Good morning.
It was a combination of things. After the intensity and focus of Thursday’s performance invoked the Tottingham malaise of not quite being at the races for their next game. QPR pressed and pressed. The first half and indeed good spells of the second were miserable.
A key issue we have is that the physical absences of Modric and Rafa have been filled but the overall creative footballing IQ of the group has dropped.
Now this is in part to players still finding their way. But right now we aren’t as mentally dangerous as we were. Or at least we weren’t yesterday. Now, fortunately we have a manager with a tactical brain of immense human dimensions, but the plan that I and many others thought was good turned out to be …less than good.
Bale at left back didn’t work. Not only was his heart not in it, but it left us beyond uninspired up front. And of the entire 90 minutes Bale’s charge alongside Jan Vertongen and the subsequent goal was not only the only highlight of the afternoon but what is really damning is that it is was a one off. Bale eventually moved up to play as an inverted winger and it was here when playing from deep he and Vertonghen showed the benefit of players with pace having space to in which to exploit it.
Admittedly this isn’t a classic example to make the point I appreciate, as it was a break. But Bale in a position that is too forward negates his pace as he has nothing approaching the space in which to fly and really cause havoc. I think his worry is that he was turning into a one trick pony who every time he got the ball he went haring up the wing.
If his season continues like this the only positive that will come out of it will be that January’s back pages won’t be carrying any ‘Barca Set To Swoop’ tales.When I wrote that Ego Has Landed piece it wasn’t well received. Weeks later fans at games were singing ‘He plays on the left’.
Bale is drifting into the realm of the mediocre and he needs to find a compromise that works for Tottenham somewhere between his Ronaldo ‘vision’ and being an outstanding footballer in the Lilywhite. Right now, he’s being indulged. So there, I told you so.
The boss switched to a 442 or as near as dammit in the second half and this made the onslaught from QPR ‘less worse’.
The league table says we won and took all 3 points but the table doesn’t say how fragile we were and how much possession QPR who aren’t the world’s greatest were allowed. Manchester United up next in the premiership and we won’t buck the losing habit of a lifetime playing like that. It was confused and unconvincing out there yesterday and a really talented outfit would have kicked our heads in.
He kept us in the game. He stopped them from winning.
If he wasn’t a footballer he’d open up a gym called ‘Love Muscles’ that would shut down within a year. Or start a fight in a Chick King demanding to order a pizza. Thick as paint.
Yes he gave the ball away, yes he was off his game. Playing with Kyle would leave most people sucking their thumb in the fetal position, with a facial tick. So he did quite well to stay on the pitch.
I’m a fan. Very, very happy to see him out there. More please.
Forget the big boys coming in for Bale. Jan’s the man who will be getting all the press attention come the new year and it will be genuine. Eridivisie player of the year and looking good enough to walk into any top flight European first eleven.
It’s early doors but we urgently need to find this guy a specific role. Right now we have a talented bloke who seems to spend most of his time doing a good impression of a dog chasing cars. This was QPR and he wasn’t quite up to the task.
Beast-like. Given that fact that he was doing the job of at least three people it’s little surprise he looked knackered come the end. He was outstanding.
Suffering from being frequently hemmed in, but he didn’t help himself. He needs to move. make space and have in his head, ‘what would I do if I got the ball know?’ Too frequently the ball came to him and he seemed to start weighing up his options from scratch.
Lennon flattered to deceive. Lots of huff and puff but bantam weight on achievement. Needs to find the confidence to start taking shots on goal, especially when cutting in, he also needs to do this and make his passes at least a yard sooner. You can hear every fan in the world shouting ‘hit it!’ then there’s a 2 second delay and he does it.
Sort it out.
A bit nothingy.
He scored. Elsewhere he contributed zip.
The good news was that he changed the system and by the skin of our teeth we took the points. I’m really worried that players like Walker and Bale are saying, ‘yeah boss, 100% boss’ and then going out there and doing whatever the hell they feel like. When Benny returns he needs to shuffle the back four and bench Kyle.
You were booing again weren’t you? Those that boo their own should be evicted by a squad of heavy mob stewards. If the price of admission is weighing so heavy then refund these arrogant dogs.
Nor do I want to hear that ‘others were doing it and they just sort of joined in.’ Funny, that’s what a lot of people said about National Socialism in the 1940’s. Booing at half time and clapping at full time. If I was playing I’d tell you to stick your full time cheers up your bottoms. You’re not fans, you’re idiots. How do you go in the Home stands when you sound like the blokes in the Away end?
did Mike want arry out as well?
**** WHO
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooing is a very timid way of showing displeasure,far better then fighting and causing damage to property.IMO.
Just saying. :daumen:
A few days ago AVB has almost won me around with how the sqaud appeared to pull together when things could have gone horribly wrong after the Norwich game. It was the perfect forum for players to rebel and cause the cancer to set in. I have always been on the fence since the appointment of AVB. I stated on here he was a gamble, but the best available at the time.
I was so bitterly disappointed with the first half performance aginst QPR at home. Of course I can accept a
seasonperiod of transition if it benefits us in the future. I even appreciate the fortune he had by changing it around at half time. I also understand we have a few injuries (we will always have a few injuries though).What I cannot grasp (and believe me I have tried very fooking hard)is:
1) How he got it so unbelievably wrong in the first half?
2) Why he waited until half time to change things?
3) Playing Gareth Bale at left back was never going to work, well because it never was.
