What’s Wrong With Wilson Palacios?

Ollie Irish

13th, September 2010

23 Comments

By Ollie Irish

Many Tottenham fans, myself included, are mystified and concerned by the massive loss of form suffered by Wilson Palacios. After making an excellent start to his Spurs career, and one which really endeared him to the club’s fans, this season Palacios has played like a big old donkey – he’s missed too many tackles (he goes to ground way too easily), misplaced too many passes and been caught out of position way too often for a player who is tasked with protecting his more gifted team-mates. In short, even Jermaine Jenas looks like a better option right now.

So, much of the goodwill that Palacios banked with Spurs fans in those early months has now gone, and he’s in danger of going from cult hero to an unwanted man, with hardly a stop in between. I know some Spurs fans who want to ditch him at any cost, so bad has he played at times.

In Wilson’s defence, he has had to cope with – and still is dealing with it, no doubt – the emotional turmoil of seeing his teenage brother kidnapped and killed in his native Honduras. But that was more than a year ago, and in professional football, compassion lasts a matter of weeks.

Perhaps a spell out of the team – a proper sabbatical, even – would do Palacios the world of good? Anyway, I think it’s too early to write him off.

Posted in Opinion, Tottenham Hotspur

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23 Comments

  1. Dave Whelan says:

    Thanks for the £12m guys, hope you’re enjoying him!

  2. James147 says:

    Yeah, I think Wilson’s form – if he keeps getting picked – is the biggest concern at Spurs at the moment. Even bigger than Defoe’s injury. Because if he’s on the pitch, Wilson’s a liability right now.

    I suppose none of us can know how much his brother’s death (and the circumstances around it) have affected him. But affected he is, and as you say, when JJ looks a better option you know something’s not right.

  3. j says:

    Wilson has played the odd kamikaze pass across his own box, versus Young Boys for example, but I think he only does it when he’s become bored by the opposition.
    It just gives him something to chase and eventually hunt down.

    Keep him on the bench for the next couple of games, put him on a strict diet of raw red meat as well as a fitness regime made up entirely of marathon games of ping-pong, and then let him off the leash against The A*se.

  4. Paul says:

    When he started at Spurs he did what he should, protect the back four, make tackles and play it simple, since last season he’s gone ito a Zokora like role of trying to take players on and make audacious passes which he simply hasn’t got the ability to do! Personally i’d leave him out and stick with Hudd and Modric in the middle.

  5. mynameisluka says:

    utter tripe. sure he hasn’t been playing well, but then most of the squad have been poor early on in the season.

  6. Outside Mid says:

    @ Ollie: Spot on. Wilson is quickly becoming my 2nd favorite Palacios on the Honduran national team. With VdV in the set up and if Luka’s OK to go, perhaps Thudd shifts back to a more defensive midfield to replace Palacios and do some of the dirty work he’s been out of position to do so far this season. And if Jenas looks a better option, I’m getting a serious case of the sads.

  7. Stoney says:

    He’s been plain old hopeless this season following on from the end of last. Games are passing him by. The very ordinary west brom players walked past him on Saturday. Very disappointed with him of late.

  8. Paul F says:

    He’s useless. We can see why he didnt even make the grade at Birmingham now. Even when people raved about him in his first few months I must say I was never convinced. He had energy but not much else. I recall one decent game away to Hull and at home to Chelsea, but in neither case did he really look the part. Otherwise he’s been so bad we’d literally be better off with 10 men at times. I’m afraid Harry paid top dollar for a bag of magic beans and is too embarrssed to admit it now by dropping him. It was the same problem Jol had with Zokora and it ultimately cost him his job.

  9. spurs84 says:

    If you think about when defoe lost his half brother, did he loose form? I don’t think palicos’s form can be down to his brothers death.
    Whatever it is he needs to sort it out quick or be behind hudd, sandro and (dread to say it) JJ!

