With the New Year comes the proliferation of self-improvement advice to enhance physical and mental well-being, and goodness knows I should pay more attention to both. The joys of a late winner are strangely not included in any of the options I’ve come across. I really think the advice gurus are missing a trick here. It’s obvious there’s nothing like it for instant gratification and lasting exhilaration, especially if it’s banged right into the roof of the net, no messing.
This is the bit football fans can’t explain to those who don’t follow the game. Their reactions towards us range from patronising tolerance to outright pity, as we spend a lifetime fretting over eleven players kicking a ball. But we feel sorry for them, because they’ll never feel the heartpumping thrill of a late winner, the uncontrolled limbs of the celebration dance, shared with 62000 strangers. All the things that excite the uninitiated – no, you’ll never feel like we do. Toxins purged, I can face the coming week with renewed enthusiasm. Boring meeting? Tricky situation at work? I’m nodding earnestly but inwardly, I’m smiling. You know why.
Plus the added bonus of being particularly pleased for Johnson. Cost a fortune but looks like a little boy to me. You’ve got to be pleased for him as he needs not just a goal but the confidence that comes from attacking a bouncing ball in the box at a crucial moment so assuredly. He’s a player I so want to come good. And he will. He is.
A game not so much of two halves, more of four quarters. Brighton on top at the start and finishing stronger, Spurs exerting a measure of control before and after half-time. Some disappointment expressed about us but overall, it wasn’t a performance that is straightforward to judge. The value of having almost everybody fit showed in the strength of the bench and the quality of the substitutions available to Ange. However, there’s fit to play, fully fit and Ange fit, the last being the ability to go flat out for 95 minutes. Players coming back from injury and in our case Afcon and the Asian Cup aren’t there yet.
Yet to us, this comes over as them having a bad game. I thought our attacking edge was blunted by Porro and Udogie not getting forward as often. I wondered if this might be tactical tweak to give more cover at the back but probably it was because they are understandably worked so hard.
Bentancur was another example. He’s a top quality midfielder, no question, but was little influence yesterday, although he improved in the second half before being taken off. Comments this morning that the coaching staff are not expecting him to be up to his pre-injury standards until next season, which puts impatience from fans into context. Also, he was assiduously marked, a Brighton forward going to him as soon as we picked the ball up in defence. They clearly saw him as key to our transition to attack and worked their plans around stifling him.
So I’m not judging him on all that. As for the team, we weren’t as fluent as we have been, and should be. Our movement of the ball in possession was frequently stilted and restricted, but it’s only partly down to us. The next challenge Ange’s Spurs have to face is that teams have sussed us out. In varying degrees, Brighton, Brentford and Everton have taken a similar approach to playing us. They press hard up the field, stay tight on our midfielders if we progress the ball and try to get inside the pass as the receiver prepares to control it. Brighton’s press was better than ours. Time and again in recent games we’ve given the ball away by being caught playing out. Bentancur yesterday gave the ball away at the edge of the box just before their penalty. Udogie and Hojbjerg have been culprits too of late. Our set-up means we are brutally exposed in these situations, despite the pace and strength of our back four. We seldom have extra cover back and are moving to attacking mode as soon as we get the ball. It’s not just about individuals. They have to have (ready yourself for stunning tactical insight ) someone to pass to. The days of Dembele fending off half a midfield on his own are long gone.
Spurs’ approach works best when everyone is flying, at 100%. We give ourselves less margin for error than other teams. I’m all aboard the Ange train until the end of the line. It’s just that watching Spurs protect a lead is a strain at times. Dealing with it is a better guide to my health than the blood pressure meter, I reckon.
Often the best guide to any side’s progress is how well they do when they are playing at 60% or 70% effectiveness. Yesterday, Brighton gave us several scary moments and were on top for extended periods, but they failed to score from open play. Vic made two excellent saves, otherwise they had little on target.
How we respond at the crucial moments in each game is a benchmark of how we are doing. Kulu was in and out, but that pass to Sarr for the opener was instant, and a gem. Maddison didn’t dominate but makes something happen. VDV conceded the penalty but made several vital interventions. And our winner was a terrific piece of football, the pass to Sonny, his run and Johnson, again off the pace when he came on, delivered when it mattered.
Good for my heart and soul to be back at the Lane. I watched the City and Brentford games from my sofa rather than the South Stand, a victim of the governing principle of the universe, Sod’s Law. For perfectly reasonable caring reasons, I prefer to stay home most nights. Faced with the prospect of three Spurs’ outings in 10 days or so, I opted for the launch of Julie Welch’s new book about the best Tottenham strike partnerships (out now, highly enjoyable and recommended) and the City game. However, at the last minute I couldn’t attend the latter as the dog was being sick repeatedly in every room of the house. It’s the glamour of my life that gets too much, truly. And as I move to remove my Bees ticket from the exchange, the email arrives to say it’s sold.
