Tottenham Hotspur Official Topic

[Black]

Paul Hart, it would seem, knows Jermaine Jenas inside out. The former Nottingham Forest manager, a mentor to the midfielder, always maintained that his young prodigy wouldn't properly mature until the age of 24.Hart thought that Jenas's slim frame needed time to develop, to gain inner strength. Only then would we see the player's true potential. Jermaine Jenas finally maturing at SpursMaking strides: Jermaine Jenas has been working on his fitnessIt is a forecast that is beginning to look spookily accurate, now that Jenas is starring so impressively at the heart of Tottenham's rejuvenated team. No other attacking midfielder in this country is in better form. No one is covering the ground with quite so much zest. No Englishman, in fact, deserves their call-up more to Fabio Capello's first squad.And guess what: Jenas is 24. Finally, he's looking the part as a dynamic box-to-box runner, producing the kind of performances we always suspected he could but the kind that never quite materialised on a consistent basis.The player himself recognises the change."I think my game has moved on a notch now," Jenas says. "Although I've always been a fit player, I feel even fitter now. I can defend, help out the back four and then get on the ball and go forward."advertisementAh, yes, the question of fitness. The subject caused quite a stir in the Spurs dressing-room when Juande Ramos took over the reins at White Hart Lane.The Spanish coach, in short, didn't think his charges were fit enough.Cue the double-training sessions, the change in diet and the body-mass index tests that led to most players being ordered to shed a few pounds.Not Jenas, though."I was told to put on weight!" he jokes. "When we were waiting to see the doctor, the lads told me to go last." No wonder. There is, after all, more fat on a butcher's pencil than on this lithe thoroughbred. Ramos, however, didn't feel the same about everyone, hence a turbulent time at the outset. "He was asking a lot of certain players," Jenas admits. "We've basically had another pre-season in November. It was mad. At the same time, we wanted to achieve things and with this manager it's hard to go against anything he says because he's been there, won trophies and knows what he's talking about."I spoke to a few of the lads at the time and the feeling was, let's just go with it and see how we feel."Don't get me wrong, Martin Jol was fantastic. I thought he was a top manager. But when I get asked what the difference is, the only thing I can say is that our new gaffer has won trophies. He knows what it takes to go to that next level. And I think that's what has probably helped us, especially in that semi-final."Jenas refers to the epic second leg of the Carling Cup duel with Arsenal when Spurs chased their old enemies off the park in a memorable 5-1 rout.That is when it all came together, when all the work on fitness and belief spectacularly paid off."There was so much pressure surrounding that game. Not only was it a semi-final but it was against Arsenal. I remember being really pumped up beforehand and the manager saying, 'Look, you need to direct this energy the right way'."He certainly did that, an early strike setting the tone for an all-action, man-of-the match display.No surprise, then, that Jenas has been named in Capello's provisional 30-man squad, so giving him a chance to revive a 17-cap England career that stalled badly under Steve McClaren.A chance, too, to try to finally break into an exclusive club where Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard hold the VIP passes."These players are in the Champions League every year and that obviously helps. The likes of Stevie G and Lamps - they've been doing it at top clubs for a long time. It is hard for managers to look past that. At the same time, if those players aren't on form then you'd expect to get a chance."Gerrard is the one when it comes to my type of midfielder. I've spoken to him on numerous occasions. He's been through similar things to me - getting played out of position or whatever. Sometimes your ability to do so much holds you back. But he came through that. If I can follow on and do half of what he's done then I'd be delighted."In fairness, that is a decent ambition, even if there is a long way to go before another prophecy from the past can be fulfilled. David Platt once said that Jenas would go on to captain his country.Over the last six years, that prediction has occasionally looked realistic, but more often fanciful. From a distance, Jenas seemed to be happy to do just enough, reluctant to really push himself to get to the top.His three years at Newcastle appeared a case in point. Signed by Sir Bobby Robson, the youngster started off full of promise before his Tyneside career drifted off course under Graeme Souness."Bobby leaving affected me a lot because I was really close to him. It all seemed to change when he left." Crucially, Jenas didn't feel his game was improving under Souness."The only way I was learning was through people like Speedo [Gary Speed] and Al [shearer], who would talk to me and help me. But I needed coaching as well. I wanted to become a better player and I didn't feel that was happening."It is certainly happening now, so potentially putting to bed for good those accusations about coasting."I can see why people might see it like that. But I've always given 100 per cent and now, over the last three months or so, I've been able to add a lot more quality and creativity to my game."Change can help players, whether it's going to a new club or having a new manager. Here, it's worked for the whole team. Everyone's playing better and that's what's enabled my personal performances to improve as well. We've become a lot more confident, allowing people like me to express ourselves more."Today, six days after the FA Cup defeat at Old Trafford, Tottenham face up to Manchester United once more. It is another chance to see what Jenas has become, another chance to give credence to Paul Hart's prediction.www.telegraph.co.uk/smith

Mans improved a lot under Ramos, under Jol it was like he was just playing becuase he was one of his favs, look like Ramos has got him playing at 100% unlike Jol could.

