I made one of the biggest decisions in my short-lived technological life to present. I voided into the unknown and swapped my unintentional life-loyalty of Windows for a Macbook Pro. I've never been one that's scratched further than the surface in regards to technology. I don't keep my finger on the pulse at the best of times in regards to innovation, it doesn't reflect my greatest interests in life.
But I ventured into the unknown. Sure, it was a little difficult at first but I'm starting to understand the basics. Over time I'm sure I'll grow to be more comfortable, more natural in my approach in utilising a Mac. Transitioning from one way of thinking, one approach, to another is naturally difficult. Don't we just know it. At Spurs we're lacking those basics. The foundations looked there after pre-season. The win over QPR reiterated this. The patches of pressing solidified this perception. But that's all it was at the time, perception.
Eriksen made a note to the Danish press that Pochettino has changed his system in the short-term with the hope of instant results. A damning issue if correct. It largely reflects arguably our managers own concerns of his position which will do little to breathe confidence into the playing staff. Our results have reflected this. A manager appointed for his pragmatic and exciting approach to football matches belittled into becoming his own enemy.
A fearful mentality at Tottenham Hotspur. That cutting edge of belief always missing. A mere soundbite of "What happens if we don't make it..." rather than "we will make it" removed with the conveyor belt of endless manager sackings. We're too quick to shy away and it is just this fearful mentality that reflects the frail nature and polystyrene spine of Tottenham Hotspur from top to bottom at all levels.
We're lightweight on the pitch. Regardless of the prospective intelligence of our playing staff, you cannot both shy away and revamp over 100 years of English culture. Power, aggression. Paramount at one level or another. Its' non-existence telling of our sour position in the Premier League. A position only not classified as 'disastarous' because of the disappointment form of our rivals. Worrying.
We're lightweight off of it as well. Our scouting network just as embarrassing as our performances on the pitch. Bitterness from Comolli regarding our scouting network? It didn't seem so. The links with Pochettino's former scout Paul Mitchell as well as the further employment of former chief scout Ian Bloomfield suggests there was a gaping flaw in the now-seeming previous 'regime' (can we call it that?) of trusting one man duly unaccustomed to Premier League football with over £100m of a transfer kitty. Quite possibly the strongest two fingers up to Baldini he'd have likely ever seen but an also quite probable indirect further set-back in the confidence of those we did recruit. "The bloke that signed us has been told he's done a terrible job". It wouldn't fill me with confidence if I ever heard that.
Signs. In pre-season it's all we seek out. How we set-up, a style in how we approach fixtures, an identity. We carried one through for all of 5 minutes of the Premier League for it then to diminish. I jump back to what I mentioned earlier on about Pochettino altering his system in the short-term in the hope of immediate gain. In truth we have seen glimpses, but blink and you'll miss them. It fits an all too typical narrative but we look sideways. We try and play it safe in possession and actively encourage the opposition to harass us.
Does this reflect the nerves in the side that Adebayor came out so publicly to talk about? Arguably. But we've struggled to facilitate and engineer a set style for the most-part of the season. It's not that we're failing to successfully undertake an obvious style but that we are failing to even attempt one. Then we fail to have the players to lead by example and grab the game by the lower regions. What does it say about our first XI that 3 players have come through from the academy over the last 12 months and 2 started the last game? That those players are exceptional or that our current crop are just poor? I'm deliberately opening this can of worms. Mason & Kane have looked good when playing but I'd argue the answer to the above is a mis-match of both aspects. For arguments sake, I've actually been happy to see Bentaleb, Mason and Kane involved in the first team of late.
It's easy to argue we have the wrong players in the wrong system, but it's natural to expect more. Sometimes it becomes difficult to tell if we've a set of rough gems or dirty stones. Talented, raw players or overpriced imports? Maybe it's too early. We've seen what Eriksen can offer and Chadli has grown into a more forward role, but we've failed to see what anyone else has to offer. We're sitting in a posh restaurant and have so far been given a plate of cheesy chips in a greasy cardboard box. It's natural to have expected more.
We're paying the expensive price for flaws throughout the hierarchy at Spurs. The lack of scouting network has presented us with a wealth of problems in which we have well and truly dug our own grave. It's easy to say hindsight has shown the players may not have been right but the conditions in which we went about seeking out these players were clearly far from ideal. All we can do now is do what we do best. Hope, pray, then cry.
Regards
Ben
Showing posts with label spurs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spurs. Show all posts
Thursday, 13 November 2014
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Early Days
We've reached, endured and survived our first international break of the season. It provided a great platform in which to reflect on our relatively promising start to the season. Three largely differing performances could easily reflect inconsistency but, in truth, highlight how we're still piecing together the Pochettino puzzle. We're sat on a learning curve, embracing structure.
Early signs have presented promise and reason for quiet optimism. There seems to be a greater sense of unity in the side, a hunger to go for the throat. Against Liverpool we were choked out the game after missing the opportunity to go in on level terms. We bowed down at 2-0 and our inadequacies reminded us that we are in the early stages of a hopeful long-term project for success rather than an attempt at a 'quick fix' (if they even exist).
Our ideology this summer was that of building a stronger squad rather than a team littered with individual talents. I like to think our signings represent greater quality than the sum of their individual talents. We've purchased players because of their style and type to fill in the gaps. They arrive with no weighted price-tag allowing them to steer clear of the media spotlight. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, of course, but the mistake we made last year was signing Soldado based on his numbers rather than his style. A square peg in a round hole. He's not young enough to develop his game & still looks horribly starved of confidence.
In Vorm we've signed a keeper better suited to the game Pochettino is clearly trying to install. The space between Friedel & our back four under AVB's high line (especially in cup competitions) left a consistent worry we were playing a keeper not suited to our game and thus at a detriment to the side. This would naturally have proved a worry for the defence. In Ben Davies we've signed a defender that has more quality in operating as a wing-back. His defensive work, based on last season, clearly surpassed the failings that we'd had to endure in Danny Rose every week. Davies' move has also seemed to reinvigorate Rose whom had probably his best game for a long time against QPR.
Reading between the lines of breaking down Fazio as a footballer, my perception is that of the lovechild of Vertonghen and Kaboul. Technically good with the ball at his feet, he's also a mountain in the air. The perception that quick defenders are the holy grail of a successful high-pressing game are a myth. The best defenders in the world aren't renowned speed-kings . Positioning and spatial awareness are far more valuable assets.
Stambouli is allegedly in the mould of Schneiderlin. A raw gem, albeit a little rough around the edges. According to the press he represents great value and when have they ever wrongly over-hyped a player? Aside from this I feel our chances of developing younger more 'promising' players are far more prosperous with Pochettino and his coaching team overlooking this development than I ever would under Sherwood or Redknapp. AVB is another debate.
Pre-summer, our most pressing areas to add to were arguably left back and centre back. On paper, we've done this with relative success. Abraham Maslow theorised that human motivation can be listed in a 'hierarchy of needs'. This theory identified that the 'basic needs' (such as living) must be met before more complex needs are required (such as self-actualization). We arguably fulfilled our basic needs of a left-back and centre-back, before suddenly demanding a more complex need in a striker as the window wore on.
We have three forwards but play just one in our current system. It's clear that we showed an interest in Jay Rodriguez of Southampton but with his injury naturally showing cause for concern, we decided against making a move. Talks of a January move make far more logical sense as it provides us with 4 months worth of assessment. During this period, we have to show some faith that our £26m striker can provide the return we've been crying out for for 12 months. We have to also hope that Adebayor can hit the heights consistently that we know he can and Harry Kane can continue showing promise whenever he plays in the lilywhite.
If these 3 forwards can't produce the goods then the January window will provide us with a golden opportunity in which to fulfil this renewed 'basic need'. A striker would've been a nice touch to finalize the window but the money evidently wasn't there to bring in the type of forward we'd have wanted.
It's easy to forget that we brought in Pochettino to exploit the talents of the individuals in the squad and mould them into a football team. The signs have been there. Its early days, but hopefully the finished image of the Pochettino puzzle will be that of sheer beauty.
Early signs have presented promise and reason for quiet optimism. There seems to be a greater sense of unity in the side, a hunger to go for the throat. Against Liverpool we were choked out the game after missing the opportunity to go in on level terms. We bowed down at 2-0 and our inadequacies reminded us that we are in the early stages of a hopeful long-term project for success rather than an attempt at a 'quick fix' (if they even exist).
Our ideology this summer was that of building a stronger squad rather than a team littered with individual talents. I like to think our signings represent greater quality than the sum of their individual talents. We've purchased players because of their style and type to fill in the gaps. They arrive with no weighted price-tag allowing them to steer clear of the media spotlight. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, of course, but the mistake we made last year was signing Soldado based on his numbers rather than his style. A square peg in a round hole. He's not young enough to develop his game & still looks horribly starved of confidence.
In Vorm we've signed a keeper better suited to the game Pochettino is clearly trying to install. The space between Friedel & our back four under AVB's high line (especially in cup competitions) left a consistent worry we were playing a keeper not suited to our game and thus at a detriment to the side. This would naturally have proved a worry for the defence. In Ben Davies we've signed a defender that has more quality in operating as a wing-back. His defensive work, based on last season, clearly surpassed the failings that we'd had to endure in Danny Rose every week. Davies' move has also seemed to reinvigorate Rose whom had probably his best game for a long time against QPR.
Reading between the lines of breaking down Fazio as a footballer, my perception is that of the lovechild of Vertonghen and Kaboul. Technically good with the ball at his feet, he's also a mountain in the air. The perception that quick defenders are the holy grail of a successful high-pressing game are a myth. The best defenders in the world aren't renowned speed-kings . Positioning and spatial awareness are far more valuable assets.
Stambouli is allegedly in the mould of Schneiderlin. A raw gem, albeit a little rough around the edges. According to the press he represents great value and when have they ever wrongly over-hyped a player? Aside from this I feel our chances of developing younger more 'promising' players are far more prosperous with Pochettino and his coaching team overlooking this development than I ever would under Sherwood or Redknapp. AVB is another debate.
