Wednesday 25 July 2012

Milk Cup Match Report. Tottenham 4-0 Otago 24/07/12

Priestley(1)
Vincent-Young (C) (2), Lyons-Foster (4),  Ogilvie (3), Walton-Owens (16)
Walkes (6)
Miller (11), Winks (12),
Sonupe (18),               Harrison (14)
Oduwa (15),

Substitutes: Magbadelo (5) Campbell-Young (7) Pritchard (8) Goddard (9) Amos (10) Georgiou (17)

After a competition shocking 7-1 defeat at the hands of American side South Coast Strikers on Monday night, Tottenham reverted to a similar line-up that started the first game, a 1-1 draw with local side County Armagh, and reaped the benefits.

Kodi Lyons-Foster, who impressed on Saturday at right-back, swapped positions with skipper Kane Vincent-Young, both showing their versatility, while Shayon Harrison came in for Anthony Georgiou, in the only changes from the opening game's line-up.

Spurs started brightly, obviously hurting from the previous night's heavy defeat, and kept the ball superbly in the opening 10 minutes, with their Kiwi opponents struggling to get the slightest touch on the ball.

It took almost 10 minutes for the first shot to come, a reasonably tame effort from Emmanuel Sonupe that was easily gathered by Otago's goalkeeper. But the opening goal wasn't far away, as the impressive Nathan Oduwa played Shayon Harrison through, and he finished calmly when one-on-one with the goalkeeper; low into the bottom corner with the inside of his left foot.

Otago began to get on the ball more soon after, and their bright number 12 forced a good save from Liam Priestley low to his right. A second chance fell to the New Zealand team from the next phase of play, and another low shot, this time from the yellow number 28, forced Priestley down for a relatively routine save.

Oduwa, a strong presence up front, continued to cause problems. He was willing to play on the shoulder of the oppositions defence and use his pace, but just as comfortable dropping deep to get on the ball. It was Tottenham's number 15 that carved open Spurs' next opportunity, as he tricked his way past two opponents before feeding William Miller, but his shot whistled just past the post for a goal kick.

A rare defensive slip gave the travelling Otago supporters something to get excited about, but a fine through ball was eventually gathered by Priestley. The young stopper continued to look calm and composed between the sticks, as well as being able to act as a 'sweeper keeper', tidying up any lose balls behind his defence and offering himself for passes from his team.

A second, deserved Tottenham goal arrived before half-time, as Harry Winks played a pacey through ball over the Otago defence and a defensive mix up between defender and goalkeeper allowed Sonupe to tap home from a couple of yards into an open net.

Leading 2-0 at half-time, coach Alex Inglethorpe brought off Kane Vincent-Young, replacing his captain with Channing Campbell-Young, just as he had in the first game of the competition. This led to a slight re-shuffle in defence, as Lyons-Foster moved to right-back, Campbell-Young partnering new captain Connor Ogilvie in the centre of defence.

The second half was interrupted almost immediately, as following an Otago corner, their number 10, Gabriel Schwarz, landed awkwardly and was given treatment on the pitch for over 10 minutes. Both teams tried to keep themselves warm and sharp during the stoppage, while having obvious concern for Gabriel. He was unfortunately stretchered off and given a loud round of applause from the crowd, we wish him well during his recovery.

Otago responded to the injury well, and enjoyed their best spell of the game, firstly forcing Priestley to add to his string of saves when he palmed a shot wide before their number 16, Tommy Kelley, tried his luck from range but saw his shot sail just over the crossbar.

Holding midfielder Anton Walkes, after a solid performance, was then replaced by Luke Amos, a player of immense skill, despite his small frame. Walkes caught my eye due to his game awareness, often covering for one of the centre-backs should the venture up field, or covering for an overlapping full-back. The Tottenham academy coaches will undoubtedly be impressed by this mature performance.

Harry Winks had the games next chance, but his tame shot was easily gathered by Otago's substitute 'keeper Brian Di Loreto.

Two quick changes for Spurs followed, as left-back Amon Walton-Owens was replaced by Joe Pritchard, who had started in central midfield on Saturday. Cy Goddard also took to the field in place of Nathan Oduwa, clearly upset that he wasn't able to add to his goal on the opening day.

A long ball from Otago, a ploy which was becoming a common thing for the Kiwi's as they tired, caused a moment of panic for the otherwise outstanding Priestley. He raced out of his box to meet it but was beaten to the ball by the Otago striker who cleverly lifted the ball over his head, but didn't have the pace to retrieve the ball and Campbell-Young and Ogilvie combined to remove any danger.

