Thread Retitled: Why is Stalteri not playing?

[T.Reis]

Let's face it. It's hard to get a solid read on how good Stalteri truely is. We didn't get a chance to see him play with W.Bremen to much since we don't get that much German Bundesliga on TV here in Ontario, and he isn't exactly surrounded by the worlds best when he plays for Canada.

It will be intresting to see how he adapts to life in the Premership with Tottenham.

Regardless, they did think higlhy enough of him to give him a 4 year deal.

Good Job Stalteri! & Good Luck!

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

If he can start for a top Bundesliga team (Werder Bremen just qualified for the Champions League) he should do OK in the Premiership for a midtable team like Tottenham Hotspurs IMO. Really not much difference in terms of quality between the two leagues. If you have digital cable, you should be able to watch Bundesliga games on FSWC. I sometimes prefer those games on Saturday mornings when there is a one sided mismatch involving Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester Utd and a Premiership also rans on Rogers Sportsnet.

[schafer]

He'll do fine. I don't expect him to set things alight, but that's not why they bought him.

[the_baron]

I'm worried that he may be easily beaten for pace by the likes of Duff and Pires.

[narduch]

Paul held his own against the likes of Valencia and Inter in the Champions League this year. I don't think he'll have a problem with the EPL.

In fact, I'd argue that he is currently the best Canadian player (that's including Canadian-born englishmen).

[schafer]

I'm worried that he may be easily beaten for pace by the likes of Duff and Pires.

There are alot of full-backs that can't keep up with these guys, so they have to anticipate and use their positioning to keep them under control. Stalteri is also fairly strong, and that will come in handy

[Razcle]

Anyone following the Surs this year know why Stalteri is barely making the substitute roster?? Is he injured or is he out of favour or is he just that far down the line that his chances are few and far between.

Obviously it is in the interest of the Canadian National team to see him play regularly...anyone know why he has only played in 2 games this season?

[Blizzard]

Razcle,

Why not start a new thread with a title more approriate to your question? This thread is 2.5 years old.

B

[Razcle]

Hey just trying to keep the house clean. Obviously you don't have an answer to my post though eh?

[Blizzard]

Hey just trying to keep the house clean. Obviously you don't have an answer to my post though eh?

I don't follow them closely enough to really know. Although ast year he was ravaged by injuries and now it seems clear that he is out of favour. I'd love to see him move on and play to keep his game sharp for Canada!

(BTW, I've changed the name of the thread to try and encourage others with better insights to respond!)

B

[Scorpion26]

Well I think Chimbonda is playing very well for Spurs, and I think Stalteri might leave the club at Jan Transfer. Good place to go could be to Fulham, Reading, Sunderland, and maybe Birmingham.

[SoccerNewf]

Well I think Chimbonda is playing very well for Spurs, and I think Stalteri might leave the club at Jan Transfer. Good place to go could be to Fulham, Reading, Sunderland, and maybe Birmingham.

As long as he goes to a team that plays in a top flight league. He deserves to play just about every night and his skills are being wasted at Tottenham.

[ljubiana]

Most Spurs fans consider him to be responsible for a lot of the easy goals we've conceded over the past two seasons. They also don't consider him nearly good enough to be a starter or even a squad player on a team that's trying to break into the top four. In fact, a lot of us Spurs fans are hoping to improve on Chimbonda even on that right side, and he's an intermittent member of the French national team. So you can understand why Paul's chances are bleak. I think he's good enough for the prem, maybe a side like birmingham or fulham or even boro. hopefully if he moves in january it wont be to a side that gets relegated.

[Grizzly]

Most Spurs fans consider him to be responsible for a lot of the easy goals we've conceded over the past two seasons. They also don't consider him nearly good enough to be a starter or even a squad player on a team that's trying to break into the top four. In fact, a lot of us Spurs fans are hoping to improve on Chimbonda even on that right side, and he's an intermittent member of the French national team. So you can understand why Paul's chances are bleak. I think he's good enough for the prem, maybe a side like birmingham or fulham or even boro. hopefully if he moves in january it wont be to a side that gets relegated.

A lot of Spurs fans also consider that their team plays at the level of Chelsea and Manchester United when the reality is they are more like Everton or Middlesborough. It is funny that the teams being mentioned that he would be good enough for are all above or near Spurs in the table. Chimbonda is decent but Lee is terrible, no reason he should start above Stalteri who can also play on the left. Although I previously had nothing against Spurs, I personally would be happy to see them relegated (oh didn't you notice you are only 3 points from the relegation zone) after listing to the delusional rantings of Spurs fans since Stalteri has played there.

[ljubiana]

you're right, Grizzly, we're off to a terrible start this season. But its more to do with the crisis we had at the beginning of the season with the Juande Ramos controversy and everything else that ensued than not having the quality of upper-mid table sides. In reality, we are both a richer and a more skilled side than everton and certainly boro. Don't forget, we finished fifth the last two years, and should have been fourth in 2006. Also, what quality we may be lacking is mostly at the back, where we've been plagued by injuries this year (we haven't had our captain King all season). We're targeting people like Dani Alves of Sevilla to fill in at the back, certainly a player out of reach of most mid table sides. Oh, don't get your hopes up of Spurs being relegated this year, certainly after we thrashed Wigan 4-0 on sunday. I'm Canadian, and i'm a hardcore supporter of the national team. that's why I want Paul to move on so badly. He's presence at Spurs is not good for the club, the national team or himself. Unfortunately, he's not quite the quality to be a regular on a club like Spurs, so if he wants to play it's going to have to be elsewhere.