Pre-summer, our most pressing areas to add to were arguably left back and centre back. On paper, we've done this with relative success. Abraham Maslow theorised that human motivation can be listed in a 'hierarchy of needs'. This theory identified that the 'basic needs' (such as living) must be met before more complex needs are required (such as self-actualization). We arguably fulfilled our basic needs of a left-back and centre-back, before suddenly demanding a more complex need in a striker as the window wore on.
We have three forwards but play just one in our current system. It's clear that we showed an interest in Jay Rodriguez of Southampton but with his injury naturally showing cause for concern, we decided against making a move. Talks of a January move make far more logical sense as it provides us with 4 months worth of assessment. During this period, we have to show some faith that our £26m striker can provide the return we've been crying out for for 12 months. We have to also hope that Adebayor can hit the heights consistently that we know he can and Harry Kane can continue showing promise whenever he plays in the lilywhite.
If these 3 forwards can't produce the goods then the January window will provide us with a golden opportunity in which to fulfil this renewed 'basic need'. A striker would've been a nice touch to finalize the window but the money evidently wasn't there to bring in the type of forward we'd have wanted.
It's easy to forget that we brought in Pochettino to exploit the talents of the individuals in the squad and mould them into a football team. The signs have been there. Its early days, but hopefully the finished image of the Pochettino puzzle will be that of sheer beauty.
Monday, 18 August 2014
We survived.
West Ham on the opening day. I've seen prettier sites checking the bottom of my shoe to see if I'd just stepped in dog shit. I wrote a piece detailing how, although pre-season results shouldn't be given an inch of your time (and they shouldn't), the style and system in which we approach these games inherently should. This game seemingly worked try and go out of its' way to contradict literally every word I wrote.
Although, that wasn't quite what was top of my mind when I was watching us play at West Ham. I couldn't help but imagining the dangerously unsettling comparisons between our performance across the 90 minutes and the regular drivel we had to endure under Sherwood. The notable thing that we did manage to avoid was an all too typical collapse at the first sniff of danger. The game almost reminded me of the Cardiff away fixture last season. We flattered to deceive for much of it before a new boy popped up and scored a late winner.
That first sniff of danger was our back four. Hands up at the end of last season who'd have predicted Naughton & Rose would be starting our first Premier League of the new season. Neither did I. Kaboul, sadly, is not the player he was in 2011/2012 & the wildcard that is Eric Dier could be hit or miss.
I must've watched this game with my hands over my eyes because up until Naughton saw red, I've been informed that we were doing admirably up until this point. I remember us being slack in possession and moving the ball at a snail pace. We looked a minor shadow of ourselves system wise that we saw more or less in every pre-season fixture. It wasn't the fact that we even put into practice this fresh approach and West Ham stifled it, it was more that we lacked the confidence to try and put it into practice in the first place.
We'd seen a far more pragmatic side that were more direct in their passing style but we struggled to get out of our final third at times on Saturday. We lacked that extra midfield option when the defence had the ball or lacked that option in the final third when Bentaleb came deep to collect that first pass. Maybe pushing Capoue back into CB affected this but we struggled even at 11 vs. 11.
We've big hopes for Lamela this year but I feel giving him this seemingly free role almost stifles Eriksen's effectiveness in the final third. Lamela consistently picked up the ball but struggled to know his next move when receiving and often tried too hard to impress. He'd miss the more simple-yet-effective ball more often than not and looked a little lost positionally when out of possession. I maintain that giving him a permanent role right would allow him to work on his game as well as a role that would exploit the best of Erik as well as the system we're trying to implement. This would further allow Eriksen to adopt a more permanent role centrally and allow him to flourish where he is arguably his most dangerous.
Maybe the system needs time. In fact, there's no doubt it does. One player that slotted like he'd been at the club for years was Eric Dier. His positioning, no-nonsense attitude and versatility were exceptional. Considering his debut was arguably made all the more difficult as he was forced to shift over to RB when Naughton did see red, he performed admirably in his first outing.
It's always satisfying to pick up three points on the opening day but I think it's understandable to expect the more pragmatic approach we'd seen in pre-season to be adopted more regularly as time proceeds. We've still to welcome back a host of players from the World Cup as well as a couple of weeks left of this window. The signals have definitely been quietly optimistic, but it's clear that time is still the most valuable thing Pochettino needs at his disposal.
Regards,
Ben
Although, that wasn't quite what was top of my mind when I was watching us play at West Ham. I couldn't help but imagining the dangerously unsettling comparisons between our performance across the 90 minutes and the regular drivel we had to endure under Sherwood. The notable thing that we did manage to avoid was an all too typical collapse at the first sniff of danger. The game almost reminded me of the Cardiff away fixture last season. We flattered to deceive for much of it before a new boy popped up and scored a late winner.
That first sniff of danger was our back four. Hands up at the end of last season who'd have predicted Naughton & Rose would be starting our first Premier League of the new season. Neither did I. Kaboul, sadly, is not the player he was in 2011/2012 & the wildcard that is Eric Dier could be hit or miss.
I must've watched this game with my hands over my eyes because up until Naughton saw red, I've been informed that we were doing admirably up until this point. I remember us being slack in possession and moving the ball at a snail pace. We looked a minor shadow of ourselves system wise that we saw more or less in every pre-season fixture. It wasn't the fact that we even put into practice this fresh approach and West Ham stifled it, it was more that we lacked the confidence to try and put it into practice in the first place.
We'd seen a far more pragmatic side that were more direct in their passing style but we struggled to get out of our final third at times on Saturday. We lacked that extra midfield option when the defence had the ball or lacked that option in the final third when Bentaleb came deep to collect that first pass. Maybe pushing Capoue back into CB affected this but we struggled even at 11 vs. 11.
We've big hopes for Lamela this year but I feel giving him this seemingly free role almost stifles Eriksen's effectiveness in the final third. Lamela consistently picked up the ball but struggled to know his next move when receiving and often tried too hard to impress. He'd miss the more simple-yet-effective ball more often than not and looked a little lost positionally when out of possession. I maintain that giving him a permanent role right would allow him to work on his game as well as a role that would exploit the best of Erik as well as the system we're trying to implement. This would further allow Eriksen to adopt a more permanent role centrally and allow him to flourish where he is arguably his most dangerous.
Maybe the system needs time. In fact, there's no doubt it does. One player that slotted like he'd been at the club for years was Eric Dier. His positioning, no-nonsense attitude and versatility were exceptional. Considering his debut was arguably made all the more difficult as he was forced to shift over to RB when Naughton did see red, he performed admirably in his first outing.
It's always satisfying to pick up three points on the opening day but I think it's understandable to expect the more pragmatic approach we'd seen in pre-season to be adopted more regularly as time proceeds. We've still to welcome back a host of players from the World Cup as well as a couple of weeks left of this window. The signals have definitely been quietly optimistic, but it's clear that time is still the most valuable thing Pochettino needs at his disposal.
Regards,
Ben
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
Diluted expectation.
It's been an uncharacteristically low-key and rather reserved summer. We more or less wrapped up our managerial appointment early and saved ourselves a shadow fewer and a 'saga' less than we've known to expect of latter years. We should probably thank the World Cup for this. The fact it's essentially prevented Neil Ashton from inking poison on to the back pages of the Mail has certainly ensured my enthusiasm for the tournament has remained consistent.
Although come next week and we can only expect the usual pathogens to breed more bollocks on to toilet paper and bleed the eyes of the unfortunate reader. We're fully aware of the vicious circle we fall into every summer. Is it a sign of improvement that these calibre of players are happy to join Tottenham Hotspur or that these players are more wiling to use us as a stepping stone to then fuck off into the sunset? Probably the latter.
But Pochettino's short tenure at Spurs thus far has taught me that we don't need to have our manager bleating the same soundbites of league titles and Champions League qualification for me to feel a sense of warmth and quiet optimism towards him, subjectively speaking. I almost feel as though our greatest ever optimum opportunity in which to establish ourselves firmly within the seemingly intimidating presence of the top 4 has essentially been and gone. I don't see this as a negative though.
Our expectations in recent years have poisoned the atmosphere at White Hart Lane. It becomes more of a chore to enjoy a game and this, possibly, may be the first season in many in which expectation is more aspiration. Content at top 6 is bluntly realistic. The competition for the Champions League and its' riches via Premier League qualification seems more than an arms lengths out of reach. Our arguably more modest and realistic goals for the forthcoming season may ease the previous burden of weighted expectation and allow us to thrive in a more structured environment.
So where do our main priorities lie? The recent survey sent out by THST (that you should definitely fill out here if you haven't yet) asks fans where their personal priorities lie for this season. I felt torn on this one. On a previous question I'd answered that I felt '"dissatisfied" at the atmosphere at White Hart Lane at present and, in reality, a good league run would help to an extent to cure this - but only in the short-term. In Fact, I placed the FA Cup and Europa League above the Premier League in preference. Have I contradicted myself? Arguably, but I hate how we seemingly can't have a fairly average run in the league anymore and still have White Hart Lane as a fortress as we did in the past.
Pochettino's appointment excites me. Not because I think we'll be world leaders under him though. We've craved structure and preparation prior to fixtures. We certainly didn't utilize our squad to the full last season under a manager that struggled to know how to implement them best. Hopefully we'll bring more attractive football back to White Hart Lane and with this a snowball effect of injected enthusiasm into the fans that could roar the side on in the league and cups.
A combination of more modest expectations behind a manager that will pay more thorough attention to detail could (again) be a mix we've desperately required. We've finally reached a point in time in which 'how long' our manager will be given has slowly been swept under the carpet, well - for now. For the moment we seem content to sit back and just see what happens, maybe we could enjoy the company of our football team again.
Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here
Although come next week and we can only expect the usual pathogens to breed more bollocks on to toilet paper and bleed the eyes of the unfortunate reader. We're fully aware of the vicious circle we fall into every summer. Is it a sign of improvement that these calibre of players are happy to join Tottenham Hotspur or that these players are more wiling to use us as a stepping stone to then fuck off into the sunset? Probably the latter.
But Pochettino's short tenure at Spurs thus far has taught me that we don't need to have our manager bleating the same soundbites of league titles and Champions League qualification for me to feel a sense of warmth and quiet optimism towards him, subjectively speaking. I almost feel as though our greatest ever optimum opportunity in which to establish ourselves firmly within the seemingly intimidating presence of the top 4 has essentially been and gone. I don't see this as a negative though.