Ogilvie stood out for me against Armagh, and impressed once again as he showed composure and confidence on the ball, way beyond his years. The knowledgeable Windy , mentioned he has always been impressed by the red-headed youngster when he has watched him, and that he looks as comfortable all across the back four as he does in midfield. This is in no doubt down to how comfortable he looks on the ball, an invaluable asset for a defender, who shows his versatility by bringing the ball out of defence and stepping into midfield. Connor Ogilvie is definitely one to watch for the future.

With time running out and Otago looking out on their feet, Pritchard, cutting in from the left, gave them a taste of things to come as he flashed a shot from distance just over. The young Tottenham side discovered their ruthless streak, finishing their New Zealand opponents off with two quick goals.

The outstanding William Miller grabbed the third after some poor goalkeeping from Di Loreto in the Otago goal, as he flapped at a cross and the ball fell nicely for Miller to pass the ball into the bottom corner.

The game was done and dusted with almost the last kick of the game as Amos found Harry Winks at the back post, who controlled the ball majestically before cutting inside his marker and firing through Di Loreto from a near impossible angle. Winks was more than deserving of his goal, as he shone throughout the game alongside Miller in the centre of the pitch.

4-0 didn't flatter Spurs, who dominated the game, and despite the odd defensive lapse, were more than comfortable.

Next up for Tottenham are CSKA Moscow in the Milk Cup Vase semi-final, a game I am unfortunately missing. Should they defeat their Russian opponents they will face a local side in the final, County Londonderry or County Down.

Sunday 22 July 2012

Milk Cup Match Report. Tottenham 1-1 Co. Armagh 21/07/12

Priestley(1)
Lyons-Foster (4), Vincent-Young (C) (2), Ogilvie (3), Walton-Owens (16)
Miller (11), Pritchard (8)
Sonupe (18), Winks (12), Georgiou( 17)
Oduwa (15)

Substitutes: Voss (13) Magbadelo (5) Walkes (6) Campbell-Young (7) Goddard (9) Amos (10) Harrison (14).
(Shirt numbers)

A young Tottenham Hotspur side kicked off their N.I. Milk Cup 2012 campaign with a 1-1 draw against the County Armagh representative side.

Spurs lined up in a fluid 4-2-3-1 formation, which looked more like a 4-3-3 at times. The midfield trio of William Miller, Joe Pritchard and Harry Winks interchanged and rotated willingly and effortlessly when the opportunity arose. All three looked comfortable on the ball, as well as having the energy and effort to retrieve the ball when possession was lost.

Liam Priestley in goal looked assured and he was always willing to accept the ball from his defence as Spurs looked to play out from the back. Kodi Lyons-Foster impressed at right-back as he bombed forward as did left-back Amon Walton-Owens, while both looked competent defensively. Lyons-Foster had a touch of the Kyle Walker's about him as he often over-committed to tackles, before using his pace to recover any mistakes.

Connor Ogilvie, playing as the left of 2 centre-backs, stood out for me. He was calm and assured on the ball and was even able to break forward from deep at times. I've already mentioned on twitter that he looked like the player most capable of making it as a pro, despite not being the Man of the Match on the day.

Nathan Oduwa started the game as the lone striker, but constantly switched with right winger Emmanuel Sonupe and both threatened with their pace when chasing through balls behind the Armagh defence. Left winger Anthony Georgiou looked bright in spells, possessing plenty of skill, but often failing to lift his head when attempting a pass or cross.

It was Oduwa that put Spurs ahead after just a few minutes. Pritchard playing the ball beyond the Armagh defenders and Oduwa finished strongly, low into the bottom corner. He then spun away to celebrate like a pro' in front of the packed stand to the delight of the sprinkling of Tottenham supporters.

Armagh came close soon after though, when a left sided cross found it's way to the back post, but their number 12, Cathal McKenna, couldn't do better with his free header.

Martin Marron, Armagh's goalkeeper, made one of the saves of the game to deny Sonupe after he took his turn attacking through the middle, Marron climbing high to tip his shot around the post. Marron was nearly called into action again quickly, as Oduwa raced onto Winks' perfect through ball only to be denied by a late offside flag.

Oduwa had another chance soon after, but not for the last time today, took too long to apply a finish and was denied by a fine last ditch tackle.
Ogilvie gave the ball away with a sloppy pass but wasteful finishing from the home side left his mistake unpunished.

