7 Thoughts On The Season Ahead

1. 

   Where will he fit in at the Lane?

   Confirmation came tonight that Spurs have indeed signed Rafael Van der Vaart from Real Madrid. The Dutchman is a decent player, a poor man’s Wesley Sneijder in my view, but that doesn’t make him a dud by any stretch of the imagination. I wonder though where exactly he’ll fit into the Spurs lineup, with the excellent Luca Modric already established as the club’s main playmaker, and Van der Vaart lacking the pace or power to really impose himself on the Premier League from wide areas. For 8 million euro he’s a player that’s sure to bolster Spurs attcking options as they face the rigours of a Champions League campaign for the first time. But I’m far from convinced he’ll make that much of a difference as the season progresses.

Balon d’Or 2009 – Top 20

Not that there was ever much doubt but once his brilliant header flew past Edwin Van Der Sar in the European Cup final Lionel Messi was always going to be this years recipient of the Balon d’Or. The little genius from Argentina lit up European football throughout season 2008-09, playing an instrumental role in Barcelona becoming the first Spanish club to do the treble.

Caught in a Trap

Who's fooling who?

Football: Watching Ireland play France last Saturday night was a painful experience and I fear tonight’s return game in the Stade de France could be even worse. It’s a strange feeling heading into a game holding little faith in the team you support, but as Trappatoni’s side take to the pitch in Paris later my expectations will be at rock bottom.