This summer, like the many that have foregone this one, brings with it a great importance. We're presented with a chess board seemingly stuck in a position of checkmate. One wrong move and it's all over. We over-committed and sacrificed pieces that we thought were for the better of the club but have quickly realised that this short-term impact holds only negative bearings for the long-term.
Ah, the long-term. Look it up in the Spurs dictionary and it'll tell you that this is anything beyond 2 years. A long-term vision that is held in such a hollow shell by a trigger-happy chairman does not bode well for the future of any football club. Given circumstantial external elements must be taken into consideration, as must the internal environment, but the clubs that were around us that persisted with the faith they installed into their respective managers are now stepping on our shoulders with a firm eye on achieving their seasons' objectives.
We can only look down and realise that the comfortable pair of shoes we purchased in the summer have become scruffy and unloved. They desperately need an owner to come and give them some immediate attention. There's no need to fall in to the easy cliché of modern football and shift a variety of players that have failed to live up to our initial perceptions. I find it incredibly difficult to label our summer signings as 'flops' although I can understand why this may be the case for some.
I beg that the surface is scratched a little more. I'd ask how so many players, even those that were stand-outs last season, have shown only half their calibre this year. It was understandable that time, persistence and a notorious amount of patience would be required to install and settle an entire side of talent; three factors that are alien in language for our own club. The seemingly imminent rotation policy would be our own self-created hurdle and a challenge we would have to embrace. I felt that we were too quick to rotate initially at the start of the season, but understood that players had to play.
But right now we're lost without a strategic direction, without a game plan. Forgive my marketing background but if I were to launch a new product and applied little to no branding, no pricing strategy, no method of distribution and no use of promotional tactics behind the launch then no matter how 'good' the product may be, it would fail. If I had no strategic direction to market this product and grow in the future then it wouldn't be a success.
If a team/a squad of players have no real strategic direction, no consistent, homogeneous way of playing every week and approaching each fixture, no preparation as to how to attack the oppositions weaknesses or defend against their strengths and 11 players are just fielded, then the results will be similar. The players have no idea how to operate in their roles. Combine this with a lack of cohesion within the side and the fail to have a leader on the touchline or within the squad and the result is inevitable.
Oh, Bobby. A £26m man would be (and is rightly) judged on goals. Playing up-front is a far more complex operation than it may meet the eye. At Valencia, Soldado enjoyed a flurry of quality crosses and was renowned for pouncing on them. He'd play 90 minutes in the opponents area. With a season that has presented a mismatch in players operating out wide on the wing, the most utilised have arguably been Eriksen out left who naturally tucks inside and Lennon out right who's struggled to execute a consistent final ball all season. There's no stable system for Bobby to play in. The early runs off of defenders at the start of the year - before Eriksen's real introduction into the side - have vanished as the forward works into positions out wide just to get involved.
Without a regular partner feeding him goalscoring opportunities or wingers that are thumping balls into him we lose, essentially, all of Soldado's game. In glimpses we've witnessed a partnership in production between the Spaniard and Christian Eriksen. This may have materialised far earlier on had Eriksen not suffered injury in November and AVB not being sacked moments after. This prospective partnership is the glimmer of hope we have to carry into the forthcoming season. It should be a partnership that we operate around next season. A system that should also see Paulinho exploit his box-to-box asset that we signed him for and present him with a regular partner within the centre of midfield.
It's been mentioned before that we're lacking a real core, a real identity of this football club. Granted the players haven't performed, but the environment they're in is poisonous. There's no system or preparation. There should be a growing desire to keep them and integrate them into something that works. It's criminal that we're into April and still haven't discovered our strongest 11. Selling off an entire team would see another transition, another summer of uncertainty.
So this brings us to the person that can bring all these pieces together. Levy. Sherwood's pitch for the full-time role has fallen on to hard ground. The guy is the image of Tottenham Hotspur and it's ironic that he's pushed his own chances of keeping the job full-time (one would hope) out to sea with his diabolical antics on the sidelines, his alienation of the players and his obvious lack of tactical approach and preparation.
If we were to be sucked into a black hole and emerge into a paradox Universe in which gilet's were a genuine trend and in one that Levy did decide to retain Sherwood this summer, then we'd face another 12 months of uncertainty due to his contract expiration. There's potential for fruition in our, now seemingly, exaggerated objectives of actually winning a trophy or acquiring a Champions League spot next season, but the manager needs changing to facilitate and put this potential into practice.
Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here
Showing posts with label Andre Villas-Boas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andre Villas-Boas. Show all posts
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
Isolation
It's understandable that a part of us may begin feeling a little isolated and the feeling of disillusionment over the football club we've followed for the best part of our lifetimes is hovering over our heads just waiting to come crashing down, punishing every ounce of optimism that remains from a summer that promised so much.
AVB is gone. A victim of football's short-mindedness and an example of the hollow commitments that plague the modern game. A manager forever working to disprove the doubters, you always gathered he managed football matches with a weight tied to his ankles. A working struggle to communicate his methods, his passion was never thrown into doubt. As fans we're sold a long-term project. We're sold our new Wenger, Ferguson. We invest hope and expectation. Cutting short at the first sign of trouble seems an easy way out. Regardless of ability, dark patches will inevitably face the greatest of managers and their response to these unwelcoming patches could define a season. Our unwelcoming loss and the snatching of defeat from victory at Goodison saw a reactive change in training methods and a 3 month unbeaten run. We ended the season on record points.
Among hiring AVB, Levy stated the following: "He has an outstanding reputation for his technical knowledge of the game for creating well-organised teams capable of playing football in an attractive and attacking style." It was arguably the latter part of this statement that saw AVB's tenure at Spurs cut prematurely short. The league table didn't show a too discomforting position but that depends where the expectations lay. Belief seemed lost in both the players and the management, they began looking incompatible although I personally felt AVB could've provided the required solution.
Our project was cut short after 18 months, as was my belief that we're willing to give a manager time.
The division amongst our next appointment remained split and the appointment of Sherwood has done little to eliminate that division - nor has the choice to 'commit' an entire 18 months with him. Sherwood's already sought to stamp his authority on this Football Club. His evident opinionated and arrogant outlook could work in giving the players the overdue slap in the face that they've needed this year. His frank and honest views with the media almost create a Harry Redknapp 2.0.
It's fair to say we know little of what we'll get from Sherwood but the priority has to be a settled first XI. It's incredible that we don't know our strongest 11 whilst on the fringes of the half way point in the season. We've done little to allow players to settle into a position and we've tarnished the tools required to breed partnerships. 'The Spurs Way' is likely to do more damage than good to a manager. All I'd want is stability, although acknowledge that in the long-run we're still lacking this in regards to the management. At Southampton we seemed to employ little method but our technical players grabbed the game by the lower regions and played some nice football.
We've found positives thus far in a turbulent week. The shackles have been released from Ade and we're seeing the best of a very talented forward. This exponential effect of this was a better performance from Soldado on Sunday. A weight lifted from his shoulders. He had more chances engineered against Southampton than any other notable PL game this season and helped create two goals for Adebayor. A partnership that could blossom. The attributes are there, the belief just needs to remain.
Christian Eriksen also had a very promising game in a deeper role on Sunday. A long-term solution? I'm unsure but he looked tidy playing there. Of course the Dane is technically a very astute player, his ability remarkable for his tender age. He knows the passes to pick but wasn't afraid to stick in a tackle. Lamela showed more flair and fight this year, more building blocks towards the finished article. Nabil Bentaleb showed us that our youth team is something worth remaining optimistic about.
It's anyones guess as to how this season will pan out. We have stability in the short-term although our long-term plan is seemingly non-existent. We have a talented squad and the hope is that Sherwood's personality doesn't isolate them. Our chances of success are about as likely as our chances of failure, but atleast the enjoyment of watching Tottenham Hotspur may just have returned.
Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here
AVB is gone. A victim of football's short-mindedness and an example of the hollow commitments that plague the modern game. A manager forever working to disprove the doubters, you always gathered he managed football matches with a weight tied to his ankles. A working struggle to communicate his methods, his passion was never thrown into doubt. As fans we're sold a long-term project. We're sold our new Wenger, Ferguson. We invest hope and expectation. Cutting short at the first sign of trouble seems an easy way out. Regardless of ability, dark patches will inevitably face the greatest of managers and their response to these unwelcoming patches could define a season. Our unwelcoming loss and the snatching of defeat from victory at Goodison saw a reactive change in training methods and a 3 month unbeaten run. We ended the season on record points.
Among hiring AVB, Levy stated the following: "He has an outstanding reputation for his technical knowledge of the game for creating well-organised teams capable of playing football in an attractive and attacking style." It was arguably the latter part of this statement that saw AVB's tenure at Spurs cut prematurely short. The league table didn't show a too discomforting position but that depends where the expectations lay. Belief seemed lost in both the players and the management, they began looking incompatible although I personally felt AVB could've provided the required solution.
Our project was cut short after 18 months, as was my belief that we're willing to give a manager time.
The division amongst our next appointment remained split and the appointment of Sherwood has done little to eliminate that division - nor has the choice to 'commit' an entire 18 months with him. Sherwood's already sought to stamp his authority on this Football Club. His evident opinionated and arrogant outlook could work in giving the players the overdue slap in the face that they've needed this year. His frank and honest views with the media almost create a Harry Redknapp 2.0.
It's fair to say we know little of what we'll get from Sherwood but the priority has to be a settled first XI. It's incredible that we don't know our strongest 11 whilst on the fringes of the half way point in the season. We've done little to allow players to settle into a position and we've tarnished the tools required to breed partnerships. 'The Spurs Way' is likely to do more damage than good to a manager. All I'd want is stability, although acknowledge that in the long-run we're still lacking this in regards to the management. At Southampton we seemed to employ little method but our technical players grabbed the game by the lower regions and played some nice football.
We've found positives thus far in a turbulent week. The shackles have been released from Ade and we're seeing the best of a very talented forward. This exponential effect of this was a better performance from Soldado on Sunday. A weight lifted from his shoulders. He had more chances engineered against Southampton than any other notable PL game this season and helped create two goals for Adebayor. A partnership that could blossom. The attributes are there, the belief just needs to remain.
Christian Eriksen also had a very promising game in a deeper role on Sunday. A long-term solution? I'm unsure but he looked tidy playing there. Of course the Dane is technically a very astute player, his ability remarkable for his tender age. He knows the passes to pick but wasn't afraid to stick in a tackle. Lamela showed more flair and fight this year, more building blocks towards the finished article. Nabil Bentaleb showed us that our youth team is something worth remaining optimistic about.
It's anyones guess as to how this season will pan out. We have stability in the short-term although our long-term plan is seemingly non-existent. We have a talented squad and the hope is that Sherwood's personality doesn't isolate them. Our chances of success are about as likely as our chances of failure, but atleast the enjoyment of watching Tottenham Hotspur may just have returned.
Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here
Monday, 18 November 2013
Big Issues.
So we're just over a quarter of the way through the season. We've won 10 of our last 14 games and sit just 5 points shy off of the top of the table but yet we're struggling to breathe, let alone smell confidence at the moment. Our performances have reflected much of our thoughts this year in what has started to look like a far greater transitional season than the one we felt we'd be victims of last year. Fake smiles at 1-0 victories, manufactured laughing and joking far more out of relief than delight. We've lost the that touch of flair and dynamism.
We traded £100m worth of talent for another £100m worth of talent and in all honesty we're a left with a mix of hope and anxiety. We finally didn't see ourselves in the envious shoes watching on as squads - not teams - destroyed competitions and lifting silverware. It was hard not to succumb into a dream world where Tottenham Hotspur are up there with the best, it was a struggle to hold back writing endless pieces of satire about how it all ended happily ever after. But this wasn't the pragmatic viewpoint. This was theory. Theory is something that would generate far more success on FM than in real life. Unfortunately.
What we found ourselves left with was a system that generated an initially unbalanced side. The emergence of Andros Townsend on the right and injuries to Nacer Chadli left us short of an immediate option out left and the natural width that we'd grown so used to. We had quality, but it needed time to settle in - they needed to find their feet and their place in the side. We've grown to become a more expectant fan base. Mix that in with a pot of a £100m+ squad in front of you and the results can be deadly. Last years' consistent performers found themselves fighting off the fringes. One has found himself shoulder to shoulder with the youth (or out in Siberia).
Either a lack of pass and move or a sincere lacklustre attempt at pass and move left us almost unsurprisingly leaving with a sense of misdirection. Was it still a settling in period or are we simply not clicking as we felt we would?
Soldado. I'm still a little lost for words. He hasn't had the service we'd have expected him to get but at the same time he's finding himself marked out of games far too easily. He looks far too leightweight up front and almost seems to have underestimated the physicality of the Premier League.
Soldado's average shot accuracy stands at just 55%. His shots have been few and far between, averaging just 2.3 shots per game. This isn't too considerably less than his final season in Valencia in which he averaged 2.9 shots per game. The issue is that Paulinho and Townsend both have 3.3 and 4.5 shots respectively each - but have scored just twice in 81 shots between them. This arguably hinders the opportunities given to our number 9 as our midfielders aren't picking him out.
Is it worrying that Rebrov had 5 goals in his first 11 league games? I don't think we can dive to deep into that.
With just 12 key passes and 2 assists as well as an average of 0.3 dribbles per game so far, it's arguable to say that Soldado isn't the creative forward that can engineer chances for himself or others and so relies on the service around him. One key issue is we took around 50% of our shots from outside the box from last year (albeit due to the mesmerising attributes of Gareth Bale) and it would always take a more pragmatic approach on the training ground to actually adapt and bed in a team of new players and a new system to fit in a £26m poacher. Soldado's final season in Valencia saw him have exactly 100 shots in the league and a conversion rate of 24% - most of which were inside the penalty area. With two inverted wingers, Soldado lacks the natural width he'd thrive off of to pounce on whipped balls into the centre. Our second issue is that with Townsend preferring to cut inside and shoot, Soldado lacks further service coming from central areas.
Soldado's heat map vs. Newcastle is shown left. It's evident that the forward continued to come deep to try and get involved with play as he became more isolated staying on the shoulder of the last defender. Soldado's a poacher but he's having very little in which to poach. A change of system may resolve this. Shifting Townsend out wide and encouraging him to stick more balls into the box - as he did so well away vs. Tbilisi - would increase the likely attempts on goal and the chance of conversion. But shifting Townsend isn't the only answer.We'd have probably expected more of Soldado but the service provided has been exceptionally poor - and this points us to our next man.
Cristian Eriksen. It raises more than one eyebrow to recognise this guy is just 21 years of age, not due to the ever recinding hairline, but because of the expectation and reliability the guy seems to weight himself down with whenever he takes to the field. His lack of starts (just 7 in all competitions) has prohibited him to find his rhythm and forge a partnership with Soldado in the squad. This has to be our man to unleash our number 9. Engage them, marry them, send them away on a training camp to Dubai together - I don't care - just get the two playing in the same side.
Statsbomb highlights brilliantly that Eriksen actually engineered 9 key passes v Newcastle which has notably only happened 15 times across this year and last year out of a whopping 1800 matches across the big 5 leagues in Europe. This is quite significant. A player that was slated for his performance achieved something that has happened in around 0.0083% of games spanning last year and the start of this year. I feel our main issue is that we don't get the ball at Eriksen's feet high enough up the pitch for any real impact. It's evident that for a player operating just off the shoulder of a lone striker, he's evidently having to come deeper to pick up the ball and play a pass as shown. His heat map also shows an honest story with much of his influence being pulled out left or into the centre midfield role. This arguably could've been as a result of Paulinho pressing so high and leaving the midfield a player short. According to FFT Statzone, Eriksen created 4 chances from open play but notably 3 of the 4 chances created were on the fringes on the final third and unsurprisingly lead to little damage.
This guy was brought in to feed our £26m forward. With 41 assists in 113 matches at Ajax and still being at the ripe age of just 21, it's obvious we've an immense talent within our ranks. A quicker transition between the defensive players/midfielders to Eriksen into the final third will only allow for an environment in which he can engineer goal scoring opportunities. Let others do the tracking back and keep him off of the shoulder of Soldado. That partnership has the making for something quite beautiful. Time is also a beautiful thing, so let's keep our heads grounded and give him the patience than a 21 year old attacking midfielder quite probably needs. Let's leave Eriksen and Soldado to be our vocal point in attack.
I do find it a little ironic that one of our most influential players last year in Mousa Dembele has struggled to infultrait his presence amongst the new side and his influence has been noticeably absent. Although I don't pin this on the player losing his ability over a summer, but put it down to the new role he's finding himself locked down in. He's far more restricted this season, I've almost gauged the impression he's been told not to cross half way on a number of occasions and is forced to act as the anchor in our side. If this is the case then we've sacrificed both an efficient and effective use of Dembele. He's not a midfielder that sits, he's one that breaks up play and drives from midfield, easing past players and picking out a pass. His pace and stamina allowed a flurry of counting attacking moves last year and it's quite possible that this slight change in our new system this year has isolated Mousa from his most effective place in the side. Dembele's heat map vs. Sunderland (our final game of last season) is shown on the left and his heat map vs. Newcastle is shown on the right.
Although this represents just two games spanning last season and this one thus far, it's evident that we're restricting ourselves the opportunity to get the best out of Mousa. The question remains that within this system, if the Belgian is proving ineffective then arguably moving Holtby into this role may work more effectively for the team. I do feel a little guilty at the suggestion of dropping Dembele after his fantastic performances last year, although I can't see him jumping straight back into the side in the long run unless if he is given license to drive from midfield as he did so well for us last year.
With Dembele and Paulinho initially offering more bite than creativity in midfield, a lot of our flair was reborn through the unearthing of Andros Townsend, who seemed to pick up where he left off at QPR and showed a lot of confidence starting in the Premier League for Spurs. In all honesty, I'd always been a fan of Townsend. For me if a winger can beat a player and put in a decent cross then they're half way to becoming a substantial figure in the side. The once irreplaceable Aaron Lennon has found his opportunities more limited this season (granted he's suffered injury for much of the season) but his absence from the team is proving the burden that it once was. We may have the real possibility on our hands of having a fully fit Aaron Lennon come the end of the season which would prove invaluable. This is something that I keep in hope.
After Andros' initial impact in the side, he's arguably come under more scrutiny than he likely ever has done in a Spurs shirt. My frustrations are derived from we lose the effectiveness of Roberto Soldado when Townsend cuts inside and favours a shot. His average shot accuracy is at just 52% and his inability to play (not pick) a pass is proving detrimental to the side. I say this because, interestingly, Andros has created the most chances in the Spurs side with 19. Kyle Walker (17) and Cristian Eriksen (15) are the two behind him. With Townsend being naturally left footed, it's understandable that he prefers to cut in and shoot than try and pick a cross. He's evidently been given license to do this from AVB and as a result his cross accuracy this season has been a rather abysmal 20.4% in the Premier League this season. Shifting Townsend out left would see him receive the ball on his more favoured left foot and grant a stronger possibility of him whipping in a cross instead of cutting inside and shooting.
This would leave a spot open on the right hand side of midfield and this is where Erik Lamela steps in and tries to recreate the fantastic form he showed for Roma last season out there. Although Lamela is left footed as well, he's had a far stronger experience in the past playing out wide right and seems to prefer to pick a pass than to shoot when inside. This would also mean we're playing with two wingers and give us more balance in the side. Lamela's last outing was a far more confident and thorough performance than in the past and it's clear the Argentine is slowly finding his feet in the side.
Although, with Eriksen now set to be out injured for around 4 weeks, this does offer us the possibility to bringing Lamela into that number 10 spot and recalling Aaron Lennon out wide. This would naturally see us play with more flair and give us some good options on the counter-attack, something greatly needed away at City. Lamela needs integrating into this side and seems to grow in confidence the more times he takes to the field. Although City won't be the most ideal team in which to start his first Premier League game against, he will have the benefit of playing without the pressure and expectation he'd arguably have playing at home against a side in which we're favourites to win. Leave the industrial work to the centre midfielders sitting behind him and allow him to flourish in a free role off of the shoulder of Roberto Soldado.
One other name that needs to be starting more or less every Premier League game is Sandro. I think we as fans do well to not underestimate his ability to break up play and start off our counter attacking. He arguably operates in a similar role to Paulinho but does it in deeper positions then sits - he's not a natural box to box midfielder. Paulinho hasn't proven to be as effective as he was at the start of the season and although I think Sandro and Paulinho can play as a partnership (and arguably against City this may be the best option), overall, we need a more naturally creative outlet to sit in and begin moves - just as Luka Modric did so well. This is where Holtby steps up and plays in his favoured role in centre midfield. The German's looked far more effective and efficient this year and channelled his energy into being more intelligent with his passing and movement. We're seeing more of the Holtby that did so well Schalke. Holtby isn't creative enough to be a number 10 but, like Modric, he has an eye for a pass and begin moves.
We're graced with having 4 very good diverse centre midfielders in Dembele, Paulinho, Sandro and Holtby and utilising the best of all four for the sake of the club is key. Our game should naturally adapt with whichever partnership is playing, ie, we shouldn't force Mousa to play the role that Sandro would play if the Brazilian is missing out. We need a consistent 11 in the Premier League and I'd love to take a punt on seeing Sandro and Holtby paired together or reverting back to Sandro and Dembele and giving the Belgian license to break from midfield. If Paulinho is to make an impact in our side, as I felt he did at the start of the season, then he needs to be sharper. I felt he was capable of winning the ball high up the pitch and beginning moves but his performances have been far more lacklustre as the season has worn on and his shooting has been exceptionally poor - especially for a player that thrives in a 'box-to-box' role.