Our expectations in recent years have poisoned the atmosphere at White Hart Lane. It becomes more of a chore to enjoy a game and this, possibly, may be the first season in many in which expectation is more aspiration. Content at top 6 is bluntly realistic. The competition for the Champions League and its' riches via Premier League qualification seems more than an arms lengths out of reach. Our arguably more modest and realistic goals for the forthcoming season may ease the previous burden of weighted expectation and allow us to thrive in a more structured environment.
So where do our main priorities lie? The recent survey sent out by THST (that you should definitely fill out here if you haven't yet) asks fans where their personal priorities lie for this season. I felt torn on this one. On a previous question I'd answered that I felt '"dissatisfied" at the atmosphere at White Hart Lane at present and, in reality, a good league run would help to an extent to cure this - but only in the short-term. In Fact, I placed the FA Cup and Europa League above the Premier League in preference. Have I contradicted myself? Arguably, but I hate how we seemingly can't have a fairly average run in the league anymore and still have White Hart Lane as a fortress as we did in the past.
Pochettino's appointment excites me. Not because I think we'll be world leaders under him though. We've craved structure and preparation prior to fixtures. We certainly didn't utilize our squad to the full last season under a manager that struggled to know how to implement them best. Hopefully we'll bring more attractive football back to White Hart Lane and with this a snowball effect of injected enthusiasm into the fans that could roar the side on in the league and cups.
A combination of more modest expectations behind a manager that will pay more thorough attention to detail could (again) be a mix we've desperately required. We've finally reached a point in time in which 'how long' our manager will be given has slowly been swept under the carpet, well - for now. For the moment we seem content to sit back and just see what happens, maybe we could enjoy the company of our football team again.
Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here
Monday, 2 June 2014
I want to enjoy Spurs again.
Very rarely have I felt a season concluded in which the word 'bittersweet' could paint the story of how we rounded a largely anticlimactic spell that, on the whole, redefined disappointment. That is 99% bitter with a sprinkle of sweetness on top after Sherwood's sacking. I maintain Tim Sherwood's abrupt arrival was through unravelling a chocolate bar and finding a glistening golden ticket staring at him in the face. The ticket revealed a unique CRN and a bar code that granted exclusive (limited-time) access to the Head Coach position of Tottenham Hotspur. A poison chalice, yet a seat that offers such lucrative wealth it forever remains in demand.
A tenure so brief that all Sherwood seemed to have taken from it was a win percentage and a rife of publicity that, in large, constructed bridges with the media and dismantled any ounce of harmony that existed within the squad. Hold for applause. We quickly became isolated. Hibernating away until the overcast and disappointment had temporarily become dormant once more. The season finished and soon after the clouds departed with Sherwood out of White Hart Lane, allowing the sun, as well as our usual cautious optimism, to re-emerge.
It is a season as typical as this that inherently begs the questions of our expectations as fans. Have our expectations smothered our aspirations to the point where we're suffocating our own realism? You wouldn't bet against it. In truth, this hasn't been the worst season as a Spurs fan, but the feeling is just that. It's the feeling of thorough disappointment. Our heart and soul are placed delicately in the grubby, unforgiving and Stubhub-tattooed hands of a football club that has the capacity to crush them at the sound of a referees whistle. We've qualified for Europe, again, yet it reveals a more disheartening outlook when the path most trodden is one full with fans that do not want it.
Our success is always relative. Achieving 4th position in the league isn't 'success' but is 'relative success'. The money that's succumbed the souls of far too many clubs now dictate that even being in the Premier League is 'success'. It does beg the question though, where do our expectations lye? You look at the league table and argue that there are 7 clubs that will be pursuing the top 4 positions of the league. The strength of the opposition naturally exponentiates every year, excusing United's expected anomaly of a season.
The story of the season said so much more about a few underlying traits of the football club that we want sewn into the DNA. We want to enjoy supporting the Football Club again. It's that word 'enjoyment' that has been so lost in arguments between finances, net spend, league positions, transfers and management that we've forgotten to enjoy having the opportunity to grace the sacred ground and bellow our support at whoever encompasses the shirt.
We want to finish the season with a sense of nostalgia, inherently disappointed that we won't see another game for a few months. We want to be so wrapped up with the club that everything else naturally becomes of second importance. It's difficult to enjoy visiting the ground and watching the side when there remains so much doubt injected into our blood. The doubt has shaped and re-shaped our perception of an unloving club but one we could never outright unlove. The love remains but the enthusiasm sat on a cliff edge, by the end of season it was hanging on for dear life and only the outstretched arm of Pochettino may have reinvigorated it once more.
We'd hit a temporary identity crisis. Temporary being largely the operative word. Our performances have tipped the balance between distinctly monotonous and overwhelmingly flamboyant. A medium between the two would be a welcomed arrival. Preparation and a consistent first eleven will encourage a growing identity we can latch on to. Hopefully the perception of unrest will (again) be buried deep with the memory of Tim Sherwood and his time in charge. In Mauricio Pochettino we may finally have the ingredients to do this but are once more testing an unknown recipe. We can only sit back and ponder as to whether this will finally be our dream dish.
Regards
Ben
A tenure so brief that all Sherwood seemed to have taken from it was a win percentage and a rife of publicity that, in large, constructed bridges with the media and dismantled any ounce of harmony that existed within the squad. Hold for applause. We quickly became isolated. Hibernating away until the overcast and disappointment had temporarily become dormant once more. The season finished and soon after the clouds departed with Sherwood out of White Hart Lane, allowing the sun, as well as our usual cautious optimism, to re-emerge.
It is a season as typical as this that inherently begs the questions of our expectations as fans. Have our expectations smothered our aspirations to the point where we're suffocating our own realism? You wouldn't bet against it. In truth, this hasn't been the worst season as a Spurs fan, but the feeling is just that. It's the feeling of thorough disappointment. Our heart and soul are placed delicately in the grubby, unforgiving and Stubhub-tattooed hands of a football club that has the capacity to crush them at the sound of a referees whistle. We've qualified for Europe, again, yet it reveals a more disheartening outlook when the path most trodden is one full with fans that do not want it.
Our success is always relative. Achieving 4th position in the league isn't 'success' but is 'relative success'. The money that's succumbed the souls of far too many clubs now dictate that even being in the Premier League is 'success'. It does beg the question though, where do our expectations lye? You look at the league table and argue that there are 7 clubs that will be pursuing the top 4 positions of the league. The strength of the opposition naturally exponentiates every year, excusing United's expected anomaly of a season.
The story of the season said so much more about a few underlying traits of the football club that we want sewn into the DNA. We want to enjoy supporting the Football Club again. It's that word 'enjoyment' that has been so lost in arguments between finances, net spend, league positions, transfers and management that we've forgotten to enjoy having the opportunity to grace the sacred ground and bellow our support at whoever encompasses the shirt.
We want to finish the season with a sense of nostalgia, inherently disappointed that we won't see another game for a few months. We want to be so wrapped up with the club that everything else naturally becomes of second importance. It's difficult to enjoy visiting the ground and watching the side when there remains so much doubt injected into our blood. The doubt has shaped and re-shaped our perception of an unloving club but one we could never outright unlove. The love remains but the enthusiasm sat on a cliff edge, by the end of season it was hanging on for dear life and only the outstretched arm of Pochettino may have reinvigorated it once more.
We'd hit a temporary identity crisis. Temporary being largely the operative word. Our performances have tipped the balance between distinctly monotonous and overwhelmingly flamboyant. A medium between the two would be a welcomed arrival. Preparation and a consistent first eleven will encourage a growing identity we can latch on to. Hopefully the perception of unrest will (again) be buried deep with the memory of Tim Sherwood and his time in charge. In Mauricio Pochettino we may finally have the ingredients to do this but are once more testing an unknown recipe. We can only sit back and ponder as to whether this will finally be our dream dish.
Regards
Ben
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Spurs need to change this, desperately.
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
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
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Investment desperately needed.
I've failed to write on here for a perceived prolonged period of time now. Those unfortunate enough to regularly follow my Twitter feed will know that my feeling towards Spurs have touched the tip of alienation, but not the usual Spurs alienation. I don't feel bereaved at losing football matches. This is contained in the small print upon signing a life-long Spurs supporters contract. I feel more bereaved at the feeling of losing touch with the football club that I once felt was nestled so tightly within my heart.
Don't have me mistaken. My support for the club remains without doubt. Although I feel like the club have gone to lengths to push supporters to the point of the abyss. They want us to jump but we can't and never would. We were sold and continuously fed lies. The disappointment resembles that of a young child on holiday with their parents and picking up a football jersey on the street market before returning home and realising it's a fake. We were led down untouched paths that were born on false hope.
March had long been labelled as season-defining. March. Our relative 'achievements' last year look so much more glossy than they did last summer. They were suppose to be the platform we kicked on (again) and (finally) finished in the top 4. That bloody top 4. When did finishing outside of 1st bare any relevance?
We're mid-way through our season-defining month and have lost three games from three. We're set to face Benfica with our heads placed underneath the guillotine. The outcome is more likely to be a messy affair with viewer discretion strongly advised than it is to show a Spurs resolve. Our season has already set-up base in a care home and we can't expect much from it. It's clear we've lacked any real direction this year. We've cut a project in two at the first sign of trouble and forced ourselves into a retreat.
I struggled to take a positive from the Arsenal game. The players showed more heart than they had done in the past, but surely this is the minimum you'd expect to see on show against them. It's an effective metaphor settling for a bit of fight and desire in a NLD. It shows our fragile nature. Our legs failed to carry the weight of our own expectation. There's no leader in the side to pick up the pieces. There's no manager to galvanise. A sparkling light in a dark and unwelcoming prison cell of a season is Christian Eriksen. Our optimism falls with this one special player. A side built around him would be a blessing. But can we afford another rebuild? Can we afford to tear down the walls we'd invested in last summer and try again?
