Tottenham Hotspur vs Stoke City

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AVB clearly picks the team depending on the opposition. Yesterday he was confident enough that Vertonghen could play LB rather than putting him in the middle. I thought he was great yesterday, getting forward to help Bale out and pull players out of position, which gave Bale space. Likewise Bale gave him space as he seemed to have two players on him as usual - which gave Vertonghen room to cut inside.

We need a third striker who offers something different to Defoe and Adebayor. Not to replace either, but to give us another option or different style of play if things aren't working out.

Lennon was a little anonymous. We've seen him cut in a score some great goals in the past. Although this season he seems to be playing really well, i just wish he used his ability and had a pop a little more often. He could easily get in to double figures each season. This also means he would be marked more heavily, which again takes another defender or midfielder out of position, which helps give us more space in the middle.

I said it on Twitter yesterday - we just lack a creative midfielder. We have lost two. VdV had the creativity and desire to just make things happen, and Modric was like a puppetmaster, just quietly going about his business pulling the strings. Dembele is different to both and can really carry the ball forwards, but we need someone to play tika-taka in the middle of field to control things. AVB will spot this - just a question of whether we can get that player in January.






I don't think yesterday was that bad. Stoke have conceded 13 goals this season. They have the best defence in the Premier League and we haven't done well against them for a few seasons now. We drew at home 1-1 last year, and lost 2-1 away. AVB isn't the only premiership manager that struggle sto break down a team that sticks 11 men behind the ball when not in possession, then just punt it forwards when they do.
 
It's frustrating that an established mid-table club such as them showed hardly any intention of trying to win the match. The time wasting from ten minutes in was a good indication of that. I don't think we played badly, but the ref had a generally poor game. There wasn't much consistency with what he'd give and he didn't give the game a chance to flow.

The bloke to my right went downstairs at 37mins and didn't come back. Plus side, more legroom.
 
It seems that people wanted Stoke to turn up and roll over.

It was up to us to break them down and we didn't. I was assured after Swansea that AVB had cracked how to break down stubborn teams.....

Crisis club Woolwich are now above us and we could be in sixth by the end of the day.

#AVBOUT
 
It seems that people wanted Stoke to turn up and roll over.

It was up to us to break them down and we didn't. I was assured after Swansea that AVB had cracked how to break down stubborn teams.....

Crisis club Woolwich are now above us and we could be in sixth by the end of the day.

#AVBOUT

No one assured you anything mate. Other than the performance against Swansea was good and AVB deserved credit for that. Yesterday we struggled against the meanest defence in the league who tried to attack even less than Swansea. Please enlighten us as to how you would have approached the game differently, given the players available
 
First how could you feel sorry for that little cunt of a man. They should have had at least one red card and we should have had a penalty.

Second. Tactically wooden? a couple of weeks ago everyone was whingeing about him only playing one up top. Now he is wooden for playing two up top. The poor bloke can't win with some of our support.
Lennon ran and ran and ran some more, but it was all meaningless, he kept getting forced inside where he is as useful as a chocolate tea pot. Gylfi nearly won us the game, if it wasn't for that Begovic wonder save he would have scored.

Maybe it's more pity than sorrow. As I said, he was having a total 'mare, and he needs to find some other job.

I'm not specifically criticising AVB (clearly that's not allowed here). We've been progressing well of late, had some excellent performances, good results and have been great to watch too. But we weren't getting through or creating enough chances. We can't simply blame it on Stoke. It's partly them, partly the players, but it is also partly us not changing a system that Stoke were very comfortable dealing with.

My observations on Gylfi are over the last few weeks. I appreciate that some players take longer to settle in at a new club, but one header does not make him a resounding success, and the likes of Dembele, Lloris and, in the past, VDV have settled in almost straight away. The season is 5 months old now, and I really want him to step up and show the talent for us that he clearly has. Hopefully, something like the Coventry match could be his "Gareth-Bale-Peterborough" moment.
 
Actually, thinking back, didn't we even fuck up the pre-match? We were still showing the highlights of last seasons horror show, got as far as Stoke's goal, the players were walking out, the star wars music hadn't started, then it did, and then it crashed, and then it half restarted... how difficult is it to sort that out? Should have just turned around and gone home then. With the shit weather, God was giving us enough warnings to go and do something else. But I'm determined to go to every Stoke home match now until we give them a proper hiding. It must happen at some point.
 
