Anyone for a goal?
Friday, February 25, 2011 at 1:29PM Is it safe to come out now? Everyone recovered from the debacle at Blackpool? No irony lost on me as I was ravaged and harassed much like our backline was. Rather illness than DJ Campbell witnessed me waste away (I lost 7 pounds). Offside indeed. Arguably a more damaging week for Spurs losing three points that cannot be recovered. I can at least eat a couple of doner kebabs and apply the lost weight in ample time.
What lessons can we take from the defeat? Other than the routine complaints that our forwards are not up to scratch?
1) Our forwards are not up to scratch.
2) Aided by the naivety of pushing forwards in numbers and allowing us to be punished on the counter.
On another day we might have scored a bundle. Oh for that other day.
JD hasn’t been on form for what seems like forever. Perhaps since the 9-1. Injuries aside, he has now taken an almost Pavlyuchenkoesque aura with his under-performing.
“He’s only just back in the side”
“Needs to rediscover his touch”
“Trying too hard”
“Thinking too much instead of being instinctive”
“Lashing it when he should place it, placing it when he should be lashing it”
etc
In his defence some of his performances have been selfless in terms of sacrificing traditional goal-hanging virtues for more workman like defensive-forward qualities with JD running back into midfield, working the channels and generally doing all the donkey work with movement and pulling defenders away that many would over look because there’s no glam or end product. In these games you could also look towards the lack of creativity in supplying options to the forwards to strike at goal.
Such is the complexities of the current Spurs side that we’re almost performing to paradoxical levels week in week out.
We have spirit and guile and tenacity and most importantly we have team unity and belief (well, apart from Alan Hutton who is apparently in Goa with some old bloke with a white beard claiming to be Lord Lucan). We also have genuine balls deep world class players. In fact, in some ways we have the ilk of player(s) that transcends the accepted quality we usually enjoy at the Lane. We have players who are wonderfully talented as individuals but work majestically well as part of the team – with no determent for their inclusion. The paradox is, us sitting in fourth, could have been third, with hardly a reliable forward to be found. Ours can be easily located in Dubai.
I’d say ‘Crouch’ but I’d be shot down for mouthing it. But at least he tucks into his continentals whilst others choke on their full English. Although, I guess, he also chokes on his English. All a bit over-cooked then.
The only consistency has been the excuses we’ve all discussed post-match as reasons for our failures to see our midfield and attack combine to score goals (rather than goals being scored from midfield).
Apparently, it’s because of van der Vaart. When he plays everything goes through him (via Luka). Hence why it works with Crouch up top as a foil to the movement and endeavour of the Dutch maestro. If he’s missing, we fall back to a more traditional 442 set up. And we make hard work of it when we do. For example, the 3-1 loss to the Tangerines.
It’s pretty obvious stuff. We need something, someone special at Spurs. A player at the same level of a Modric or a van der Vaart. A forward, robust and intelligent who can play it on the ground and isn’t too shabby in the air. Some who can also link up play and allow others to flourish. Equally so, if there is no Drogba out there available then all we need to do is find a Lineker. No wonder we fail at each transfer window, eh?
Nothing new here, hardly a revelation. But all is not lost.
The paradox still has us in the top four with only a couple of recent gut wrenching defeats in the league that have seen us falter.
We have a striker who doesn’t score much, other than in Europe, but does assist.
We have a striker who has forgotten how to score.
We have a striker who seems to perform better as an impact player and can finish the ridiculously sublime but not the ordinary.
In fact, all three of our forwards are probably more suited as Plan B’s from the bench. But we still have to make do with what we have. We have no choice. Nothing we can do about wishful potential signings either. Whether it’s one up front or two, we’ve only got three to choose from.
I know that it’s all very dependent on the availability of vdV in how we line-up and from one game to the next and Harry likes to swap and change, but it’s time now to stick and pray. I don’t just mean with the forwards, but in other areas.
We need cohesiveness from one game to the next. Play the best players in their best positions and if they’re on-form let them retain their place. Sure, tactical reshuffles are a necessity for certain games (Milan) but if we want the midfield to link up with our rouge strike-force then a particular line-up needs to retain its shape. Appreciate squad rotation for freshness and injured players has to be accounted for. But sometimes I don't grasp the reasons for the shuffles. But then I'm just a fan not a coach.
