Things I want to see from Spurs this season (#2)
Saturday, August 25, 2012 at 10:23AM #2
Fortress White Hart Lane
We've got more than a decent home record. Have done for a fair few years. Sure, Utd always turn up and dick us. City will never be easy. But it's far more disappointing losing games we expect to be victorious in, except it's these very games we fear and end up tripping over ourselves in limp displays of effort. Bottom half of the table, relegation dog-fighters. They turn up, they park the bus, they defend deep, they suck up the attacks then counter and score with their only chance. It's what makes Fortress WHL penetrable for those plucky enough to believe their discipline can ensure a successful invasion. We too need to retain discipline to counter their plan. Arguably we've struggled to break these teams down. Not enough guile, just plenty of kitchen sink throwing. We've had to rely on some magic, occasionally last minute, to save us blushes but it's always felt like we've made it difficult when it shouldn't be. Hence the lack of gob-smacking shock at the final whistle. You can sometimes see these types of games play out ominously as the minutes tick away. You just know in your gut it's not going to happen.
Villas-Boas is much touted as being tactically astute. Redknapp was much maligned for his reliance on players individuality creating something out of nothing rather than formational and tactical switches to force the issue and force the opposition to perhaps react in a way that would allow us to take advantage. We're going to need that guile and aggression to find a way through when it's not made easy for us. Discipline accompanied by patience and the most important weapon of defence - ruthless finishing in front of goal. Nothing more frustrating than drawing at home when the game is there for the taking. Aside from defeat. Both should warrant the same air of unacceptability.
Reader Comments (37)
Word on the street is West Brom are quick on the counter attack. The use of the defencive high line needs to be solid... little room for mistakes.
Tactics alone are not enough, we also need players who can execute them.
I have a feeling JV will score 1st today. We have been a threat from set plays for a change and the lad got 10 last year. I reckon you'll get at least 12-1 as well. Hopefully the lads give a performance with so much gusto and swagger it dries the ink of the john(very)cross anti Levy brigade. Dawn of a new era today. A manager who speaks intelligently to the press and applies tactics to a useful bunch of players. Lets get a result that matches the pride I think we are all starting to get for our mighty club again.
COYS
Shoot on sight should be the name of the game for today. If WBA parks their entire team behind for a chance to attack, then Sigurdsson and vdV will start, to provide the arty just outside the box. Looking forward to the game.
My Line-up: Friedel, Benny, Walker, Vertonghen, Gallas (C), Sandro, vdV, Sigurdsson, Bale, Ade and Defoe.
Dave - agreed but I think we have enough about us, plenty under used resources on the pitch in the past even with us being quite effective most of the time. Lacked that edge. Hoping to see some in the up and coming weeks.
If Adebayor gets a knock 4th place is gone. Spurs got lucky last season and he hardly missed a game. Bit vegas to rely on that again.
Kane and Defoe? Dont make me laugh.
It does seem a bit reckless of AVB/Levy to bet the season on Adebayor not getting injured.
Sigh.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Just going to say that. You get the feeling we'd have won that game and drawn last week if we had Modric's replacement in already. Jenas? Really? He should have been gone YEARS ago. What's next Bentley? We as supporters must remain patient but the amount of pressure that AVB is under is immense thanks to Levy's getting rid of Redknapp. You think he'd have sorted this Modric and Adebayor thing out instead of leaving him hanging. I hate to question the manager but VdV was our best player by a MILE. We're clearly thin in central midfield with Huddlestone, Parker and Modric out. We look good but we're missing something....and it ain't Jenas.
On the matter of Levy.Enough. It is enough. If you repeat mistakes it stops being some one else's fault and a matter of bad luck.
On thr matter of AVB , we should be beating WBA at home comfortably enough to not have to worry about nerves in the last 5 mins putting us under pressure. Enough. Take a look at Chelski last year. Same story. Eeked out home wins and often times late leads lost.
