WTF is going on. Why am i asking? I've seen it enough times over the years. Where's the commitment? Where's the passion? Sometimes when things are not going your way, you just have to dig deep, and get the job done by sheer hard work and determination. We just seem to fold like a pack of cards instead. No guts, no commitment! I'm sick of watching it happen time after time, where's a Dave Mackay? A player who would rather leave his blood and guts on the pitch, than capitulate and just meekly accept defeat. This lot get paid more in a week than many make in a year. The very least we are entitled to expect in return is some commitment to the cause. Currently, i don't see any!!
This is so true NSS - and unfortunately the public aftermath spouting by Harry, which focuses on 'how unlucky we are' and 'how well we have been playing' doesn't help. He said this week that the dressing room is quiet - but that didn't happen overnight. I can't believe that his plans were shattered simply by Dawson picking up a season ending injury, which is what he has alluded to. On the pitch, even the all action Parker appears tired and listless. Sandro is not the same player as last year and the remainder look listless and fragile. The Sunday Times this morning states that Modric was our best player. I would strongly disagree with this: either by tactics, his own lack of current lack of form or the general malaise, he is influencing games less and less. VDV and Bale appear to lack direction and as has been identified on other threads, the attacks lack cohesion and strategy. Yesterday we may well have had a lot of possession but created virtually nothing. Apart from Bales header from the corner and Defoes head over from a rebound, our only chances were a couple of long range shots which hardly troubled Kenny. We had countless corners without ever looking dangerous (no change there then!!) It is difficult to see too many points coming our way in the last 4 games, let alone the 12 that Harry seems to still think possible. It is very disappointing end to what was a great season.......
Good point PNP - although Harry and his apologists would disagree with that sentiment, even if it appears to be clear to all outside observers!!
Ok, so you're tired. That's when those who really want it, those who refuse to give in, dig deep and find the energy to keep going from somewhere. That's what makes champions, not also rans.
Modric has been less effective because the tactics have compromised his game. With two holding players taking up the deeper positions in midfield and both van der Vaart and Bale playing centrally , it has caused him two massive problems. The first is that he has far less room to work in, as the areas around him on the pitch are far more congested, especially as he's pushed farther up the field. The second is that he has no obvious out ball, as we've got no width. We're nullifying our best players. Our opposition only have to set up en masse down the centre and we've got no answer for it. Redknapp's inability to spot this is mystifying.
Sunderland fan and not here to gloat and certainly not here to compare our teams, however, the OP and PNP hit a cord. In the later days of Bruce we heard a lot about bad luck, injuries and a feel of all was lost. In the early days of O'Neill we saw the same team showing fight, commitment and desire, yes we are now plodding and changes will be made but we are safe, our aim when O'Neill arrived. So same players just different manager with the qualities in the OP and the ability to pass those qualities to the players. Just a view from the outside.
Exactly, Syd. He's lost the dressing room, in my opinion because of his obvious lack of commitment to the job.
I would agree with your point about nullifying our best players, PNP. However, i can't entirely accept that this has all fallen apart because of the Harry situation. Surely that's when the senior players - the leaders rally the others around and get them motivated, and ready to fight for the cause. After all is said and done, it's to their own benefit to qualify for the CL. I just cannot accept this lack of fight. **** who the manager is, where's your personal pride?? Most of our lot apparently don't have any!
They do but most also put themselves first, Harry may go, where does that leave me, I wonder if I can get a move, what if the new boss does not rate me, will it mean moving home or country. Never been a footballer but it seems to affect them.
It doesn't matter who our opposition is at the moment though, Ammaar. The players are playing against themselves and the poor tactics. Redknapp's knackered most of our better players, by running them into the ground every week and he's alienated most of the squad players, too.
I do not see a lack of commitment from the players IMO they were running hard and trying. What I see is very little game plan and no adapting to circumstances. I only remember Bale getting to the byline once yesterday and when he did it produced a chance. We spent most of the game queuing in the centre trying to find a way through a packed QPR defence. The game screamed out for us to use our width, and we have two wide players very capable in these areas plus two full back who are capable as well. It reminded me of the Chelsea/Barcelona game with Barca sticking to their only known strategy.We have alternatives WHY did the manager not use them.
We've won one in nine though, Ammaar. Our form's abysmal and our manager's sticking with tactics that don't work, both at the start of the game and with his subsequent changes. We ended up with Bale and Lennon both playing on the wrong side of the pitch yesterday. It's ridiculous.
