Best Spurs XI Of Your Lifetime

This is probably a lot easier for me as I only started supporting Spurs in 1987 (thanks to the FA Cup Final defeat) and then didn't really watch much until the mid-90s. So I don't have to find spots for Hoddle, Waddle, Ardiles, Mabbutt, or even Lineker.

GK: Lloris
RB: Walker
CB: Ledley
CB: Verts
LB: BAE
CM: Gazza
CM: Modric
RM: Anderton
LM: Bale
CF: Klinsmann
CF: Kane

Sub 1: Robinson
Sub 2: Toby
Sub 3: Dembele
Sub 4: Dele
Sub 5: Sheringham

I've stuck with a traditional 5-man bench to make it harder. Need a CB in there and Verts or Ledley can cover the FB positions. Which means Rose, Carrick, Lennon and Berbatov missing out too. And I refuse to pick he-who-shall-not-be-named.

GK: Clemence
RB: Perryman
CB: Mabbutt
CB: King
LB: Hughton
CM: Hoddle
CM: Ardiles
RM: Waddle
LM: Ginola
CF: Berbatov
CF: Kane

Right...here we go. My first game was Sept 1988.

GK: LLoris
RB: Walker
LB: Rose
CB: Alderweireld
CB: Vertonghen
RM: Anderton
CM: Gascoigne
CM: Modric
LM: Bale
CF: Klinsmann
CF: Kane

Subs:
Erik the Viking
King
Carrick
Dembele
Waddle


Manager - Venables

90sSpursBook said:

Right...here we go. My first game was Sept 1988.

GK: LLoris
RB: Walker
LB: Rose
CB: Alderweireld
CB: Vertonghen
RM: Anderton
CM: Gascoigne
CM: Modric
LM: Bale
CF: Klinsmann
CF: Kane

Subs:
Erik the Viking
King
Carrick
Dembele
Waddle


Manager - Venables

Click to expand...

Manager is an interesting one. To deal with all the egos, and play attacking football, think I might go with 'Arry!

The name that is surprising me is how often Alderweireld is turning up. Now he was a very good player and part of an incredible partnership. But individually i thought he was nowhere near Verts' level. And id possibly even put him behind Dawson and Romero, was well as Verts and King. Opinions obviously though

First match October 2001

GK Lloris

RB Walker
CB King
CB Jan
LB Rose

CM Carrick
CM Modric

RW Lamela
LW Bale

CAM VDV

ST Kane
ST Berbatov

Subs
Robinson
Assou Ekotto
Alderweireld
Davids (too exciting for me as a kid to leave out entirely )
Lennon
Defoe
Keane

Mines not very interesting because I started supporting us in the days of Gary Doherty and Anthony Gardener. So by necessity it’s more or less just a 10 year side really!

It’s taken doing this for me to realise the lack of depth we’ve had in recent years at full back and on the wings other than the obvious choices

I had this conversation with a Liverpool-supporting friend recently (who naturally assumed I'd go with Clemence as best GK; I quickly disabused him of that idea). He would not allow me Bale as a LB so I had to switch formation to accommodate WBs, which further necessitated fudging Mackay's position as he was the first player on the teamsheet. He may not have been Spurs' best-ever player (he survived two broken legs at a time when one was enough to end most careers) but he was arguably its most significant, as his ferocious will to win made the other players better. For those of you who never saw him, think of Graeme Souness - and those of you who never saw Souness, he was a bit good, but not good enough for the Spurs first XI in the early seventies, apparently.

Year watched first match: Circa 1967. Arsenal vs Fulham (Dad was an Arsenal fan). Living in Hornchurch, it was difficult for a schoolkid to get to WHL, which meant I watched WHU a lot instead. Harry Redknapp stoodthisclosetome and swore in my face after the referee reversed the lineman's throw-in decision during this match.

GK: Jennings
RWB: Kyle Walker
CB: Ledley
CB: Other people have been brave enough to list him, so I guess it is OK for me to do so as well. Deep breath ... Campbell.
CB: Mackay (pushing into midfield when in possession)
LWB: Bale
CM: Modric
CM: Hoddle
CM: Gascoigne
Jimmy Greaves role: Greaves
CF: Kane


Sub 1: Clemence
Sub 2: Mabbuttt (CB/box-to-box MF)
Sub 3: Waddle
Sub 4: Ardiles (really tough choice vs Modric)
Sub 5: Lineker

Even I am not old enough to remember Cliff Jones in his pomp - I like to think of him as a faster, braver Bale but with less skill - and it hurts to leave out Shaggy (great servant, on a par with Beckham for assists), Being a short-arse myself, I will always have a soft-spot for Lennon, who got me out of my seat more than any other player I can remember (unfortunately everyone else got out of their seat and I could still see bugger-all).

Manager: Sir Alf Ramsey (OK, he never managed Spurs but he did play for them)

I’m gonna go gut reaction with this, so probably gonna miss a few.

Gomes
Walker - King - Toby - Rose
Modders - Gazza - dembele
Bale, Kane, dele

Subs: van der vaart, sheringham, berbatov, lloris, verts, son, carr, ginola