Can we stop the denial?
oh yeah!!! we have last season all over again. passing-passing-passing, oh lost it!!!! no end product. if levy dont get this sorted out he can fuck the hell off!!! and AWB takes out VDV for j....!!!!!!!! AWB dont know what the hell he is doing, and we can see spurs outside off top 4. no way we will beat chelsea,arsenal,utd,city. and modders is still at the club, it is so stupid, why cant we sell him and get in some one, who can open up a defence? no, i want 1mill£ more, bla,bla,bla. we have lost 5 points on two games. because we dont have a forward that can put in goals. defoe is so egotistic, i hope he never ever get a starting position. ade is ade, no close controll. and given that he has now got what he wanted his work rate will dropp. AWB throwes in j.... i cant take this, fore 4 years we had redcrapp, with no tactick, run around a bit. and now we have a manager that rates jenas. dont know what is worse. and again we get a goal against at set pice. gallas can drop dead, no tempo. and if awb dont see that defoe,janas,gallas dont belong in this team he is a an idiot. sacked by christmas!!! and levy will never ever open up and spend money, so i guess we will have defoe and kane as our dangerous attack with ade, who was benched by the way. our midfield are not the best, chelsea,city,utd,arsenal all have better midfield than spurs. and selling dawson and keeping gallas is not smart. i can not see any light in this darknes, if we dont get in sombody really quick!!!!!!
I will still wait ten games to speak on this coach... 8 more to go
Knock knock... did we not look DOMINATING for the entire first half but couldn't finish. We had at least 2-3 clear cut chances we didn't finish. Can't blame AVB for that... We should be beating WBA comfortably at home. Need to finish. Similar last week with Newcastle. Could have/should have, I know. It's depressing. In the end, we didn't put them away when we had a chance and we almost lost the game. Should have lost the game to be fair. We're in a bit of trouble.
Who is this Jermaine Jenas fellow who came on at the end? Does he play for Tottenham?
Levy will not sign world class players because his reporting profits is his number one goal each year.
AVB will not play established proven players because his reporting success of his pathetic system trumps all is his number one goal each year.
Our top two club leaders are not looking after what I believe is our number one interest; a stylish Spurs side winning trophies.
How difficult is it for them to see what we want?
and it must be great being levy, looking over at chelsea and thinking "i am so happy i did not spend money on hazzard", because all know that top players come cheep. saha,nelson,friedel. the fact is levy will never spend any big money, and spurs will be almost a top 4 side. but finishing 5-7. as long as that greedy bastard is doing the buying, we will not see any big signings. arsenal bought cazorla for 17mill£, thats more than our club record. and it is not even considered "mutch money" these days. but still arguing over modders price with real madrid, that is something he has alot of time to do. he should sell, so AWB can use the money before it is to late, but again i dont thimk spurs will buy any more players. we where after strikers, and sudenly after we did get ade, defoe and kane where good enough to get top 4??? AWB want hudd out, but NOT J####??? because j.... is a real assett!!!! gio cant get a game in hell, no mather how well he plays for mexico, j#### is not even in the england squad, but is rated above GIO, how can this be????? pienaar did score again for everton, working well for hiom there, but at spurs he did not? is there something wrong with the bacroom staff at WHL? i certanly wonder about that. and we cant seem to sign fast players, bale,lennon was signed years ago. but a really fast striker we have not had in ages, but other teams seems to find them, but not spurs, why is that??? and friedel, standing looking at the ball in the situation before the goal, he could have, and should have collected that ball. but we cant seem to buy the top players other teams do, like ncastle with krool,ba,cisse,cabaye,tiote. so what is it with spurs, dont we have a scouting nettwork?? if we cant find top players we must buy them, and if we do neither, we will never ever be a top side.
This is my first post EVER to any online spurs board but felt so utterly dejected just had to post today !
Never! but Never! but NEVER ! have I seen such a woeful defensive performance than this.
supporting spurs since 67 during which time fair to say we have had some pretty awful defences at times
W.B.A. made to look like Barca on our own ground !
I only watched the final 13 minutes online as was nervous after we took the lead.
A goal keeper who simply will "never" leave his line to clear ball
two centre half's who neither has a physical presence required for the premiership
10 men behind the ball (11) when the goal was conceded.totally hapless defending!
No physical presence in the absence of Kaboul & Daws.
Who honestly thought they would see the likes of Jenas again in a spurs shirt! Whilst Hudd & Daws are surplus to requirements.
