OMT - Tottenham v FC Basel, EL QF 2nd Leg

[braineclipse]

We cant, dempsey, parker, holtby, siggy, we were struggling to pass it around. No direct passing, no technique, nothing.

Hudd and Carroll came on, and just like vs everton we were more direct and got goal.

Why have we not got players who can play a bit of football?

Why have we got the worst bench in the UK?

Why are we playing a keeper that can hardly move?

Why didnt levy get us a striker in Jan?

We`re going to miss out on 4th spot and things will be the same all over again, the same mistakes again & again.

Right...

At least we have over the top hyperbolic rhetorical questions....

im sorry but he was taken off after hour last week,75 against everton,surely he could have lasted 90 last night,he rarely goes on any lung busted runs,he gave a ridiclous ball away for their first goal,with his height should have made some impression in their second. Agree with your logic about the subs but with extra time coming up avb should have held up his last sub at least(obiously avb couldn't have been warned about the sending off)

I think he was taken off because he had a poor game yesterday I think. He has been playing week in week out two games a week for some time now, both for us and for Belgium so I think some of the previous substitutions have been because of exhaustion. The original question was about why he was taken off in so many games, I'm giving what I think are two different explanations. He's had several good games and now one not so good. He will bounce back with some rest, I feel confident about that.

I don't remember what he did (or didn't do) for their second goal. Was he one of the players that was close to the first duel?

I think you're misremembering the way the game developed. Both the Huddlestone and Ekotto substitutions came when the score was 2-1 to Basel, at that time we didn't have extra time coming up. We were desperate for a goal and AVB made the substitutions he thought were most likely to get us a goal.

 

[Spursalot]

We cant, dempsey, parker, holtby, siggy, we were struggling to pass it around. No direct passing, no technique, nothing.

Hudd and Carroll came on, and just like vs everton we were more direct and got goal.

Why have we not got players who can play a bit of football?

Why have we got the worst bench in the UK?

Why are we playing a keeper that can hardly move?

Why didnt levy get us a striker in Jan?

We`re going to miss out on 4th spot and things will be the same all over again, the same mistakes again & again.

holtby struggling to pass it around.. 93% pass completion in a difficult away game..


I'll stop reading there.

 

[mudshark]

It's a shame to have gone out last night, especially on pens, but I think winning the competition was always likely to be a bridge too far with our threadbare squad, and we can still look at what is potentially a significant upside. Compare Chelsea's fixture pile-up now to our own:

[FONT=lucida console]     CHEL                          TOTT
-------------------------------------------
4F12
4S13
4S14 MANC (N)
4M15
4T16
4W17 FULM (A)
4T18
4F19
4S20
4S21 LIVP (A)                      MANC (H)
4M22
4T23
4W24
4T25 BASL (A)
4F26
4S27                               WIGN (A)
4S28 SWAN (H)
4M29
4T30
5W01
5T02 BASL (H)
5F03
5S04                               SOTN (H)
5S05 MANU (A)
5M06
5T07
5W08 TOTT (H)?                     CHEL (A)?
5T09
5F10
5S11 ASTV (A)? [poss. FAC Final]
5S12                               STOK (A)
5M13
5T14
5W15 ASTV (A)? [poss. resched.]
5T16
5F17
5S18
5S19 EVER (H)                      SUND (H)
[/FONT]

...and if they beat us to 4th place after that lot, it will have to be hats off indeed.

Edit: Just realised I forgot about the possible UEFA Final, as well, which is on Wednesday 15 May. That would give the PL schedulers a headache.

 

[Sheffield Spur]

Grossly unfair that teams cascade into the UEFA Cup when they have been knocked out of the CL. Time it was stopped. Will never happen though. Too much influence from the 'big clubs' in Europe.

Still, losers can still be winners. I wouldn't want to win the UEFA that way. There would be no sense of satisfaction at all.

 

[charlietheyid]

holtby struggling to pass it around.. 93% pass completion in a difficult away game..


I'll stop reading there.

:lol: And you`re happy with Holtby`s performance?

A percentage is good but if thats on 20 passes its not worth anything.

What about good passes forward that actually create chances? Or is that asking too much?

It seems like you are happy with us failing again and again. Thats up to you. I want us to suceed and we cant with that lot.

 

[r-u-s-x]

I thought Holtby looked really good. Great Great engine - would never have got through to penalties without him.

 

[Spursalot]

:lol: And you`re happy with Holtby`s performance?

A percentage is good but if thats on 20 passes its not worth anything.

