Kingdawson
Banned
I honestly think you're giving him way more credit than he deserves and Golfball's post is closer to the truth. I don't think us being tired has anything to do with our beyond pathetic performances at home this season.
-
Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara
Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach
- Thread starter Bale
- Start date
I honestly think you're giving him way more credit than he deserves and Golfball's post is closer to the truth. I don't think us being tired has anything to do with our beyond pathetic performances at home this season.
thfcsteff
Terry Dyson
I commented the same on Liverpool and their 'future' many pages ago.
I'd add some context to the three games in 7 days.
Liverpool did not travel to Rome.
Liverpool have not had the injury situation we've had.
Liverpool have not been forced to shuffle their back 4 from game to game like we have had to.
A major problem is quality in lieu of a player like Dembele, who was always going to tire after 60 mins.
Our plan was very, very clear in the first-half; press Allen, who drops deep to pick up the ball, stifle the wide men and deny Gerrard space. That is why we had such dominance for 30 mins or so. But it is a high-tempo approach, and as such, you need similar quality off the bench to maintain the tempo and drive.
Truth is, with a player like Modric, this game would've been over long before the 70th minute...
thfcsteff
Terry Dyson
Well let's be honest King, you and Golfball
a) have a different view of it all to me and
b) will never resist an exchange with me when one's on the table.
I maintain that for a man who is dealing with the various situations bequeathed to him, he is doing very, very well. But in truth, the bloke could win a trophy this season and there would still be some slagging him. That's football.
DHSF
Les Ferdinand
Its commendable youre fully backing him and stating some potential reasons as to why we were poor (lets face it we were definitely for the second 45 - the first 45 I watched about ten mins in total. However Steff with AVB it does seem we take one step forward (west ham) one step back (liverscum) - in terms of performance. The reason I am a bit concerned about performance is because if youre not playing well the chances are you will lose unless you had the luck we had today.
Liverscum are actually improving - they may not be picking up results but their performances are improving and you can see a game on game improvement in passing and technique etc. Their results will come. We on the other hand arent showing that really and we will need to reply on moments of genius such as Defoe against west ham (the timing of that goal changed the course of that game) or Bale today.
We arent in any particular category - we definitely are not a passing team maybe a counter attack team but at home? seriously? You can really see Rodgers stamp on liverscum whilst we if the performance today is anything to go by, im sorry but AVB, is too defensive.
I think if we were getting the performances but not the results we actually wouldnt be too concerned thats the funny thing. If there was some game on game improvement both physically and mentally we all would be sitting here, whilst not happy, acknowledging that there is progression in our play etc.
Kingdawson
Banned
All things considered he's doing well in terms of results but very well? nah don't think so. Our performances at home this season have been ridiculously bad (Pleat era bad) but i honestly think he needs to tweak the tactics very slightly and that will change so i'm cautiously optimistic. It's worrying that bar maybe 1 game this season we can't perform consistently for 2 halfs though.
Spursalot
Jimmy McCormick
Not a bad situation to be in considering the issues we have had injury wise at the back.
Gallas's legs tend to give around 75-80 minutes which may have contributed to some of our late concessions.
Apart from today. That was a freak goal.
I look forward to Bae being fit, so Verts can wow us from the center of the park.
thfcsteff
Terry Dyson
It's circles here mate.
But that last line? Not a chance. Someone somewhere would find fault, trust me. There are people who were blinded by the dazzle of our recent past and did not see the cracks. The bloke's going to get caned by some whatever he does.
As for your Liverpool comment (one which i made during the match thread and got laughed at by someone) I'd like to remind you that without Suarez they'd be in the bottom three.
I could say that with Adebayor, we'd be in the top 3.
Or Dembele for that matter.
Context my friend...and I won't even get into Benny, Younes, etc, etc...
thfcsteff
Terry Dyson
if he gets a fully-fit first 11 out any time soon, you will see that, I firmly believe it.
DubaiSpur
Ian Walker
Absolutely. The first thirty-odd minutes today was beautiful to watch; Spurs wolfishly, relentlessly hounding down Liverpool players, forcing them into errors, nicking the ball off them and then bursting devilishly down-field. Some of the touches, flicks and passes made to evade a desperate Liverpool lunge in those first thirty minutes made us look inspired. We found space, and denied Liverpool space.
It was only ever going to last thirty minutes, though. And once we tired, and Gallas and Dembele's fitness levels dropped, we were always going to be in for it.
Come January, we'll have a roughly full-strength squad. We will then hopefully see more of that.
Modric THFC
Jimmy McCormick
United and City put in similarly bad performances tonight and won. I doubt any of their fans are having similar conversation.
DubaiSpur
Ian Walker
Yeah, but they have trophies galore to discuss. Andre hasn't proved much, so debate about the way he sets up the team is justified. Just as long as it's kept in perspective, rather than becoming actively malicious, of course.
