Given the reasonable pace of Son/Lamela/Moura, would people be happy to play some Vardyball when the busparquet opposition venture out and their attack breaks down ??
We're a second half team. There have been a few games that we've won first half [United and Liverpool at home, for example] but mostly we save it for the second half. Whether we're working out the opposition or trying to tire them out to exploit space or what, I don't know. However, I'm rarely too concerned if we've been poor in the first half. In the second, we're normally better. Often considerably better. If we're in it at half time, we can win any game. Strangely, it's the same in terms of the season. We start really slowly by drawing loads of games and by January, we become unbeatable. Managing games like that isn't perfect but it's the seasons that are the problem. If we'd started the last 3 seasons a bit more like we finished them, we'd probably have won the title twice. I know next season will be post-WC and we'll want to rest players but please, please, please can we try and go for it from the off? Those early season draws will kill us again, if we don't.
I don't see why we cannot employ more the 1st half blitzkrieg that used to serve Arry so well against most teams (often 2-0 up etc and opposition shell-shocked etc) . And unlike with Arry, where I used to have 2nd half kittens as the team slacked off and the score often went to 2-1 then hang on, I trust the Pochettino defensive/fitness regimes sufficiently for that not to happen.
Start of next season promises to be a difficult time. Not only the risk of getting players back post-WC knackered or injured, but all the media frenzy that will no doubt build as the proposed date of inaugurating the NWHL gets pushed back - as it looks ever more likely. And then factor in the disruption of the eventual switch away from Wembley........ I could try and be more pessimistic.........
We'd also have more available on the bench to solidify the side and replace tired legs. One problem is that more sides set up to sit back and frustrate us now, so making them run about and playing possession football works. They want us to go all out attack and wear ourselves out.
Statistically, does busparquet actually expend considerably more/less energy than a normal game ?? I would love Pochettino to start a home games against a few sides using busparquet or Vardyball for the first 20 mins, and then see what comes of that before finishing with the normal formations.
I'm not sure if it does statistically, but you have to be concentrating constantly and you're permanently on the defensive. It's very draining mentally and having rare touches of the ball leads to mistakes when you eventually do get it.
My observation of it is that when you have so many behind the ball, there always seems to be an out-ball to take the ball far enough from your own half to easily regroup and have the opponent start again.
It depends on how well organised you are and what options you have up front. Many of our recent opponents have tried this and just end up hoofing it down the pitch and losing possession. If it keeps coming back at you then someone will eventually make a mistake or switch off. Our main issue with it seems to be creating enough width to force the issue and failing to make incisive passes through the middle. Trippier and Davies have done well, but they're not the wingbacks that Rose and Walker were last season and it took a while to adjust. Eriksen was often crowded out and needed to play a deeper role and Alderweireld's balls over the top to Alli were missing, too. It seems like it's been ages since the last one, until Dier's yesterday.
Former referees' chief Keith Hackett says referee Craig Pawson did not deal with tackles from Tottenham's Erik Lamela and Jan Vertonghen "correctly" in their side's win at Chelsea and that "if VAR had been in use, Tottenham would have finished the game with nine men". (Telegraph) A couple of yellows surely.
Don’t tell me another battle at the Bridge that the ref officiated ‘differently’ because Spurs were playing!! Having said that, I wonder if Hackett would have sent off Fabregas for kicking out at Lamela - that is a definite, no option red in the rules.
If Hackett thinks that Craig Pawson refereed yesterday’s game he has seriously defective eyesight as the ref was Mariner
This is something I've been mulling over too. It's a tricky one to arbitrate as Poch could put NKoudou in goal and he'd still have very little to do as most teams sit so deep against us. Hugo has pulled off some worldies this season and his sweeping has improved drastically. What hasn't is his distribution and that to my mind is why Ederson is already ahead of Hugo (together with De Gea) on the list of best PL keepers. Hugo also offers very little in terms of the captaincy. Easily our best keeper in the PL era though. I just wonder if he has something of the Harts about him - a need to be kept busy or else lapses in concentration set in. It's just a shame he seems to save those lapses for big games. At the end of the day we don't have the budget for a better keeper. Hugo is one of the best shot-stoppers and sweepers in the world but his distribution and near-post angles are seriously poor. There is absolutely no reason why a professional footballer should be kicking a ball out of play for a throw in when under zero pressure. I personally think the armband has to be given to someone else next season. We gave it to Hugo in the first instance to encourage him to stay at the club through the tricky post-Bale years. There are now at least 4 players more integral to our success than he is and by this logic one of them deserves the captaincy. Kane being the obvious candidate.
GK situation is interesting. Do we all think Hugo will be here next season? Gazza has hardly had any first team exposure with MV getting the cup games and the default backup when Hugo injured. I'm a fan of Hugo as a senior professional (despite his distribution lapses) and hes a fundamental part of this group, but somehow I feel more secure with Vorm between the sticks. But neither are longer term options. If Gazza is the future - and he seems to be fitting in well with the squad - then he surely needs to get more opportunities?
I recently saw a video of Daniel Levy together with Hugo addressing Spurs supporters and I would be amazed if Hugo wasn't here next season. I know he has to say the right things in front of the boss but he has certainly bought into the Spurs project.
I would also be surprised if he wasn't still involved to see the transition to NWHL - he has stuck with the project despite numerous rumours over the last 2/3 years. But equally, Hugo at 'only' 31 still has a marketable career at the top, so wouldn't be happy with a senior pro support role like Brad dropped into. He has one last big €€ move to consider. So does the club......
Lloris is the best keeper we have had since Clemence 30 yrs ago. Imho it would be insane to get rid of him.