What about good passes forward that actually create chances? Or is that asking too much?

It seems like you are happy with us failing again and again. Thats up to you. I want us to suceed and we cant with that lot.

Happy with failure? No.

Happy with the effort the the players put in yesterday? That they stood up and put in a good performance after the bad one they put in during the first leg? Yes. Most definitely.

He did amusingly. He played two peaches of passes forward to Ade. One Ade was just offside, the other Ade failed to control, and that's just from memory. But don't let the actual match stop your usual 'We're brick, we're so bad, how are we not in the relegation places' post match vitriol.

 

[braineclipse]

:lol: And you`re happy with Holtby`s performance?

A percentage is good but if thats on 20 passes its not worth anything.

What about good passes forward that actually create chances? Or is that asking too much?

It seems like you are happy with us failing again and again. Thats up to you. I want us to suceed and we cant with that lot.

Well it wasn't 20 passes, does that make it worth something?

56 total passes, only our full backs had more. 3 key passes, only Sig had more of all players on the pitch (4), probably because he takes set pieces.

Your comment about another Spurs fan being happy about us failing again and again seems totally out of line. Surely as a Spurs fan you should have some sort of empathy for other Spurs fans. Can't you see just how ridiculous this claim is?

 

[charlietheyid]

Happy with failure? No.

Happy with the effort the the players put in yesterday? That they stood up and put in a good performance after the bad one they put in during the first leg? Yes. Most definitely.

He did amusingly. He played two peaches of passes forward to Ade. One Ade was just offside, the other Ade failed to control, and that's just from memory. But don't let the actual match stop your usual 'We're brick, we're so bad, how are we not in the relegation places' post match vitriol.

So his best pass was to a striker who was offside? :lol: Then thats not a good pass mate. He has to look up and see he was offside.

I cant remember him doing anything key to our attacking game.

 

[Spursalot]

Well it wasn't 20 passes, does that make it worth something?

56 total passes, only our full backs had more. 3 key passes, only Sig had more of all players on the pitch (4), probably because he takes set pieces.

Your comment about another Spurs fan being happy about us failing again and again seems totally out of line. Surely as a Spurs fan you should have some sort of empathy for other Spurs fans. Can't you see just how ridiculous this claim is?

+1


It's nice that some on here do remember last nights game.

 

[Jordinho]

If Holtby's performance yesterday was poor and a cause of unhappiness and disappointment I think it's time to give up on football because you'll never be happy again.

 

[Hotshot-Tottenham]

The game was lost when Ade had the chance to make a simple cutback to Siggurdsson in the first half and then refused to release an unmarked Siggurdsson late in the second half of extra time. I thought we played well considering we were down to nine men. Really Adebayor does not look interested when things get tough. Other than him, I was pleased with the efforts of every one else. Some performances were poor, but the efforts were good.

that was the one.

nevermind the silly, pantomime-horsey run up for the pen - stupid as it was, the non-pass to Siggy who bust a gut to get in a brilliant position was the killer; our one real chance in ET yet, much like Defoe and a number of our players at times, the decision making was just plain wrong.

i realise Ade cares if Ade scores, but think about the team, think about the result. if you make a goal or score a goal the outcome is the same, so if a teammate is in a better position then just pass the damn ball.

 

[Hotshot-Tottenham]

Anyone else a little disappointed with Freidel on the first penalty? Went the right way and didn't attempt to save it. Might not have made a difference, but poor goalkeeping.

:lol:

jeez, do you realise what you said? F- Me.

 

[Hotshot-Tottenham]

We won only four games in the Europa League all year, so I don't really think we played well for most of the campaign, which is worrying considering AVB played a strong side throughout which may have tired the players out for the season. A QF finish was about right for us.

We've also only won one match in our last seven, so I think the pin prick already happened! We need to band aid up that hole fast if we are to get top four :lol:

don't forget the two games against Lazio where we were wrongly denied goals by the officials in both matches. could easily have gone on to win once in the winning position against them.

 

[ringo]

So his best pass was to a striker who was offside? :lol: Then thats not a good pass mate. He has to look up and see he was offside.

I cant remember him doing anything key to our attacking game.

If it was the pass I'm thinking of, it was very good pass to be fair. And Ade was millimeters offside, if offside at all.. and it would have been his fault for being offside, not Holtby's because he let the defenders step him up. If you play a through ball immediately, you don't look up to check the forwards are onside, you expect them to be onside. Otherwise you'd never play a quick ball. Often it is the midfielder getting their head up and having a good look around, that slows play enough for the other side to mark up forwards and step up for offside.

