Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

[Hootnow]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

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

Wasn't due to any particularly good play, it was like a lot of our goals so far this season. Play the ball into someone outside/ near the box and shoot from the edge.

 

[Lemonade Money]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Andre Villas-Boas hails White Hart Lane atmosphere

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24753180

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Andre Villas-Boas hails White Hart Lane atmosphere

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24753180

I was at the game last night and thanks to the late finish i did not get home till far to late, they crowd were a bit to noisy for my liking and made it difficult to enjoy the game but that is their want. The game was not one to be enjoyed and i doubt we will be able to enjoy spurs games for a long time anyway.

But hey ho this is our club we all love and i have seen shocking boring negative football and im sure i will again in the future. We do not play the game the way it is meant to be played but im tottenham till i die.

 

[onlyme]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.

Bertrand Russell

 

[Lemonade Money]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I was at the game last night and thanks to the late finish i did not get home till far to late, they crowd were a bit to noisy for my liking and made it difficult to enjoy the game but that is their want. The game was not one to be enjoyed and i doubt we will be able to enjoy spurs games for a long time anyway.

But hey ho this is our club we all love and i have seen shocking boring negative football and im sure i will again in the future. We do not play the game the way it is meant to be played but im tottenham till i die.

You moany old ****er

 

[Mosquito_Coasting]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

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.

Agreed. So what is it then? I'm starting to believe it is the pitch.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

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.

Same exact problem? Or the same problem, but to a lesser extent?

Having trouble breaking down stubborn defensive teams is and will be a problem in football, that has to be accepted. For us, under AVB, we have this problem to a degree that's not really going to be acceptable in the long run.

 

[africanspurs]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Agreed. So what is it then? I'm starting to believe it is the pitch.

the problem were different things each era

when we had a ball player under redknapp the reason we didnt break defensive teams down is because we didnt have much central support and movement for the front players...we were able to knock it around, create space and stretch teams but the spaces that came about were not utilised as far as i can remember...we also had this irritating thing in Harry's early reign where we had only one person in the box..two max if vdv came trailing...and if the sky had pigs in it then we would have a Cm bursting through midfield to make up the numbers.

added to that the technical level and spatioal awareness of players was good but not high enough to penetrate the opposition

the problem now is that avb actually favours a slow paced , possession game...this is his thing, plus the players we have now are not really played the quick passing and movement game in conjunction with spatial utilisation. we have players now that can make that work and we just are not doing it for some reason.

bring wenger into this set and the whole team changes over night.

SAF as well but it wouldnt be intricate stuff like arsene but you would see space and more transition and us being able to run at the opposition with room

the funny thing is that you can actually tell when we change tempo...if we are behind or we need a goal ...suddenly players that drop back to receive balls in parallel to the ball player/carrier start making run in front of the ball player into a space behind the opposition at an angle that allows a corridor for a pass forward....if you are lucky to have an intelligent player supporting this receiver then that player knows or trusts his team to make that pass and before the pass is even made the second suport player darts forward so that when the receiver gets the ball he has option that are open and in space or moving to keep attakcing momentum

chemistry and an aggressive attacking attitude

we dont have those yet or are not utilising them enough

 

[billyiddo]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Agreed. So what is it then? I'm starting to believe it is the pitch.

I saw a post elsewhere where it detailed the differences in pitch size between ourselves and the top 4 and iirc Emirates Marketing Project have an extra 12% - which doesn't sound too much but im sure it makes quite a difference - but then perhaps we should take this in to account when setting out our game plan

 

[scaramanga]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I saw a post elsewhere where it detailed the differences in pitch size between ourselves and the top 4 and iirc Emirates Marketing Project have an extra 12% - which doesn't sound too much but im sure it makes quite a difference - but then perhaps we should take this in to account when setting out our game plan

That would fit in with a perceived improvement in performance away from home.

 

[rxl]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Players who commit players is what unlocks teams. You can pass the ball as much as you like - and when you do get a goal (villa) it will be good - however, to do this on a consistent basis the team needs to gel (it's only been three months) I'm reserving judgement on 'boring' football until the new year at the earliest.

Players who run with the ball and commit a player automatically create an overload in an attacking advantage - hence why Bale was so outstanding and why Townsend is looking promising - I think Lamela will follow in time. The downside, and I can imagine it's quite fundamental in AVB's thinking, is that possession can be turned over too rapidly - and that's not what AVB's teams do.

Eriksen/Holtby/Siggy are technically gifted players and can shoot from distance find a pass and keep the ball superbly well, but rarely do they commit defenders.

 

[Nigeyman]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Players who commit players is what unlocks teams. You can pass the ball as much as you like - and when you do get a goal (villa) it will be good - however, to do this on a consistent basis the team needs to gel (it's only been three months) I'm reserving judgement on 'boring' football until the new year at the earliest.

Players who run with the ball and commit a player automatically create an overload in an attacking advantage - hence why Bale was so outstanding and why Townsend is looking promising - I think Lamela will follow in time. The downside, and I can imagine it's quite fundamental in AVB's thinking, is that possession can be turned over too rapidly - and that's not what AVB's teams do.

