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We played like Wimbledon today
- Thread starter NaijaSpurs
- Start date
SUIYHA
Scott Parker
It's not AVB's fault that Assou-Ekotto had smoked a spliff or something before the game.
It's not his fault that Bale, Lennon and Dembele are clearly well short of match fitness (though it is his fault for starting all three of them with the Chelsea game three days later).
It's also not his fault that Parker, Sandro and Livermore weren't available for selection, meaning we had no real ball winner in midfield.
It's not his fault that he wasn't given the funds to sign a new striker in January.
However, yesterday's dogbrick performance could have been prevented, and it is yet another tactical horror show to add to the ever growing list that means I am yet to be convinced that AVB is good enough to manage this club. I had my head in my hands when the starting line-up was announced. I knew it was going to be a struggle.
The most important attribute for a central midfield to have is the ability to pass and receive the ball in tight spaces. You need players with quick feet, good first touches and the ability to manoeuvre a little bit of space to give themselves time on the ball, and can play short passes quickly and accurately. Look at every top team in the world, they will NEVER put out a midfield without these kinds of players in. Huddlestone and Dembele are both very good players in their own right, but neither fit this category, they both like their time on the ball. Against a team like Southampton who play with a high line and press us high on the pitch, it becomes even more important. In those cases, you ideally want a third man in the centre of the park. But no, we had two players not suited to this kind of football, who weren't able to do their thing and we resorted to hoofing long balls up the pitch.
Hoof-ball can be an effective tactic though. It's not nice to watch, but teams can play it and win with it if the opposition isn't prepared for it, particularly if they are playing a high line. But if you are to play it, make sure you've got a target man for fudges sake. Adebayor isn't the most popular player around these parts (anyone else notice him storm down the tunnel at the FT whistle yesterday?), but we looked far better when he came on because Dempsey and Defoe are just not suited to receiving long balls. It's been said before, but this reminded me of George Graham's Tottenham, particularly at the point when a 5ft tall Rebrov was playing up front.
Look at our neighbours down the road. I don't think their squad is any better than ours overall, but you'd never see them only have 4 shots all game against Southampton at home, because Wenger would always have at least one of Cazorla, Wheelchair, Rosicky and Arteta on the pitch (if not three of them). Players who can move the ball around. Players who can make things happen. So why didn't we? I know we don't have Modric any more. I know we need to sign a creative CM. But we did have Holtby, Sigurdsson and Caroll all fit and available for selection. Why did none of them start??? It absolutely baffles me how a manager can expect anything other than what we saw yesterday with our three most creative midfielders on the bench.
On another point, there are two types of people in this world. Those who think Sigurdsson is better than Dempsey, and those who really shouldn't comment on football. Unfortunately, AVB seems to fit into the latter category. I just don't get it, name me an attribute and Sigurdsson tops Dempsey at it, save for this mystery "pops up with important goals thing". True, Dempsey does score more goals. But not so much more to justify starting ahead of Gylfi. If he scored 25+ a season then I'd accept it, but he doesn't. I don't think I even buy into this whole "hard working" thing about him, Sigurdsson does plenty of good work winning the ball back and I remember a few times yesterday when Walker had the ball out wide looking for support and Dempsey was just standing around. The best football we played all season was when Gylfi had a run in the starting line-up so why change things?
If a game ever summed up AVB's time at Tottenham, it was yesterday. Very poor tactics, but got a result because of the brilliance of Gareth Bale. Thank fudge for that man. Because without him, we'd be mid-table this season.
It's not his fault that Bale, Lennon and Dembele are clearly well short of match fitness (though it is his fault for starting all three of them with the Chelsea game three days later).
It's also not his fault that Parker, Sandro and Livermore weren't available for selection, meaning we had no real ball winner in midfield.
It's not his fault that he wasn't given the funds to sign a new striker in January.
However, yesterday's dogbrick performance could have been prevented, and it is yet another tactical horror show to add to the ever growing list that means I am yet to be convinced that AVB is good enough to manage this club. I had my head in my hands when the starting line-up was announced. I knew it was going to be a struggle.
