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Scary times

Benny_Lad

Andy Sinton
This season has been one of the weirdest I can remember. We are basically in the position we usually achieve, and have only ever bettered twice, and yet it feels like the end of the world. We are in this current position without a single champions league quality player in the squad. Yes, I believe there are some in the squad with potential - but none can seriously claim that grade at the moment.

So - Where did it all go wrong (well - apart from Drogba vs Bayern)....

Pre-Season transfer activity

So everyone knows we sold our crown jewel and gambled on 7 players in the hope that 3 or 4 would become first 11 starters and take us to the top 4. Well, as I see it - only one has made match winning contributions, and really look like he fits - and that looks like Christian Eriksen. But my moan comes with the scouting/targets. We had one of the most consistent right midfielders in the country in AL, and we had AT returning from a form spell at QRR. One favours a traditional wide right, the other plays right side as an inverted winger. Ample quality I would suggest....so who do we splash our transfer record on!? one look at youtube and you can see that Erik Lamela's favoured position is wide right cutting in, so we gamble 30m on a player where we have 2 very decent prem standard players already - I really cant get my head round this - someone needs to be held accountable - obv they hoped he would be better than both of those players, but can you really be that wrong? I took one look at his physique and can see he isnt a prem league player - not yet anyway.

Soldado. Where do I start? Why was he signed? Start of the season he played up top on his own. I actually dont mind this system but your players behind must be goal getters/attacking who want to get close to him. If I remember rightly our first few games we lined up with Chadli/Sigurdsson/Andros behind him. These are hard working average midfileders who I would expect to get about 4 goals each in a 38 game season. So what were they expecting from Soldado? Look at Chelsea, they play natural goal getters in those areas behind the target man. Look at Liverpool - the front 3 reads Suarez/Stirling/Sturridge. All natural goal getters. The system only works if you get forward thinkers to work back, not midfielders to work forward. I dont know what they were expecting Soldado to do but I felt for him right from the off.

Paulinho. Im absolutely devastated how this has turned out. Really thought he was gathering momentum and vs Stoke at home I thought I was seeing the new World Class player we were promised. What a let down things have been since the Charlie Adam incident. I can only assume that that injury gave him a world cup scare - and he has decided it is feet up from now on. I dont think ive seen him get in front of our forwards once in the last 3 games. Lazy, dis-interested. Gutted.

Chadli, Vlad and Capoue - not seen enough but dont strike me as the grade to take us on. Squad players, no better than Hudd/Jake etc.

So what was the strategy? What system did AVB want? We hear rumours that we signed players he didnt want. Complete disaster of a set up from the off. That system will never work. The only way a DOF works is if manger gives him a list of names and DOF goes for them. Not DOF hands him 7 players, most of which dont fit the strategy.

Tim Sherwood

So much of what goes on I just dont understand. When he first came in we were told he was 'going to have a go' - ala Redknapp. I didnt mind this. We went to Southampton and United with 2 up top and got the points at both venues. but slowly and surely - we have actually morphed back into an AVB style side - (ABV must laugh when he sees the team now). Its basically the same setup but with Ade in for Soldado. When u play 1 up front of course you are going to control games in midfield, its not rocket science. but we just do not have goal getters behind Ade.

His treatment of some players is a joke. We dont know what goes on behind closed doors but after the confidence boosting match winner vs Cardiff, Soldado is then axed for the next 3 games, one of which he was overlooked with Harry Kane. Now come on, this needs some explanation. Surely Levy must be thinking WTF. Tim strikes me as so stubborn, and so hell bent on bringing youth through - they just arent good enough - simple. Bentaleb has played 90% of games under Tim, and he looks ok - nothing more. he should be playing 20 mins here and there.

As for his tactics, on Thursday vs Benfica we had CE on the left - I like him there - its very Luka-like. But you must must must has a left footed LB. Other wise that side of the pitch is so easy to defend against. We started with Naughton LB, and Zeki and Danny on the bench. I really dont get it. I hear on TV Strachan suggested Andros on at HT for Naughton to play LB and get forward and link with CE. What a great idea - but not spotted by Tim.

Even today - he brought on Gylfi in front of Robby. Blimey - I know Siggy tries, but he is probably one of the slowest players ive ever seen, I dont just mean running, I mean turning, decision making, everything. If ever a player was signed courtesy of match of the day - he was it. And to think Liverpool turned to Coutinho.



