It was me, Jack, Ive actually got a prediction right. With a proven goal scorer finally being played and the congestion in midfield being lifted, there was always going to be goals. All we need to do now is to short out the defense and we might be OK.
I thought Eriksen was pretty good. He and Dembele had a difficult task getting to grips with 3 in midfield for the opposition so whilst it might not have been the prettiest from them I think it's fair to say they both had good games, even if they did lose the ball a few times. Dawson I thought played well too and Rose, as I've already said. I agree with the rest though.
It was so compressed in midfield due to both teams playing so high so Eriksen wasn't able to influence the game and Dembele was harried. That's what a high line does to a 4-4-2 formation. We seemed to get the breaks later in the game though which could have lead to Soldado getting a few. I still think we're a better counter attacking team. Pressing all the time just makes the game so tight with no room to pass leading to sloppy mistakes. I'm not saying we should invite teams onto us but sometimes you have to manipulate your opponents to make the mistakes needed to give you the opportunity to punish from deep. We got away with our high line today. On another day, we could get whipped.
THAT was Tottenham Hotspur. Shaky at the back but we looked very threatening going forward. Just shows what a poor choice of manager AVB was for this sort of squad. Adebayor was unplayable, when he's on that form he's immense and if Sherwood can get the Ade of 2011/12 back then Soldado may be getting a return ticket to Spain sooner than expected if Tim reverts back to a 4-5-1 at some point. I'm still not Ade's greatest admirer as I think his attitude stinks but as I said, if Sherwood can get Ade playing like we know he can then we'll be a much better team for it. Thought Eriksen, with his debut aside had his best game. Baring in mind he was played a lot deeper, for a luxury creative attacking mid I thought he worked really hard at chasing back and also linked play well. Bentaleb, what a breath of fresh air. I've known for a while he's a talent and I've said in a lot of Europa game threads that I'd love him to get a chance but even I was taken aback when he was chosen to replace Moussa on 50+ minutes but boy did he show why he's one our brightest sparks. Looked like a league veteran, calm, composed on the ball and made some neat passes. Chadli looked fantastic when he came on at right wing, far better than what Lamela done. Lamela's performance disappointed me to be honest, to be playing against Soton's 2nd choice LB who's been out for 5/6 weeks and yet not create any danger of note bar one impressive pass is pretty poor. Lloris is looking very shaky too, he's still punching easy catchable balls and god knows what was going through his mind for their 2nd. Overall a very entertaining game, something we've rarely been able to say about Spurs over the past 18 months.
I didn't think we had a particularly high line at all. It's natural for the defence to push up to the halfway line when we've got the ball high up the pitch, if we didn't there would be about 30 yards for the opposition to start a new attack virtually unchallenged. I'm pretty sure that every defence does that. There were times when their runners got behind us virtually unnoticed though and that's a problem that needs addressing and shows a need for better communication at the back. I'd like to see us play with a more natural holding midfielder, particularly away from home and I think if we're going to go with 2 upfront then they need to work harder, there were a number of times when both Soldado and Ade were both strolling back in offside positions when we were 3-2 up. Ade's physical presence is a huge bonus to us though. More than anything though we're crying out for some more organisation in our general play. If we're not counterattacking we don't look very dangerous with the ball and at the back, as I said, we still look susceptible to a through ball.
My only pre match prediction I called right was that Shaw has a tendency to miss games at the last minute! Southampton had both first choice full backs (Clyne and Shaw missing) and Boruc is still out. and the Fonte/Lovren partnership which served them so well has been broken up. Saints clearly don't have a big squad to cope with injuries to so many players but good luck to them for the rest of the season. Sherwood & Adebayor I have been harsh on pre match but again none of of that matters if we get a result like that, sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say well done to people you have been slating as they got the result for us. Usually when managers come in you get that honeymoon period, where players feel a new lease of life and there is an initial sense of excitement and the team responds differently, in this case Adebayor is quite clearly the player with the biggest lease of life, this is what he does in his career, he bounces from being superb to hopeless and back to superb, if this is short term form then thats better then no form,considering our desperate need for goals. So we won't know if this is a honeymoon period or Sherwood actually laying claim to being spurs manager, as even managers like Ramos have had periods of form, too early to say either way but after today's result, Sherwood, Adebayor and yes even Chadli deserve a break from me and I will give them credit where its due. PS. SOS: Chadli has now been elevated from fairly crap to "average but shows signs of promise"
Doesn't Adebayor infuriate you? All that talent, and he acts like a complete dick 95% of the time. Just shows, as I always thought, when he can be arsed, he's nigh on unplayable.
