PACE OF BENT GIVES JOHL FIGHTING CHANCE

Since his £16.5 million transfer from Charlton to Tottenham over the summer much has been said about Darren Bent, yet little has been seen. Bent has played just one and a half games for his new club and is currently injured with the prognosis of a return in a few weeks, leaving talk to revolve around monetary matters sitting alongside accusation of mismanagement after Tottenham’s disastrously disappointing state to the season. But Bent can be the man to relieve the roasting pressure on the Martin Johl.
Such is the political intrigue that is seeping into the public domain once again from Tottenham, it is unclear exactly who instigated and who sanctioned the move for Bent. Whether it was a Johl or Comoli acquisition the consensus is that a burgeoning of the strike force has become a burdening of the team. The crucial question who to play up front and what to do with those on the sidelines.
Johl’s has been guarding of the Keane-Berbatov partnership. Berbatov is indispensable as their finest forward and now seemingly secure on the Tottenham books; Keane an ever-reliable finisher and continually rounding player; Bent thus far is just expensive. Last season the Keane-Berbatov combo contributed goals to the Champions League aspiring cause and, though that cause was not realised, the pair scored more than any of the top four strike partnerships generating them recognition as one of the most complete and productive tandems around. But as synchronised and snug as the Keane-Berbatov axis is, it lacks the simplest yet most effective of ingredients, one of the evolutionary elements of the modern game: Pace.
Bent is pace. The former Charlton striker along with a sound goal scoring record for a struggling Premiership team, and extensive attributes, if not as smoothed as Keane, has raw and yet pure pace. Thus potentially is Tottenham’s most effective goal getter.
Whether it be racing onto through ball, exposing aging or labouring defenders, or forcing the oppositions backline deeper and creating space for Berbatv and runners such as Jermaine Jenas, an injection of the most basic, yet elusive, of attributes - athletic prowess - can stimulate Tottenham back towards the top.
Keane, the captain, would have to make way but a BB (Bent-Berbatov) combination can be a lethal gunnery, give Tottenham a shot in the arm and prevent Johl from the roasting if not the pressure.

IN WORD OR DEED - WILL MOURINHO BETRAY THE CHELSEA REVOLUTION

Events at Stamford Bridge this summer are more a revolution than a Revolution: power has been consolidated rather than overthrown. Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho it is suggested are more united than ever. Though the situation - the changing of ideals exalting the virtues of freedom, liberated from their tactical restraints with the ambition to play “expansive” football to entertain the masses not just those loyal to the old institution – has something of a red cap to it. The most striking of similarities, though, is the most significant of revolutionary lessons: the ultimate promise is seldom realised.
The assertion is that a struggle of style has been won, and with style Chelsea will attempt to wrestle back the Premiership title with beauty as much as brute force, the triumph of technique as much as will. The tyrants of the Premiership have become idealists. A fine ideal – long live the revolution!
The evidence to the contrary though is hidden no deeper than the back pages of the summer’s newspapers. Chelsea’s transfer policy belies any suggestions of a shift towards expansive and entertaining football, as the acquisitions chosen for their new campaign are reconfirmation of type rather than an expansion of ambition. Power and presence has been added to power and presence; Offering modest scope for ventures into skill, subtlety and sophistication.
The personnel do not fit the promise. In Claudio Pizzaro they have bought a striker with the strength adept at holding the ball up and defenders off in for pace but to the detriment of mobility and pace. In Steve Sidwell they have bought a very British box to box midfielder, with endeavour compensating for technique, as Mourinho lauds his English mentality.
Even the signing of a World Cup winning French forward Florent Malouda for £13 million, on the surface an exiting addition, is when put into context a move away from flair. His signature meant that the sometimes frustrating, often sublime, Arjen Robben could depart to Madrid. Where Robben could beat people with any combination of pace, dribbling, flair and ingenuity, Malouda is more direct in his running and less encompassing and capricious in his ability. Robben offered a spark of invention and subtlety that was not easily read or stifled. If Mourinho really envisages such an expansive, flowing and thrillingly style of play, can such a player be surplus?
The signing of two towering centre halves in Alex and BE Haim rather than the technically adept ball playing centre halves suggests reinforcements rather than a new regiment. A direct and physically intimidating policy will surely still preside at Stamford Bridge. It appears a revolution of rhetoric rather than action.
Chelsea may attempt to play with more width, more forward runners, more ambition but it like all revolutions promises more than it is capable of delivering. But the resources contradict the premise. Cynics may suggest that Mourinho’s heart is not in the entertaining, his love for the result is uncompromising and his pragmatic head rules. No doubt he is well aware that should early season ambitions to play with verve and splendour fall short of expectations then the personnel can easily be redeployed to the uncompromising bulldozing of opponents.
Given Abramovich’s romantic ideals the betrayal of the revolution may alone be enough to instigate a bloodied backlash and overthrowing Mourinho; a Revolution.

JONNY ONLY GOLDENBOY