Redknapp rolls into Upton Park, keeps Bent on the bench and still comes away with the points courtesy of a towering King header and an smart O’Hara strike. Here’s the notes from Monday’s game…
Zola put out an unchanged lineup although Noble made a return to the bench and made an appearance as a second half sub. Redknapp’s team selection was of more interest. Modric returned for the lineup which saw Harry switch to a 4-5-1. That meant that the Croatian came in for Campbell, with Bent remaining on the bench along with Huddlestone. Bent eventually replaced Pavlyuchenko on 55 minutes, a change which appeared to give Spurs new impetus as they sealed the win with their second half showing.
It’s clear however that even with his strike rate this season, Bent is still not assured of starts. Redknapp will likely always look to start Modric in the role just off a lone striker, forcing the 4-5-1. The visit of United to White Hart Lane this weekend will surely see a similar setup, so it’s touch-and-go just who starts up front in that one and how many minutes they’ll get on the pitch. For me, that limits the potential of both Bent and Pavlyuchenko.
Modric is a different story. He looked full of classy touches tonight and should have got himself on the scoresheet with an early chance. He will likely get some renewed interest on tonight’s display. Bentley also had a smart effort on goal and looked slightly more involved, while Lennon provided the cross for King’s goal. O’Hara would offer decent potential too if he could hold down a starting role. There are mid-price options all over the Spurs midfield then, of which Modric looks the pick.
The Spurs defence has also faired pretty well of late, conceding just a single goal in the last three Premiership matches. King will of course win the plaudits with his powerful headed goal – he has now started the last six Premiership matches. Quite how Harry has turned him into a regular starter when this looked so unlikely in previous seasons, is a mystery. With fixtures looking pretty decent after the United game, even the Spurs defence could get some attention over the next month, particularly with Gomes receiving a boost in his confidence from his double save near the end of this one.
As for West Ham, they struggled to carve out opportunities tonight and are struggling for goals. Zola’s side have now scored just three goals in the last nine Premiership matches – an extraordinary statistic. A Chelsea clean sheet at Stamford Bridge this weekend looks nailed on then. I won’t be selecting Bellamy in the picks again in hurry. While he looked West Ham’s most likely source of inspiration, he badly lacked support and supply from midfield.