We've a manager at the helm that struggles to play against organised sides. He struggles to identify the key threats in an opponent and suffocate them. We play purely our own game on the ball, but this is half the job. We're vulnerable, nervous and lack the spark we were once associated with. I'd initially grown cautiously optimistic at times under Tim but it's looking more and more that the good few pockets of positive play we'd had in the second half of the season were produced from the quality of player we have at our disposal.
We've spurned the opportunity to extend our gap between ourselves and Liverpool. We've passed on investments we should've made. We've arguably been set-back a good few years. An investment in the trust and patience of one man to get us achieving above and beyond our expectations is certifiably required. But it needs to be the right man. We need a presence on the touchline. A respected leader. Someone with a tactical edge and winning mentality.
I'll throw my penny in the well and wish for the best. It's all we've got left.
Regards
Ben
Don't have me mistaken. My support for the club remains without doubt. Although I feel like the club have gone to lengths to push supporters to the point of the abyss. They want us to jump but we can't and never would. We were sold and continuously fed lies. The disappointment resembles that of a young child on holiday with their parents and picking up a football jersey on the street market before returning home and realising it's a fake. We were led down untouched paths that were born on false hope.
March had long been labelled as season-defining. March. Our relative 'achievements' last year look so much more glossy than they did last summer. They were suppose to be the platform we kicked on (again) and (finally) finished in the top 4. That bloody top 4. When did finishing outside of 1st bare any relevance?
We're mid-way through our season-defining month and have lost three games from three. We're set to face Benfica with our heads placed underneath the guillotine. The outcome is more likely to be a messy affair with viewer discretion strongly advised than it is to show a Spurs resolve. Our season has already set-up base in a care home and we can't expect much from it. It's clear we've lacked any real direction this year. We've cut a project in two at the first sign of trouble and forced ourselves into a retreat.
I struggled to take a positive from the Arsenal game. The players showed more heart than they had done in the past, but surely this is the minimum you'd expect to see on show against them. It's an effective metaphor settling for a bit of fight and desire in a NLD. It shows our fragile nature. Our legs failed to carry the weight of our own expectation. There's no leader in the side to pick up the pieces. There's no manager to galvanise. A sparkling light in a dark and unwelcoming prison cell of a season is Christian Eriksen. Our optimism falls with this one special player. A side built around him would be a blessing. But can we afford another rebuild? Can we afford to tear down the walls we'd invested in last summer and try again?
We've a manager at the helm that struggles to play against organised sides. He struggles to identify the key threats in an opponent and suffocate them. We play purely our own game on the ball, but this is half the job. We're vulnerable, nervous and lack the spark we were once associated with. I'd initially grown cautiously optimistic at times under Tim but it's looking more and more that the good few pockets of positive play we'd had in the second half of the season were produced from the quality of player we have at our disposal.
We've spurned the opportunity to extend our gap between ourselves and Liverpool. We've passed on investments we should've made. We've arguably been set-back a good few years. An investment in the trust and patience of one man to get us achieving above and beyond our expectations is certifiably required. But it needs to be the right man. We need a presence on the touchline. A respected leader. Someone with a tactical edge and winning mentality.
I'll throw my penny in the well and wish for the best. It's all we've got left.
Regards
Ben
Monday, 30 December 2013
Change is good.
Those of you that actively follow me on Twitter or read my piece for Spurs Stat Man here would understand that I held immediate concerns and strong apprehension amongst Sherwood's full-time appointment. In the short-term he was the only real viable option and Levy had dug himself into a hole without an apparent long-term direction for the football club. I welcomed the introduction of Adebayor alongside Soldado although I strongly felt/still feel that the 4-4-2 previously being employed was not exploiting the talent that we have at our disposal.
The game against West Brom highlighted this. We were far too easy to play against and didn't look organised in midfield as well as being clueless in the final third. Although, against an admittedly poor Stoke side, we looked a fresh outfit. Sherwood's reaction as well as his acknowledgement to change the side and employ a more flexible system against Stoke was a strong positive to see.
Dembele and Paulinho took turns to sit and advance, closing up any space Stoke had in the middle of the pitch and facilitating our attacks. In truth, this is where we exploit the best of Dembele and it's surprising that we don't see him scoring more goals than he does. Hopefully this license to drive from midfield as he did so well last year will enable us to be more clinical in the final third than we have been in general this season. The attributes are there, we just need him operating in his strongest areas of the pitch.
We're slowly seeing more of Eriksen as the season progresses and it's becoming easier to forget that the Dane is just 21. This side tended to drift away from the 4-4-2 operated against West Brom and Eriksen was given license to tuck in behind Soldado and to operate centrally. With Adebayor dropping in to an advance midfield role as we know he can so well, it was a pleasure to see him and Eriksen on the ball and feeding in others. Two players that fully appreciate the lack of shackles bounded around their ankles. The general consensus was that we were far more organised against Stoke, something we distinctly lacked against West Brom, and hopefully this is another building block to implementing a system and a regular first XI.
What brought about more confidence was the interview Dembele gave regarding Sherwood post-Stoke.
"He's not been with us long, but he's made some adjustments and he's talked with us a lot." - This suggesting Sherwood is still open to the idea of implementing a different system to suit the players who welcome the communication and the open-mindedness.
"He gives us confidence to play our own game and to attack while remaining organised." - In truth, the players seem to struggle with self-belief towards the end of AVB's reign and it's positive to see that the confidence is being restored. It'll be the reaction after a defeat from here on in that will be the biggest test. Also to note that Dembele has mentioned about the organisation whilst attacking, something distinctly missing against West Brom but evident against Stoke.
"We're playing in a very attacking way, but he makes sure we're organised. You can't all attack at once, so he explains it to us and we train that way." - More emphasises on the organisation of the side which will be given a huge test at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
It's frustrating to see us continually in a transition although it's positive to see an open and confident response to an unsettling two or so weeks at the club. Sherwood has sought to lay down the organisation in the side and the next step will be selecting a consistent XI and arguably finding how to best exploit Eric Lamela.
I'd be tempted to label our set-up against Stoke as a 4-2-3-1 with Adebayor dropping in the front three behind Soldado. His free role in the team makes it difficult for him to be picked up by defenders and also supports the midfielders in attack. Soldado's movement still lacks a real cutting edge but he's made notable improvements in the last two weeks under Sherwood and hopefully we'll see the best of him in 2014.
United and Arsenal will be two real tests for Sherwood that have arguably come slightly prematurely. He's stabilised the train and we no longer look to be falling off the rails. Although we've experienced some very poor performances under his brief time in charge and hopefully these have been addressed. Sherwood knows he's little to lose during his time in charge of the club and this was reflected in our last outing against Stoke as we played with far more confidence and conviction as well as looking far more settled and organised than we have done for a few months.
We'll need both discipline and ruthlessness if we're to get a sniff of a point on Wednesday. We've the personnel to over-power their midfield and create the chances although have looked a little suspect at the back at times. Grabbing the chances we do get by the lower regions and smothering United will be key but I predict a very open game.
It's hard to see how this side will approach the tougher fixtures that await us. The arguably reduced expectation can only be seen as a positive.
Regards,
Ben - you can follow me on Twitter here
The game against West Brom highlighted this. We were far too easy to play against and didn't look organised in midfield as well as being clueless in the final third. Although, against an admittedly poor Stoke side, we looked a fresh outfit. Sherwood's reaction as well as his acknowledgement to change the side and employ a more flexible system against Stoke was a strong positive to see.
Dembele and Paulinho took turns to sit and advance, closing up any space Stoke had in the middle of the pitch and facilitating our attacks. In truth, this is where we exploit the best of Dembele and it's surprising that we don't see him scoring more goals than he does. Hopefully this license to drive from midfield as he did so well last year will enable us to be more clinical in the final third than we have been in general this season. The attributes are there, we just need him operating in his strongest areas of the pitch.
We're slowly seeing more of Eriksen as the season progresses and it's becoming easier to forget that the Dane is just 21. This side tended to drift away from the 4-4-2 operated against West Brom and Eriksen was given license to tuck in behind Soldado and to operate centrally. With Adebayor dropping in to an advance midfield role as we know he can so well, it was a pleasure to see him and Eriksen on the ball and feeding in others. Two players that fully appreciate the lack of shackles bounded around their ankles. The general consensus was that we were far more organised against Stoke, something we distinctly lacked against West Brom, and hopefully this is another building block to implementing a system and a regular first XI.
What brought about more confidence was the interview Dembele gave regarding Sherwood post-Stoke.
"He's not been with us long, but he's made some adjustments and he's talked with us a lot." - This suggesting Sherwood is still open to the idea of implementing a different system to suit the players who welcome the communication and the open-mindedness.
"He gives us confidence to play our own game and to attack while remaining organised." - In truth, the players seem to struggle with self-belief towards the end of AVB's reign and it's positive to see that the confidence is being restored. It'll be the reaction after a defeat from here on in that will be the biggest test. Also to note that Dembele has mentioned about the organisation whilst attacking, something distinctly missing against West Brom but evident against Stoke.
"We're playing in a very attacking way, but he makes sure we're organised. You can't all attack at once, so he explains it to us and we train that way." - More emphasises on the organisation of the side which will be given a huge test at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
It's frustrating to see us continually in a transition although it's positive to see an open and confident response to an unsettling two or so weeks at the club. Sherwood has sought to lay down the organisation in the side and the next step will be selecting a consistent XI and arguably finding how to best exploit Eric Lamela.
I'd be tempted to label our set-up against Stoke as a 4-2-3-1 with Adebayor dropping in the front three behind Soldado. His free role in the team makes it difficult for him to be picked up by defenders and also supports the midfielders in attack. Soldado's movement still lacks a real cutting edge but he's made notable improvements in the last two weeks under Sherwood and hopefully we'll see the best of him in 2014.
United and Arsenal will be two real tests for Sherwood that have arguably come slightly prematurely. He's stabilised the train and we no longer look to be falling off the rails. Although we've experienced some very poor performances under his brief time in charge and hopefully these have been addressed. Sherwood knows he's little to lose during his time in charge of the club and this was reflected in our last outing against Stoke as we played with far more confidence and conviction as well as looking far more settled and organised than we have done for a few months.
