Aaron Lennon

[Roy1983]

Of course. But it's still very much on an upward curve at the moment, so until we catch that ship, we are going to be playing catch-up. Poch is the primary protégé of the inventor of that approach (Bielsa), so there's probably no one better for getting us up-to-speed and beyond.

There will be a test for Poch in 5 years' time, when tiki-taka or counter attacking comes back (I consider Bielsa's proactive football to be a blend of those two extremes), and we'll seen then how smart he is and able to evolve with or ahead of the curve.

But whatever direction the game goes, I can't see creating an ultra-fit, technical squad who are disciplined and can transition quickly could ever be a bad thing. It's better than that the delicate, half-arsed chip-munchers who have filled our squads for the past 25 years.

GB I love you. Truly. However, it's such a simple game I just want to see us play 2 wingers and 2 up front at the Lane!!

 

[metalgear]

lennon could be useful at rb with faster opponents. poch is missing something here.

 

[AuroRaman]

GB I love you. Truly. However, it's such a simple game I just want to see us play 2 wingers and 2 up front at the Lane!!

This! And just a little bit more running around a facking bit! (no sarcasm)

 

[Roy1983]

This! And just a little bit more running around a facking bit! (no sarcasm)

Bang on the money.

 

[Millsy_Yiddo]

Of course. But it's still very much on an upward curve at the moment, so until we catch that ship, we are going to be playing catch-up. Poch is the primary protégé of the inventor of that approach (Bielsa), so there's probably no one better for getting us up-to-speed and beyond.

There will be a test for Poch in 5 years' time, when tiki-taka or counter attacking comes back (I consider Bielsa's proactive football to be a blend of those two extremes), and we'll seen then how smart he is and able to evolve with or ahead of the curve.

But whatever direction the game goes, I can't see creating an ultra-fit, technical squad who are disciplined and can transition quickly could ever be a bad thing. It's better than that the delicate, half-arsed chip-munchers who have filled our squads for the past 25 years.

Again, I agree with you, but surely a true 'visionary' is already looking and trying to board the next ship which is a bigger and better ship than the one we are currently trying to catch up to.

Before this starts getting ridiculous and we are talking about ships and harbours and captains and sailors and what kind of knots are best to tie the metophorical ship to the doc, I'll point out that, I do rate Poch and I hope he gets the time and support to implement what he wants to do.

 

[Gutter Boy]

GB I love you. Truly. However, it's such a simple game I just want to see us play 2 wingers and 2 up front at the Lane!!

Thank you (I think!)

Can you even find two orthodox wingers left in the modern game? I know we have one of the last specimens in Lennon. But I'm scratching my brain trying to think of a second one currently operating above League 1 level.

lennon could be useful at rb with faster opponents. poch is missing something here.

I've been saying that all season (check old EL match threads where I've been putting him there in my teams).

I really believe the last 5 years of Lennon's career will be as a RB, and now is the time for him to convert. He's not been an attacking force of any note for nearly 3 years now. But he's a good footballer with undervalued defensive abilities.

Again, I agree with you, but surely a true 'visionary' is already looking and trying to board the next ship which is a bigger and better ship than the one we are currently trying to catch up to.

Before this starts getting ridiculous and we are talking about ships and harbours and captains and sailors and what kind of knots are best to tie the metophorical ship to the doc, I'll point out that, I do rate Poch and I hope he gets the time and support to implement what he wants to do.

I'm not sure anyone is playing full blown Bielsa-ball here yet - the kind Colombia and Chile blew people away with at the WC - other than Southampton. It's a very difficult thing to implement too, because individuals get sacrificed for the good of the team (a bit like what happened to Messi at the WC), which doesn't easily get buy-in from established players.

 

[SteveAWOL]

They said yesterday Lennon has the second most PL assists, level with Sheringham, 44 I think they said. Were they just talking about Spurs only though? Surely others have more?

As P.D. said, that's just for us.

@OptaJoe: 44 - Aaron Lennon has 44 Premier League assists for Spurs, the joint-second most with Teddy Sheringham. Darren Anderton has 67. Service.

Here's the all-time PL assist table as of the end of last season. Since then Gerrard and Lampard have added 1, Rooney +2 and Fabregas +10!

