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****OMT***** Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Bromwich Albion - 26/12/13: 3pm

begs the question. how will Paulinho do in a 4-4-2 type formation we're playing now where the players seem to be allowed more freedom. Will we see those Paulinho runs in the box to more devastating effect?

Tim wants players comfortable on the ball, Paulinho has looked anything but imo so he might find it difficult to get back in.
 
Tim wants players comfortable on the ball, Paulinho has looked anything but imo so he might find it difficult to get back in.


Are we sure Paulinho knew what he was meant to be doing under AVB? I would say that confusion, and perhaps over-playing, are as likely an explanation as any for a Brazil first-teamer not looking comfortable on the ball.
 
Lamela and Soldado to score. We win. I keep up my personal White Hart Lane win-statistic (10-0-0) and a free bar at Brickies. That'd be nice. ;)
 
Nigey, are you a writer? I like your writing style. I'm starting to come to the conclusion that your literacy skills are almost as divine as mine. ;)
 
Nigey, are you a writer? I like your writing style. I'm starting to come to the conclusion that your literacy skills are almost as divine as mine. ;)

got a b in GCSE innit....;)

No Im not a writer buddy....I am just slightly deluded in thinking that if I write up a good enough team-talk then we will win like we did on Sunday........

Im sure some will find 'tims teamtalk a little cringey....others will hopefully see it as a bit of a laugh........Im sure I will desist in doing it soon.....but if you want to take over 'tims teamtalk' vs Stoke City then please be my guest.........I am running out of crap to say ;)
 
We will have to wait and see how Paulinho integrates into Tim's team. Right now I can only see him playing instead of Soldado with Ade leading the line
 
Meh, tough to predict. We'll either win 3-1 or lose 1-2 I think.

It's Boxing Day, so I just hope we're in for an entertaining game.

Good time to face WBA, aren't they still managerless? Their players will hopefully be hungover. We should take advantage.
 
got a b in GCSE innit....;)

No Im not a writer buddy....I am just slightly deluded in thinking that if I write up a good enough team-talk then we will win like we did on Sunday........

Im sure some will find 'tims teamtalk a little cringey....others will hopefully see it as a bit of a laugh........Im sure I will desist in doing it soon.....but if you want to take over 'tims teamtalk' vs Stoke City then please be my guest.........I am running out of crap to say ;)

they're the best thing to happen to this forum for a very long time! please keep them coming, regardless of the result on Thursday! :)
 
Im sure I will desist in doing it
Desist from..?
But being serious, how could we possibly lose this game? New manager, new signing (Ade), job done!
 
I think the most interesting thing to come out of the Southampton game was Eriksen's deployment basically in the Modric role in the center of the park in a "2" with Dembele. I thought he was absolutley brilliant, holding his own against a tough, 3-man midfield. While I feel like we were too open without a ball-winner, it made me wonder if Eriksen could flourish in that role alongside either Sandro or Capoue (whom I really rate). Against smaller sides, a team that looked like this looks absolutley blistering going forward w/ Eriksen springing attacks and make late runs into the box. It, of course, would put a hell of a lot of pressure on Sandro, though I think his energy and insistence on playing simple (ie not giving the ball away in dangerous positions a la Dembele) means he could do it.

-------------Lloris-----------
Walker--Verts---Vlad---Rose
-----Eriksen---Sandro-------
Lamela----Adebayor----Townsend
----------Soldado--------

Against better teams, we can play a slightly less open game, basically sacrificing one of the wingers and playing a front three who could interchange.

----------Lloris----------
Walker-Daws-Verts-Rose
-Paulinho--Eriksen--Sandro----
--------Ade----Lamela
---------Soldado----

If Eriksen can be as effective in that deeper role as he was against Southampton, I think it could really unlock our attackers and create more chances for the forward players. It's obviously a big ask, but I hope to see the talented kid get the chance there.
 
I think the most interesting thing to come out of the Southampton game was Eriksen's deployment basically in the Modric role in the center of the park in a "2" with Dembele. I thought he was absolutley brilliant, holding his own against a tough, 3-man midfield. While I feel like we were too open without a ball-winner, it made me wonder if Eriksen could flourish in that role alongside either Sandro or Capoue (whom I really rate). Against smaller sides, a team that looked like this looks absolutley blistering going forward w/ Eriksen springing attacks and make late runs into the box. It, of course, would put a hell of a lot of pressure on Sandro, though I think his energy and insistence on playing simple (ie not giving the ball away in dangerous positions a la Dembele) means he could do it.

-------------Lloris-----------
Walker--Verts---Vlad---Rose
-----Eriksen---Sandro-------
Lamela----Adebayor----Townsend
----------Soldado--------

Against better teams, we can play a slightly less open game, basically sacrificing one of the wingers and playing a front three who could interchange.

----------Lloris----------
Walker-Daws-Verts-Rose
-Paulinho--Eriksen--Sandro----
--------Ade----Lamela
---------Soldado----

If Eriksen can be as effective in that deeper role as he was against Southampton, I think it could really unlock our attackers and create more chances for the forward players. It's obviously a big ask, but I hope to see the talented kid get the chance there.

Absolutely spot on. If ever there was a christmas present there it was. A natural ball winner like you say would be the perfect foil for him in the middle. I love Dembele a lot but I think Eriksens class and distribution edges him ahead for the teams needs.
 
Must. Not. Post. 442. ;)

Are you milo in disguise?

Anyway, this is round 18. After round 18 last season we were 9-3-6.

http://www.worldfootball.net/schedule/eng-premier-league-2012-2013-spieltag/18/

So a point in this game means we are doing better than last season.

We drew this fixture last season but if we win that means we are + 1 against the same teams.

So the season is very far from over. We actually have done better than last year in the LC, too.

Onwards and upwards.

4-2 to us is my prediction. Soldado scores twice, Lamela and a defender from a corner.
 
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Must. Not. Post. 442. ;)

I think there's a common misconception aboht 4-4-2 asd a system. I don't think that playing two "strikers" necessarily means a flat 4-4-2 -- pacy wingers, 2 frontmen, knockdown football, etc. Look at a Man United (RVP and Rooney), Emirates Marketing Project (Negredo and Aguero), Liverpool (Sturridge and Suarez) and in Europe, Juve (Tevez and Llorente), Dortmund (Lewandowski, Aubmayang) and PSG (Ibra and Cavani) -- all of these teams play with two forwards at times without reverting to a classic, flat 4-4-2. Some play with one of those forwards wide (BVB, PSG, City) others play with one tucked behind (United, Juve), but you need two different kinds of players -- a pure finisher and one with more craft. Really a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, just with the craftier player occupying either one of the outside forward roles or the de facto #10 role.

I think we have that in Soldado/Defoe (finishers) and Ade is our crafty withdrawn forward. Soldado and Ade aren't going to be Defoe/Crouch, and I think Adebayor's versatility allows us to be a passing team, whilst fielding two forward players. The key, of course, will be the two forwards' interplay, ability to hold the ball up, and willingness to track back and defend at times.

I'm not advocating a classic 4-4-2, rather a 4-2-3-1 with Ade in the advanced role.c I think we have enough multifaceted players (also why I tend to favor Lamela/Chadli over more one-dimensional players like Lennon/Andros) to play great football in that system.
 
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