Creativity

[scaramanga]

In case you hadn't noticed, the game today is all about the squad not the XI. We have (probably) the best starting team in the PL. What we don't have is adequate quality cover in all positions. Look at our rivals. In last years FA semi final, Chelscum were able to bring on Hazard and Costa. On Saturday, Man Ure were able to bring on Lingard and Martial. Scum's Giroud was their super-sub last season who weighs in with vital goals on a regular basis. Liverpoo and Manbricky have a plethora of options up front so if they are missing Aguero or Mane then their overall level doesn't drop too much.

So, again, how do you fit that player on the pitch? Do you change how we set up or do you replace Eriksen? If we do the former, do you think one possible outcome is Eriksen seeing less of the ball with another creator on the pitch? Is that a desired outcome for you?

Our options without Eriksen are limited. Will Lamela ever regain his top level for us - I have my doubts. Sissoko is not at the required level for creativity. Our cupboard in this area is relatively bare and we need a top quality player here to keep us competitive with our rivals. Hence our interest in Barkley and formerly Isco. It wouldn't do Eriksen any harm either to have someone compete with him and allow him a rest if not fully fit or feeling tired.

Eriksen doesn't appear to need a rest. He consistently plays all the matches that matter, and rarely is out of the top handful of players in terms of distance covered. Do you think that an inferior player sitting on the bench will motivate him to somehow become a better player? I can't see why/how.

Also, as previously mentioned, there was a time that whenever Eriksen stepped up for a free-kick outside the box I was almost expecting him to score. When was the last time he actually scored from a free-kick? Was it Swansea away the season before last? Nowadays, I don't even think I am even thinking about him scoring when he steps up. Indeed, his team-mates also seem to have given up on him to a large extent with the free-kicks now being shared out. This would have been unthinkable a couple of seasons ago. And as for his corners...........

Regression. When a player is regularly scoring from free kicks, there's one thing you can guarantee they'll do the next season - score fewer goals from free kicks.

 

[Ade's folks are ok really]

Our creativity isn't about who we can upgrade on a like-for-like basis, it's about getting the players back that we've missed. We have barely played our combative midfield pairing that did so well last season.

Get Moussa and Vic back. Allow the likes of Eriksen and Dele to loosen the shackles and push further forward, safe in the knowledge of who's sweeping up behind them in midfield, and the chances and goals will rain in again i'm sure.

 

[Pirate55]

So, again, how do you fit that player on the pitch? Do you change how we set up or do you replace Eriksen? If we do the former, do you think one possible outcome is Eriksen seeing less of the ball with another creator on the pitch? Is that a desired outcome for you?

Please READ the answers already provided. It is not about the XI it is about a squad nowadays.


Eriksen doesn't appear to need a rest. He consistently plays all the matches that matter, and rarely is out of the top handful of players in terms of distance covered. Do you think that an inferior player sitting on the bench will motivate him to somehow become a better player? I can't see why/how.

How do you know Eriksen doesn't need a rest? How do you know when he is carrying a small knock? How do you know when his form dips it is not because he has no competition? It has been shown that when a player has direct competition - Walker/Trippier, Dier/Wanyama, Rose/Davies - both players can raise their game to even higher levels. How do you know this won't happen in Eriksen's case?


Regression. When a player is regularly scoring from free kicks, there's one thing you can guarantee they'll do the next season - score fewer goals from free kicks.

Quite the reverse. Eriksen came to us as one of the highest converters of free-kicks in Europe. He started out with us the same way. It is only recently that he has become brick at scoring from free-kicks. If your reversion theory holds, then he should soon be reverting back to his norm of scoring regularly from free-kicks. Who is to say whether some competition in this area won't be good for him?

 

[Lemonade Money]

I agree with that. The problem with dropping Sissoko for (for instance) Barkley would be a huge loss in defensive strength. Our setup requires a lot of defensive input from that position - that's why, IMO, we miss Lamela so much as he does both.

Do my eyes deceive me? Could this be a positive post on Sissoko by @scaramanga?

 

[Pirate55]

Do my eyes deceive me? Could this be a positive post on Sissoko by @scaramanga?

Reverting to (just) mean, perhaps?

 

[scaramanga]

Do my eyes deceive me? Could this be a positive post on Sissoko by @scaramanga?

I've never been unhappy with Sissoko's defensive involvement. He's hard working, covers ground well and his physical ability is useful in a tackle.

It's what he does with the ball in the very short time it's at his feet that bothers me.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

I agree with that. The problem with dropping Sissoko for (for instance) Barkley would be a huge loss in defensive strength. Our setup requires a lot of defensive input from that position - that's why, IMO, we miss Lamela so much as he does both.

