I spend so much of my time watching goalkeepers, that I took my eye of the ball to look at what Marten Stekelenburg was doing that I didn't fully appreciate the beauty of Vlad's strike until seeing a replay of it today.
I was right behind that goal and down at the fromt and it definitely clipped Defoe's studs because myself and everyone around me heard it.
It was be so unjust to deny Vlad for such a sweet strike. Given how close to the post, however, Defoe's studs could have put it on target - it was an inch or two from hitting the post!
how long do you persevere with it? The aim is CL football qualification. we're 1/3 of the way through the season and don't look like we're playing to our strengths. surely there has to be point where you bin it off? If that's not right now in your opinion PS, when would be the time to call it a day if this style of football and mixed results continues?
Sorry SD, I wasn't for one minute suggesting the goal be taken away from Vlad. I was merely saying it is my belief that the ball did clip Defoe's studs on the way through .
If we keep scoring great goals from outside the box then maybe we don't need to change the system. Line everyone up outside the area, except for Soldado who can watch the ball whizz past him into the net 3 or 4 times a game
What were they saying about Spurs at the beginning of the season? "A few games together and they will gel!" Well,they won't.If they keep changing the team for each match we will be at the end of the season and still not gelling!!! We used to talk about the "Spurs way". Now we've got the "Portugese way". Well,I want the former.The latter needs Ronaldo.....and then he'd be expected to pass back and sideways! I bet Bill's scratching his head up there........
decent game, wrong result for us, draw would have been fair, first goal should not be given for offside, clearly defoe is interfering with play, the keeper should of done better, but was unsighted, great 2nd goal, if we play like this every week, we might survive, feeling more positive than I was before the game, when I was resigned to the championship
Vertonghen is starting to look a real liability at LB - and I was someone who was calling for him to be played there over Naughton (and still think so TBH). He just gets turned so EASILY at the moment. There was a point in the first half when their winger went past him with a barely-detectable feint which was more than enough to totally wrong-foot Verts. And if his attitude is looking suspect (I mean on the pitch - what's published in the paper's is mostly irrelevant IMO) then that's a real worry. Also want to add how I'm glad to have been proven wrong about Chiriches. Thought he looked very dodgy for us first couple of games but is looking much more dependable now. I just wish I had one single little bit of hope to cling to when I look at Lamela. He's had an awful lot of game time now and I'm still (one decent Europa performance aside) looking for the kind of quality that you'd expect for all the hype and money. To me it looks like he can't shoot, his one-touch passing is way off, his normal passing is dodgy but he can dribble. I think. I just hope he can go on a few runs, beat a few players, get his confidence up - cos he just can't be as poor as he's looked so far. In fact I'm almost tempted to play him every game to try to get him all gelled up. If that's the expression. And what's happened to Ade again?
The only time that the 'Spurs way' has really worked for a prolonged period was under Bill Nicholson and I think that's because he is the only manager in my lifetime of supporting Spurs who has pulled off the trick of motivating the players and getting all the details right. I actually think he'd approve of what AVB's trying to do: he always had us set up to keep the ball and pass well, and we usually played 433 at least in the second half of his reign (I'm too young to remember anything before 1967). Anyway he'd have been sacked in his first season by most of the fans on here: we only got one point from 7 games at one stage including losing at home 4-0 to Birmingham and 4-1 to West Ham. He also lost 5-1 at Man City, who finished the season one point above relegation.
