Rival Lines
Match Preview: Spurs v AFCB
Blogger Interview: Tottenham Blog
Twitter @DJFitch
Our second of two Rival Lines this weeks comes from Dan at Tottenham Blog. The lack of Premier League football got me a bit anxious this week so that is why we have ended up with a double helping of Rival Lines. It's all been a welcome period though for Spurs blogger Dan who can marvel at Harry Kane being on the short list for the Ball'on Dor and Harry Winks getting an England debut cap after just four Premier League appearances, but perhaps can AFCB bring Spurs back down to earth or should I say Wembley - their unhappy hunting ground.
CC: How did you get started on Tottenham Blog?
TB: I was working as a freelance journalist for lots of websites and figured I could learn a lot from running one myself.
CC: Is the Wembley form going to cost Spurs a crack at the title this season?
TB: Quite possibly. I’d have really fancied us if we were still at White Hart Lane. That said, our away form wasn’t great last season, so that was always an area in which there was potential to improve and so far we’ve done that.
CC: TalkSport's Alan Brazil and David Ginola have been talking about whether Spurs could sell Harry Kane in a swap deal with Gareth Bale and £120m - how would that sit with Tottenham fans?
TB: There is no player that Spurs fans would love to see back more than Bale, but not at the expense of Kane. These stories never explain how we’d pay the wages of someone like Bale, though I guess the £120m would help.
CC: Have you been surprised at how well Ben Davies has played at full back?
TB: Not really. He’s never really had a consistent run in the team until now, which has made it difficult for him to be at his best. We’ve missed Danny Rose’s energy and pace at times, but I’ve always thought that Davies was a better crosser.
CC: Do you think Dele Alli need to have the naughty boy image to be the player he is?
TB: He gets himself in trouble for silly things, often off the ball, which is a habit that he will hopefully grow out of. If that happens, I think he’ll be a better player, not a worse one.
CC: Did Mauricio Pochettino do enough in the last transfer window?
TB: We could have done with an attacking player with real pace and perhaps a playmaker, so we’re not so reliant on Christian Eriksen, but overall it was a pretty successful window.
CC: Does Son Heung-min deserve to be on the subs bench this season?
TB: The fact that we’ve mainly played with wing-backs has reduced his chances, as he played most of his games as a winger last season. He’s started more games in the Champions League, where his pace is vital when breaking against opponents that are likely to have more of the ball than us.
TB: I’ve yet to see him have a poor game, though Pochettino has been very careful in regards to what fixtures he’s picked him in. Winks always wants the ball and has the confidence to get his head up and pass imaginatively. It says much for his intelligence that Pochettino often brings him on as a substitute to see a game out, which is a job that a more mature player would normally be trusted with. I’m hoping that his England debut will lead to us picking him more regularly this season.
CC: Do you think Jermain Defoe is still good enough to go to the World Cup with England and is he the player Spurs fans will most fear in the Bournemouth line up?
TB: With Kane a certain starter, Defoe would be a useful super-sub to bring on if we needed a goal. He’s much loved among Tottenham supporters, though I’ve never been his biggest fan. For me, Defoe never convinced when played on his own up front, yet nor did he ever form a truly effective partnership with any of the strikers he played with at Spurs.
CC: Would Josh King have been a good fit for Tottenham this summer?
TB: A lot of Spurs fans were against this move, but I was all for it. We lack a really fast forward and it would have been great to have landed an adaptable player like King to make the most of the wide spaces at Wembley.
CC: Have spurs got many injuries?
TB: We’re without a number of players that would be contenders to play if fit. Mousa Dembele, Erik Lamela, Danny Rose and Victor Wanyama are all out.
CC: How do you expect Tottenham to line up for the game against Bournemouth?
TB: Lloris in goal, a back three of Alderweireld, Sanchez and Vertonghen, Trippier/Aurier and Davies at wing-back, Dier and Winks in central midfield, with Alli and Eriksen supporting Kane.
Another strong set of answers from our second Spurs blogger. Dan may be worried that Spurs are not yet picking up maximum points in their home games but as an AFCB fan we would just be happy to get a point or two anywhere at the moment. While Spurs have several players out and a big mid-week fixture against Real Madrid, AFCB will have to show something they have not shown yet this season I believe to win at Wembley. Still places can inspire players and the Cherries just may be fancy having a good crack at Spurs with 3000 AFCB fans behind them. Catch up with more of Dan's views on Tottenham Blog including the Pochettino's views on the differences between Spurs Man Utd and Man City and why Spurs may become record breakers this weekend.