It’s not ideal all this. If you have an in-form striker, someone you have faith in who you can stick up front and you know he’ll give you not just 100% but a little bit of composure too...you wouldn’t complain. Even the best have off days and you’d accept that. What’s frustrating is we’ve seen little in the way of movement in terms of improvements from any of our players other than say Crouch who does impress in those European one-offs.
Pav has never been in the zone. Always fleeting on the edge.
Defoe is a confidence player, scores in bursts, and when he doesn’t is maligned for offering little else.
Crouch is hardly prolific, great foil for vdV or an in form Defoe. But can’t be relied on to notch up the goals.
You can’t be too shocked that were not producing the goods. But even with this motley crue, we’re still someone how in the hunt. Thanks to the strengths of our midfield and the fact that we don’t actually lose that many, so our defence must be doing equally good. That’s the defence that also never remains the same from one week to the next.
We need to be better to consolidate. We have to in order to remain in the fight. To suggest we can’t is the type of pessimistic hoodoo we can do without. Last season we had key midfielders missing. We got on with it.
We’re stuck with the intangible again. So based on blind faith I’m placing hope on our trequartista threesome simply because...we have absolutely nothing else to place our hopes on.
Zonal marking, eat your heart out.
Anyone for a t-shirt?
Entrepreneurial webcomic illustrator/blogger/founder of the Studs Up empire (and all round nice guy) Chris Toy has followed up from his simplistically joyful football culture tee ‘2 points, 8 games, 1 hero’ and ‘Taxi for Maicon’ shirts with another essential must-have.
Oh yeah.
You know you want to.
Reader Comments (53)
What makes it funny is that Pav scored in injury time. We might as well not have. Yet our own strikers mock us.
Welcome back sicko.
Out of the three I think Defoe is the one who will fire us upwards. One goal will be the catalyst of many. In Europe I'd opt for Crouch and Pav.
Glad someone has faith because I lost it a while back. I think we are blagging our way through this season because of the players we have in midfield. Which makes it criminal that we havent gone out and signed a true forward. Not sure whether an out and out striker would do because thats what Defoe is meant to be. A more complete forward would have made it a more comfortable run in for sure.
Pav is the player who deserves to start but then if they dont take their chance I can't see Harry leaving things alone.
Can we just play in Europe?
The Premiership is a bit of along haul really and can get quite tedious at times.
Away to Blackpool, I ask you.
Think you underrate Pavlyuchenko who is a rather elegant player, who played well at Blackpool and set up three or four chances for others.
If he got more starts he would score more.
I'd rather put my faith in him than hoping that Defoe will eventually score and that this will
open the scoring floodgates.
How long, O Lord, how long?
Crouch > Pav > Defoe
Pav for me has always been capable of so much more. It's almost like he is consumed with shrug of despondency at all times. Bothered? Not quite type of attitude.
He is the best fit to play up front ahead of vdV IMO. In terms of what he can do, but at times he just doesn't do it.
I've seen the highlights. Was involved. And he should start the next game. We've always said this - he has a decent record, he scores goals as an impact player so he should be allowed an extended run to aid his confidence.
Spooky,
as always a very entertaining post.
some insightfull thoughts leading to ... where do we go from here.
Kent Pub are confident a sunburnt Spurs might do okay at Wolves.
A fascinating season on many fronts.
The all important one has Spurs in it fighting in the top echelon ... to Sky that used to be the top four ...
now the top five going on top six ...
cheers greg and all at the Pub ... keen Spooky readers.
Call it hindsight, but I was advocating before the game that we should have taken a more cautious approach at Blackpool.
Sandro and Palcios would have given our backline the cover it needed. Blackpool are a dangerous side and we should have stuck Sandro on Charlie Adam, as everything good they do goes through him.
It was naive to think we could just roll up there and hope to outscore them. Every time I've seen Blackpool play this season they've looked like the kind of side that will cause us problems, because they play with no fear.
