Lennon returns to restore balance to the facere
Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 12:06PM Here we go then. Swansea. At home. On TV. Nothing less than three points will do. Must win. Must push on. Must endeavour to win them all starting with this one. For all the talk of us rediscovering our mojo, it wont matter much if we don't take all the points. The buzz is no doubt back with us. Smiles on the faces of our players. Instinctive free flowing movement, pinging the ball about the pitch with style. This is the Tottenham of pre-blip form. But the comeback performance was in the cup. And it was contained in 90 pulsating minutes. This is the league and this needs to be the game that jump starts our end of season run-in across all remaining games.
I wouldn't change anything. Same formation, same tempo, same hunger and desire to attack and punish. Just need to punch our opponents rather than playfully slap them. Quick knock-out, then shuffle and dance around them to our hearts content. There was nothing wrong with the performance against Bolton. Creating chance after chance from wave upon wave of attack is a far better foundation to stand on than the confidence lacking performances we've witnessed in recent weeks which had us rocking back and forth in the corner. Take note of some of the scintillating passing, instinctive and to feet. That is is confidence. Football is easy when you believe.
Swansea are perfect opponents. They will play their brand of tippy tappy and we'll play ours. Lennon is back in the squad which restores balance to the facere, giving us the necessary width to stretch opponents again if we choose to do so (from start or sub). Bale of old is gradually creeping back into the fold, bursting with energy and effective intent with thanks to a far more structured attacking formation. Our spirit will have been galvanised with the prospect of a trip to Wembley. It's time to consolidate and book that ticket for our continental away days for next season.
It really is this simple: L L L D D...W W W W W W W W
There should be no need for a rousing team talk. If you want it Tottenham, go get it.
Reader Comments (32)
Balance? Don't we need a left winger for that?
I have an inkling that Swansea may come and park the bus tomorrow. Fairly sure I saw comments by Brendan about not wanting to make the same mistake that Newcastle did. Perhaps we may have to settle for a similar ground out victory like the one over West Brom rather than our usual cavalier? Also, Rodgers for next manager if Arry leaves?
Our so called left winger should be pushed back out there with a cattle prod. Video footage against Chelsea showed Luka violently urging Bale to get wider, wider, wider. All to often recently he hasn't been listening.
Lennon plays = more likely for both flankers to attack from wide positions and less roaming inside from Bale.
If Swansea play like they did at their place tomorrow will be one of our toughest matches of the season.
They had fantastic work rate and posession football which is hard to match - just ask most of our opponents.
I would go with an unchanged line up and hope we are as up for it as they are. If so then our class should tell.
modric - if i were him i wouldn't stay at spurs and I've been a fan for thirty years.. his brain works faster then all of the head-linist and glory hunting folk around him ( defoes/rednaps/bales' of this world ) all to readily available for that interview and camera shot.. the fact he has to insist on bales' positioning is something you'd expect from a sunday league level of football..if the players a nd management cannot do not insist on the obvious, why should a player with his talent stick around.. and do their jobs for them!
looking forward to lennon coming back in to the fold, missed his defensive work and his threat getting in to those ' lennon-like positions'.
this blog is possibly the last of the read-worthy materials on news now..well done and keep up the dignity and balance in your work...everthing else is rednap related quotations and gutless pointless speculation !
need these points today u yids
coyfsss±±
Odd how many post are about about pinning Bale to the the left.
Where was Bale when he scored against Bolton in the week?
In fact if Defoe was not such a greedy b****** Bale would have scored not once but twice from the right.
We have looked very good recently with an interchangeable front 4 of Ade/VDV/BaleModric and I hope we see more of it tomorrow.
So please Harry keep with the current system and do not tell Bale to stay on the left touchline.
Win 4-0 tomorrow and we go back to third.
Just statistically saying.
1-0 will do to make the point that all is by far from over for top three.
I don't think people are aedvocating that Bale stays predictably on the left all the time.
I like the fluid interchanges in attack.
It confuses me so I expect it confuses the opposition.
Q P RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
It is vitally important that we capitalise on the slip up made by gooners today and judging by what I heard a few pundits say earlier Taraabt scored a very good goal, well done that man. Swansea as we all know have been playing some decent football this season and know how to mix it well against most teams in this league therefore we'll have to be cautious. As you rightly say Spooky, having Lennon back in the side restores our natural balance and I would also like to see Saha and Defoe up front for this one based on what I've seen them both do in recent games, I believe that they'll lead the line well. TTID COYS!!!