    Good luck in germany guys!

    COYS!

  10. James147 says:

    @Paul — And the other advantage of dropping Wilson and having a centre midfield two of Modders and Thudd, is that it allows us to play Bale at left-mid, where he can scare the bejasus out of right-backs far easier.

  11. lee says:

    When Wilson first arrived he was clearly what we had been missing.The team benefited hugely and The Spurs went marching on. Fast forward a few months and we have a totally different player. His choice of ball is nearly always wrong, his timing is worst then Dawsons, positionally he’s been rubbish and overall should not be in our current team. I know many are not too keen on JJ but at stoke he was by far our best player. Tomorrow is a very important match and we need to limit our mistakes big time.

  12. Maik says:

    boys relax Sandro is comming he is a proper def midfield player and can do more than simple 10 yard passes to the opposition. I like Wilson but his credit is soon running out. Give Sandro 2/3 months to get sorted then watch him take off.

  13. davspurs says:

    I said when we bought Palacios he was over priced and overrated and i also said i would not buy any player of Wigan i hope for his sake i am wrong. And a few other teams especially training and playing on the same pitch has A rugby league team. Sandro his the answer or Livermore who his getting rave reviews of Tim Sherwood

  14. Outside Mid says:

    @ Maik: But that’s the issue right now: time. Sandro yes, but he’s not up to speed yet, and the fixtures are coming fast and furiously. That 2-3 months needs to shorten or Spurs will have even worse performances than that 1st half against YB away.

  15. Cheshunt Mike says:

    Sure he’s been poor but the one player that is everpresent under Redknapp and seems impervious to blame on these blogs is Huddlestone. No-one has a bad word to say about him. On saturday (yes I was there) he was nowhere. Totally anonymous. At least Palacios chases about and makes it difficult for the opposition . He’s knackered at the end because he’s had to do Hudds work for him. Hudd cant defend (too slow), his passing was truly awful (too casual) and his shooting, even under no pressure, completely off target. He scores 3 goals a season and people still urge him to “shooooot!”. Anyone notice he was one of the few NOT on international duty? Know why? Because he is NOT GOOD ENOUGH! Oh but he’s a great prospect, you say. How long is he going to be a prospect??

  16. TDOG says:

    Even when he first started at spurs he was average. He is the ultimate game wrecker. We got mugged again like we do paying umpteen million for a player who cant pass, cant shoot and has now lost his only decent quality! the ability to tackle. Why does Harry keep picking these plebs? Corluka & Pav are other examples of this.

  17. marcb says:

    ive said for a very long time that he isnt a great player and he isnt! you can run around like a headless chicken, making silly tackles all you want if u cant make a 5 yard pass in my eyes ur considered useless!

  18. Blarg says:

    Davspurs you’re a liar and Cheshunt Mike…fuck off and support ar5ena1 you wanker…you’re pathetic. Huddlestone was fantastic last season and has been quality this season.

  19. gofasterstipes says:

    TDOG…..are you really a spurs fan. Because if you were you would know Pav and Corluka were signed when Ramos was boss. Corluka signed a month before Redknap joined. Apart from that fantastic point. Keep up the good work

  20. […] be fair, Wilson Palacios has been playing like he’s been wearing a blindfold for months. […]

  21. Sam says:

    willson you are a big player keep doing the best

  22. Carlos says:

    Por si no sabian, Wilson ha estado lesionado. Ha jugado asi muchos partidos. Pienso que en el futbol europeo miran a ciertos futbolistas como cosas exoticas, y cuando se cansan de verlos simplemente los desechan. Asi que Wilson, creo que ya bailastes suficiente para los europeos y ya se aburrieron de verte. Sera mejor que busques otro lugar donde bailar porque los europeos no ven a la persona, solo ven al showman. Pero si fueras ingles, otra cosa fuera. Hay unos defensas del Tottenham que son un arbol de lentos y no pasa nada.

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