 

[Roy1983]

GB

Adam Johnson, ox lady chamberlain, Walcott, schurrle, Hazard, Di Maria, Young, downing, sterling etc...

Some have been moved centrally but they are all what you might consider 'old school' wingers IMO.

I'm in the Redknapp frame of mind for want of a better description. Lb number 3 and right winger 7 with left winger 11 and all that. Fancy diamonds, inverted BOLLOX blah blah only complicates matters IMO.

Bale is world class but think back to him out on the left whipping in those crosses. Lennon on the right trying to do the same. THAT is the formation I want to see. I might be in a minority but orthodox wingers being phased out by foreign style coaching is not what I wanna see.

 

[Modric THFC]

As P.D. said, that's just for us.

@OptaJoe: 44 - Aaron Lennon has 44 Premier League assists for Spurs, the joint-second most with Teddy Sheringham. Darren Anderton has 67. Service.

Here's the all-time PL assist table as of the end of last season. Since then Gerrard and Lampard have added 1, Rooney +2 and Fabregas +10!

Its stats like this that **** me off.
All that shows is how long someone has spend in the premier league for the same club.
44 assists in 263 games
44 assists in 19326 minutes

I know without looking that Lamela, Eriksen, Kane, Soldado, Adebayor will all have better premier league minutes for Tottenham to assists than Lennon.

 

[thfcsteff]

I have to say, Lennon has been repeatedly cheated out of assists the last three years by some terrible terrible misses from our strikers. He served one on a platter for Kane yesterday, 5 yards out, on his noggin and he 'nosed' it. Couldn't have asked for a better cross. I think he's been very very unlucky in this regard personally...

 

[parklane1]

I have to say, Lennon has been repeatedly cheated out of assists the last three years by some terrible terrible misses from our strikers. He served one on a platter for Kane yesterday, 5 yards out, on his noggin and he 'nosed' it. Couldn't have asked for a better cross. I think he's been very very unlucky in this regard personally...

I agree with this, and it was great to see a proper winger on the field for a change.

 

[SpurMeUp]

He did well. If anything we could have got the ball to him more. He's too content waiting for the ball. He needs to keep moving, and demand the ball. That's always been his problem, he's not prepared to run games - when at times he could.

 

[ALtottenham_hotspur]

I have to say, Lennon has been repeatedly cheated out of assists the last three years by some terrible terrible misses from our strikers. He served one on a platter for Kane yesterday, 5 yards out, on his noggin and he 'nosed' it. Couldn't have asked for a better cross. I think he's been very very unlucky in this regard personally...

True he was robbed of one yesterday by Kane. I love Lennon but his crossing drives me crazy at times, when he just floats the ball up and a forward has to put their all into the header to get any sort of power #-o

Lennon has never been able to put in a decent cross with pace and for a winger to not have this in his locker is a poor reflection of the player he is. He's a level or two up from Jenas not England quality but not lower half premier league quality.

It might be harsh but f he wasnt at Spurs I would say he was crap because he always works hard when he comes on and has one of the best first touchs in the league, its a shame because when he first joined I thought we had a great player in the making.

 

[SteveAWOL]

I have to say, Lennon has been repeatedly cheated out of assists the last three years by some terrible terrible misses from our strikers. He served one on a platter for Kane yesterday, 5 yards out, on his noggin and he 'nosed' it. Couldn't have asked for a better cross. I think he's been very very unlucky in this regard personally...

It certainly don't help our midfielders assist figures that our forwards have been so wasteful in front of goal.

Pool ole Eriksen has made 24 key passes in the league this season but is yet to register an assist. Drilled a lovely ball across the 6 yard box yesterday but no one went for it #-o

 

[Raziel]

True he was robbed of one yesterday by Kane. I love Lennon but his crossing drives me crazy at times, when he just floats the ball up and a forward has to put their all into the header to get any sort of power #-o

Lennon has never been able to put in a decent cross with pace and for a winger to not have this in his locker is a poor reflection of the player he is. He's a level or two up from Jenas not England quality but not lower half premier league quality.

It might be harsh but f he wasnt at Spurs I would say he was crap because he always works hard when he comes on and has one of the best first touchs in the league, its a shame because when he first joined I thought we had a great player in the making.

