Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

[Nigeyman]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

So tonight's performance; after AVB's daring comments about lack of crowd encouragement, I thought we'd see a much more upbeat performance but by al accounts today's performance was potentially worse...

Taking the games over the season so far, it seems there is perhaps a problem with movement, quick-passing and interplay; which when up against packed-defences goes nowhere...

Do you expect this to always be the case? Will quicker movement, passing etc come with time? Were there many signs of such football last season overall?

Please discuss (and hopefully give me back my faith...)

by all accounts avb is forging a squad in his image and if any criticism should go his way maybe its that we did too much business over the summer....had to much of an overhaul.....but we have never started a season so well and we are still in the the hunt for all the trophies we can compete for. no need to lose faith when we are going strong if not spectacular.

if we can ever get it all fit this is what I think our first 11 (best) will be......

lloris

walker Kaboul Vlad Verts

Sandro
Paulie

Lamela sig/holtby(undecided myself) Townsend

Bobby soldier.

quicker movement and passing will come over time. key to this is Paulinho getting up to speed and ticking things over quickly and accurately.

trust the manager and trust the coaches will get most things right.

above all the players need time....to trust each other to get to know each others games and above all the players need to be confident (not arrogant) that they will peform and look forward to every match....

in an attacking sense.....yes we are playing like strangers who don't trust each other or understand each others games............yet we are actually grinding out results......something as spurs fans we are not used to......its either play brilliantly or get pummelled by middlebrough....that's our recent history......

instead of losing faith thinking you will never see a glorious performance from spurs in years try and see it from the point of view that when the trust confidence and belief does come....we are gonna be very handy indeed.

keep the faith and choose to trust we will be all right.........you will find it liberating...

 

[ringo]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

It is frustrating watching Spurs these days and not making excuses but one key factor is us not having a proper left footed left back along with a proper left footed winger. With Naughton always cutting in and Gylfi moving to the middle all the time our left side is non existant. It makes it really easy for teams to pack the middle and concentrate on blocking the right hand side which pretty much stops us from doing anything. Rose was great at making those runs at the start of the season.

I think this is an important point. It was mistake to let Benny go to QPR, where he is by all accounts doing fine, as we are missing an attacking full back on the left. And although Siggy does a good job on the left, he doesn't give us the width that a truly left footed winger would.

I still don't get what happened with Benny and what is going on with Ade.. I'm sure we would be a better team with both available, even if not playing every game.

 

[THFC6061]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I think this is an important point. It was mistake to let Benny go to QPR, where he is by all accounts doing fine, as we are missing an attacking full back on the left. And although Siggy does a good job on the left, he doesn't give us the width that a truly left footed winger would.

I still don't get what happened with Benny and what is going on with Ade.. I'm sure we would be a better team with both available, even if not playing every game.

I think AVB made it clear that Danny Rose would be Tottenham's first choice left back for the season and gave Benny the opportunity to go out on loan for the season to QPR, which he took.

Whether or not this was a wise decision on AVB's part is debatable, but Benny certainly deserves to be plating regular first team football.

 

[Ganter]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I think AVB made it clear that Danny Rose would be Tottenham's first choice left back for the season and gave Benny the opportunity to go out on loan for the season to QPR, which he took.

Whether or not this was a wise decision on AVB's part is debatable, but Benny certainly deserves to be plating regular first team football.

I think we should just breathe

we have a completely new squad and our left wing is a bit of a mess. We need time, and while we are getting time and getting results, I am quite happy.

and yes, I want Benny back!

 

[Papercut]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Best post I've read in this thread so far =D>

I too fell in love with the magical players such as Ginola, Berba, Bale, Modric and VdV.

I feel that the time is now for this club to push on and believe in itself, go for every trophy out there, even treat the League Cup with the same respect as the FA Cup, to not to choose a trophy, either out of want or lack of belief (that we can win two or more major trophies in one season), but to gain that taste of success that is missing in our player's mouths, to enter each league season with aim of winning it, not just finish as high as we can.

Nah, Match magazine was much better :lol:

 

[rxl]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I really think Carroll would be perfect in our midfield at the moment, range of passing - and would have the protection. Don't ask me where in the midfield though, but I think he would make us tick a little more going forward.

 

[Jimmy-g]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I really think Carroll would be perfect in our midfield at the moment, range of passing - and would have the protection. Don't ask me where in the midfield though, but I think he would make us tick a little more going forward.

Good shout, at least he plays with his head up and tries to pass forward quickly.

 

[Nigeyman]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I really think Carroll would be perfect in our midfield at the moment, range of passing - and would have the protection. Don't ask me where in the midfield though, but I think he would make us tick a little more going forward.

we had huddlestone who was a fantastic passer and we let him go......not athletic enough it seems.

I think Carrol has a bright future or could stutter like mccreachan......
lots of talk about youth players atm......townsend...kane......rose....now carrol.

Aston villa have chosen the youth route and while I think it may pay off for them down the line the truth is they cant win at home and have been flirting with relegation.
ideally the way to go is to have a blend of experience mid 20's players and youth......to much youth and we could struggle like villa maybe.

but I understand what you mean....it could be the smallest thing that's the difference between a terrific or a turgid performance. quicker passing in cm.

I would not be so quick to underestimate aunty Pauline........I think he will be ok once he adjusts to the English game...it took sandro a bit of time...hopefully it will be quicker for Paulie with Sandro helping him.

 

[chancer]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

So did the crowd last night essentially endorse AVB's criticism with their performance?

 

[ringo]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

So did the crowd last night essentially endorse AVB's criticism with their performance?

My observation would be:

1. Second half. Crowd cheering and singing loudly? Yes.
2. Second half. Team playing **** poor negative football mostly? Yes.