Contrary to what I'd read recently, 4-4-2 is not the answer. This system naturally isolates the most creative players (if they were to both be playing) in Lamela and Eriksen. They'd start too deep and be pressed higher up the field. Although, in saying that, movement between the lines needs to be better. We don't appear to be playing as a unit, we're lacking any real partnerships - albeit the squad is a relatively new one. If the defence have the ball, we should have more options to play it short - start the moves deeper if we have to. We shouldn't be forced to go long. With these numbers we should play to get the ball into the final third as quickly as possible and one of the centre midfielders should be supporting Eriksen in trying to pick a pass - whether out wide or through the centre. Keeping the ball in the final third, being patient and encouraging an emphasis on quick passing and movement will unlock chances for Soldado and the midfield behind him. We need to be more ruthless instead of the barrel of nerves we appear to be when going forward at the moment.
We've more talent in our side than Mila Kunis' thong yet we;re struggling to see it on the pitch. These aren't changes that will happen over night but are changes that need implementing. We need to get our squad playing the same game, on the same wave length and understanding one another. The Newcastle game was a big a wake up call as we needed. Let's see our response.
Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here
We traded £100m worth of talent for another £100m worth of talent and in all honesty we're a left with a mix of hope and anxiety. We finally didn't see ourselves in the envious shoes watching on as squads - not teams - destroyed competitions and lifting silverware. It was hard not to succumb into a dream world where Tottenham Hotspur are up there with the best, it was a struggle to hold back writing endless pieces of satire about how it all ended happily ever after. But this wasn't the pragmatic viewpoint. This was theory. Theory is something that would generate far more success on FM than in real life. Unfortunately.
What we found ourselves left with was a system that generated an initially unbalanced side. The emergence of Andros Townsend on the right and injuries to Nacer Chadli left us short of an immediate option out left and the natural width that we'd grown so used to. We had quality, but it needed time to settle in - they needed to find their feet and their place in the side. We've grown to become a more expectant fan base. Mix that in with a pot of a £100m+ squad in front of you and the results can be deadly. Last years' consistent performers found themselves fighting off the fringes. One has found himself shoulder to shoulder with the youth (or out in Siberia).
Either a lack of pass and move or a sincere lacklustre attempt at pass and move left us almost unsurprisingly leaving with a sense of misdirection. Was it still a settling in period or are we simply not clicking as we felt we would?
Soldado. I'm still a little lost for words. He hasn't had the service we'd have expected him to get but at the same time he's finding himself marked out of games far too easily. He looks far too leightweight up front and almost seems to have underestimated the physicality of the Premier League.
Soldado's average shot accuracy stands at just 55%. His shots have been few and far between, averaging just 2.3 shots per game. This isn't too considerably less than his final season in Valencia in which he averaged 2.9 shots per game. The issue is that Paulinho and Townsend both have 3.3 and 4.5 shots respectively each - but have scored just twice in 81 shots between them. This arguably hinders the opportunities given to our number 9 as our midfielders aren't picking him out.
Is it worrying that Rebrov had 5 goals in his first 11 league games? I don't think we can dive to deep into that.
With just 12 key passes and 2 assists as well as an average of 0.3 dribbles per game so far, it's arguable to say that Soldado isn't the creative forward that can engineer chances for himself or others and so relies on the service around him. One key issue is we took around 50% of our shots from outside the box from last year (albeit due to the mesmerising attributes of Gareth Bale) and it would always take a more pragmatic approach on the training ground to actually adapt and bed in a team of new players and a new system to fit in a £26m poacher. Soldado's final season in Valencia saw him have exactly 100 shots in the league and a conversion rate of 24% - most of which were inside the penalty area. With two inverted wingers, Soldado lacks the natural width he'd thrive off of to pounce on whipped balls into the centre. Our second issue is that with Townsend preferring to cut inside and shoot, Soldado lacks further service coming from central areas.
Soldado's heat map vs. Newcastle is shown left. It's evident that the forward continued to come deep to try and get involved with play as he became more isolated staying on the shoulder of the last defender. Soldado's a poacher but he's having very little in which to poach. A change of system may resolve this. Shifting Townsend out wide and encouraging him to stick more balls into the box - as he did so well away vs. Tbilisi - would increase the likely attempts on goal and the chance of conversion. But shifting Townsend isn't the only answer.We'd have probably expected more of Soldado but the service provided has been exceptionally poor - and this points us to our next man.Cristian Eriksen. It raises more than one eyebrow to recognise this guy is just 21 years of age, not due to the ever recinding hairline, but because of the expectation and reliability the guy seems to weight himself down with whenever he takes to the field. His lack of starts (just 7 in all competitions) has prohibited him to find his rhythm and forge a partnership with Soldado in the squad. This has to be our man to unleash our number 9. Engage them, marry them, send them away on a training camp to Dubai together - I don't care - just get the two playing in the same side.
Statsbomb highlights brilliantly that Eriksen actually engineered 9 key passes v Newcastle which has notably only happened 15 times across this year and last year out of a whopping 1800 matches across the big 5 leagues in Europe. This is quite significant. A player that was slated for his performance achieved something that has happened in around 0.0083% of games spanning last year and the start of this year. I feel our main issue is that we don't get the ball at Eriksen's feet high enough up the pitch for any real impact. It's evident that for a player operating just off the shoulder of a lone striker, he's evidently having to come deeper to pick up the ball and play a pass as shown. His heat map also shows an honest story with much of his influence being pulled out left or into the centre midfield role. This arguably could've been as a result of Paulinho pressing so high and leaving the midfield a player short. According to FFT Statzone, Eriksen created 4 chances from open play but notably 3 of the 4 chances created were on the fringes on the final third and unsurprisingly lead to little damage.
This guy was brought in to feed our £26m forward. With 41 assists in 113 matches at Ajax and still being at the ripe age of just 21, it's obvious we've an immense talent within our ranks. A quicker transition between the defensive players/midfielders to Eriksen into the final third will only allow for an environment in which he can engineer goal scoring opportunities. Let others do the tracking back and keep him off of the shoulder of Soldado. That partnership has the making for something quite beautiful. Time is also a beautiful thing, so let's keep our heads grounded and give him the patience than a 21 year old attacking midfielder quite probably needs. Let's leave Eriksen and Soldado to be our vocal point in attack.I do find it a little ironic that one of our most influential players last year in Mousa Dembele has struggled to infultrait his presence amongst the new side and his influence has been noticeably absent. Although I don't pin this on the player losing his ability over a summer, but put it down to the new role he's finding himself locked down in. He's far more restricted this season, I've almost gauged the impression he's been told not to cross half way on a number of occasions and is forced to act as the anchor in our side. If this is the case then we've sacrificed both an efficient and effective use of Dembele. He's not a midfielder that sits, he's one that breaks up play and drives from midfield, easing past players and picking out a pass. His pace and stamina allowed a flurry of counting attacking moves last year and it's quite possible that this slight change in our new system this year has isolated Mousa from his most effective place in the side. Dembele's heat map vs. Sunderland (our final game of last season) is shown on the left and his heat map vs. Newcastle is shown on the right.
Although this represents just two games spanning last season and this one thus far, it's evident that we're restricting ourselves the opportunity to get the best out of Mousa. The question remains that within this system, if the Belgian is proving ineffective then arguably moving Holtby into this role may work more effectively for the team. I do feel a little guilty at the suggestion of dropping Dembele after his fantastic performances last year, although I can't see him jumping straight back into the side in the long run unless if he is given license to drive from midfield as he did so well for us last year.
With Dembele and Paulinho initially offering more bite than creativity in midfield, a lot of our flair was reborn through the unearthing of Andros Townsend, who seemed to pick up where he left off at QPR and showed a lot of confidence starting in the Premier League for Spurs. In all honesty, I'd always been a fan of Townsend. For me if a winger can beat a player and put in a decent cross then they're half way to becoming a substantial figure in the side. The once irreplaceable Aaron Lennon has found his opportunities more limited this season (granted he's suffered injury for much of the season) but his absence from the team is proving the burden that it once was. We may have the real possibility on our hands of having a fully fit Aaron Lennon come the end of the season which would prove invaluable. This is something that I keep in hope.
After Andros' initial impact in the side, he's arguably come under more scrutiny than he likely ever has done in a Spurs shirt. My frustrations are derived from we lose the effectiveness of Roberto Soldado when Townsend cuts inside and favours a shot. His average shot accuracy is at just 52% and his inability to play (not pick) a pass is proving detrimental to the side. I say this because, interestingly, Andros has created the most chances in the Spurs side with 19. Kyle Walker (17) and Cristian Eriksen (15) are the two behind him. With Townsend being naturally left footed, it's understandable that he prefers to cut in and shoot than try and pick a cross. He's evidently been given license to do this from AVB and as a result his cross accuracy this season has been a rather abysmal 20.4% in the Premier League this season. Shifting Townsend out left would see him receive the ball on his more favoured left foot and grant a stronger possibility of him whipping in a cross instead of cutting inside and shooting.
This would leave a spot open on the right hand side of midfield and this is where Erik Lamela steps in and tries to recreate the fantastic form he showed for Roma last season out there. Although Lamela is left footed as well, he's had a far stronger experience in the past playing out wide right and seems to prefer to pick a pass than to shoot when inside. This would also mean we're playing with two wingers and give us more balance in the side. Lamela's last outing was a far more confident and thorough performance than in the past and it's clear the Argentine is slowly finding his feet in the side.
Although, with Eriksen now set to be out injured for around 4 weeks, this does offer us the possibility to bringing Lamela into that number 10 spot and recalling Aaron Lennon out wide. This would naturally see us play with more flair and give us some good options on the counter-attack, something greatly needed away at City. Lamela needs integrating into this side and seems to grow in confidence the more times he takes to the field. Although City won't be the most ideal team in which to start his first Premier League game against, he will have the benefit of playing without the pressure and expectation he'd arguably have playing at home against a side in which we're favourites to win. Leave the industrial work to the centre midfielders sitting behind him and allow him to flourish in a free role off of the shoulder of Roberto Soldado.
One other name that needs to be starting more or less every Premier League game is Sandro. I think we as fans do well to not underestimate his ability to break up play and start off our counter attacking. He arguably operates in a similar role to Paulinho but does it in deeper positions then sits - he's not a natural box to box midfielder. Paulinho hasn't proven to be as effective as he was at the start of the season and although I think Sandro and Paulinho can play as a partnership (and arguably against City this may be the best option), overall, we need a more naturally creative outlet to sit in and begin moves - just as Luka Modric did so well. This is where Holtby steps up and plays in his favoured role in centre midfield. The German's looked far more effective and efficient this year and channelled his energy into being more intelligent with his passing and movement. We're seeing more of the Holtby that did so well Schalke. Holtby isn't creative enough to be a number 10 but, like Modric, he has an eye for a pass and begin moves.
