You know what that game showed once again? What the real problem is? Yes systems and team selection and other decisions by AVB can all be questioned. And they are a big factor. But the main thing? Our players are not very good. Why? Because for the most part we have been forced over the last few years into selling our best players. I don't think anyone can really be blamed for that - it's just what's going to happen if you're a club like Spurs not getting CL football and money. As we've sold Berbatov and Modric and VDV (the only one which was self-inflicted and didn't also bring in a monster fee, to be fair to Levy) and Bale players like Lennon, who have been decent enough players over the past few years, are suddenly our best. AVB/Baldini/Levy bollocksed up this summer IMO and previous to that too. OK - did great to get 90m for Bale. But seriously the new arrivals just do not look anywhere good enough to justify their price tags. 25m for Lamela? Seriously is Paulinho 17m better than Jake Livermore? Why did we sign Soldado when our previous target was Benteke? Has Soldado played on his own up front before? Doesn't look like it. Anyway he hasn't played up front alone in the hustle and bustle of the EPL and that raises the other big issue - all these big price tags and not one minute of proven EPL capability. Who was that guy who changed the game against City last season - bloke who was **** at running around and closing down and tackling? Idiot could only control a football, pass and shoot. See what I'm saying? Huddlestone was never one of our best players. But right now he's a more attractive option than what we have 100m down the road. I was bemused at the time when people were calling AVB the best young manager in Europe and clamouring for him to replace Harry. I'm now feeling in a position, 16 months in, to feel pretty justified in my stance that we made a huge mistake getting rid of a proven manager and replacing him with a totally unproven youngster (one season with Portugal's best team and half a dodgy season with Chelsea is credentials for nothing). But who's to blame for that? I really hate to say it cos I think he does very well for the club in many ways but it's Levy. From day one he's obsessed about the continental structure. And I think it's fair to say that all his premeditated managerial appointments have been failures: Hoddle, Santini, Ramos, now (I think) AVB. Where he got it right was when his hand was forced and we got Jol and Redknapp. By the way - anyone know if that director who got us Harry (after pushing for him for ages) knows any other established EPL managers?
You think AVB has been logging on to football forums and setting his squad up according to people on Not606? No.....
"Basically I agree. Width and stretching teams is still highly effective, especially at home." What I find more shocking is the fact that players paid 10s of thousands per week are incapable of playing long fast passes to their team-mates without taking at least one touch and then waiting 2-3 seconds before some slow sideways shuffle. If I was Spurs coach, they would be doing dusk til dawn practice at the Lodge on every non match-related day, until they convince me they can do something so basic in a real game.
Steve Clarke is our best shot right now. Wouldn't cost a fortune to prise away from WBA. Has worked alongside the best in the business and has shown he can turn a pretty ordinary squad into a bloody good team. Clearly a leader and one who has the courage and ability to stand up against the best of 'em. Get AVB out and Clarke in asap!
"16 months in, to feel pretty justified in my stance that we made a huge mistake getting rid of a proven manager" Arry committed professional suicide. And at the most basic level will forever live in the knowledge that he lost his job because out of 15-16 games in 2012, he was unable to convert one lost game into a draw.
You're possibly right but it's a bit of a shame that you're committing professional suicide for coming fourth twice, playing great football for a large part BUT being a bit of a gobshite to the media and clearly liking the idea of managing your country. I saw Harry's faults. But never lost sight of what he was delivering on the pitch and for me that is far, far more more important.
Replacing Modric, vdV and Bale was always going to be an impossible task. Creativity in midfield is so essential against the top sides. You need to do something with your possession - and Spurs didn't have anyone who could do (Utd have a similiar problem and the only solution is buying a experienced top class player like Arsenal did with Ozil). Buying promising, but inexperienced younger players isn't an instant solution; it may be in the long term, but that remains to be seen. Lamela, for example, looked bewildered by the pace of the game and his lack of time on the ball. It was also the wrong day to have a 'mare at the back. Dawson and Kaboul were the wrong central pairing. As well as they might defend in many situatuions, playing against the best exponents of quick movement and slick passing on the ground in and around the box, their shortcomings were exposed. Against other teams, they wouldn't have been embarrassed so much.
