Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

[braineclipse]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I'm going to ask you the same question as in the last thread "How do you know all this?"

It is an assumption on your part, I'm reflecting on some pretty averagely disappointing performances this season that quite frankly we were fortunate to get away with thanks to some penalties.

What's that saying about assume...?

What exactly is it you're talking about that is an assumption on BOL's part?

You don't think it's a safe assumption that what we're currently seeing isn't the ultimate goal of where the staff wants to take us? Or to assume that AVB wants us to create more chances? Or to assume that our attacking play will improve as our new signings get integrated?

 

[Raziel]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Mourinho says he doesn't know which is his best team. I think Chelsea, ManCity and us are having the same problem : all 3 teams have too big squad that we don't know which is our best team. Arsenal have a small squad and a settled team that they can play every match.

Manager in place for 13+ years, 1 significant squad member change, system/style in place that players were bought for. That's why the Scum are doing well, no mystery, however everything has it's good and bad, without significant buys in January, the lack of depth in their squad will probably show up and hurt them later in season.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I'm asking questions and quite frankly I do not care about Emirates Marketing Project.

Why can we not do both, defend well yet attack well too? This can happen with quicker movement and passing.
Avb needs to take a risk - go out to win not to not lose, all this ******** about how good everton have been. So what?
We had them on the ropes today in that 1st half yet in the second we decided to settle for what we had with 60 minutes on the clock.
This isn't the way we should be thinking imo.

Finally I'm not expecting us to cut teams apart I'm expecting us to create chances and look to score ,especially at home.
I can't believe you are just blindly accepting what is being served up at the moment because we are 4th. The bigger picture is we cannot sustain this position if we cannot score goals.

"I'm asking questions" - Eric Cartman :lol:

Perhaps if you had cared about how good Everton have been you would have thought it impressive that we did have them on the ropes as you describe it. And perhaps you would have considered that perhaps we didn't settle for what we had with 60 minutes on the clock, but perhaps rather Everton were able to get back into the game by being a good team.

Did we not go out accepting a risk against Everton with our high pressing and attacking intent?

 

[harr1984]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Tactics etc aside, the thing that disappointed me with AVB yesterday was his handling of the Lloris incident. It was clear the medical team thought he should come off, but he let him carry on playing.

He should have gone over to Lloris and made damn sure he came off. Not leave it up to the physios and players to try and persuade him.

It's admirable that Lloris came back on, but it could have (and still could) prove to be bloody stupid.

If we had a better keeper on the bench I doubt there would have been hesitation in taking him off...

 

[Spurs7891]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

If we had a better keeper on the bench I doubt there would have been hesitation in taking him off...

I think if we had been leading by 1 or 2 goals, I am sure AVB would have forced Lloris to come off. As it was, we were desperate for a goal and we only had 1 substitution left. So Lloris staying on meant we managed to bring on Eriksen.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

If we had a better keeper on the bench I doubt there would have been hesitation in taking him off...

Sorry but that shouldn't even enter the equation. The player is always going to want to stay on unless you're a pansy like Bale or Gomes. The doctor should tell the player I'm the doctor, you're coming off. You can't mess about when it comes to head injuries, far more is known about concussions than we knew 15 years ago, it's a massive problem in the NFL. I admire Lloris for staying on but it shouldn't have been left to him or AVB to decide.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I don't think anyone is blindly accepting anything - what makes you say this? i think everyone is aware of our current problems in attack - the difference seems to be the length in time which we are prepared to wait to see if things impove.

There are definitely people who are AVB apologists, that may seem harsh but I see people defending his every decision. People were asking questions from this stage of the season up until about December last season and to be fair various posters rightly pointed out that he needed time. But we finished 5th and people still said "we got our highest points total ever" rather than looking at areas which needed to improve on, it was kind of shrugging shoulders and saying what can we do?

I believe the questions being asked are vaild;

Why pick Holtby instead of Lamela? We're too workmanlike as it is, we don't need all 11 players to run around like madmen, Mourinho does the same with Oscar, picks him over Mata because he works harder.

Why isn't Lamela any game time at all in the league?

We are we not creating enough chances?

