Tonight:
5°c
Dutch slam Spurs' style
Tom Collomosse26 Nov 2008
Tottenham were today labelled a "predictable long-ball team" by the coach of tomorrow's UEFA Cup opponents NEC Nijmegen.
And Mario Been is confident his side can win, especially as the players he feared most - the cuptied Roman Pavlyuchenko and injured Luka Modric and Alan Hutton - will miss the match.
"Tottenham play a kind of football that is predictable," said the coach. "They always play a long ball first, and the game will start from there. If we try to match them physically, we will lose, so we must try to build from the back and play football. We are not afraid of Tottenham."
Scans have revealed that defender Hutton will be out until well into the New Year with a foot injury.
Reader views (17)
that block knows nothhing we will beat them 6-0 aND ALL PASSING AND BRILLIANT GOALS
- Bob, brighton, 27/11/2008 11:48
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Up the Spurs
- Nigel, south africa, 27/11/2008 10:29
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I guess you guys did not see us play against Liverpool in the carling cup, long balls I think not
- Nigel, south africa, 27/11/2008 10:27
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Rob the Nob with a constructive comment again,he is hardly with a bother,Harry flash??? this dutch coaches scouts must be Ray charles and Stevie wonder if he thinks spurs are long ball...come on lads..give em a clogging..SORT OUT YOUR GOONERS SCUFFLED ROB AND LEAVE SPURS TO SPURS FANS..MUPPETT..ANY OTHER STRIKERS WEARING PINK ABOUT TRYING TOO LOOK LIKE A P**F...IF HE WAS ANY GOOD IT WOULD NOT MATTER.
- Sparky, HERTS, 27/11/2008 08:53
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Lillywhite - If I were a Spurs fan I would keep very quiet. Your magnificent team are fighting a relegation battle, having lived in the shadow of their superior neighbours for 25 years. We are having a poor season, currently 5th from top in the premiership, while you are having a superb season 5th from bottom in the premiership!
- Rob Gooner, North London, 27/11/2008 08:33
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unfortunatly with all our injuried and cup-tied players it is possible that this is exactly what may happen, anyone else ever seen the ball passed back to Dawson after kick-off and him just hoofing the ball forward??!! Im sceptical, in my mind we havnt played a fluent, convincing and luckless game under Harry Redknapp (apart from against Zagreb). C'mon you SPURS prove all us doubters wrong and take that next step towards the top.
- Oliver David Smith, Surbiton, Sngland, 26/11/2008 19:12
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If we try to match them physically? haha were not a wigan or everton, we are a pass and move team , hit you on the break team with lennon and bent. we did play long ball against fulham maybe thats the only match he watched, oh well who cares.let get physical with them when they try and pass it around, we'll surprize them. they obvously aint seen the HUDD play.
- Bobby King, liverpool, 26/11/2008 18:57
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Long ball? Eh? That's why we play one up front most of the time with Modric in behind, yeah pure Crazy Gang style that is...
European managers think any English team equals physical, direct play. If he's watched us at all this season, he'll know that's not the case so the bloke doesn't even know what he's on about and that's just the manager!!! He's obviously been in too many of those Dutch coffee bars i reckon. Methinks a solid away win.
By the way 'Rob Gooner' i was impressed with the manner in which Professor Wenger has masterminded such impressive performances against Stoke and Man City in recent weeks... you played those games with such flair and style, how did you ever manage to lose? lol
- Lillywhite London, London UK, 26/11/2008 16:54
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This coach obviously doesn't know Spurs, he must be thinking of another team... Spurs have the tradition of passing football.. Push and Run (give and go), we played sexy football in the 60's Mister Been.
I bet he looks like Mr Been as well!
- Adrian, London, 26/11/2008 16:45
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What a silly man. Surely he has checked Spurs style. If not then he is a poor coach. If he has he may be playing daft mind games.
- Rich, Landudno, Wales, 26/11/2008 16:11
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It makes me happy to know that their coach hasn't watched us play recently.
Leave the long ball game to Arsenal its the only way they can play just lately !! Mind you Bender or whatever his name is, aint capable of much else.
- Mike, Walsall, 26/11/2008 15:59
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Surely a double bluff enticing us to play a physical, long ball game rather than our usual style of high tempo passing and wing-play by saying that his team can't cope with a physical game when more proabably than not NEC are set up in this way.
Doesn't really matter as Harry will be playing a young team made up of the periferal players who will be wanting to put on a show... much like in the CC against Liverpool.
COYS!
- Mark, London, UK, 26/11/2008 15:54
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At least Harry doesn't need a psychiatrist in the dressing room. Not like some teams ay RobNob.
- Mark, london, 26/11/2008 15:54
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This manager clearly doesn't know his arse from his elbow! Comments like this make me think Spurs will win comfortably!
- Bob, London, 26/11/2008 15:49
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Spurs a long ball team? Ahahaha!
I wish we were a more physical side...
- Yid Army, Liverpool, 26/11/2008 15:03
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What do you expect with flash Harry in charge! A sophisticated game of football!
- Rob Gooner, North London, 26/11/2008 14:59
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What an idiot! I should imagine that Spurs will play this pack of part timers off the park. Since when are SPurs a long ball side?
- Mike, greenhithe, uk, 26/11/2008 14:50
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