So much needs explaining. We really had a chance, yes Gareth was going to leave, but we only had to introduce one or two players into the team slowly. We've massacred 100m and will be lucky to see half of it again.

So what next? I think Jan is already off, tapped up ive heard. Paulinho is thinking of World Cup. Hugo looks p!ssed off. Its falling apart right in front of us.

Who will magage spurs next? People are obsessed with continental managers. Personally every time I hear Glenn Hoddle speak on TV he speaks sense. He suggests the best teams/systems that i hear when we are on. Redknapp never complcated the job, I dont think Glenn would.

FWIW I just want 2 forwards on the pitch with 2 attacking wide men (lennon/Andros/CE). The rest I dont mind.

Ive missed loads but im knackered after another stressfull day of supporting Spurs. Can someone off me any light!?

Cheers
 
This season has been one of the weirdest I can remember. We are basically in the position we usually achieve, and have only ever bettered twice, and yet it feels like the end of the world. We are in this current position without a single champions league quality player in the squad. Yes, I believe there are some in the squad with potential - but none can seriously claim that grade at the moment.

So - Where did it all go wrong (well - apart from Drogba vs Bayern)....

Pre-Season transfer activity

So everyone knows we sold our crown jewel and gambled on 7 players in the hope that 3 or 4 would become first 11 starters and take us to the top 4. Well, as I see it - only one has made match winning contributions, and really look like he fits - and that looks like Christian Eriksen. But my moan comes with the scouting/targets. We had one of the most consistent right midfielders in the country in AL, and we had AT returning from a form spell at QRR. One favours a traditional wide right, the other plays right side as an inverted winger. Ample quality I would suggest....so who do we splash our transfer record on!? one look at youtube and you can see that Erik Lamela's favoured position is wide right cutting in, so we gamble 30m on a player where we have 2 very decent prem standard players already - I really cant get my head round this - someone needs to be held accountable - obv they hoped he would be better than both of those players, but can you really be that wrong? I took one look at his physique and can see he isnt a prem league player - not yet anyway.

Soldado. Where do I start? Why was he signed? Start of the season he played up top on his own. I actually dont mind this system but your players behind must be goal getters/attacking who want to get close to him. If I remember rightly our first few games we lined up with Chadli/Sigurdsson/Andros behind him. These are hard working average midfileders who I would expect to get about 4 goals each in a 38 game season. So what were they expecting from Soldado? Look at Chelsea, they play natural goal getters in those areas behind the target man. Look at Liverpool - the front 3 reads Suarez/Stirling/Sturridge. All natural goal getters. The system only works if you get forward thinkers to work back, not midfielders to work forward. I dont know what they were expecting Soldado to do but I felt for him right from the off.

Paulinho. Im absolutely devastated how this has turned out. Really thought he was gathering momentum and vs Stoke at home I thought I was seeing the new World Class player we were promised. What a let down things have been since the Charlie Adam incident. I can only assume that that injury gave him a world cup scare - and he has decided it is feet up from now on. I dont think ive seen him get in front of our forwards once in the last 3 games. Lazy, dis-interested. Gutted.

Chadli, Vlad and Capoue - not seen enough but dont strike me as the grade to take us on. Squad players, no better than Hudd/Jake etc.

So what was the strategy? What system did AVB want? We hear rumours that we signed players he didnt want. Complete disaster of a set up from the off. That system will never work. The only way a DOF works is if manger gives him a list of names and DOF goes for them. Not DOF hands him 7 players, most of which dont fit the strategy.

Tim Sherwood

So much of what goes on I just dont understand. When he first came in we were told he was 'going to have a go' - ala Redknapp. I didnt mind this. We went to Southampton and United with 2 up top and got the points at both venues. but slowly and surely - we have actually morphed back into an AVB style side - (ABV must laugh when he sees the team now). Its basically the same setup but with Ade in for Soldado. When u play 1 up front of course you are going to control games in midfield, its not rocket science. but we just do not have goal getters behind Ade.

His treatment of some players is a joke. We dont know what goes on behind closed doors but after the confidence boosting match winner vs Cardiff, Soldado is then axed for the next 3 games, one of which he was overlooked with Harry Kane. Now come on, this needs some explanation. Surely Levy must be thinking WTF. Tim strikes me as so stubborn, and so hell bent on bringing youth through - they just arent good enough - simple. Bentaleb has played 90% of games under Tim, and he looks ok - nothing more. he should be playing 20 mins here and there.

