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***OMT - Tottenham Hotspur v Everton***

Finney Is Back said:
All styles of football are executed ‘better’ with more talented players but I don’t think any style ‘needs’ supreme talent.
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I hope you're right and I will remain positive and trusting that this will all drop into place when the big C word kicks into overdrive, because we are really lacking it...well, both C words...confidence and conviction in that final third. No-one wants to take that extra chance to do something special, whether a shot or a turn and drive. And I do think we need to take more shots...way more. Of all the chances I felt we could've had, Fernandes in the first-half was really the one that got away as if he shoots first time that's in. I need to look at it again (maybe the ball was slightly too tight to him) but I felt he could've just hit it on arrival, instead it got caught up and he tried to go inside, etc, etc...
 
Late night thoughts.
First 20 thought we were good and would get a goal or 2.
2nd half we were pretty bad, sat back and encouraged Everton onto us. Why we didn't just keep the pressure on I do not know and we seemed to always give them an out-ball.
So many times again we chose the wrong option in the final 3rd. Best players for me were VdV and Van Hoeke...against Everton at home!
Ps. Didn't like seeing De Zerbi laying into Tel at full time, what was that all about??!
 
Bishop said:
Hmm I agree but then again, short intricate passing, waiting for the space to open up ala 09-2015 Barcelona really only works with the level of player they have. There were teams who tried it without that level of player but it never really worked to that extent.
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To be fair to them, they did create the space themselves - like we did at a time. Given, it didn't always work out, but you could clearly see what we were trying to do. Brains beat pace 8 out of 10 times, and the 2 times you lose you don't look like a complete amateur. We also had players who were great at both carrying and releasing the ball - and knew when to do which. But it's no point in moving the ball if the players ahead of you don't do anything, you have just moved and most of the time it ends in a turnover or backwards pass anyway. And if we get to the byline, our favourite party trick, no one trying to fight for room in the box. Very little is worked for, mostly everything is luck. No "you do this while I do that", just £1bn worth of players trying to be better player-for-player. It looked a little bit better today, so all hope is not lost, but it's still poor and naive football.
 
Given that it’s possible to watch the whole match back on SpursPlay. Im going to watch the match back and create a list of my observations. That’s my aim anyway. I start a new job on Monday, so have stuff to sort out tomorrow but will look to review the match between now and our league cup match against Liverpool.

The opening minute and I can see intensity in our play. Archie Gray winning a good tackle, and then making a run behind Everton defence so as to remove a player away from defending Savio. Unfortunately, Mykolenko won the tackle against Savio and ball out did a throw in.

It seemed from memory that our full backs pushed on but were often wide. Especially Robertson. This meant that the wingers were often cutting inside so will be interesting to see how this continued. We needed overlaps but it’s not always great if the wingers are always cutting inside as it can make them easier to defend against as the opposition full back learns patterns of play and expects the winger to cut inside. There needs to be a mixing up of whether the winger cuts inside or not and where the full back makes his run. This unpredictability would lead to us being more dangerous in attack.
 
With greater reflection I think it comes down to Solanke being better, braver and more aggressive in his movements, in Savio unleashing a few shots here and there, and if Solanke does what I suggested that will allow Marmoush the room to arrive and shoot (I do not see him as scared to have a crack)...ironically,if he'd brought Gallagher on instead of Bergvall, HE might've been the box-crasher/shot-taker...in short, they need to be braver up top.
 
thfcsteff said:
With greater reflection I think it comes down to Solanke being better, braver and more aggressive in his movements, in Savio unleashing a few shots here and there, and if Solanke does what I suggested that will allow Marmoush the room to arrive and shoot (I do not see him as scared to have a crack)...ironically,if he'd brought Gallagher on instead of Bergvall, HE might've been the box-crasher/shot-taker...in short, they need to be braver up top.
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Solanke was terrible mate, back to his preseason form where he seems completely out of sync with the rest of team. We outplayed Everton in first half with effectively 10 men.
 
We do look more solid the last two games (defended corners well against a physical side) which gives me hope that RdZ can create a defensively sound team. Fernandes in the ten killed our fast start, I would try him next to Bentancur to be honest. Tonali was fine but first half had some poor touches and moments on the ball.

Kudus again had a good impact, hopefully can start next week. I thought he was releasing the ball quicker and following what RdZ apparently wants better, I'd like to see more of him at ten as think he is our physically strongest player and probably best at retaining the ball in attacking areas.

Solanke was very disappointing but I'd still persevere with him. Thought Gray actually looked like a RB for the first time in the first 20-25 minutes and maybe he can enjoy this role as he is so high up the pitch a lot. Van Hecke is really special on the ball and VdV and Robinson were really improved too.

At the moment we remind me of Potter's Brighton who controlled games pretty well but had no edge in attack. Think this continued onto their time with dZ too but can't remember totally. Anyone going hard at RdZ needs to reel it in, we are seeing a style of play and I think we will continue to grow.
 
