Why does Michael Dawson fail to get the plaudits he deserves?
With the England captain causing a media frenzy at the moment, it seems right to look at another English centre half who goes about his business in an altogether quieter and well behaved manner. Off the pitch that is. On the pitch Michael Dawson takes no prisoners and the Tottenham Hotspur defender seems to get better and better.
So why is it that he seems to get very little in the way of plaudits from outside White Hart Lane?
Despite being included in a couple of squads, Dawson is yet to win his first England cap. But with John Terry’s off-field problems and Rio Ferdinand’s continuing injury concerns he may start edging his way up the queue. His Spurs team mates, Ledley King and Jonathon Woodgate, are also ahead of him in the pecking order but both suffer from chronic and persistent injury troubles, making it more likely Dawson could snatch a place on Fabio Capello’s plane to South Africa, if he keeps up his current form. He was placed on standby for the 2006 finals, but could the affable Yorkshire man go one step further this summer?
His Spurs boss, Harry Redknapp certainly thinks so: “Michael’s been in great form, he’s showing England form.
“In the form he’s in at the moment, he could well break into the England squad.
“For me he’s been absolutely fantastic. There are not too many centre-halves in the country playing better than Michael at the moment. He’s a leader, good in the air, a great defender and can pass it. I certainly think if any player was going to force their way in he is a possibility.”
And even King has spoken out in praise of his defensive partner, knowing that the northerner is good enough to stake his claim.
“He’s a better player with the ball than people give him credit for. He’s been in the squad before and I’ve got no doubt that if he keeps it up he’ll get his chance again,” he said.
Since signing from Nottingham Forest in 2005 Dawson has been a very capable partner to a number of different players, showing his ability to develop his game alongside alternate playing styles and personalities, no easy task. The fact that he continues to be a mainstay of the Tottenham rearguard while other incredibly talented players struggle for consistency will stand him in good stead should Capello need another option. With the likes of Joleon Lescott and Matthew Upson not meeting their own high standards there is a chance Dawson could be answering his phone from the tough Italian come decision day.
Despite being a mainstay of White Hart Lane’s back four for a number of years now, including the two fifth place finishes under Martin Jol, Dawson is only 26 and still has a couple of years to go before reaching his peak. He has captained Spurs on occasions and is certainly a whole-hearted player always looking to inspire others with his committed tackles and organisational skills. It is certainly something for Mr Capello to think about – you can never have too many of those types in a World Cup dressing room.
The North London side have kept six clean sheets in their last eight Premier League matches and Dawson’s individual form in amongst those shut-outs should not be ignored. Do you feel Michael Dawson has a chance of a World Cup call up or is it a tournament too soon?
Why? – Because he still acts like a big donkey on occasions. Granted he’s come on heaps in the last 2 seasons but he really knows how to leave a fan scratching his head wondering just exactly what he thinks he’s doing on the field sometimes
It’s really not difficult to understand. Dawson is a fantastic example of honest hard work, loyalty and commitment, but for all his overall improvement this season on the pitch, he still makes some awful mistakes which can potentially decide matches. He has moments where his decision making and positional sense let him down. He’s certainly a very decent player, but not quite top class like King or Woody. I personally believe he’s still learning and a bit of a late bloomer and in 2/3 years from now, he may reach that top level of performance for us.
He is a good center half but, has we all no prone to the odd gaff but he makes more mistakes when Ledley is playing because when Harry made him captain and he played with Bassong he was superb
Now Daws has been given the captains armband, everytime he has it on he looks the part, a real leader and his best matches this season he has led the team out. The best is yet to come from him and he is much better than some over the overhyped England players in that position like Lescott and Brown
Is this the same michael Dawson who conceded a penalty in injury time against Leeds or the Michael Dawson who didn’t mark his man and allowed him to score at Birmingham to tie it in injury time? Dawson is a bonehead who shows up half the time
I love Michael Dawsons honesty, commitment and presence. He is a great professional. However, on the negative side, count how often his passes forward find a teammate as opposed to opposition. This is what puts our team under enormous pressure as the basic rule in football is “keep the ball and the opposition can’t score!”