As for his tactics, on Thursday vs Benfica we had CE on the left - I like him there - its very Luka-like. But you must must must has a left footed LB. Other wise that side of the pitch is so easy to defend against. We started with Naughton LB, and Zeki and Danny on the bench. I really dont get it. I hear on TV Strachan suggested Andros on at HT for Naughton to play LB and get forward and link with CE. What a great idea - but not spotted by Tim.

Even today - he brought on Gylfi in front of Robby. Blimey - I know Siggy tries, but he is probably one of the slowest players ive ever seen, I dont just mean running, I mean turning, decision making, everything. If ever a player was signed courtesy of match of the day - he was it. And to think Liverpool turned to Coutinho.



So much needs explaining. We really had a chance, yes Gareth was going to leave, but we only had to introduce one or two players into the team slowly. We've massacred 100m and will be lucky to see half of it again.

So what next? I think Jan is already off, tapped up ive heard. Paulinho is thinking of World Cup. Hugo looks p!ssed off. Its falling apart right in front of us.

Who will magage spurs next? People are obsessed with continental managers. Personally every time I hear Glenn Hoddle speak on TV he speaks sense. He suggests the best teams/systems that i hear when we are on. Redknapp never complcated the job, I dont think Glenn would.

FWIW I just want 2 forwards on the pitch with 2 attacking wide men (lennon/Andros/CE). The rest I dont mind.

Ive missed loads but im knackered after another stressfull day of supporting Spurs. Can someone off me any light!?

Cheers

Who actually successfully plays like that anymore though?
Moyes United?
 
Who actually successfully plays like that anymore though?
Moyes United?

Fair point but we did ok for the little mini period that it was tried. Like I said further up Im not against the one up top system, but we don't have the proper tools to implement it at the moment, so I favour a 442 right now.

Are u happy with the 3 in behind and their goal potential? Siggy? Chadli? Andros? Lennon? What's the goals to mins ratio of that crew? CE the only exception.

And who would be your 1 up top? Happy for soldado to rot?

Like I said, don't know if u overlooked, but you need the right men to go with the 1. Maybe Lamela is the answer - what's the latest there? Another who was axed at newc home straight after his best game (Europa).

Cheers
 
Are things as bad as we think? Aside from the hammerings, we''re still on course for a similar points finish. Problem is top 4 are all miles away and are all genuine title contenders.

I do think a proper coach who can turn us into a well drilled unit could have spectacular results. And we could overachieve once more.

Hurts now and it feels like we've got worse but that's short termism. As long as progress is made with the stadium then it's positive and we're moving in the right direction
 
Scariest thought is once levy works out we're running out of quality players to sell to post profits what's he gonna do then?
 
Now the dust has settled after yesterday, I actually think we are in a good position. We have a good squad but just need one of two posotions sorted: LB, CB, LW.

Once we have a manager in charge who has experience of managing a squad (and not just focussed on the first 11), can front up to the Redkanp-loving media and say "check out my CV, STFU" and can attract young starlets who would be happy to learn then we'll be ok. I disagree with Merson and other pundits that say we are 'a million miles away from the top 4'.
 
Are things as bad as we think? Aside from the hammerings, we''re still on course for a similar points finish. Problem is top 4 are all miles away and are all genuine title contenders.

I do think a proper coach who can turn us into a well drilled unit could have spectacular results. And we could overachieve once more.

Hurts now and it feels like we've got worse but that's short termism. As long as progress is made with the stadium then it's positive and we're moving in the right direction

I think it's the divide that's scary. We were getting close, odd point here or there cost us 4th on a couple of occasions. Now I feel like we're prob gonna be 10 Pts off 4th come the end of the season....and with a torrid style to boot. I don't even know what our style is to be fair.
 
Are things as bad as we think? Aside from the hammerings, we''re still on course for a similar points finish. Problem is top 4 are all miles away and are all genuine title contenders.

I do think a proper coach who can turn us into a well drilled unit could have spectacular results. And we could overachieve once more.

Hurts now and it feels like we've got worse but that's short termism. As long as progress is made with the stadium then it's positive and we're moving in the right direction

Things are never as bad as it seems at football clubs. Most Liverpool and Arsenal fans were pretty suicidal at the start of this season, but both have turned out to be genuine title contenders.