Match Preview: Spurs v AFCB
Blogger Interview: Tottenham Blog
Twitter @DJFitch
CC: How did you get started on Tottenham Blog?
TB: I was working as a freelance journalist for lots of websites and figured I could learn a lot from running one myself.
CC: Is the Wembley form going to cost Spurs a crack at the title this season?
TB: Quite possibly. I’d have really fancied us if we were still at White Hart Lane. That said, our away form wasn’t great last season, so that was always an area in which there was potential to improve and so far we’ve done that.
CC: TalkSport's Alan Brazil and David Ginola have been talking about whether Spurs could sell Harry Kane in a swap deal with Gareth Bale and £120m - how would that sit with Tottenham fans?
TB: There is no player that Spurs fans would love to see back more than Bale, but not at the expense of Kane. These stories never explain how we’d pay the wages of someone like Bale, though I guess the £120m would help.
CC: Have you been surprised at how well Ben Davies has played at full back?
TB: Not really. He’s never really had a consistent run in the team until now, which has made it difficult for him to be at his best. We’ve missed Danny Rose’s energy and pace at times, but I’ve always thought that Davies was a better crosser.
CC: Do you think Dele Alli need to have the naughty boy image to be the player he is?
TB: He gets himself in trouble for silly things, often off the ball, which is a habit that he will hopefully grow out of. If that happens, I think he’ll be a better player, not a worse one.
CC: Did Mauricio Pochettino do enough in the last transfer window?
TB: We could have done with an attacking player with real pace and perhaps a playmaker, so we’re not so reliant on Christian Eriksen, but overall it was a pretty successful window.
CC: Does Son Heung-min deserve to be on the subs bench this season?
TB: The fact that we’ve mainly played with wing-backs has reduced his chances, as he played most of his games as a winger last season. He’s started more games in the Champions League, where his pace is vital when breaking against opponents that are likely to have more of the ball than us.
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CC: What can you tell us about Harry Winks?
TB: I’ve yet to see him have a poor game, though Pochettino has been very careful in regards to what fixtures he’s picked him in. Winks always wants the ball and has the confidence to get his head up and pass imaginatively. It says much for his intelligence that Pochettino often brings him on as a substitute to see a game out, which is a job that a more mature player would normally be trusted with. I’m hoping that his England debut will lead to us picking him more regularly this season.
CC: Do you think Jermain Defoe is still good enough to go to the World Cup with England and is he the player Spurs fans will most fear in the Bournemouth line up?
TB: With Kane a certain starter, Defoe would be a useful super-sub to bring on if we needed a goal. He’s much loved among Tottenham supporters, though I’ve never been his biggest fan. For me, Defoe never convinced when played on his own up front, yet nor did he ever form a truly effective partnership with any of the strikers he played with at Spurs.
CC: Would Josh King have been a good fit for Tottenham this summer?
TB: A lot of Spurs fans were against this move, but I was all for it. We lack a really fast forward and it would have been great to have landed an adaptable player like King to make the most of the wide spaces at Wembley.
CC: Have spurs got many injuries?
TB: We’re without a number of players that would be contenders to play if fit. Mousa Dembele, Erik Lamela, Danny Rose and Victor Wanyama are all out.
CC: How do you expect Tottenham to line up for the game against Bournemouth?
TB: Lloris in goal, a back three of Alderweireld, Sanchez and Vertonghen, Trippier/Aurier and Davies at wing-back, Dier and Winks in central midfield, with Alli and Eriksen supporting Kane.
Another strong set of answers from our second Spurs blogger. Dan may be worried that Spurs are not yet picking up maximum points in their home games but as an AFCB fan we would just be happy to get a point or two anywhere at the moment. While Spurs have several players out and a big mid-week fixture against Real Madrid, AFCB will have to show something they have not shown yet this season I believe to win at Wembley. Still places can inspire players and the Cherries just may be fancy having a good crack at Spurs with 3000 AFCB fans behind them. Catch up with more of Dan's views on Tottenham Blog including the Pochettino's views on the differences between Spurs Man Utd and Man City and why Spurs may become record breakers this weekend.
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