A solution to our rught-side balance issue with Lennon out?

[braineclipse]

Walker shouldn't be an option for the right wing for reasons already listed.

Gio shouldn't be either. Especially not as long as we play a 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 formation. If anyone complains about Bale being one footed, but then say they want Gio in the side I don't think their memory is very good. Probably the most one footed player in our squad.

Bentley is average at the very best and has consistently failed to deliver for us, the amount of bad performances he's had for us is shocking. I would much rather see VdV out right, and I would rather see Kranjcar out right.

 

[Rossi22]

If that is a genuine stat I will stand corrected. Would love to see it. For me, Aaron Lennon on the right, Gareth Bale on the left, Luka Modric in the middle with Parker and VdV in the hole off Ade has been the cornerstone of our best performances and results. I refuse to believe that Niko on the right has gained better results than Lennon there...I'll need proof! ;-)

League games started on the right.

Lennon:
Man Utd 3-0 Spurs
Spurs 1-5 Emirates Marketing Project
Blackburn 1-2 Spurs
Spurs 3-1 QPR
Fulham 1-3 Spurs
Spurs 2-0 Villa
West Brom 1-3 Spurs
Spurs 3-0 Bolton
Stoke 2-1 Spurs
Spurs 1-0 Sunderland - replaced by Pav after 27 minutes
Spurs 2-0 Everton
Spurs 1-1 Wolves
Emirates Marketing Project 3-2 Spurs
Spurs 1-3 Man Utd

7 Wins
1 Draw
5 Losses

Kranjcar:
Wolves 0-2 Spurs
Spurs 4-0 Liverpool
Spurs 3-1 Wigan
Spurs 5-0 Saudi Sportswashing Machine
Liverpool 0-0 Spurs
Arsenal 5-2 Spurs

4 Wins
1 Draw
1 Loss

As I said, small sample size and given the weight of games Lennon has played compared to Kranjcar then maybe they'd level out. I'm not saying I'd prefer Kranjcar to Lennon but just that when Kranjcar has played in Azza's place, we haven't really skipped a beat. Minimum interruption to the side is always the best way for me.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Bolton:

--------------------Cudicinni
Walker-------Kaboul---------King----------Ekoto
Kranjcar-----Livermore-------Sandro-------Bale
-----------------------VDV
---------------------Adebayor

Stoke:

--------------------Friedel
------Kaboul--------Nelson--------Gallas
--------------Parker-------Sandro
Walker--------------Modric----------------Bale
----------------Defoe-----Saha

Chelsea:

--------------------Friedel
Walker-------Kaboul-------King----------Ekotto
Lennon-------Parker--------Modric--------Bale
---------------------VDV
-------------------Adebayor

Only Bale and Walker have to play in all 3 games. If we are lucky enough to be winning either of the first two games comfortably then these are the two players we take off as a priority.

The above should keep everyone fresh and also allow Lennon the right amount of time to properly get over his hamstring trouble.

 

[Modric THFC]

Bolton:

--------------------Cudicinni
Walker-------Kaboul---------King----------Ekoto
Kranjcar-----Livermore-------Sandro-------Bale
-----------------------VDV
---------------------Adebayor

Stoke:

--------------------Friedel
------Kaboul--------Nelson--------Gallas
--------------Parker-------Sandro
Walker--------------Modric----------------Bale
----------------Defoe-----Saha

Chelsea:

--------------------Friedel
Walker-------Kaboul-------King----------Ekotto
Lennon-------Parker--------Modric--------Bale
---------------------VDV
-------------------Adebayor

Only Bale and Walker have to play in all 3 games. If we are lucky enough to be winning either of the first two games comfortably then these are the two players we take off as a priority.

The above should keep everyone fresh and also allow Lennon the right amount of time to properly get over his hamstring trouble.

Changing your formation because your playing a mid table opposition at home is not on. Stoke don't merit special treatment.

 

[totman]

League games started on the right.

Lennon:
Man Utd 3-0 Spurs
Spurs 1-5 Emirates Marketing Project
Blackburn 1-2 Spurs
Spurs 3-1 QPR
Fulham 1-3 Spurs
Spurs 2-0 Villa
West Brom 1-3 Spurs
Spurs 3-0 Bolton
Stoke 2-1 Spurs
Spurs 1-0 Sunderland - replaced by Pav after 27 minutes
Spurs 2-0 Everton
Spurs 1-1 Wolves
Emirates Marketing Project 3-2 Spurs
Spurs 1-3 Man Utd

7 Wins
1 Draw
5 Losses

Kranjcar:
Wolves 0-2 Spurs
Spurs 4-0 Liverpool
Spurs 3-1 Wigan
Spurs 5-0 Saudi Sportswashing Machine
Liverpool 0-0 Spurs
Arsenal 5-2 Spurs

4 Wins
1 Draw
1 Loss

As I said, small sample size and given the weight of games Lennon has played compared to Kranjcar then maybe they'd level out. I'm not saying I'd prefer Kranjcar to Lennon but just that when Kranjcar has played in Azza's place, we haven't really skipped a beat. Minimum interruption to the side is always the best way for me.

