Good morning.
Valencia away it was then. The first thing that struck me was that this didn’t look very friendly. A stadium rammed to the rafters with energetic, relentlessly noisy fans and if they play with such fierce tenacity in a friendly then few will be leaving the Mestella with more than a point when playing them in competition.
None of this blog is by way of excuse. It’s more by way of explanation. That and pointing out the naffing obvious. The passing and ball retention we showed for all of the first half and bits of the second was superb. Valencia were a tough outfit, particularly in the midfield where we were lightest. In the end, that strength, the tempo and two pretty excellent goals were all too much.
Poor old Brad must have wondered what he’d done to upset someone in a former life. One obvious Villas-Boasism is the back line retaining possession when under pressure. So instead of hoofing it out (losing possession) or smashing it up-field (creating a 50/50 ball) the ball is worked back to the keeper so you start again.
Secondly, I only noticed Brad make one big kick up-field (which resulted in a 50/50 ball we lost) again. He rolled out everything that he had. Why give the ball away? Why risk giving the ball away? These two small devices are incredibly smart as they can have a huge significance upon the way the game is continually shaped.
Inspection of the back four was a mixed bag. I don’t think Benny’s fit. He was spritely enough in the first half but slowed down minutes into the second half. He’d been run ragged and it was showing. What’s obviously required is a proper left sided player to allow Bale to pursue his vision.
The higher line (which we actually saw for the first time last night, despite numerous uninformed comments on previous games) left him gasping for air playing the roles of both left back and pressing wing back. Walker coped far better and probably had one his best ever games for us. He was controlled and actually achieved far more than what I’ve snidely referred to as his Forest Gump routines of the past. He frequently beat his man, tackled well and when he got up the pitch he kept his head, secured ball in and won corners.
Vertonghen gets an honorable mention in dispatches. Brave, smart and fit. Three very desirable qualities in a centre back.
The pairing of Livermore and ***** isn’t good enough. Livermore’s career is in it’s infancy so subject to the safe return of Sandro from Stratford City. As for ***** Andy McNabb, the ex SAS chappy and author describes being captured and ‘playing the gray man’. The less you stood out the better for survival. If ***** were a food, he’d be tofu.
Who steps in? Huddlestone who doesn’t really do tackles? Parker’s absence is too grim to think about. Sandro needs to be at his best, but the real ire here is that he put country before club and went to the Euros then had his operation. His age and the nature of his play combined don’t inspire me to believe he’ll be back September one jigging about like a Riverdance cast member.
Azza Blud fizzed around more than usual and was unlucky that his effort to score and actually half decent balls into the box didn’t do more. Gilly and Bale look to be developing into a interesting two man crew. If they can not get distracted from this I’m convinced that they will deliver a lot of goals this season.
And so to our old mate the Midget Gem. He’s not a lone striker and I would imagine Villas-Boas know this. But what can you do? There isn’t anyone else. Beyond that his ‘shot’ on goal reminded everyone that he’s as one dimensional as a Bernard Manning joke. And the sooner we get over this ‘he’s a Yiddo’ cobblers. stop hoping and replace him the better. The only role left for him at Spurs is as an impact sub, Plan B or perhaps even C.
So right now it’s about fitness and getting the personnel in.
I notice talk of brinkmanship in relation to transfers. Perhaps this is the case, I don’t know.All I will say is that the market is stagnant. Yes the Woolwich Wanderers have bought a few decent players as have the Blue Racists, but beyond that there really is very little movement out there. Lots of talk, but not much going on.
That said, if we go into 2012/13 with the strike-force we have this morning , then we’re in for a long season.
No, thats where you are wrong. If we go into 2012/13 with our current strike force we are in for a very short season!!! It will al be over before we can say “slip me a sedative we are away to Stoke” But thats not our only problem..
Last year, just one solitary extra point, or one extra goal against Norwich or Aston Villa, or one less refereeing blunder against stoke or wolves would have seen us home and hosed in the CL and Arsenal staring financial armegeddon in the face instead. So, learning lessons from last season, one could derive that every point is potentially utterly priceless. So why on earth do we find ourself a week from our first PL game, a tough trip to Newcastle with an incomplete squad??? Surely the idea of a pre-seaon is to bed all the players in nicely together, develop a team spirit and common understanding and hit the ground running?
We have lost Adebayor, Krancjar, Corluka, Saha, King, Pienaar and to all intensive purposes Modric. We need rid of Gallas and VDV too as they will be the flies in the ointment in the AVB regime, both sulky, both over rated. When the preverbial hits the fan, you dont want those 2 in the dressing room. And aside from that VDV is a posturing fool, It’s no coincidence we took 35 games to score from a corner or a free kick when he insists on taking every single one of them. His work rate is non existent and he cant last 90 minutes, he has one good game, scores and important goal then disappears for 5 weeks. I am hoping Sugurdsson is going to keep him out of the team. Also we cant go pinning our hopes on scott parker either, another year older, another operation under his belt, his chicken like nature is sure to become decidely more akin the headless variety this season. Sandro will bloom, but cant pass, and if we stick to this 4-2-3-1 formation we desperately need a hardcore footballing midfield enforcer.