None of those questions at harsh, people aren't attacking AVB or saying he needs to go.

 

[harr1984]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Sorry but that shouldn't even enter the equation. The player is always going to want to stay on unless you're a pansy like Bale or Gomes. The doctor should tell the player I'm the doctor, you're coming off. You can't mess about when it comes to head injuries, far more is known about concussions than we knew 15 years ago, it's a massive problem in the NFL. I admire Lloris for staying on but it shouldn't have been left to him or AVB to decide.

Im not saying it should have entered the equation, Im just saying if we'd had better backup he would have been off...

 

[billyiddo]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

There are definitely people who are AVB apologists, that may seem harsh but I see people defending his every decision. People were asking questions from this stage of the season up until about December last season and to be fair various posters rightly pointed out that he needed time. But we finished 5th and people still said "we got our highest points total ever" rather than looking at areas which needed to improve on, it was kind of shrugging shoulders and saying what can we do?

I believe the questions being asked are vaild;

Why pick Holtby instead of Lamela? We're too workmanlike as it is, we don't need all 11 players to run around like madmen, Mourinho does the same with Oscar, picks him over Mata because he works harder.

Why isn't Lamela any game time at all in the league?

We are we not creating enough chances?

None of those questions at harsh, people aren't attacking AVB or saying he needs to go.

i dunno, is it the same people making excuses for everything he does or is it maybe some are just not so quick to criticize and are offering what they see as reasons (as opposed to excuses) as to why it's taking time - are there any of the reasons put forward that you disagree with? i guess it depends on which side of the fence you sit but from my perspective although some are saying he/we need time they are also more than ready to agree that things aren't great in terms of creativity/scoring goals and that there are mistakes being made along the way (show me a manager who doesn't make mistakes) check the You are the Boss thread and tell me if there's anyone there that isn't admitting to problems and things which they'd do differently.

You say no one is saying AVB needs to go but If you're continually negative about our tactics and of the opinion that this is as good as we will get under him then surely that is the next logical step? if you see no room for improvement then where do you see this ultimately ending? with failure i would imagine (not saying that's your particular view point but there are plenty that are giving of that impression imv)


as for your questions... no they are not unreasonable, but neither is the reply that with time these things will be worked on and we improve - it doesn't happen over night and there aren't always visible changes straight away.
we know Lamela is taking time to adjust - we have Townsend showing promise in the same position so we can afford Lamela the time he needs to adapt - it isn't ideal but that's what we are hearing from the parties concerned so we have to accept it, imv - otherwise all we're doing is putting pressure on a player that is already finding it hard.

Holtby has been impressing in the cups (and on the training field i would also imagine) and so he get's his chance - surely this is a good thing to see? a manager willing to reward players who impress when given the chance and not sticking to a first XI based on name. has he impressed as much in the league when given the chance? not particularly, but at least he is getting that chance - Eriksen had a run when he came in but started to go missing after his initial couple of games - perhaps away from home in a game like Everton Holtbys energy is useful tool to have. Using Mourhino, widely regarded as the best manager going as a comparison seems to add more weight to my argument than yous though i have to say

we're not creating enough chances, i agree - i think only the most ardent AVB Apologetic Acolyte would say otherwise - i certainly haven't seen anyone say otherwise on here. i don't think AVB has found the tactic to get the most out of the players he has it as disposal...YET - i don't think we are far off - i see good movement from Soldado most games - i don't know how often you get to the Lane but when im watching him, which i do quite a lot tbh because im also wanting to see where we're going wrong, i see him constantly making good runs off the ball but there doesn't seem to be anyone willing (or able) to play him in or exploit the space he creates by running in from deep - i think in Lamela and Eriksen we have two players who should be able to do just that - judging by reputation of course. So again im not overly worried there because i think we have the solution to our problems already here - and i don't think for one second that AVB isn't itching to get both those players in to the fold - but he seems pragmatic and safety first so i don't expect to see him rush these players in to the team potentially at the risk of their development/settling in process.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

i dunno, is it the same people making excuses for everything he does or is it maybe some are just not so quick to criticize and are offering what they see as reasons (as opposed to excuses) as to why it's taking time - are there any of the reasons put forward that you disagree with? i guess it depends on which side of the fence you sit but from my perspective although some are saying he/we need time they are also more than ready to agree that things aren't great in terms of creativity/scoring goals and that there are mistakes being made along the way (show me a manager who doesn't make mistakes) check the You are the Boss thread and tell me if there's anyone there that isn't admitting to problems and things which they'd do differently.

