Next season, anyone?
Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 10:12AM Not sure at the moment what is more depressing. Manchester City's style of football, the fact the 1-0 loss was one of our better performances yet summed up our season thanks to the lack of cutting edge or the irony that Crouch completed his trilogy - scored the goal to get us into the CL at Eastlands 1-0, red card in Madrid pivotal to us getting knocked-out, OG at Eastlands 1-0. Quadruple in fact if you include his goals against Young Boys.
Better team on the night, second best across the season in terms of accumulating those all important points. Reason for failure? Lack of those all important goals. Twenty less than last season.
At this away day fixture (at Eastlands) last year we had 70 points from thirty seven games. We've got 56 from thirty six currently. It's a massive dip in form, by all concerned (City currently sit on 65). The simple fact of the matter is that even though our opponents are as sexy as Dot Cotton in hot pants and a wet t-shit, they have proved to be more efficient than us when its comes to winning games. On the night it tactically paid off for Mancini. Defend and sit back, Spurs will huff and puff but they wont be blowing no house down. They scored because we let them. They scored because we scored for them.
Our flaws are fundamental ones discussed to death on this blog, on other blogs, on message boards and in the stands. Flaws we'll debate once the season is done and dusted and we look to devise the perfect Tottenham blueprint amongst ourselves in an attempt to calm our emotions and move swiftly through the stages of grief. So I won't be slicing up the deceased body and completing an autopsy on account of the fact that I already know the case of death.
Erotic asphyxiation. Fatal attempt at turning oneself on. Toe tag attached.
Positives from last tonight? Gallas, Rose, Sandro, Modric. We need a forward(s) to push us forward once more. We need to bring back the Kyles from loan and sign a couple more players (to replace the ones that will be sold) for that extra padded squad depth. City might look to spend another bundle to consolidate but their brand of uninspiring offensive movement and their calculated deep defensive play leaves me with an epiphany that the time-share will fall back into our laps next season. For all the cash spent, they're hardly better than us. They are, but they're not. You know exactly what I mean, it's not a conundrum. They didn't buy fourth spot (technically they did, compare the wage bills). We took it back to the shop, gift wrapped it then hand delivered the sonofab*tch.
One win in our last ten league games. Nine home draws overall. Not good.
They retained some measure of consistency whereas we failed to match the tenacity of the back end of last season when we truly took the scruff and went for the jugular. City, for all the negatives we wish to throw at them, got the job done. We didn't.
So congratulations to the blue side of Manchester and the fans who bothered to turn up but only the ones that have supported them for a period of time that would allow me to refer to them as long suffering. Enjoy the Champions League experience. Perhaps you'll sell out a game or two. Perhaps you might even endeavour to attack your opponents. Make sure you're facing the right way otherwise you might miss it.
As for us?
For all our faults, for all our mistakes at least we can pin point the error of our ways. It's a missed opportunity to build on last season by avoiding further transition (and applying even more pressure on City and Liverpool), but no point in dwelling on it beyond accepting responsibility for those fatal flaws. If chairman and manager can do that and not dither in the transfer window or get distracted by this persistent obsession with that crock of crap in Stratford or relegated West Ham United players then we might just capture that missing spark just in time for August. Except that this time next year we'll be mill...we'll be top four. Top three.
Don't be sad, don't be suicidal. We've waited twenty years, we can all wait another season for a second stab at the CL.
Believe.
Reader Comments (41)
Simple answer . . . 4 . 4 . 2 . . .
Given that our average attendance was 28,000 in the third tier and that an ever-diminishing capacity kept fans away from Maine Road for many years, I'd suggest that most bar the younger segment of City fans can rightly be described as long-suffering. I'd suggest that being relegated whilst your biggest rivals take all before them also qualifies as long-suffering.
But yes, we could be more adventurous at times, but - and this is the crucial bit - we're trying to build and mould a side, and right now uncharacteristic solidity is what we need. And after 35 years of hurt, we'll take it.
@Yidmeister - I think it's a bit more complicated than that!
Spooky appreciate your positivity this morning, but already said to a mate that if Crouch remains next year I may just wait for him to leave before spending my hard earned at WHL.