Aside from that our defence needs work. BAE is, and in my opinion always has been dogsh*t. Our season turned last season in that game at the emirates and our left back was up to his neck in the lazy, casual play that cost us so dear. His pathetic attempted overhead clearance just before half time that gave van persie the “bad time to conceed a goal just before half time” goal was criminal. And his regularly responsible for going to sleep, getting done for pace, being casual and generlly being a liability. Last night showed again his inabilty on quite a few occasions. If we continue to stick to this high line stuff, Dawson might as well retire he is no good for it, gallas is too old for it, and on occasions last night Vertonghen looked simply all at sea, i was so annoyed at his lack of putting his body on the line and at least attempting to block the shot for the second goal. He got rolled so easily, although BAE initially let the player go behind him, but didnt bust a gut to make up for it. Maybe caulker will be better suited for the high line, and kaboul is growing into an excellent center back so maybe we will be ok there.
So we need more than 3 top notch strikers, but given the prices being bandied around for certain players, i cant see us getting anyone truly world class. I can assure you that Mr Levy will not be spending 30m+ on one player and the release clauses that are being touted and needing to be met to sign players a just ridiculous. Lets not forget our record transfer fee is still a meagre 16m, and in the last 4 years since we got modric we havent parted with over 10m for a player if my memory serves correct. So if Spurs pay 47m of your english sheckles for Leandro Damiao i will change my name by deed poll to Arsene Wenger and walk out in front of a bus and say i didnt see it! We have to be realistic in our expectations of who we will sign, but i am majorly pissed we are leaving it all so late AGAIN. I guess only time will tell, but i fear we could be in for gubbing or 12 this season :s
Bloody hell mate. Cheer up or go and support woolwich. When you find yourself criticising every player on the team then perhaps it’s a sign that it’s just not meant to be
When Dico Benny joined he was defo dogshit, however he has turned into a decent LB. in fact I would go as far to say he is one of the top 4 or 5 in the EPL. I would also go as far to say as someone who is in their late 30’s I struggle to remember a better left back at the club. Yes he can be a bit casual at times, however he tries to play footy has decent pace and does not get flustered. Most clubs in the league can’t afford £16m on one player and out of those that have paid most have done so only with a rich Cnut bank rolling them.
Cheer up lad we’ll get at least one striker in (if it’s Ade he won’t need long to settle as he played last year!) and even with one or two holes in our squad (or even three or four!) I can only see the two Mancs, L’Arse & The racist blue mob with squads to match ours and we haven’t got Fat Frank & the dog demanding spots when they’re past it and upsetting the apple cart. Overall not perfect but pretty much as good as we’ve had in the last 20 years. Cheer up son, we are Spurs what did you expect?
I believe that Benny’s actually Aboriginal and not from the Cameroon,so it’s understandable he’s walkabout during certain games-he just can’t help it!-nice guy- but inconsistent left back though.
It reads like a suicide note ;-)
I can’t type much right now. I’m right in the middle of some intensive purposes.
Oi! I happen to like tofu. The same cannot be said etc., etc…
You like anyone with a Brazilian surname Unc ;-)
I figure we need to make home a fortress and be mentally there and we’ll do okay.
What I want to look for are the signs that we are mentally together and pushing in the same direction as an outfit. This is why Newcastle the most settled squad in the Premier League and an absolute beast at home, away as a first game is a terrible fixture.
My worst fear is a hiding at Newcastle and the squad which is young and thus prone to reaction, stops believing in the coach and it starts to go downhill real quick.
I know someone who needs to go to Real quick…
We were all over them until their first goal, against the run of play. That seemed to throw our lot off their game.
Missing Sandro/Parker, and Modric II whoever that is. Problem is not a lot will probably change before Newcastle.
All very well said HH, spot on!
I really believe that J**** is being played to prove to any buyer that he’s fit and can play 90 mins.
The right signings will slot right into this strategy and make it click.
Trouble with that is that he didn’t play 90 minutes. He was subbed for VDV
J**** could of played 90 mins. Subbed because he was crap.
But not un-fit.
Can’t lock these players away in a cupboard and expect them to sell, or improve.
Whereas Rafa can come for 6 minutes and create exactly the same effect!
I was worried that AVB’s ego really wanted to prove you can play Jenarse and win a game. Something we all know is untrue and one of the first laws of football.
As mentioned already, we looked pretty good until they scored against the play on a break. A goal that no keeper could stop.
As for measuring the true worth of friendly games – it’s tough, players don’t want to pick up injuries and losing doesn’t meant too much. It did prove what we all know already – we need something to happen with the strikeforce.