I've not been that impressed with Holtby's performance overall, other than his first appearance, but he looked better than usual last night, and better when playing through the middle.

 

[Mumorn]

 

[Craig_J]

As someone who avidly supported Adebayor last season and was delighted with the way he played last season I've felt really let down this season by him.... I fail to see what he adds anymore. When ever the ball comes to him it seems like he either doesn't know what to do or simply can't be bothered to do it. When the ball comes to him he seems so static every time. It's hard to build up play when your striker doesn't seem to want to move. He's got the potential to play briliantly which is why I can't understand how he has been playing. And his penalty was simply awful. Time for a change I think, at the age of 29 he's never going to reach the promise he once showed at Arsenal.


Fair play to Basel though, they played very well against us in both legs and at points really had us on the back foot. Their support was quality though and as likely as it may be I hope they can go on and win this.

 

[thfcsteff]

I think AVB's stubbornness over Friedel has been the major issue in the EL. I imagine he must have some reason, the club must have some maybe? But from the first game in the Prem at Newcash I knew he would cost us goals. A wonderful servant and all that, but simply too old to get down quick enough, react decisively on crosses or command his box. So that one is firmly on AVB. The lack of passers? Yes, a massive issue when our speed is taken away, and a problem enough when it isn't! I think with a fit Bale and Lennon we win yesterday, lessons learnt and all that...but in lieu of that, yes, no passers is massive and was nice to see Carroll...one thing to remember. For all the problems we have, we took it to pens. Like it or not, and with a huge error having given Basel a 2-1 lead, that showed tremendous balls.

 

[Bullet]

I think AVB's stubbornness over Friedel has been the major issue in the EL. I imagine he must have some reason, the club must have some maybe? But from the first game in the Prem at Newcash I knew he would cost us goals. A wonderful servant and all that, but simply too old to get down quick enough, react decisively on crosses or command his box. So that one is firmly on AVB. The lack of passers? Yes, a massive issue when our speed is taken away, and a problem enough when it isn't! I think with a fit Bale and Lennon we win yesterday, lessons learnt and all that...but in lieu of that, yes, no passers is massive and was nice to see Carroll.

Hey, I can agree with that mate. The fact AVB chose Friedel (and Gallas) indicated to me that this competition was not taken FULLY seriously, despite what AVB said numerous times.

Lloris doesn't need to rest between games, he should not get too tired mentally or physically. That is why I said I was not too bothered to go out... it never felt like a PROPER attempt to win the thing.

It was like trying to build a house by lobbing bricks together with cement... you get so far... but your heart isn't in it, you don't prepare properly and at some point it isn't going to last.

I don't think we took it properly seriously, I think the players coasted on many occasions in the group games and when Inter were there for the taking at home. With half an hour to go, we coasted... which in turn meant we had a really tough game with extra time at the San Siro.

Sometimes we should put in 10% more effort, seriousness, ruthlessness... and that would save 40% of effort later on trying to correct mistakes.




And I agree about the passers - when we don't have Bale nor Lennon, you can't play Dembele and Parker as they don't pass. If you can't "run" the ball forwards with fast players, you need passers that can get it forward. Thudd and Carroll looked incredible when they came on because they actually passed the ball forward!

As I've always said with Carroll, he looks a fantastic prospect, good vision, neat passing, sensible yet daring passing, good motor, not dirty/cynical - my kind of player.

 

[stinkfoot]

I think AVB's stubbornness over Friedel has been the major issue in the EL. I imagine he must have some reason, the club must have some maybe? But from the first game in the Prem at Newcash I knew he would cost us goals. A wonderful servant and all that, but simply too old to get down quick enough, react decisively on crosses or command his box. So that one is firmly on AVB. The lack of passers? Yes, a massive issue when our speed is taken away, and a problem enough when it isn't! I think with a fit Bale and Lennon we win yesterday, lessons learnt and all that...but in lieu of that, yes, no passers is massive and was nice to see Carroll...one thing to remember. For all the problems we have, we took it to pens. Like it or not, and with a huge error having given Basel a 2-1 lead, that showed tremendous balls.

Ha! I was just about to jump to Friedels defence but then remembered that saved (or deflected?) shot that was rolling away from him with an attacker coming in and they had a slight chase for the ball and for the 5yds that Friedel ran I actually held my breath thinking he wasn't going to make it.