Sonupe then let up Shamrock Park with a fine piece of skill, bamboozling a couple of markers with some clever trickery in a crowded midfield that was too quick for me to even be sure how he managed it. But a drop of the shoulder and a flick of a heel later and suddenly he went from being surrounded to being out on his own, pulling away from his would be tacklers.

Ogilvie then showed good awareness to block a shot that could have called Priestley into action shortly before the half-time whistle. Spurs were good value for their 1-0 lead at the break, and will probably feel they could have been further ahead.

Captain Kane Vincent-Young was replaced at half-time by Channing Campbell-Young, while the red-headed Ogilvie took over the captaincy.

The new skipper was called into action soon after some pinball and sloppy defending saw the ball burst towards the Tottenham goal but Ogilvie tidied up at the back before recycling possession.

Spurs looked set to go 2-0 up at the other end when Sonupe looked to have beaten the offside trap and beat Marron in the Armagh goal, but saw his shot cannon back off the bar. Oduwa was in again soon after a rare long ball over the top from Campbell-Young, but the tall front man pulled his shot wide.

Ogilvie was left for dead after a long Armagh through ball but Priestley produced a fantastic diving save to beat the goal bound effort away from goal and despite regaining possession, Armagh saw their next shot fly harmlessly over the bar.

A second Spurs change saw the dangerous Sonupe replaced by Shayon Harrison before Oduwa was in again. But once again he wanted more time than he had, and his marker recovered well to get a tackle in.

Another substitution from Spurs saw Pritchard replaced in midfield by the exciting Luke Amos, who despite his small frame, dominated the midfield against larger opponents. His midfield compatriot Harry Winks was also replaced by another diminutive schemer, Cy Goddard, who also impressed.

Armagh nabbed their equaliser, against the run of play following a broken period of play as a result of changes on both sides. The subs' had no part in the goal though, as a mistake from Ogilvie, an awkward high back-pass, let the County Armagh striker to beat Priestley to the hanging ball and head into an empty net.

Luke Amos got his first taste of action, as he swapped the ball from his left foot to his right, before chipping an exquisite ball over the top of Aduwa who delayed before crossing onto his markers arms, penalty Spurs.

Oduwa himself grabbed the ball to take the spot kick, but a long delay followed which seemed to frustrate our number 15. Marron dived low to his right to bat away the effort. Oduwa was soon substituted, Anton Walkes his replacement. His disappointment at missing the penalty added to two tame free-kicks from the first half that landed harmlessly in Marron's arms.

Miller, outstanding for the whole game, played through Georgiou down the left, but a fine recovery tackle left him frustrated.

Spurs nearly had an unlikely hero, as Ogilvie raced clear and looked destined to make up for his previous mistake, but could only shoot straight at Marron and penalty shouts from the rebound were waved away.

Luke Amos then tricked his way clear down the right wing before crossing, but committed Armagh defenders blocked the resultant shot. A final chance went begging for Tottenham as Geogiou again beat his man on the left, before putting a fine low ball in which teased its way across the goal but a stretching Walkes couldn't reach it and our young side were left to wonder what could have been.

1-1 is a decent platform to build on, and the gap of technical ability between the two sides was incredible and is a credit to the work being done throughout the Club. There is a clear mantra being taught at every level, making every player in every age group comfortable on the ball with an eye for a pass. As well as the development of the players and exposure to competition football being more important than results, as it should be in academy football.

Any of the starting midfield threesome could have deservingly be named Man of the Match, but my nomination goes to William Miller, who played the full 70 minutes and kept the team ticking even after the substitutions disrupted the tempo of the side. He's a player I'm looking forward to seeing more of and it must be a nice problem for the coaching staff, including ex-Spur Kieran McKenna, to have trying to fit five excellent ball players into three spots.

Next up for Tottenham on Monday evening are the South Coast Strikers from USA in Limavady at 7pm. They will undoubtedly be hoping to win their next game, as the Milk Cup's format dictates that the four teams with the highest points total enter the semi-finals. The next four highest ranking teams then enter the Milk Cup Globe semi's etc.


It was a pleasure to watch some of the younger players that little is ever written about. There is plenty of fine footballers in the making, in that team, which can only bode well for Tottenham's future.

Sunday 8 July 2012

What Next For David Bentley?