I just don't like the way we have gone from playing blinding football with Keane and Berba to a Big and Little man knock down act with Crouch and VDV.
Summer of ITK bollox to look forward to. Angers me just thinking about it..........ITK = KFA.
You seem to have missed Crouchy`s goal against AC that propelled us to Madrid, no doubt a slight oversight on your part.
Let's see how City's big time Charlies deal with CL football and whether their league form slumps. With any luck they will suffer the same problems we did and not fancy those scrappy trips to the North-West after a marquee midweek fixture. Liverpool are probably a bigger threat next season.
I totally agree with the sentiments above. They're not better than us despite all the cash. Mancini will be shown the door sooner rather than later. And blowing hundreds of millions to buy success is basically cheating. Which is why all Chelsea's post-Abramovich trophies are null and void :D
If we can keep the backbone together and get those players we know we need, as HR puts it "we'll be right back up there."
I'll take the congrats but you can keep the bitter and deluded drivel that accompanies it...
Fitting that City is the football equivalent of the boring, derivative crap the Gallagher's have foisted on the world. Have never understood why Oasis were so popular. A weak spot in your musical taste, Blighty.
Bit surprised by this actually. I agree that it is goalscoring that has ruined your season to some extent, but in my eyes you did not strengthen your back four (plus keeper!) enough when you had the chance. Dawson, Gallas and King are all fantastic players (but very injury prone) and your full-back slots (with the exception of Assou-Ek.. whatever his name is) appear a bit sub-standard.
Again, in my eyes (and i accept that i don't watch you every game) Redknapp sometimes doesnt change a game when things aren't working. For all the claims of pretty football it was a bit like playing against Stoke yesterday in patches and the other bits a bit like watching A*senal where there was little goal-threat (one header aside in the second half).
My mate came back last night and saw some highlights on Sky and mentioned that it looked like we had much the better of the game - which i accept we didn't by a long shot. I hated every single one of those 90 minutes.
But don't believe the hype. We don't play like that all of the time, but we have it in our locker to be able to close games out. It isn't pretty and we generally don't like it but when it works i have no complaints. For me, that is really the only two difference between the teams this season.
Are you expecting me to commit suicide or something....
A long summer, and potentially a decision being made on 'Arrys behalf by 12 good men and true awaits.
If only we had landed Phil Neville and Charlie Adam in the Jan transfer window... All our striking problems would be solved!
Something I've heard little comment on from Spurs fans is the role of Les Ferdinand as striking coach. I was dubious when we signed up him and Tim Sherwood as rookie coaches but now the season is over surely we have to admit Ferdinand's position in particular needs to be looked at.
The midfield is great, we boss games and create plenty of chances... our forwards just aren't taking them. Against Blackpool we dominated the game but our shots were all without exception appalling, up until Defoe's great hit with 2 minutes to go. Blazing 5 yards over the bar, or tickling it towards the keeper at 4 miles an hour. The strikers have all massively under-delivered in the league this year, and we were only doing well in the league up to February thanks to goals from midfield. As soon as Van der Vaart's, Bale's and to a lesser extent Lennon's form dipped, our shortcomings up front have been clearly exposed.
I hear plenty of fans saying it's time to move any or all of Crouch, Defoe and Pav on... but no discussion of whether it's the coaching of the strikers that's to blame.
wish I'd read this before I wrote my update. I could've saved myself half an hour and just put a link back here.
Goal difference rarely lies. We are 6th / 7th on merit. Gutting to think that we were only a Carrol / Suarez / Foster away from seriously challenging.
What goes around comes around and you sure got yours for all that arrogance last season, your article stinks of bitterness poorly hidden by light but reluctant positiveness.
Lets face fact, if you think your going to uproot us next season then your kidding yourselves, we are only going to get stronger and unfortunately for you you can not compete.
Your best hope is uprooting Arsenal or Liverpool because the only teams that will be capable of stopping us next season will be United and Chelsea.
great post as usual Spooky.... I have to admit to being a convert to the 'Arry crowd for a whole year (Jan-Dec 2010).... To be honest its the strikers fault for not scoring but as the Manager 'arry has to shoulder the blame - its his team FFS.... i'd really rather he wasnt shooting his mouth off every 10 minutes either.... Its embarrassing and you dont see other Top managers doing it do you - unless theyre after something (e.g red nose & our players/ ref wind ups).