Every time W.B.A. got into the spurs half they looked like scoring every time they were in the
spurs box they very nearly did score !
Two of the 3 "new" signings both started on the bench !
A soon as we went a goal up back to 5 in midfield , lets just defend ! Failed!
we had some shocking defensive displays under Harry but today it schoolboy defending & no leadership!
Today, A V B made Rednapp look like a tactical genius
Lukas new replacement it would seem " Livermore"
There are a lot of very difficult games in the premier league. This was NOT one of them!
As for A.V.B. the honeymoon is well and truly OVER .(yes even this early)
Go now and nobody at spurs will think too badly of you.
If Levy thought he might be taking a gamble with A.V.B.he now KNOWS he has!
I fear we are in for another long drawn out season of premiership failure before Levy
will admit his errors and sack A.V.B. (all too late)
If he did it now it would at the very least save the Tottenham careers of
Dawson & Huddlestone !
Topspurs
things we'd like to see #3 No more hard luck stories.
Failing to beat inferior teams on a consistent basis isn't bad luck.
Failing to sell and sign players in time isn't bad luck.
Failing to prepare for the season isn't bad luck.
It has been a terrible start to the season (again). Sort it out Tottenham!
Benjamin Franklin once wrote, " There are two things certain in life, death and taxes." He was of course wrong when he muttered
those immortal words. What he should have said was that, "There are three things certain in life, death, taxes and Tottenham's
inability to finish teams off and defend a lead to the final whistle."
AVB tactical genius - why oh why oh why oh why oh why oh why OH WHY IS JERMAINE JENAS STILL ANYWHERE NEAR OUR FOOTBALL CLUB let alone the pitch?
Im back and with yet another moan. I hate the way we play. We look as if we are running around at 600mph like a bunch of headless chickens. No control, no structure, no rythem - everything superfast. I watched Lennons face after 10 minutes and he looked as if he was spent - why - chasing down the ball in WBA area!
Im telling you, we will not last 5 games at this pace!! This is not good. Our high game and oressing game does not allow time and space to both Bale and Lennon. They play in a a much squeezed area iof the pitch that does not allow them space or time to doe their but.
I cant watch a spurs team playing like this, its all too fast and rushed. We also do not have the defensive skills to play a high line, our defence is neither clever enough of quick enough. I cant beleive how we were bullied so easily.
For me, its not looking good, to be honest, there is really only one person to blame now and thats LEVY. He has sacrifised a good start to the season because of his penny pinching egoistic approach to the transfer market. Does he not realise that what goes around comes around, so when Levy comes knocking for a player - they will look at Levy a say, ill give a bit of his own medicine. So where does that leaves us - no players coming in because we wont pay the asking price.
Modric going, and Bale will go next season and thats it!!
We will never learn, we will never get it right. We come back season after season, screw up after screw up, whether it food poisoning, phatom goals, no transfers - last minute transfers, Modric, strikers, Arry, goalkeepers, Dawson, Hudd, Gio, 2 points 8 games, end of season screw up,etc, etc, etc. I can go on and on and im afraid we have just started yet another season of f##k ups and screw ups. Why oh why cant we simply just for once, just for once get it right!!! Every top 6 team has 6 strikers - we come out and sday 1 is enough for us - what on earth are we saying!!
Im just sick of it all, i cant be asked anymore, i really cant, ive simply had enough!
Good to see we are all happy tonight...if it helps thought Sandro played well.....o it doesn't help...i'll sod off then
Im not sure any talk of being unlucky or just needed to convert possession/chances into goals will suffice here.
Because Im pretty sure that was the go-to excuse/response for our failure to put points on the board since January when we played team after team off the park as we conspired to lose third.
Meet the new Spurs, same as the old Spurs. Only with not as good a squad.. Long, long season ahead.
AvB doesnt have room for Thudd or Daws but Jenas gets game time? What. The. Fuck. #itsramostime
Ouji, your last sentence sums it ups for me!!
How can AVB build respect when Jenas gets a game and people like Gio can't get on the bench. here is another one who will get exactly what he deserves from the fans.
2 games and I fu##### give up already!