David Bentley. The heir to David Beckham's throne on the right side of England's midfield. So it was written. But it didn't quite turn out that way.

Bentley started off at Tottenham's North London rivals Arsenal but made less than 10 first team appearances for the Gunners between 2002 and his permanent move to Blackburn Rovers in January 2006.

There was a loan spell at Norwich City for their ill fated Premier League season in 2004/05, and he impressed enough to earn another spell on loan in the top flight with Blackburn the following season. Then Rovers manager Mark Hughes saw enough during those first few months to want Bentley at Ewood Park long term and after signing permanently he marked his new contract by becoming the first player in Premier League history to score a hat trick against Manchester United, helping Rovers to a 4-3 win.

Seasons 06/07 and 07/08 saw Bentley's stock rise further with a string of spectacular goals and numerous assists and boy hood club Tottenham Hotspur came calling in July 2008 and parted with £15 million for his services. Bentley described the move as a dream and it looked like a perfect fit for both parties.

Bentley struggled during his first season, often played out of position and after the manager that had signed him (Juande Ramos) was sacked, he became a bit-part player at White Hart Lane. New manager Harry Redknapp watched Bentley score a stunning 40 yard volley in his first game in charge, a memorable 4-4 draw with Bentley's ex-club Arsenal, but quickly grew tired of Bentley's lackadaisical attitude and style on the pitch. Many fans commented that Bentley had all the talent, but needed to cut out the flicks and tricks and stick to what he was good at. Sound advice, but it fell on deaf ears.

For all the hype that surrounded Bentley during his early career, he has only managed to play for his country seven times, the last of those coming way back in August 2008 during a 2-2 friendly draw with the Czech Republic.

A rare run in the Spurs side came during their successful 09/10 season when he featured on the right of midfield and impressed after seeming more determined to work hard and put the team first. Aaron Lennon's return from injury saw Bentley return to the shadows though.

Two loan spells away from Tottenham followed for Bentley, firstly in the Premier League for the second half of 10/11 at Birmingham City. Despite being named Man of the Match on his debut against rivals Aston Villa, Bentley struggled for form and consistency during his 15 appearances for the Blues, managing just one goal and no assists.

The start of the 11/12 season saw Bentley loaned to London rivals West Ham United, recently relegated to the nPower Championship. He made just 5 appearances for the East Londoners before a knee injury seemingly ended his season. He was however, unexpectedly named in Spurs' revised 25-man squad list for the Premier League in February, but, more surprisingly, didn't make even a brief cameo.

David Bentley has found himself grouped with the likes of Jermaine Jenas, Sebastian Bassong, Giovani Dos Santos and Heurelho Gomes, the so-called 'dead wood' at Spurs. The majority of fans have been expecting most, if not all of these players to have been sold for the past few transfer windows, but other than the odd loan, all five remain at the Club.

But in an exclusive interview with the People, Bentley has revealed he is ready to start again at Spurs, after assurances from new Head Coach André Villas-Boas has given him a 'clean slate' to start over at White Hart Lane.

Bentley discusses how the media, and the fans, have portrayed him in the wrong way, denying claims he's a 'party boy' and how Redknapp didn't communicate with him when he was left out of the squad. Makes you wonder if he regrets soaking Harry after our 1-0 win over Manchester City at Eastlands. It also makes you question Harry's world renowned 'man-management' skills, were they just a myth? Did they only work if you were one of his favourites?

After seemingly having been written off by the media and fans alike, could Bentley be about to make a comeback in the white of Tottenham. New boss Villas-Boas likes to play with quick wingers, usually on the opposite side to their preferred foot to maximise goal scoring potential when they cut inside, and Bentley has never been know for his pace.

He does however, have great ability with the ball at his feet. He can pick out a great cross or a pass with ease and has the ability to find the net too, be it from open play or from a set piece. It remains to be seen who Villas-Boas will play in his three man midfield. But looking at Bentley's career pre-Tottenham, and during his rare good performances in a Spurs shirt, while there is an obvious lack of pace, he's still sufficiently mobile and has been utilised more centrally on a regular basis. Defensively he may not be as aware as the likes of Scott Parker, Sandro, Tom Huddlestone or Jake Livermore, but if he played as the furthest forward of a trio, he could use his vision and technical ability to unlock defences. With two compatriots with greater engines than Bentley, his defensive work load would be reduced and while not shaking his defensive duties entirely, he could preserve his energy for attacking, spreading the play to the wings and trying his luck from distance.