Maybe you could start a thread on 'Arrys post match blame shifts... called "what would Bill've done?...."
I also agree with with Ben @ 11.21.... bye bye Sir (use)Les.....
Otherwise if we manage to keep our midfield, get a CH & 2x scoring CF and bring back Kyle from Villa we could well be Millionaires next year rodders....
COYS!
Last night proved Tottenham need Andy Carroll/Berba/Suarez/Hulk/Cavani/Jass Klann Hunter/Fabiano/Pato/Zlatan Ibra/Eto - yeah
And Cityblue, your post doesn't stink of arrogance I guess?
Generally speaking, if I spend most of my time taking the piss out of THFC, I can share the same love to other clubs too. We only have stereotypes to go on don't we? Every club has a trait other clubs pick up on and every club has different ilks of fans other clubs tend to pick on. Terrace humour, at the grounds, in blogs...what difference does it make? We're not in the CL next season, you lot are. Of course I'm bitter. Do you honestly blame me for having a dig?
Also, sadly, my only experience of City fans online (other than the excellent The lonesome death of Rory Carroll) is the moronic Bluemoon forum.
Nick - again, jesting, you've been on a mental journey no doubting that and it must be a touch surreal. Enjoy.
Love how after the millions spent, City act like 4th was their target.
It wasn't, the title was your target and should have been considering the money spent!
Watching the game it never felt like a win would take you to the CL, empty seats, subdued crowd (aside from the uniquely stolen Poznan shit you lot do every 5 mins, amusing that it involves turning your back on the game, two birds one stone I guess) and the players seemed nowhere near as happy as the Spurs players did last season
Call us bitter but you've faced accusations of boring, negatice football all year!
But congrats all the same, but you'll be scrapping out for 4th again next year just like Spurs, anyone who thinks differently are the real deluded ones.
One win out of thirteen games.
Spurs are back to mediocrity.
To get out of that and to challenge a place in top five again they need to offload 8-12 players and to buy 6-8 new players with the proper skills and qualities.
Eventually they could search also for a new manager who will be more ambitious, he will have a winner's mentality and he would be able to implement better tactics.
the frustrating thing is just how close we have come.... basically 3 or 4 goals scored away from 4th. One in any of 4 of the umpteen draws, out of the 40-60 odd chances we have collectively had would see us close if not in that spot ourselves. I personally look to our strikers, in a season where everyone has dropped points left right and centre....where every manager has made poor decisions and come out smelling of crap. For all our injuries and the pathetic form of our Forwards and Goalkeeper we are still in line to finish 5th...for me, thats massive....we can literally play like shit, win one in 10 is it now(?) and still be up there challenging for CL until 2 games...that is pretty impressive when you also take into account the learning curve of playing our hearts out in one of the greatest tournaments in the world. Am i proud? maybe not as we all know how much better we should be...but i definitely take solace in the knowledge with the right tweaks and attitude we will be in the mix again next year. 4th isnt our divine right, we earnt it last year, we did not this. bring on 2011/12
davedajew, well said. I bit of realism to sooth our savage brests. However, and sorry to say, I take issue with you on one point; and one point only... i.e. "where every manager has made poor decisions and come out smelling of crap".
Not ours mate. He SOMEHOW has managed to come out smelling of roses as far as the media et al are concerned. We the fans are the butt of his cheap jokes. Don't know about you but I've got the raving hump with him.
That's all. COYSSSSSSSSSSSS
The gooner sitting next to me at work is already saying that Modric is off to Man Utd. Trying not to bite but I just want to jab him in the eye with my biro.
Some big highs this year, Inter away felt like we'd won and the return at the Lane was awesome. Overall though, it's finished in disappointment and there is nothing wrong with asking questions about what's gone wrong. Questions that don't deserve condescention and sarcasm from 'Arry.
IManchester City over Manchester United anytime for me. Don't care how they do it, but I want to see them trump United and their dodgy referees. I've never forgiven them for the Mendes goal. What was that? and yet Lampard's goal was judged to be in!
