The best Spurs team of the PL era - number 10, attacking midfielder, second striker

[braineclipse]

Berbatov for me, assuming he doesn't get the striker role. Absolutely loved Berbatov and one of those I've never managed to stop loving despite him leaving us. Still brings a smile to my face just thinking about him playing football.

 

[jts1882]

Berbatov always played behind Keane.

I think people just assumed because of their respective sizes that Keane was the 10 and Berbatov the 9, but it was always the other way around.

I don't think it was one or the other. I think they interchanged very well, which was why the partnership was so good. The big problem with Keane, for much of his time with us, was he always wanted to drop deeper and play the #10; it was only with Berbatov that they got the balance right and that was in the wonky 4-4-2 rather than a 4-2-3-1.

 

[billyiddo]

it'd be hard to pinpoint Keanes position - he covered most the opposition half, Berbatov mostly played through the middle though and was usually the furthest man forward when we were out of possession and was the target for any early balls

 

[billyiddo]

Furthermore I propose we use this vote to dictate whether our final XI has a front 2 or a lone forward - for me Berbatov and Sheringham were CFs in a front 2 not AMs who play behind a CF or any other similar description and should not be in a poll with Eriksen/VDV and the like

I think our best forwards in the Prem years have played in a front two and that would get my vote

 

[Bullet]

The big problem with Keane, for much of his time with us, was he always wanted to drop deeper and play the #10

This! Keane used to drive me mad dropping deep, pointing, shouting, trying a flick and losing the ball, over and over. Drove me crazy. He was a good finisher though, when he just kicked the round thing in the net thing, rather than trying an outrageous triple dummy.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

This! Keane used to drive me mad dropping deep, pointing, shouting, trying a flick and losing the ball, over and over. Drove me crazy. He was a good finisher though, when he just kicked the round thing in the net thing, rather than trying an outrageous triple dummy.

Keane was great playing instinctively

Given time he just tried too much

Some of his best goals were first time strikes

 

[the dza]

Teddy Teddy Teddy Teddy Sheringham!

 

[FatBloke]

I think the vote should be between Sheringham, Berbatov, VdV and Eriksen.

Sheringham was an absolute legend who helped make supporting Spurs tolerable during some dark times. His length of service gives him some bonus points here.

Berbatov was just, well, jaw-dropping. But he wasn't with us for all that long, and left under a bit of a cloud. If he had one more season at the Lane, he'd probably get my vote.

VdV. Fan favourite, able to galvanise the team and drag them through matches. Again, if only he was with us a bit longer.

I'm pretty sure I'd be voting for Eriksen if this vote was happening next year. As it is, I need another season of excellence for him to surpass Sheringham.

 

[parklane1]

I would say Berby should go in the CF role not as the second striker.

 

[mudshark]

I would say Berby should go in the CF role not as the second striker.

I second that.

He's the most complete forward we've ever had here IMO.

 

[milo]

Is Barmby worthy of consideration?

Which position should we include Berbatov in?

 

[billyiddo]

Berbatov was a CF imv

 

[Gutter Boy]

Is Barmby worthy of consideration?

Which position should we include Berbatov in?

Barmby mostly played LWF during his peak with us. I think it was usually:

---------Klinsmann
----------------Sheringham
Barmby--------------------Anderton
---------Howells---Popescu



I wish heat maps existed for the Berbatov-Keane partnership, because it was so obvious to me that Berbatov was the 10 and Keane played more on the last shoulder. But the media always erroneously said the opposite, principally because of their respective heights.

