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**** OMT Tottenham Hotspur FC v Bodo Glimt ****

Bishop said:
Modric was a conductor, the person who orchestrated the midfield and the shape of the team with his give and go passing and his incisiveness. That's not Bergvall's game, he's not really got the tempo instinct. He's much more of a ball carrier than a passer. He actually reminds me far more of someone like Lampard than Modric. He's about energy, getting the ball and moving it forward at his feet rather than spraying it about.
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Yes, but to become a Lampard type of player he needs a lot more strength physically. He is very young and has plenty of time but that is the direction he needs to go, you called it right imo. He needs to go to a box to box type of midfielder and fight Bentancur and Sar for a place in the first 11. Wondering when Maddison comes back if we will play a 4-2-3-1 or will he be moved to a creative CM role.
 
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Bishop said:
Modric was a conductor, the person who orchestrated the midfield and the shape of the team with his give and go passing and his incisiveness. That's not Bergvall's game, he's not really got the tempo instinct. He's much more of a ball carrier than a passer. He actually reminds me far more of someone like Lampard than Modric. He's about energy, getting the ball and moving it forward at his feet rather than spraying it about.
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He has Lampard - Frenkie De Jong vibes for sure. What a prospect!!!!

Luka. Never replaced. As irreplaceable a player as Kane really, probably more so...
 
DubaiSpur said:
Agreed, and I would like that experiment to end once Maddison and Kulu are back as options. But that's what I mean - our lack of options for players outside the starting 11, through injury or transfer missteps, are forcing these sorts of choices.


Problem is, he's also the only vaguely defensive midfielder we have aside from Palhinha - so when we rest the latter, the former is forced to play as a holding #6, which he isn't very good at.



The problem with Johnson at the moment is - what setup do you actually play him in? In a game we're expected to dominate, he can't really take on his man (in the bottom percentile for take-ons), and can't hold on to the ball when it's played to feet. When we're being dominated, he can't force the opponent back by being a threat on the counter the way he did last season.

He's a bit of a player without a purpose atm.



Who do we have who can play there except Odobert? He's the best of a bad bunch. Frank wanted a left-winger, we couldn't get one over the line - he sees it's a problem.

Spence - agreed. Udogie gives us more threat down that side, and imo we need that more than we need Spence's defensive solidity atm.



Again - who do we have to rotate him with? Solanke is on his fourth month of a supposedly 'minor' injury (that now needs surgery), Kolo Muani is a ghost.



These are Frank's calls because of the limitations of the squad - I don't think he would be making many of these choices if he had options to choose from mate.

As for the playing it wide thing, it's common these days - the 'semicircle of death', which a lot of teams do. Right now we aren't confident enough to play through the middle without fear of being dispossessed and hit on the counter, so instead we're doing the 'wide and cross it in' thing. It's understandable.
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Johnson playing there looked bad but was still a goal threat
Odobert still isnt doing anything
I’d like tel to get a start there
But id also like us to play a 6,8,10 midfield and insist on playing through it
pahlhina, Bergvall, xavi
You could possibly then get away with Spence left as someone would try to put him in
 
Bedfordspurs said:
He looks better than Odobert
If tel missed that chance today our fans would burn effigies of him
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The heat Tel is getting from the fans is justified and he has only himself to blame. We all want him to do well but the only thing he has going for him at the moment is his age. Odobert will soon get on everyone's radar, just as Tel is. Johnson's odd goal, from time to time, is the only thing keeping the fans flip on him too. At least he scores, unlike Tel.
 
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DubaiSpur said:
it's common these days - the 'semicircle of death', which a lot of teams do.
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The s.c.o.d. is my nemesis. A team fights and scratches its way out of defence and up the pitch, you finally get it to a winger, and he gives it to the full back, who gives it to a CB who rightly says "what the frick do you want me to do with the ball, tinkle off" and thus the scod goes around and around like a turd circling the bowl.
 
Wow you guys are harsh, we are missing 2 of our creative outlets in Maddison and Kulu, missing our main CB in Romero - our best midfielder was being rested as a sub and our main striker is also out meaning Richy isn’t getting a break either. All of that while playing on an unusual pitch, against a team who showed they were no pushovers last season, especially at home.

Did I like how reactive we were ? No of course not, but it’s understandable not to mention we are only game 8?? Into the new managers way if working.

Would I have taken an away draw at the start? Absolutely, we should have started more on the front foot but they fought back hard and really had the best chances (Odobert header/Bentacur ruled out goal/Richy miss at start) on top of the 2 we did score. On and up!!
 
