Lineker expresses what most Tottenham fans already know
Football FanCast guest columnist Jim Brown agrees with Lineker’s view that Jermain Defoe should partner Wayne Rooney.
There is nothing that Gary Lineker doesn’t know about goalscoring and when he talks about strikers and their attributes you should take note as there are few that are better qualified to discuss this particular craft, than the MOTD presenter. Lineker believes that Jermain Defoe not only is the Premier League’s best signing this calendar year, but should be a regular starter for his country alongside Wayne Rooney.
I have to concede that I don’t often agree with all that he says from time to time, but there hasn’t been one of his columns for the Daily Mail that I haven’t found myself agreeing with and his latest has proved no different as he concedes that Jermain Defoe has been an absolute sensation for Tottenham and how his whole game has improved dramatically in the past 12 months. It is fair to say that has been the case and Defoe returned a far better player than the one that had left for Fratton Park the previous year; however it was Lineker’s view that he should be partnering Rooney that struck a chord with me, as it is a view that I, and I am sure a lot of Tottenham supporters share as well.
There is this great fallacy in English football that you need to have a little and large act upfront. I never quite understand that view and when you look at International football in particular there are very few teams that actually adopt such a tactic, as they prefer to go either one upfront, or someone playing in the hole behind an out and out striker. Lineker is probably drawing upon his own experiences in 86 and 90 when he and Peter Beardsley played a similar style and sees Rooney playing the role that Beardsley did, while Jermain taking his role as the out and out front man tasked with scoring the goals. There is no reason it can’t work and I am surprised that Capello hasn’t look to experiment. At the end of the day goals win World Cups and we have more chance of doing that with Jermain upfront oppose to someone like Emile Heskey; I only hope that Fabio will agree.
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Good article and I must say I agree that Defoe should be lpaying regulary for England… we will need a big man in the team to change things up though at times…
One comment you made I must challenge though… “Goals win World Cups”…. Not sure Italy would agree with that… they won the last world cup through their solid (and mostly boring) defensive play….
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I am a true Spurs fan but I like to think that I can be open minded when speaking to fellow Spurs fans when discussing players. I agree with you that JD has improved as a player but there are certain aspects of his game that still worry me as follows:
His penalty taking is poor which makes a farce of his label as an out and out goal scorer, he does not score goals with his head where out and out goal scorers do, and he relies too much on a service where great goal scorers create their own chances and chances for others. This is not to say that he will never improve in this area but to overhype this player does not help him to address his weaknesses which I see as a mental one. JD is a good goal scorer but he is not great so please do not make him out to be of this ilk. I would love to see JD go to the World Cup as a Spurs fan but in my humble opinion, his limitations can be England’s downfall unless he concentrates on his spot kicks. Well done Crouch for the brace over the week-end.
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Defoe wouldn’t take penalties anyway except for in a shootout. I think hat we should play Defoe as a lone striker with Rooney and either lennon,young or milner giving us width. A three man midfield of Barry, Lampard and gerrard
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I disagree. Defoe should play with Crouch. There is no place in the starting side for Rooney and he should be benched.
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i too agree with this, although i am a villa fan and would love too see agbonlahor partner rooney in the world cup bt i think that is not tht likely unless he starts consistantly scoring goals and taking his chances bt if he does start doing this then he will be the all round player, he is cleva with his game(gd positioning) can score with his hed and he is very strong (he can hold off players)and he comes up with alot of assists and also hes very fast, so if he brings in goals consistantly (not tht he doesnt score tht many ,bt not as much as id like)he would be the all round player england need, but i think defoe is a fantastic player who takes his chances and scores alot of vital goals and is not afraid to hv a shot although i think he could be a bit more consistant, and create more chances for other people insted of being greedy and having a shot, also he doesnt score many with his hed and like u sed he relies on players like crouch to set him up which rooney does do and will do so i would like to see defoe partnering rooney becz i think it would work so well becz rooney scores alot of goals and works well for the team and would give defoe some gr8 chances which with defoes current form he would take and score for england also defoe is quite fast and could get on to those long balls and he too can get into fantstic positions and move about excellently with the ball so for me other than if agbonlahor scores goals more consistantly this would be the nxt best choice and it would be very succesfull.
gd luck 4 the seaason hope you come inthe top4 with us and kick out liverpool,arsenal and stop man city from getting there way bt i hope u come 4th just behind villa
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…well we can ignore Shannon’s comments for a start – Rooney is undroppable. Why do we Spurs fans go crazy for Defoe? His goal scoring record is not that good. He has 13 league goals so far this season – which is EQUAL to his highest total for ANY season in his career. Don’t get me wrong – he should DEFINATELY go to South Africa, and should be a good option to partner Rooney, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Did you know that 9 of Defoe’s 13 goals this season have extended a lead? I.e. not turned the game – but perhaps confirmed victory. Did you know that 8 of his 13 goals have been scored between the 45th and 58th minute? That’s odd. Did you know that all but 3 of his goals have been scored against bottom half teams? I like him, but people just assume he is a great goalscorer – without seeing definite proof yet.
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Danny, your lack of football knowledge is plain to see. You accuse Italy of having won the 2006 World Cup by playing, and I quote; “their solid (and mostly boring) defensive football.” Ok Hansen, so explain to me how they ended up with 4 strikers on the pitch in Extra Time, yes ! 4 strikers against Germany in the quarter final when Del Piero finished off that magical counter-attacking play…by playing “boring defensive football” ?? Idiot, know nothing about football, typical misguided armchair critic living on past footballing stereotypes, wake up and watch the modern game, perhaps that’s why Italy has “4 stars” on the their shirts and England only have “1 star”, good luck in the next World Cup, perhaps England should play “boring defenisve football” like Italy to win another one…
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Just before anyone picks me up on that one, yes Defoe scored more than 13 in a season in lower leagues – on loan to Bournemouth (where I actually saw him play and score against Reading). But in terms of top flight each year his league goal tally was: 2009 (12), 2008(10), 2007(10), 2006(9), 2005(13), 2003(8), 2002(10).
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Firstly, no-one is ‘undroppable’. Rooney is included in that list. Capello has made that very clear from the outset.
Secondly, you don’t need a big man up there in order to win football matches.
Rooney and Defoe can both head the ball when it is put into the right areas as Defoe in particular makes the runs that give him the time and space to fashion a shot of any kind.
Sheringham and Shearer were two fairly big men – but we didn’t hoof it up to them route 1 style when they were in their prime during Euro 96, we got it on the floor and passed it.
There are times when Heskey’s strength and power or Crouch’s heading or poaching abilities would be called for, but long ball is only ever (or should only be) a plan B at international level.
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There is a difference between what Capello says in public and what is reality. He has to say that to motivate players – to not let players get slack. If fit, Terry is undroppable – fact. Same for Rooney – unless rested in 3rd group game or something. As for South Africa, I would take 5 strikers: Rooney, Defoe, Heskey, Agbonlahor and Crouch. A real mixed bag of qualities and personalities.
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