The positive points first: Sandro is well in form, as are Walker and BAE. Verthongen made a good start, he showed quality with the ball on his feet and having a deep lying playmaker will give the squad a new option in the future. He also showed speed and good reaction when he tackled Lukaku on a dangerous opportunity. I liked the signing. The problem again was that the forward department didnt have the shooting boots on and missed many opportunities in the first half. WBA was well tight, and as the goal didnt come AVB started making substitutions putting more strikers and attacking middlefielders in, which paid off with the goal. But then, the end of the game was a disaster! Two or three balls saved on the line and a disappointing draw in the end. This squad doesnt work with Defoe in front, for me Defoe only can play as a second striker in a 4-4-2. I know he is loved by the fans, but for me he would go for a good fee, since playing Bale and Lennon leaves place for one striker and one or two middlefielders capable of attaking and defending. Second, leaving the squad without Sandro or Parker on the holding position is too risky! I hope Adebayor gets in form quick and the other lads up front find a way to cope with anxiety and start scoring, or this slow start is going to be very costly. Another thing that is changing in the squad is that there is more rotation of positions up front. In principle it is good, since it makes the team less predictable, but it still has to be improved. For now, it is better to keep it simple, make a couple of results, gain confidence and than try improving tactics. Otherwhise there would be the danger of a Chelsea scenario soon.
I don't blame AVB for this performance, these problems are not new ones.
When in possession: we attack too slowly and there is a huge gap between the top 4 players and everyone else. When we try and 'hoof' it through to one of the wingers it is easy to cut out. When we eventually do get the ball into their third they have 11 players behind the ball and we end up with all of our players in too advanced positions. We really miss Modric and the small things he did like get the ball out quickly on the ground to a player in an advanced position instead of trying to walk it out or loft it to the wing.
Because of the slow patient pointless buildup we look flat-footed when they break. We knew that they would be sititng back and trying to break quickly as a. they are a smaller team playing away, and b. it works against spurs. So we also should know we have to attack fast before they can get organised and prepare for the counter by having people in positions to pick up those runs and cut the ball out. I liked the pressing and high tempo in midfield but when we win the ball we need to release it quickly and hit them hard not congratulate ourselves on winning the ball. Gaining possession in the opponents third is very dangerous, both for scoring goals and for making a team panic and start missing passes. But if you don't do anything with the ball afterwards it allows them to relax.
After scoring: We yet again paniced and tried to see the game out and failed. How many times have spurs done this in the last few years.
Jenas - I bet he looks good in training. On the pitch he is just a headless chicken though.
So what have we learned today?
1) We still lack confidence on the pitch. With confidence comes finishing and sturdy defense.
2) Never never never take Sandro off. Not ever!
3) Jenas hasn't improved with age.
4) Brad is aging as we watch.
5) Gallas cannot hold the back 4 together under pressure.
6) Benny is magic.
7) West Brom. are a bloody good side.
8) Even AVB makes mistakes; but Christ-on-a-crutch some of them were doozies today. He needs to re-think his approach given our frustrating underachievement.
That said...we are still a point better-off than we were this time last year. Norwich and Reading coming-up. Still time to right the ship IMO. However, I will be moving my deck chair closer to the stern railing...
"Benjamin Franklin once wrote, " There are two things certain in life, death and taxes." He was of course wrong when he muttered those immortal words. What he should have said was that, "There are three things certain in life, death, taxes and Tottenham's inability to finish teams off and defend a lead to the final whistle."
Aug 25, 2012 at 7:50 PM | One Terry Nayloir
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To my fellow ignorant American,
Benjamin Franklin was born on 17 Jan 0706, and he died 17 Apr 1790.
Few from the list of his brilliant quotes:
- Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do
- Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about
- We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid
- Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late
- Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants (come to think it is useless to include this quote because Scrooge Lewis and his disgraceful clone Levy probably don't visit this site as often as they should)
"Even AVB makes mistakes; but Christ-on-a-crutch some of them were doozies today. He needs to re-think his approach given our frustrating underachievement."
Caterham, your comment worries me. From where and why does this man AVB deserve so much adulation from fans on this site??? "Even AVB makes mistakes"???? WOW!!!
Is he God? How WHY WHY WHY does he deserve this kind of remark? What has he done?