Without a sensible formation and line-up, we always left ourselves with less margin for error.
The league is a marathon, not a sprint. There was no need for us to go to Blackpool fielding such a gung-ho formation.
Plus, we missed Van der Vaart playing as our False Nine. COYS.
Greetings and salutations from Malaysia,
This is my first post in this blog which I've been following very keenly for over 3 years now. While I've been somewhat hesitant to post in the past due to the language barrier (English as I'm broken...no wait... it's broken English!), I've decided that enough is enough and that I'm going to break the silence;
Over a little year ago, a similar performance dished out at the Lane over Wigan gave the English game an annual record breaking "most goals scored by a single team in a game" scoreline. At Blackpool, you can't help but feel all that good karma & juju surrounding that game turn against us and hit us hard at where it hurt the most...our top 4 ambitions.
So, bruised and battered from that morale sapping game, the band of brothers troupe of to the war torn middle east in search of gunfire and ammunition to rearm and regalvanise the front lines amidst salvo upon salvo of said gunfire and ammunition that the middle easterners are only too willing to share out with cash ladden tourists...
Am I missing something here? We dillied and dallied at the last hours of the transfer market to sign a "10 million dollar man" who's dead ball strikes (mostly corners) are worth his price tag alone only to miss out on him by "2 minutes", and less than 2 months from that costly miss, said "10 million dollar man" strikes first blood of what I deem to be the death knell of the winning streak and long running unbeaten record in the league...
How many more costly transfer misses can we afford? As things stand, it's so annoyingly obvious for all of London to see that we got the wrong Russian into the squad when the Eastern European centre forward that's making the headlines lately belongs to that bunch "down the street"....haiz!
OK, chin up, lessons learned, humble pie wolfed down to the last bitter crumb and a new week, a new tie and a new challenge. Can't think of any suitable summary for my post here, other than Come On You Spurs! Here's a Up The Spurs holler coming from the lions of South East Asia!
I can't believe this has happened to us. We have the worst strikers in the entire league. Defoe has no goals. Crouch, who I always laughed at and enjoyed our games against him when he played for Portsmouth and other mediocre entities, has two (2) goals and is somehow a hero of many. Pav is much maligned and desliked by many Crouch fans but is our most productive misfit with 6 goals. I believe Etherington & Robert Huth must have something like 8 goals each by now.
We are the mighty Tottenham Hotspur, Klinsmann's team. Someone please sort out this anomaly.
None of our strikers are good enough when compared to the other top 4-5 clubs. Having said that they are good enough to keep us in the top 4.
Work that one out!
I think J nailed it. We should have frustrated Blackpool, contained them then hit them on the counter not the other way round.
I think we should stick Bale up front. He's skillful, good in the air, got pace and can score. Maybe....
Jep / j
Surely with the player we have we should be able to boss Blackpool and not play defensively to 'contain them'? I agree we set up with not logic in strategy but still believe we should be attacking these types of teams rather than holding back. We need to do the bullying.
Defoe has plied his trade in the PL for twelve seasons now and has never really set it alight, has he? (297 games/97 goals by my reckoning)
He is not - contrary to popular belief - a lethal finisher and was barely good enough for the mid-table club we used to be.
Keep Crouch as our plan B and get rid of the rest.
Funny how Niko gets no mention in all this.... with Bale & VDV creativity missing right now, we badly need his trequartisa technique... not to mention his recent knack of scoring late winners
and what about my MOTM at Milan, Sandro .... he can hold , distrbute and run in open speces...
Gomes
Bassong Gallas Daws BAE
Lennon Sandro Modric Pienaar
Niko
Defoe
Niko proved vital for us last season. He should have started at Blackpool along with Sandro. Too much chop and change.
something wrong in the strategy for the blackpool game.....knowing what holloway was going to do ..ie come at us.......where was the brick wall away from home.......as a far as closing out there attack?......as far as the forwards go......stick an 8x 4 panel in front of a goal with a hole in it and sort the practice .....shot after shot after shot........no excuses.....for the rich kids of today.........sort attitudes and....personal stats.....and practice hitting the target until sundown............easy.....
