Mention ‘Harry Redknapp’ and ‘tactics’ in the same sentence and you expect the words ‘doesn’t use’ to feature in between. Harry Redknapp views formation as using his best eleven players, regardless of position and team benefit. Tottenham Hotspur, however, find themselves in 5th place in the Premier League and in the Champions League Quarter Finals due to Redknapp’s ‘tactics’.  Rafael Van der Vaart is conceivably Tottenham’s most naturally gifted player, yet he has failed to completely demonstrate this in recent weeks; so has the Dutchman’s inclusion come at the cost of his team’s fluidity?

Van der Vaart currently finds himself in a dip in form after a blistering start to his Lilywhites career. The Dutchman’s recent slump is said to be due to his inability to keep up with the pace of the English game for a full 90 minutes; Redknapp has stated that a lack of fitness is the reason for his constant early departures from the field of play, the playmaker has completed only eight games since his £8 million transfer last summer. Van der Vaart’s fragility is beginning to cause concern at White Hart Lane and, combined with his latest ‘strops’ after being subbed against West Ham and AC Milan, respectively, should provoke Redknapp to start to think tactically, to halt Spurs’ poor run of form, perhaps at the cost of the Holland international.

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At the weekend against Stoke City, Redknapp opted for an orthodox 4-4-2 formation with The Netherlands man dropping into a four man midfield. Van der Vaart has usually been deployed as a creative attacking midfielder playing just behind a lone striker. The formation was key in helping Spurs record a victory, with Peter Crouch, the usually goal-shy striker, bagging a brace that rounded off an impressive attacking display. This reduced Van der Vaart’s individual impact, giving way to a more efficient team performance.

It is an old adage that ‘no man is bigger than a team’. Until the last moments of the transfer window, Van der Vaart was readying himself for a move to the Bundesliga with last season’s Champions League runners up, Bayern Munich; with all due respect to Spurs, they don’t carry the same aura as Bayern, which arguably instilled an air of arrogance into the Dutchman. This attitude is obvious in his recent tantrums and, despite his numerous goals so far this season, perhaps ‘Arry should take the bold, yet controversial move in dropping the midfielder from his influential playmaking role, or all together?

Bet on Spurs with or without Van der Vaart…

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