*** OMT Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City ***

[Finney Is Back]

When Kulusevski receives the inital pass from Porro he’s got Sarr making a run inside him but Son and Richarlison are miles offside whilst Bergvall and Bentancur are more closely marked than Porro.

Perhaps a fully fit Kulusevski might’ve tried to get the ball into Sarr’s path but he took the safe option then Porro compounds the error by putting Bentancur in trouble; before his surgery Rodrigo would’ve probably got there first and shook off the presser but not nowadays.

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I think the best option here would actually have been for Kulu to drive infield with the ball. Doing that could create real problems for Leicester as the defender near Sarr has a decision to make to help with Kulu of stay with Sarr. Kulu carrying that ball inside would've opened up the whole pitch with the potential for Son and Richi to get back onside as Leicester's defence drops and be available for a ball in behind. Going back to Porro there was a bit cowardly of Kulu really, though perhaps he feels he isn't fresh enough to make that inside run with the ball.

 

[Batspur]

This is our starting position. Look how high Bergvall is. Where is Sarr?

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By the time their lad gets its Sarr and Bergvall appear, running at full pelt and can't get near him. Potentially Davies could have pushed out but he then leaves Dragusin 1v1 so I can sort of understand his reluctance. Shambolic. You wouldn't see it at under 12.

View attachment 18672

Sarr is genuinely useless.

 

[braineclipse]

This is our starting position. Look how high Bergvall is. Where is Sarr?

View attachment 18671

By the time their lad gets its Sarr and Bergvall appear, running at full pelt and can't get near him. Potentially Davies could have pushed out but he then leaves Dragusin 1v1 so I can sort of understand his reluctance. Shambolic. You wouldn't see it at under 12.

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Honestly, to me seems fine. We just need not to give the ball away.

They essentially get a two vs two situation against our centre backs when our deepest midfielder loses the ball in a way that also takes him out of the situation.

That's what happens when the deepest midfielder loses the ball. The only player between the opponent and the goal will be the centre backs.

Look at the space we'd have if we successfully play through that initial pressure. That's the upside. Be good enough at not losing the ball there and there's loads of upside.

The pass selection from Porro is questionable. The execution isn't good enough. Then Bentancur loses the duel that ensues.

 

[DeanoAustin]

Honestly, to me seems fine. We just need not to give the ball away.

They essentially get a two vs two situation against our centre backs when our deepest midfielder loses the ball in a way that also takes him out of the situation.

That's what happens when the deepest midfielder loses the ball. The only player between the opponent and the goal will be the centre backs.

Look at the space we'd have if we successfully play through that initial pressure. That's the upside. Be good enough at not losing the ball there and there's loads of upside.

The pass selection from Porro is questionable. The execution isn't good enough. Then Bentancur loses the duel that ensues.

It's very high risk. You lose the ball, you're 2 v 2 in the middle because 5 of your players are out of the game including 2 of your midfield 3. The chances of losing the ball are probably greater than playing through the press and once that happens, we are always in trouble. Teams have figured out that this is how you play us.

Proof of the pudding is in the eating. The space that their lad had to run into was comical and we had Sarr, particularly, sprinting like a maniac to get back and he never got close enough. I wouldn't expect to see it at an underage game.

 

[Kandi1977]

Sarr is genuinely useless.

Not as useless as you

 

[braineclipse]

It's very high risk. You lose the ball, you're 2 v 2 in the middle because 5 of your players are out of the game including 2 of your midfield 3. The chances of losing the ball are probably greater than playing through the press and once that happens, we are always in trouble. Teams have figured out that this is how you play us.

Proof of the pudding is in the eating. The space that their lad had to run into was comical and we had Sarr, particularly, sprinting like a maniac to get back and he never got close enough. I wouldn't expect to see it at an underage game.

It's high risk, high reward.

I'm not sure the risk of losing the ball is greater than the chance of playing through the pressure.

