Not feeling this season yet. Until the derby. On the train, the buzz is back. The crowds, the blue smoke flares on the High Road corner, the extra rush to get to my seat. Shame the football had to spoil it.
But the emotion was there. Maybe like the players I need to ease myself into each season, especially as I get older, before I’m fully match fit. Because there have been so many seasons now, they tend to blend into one. Hope not, it will be over for me if they do. There’s nothing to compare with going to see the Hotspur, may that feeling never fade. I still feel a loss, detest a loss to the neighbours, but what’s important, essential, is that it matters. Joy and pain, I want to be affected by both. Apathy is anathema. I fear it, but the derby does it still.
It is without question the biggest game of my season. Other rivalries and squabbles pale into insignificance compared with the force generated by the weight of history. Battle of the Bridge and all that, old rivalry has turned into bitterness, it’s a nasty one, while WHam is the lopsided derby, good to win but it means more to them than it does to us. The NLD runs deep.
Because of that emotional involvement, look elsewhere for considered analysis. I watch games as a fan and as such, I’m far too frantic for this one. Sitting back and taking a considered view is the last thing I want to do in matches like these. I can’t analyse these games, I feel them.
Yet maybe that approach reveals some fundamental truths about where Spurs are right now. I feel frustration and some anger that once more, we’ve lost at home and to a goal that could, should have been prevented. What I felt is that this was another muggins goal, a free header 5 yards out. Mugs again. Mugs too often. That after a decent first half, we failed to up our game. Them lot were playing well enough but not at their most fluent or effective. There was our opportunity and we failed to exert sufficient pressure. That once they scored, we were never going to come back.
These feelings are all too familiar. Once we concede, we deflate. It all looks pretty similar, the shape, the movement, but nothing happens. There’s no edge. And here lies one big difference between them and us. They are resilient, disciplined and tough-minded, where we are not confident in ourselves. Ange talks about instilling consistency and belief, come what may, but it looks like we don’t have full and complete confidence in our method.
The gunners play decent, attractive football (by the way, this is a Spurs blog but unless we acknowledge that right now they are a better team than us, we’re deluding ourselves and we’ll never be able to move forward) with a precious clinical edge. Spurs are the opposite of cold and clinical. it’s freewheeling and risk-taking, albeit within established patterns. It’s great to watch and good fun when it works, but there’s no safety net and little margin for error. I like to see Maddison, Bentancur and Kulu weaving patterns in midfield but that deeper interchangeable role for Madders isn’t working because the foundations aren’t solid enough.
There’s a hole somewhere, something missing. Weakness where there should e strength. Nobody takes charge, there’s no authority in the middle of the park. It’s similar up front. Solanke will prosper, I’m sure. He adds a focal point and I like the way he contorts his body to get something, anything, on the ball to propel it goalwards. Old school centre forward play, that. But he was outnumbered two to one and overpowered yesterday. It’s a measure of our desperation that we have to stick a centre half up front for the last ten minutes in the vain hope of getting on the end of one of our wayward crosses.
The goal was an example of how they use this edge. I don’t think Vicario is as weak at corners as is often made out. Last season we left him unprotected and therefore vulnerable. Now, we have players around him and also the new interpretation of existing laws should help. So they put two players to pressure him, pushed away by two of ours. What this in fact did was increase his problems by creating a solid four man barrier in front of him. Their men didn’t want to get to him, they just wanted to commit two of ours. Gabriel slipped into that pocket, the ball was perfect, our marking less so, but they turned our defenders to their advantage.
Searching for explanations in the sulky silence of the journey home, there was one that stood out. It wasn’t about Angeball or tactics. We weren’t consistently exposed at the back and picked up more than enough possession. On the day, we weren’t bad, we were just ordinary, and ordinary isn’t good enough. if we’re set up to cross the ball, but barely produce a decent ball all afternoon, that’s not Angeball to blame, that’s just rubbish football. If we buy a centre forward, then leave him on his own as these crosses come in, or as yesterday sail over his head, that’s not Angeball, that’s rubbish football.
It feels as if the NLD is pivotal, a benchmark for progress. In fact it’s probably an outlier, given the frantic nature of these games not the best guide to the nature and quality of the football we play over the course of the season. But there are two inescapable conclusions to be drawn from yesterday’s game. One is that we don’t deal well with pressure, and we won’t get far until we do. The other that they are three years ahead of us in their development. With that comes that sense of certainty and resilience we have yet to learn.
We can make that progress, I’m certain of it, and the squad is full of promise, but of the many he must face Ange’s biggest problem is the burden of history, in particular two decades of unfulfilled promise and one trophy. So turn back the clocks. This is year 2 AC (After Conte). Then both the progress made and the distance to still to be covered come into focus. We have the best set-up and strategy at the club arguably since Levy took over, with focused recruitment and bags of potential waiting to be released but it takes time. As fans, patience is the gift that keeps on giving, but that’s tough even for an old lag like me.
My problem comes back to that emotional commitment again. I’m invested in Ange and I want him to succeed. I like his style, values and ethos. This is the right way to grow the club. But sometimes I wonder what he sees when he watches us play. I hear pundits drone on about Angeball and the high line but his tactics and shape aren’t significantly different from that of Man City, and other teams often play the high line. Our players are good but are they good enough to play this way? That’s the difference. Until then, patience. But while we’re about it, play a strong side at Coventry tomorrow so there’s some short-term joy.