We're graced with having 4 very good diverse centre midfielders in Dembele, Paulinho, Sandro and Holtby and utilising the best of all four for the sake of the club is key. Our game should naturally adapt with whichever partnership is playing, ie, we shouldn't force Mousa to play the role that Sandro would play if the Brazilian is missing out. We need a consistent 11 in the Premier League and I'd love to take a punt on seeing Sandro and Holtby paired together or reverting back to Sandro and Dembele and giving the Belgian license to break from midfield. If Paulinho is to make an impact in our side, as I felt he did at the start of the season, then he needs to be sharper. I felt he was capable of winning the ball high up the pitch and beginning moves but his performances have been far more lacklustre as the season has worn on and his shooting has been exceptionally poor - especially for a player that thrives in a 'box-to-box' role.
Contrary to what I'd read recently, 4-4-2 is not the answer. This system naturally isolates the most creative players (if they were to both be playing) in Lamela and Eriksen. They'd start too deep and be pressed higher up the field. Although, in saying that, movement between the lines needs to be better. We don't appear to be playing as a unit, we're lacking any real partnerships - albeit the squad is a relatively new one. If the defence have the ball, we should have more options to play it short - start the moves deeper if we have to. We shouldn't be forced to go long. With these numbers we should play to get the ball into the final third as quickly as possible and one of the centre midfielders should be supporting Eriksen in trying to pick a pass - whether out wide or through the centre. Keeping the ball in the final third, being patient and encouraging an emphasis on quick passing and movement will unlock chances for Soldado and the midfield behind him. We need to be more ruthless instead of the barrel of nerves we appear to be when going forward at the moment.
We've more talent in our side than Mila Kunis' thong yet we;re struggling to see it on the pitch. These aren't changes that will happen over night but are changes that need implementing. We need to get our squad playing the same game, on the same wave length and understanding one another. The Newcastle game was a big a wake up call as we needed. Let's see our response.
Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
AVB's New System
It's August 27th 2013. We're beginning to find our position more fortuitous as the this window edges closer to its' conclusion. It has to be one of the few that we've seemed to call for a close prior to its' deadline next Monday. When AVB announced that our summer targets, set before the close of last season, would remain the same despite the lack of Champions League football it was easier to find the pessimism in his words than to dig out the optimism.
We're probably a player short of where we want to be. We've been incredibly pragmatic in our approach this summer and signed off the deals we're usually being stringed out over the summer for in plenty of time. Gareth Bale is still a Tottenham Hotspur player. I'd stuck to my guns for a lot of this summer, remaining in confidence he would stay up until last week when a move seemed imminent. You consciously take the decision, usually, to turn more than a blind eye to the back pages but they have a way of weaselling into your subconscious. Planting a seed of doubt. Levy has Madrid tied around his finger. He has Gareth Bale on the end of a fishing line and is ever so tentatively dipping him into the sea. We've got one of the World's biggest clubs eating out of our hands, whether they can see that or not I don't know.
So with a new season brought a new system. AVB is slowly turning the screw towards his ideal of a 4-3-3. We're certainly more aesthetically pleasing on the eye. Despite only scoring twice in our opening two fixtures of the Premier League, we've been solid. We're 5 points better off now than at this stage last season and look good value for it. Paulinho has been one acquisition that's brought an armoury of traits that we've not so much lacked but haven't been accustom to at Spurs previously. He's fit the bill of a 'complete midfielder'. My initial perception of him was that he was more of a defensively driven player. He'd break-up play and let others do the offensive work. But that was naive. His offensive work is his defensive work. He wins the ball high up the pitch then looks to be very direct. He'll bring the ball forward and isn't afraid to have a shot.
Against Swansea, we seemed to play more of a 4-1-4-1, with Paulinho and Dembele sitting behind Soldado looking to win possession in the opponents third of the pitch. We pressed them, barely allowing them to cross the half way line. The holding player in Capoue, sitting slightly deeper than Dembele & Paulinho, ensured we could crowd out any breaks through the centre. His Sandro-like presence gave Jan and Daws next to nothing to do for the majority of the 90. Swansea looked to sit deep & hit long to Michu, inevitable after pockets of space were rarer than gold dust. This pressing game allowing the infamous high-line imposed by AVB to fend off much of Swansea's attacking threat.
We've so far conceded the fewest shots on goal in the PL this season (at 12). With a seemingly fair understanding and the wealth of strength we have in the middle, teams look to go out wide countering any direct threat. Rose has looked a little suspect defensively and seems to lack patience in a challenge when battling one-vs-one against the opposition winger. I'd be generally satisfied if Rose was first choice this year but not fuelled with overwhelming confidence. I do think Walcott would get the better of him on Sunday. We haven't got out of 2nd gear as yet but have 6 points from 6. Our playing staff looked settled into a slightly amended system from last year that isn't built around Gareth Bale. So, in terms of a mini transition I was expecting us to be a victim of in these early days, I'm delighted.
It's clear we still need that number 10. That magician behind Soldado. I can't see the 4-1-4-1 being the system we base our season around but the beauty of the strength in depth we have at our disposal thus far is that we can be flexible depending on the opposition. I am a fan of Sigurdsson, but think we may need someone who can think that one step ahead & get that one final ball spot on. In Soldado we have a forward renowned for seizing chances. He feeds off of them. If he's given the service, he'll score the goals. I'd be more inclined to sit Holtby there and see if he can recreate the success he had at Schalke. Him & Huntelaar enjoyed a fantastic understanding. Maybe this is Carroll's opportunity to step up and fulfil the faith we have in him.
Bale leaving wouldn't be the hole in our midfield as it would've been 3 months ago. Levy's ensured that either way, Spurs will have emerged stronger. We seem on another levels to where we've been before. Last season seems a mere platform. The difference in quality in the squad this season is evident. We've a leaner squad. Despite bringing in a £26m forward, there doesn't seem to be that aura weighed to his shoulders that we're solely relying on just him to bring us goals. Chadli, Townsend and Paulinho are all goalscorers. Not for the first time, but the future looks pleasing. We've lost the 1st season uncertainty of AVB anchoring us down. That air of uncertainty was diminished as we finished on 72 points. Bale forever seems further out the door by the day yet we find ourselves more optimistic than we probably ever have.
It's a funny old game.
Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here
We're probably a player short of where we want to be. We've been incredibly pragmatic in our approach this summer and signed off the deals we're usually being stringed out over the summer for in plenty of time. Gareth Bale is still a Tottenham Hotspur player. I'd stuck to my guns for a lot of this summer, remaining in confidence he would stay up until last week when a move seemed imminent. You consciously take the decision, usually, to turn more than a blind eye to the back pages but they have a way of weaselling into your subconscious. Planting a seed of doubt. Levy has Madrid tied around his finger. He has Gareth Bale on the end of a fishing line and is ever so tentatively dipping him into the sea. We've got one of the World's biggest clubs eating out of our hands, whether they can see that or not I don't know.
So with a new season brought a new system. AVB is slowly turning the screw towards his ideal of a 4-3-3. We're certainly more aesthetically pleasing on the eye. Despite only scoring twice in our opening two fixtures of the Premier League, we've been solid. We're 5 points better off now than at this stage last season and look good value for it. Paulinho has been one acquisition that's brought an armoury of traits that we've not so much lacked but haven't been accustom to at Spurs previously. He's fit the bill of a 'complete midfielder'. My initial perception of him was that he was more of a defensively driven player. He'd break-up play and let others do the offensive work. But that was naive. His offensive work is his defensive work. He wins the ball high up the pitch then looks to be very direct. He'll bring the ball forward and isn't afraid to have a shot.
Against Swansea, we seemed to play more of a 4-1-4-1, with Paulinho and Dembele sitting behind Soldado looking to win possession in the opponents third of the pitch. We pressed them, barely allowing them to cross the half way line. The holding player in Capoue, sitting slightly deeper than Dembele & Paulinho, ensured we could crowd out any breaks through the centre. His Sandro-like presence gave Jan and Daws next to nothing to do for the majority of the 90. Swansea looked to sit deep & hit long to Michu, inevitable after pockets of space were rarer than gold dust. This pressing game allowing the infamous high-line imposed by AVB to fend off much of Swansea's attacking threat.
We've so far conceded the fewest shots on goal in the PL this season (at 12). With a seemingly fair understanding and the wealth of strength we have in the middle, teams look to go out wide countering any direct threat. Rose has looked a little suspect defensively and seems to lack patience in a challenge when battling one-vs-one against the opposition winger. I'd be generally satisfied if Rose was first choice this year but not fuelled with overwhelming confidence. I do think Walcott would get the better of him on Sunday. We haven't got out of 2nd gear as yet but have 6 points from 6. Our playing staff looked settled into a slightly amended system from last year that isn't built around Gareth Bale. So, in terms of a mini transition I was expecting us to be a victim of in these early days, I'm delighted.
It's clear we still need that number 10. That magician behind Soldado. I can't see the 4-1-4-1 being the system we base our season around but the beauty of the strength in depth we have at our disposal thus far is that we can be flexible depending on the opposition. I am a fan of Sigurdsson, but think we may need someone who can think that one step ahead & get that one final ball spot on. In Soldado we have a forward renowned for seizing chances. He feeds off of them. If he's given the service, he'll score the goals. I'd be more inclined to sit Holtby there and see if he can recreate the success he had at Schalke. Him & Huntelaar enjoyed a fantastic understanding. Maybe this is Carroll's opportunity to step up and fulfil the faith we have in him.
Bale leaving wouldn't be the hole in our midfield as it would've been 3 months ago. Levy's ensured that either way, Spurs will have emerged stronger. We seem on another levels to where we've been before. Last season seems a mere platform. The difference in quality in the squad this season is evident. We've a leaner squad. Despite bringing in a £26m forward, there doesn't seem to be that aura weighed to his shoulders that we're solely relying on just him to bring us goals. Chadli, Townsend and Paulinho are all goalscorers. Not for the first time, but the future looks pleasing. We've lost the 1st season uncertainty of AVB anchoring us down. That air of uncertainty was diminished as we finished on 72 points. Bale forever seems further out the door by the day yet we find ourselves more optimistic than we probably ever have.
It's a funny old game.
Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here
Monday, 10 June 2013
Why Spurs need a creator and not a finisher.
Guest Post by
@Harrishotspur
It’s been a while, and well reported, that Tottenham fans have been crying out for a striker, and they are somewhat wrong in their pleas. During the course of the 12/13 season, Andre VillasBoas’ team was struggling with the strikers, in fact: Jermain Defoe had scored a lot of goals in the first half of the season, but halted this feat in the second half, whilst Emmanuel Adebayor was injured for a long duration of the campaign and returned to fitness with stuttering form, to say the least.