Remember Poch has almost created that position for Sissoko. And it has worked as much as Sissoko operates in an area that suits his game most.

That diamond formation was new (perhaps it was also due to the lack of DCM s available as well) but a different player in for Sissoko may see a return to one of the other formation we are comfortable with?

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

I've never been unhappy with Sissoko's defensive involvement. He's hard working, covers ground well and his physical ability is useful in a tackle.

It's what he does with the ball in the very short time it's at his feet that bothers me.

Oi Oi .....that's definitely a softening.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

In case you hadn't noticed, the game today is all about the squad not the XI. We have (probably) the best starting team in the PL. What we don't have is adequate quality cover in all positions. Look at our rivals. In last years FA semi final, Chelscum were able to bring on Hazard and Costa. On Saturday, Man Ure were able to bring on Lingard and Martial. Scum's Giroud was their super-sub last season who weighs in with vital goals on a regular basis. Liverpoo and Manbricky have a plethora of options up front so if they are missing Aguero or Mane then their overall level doesn't drop too much.

Our options without Eriksen are limited. Will Lamela ever regain his top level for us - I have my doubts. Sissoko is not at the required level for creativity. Our cupboard in this area is relatively bare and we need a top quality player here to keep us competitive with our rivals. Hence our interest in Barkley and formerly Isco. It wouldn't do Eriksen any harm either to have someone compete with him and allow him a rest if not fully fit or feeling tired.

Also, as previously mentioned, there was a time that whenever Eriksen stepped up for a free-kick outside the box I was almost expecting him to score. When was the last time he actually scored from a free-kick? Was it Swansea away the season before last? Nowadays, I don't even think I am even thinking about him scoring when he steps up. Indeed, his team-mates also seem to have given up on him to a large extent with the free-kicks now being shared out. This would have been unthinkable a couple of seasons ago. And as for his corners...........

Can we please never ever use the Fa Cup semi against Chelsea as an example of who other teams can bring on off the bench.

'If only we'd left Kane and Alli out that day, we c.ould of brought them on. Damn. Maybe we can do that for the rest of this season?'

#thefuturetacticsoffootball

 

[Bullet]

I've never been unhappy with Sissoko's defensive involvement. He's hard working, covers ground well and his physical ability is useful in a tackle.

It's what he does with the ball in the very short time it's at his feet that bothers me.

That's where you are going wrong, when trying to assess Sissoko. The ball is not at his feet, it is at his knees. He is 50 years ahead of his time, nobody can tackle him when the ball is on his knee.

 

[braineclipse]

In case you hadn't noticed, the game today is all about the squad not the XI. We have (probably) the best starting team in the PL. What we don't have is adequate quality cover in all positions. Look at our rivals. In last years FA semi final, Chelscum were able to bring on Hazard and Costa. On Saturday, Man Ure were able to bring on Lingard and Martial. Scum's Giroud was their super-sub last season who weighs in with vital goals on a regular basis. Liverpoo and Manbricky have a plethora of options up front so if they are missing Aguero or Mane then their overall level doesn't drop too much.

Our options without Eriksen are limited. Will Lamela ever regain his top level for us - I have my doubts. Sissoko is not at the required level for creativity. Our cupboard in this area is relatively bare and we need a top quality player here to keep us competitive with our rivals. Hence our interest in Barkley and formerly Isco. It wouldn't do Eriksen any harm either to have someone compete with him and allow him a rest if not fully fit or feeling tired.

When we have everyone fully fit I think our bench includes Son, Lamela, Sissoko, Llorente and Winks. You talk about players like Giroud, Lingard, Martial and whoever Liverpool bring in for Mane (Can? Sturridge?). I don't think our lot is particularly poor compared to most of our rivals, not at all actually. City are a bit of a league of their own right now and have built that squad spending the kind of money we don't have.

Now, no disagreements from me on upgrading on Sissoko. Though with the amount of posts defending his contributions this seasons I imagine some would disagree on that. But if the game today is all about the squad we're still third and with a great start in the CL for a reason... A lack of injuries isn't the explanation. Our squad compares quite favorably to those of our rivals.

Would have loved Isco, he currently seems about as impossible to sign as Messi. I don't quite understand why Barkley gets talked about in the same breath as Isco, surely there must be a host of players between them in quality. But the key should to replace someone with a player with massive potential for the future. Someone who could develop to the level of Eriksen over a couple of seasons. Perhaps Barkley is that player, perhaps Edwards is.