We'll need both discipline and ruthlessness if we're to get a sniff of a point on Wednesday. We've the personnel to over-power their midfield and create the chances although have looked a little suspect at the back at times. Grabbing the chances we do get by the lower regions and smothering United will be key but I predict a very open game.
It's hard to see how this side will approach the tougher fixtures that await us. The arguably reduced expectation can only be seen as a positive.
Regards,
Ben - you can follow me on Twitter here
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
Monday, 7 October 2013
Bewildered.
No lasagna to blame. No scapegoat to point towards - although I saw some attempt berated towards Michael Dawson. We lost in quite emphatic style. I was slowly adjusting to this gritty-just-about-hanging-on Spurs. It was growing on me, slowly becoming an expectation - a reality - would we battle a whole Premier League season biting nails and pulling hair out? No. The rather bewildering defeat to West Ham may ironically be the defeat we needed to kick us into shape. We'd started to look a little lacklustre in our play, lacking that bite in midfield and that emphasis to get the ball into the final third and find that final pass. We buckled miserably against a disciplined West Ham side. We lacked invention at times it was required the most and couldn't break down an ever growing brick wall.
Was it tactical or was it fan pressure? AVB rarely gives away a lot and his introduction to begin Jermain did fathom an element of surprise. He'd been scoring goals. The opposition understandably questionable but in all fairness you can only score against what's in front of you. The issue I found, for me, was that it wasn't the forward that was the issue but the supply for that forward. Eriksen had yet to fully click with Soldado and only time will build this relationship between the two. Defoe mustard a similar frustration, gaining just one clear cut chance in which he should've punished West Ham. His fault, our midfield's fault or West Ham's impeccable tactics? You tell me. As the game progressed Defoe dropped deeper into the number 10 role, relieving West Ham's defence of a forward to keep an eye on, forcing them higher up and making it easier to break.
With Dembele & Paulinho operating similar roles we looked incredibly exposed. Paulinho initially started further forward and made some intelligent runs without being found too much or blazing some abysmal shots way wide of the target. Dembele has played the majority of the season thus far and we could've possibly utilised more bite in the centre as well as a deeper creative outlet. Hotlby's starting to show more of the disciplined player that experienced an early run of successful form for Schalke and this game seemed to be set up nicely in which to start from.
But do we change a winning formula?
Our system remained constant, the players were there but there was no psychological emphasis to win this game. We didn't look bothered. I still fully believe that a 4-2-3-1 is a system that can bring the best out of our players. It's likely we won't know our best 11 until around Christmas. We've barely seen the tip of the Lamela iceberg and Eriksen is still embedding into our style. The problem falls that with so much money invested there's immediate pressure for success. Time is shortening, we naturally demand more as our expectations heighten with so much expenditure.
I wouldn't pin yesterday's defeat down to one particular person. It was an abysmal team performance. Townsend proving one less terrible performance in a team of terrible performances - to put bluntly. So where do we go from now? Sandro? I'd fight the point that Dembele and Paulinho were more than capable of bossing yesterday's midfield but had a severe off day. We'll want a big reaction, expect even and I can only envisage a change or two from AVB.
The international break has probably fallen about on time. We've time to brush ourselves down and regroup in over a week. A bad defeat, maybe the reaction will help shape our season in the long run.
Onwards.
Ben
Was it tactical or was it fan pressure? AVB rarely gives away a lot and his introduction to begin Jermain did fathom an element of surprise. He'd been scoring goals. The opposition understandably questionable but in all fairness you can only score against what's in front of you. The issue I found, for me, was that it wasn't the forward that was the issue but the supply for that forward. Eriksen had yet to fully click with Soldado and only time will build this relationship between the two. Defoe mustard a similar frustration, gaining just one clear cut chance in which he should've punished West Ham. His fault, our midfield's fault or West Ham's impeccable tactics? You tell me. As the game progressed Defoe dropped deeper into the number 10 role, relieving West Ham's defence of a forward to keep an eye on, forcing them higher up and making it easier to break.
With Dembele & Paulinho operating similar roles we looked incredibly exposed. Paulinho initially started further forward and made some intelligent runs without being found too much or blazing some abysmal shots way wide of the target. Dembele has played the majority of the season thus far and we could've possibly utilised more bite in the centre as well as a deeper creative outlet. Hotlby's starting to show more of the disciplined player that experienced an early run of successful form for Schalke and this game seemed to be set up nicely in which to start from.
But do we change a winning formula?
Our system remained constant, the players were there but there was no psychological emphasis to win this game. We didn't look bothered. I still fully believe that a 4-2-3-1 is a system that can bring the best out of our players. It's likely we won't know our best 11 until around Christmas. We've barely seen the tip of the Lamela iceberg and Eriksen is still embedding into our style. The problem falls that with so much money invested there's immediate pressure for success. Time is shortening, we naturally demand more as our expectations heighten with so much expenditure.
I wouldn't pin yesterday's defeat down to one particular person. It was an abysmal team performance. Townsend proving one less terrible performance in a team of terrible performances - to put bluntly. So where do we go from now? Sandro? I'd fight the point that Dembele and Paulinho were more than capable of bossing yesterday's midfield but had a severe off day. We'll want a big reaction, expect even and I can only envisage a change or two from AVB.
The international break has probably fallen about on time. We've time to brush ourselves down and regroup in over a week. A bad defeat, maybe the reaction will help shape our season in the long run.
Onwards.
Ben
Friday, 21 June 2013
Love the Game, Hate the Business
A first hand look at how Wednesday's protest against modern football descended.
A guest post from:
@liamknight
I descended on London on the train from
Norwich not only because I verge into the realms of being so far Left it’s
comical, but because I felt like I had to represent the team that I love in
what may or may not be an historic landmark in the fight against ‘modern
football’. I’d even invited my girlfriend to come with me to make a day of it
in case Spirit of Shankly’s march on Premier League HQ became a total washout
in terms of attendance. As I made my way to The Globe to meet up with the rest
of the fans attending, a huge Arsenal banner denouncing the greed of the modern
game that greeted me made me even more apprehensive about the day ahead from a
lilywhite perspective. But as the pub
slowly began to fill up (admittedly with a Scouse majority) more and more Spurs
boys came. My girlfriend, self-admittedly clueless on all things football, not
only remarked on how many people had actually turned up, but how many
supporters of different teams, some of them bitter rivals, were happily sharing
a pub and displaying their own banners without fear of trouble. What she had
seen on TV of fans fighting was nowhere to be seen. Spurs fans were next to
Arsenal fans, Liverpool fans were next to United; the pub didn’t have a tense,
pre-game atmosphere at all. Instead of fans talking about X player being shite
or Y player being a wanker, I overheard debates, most of which cross partisan,
on regulation of prices and the mistreatment of the working classes. Was this
all some sort of dream?
Banners warning that “if you tolerate this
then your children will be next” and that the ‘fat cats’ have stolen football
from the ordinary fan brilliantly summed up the mood of the day; we were fans
of teams from Crewe to United, from Everton to Leicester, all here united not
by one club but by a sense of duty on behalf of all fans, to stop the violent
commercialisation of the sport. Spurs’ main banner put this sentiment into
words perfectly; ‘Love the game, hate the business’. We wanted our football
back and we were going to march on the Premier League to get answers. There was
certainly an aura about the whole event as fans all marched towards Prem HQ. We
set off to the backdrop of a smoke bomb, all chanting. But we weren’t chanting
about our team being the greatest the world has ever seen, or that we will be
in eternal combat with a neighbouring club’s fans purely because of Boxing Day.
We were all chanting and singing in unison:
‘They don’t care about football, they don’t care about
fans, all they care about is money and brands!”.
As we made our way down the busy London
streets, the agreed nature of a ‘pavement only’ protest soon went out the
window. We moved our banners into the road and dodged passing busses, taxis and
cars as we made our way to our destination unperturbed. My girlfriend, who had
been quiet and a bit miffed by what was going on (even though she agreed with
the idea of ‘sticking it to the man’) soon fully immersed herself in the
occasion; shouting, holding up banners and sticking STAND stickers onto bus
drivers! This was a testament to the passion and commitment shown by the
protestors, and it was infectious. As we
arrived at Gloucester Place, sympathisers on the streets showed their support
even though we held up traffic with our sheer numbers. Tourists on open top
busses would cheer and wave, van and taxi drivers tooted their horns in
solidarity. The most interesting part was that the Bentleys and Jags with
tinted windows always quietly drove past, without even acknowledging we were
there. This was rapidly turning from a footballing issue to a class issue. As we ‘sat down’ because we ‘love football’ in
the middle of the road to stop traffic and increase our exposure, fan
representatives were meeting with the so-called ‘fat cats’ to air their
grievances against the state of pricing and expenses for the ordinary fan, the
rest of us waited outside for anyone to come out of the imposing black door and
give some sort of statement. Chants eventually stopped after about an hour, and
we reverted back to just talking to each other and holding up banners. A police
officer even came over to talk to us. He explained that he was a die-hard West
Ham fan and then asked whether we would be protesting again, saying tongue in
cheek that he would get more work out of it. He repeatedly expressed that he
fully sympathized with what we were doing and that he himself was ‘against
modern football’. In the current climate of police ‘bubbles’ escorting fans to
games and the whole issue of the criminalisation of the ordinary supporter,
this was a refreshing image of the police officer and the supporter together.
The camaraderie was a testament to the
ethos of the day because we were all fans united under one cause. Whilst we
still had our differences, we were able to put these behind us for one day to
protest against something that affected every single one of us. We still didn’t
exactly like each other, but we were amicable (even if sticking Spurs stickers
on Arsenal fans became the game of the day).
I came to London thinking that we would all conform to our ‘tribal’
stereotypes and remain segregated. But there I was, talking to a man in leopard
print flares and a studded jacket with “DULWICH HAMLET” painted on the back. As
surreal as this was, it was refreshing to be able to talk to fans from other
teams without being seen as weak by fellow supporters. Even the police were
friendly and were polite to us (even if they burst our beach balls). Fans brandishing megaphones (that gave more
feedback than the league ever would) encouraged us all to keep on chanting, and
although this eventually descended into “OOO BUBBLES” when we got to West Ham,
every team that was represented there felt part of the protest as a whole.