4) Why he hasn’t made an attempt to rectify the situation with Siggy? Same issue again and again.
5) Dempsey playing in a deeper role was a disaster until AVB employed two up top.
6) Ultimately how we were played off the park (not unlucky) for the majority of the game by QPR + a QPR that has an injury crisis.
7) Why we let VDV go – I get the 62mins he’s knackered, well after 62 mins we could have been 3-0 up against QPR!
I honestly still think AVB is being too clever for the squad he has and the time he has been in charge. It may work perfectly with a squad like Barcelona, but some of the players just look lost. I know Rome wasn’t built in a day, but AVB has been here working with the players for a little while now and has got a few games under his belt. Two of the worst performances I have seen in recent times have come against Norwich and QPR. New manager or not it is very worrying, given the impact of a potentially bad season. there isn’t any room ‘for a season of transition’ not if you want to keep your best players and avoid the merry go round of the 90’s..
They are all professional footballers (or management), we are a top four team and I expect more, even in a short space of time, far far more!!!
I love Spurs and hope AVB brings all the success people crave, but sadly I’ll have to perch perilously on the edge of this very high and uncomfortable fence for a while yet…..
i think we needed a couple more players to be top 4 in the window personally,we’ll do well to get top 4 this year although possible,the chavs and arse aren’t as good as they think they are
but i think we’ll get someone fairly big in jan
I fully believe AVB’s tactics are potentially a winner. Two or three players would make all the difference, I agree. The issue remains without CL football – are we ever going to attract those players the system and us fans crave(example; Hazard in press today confirms only reason he didn’t join us was lack of CL football)? There is a reason why the rest of the top five weren’t in for the ‘top eight-ish prem players’ we have signed (excluding Dembele – awesome player). They have a top four mentality with top four finances.
The egg and the chicken. The standard of players we need to make AVB’s system a quick success will want CL football. For many its non-negotiable. What can one season of transition really cost? Tottenham Hotspur, thats my concern. I just don’t want to take rather large stumble backwards.
Unfortuantely L’arse and Cheatski signed a couple of very handy players (some very early in the window….hint hint Mr L) and have not changed their philosophy of play. As such will be difficult to top this season.
Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
LIKE F**K :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
STATUE MEL?
I have it on good authority that Mr PhilUrCrackin has now sourced an available small planet, but is unfortuately struggling with the lube.
I did suggested that we don’t require the lube just a little force, but unfortunately Mr PhilUCrackin is a stickler for health and safety. Sorry.
I’m 100% behind AVB. Never ever boo the players.
What I will boo at though is an Dogchops running his incompetent broken record of a mouth, screwing up a tidy 3rd place, costing us an auto champions league spot and evidently costing us a player EDEN HAZARD!
There certainly wouldn’t have been any mumbled discontent at the game on sunday with him in our side. Just goes to show how fine getting a super player is when it isn’t entirely about money.
Still, no point crying over spilt milk.
We won playing way below our best. United have been doing that for the last 3 of their games. It the way it she goes.
A sneaky win or draw up there well get the media right of AVBs back and rightly so.
COYS!
but Harry is the man that took us to that position, or there about’s, consistently since he got there.
AVB wont do that. hes not able. for a start the players bar defoe are not really playing for him. and defoe only plays for himself. we have all seen whats going on. the players are not adapting to his way at all. some bloke asked if i wanted harry out. well no i didnt. i loved the spirit he brought to the club. im sorry but we achieved under him and made the scum look over their shoulders. we all know this. we were beating inter in the champions league. he fucked off the club because he wanted it to run like a club which wasnt just a business. he said pay modric what hes worth didnt he? straight away. and we should have. the only thing i can see is that eventually when they get rid of this efficient supermarket manager the squad will be so elated that they might be spurred to go on and win something the way chelsea did last season.
LEVY OUT
THE STRUCTURE IS THERE TO BUY AND SELL.
I LOVE MY SPURS BUT I DONT LOVE WHO IS KILLING THEM.
I DONT BOO NEITHER.
Sigh.
That really isn’t worth minutes of my life to reply to.
Fifteen lines of BS hidden behind poor grammar.
its not bullshit. and the fact that you are a member of the grammar police just makes you look like a little man. shall we whop our cocks out on the table next or what?
are you an errudite and educated fellow who looks down on those that you deem dont hold the pen as you should like them to?
you keep swallowing up the bullshit mr puddle from the avb supporters. you wont be supporting him long. thats for sure. ill be back to remind you.
I think every person behind the managers seat deserves a chance to do things his own way. And if it means more than “run araaand a bit ” then fine. This isn’t going to be an overnight thing so have some patience. It seems like the AVB situation at Chelsea has scared the life out of you.
Harry messed up everything great he did by running his big mouth with excuses and cover ups in the latter half of last season and it wasn’t pulling the wool over our eyes anymore. Thanks for the 2 from 8 revival, thanks for the champions league season (that we didn’t win), thanks for a first half of the season winning streak. Apart from that there isn’t much more to rave about. I enjoyed a lot of that time and was there for a fair amount of it.
So spare the we’re doomed crap and get behind the next guy in charge…like you did with Harry. Levy isn’t killing us either, a new training complex and a stadium on the way isn’t killing us. I think we have a cracking squad seeing as our financial attention is focused on expanding in order to compete.
Also I couldn’t give a toss if you held the pen between your arse cheeks as along as what you write doesn’t give me a headache.