When you’re in love with a beautiful Russian….

Roman Pavlyuchenko - Tottenham Hotspur News

God loves a trier so they saying goes. So do football fans it seems. But why?

Why is effort so important? Why do we British value effort over ability? Do we let other professionals off with deficiencies if they are at least giving it their all?

“He may not know much about medicine but he is very keen and brought his own scalpel.”

No.

I like talent. And skill. Lazy genius is right up my street.

That is why I love Roman Pavlyuchenko. Something about someone who possesses a great gift but chooses to use it sparingly strikes a chord.

Since we bought him Pav has divided fans opinion. Brought in to replace another lazy genius in Dimitar Berbatov in 2008 could it be a case of once bitten twice shy for Spurs fans?

He has hardly been prolific in his time at the Lane, scoring 40 goals in all competitions but this is from just 69 starts plus 40 as a sub.

He wasn’t helped that he was brought in by Ramos who quickly departed for known Eurosceptic Redknapp who famously once told Pav, via a translator, to “just f****** run around a bit”. Roman would net a late winner in that to vanquish Liverpool.

Pav is not one to pull hopeless punts forward out of the air like his Bulgarian predecessor, no his is a game based on movement. Pulling into a position away from the defender to make a yard to tap home from close range (Inter Milan at home) or unleash his sledgehammer of a right foot (Young Boys away).

I once heard him described as having the touch of a league one player, the brain of a championship forward, the movement of a top premier league striker and the right foot of a Norse god.

And that would be enough for me every day.

However, his inability to be the holdup man lead to the club going out and getting perhaps the only taller striker in world football who is worse in the air… Hi Peter.

Crouch was limiting and frustrating, not frustrating in the sense of Pav who would seem to do very little and miss quite often, Crouch would seem to do an awful lot and miss. Or more likely fall over.

This is when Pav first started making noises about leaving. But wouldn’t we all if a circus attraction was brought in to do our job with seemingly no greater return?

I can only think there were no serious offers for him in the summer so that is why Harry was forced to bid farewell to Crouchy once again to join the Land of the Giants in Stoke.

Now it appears his time may finally be up. Ade is keeping him out the first team and Defoe is the go to sub. Yet everyone who watched the Rubin Kazan game (both of us) got a glimpse of just what it is that makes this man so special.

His free kick into the top corner to win the game could not have been struck any sweeter, or harder and it once again caused a twinge in my heart.

Yes other players try harder and tend to look like they care but so what? Trying is boring. I will sit through three games of nothing just for that one moment, that one touch of genius, which makes the Lane rise to its feet.

I love him and he loves me. I like to think that little heart he made down the camera after his goal at Old Trafford was just for me. A moment for someone who understands.

So leave if you must Pav, you are not of your time, if you play in Italy or Spain you will get the recognition you deserve.
Goodbye sweet prince and don’t f****** run about. Just be you.

In closing, a thought. Have you noticed that he applauds us every time we sing “Super Pav”? Just a thought.

Continue to abuse me @carlgavaghan.

Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Related Topics

Have something to tell us about this article? Let us know