Whether it's for the better or the worse, Mido's addition to the Tottenham squad will change their way of play, as one fan angrily admitted.

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A rather agitated Spurs fan called a major British radio station last week, complaining that having Mido in the team means a complete change in playing style. The fan claimed it was less attractive football, as all Spurs do with Mido on the pitch is blast the ball up for him.

Indeed, this may be true, but Tottenham are clearly more effective with a 'tall-man little-man' combination. The last game against Liverpool proved this to some extent, as neither striker (Defoe nor Keane) really had an effort in front of goal. In fact, both went wandering on the wings and dropped back, with the only chances falling for the midfielders and defenders.

Last season there was a whole debate on the issue of Spurs' strike-force, but it emerged that manager Martin Jol was only comfortable with a target man at the front, to support the smaller and faster striker. It did pay dividends, as a great number of goals were assisted by Mido, and his own scoring tally was also able to reach double figures. The long balls of Robinson - arguably the best goal-kicker in England - as well as those of Michael Dawson at the back, were all aimed at Mido, and it would be naive to claim that he didn't make the most of them. There was even a gap of over a month early last season in which Mido was injured and Spurs found it hard to score, picking up no wins, until the Egyptian returned to action.

The long-ball game has not been mastered by many teams, but those who did manage to utilise it have seen success in recent times. Bolton Wanderers' great league finishes of late were largely down to their somewhat unattractive but route-one football. And last season, the very successful Blackburn Rovers used long-balls (though more to the wings) in games against tougher teams, which again worked. It is no surprise that these two teams were among those keen on buying Mido in recent times.

Mido has managed to play as target-man better than most in the Premier League. The only target striker that comes immediately to mind is Bolton Wanderers' Kevin Davies, who is used heavily in that role. Yet his goal-count on paper, is not that of a striker. (2003/04: 38 games, 9 goals. 2004/05: 35 games, 8 goals. 2005/06: 37 games, 7 goals). In that sense, Mido is doing his job and more for Tottenham, scoring 11 goals in 27 matches last season, while remaining a target presence. Not only this, but his activity when the ball is on the ground tends to be on the wing or byline, where the number of corners he's won have amounted to a large number of important goals for the club.

Tottenham have only scored two goals in the six games they've played, and this depressing reality may well continue unless Martin Jol reverts to the old system of Mido and Defoe, or Mido and Keane, and more importantly match after match. That fan may be right: Mido does aid Jol to change to a slightly less attractive style, but there is no denying that it is a more efficient tactic for Spurs...

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