t best pleased. In recent years, we have signed Darren Bent, David Bentley and Sergie Rebrov for big money, and yet watched in horror as they have failed to live up to the hype and expectation they arrived with. I feared Palacios would join that group of big-money washouts and disappoint us in the way so many other hyped up players have.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Palacios is the kind of player we have needed for years and years. A player who can dominate the midfield with a bite and a sneer, controlling the middle of the park whilst giving the ball to the (numerous) playmakers we have at the club. His style of play may not always be pretty but, frankly, who cares? He gives the team some muscle and steel, whilst Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon create the chances. On reflection, £12 million was an absolute steel. Had I known how good Palacios was, I’d have happily paid twice at the start of this year.

Not only has “Sarge” won plenty of tackles, he’s won the fans hearts too. Always committed and willing, Palacios has rapidly become a fans favourite and I would go as far as to say he is our most important player in our effort to win European football. His partnership with the rest of midfield is brilliant, and he also aids the defense, at times playing just in front of them. He’s proved he isn’t goal shy as well, scoring a great goal against Hull.

True, he hasn’t been at the club long and, having only started for the club 18 times. However I feel he has already proved his worth. In fact, he proved his worth in just his second game, an absolutely fantastic performance against Arsenal which saw him win the man of the match award. He might not have been at the club for long, but hopefully he’ll be appearing in our starting line up for many years to come.

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