The issue i have with the long term is that to me the top 4 will generally be stitched up for the top 3 places. Forget this season, Man Utd's financial muscle will always ensure that longer-term the will be up there. City & Chelsea are both doped enough to be up there. That leaves 1 more place. Now that obviously means one of Liverpool or Arsenal will probably fall out the top 4 at some point over the next few years and where does this leave us? To me we are overachieving by even being in 5th. I think people need to accept this and that even the new stadium won't change matters much as it will merely even the playing ground between us and Arsenal/Liverpool, but won't come close to matching the top 3 clubs.

I think the next decade will see a constant dog-fight for 4th between goons, liverpool and us and I fear that more often than not we are going to miss out.

What i want is to go back to our traditions and play good attacking football and give these teams a good game. I want to be entertained again and this season has been a horrible one to witness in terms of performances, not so much results (although there have been a few horrendous results as well).

There has not been one performance I can think of when we looked a real cohesive threat all game and really tonked someone. Poeple say we haven't got the players, but that's rubbish. I've seen Southampton and Everton absolutely tonk teams this season and give the top clubs a real game.
 
I do think a proper coach who can turn us into a well drilled unit could have spectacular results. And we could overachieve once more.

Thats what we need. **** have had a settled system for 10-20 years so player slot in and out with ease. We do not. Most of our players seem to do well for their country and/or did well at their former clubs - they join Spurs and get worse. Why is that? We have someone managing the team who has never done the job before. Need Van Gaal in
 
Things are never as bad as it seems at football clubs. Most Liverpool and Arsenal fans were pretty suicidal at the start of this season, but both have turned out to be genuine title contenders.

The issue i have with the long term is that to me the top 4 will generally be stitched up for the top 3 places. Forget this season, Man Utd's financial muscle will always ensure that longer-term the will be up there. City & Chelsea are both doped enough to be up there. That leaves 1 more place. Now that obviously means one of Liverpool or Arsenal will probably fall out the top 4 at some point over the next few years and where does this leave us? To me we are overachieving by even being in 5th. I think people need to accept this and that even the new stadium won't change matters much as it will merely even the playing ground between us and Arsenal/Liverpool, but won't come close to matching the top 3 clubs.

I think the next decade will see a constant dog-fight for 4th between goons, liverpool and us and I fear that more often than not we are going to miss out.

What i want is to go back to our traditions and play good attacking football and give these teams a good game. I want to be entertained again and this season has been a horrible one to witness in terms of performances, not so much results (although there have been a few horrendous results as well).

There has not been one performance I can think of when we looked a real cohesive threat all game and really tonked someone. Poeple say we haven't got the players, but that's rubbish. I've seen Southampton and Everton absolutely tonk teams this season and give the top clubs a real game.

In all honesty just to compete with those clubs we are doing exceptionally well. We are the plucky underdogs unfortunately right now, and if we hadn't sold Bale and spent £100m people wouldn't harbour realistic ambitions of any sort of title challenge. In fact the only reason that there is some form of expectancy at Spurs to finish in the top 4 is because in the last decade we have been in and around that position. 5th on average it would seem. So it's been an organic push.

In terms of that cohesion, I feel I had a bit of an epiphany watching us v Benfica. I realised that we don't actually have a bad group of players oddly enough. However, we have lacked team chemistry and cohesion all year as you say. But this can be easily overcome with a competent coach in my mind. Even in the space of 6 months I would expect some form of plan.
 
We don't have a bad team at all. Players like Vertonghen, Eriksen, Soldado, Lamela, Walker, Chiriches, Paulinho, Sandro and Lloris are all very good players. But the thing that puts the four teams above us in a different league is that they have great players as well. The players I've above make up a very solid base, but Spurs need a couple of players like Suarez, Silva, Aguero, Hazard, Gerrard on top of that to take us to the next level. When we had Bale (particularly last season) there would be instances when our backs would be up against a wall and he would do something brilliant and get a goal, teams were double/triple marking him in some instances which gave room for our other players to do what they wanted.

I don't think Levy was wrong to spend that much money on 7 'good' players. We have an abundance of talented players in depth. I just feel that in the summer, Levy would be doing himself a massive favour if he could bring in a couple of players like Benzema, Costa, Reus, Dzeko etc... Just to sprinkle a bit of class over the squad, take pressure off our 'good' players which would give them the opportunity to do their thing and flourish. I've got no doubts that Lamela is going to be a great player for Spurs, he just needs a bit of freedom which he was never going to get when everyone was expecting him to be our best player one game into joining the club.
 
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