@Coys, you're complaining about Defoe being a greedy bastard? However wasn't it in our game against up at Eastlands where Bale was greedy and only passed off the ball too late, in a somewhat similar manner? At least we won this game against Bolton somewhat comfortably still. After their behaviour towards one another at the end of the match, I think the two of them generally need to talk things out.
I'm a little concerned about tomorrow's game but I reckon it should be in the bag and I wouldn't expect too much bus parking, given the way they play. Like us they're too attacking for such tactics, I think. Who know's, we just need to get 4 or 5 and as you said Spooky, knock em out and we'll dance around the ring like Ali till time runs out. Two jabs, two hooks and an uppercut.
Let's fucking go COYS!
I am new to DML but have to say I really like your tone and insight. On a more general point rather than just the Swansea match - why do most other people than the Chairman and possibly manager see that Spurs should have bought a striker, right wing and centre half in the last two transfer windows. You dont really need coaching badges or managerial experience to see that. Anyway all the best for tomorrow - we should win as long as we put away the numerous chances that we will create. Keep up the good work!
robert hathway - welcome - read the months of december and january for all the transfer stuff.there was a lot of heads banged against walls..a lot along your lines..... - anyway again welcome........
presume caulker doesnt play tommorow - from someone who doesnt know - does this hurt them a lot - do they have a replacement or is it open season on the centre halfs for ade / saha (says me picking the front two...yes two!)...
Bimspur - spot on mate. A striker is paid to score goals, and they have every right to have a pop of they get a sight on goal. Defoe is not a back to goal striker, so won't instinctively look for options. He plays on the shoulder, and his game is all about create a yard and shoot. With the amount of possesion and number of shots on goal we have, we could do with our only goal scorer playing a bit more. Personally, I think Bale is starting to believe the hype a bit too much. He needs to think back a couple of years to his left back days, and appreciate what the club and his team mates have done for him, rather than throwing a strop cos one of the other boys wouldn't pass the ball.
I think the main and probably the only reason we didn’t buy proper players to cover those very important positions was the reluctance, for uknown reasons, of the owners to spent money during the aformentioned transfer periods.
Good luck to the team tomorrow.
BAE had a massive and in making Bale 'appear ' to be a 'world-class' all terrain action figure.
The claim that he has done well in this new ( free- role ) is ridiculous imho..he's been mia at the cost of team performances and results for about ten games now, the minute he gets in to the best position for the team- we have shape and guess whch team turned the corner of a bad run ( do some people even know the game !?) Adebayor in the mainshould not be coming in to wide positions looking for Bale , who is not cultured nor coached to create play thru the middle,only if he is running on to a scoring oportunity do i buy that...we drew 6 and lost two ( is that a coincidence ) . Modric is a central player and bale wide -man, did u watch our first 15 games of the season, in this shaepe we were ( al be it for a minute ) talked of as a great premier side ..
I love football...at least people in this arena are still able to debate matters of opinion
COYFFSS !!
Swansea are one of the best footballing sides in the EPL in terms of how they play the game and on their day are more than capable of beating anyone. They made us look very ordinary at their place, as they have many other teams.
I see all the calls for a return to 442 but IMO that just leaves our MF exposed and give Swansea the opportunity to overrun that area with their pass and move.
I would prefer to see the model we used against Chelsea deployed today at least at the start in order to control possession in MF and break-up Swansea's rythmn. I guess that Harry will revert to 4411 with Lennon, Parker, Modric and Bale supplemented with VDV as needed. Given that VDV seems to be much fitter now and can actually cover most of the pitch this may work well again but I have to question Parker's selection as he seems completely unable to add anything going forward.
At the back, I hope Harry picks Gallas in one of the CB positions. He has a winner's mentality and the ability to organise loose cannons like Kaboul who needs to be reminded what colours his team-mates are playing-in when distributing the ball.
I think this will be a tough game against a good team, and as well as we played against Bolton on Tuesday, it was only Bolton and it took us 73 minutes or so to score a goal. OK, so Bogdan was brilliant but Swansea's Worm is also excellent at shot-stopping so I don't see any big scoreline in our favour, but as usual I hope to be wrong.
We will do very well to win this and if we do then it should give the lads the confidence going into some more tough games (for different reasons) against Sunderland (the new aggresive whingers) and QPR.
We'll know more on Sunday evening.
The media is at it again. We're loosing Harry, Modric and Bale in todays Sky and yesterday's Mirror. Mancini deserves all the in-house and instability he gets within his squad, because he should be taken to task for his comments on Modric, also Sky on Bale. Seems as though the likes of Man C can just destabilise any player the want to and no one, no where brings them to book.