Youve been banging this drum for while. Fair play, totally agree

 

[braineclipse]

Changing your formation because your playing a mid table opposition at home is not on. Stoke don't merit special treatment.

Changing your team/formation/whatever to maximize the chance of winning any game is very much on, or at least it should be!

We didn't change our team away against Stoke last time out, even though we had players available, and were pinned back and outplayed for 20 minutes leaving us 2 goals down.

 

[AdamB]

Bolton:

--------------------Cudicinni
Walker-------Kaboul---------King----------Ekoto
Kranjcar-----Livermore-------Sandro-------Bale
-----------------------VDV
---------------------Adebayor

Stoke:

--------------------Friedel
------Kaboul--------Nelson--------Gallas
--------------Parker-------Sandro
Walker--------------Modric----------------Bale
----------------Defoe-----Saha

Chelsea:

--------------------Friedel
Walker-------Kaboul-------King----------Ekotto
Lennon-------Parker--------Modric--------Bale
---------------------VDV
-------------------Adebayor

Only Bale and Walker have to play in all 3 games. If we are lucky enough to be winning either of the first two games comfortably then these are the two players we take off as a priority.

The above should keep everyone fresh and also allow Lennon the right amount of time to properly get over his hamstring trouble.

Are you Harry by any chance? Not a chance that we should mess about with our formation for the Stoke game. The games in which Harry has done stupid things like this havent gone well. We should be playing the system which has brought us success (ie 4-4-2) and keep the best players in their best positions. It really isnt rocket science

 

[AdamB]

Changing your team/formation/whatever to maximize the chance of winning any game is very much on, or at least it should be!

We didn't change our team away against Stoke last time out, even though we had players available, and were pinned back and outplayed for 20 minutes leaving us 2 goals down.

Perhaps if oyu had someone with a tactical brain in charge. From what players have said, we dont practice sytems and tactics and therefore we should stick to what we know and trust that the superior quality of our players will give us a very good chance to win

 

[metalgear]

Looking for the best person to replace lennon isn't the only way of looking at the problem.

Its arguable that you could put any midfielder there, then change the way we play, and find another way of attacking teams rather than just down the wings.

personally i dislike symmetrical attacks, so would prefer if something like kranjcar playing RM passing/crossing early, or letting Walker overlap.

 

[Modric THFC]

Changing your team/formation/whatever to maximize the chance of winning any game is very much on, or at least it should be!

We didn't change our team away against Stoke last time out, even though we had players available, and were pinned back and outplayed for 20 minutes leaving us 2 goals down.

We had to stick on another defender because Gallas was get destoyed by Crouch and Walter in the air. BAE was one of his off games against Shotton.
If we play Nelson and Kaboul we should be fine against them. The idea of bringing a not match fit Gallas (a player not great in the air at the best of times) back to face an aerial bombardment seems a bit misconceived.

 

[monkeybarry]

Kyle Walker is a person who runs fast who happens to play right back. Good thing he has his pace or he would be a bench regular at Sheffield Sunday.

Play Walker at right wing and bring back Bentley as right back. They cancel each others brick sides out. Walker can now do a defensive job as a wing and get credit for helping out helpless Bentley at right back. Bentley can go on overlaps and maybe get passed a player once in a while and deliver a good cross, something that Walker can't do to save his life. It's the old flip'it to win'it taq'tic, and you saw it here first.

i challenge you to find 10 video clips of Bentley beating a man

and ten of him delivering a cross the resulted in a goal or near goal in a Spurs shirt

 

[DubaiSpur]

i challenge you to find 10 video clips of Bentley beating a man

and ten of him delivering a cross the resulted in a goal or near goal in a Spurs shirt

I challenge you to find ten clips of Walker doing the same.

Face it, mate....

IS the answer.

 

[braineclipse]

Perhaps if oyu had someone with a tactical brain in charge. From what players have said, we dont practice sytems and tactics and therefore we should stick to what we know and trust that the superior quality of our players will give us a very good chance to win

I don't buy into the idea that neither Harry or any of our coaching/management staff has any tactical brain.

We had to stick on another defender because Gallas was get destoyed by Crouch and Walter in the air. BAE was one of his off games against Shotton.
If we play Nelson and Kaboul we should be fine against them. The idea of bringing a not match fit Gallas (a player not great in the air at the best of times) back to face an aerial bombardment seems a bit misconceived.

I agree that Nelsen and Kaboul should start that game, I don't think that is quite enough and would bring Sandro in for Parker at the very least to help us deal with their long balls. Should be able to do a similar job to what Kaboul did a couple of seasons back when he played DM and won a lot of their hoofed balls while allowing the centre backs to stay in position. Helped stop them from building momentum and pressure.

I don't fully agree with the team Finney posted. I just disagreed with the notion that we shouldn't change our setup or team because "Stoke are smaller than us" as I find that idea strange. Surely putting out the 11 players most likely to get us the mots points is the best idea regardless of who the opponents are.

 

[yiddo2786]

I challenge you to find ten clips of Walker doing the same.

Spurs games played by Bentley on the wing: 42
Spurs games played by Walker on the wing: 0

Not really a fair comparison

 

[Modric THFC]

I don't buy into the idea that neither Harry or any of our coaching/management staff has any tactical brain.