 

[billyiddo]

In case you hadn't noticed, the game today is all about the squad not the XI. We have (probably) the best starting team in the PL. What we don't have is adequate quality cover in all positions. Look at our rivals. In last years FA semi final, Chelscum were able to bring on Hazard and Costa. On Saturday, Man Ure were able to bring on Lingard and Martial. Scum's Giroud was their super-sub last season who weighs in with vital goals on a regular basis. Liverpoo and Manbricky have a plethora of options up front so if they are missing Aguero or Mane then their overall level doesn't drop too much.

Our options without Eriksen are limited. Will Lamela ever regain his top level for us - I have my doubts. Sissoko is not at the required level for creativity. Our cupboard in this area is relatively bare and we need a top quality player here to keep us competitive with our rivals. Hence our interest in Barkley and formerly Isco. It wouldn't do Eriksen any harm either to have someone compete with him and allow him a rest if not fully fit or feeling tired.

Also, as previously mentioned, there was a time that whenever Eriksen stepped up for a free-kick outside the box I was almost expecting him to score. When was the last time he actually scored from a free-kick? Was it Swansea away the season before last? Nowadays, I don't even think I am even thinking about him scoring when he steps up. Indeed, his team-mates also seem to have given up on him to a large extent with the free-kicks now being shared out. This would have been unthinkable a couple of seasons ago. And as for his corners...........

Hazard and Costa were both first XI players for Chelsea that season - it'd be no different to us leaving Kane and Eriksen on the bench and bringing them on late in games and so does little to support your argument.

A fully fit squad allows us to bring on Lamela Llorente Son and Sissoko in the attacking areas, which I think would compare well to everyone bar City who are on another planet atm and not really something we can hope to replicate for obvious reasons.

We could probably improve on that though and I'm sure will be looking to do so but we aren't lagging behind our rivals to the extent you imply

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Hazard and Costa were both first XI players for Chelsea that season - it'd be no different to us leaving Kane and Eriksen on the bench and bringing them on late in games and so does little to support your argument.

A fully fit squad allows us to bring on Lamela Llorente Son and Sissoko in the attacking areas, which I think would compare well to everyone bar City who are on another planet atm and not really something we can hope to replicate for obvious reasons.

We could probably improve on that though and I'm sure will be looking to do so but we aren't lagging behind our rivals to the extent you imply

And look how poor Chelsea look now their squad is being tested with more games and injuries

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

We could probably improve on that though and I'm sure will be looking to do so but we aren't lagging behind our rivals to the extent you imply

And to be totally honest it's a miracle we aren't.

I'm not saying cheer from the rooftops but ffs there aren't many teams in times gone by that have punched above their weight like we (consistently) are.

And griping about any of it is just spinning negativity on to something that is 99% positive. Just reign in the expectations, slow down......it's coming. Enjoy the journey....it's one of our better ones

 

[braineclipse]

And to be totally honest it's a miracle we aren't.

I'm not saying cheer from the rooftops but ffs there aren't many teams in times gone by that have punched above their weight like we (consistently) are.

And griping about any of it is just spinning negativity on to something that is 99% positive. Just reign in the expectations, slow down......it's coming. Enjoy the journey....it's one of our better ones

The question of how to continue that remains. For me our good work with young players must continue. Both academy lads and players we sign. That's why if we're going to replace someone, for example to get more creativity, the preference should be a younger player with bags of potential. Either from the academy (Edwards or Onomah perhaps), or a new signing.

Our team is filled with players we couldn't actually sign if they were at this level at another club. That development work is the main factor being our success.

 

[billyiddo]

The question of how to continue that remains. For me our good work with young players must continue. Both academy lads and players we sign. That's why if we're going to replace someone, for example to get more creativity, the preference should be a younger player with bags of potential. Either from the academy (Edwards or Onomah perhaps), or a new signing.

Our team is filled with players we couldn't actually sign if they were at this level at another club. That development work is the main factor being our success.

Our squad has been built via a mixed approach in the market I'd say with plenty of our first team signed having already spent their younger development years elsewhere and were either already established first team players at lesser clubs in England or from weaker leagues - Lloris Davies Trippier Alderwiereld Vertonghen Wanyama Dembele Eriksen Lamela Aurier all fit that profile, with Rose Winks Dier Alli and Kane being younger/ less experienced players who came here earlier in their development.

 

[braineclipse]

Our squad has been built via a mixed approach in the market I'd say with plenty of our first team signed having already spent their younger development years elsewhere and were either already established first team players at lesser clubs in England or from weaker leagues - Lloris Davies Trippier Alderwiereld Vertonghen Wanyama Dembele Eriksen Lamela Aurier all fit that profile, with Rose Winks Dier Alli and Kane being younger/ less experienced players who came here earlier in their development.

Yes, obviously we're not only signing teenagers. But most of the players you mentioned, most of our successful signings, have developed significantly after we signed them. They had the potential for development, the right attitude and under Pochettino they've developed very nicely. Our average age has been amongst the youngest in the league every season under Pochettino, that says something about our transfer approach.