To try to understand your point. You'd want Sarr or Bergvall deeper, closer to Bentancur? But still fine to be ahead of Bentancur and the ball by say 10 years? Or deeper still, in line with Bentancur or deeper?

 

[DeanoAustin]

It's high risk, high reward.

I'm not sure the risk of losing the ball is greater than the chance of playing through the pressure.

To try to understand your point. You'd want Sarr or Bergvall deeper, closer to Bentancur? But still fine to be ahead of Bentancur and the ball by say 10 years? Or deeper still, in line with Bentancur or deeper?

Ideally, I'd like Sarr where that red dot is. With two lads pressing Porro and Bentancur, Sarr then becomes an option for the ball and even if a Leicester player is on him, and he loses it there, we have enough bodies behind the ball and he can recover himself that we've a decent chance of winning it back or stopping the attack.

 

[Bishop]

I'd say the room around Bentancur should be ample for a semi competent professional footballer to receive the ball in, Bentancur then has the option of going back to Porro, perhaps playing a pass to Kulu (depending on how the player near Porro presses, or he can turn with it and drive into the space in the centre of the pich and then play a ball across to (I think it is) Ben Davies or a ball over the top for Son.

A pass from Porro to Bentancur really shouldn't be a particularly dangerous one there and if passed and controlled in normal fashion could actually lead to a promising attack for Spurs

Most important of all though where on earth were our two other outfield players at this point? Especially other midfield player (I think that was Sarr at that point?)

That's the issue, when you play the triangle style short passing game you need to have at a minimum 3 players in vicinity of the ball so that there are two options for the pass. If the 1st man is covered you pass to the 2nd guy. It's much more difficult for the pressing team to cover 3 players than it is to cover 2. Why there there was no 3rd man is a mystery but why we still tried to play the same pass despite not having the 3rd man available is even more of a mystery to me.

 

[Finney Is Back]

According to transfermarkt, Porro is our player with the most minutes played this season. He's played the 37th most minutes of PL players. Kulusevski is next at 46th. We don't have another player in the top 100......

That just considers premier league minutes though and includes a lot of goalkeepers.
If you look at total number of minutes across all club competitions, there are only 7 players who have played more minutes than Porro.
Kulu has played the 15th most minutes in the league.
Brennan Johnson and Solanke are also in the top 30 and Son just outside that.

Having had a look in more detail at our minutes played numbers, it would seem we've actually been pretty unlucky with injuries. Of course the other possibilities other than pure bad luck are the intensity of our play (though it has looked anything but high intensity play for a fair while now to me). Alternatively, perhaps more likely?.... is that we have a substandard medical department?

Anyway - here is the top 15:

1. MNU. Dalot - 2,892 mins (the man must be a machine!)
2. MNU. Bruno Fernandes - 2,788 mins
3. MNC. Haaland - 2,719 mins
4. ARS. Saliba - 2,715
5. LIV. Van Dyke - 2,700 mins
6. LIV. Salah - 2,690 mins
7. AST. Tielemans - 2,654 minutes
8. TOT. Porro - 2,647 mins
9. MNC. Gvardiol - 2,626 mins
10. ARS. Gabriel - 2,582
11. AST. Martinez - 2,555
12. ARS. Haivertz - 2.576
13. MNU. Mazraoui - 2,576
14. LIV. Gravenberch - 2,574
15. TOT. Kulusevski - 2,534

Looking at the stats in general, I cant help but wonder whether the other teams in Europe will get significant injury problems later in the season. as we're getting fresh players back?

Of the teams in European competition, Chelsea are the team with the freshest squad. They only have a single player in the top 30 for most minutes and that is Caceido with 2,149 minutes played.

 

[Robspur12]

It's high risk, high reward.

Unfortunately this season it appears to be high risk with no reward.

 

[Finney Is Back]

No wonder Sarr is absolutely knackered, he’d just made a run up our right wing so Kulusevski had another option before he chose to play the one-two with Porro and next thing he has to spring all the way back to the edge of our area to try and cover for Bentancur!

