Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

[NWND]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

In your opinion of course.

* Close down opposition at every opportunity
* Play a slow paced brand of football and don't commit unless you see a clear opening
* focus passing through the middle
* Play a high line

Those are the 4 main things he's been trying to implement into the team since his arrival. If we persist with points 1 and 2 we will not improve our home form imo (performance wise anyway). Yesterdays second half showed what we can achieve should we take the game to the opposition from the very beginning but the stubbornness of the manager will see us continue playing this super boring brand of slow paced football where the creative players are not even allowed to express themselves unless they see a clear opening. The weird thing is this brand of football suits NONE of our new signings bar Chiriches who is allowed the opportunity to get forward (maybe Chadli too who is a winger that keeps things simple).

Lamela? nope
Soldado ? nope
Chadli ? maybe
Paulinho ? nope
Eriksen? nope
Capoue ? maybe
Chiriches ? yes

It makes you wonder how much input AVB has had in transfers, because like you said, how many of our new signings since he started have been suited to what he has tried to implement?

Notice how reluctant he is to play Lamela and Eriksen.

Against Sheriff, it was funny because i'm watching the same old functional team playing sideways, sideways, backwards, backwards, but whenever Lamela got on the ball it was, right, i'm going to run at them, i'm going to commit, i'm going to play through-balls and i'm going to shoot.

You could almost see AVB with his head in his hands "but, but, you're losing the ball sometimes, you're ruining my plans, possession, possession, keep the ball good dammit, what are you trying to do Erik? Too many step-overs, pass sideways, simple pass.... wha.... no stop it, you've already beaten half their team... there's nno need to take on that last ma......oh wait we';ve got a penalty, yess! Good work Erik! I love you!"

 

[indianspur]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

It makes you wonder how much input AVB has had in transfers, because like you said, how many of our new signings since he started have been suited to what he has tried to implement?

Notice how reluctant he is to play Lamela and Eriksen.

Against Sheriff, it was funny because i'm watching the same old functional team playing sideways, sideways, backwards, backwards, but whenever Lamela got on the ball it was, right, i'm going to run at them, i'm going to commit, i'm going to play through-balls and i'm going to shoot.

You could almost see AVB with his head in his hands "but, but, you're losing the ball sometimes, you're ruining my plans, possession, possession, keep the ball good dammit, what are you trying to do Erik? Too many step-overs, pass sideways, simple pass.... wha.... no stop it, you've already beaten half their team... there's nno need to take on that last ma......oh wait we';ve got a penalty, yess! Good work Erik! I love you!"

well your point breaks down with the fact that AVB is mad keen on Townsend who plays in every PL game. Townsend is a get your head down and run at the opposition type, step overs, shooting from all angles

but yeah, i do wonder how many of the players we have signed are actually the ones he wanted

 

[clownfoot]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

well your point breaks down with the fact that AVB is mad keen on Townsend who plays in every PL game. Townsend is a get your head down and run at the opposition type, step overs, shooting from all angles

but yeah, i do wonder how many of the players we have signed are actually the ones he wanted

Wasn't it AVB who pushed for the Baldini signing? Given that he wanted to focus mainly on the training, not the signing of players

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

In your opinion of course.

* Close down opposition at every opportunity
* Play a slow paced brand of football and don't commit unless you see a clear opening
* focus passing through the middle
* Play a high line

Those are the 4 main things he's been trying to implement into the team since his arrival. If we persist with points 1 and 2 we will not improve our home form imo (performance wise anyway). Yesterdays second half showed what we can achieve should we take the game to the opposition from the very beginning but the stubbornness of the manager will see us continue playing this super boring brand of slow paced football where the creative players are not even allowed to express themselves unless they see a clear opening. The weird thing is this brand of football suits NONE of our new signings bar Chiriches who is allowed the opportunity to get forward (maybe Chadli too who is a winger that keeps things simple).

Lamela? nope
Soldado ? nope
Chadli ? maybe
Paulinho ? nope
Eriksen? nope
Capoue ? maybe
Chiriches ? yes

It's not an opinion, it's more like fact. There is absolutely no way one system is absolutely not going to work for a sustained period while another is. Otherwise football would be an incredibly simple game and there would be no need for the pros. Clubs could save millions a year letting the fans have a go.

But your post is exactly the kind of sweeping over-exaggeration I can't stand. I mean to say something will never work. To say this or that player can or cannot play to a certain system. I've seen it so many times on here from the Pleat years to today. Players, managers, tactics and systems getting written off, and then proving those write offs wrong the very next week, or by the end of the season. It happens every single season.