And you sir are wrong (in my opinion), and see steff's post about 2 up.

Lennon has a great variety of crosses, pull back into the box (which JD uses to love), regulation cross (which Kane should have buried yesterday) and the back post floated cross.

Watch most of Lennon's crosses that don't work out and ask yourself, was it a bad cross or did we simply fail to get someone into the box/far post/etc? Also look at Rose/Townsend and from other teams any pacey winger and see how many crosses they put in row Z, Lennon almost never puts the ball out of play.

To SpurMeUp, that is a problem people have with Lennon that I don't agree with. Yes, Lennon doesn't change the game on his own (see my previous post), we need to get the ball to him, I want him staying out wide, last thing we need is another player drifting into our congested middle.

 

[ALtottenham_hotspur]

And you sir are wrong (in my opinion), and see steff's post about 2 up.

Lennon has a great variety of crosses, pull back into the box (which JD uses to love), regulation cross (which Kane should have buried yesterday) and the back post floated cross.

Watch most of Lennon's crosses that don't work out and ask yourself, was it a bad cross or did we simply fail to get someone into the box/far post/etc? Also look at Rose/Townsend and from other teams any pacey winger and see how many crosses they put in row Z, Lennon almost never puts the ball out of play.

To SpurMeUp, that is a problem people have with Lennon that I don't agree with. Yes, Lennon doesn't change the game on his own (see my previous post), we need to get the ball to him, I want him staying out wide, last thing we need is another player drifting into our congested middle.

Fair enough football is a game of opinions as they say. Granted he does cut it back at times but again like my original point you never see him fizz it in towards the near post.

With your second point I could argue Lennon is making the wrong decision and crossing into empty space rather then hitting then man . The other point about him not ever hitting row z is my first point the lad just doesn't have it in him to kick a ball hard.

Not arguing with you just saying my opinions

 

[Moby]

I'd like to see him back in. It forces some width, and stretches the opposition players out and wide - thereby making space. We saw it yesterday, although hard to guage fully due to being up against ten men. However, I did note Hull rushing two out to double up on him more than once! This makes me think its a good ploy whatever. Eriksen deep in the Modric role is a go-er for me too.

 

[SpurMeUp]

And you sir are wrong (in my opinion), and see steff's post about 2 up.

Lennon has a great variety of crosses, pull back into the box (which JD uses to love), regulation cross (which Kane should have buried yesterday) and the back post floated cross.

Watch most of Lennon's crosses that don't work out and ask yourself, was it a bad cross or did we simply fail to get someone into the box/far post/etc? Also look at Rose/Townsend and from other teams any pacey winger and see how many crosses they put in row Z, Lennon almost never puts the ball out of play.

To SpurMeUp, that is a problem people have with Lennon that I don't agree with. Yes, Lennon doesn't change the game on his own (see my previous post), we need to get the ball to him, I want him staying out wide, last thing we need is another player drifting into our congested middle.

It's not that he needs to drift in to the the middle to get the ball. Its subtle, he needs to be on his toes, holding his hands out, moving around - ready and demanding the ball. Making runs where he wants the ball. Instead he stands passively on the touch line. If the ball comes to him so be it. If not...I still pick up my pay cheque. He was good yesterday and I'm glad he's still with us. Just he is limited. An impact sub and a cup player.

 

[Raziel]

I'd like to see him back in. It forces some width, and stretches the opposition players out and wide - thereby making space. We saw it yesterday, although hard to guage fully due to being up against ten men. However, I did note Hull rushing two out to double up on him more than once! This makes me think its a good ploy whatever. Eriksen deep in the Modric role is a go-er for me too.

Hull did it, Pardew did it when he came on against the Barcodes, it's also why Lennon worked best with Bale, you can't double up against two wide players, it creates too much space and makes you vulnerable.

We need to get the ball to Eriksen early, he needs to get the ball out to Lennon or one of the front two making a run.

 

[thfcsteff]

It certainly don't help our midfielders assist figures that our forwards have been so wasteful in front of goal.

Pool ole Eriksen has made 24 key passes in the league this season but is yet to register an assist. Drilled a lovely ball across the 6 yard box yesterday but no one went for it #-o

Fair play, you're absolutely right. I remember that ball too, a corker...