A worrying trend?

[Jordinho]

This has now been replaced by this:

 

[Lemonade Money]

What is that?

 

[spasm]

coco meowww...

 

[SPURSBOY]

9 Home games this season in the league so far

v Saudi Sportswashing Machine 1-2
v Chelsea 0-0
v West Ham 4-1
v Villa 3-1
v Liverpool 0-0
v City 4-1
v Palace 1-0
v Everton 0-0
v Stoke 2-2

16 points out of 27 scored 15 (11 goals scored in 3 out of the 9 games) conceded 7

Much better defensively this season at home but as mentioned in the OP, too few goals I think.

Next 3 home games, Norwich, Leicester and Sunderland.

 

[Ade's folks are ok really]

Have you ever considered that hitting a precise corner at the near post is somewhat harder than floating a high ball in which will be cleared 99/100?

So you're happy for Eriksen to continue to waste corners, as long as we can applaud him for achieving the more difficult option once a game at best!!??

If he can't manage it because, as you say, it is "somewhat harder", then perhaps he should try the easier option for a while and at least give ourselves a better chance of creating something!!!?!!!?

 

[Lemonade Money]

Guys, do you mind. This is the worrying trend thread.

 

[Finney Is Back]

My thoughts are that it is simply down to the fact that last season we were the ones behind and chasing the game, whereas this season we have been in front and it has been the opposition who have been chasing the game. The only thing that worries me slightly is that we haven't looked particularly threatening on the break during the closing stages of those games in which the opposition are committing men forward and chasing it.

I think the next step in Pochettino's evolution is for him to find a way of us also looking dangerous on the break when winning the ball deep inside our own half as well as when playing our normal game of trying to turn over the ball high up the pitch.

 

[DublinSpur]

So you're happy for Eriksen to continue to waste corners, as long as we can applaud him for achieving the more difficult option once a game at best!!??

I'm guessing you missed the Swansea game? Not saying Eriksen will score two free kicks in one game any time soon again. But clearly "once a game" is not "at best".

 

[Rock Strongo]

So you're happy for Eriksen to continue to waste corners, as long as we can applaud him for achieving the more difficult option once a game at best!!??

If he can't manage it because, as you say, it is "somewhat harder", then perhaps he should try the easier option for a while and at least give ourselves a better chance of creating something!!!?!!!?

Let me put another way, lets say we receive a freekick 20 yards out. You can choose between

Player X: hitting them as hard as he can aiming for the keeper's corner (imagine oh ah John Arne Riise's goal vs Barthez), scoring one in a million even if he's hitting the target every time.

or go for

Eriksen: bending it over the wall, scoring 1 in 10, with the other 9 hitting the wall or outside the target.

What I'm trying to say is, even if he hits the wall a few times, the once that get past will lead to greater chances than if he were to just float them in with no risk of hitting that first defender.

But if you think hitting that perfect corner at the near post is so damn easy, then you should just tell Eriksen to do it all the time instead of wasting them on the first defender, I'm sure he hasn't thought of that.

 

[Finney Is Back]

So you're happy for Eriksen to continue to waste corners, as long as we can applaud him for achieving the more difficult option once a game at best!!??

If he can't manage it because, as you say, it is "somewhat harder", then perhaps he should try the easier option for a while and at least give ourselves a better chance of creating something!!!?!!!?

Hmmmm..... I'm not sure that makes sense... How many near post corners is it taking us to score each goal currently? If we are achieving even a 1 in 10 ratio then I would imagine that is a significantly higher ratio than what we would achieve by just floating them in. Didn't we go for something ridiculous like 110 corners in a row under Redknapp without scoring?

 

[Ade's folks are ok really]

Let me put another way, lets say we receive a freekick 20 yards out. You can choose between

Player X: hitting them as hard as he can aiming for the keeper's corner (imagine oh ah John Arne Riise's goal vs Barthez), scoring one in a million even if he's hitting the target every time.

or go for

Eriksen: bending it over the wall, scoring 1 in 10, with the other 9 hitting the wall or outside the target.

What I'm trying to say is, even if he hits the wall a few times, the once that get past will lead to greater chances than if he were to just float them in with no risk of hitting that first defender.

But if you think hitting that perfect corner at the near post is so damn easy, then you should just tell Eriksen to do it all the time instead of wasting them on the first defender, I'm sure he hasn't thought of that.

Direct free kicks are an entirely different matter though. I think we all accept that his dead ball attempts at goal have a very decent return. The debate however was about corners where frankly it fathoms me as to how wasteful he is with them, barely beating the first man.

