Article: Tottenham Hotspur v Bolton Wanderers Match History 1898-2011 | Football, Tottenham Hotspur

It might not help my confusion but the day will go quicker

 

I think, contrary to poular opinion, that Friedel stays on his line too much. At least two of the headers have been from inside the six yard box where the GK should be having an impact. Brad never makes mistakes but he rarely takes risks either.

 

Yep NSS, it's headers and set pieces that so often do for us in the Prem, we rarely concede shots from open play recently, considering the amount of shots we doubtless face.

King and Kaboul are good in the air, but we often field a short side that can see us overwhelmed at set pieces, especially as PS correctly says, Brad likes to stay on his line for set pieces. It'll be a worry up at Stoke, and will probably be a worry tomorrow, tho Bolton aren't the 'percentage powerhouses' they were under Allardyce.

Last 4 conceded in Prem,

1. Header (open play) 2. OG (from set piece aerial ball, headed by King against Kab)

3. Header (set piece) 4. Shot after aerial fight ball from set piece was won by oppo, I think Samba)

You have to go all the way back to Toon away to find us being beaten by a shot from open play.

During the same post-Toon period we scored no less than 11 goals from shots during open play. (AFAIK)

That's a staggering 11-0 ratio in our favour over the last 5 games, and gives a great indication of how brilliant our football has been. Time and again we cut people open by passing, dribbling and shooting, something the oppo have found difficult to replicate against us.

 

Here's another related stat to the headers stat, though some crosses will be low crosses of course.

'56% of the goals Spurs have conceded have come from crosses, the highest proportion in the top flight.'

http://www.sportingpreview.com/football2012/11122316.php? - Quoting OPTA stats

 

Parker's form probably explains why a lot of our goals conceded come from crosses.
If you can't play through the middle, then you have to go wide.

 

I think really, regardless of opposition, every team will get a corner or free kick at some point, defending them clearly needs addressing.

 

Definitely, they are often 'cheap goals' to give away. We spend half an hour creating and finally coming up (quite often) with a masterpiece, the oppo lump it in the box and someone(s) get on the end of it.

Each goal counts the same of course.

 

I thought that we had an excuse for these set-piece goals last season, as there was very little time for preparation between games.
That's not the case this time round, as we've virtually fielded an entirely different team for our cup games.
We should be as well prepared as anyone else.

This also counts for our offensive set-pieces, as they're not looking very threatening either, for the most part.
Some of the delivery is exceptionally poor.

We could do with getting Lennon to work on corners, in my opinion.
It'd probably help with his crossing generally, which could still improve and he's not much use in the box as an aerial threat.
His pace can help to disrupt breaks by the opposition, though.

 

We've scored 3 goals from corners off the top of my head. VDV and Modric deliver good crosses, we need our players in the box to work together better.

 

A lot of our weakness is simply down to height/aerial inability - our 'first XI' includes a lot of players who are short/not good in the air defensively

BAE parker modric lennon VDV aren't big enough - then Bale and Walker are tall but don't seem that good in the air defensively - Friedel stays rooted on his line, that leaves Kab King and Ade to deal with the situation

Some oppo teams have four big blokes who can cause a nuisance at set pieces - and players like Samba count as two, they're that good.

We found it very difficult coping with QPR Fulham and Rovers when they were lumping balls in the box. Bolton may be another problem tomorrow, a lot depends if Davies is anywhere near the powerhouse he once was.

 

I need to start triple checking my posts. You lot don't miss a trick!

 

No Ledley?

Gallas starting?

 

Vdv on bench as well

 

STARTING XI - Friedel; Walker, Gallas, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Modric, Parker, Bale; Adebayor, Defoe. SUBS - Cudicini, Bassong, Corluka, Livermore, Pienaar, Pavlyuchenko, Van der Vaart.

 

Thank god Gallas had the game on wednesday atleast he should be almost match fit.

 

I'm really annoyed that VDV isn't starting, I can't believe that Harry has left out such a top class player.

Oh yes, I forgot it's fir 'the boy Jermaine' who after all hs an England squad to get into.

Am absolutely fuming, just hope we can win this game anyway, but it's a weakened side now with King and VDV out, plus JD will be playing his 3rd game in a week, I thought Harry didn't want that.

Also Lennon Modric and Gallas all started on Wednesday.

Well COYS etc, regardless of Harry's decisions I still support the team.

We still should have enough to win, which I I'm predicting, but so unhappy at being deprived of the chance of watching VDV.

 

G10 maybe VDV isn't 100% after his injury i think that would be the only reason Harry would start Defoe ahead of him.Harry hasn't exactly been rotating the squad much.