LONDON: Selepas melakukan jaringan pertama di gelanggang sendiri untuk Tottenham Hotspur, Rafael van der Vaart terus cuba menambat hati peminat barunya apabila mendakwa dia kini bersama pasukan paling hebat di utara London.
Van der Vaart menyertai Spurs dari Real Madrid menjelang tamat tempoh akhir perpindahan dan menyempurnakan kemunculan pertamanya di White Hart Lane dengan menyumbat penalti ketika kelab barunya itu menang 3-1 ke atas Wolverhampton Wanderers. Pemain Belanda itu kini mengintai peluang menambah koleksi jaringannya dalam saingan Piala Carling menentang musuh ketat, Arsenal hari ini. Meskipun kerdil dalam konteks koleksi piala berbanding Arsenal, pemain itu mendakwa Spurs kini adalah raja di utara London. Saya kenal Robin van Persie dan dia beritahu saya ketika kami dalam pasukan kebangsaan mengenai siapakah pasukan gergasi, kata Van der Vaart. Bagaimanapun tiada perdebatan mengenai kelab mana yang lebih hebat. Spurs adalah kelab yang lebih besar.
Pemain Belanda itu cepat menyesuaikan diri dengan anak didik Harry Redknapp yang lain dan menyatakan, ia berpunca daripada corak permainan yang dipraktikkan Spurs selain pengetahuannya berbahasa Inggeris. Agensi
Berita Harian Online
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has revealed that a deal to bring South Africa defender Bongani Khumalo to White Hart Lane is almost complete.
Khumalo had a successful trial at the Premier League outfit and will complete his £1.5 million move from South African side Supersports when the transfer window opens in January.
Redknapp said: ``I think we've done a deal for him. We're in the process of doing a deal for him. He's not expensive. We had him over on trial and we like him. ''He's got potential and we've got a tie up with the club Supersports so we've taken him on.``
Khumalo, who was born in Swaziland, scored for his country during this summer's World Cup win over France.
Redknapp continued: "It will be a great chance for the kid. He's a great lad. He comes from a poor background and he's desperate for a chance and we're going to give him a chance.''
Tottenham will have to do without the services of defender William Gallas for the next three weeks after tearing an groin muscle in training on Friday.
Spurs were also without captain Ledley King for Saturday's 1-0 defeat at West Ham United after the defender suffered a groin strain in the same training session - and he also faces weeks on the sidelines.
Gallas, who has made two appearances since joining the club on a free transfer, will miss this week's Champions League clash against FC Twente and the Premier League date with Aston Villa at White Hart Lane.
The upcoming international break means Spurs do not play again for three weeks, and they will hope Gallas has recovered for the match at Fulham on October 16 and the trip to Inter Milan four days later.
Manager Harry Redknapp is now desperately short on defenders with Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul out while Jonathan Woodgate was not named in their 25-man Premier League squad due to his long-term fitness problems.
Spurs were down to the bare bones on Saturday with Benoit Assou-Ekotto also out, meaning Gareth Bale had to drop back to left-back. Alan Hutton, Sebastien Bassong and Vedran Corluka made up the rest of the defence but Spurs could not name a single defender among their substitutes. Assou-Ekotto should return against Twente.
Redknapp said to the Sun ahead of the game against Twente: "We have to go for it. Winning the game is all-important and it will set us up nicely.
"The group is wide open with one point each. Inter Milan are obviously the favourites but after that, it's wide open. At home, our crowd are pumped up. It will be an intimidating atmosphere, just like it was in the qualifier against Young Boys. We attacked and got after them from the start.
"That is what we have to do in these European games, especially in this group. In Milan you might set up differently but at home ... no.
"I have some concerns at the centre of defence. We've lost some key players through injury - even William Gallas, who I signed on a free from Arsenal, is out until after the next international break. Gallas pulled a groin muscle with his last kick in training on Friday morning.
"Dawson is out long term, King hasn't trained since he played nine days ago against Wolves and Kaboul picked up a calf injury in that game. When I took Gallas on, everyone - even people who worked for me - said 'What are you going to do? You have caused yourself a problem'. Now he's out for three weeks.
"I was close to naming 18-year-old Steven Caulker on the bench for West Ham but he was struggling after starting in midweek against Arsenal. He got cramp everywhere - even his ears!"
Caulker joined Championship side Bristol City on loan on Monday, a confusing move considering the club's injury problems. He cannot be recalled by Spurs for 28 days.
Redknapp said of the loss of King: "It's a blow. When you don't train, you pick up different injuries. If I went for a run tonight, I'd pull up with a calf problem because I don't train regularly. Ledley doesn't train and he picks up little injuries."
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jermaine Jenas has admitted he considered quitting White Hart Lane in search of regular first team football during the summer.
Jenas, 27, is edging his way back to top form after struggling with an injury and after starting three of Spurs' last four games he is delighted he rejected a number of offers to leave.
