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PREMIER LEAGUE: WEST HAM UNITED 1 TOTTENHAM HTSPUR 0

EYEWITNESS REPORT from UPTON PARK

By DAN CARRIER

IT’s been a question on every one’s lips since he signed just before the transfer window snapped down. How would Harry fit Rafael Ven Der Vaart into a side already boasting the superb Luka Modric in the playmaker position the Dutch trickster likes to occupy? Harry has always seemed sold on a 4-4-2 set up, and surely having two ball players of their ilk in the team would mean it was seriously unbalanced?
This is based on assumptions that disregard Harry’s know how. Because he is often called an old school manager - he speaks Cockney and tells it like it is - this is often mistaken for a rigidity, old fashioned approach to laying his team out.  Not so. Harry is a good tactician, and it's nonsense to think he is sold on 4-4-2 and won’t ever change. It’s a weird form of inverted racism. Just because he ploughed his trade as a player in the 60s doesn’t mean his teams have to wear heavy boots, induce brain damage through heading solid leather footballs and enjoy a fag at half time.  If he had a foreign name, people would be calling him a professor, like his counterpart down the Seven Sisters Road.
And while putting five in the midfield is often seen as a sign of negativity, this is clearly not the case when you have players of Modric’s and Van Der Vaart’s calibre in the side.
Today Harry had both available and chose to give them a run out at Upton Park. It’s a wonky ground and there is a charm about the piece meal nature of the old Boleyn Ground. There’s a big gap in the south east corner where you can see the tired 60s high rises peek through, and stand that runs along the eastern side of the pitch would not look out of place in the old fourth division.
In the opening six minutes the pair combined, flipping the ball between them like the two biggest kids in the playground, and carving the first real chance for the visitors.  
On 14 Jenas stung the palms of Green with a long range effort, the opening carved by Modric combining with Huddlestone, but it was a brief moment in an opening quarter that saw West Ham dominant.
On 20, Modric scuffled forward, played it wide to Lennon who then laid it off for VDV: form distance his effort forced Green into a another safety-first effort and won the visitors a corner. Moments later, VDV found space again on the edge of the box and his well weighted effort beat Green but went fractionally the wrong side of the post.
Yet for all of Tottenham‘sm tricks and flicks, it was West Ham who went ahead: a Fredi Piquionne header punished Tottenham’s make shift centre back pairing at a set piece on 28.
Yet Modric and VDV continued to look likeliest to bring Spurs back into it: Modric thumped an effort goal wards which Green did brilliantly to turn against the cross bar and then VDV forced Green into a messy save from a stooped  near post header. On 42, VDV’s slipped ball to Crouch was again sheer class, but some super defending  by Upson blocked a certain equaliser.
The second half saw the pair still pulling the strings but they continued to run aground against the well organised Hammers defence with little real success, though Huddlestone should have equalised after getting himself in to a great position in the box with just Green to beat. He skied it.
VDV was eventually withdrawn with 13 minutes to go, having visibly tired, and the score stayed the same.
But despite the defeat, it would be harsh to say Modric and VDV can’t mix in together in the rough and tumble of away games in the Premiership.
Corluka and Bassong were paired in the middle of defence, with Ledley rested due to the Champions League game on Wednesday, and this meant they lacked the firm foundations required. Until we have Ledley marshalling things, our twin midfield tricksters’ match winning abilities may not come to the fore.

Spurs Ratings:
23 Cudicini (g) 8: Had little chance with the Hammers goal. Pulled off a couple of acrobatic stops in the second period.
2 Hutton, 7: On 28, a super penalty box tackle showed how in the short space of  two games he has got his confidence back. Always sprightly.
3 Bale, 5: Asked to drop to full back, thus negating the flying wing play we’ve grown used to.  
6 Huddlestone, 5 © Didn’t get going in the first half, and too often found Scott Parker had already vacated the space Hudd was trying to close down. Missed a sitter on 55.
7 Lennon, 5: Quiet, again. Best moment on 38, his run to the bye line and cross for Modric to thump a shot against the bar was superb. But it didn’t jump start his game and was withdrawn for Keane.  
8 Jenas, 5: His re-emergence in the starting line up   may be a surprise, but his time on the side lines seems to have reminded him the effort he needs to make to get on the team sheet. One outside of the right boot pass to Hutton was top drawer.  
11 Van Der Vaart, 6: On 24, he swerved one way, then the other, stopped, checked and then went off again with the ball stuck to his toes, all with half the Hammers team snapping at his ankles. Close control and strength, but tired badly towards the end.
14 Modric, 6: Such a joy to watch him in motion. Never lets his standards slip, but rightly exasperated at his team mates today.
15 Crouch, 5: Had a tough time of it, too often asked to win wafted balls in his direction. Swapped for Pav with 10 to go.  
19 Bassong, 6: Often fire fighting as Huddlestone and Jenas did not always  provide the central positions the cover he needed.
22 Corluka, 5: Pace a problem. Always looked worried when the ball came over the top.   

Subs
37 Pletikosa
9 Pavlyuchenko
10 Keane
12 Palacios
17 Dos Santos
21 Kranjcar
30 Sandro

West Ham
1 Green
4 Gabbidon
7 Dyer
8 Parker
13 Boa Morte
15 Upson
16 Noble
22 de Costa
30 Piquionne
33 Obinna
37 Jacobsen

Subs:
29 Stech (g)
3 Ben Haim
9 Cole
12 Barrera
14 Kovac
17 McCarthy
20 Faubert