 

[Kingdawson]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

It's not an opinion, it's more like fact. There is absolutely no way one system is absolutely not going to work for a sustained period while another is. Otherwise football would be an incredibly simple game and there would be no need for the pros. Clubs could save millions a year letting the fans have a go.

But your post is exactly the kind of sweeping over-exaggeration I can't stand. I mean to say something will never work. To say this or that player can or cannot play to a certain system. I've seen it so many times on here from the Pleat years to today. Players, managers, tactics and systems getting written off, and then proving those write offs wrong the very next week, or by the end of the season. It happens every single season.

No, it's an opinion. There have been countless occasions where systems simply do not work (hence teams finishing bottom of the league). You play the system that's best suited to the squad you have and we are clearly not doing it. I've detailed why i think that and explained it to the best of my ability.

Tbh i very much doubt you would be this defensive if it was any other manager bar AVB.

 

[indianspur]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Wasn't it AVB who pushed for the Baldini signing? Given that he wanted to focus mainly on the training, not the signing of players

yep

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

No, it's an opinion. There have been countless occasions where systems simply do not work (hence teams finishing bottom of the league). You play the system that's best suited to the squad you have and we are clearly not doing it. I've detailed why i think that and explained it to the best of my ability.

Tbh i very much doubt you would be this defensive if it was any other manager bar AVB.

I actually backed Harry until almost the end of his reign, and defended him when a lot of people on here had turned against him. Because I don't buy into playing favourites with managers or thinking one is good and the other isn't. It's all nonsense. They are all qualified and all clearly know their stuff. A club's success will come down to a lot of things and often a manager needs to be in the right place at the right time, or given the time to get things how he wants it to be successful.

I much prefer to get to know each manager's style and look at what they are trying to achieve. Football is littered with examples of managers, particularly ones that base their success on getting a system implemented before it fires properly, so I could never say that right now, a couple of months into a season when 90% of our attacking players haven't played together before, that one system can never work long term.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

In your opinion of course.

* Close down opposition at every opportunity
* Play a slow paced brand of football and don't commit unless you see a clear opening
* focus passing through the middle
* Play a high line

Those are the 4 main things he's been trying to implement into the team since his arrival. If we persist with points 1 and 2 we will not improve our home form imo (performance wise anyway). Yesterdays second half showed what we can achieve should we take the game to the opposition from the very beginning but the stubbornness of the manager will see us continue playing this super boring brand of slow paced football where the creative players are not even allowed to express themselves unless they see a clear opening. The weird thing is this brand of football suits NONE of our new signings bar Chiriches who is allowed the opportunity to get forward (maybe Chadli too who is a winger that keeps things simple).

Lamela? nope
Soldado ? nope
Chadli ? maybe
Paulinho ? nope
Eriksen? nope
Capoue ? maybe
Chiriches ? yes

I think the stubbornness of AVB gets massively overstated. He had that reputation after his Chelsea days, imo largely a media created reputation. He's been willing to try quite a few different formations and players at Spurs. He' so stubborn about his high line, we'll concede loads. We'll never play two strikers. We'll always play a 4-3-3. These things haven't been true, but his reputation remains.

I also don't quite get the idea that we only commit men forward "when we see an opening". Doesn't seem like the case for me at all and I don't quite get how this criticism is aimed at him at the same time as the high line criticism? Isn't part of the high line criticism that we're compressing teams too much in their third, surely we're doing this by committing men forward?

I'm also not convinced that the slow paced football is by choice and design.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: AVB On Reals Madrid's Short List For New Manager

Re Rodgers at 'pool - rewind to this time last season and they were getting roundly mocked for their 'we won the passing' attitude - it wasn't until later in the season (after the arrival of Couthino possibly) that their game became effective - it's no wonder their good work has continued compared to us when you compare each sides transfer activity the summer just gone - our primary attacking threat has been sold and almost an entirely new attack has arrived in his place.

Very solid points.

 

[90291Spur]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

One of my main gripes from the Saudi Sportswashing Machine game was the fact that AVB didn't switch Towsend to the left, especially after Saudi Sportswashing Machine's two right sided players were on yellow cards to put them under pressure.

 

[indianspur]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

One of my main gripes from the Saudi Sportswashing Machine game was the fact that AVB didn't switch Towsend to the left, especially after Saudi Sportswashing Machine's two right sided players were on yellow cards to put them under pressure.

good point

 

[ALtottenham_hotspur]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

One of my main gripes from the Saudi Sportswashing Machine game was the fact that AVB didn't switch Towsend to the left, especially after Saudi Sportswashing Machine's two right sided players were on yellow cards to put them under pressure.