Everyone was approachable and would be happy to have a conversation ‘I’ve
always liked Spurs’ was a recurring statement from fans outside of London. This
is the polar opposite to how fans would behave towards each other on a match
day, thus showing how pressing an issue this is.
What came out of today in terms of a
response from the league was not exactly ideal, but encouraging all the same.
The fact that they acknowledged our protest by speaking to representatives is
encouraging; as is the stress on ‘stretch pricing’ where corporate fans should
really be paying through the teeth for the boxes so normal tickets can be
cheaper. But there seems to be no real call for regulation. Regulated or capped
prices would fit into the mould of financial fair play. As the organisers kept
stressing, the protest was not a one-time thing. This is just the start of
increased dialogue between the fan and the executive, hopefully something that
will bring about a change for the better in terms of both attendance at games,
atmosphere and pricing. The relaunch of
the Tottenham Supporters’ Trust is a blessing; it means we now have a body in
which to voice our concerns towards the club in a legitimate manner rather than
any attempt at a boycott would [a boycott, in my opinion, would never ever
work. You’ll always get football tourists in to fill seats if needs be…]. Joint Chairman of the Trust Darren Alexander
was one of the delegates invited into Prem HQ to discuss pricing. This can only
be seen as a step forward in making football more affordable for everyone. What
struck me most out of the day was how detached we were from what subscription
TV channels paint fans. We didn’t fight each other, we didn’t swallow whatever
Murdoch-ed information we were given. We stood up for ourselves. The amount of
press coverage we had is also a good sign. It means that the press see this as
an important enough occasion to give time and space in their rags towards,
rather than this just another protest by utopian hooligans demanding the
impossible. Whoever couldn’t make the march should just take away the title
Spirit of Shankly gave to it; the great Jock Stein quote, “Football Without
Fans Is Nothing”. When fans, clubs and the media truly believe this statement,
maybe the monster that is ‘calcio moderno’ will be tamed. This is just the
beginning.
A guest post by: @liamknight
Sunday, 24 February 2013
Dangers.
We sailed away from France after stealing a draw in Lyon which gave us a smug 3-2 win on aggregate. Friedel reportedly fighting his way past the stewards to join in the celebrations with us in the stands. He loved it just as much as we did. What was more surprising than actually seeing Spurs manage to hold their nerve to qualify was seeing us score two important goals on 90+ minutes. We've finally moulded/in the process of moulding a side that plays the game for over 90 minutes. We've sought to eliminate the anguish of late defeats and disappointment that the past has presented on so many occasions.
We have the ability. We have the players. Will it be too much to ask for a squad that hasn't even had a year together to break back into the Champions League and/or finish above the neighbours that have looked below themselves at us for so many years? Confidence and self-belief is key. This is one key we mustn't misplace any time soon. Mentally we know that Arsenal can prove fragile, but they've shown they can push on just enough to scramble over the finish line. They've almost become experts at doing marginally enough. A far-cry from regular league challengers.
The past saw us more fragile than China dolls at times. Even falling to a heavy defeat in the FA Cup Semi Final last year was poor after dominating so much of the game before falling behind. Apologies for re-living that nightmare.
We enter a notoriously anxious and nervy period. The last few years has seen us exhausted of ideas around this period. Most of the players seemed as though they're already laying on a beach, soaking up a millionaire's lifestyle under the glaring sun half-way across the world. Some argue we lost 3rd place last year when we bottled a 2 goal advantage at Arsenal last year, I feel we lost it at the Etihad. Memories of the Defoe chance and Ledley's foul still fresh and lingering, unfortunately.
We've a fresh breed of confidence. A new backroom staff, new players and a renewed belief that this *again* may be the season we achieve what we've set out to do. We've kept our feet firmly on the floor. Lead has been found present in the soles of the players' footwear. Bale's been hitting just a bit of form lately, but off the pitch he's had a blunder. He spoke of Spurs being a "stronger team than Arsenal". There's been a history of this sort of bullish chat backfiring spectacularly. Of course, the idea is to rally the players to live up to this 'expectation', but at the same time it starts to place unnecessary pressure on the side. It gives our delightful neighbours the opportunity to disprove a statement that would've been laughed off 5 years ago. A dangerous game to play.
The progression of our club in the last 5 years has been overwhelming. In the period of great expenditure from Manchester City and continued investment from Abramovich in Chelsea, we've managed to ensure our own progress has not faltered. We've built a stable side, bought better (when we have done) on the whole and financially are complying with FFP. The decline of our close neighbours has almost been just as spectacular. Such is the financial incentive for players to maximise their earnings in a short career coinciding with a club that ensures positive financial figures are number one on the priority list mixes poorly on the pitch. Despite Arsenal being close to paying off the stadium and possibly having a war-chest to spend in the near future, little would've predicted that a side whom once went a whole season unbeaten would find themselves chasing the minnows that are Tottenham Hotspur for a top 4 finish. This seemingly no longer an anomaly but a formality.
Bale's interview was an interesting one. It can be seen here. I enjoyed reading little in the papers of players talking about the final third of the season and appreciated that the talking was being done with their feet. The side need to play with as little pressure on them as possible. Regardless of whether we break back into Europe's most prestigious competition, AVB has done a remarkable job. It's intriguing to see Bale talk of the new ground also. I don't expect him to play there, not in the lilywhite anyway, so I wouldn't look to much into that.
Hopefully this breed of confidence can shine for the remainder of the season. We first need to get through West Ham's Cup Final tomorrow night and push on from that. We've a tough run of fixtures awaiting us but it's the tough fixtures that have seen us play our better stuff.
Hopefully this formality will continue.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here.
We have the ability. We have the players. Will it be too much to ask for a squad that hasn't even had a year together to break back into the Champions League and/or finish above the neighbours that have looked below themselves at us for so many years? Confidence and self-belief is key. This is one key we mustn't misplace any time soon. Mentally we know that Arsenal can prove fragile, but they've shown they can push on just enough to scramble over the finish line. They've almost become experts at doing marginally enough. A far-cry from regular league challengers.
The past saw us more fragile than China dolls at times. Even falling to a heavy defeat in the FA Cup Semi Final last year was poor after dominating so much of the game before falling behind. Apologies for re-living that nightmare.
We enter a notoriously anxious and nervy period. The last few years has seen us exhausted of ideas around this period. Most of the players seemed as though they're already laying on a beach, soaking up a millionaire's lifestyle under the glaring sun half-way across the world. Some argue we lost 3rd place last year when we bottled a 2 goal advantage at Arsenal last year, I feel we lost it at the Etihad. Memories of the Defoe chance and Ledley's foul still fresh and lingering, unfortunately.
We've a fresh breed of confidence. A new backroom staff, new players and a renewed belief that this *again* may be the season we achieve what we've set out to do. We've kept our feet firmly on the floor. Lead has been found present in the soles of the players' footwear. Bale's been hitting just a bit of form lately, but off the pitch he's had a blunder. He spoke of Spurs being a "stronger team than Arsenal". There's been a history of this sort of bullish chat backfiring spectacularly. Of course, the idea is to rally the players to live up to this 'expectation', but at the same time it starts to place unnecessary pressure on the side. It gives our delightful neighbours the opportunity to disprove a statement that would've been laughed off 5 years ago. A dangerous game to play.
The progression of our club in the last 5 years has been overwhelming. In the period of great expenditure from Manchester City and continued investment from Abramovich in Chelsea, we've managed to ensure our own progress has not faltered. We've built a stable side, bought better (when we have done) on the whole and financially are complying with FFP. The decline of our close neighbours has almost been just as spectacular. Such is the financial incentive for players to maximise their earnings in a short career coinciding with a club that ensures positive financial figures are number one on the priority list mixes poorly on the pitch. Despite Arsenal being close to paying off the stadium and possibly having a war-chest to spend in the near future, little would've predicted that a side whom once went a whole season unbeaten would find themselves chasing the minnows that are Tottenham Hotspur for a top 4 finish. This seemingly no longer an anomaly but a formality.
Bale's interview was an interesting one. It can be seen here. I enjoyed reading little in the papers of players talking about the final third of the season and appreciated that the talking was being done with their feet. The side need to play with as little pressure on them as possible. Regardless of whether we break back into Europe's most prestigious competition, AVB has done a remarkable job. It's intriguing to see Bale talk of the new ground also. I don't expect him to play there, not in the lilywhite anyway, so I wouldn't look to much into that.
Hopefully this breed of confidence can shine for the remainder of the season. We first need to get through West Ham's Cup Final tomorrow night and push on from that. We've a tough run of fixtures awaiting us but it's the tough fixtures that have seen us play our better stuff.
Hopefully this formality will continue.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here.
Saturday, 23 February 2013
The Europa league Myth
So we found ourselves with a difficult fixture away at Lyon. Difficult for myself and two others in the sense that we nearly weren't allowed to travel to France, then delays left us reeling at missing our connecting train to Lyon, then we found the delights of not being able to check-in until 4pm. Missing the first 10 minutes of the game topped it all off. In footballing terms, I suppose this fixture would also prove just as much of an obstacle. We found sleep to be overrated anyway.
The past has seen us brandish the Europa League as almost a poison, slowly weltering our season into nothingness. A painful finale to a season that, again, offered so much promise and hope. European football once more seeping the life from the side as apparently footballers are incapable of playing two games of football a week, every other week. Athletes? Limited ones at best then.
We arrived at the "Starde De Gerrard" 10 minutes after kick-off. *Quote one Spurs fan barely able to string a sentence together*. In all honesty, the place was rocking. I struggled to pick out their family stand and stewards telling them to sit down. One goal without conceding was all Lyon needed. We knew it, the players knew it, their fans knew it. An arguable freekick just shy of twenty minutes saw Lyon grab the opportunity by the lower regions and that all-important goal they needed. Such is my pessimism, I felt we'd fall to a 2-1 defeat here with Extra-time or penalties sealing our fate. With a side battling for the French League and a renewed confidence after going 1 up, it would take a hell of a backbone to pull us back. Of course, we only ever needed one goal.