You can see Porro scanning for a forward pass but Son is stood miles offside the entire time whilst Richarlison (probably nursing his groin at this point) takes too long to get back onside and Bergvall doesn’t move into a position where he can be found either.

Maybe if Kulusevski wasn’t knackered then he’s have shifted inside which could’ve opened up passing lane for Porro to find Sarr up right wing but the lack of movement from any of the other forward players left Porro with little choice but to play a lateral pass to Bentancur or risk a rollicking from gaffer by going back to Dragusin.

View attachment 18675

Wow - that is so beautifully set up for Porro to put a ball in behind to have Richarlison clean in on goal....

If Son had bothered to get himself onside then Porro would've even had the luxury of having two players who could get in one on one quite easily.

 

[Kompakted]

That just considers premier league minutes though and includes a lot of goalkeepers.
If you look at total number of minutes across all club competitions, there are only 7 players who have played more minutes than Porro.
Kulu has played the 15th most minutes in the league.
Brennan Johnson and Solanke are also in the top 30 and Son just outside that.

Having had a look in more detail at our minutes played numbers, it would seem we've actually been pretty unlucky with injuries. Of course the other possibilities other than pure bad luck are the intensity of our play (though it has looked anything but high intensity play for a fair while now to me). Alternatively, perhaps more likely?.... is that we have a substandard medical department?

Anyway - here is the top 15:

1. MNU. Dalot - 2,892 mins (the man must be a machine!)
2. MNU. Bruno Fernandes - 2,788 mins
3. MNC. Haaland - 2,719 mins
4. ARS. Saliba - 2,715
5. LIV. Van Dyke - 2,700 mins
6. LIV. Salah - 2,690 mins
7. AST. Tielemans - 2,654 minutes
8. TOT. Porro - 2,647 mins
9. MNC. Gvardiol - 2,626 mins
10. ARS. Gabriel - 2,582
11. AST. Martinez - 2,555
12. ARS. Haivertz - 2.576
13. MNU. Mazraoui - 2,576
14. LIV. Gravenberch - 2,574
15. TOT. Kulusevski - 2,534

Looking at the stats in general, I cant help but wonder whether the other teams in Europe will get significant injury problems later in the season. as we're getting fresh players back?

Of the teams in European competition, Chelsea are the team with the freshest squad. They only have a single player in the top 30 for most minutes and that is Caceido with 2,149 minutes played.

Thanks for backing up my point that our players are playing normal levels of minutes for elite clubs that are in European competition.

Those teams have had injuries impact them, Rodri for City, Saka for Arsenal. But they didn't have the injury problems we did last season and i don't think they'll get anywhere near the injury problems we experienced this season either. I could be wrong but I really don't think I will be...

 

[braineclipse]

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Ideally, I'd like Sarr where that red dot is. With two lads pressing Porro and Bentancur, Sarr then becomes an option for the ball and even if a Leicester player is on him, and he loses it there, we have enough bodies behind the ball and he can recover himself that we've a decent chance of winning it back or stopping the attack.

That's probably around where his most standard position would be. But him making those attacking runs ahead of the ball sometimes is an important part of his game.

 

[Muttley]

There are other aspects to these goals. On the first goal watch the ball and then watch it again and watch the ref. Can you actually believe that the ref was going to give a foul against Bents and even put the whistle to his mouth. He then played THEM advantage. For me, the only way I'm giving that foul is Spurs way. Also have a look at how close Davies came to intercepting the ball across. The answer is he didn't even though 80% of PL centre halves would have got a touch of within whiskers of touching it. Ben was nowhere near because he isn't equipped at this level.

The second goal, you guys have done the Porro-Bents thing to death. Only thing I can add there was a ball perhaps to Richi when Porro receives. The villains of the piece though were Bergval and Sarr playing Ange ball. If they are in proper midfield positions, no goal. This will always happen under Ange as players are only humans. There will always be turnover against us, and we won't be equipped to save ourselves with these midfield tactics.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Thanks for backing up my point that our players are playing normal levels of minutes for elite clubs that are in European competition.