[Grizzly]

you're right, Grizzly, we're off to a terrible start this season. But its more to do with the crisis we had at the beginning of the season with the Juande Ramos controversy and everything else that ensued than not having the quality of upper-mid table sides. In reality, we are both a richer and a more skilled side than everton and certainly boro. Don't forget, we finished fifth the last two years, and should have been fourth in 2006. Also, what quality we may be lacking is mostly at the back, where we've been plagued by injuries this year (we haven't had our captain King all season). We're targeting people like Dani Alves of Sevilla to fill in at the back, certainly a player out of reach of most mid table sides. Oh, don't get your hopes up of Spurs being relegated this year, certainly after we thrashed Wigan 4-0 on sunday. I'm Canadian, and i'm a hardcore supporter of the national team. that's why I want Paul to move on so badly. He's presence at Spurs is not good for the club, the national team or himself. Unfortunately, he's not quite the quality to be a regular on a club like Spurs, so if he wants to play it's going to have to be elsewhere.

Yes for two years you finished in fifth (and in the first fifth place finish Stalteri was a starter) but until then the last several decades have been mostly mid to lower table finishes. Until I see Spurs get a backline that is the quality of a top team in the EPL I will continue to not understand why Stalteri is not playing or even on the subs bench most games. He was a starter on a stronger backline at Werder and regardless of who they plan to sign at the next transfer window those guys are not with Spurs right now.

[thisisinternetclash]

I'm also a supporter of both Spurs and the Canadian national team. I just don't think Stalteri's up to it. When he has played he's often looked very shakey. He strikes me as a player who has a very good footballing brain coupled with strong defensive awareness, and is technically good enough to cut it at the Premiership level. The problem is that he just doesn't appear to have the physical tools to compete at a club like Spurs. He's a little too small and slow to really make an impact at Tottenham. You can see him losing 50/50 balls and being outmuscled regularly.

Spurs regular fullbacks this season are Chimbonda, Lee, and Gareth Bale. Bale is becoming one of the best players in the league, and will probably eventually be one of the best fullbacks in world football if he continues his development. Chimbonda has been poor this season, but is starting to recover his form. He was a multimillion pound target for Chelsea in the close-season, has made the French national team, and has been in the Premiership team of the season. He's a very good fullback. Lee isn't great, but even he has played deep into the Champions league with PSV, and is a mainstay in a better national team program than Canada's. Even then, though, most Spurs fans aren't happy with him and are advocating moving Bale to LB permanently or bringing in a replacement.

It would be unfair to expect Stalteri to displace these players. He's just not quite good enough. This doesn't mean that he's a poor player. He also looks much better for Canada, likely due to the slower, less physical nature of CONCACAF and international football in general. I didn't really watch him at Bremen, but I would imagine that he did well in the Bundesliga for this season reason.

[Razcle]

Thanks to all that have replied. Since I am not a Spurs fan and I barly watch the team (excpet against Citeh) I wouldn't know that he is not able to displace any of the backs, even though as mentioned above, 2 of the 3 are playing like sh!t. The Premier league is not made for everyone, and some people would excel in a different environment. I just want to see Paul playing and keeping sharp and helping us bid for our 2010 spot.

CANADA WILL MAKE WC2010.....now we just need to go out and do it!

[Razcle]

Another game in the box-seats for Stalteri. I wonder if his recent performance with Canada vs South Africa helped for this decision to be made.

He needs to get out of the spurs and onto a team where he can get some minutes. With Canada's lack of depth, we need him to be ready for 2010 qualifying. This needs to be the year we get back to the big show, because once we get there we will know how to get back. Positive change will come from Canadian Soccer in the next 8-10 years....But we have a team that can start the trend now.

[wyly]

I'm also a supporter of both Spurs and the Canadian national team. I just don't think Stalteri's up to it. When he has played he's often looked very shakey. He strikes me as a player who has a very good footballing brain coupled with strong defensive awareness, and is technically good enough to cut it at the Premiership level. The problem is that he just doesn't appear to have the physical tools to compete at a club like Spurs. He's a little too small and slow to really make an impact at Tottenham. You can see him losing 50/50 balls and being outmuscled regularly.

Spurs regular fullbacks this season are Chimbonda, Lee, and Gareth Bale. Bale is becoming one of the best players in the league, and will probably eventually be one of the best fullbacks in world football if he continues his development. Chimbonda has been poor this season, but is starting to recover his form. He was a multimillion pound target for Chelsea in the close-season, has made the French national team, and has been in the Premiership team of the season. He's a very good fullback. Lee isn't great, but even he has played deep into the Champions league with PSV, and is a mainstay in a better national team program than Canada's. Even then, though, most Spurs fans aren't happy with him and are advocating moving Bale to LB permanently or bringing in a replacement.

It would be unfair to expect Stalteri to displace these players. He's just not quite good enough. This doesn't mean that he's a poor player. He also looks much better for Canada, likely due to the slower, less physical nature of CONCACAF and international football in general. I didn't really watch him at Bremen, but I would imagine that he did well in the Bundesliga for this season reason.

Too small? Stalteri outweighs Chimbonda, Bale and Lee, is only an inch shorter than Chimbonda and Bale and 2 inches taller than Lee. Size has nothing to do with it.

The reason he doesn't play is because he screws up, everytime I've seen him in a match he has a blunder that causes panic in the Spurs defence.

When he was with Breman I didn't see im make these errors, he was a valuable utility man who earned his keep and position.

I can only assume there something different about how Spurs are using him as opposed to Breman. It is also possible a lack of playing time is keeping him from being match sharp, maybe a transfer to another club where he can hold a starting position would be to his benefit.