DHSF
Les Ferdinand
Not true. Lennon was making runs and receiving passes like that from Corluka, Jenas, Carrick and Keane since 2005.
I was gonna say the EXACT same thing. Lennons best performances was in tandem with playing in front of Charlie.
Not true. Lennon was making runs and receiving passes like that from Corluka, Jenas, Carrick and Keane since 2005.
Drifting inside with the ball at his feet, not getting around the back of his FB, there's a big difference. Where Lennon is receiving the ball now, he has already beaten his man and only has a CB to contend with, which is either going to start creating scoring opportunities for himself or easier assists. This is in contrast to him drifting inside with the ball at his feet and just further conjesting the top of the area so that we have to play some intricate tippy-tappy just to try and get a shot on.
So it seems that Lennon's runs being made yesterday plus other team members' movements fully utilised Defoe in his new role as a lone striker.
It seems in tis new system there is less need for a 'big man up front to hold things up.' And most of the play being in the deck.
Was it almost....
.......Arsenal-esque....? 8-[
Against reading I saw us mostly in a 4-2-3-1 shape with a very dynamic diamond (siggy-sandro-dembele), bale up and down the wings and across the front.
Anyone got stats on which players covered the most ground and had the most touches?
For me the first true test of AVB and The Project is United in a couple of weeks.
We never ever hardly take points from them, no matter how well we play.
Will be interesting seeing how the team will react to having proper tactics to go by when faced by our biggest nemesis. I also see this as a test to AVBs motivational skills. Will he get them fired up?
Wouldn't that make it a 4-3-3 then?
I can barely remember Carrick or Keane finding Lennon with that sort of ball, certainly not Jenas. Charlie was the one that used to send Lennon round the back all the time, it was a joy to watch until Harry replaced him with Walker. Siggy has looked to play Lennon in a few times this way already though so it will become a useful form of attack again hopefully.
Lennon's runs like that are nothing new at all. I can't believe anyone is suggesting it's down to a new system. This was typical Lennon. Ironically I was discussed BEFORE the game that Lennon is at his best cutting the ball back from the line.
I was a better performance but ultimately we won the game due to two very typical pieces of Spurs play where players did what they are best at. Lennon and Walker both made runs very typical of what they've always done for us and cut the ball back across goal.
No matter what tactics we employ we will get the best out of our players by playing to their strengths. That was why we won against Reading as both Lennon and Walker got to use their pace to get to positions where they could cut the ball back. If anything we saw the reality of football on Sunday. You can make all sorts of tactical changes but ultimately you need to use your players key attributes to your advantage.
The fact some people are trying to express a tactical influence on a game we won due to players doing what they have been for years and what they are good at, is exactly why I have little time for tactical discussion. It's plain crazy. The straight ball for Lennon to get in behind the defence is one of, if not, the most typical of Spurs moves since he's been at the club.
We've got good players out wide and they are very effective. We should revert to playing more diagonal balls and hopefully when the Hudd is fully fit we'll start to see this. Vertonghen should start doing what Dawson did, though he's got the ability to be much more effective. I think the longer AVB is in charge the more you'll see us reverting to type as it's just common sense that we look to hit the wide players early and play through balls in behind the defence for them to run onto whenever possible.
What's next? I Ade starts laying on knocks downs for the likes of Dempsey, Sig and Defoe, is that can be seen as down to a new system? If the Hudd hits a thunderbolt will that be down to tactical change? If Dembele drifts passed a few defenders and opens up space, is that a new thing, or his trademark?
Wookie - I've named those 3 as a "catch-all" but I can very much remember that Keane used to play Lennon in in that manner on a regular basis. One of the goals we scored up at Middlesbrough back in 2007 under Jol was done by getting Lennon in behind his full back before returning it to Keane who put it away. Similarly we went to Emirates Marketing Project under Ramos when we won with 10 men and I seem to recall Lennon being played in by (I think) Jenas who squared for Defoe to score. It was a very regular feature and often the main way to get Lennon into a game. It was around long before AVB and certainly before Charlie. Charlie was definitely the most effective at getting Lennon in though.
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