You say no one is saying AVB needs to go but If you're continually negative about our tactics and of the opinion that this is as good as we will get under him then surely that is the next logical step? if you see no room for improvement then where do you see this ultimately ending? with failure i would imagine (not saying that's your particular view point but there are plenty that are giving of that impression imv)


as for your questions... no they are not unreasonable, but neither is the reply that with time these things will be worked on and we improve - it doesn't happen over night and there aren't always visible changes straight away.
we know Lamela is taking time to adjust - we have Townsend showing promise in the same position so we can afford Lamela the time he needs to adapt - it isn't ideal but that's what we are hearing from the parties concerned so we have to accept it, imv - otherwise all we're doing is putting pressure on a player that is already finding it hard.

Holtby has been impressing in the cups (and on the training field i would also imagine) and so he get's his chance - surely this is a good thing to see? a manager willing to reward players who impress when given the chance and not sticking to a first XI based on name. has he impressed as much in the league when given the chance? not particularly, but at least he is getting that chance - Eriksen had a run when he came in but started to go missing after his initial couple of games - perhaps away from home in a game like Everton Holtbys energy is useful tool to have. Using Mourhino, widely regarded as the best manager going as a comparison seems to add more weight to my argument than yous though i have to say

we're not creating enough chances, i agree - i think only the most ardent AVB Apologetic Acolyte would say otherwise - i certainly haven't seen anyone say otherwise on here. i don't think AVB has found the tactic to get the most out of the players he has it as disposal...YET - i don't think we are far off - i see good movement from Soldado most games - i don't know how often you get to the Lane but when im watching him, which i do quite a lot tbh because im also wanting to see where we're going wrong, i see him constantly making good runs off the ball but there doesn't seem to be anyone willing (or able) to play him in or exploit the space he creates by running in from deep - i think in Lamela and Eriksen we have two players who should be able to do just that - judging by reputation of course. So again im not overly worried there because i think we have the solution to our problems already here - and i don't think for one second that AVB isn't itching to get both those players in to the fold - but he seems pragmatic and safety first so i don't expect to see him rush these players in to the team potentially at the risk of their development/settling in process.

Well an apologist in my book is someone who constantly makes excuses for someone or something regardless of the evidence. I actually accept that we can and probably will improve after Xmas once AVB knows the best 11, but the style of play hasn't improved in just over a year in charge, we still rely on individual brilliance despite many of his biggest supporters claiming he was a brilliant tactician who would have us dominating games as a team rather than one player. Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez and Pochtettino are good examples of coaches who have improved their team's style of play in a short space of time. One thing I don't agree with put forward by other posters? I've seen people say AVB is rotating Eriksen and Holtby to play in every other game. So does that mean Eriksen won't start a league game again until his turn falls on a league game regardless of how Holtby plays?

I didn't see we can't improve, I'm just saying I don't see it happening soon, not until after Xmas. I don't think he's good when it comes to subs, I'm not sure if that will improve, Wenger isn't very good in this area either, doesn't make him a bad manager, just saying.

I actually meant to say Eriksen rather than Lamela.

As for Lamela, I don't think it should be a case of either/or when it comes to him and Townsend. I don't think Lennon should have walked back into the side considering Sig's good form. I realise Lamela is taking time to settle in, but on the pitch is where he is most likely to feel comfortable and at home whilst he is making the transition to this country. He can't even get on as sub now.