Yes, indeed, our strikers weren’t good enough, but would bringing in a new forward (e.g Damião) actually solve the problem? You’re forgetting that the striker needs someone to put him in front of goal, most times. The Lilywhites also had difficulties creating chances last season for our forwards to convert. With the departure of Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric, AVB had to use the services of Mousa Dembélé, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Clint Dempsey and, later on, Lewis Holtby. Those four midfielders formally mentioned are far from what van der Vaart or Modric were undertaking in a Tottenham’s shirt.
Dembélé had a good start to the season, he practically carried the team with him. Although this somewhat changed slightly after a couple of injuries. Clint Dempsey isn’t a creative player so he ensured he was on hand in the box grabbing a goals for himself, but usually a spectator in matches feeding off of scraps. Sigurdsson was our starting attacking midfielder in the early stages of the campaign, but gradually made his way to the bench after poor displays. Although Gylfi emerged in the second half of the season with some important goals and started to find his feet and create a host of chances for the team, even if it was inconsistently.
Lewis Holtby – I can’t say much, he had very few chances to impress and was on the end of some poor displays, but he’s the youngest out of the midfielders we bought (21 years old) and we're arguably still finding a role that will get the best out of him. But let’s get to the point: If our midfield doesn´t create the chances (and consistently, also) for the strikers, it is obvious that the team will find a hard time to score goals. It was because of this problem that we had to depend on Bale taking on a couple of defenders and scoring a screamer in the last minute to secure the victory sometimes. The truth is that neither Gareth can do that every game nor would I like my team to nearly draw against 10-men Sunderland by a whisker. Tottenham used to play better football than that; but it doesn’t mean we can´t get it back!
What I really think would work for AVB´s men is buying a top class creative midfielder, João Moutinho, for example (but he´s gone to Monaco), and we will have someone to create chances for Bale, Lennon, Defoe and Adebayor, all of these can score goals, they just need to be well set. We all know that Adebayor can do well! Look at a couple of seasons ago: 18 goals and (I think) 12 assists. That is an awesome number. Alas, Defoe can also bang them in – He has scored over 100 goals for Spurs (that speaks for itself).
My suggestion is that Levy and Villas-Boas go after someone like Miralem Pjanic or Bernard, who we are linked with, to strengthen our creation in midfield. With that move happening, we will get the best out of our current strikers.
Guest post by : @Harrishotspur
Saturday, 1 June 2013
Prepared.
The season abruptly ended just under two weeks ago. An anticlimax that I was fully anticipating. Yet, to this day, I don't find myself replaying the 'what if' and 'if only' games. The Fulham home game isn't as imprinted into the deepest of thoughts as I'd have initially expected it to be after Berbatov found his way past Lloris.
Instead, I find myself reminiscing about the games in which we stole victory, escaping back to White Hart Lane singing AVBs name into the bellowing winter air. Every supporter has their own idealist view of where they want Spurs to be. I find many can be lead down a dangerous path dictated by the press, building up hope, then expectation, to only then fall back on their face with disappointment.
I do sympathise, but always think that we must always reflect on the goals we set ourself in the summer and anything more should be treated like a bonus. Everything needs perspective. I'm on record saying I expected a fight for fourth but to see us finish 5th or 6th this year. We always hope for fourth but only the brave go as far as to expect it.
I undertook my first three European away games this season and honestly felt it fulfilled everything I want when I support Spurs. Relatively cheap trips with a fantastic crowd and everyone in great spirits. Would I get this with the Champions League? Probably. But it's have cost a hell of a lot more.
I've come to the realisation that the CL is of course great for the progression of the club. It would've been a fantastic reward for the work AVB has done this year. Although, selfishly, I put my experiences as a supporter probably on par if not a above this. If I'm to find any consolation to our failure to qualify for the CL it is those arguably cheaper trips to the Europa League and a more realistic chance of winning the competition.
If the games about glory then would we rather be in Europe's second tier competition with a higher chance of winning it or in the first tier with a far slimmer chance? Genuine question, and one that I'm sure would invite a variety of answers. Maybe in the longer term, winning the Europa League would provide a pedestal in which to effectively fight for the Champions League crown. Who knows, but its hard to beat a side with a winning mentality.
We've a young side that have just had a year together under AVB and its hard to see us not continue to climb and improve. I take pride in that our achievements will occur within our means. It'll warrant personal pride. Of course a striker is needed, more so than any other position, but we'll stay within a 'sensible' wage criteria and spend what we can actually afford to spend.
I'm always careful when anticipating a season ahead. Although this ones slightly different. AVB is building a bullish side and were arguably just a couple of players short from the quality in both depth and balance in the side that we've craved for so long. With United, City and Chelsea all changing their managers, this offers a potentially minute chance to bite the bullet and fight with these teams. We need to treat the games in August as we do those ones in April and May. I forgive the dropped points in the early parts of the season last year, we were still learning.
Now we've little excuse, let's hope we can kick on and hit the ground running.
Regards,
Ben - you can follow me on Twitter here
Instead, I find myself reminiscing about the games in which we stole victory, escaping back to White Hart Lane singing AVBs name into the bellowing winter air. Every supporter has their own idealist view of where they want Spurs to be. I find many can be lead down a dangerous path dictated by the press, building up hope, then expectation, to only then fall back on their face with disappointment.
I do sympathise, but always think that we must always reflect on the goals we set ourself in the summer and anything more should be treated like a bonus. Everything needs perspective. I'm on record saying I expected a fight for fourth but to see us finish 5th or 6th this year. We always hope for fourth but only the brave go as far as to expect it.
I undertook my first three European away games this season and honestly felt it fulfilled everything I want when I support Spurs. Relatively cheap trips with a fantastic crowd and everyone in great spirits. Would I get this with the Champions League? Probably. But it's have cost a hell of a lot more.
I've come to the realisation that the CL is of course great for the progression of the club. It would've been a fantastic reward for the work AVB has done this year. Although, selfishly, I put my experiences as a supporter probably on par if not a above this. If I'm to find any consolation to our failure to qualify for the CL it is those arguably cheaper trips to the Europa League and a more realistic chance of winning the competition.
If the games about glory then would we rather be in Europe's second tier competition with a higher chance of winning it or in the first tier with a far slimmer chance? Genuine question, and one that I'm sure would invite a variety of answers. Maybe in the longer term, winning the Europa League would provide a pedestal in which to effectively fight for the Champions League crown. Who knows, but its hard to beat a side with a winning mentality.
We've a young side that have just had a year together under AVB and its hard to see us not continue to climb and improve. I take pride in that our achievements will occur within our means. It'll warrant personal pride. Of course a striker is needed, more so than any other position, but we'll stay within a 'sensible' wage criteria and spend what we can actually afford to spend.
I'm always careful when anticipating a season ahead. Although this ones slightly different. AVB is building a bullish side and were arguably just a couple of players short from the quality in both depth and balance in the side that we've craved for so long. With United, City and Chelsea all changing their managers, this offers a potentially minute chance to bite the bullet and fight with these teams. We need to treat the games in August as we do those ones in April and May. I forgive the dropped points in the early parts of the season last year, we were still learning.
Now we've little excuse, let's hope we can kick on and hit the ground running.
Regards,
Ben - you can follow me on Twitter here
Saturday, 13 April 2013
Delighted?
Dreams were soon becoming murmurs of the Dam. Can we honestly forgive ourselves for even daring to think, daring to believe? I felt an Utter fool for doing so. Allowing myself to be sucked in to the belief that Spurs could make a final in Amsterdam. It would've been too perfect. No Spurs train ever arrives at the end of the line as planned. We encounter far too many signal failures, breakdowns and engineering works in our season and we're left reflecting on how we'll cope as fans, how Spurs will cope and whether we can snatch at any positives that fight their way out of the abysmal anticlimax that is the exit of the Europa League quarter finals.
We worked hard for it. The players left blood in their tracks. I genuinely couldn't fault their effort in a competition traditionally snubbed and demeaned by the English; our own past proving little to shy away from this. We've given so much in an intensely demanding season. Our lack of depth almost predictably epitomising perfectly why the season proved as demanding as it has done. Adebayor's penalty didn't knock us out. The complacency in the first leg did, but we always knew we'd be limping through this competition because of a lack of investment in depth in the summer and January. I do trust Levy and hope he'll give AVB the backing that'll match his initial faith in appointing the young Portuguese coach.
I did little to hide my disappointment at Friedel starting ahead of Lloris. Friedel undoubtly gave us a great year last season but the dynamic of our side has changed. Lloris' importance in the Spurs side is second to none. It does force the subconscious feeling of 'what if'. I struggle to find any real benefit of starting the American ahead of the French 'keeper. The Europa League now enters its de-valuing stage. The remaining teams once playing under the Champions League lights now find themselves in Europe's second tier competition. Perspective. Chelsea's arguably initial goals of a good run in Europe and contending the Premier League title now fall to accept a top 4 finish and a Europa League final.
I don't say this accepting second best. I say this as I see it. We've done well to get to the quarter finals of the Europa League and are still heavily involved in the fight for fourth - as were our initial plans. I've been to three Europa league away's this year and I can't express my admiration for the competition so much more-so now. It's an exciting competition that reaps the passion of the fans all across Europe. They love it, and so should we. It's secondary status to the Champions League gives it the edge for me in almost taking away the commercial propaganda that invites half-arsed fans to flick on the TV or buy up space in a ground that could be filled by those that truly wish to sing for the shirt.
Don't have me mistaken, the Champions League is fantastic in terms of growing the club and continuing this exponentially is key. But, from a fan point of view, I've loved every minute and every aspect of following us in the Europa League. It's granted me more opportunity in which to sing my heart out for the only club I'll ever love. Winning games breeds confidence. A minority saw the Europa League as an opportunity cost to a top 4 place. There's little point playing in a competition if you don't want to go out and win the thing. Nothing beats lifting a European trophy, regardless of its' status.
As has been mentioned before, we must return to find our collective. Slating certain individuals does nothing to help the side progress. I don't knock fans having their own negative opinion, I just call for that particular negative opinion to be bottled away from White Hart Lane. Breathing positivism lifts the tension weighing down the players each week. Believe it or not, but we do make a difference at games. We've only a handful of games left in which to play. We're once again underdogs for top flight European competition. Regardless of how other teams perform, let's show both on and off the pitch how much we want that place in the sacred top 4.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here.
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We worked hard for it. The players left blood in their tracks. I genuinely couldn't fault their effort in a competition traditionally snubbed and demeaned by the English; our own past proving little to shy away from this. We've given so much in an intensely demanding season. Our lack of depth almost predictably epitomising perfectly why the season proved as demanding as it has done. Adebayor's penalty didn't knock us out. The complacency in the first leg did, but we always knew we'd be limping through this competition because of a lack of investment in depth in the summer and January. I do trust Levy and hope he'll give AVB the backing that'll match his initial faith in appointing the young Portuguese coach.
