No hope for Holtby

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When Lewis Holtby arrived many of us were swept away by his enthusiasm, blond hair and his work rate. However, over a year and half later his career has stalled. Where once there was so much hope, now there is just hustle and bustle. Is there any hope that Holtby can be a success at Spurs?

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Not sure if football article or homo erotic novel, he has blonde hair I get it.

Fear it could be true though, Holtby can pick players out but when it comes to controlling a pass, playing 2-3 consecutive accurate passes to feet to build up a move etc you can't really depend on him at all.
What did Magath say about Holtby?
 
I don't care what Magath says and you shouldn't either. Magath is a madman.
he's not mad. Just eccentric

images
 
Article should be titled "Magath admits he's a shit manager"

What other explanation can he offer - he'd managed the player before and signed him to dig him out of a relegation battle...........he can't criticise the player for his perceived lack of character, he knew exactly what he was getting
Magath didn't sign Holtby (he didn't did he?? *facepalm*)
 
Very well-written article as always from Lombardi, but I didn't see a football discussion in there as opposed to an emotional rant within a recanted history. It may have been intended that way, but why exactly do you not feel he has a chance Bardi Bardi ? Surely Eriksen alone is not the only reason for Holtby's impending demise at Spurs if it is the case, especially since he can play a more reserved position as he did in that friendly.

And I agree with the post above, you can't put much stock in the words of Magath, especially a freshly relegated one looking for an excuse and choosing to refer to a loan player he knows well.
 
Imo Holtby, because what seems to be his true love for THFC. His dream move if you like. I just think he tried to hard to impress from the get go! He has a sharp brain. If Poch can compose his game slightly, by that I mean, not feel he needs to attempt a defense splitting pass, first time, every time. Then I think we have a real player on our hands.
 
I'm still completely dumbfounded by the amount of stick Holtby gets when he missed the second half of the season. Everyone says that team needed to gel, yet single out the players for not performing. Makes no sense at all.

He's only ever had half of each season of intermittent runs in the team, technically playing for 4 teams in the last two seasons.

Imagine if we wrote off Bale so quickly!
 
Think Bardi Bardi usually gets it right ( I loved the Turfies article which was just my level of random) but think he's pulling our legs a bit on this occasion.

"..bar slapping Bale’s chest as the Welshman grabbed a stupendous winner against the Baggies, he did little of note and has done very little since then"

I think Holtby's been bright in several games of note-:
  • The incisive pass to assist Defoe against Man City which set us on our way to a big win and took our fourth place challenge until the final day of last season.
  • The pearler he cracked into the top corner against the team we later shipped him out on loan to.
  • Pretty much being the best player on the pitch for us at Sunderland.
Alright just a few cherry-picked examples although I think they're legitimate glimpses of his talent.

"Ten minutes into his Spurs career, he set himself a level, a level of expectation that has destroyed his Spurs career."

What was he supposed to do, put in a substandard work rate and try his best not to play well and slip under the radar for his first game so as not to build insurmountable amongst our fans? I think it's our fault as fans for building him up, not his.

"Holtby was cast off, surplus to requirements. In a calendar year he had gone from German Under21 captain and prospect, to relegation battler at Fulham".

I guess it's easy to break into the German national team, they don't have many good midfielders do they?:freund:

"The season got worse for Holtby when Magath publicly questioned his attitude at Fulham".

Didn't watch much of him at Fulham except the obvious MOTD highlights although I heard he was easily their best player during his spell there, although I'm sure that's easy to dismiss as they were a relegated team.

"Eriksen is who Holtby should have been"

Don't see why, not really a fair comparison in the slightest when they both arguably play in different positions and have had very different amounts of opportunities in a season with a huge amount of disruption.

I guess as a writer or journalist you have to try and polarise opinion by being a bit judgemental and stick your neck out either way to get people reading-you sit on the fence, you get splinters no? I think you're trolling a bit now though sonny jim, same with the Lennon article a few months ago. :lennonlol:

I think Holtby could become an excellent player for us particularly due to his closing down and pressing of the opposition, combined with his one-touch play. The former can help win possession when we're defending, and the latter can help draw defenders out of position when we're struggling to break down opposition defences creating space that our other players can exploit.

:holtbytongue:
 
Think Bardi Bardi usually gets it right ( I loved the Turfies article which was just my level of random) but think he's pulling our legs a bit on this occasion.