Sell Keane/Crocuh/Pav and buy Eto and Wickham....simples.
Crouch in Europe, Pav in the Prem,
VdV behind, or Niko when he's injured.
Give Defoe a framed picture of Keane & Berbatov and sit him on the bench.
Drogba maybe available in the summer?
Is Blackpool in Europe?
(Not the team ,the town)
Defoe is missing Hudddlestone, he never really was the one to get on the end of a lennon or bale cross but would take through balls all day and even with vdv and Modric on the pitch it was huddlestone that was the more direct form that Defoe thrived on. Little flicks here and there arent cutting it for him, he wants to be facing goal and running full pelt so that he can score with one touch like he used to. What we need is an in form Defoe or single minded striker to replace him. All the strikers I see suggested are 'team players' makers and creators, but I would argue that we have any number of players that can pass in and around the box and it always results in a long shot once someone summons up the courage to take a chance rather than a crowd pleasing flick or a safe pass. We need someone who is going to make every action focus towards him scoring. Man Utd were in a similar position way back when, the same year Beardsley scored 50 goals in off Cole, it wasnt Beardsley that Fergie broke the bank for, sometimes you just need a striker to be as a selfish glory hunting bastard. What we need is an Owen/Defoe/Linaker type forward thats fast enough to keep up with flanks and just be there ready for the ball to hit him. Having someone constantly pushing the defenders line back is a bonus too, and I notice Defoe isnt doing that any more, probably because someone has had a word with him about his media inflated offside problem, personally thats a price I would pay but meh, I like to see defenses pushed, its not for everyone and seeing a good chance wasted to a flag can be frustrating if you dont get to see the effect it has on the center backs over the course of the game
The one thing you don't want to do if your plan is to openly attack is to concede an early goal. We did.
When you concede an early goal, the next thing you don't want to do is panic, become impatient and concede a second on the break. We did.
Redknapp is a tactical chump. How the fuck did he expect to play that way and win when:
1. Your strikers are completely shit at scoring goals.
2. Your two top scorers aren't even in the squad.
3. The player that has just bailed you out of the last two very average league performances by single handedly winning them, isn't deemed good enough to start in a game that doesn't include VdV and Bale.
pav is shite said it from the start. get rid buy two world class fowards keep jd n 2mp for a largh.
Whilst it was an amazing display of bad luck, bad finishing, nonchalance, underestimation, good defenders/goalkeeping (take your pick) up front. Blaming the strikers is not going to atone from a) not controlling the match until 2-0, then allowed to do so, b) conceding 2 in the first place. It was a game to write off as a wierd one. People can moan about the strikers scoring less than last season, but we have more points than last season...and that is what matters. Why are people thinking that we are better in Europe because we lost to Blackpool away? What have we done in Champions League away? 1 win - Milan, 2 draws, and a couple of near total embarrasments vs Young boys and Inter. It was an away match vs Blackpool, you are going to lose some of these. Chelsea lost to Wigan last season and still won Championship. As for strikers, yes we will buy a couple. But they should be signed in summer rather than panic buys.
Yes. I'd say Harry got it wrong for Blackpool game and it is ok because ALL managers will get it wrong - many times a season. So there is no need to get on his back for a single game that we could afford to lose. I can understand that people were disappointed that we missing out on the opportunity to go third and put gap over Chelsea, BUT it was Harry who put together the great run of 14 games together prior to that, by being right. Have faith my friends. When the injuries come back, we will go like a train again!
I hope you're right TonyRich.
Have to agree, when you look at the game tactically the way we shaped up was wrong. Even with the players missing the chances. Most definitely a hiccup. Sturdy glass of water and a sharply burst balloon to ear should do the trick.
Bale up front? I'm game.
@Tonyrich
it'll be ok when the injuries come back
1. will vdV come back fully fit...this calf problem has been ongoing...it wont be sorted properly till start of next season
2. Will bale come back the same player? we saw lennon get injured Dec 2009 and it took him at least 6 months before he was back to his best.
3. Thud is still a month away...by then all could be lost.
4. Corluka is a month away...we have to cover him with Gallas at the moment (or wilson if you are a real sadist) because Hutton is..well who fucking knows what hutton is..injured/dead/awol/banished/abducted and Kaboul is still not fit.
