The Tottenham Thread 13/14 part 3.

[fac63]

I think you all make good points. Your manager plays to many central midfielders. you need another winger and striker on the pitch. your remind me of liverpool early part of last season who were too narrow with suarez on his own front and struggled to score.

Why not lose lennon more or play both defoe and new striker up front. You don,t have the personal for me to play such a narrow and predictable game in my view.

I don't personally think we play too many central midfielders. It is our set up in the middle that helps us maintain possession so well. I see the problem as the inverted wingers AVB insists on playing. We have Soldado as a lone striker who, I think, largely relies on crosses and balls played in front of him. We play Townsend on the right who is performing very well at beating his man, but then constantly has to cut inside and invariably ends up shooting. And he has only scored once this season, and that was actually a cross. We had the same problem on the other side when Lennon came back into the side. Lennon always needing to cut inside to use his right, or just putting in an awful cross.

If we are going to play narrow then that's fine, but then we need to adjust the way our attacking trident plays. Alternatively, be revolutionary and play a left footed winger on the left and a right footed winger on the right and start getting balls into the box for the top class striker we finally signed about 4 years too late.

I think you make some very valid points about our wingers. But I also think that AVB makes too many like for like subs in order to keep all of his central mids when there may be times when the game just needs to be changed with a change of formation. i.e. go to a 4-4-2 on occasion.

 

[Rocket-footed kolarov]

I think you all make good points. Your manager plays to many central midfielders. you need another winger and striker on the pitch. your remind me of liverpool early part of last season who were too narrow with suarez on his own front and struggled to score.

Why not lose lennon more or play both defoe and new striker up front. You don,t have the personal for me to play such a narrow and predictable game in my view.

I don't personally think we play too many central midfielders. It is our set up in the middle that helps us maintain possession so well. I see the problem as the inverted wingers AVB insists on playing. We have Soldado as a lone striker who, I think, largely relies on crosses and balls played in front of him. We play Townsend on the right who is performing very well at beating his man, but then constantly has to cut inside and invariably ends up shooting. And he has only scored once this season, and that was actually a cross. We had the same problem on the other side when Lennon came back into the side. Lennon always needing to cut inside to use his right, or just putting in an awful cross.

If we are going to play narrow then that's fine, but then we need to adjust the way our attacking trident plays. Alternatively, be revolutionary and play a left footed winger on the left and a right footed winger on the right and start getting balls into the box for the top class striker we finally signed about 4 years too late.

-- Sun Nov 10, 2013 10:38 pm --

Perhaps even more annoying for MJepsenJensen is that Remy could have been a spurs player :)

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...hen-i-was-at-spurs-now-im-at-qpr-8448786.html

To be fair, pretty much every professional footballer (and probably several amateurs) to ever lace a pair of boots could have been a Spurs player if Harry had got his way every time.

I know. It was also a piss take against HR.

 

[FrostyNRG]

I know. It was also a piss take against HR.

Haha, I got that! I was just kind of reinforcing your point really, probably unnecessarily!<br /><br />-- Sun Nov 10, 2013 10:50 pm --<br /><br />

I think you make some very valid points about our wingers. But I also think that AVB makes to may like for like subs in order to keep all of his central mids when there may be times when the game just needs to be changed with a change of formation. i.e. go to a 4-4-2 on occasion.

Entirely fair - he's not one for mixing up formations. That's potentially a bit of a failing, as you've got to have a plan B. Particularly when plan A appears to be frequently ineffective. He is very committed to the way he wants the team to play though, which I sort of admire. I just think a bit more flexibility is required.

There has to be an element of things taking some to click, but I think we're far enough into the season now that we should be seeing some kind of improvement in our attacking intent.

 

[gooner2]

I think you all make good points. Your manager plays to many central midfielders. you need another winger and striker on the pitch. your remind me of liverpool early part of last season who were too narrow with suarez on his own front and struggled to score.

Why not lose lennon more or play both defoe and new striker up front. You don,t have the personal for me to play such a narrow and predictable game in my view.

I don't personally think we play too many central midfielders. It is our set up in the middle that helps us maintain possession so well. I see the problem as the inverted wingers AVB insists on playing. We have Soldado as a lone striker who, I think, largely relies on crosses and balls played in front of him. We play Townsend on the right who is performing very well at beating his man, but then constantly has to cut inside and invariably ends up shooting. And he has only scored once this season, and that was actually a cross. We had the same problem on the other side when Lennon came back into the side. Lennon always needing to cut inside to use his right, or just putting in an awful cross.