Of course it's a good thing to see AVB reward players with good form and it was nice to see Holtby given a chance against Villa, but in my opinion he didn't deserve to be picked again the week later and then the following league game. What's even more frustrating is Eriksen wasn't even given the full 90 minutes in the Hull cup game, he was taken off after about an hour IIRC. Eriksen is the better player and he needs to become a regular quickly just like Sandro was gradually eased into the side. Bar the West Ham game I don't see what Eriksen has done wrong. People say he was quiet against Chelsea but he created the goal and as a team we were dominated in the 2nd half. Seems to me like AVB has made him the fall guy for the West Ham debacle. Yeah, even Mourinho makes mistakes, Oscar has played well but Mata is the better player and it's laughable that he doesn't even get on the bench in some games.

My biggest concern is if we go behind by a goal or two against the top teams, do we have enough goals in us to come back? Emirates Marketing Project away will be a massive test in 3 weeks, they score for fun at home. Can we switch from being "safety first" to all out attack if we need to?

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Well an apologist in my book is someone who constantly makes excuses for someone or something regardless of the evidence. I actually accept that we can and probably will improve after Xmas once AVB knows the best 11, but the style of play hasn't improved in just over a year in charge, we still rely on individual brilliance despite many of his biggest supporters claiming he was a brilliant tactician who would have us dominating games as a team rather than one player. Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez and Pochtettino are good examples of coaches who have improved their team's style of play in a short space of time. One thing I don't agree with put forward by other posters? I've seen people say AVB is rotating Eriksen and Holtby to play in every other game. So does that mean Eriksen won't start a league game again until his turn falls on a league game regardless of how Holtby plays?

I didn't see we can't improve, I'm just saying I don't see it happening soon, not until after Xmas. I don't think he's good when it comes to subs, I'm not sure if that will improve, Wenger isn't very good in this area either, doesn't make him a bad manager, just saying.

I actually meant to say Eriksen rather than Lamela.

As for Lamela, I don't think it should be a case of either/or when it comes to him and Townsend. I don't think Lennon should have walked back into the side considering Sig's good form. I realise Lamela is taking time to settle in, but on the pitch is where he is most likely to feel comfortable and at home whilst he is making the transition to this country. He can't even get on as sub now.

Of course it's a good thing to see AVB reward players with good form and it was nice to see Holtby given a chance against Villa, but in my opinion he didn't deserve to be picked again the week later and then the following league game. What's even more frustrating is Eriksen wasn't even given the full 90 minutes in the Hull cup game, he was taken off after about an hour IIRC. Eriksen is the better player and he needs to become a regular quickly just like Sandro was gradually eased into the side. Bar the West Ham game I don't see what Eriksen has done wrong. People say he was quiet against Chelsea but he created the goal and as a team we were dominated in the 2nd half. Seems to me like AVB has made him the fall guy for the West Ham debacle. Yeah, even Mourinho makes mistakes, Oscar has played well but Mata is the better player and it's laughable that he doesn't even get on the bench in some games.

My biggest concern is if we go behind by a goal or two against the top teams, do we have enough goals in us to come back? Emirates Marketing Project away will be a massive test in 3 weeks, they score for fun at home. Can we switch from being "safety first" to all out attack if we need to?

The Eriksen thing is so blindingly obvious that I don't know why people can't see it. They aren't taking turns, Eriksen clearly held the shirt in the league while Holtby was impressing in the cups. Then West Ham happened and Holtby deserved his chance. AVB wouldn't have been able to maintain any semblance of 'competition' for places if he didn't give Holtby a chance. Same reason Defoe got a game against West Ham, which was absolutely the right decision. However he didn't do his job which is why Soldado got back in. Eriksen then had a chance against Hull but didn't show enough to suggest he should be back in her league side.

And yes, I do think we have goals in us if we need to. I think a careful tempo is designed to make sure we win games, and I think it is quite deliberate to really step it up at home towards the latter stages when the opposition should be losing concentration. But many times during AVBs reign we have fallen behind and stepped it up to come back, and that's with the likes of Dempsey and Ade in the side rather than the guile we have now.

I'd venture the reason we didn't step up the risk taking against Everton was because a point at Everton is a good point, because they are a good team. Better to not give them an advantage on us by dropping points directly to them.