The most important attribute for a central midfield to have is the ability to pass and receive the ball in tight spaces. You need players with quick feet, good first touches and the ability to manoeuvre a little bit of space to give themselves time on the ball, and can play short passes quickly and accurately. Look at every top team in the world, they will NEVER put out a midfield without these kinds of players in. Huddlestone and Dembele are both very good players in their own right, but neither fit this category, they both like their time on the ball. Against a team like Southampton who play with a high line and press us high on the pitch, it becomes even more important. In those cases, you ideally want a third man in the centre of the park. But no, we had two players not suited to this kind of football, who weren't able to do their thing and we resorted to hoofing long balls up the pitch.
Hoof-ball can be an effective tactic though. It's not nice to watch, but teams can play it and win with it if the opposition isn't prepared for it, particularly if they are playing a high line. But if you are to play it, make sure you've got a target man for fudges sake. Adebayor isn't the most popular player around these parts (anyone else notice him storm down the tunnel at the FT whistle yesterday?), but we looked far better when he came on because Dempsey and Defoe are just not suited to receiving long balls. It's been said before, but this reminded me of George Graham's Tottenham, particularly at the point when a 5ft tall Rebrov was playing up front.
Look at our neighbours down the road. I don't think their squad is any better than ours overall, but you'd never see them only have 4 shots all game against Southampton at home, because Wenger would always have at least one of Cazorla, Wheelchair, Rosicky and Arteta on the pitch (if not three of them). Players who can move the ball around. Players who can make things happen. So why didn't we? I know we don't have Modric any more. I know we need to sign a creative CM. But we did have Holtby, Sigurdsson and Caroll all fit and available for selection. Why did none of them start??? It absolutely baffles me how a manager can expect anything other than what we saw yesterday with our three most creative midfielders on the bench.
On another point, there are two types of people in this world. Those who think Sigurdsson is better than Dempsey, and those who really shouldn't comment on football. Unfortunately, AVB seems to fit into the latter category. I just don't get it, name me an attribute and Sigurdsson tops Dempsey at it, save for this mystery "pops up with important goals thing". True, Dempsey does score more goals. But not so much more to justify starting ahead of Gylfi. If he scored 25+ a season then I'd accept it, but he doesn't. I don't think I even buy into this whole "hard working" thing about him, Sigurdsson does plenty of good work winning the ball back and I remember a few times yesterday when Walker had the ball out wide looking for support and Dempsey was just standing around. The best football we played all season was when Gylfi had a run in the starting line-up so why change things?
If a game ever summed up AVB's time at Tottenham, it was yesterday. Very poor tactics, but got a result because of the brilliance of Gareth Bale. Thank fudge for that man. Because without him, we'd be mid-table this season.
Although I'm not as anti-AVB as you seemingly are - without knowing what's going on in a manager's head, on the training ground or in the dressing room I find it difficult to be too judgemental - this post sums up my thoughts exactly.
I was going to mention the 'Dempsey the Hard Worker' cliche myself - personally I think Lennon, Siggy and Holtby are at least as hard-working, and probably moreso.
Bullet
Andy Thompson
Thank you Suiyha, great post. SOMEBODY in the team needs to be a footballer. Pass and move, take a touch, pop it off, move it around, you know...a FOOTBALLER.
We had lots of sprinters, a quarterback, a few spectators, but bugger me sideways - why didn't we deploy any footballers.
Mr Bale needs space to exploit - that is his genius.
So they just clogged up midfield and we continued to plough into the mire like a 40 year old tractor trying to pull down a brickhouse, hammering at their goal with all the power and force of an Octagenarian's flaccid phallus.
Wouldn't say they clogged up midfield - there was space there to exploit given their aggressive pressing. We just couldn't take advantage of it.
Mulletperm
Mauricio Taricco
So people aren't justified to discuss what was a poor performance?