If we are going to play narrow then that's fine, but then we need to adjust the way our attacking trident plays. Alternatively, be revolutionary and play a left footed winger on the left and a right footed winger on the right and start getting balls into the box for the top class striker we finally signed about 4 years too late.

-- Sun Nov 10, 2013 10:38 pm --

Perhaps even more annoying for MJepsenJensen is that Remy could have been a spurs player :)

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...hen-i-was-at-spurs-now-im-at-qpr-8448786.html

To be fair, pretty much every professional footballer (and probably several amateurs) to ever lace a pair of boots could have been a Spurs player if Harry had got his way every time.

to be fair that some fair points you make their.

 

[fac63]

I know. It was also a piss take against HR.

Haha, I got that! I was just kind of reinforcing your point really, probably unnecessarily!

-- Sun Nov 10, 2013 10:50 pm --

I think you make some very valid points about our wingers. But I also think that AVB makes to may like for like subs in order to keep all of his central mids when there may be times when the game just needs to be changed with a change of formation. i.e. go to a 4-4-2 on occasion.

Entirely fair - he's not one for mixing up formations. That's potentially a bit of a failing, as you've got to have a plan B. Particularly when plan A appears to be frequently ineffective. He is very committed to the way he wants the team to play though, which I sort of admire. I just think a bit more flexibility is required.

There has to be an element of things taking some to click, but I think we're far enough into the season now that we should be seeing some kind of improvement in our attacking intent.

That's the heart of the worry, there. The lack of chances and attacking efficiency has been there for all to see all season. Earlier, I think I was a bit thankful/optimistic to be getting results despite the lack of goals with the assumption that the team just needed time to gel. Now (though we are by no means in any kind of crisis mode) it seems that there may need to be some systemic changes in order to get going in certain games. I'm by no means saying that we need to abandon AVB's system, but until these players in that system begin to click offensively, we may need to formulate a plan B. I mean, getting shut out at home to West Ham and Newcastle is unacceptable

 

[FrostyNRG]

That's the heart of the worry, there. The lack of chances and attacking efficiency has been there for all to see all season. Earlier, I think I was a bit thankful/optimistic to be getting results despite the lack of goals with the assumption that the team just needed time to gel. Now (though we are by no means in any kind of crisis mode) it seems that there may need to be some systemic changes in order to get going in certain games. I'm by no means saying that we need to abandon AVB's system, but until these players in that system begin to click offensively, we may need to formulate a plan B. I mean, getting shut out at home to West Ham and Newcastle is unacceptable

The Newcastle defeat has concerned me far more than the West Ham defeat. West Ham I put down to just being "one of those games". We never get going at all and the whole team underperformed. West Ham had a plan and, while I don't imagine for one minute Big Sam ever thought they'd beat us by three, they took their chances clinically and deserved the win. Against Newcastle we did get going (2nd half) and actually played with more intent than we have in virtually any other game this season. But we still didn't really look like we were do what we need to do. That's why I think, like you, we have to change something. There is still a part of me that believes (hopes, really) that AVB is getting it right and that it will come good, but I think there are just too many flaws.

 

[Bilboblue]

Spurs are not title contenders. they are in the race for the top four but they got to buy a striker in jan as the two they have are not good enough. city have to win next few games to stay in the race. can,t afford any more drop points before they play us in december.

Rubbish.

You can say rubbish but you can.t deny your away record has to improve if your going to have any chance to stay in title race. we only going to get stronger with players to return and more money to spend in jan.

you have underachived big time this season and should be nowhere near behind teams like arsenal united or everton.

I agree we have underachieved, but are you so deluded to think you won't drop points too?

Always thought you were ok gooner2 but you're becoming quite the little tarquin now.

Are you gooney in disguise?

 

[bleed.blue]

They haven't scored from open play in 7 of their 11 PL games, managed just 9 goals in these 11 games but THFC6061/MJensen will show you a graph that will tell you they are creating a lot of chances so its all good.

 

[THFC6061]

I've posted the Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur Match History 1909-2013 ahead of the PL game at the Etihad on 24th November on the main Bluemoon Forum.

And the link I included to all the previous 146 match results was posted with Ric's kind permission.

 

[BlueHammer85]

I've posted the Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur Match History 1909-2013 ahead of the PL game at the Etihad on 24th November on the main Bluemoon Forum.

And the link I included to all the previous 146 match results was posted with Ric's kind permission.

Highlights for spurs so far has been the very generous penalty decisions that they've been given other than that...

another one to add to my portfolio