I did little to hide my disappointment at Friedel starting ahead of Lloris. Friedel undoubtly gave us a great year last season but the dynamic of our side has changed. Lloris' importance in the Spurs side is second to none. It does force the subconscious feeling of 'what if'. I struggle to find any real benefit of starting the American ahead of the French 'keeper. The Europa League now enters its de-valuing stage. The remaining teams once playing under the Champions League lights now find themselves in Europe's second tier competition. Perspective. Chelsea's arguably initial goals of a good run in Europe and contending the Premier League title now fall to accept a top 4 finish and a Europa League final.
I don't say this accepting second best. I say this as I see it. We've done well to get to the quarter finals of the Europa League and are still heavily involved in the fight for fourth - as were our initial plans. I've been to three Europa league away's this year and I can't express my admiration for the competition so much more-so now. It's an exciting competition that reaps the passion of the fans all across Europe. They love it, and so should we. It's secondary status to the Champions League gives it the edge for me in almost taking away the commercial propaganda that invites half-arsed fans to flick on the TV or buy up space in a ground that could be filled by those that truly wish to sing for the shirt.
Don't have me mistaken, the Champions League is fantastic in terms of growing the club and continuing this exponentially is key. But, from a fan point of view, I've loved every minute and every aspect of following us in the Europa League. It's granted me more opportunity in which to sing my heart out for the only club I'll ever love. Winning games breeds confidence. A minority saw the Europa League as an opportunity cost to a top 4 place. There's little point playing in a competition if you don't want to go out and win the thing. Nothing beats lifting a European trophy, regardless of its' status.
As has been mentioned before, we must return to find our collective. Slating certain individuals does nothing to help the side progress. I don't knock fans having their own negative opinion, I just call for that particular negative opinion to be bottled away from White Hart Lane. Breathing positivism lifts the tension weighing down the players each week. Believe it or not, but we do make a difference at games. We've only a handful of games left in which to play. We're once again underdogs for top flight European competition. Regardless of how other teams perform, let's show both on and off the pitch how much we want that place in the sacred top 4.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here.
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Monday, 18 March 2013
What collapse?
I can't help but seek the horizons after a defeat. I find myself looking in-depth at how and why we were defeated and the fixtures that await us over the next month or so. It soothes me. I blindly suck the positives out and ignore the negatives of a defeat. I'm sure they're standing there, staring at me in the face, trying to gauge a reaction and encourage me to throw myself over the nearest cliff. But I avoid them. I look to the future. That's me.
Of course, we're all different. It's opinions that make us who we are. No one is ever right or wrong. I spoke to a good mate of mine post-Fulham. One of those classic mates we all have that goes home and away every season without fail. Yeah, one of those. I like to consider him a fairly level-headed realist that puts up with my pessimistic ways. He spoke words that slightly startled and surprised me. He mentioned a 'collapse' and spoke of the dark remnants of last season fighting back to haunt us.
I surprisingly remained calm after Sunday. Last season the inevitable grew with each defeat. The script was written before it was played out. We had a run of 'easy' fixtures that we failed to take advantage of and our old mate Fulop ensured that it would be a 4th place for little old Tottenham Hotspur. We'd been written off before the season started this year. To be where we are has to be given some appreciation. I am an ambitious person but I feel we're really punching close to our limits as a squad. Quality strength in depth will always be a factor missing at Spurs. It happens with sides that aren't regularly challenging titles or silverware.
The mentality on the squad did look a far-cry from the China dolls we were last season. We'd coped with injuries to big players with AVB refusing to jump on this scape-goat when things weren't so merry. We've suffered two consecutive defeats. At one point or another we were going to be defeated. I struggled to see us finishing off this year unbeaten. Not every side fighting for the top 4 positions defeats/has defeated every mid-table side. We've tended to up our game in the face of a tough looking fixture. We've played until the final minute. The real test was always going to be how we handled defeat.
The reaction to Liverpool has not been ideal but, when we looked as though we'd snatch defeat from a sure-fired victory in Italy, we pulled through and got there. A mentally poor result or authentic belief to pull through? AVB arguably got his tactics wrong on Sunday but this is something he'll build and learn from. We've shown that we can react instantly from poor defeats. The real test is whether we can cope physically. We've rotated a lot this year, minus a few players that have proved instrumental to a great season thus far, and so I'm confident we can cope with the physical demands. Dembele played a total of 45 games for Fulham last year, he's more than accustomed to dealing with regular football. With Dempsey back in contention, this leaves the option for change with Holtby also there raring to kick on.
We've not gone on a 6 game win-less streak. We've experienced two defeats as most sides do at some point in the season. Let a certain other club get excited at the thought of possibly going a point behind us. AVB won't waste any time in reacting and working to fix the problem. The international break offers a great opportunity for players to take their mind off of it and return with a fresh outlook. We're having a great first season under a fairly unproven manager. We're progressing every year and will continue to do so.
Remember those days when we used to look up at the league table and see our neighbours challenging United for major honours at the top of the table. Yeah, there's a a real collapse there.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here
Of course, we're all different. It's opinions that make us who we are. No one is ever right or wrong. I spoke to a good mate of mine post-Fulham. One of those classic mates we all have that goes home and away every season without fail. Yeah, one of those. I like to consider him a fairly level-headed realist that puts up with my pessimistic ways. He spoke words that slightly startled and surprised me. He mentioned a 'collapse' and spoke of the dark remnants of last season fighting back to haunt us.
I surprisingly remained calm after Sunday. Last season the inevitable grew with each defeat. The script was written before it was played out. We had a run of 'easy' fixtures that we failed to take advantage of and our old mate Fulop ensured that it would be a 4th place for little old Tottenham Hotspur. We'd been written off before the season started this year. To be where we are has to be given some appreciation. I am an ambitious person but I feel we're really punching close to our limits as a squad. Quality strength in depth will always be a factor missing at Spurs. It happens with sides that aren't regularly challenging titles or silverware.
The mentality on the squad did look a far-cry from the China dolls we were last season. We'd coped with injuries to big players with AVB refusing to jump on this scape-goat when things weren't so merry. We've suffered two consecutive defeats. At one point or another we were going to be defeated. I struggled to see us finishing off this year unbeaten. Not every side fighting for the top 4 positions defeats/has defeated every mid-table side. We've tended to up our game in the face of a tough looking fixture. We've played until the final minute. The real test was always going to be how we handled defeat.
The reaction to Liverpool has not been ideal but, when we looked as though we'd snatch defeat from a sure-fired victory in Italy, we pulled through and got there. A mentally poor result or authentic belief to pull through? AVB arguably got his tactics wrong on Sunday but this is something he'll build and learn from. We've shown that we can react instantly from poor defeats. The real test is whether we can cope physically. We've rotated a lot this year, minus a few players that have proved instrumental to a great season thus far, and so I'm confident we can cope with the physical demands. Dembele played a total of 45 games for Fulham last year, he's more than accustomed to dealing with regular football. With Dempsey back in contention, this leaves the option for change with Holtby also there raring to kick on.
We've not gone on a 6 game win-less streak. We've experienced two defeats as most sides do at some point in the season. Let a certain other club get excited at the thought of possibly going a point behind us. AVB won't waste any time in reacting and working to fix the problem. The international break offers a great opportunity for players to take their mind off of it and return with a fresh outlook. We're having a great first season under a fairly unproven manager. We're progressing every year and will continue to do so.
Remember those days when we used to look up at the league table and see our neighbours challenging United for major honours at the top of the table. Yeah, there's a a real collapse there.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here
Friday, 18 January 2013
Another Disaster on the Horizon?
Broken Record Warning: I like reiterating my points, talking from as many different angles as much as I can. Change is no stranger to Tottenham Hotspur. We love it. Sometimes we embrace it - we changed from a pint of Carling, poured from a bottle left out in the warm, to an aged wine that you gleefully enjoy but know when enough is enough. Or, in Spurs terms, a Ramos to a Redknapp. I was apprehensive when we brought Redknapp in. I felt confident we'd survive but never did I expect we'd qualify for Europe's top competition. He was only ever a short-term appointment. He had a shovel big enough to dig us out the hole that Ramos had lead us into and the rope to climb us up the table.
Redknapp's time came to an abrupt end, although his era did feel like a generation and a half's worth. His head had been turned so far round by speculation that surgeons said they were unable tofix it. The consequences identified were repetitive sound bites, tourettes of the word 'triffic' and failing to use the windscreen whilst driving. To then ask for a, reportedly, increased wage and three year deal apparently sent Levy to hospital for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury; or concussion, as it is best known. Redknapp left Spurs and, with him, a squad that couldn't stop questioning 'if only'.
Mother nature will tell you Daniel Levy has balls. Appointing AVB will only add to assure this, for those in doubt. I remember apprehension was the feeling when Redknapp was appointed, I felt a different feeling when the Portugeeza came in as Head Coach at Spurs. Excitement was one. I'd put forward my case more times than I care to count as to why I felt Spurs would've been the right job for AVB. I woke up at my laptop, having put myself to sleep on one occasion.
A period of unrest saw our spine sold and, at one point, we barely had the capacity to stand on two legs. Papers had a field day of legless articles, sounding out the uncertainty and disillusionment in the Spurs camp. I'd almost pictured players refusing to eat at the same lunch table as AVB, leaving as he took a seat. A false smile hiding away the tears that were forcing their way out. In truth, AVB was up against it immensely more than most upon arrival. His passion to fight off the endless critics clinging to his ankles grew as he split Spurs supporters, this all before a ball had been kicked.
Redknapp was quoted, in June, as saying: "He's (AVB) got the players there to be a top four team every year and challenge for the Championship. That's my opinion". Whilst also emphasising that the key to this was keeping Luka at the Lane. Through the bitterness that seems apparent between the lines of this quote, Redknapp is claiming that any success would be down to 'his' team succeeding.
In truth, it's almost like a plastic surgeon's been at Spurs we look so different.
With the critics breathing heavily down AVB's back, every move he made was scrutinised. The summer didn't get any easier when the side AVB wanted was scuppered; the players he wanted didn't all arrive. Most notably was Moutinho's failure at securing a transfer from Porto. So, we were given Sigurdsson and Dempsey to fill the void. Modric and Van der Vaart were the most notable departures. Dembele was unveiled. Parker, Kaboul and Benny found themselves having an extended summer on the injury table. Ledley retired. Vertonghen came in. Lloris joined him. We finally remembered Kyle Naughton was also a player for Tottenham Hotspur football club.
This wasn't Redknapp's side anymore.
In truth we'd had more change than a busker working a Friday night in the Underground. This was inheriting a club name that finished fourth, but the spine and foundations in which it was built on was near enough an overhaul. We'd even moved training grounds. New players playing together rarely click in the short-term. This was reflected in our early results. I remember needing binoculars at Newcastle and also felt as though we were in the middle of the Sahara. We were bright, positive, we pressed well. We deserved a win and were unfortunate to lose. That's football, I was content upon returning home.