I wasn't at the match so I can't comment in detail - saw MOTD Highlights. I can't believe the venom of negativity round here! Get a grip people!!! So JJ gets a game Daws, Gioand HUD don't. So what? Is Daws a midfielder? Do JJ and Gio play in the same position??? Good grief!! I know there are loads of JJ haters about - I know I'm in the minority of those who like him (Anybody remember Didier Deschamps?) every team needs a water carrier, tireless box to box player. Check out his work rate - unbelievable. Crucial in a team that plays like AVB wants us to.
Two games!!!! Please calm down people. Calm down. I have a very good feeling about AVB. I'm sure he and the team will come good. When we start winning titles, I won't say 'I told you so'. Note the 'when' not 'if'. Because (I know it's wrong to start a sentence with 'bcos'! - forgive me Miss) I'm so sure we will, if we just let him build. It's early days people. What's that cliche again? Marathon, not a sprint.....
I'm telling the truth like it is. Not trolling.
I'm sorry, but AVB is a dud football manager. We found out about it first hand. He's going to undo the good work that Frank Lampard's uncle had done at WHL. Tactically, AVB is rigid, dogmatic and an "I-know-best" stick-in-the-mud. On top of that, he's a piss poor people manager.
Yes, it is still early in the season, but eventually you'll find out the hard way.
Please, keep AVB as Spurs manager for a long time. ;p
Nochman, your comment worries me too. I think you miss the irony of the entire comment. His team selection was a disaster and his substitutions naive in the extreme. Ne c'est pas? I think it shook the team so much that their frantic finishing fracas is a bit more understandable. Harry was more predictable. I don't know where AVB is coming from sometimes. But I'm still glad 'Frank's Uncle' is on the telly and not our bench.
think on this for a minute, who is now willing to sell theyre top players?? with so little time to find replacements? i dont think any team is that stupid, exept spurs. leving it late as usual, and need to pay over the ods to get theyr targets, levy is "wise" in his dealings, getting a coupple of millions more from real, but we must now pay over the odds to get players, and all the "extra" millions levy has argued to get, will be out the window. levy need to go if this is his vision of going forward. get dembele, and a goalie. and a new striker, so defoe never ever has to play again. and get gio in the squad, so i dont has to see j#### ever again in a spurs shirt, and get hud in the team.
To make one thing clear West Brom were poor - then start assessing the performance. 3-0 win over Liverpool isn't what it used to be.
Scalytomato I was at the game and watched MOTD this morning. We should have been out of sight in the first half but for the usual lets score 1 in 7 good chances.We were allot worse than the highlights made out because the Baggies kept giving us openings and chances not because of geniune good play.
All I'm going to say is until we get to a position in which Jermain Defoe is our 4th choice striker we will always struggle. I think no-one would argue with me that all he offers to the team is goalscoring, he doesn't pass the ball so he won't get assists, he doesn't tackle, he can't defend set plays, all he does is score, which is fine if he scores plenty. In nine seasons his best return was 18 from 34 games (including 5 against a woeful Wigan side), in a single season Adebayor a player who is constantly criticised by spurs fans for his finishing scored 17 from 33 games, plus over 10 assists, now Jermain Defoe might be a Yiddo, but that doesn't make him a Spurs quality footballer. Somewhere we need to find a goalscorer who will score over 20 league goals a season or at least get close on a regular basis.
Scaly, you can start a sentence with any word you like, so cut out that pathetic (sorry Miss) bullshit. You aren't twelve.
Well, we all knew it. AVB is not the messiah, he's a bloody Chelsea reject who had one good season in a mickey mouse league and we're paying him £3m a year?! What other clubs wanted him as their manager, no-one so why are we paying him established manager wages when he has only been a failure in the English game.
We so nearly succeeded last year with our best manager in decades, so we swop him for a worse manager. We should be preparing ourselves for mid-table this season and see the gap between us and the good teams widen. I just wish we were more like Arsenal, or that I could be a west ham fan instead. One or the other so I can have success and enjoy CL, or just enjoy going to the game for its own sake without any hopes of success. I suppose though i shouldn't hope for any for spurs either, we've not had any in 20 years.