Those teams have had injuries impact them, Rodri for City, Saka for Arsenal. But they didn't have the injury problems we did last season and i don't think they'll get anywhere near the injury problems we experienced this season either. I could be wrong but I really don't think I will be...

So you think that maybe we have a substandard medical department? We do have a bit of a history for scrimping on things. I wonder whether that also needs a big shake up in the same way that our recruitment structure needed a massive shake-up due to it being so horribly underfunded and poorly run for such a long while?

 

[Kompakted]

So you think that maybe we have a substandard medical department? We do have a bit of a history for scrimping on things. I wonder whether that also needs a big shake up in the same way that our recruitment structure needed a massive shake-up due to it being so horribly underfunded and poorly run for such a long while?

I don't know whether our medical department is sub-standard. Did we have as many injuries before? Also, isnt the medical department responsible for getting players fit once injured rather than preventing the injuries in the first place? I think a lot of it is to do with Ange to be fair.

 

[Robspur12]

Wow - that is so beautifully set up for Porro to put a ball in behind to have Richarlison clean in on goal....

Except Richarlison is also in an offside position.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

So you think that maybe we have a substandard medical department? We do have a bit of a history for scrimping on things. I wonder whether that also needs a big shake up in the same way that our recruitment structure needed a massive shake-up due to it being so horribly underfunded and poorly run for such a long while?

It’s being shaken up with the new recruitment

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I'd say the room around Bentancur should be ample for a semi competent professional footballer to receive the ball in, Bentancur then has the option of going back to Porro, perhaps playing a pass to Kulu (depending on how the player near Porro presses, or he can turn with it and drive into the space in the centre of the pich and then play a ball across to (I think it is) Ben Davies or a ball over the top for Son.

A pass from Porro to Bentancur really shouldn't be a particularly dangerous one there and if passed and controlled in normal fashion could actually lead to a promising attack for Spurs

Most important of all though where on earth were our two other outfield players at this point? Especially other midfield player (I think that was Sarr at that point?)

Said it at the time it was simple 6 yard pass
And one is expect a kid to execute

 

[DeanoAustin]

There are other aspects to these goals. On the first goal watch the ball and then watch it again and watch the ref. Can you actually believe that the ref was going to give a foul against Bents and even put the whistle to his mouth. He then played THEM advantage. For me, the only way I'm giving that foul is Spurs way. Also have a look at how close Davies came to intercepting the ball across. The answer is he didn't even though 80% of PL centre halves would have got a touch of within whiskers of touching it. Ben was nowhere near because he isn't equipped at this level.

The second goal, you guys have done the Porro-Bents thing to death. Only thing I can add there was a ball perhaps to Richi when Porro receives. The villains of the piece though were Bergval and Sarr playing Ange ball. If they are in proper midfield positions, no goal. This will always happen under Ange as players are only humans. There will always be turnover against us, and we won't be equipped to save ourselves with these midfield tactics.

And that goal is a prime example of everything wrong with what Ange wants them to do and is a perfect illustration of what pundits are talking about when they say things like "you can't believe what you're watching" and "this is like a kids game".

You have two midfielders gambling everything on us getting through a press and basically in positions that strikers should be occupying. Then we lose the ball and a lad, who is injured and shouldn't have played by Ange's own admission, who is highest up the pitch has to sprint full pelt after a lost cause. He almost did it in fairness - this is the a picture of when the shot is released:



The tactics are reckless - they gamble everything, including player welfare, on 50:50 situations. I'm loathe to call any pro-manager "tactically inept" when I'm an office monkey who has coached at no higher level than U-11 but I'm close to it with Ange.

This is why I don't believe, and never did, that we'd win a cup final or important game under Ange. When the pressure is really on, players are more likely to make mistakes in those 50:50 situations. That's probably further evidenced by the number of games we've lost by the odd goal while we tend to batter teams when we win.