 

[billyiddo]

I wish heat maps existed for the Berbatov-Keane partnership, because it was so obvious to me that Berbatov was the 10 and Keane played more on the last shoulder. But the media always erroneously said the opposite, principally because of their respective heights.

well this is the problem with trying to take players who played in a 442 (or a variant) and make them fit in to 4231 (or variant) different formation, different roles and different positions - a CF in a front two who holds the ball up is not the same as a AMC who creates... yes Keane played off of Berbatov but he also covered every blade of grass in the opposing half and quite often deeper too whereas Berbatov mostly remained central and was the focal point of our attacking play, spearheading attacks and/or holding the ball up - im pretty sure heatmaps/touch maps for the two would show Berbatov clearly as our furthest forward/most central attacker - and that to me is a CF

if we had played a lone forward system during that time Berbatov would have played as the CF, not in behind - he would have held the ball up and allow the players behind to make attacking runs in to the box, what we played was a variant of 442 with Berbatov the furthest forward and Keane having licence to roam - compared to say Redknapps 4411 Berbatov would have played the Adebayor role with Keane in the VdV role. trying to play a lone forward with Keanes (lack of) positional discipline wouldn't have worked IMO



personally i think the XI we end up with should feature a Berbatov/Klinsmann front 2 - that would have been a dinamite pairing, another season or two of his current form then id expect to see Kane as a lone forward

 

[mudshark]

I wish heat maps existed for the Berbatov-Keane partnership, because it was so obvious to me that Berbatov was the 10 and Keane played more on the last shoulder. But the media always erroneously said the opposite, principally because of their respective heights.

I think the reason it was such a great partnership was because it wasn't that one-dimensional. Keane often was the more advanced of the two, but by no means always. He would drop off as well, supplying and making runs from deeper positions, or turning provider from out wide, etc. They were unpredictable. Berbatov scored some classic CF goals for us, but then he could do everything, including play the lone role, which Keane wasn't so useful in. A really complete forward.

 

[Gutter Boy]

I think the reason it was such a great partnership was because it wasn't that one-dimensional. Keane often was the more advanced of the two, but by no means always. He would drop off as well, supplying and making runs from deeper positions, or turning provider from out wide, etc. They were unpredictable. Berbatov scored some classic CF goals for us, but then he could do everything, including play the lone role, which Keane wasn't so useful in. A really complete forward.

Agree. But I think if we've got to put 1 in one position and one in the other here for this, Berbs is the more withdrawn one and Keane is the more advanced one.

Sheringham and Klinsmann also used to interchange a lot too in practice, but notionally you'd put Teddy in this poll and Jurgen in the final one.

 

[jts1882]

I think the reason it was such a great partnership was because it wasn't that one-dimensional. Keane often was the more advanced of the two, but by no means always. He would drop off as well, supplying and making runs from deeper positions, or turning provider from out wide, etc. They were unpredictable. Berbatov scored some classic CF goals for us, but then he could do everything, including play the lone role, which Keane wasn't so useful in. A really complete forward.

I also think that this was why it was a great partnership. Both interchanged and knew when to do it, rather than chasing the same space. I don't think it is really possible to assign either the #9 or #10 role as they both played both. I don't think either were that good at #10 when sticking the role, although Berbatov was better as he was more talented all around.

Looking back we had two excellent partnerships in the PL era with Klinsmann-Sheringham and Berbatov-Keane.

 

[Gutter Boy]

Looking back we had two excellent partnerships in the PL era with Klinsmann-Sheringham and Berbatov-Keane.

Absolutely. They stand out by a mile.

I think Kane-Alli might challenge them in time though - they are developing a similar chemistry that the other two pairings had

 

[mudshark]

Agree. But I think if we've got to put 1 in one position and one in the other here for this, Berbs is the more withdrawn one and Keane is the more advanced one.

Sheringham and Klinsmann also used to interchange a lot too in practice, but notionally you'd put Teddy in this poll and Jurgen in the final one.

I think I lean more towards billyiddo's analysis though. They interchanged a lot vertically, but Berbatov was definitely more central most of the time, and would have been the one whose role more closely matched the number on his back for me, if we are getting the shoe-horn out.

 

[milo]

So the most nominated are:

Sheringham
Berbatov
Van der Vaart
Keane

Who should make the short list?