Atmosphere wasn't great. Sure I heard some muppet singing the Adebayor 'elephant washer' tune as well.:unsure:

Was speaking to a Spurs fan in the queue for a train who said he was from Stoke and there were murmurs that they aren't happy with what is going on at Stoke, yet they celebrate a 0-0 draw like they've won 3-0 in the cup final.

I don't particularly like the way they play and how much they got away with some crap, but they don't half defend bloody well as a unit. Having a back 4 and then 2 defensive mids and a right back playing on the wing probably helps that though.
 
Stoke always manages to get the worst up in players, managers and well football itself.

What a dogged, deep defending, resilient team like Stoke teaches us, is that we need to work on our game in the final third. A lot. It's not just about signing a VdV replacement (which we should anyway). Players must know what you need to do to break down such teams. Most have trained fulltime since being teenagers and played the game long before that. It shouldn't be a suprise, that you can't just stand around against 10 outfield Stoke players in the final third and then expect to get the ball at feet.

So there's work to do there. Teams are more scared of us than ever. I cannot remember so many teams being so wary of us ever in my time as fan. What we need now is to take not of that lesson and learn how to finish these teams off.

Personally I am sick of all this "but it's not his game, his playing style, what he does" and have been for some time. Well fuck it. Learn the game or piss off.

Fortunately - for my blood pressure and for Spurs - we have many more multi-functional players with much more allround ability than just 4-5 years ago. Who remembers the tinkering days of this midfielder needing to play behind that forward and this centreback needing that partner next to him. Bullshit, all of that.

I hope AVB can continue to work this syndrome out of Spurs and be ruthless against the players, who cannot be developed further.
 
I think we watched a different game. We already established that we see things differently.
Are you being serious? You honestly think that Defoe and Adebayor played well? How can you defend Adebayor losing every single aerial duel he was a part of in the game? How can you defend him missing the sitter of a header that Bale crossed to him. Bale and Vertonghen were throwing dangerous crosses into the box all the time and Adebayor was nowhere to be seen to try to get on the end of them while Defoe is just plain to small to do that. I dont understand how you can keep defending them for doing nothing besides run around a lot.
 
I'm not slagging either player off, but just saying that what I think we need is a third option, someone strong and powerful who can really hassle players in the box. Think Sandro, but as with mad dribble skills and the ability to score goals tap ins, headers and the occasional worldy, just by being strong and in the right position.


Kind of like the best attributes of Gabriel Batistuta and Marco Van Basten rolled into one player?.....

Only Utd and City have a real plethora of strikers, Woolwich, Chelsea, Liverpool and everyone else could do with Adebayor and Defoe in their squads.
 
OK, in all seriousness Tommy, how many people do you ever agree with. Every time I see you in a thread you're always disagreeing with someone.
Does it not occur to you that if I dont disagree with people, then I either agree or have no opinions on what they have to say?
I dont feel the need to suck up to people or to post eulogies, or indulge in the mutual backslapping by giving plus or minus points to people.

The net result is that if I feel I have something to say, I will post, if I don't I'll keep my self to myself.

You however, appear incapable of passing anything up for comment. A habit that if you did it in real life would probably result in being beaten on a regular basis.

I know you think you are witty beyond belief, and that you are here for the craic, but I just prefer to discuss footballing issues - either to disagree with someone or to offer an opinion in the first place.

You however simply post carping remarks on a permanent basis, like a form of internet tourettes.
 
All the bitching, moaning, and whining is really making what was one of the most perfect forums ever, shitty. Not even enjoyable to discuss Spurs anymore.

tumblr_mc7oflsliL1rcwssoo1_500_zps220698c9.gif


DISCLAIMER: This post was not directed at anyone in particular. It might have been, but I don't want to be bitched at. I'm a lover :adebaehug: not a fighter :parker:
 
All the bitching, moaning, and whining is really making what was one of the most perfect forums ever, shitty. Not even enjoyable to discuss Spurs anymore.

tumblr_mc7oflsliL1rcwssoo1_500_zps220698c9.gif


DISCLAIMER: This post was not directed at anyone in particular. It might have been, but I don't want to be bitched at. I'm a lover :adebaehug: not a fighter :parker:
Last season was amazing.
 
Added to this he only seems to get really fired up and playing with passion for bigger games. He had a point to prove against Woolwich and until he got sent off him and Defoe looked good together.

I'd rather we dropped him out of big games like Woolwich if all he does is go in dangerously on their players and gets himself sent off.
 
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