[Black]

i can see why he didn't want to come u don't want to leave the club u support since u were kid

[Gundam]

Decent game for us still, only will improve as he gets to know everyone.

[Zdot]

Ramos has got every1 playing better, and players like malbronque are lasting the whole 90 mins. fitness levels have gone up alot

[Rsonist]

Think he played really well. Good, solid debut. Ronaldo - back pocket.

[FamilyTree]

hopefully his form stayshim & huddlestone could be a sick cm partnership in the future

[Sem]

bastard needs to learn how to shoot

[Rsonist]

Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD PTS1 Arsenal 25 11 2 0 29 8 7 4 1 22 10 33 602 Man Utd 25 12 1 0 31 3 6 3 3 17 9 36 573 Chelsea 25 8 4 0 23 8 8 2 3 15 9 21 544 Everton 25 7 2 3 23 11 6 3 4 17 12 17 445 Aston Villa 25 7 2 4 20 16 4 6 2 24 16 11 436 Liverpool 24 5 6 1 26 9 6 4 2 13 8 22 427 Man City 25 9 3 1 21 11 2 5 5 11 17 4 418 Portsmouth 25 3 7 2 15 10 7 1 5 20 16 9 389 Tottenham 25 7 2 3 30 17 3 5 5 12 17 8 3710 Blackburn 25 5 4 4 13 13 5 5 2 18 18 0 3711 West Ham 24 5 4 3 15 12 5 2 5 14 10 7 3612 Newcastle 25 5 5 3 17 18 2 2 8 11 25 -15 2813 Middlesbrough 25 3 4 5 13 18 3 4 6 9 20 -16 2614 Bolton 25 5 4 4 17 11 1 3 8 9 23 -8 2515 Wigan 25 5 2 5 15 14 1 3 9 9 26 -16 2316 Reading 25 6 1 6 14 19 0 3 9 16 33 -22 2217 Sunderland 25 6 3 3 15 13 0 2 11 7 32 -22 2118 Birmingham 25 3 4 5 13 14 2 2 9 10 23 -12 1919 Fulham 25 3 5 5 17 22 0 5 7 7 21 -18 1820 Derby 25 1 3 8 8 21 0 3 10 5 31 -39 9

f*ckin joke.It does still bother me, this last second business. But still, its beyond a f*ckin joke.

[Black]

Its Man u they ALLWAYS get extra minutes when there not winning

[mp*]

Its Man u they ALLWAYS get extra minutes when there not winning

[Gundam]

Get me, the match should have finished after Woody's challenge but the ref didn't want fergie or rooney moaning at him so he gave them 4 mins.

[Gundam]

He will never become a top player till he puts in 3 good performances in a row. Thats is the truth.

[Mr. Gayle]

So you will be 2 places above where you are now then, what am I missing here ???

[Eduardo da Silva]

Reh, just clocked that Arsenal have more than double the amount of points than Spurs.

[Rsonist]

Get me, the match should have finished after Woody's challenge but the ref didn't want fergie or rooney moaning at him so he gave them 4 mins.

I just noticed that when i watched the game on TV this morning.It was always going to happen. But the decisions Man Utd get, and have been getting since 1993 is laughable. The FA and referees have as much a say in how they win cups and trophies as one of their star players. Joke.

[Gundam]

Tbh i don't think we should have english officials at Utd games, just give it to a foriegn ref who don't understand them and don't care what they have to say.English Refs either support Utd(Apart from a couple of Arsenal ones) or are scared of them.

[Rsonist]

Well that c*nt Clattenburg who reffed the game yesterday, seems to have refered alot of games between us and Utd.Yes, most notably that one involving Mendes and that c*nt Carrol.

[M.Dot]

So you will be 2 places above where you are now then, what am I missing here ???

League positions not much but they might have had a chance at CL football.

[OGSTA1]

Dawson should of cleared that cross whether it be in the 4 or 94th min.That lack of mental resistance and concentration the only thing thats holding us back from being a very,very,good side.

[Young £]

if's but's maybe's

[dotcomma]

if's but's maybe's

Innit man what the f*ck is this sh*t.Hold on, lemme go doctor the table in the season where Man u won the tittle by 1 point.

[Apache]

So basically nothing is different.

[OGSTA1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtOUEqVhyv8

[FamilyTree]

yeh he looks sick on youtube, but u never knowgood 2 see hes got a left & right foot