It’s worse at home, watching the gaping fissures open up in our defence, like the TV documentaries covering millennia of earth’s history by fast-forwarding a graphic of shifting tectonic plates, rift valleys and mountains. The Brentford game was the prime example of the ‘we’ll score one more you’ elements of our manager’s approach, and we did, in the end, so that’s alright then. Or is it? It was hard watch at times, even at the end with three centre halves. We shouldn’t have to rely on unaccountable opposition misses in both games, although when City pinned us back, we defended well for the most part. Brentford will be furious that they did not score a third, though.
But Thomas Frank is a canny operator. He kept it tight at the back and told two strikers to stay up top, with the dangerous Toney often drifting wider right to open up more space and more doubt in the minds of VDV and Romero. Ange wants defenders who are good one-to-one, that’s what ‘s got in our first choice back four. More sophisticated tactical analysis is available but two v two like this with Porro and Udogie pushed inside in midfield and we’re always going to be onto a loser at some point in the game, however good that partnership is, in my view very, very good.
In praise of Vicario. He’s an excellent keeper. His saves, acrobatic again yesterday, his presence, his speed off the line – I could go on. I question the level of recent criticism about dealing with set pieces. This season he’s been good at the physical side, especially given his stature. He goes for the ball and usually gets it. I don’t accept this ‘could be stronger’ stuff. He never takes a backward step and confidence is unaffected by problems – next time it comes over, he’s going for it. There is little he or any keeper can do if he is fouled. Everton hassled him. Sometimes it was legitimate physical contact, sometimes he was fouled, and their first goal is a blatant foul.
Other teams protect their keeper, and yesterday Maddison took on that duty. Although I detest managers refereeing from their press conference (Pep, Arteta, Klopp all do it, as did JM), I’m glad Ange played the game and spoke to PGMOL about this. It’s now in referees’ minds.
A final word for Sonny. Already much loved, his reception yesterday was deafening and elevated his status to the returning hero we all need.
TOTTENHAM ON MY MIND 
Very good read, as always.
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Ange needs team to score more goals and with attacking players at his disposal they really should be able to get more than the lack of to get to more of team he wants as I and u do . Coys
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good read sir
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A really good piece with loads to agree with. Nice one👍
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Thank you, Alan. Always a great write up!!! COYS!
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Thanks Alan, sometimes a bit of post match distance or a deep breath is needed when thinking about Spurs just now.
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Still the best Spurs’ blog out there, even with the resting periods!
At some point, in the evolution of this truly exciting side, defensive balance is going to have to be more fully considered. We’re not there yet. But who cares? Our high-risk, high-return game is generally a great watch (and played in the spirit of an authentic Spurs’ side), but the turnovers and losing possession in key areas is relatively easy for decent opponents to predict and exploit. We’re conceding way too many goals, which is the price we pay for glory-glory Angeball 1.0. So be it. For now.
We’ll be in Europe next season and in cup contention. I’d like to see Ange develop another dimension to our game, in addition to our flow and countering, that lets us tighten up and not always pull the transition trigger as soon as there’s a chink of light. Challenging for honours won’t be possible without being more defensive-minded and disciplined in possession at times. The best form of defence isn’t always attack. Apparently. Luckily we have a manager who probably has more of a handle on what needs to be done than me.
This has already been an extraordinary season of development for the team, and many of its individuals. I just want to see the maturing of the balance next season, to take us even higher. Personally I’ve drunk the Angeade and it tastes goooood.
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Not an animal lover, but sorry about the dog! How I agree with you about it being a hard watch. I said as much to my neighbour in the East stand and he blamed his Grandad who had first taken him to the lane. Was it always thus?
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About our costly turn overs on the edge of our box, it’s quite curious that they have happened in VDV’s side of the turf and rarely on Romero’s side.: Vdv-Hoj, VdV- Bentacur, Vdv- Udogie, Bissouma at City.
In all these cases, our receiving player was immediately surrounded by 3 to 4 opponents, so teams are setting up to cash in on our predictable pass-out-from-the-back routine.
In addition, I think Vdb needs to improve on his timing of the right moment to release the ball to his team mate- the other day, watching a tactical analysis video on Brighton..they similarly play out from the back but their CBs only release the ball when an opponent commits to marking them- this has the effect of immediately taking out one of the hounding pack.