Perspectives on game

- Lots of neat and tidy stuff again, lots of nice passes, everything up to the final third.
- All that neat and tidy stuff is too slow, it's what allows opposition teams to recover position and us to look less of a threat.

On the players
- Solanke was poor, the choice to have him as our only outright striker will have consequences
- Gray looked better at RB, but isn't a RB, you can see it at top end of pitch (wrong decisions) and when he gets isolated defending wide. Creditable job, but we are light in RB
- Bentancur had another great game, typical Spurs we have spent 100M for a position we have a player in, think it's either him or Tonali, not both.
- Savio is a player, faded after about 60 minutes.

While selection was somewhat forced, playing Bentancur/Tonali & Fernandes against a sit back team was too cautious.
 
Raziel said:
Solanke was terrible mate, back to his preseason form where he seems completely out of sync with the rest of team. We outplayed Everton in first half with effectively 10 men.
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I think you misread what I was saying? Maybe I wasn't clear?
I meant that what it comes down to is Solanke NEEDING to be better, braver and more aggressive in his movements...perhaps that wasn't clear without the 'needing to be'?
I thought he was very poor.
 
thfcsteff said:
I think you misread what I was saying? Maybe I wasn't clear?
I meant that what it comes down to is Solanke NEEDING to be better, braver and more aggressive in his movements...perhaps that wasn't clear without the 'needing to be'?
I thought he was very poor.
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Wasn't calling you out

Not sure it's bravery/being aggressive, he literally looks like he hasn't trained with the team, it was the same thing in preseason where under 19 players were slotting right in and he looked lost.

I'm worried we have made a huge mistake betting on him in any capacity
 
Raziel said:
Wasn't calling you out

Not sure it's bravery/being aggressive, he literally looks like he hasn't trained with the team, it was the same thing in preseason where under 19 players were slotting right in and he looked lost.

I'm worried we have made a huge mistake betting on him in any capacity
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(this is how wars start LOL ;))

Did not say you were.

I think essentially we're saying similar things but the screen is never as clear as verbal words.

Yes. He looks terrible. You're saying he doesn't look like he's trained with them, true.

I'm saying that he looks timid, non-assertive, and lacking in confidence. He looks like a man afraid to get hurt, and he looks like a man afraid to gamble like a top striker/9 needs to.
It was always a mistake to bet on him this season. I'd have 100% gone with Richy over him, (I mean, give me Osimohen or similar of course, even Jackson would've been OK) but given we were not doing those deals, to bungle the Richy situation is so poor. I think the last two games are precisely the sort of games where he comes off the bench and does something. Marmoush is not a CF for me, he needs a CF of Solanke's profile to play off, but if Solanke's going to be meek in the role, then it will not prove helpful.
It's an issue.
I just hope somehow he finds something better within himself and proves me wrong.
 
thfcsteff said:
(this is how wars start LOL ;))

Did not say you were.

I think essentially we're saying similar things but the screen is never as clear as verbal words.

Yes. He looks terrible. You're saying he doesn't look like he's trained with them, true.

I'm saying that he looks timid, non-assertive, and lacking in confidence. He looks like a man afraid to get hurt, and he looks like a man afraid to gamble like a top striker/9 needs to.
It was always a mistake to bet on him this season. I'd have 100% gone with Richy over him, (I mean, give me Osimohen or similar of course, even Jackson would've been OK) but given we were not doing those deals, to bungle the Richy situation is so poor. I think the last two games are precisely the sort of games where he comes off the bench and does something. Marmoush is not a CF for me, he needs a CF of Solanke's profile to play off, but if Solanke's going to be meek in the role, then it will not prove helpful.
It's an issue.
I just hope somehow he finds something better within himself and proves me wrong.
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This is spot on and how I see it. The only difference is I don’t rate even the prime version of Solanke. So I hold the board and RDZ accountable as even if he found his version of form, he has such a patchy injury record….how can he be relied upon!?

I’m not sure if you were there yesterday, but I sit up behind the goal and can watch his movement the whole game (which doesn’t come through on TV side on view of the possession). It’s some of the worst I’ve seen from a professional forward. Never once tried to turn into a channel. Never once tried to get physical. Never ever looks like winning a header from a cross. Came short a couple of times and it pin balled off him. I think he came short once in the first half, managed to retain possession and ended up 50 yards from goal and popped it off the Gray - that was his best moment. For a guy his size he is so incredibly weak and timid. And he has zero instinct to sniff out a chance / the opposite to someone like Lankshear.

The club should have resolved the Richy situation earlier, known Solanke was unreliable (ability and injury) and taken the first 100m of the 350m and gone and got a forward. From there, do whatever you need to with the other £250m. Or at worst just keep Lankshear and give him a shot. Anything but what we are seeing.

A good forward also brings out the best in others - Kane being an extreme example, and someone like Joao Pedro has similar connectivity. It’s fair to say Marmoush, Savio and the CMs are working off of close to nothing.
 
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