5. God forbid BAE gets injured...that would mean bassong at LB until bale is fit then he'd slot in there.
6. We could afford to lose at Blackpool?!?! wtf...you can never afford to lose..unless you have the league wrapped up with games to spare....how can you afford to lose a game that would have put you a point clear in 3rd place? it would have made the trip to eastlands if things stayed the same between now and then.
They way through this 'crisis' is
--------------------Gomes-------------------------
---Gallas - Daws - King/Khumalo/Bassong---
Lennon --------------------------------------BAE -
--------------Sandro -------------- Wilson -----------
------------------------ Luka ---------------------------
---------------Crouch--------------- Defoe-------------
Thats the best we can do with what we have got....in my opinion...but that hardly matters because harry is the boss.
Should read
" it would have made the trip to eastlands ...EASIER......"
I’ll probably get slaughtered for this but considering the form of our forwards, we should stick most of the time with the Crouch/VDV combo. At least Rafa will get some goals from rebounds off of Pete. We could also play Niko in the Rafa role during his frequent breaks for leg niggles. Niko seems to play a more advanced role for Croatia, so I don’t see why he couldn’t do it for us. This would cause the least disruption from chop and change.
--------------Gomes
RB?—Billy G—Daws—BAE
Lennon—Luka—Sarge—Baler
--------------VDV
-------------Crouch
Peanut covering the wings, Sandro and Jenas covering as CM until Thudd returns, Niko and Defoe covering for VDV injuries or when a 4-4-2 is needed. Pav is the odd man out, and I think he could do a job if given a run, but if Harry plays him only reluctantly, then there isn’t much point wishing for his inclusion.
Someone has probably already noted this at some stage, but just put 'Der Vaart' into Google Translate - comes up with 'Of Momentum', which is kind of what we're missing at the moment (him, and it). Yes, I know that I missed off the 'van' bit, and this is tenuous in the extreme, but hey, it's the end of the week and I needed something to do before leaving the office. If only one of DML's readers find this vaguely interesting I will consider this as time well spent. Now back to Solitaire..
Only lost 7 lbs Spooks? I had the same bug a couple of weeks ago and lost 10, and that was without Spurs losing to a bargain basement collection of lower league players!
I don't agree that we have no options though. For me it's the old adage that if you keep doing something the same way time after time then don't be surprised if you get the same result.
The Blackpool game highlighted that while these "strikers" continue to be selected we are just not good enough to deserve a top 4 slot. There were at least 5 open goals missed in that match, that normally Harry would have said his Sandra could have scored, but of course these overpaid, underperforming little darlings are soooo sensitive that he's not allowed to say that anymore.
However, when you consider that the other JD (Campbell), a former Brentford star, was at least able to hit the net from 3 yards I have to question why Harry doesn't just give one of our youngsters like Harry Kane a run-out to see whether he too can do the simple thing like scoring gilt-edged chances.
What is there to lose when the current crop contribute nothing in terms of goals, so even if young Harry didn't score we wouldn't be any worse off would we?
OK, so there will loads of "he's too young", "doesn't have the experience" "kids aren't the answer" comments, but the bottom line is look at Wilshere, Fabregas and even our very own J. Greaves who were all just"kids" but what players.
Given that our transfer activity, or rather lack of it, has left us up the creek without a paddle in the striking department at a senior level, we have nothing to lose by trying youngsters who at the very worst will be carried by the experienced playuers around them (just like our existing trio) and may even make the difference to our season.
How many free kicks do we get outside the box? How many scored?
With Beckham just leaving after 6 weeks, I was hoping some of the lads had the chance to pick up a few tips on scoring from free kicks, we need to be taking advantage of the many free kicks we’re awarded. Have we scored any? And why?...
By the way.. I think Blackpool’s going to be the catalyst for a strong finish….
Here’s something interesting I read in today’s media…
Wales assistant manager and experienced fitness coach Raymond Verheijen.
The Dutchman has accused Arsenal of underachieving because they don’t know how to look after their expensive array of talent.
