Match thread: Tottenham vs Swansea (Home)

[Éperons]

Today's formation seemed very confusing for a start. Dempsey, Adebayor, and Lennon could be anywhere on the pitch at any given time, and it looked for a long while like Adebayor was our LM, and Dempsey was our CAM. In the second half, it seemed like Lennon was providing our width from both sides!

Here are the chalkboards. Names withheld to protect the innocent, though you can probably guess who is who.

Thing is, I think that kind of massive overlapping helped us break down the bus-parking. Sandro and Dembélé were absolutely dominating the middle of the pitch, letting these three swap around their roles and try to find gaps / make triangles. And they got shots off. All three of them. And when they didn't they fed Defoe, who had an uncharacteristically uneventful day in front of the goalmouth.

So I really don't think Adebayor was a passenger today. Nor do I think Dempsey played badly. They were both very involved in an offense that had its work cut out for it because, simply put, Swansea had a plan, and they stuck to it very, very well (close down, try to sneak a break via Michu).

 

[8cspurs8]

Give it ten years when your hangovers start to really hurt and you'll understand my young padwan

Hahaha, that, or I have an easy one the night before!

 

[Blanchflower]

System is probably the wrong word....ethos or style of play more fitting.

High line, squeezing the play in the oppos half as soon as we get it forward.

Strangle the game, using a philosophy of "if we stifle them in there half they cant hurt us"...*until they get desperate in the closing minutes and start punting long*...*Stoke next*

Its the footballing equivalent of putting a pillow over the oppos face and holding it there.

Personally I prefer the slashing the muther fucker to death method.

Pressing football is the game EVERYONE who's any good plays, previously I thought you were trolling - now I know you just know fuck all about football.

You're very Spursy though.

 

[Pyro_era]

Fucking sports personality bullshit delayed match of the day

 

[JMo]

Give it a rest man, we get it he's American, your American of course you will like him, but take off the tinted glasses.

Are you really saying Siggy's form has been better this season so far? I'd argue both have been a bit disappointing, but Dempsey has absolutely given everything on the pitch. He worked hard again today and, while he didn't score, neither did the rest of our offense.

 

[Éperons]

Pressing football is the game EVERYONE who's any good plays

His complaint about pressing reminded me of this bit from Inverting the Pyramid:

Watch the Hungarians of the fifties or the Brazilians of the sixties and what is noticeable to the modern eye is how long players have on the ball - and not just because their technical ability gave them instant control. It is simply that nobody closes them down. A player receiving the ball had time to assess his options. The dribbling technique of Garrincha or Stanley Matthews doesn’t exist in today’s game, not because the skills have been lost, but because no side would ever give them the three or four yards of acceleration room they needed before their feints became effective. Would they have been great players in today’s game? Probably, but not by dribbling like that.

It is that diminution of space, that compression of the game - pressing, in other words - that marks out modern football from old.

 

[Sean]

Good performance today just the finishing let us down.
Much better from Ade today and Naughton isn't a left back.

 

[Blanchflower]

His complaint about pressing reminded me of this bit from Inverting the Pyramid:

So Carlito is just a victim of time, years ago he was a visionary.....now he's a.......

 

[pompower]

I thought Naughton was excellent today myself.

Am I the only one who almost prefers the way we play under AVB to the way we played under Harry? I feel like we look a lot more assured on the ball, and a lot more in control of the game - I never felt like that with Harry consistently and often I was just waiting for something to fuck up - even if we were playing amazing football.

AVB has obviously instilled a confidence in the team. If he hadn't, then we would've bottled it again today but we didn't, we held on. I actually thought we played really well. We kept possession fantastically, despite sometimes lacking that final ball, and we created some great chances. If we keep playing like this, with this ethos and confidence, and we upgrade players in January or in the summer...

We'll win the league :cudicini:

 

[Hegarz]

Are you really saying Siggy's form has been better this season so far? I'd argue both have been a bit disappointing, but Dempsey has absolutely given everything on the pitch. He worked hard again today and, while he didn't score, neither did the rest of our offense.

Fair enough you're entitled to your opinion and so is he, but he doesn't need to keep saying it over and over and over. We all get it.

 

[Hegarz]

I thought Naughton was excellent today myself.

Am I the only one who almost prefers the way we play under AVB to the way we played under Harry? I feel like we look a lot more assured on the ball, and a lot more in control of the game - I never felt like that with Harry consistently and often I was just waiting for something to fuck up - even if we were playing amazing football.

AVB has obviously instilled a confidence in the team. If he hadn't, then we would've bottled it again today but we didn't, we held on. I actually thought we played really well. We kept possession fantastically, despite sometimes lacking that final ball, and we created some great chances. If we keep playing like this, with this ethos and confidence, and we upgrade players in January or in the summer...

We'll win the league :cudicini:

I prefer us under AVB, I feel like we have a system and a clear direction. We're only going to get better the more the players learn. It's nice to have a tactician in charge

 

[Carlito Brigante]

Pressing football is the game EVERYONE who's any good plays, previously I thought you were trolling - now I know you just know fuck all about football.

You're very Spursy though.

You can press without forcing all the play into a third of the pitch.

And yes I am, Spursy as fuck, like a Spursy Albert Einstein giving a science class in a junior school.

Ps that Chico character was a right cunt

 

[Someareteeth]

His complaint about pressing reminded me of this bit from Inverting the Pyramid:

 

[Blanchflower]

You can press without forcing all the play into a third of the pitch.

And yes I am, Spursy as fuck, like a Spursy Albert Einstein giving a science class in a junior school.

Ps that Chico character was a right cunt

You know fuck all about football.

 

[Carlito Brigante]

You know fuck all about football.

Tell you what, come for a drink before a game and I'll spell it out. On me.

 

[JMo]

:dempsey2:

Fair enough you're entitled to your opinion and so is he, but he doesn't need to keep saying it over and over and over. We all get it.

Fair enough for sure, mate. I think most of us Yanks are particularly defensive about Dempsey as he is our best national player and has struggled with Spurs early this season. He's shown a bit better form recently, and his effort has been very good. We're a young football nation, so expect a bit of irrational enthusiasm...
sort of like a new puppy

 

[8cspurs8]

Me too, spot on. Lot of people using the kick off day and time as an excuse. Not good enough in my opinion!

I'll make sure I pass your concerns on.

To who please? And pass on what concerns? Thanks

Carlito Brigante ?

 

[Carlito Brigante]

Described as"tepid" on Motd

 

[Carlito Brigante]

Carlito Brigante ?

The concerns of the 1882 soopa fans. Them and Spurs hardcore don't often mix

 

[8cspurs8]

The concerns of the 1882 soopa fans. Them and Spurs hardcore don't often mix

What concerns? And who are you passing this on to?

'the 1882 soopa fans.' This pretty much tells us that you have got the complete wrong idea about 1882. And, why are you here if that's what you believe/feel?

And what do you mean by 'Spurs hardcore' ? The one's that either don't turn up to a 1:30pm Sunday K.O. or do and just can't be fucked to make any noise?