A solid pre-season of training, matched with some game time, could bring Bentley back into the fold under 'AVB'. While he may not be every fans cup of tea,;he is one of us, a Tottenham supporter.

And there's nothing quite like watching one of your own.

Tuesday 3 July 2012

The Chairman's Dealing With It

André Villas-Boas has today been confirmed as Tottenham Hotspur's new Head Coach on a three year contract. I know, you know that already. By now I'm sure you also know everything else that every other blog and media outlet has regurgitated and forced upon you.
  • 34 years old.
  • Opposition scout for José Mourinho at Chelsea and Inter Milan.
  • Won four trophies in his solitary season with FC Porto and remained unbeaten during their successful league campaign.
  • Bought out of his Porto contract for 15 million euros by Chelsea.
  • Sacked from Chelsea less than a year into this three year contract.
  • Glaring failure outside of Portugal and doomed to fail before he's even begun at Spurs, or so the nation's media would have you believe.
What does all this mean for Spurs then?

The thing that has stuck out for most people since the appointment is 'AVB''s job title; Head Coach.

Harry Redknapp was the first man in charge of Spurs for many years without that title, gone was the meddling Director of Football, Harry was in charge of everything. Wasn't he?

Chairman Daniel Levy has seemingly been in charge of overseeing the ins and outs at Tottenham since Damien Comolli left back in 2008. Every interview from Harry during the summer or January  transfer windows also seemed to end with his faithful Spurs catchphrase; 'The chairman's dealing with it.'

Could we now see a change to how things are done at Spurs. Will AVB be working with a new Director of Football or will the rumours of a transfer committee turn out to be true?

Talk that Technical Co-ordinator Tim Sherwood would be appointed AVB's DOF seems to have cooled, but it still seems apparent that Sherwood will be handed a more senior role within the Club, and could be involved with the transfer committee. But who else? AVB will obviously have a say in who the Club signs, with the apparently imminent signing of Gylfi Sigurðsson likely to have been at his request. Daniel Levy is also likely to take part in any decision making. While Club Secretary Darren Eales also seemed to have heavy involvement in any purchasing done by Spurs.

A new head scout could be appointed, to also consult with the board. Graham Carr of Newcastle United, and once of Spurs, would have been an excellent candidate for this role. But after signing an 8 year contract extension recently, it seems unlikely, which is a huge shame because his track record for the Magpies in recent seasons has been superb.

Villas-Boas is likely to add to his backroom staff, with fitness coach Jose Mario Rocha and opposition scout Daniel Sousa already on board. Any further additions are likely to give us an idea as to how transfers will be handled.

I will also be interested to see who is appointed as AVB's assistant head coach. Could this be the post for Sherwood? Clive Allen is also still with us, surviving Redknapp, Bond and Jordan's dismissals. If Sherwood moves up, he could return to his previous role of working with the reserve team, or the Development Squad as it is now known.

Various sources and journalists are reporting that AVB will be handed a hefty war chest to mould the team how he wants to and we've already been linked with lots of names.

Moutinho, of Porto, a player once bought by Villas-Boas, seems to have timed his recent quotes well, mentioning how he'd work with AVB again in the morning. If Luka Modric, as expected, ships off to Madrid, he would be an ideal replacement. There are sure to be other names linked with us in the next few weeks, including a few we might not expect.

Tom Huddlestone is the latest Tottenham player to be linked with a move away from the Lane. Ex-Spurs Head Coach Martin Jol is rumoured to be keen to bring Huddlestone to Fulham, likely as a replacement for the departed Danny Murphy.

I think it would be a huge mistake to lose Tom from our ranks. He's one of the best passers in the Premier League and he's so effortless with his shooting. He's undoubtedly deadly from long range and when the ball falls to him outside the penalty area, most fans are expecting something special. He doesn't always find the net, but he usually succeeds in leaving a few opposition players crumpled in a heap.

He looks like he could fit into AVB's tactics, employed in either of the deeper lying midfield slots, and his eye for a pass will definitely be a required weapon if Modric does leave.

AVB is likely to get a proper look at the majority of our squad when they return to training next week, and who knows who will suddenly find themselves as a major part of his plans, or not as the case may be.

Giovani Dos Santos? Jermaine Jenas? Heurelho Gomes? David Bentley? Rafael van der Vaart? Jermain Defoe?

One thing is for sure, today, exciting as it has been, is unlikely to be the most eventful day at White Hart Lane this summer.