Spot on
DHSF
Les Ferdinand
If's and but's - if Manure took their chances, if Liverscum took their chances where would we be now? Without Defoe where would we be? Without RVP where would Manure be? Without a keeper where would we be? all ifs and buts.
We have had injuries galore which, I agree with, have not helped.
The thing is im still not sure whether its tactics or players that is the issue. From where im sitting (armchair yesterday) it seems that we sit back after scoring a goal or two i.e. tactical. This sets panic in our play as we are not very good at the defending side of things. This tactic is giving the onus to the other team and Liverscum kinda thrived on it yesterday.
Is it players? Can our players really not hold the ball for more than a minute or two?
Kingdawson
Banned
It can't be the players imo. I mean the first X1 we have even with all the injuries should not be constantly getting outplayed at home period vs teams like Wigan, Norwich, WBA , and Liverpool. Hell the only home game we've looked decent throughout is West Ham at home.
People keep saying injuries but we're getting outplayed by teams who don't possess the same amount of individual quality so it's obviously something more then that. Of course when better players return from injury we should improve (that's natural) but putting our beyond brick performances on our injuries and the fact that we sold 2 good players is just an excuse.
Ganter
Erik Edman
it is staggering how some people are still doubting him. He inherited the same brick squad that did not perform from january this year. Every game after the Saudi Sportswashing Machine game at home last season was complete utter brick.
He has not had King, Modric or a fully fit Adebayor at his disposal. Plagued with injuries, but we are still in the running for CL. Hats off to the guy for me
He has not had King, Modric or a fully fit Adebayor at his disposal. Plagued with injuries, but we are still in the running for CL. Hats off to the guy for me
Kingdawson
Banned
brick squad hahahahahahahhahahaha oh man. Every game after Saudi Sportswashing Machine at home was utter brick? why do you feel the need to exaggerate to such an extreme level?
Man united at home was a good performance but not a good result.
Stoke city at home was brick.
Swansea at home was a good performance and result.
Norwich at home was brick.
Blackburn at home was a good performance and result.
Fulham at home was a good performance and result.
So in 6 home games after the Saudi Sportswashing Machine game we had 4 good performances and 2 brick ones.
Swansea and Fulham in the end was a solid performance but the rest were poor, I'd agree
He also lost VdV and has been forced to utilise Gallas while Kaboul and BAE are out, in addition to Hudd filling in for Dembele
Kingdawson
Banned
oh my bad you're actually saying every game was utter brick? not even every home game...
Arsenal away was brick.
Everton away was brick first half and good second half so we'll call that ok.
Chelsea away was good and we should have won that easily bar brick finishing.
Sunderland away was meh. Wouldn't say brick as that's a hard ground to go to and both teams were as good/bad as eachother.
QPR was brick.
Bolton was good.
Villa was brick.
So in 7 away games we had 2 and a half good performances and 3 and a half brick performances and a meh game.
Altogether in 13 games we had:
6 and a half good performances, 5 and a half brick performances and a 'meh' game. Let's not rewrite what actually happened..
Arsenal away was brick.
Everton away was brick first half and good second half so we'll call that ok.
Chelsea away was good and we should have won that easily bar brick finishing.
Sunderland away was meh. Wouldn't say brick as that's a hard ground to go to and both teams were as good/bad as eachother.
QPR was brick.
Bolton was good.
Villa was brick.
So in 7 away games we had 2 and a half good performances and 3 and a half brick performances and a meh game.
Altogether in 13 games we had:
6 and a half good performances, 5 and a half brick performances and a 'meh' game. Let's not rewrite what actually happened..
BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
Read the interview I put up with him a few pages back when he was at Chelsea. His ideal isn't to be defensive. He even says in that interview that he would never play in a way that waits for the opposition to make mistakes. But with us, it is what he is doing. We are a counter attacking side. But that's why to be where we are even though AVB has basically been forced to be pragmatic and play a style he doesn't really want to is a great thing. He's lost absolute key players, he's lost further important guys to injury, but we are 5th, 3 points of 3rd. That's fantastic, because it means that if we can get in the players in January, we will absolutely fly.
Yes we should be beating Norwich and Wigan at home, and performances particularly at home haven't been great. But he is making the best of what he's been left with. The squad has individual talent, but isn't universally geared to a way of playing. But he is still getting us results, we are still winning, and that's the important thing. I mean, last night we did play some lovely stuff. But he was forced into playing Dawson alongside Gallas, and neither centre back is going to be part of his ideal team next season. Neither is particularly comfortable carrying the ball out of defence. But that's how we were. We were forced into going deep last night by the necessity of winning. Because Liverpool would have got in behind them if we didn't go deeper. Yes it wasn't pretty, it certainly wasn't ideal and AVB knows that, but it's doing what we had to do to win.