The half-time whistle was the best bit of the first half. We went in fairly disappointed. Our passing was sloppy, we didn't create too much and it looked as though the occasion was getting to us. My surprise of the second half arrived when Lyon began allowing us to keep the ball for large periods and happily sat back. Instead of seeking a second and more assurance, The French played very backs to the wall. It was almost like a very organised Stoke City side. They soon removed any recognised striker from the field and allowed us to play in front of them. Both sides keeping it very narrow. With the amount of space Benny found himself gaining out wide, it was a shame - at times- to not have Bale striking fear down the right back in that position.
On the whole this season I felt we've improved, although haven't mastered, breaking down stubborn sides. The further Lyon sat the more I felt a chance would fall our way. Would we take it? Who knew. It was very surreal to find a side of Lyon's stature and ability to be sitting in their final third and pumping the ball long. But it suited us down to the ground. Lyon reminded me of the Spurs of old, clinging desperately on to what they had to progress. They became more nervy, more anxious. I'd always gathered the impression that Lyon's 'keeper Vercoutre was a little like our own Gomes - a bit unpredictable. Strikes from range worried him. As the game wore on I felt just a sniff was what we needed. I've banged on so much of late about the mental strength and the re-ignited belief the Spurs of the present seem to play with. In the 90th minute, Dembele gave us just what we deserved. My mate made a good point in that in a League game an equaliser is great as you go from 0 points to 1 point. In a knockout game we went from crashing out and total defeat in terms of away goals on 89 minutes to qualifying and a total win on 90 minutes. You couldn't write it. The euphoria was nothing like I'd ever imagined. Suddenly the 14 hour trip back home that awaited us Friday morning didn't seem so daunting. Words can't describe the elation in the tiers and a very vocal home support was stunned into silence.
Not for the first time, the French had bottled it.
A win in Europe breeds mental strength, belief and positivity. Physically it'll leave us tiring more, but sometimes a game can be won with enough belief flowing through the side. The longer we stay in the Europa League, the more time that goes by in which we genuinely will feel as though we can compete with any in front of us. We need to prove to ourselves we deserve a Champions League place. Beating good European sides will cement this. We've a new ray of light emerging from Spurs. The future only seems to be more promising and we're in good form before approaching a tough run of fixtures.
So no, I do not fall to the consensus that a good Europa League campaign will hinder what could be a good domestic season. Great sides are able to operate on all fronts. The players know the extra work required due to the extra games but I'd lay any assurances that they want it just as much as we do. So often has the question been asked whether I'd personally take 4th or 5th and the Europa League crown. At the end of the day, you can't lift a finishing position above your head. Football is about the glory, and I'd love us to return to London with the Europa League - more than anything.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here
(Apologies for the poor image quality)
The past has seen us brandish the Europa League as almost a poison, slowly weltering our season into nothingness. A painful finale to a season that, again, offered so much promise and hope. European football once more seeping the life from the side as apparently footballers are incapable of playing two games of football a week, every other week. Athletes? Limited ones at best then.
We arrived at the "Starde De Gerrard" 10 minutes after kick-off. *Quote one Spurs fan barely able to string a sentence together*. In all honesty, the place was rocking. I struggled to pick out their family stand and stewards telling them to sit down. One goal without conceding was all Lyon needed. We knew it, the players knew it, their fans knew it. An arguable freekick just shy of twenty minutes saw Lyon grab the opportunity by the lower regions and that all-important goal they needed. Such is my pessimism, I felt we'd fall to a 2-1 defeat here with Extra-time or penalties sealing our fate. With a side battling for the French League and a renewed confidence after going 1 up, it would take a hell of a backbone to pull us back. Of course, we only ever needed one goal.
The half-time whistle was the best bit of the first half. We went in fairly disappointed. Our passing was sloppy, we didn't create too much and it looked as though the occasion was getting to us. My surprise of the second half arrived when Lyon began allowing us to keep the ball for large periods and happily sat back. Instead of seeking a second and more assurance, The French played very backs to the wall. It was almost like a very organised Stoke City side. They soon removed any recognised striker from the field and allowed us to play in front of them. Both sides keeping it very narrow. With the amount of space Benny found himself gaining out wide, it was a shame - at times- to not have Bale striking fear down the right back in that position.
On the whole this season I felt we've improved, although haven't mastered, breaking down stubborn sides. The further Lyon sat the more I felt a chance would fall our way. Would we take it? Who knew. It was very surreal to find a side of Lyon's stature and ability to be sitting in their final third and pumping the ball long. But it suited us down to the ground. Lyon reminded me of the Spurs of old, clinging desperately on to what they had to progress. They became more nervy, more anxious. I'd always gathered the impression that Lyon's 'keeper Vercoutre was a little like our own Gomes - a bit unpredictable. Strikes from range worried him. As the game wore on I felt just a sniff was what we needed. I've banged on so much of late about the mental strength and the re-ignited belief the Spurs of the present seem to play with. In the 90th minute, Dembele gave us just what we deserved. My mate made a good point in that in a League game an equaliser is great as you go from 0 points to 1 point. In a knockout game we went from crashing out and total defeat in terms of away goals on 89 minutes to qualifying and a total win on 90 minutes. You couldn't write it. The euphoria was nothing like I'd ever imagined. Suddenly the 14 hour trip back home that awaited us Friday morning didn't seem so daunting. Words can't describe the elation in the tiers and a very vocal home support was stunned into silence.
Not for the first time, the French had bottled it.
A win in Europe breeds mental strength, belief and positivity. Physically it'll leave us tiring more, but sometimes a game can be won with enough belief flowing through the side. The longer we stay in the Europa League, the more time that goes by in which we genuinely will feel as though we can compete with any in front of us. We need to prove to ourselves we deserve a Champions League place. Beating good European sides will cement this. We've a new ray of light emerging from Spurs. The future only seems to be more promising and we're in good form before approaching a tough run of fixtures.
So no, I do not fall to the consensus that a good Europa League campaign will hinder what could be a good domestic season. Great sides are able to operate on all fronts. The players know the extra work required due to the extra games but I'd lay any assurances that they want it just as much as we do. So often has the question been asked whether I'd personally take 4th or 5th and the Europa League crown. At the end of the day, you can't lift a finishing position above your head. Football is about the glory, and I'd love us to return to London with the Europa League - more than anything.
Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here
(Apologies for the poor image quality)
Friday, 16 July 2010
The biggest surprise of the summer
After previously reading reports that Luis Fabiano was not interested in a move to Spurs, I must admit, I was hardly left gobsmacked at hearing this, and, from then on, I brushed aside any transfer rumour linking us with him. The player didn't want to come, therefore we wouldn't sign him.
Well it seems as though Luis has changed his mind quicker than a United fan changing to City. Suddenly, and with not getting his 'preferred' moves to United or Milan having ANYTHING to do with it, Fabiano has hinted that a move to Spurs may be a viable one.
He said to the Sun: "I must admit it's only in the last few weeks I have understood just how big Spurs' ambition is."
Now he hasn't exactly ran to the roof tops and shouted for a move to Spurs although reading between the lines, as I'm sure many people have done, would suggest that a move to us would be a possible option.
At 29 Luis isn't exactly the young star for the future, although having such quality in the squad for even a couple of seasons would surely benefit us and it would be a thrill to see him play at the Lane. But would Levy shed out the reported £19m Sevilla want for a player that's a stone's throw from 30?
Regards.
Well it seems as though Luis has changed his mind quicker than a United fan changing to City. Suddenly, and with not getting his 'preferred' moves to United or Milan having ANYTHING to do with it, Fabiano has hinted that a move to Spurs may be a viable one.
He said to the Sun: "I must admit it's only in the last few weeks I have understood just how big Spurs' ambition is."
Now he hasn't exactly ran to the roof tops and shouted for a move to Spurs although reading between the lines, as I'm sure many people have done, would suggest that a move to us would be a possible option.
At 29 Luis isn't exactly the young star for the future, although having such quality in the squad for even a couple of seasons would surely benefit us and it would be a thrill to see him play at the Lane. But would Levy shed out the reported £19m Sevilla want for a player that's a stone's throw from 30?
Regards.
Saturday, 29 August 2009
How today's win reflects the improvement under Harry: Report
Birmingham at home. Many would've look at this fixture and expected our 100% start to continue through week four of the Premier League brushing aside any false Midlands hope that may have leaked in to the Lane. Of course expectations are rising as we pick up more points, why wouldn't it? I'm sure Harry wouldn't expect it any other way.
Birmingham started out how we expected. Eleven men behind the ball looking to frustrate and cut out the killer balls from Tommy and Luka. In truth, they did this well. Modric enjoying yet another field day, as he seems to every game. Brilliant. Let's hope Sir Alex keeps his dirty hands off.
Boy, did we look top four material. There, I said it. Balls being knocked out to either flank, possession kept well and the midfield playing as a bloody unit. It looked to be the summary of the season so far, and would've been if we'd hit the back of the net.
But still the first goal didn't come. We were playing like a top four side but we weren't finishing like one, of all people, Defoe blowing out best chance of the half.
The second half saw a rejuvenated Brummy side. IMO the score did not reflect the second half that was played but did illustrate the improvement in the Spurs side under Redknapp.
With King off injured at half time and Modric hobbling off about 5 minutes later McLeish's lot seized the initiative and pushed forward. Well, any game would be a challenge without that pair anyway.
Although, it was good to see a positive substitution bringing on Crouch in place for our Croatian magician. Thankfully, the substitution paid off. Crouch came close on a few occasions and tucked his header away nicely floating it to the back post from a tight angle. Many more of those please Pete.
Birmingham's goal was a poor one to concede. A familiar mix up at the back saw Lee Bowyer score the simplest goal of his career. At Spurs problems in the defence are always going to occur, it comes with supporting Tottenham, it's not the first mistake and won't be the last. This time Hutton and Cudicini the culprits.
The goal gave Birmingham hope who took a more optimistic approach to the game than they had in the previous half. Christian Benitez looking very useful up top. The game looked to tick away to a disappointing draw before our old friend Stephen Carr did us a favour losing the ball on half way resulting in Lennon smashing in our second of the match. Great finish cutting inside from the left.
In truth, the Spurs of old would've played out for the draw and may have even conceded in the last minute instead of scoring. Good to see we can break down the stubborn sides and achieve the result we deserve. Great attitude, great desire and a great win. Well done lads.