3. Conclusion. No correlation between crowd performance and team performance.

 

[Lemonade Money]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

My observation would be:

1. Second half. Crowd cheering and singing loudly? Yes.
2. Second half. Team playing **** poor negative football mostly? Yes.

3. Conclusion. No correlation between crowd performance and team performance.

Didn't watch the game, what about our second goal?

 

[Lemonade Money]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Also, personally I'd rather watch our **** poor negative football with the crowd cheering and singing loudly, than in a toxic atmosphere.

 

[NWND]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

The reality is that the poor home performances against teams that come set-up to defend can be traced back to the lack of a 'ball player' in central midfield.

The key to effective creativity is IMO not necessarily having a creative no 10, deadly strikers or quick wingers, it is the quick switch from defence to attack.

Modric and Huddlestone did this for us very effectively.

Lennon and Bale got the ball quickly before defenders could double up on them. Whoever played upfront had the ball played into them quickly, before the defence had time to set.

We didn't need to pass it sideways, as the opposition didn't have time to set up a packed-wall.

THe sideways passing comes because you look up and all you see infront of you is a see of opposition, you look right and left and see team-mates, so you pass it there.

We needed and still need Moutinho or someone like this. I'm very surprised we did not push more for Pjanic, Hernanes or the other play makers we were linked to in the summer.

The solution IMO maybe to see how Holtby does playing further back???? That is until we sign someone who can do this...

 

[ringo]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

The reality is that the poor home performances against teams that come set-up to defend can be traced back to the lack of a 'ball player' in central midfield.

The key to effective creativity is IMO not necessarily having a creative no 10, deadly strikers or quick wingers, it is the quick switch from defence to attack.

Modric and Huddlestone did this for us very effectively.

Lennon and Bale got the ball quickly before defenders could double up on them. Whoever played upfront had the ball played into them quickly, before the defence had time to set.

We didn't need to pass it sideways, as the opposition didn't have time to set up a packed-wall.

THe sideways passing comes because you look up and all you see infront of you is a see of opposition, you look right and left and see team-mates, so you pass it there.

We needed and still need Moutinho or someone like this. I'm very surprised we did not push more for Pjanic, Hernanes or the other play makers we were linked to in the summer.

The solution IMO maybe to see how Holtby does playing further back???? That is until we sign someone who can do this...

I think this right. But I'm not sure AVB sees it this way, unfortunately. We got rid of Thudd, which I think was mistake, and sent Carroll to QPR, the two players we had who could probably do this type of job. So either AVB thought he had something lined up, or he doesn't see it as an issue (which would worry me)

 

[ringo]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Also, personally I'd rather watch our **** poor negative football with the crowd cheering and singing loudly, than in a toxic atmosphere.

Me too. I was just thinking about the link between crowd performance and team performance. I'd assume that the team would play better given a good crowd performance. Maybe though it is only the bad crowd performance that has negative impact on play, rather than good crowd performance having a positive impact...

I expect someone somewhere has done a PhD on this.. (and AVB has probably read it)

 

[indianspur]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

The reality is that the poor home performances against teams that come set-up to defend can be traced back to the lack of a 'ball player' in central midfield.

The key to effective creativity is IMO not necessarily having a creative no 10, deadly strikers or quick wingers, it is the quick switch from defence to attack.

Modric and Huddlestone did this for us very effectively.

Lennon and Bale got the ball quickly before defenders could double up on them. Whoever played upfront had the ball played into them quickly, before the defence had time to set.

We didn't need to pass it sideways, as the opposition didn't have time to set up a packed-wall.

THe sideways passing comes because you look up and all you see infront of you is a see of opposition, you look right and left and see team-mates, so you pass it there.

We needed and still need Moutinho or someone like this. I'm very surprised we did not push more for Pjanic, Hernanes or the other play makers we were linked to in the summer.

The solution IMO maybe to see how Holtby does playing further back???? That is until we sign someone who can do this...

they got the ball quickly in wider positions......but our system is different now. The wide attackers tend to tuck in more where space is congested so of course our midfielders have a difficulty in finding them. So would have Modric and Thudd if they were still here

 

[Yermiyahu]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

they got the ball quickly in wider positions......but our system is different now. The wide attackers tend to tuck in more where space is congested so of course our midfielders have a difficulty in finding them. So would have Modric and Thudd if they were still here

Very good point.

 

[Jordinho]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Also, personally I'd rather watch our **** poor negative football with the crowd cheering and singing loudly, than in a toxic atmosphere.

Good point. If the football isn't entertaining enough, why not have some fun in the stands instead?

 

[kanoute16]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Good point. If the football isn't entertaining enough, why not have some fun in the stands instead?

Good point, why bother go to the match at all? Just sit at home watching a river with a 6 pack and sing to your hearts content!

 

[Hootnow]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

The reality is that the poor home performances against teams that come set-up to defend can be traced back to the lack of a 'ball player' in central midfield.

The key to effective creativity is IMO not necessarily having a creative no 10, deadly strikers or quick wingers, it is the quick switch from defence to attack.

Modric and Huddlestone did this for us very effectively.

Lennon and Bale got the ball quickly before defenders could double up on them. Whoever played upfront had the ball played into them quickly, before the defence had time to set.

We didn't need to pass it sideways, as the opposition didn't have time to set up a packed-wall.

THe sideways passing comes because you look up and all you see infront of you is a see of opposition, you look right and left and see team-mates, so you pass it there.

We needed and still need Moutinho or someone like this. I'm very surprised we did not push more for Pjanic, Hernanes or the other play makers we were linked to in the summer.

The solution IMO maybe to see how Holtby does playing further back???? That is until we sign someone who can do this...

The problem with this theory is that we had this exact same problem even when we had Modric and Huddlestone (and even VDV, all 3 in the same squad/ team) and under 2 different managers.