Pienaar hoping to stay fit

Having said that he wasn't entirely alone in that department, but a stirring late show, well was exactly that, and unlucky to at least not get a point.

Every time he ran he looked like Marcel Marceau miming running against the wind.

He fell over at every opportunity and appeared to feign an injury to come off as he was struggling so much.

Hopefully that was all my imagination and he can get back to his normal decent performances.

When Pienaar came off at Leicester, he was in such distress, I thought he would need oxygen. I can't / won't believe that the poor conditioning of our players has not contributed to the amount of injuries we have racked up. A match-fit Pienaar would be a very welcome addition to what we have now. Those who are criticising him now would do well to remember that.

Let’s be honest about Pienaar, he’s been a less than average player. He has scored 20 goals in almost 200 games and a low total of assists, which is poor for a purely attacking player. He combines okay at times with Baines, but the final ball is always from the latter. Baines has masked his ineffectiveness in my opinion and Sunday’s game was a demonstration of that. Spurs had had enough after a handful of games.

For someone who was nowhere near ready and had not played for ages, he was terrific. So he fell over three times. So what. His link up play, quick passing, movement and changes of direction were a welcome sight after the static displays of late. Some of you guys wouldn't know a real footballer if you fell over one.

As for going down injured, I saw clearly Martinez and one of the coaches telling him to go down, so he was following instructions.

I don't think Pienaar has been at his best for a while but he has played in fits and starts. If we can get him fit, he is a must for me, as he (1) brings out the best in Baines, and (2) because he links up the play better than anyone else.

We very nearly beat Man Utd at Old Trafford with a much weakened team that had been playing in Russia last Thursday.

Football is a team game and every player has both attacking and closing down duties up front and defending at the back when the team is on the collar. We do not have the money of most of the top teams yet we consistently finish in high positions each season. Some fans are totally unrealistic and think we have a divine right to win every game despite lacking squad depth and having many players injured. The bench is a real measure of a teams strength and ours is not as strong as other top sides fighting for honours. As was pointed out earlier on the article, most of the knockers have never played the game at a decent level.

For me, he is similar to Osman in that he will probably play part games. I hope I'm wrong and he comes back strong. We undoubtedly need all hands on deck at the moment so he is another option but whether he will survive a game without picking up another knock...

He was greatly responsible for their first goal too, lost the ball and then did the most pathetic attempt to get around a block in midfield to get to Raphael to stop his cross. He just gave up and stopped.

Hopefully he gets fully fit, as he adds that little bit extra to Baines's play.

None of us would be able to take part in any of the debates on here going by that point of view and the manager of the leading team in the Premier League might be out of a job.

I would have liked him to have played further forward as he is a good finisher.

I thought he was poor on Sunday but I think it was down to rustiness have been out for a while, I'm certainly not writing him off yet like quite a few on here.

He is 32 for god sake not 37 or 38, he could at least have another 2 or 3 good years left in him at a minimum.

"he's been a less than average player"...."He combines okay at times with Baines,"

Sorry, mate, that is as bad as any statement on this site. Pienaar, in his pomp, was a superb player with vision and skill that exceeds that of most of the players who have worn the blue shirt in recent years. Without Pienaar, Baines would not have been a shoe in as left back for England.

Baines's England performances would have been stellar if he'd had an accomplice like Pienaar and without him Baines has taken plenty of criticism from all sides for his performances which rarely match those of his club games.

All the comments on recent threads regarding Baines's dip in form coincide with Pienaar's absence from the side. Baines was Player Of The Year in 2010-11 and 2012-13, and deservedly so, but season 2011-12 was the season Pienaar was missing. He brings out the best in Baines. OK, he's getting past his best but he certainly didn't look fit enough on Sunday and that is down to the manager and his coaching and fitness staff. NONE of the team have looked as fit as they should do this term.