I thought the defence played quite well against some fantastic movement on their part. If the Wolf had taken his chance, it would have been 2-1 and maybe they would have got jittery. But basically they deserved it and, if they play like that for the rest of the season, I'd say they're definitely top four. We can't expect to do much away from home against a top four team when they're on song, so I personally didn't think it was that bad a performance. Certainly nothing to compare with some of the dire stuff in the second half of last season. And I don't think CH did anything notably wrong so he shouldn't be criticised for that defeat (not like last season when I got the feeling (maybe without any justification) that he had no faith in the players he put out and he was looking for a lucky 0-0 all the time. I'm worried about Snodgrass, who seems to have gone completely off the boil. Well, not the best idiom to use, because he's still letting off steam but not in the right direction. I felt Redmond looked callow yesterday, which is fair enough considering how young he is. There is still something wrong with the midfield and its linking with the forwards - maybe someone who is much better at tactics than I am can suggest what it is. I am a little bit worried, too, that the lack of opportunities may start to be telling on Wolf, who didn't look as sharp as he did against Everton. But I think there are some positives to take away from that game (we didn't get blown away) and, as I've said ad nauseam, the important thing is performing in the next two winnable games, against Villa and Stoke.
Agree with your comments on yesterday vietnam. Snoddy doesn't seem fully focussed at the moment. The midfield never managed to adjust to the tempo at which Spurs played and the pressure on them when they received the ball; indeed everyone apart from the back four appeared off the pace (including Ruddy). We'll probably see Pilkington start against Villa, and maybe Martin at right back.
Not controversial at all IMO Northampton. In fact, if Pilkington hadn't started on Tuesday for the RoI I think he might well have started yesterday, with Redmond on the right at some point, if not from the start. Both Pilkington and Olsson (who played 90 minutes for Sweden during the break) are still being nursed back, likewise Hooper. I would guess the medical advice on all three is to ease them back in, not throw them in straight away.
We've hardly seen him do this on the left side, what makes you think switching him across would make any difference. Maybe he takes the defenders on himself because none of our midfielders are quick enough to get up in support, so he looks up and see RvW surrounded by 4 defenders so decides his best option is to 'go it alone' ? Superb when it comes off, like Southampton, but also perhaps understandable for a young player because our midfield, without Howson, is so immobile.
He is right footed (Predominantly) which is why he likes cutting in off that left wing. If he's playing on the right it'd be more natural for him to head towards the byline and get some crosses in on his right leg. That's what our wide men haven't been doing because they are all opposite footed from the wing they play on. Not necessarily a bad thing to have but everytime they went to cut back inside the SPurs defence were on top of them. The lack of quick movement of the ball is my concern. Everyone seems to have to take an extra touch, in Snoddy's case an extra 4 or 5 before he can lay down on the ball claiming a free kick.
Snoddy had a mare yesterday. He wasn't the only one though, Johnson was awful too so many miss placed passes. Spurs are a top side with the investment in the team, we are nowhere near their level and they will be up there at the end of the season. Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say that we deserved to lose and admit that you have been bested.
Howson is a 50/50 player for me, I don't rate him in that attacking midfield role for me his simply a box to box midfielder, if he get's boxed in he hasn't got the trickiness or guile to create something out of a close situation, if Howson plays in my opinion he has to come in for Johnson.
I'm not too sure Johnson, Snoddy and Garrido should start he next game. It may do them good to sit a game out and then have to fight to get back in the team. Personally I think Olsson is better than Garrido anyway and either Howson and Tettey deserve a chance in midfield, I would put Pilkington in on the wing and see what he can do.
Some fair points Robbie, regardless of international breaks you'd expect two professional footballers who are in superb physical condition to be back in contention for a game four or so days later, obviously that is depending on players having knocks etc. International breaks aside we need to solve the midfield situation, too many poor individual performances fortunately we have options we just need to hope Hughton that uses them.
Hughton will do the right thing I hope, we have strength in depth and his brought his own players in so hopefully he'll make some changes rather then stick with the same team etc.
Northampton. My point though was that neither Pilkington or Olsson actually ARE in "superb physical condition" at the moment. Pilkington had a pretty tricky operation in the summer designed to cure a long standing problem that has plagued him for a couple of years or more. I'm guessing that the medical advice is not to push him too hard to begin with. He has only just started to feature at all, after missing out on pre-season. You could argue that CH should have prevented him from playing for the RoI, but that would have been exceptionally hard on Pilks, who has had to call off several times in the past year and lost the chance of making his international debut in consequence. I'm not sure what Olsson's problem has been exactly. He was far from fit when he signed, and like Pilks has been nursed back. Hopefully both will soon be fully match fit and available for selection week on week.
One of our regulars posted a link to download the game, if anyone hasn't seen it: Fairly understandable if you want to skip it, though!
I would play Olsson, tettey over Johnson, hooper over elmander and pilks over Redmond I wouldn't drop snod, he's a big game player even if he has been poor recently. Whatever happens in the game get Redmond on 60ish minutes and tear that full back to bits, elmander on to provide physicality if needed, Wes for creativity. Big game, can't wait.