 

[billyiddo]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Well an apologist in my book is someone who constantly makes excuses for someone or something regardless of the evidence.

sorry mate that doesn't really make sense to me - if there are valid reasons why somethings happening then how can you label someone in a negative manner for offering them as an opinion? unless of course your saying that there are no valid reasons for us to be struggling to find a rhythm - if so id like to know what exactly it is that negates everything which people have listed as possible reasons why we're struggling atm

I actually accept that we can and probably will improve after Xmas once AVB knows the best 11, but the style of play hasn't improved in just over a year in charge, we still rely on individual brilliance despite many of his biggest supporters claiming he was a brilliant tactician who would have us dominating games as a team rather than one player. Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez and Pochtettino are good examples of coaches who have improved their team's style of play in a short space of time. One thing I don't agree with put forward by other posters? I've seen people say AVB is rotating Eriksen and Holtby to play in every other game. So does that mean Eriksen won't start a league game again until his turn falls on a league game regardless of how Holtby plays?

who is providing these pieces of individual brilliance that are winning us games because i don't see it that way in the slightest - to me it looks as though we're trying to play a team game whereby we dominate our opponents with possession and pressing high up the pitch it's just the team isn't settled or hasn't clicked or however you want to say it and it's because of that unfamiliarity that we struggling through games. not because we're relying on players for brilliance - i think that's a lazy thing to say actually because we don't have Bale scoring the goals he was last season if im honest.

our style of play has changed from last season - well not so much changed as such but moved along in it's progression - we're now dominating teams possession wise, the high line has become more apparent, we keep the ball with a lot more patience and don't give it away as easily - it might not be ground breaking but we're making steps towards what AVB wants, imv - again i think you're guilty of not giving enough thought to the changes we've gone through in the summer - we've transformed the team, effectively putting a huge dent in our progression as you have so many that are starting at square one - not quite back to drawing board but not far from it. we have a settled set of defensive players where we coincidentally are performing very well - the same cannot be said for our attacking positions and is probably the reason why we're struggling in this area.

I didn't see we can't improve, I'm just saying I don't see it happening soon, not until after Xmas. I don't think he's good when it comes to subs, I'm not sure if that will improve, Wenger isn't very good in this area either, doesn't make him a bad manager, just saying.

I actually meant to say Eriksen rather than Lamela.

i thought i covered Eriksen?

As for Lamela, I don't think it should be a case of either/or when it comes to him and Townsend. I don't think Lennon should have walked back into the side considering Sig's good form. I realise Lamela is taking time to settle in, but on the pitch is where he is most likely to feel comfortable and at home whilst he is making the transition to this country. He can't even get on as sub now.

we can't really make that call as a supporters mate - we have a couple of quotes to go on, not day in day out on the training field - Im happy with how we have integrated our signings so far under AVBs reign and i see no reason to pull him up on this one - If the player and the Coach both say that he needs time then how can someone on the outside question that?

Of course it's a good thing to see AVB reward players with good form and it was nice to see Holtby given a chance against Villa, but in my opinion he didn't deserve to be picked again the week later and then the following league game. What's even more frustrating is Eriksen wasn't even given the full 90 minutes in the Hull cup game, he was taken off after about an hour IIRC. Eriksen is the better player and he needs to become a regular quickly just like Sandro was gradually eased into the side. Bar the West Ham game I don't see what Eriksen has done wrong. People say he was quiet against Chelsea but he created the goal and as a team we were dominated in the 2nd half. Seems to me like AVB has made him the fall guy for the West Ham debacle. Yeah, even Mourinho makes mistakes, Oscar has played well but Mata is the better player and it's laughable that he doesn't even get on the bench in some games.

so a chance to you is one game? if they don't perform they are straight back on the bench? doesn't really sound like much of a chance to me. Holtby hasn't been great in the league but he's been far from poor and usually put's in a shift. I want Eriksen in the team and playing how he did in his firs couple of games, but i also want to see other players get rewarded. catch 22

My biggest concern is if we go behind by a goal or two against the top teams, do we have enough goals in us to come back? Emirates Marketing Project away will be a massive test in 3 weeks, they score for fun at home. Can we switch from being "safety first" to all out attack if we need to?

yeah my biggest concern is falling behind by a couple of goals against the top teams - usually means you get thrashed - no matter who you have in charge or what tactics you deploy

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

The Eriksen thing is so blindingly obvious that I don't know why people can't see it. They aren't taking turns, Eriksen clearly held the shirt in the league while Holtby was impressing in the cups. Then West Ham happened and Holtby deserved his chance. AVB wouldn't have been able to maintain any semblance of 'competition' for places if he didn't give Holtby a chance. Same reason Defoe got a game against West Ham, which was absolutely the right decision. However he didn't do his job which is why Soldado got back in. Eriksen then had a chance against Hull but didn't show enough to suggest he should be back in her league side.

