A post on Tottenham blog InsideN17 about why it’s good news that the Vieira deal now looks dead in the water got us thinking today. The guys at Inside N17 are worried about the arrival of someone like Vieira stunting the development of Jamie O’Hara and leading to the departure of Tom Huddlestone and inexplicably, Luka Modric.
The O’Hara and Thudd concerns are not what interests me. I’m not convinced by O’Hara as anything more than a squad player (who would in any case benefit from training and playing with Vieira) and if Thudd isn’t good enough to get in the side, then so be it.
But I just don’t get this Luka Modric thing. Why do so many Spurs fans think he needs to play in the centre? He was brilliant last year playing a disciplined role on the left when we didn’t have the ball and drifting in a free role when we did. It was only when Harry moved him to that position in January that Spurs and Modric started playing. The reason for this is that with Lennon on the right and Modric in the team, Spurs need the other two midfield players to offer proper physical presence, especially in the Premiership. Credit must go to Harry for finding a great solution to the problem of how to fit Modric into the team and I’m baffled as to what the issue with this is.
Do people disagree? If so why?
[...] already written about why Modric is predominantly a left wing option and not a central one, read about that here. Modric on the left is coverable with Lennon and Gio Dos Santos (if he doesn’t go to [...]
Maybe you just need one nutter in midfield.
Nothing better describes Modric than “midfield general.” In midfield he’ll get the ball more often and in a position where he has more options for his percerptive passes.
I couldn’t agree more with you, I’ve posted comments everywhere on all sorts of blogs and websites enthusing that Modric is a more than suitable left wing option for us. You don’t have to be left footed and want to run to the byline to be suited to the left wing. Look at Joe Cole for this example? He is the same as Modric, started off in an advanced role in the centre and with the right coaching from Mourinho, he was tranformed into Englands best left wing choice.
A bit of steel in the middle is what we need to help the defence, a Vieira or possibly this Sissoko would be good additions. At the beginning of the season I was a bit aprehensive as to how Redknapp would spend but I have been very happy how the squad is starting to look, a lot more balanced than previous squads.
I have to disagree with you on this one…I think Harry bought Palacios for that physical presence that Spurs really needed and I really don’t see the need to add another physical defensive player in the middle (not to start anyway), it would inevitably lead to all of the attacking flow going through the wings and make the attack one dimensional. As for Modric him self I felt he was most effective with Palacios behind him in the middle of the park, it gave Modric freedom and allowed him to use the space in the middle to work his magic and string together some beautiful passes that really catalyzed the team. Don’t get me wrong I think Modric can definitely play well on the left but I think he was put there last year by necessity to give any kind of balance, not because he is a more natrual winger. Put it simply the Spurs were terribly weak there last year–as you may remember we tried everyone from Lennon, Bentley, to O’Hara there–Redknapp could move Modric there and still compensate in the middle as he did have Jenas and Tom. I think if you look at even this pre-season the attacking has been stagnant till Modric was in the middle running the show, Spurs are just a more dynamic team with his vision and passing in the middle of the park. I dono I guess I just have to go with the majority on this one.
[...] the *@#* is this about Modric? The story in The Metro today about Ferguson coming in for Luka Modric has pissed me right off. It shouldn’t have, we’re top of the league! And I [...]