Two draws at home to seemingly more 'minute' opposition ensured we remained split upon whether to back AVB or not. I estimated, looking at external polls and running one myself, that only around 66% of Spurs fans were behind AVB. Of course, these numbers may not reflect the majority but, at the time, gave what seemed like a realistic indication. The booing at full-time cemented this for me. In truth, I remained fully behind him. Call it an intense level of stubborness and blind faith, but I appreciated the difficulty he had coming into a club like ours, the pressures and liked what he was trying to do. I felt the players we had at our disposal complimented his ideology of pressing and breaking at pace and believed, hoped, that this justice would be done.
On the morning of our trip away at United. It was reported that another 'Spurs crisis' had occurred. Players were 'unhappy', 'disillusioned' and AVB had 'three games to save his job'. Right. It brought us all closer. A 'them and us' mentality. The papers made out we were on a sinking ship. Although no one was seen fleeing it. In fact, we went away to United and won. AVB responded the best way he could've. He showed that we do have the belief in the side to achieve what seemed to be the impossible. Bale recently came out and said this victory gave the side 'belief', something, I feel, that has always fluctuated at Spurs. More and more though we seem to be integrating it into our DNA; our final league position will reflect its' level. It was obvious that this season would be a box of surprises in typical Spurs fashion - each week you didn't know what you'd get.
Last season we lost 5-2 at the Emirates and (correct me if I'm mistaken) only managed 4 league wins the rest of the season. It was evident that the defeat there was more than a blood wound and patch up job. The side were grabbed out the air and brought back to Earth - with more than a bang. Redknapp soon became unsettled and we seemed to play with trembly knees. Any mental strength was shot. We were left picking up the pieces come May of a season of what could've been. A tale of 'what if's' and 'if only's'. A record we'd heard time and time again.
We flew a similar flight this season. We found ourselves crashing at Arsenal and a forward that would miss the next three league fixtures. Inevitably, the haunting of last season returned. The pain and anguish routed its way back. The memories had never really left in all honesty. But something changed this year. The players picked up the pieces and pulled back together, and returned stronger, more brittle than last season. Since this disappointment we've gone on to lose just the 1 league game. A team of players that had only been playing together for a few months had already, seemingly, have bought into AVB's philosophy. He'd fed them on belief, building this mental toughness required to finish above strong opposition and into the top 4 positions of the Premier League. In the long run, our position in the league would tell you it was worth it.
We still have lapses in concentration, are prone to errors that lead to costly goals and, at times, look nervy. But, of late, we've pulled through. We've looked more assuring on the pitch and our game feels more natural when we play. The style and 'swag' we had last year isn't at it's peak, but we're seeing glimpses - and winning games. We've new players, new coaching staff and a fresh approach that we needed. The players (or the majority) seem to want to be there and believe we could achieve great things.
What excites me is that this is many players' first season at Spurs, with new team mates, coaching staff and Head Coach. I was/still am expecting transition. It's fair to say that our current form has been more than mind-blowing. Without being disrespectful, I was expecting our season to match Liverpool's. A slow start before slowly growing into our system and climbing the table - at a steady pace. Never did I think we'd be the one's being chased for 4th again. Or are we the one's chasing third? I've never seen a pint half full, I'm always up grabbing another round when it's half empty. That reflects my outlook.
Although, admittedly, the long-term excites me. Pre-season saw me content finishing within touching distance of 4th. I still am. We've found ourselves in a scenario in which we genuinely believe we are just that one forward short of securing another top 4 finish. A crossroads we've visited more often than we care to count. I feel we're slowly integrating this belief that we can defeat any side we're pitted against and this has been down to the players buying into AVB's philosophy.
Of course, we remain just 22 games into the season. These final 16 games could end up proving another great disaster as it proved last season. But, despite missing Modric, Vdv and Ledley, I feel more optimistic. I don't always agree with AVB's tactical changes (most notably away at Everton), but I appreciate that he tries to change it up and adapt. He'll try different things, and won't wait a season to try them. He's not as single-minded as he was made out in the past and has admitted previously this season he's open for change and he'll do it should he see fit. This has seen us revert from a more favoured 4-2-3-1 to a more (admittedly) flaccid 4-4-2.
Hopefully we can keep building, learning and remain behind Andre Villas-Boas. Both players and fans/supporters alike. We still haven't reached our peak but to be in the position we are in in AVB's first season is fantastic. The embroilment surrounding his appointment has calmed down. Feet need to stay firmly on the ground and I feel we have the right man at the top ensuring this. He bleeds class and reflects the perception that we have for Tottenham Hotspur.
Never (again) have I felt so much optimism and excitement for the train we're on. Let's hope this one doesn't derail.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here
Redknapp's time came to an abrupt end, although his era did feel like a generation and a half's worth. His head had been turned so far round by speculation that surgeons said they were unable tofix it. The consequences identified were repetitive sound bites, tourettes of the word 'triffic' and failing to use the windscreen whilst driving. To then ask for a, reportedly, increased wage and three year deal apparently sent Levy to hospital for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury; or concussion, as it is best known. Redknapp left Spurs and, with him, a squad that couldn't stop questioning 'if only'.
Mother nature will tell you Daniel Levy has balls. Appointing AVB will only add to assure this, for those in doubt. I remember apprehension was the feeling when Redknapp was appointed, I felt a different feeling when the Portugeeza came in as Head Coach at Spurs. Excitement was one. I'd put forward my case more times than I care to count as to why I felt Spurs would've been the right job for AVB. I woke up at my laptop, having put myself to sleep on one occasion.
A period of unrest saw our spine sold and, at one point, we barely had the capacity to stand on two legs. Papers had a field day of legless articles, sounding out the uncertainty and disillusionment in the Spurs camp. I'd almost pictured players refusing to eat at the same lunch table as AVB, leaving as he took a seat. A false smile hiding away the tears that were forcing their way out. In truth, AVB was up against it immensely more than most upon arrival. His passion to fight off the endless critics clinging to his ankles grew as he split Spurs supporters, this all before a ball had been kicked.
Redknapp was quoted, in June, as saying: "He's (AVB) got the players there to be a top four team every year and challenge for the Championship. That's my opinion". Whilst also emphasising that the key to this was keeping Luka at the Lane. Through the bitterness that seems apparent between the lines of this quote, Redknapp is claiming that any success would be down to 'his' team succeeding.
In truth, it's almost like a plastic surgeon's been at Spurs we look so different.
With the critics breathing heavily down AVB's back, every move he made was scrutinised. The summer didn't get any easier when the side AVB wanted was scuppered; the players he wanted didn't all arrive. Most notably was Moutinho's failure at securing a transfer from Porto. So, we were given Sigurdsson and Dempsey to fill the void. Modric and Van der Vaart were the most notable departures. Dembele was unveiled. Parker, Kaboul and Benny found themselves having an extended summer on the injury table. Ledley retired. Vertonghen came in. Lloris joined him. We finally remembered Kyle Naughton was also a player for Tottenham Hotspur football club.
This wasn't Redknapp's side anymore.
In truth we'd had more change than a busker working a Friday night in the Underground. This was inheriting a club name that finished fourth, but the spine and foundations in which it was built on was near enough an overhaul. We'd even moved training grounds. New players playing together rarely click in the short-term. This was reflected in our early results. I remember needing binoculars at Newcastle and also felt as though we were in the middle of the Sahara. We were bright, positive, we pressed well. We deserved a win and were unfortunate to lose. That's football, I was content upon returning home.
Two draws at home to seemingly more 'minute' opposition ensured we remained split upon whether to back AVB or not. I estimated, looking at external polls and running one myself, that only around 66% of Spurs fans were behind AVB. Of course, these numbers may not reflect the majority but, at the time, gave what seemed like a realistic indication. The booing at full-time cemented this for me. In truth, I remained fully behind him. Call it an intense level of stubborness and blind faith, but I appreciated the difficulty he had coming into a club like ours, the pressures and liked what he was trying to do. I felt the players we had at our disposal complimented his ideology of pressing and breaking at pace and believed, hoped, that this justice would be done.
On the morning of our trip away at United. It was reported that another 'Spurs crisis' had occurred. Players were 'unhappy', 'disillusioned' and AVB had 'three games to save his job'. Right. It brought us all closer. A 'them and us' mentality. The papers made out we were on a sinking ship. Although no one was seen fleeing it. In fact, we went away to United and won. AVB responded the best way he could've. He showed that we do have the belief in the side to achieve what seemed to be the impossible. Bale recently came out and said this victory gave the side 'belief', something, I feel, that has always fluctuated at Spurs. More and more though we seem to be integrating it into our DNA; our final league position will reflect its' level. It was obvious that this season would be a box of surprises in typical Spurs fashion - each week you didn't know what you'd get.
Last season we lost 5-2 at the Emirates and (correct me if I'm mistaken) only managed 4 league wins the rest of the season. It was evident that the defeat there was more than a blood wound and patch up job. The side were grabbed out the air and brought back to Earth - with more than a bang. Redknapp soon became unsettled and we seemed to play with trembly knees. Any mental strength was shot. We were left picking up the pieces come May of a season of what could've been. A tale of 'what if's' and 'if only's'. A record we'd heard time and time again.
We flew a similar flight this season. We found ourselves crashing at Arsenal and a forward that would miss the next three league fixtures. Inevitably, the haunting of last season returned. The pain and anguish routed its way back. The memories had never really left in all honesty. But something changed this year. The players picked up the pieces and pulled back together, and returned stronger, more brittle than last season. Since this disappointment we've gone on to lose just the 1 league game. A team of players that had only been playing together for a few months had already, seemingly, have bought into AVB's philosophy. He'd fed them on belief, building this mental toughness required to finish above strong opposition and into the top 4 positions of the Premier League. In the long run, our position in the league would tell you it was worth it.
We still have lapses in concentration, are prone to errors that lead to costly goals and, at times, look nervy. But, of late, we've pulled through. We've looked more assuring on the pitch and our game feels more natural when we play. The style and 'swag' we had last year isn't at it's peak, but we're seeing glimpses - and winning games. We've new players, new coaching staff and a fresh approach that we needed. The players (or the majority) seem to want to be there and believe we could achieve great things.
What excites me is that this is many players' first season at Spurs, with new team mates, coaching staff and Head Coach. I was/still am expecting transition. It's fair to say that our current form has been more than mind-blowing. Without being disrespectful, I was expecting our season to match Liverpool's. A slow start before slowly growing into our system and climbing the table - at a steady pace. Never did I think we'd be the one's being chased for 4th again. Or are we the one's chasing third? I've never seen a pint half full, I'm always up grabbing another round when it's half empty. That reflects my outlook.