"..bar slapping Bale’s chest as the Welshman grabbed a stupendous winner against the Baggies, he did little of note and has done very little since then"

I think Holtby's been bright in several games of note-:
  • The incisive pass to assist Defoe against Man City which set us on our way to a big win and took our fourth place challenge until the final day of last season.
  • The pearler he cracked into the top corner against the team we later shipped him out on loan to.
  • Pretty much being the best player on the pitch for us at Sunderland.
Alright just a few cherry-picked examples although I think they're legitimate glimpses of his talent.

"Ten minutes into his Spurs career, he set himself a level, a level of expectation that has destroyed his Spurs career."

What was he supposed to do, put in a substandard work rate and try his best not to play well and slip under the radar for his first game so as not to build insurmountable amongst our fans? I think it's our fault as fans for building him up, not his.

"Holtby was cast off, surplus to requirements. In a calendar year he had gone from German Under21 captain and prospect, to relegation battler at Fulham".

I guess it's easy to break into the German national team, they don't have many good midfielders do they?:freund:

"The season got worse for Holtby when Magath publicly questioned his attitude at Fulham".

Didn't watch much of him at Fulham except the obvious MOTD highlights although I heard he was easily their best player during his spell there, although I'm sure that's easy to dismiss as they were a relegated team.

"Eriksen is who Holtby should have been"

Don't see why, not really a fair comparison in the slightest when they both arguably play in different positions and have had very different amounts of opportunities in a season with a huge amount of disruption.

I guess as a writer or journalist you have to try and polarise opinion by being a bit judgemental and stick your neck out either way to get people reading-you sit on the fence, you get splinters no? I think you're trolling a bit now though sonny jim, same with the Lennon article a few months ago. :lennonlol:

I think Holtby could become an excellent player for us particularly due to his closing down and pressing of the opposition, combined with his one-touch play. The former can help win possession when we're defending, and the latter can help draw defenders out of position when we're struggling to break down opposition defences creating space that our other players can exploit.

:holtbytongue:
Thank you for taking an interest and actually reading the piece, unlike a few others you gave me a chance to get my point across.

I 100% agree with you regarding his good points. He does offer the team something, but most of the time he flatters to deceive. His entire career at Spurs is summed up in those three points, barring a EL display and a good performance against Villa in the League cup. That isn't much.

He had promise, i had hope for him but i don't see it working at Spurs. I would rather give the game time he would take to a youngster. Sell him make a few bob and invest it back into the team (???Levy??)

I am not saying he is bad, he just isnt as good as we thought he was. AVB, Sherwood and Magath have had doubts about him. I hope he has a brilliant season and scores 20+ goals, but i don't see it.

As you said above, when you write something you have to take a stance. My stance is it wont work out. Its a shame.

Regarding the Lennon piece, he is 27 and he has yet to perfect his final ball. How much longer do we have to wait?
 
Very well-written article as always from Lombardi, but I didn't see a football discussion in there as opposed to an emotional rant within a recanted history. It may have been intended that way, but why exactly do you not feel he has a chance Bardi Bardi ? Surely Eriksen alone is not the only reason for Holtby's impending demise at Spurs if it is the case, especially since he can play a more reserved position as he did in that friendly.

And I agree with the post above, you can't put much stock in the words of Magath, especially a freshly relegated one looking for an excuse and choosing to refer to a loan player he knows well.

For the most part it was an emotional rant because we haven't had any football for ages and i have been listening to old episodes of the pod around about the time Holtby signed. Blame Thelonious Thelonious

When he signed there was this incredible feeling that we had grabbed some brilliant youngster, but in the cold light of day, although Holtby remains a decent player, he isnt this masterful number 10 he was meant to be. He isn't even good enough to play deeper, Bentaleb is far more reliable there.

I just dont understand how there continues to be this much support for a player that to be honest, has done very little for Spurs. In his first season Jenas managed a lot more, yet he remains an analogy for everything that is wrong with Spurs.

Holtby is ok, but not the wunderkid people make out.
 
He is perhaps no wunderkind, but he is still someone that can run the show vs the very best opposition, like he did when he was at Schalke, if he is used right.

He can hardly be blamed for being someone that he's not.

However, this issue has been beaten to death in that horrible Holtby-thread..
 
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He had promise, i had hope for him but i don't see it working at Spurs. I would rather give the game time he would take to a youngster. Sell him make a few bob and invest it back into the team (???Levy??)

This is what I find a bit odd though - he is a youngster - and a talented one at that?
 
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