I'm not arguing that we should sign only teenagers. I include players like Eriksen, Lamela, Davies and Sanchez in the category of younger players with a lot of potential for future development (when we signed them).

Yes we've some somewhat older players that have been more proven, with a decent success rate. But for me that's not where we've been better than other clubs, that's not how we've been able to outperform our financial limitations. Player development is an area where we do outperform most of our competitors. And a key to our continued success.

 

[scaramanga]

Please READ the answers already provided. It is not about the XI it is about a squad nowadays.

So again, in the hope that you may actually answer this time, how does that player alter our level of creativity?

In order to do so, they will need to be on the ball. Last time I checked, in order to be allowed to do that, they would either need to start or come on as a sub. Which leads us neatly back to my question regarding this player and how it would affect Eriksen's time on the ball.

How do you know Eriksen doesn't need a rest? How do you know when he is carrying a small knock? How do you know when his form dips it is not because he has no competition? It has been shown that when a player has direct competition - Walker/Trippier, Dier/Wanyama, Rose/Davies - both players can raise their game to even higher levels. How do you know this won't happen in Eriksen's case?

If he's fit enough to run further than pretty much anyone else on the pitch, then he's fit enough to play.

Competition for Eriksen would be great. The problem is, that competition would need to be good enough to Eriksen to fear he might lose his place to that player for the kind of motivation you are suggesting. Eriksen is one of the best in the world in his position, Barkley is barely the best at Everton. If you genuinely think we can get someone at or near Eriksen's level to come and get splinters in their arse at Spurs, I'd love to hear who.

Quite the reverse. Eriksen came to us as one of the highest converters of free-kicks in Europe. He started out with us the same way. It is only recently that he has become brick at scoring from free-kicks. If your reversion theory holds, then he should soon be reverting back to his norm of scoring regularly from free-kicks. Who is to say whether some competition in this area won't be good for him?

As always, it's nice to have some facts to back up opinions.

Eriksen's history in the PL:
CLICKY
He's actually scoring at a better rate this season than ever before in the PL (small sample size).

EDIT: That link also shows that he's played 36, 35 and 38 PL matches in the last three seasons. That doesn't suggest a player who struggles with fitness/stamina to me.

 

[braineclipse]

Eriksen, Kane, Dier and Alli have benefited massively from not having any real competition, at least at times. They've benefited from being clear first choice players that have been allowed to play through dips in form to come back stronger. The trust showed by Pochettino by adopting them as first choice players without real competition has been important for their development. And having several players in that situation has allowed them to develop an understanding that more frequent rotation might not have allowed. All imo.

I've seen calls for several of them to be dropped for players in our squad. I've seen more calls for signing someone that could replace them. Pochettino hasn't done that for most of them and I think it's been the right decision.

Competition can be helpful. But being a clear first choice player can also be very helpful. Sometimes I really think the whole competition for places gets overrated.

 

[Pirate55]

So how would you propose to employ those "creative Eriksen-type players?" Would you change our entire formation to accommodate another player who plays in Eriksen's position? Would you use that player instead of Eriksen?

Either of those actions would need a player of incredibly high quality in order to avoid damaging the quality and creativity we already show.

As has been stated above me - until or unless Eriksen gets a long injury, Eriksen-type players are at the very bottom of our list of needs. We have one of the best players in the world in that position.

So again, in the hope that you may actually answer this time, how does that player alter our level of creativity?

In order to do so, they will need to be on the ball. Last time I checked, in order to be allowed to do that, they would either need to start or come on as a sub. Which leads us neatly back to my question regarding this player and how it would affect Eriksen's time on the ball.



If he's fit enough to run further than pretty much anyone else on the pitch, then he's fit enough to play.

Competition for Eriksen would be great. The problem is, that competition would need to be good enough to Eriksen to fear he might lose his place to that player for the kind of motivation you are suggesting. Eriksen is one of the best in the world in his position, Barkley is barely the best at Everton. If you genuinely think we can get someone at or near Eriksen's level to come and get splinters in their arse at Spurs, I'd love to hear who.


As always, it's nice to have some facts to back up opinions.

Eriksen's history in the PL:
CLICKY
He's actually scoring at a better rate this season than ever before in the PL (small sample size).

EDIT: That link also shows that he's played 36, 35 and 38 PL matches in the last three seasons. That doesn't suggest a player who struggles with fitness/stamina to me.

You seem to have trouble understanding plain English so I am going to leave it there.

Except to say that anyone who is arguing that Eriksen's scoring rate FROM FREE-KICKS has improved, just isn't watching the same thing I am.