Romero releases the ball at the very last safe moment.
Quite often Vdv is releasing the ball unnecessarily early and this triggers the opponent’s press- you find 3 hounds snapping at the heels of our ball receiver.
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Vic can sometimes be at fault in his distribution to defenders too, feeding balls out to them that puts them under instant pressure from opponents. In the quest for a swift counter he can be reckless. He’s been a revelation, and is top class, but as the engine of playing out from the back his timing and selection of passing options needs to improve. Fairly confident it will, as it’s so early in his time with us.
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There is winning ugly and then there is winning repulsively. My Blackpool supporting mate says he loves watching Spurs because of the non-stop entertainment at both ends. He doesn’t understand that supporting them involves buckets of kaolin and morphine. My biggest grumble at the moment is the amount of unforced errors that infects our ability to control a game. It’s this stat that separates us from the best teams. As for the Vicario debate (not in my mind) he was left to twist in the wind by his own defence which should have seen what was going on and dealt with it. Instead Romero and VdV and Hjobjerg left him to fight his own battle and we suffered. By the look of things against Brighton we seem to have sorted it out but we paid the price for some basic carelessness that cost us a couple of points at Everton and a cup exit against City. Thank goodness for Son – a single high quality pass reminded us what star quality is all about. Seoul Train!
David.
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Fine fine write up as ever, thanks Alan. Hop the dog is better.
Agree on Vicario and think he’s become an Aunt Sally and things allowed against him not seeing Elsewhere. I’m not seeing them anyhow.
Because of Saar n Bissouma away and Maddison out then just back Bentancur has had to play more than perhaps he should hav
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Sorry pressed comment too soon by accident. (IKnowAlanGilzean)
Fine fine write up as ever, thanks Alan. Hope the dog is better.
Agree on Vicario and think he’s become an Aunt Sally and things allowed against him not seeing elsewhere imo. I note we do not employ this tactic with out attacking corners. if the powers that be are going to be like this perhaps we should. He’s been strong through the season or as strong as anyone can be as they are vicious corners for anyone to deal with.
Because of Saar n Bissouma away and Maddison out then just back Bentancur has had to start more than perhaps he should have, like Johnson in past few months. Seen a lot of Bentancur through the years and is top quality He’ll be fine and Johnson remains exciting. Couple of decisive goals in last few games, a good habit to have.
I thought we were strong last 15 or 1st half and first 25 or so 2nd half and still made chances when Brighton on top. A bit timid in shooting perhaps, and lots og good situations let go. My Brighton fan dad is sick as a parrot or dog, but I do think while they were good, over piece we just about warranted the win. Nice to have bragging rights back afetr 4-2 mostly shellacking over Xmas
UTS (IKAG)
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I always love your articles Alan. They are human,factual and interesting and this one well balanced and top notch. The theory of relativity is certainly seen herein.
cheers!
Ronnie W
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The Angeball Conundrum.
I want to repeat part of my last comment on Alan’s previous blog; ‘we are unable to impose ourselves on the opposition and, logically therefore, we cannot progress using the key components of Angeball.’
…which are:
Inverted full-backs
Building from the back
Relentless pressing
Creativity of players
Retention of the ball
Limiting opposition ball time
Yesterday we had:
71% ball possession
748 passes (WW 300)
963 touches(WW 504)
…which ticks-off those last two game-imposing components.
Yes we built from the back.
Yes we pressed their defensive third.
So what went wrong?
Obviously we’re conceding too many goals (1.52/game), the drawback of Angeball, and underlined by our exposure to the counter-attack; 4 of them yesterday which produced 3 shots & the winning goal.
Looking at Royal’s heat map he spent most of his time in the opposition half at the expense of defending and, of course, Wolves spent a lot of time attacking down that wing.
We struggle against the low block and our slow & lengthy build-up allows the opposition the time to put that in place.
We are frequently out-gunned (numerically) in MF (Wolves lined up 3-4-2-1) which we have seen, limits the ability of our creative players.
Ange, we need a rethink formation-wise mate…
Hibberni
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Michael ‘no see’ Oliver.
Once again Mickey has dragged the standard of EPL refereeing to yet lower levels.
Brentford 4 fouls/2 yellow cards
L’pool 18 fouls/1 yellow card…
If that wasn’t enough Robertson launched himself (both feet off the ground) into the back of Toney in the L’pool box.
No penalty & VAR colluded in the farce by not referring Mickey to the incident (clear & obvious error) but perhaps they did so and Mickey refused to initiate the review!
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