@colseycolsey Caulker has been absolutely oustanding for them this season, on the swansea forums the general consenus is that their main priority in the transfer window is to try and keep him. He is a brilliant athlete, reads the game well and could well be the future ledley king for us in my opinion (kaboul dawson caulker vertonghen would be phenomenal). Their replacement is gary monk who is a swansea veteran, he shouldn't be underestimated and has great experience although undoubtedly is inferior to caulker.
I would like to see us keep the same lineup initially as at bolton with a view to getting lennon on for scotty early and defoe on early too depending on how the game is going.
MUST MUST MUST win.
There is only one position for G bale...case dismissed !!!!!
gityfs!!!!!
Well 3 points, check. With just a hint of swagger. Now if we can start to gain some form then that would be rather pleasing. Will reserve all knee jerking until May now. Not long to go.
As an aside, you have to admire the way swansea play. If it wasn't for the fact that they were paying us, it would be compelling to watch. They make pass and move seem so easy, when they work their nuts off. And that Rodgers Chap can spot a player as well.
Just Sayin'
A perfect performance against Swansea. Extra man meant we dominated the middle of the park and the solid CM meant we had lots of players who could press and hunt the ball in the final third. They never got into their stride at all for the first half and Parker especially made too many tackles to count. Then when it opened up a bit later on and tired legs created space we got Lennon and Livermore on to exploit. Rafa plays a lot further forward in a 433 and looks a lot happier there and our interchanging attack was a handful for them all afternoon. Top draw stuff and just as important today top draw effort from the players. Big test today. Swansea are very tough opposition and we needed skill and workrate to overcome them and to prove the blip was over. 3 points and smiles all round from the players says we done it.
What? No Gooners trolling here today? Hmmm. Was hoping Brook would show up and tell us to mind the gap ...
Great to see we are back on track.Make no mistake this was a tricky game and the players were totally up for it.
Now looking forward to Spooky's match analysis. COYS.
Got bundles to write about. Probably wont be able to do so until Tuesday evening.
Re-watching the game again currently.
Extremely pleased that Bale kept hugging and running left wing channels for the most of the match. It was so easy for Modders to repeatedly play him in and cause chaos in Swans’s box . Ade’s ball chasing sprints (lost count of them) were very impressive, and such professionalism is rarely seen from loaned players. Sandro’s, and especially Parker’s ankles biting were indeed very effective and praiseworthy. They certainly can play together. Also, it seem to me that Scotty realized (or has been reminded) that he could do more for the team if he limits the number of visits to the opposition box and use his strength and stamina more wisely and effectively in protecting back four. VDV is one clever dude around the goal when it comes to placing the ball rather than blasting it. Overall, great game and great result for us. Also, credits to Swansea’s impressive passing and fair game. If HR leaves for England I’d be pleased to see Rodgers managing the Spurs. He’s only 35 but with great vision how game should be played, and would fit in like a glow.
Pleased to see Harry started with the Sandro and Parker CM strategy and as predicted it helped to contain a very good Swansea team. This formation makes us hard to beat and can also create chances through pressing high up the pitch. Later in the game more attacking players can be introduced if needed eg: Lennon yesterday.
I thought Ade was outstanding for his forward chasing, pressing their back line and playing other team-mates into the game and Bale had a great game too.
A real test next against Sunderland with their hyper-activity and physical aggression. We will need another high-octane performance and will need to take the chances that we normally spurn...at least 3 yesterday.
Massive 3 points against a great footballing side. Like Beetle and Dave says Ade was awsome. He's loving it at Tottenham. Parker, Sandro and now Livermore. what great choices in ankle nippers. Have to say I cannot believe how well Benny played. Another one enjoying life. Keep this up and it's looking good. Great game played in a great spirit. No bookings.
Gotta get Caulker back from Swansea this summer. He's amazingly good and could be the next Ledders as someone already said. I'd also like to see us get Kyle Naughton back from Norwich as a back-up for Walker/BAE if we're letting Charlie go. I think he's an improvement on Rose. I'd love to keep Charlie too given he's only 24. With Dawson back next year too our defense is looking impressively solid going forward. That is going to be essential if we're to compete in the Champion's League next year and challenge for the title.COYS
Charlie actually just turned 26.
i love charlie, he is a fantastic defender, his only limitations being pace which is exploited by the fastest wingers and attacking ablity. He would be a superb back up for walker but he won't want to be a number 2. Naughton also won't want to play second fiddle to walker especially when you consider walker was his back up at sheffield united. If we could keep one of the two i would be delighted. Alternatively with a non injury prone centre back coming in it would give more flexibility for kaboul to fill in at right back.
Speaking of covers, if Kaboul and Gallas can play RB, it looks like we do not have covers for left back (Rose is to weak) and right winger.