But my overall point was that I feel we are carrying him for most of the game at the moment, as at present, he is offering little more than the occasional direct free-kick opportunity. I stress the at present as of course he one of our most talented players. But tell me if i've completely missed something that he's consistently given us this past 6 or 7 games??

Do i want him dropped on Sat? Probably not. But I want to see a damn sight more from him than he's offered of late…especially away from home where i imagine Saints will have a fair share of the ball.

 

[alekaras]

With Dembele back healthy, I would drop Eriksen for the next game. Dier/Dembele as CMs and Lamela/Son/Alli behind Kane. He'll be on the bench, anyway, so if he's needed he can always be subbed in, but wouldn't hurt to give Eriksen some time off to get his mojo back.

 

[Rorschach]

With Dembele back healthy, I would drop Eriksen for the next game. Dier/Dembele as CMs and Lamela/Son/Alli behind Kane. He'll be on the bench, anyway, so if he's needed he can always be subbed in, but wouldn't hurt to give Eriksen some time off to get his mojo back.

I think Dembele on the pitch seems to make Eriksen play better. Not sure why really. Maybe he draws players in and gives the others a bit more space.

I'd still think our strongest line up is...
----------Kane------
Eriksen---Alli---Lamela
---- Dembele---Dier--

 

[90291Spur]

So you're happy for Eriksen to continue to waste corners, as long as we can applaud him for achieving the more difficult option once a game at best!!??

If he can't manage it because, as you say, it is "somewhat harder", then perhaps he should try the easier option for a while and at least give ourselves a better chance of creating something!!!?!!!?

I read a tactical piece somewhere (I can't remember where I read it) talking about the amount of near post corners that hit the first man. It said that the best chance of scoring from a corner is from a relatively low, hard cross that JUST beats the first defender (as we have done at least twice this season). This increases the chance of such a corner being headed away - a risk attacking teams are willing to take - as when it comes off there is a good scoring chance and when it doesn't the attacking team tends to pick up the second ball.

 

[afsoc4life]

Hmmmm..... I'm not sure that makes sense... How many near post corners is it taking us to score each goal currently? If we are achieving even a 1 in 10 ratio then I would imagine that is a significantly higher ratio than what we would achieve by just floating them in. Didn't we go for something ridiculous like 110 corners in a row under Redknapp without scoring?

We wasted all our corners for years!!

 

[Jordinho]

There were 8 goals scored from corners this weekend (West Brom got two of them, big surprise).

You won't hear much about the 99 other corners though.

 

[parklane1]

We wasted all our corners for years!!

Like most teams do.

 

[Yermiyahu]

For me this me, this season has been all about finishing, or the lack of it. We create chance after chance and with better finishing would be sitting at the top of the league. I see your point @Pirate about conceding late but if we'd taken our chances earlier in the games, well.

As I wrote on here at the start of the season, this young team will have a roller coaster of season, and thus it is proving to be. We certainly need a different option up front that can stick the ball away if Harry is injured , tired or simply out of form. It's the frustration that is getting to me tbh, I've not seen a league so open for years or a Spurs team with so much potential. Where is that missing piece of the jigsaw? Because we are close, so very close.

 

[Bullet]

There were 8 goals scored from corners this weekend (West Brom got two of them, big surprise).

You won't hear much about the 99 other corners though.

8 out of 22? Wow that is high, definitely worth optimising our delivery and runs. I know Eriksen is attempting 7 or 8 feet in height at the near post but attains anything from 2 to 9 feet. It isn't easy. If he can't narrow his inaccuracy band I would prefer his spread to be 7 to 16 feet if you see what I mean.

 

[Pirate55]

For me this me, this season has been all about finishing, or the lack of it. We create chance after chance and with better finishing would be sitting at the top of the league. I see your point @Pirate about conceding late but if we'd taken our chances earlier in the games, well.

As I wrote on here at the start of the season, this young team will have a roller coaster of season, and thus it is proving to be. We certainly need a different option up front that can stick the ball away if Harry is injured , tired or simply out of form. It's the frustration that is getting to me tbh, I've not seen a league so open for years or a Spurs team with so much potential. Where is that missing piece of the jigsaw? Because we are close, so very close.

I agree with most of what you say. However, one of my key points relates to fitness. Last season we almost expected to score late in games as we thought our superior fitness came through. But this season, we look the worse team in the final twenty minutes in too many games now for it to be put down to mere coincident. Almost every game we concede late on and now hadly ever score in that period ourselves.

It would be great if one of our Stattos could provide us with a graphic to show the time of our goals and our opponents goals for this season compared to last season and then I think the distinction will become clear to evidence my point.

My essential question is that if our fitness is no longer better than our opponents, why is this?