Anyway...
@Spooky...to add to your list, I thought that Lennon was immense yesterday. Their leftback was happy to be subbed when he was smacked in the face by the useless Crouch.
Have to agree with posters above. It is necessary...absolutely necessary...that Sir Les Ferdinand respectably offers his resignation ASAP. Our strikers (Defoe particularly) have seriously regressed under his unfortunate tenure. If there is ambition at this club, Levy will ensure that this is done.
Its unfortunate for the useless Crouchy really. Many sympathisers were quick to praise him for "getting us into the Champions League" yet the guy was actually behind Eidur Gudjohnsen in the pecking order for much of the season. I wonder if they will similarly lable him with the "he denied us Champions League football" tag? The British Analysts on TV (Andy Townsend in particular) were really desparate to absolve him of all blame for the unnecessary and ridiculous own goal - instead choosing to place all blame on the innocent youngster Rose. It was so funny!
Crouch is fucking useless!!!! Lets all accept it, sell him to Stoke or Blackburn, and move on. We are not a hoofing team so why do we need the Premiership's most renown hoofing merchant at our club?
And VDV?...How do we solve this problem? Is it beyond us? Will we struggle again throughout next season trying to accomodate the all-freekicks-taking former galactico? Or will we get serious and have a talk with him about his "reduced responsibilities" i.e. benchwarming. He has something to offer, but surely, he is not good enough to sacrifice everything for. Luka, Lennon, Bale, Sandro, BAE...our real superstars, might just get tired of his special treatment and bail out.
Well...if Crouch, Jenas, Joe Cole, Neville, Pienaar etc - these kind of relegation scrap guys - are with us next season....and Lennon is the one pushed out by Harry...then forget 4th, we will be lucky to get 14th position. If Levy allows this to happen he should be forced to resign. I like Levy, he has done a lot of good and I personally prefer him to a Mansoor or Abramovich, but allowing Harry to turn us into Pompey will be a step too far.
Hope City draw Bayern Munich in the knock-out qualifiers and get whooped ferociously :-) something like a 6-1 aggregate loss!
@Ben
Interesting point you raise. Sir Les was hardly the most prolific of strikers himself while he played for us.
Nevertheless, I think that "scoring" is an inherent talent, and that it is something that can be taught to youngsters if they have the inherent talent in the first place. I can't see that by the time you are approaching your thirties, with most of your career behind you, there is much left to teach you. I can see how it might benefit some of the trainees to polish up their game, but I can't see that Pav, Def and Crouch can benefit from Sir Les.
Defoe does have that predatory ability, though it has not shown up this year, but regardless of whether you agree with my views on this, if we have two strikers who scored nearly 40 goals last season, do they need coaching? And if coaching was such a benefit, why have they not scored 40 goals this season?
@Foxy
True the strikers failed to get goals, but most of this season we have played 4-5-1 and that is not a system for prolific strikers and relies on high scoring midfielders to supplement the lone striker.
Most of us didn't want Bent, and now he is the leading British Isles scorer. I suspect that id Defoe and Pav go, they will suddenly reediscover their scoring form, in which case I have to think that the lack of goals was down to tactics.
@Diaz How is it "more complicated than that ?" Last season playing 4 . 4 . 2, 70 points and 4th place. This season tinkering with 4 .5 . 1 every other game 56 points so far and possibly 6th. Ar23nal v Spurs at the Emirates - 1st half 4 . 5 . 1 and 2 . 0 down. 2nd half 4 . 4 . 2 Whinger's crying and the goonies are put in their place. Arry's 4 . 5 . 1 worked in Europe because its a more open and slower game but in the premiership it simply doesnt work. Both Liverpool and Chelsea tried the same thing but soon changed back to 4 . 4 . 2 and look whats happened. Strikers are never going to find form when its chopped and changed all the time and how are they expected to gel as a partnership with so little time in the same team ? The only thing thats made our season disappointing in the premiership is lack of consistency. Heres hoping Arry's learnt because his record so far is brilliant but the cracks are showing.