MANAGER REACTION Manchester City 6-0 Tottenham More from Andre Villas-Boas: "There is an immediate shock after 15 seconds. "The concentration was not there, but the reaction of the players was positive. Everything went wrong for us, every opportunity was a goal and we paid a heavy price, too much for what we deserved. "City were excellent, and we were extremely poor. "My responsibility is to lift the players, there is always another game coming. We have to give a response in the Europa League. "We have to be ashamed of ourselves, and react to a defeat like this."
"You're possibly right but it's a bit of a shame that you're committing professional suicide for coming fourth twice, playing great football for a large part BUT being a bit of a gob****e to the media and clearly liking the idea of managing your country. I saw Harry's faults. But never lost sight of what he was delivering on the pitch and for me that is far, far more more important." The Levy target is a CL slot. For the easy money that brings in for stuff like new WHL. And no doubt the gobby side of Arry could be tolerated if that was achieved. But Arry failed in that quest when the expectation/pressure was well and truly on him to do so. Left it too late (and make no mistake - he realised that at the time) , and paid the price. As did Spurs.
Excellent. So easy to blame AVB or Levy or Lewis. We all want to pick the team and know the best system. So today we set up with Lamella that everyone wanted on the left and Lennon on the right. Put Kaboul in defence, had Paulinho alongside Sandro.And what happened, one player that no-one would have imagined would make a huge mistake makes one after 10 seconds and another later on. Our problem is obvious and is nothing to do with set up - our players have no confidence in their own ability to score. Lamella had a simple chance after 5 minutes and Ade towards the end was perfectly set up by Dembele but couldn't use his left . I look at the goals other teams are scoring and they are so simple. I believe it will happen for us and just pray it is soon.
Yesterday I discover my cat had lung cancer and had to be put down Today saw me go onto iPlayer to see if I find any pointers to dispel that match into a parallel dimension a la Doctor Who Thank **** it's not a Bank Holiday Weekend is what I say...
The worry for me is that after 14 seconds of the game I don't think anyone had any kind of belief that we could win the game. The first and second goals were mistakes and poor to concede but it was the response of the players to it that was concerning. Heads just seemed to go. Regarding AVB, the main issue for me at the moment is that he doesn't look like he knows how to change things. That isn't a good sign.
"Our problem is obvious and is nothing to do with set up - our players have no confidence in their own ability to score." Much more fundamental than that IMHO. What I would consider to be basic football skills or nous, are just not being done by the players. And if the manager is aware of it, but is unable to correct it by the appropriate training sessions, or by ensuring players sort it, then he is not by definition a manager.
Where to start after that 'omni-shambles'???? Well, to start on a positive note, I thought Lennon did ok and Walker showed some intent, especially in the first half. Sandro tried to stem the tide and managed to survive 60 odd minutes on a yellow which was surprising. Dembele also looked bright and positive - even at 0-5! The rest however was dire and embarrassing. Lamela is lightweight for the PL and clearly not yet up to pace. One can only hope..... Paulinho looked like he was running in treacle most of the time and added little or nothing creatively. The one chance he did get he made a complete bollocks of. How much travelling did he do last week? Soldado whinges and waves his arms more than Robbie Keane - but doesn't get his goals. The defence was torn several new ones, admittedly by one of the best attacking outfits around. Holtby did nothing to further his claims The less said about Lloris' afternoon the better, although he made a couple of decent early saves. Adebayor will pick up match fitness, but without better support, no striker is going to flourish in this line up. Sigurdsson is also not the sort of player who will thrive in a struggling team. The worst thing is that we will get another win in the EL against sub-standard opposition and the rose-tinted glasses will be out: the problems are not yet terminal but they are serious and season-threatening.
Our goal tally in the EL has been diminishing match on match so I'm not saying a word about our next match. I'm not even sad about today's result so I think I'm just about done with the whole lot. There are no positives unless we are now at the bottom of the cycle and the only way now is up. I wish the team good luck.
Here is a list of what our players and management have learnt from the last few games:- Big list isn't it?