Regards.
Birmingham started out how we expected. Eleven men behind the ball looking to frustrate and cut out the killer balls from Tommy and Luka. In truth, they did this well. Modric enjoying yet another field day, as he seems to every game. Brilliant. Let's hope Sir Alex keeps his dirty hands off.
Boy, did we look top four material. There, I said it. Balls being knocked out to either flank, possession kept well and the midfield playing as a bloody unit. It looked to be the summary of the season so far, and would've been if we'd hit the back of the net.
But still the first goal didn't come. We were playing like a top four side but we weren't finishing like one, of all people, Defoe blowing out best chance of the half.
The second half saw a rejuvenated Brummy side. IMO the score did not reflect the second half that was played but did illustrate the improvement in the Spurs side under Redknapp.
With King off injured at half time and Modric hobbling off about 5 minutes later McLeish's lot seized the initiative and pushed forward. Well, any game would be a challenge without that pair anyway.
Although, it was good to see a positive substitution bringing on Crouch in place for our Croatian magician. Thankfully, the substitution paid off. Crouch came close on a few occasions and tucked his header away nicely floating it to the back post from a tight angle. Many more of those please Pete.
Birmingham's goal was a poor one to concede. A familiar mix up at the back saw Lee Bowyer score the simplest goal of his career. At Spurs problems in the defence are always going to occur, it comes with supporting Tottenham, it's not the first mistake and won't be the last. This time Hutton and Cudicini the culprits.
The goal gave Birmingham hope who took a more optimistic approach to the game than they had in the previous half. Christian Benitez looking very useful up top. The game looked to tick away to a disappointing draw before our old friend Stephen Carr did us a favour losing the ball on half way resulting in Lennon smashing in our second of the match. Great finish cutting inside from the left.
In truth, the Spurs of old would've played out for the draw and may have even conceded in the last minute instead of scoring. Good to see we can break down the stubborn sides and achieve the result we deserve. Great attitude, great desire and a great win. Well done lads.
Regards.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
My report: Spurs 2 - 1 Liverpool
A warm day in North London saw everyone's eyes on the front two combination. With Harry deciding to go with Robbie and Jermaine up top. Defoe played well for England, and Robbie seemingly isn't allowed to start next to the regulars on the bench, so unless we were to play three up front, it made sense.
We started off typically Tottenham, a lot of energy but fairly sloppy in possession. Lennon, Modric and Hudd illustrating moments of good football- but that was to be expected.
Robbie continued his usual role that consisted of a lot of pointing, shouting and arm waving. The lad has a point to prove and chucking away three decent opportunities won't help him, or Spurs.
BAE popped up with a thunderbolt from nowhere scoring his first goal for Tottenham from 30- odd yards. Robbie's chances were suddenly forgotten, by most. My word though, hell of a strike from the left back after a poor Tommy free kick.
Liverpool looked very quiet. Torres nowhere. Gerrard anonymous and Bassong looking very solid with King. But still tho, 1-0 up at the break and looking good value for it even though, in truth, it should've been at the least double that.
The second half saw reality hit us, and bleedin' hard as well. A combination of poor defending and a Johnson run saw the former south-coaster brought down by Gomes with Gerrard smashing in the equaliser from the spot. Luck, that would best describe Liverpool's equaliser.
Sebastien Bassong, what a signing this boy has been. Another set piece saw Modric stick in a pin point cross for Bassong to out jump both Johnson and Jamie to head in the resulting winner on his debut. Justice, justice and more justice.
Palacios ran riot and bossed the midfield. Lennon's build up, as usual, impressed and let's hope that final ball will come this season. A top, top performance from the boys today. The heads never went down and a very confident win from us.
A solid defence saw Torres and the rest kept quiet all game and a thoroughly deserved win. In truth we took advantage of a poor Liverpool side and played with the heart on the sleeve.
Let's just hope this can kick us up the league and for the first time in years, let's bloody stay there.
Regards.
We started off typically Tottenham, a lot of energy but fairly sloppy in possession. Lennon, Modric and Hudd illustrating moments of good football- but that was to be expected.
Robbie continued his usual role that consisted of a lot of pointing, shouting and arm waving. The lad has a point to prove and chucking away three decent opportunities won't help him, or Spurs.
BAE popped up with a thunderbolt from nowhere scoring his first goal for Tottenham from 30- odd yards. Robbie's chances were suddenly forgotten, by most. My word though, hell of a strike from the left back after a poor Tommy free kick.
Liverpool looked very quiet. Torres nowhere. Gerrard anonymous and Bassong looking very solid with King. But still tho, 1-0 up at the break and looking good value for it even though, in truth, it should've been at the least double that.
The second half saw reality hit us, and bleedin' hard as well. A combination of poor defending and a Johnson run saw the former south-coaster brought down by Gomes with Gerrard smashing in the equaliser from the spot. Luck, that would best describe Liverpool's equaliser.
Sebastien Bassong, what a signing this boy has been. Another set piece saw Modric stick in a pin point cross for Bassong to out jump both Johnson and Jamie to head in the resulting winner on his debut. Justice, justice and more justice.
Palacios ran riot and bossed the midfield. Lennon's build up, as usual, impressed and let's hope that final ball will come this season. A top, top performance from the boys today. The heads never went down and a very confident win from us.
A solid defence saw Torres and the rest kept quiet all game and a thoroughly deserved win. In truth we took advantage of a poor Liverpool side and played with the heart on the sleeve.
Let's just hope this can kick us up the league and for the first time in years, let's bloody stay there.
Regards.
Saturday, 2 May 2009
Jermaine Jenas, Heurelho Gomes and another 1-0 win
THE BAGGIES at home. Ok, they picked up one point for each goal they scored against Sunderland last week but sill i'd thought we'd do them 3-0; as did many other fans that were congrugated outside WHL eager to not miss kick off. I could see Robbie Keane, Luka Modric and Ledley King goals but after all that, it was Tottenham's scapegoat for the season Jermaine Jenas who popped up with a smart finish into Paxton Road on the stroke of half time. Since Redknapp took over, Iv noticed a change in JJ, he battles more and earns his 30 grand each week- well, to an extent. Still though, I pictured a fairly routine home win and not in the slightest could I see us losing our second home game under the Redkanpp era.
I respected West Brom, they played five in midfield and, at times, looked to play football. Their major flaw, though, was trying to play through our midfield. At a time when Palacios is looking better and better each week, not even the mighty Borja valero, Robert Greening or Chris Brunt could play through our Honduran tank. Still though, for 93 minutes, they tried and tried- I would say I felt sorry for them, but I didn't.
A fourth consecutive 1-0 win at home and I'm not complaining, yeah West Brom are bottom of the league, but, to be honest- they're no Derby County. They forced some wonderful saves by the in-form Heurelho Gomes, take a look on MOTD- they were stunning. Spurs are looking more and more confident at knocking the ball around and are beginning to be a joy to watch it week, the depression has passed and now as we get to the business end of the season it's exciting being the favourites for games once again.
The win today was Spurs' 6th consecutive clean sheet at home. Considering at the start of the season we couldn't buy three points; it brings such delight to now mention that we haven't lost at home since November and have won our last five home games, and this is on the basis of many players that have come on since Redknapp took over. The one to have come on the most has got to be the goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes; the Brazilian has gone from the World's worst to one of the Premier League's top 4 or 5 pulling off potential saves of the season and he continued that with another two today. Another player is former Geordie midfielder Jermaine Jenas. I'm fast becoming more of a fan of Jenas, as recent performances have proved, he's been sticking the ball into the back of the net more often and getting his foot stuck in for once- plus he's still got the excuse of being a younger member of the team; so that'l be another player that will leave us and end up at a bigger club, I hear Jose's back in for him?
Still though another 1-0 win against the worst team in the league, statistically, and I'm satisfied. We kept our cool, a clean sheet and we looked confident at the back; even though our 'keeper got us out of trouble on a couple of occasions. Woodgate and King looking strong at the back and as long as we score more than the opposition i couldn't care less how many we concede. And now as the cricket season is upon us *sighs* and the football season draws to a close *sighs more* it should prove to be a decent end to it all.
I respected West Brom, they played five in midfield and, at times, looked to play football. Their major flaw, though, was trying to play through our midfield. At a time when Palacios is looking better and better each week, not even the mighty Borja valero, Robert Greening or Chris Brunt could play through our Honduran tank. Still though, for 93 minutes, they tried and tried- I would say I felt sorry for them, but I didn't.
A fourth consecutive 1-0 win at home and I'm not complaining, yeah West Brom are bottom of the league, but, to be honest- they're no Derby County. They forced some wonderful saves by the in-form Heurelho Gomes, take a look on MOTD- they were stunning. Spurs are looking more and more confident at knocking the ball around and are beginning to be a joy to watch it week, the depression has passed and now as we get to the business end of the season it's exciting being the favourites for games once again.
The win today was Spurs' 6th consecutive clean sheet at home. Considering at the start of the season we couldn't buy three points; it brings such delight to now mention that we haven't lost at home since November and have won our last five home games, and this is on the basis of many players that have come on since Redknapp took over. The one to have come on the most has got to be the goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes; the Brazilian has gone from the World's worst to one of the Premier League's top 4 or 5 pulling off potential saves of the season and he continued that with another two today. Another player is former Geordie midfielder Jermaine Jenas. I'm fast becoming more of a fan of Jenas, as recent performances have proved, he's been sticking the ball into the back of the net more often and getting his foot stuck in for once- plus he's still got the excuse of being a younger member of the team; so that'l be another player that will leave us and end up at a bigger club, I hear Jose's back in for him?
Still though another 1-0 win against the worst team in the league, statistically, and I'm satisfied. We kept our cool, a clean sheet and we looked confident at the back; even though our 'keeper got us out of trouble on a couple of occasions. Woodgate and King looking strong at the back and as long as we score more than the opposition i couldn't care less how many we concede. And now as the cricket season is upon us *sighs* and the football season draws to a close *sighs more* it should prove to be a decent end to it all.
(Picture copyright of Tottenhamhotspur.com)
Regards, Ben
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