And yes, I do think we have goals in us if we need to. I think a careful tempo is designed to make sure we win games, and I think it is quite deliberate to really step it up at home towards the latter stages when the opposition should be losing concentration. But many times during AVBs reign we have fallen behind and stepped it up to come back, and that's with the likes of Dempsey and Ade in the side rather than the guile we have now.

I'd venture the reason we didn't step up the risk taking against Everton was because a point at Everton is a good point, because they are a good team. Better to not give them an advantage on us by dropping points directly to them.

He got about an hour against Hull whilst Holtby got virtually the whole game and didn't do anything against Everton. Has he really deserved to keep his place 3 games in a row? Why is it obvious? Because you agree with the decision and others don't.

I can't imagine Wenger leaving Ozil out for 3 games because of 1 bad performance. Granted Eriksen is not on Ozil's level, but both are the best player in their position in their respective teams.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

sorry mate that doesn't really make sense to me - if there are valid reasons why somethings happening then how can you label someone in a negative manner for offering them as an opinion? unless of course your saying that there are no valid reasons for us to be struggling to find a rhythm - if so id like to know what exactly it is that negates everything which people have listed as possible reasons why we're struggling atm

Maybe I don't see them as valid. I'll probably be labelled as negative for that but hey ho. The style of play is incredibly dull and has been throughout AVB's tenure. We have a huge squad now so it's up to AVB to use them in the correct manner. We draw a game 0-0 or need a lucky penalty to scrape a 1-0, people ask questions and you get the standard "how dare you negative supporters question AVB" response.


who is providing these pieces of individual brilliance that are winning us games because i don't see it that way in the slightest - to me it looks as though we're trying to play a team game whereby we dominate our opponents with possession and pressing high up the pitch it's just the team isn't settled or hasn't clicked or however you want to say it and it's because of that unfamiliarity that we struggling through games. not because we're relying on players for brilliance - i think that's a lazy thing to say actually because we don't have Bale scoring the goals he was last season if im honest.

We dominated possession last season in games too. We lost 5-2 at the emirates and AVB said we dominated the game :lol:. Well no one is providing those moments but it's clear he's happy to settle for 1-0 or 2-0 and shut up shop.


our style of play has changed from last season - well not so much changed as such but moved along in it's progression - we're now dominating teams possession wise, the high line has become more apparent, we keep the ball with a lot more patience and don't give it away as easily - it might not be ground breaking but we're making steps towards what AVB wants, imv - again i think you're guilty of not giving enough thought to the changes we've gone through in the summer - we've transformed the team, effectively putting a huge dent in our progression as you have so many that are starting at square one - not quite back to drawing board but not far from it. we have a settled set of defensive players where we coincidentally are performing very well - the same cannot be said for our attacking positions and is probably the reason why we're struggling in this area.


i thought i covered Eriksen?


we can't really make that call as a supporters mate - we have a couple of quotes to go on, not day in day out on the training field - Im happy with how we have integrated our signings so far under AVBs reign and i see no reason to pull him up on this one - If the player and the Coach both say that he needs time then how can someone on the outside question that?

