Sandro and Kaboul are massive misses, more than first thought. We thought we had decent cover, not panned out that way has it. Parker and Livermore combined are only as good as one leg on Sandro, and at this moment in time...his bad one!
Oi! that is just my opinion, to which I am entitled as well without the cheap shots pro or anti! Uncalled for smart.
Kaboul not so much because of JV but I'd obviously rather have him fit than not. Our squad, more than most other teams, relies on about 3 must-play players being present (Dembele, Bale and Lennon) - if any of those 3 are missing, the whole shape and structure of the team shifts to accommodate, rather than covering the injury directly. We look so lopsided when Bale or Lennon are absent and we look dull as dishwater when Dembele isn't driving from the DM position - we're supposedly a team good enough to get top 4, hell maybe even 3rd. I don't understand why those looking after the money deny the club a proper chance.
Spurs 0 v Falham 1 Let this serve as a lesson to A Villas-Boas., at least I hope it does. In essence, Spurs have now sacrificed 6 points, in just over a week, in the chase for the Micky Mouse Europa Cup. We really should not be running around like headless chickens in the Europa Cup on a Thursday night......the funny thing is, there is an expectation that we will win the Europa cup thing and finish top 4., but I'd say... "not with this squad we won't". IMO it has to be one or the other (top 4 or Europa glory), even at this stage As I have said countless times., we should be concentrating on bringing Champions League football to the Lane. The benefits for this club, at this stage of development are too many to reject. One such benefit would be the chance to keep our (best) player(s) and a CL place would attract more big-time players. In turn generating more successs. Spurs are indeed taking a significant gambling with the future of top players currently at the club and really do now need to secure a top 4 EPL finish, not only for our (the fans) sake., but for the sake of the long term future of the Club. The future is sometimes not routed in the past.
I think including Liverpool in that 6 point calculation is harsh... on Liverpool. They had been on a good run themselves (I think 3 wins from 3) - the goals we gave away were poor admittedly - not gonna say otherwise but I probably would've taken a point before the match.
Parker isn't as suited to our system as last season which I believe is why he looks so poor. When Redknapp signed Parker, it was to win the ball for Modric & VDV and protect our back four. This year Parker sees far too much of the ball and when he wins the ball, he misses the option of Modric & VDV. We miss their vision, VDV chipping in with goals , but imo our biggest miss, is Modric.
I bring up two formations for the last 2 games as a debate and thats met with "So, sack the manager", is that 'your opinion', i'm genuinely not sure what you mean by that, I also know you're better than that, so one flippant comment deserves another! Both uncalled for...probably! I think everyones a bit tetchy still so soon after the match...I'm gonna take 5 and have a Guinness for St. Paddy's!
We didn't play 3 at the back, Notso. Vertonghen was at left-back and Assou-Ekotto was supposed to be on the wing, I think. Possibly worse than going 3 at the back, actually!
Ultimately, yes. Unless our aspirations stop at "almost making top 4." I'm not saying that AVB should be sacked - not yet, at any rate. But it does appear that he is making the kinds of mistakes that would get a regular top 4 manager the sack. However, as it's us - Spurs - whose fans are used to disappointment, and whose managers can come out with bull5hit-excuses for poor management decisions, provided we finish no lower than 6th, let's pretend that nothing is wrong! I tell you what, all you AVB-lovers, forget what I've said in the past few posts. You're right. AVB is fantastic, he never puts a foot wrong. Today (and the humiliation against Inter, and the humiliation against 'Pool) was just a blip. There's no pattern forming, here, at all. Let's phone up the mayor and get him to give AVB the key to Harringey. Go back to sleep, all you long-suffering Spurs fans, there's absolutely nothing to be worried about.
The problem is that we can't stand prosperity. A team with a winning group mindset would have ended the tie against Inter with an early goal. They would also have been unlikely to throw away a lead with a ridiculous back pass. A team with the psychology Spurs have think that something's wrong when they're near attaining their goals, and figure out some way to f it up. It's a very common problem. Nervy players in every sport fail in much the same way. They do just fine right up until crunch time. Then they fall apart. Given the last two years, it's fair enough to say that's what we're seeing now. It's everyone's fault and it's no one's fault. Of course there are individual culprits in individual situations. AVB picked poor teams the last two games. Walker and Gallas were awful. But for the season to be anything other than a desperate struggle towards likely failure the mentality of the team in general has to change. It's not hopeless. Teams do transform themselves into winners.
Even you had to put "I think"! Whether it was the intention or not, we had 5 defenders on the pitch, and it looked that way at times to me on my fuzzy link!, 3 Cb's and Naughts n Benny as wing backs, not rigidly for 45 minutes, just generally, I'll have a better look tonight. I think the fact nobody is entirely sure says it all!
HIAG, I think we are all upset about today and all provacation is likely to turn ugly, but for God's sake reread your comments. He has gone from being a clown to being someone the Chavs will regret sacking ("So glad that you guys got shot of AVB... ") and now back to being on the road to being sacked. He is a good manager who has had some poor moments recently. No one thinks he's a genius or entirely without merit - we are all somewhere in the middle I would suggest - but a lot of what you've written sounds like knee jerk reaction to a terrible day (well 2 weeks). Wenger has made worse mistakes this year in my opinion. AVB has been let down by a ludicrously unbalanced squad. Pursuit of Moutinho and Damaio without a backup plan has left us short in key positions and so injuries hit us hard.
This reads a lot like it's only AVB who should be blamed. Yep he's made some poor decisions recently and some would argue, with excellent points, that only worldies from Bale have kept our good form going through Feb. However, what we're seeing now and saw last season and the season before is down to Levy's inability to spend cash - to buy a proven striker (the NEW STRIKER thing goes on and on and on) among other things. AVB has had to work with what he's been given - he wanted top players and wasn't given the ability to go get them. He is not blameless. Do not go away from my comment thinking that. He is however, not solely to blame. What we have seen this season is us with a little more grit and determination than under Redknapp. AVB must be given another full season, at absolute minimum. Managers aren't allowed to build a team anymore it seems. We all have aspirations of top 4 and above - that's fine, so do I. But to expect it from a manager in their first season is expecting a lot.
Everyone putting their penny worth in to blame someone. Here's mine. WHY do we always loan out our potential replacements? If we are struggling on the wings we do have players in our squad to play in those positions. Just theyr'e playing for other teams. We should keep our shape -just change the personnel.
Townsend should get more games for us next season - he's looking very useful at QPR. Even Rose is looking decent at LB.
Awful game, awful atmosphere, awful performance, awful result, awful weather, awful defending for the goal, awful everything.
I'm going to disagree with that on the grounds if he was available, I'm as sure as I can be we wouldn't have spent most of the season chopping and changing the back4. He's the quickest CB we have, essential the way we defend, which brings me to Football Focus yesterday and Kyle Walkers interview. He was asked about who was fastest out of him Bale and Lennon, Kyles answer was don't discount Younes he's unbelievably quick too.
This is why Spurs finished that game with mere 'bus fare home'. You, yourself have sighted poor goals in a game that we were winning comfortably,....... not one., but two...... Two very poor goals. In my book Moorpheus that a droped 3 points. Anyhow we can't get them back now, so we move on. Top 4 is still ours to loose. We fight on. Now Wheres my rum.