I agree that Nelsen and Kaboul should start that game, I don't think that is quite enough and would bring Sandro in for Parker at the very least to help us deal with their long balls. Should be able to do a similar job to what Kaboul did a couple of seasons back when he played DM and won a lot of their hoofed balls while allowing the centre backs to stay in position. Helped stop them from building momentum and pressure.

I don't fully agree with the team Finney posted. I just disagreed with the notion that we shouldn't change our setup or team because "Stoke are smaller than us" as I find that idea strange. Surely putting out the 11 players most likely to get us the mots points is the best idea regardless of who the opponents are.

The problem as I see it is when we set up to deal with an opposition tactic its interrupts our possession game. If we cant keep possession and invite the opposition on to us I don't think our defence is capable of withstanding that pressure. Our best defensive tactic is to keep the ball which is basically playing our own game.

 

[braineclipse]

The problem as I see it is when we set up to deal with an opposition tactic its interrupts our possession game. If we cant keep possession and invite the opposition on to us I don't think our defence is capable of withstanding that pressure. Our best defensive tactic is to keep the ball which is basically playing our own game.

I don't think our possession game is particularly dependent on a specific tactic. We played 3-5-2 against Stevenage and people were blaming the formation for our poor performance, but we played a 4-4-2 against Watford and our performance was no better. We played a 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 in the first half against Stoke away, and were poor, after we changed to 3-5-2 in the 2nd half we dominated. I think we would have dominated if we had continued playing a 4-4-2 as well, but 3-5-2 was slightly better.

As long as we have players like Modric and VdV in or around the centre, players like Ekotto and King who can pass it out from the back and some movement up front and on the flanks I don't think a formation will decide how our possession play works. However, a different tactic might allow us to utilize some slightly different players. Like 3 at the back to better deal with very physical opponents, or 3-5-2 to give us width from wing backs if we're short on wingers/wide players because of injuries.

That being said, I think we should play a 4-4-x or 4-2-x-x type formation the vast majority of the time. I just don't think we should ignore the strengths and weaknesses of smaller teams just because they are smaller than us. We should look at the strengths and weaknesses of the opponents and try to maximize our chance of victory.

 

[parklane1]

Are you Harry by any chance? Not a chance that we should mess about with our formation for the Stoke game. The games in which Harry has done stupid things like this havent gone well. We should be playing the system which has brought us success (ie 4-4-2) and keep the best players in their best positions. It really isnt rocket science

This in spades, lets get back at what we are good at.

 

[Rock Strongo]

i challenge you to find 10 video clips of Bentley beating a man

and ten of him delivering a cross the resulted in a goal or near goal in a Spurs shirt

Point being him playing RB and getting down on an overlap rather than having to face a defender one on one like you often do as a RW. Do it.

 

[thfcsteff]

League games started on the right.

Lennon:
Man Utd 3-0 Spurs
Spurs 1-5 Emirates Marketing Project
Blackburn 1-2 Spurs
Spurs 3-1 QPR
Fulham 1-3 Spurs
Spurs 2-0 Villa
West Brom 1-3 Spurs
Spurs 3-0 Bolton
Stoke 2-1 Spurs
Spurs 1-0 Sunderland - replaced by Pav after 27 minutes
Spurs 2-0 Everton
Spurs 1-1 Wolves
Emirates Marketing Project 3-2 Spurs
Spurs 1-3 Man Utd

7 Wins
1 Draw
5 Losses

Kranjcar:
Wolves 0-2 Spurs
Spurs 4-0 Liverpool
Spurs 3-1 Wigan
Spurs 5-0 Saudi Sportswashing Machine
Liverpool 0-0 Spurs
Arsenal 5-2 Spurs

4 Wins
1 Draw
1 Loss

As I said, small sample size and given the weight of games Lennon has played compared to Kranjcar then maybe they'd level out. I'm not saying I'd prefer Kranjcar to Lennon but just that when Kranjcar has played in Azza's place, we haven't really skipped a beat. Minimum interruption to the side is always the best way for me.

Interesting stat...the one thing it misses out, is that Lennon's first two starts (and defeats) happened in a Parker-less, Ade-less team. I think that makes a massive, massive difference. But it is an interesting stat for sure, Niko has been more effective than I could see, but again, it's been at home. Liverpool was a great win, great result, but we should also remember that thanks to Bale, the dippers were a man down for a lot of the game, then a second man down near the end.

I DO agree that minimal interruption is probably the best way, thus I suppose somewhat contradicting myself, I can see Niko on the right for shape but only if Harry plays VdV in the hole and it's more of the 4-5-1...

Thanks for the stats though, interesting indeed...

 

[thfcsteff]

Pardew did exactly what we served up at the Emirates

4-4-2 with inferior midfield, Krunchie the tourist ahead of Lennon (the reason why he played Bale out of position 2 weeks later!!) tracking back their sprinters and 2 strikers who never pressed back.

Absolutely 100%...which is why I will forever view the Emirates collapse with "almost" the suspicion around Lasagnegate...it was just too ridiculous for words...