As for the City gloryhunter/fan who thinks we are bitter, bollocks mate, id rather be an English team playing exciting football than a bunch of boring overpaid and over rated players thrown together in the hope they make a 'team' paid for by foreign money. Without Tevez your Champions League journey could well end as soon as it starts and youd better hope that the Abu Dhabi sugar daddies that have paid for it dont move on to someone else and you end up in freefall with a debt the size of your pumped up egos hung round the clubs neck. Stick to bouncing up and down with your backs to the pitch cos it aint good looking football on it at the Eastlands . . . ; )
@cityblue
You qualified because we were abysmally poor for the last three months. If you take that into account, the reality is that you have spent £340 mill on players that are realistically only capable of fourth place because your rivals played poorly. Any neutral will tell you that we were better than you in both games, but in fairness, it is goals that count.
Enjoy your glory, but if I was you, I would be very grateful to the football gods that Spurs played so far below their capabilities for so long, as well as the fact that Liverpool took so long to get into their stride, because your genuine ability this year was sixth place.
I have little doubt that you will finish next seasons European adventure, the same way you finished this one, being eliminated from the last 16 of the EL.
@spurredonindublin.
Tend to agree tactics however (to split hairs) I thought it was supposed to be 4-4-1-1... We let Bent go cos we were a 4-4-2 team and Bent gets goals when hes the lone striker.... so maybe he couldve played this season with VdV .... we wont know now though will we... cos no way is he coming back to us....
However, and happy to admit if im wrong, but the number of simple, open (or with keeper to beat) goals Defoe, Crouch & Pav have missed this season was ridiculous... they were easier to score than to miss... thats why I said they are to blame. I also said that really Arry should be carrying the can - he should man up FFS! its his team, selection, tactics & motivation. Not saying he should go just admit to getting wrong or at least take the can rather than blaimg shiteh for their money....or getting all sarky about the support and spending most of his time in the media....
bring on the mickey mousers.... YIDS
@Foxyf
Fair comment.
its a fuckin conspiracy lol
btw, hope City fans enjoy the CL as much as i did.... the memories of Bremen, Inter, AC (& Real) away alongside the home atmosphere will live long - at least until next season when we're back in it again- COYS!!
As mentioned yesterday a large portion of the blame rests on our strikers, we all know this, but I can't help feeling that our season would have been different had Ledley been fit. It's become a broken record for recent seasons (barring last) but it doesn't make it any less true.
We failed to get enough clean sheets this season as well as score goals. Looking at the stats it's almost amazing that we're as high up the table as we are. 51 scored and 45 conceded, that's mid-table form at best.
2 Strikers (to replace at least 2 of our 3) & 2 Central Defenders (to replace King & Woody) are needed in the summer please. I believe we're good enough in every other area.
I wish Harry would try our youth more often too, Rose looked very handy in both of our last two games, a worthy backup for BAE.
@ Yidmiester
Simply put - current players and injuries suffered this term.
We have an abundance of midfield talent - even taking VDV out of the equation, which really we need to accommodate as well as possible. How best to fit them into a 4-4-2 formation?
Who would be in your 4-4-2? Exactly the same as last year? No Sandro? Crouch and Defoe up front? Bale back to left back? Modric on the left? Hudd and Palacios in centre midfield?
I watched them play 4-4-2 this year and it did not work in the sense we did not win. We created chances as a team when playing both ways, the main problem was always goals in at one end and not enough at the other end.
For example Blackpool home 4-4-2. What was so great about that? Blackpool away 4-4-2 and 10 attempts on target, 15 off target.
See my point?
Just throwing this out there, but has anyone else noticed that Luka can't hit the broad side of a barn. He's a fantastic player and I love him with all my heart, but it kills me that he can't put the f&cking ball in the net. I count at least four or five horrible misses in as many games. It's infuriating.
LOL at blaming our strikers problems on Les Ferdinand. That's just silly. All of our strikers are seasoned vets. It's a simple question of confidence, and the VDV role. Yes we played a 442 vs blackpool but that was with VDV on the right, which is never going to work. No European football is going to make for slim pickings in the striker transfer dept., we will only be able to pick up scraps and deadweight. Looking to the relegated of the league for a $5 mil deal (demba ba) looks to be our reality, though I love seeing the names that are bandied about here and elsewhere as possible pick-ups.