The England international eventually needed a groin operation to get back to his best and is now hoping to retain his place in the side for Wednesday's Champions League showdown with FC Twente.
"At one time I felt I'd have to leave because all I wanted to do was play football and I wasn't getting games here," Jenas said. "But despite the offers that came in, they were not worth leaving for.
"This is the best I've felt since a few years ago. I was carrying a groin injury for at least a year - maybe because I was under a bit of pressure in my own position and I was trying to just delay, delay, delay the surgery. But I had to do it in the end.
"I was taking painkillers to try to get through it and in the end it just broke down.
"There's Champions League football now and I'll be fighting tooth and nail to get a regular starting place."
ESPN Soccernet
Harry Redknapp is backing Aaron Lennon to rediscover the sparkling form he showed before he was forced to miss four months of last season.
Lennon had a prolonged stint on the sidelines with a groin injury and failed to shine at the World Cup with England or during Tottenham's start to the current campaign. The 23-year-old did not make Fabio Capello's squad for the recent qualifiers with Bulgaria and Switzerland.
Now Redknapp must decide whether to play Lennon despite his slump in form or play Dutch playmaker Rafael Van der Vaart out wide instead. But regardless of his team selection against Dutch champions FC Twente, Redknapp is certain Lennon will eventually come good.
"He's had the injury and he had a quiet World Cup, really,'' Redknapp said. "I think he's getting over the injury from last season. But he's a matchwinner on his day and it's very hard to be consistent when you play out in that wide position, when you've got to beat people every week and people expect you to get the ball and go whizzing past full-backs, cross balls.
"Full-backs now are as quick as wingers, they get tight, they stop you getting the ball. You've got to work very hard to get on the ball now when you play in that wide position. It's not always easy but he'll come good.'
"He's a quiet little lad. But one game can turn it all for him. He just needs to get a bit of confidence. Maybe in training you work with him and you stick somebody at left-back who you're confident that he can get by. I'll find one!'''
Fellow midfielder Tom Huddlestone believes Lennon is suffering from being double-marked by opponents this season. "I think a lot of teams know his qualities,'' said Huddlestone, who could captain Spurs on Wednesday.
"At the West Ham game at the weekend, he had a left-back against him and [Luis] Boa Morte - even though he played left-wing - didn't really get forward that much. It was sort of a doubling act on Aaron. Anybody with two players on them is going to find it difficult.''
Lennon's impact has been overshadowed by team-mate Gareth Bale, who is currently in a rich vein of form. Bale has operated in a left wing role in many of Tottenham's games but Redknapp says the Welshman will eventually settle into a left-back role.
"I think in years to come, he'll be the best left-back anywhere. But he's also a great left-sided player and it suits me to play him wide left most of the time because [Benoit] Assou-Ekotto is also a top, top-class left-back.''
Despite his concerns over Lennon, Redknapp's real worry for the game with Twente lies at the back, where he has just one fully fit recognised centre-half in Sebastien Bassong. He may risk captain Ledley King, but if not, Vedran Corluka will continue in the heart of defence.
"The biggest problem you have is probably getting the players up for the Premier League games after the Champions League,'' said Redknapp, whose side have won just two of their six league matches this term.
"You have to juggle around your team, I've found and when you keep changing your team, it makes it difficult to get continuity. We've had to do that an awful lot - change the team - probably through injury more than anything, especially in the back.
"It's a tight group,'' he added. ''Every point is going to be very vital. I think we need to win our home games; obviously, if you do that, you'll qualify. So tomorrow's a massive game for us; it's a game we need to win.''
LONDON: Pemain Tottenham Hotspur, Rafael van der Vaart berazam menggunakan pengalaman luasnya dalam Liga Juara-Juara untuk meraih kemenangan pertama dalam Kumpulan A, hari ini.
Pemain tengah antarabangsa Belanda itu dijangka memainkan peranan penting menentang juara Belanda, FC Twente di White Hart Lane, dengan pengurus Spurs, Harry Redknapp mahu menekankan kepada serangan ketika dia berdepan masalah kecederaan di bahagian pertahanan.
“Saya memiliki banyak pengalaman dalam Liga Juara-Juara,” kata Van der Vaart.
“Saya bermain dengan Ajax dalam Liga Juara-Juara, Hamburg dan Madrid. Saya berharap dapat membantu pasukan dan saya pasti mampu melakukannya.”
Pemain 27 tahun itu membuat penampilan positif dalam empat kemunculan selepas berhijrah dari Real Madrid sejurus sebelum tirai perpindahan ditutup.
Permainan Van der Vaart mirip gaya perancang Spurs dari Croatia, Luka Modric tetapi dia merasakan mereka berdua boleh bermain dalam pasukan sama.
“Dia pemain hebat,” kata Van der Vaart.
“Saya sentiasa bermain dengan pemain bagus. Dia bermain sedikit mirip gaya Belanda, dengan teknik bagus, dia laju dan mampu menyesuaikan diri dengan baik.” – AFP