More then anyone else! He was superb during Redknapps last year. Last year he was a disgrace. Now hes been given a chance to play again, hes back to performing. I still dislike that type of attitude where players need a reason to perform. Adebayor either needs a change of club, or to be frozen out, and come back to prove a point. Its not the type of mentality you want from players but if its our turn to benefit again from his form then so be it. we need a goal scorer!
Agree with pretty much all of that. Although I actually thought lamela looked Ok and is looking like he's starting to adapt. The kid just needs consecutive games. A real shame soldado didn't score today as I think he thoroughly deserved it. His movement and effort was excellent and I really admire the work he puts in for the rest of the team. Even though he's not scoring, he seems like a proper team player. Fair play to him.
With you Roo, Lamela wasn't terrible, but not £30m either. I liked his work rate and willingness to get back.
In fairness to Chadli, he's only been played on the left which is clearly his weaker flank. On the right, he looked way more comfortable and it showed. The same applies to Lamella. I feel he's a left winger so play him there! Chadli - right footed. Lamela - left footed. It's pretty obvious to me. Why can't managers see this? Except Saints' first goal where he jogged in field and left an acre of space to exploit. Wouldn't have done that if he was playing on the left in the first place!
One day people will realise we didn't pay £30m for Lamela - you'd think Soldado being our club record signing would be the first clue that there's a bundle of add-ons in Lamela's deal that we won't be paying for a while yet.
It's been a bloody long time since I came on here and said I had been entertained by a Spurs first team performance. Today I was. I have no evidence whatsoever to suggest AVB had lost more than a couple of players, yet on Wednesday there was a sense of a weight had been lifted from some and that was even more evident this afternoon. An indifferent first half followed by a brilliant second half, but that was a big result today and could well be a turning point. Fair play to Sherwood, he had the balls to take a gamble and it paid off and it was good to see him urging the players forward in the later stages of the game. A decent atmosphere today and as always great vocal away support. My dinner tonight is humble pie because I never ever thought I would see Adebayor perform like that in a Spurs shirt. Well done Sherwood, well played Ade and COYS.
I'm telling you mate, come the end of the season you'll be gagging for a Chadli 21 Spurs shirt I just wasn't convinced with Erik, Fox wasn't looking great and yet I don't think Erik tried taking him on once. As soon as Chadli came on he was right at him and not long afterwards was subbed off which to me shows he was too fatigued and there for the taking. Lamela is short of confidence no doubt and I know that when he clicks, he'll be pretty much unstoppable (I hope) but today was probably one of the best opportunities he had to run at a full back and he failed to do so, there won't be many easier opponents than the one he had today. In fairness Chadli made his name on the left and Lamela on the right at their former clubs. It's a weird one as both look like they've never played in the positions when they pull on a Spurs shirt.
"My dinner tonight is humble pie because I never ever thought I would see Adebayor perform like that in a Spurs shirt." Six selling/loaning weeks til the end of January.
Yeah I know. Don't get me wrong, I haven't suddenly been converted to an Ade fan, because I loathe him, but my God he was good today.
When a player is paid that much money, and can live far beyond the means and suffrage of his countrymen, and yet STILL need a "reason to play" remotely well, is utterly contemptible.
Spurcat, do you think if the Academy staff are still in charge, then when Townsend returns they may try playing 4-3-3 ??