I'm sorry but that is a cop out. Since when do we ever get the full story? Hasn't stopped us questioning manager's team selection in the past and shouldn't do now. I'm not saying he should start every game, but giving him one start surely wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world.


so a chance to you is one game? if they don't perform they are straight back on the bench? doesn't really sound like much of a chance to me. Holtby hasn't been great in the league but he's been far from poor and usually put's in a shift. I want Eriksen in the team and playing how he did in his firs couple of games, but i also want to see other players get rewarded. catch 22

Well I don't think they deserve 3 games if they don't perform well enough and his replacement is superior. Eriksen has one bad game and suddenly he's on the bench for 3 games. Why does it have to be a case of either or? Others have suggested AVB is too rigid in his tactics, I would say this is exhibit A. Personally I think we are too workmanlike, we had Sandro and Paulinho to win the ball back on Sunday and Lennon to his credit does track back.



yeah my biggest concern is falling behind by a couple of goals against the top teams - usually means you get thrashed - no matter who you have in charge or what tactics you deploy

You know what I meant. If we go a goal down do you have the confidence we can turn it round? Good for you if you do but I don't.

My responses are bolded.

EDIT: We don't get enough players into the box when attacking, this comes down to coaching in my opinion, he's clearly a cautious manager.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

He got about an hour against Hull whilst Holtby got virtually the whole game and didn't do anything against Everton. Has he really deserved to keep his place 3 games in a row? Why is it obvious? Because you agree with the decision and others don't.

I can't imagine Wenger leaving Ozil out for 3 games because of 1 bad performance. Granted Eriksen is not on Ozil's level, but both are the best player in their position in their respective teams.

Eriksen has been lazy and non existent when he has had his cameos. You can see the ability but you can't deny he has done bugger all since Chelsea's first half

HOWEVER I would still play him as Holtby isn't a number 10. He spend too much time chasing the ball and not enough time receiving it dangerous areas. He looks great with Defoe against poor opposition and I really like him but I'd play him as cover for Paulinho not eriksen

Eriksen now needs some games and a rocket up his backside to get him going. He is class but needs to be effective

 

[Baleforce]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I think Holtby offers a lot more than Eriksen when we don't have the ball, and thats crucial to the way we play.

 

[Hootnow]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I think Holtby offers a lot more than Eriksen when we don't have the ball, and thats crucial to the way we play.

Surely what we're doing when we do have the ball is the problem at the moment? And it isn't like we were conceding goals all over the place when it was Eriksen starting?

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

He got about an hour against Hull whilst Holtby got virtually the whole game and didn't do anything against Everton. Has he really deserved to keep his place 3 games in a row? Why is it obvious? Because you agree with the decision and others don't.

I can't imagine Wenger leaving Ozil out for 3 games because of 1 bad performance. Granted Eriksen is not on Ozil's level, but both are the best player in their position in their respective teams.

No it's still just really obvious. Holtby now has the league shirt and Eriksen lost it. Just like Sig lost it after West Ham and Defoe lost it after West Ham. Holtby may not have done that much in the Everton game but Eriksen hasn't made himself unstoppable in the league through his cup performances. So simple. Not about me agreeing with it at all.

If we are going to have a big squad, we absolutely have to play the players that deserve their chance. That means it Defoe has shown great form in the cups he gets a chance in the league, and likewise for anybody else.

 

[NWND]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

No it's still just really obvious. Holtby now has the league shirt and Eriksen lost it. Just like Sig lost it after West Ham and Defoe lost it after West Ham. Holtby may not have done that much in the Everton game but Eriksen hasn't made himself unstoppable in the league through his cup performances. So simple. Not about me agreeing with it at all.

If we are going to have a big squad, we absolutely have to play the players that deserve their chance. That means it Defoe has shown great form in the cups he gets a chance in the league, and likewise for anybody else.

Yep. As much as it might frustrate, the ultimate reason why we aren't playing Lamela, Eriksen and others in the league is that when they've been given the chance in the last few cup games, they haven't impressed enough.

They've got a chance this Thursday to push for a place against Saudi Sportswashing Machine or other league games, let's see if they make that case.

 

[Pirate55]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Tactics etc aside, the thing that disappointed me with AVB yesterday was his handling of the Lloris incident. It was clear the medical team thought he should come off, but he let him carry on playing.

He should have gone over to Lloris and made damn sure he came off. Not leave it up to the physios and players to try and persuade him.

It's admirable that Lloris came back on, but it could have (and still could) prove to be bloody stupid.

Absolutely agree. After an injury like this and given the advice of the medical team, AVB should have insisted Lloris come off.