OMT *** Tottenham Hotspur v woolwich *** 22.2.26

[Muttley]

I hate 3 at the back and I don't think its ever going to work here and especially not with this group of players. Its such a specific system that requires non rounded player attributes, I just dont see it. Even if we had a 100% fit squad I still dont see how we put together a cohesive side, too many of our "better" players don't really fit although thats less of a worry given the majority of them are unavailable.

-----------------------Vic
----------Dans-----Palhina--------VDV
Porro-----------------------------------------Souza
-----------Bissouma---------Gallagher
--------------------Simmons
-------------Solanke----------Muani


You could swap Palahina for Gallagher but I think i'd task Bissouma with getting the ball forward centrally and hope that his partner can cover for him if he loses the ball. Either way i'm convinced, this side seriously lacks width and quality there if those WBs aren't able to effect the game.

Edit: forgot Romero is still suspended. In that case i'd have Pahinha or Dragusin in defence and Danso moving over to central positioned defender.

Yeah, not sure Danso is back though. Might be wrong.

 

[harr1984]

Yeah, not sure Danso is back though. Might be wrong.

Tudor has said probably two back for the Fulham game - likely to be Porro and Danso....

 

[Muttley]

Tudor has said probably two back for the Fulham game - likely to be Porro and Danso....

That's cool. The PL.com website still says 15th March.

We need every available player.

 

[Benny_Lad]

I hate 3 at the back and I don't think its ever going to work here and especially not with this group of players. Its such a specific system that requires non rounded player attributes, I just dont see it. Even if we had a 100% fit squad I still dont see how we put together a cohesive side, too many of our "better" players don't really fit although thats less of a worry given the majority of them are unavailable.

-----------------------Vic
----------Dans-----Palhina--------VDV
Porro-----------------------------------------Souza
-----------Bissouma---------Gallagher
--------------------Simmons
-------------Solanke----------Muani


You could swap Palahina for Gallagher but I think i'd task Bissouma with getting the ball forward centrally and hope that his partner can cover for him if he loses the ball. Either way i'm convinced, this side seriously lacks width and quality there if those WBs aren't able to effect the game.

Edit: forgot Romero is still suspended. In that case i'd have Pahinha or Dragusin in defence and Danso moving over to central positioned defender.

Same as you. I hate it. It only works if the wing backs can contribute going forward. I mentioned in a thread in the week it would be strange for Tudor to stick with it knowing the personnel available at the moment. And then we had it yesterday. So he's saying to us he cant adapt to the players available.

I'd have more time for it if he at least threw Souza in left and Spence right. A closer and better balanced fit.

But tbh I think 3CB is unnecessary with most teams having one striker to look after. Too many cooks etc. I'd rather have the extra player in midfield, stopping things at source.

 

[braineclipse]

Form me, his performance levels are irrelevant. It’s about signalling to the squad what is acceptable.

The culture looks a mess to me at the minute (I didn’t notice yesterday, but apparently VDV was ignoring Tudor’s direction to press further up the pitch on a number of occasions), it’s a big part of why I fear we are going to really struggle to avoid relegation now, and we’ve arrived there partly through not dealing with internal discipline in the right way imo.

As long as his performances and discipline are good enough under Tudor that's all that matters for the rest of the season. If he's then seen as someone to keep or not come the summer (I think not) is a question for the summer.

If his performances aren't there or if his discipline isn't there under Tudor it's a different question.

Tudor for me has to set his standards and use whatever players are available. If they respond well to him and his standards right now we need that, we desperately need that. Even if that player has been problematic in the past.

 

[braineclipse]

Same as you. I hate it. It only works if the wing backs can contribute going forward. I mentioned in a thread in the week it would be strange for Tudor to stick with it knowing the personnel available at the moment. And then we had it yesterday. So he's saying to us he cant adapt to the players available.

I'd have more time for it if he at least threw Souza in left and Spence right. A closer and better balanced fit.

But tbh I think 3CB is unnecessary with most teams having one striker to look after. Too many cooks etc. I'd rather have the extra player in midfield, stopping things at source.

Is there a system/formation the currently available players are well suited to? Particularly in a game against a very good team. Seems to me like we'd be imbalanced no matter what.

It's not like we packed a flat back 5 at the back. And I definitely don't think that's how Tudor wants us to play in other games either.

Souza for his full debut in the NLD up against Saka, I think that would be asking a hell of a lot of the lad.

 

[Silly McSilly Face]

Abysmal recruitement + Abysmal medical team + lower tier managers = where we are now

I don't think there'll be a new manager bounce because, unlike Manchester United, we don't have quality players and the few decent players we have have been on the shelf for weeks/months which means - assuming they don't get injured the minute they come back - they'll take some time to get back into shape.

We really need to beat the few teams that are as poor as we are. Hopefully, that'll be enough. Getting Romero back should also help, assuming he gets his act together.

Mentality and right balance of youth and experience is a big part of recruitment. For example there was a really insightful article i read about Tudor's body language and frustration during the game at Van der Ven. Apparently he kept telling the defence to push up but VDV kept staying deep against instructions pulling our entire line deeper.

People seem to think that Van der Ven is a good player and in some respects he is. But i've always though his tactical and positional instincts are highly suspect and that this is masked to an extent by his pace, but if he's dragging the entire defensive line deeper and deeper intentionally or unintentially due to lack of confidence - that there is a huge issue.

Biggest thing Poch did was drop first teamers in his first season that wouldn't follow instructions. He'd play Bentaleb, Mason and Townsend because they were willing to play the aggressive risky way he wanted.

 

[Mr Gogolak]

Mentality and right balance of youth and experience is a big part of recruitment. For example there was a really insightful article i read about Tudor's body language and frustration during the game at Van der Ven. Apparently he kept telling the defence to push up but VDV kept staying deep against instructions pulling our entire line deeper.

People seem to think that Van der Ven is a good player and in some respects he is. But i've always though his tactical and positional instincts are highly suspect and that this is masked to an extent by his pace, but if he's dragging the entire defensive line deeper and deeper intentionally or unintentially due to lack of confidence - that there is a huge issue.

Biggest thing Poch did was drop first teamers in his first season that wouldn't follow instructions. He'd play Bentaleb, Mason and Townsend because they were willing to play the aggressive risky way he wanted.

VDV was well-suited to the way Postecoglou set us up, until the injuries came along. When I'm in a bad mood (which is every time I've been watching Spurs for the past two years), I think he's a luxury version of Anthony Gardner. He's got a better all-round technique, but his positioning is only marginally better and, what's worse, it looks like he's thinking a little too high of himself, presumably because Romero's attitude has rubbed off him.

It's not his fault he's unsuited to anything but 'Angeball'. It's on the club for appointing managers with completely different philosophies every other year.

The sad thing is that the new manager will want to 'assess the squad' which means that he will either be fired before the end of next season or we'll waste another year trying to fit round pegs into square holes.