Although, admittedly, the long-term excites me. Pre-season saw me content finishing within touching distance of 4th. I still am. We've found ourselves in a scenario in which we genuinely believe we are just that one forward short of securing another top 4 finish. A crossroads we've visited more often than we care to count. I feel we're slowly integrating this belief that we can defeat any side we're pitted against and this has been down to the players buying into AVB's philosophy.
Of course, we remain just 22 games into the season. These final 16 games could end up proving another great disaster as it proved last season. But, despite missing Modric, Vdv and Ledley, I feel more optimistic. I don't always agree with AVB's tactical changes (most notably away at Everton), but I appreciate that he tries to change it up and adapt. He'll try different things, and won't wait a season to try them. He's not as single-minded as he was made out in the past and has admitted previously this season he's open for change and he'll do it should he see fit. This has seen us revert from a more favoured 4-2-3-1 to a more (admittedly) flaccid 4-4-2.
Hopefully we can keep building, learning and remain behind Andre Villas-Boas. Both players and fans/supporters alike. We still haven't reached our peak but to be in the position we are in in AVB's first season is fantastic. The embroilment surrounding his appointment has calmed down. Feet need to stay firmly on the ground and I feel we have the right man at the top ensuring this. He bleeds class and reflects the perception that we have for Tottenham Hotspur.
Never (again) have I felt so much optimism and excitement for the train we're on. Let's hope this one doesn't derail.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
AVB's Christmas Party.
2012 did what Spurs did best. Offer so much promise for it to only crash and burn. Any fond memories deceive me. I won't riddle you with finer details - what went wrong, who was to blame. Everyone has their own opinion and mine has been available online for months now.
Although, what I have enjoyed, is a resurgent Tottenham Hotspur. We seem to be grabbing games by the scruff of the neck more as the season has worn on. Last year it was tough to identify a real problem area. Sure, another forward would've been nice - a convenience. The true strength in depth we'd craved for so long. But with Ade proving pinnacle up top and with JD waiting in the wings when needed, even then it would've proven more knit-picking than priority.
We've actually addressed our problem of conceding late and all credit to AVB for making changes when they were needed - and they have been needed. I put this down to the side growing into the pressing game that AVB has encouraged the side to pursue and, as a result, we find more and more sides falling into our offside trap. Earlier on in the season, we found ourselves sitting on the edge of our own 18 for large chunks of games. We gave the opposition an open invitation to enjoy possession at our own ground and, at the same time, giving them free access to lump balls into our box. Of late, I've noticed that we press the opposition in midfield far quicker and far smarter than we had. We've cut out their killer balls. We're quick to press opponents' first touch and force them backwards. Previously, we'd allowed the opponent far more time on the ball before a lacklustre and disappointing attempt at shutting out said opponent. We've grown into this pressing game and are far more intelligent with it.
AVB was given Tottenham with the spine torn from the body. A retired Ledley King, an injured Kaboul, a Modric that fancied more Sun and trophies than wet nights away in Stoke, an injured Parker and - to begin - a missing Adebayor. Not one tear was heard (or seen) dropping from the glorious eyes of our newly appointed Portuguese boss and, instead, like great managers do, he adapted and worked with what he had given.
He redefined the lone striker role. The Portuguese convincing Levy to offer Defoe not only a two year deal but the confidence and belief that any forward craves. He's shown us that the one forward player doesn't need to be a big target man when you have both pace and an eye for goal. Given, Defoe has his faults. He'll one day admit to being born offside. Although standing on the shoulder of the last man is part of Defoe's game and, inevitably, offsides will come. Last year I remember the tirade many of us had with the side for seemingly being to shy to shoot and this is partly why I don't mind Defoe looking for goal before the pass. He will get it wrong, at times, but more often than not he'll find the target.
We find ourselves half way through the season and have enjoyed a successful Christmas that offers a fair summary of AVB's current tenure at Spurs. He's brought the best out in players who seem to be playing more as a unit and with far more belief than what the start of the season seemed to offer.
Aaron Lennon is one that has brought so much more to his game in the last 4 months than he has in the last season or 2. Not only has his crossing impressed but also his variety of crossing has been something that has impressed me. Whether a whipped in ball or a little 'dink' to the far post, he's put in more successful than unsuccessful crosses this year. He's also finding himself with far more space this year, roaming from left to right and, at times, in the centre, to drive at the opposition. He looks for the ball far earlier and constantly finds himself tracking back to help out at the back. Often unnoticed, this is something that can ease the pressure on the full-back and also offers a great opportunity in which to counter.
We'll have days in which the inevitable questions will be raised from those short-minded of you regarding AVB's position (again, oh and again) and, of course, Andre Villas-boas finds himself just 21 Premier League games into his Spurs season.
But, at the moment, he's smashing expectation - and we're loving it.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here
Although, what I have enjoyed, is a resurgent Tottenham Hotspur. We seem to be grabbing games by the scruff of the neck more as the season has worn on. Last year it was tough to identify a real problem area. Sure, another forward would've been nice - a convenience. The true strength in depth we'd craved for so long. But with Ade proving pinnacle up top and with JD waiting in the wings when needed, even then it would've proven more knit-picking than priority.
We've actually addressed our problem of conceding late and all credit to AVB for making changes when they were needed - and they have been needed. I put this down to the side growing into the pressing game that AVB has encouraged the side to pursue and, as a result, we find more and more sides falling into our offside trap. Earlier on in the season, we found ourselves sitting on the edge of our own 18 for large chunks of games. We gave the opposition an open invitation to enjoy possession at our own ground and, at the same time, giving them free access to lump balls into our box. Of late, I've noticed that we press the opposition in midfield far quicker and far smarter than we had. We've cut out their killer balls. We're quick to press opponents' first touch and force them backwards. Previously, we'd allowed the opponent far more time on the ball before a lacklustre and disappointing attempt at shutting out said opponent. We've grown into this pressing game and are far more intelligent with it.
AVB was given Tottenham with the spine torn from the body. A retired Ledley King, an injured Kaboul, a Modric that fancied more Sun and trophies than wet nights away in Stoke, an injured Parker and - to begin - a missing Adebayor. Not one tear was heard (or seen) dropping from the glorious eyes of our newly appointed Portuguese boss and, instead, like great managers do, he adapted and worked with what he had given.
He redefined the lone striker role. The Portuguese convincing Levy to offer Defoe not only a two year deal but the confidence and belief that any forward craves. He's shown us that the one forward player doesn't need to be a big target man when you have both pace and an eye for goal. Given, Defoe has his faults. He'll one day admit to being born offside. Although standing on the shoulder of the last man is part of Defoe's game and, inevitably, offsides will come. Last year I remember the tirade many of us had with the side for seemingly being to shy to shoot and this is partly why I don't mind Defoe looking for goal before the pass. He will get it wrong, at times, but more often than not he'll find the target.
We find ourselves half way through the season and have enjoyed a successful Christmas that offers a fair summary of AVB's current tenure at Spurs. He's brought the best out in players who seem to be playing more as a unit and with far more belief than what the start of the season seemed to offer.
Aaron Lennon is one that has brought so much more to his game in the last 4 months than he has in the last season or 2. Not only has his crossing impressed but also his variety of crossing has been something that has impressed me. Whether a whipped in ball or a little 'dink' to the far post, he's put in more successful than unsuccessful crosses this year. He's also finding himself with far more space this year, roaming from left to right and, at times, in the centre, to drive at the opposition. He looks for the ball far earlier and constantly finds himself tracking back to help out at the back. Often unnoticed, this is something that can ease the pressure on the full-back and also offers a great opportunity in which to counter.
We'll have days in which the inevitable questions will be raised from those short-minded of you regarding AVB's position (again, oh and again) and, of course, Andre Villas-boas finds himself just 21 Premier League games into his Spurs season.
But, at the moment, he's smashing expectation - and we're loving it.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Uh-Oh.
So I read with shock on my face, after rummaging around, to find out that Andre Villas-Boas had become our head coach - anyone know the difference between a head coach and manager? Okay, if you didn't see this coming then you've had your head knee deep in the saw dust I spent hours sweeping away today. The story had an engine attached to it so loud that I hear poverty-ridden kids in Brazil even knew AVB was set to be our man.
After initial expectation vastly outweighed the feeling of surprise after this appointment, my first gut feeling was excitement. Despite his rather abysmal spell across London, after arriving with expectation matching the combined weight of JT's lovers on his shoulders, I can't help but feel optimistic on this appointment. Maybe it's the hunger or lack of sleep. Maybe it's the halo effect derived from Andre's dashing looks. Or maybe I'm just purely blinded by hope that Levy knows what he's doing.
After initial expectation vastly outweighed the feeling of surprise after this appointment, my first gut feeling was excitement. Despite his rather abysmal spell across London, after arriving with expectation matching the combined weight of JT's lovers on his shoulders, I can't help but feel optimistic on this appointment. Maybe it's the hunger or lack of sleep. Maybe it's the halo effect derived from Andre's dashing looks. Or maybe I'm just purely blinded by hope that Levy knows what he's doing.
It's been well-documented, and more recently now than ever, that AVB likes to play with a particular style. From what I gather he's a man that likes to play his own game more than defending against the opposition's. He likes flair on the wings, 3 centre midfielders and a "complete forward" up top. Yes, I quoted FM. This is something that we've pleaded/moaned/cried out for. It's a system which our players can truly flourish in. What I also noted was one sentence that Levy made in his statement regarding AVB's appointment supporting this; "He has an outstanding reputation for his technical knowledge of the game and for creating well-organised teams capable of playing football in an attractive and attacking style." This wasn't something that AVB accomplished at Chelsea and I stuck to my guns when I first claimed,last summer, that AVB and CFC could end badly. I took great joy out of it as well. Great joy indeed.
So, where do my reservations come from? I think the perfect word to sum up this appointment is "hopeful." It's incredibly hard to identify how AVB will cope at Spurs and, despite the theory seeming positive, Levy knows this is a huge gamble but one I'm happy he took. My worries arise from a scenario in which we are 6th/7th come January and 10 points from 4th, for example. Are we willing to stick it out with him or are we going to find Levy photographed in Spain again looking to lure another manager to the helm? (Reliable sources have informed me that Levy's recently been seen on Abramovich's boat thanking him personally for buying out AVB's release clause from Porto.) We can become an impatient bunch, but I'd hope we'd give him time. The guy will face many comparisons in the press to their beloved 'Arry, this is almost inevitable. His mental strength will be tested. One defeat and the many cliché's involving "inexperienced" and "to young" will fall hard on to the shoulders of the Portuguese.
I have a few, limited, reservations but, for a pessimist, I find myself optimistic on this appointment. The guy won't nail it in a season. We may have to settle for a less than successful year next year in the hope that the long term will see us flourish towards the top end of the league and come closer to flirting with silverware than we have done over the last 20 years.
We may even find ourselves singing "We want you to stay, we want you to stay, Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas we want you to stay" in a few years, although I doubt it.
Regards.
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