Same here, should have done it in the 1st half for 10-15mins.

 

[Kingdawson]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I think the stubbornness of AVB gets massively overstated. He had that reputation after his Chelsea days, imo largely a media created reputation. He's been willing to try quite a few different formations and players at Spurs. He' so stubborn about his high line, we'll concede loads. We'll never play two strikers. We'll always play a 4-3-3. These things haven't been true, but his reputation remains.

I also don't quite get the idea that we only commit men forward "when we see an opening". Doesn't seem like the case for me at all and I don't quite get how this criticism is aimed at him at the same time as the high line criticism? Isn't part of the high line criticism that we're compressing teams too much in their third, surely we're doing this by committing men forward?

I'm also not convinced that the slow paced football is by choice and design.

I didn't say we only commit men forward "when we see an opening", i'm saying we'll only try a dangerous penetrative 'killer' pass if there's a clear opening otherwise we'll keep possession and pass it around for a while until that opportunity arises.

 

[Kingdawson]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

It only takes Poyet a few games to implement his brand of football...forget results and watch them play...it's clearly a totally different brand of football that's working. Laudrup at Swansea implemented his brand of football immediately and it took Pochettino 6 months of bedding in before it worked for him.

 

[milo]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

It only takes Poyet a few games to implement his brand of football...forget results and watch them play...it's clearly a totally different brand of football that's working. Laudrup at Swansea implemented his brand of football immediately and it took Pochettino 6 months of bedding in before it worked for him.

Considering we lost our most effective attacking player in the summer and we have an almost entirely new front line, I reset the clock in the summer and judge our effectiveness going forward from there. The defensive side of the team, which is more settled has functioned very well.

Personally, I expected it to take until around Christmas for the new players to have an impact in the Premier League and start showing their value.

 

[Raziel]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

It only takes Poyet a few games to implement his brand of football...forget results and watch them play...it's clearly a totally different brand of football that's working. Laudrup at Swansea implemented his brand of football immediately and it took Pochettino 6 months of bedding in before it worked for him.

Yet the managers at Spurs, City, Chelsea & United are "struggling"?

Fact is, it's a lot easier to go from dire -> mediocrity, than from good -> great

Too simplistic a view, truth is always more complicated, 7 new players in, most influential and best player out, odd injuries (that have left to inconsistent first 11) have made it hard to really say what the top end potential of this team is.

 

[Jordinho]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Laudrup at Swansea. Taking an upper half side and turning them into relegation strugglers?

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Considering we lost our most effective attacking player in the summer and we have an almost entirely new front line, I reset the clock in the summer and judge our effectiveness going forward from there. The defensive side of the team, which is more settled has functioned very well.

Personally, I expected it to take until around Christmas for the new players to have an impact in the Premier League and start showing their value.

Correct me If I'm wrong, a few weeks ago I said it's vital that we keep our best players, but you said you didn't mind if we sold them? This is what happens when you have to rebuild so to speak. Every season is a transitional season at Spurs it seems. Look at Liverpool, keeping Suarez has done much more for them than any of their signings has.

To be fair, KD is right about us not playing the killer ball often enough. No wonder our possession stats are so dominant.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

To repeat what I have said on other threads....

Defoe has scored 1 league goal from open play in 2013... That suggested that a small lone striker was not working. Response - pay 26 mil for another small striker and result one league goal from Soldado in open play. And I read yesterday that we are looking at Hernandez in January (who knows how true that is) but if we get him I will have serious doubts about AVB.

Teams know how to play us.....defend deep, lots of players behind the ball and allow us to put in crosses as their tall defenders will clear. Put Benteke up top and they can't do that as at 6'4" he will win his fair share either with direct attempts on goal or lay offs to other players.

9 goals from 11 league games and just 2 from Defoe and Soldado (forgetting penalties) in 2013 is pretty damning!!

I'd put Kaboul up top in the meantime....well maybe not but our strikers at the moment hardly ever touch the ball and they don't score and I'm getting desperate!!

We need a physical presence like Benteke. Scum have giroud who wins EVERY HEADER, links up the play and his finishing has improved noticeably. Benteke is a beast who would give the wingers a target in the box. We might actually score the odd goal from a set piece too.

 

[africanspurs]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

i really hate excuses. call a spade a spade for once

we arent attacking well and its alot more than to do with losing one major piece. especially when we bought a squad thats really good

i'm still waiting for someone to tell me how long we give lamela. its as big a question as the location of Jimmy Hoffa