Am I the only one following dos Santos at Santander? He had yet another MOTM game yesterday vs Atletico. Not that I think he is the cure to our ills, as it is quite likely he will do better outside England, but I can't help but think GDS could have helped us this year
Good post as always, Spooky. City have been better over the season, not playing as attractive football as us, but been a lot more solid. Considering the amount of money they have spent though, you could argue that fourth is not such a special achievement. But good luck to them and to the City fans. I know how much I enjoyed the season in the CL.
Considering what Redknapp has achieved, he needs to be given more time. But if he fails next year (success for me will be FA Cup and/or Champions League football) then he'll need to move on. We have some terrific players, and posting just 56 points with that crop is really not good enough and has to be down to him. He is not inspiring the players. Bale, Van Der Vaart and Lennon have been at the races recently, never mind the strikers. Look at what Dalglish is achieving with an average squad. The tweaks Harry is talking about need to be in his team selection and tactics. And he needs to find how to get the best out of players again as he did when he took over. He said recently that he wants to "enjoy" his last few years in management. That's nice, we too want to enjoy watching our team, but we want to win things, and I think he's run out of steam and desire. I hope he proves me wrong next year.
Finally, of all the players we need to hold on to, to me Sandro is number one. Loosing Modders would be bad, but there are lots of flair players around. It's a player like Sandro that we have not had for ages and I would like the team to be built around him.
@Mikey S
So what exactly does Les Ferdinand do?
If the striker's coaches are not responsible for the strikers performance, then why do we need them? As Harry himself has intimated, we dont have a lot of money - to waste.
Brings much more meaning to the name Sir (use)Les.
He has to pay for his "departments" poor performance this "financial year".
@MikeyS.
I wasn't blaming it on him. I just cant see what he can teach two senior pros, what they don't know already. Is he going to give more muscle to Crouch's game? Crouch hasn't the physique. Is he going to teach JD how to head like he does. Again, he lacks the physique. Both of these players have been around a long time, and basically, i would think that anything that they can be taught this late in their career is minute, and the reason why they play the way they do, is down to their physique. No amount of coaching is likely to close that.
The whole thing doesn't make sense to me.
Well I honestly don't care if we get rid of Les as long as we get some new blood up front and cast off some deadwood. I'm certainly not defending him. We need a new approach to scoring goals to be sure but that must begin with goalscorers.
Since everybody is second guessing and we're seeing Suarez transform Liverpool into a wide open attacking juggernaut, one wonders if VDV could use a lead striker with pace. Since Crouchie's head delivered a few goals to VDV, we've assumed that is always and forever the best way to use VDV (who by the way, hasn't found a true position at his national team nor Real Madrid).
We naturally think "Defoe," but JD's tendency is to drop deep himself, not lead the line. I'm watching Liverpool and ManU in absolute top form lately using a 4-4-1-1 (or variations thereof), w/ pacey strikers dragging centerbacks all over the field, clearing out space for guys tucking in behind.
The Crouchie/VDV pairing doesn't stretch the defense vertically as neither has pace, we expect to challenge teams deep w/ long balls to Bale and Lennon which are fine, but the next step inevitably is to hoof it to Crouchie's head, who along with VDV, are completely crowded out by the center backs who are allowed to remain in position, no space at all.
The question we have to ask is, is VDV good enough to construct a team around? If so, what is the best team to pair him with. I'm really thinking someone like Suarez would be the ideal candidate to place in front of him. He's not the tallest in the world, but since they stretch the field so much, it really doesn't matter. Now we just have to find that person and afford them.
One thing I'd like to mention about City and why I hate them so much is that they've actively made it harder for us to acquire players by refusing to sell people who don't fit in with the boring Mancini negative football tactics. Adebayour is example #1. Spare us your sanctimony you bluemoon twits. Your sheik is not only buying you ... um ... fourth place but your club is refusing to sell to us to ensure that we are less competitive. So you can take all your sanctimonious prattle about your longsuffering years in the wilderness and stick it.