Verheijen, who has worked for Manchester City, as well as Holland, Russia and South Korea, and with Arsenal’s Welsh star Aaron Ramsey, said: “Imagine how successful Arsenal could be if they could play their best team for most of the season. The players deserve better injury prevention.
“Arsenal is only just another example of an underachieving team because of injuries due to (incompetent periodisation and injury prevention.) ……
“The same could be said about underachieving (Spurs,) and Manchester City is another example of incompetence.
“So, nothing personal, this is a worldwide problem in football.”
Glen, I like your thinking. I've been thinking the same. With a bunch of useless forwards and a (dwindling) surplus of talented midfielders we might as well try some of the midfielders up front. They can't do any worse, can they?
Just had a kebab. I'm sure I'll lose an additional 10 pounds in due course.
Maybe we should stick gomes up front-didn't he start off as a striker?!
And abespur ur time was well spent cos i found it interesting. So spider solitare or klondike?!
Sorry folks, would love to stay and chat but in Dubai at mo, just bought my mate Al a large Glenlivet and waiting for the sparks to fly... wish you were here :-)
Dave K, I agree with your comments. Give the kids a pop!
Let's hope that after this short interval we'll be able to use our full squad of players or at least most of them and challenge until the end a place in top four.
Some interesting views here.
1. Our makeshift defence : I see we are recalling our loanees. Any chance of Walker returning? If not I sure hope there is priority given for the rehab of Kaboul and Corluka. King I have no info except he completed his surgery.
2. I have said many times we should play Krancjar and Sandro more often. Even after they settled in and proved themselves they were still discarded. Instead non-performers or unproven like Pienaar and Defoe get preferred. It's not as though we had no choice because of injury. I don't understand this tinkering.
3. So Defoe could be missing Hudd. So either change your game to work better with the rest, or wait till Hudd returns.
4. Pavlyuchenko needs more gametime. We are wasting him yet giving opportunities to Defoe.
5. Jenas tries but has no end result for this level. Might work at places like Fulham or Villa. Same for our departed Bentley and Keane. I would put Hutton in this category except I think Al might make a good right winger. But I hear he is persona non grata now.
6. We bleat about poor strikeforce and the mistakes during the transfer window. Well how about looking to our youth team for an answer? If we ain't got no one else? Look at Danny Rose, Andros Townsend or Walker. Surely we could unearth someone? Does anyone know how good or not Ryan Mason or Tomas Pekhart (if still with us) are? For the future if we do have to buy then consider someone who is in the U-21 squads of teams like Norway, Denmark or Sweden? Instead of splashing obscene amounts at the Primera?
We are still 4th. We could have been 3rd. We still live to fight for the Holy Grail. Chelsea still need to play Man U for their game in hand but we still need to play both City and Chelski away as well as L'Arse at home and the revised fixture list has done us no favours.
COYS
Reading posts on the striker problem many of our fans seem to be still in denial about just how poor our strikers are, excuses are still made for Pav and Defoe (not Crouch though) and many fans seem to be prepared to carry them. When I think of how Darren Bent (who actually does score goals) was treated it is amazing how much some players who are not doing what they are paid a fortune for can get away with.
Sometimes you have to blame the players on the pitch (strikers)....Harry picked a team that created 25 chances and battered Blackpool. It was one of those games. I'm sure it must be some kind of record the amount of clearances Blackpool made off their goal line. It should of been a big score and I expect Harry like the rest of us was thinking how did we lose. (Granted the defence switched off at vital times). I would have liked to see Hutton play but now we are hearing all is not well between Harry and Hutton. Although I've also heard Hutton was injured for the Blackpool game. Niko should get a start for me. Other than that we have more points than we did this time last season. = Harry is a miracle worker. Up the BRUMMMMMMMMMMM!
I reckon we will finish 4th just have to keep Defoe on the bench and give Pav an uninterupted run up front as he started to score consistently around this time last year.
I think Gomez has had an inconsistent season and It would not hurt to consider signing Jasper Schmeical next season as back up.
LMFAO!
Can we just wait for fatyidcunt to turn up before we discuss the league cup final?
Is their quadruple still on ?