Eriksen/Holtby/Siggy are technically gifted players and can shoot from distance find a pass and keep the ball superbly well, but rarely do they commit defenders.

precisely this + infinity

If we can be direct have the players to beat a man and create space then we will be in business..... its all about getting the townsend's and Lamela's on the ball quickly and let them have the confidence to do there thing. but if we are playing with those two as wingers then we still need to give them the ball asap which means we need to work on sandro capoue dembele and paulie getting them early supply and finding them in space.....

easier said than done. as for your comments about siggy holtby and erik I agree........people never fail to appreciate what a massive factor confidence is to any player/team.

 

[elltrev]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

precisely this + infinity

If we can be direct have the players to beat a man and create space then we will be in business..... its all about getting the townsend's and Lamela's on the ball quickly and let them have the confidence to do there thing. but if we are playing with those two as wingers then we still need to give them the ball asap which means we need to work on sandro capoue dembele and paulie getting them early supply and finding them in space.....

easier said than done. as for your comments about siggy holtby and erik I agree........people never fail to appreciate what a massive factor confidence is to any player/team.

I don't know why everyone is trying to pinpoint the one thing that is letting our attacking down. Particularly this one - in Townsend we have the best dribbler in the league (in terms of how often he successfully does it), and in Dembele we have the best dribbling central midfielder in the league (by the same criteria). But between them they have just 1 goal and 1 assist in 15 starts.

I agree with the need to get the ball forward more quickly during 'transitions', but sometimes when a team comes to park the bus (as everyone is doing against us currently) you just don't have many transitions of that kind.

 

[Nigeyman]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I don't know why everyone is trying to pinpoint the one thing that is letting our attacking down. Particularly this one - in Townsend we have the best dribbler in the league (in terms of how often he successfully does it), and in Dembele we have the best dribbling central midfielder in the league (by the same criteria). But between them they have just 1 goal and 1 assist in 15 starts.

I agree with the need to get the ball forward more quickly during 'transitions', but sometimes when a team comes to park the bus (as everyone is doing against us currently) you just don't have many transitions of that kind.

I didn't mean to pinpoint one thing.....there is a few reasons why we are not functioning up top as well as we can.

but I would say the overwhelming factor is confidence (in players and in knowing each others games).

but yeah with parking the bus teams it also an issue where we have to agree who stays and who goes because our striker is often woefully isolated. we need more bodies in the box.

 

[indianspur]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I would like to see us become more of a counter attacking team, which means relinquishing some of our 65-70% possession and simply risk the opponents having some more of the ball, draw them out so they lose that defensive shape, and then bang win the ball back and break quickly. Easy

 

[Nigeyman]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I would like to see us become more of a counter attacking team, which means relinquishing some of our 65-70% possession and simply risk the opponents having some more of the ball, draw them out so they lose that defensive shape, and then bang win the ball back and break quickly. Easy

I know what you mean......cant help the feeling that we are 'too far down the road' with the possession style game plan......I think it will take a while to see the fruits of our labour.

 

[elltrev]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I would like to see us become more of a counter attacking team, which means relinquishing some of our 65-70% possession and simply risk the opponents having some more of the ball, draw them out so they lose that defensive shape, and then bang win the ball back and break quickly. Easy

I kind of agree, but I can't help but think it's not that easy in practice just to 'relinquish possession', unless you're suggesting literally hoofing the ball forward and then retreating to our own half? (Inter under Mournho against Barcelona is the only game that I am aware of where a manager has actually said that the plan was to do exactly that). If the other team is choosing to park the bus from the first minute, then giving the ball away will only result in them hitting you on the break...

 

[indianspur]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I kind of agree, but I can't help but think it's not that easy in practice just to 'relinquish possession', unless you're suggesting literally hoofing the ball forward and then retreating to our own half? (Inter under Mournho against Barcelona is the only game that I am aware of where a manager has actually said that the plan was to do exactly that). If the other team is choosing to park the bus from the first minute, then giving the ball away will only result in them hitting you on the break...

its not about hoofing it just to get rid of the ball, it means dropping back the high defensive line, not pressing so high up the pitch, creating more space which will encourage the opposition to come out more. We need to press and win the ball back in OUR half because by doing that it means the opponent must have come forward more and their shape and solidity must have been compromised as a result which will naturally open the game up for our attacking players

Its a minor adjustment to what we are doing, and yes its risky, but it would be interesting to see how it works with our current group of players

 

[elltrev]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

its not about hoofing it just to get rid of the ball, it means dropping back the high defensive line, not pressing so high up the pitch, creating more space which will encourage the opposition to come out more. We need to press and win the ball back in OUR half because by doing that it means the opponent must have come forward more and their shape and solidity must have been compromised as a result which will naturally open the game up for our attacking players

Its a minor adjustment to what we are doing, and yes its risky, but it would be interesting to see how it works with our current group of players

Like I said I do kind of agree, but I just think that when a team is really parking the bus, as soon as they get possession they will try to hit you on the break with a handful of players, not advance more steadily up the pitch as a team.

I think of the first 30 minutes of the Villa game - they had no intention of maintaining possession. They just wanted to sit back, let us have the ball in our own half, and pounce as soon as we tried to enter their half.

 

[Spursalot]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I would like to see us become more of a counter attacking team, which means relinquishing some of our 65-70% possession and simply risk the opponents having some more of the ball, draw them out so they lose that defensive shape, and then bang win the ball back and break quickly. Easy

If it's that easy, why do the top teams not do it?

You can't control a game if you do, the opposition can set the tempo and as soon as they go one nil up then they can sit back and there's far less space to counter into.


We had the right players under redknapp to play that style, we don't any more because that is not what we have bought towards.