Good morning.
Well the Rafa to HSV story was as you read here and seemingly only here rubbish. More proof that the hysteria employed during transfer windows only rivals the lack of thought.
So West Brom indoors it is. If you cast your eye down the Baggies squad you see a who’s who of journeymen and nearly men. Their ability to do more than survive is explained when you know their last manager was Roy Hodgson and their current on Steve Clarke. Two very traditional English football managers and Clarke is clearly planning on upholding the principles of discipline and team work.
I believe we’re a superior match tactically and our lot can leave them reelling. There’s gulf in talent.
West Brom beat Liverpool 3-0 last week but without playing down the value of that I am convinced that had as much to do with Liverpool’s performance as it did West Brom’s. I have to add this isn’t me reading too much into the unwatchable game against Hearts last night, either – that side only featured three regular first team picks for the Scousers. Rodgers is clearly having ‘issues’ trying to convey his ‘system’ to his players.
Talk is cheap but I was buoyed by Villas Boas’ delivery in his presser yesterday. This is a home game and despite the final score at Sid James Park we played some good football. My point is that our boss (on the strength of just one Premier League game) appears to have had fewer communication problems.
I think that a pushing, fast paced 433 with Adebayor a little forward of the top three essentially suits our personnel. And we shouldn’t, at home be afraid of implementing this with attacking players.
You could argue that with Bale, Gylfi, Ade and Rafa I’ve over egged the pudding fielding four goalscorers. But my argument is why play Jake or ***** or Bentley when they have so little to offer? Is it just so you can say ‘it looks more balanced?’ Mmnn. Why?
The real issue here is the absence of a midfield general cum play-maker. That certain someone to add the colour. The only intelligent thing to do is add as much creativity as you can elsewhere, surely? Neither Livermore, ***** or Bentley are going to provide that spark. They are at best three man who might put in a full shift.
We’re at home and we’re not a shower of Cheatski bus parkers. So let’s play to our strengths.We have an interesting system under Villas Boas, we won’t be reckless, we’ll be aggressive. We’ll welcome them into The Lane and we’ll tear ’em apart.
Predictions? My conservative thought is 2-1. But if we get into the groove I can see us scoring three or four.
BIOYWBC!
Hotspurs Half Hour – Show 2 by hotspurshalfhour
The problem is that the negativity will simply keep doing the rounds because of The AVB experience at Chelsea. Watching Highlights of WBA from last week I had a feeling they might cause us problems as they are solid and break quickly. Having said that we all know that we have needed to be more ruthless in our finishing for ages and excepting the thrashing of Newcastle back in February we have performed in fits and starts overall. The Modders situation needed to be resolved sooner so that we could have replacements in place but as ever with Spurs we leave it till the last minute and like last season we have given other teams around us a 2 game start. We can only hope that we can get the Modders move finished with now and get say Mouthinho and perhaps Willian and or Dembele in then we can actually start our season. So far it has not been a question of terrible performances but lack of clinical finishing continues to be the story and the usual assumption that we will roll teams over especially at home is far from the truth. We need to accept that teams coming to WHL will be very difficult to break down and overall the premier League is getting much tighter. With AVB coming in it was inevitable we would have to be patient and I just hope for all our sakes we can let him have time to get it right. It will not be easy because clearly the media will be desperate for him to fail. Whatever happens this season will not be uneventful but then again at Spurs it never is. I cannot pretend that I am not worried but we absolutely MUST get a win our next game just to relieve the inevitable media led pressure. No question new have plenty of quality but we must get more clinical in front of goal.
Agree – we are not far off, and the media campaign against AVB is really OTT – the sooner that first win happens, the better.
Dembele would be a top signing – and not ridiculously priced. I’d love to see Moutinho, but the price tag makes it unlikely. Any idea about Willian? I would watch a YouTube compilation, but there are clips on there that make Jenas look like Maradona.
Yes I concur. Next week’s activity in the market will be a marker for where the season goes.
“If you cast your eye down the Baggies squad you see a who’s who of journeymen and nearly men.”
How right you are!
They shouldn’t be allowed on the same pitch as THFC. Deadbeats, every last one of them.
:angel:
Regular Spurs fans and honest ones at that recognise that we have not really performed to our potential since we thrashed Newcastle in February . The problem Dan Levy will have is in fending off the media and backing AVB properly in the transfer market. In many ways the AVB appointment absolutely MUST work for DL because after all he is the last man standing having seen off Harry, Santini, OneDay Ramos, Glenn, Overcoat, BMJ . Make no mistake AVB needs to work or it is DL who should be considering his position. All this means that this week SURELY means that AVB gets the backing of DL in the transfer market. The very least must see one more striker, one replacement for Modders and one covering player for Lennon. IMO it needs to be Moutinho, Llorente but would take Dembele , and Willian. Fingers crossed DL gets the deals done because it is DL whose head is on the block as much as AVBs
When Parker comes back and Ade is fit we will be okay. And we will get some replacements in. We need to survive till the international break and get everyone fit. Then we hit everyone hard.
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At Porto AVB was at one of the biggest spending clubs in the league, was he not? So he could afford to buy the best, relatively speaking.
Does anyone know his reputation re bringing on up and coming talent or getting the best out of players?
Is this where we realise what a good player Modric really is or we have another ‘dud’ manager. Bit of both me thinks
I have never been more comfortable with our tactics. The tactics however require world class players to execute as per the vision of the manager. Ade was unfit. Parker is out. And Livermore isnt there yet. And we brough ***** off the bench for god’s sake. The manager is sound methinx. Modders is really missed. Not for his crap shooting but for his magic passing and his under appreciated defensive game as well.