Spurs main strength is two wingers using there pace to get to the byline and putting crosses into the box. Note to Harry Redknapp this is also known as . . . you guessed it 'WIDTH'!!!!!!! No more need to be said really.
Ammaar, a nice well thought out post, but I just don't think the results can be predicted at the moment. At this stage of the season, anything seems to be possible, especially at the bottom of the table, where the clubs who are fighting seem to find a whole new level of confidence. - and this is exactly what is spurring them on. IMO, confidence is one of the major attributes needed in football. in fact, i'd go as far as to say that it's 70-80% of what's needed.- what ever stage of the season that might be. you've only got to look at your club. - you had a terrible start and looked mediocre for some time. - when you beat us, you found new life in the team from somewhere and you've been arguably the best side in the league in the second half of the season. yes, you have lost to QPR and Wigan recently, but like my first point suggests, this is what always happens at this stage in a campaign. Harry needs to assess young managers such as Martinez and find out what they key ingredient is, in making his team have/get some fight. martinez does it year after year, having had a limited budget and does a superb job within his resources. we are shot to pieces and have very little time to do anything about it. The players are nervous, low in confidence and don't know what to do. This coupled with the fact that we've got to play a side like blackburn who are fighting (and picking up points), bolton who are in exactly the same postition, Fulham which is a derby (and who are looking good), and Villa who still need points, make our end to the season very difficult. We'd actually be better off having a game against a side like City right now. The players would up their game massively as city would make us play our best football again and perhaps if we did pick up a win, this is what would find our new belief. Instead, we're going to face sides who are going to put to bed out "one tactic" football and we're f*cked. we've been totally found out and are far too one dimensional. this then leads on to harry's tactics, squad rotation and every other point that we're all been over time and time again. going back to my point on confidence and how powerful i believe it to be, this is why i don't think newcastle can be ruled out because of their fixtures on paper. They are a team of players who you can see also get on very well. They don't have anything to lose and they are enjoying getting out on the pitch each week, just to see how far they can go. The momentum from this confidence could allow them to achieve 3rd at this rate, despite their fixtures. They're relaxed and their football is free flowing. - we should be watching them each week and taking note. there's a mixture of things which we've spoken about to death, but all of these combined have caused our season to implode in the way it has. Levy should have put his hand in his pocket as far back at 18 months ago, as well as swallowing his own pride and getting rid of players surplus to requirements (and finding good squad relacements which harry was happy with playing). Harry's tactics have been atrocious, and so has the rotation (because of my point relating to Levy), and finally, the England talk has meant he's lost the dressing room. the players don't have a clue what's going on at the club. At the end of the day, they are human beings who lead normal lives and have feelings like anybody else, regardless of what they are paid. then there's the small factor that we've been extremely unlucky this season with some decisions, but that's just a small factor which has affected other teams as well, but it still doesn't help! often, when a manager is sacked and you see a new boss take over, the players suddenly become "fresh" and they look like a different team. It's obvious harry is taking the england job very soon, so perhaps an interim manager coming in now would be the best thing for us. I know there's the compensation/contract aspect to think of, but levy needs to do something amicable to try and save our season. He's not going to be with us next season anyway!
I would have to disagree. Too many heads went down too early, again yesterday. Not the first time either. I've said it before, but when faced with a challenge you either stand up and fight, or lay down and die. Our lot seem far too willing to do the latter.
The big motivating factor for clubs at the bottom is the loss of wages when they are relegated. The big problem for topflight managers now as Vialli said some years ago when managing Chelsea. How do you motivate a team of millionaires! The answer has to be pride in performance and the potential to earn even more money. All is negated however if you do not have a decent game plan. Unless you have a team of Sherringhams who are able to work things out for themselves they need guidance. Players like Defoe need to have it spelt out. Running 50 yards to harass a goalkeeper EVERYTIME there is a back pass is not the most productive use of your precious energy.
NSIS I think that is frustration rather than lack of commitment, yes they folded very badly against Chelsea but yesterday there was more urgency in the last 10 minutes than the rest of the game. I do believe the players are as frustrated as we all are. THEY NEED GUIDANCE. Isn't that what managers are paid for?
The margins that exist between the top players in the game are so very small, meaning that the tactics employed by the the manager literally does mean the difference between a team being capable of winning games or not. At the top level, of any sport, the smallest of differences can have the largest of effects. At the moment, what with Redknap having clearly determined that he wants away from the club, and clearly having lost all interest with us, we simply are not capable of beating any team, as we are showing. I really would not be surprised if we finished below 'Pool.