Bullet said:
The s.c.o.d. is my nemesis. A team fights and scratches its way out of defence and up the pitch, you finally get it to a winger, and he gives it to the full back, who gives it to a CB who rightly says "what the frick do you want me to do with the ball, tinkle off" and thus the scod goes around and around like a turd circling the bowl.
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I mean that’s it in a nutshell
So so slow
 
Bedfordspurs said:
He looks better than Odobert
If tel missed that chance today our fans would burn effigies of him
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We don't have a single attacking option on the left that looks good or suited to the role. Odobert and Tel are young and raw and frankly don't look up to snuff so far and Johnson is just awful.

We just don't have quality out there so I til Jan at the earliest we are going to have to keep trying things out and trying to fudge something reasonable in that space.
 
Bishop said:
We don't have a single attacking option on the left that looks good or suited to the role. Odobert and Tel are young and raw and frankly don't look up to snuff so far and Johnson is just awful.

We just don't have quality out there so I til Jan at the earliest we are going to have to keep trying things out and trying to fudge something reasonable in that space.
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Kudus is left footed and has played on the left plenty of games. When Kulusevski comes back, I think Kudus will be moved to the left.
 
Bishop said:
Modric was a conductor, the person who orchestrated the midfield and the shape of the team with his give and go passing and his incisiveness. That's not Bergvall's game, he's not really got the tempo instinct. He's much more of a ball carrier than a passer. He actually reminds me far more of someone like Lampard than Modric. He's about energy, getting the ball and moving it forward at his feet rather than spraying it about.
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Of course, hence the "no comparison intended" - other than that Bergvall is looking like a player that again - wants to make things happen, always looks up the pitch and is not afraid to get stuck in. We count the assists, but had we counted the assists to the assists, Modric (and I think Bergvall given time and chance) would figure on or near the top of that list. I wouldn't be surprised if Modric was 3rd last on the ball for 75% of our goals at a time. No further comparison other than that, I'm not even remotely suggesting that Bergvall is or will be a dictate the game type of player. But with time and luck he will be a great creator, the hockey assist man.

Incidentally, the "more of a ball carrier" and not being the sprayer of incisive passes looks to me more like a description of current Xavi, who so far doesn't look like the player type I envisioned him to be - without that being a bad thing - and who I in my Nostradamic mode can't ever see as our no. 10. I mean, it could work, just like it worked to put Son up top or Kulusevski in the middle, but the plus-minus minus-plus doesn't add up. I would think and hope to see Xavi used on the left when Maddison or the next Eriksen comes back. Xavi - Maddison - Bergvall - Kudus with Palinha as anchor is what I see as our best midfield in our current formation.
 
Bedfordspurs said:
I don’t normally rate Harry Brooks thoughts but he nails it in this thread

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There was me thinking goals are at either end of the pitch. Never knew they were in the middle.
 
IulianSteaua said:
The heat Tel is getting from the fans is justified and he has only himself to blame. We all want him to do well but the only thing he has going for him at the moment is his age. Odobert will soon get on everyone's radar, just as Tel is. Johnson's odd goal, from time to time, is the only thing keeping the fans flip on him too. At least he scores, unlike Tel.
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Disagree. Albeit I hope to be wrong, but Odobert does not have the personality. He looks for all the world like a pure data signing to me. If he had the in-game personality of a Bergvall, Kudus, or Gray, he'd develop into something really good. I don't see it.
 
demotw said:
Wow you guys are harsh, we are missing 2 of our creative outlets in Maddison and Kulu, missing our main CB in Romero - our best midfielder was being rested as a sub and our main striker is also out meaning Richy isn’t getting a break either. All of that while playing on an unusual pitch, against a team who showed they were no pushovers last season, especially at home.

Did I like how reactive we were ? No of course not, but it’s understandable not to mention we are only game 8?? Into the new managers way if working.

Would I have taken an away draw at the start? Absolutely, we should have started more on the front foot but they fought back hard and really had the best chances (Odobert header/Bentacur ruled out goal/Richy miss at start) on top of the 2 we did score. On and up!!
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I take this point, but we were missing them last season on the same ground, and didn’t face anywhere near the same level of threat from Bodo then. We were missing Romero, but I think the difference in performances were stark.

I think Bodo are clearly really good, and will continue to be under estimated. I love the intention behind their play. They break forward with purpose when they see opportunities. And made great penetrating passes through the middle. Really quite enjoyable to watch.

Still trying to get a sense of what we’re building towards. There’s this idea that it’s early with Frank, and eventually things will click offensively. But I think the wing play + crosses is kind of the point. I’m not sure there’s going to be anything wildly different.

One other thing - shout out to Gray coming on. Great running forward, great decision making, and has clearly bulked up. Think he can be a good player for us this year.
 
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