Thanks for hanging around while Tottenham On Mind creaks into what passes for action for another season. I’ll post frequently but not necessarily regularly, basically when I’ve got something I want to say, starting with something about fans and the state of our relationship with the club. Click subscribe if you want to join about 500 other fans who get every post sent to their inbox. I’ll add links to Twitter and Bluesky, but will rarely post on the former because it is foul and bad for my mental well-being. Up the Spurs!
TOTTENHAM ON MY MIND 
Great Post as ever Alan. Very true unfortunately, we have lost our way.
LikeLike
Just checked the stats from the games we’ve played this season to last. Not counting the Leicester game we’ve the same results as last season but our shots on target have dramatically improved.Is that progress or the inability to compose yourself when presented with the opportunity?
LikeLike
Read an article earlier today about how Angeball has been found out, how Arse tactically set a trap for us to fall into, but how other teams will follow suit, how PL have sussed it so let us have the ball and the counter, happened so much last season and not fixed this season. Maybe European teams may not suss it so here’s hoping. Since last season win at Villa, we have only won 5 games from 15, 3 were against relegated teams, conceded more goals bar 4 teams and since our 10 game unbeaten start we have only won 40 odd points, lowest amount in top 12-14 teams. Same article mentioned it seems we are in decline rather than upward trajectory regarding goals conceded and pts earned against tough teams, football maybe attractive and good to watch especially for neutrals but doesn’t mean wins, possession footy, good pressing but easily caught on the counter attack.
i understand it’s a process and will take time, especially with younger players coming through but would like to see us defend better, did we really need more wingers added to the squad in summer? Striker yes, but also need a number 6 or 8 in MF, box to box MF that can stop the counter attacks, plus maybe a left/right back for back up. Most managers realise that defense is key, Arteta, Howe, Palace and Bournemouth managers sorted defence first then rest but we seem so intent on attack that we are so vulnerable without the ball and thats were we fail and it will continue until somebody says we need to fix this. Don’t get me wrong I rather attack than Conte crap but there has to be a compromise with holding MF who dont go forward to far or whats the point.. I know we got A Gray and L Bergvall, but right now they may not be premier league ready. If we were going getting youths into squad why not use the U21 squad who actually were excellent last season, almost unbeaten in league and won a trophy. Sold Parrot who is excelling in Holland and loaned out others that most likely won’t make squad anyways when loan finished.
i know we won’t win the league, I know Levy wants top 4 but I want a trophy, any trophy just to shut those nay-sayers up about our drought. But as us fans know, Mr Levy will have his claws out if we into a semi final but in 10th place come spring…..
LikeLike
Great first para p56, especially about the points. I was going to research that very point (oops) but you beat me to it.
Hibberni
LikeLike
Bonjour Alan,
Your explanation of their goal I think underlines the need for a set-piece coach.
Herewith my views on the 2 previous matches which pretty much echo some of the above comments…we can’t all be wrong can we?
Newcastle
Heat Map Analysis
Tactically unbalanced…totally.
Apart from the wrong team formation (my personal view) there is the lack of pace in the transition from defence to attack; it’s just too slow.
The two central defenders exchange a number of passes and then it’s either the long ball or the sideline shuttle service, the latter being the preferred route. I looked at the heat maps on WhoScored for Porro, Udogie, Son & Odobert & it seems that we were playing with 4 wingers!
We have 7 MFs (I include Kulu) in the squad but Postoglou is using only 3 in the starting line-up; two holding MFs who spent most of the game in the opposition half (see their heat map) + Maddison, who incidentally, is obliged to cover a lot of ground (see his heat map) leaving our 2 CBs to become the holding MFs (see their heat map) and therein lies the sting on our tail in a manner of speaking.
Arsenal
All Huff & no Puff, as usual.
At least there were 4 MFs in the 4-3-3 (4-3-2-1) set-up not that it made a lot of difference in the speed of transition but did improve the overall positioning of our 2 CBs (heat maps again).
If Solanke is going to spend matches in between the opposing CB’s then that’s €64M wasted. Whatever happened to near post, far post runs from a CF?
Odobert looks far sharper that Johnson; that makes another €55M wasted on the latter.
Apparently Postecoglou still refuses to hire a set-piece coach which, to me, smacks of bloody mindedness.
Time for Daniel to ask some questions of Postecoglou (and Lange) methinks.
Cordialement
Hibberni
LikeLiked by 1 person
Alan always love your posts and always relate to the pain and frustration and sometimes the good stuff but most of all the reality and perceptions!
Thanks!
I did share this on my Facebook Group
Thanks Alan you are the best!!
regards
Ronnie
LikeLike
Alan, yep on the button. Although I will add that in our pregame discussion ‘we’ talked about the growing incoming sponsorship that Mr Levy is amassing, whilst still not being able to see a way to support the long term ( or even new ) supporters. He and others may seem to think that this is just the way the game is heading. However this may not be the case ordinary may pass for entertainment when seats are full but he may learn sooner rather than later that ordinary will empty the stadium quicker than price increases or that the mixture of both will be even wors. There was after the game walking towards Tottenham Hale a larger number of folk complaining exactly about the ordinary nature of the game quit a few of the players may need a kick up the posterior. Worryingly our Captain is one of them, which deity forbid maybe part of Mr Levy’s. Magical Money Tree. If it is he could / should be in for a tough ride!
LikeLike
Only 500 to email ?….best blog out there Spurs or no. Can’t believe that figure….hope there’s a LOT more actual readers out there. Missing out big time if not.
LikeLike
There is such an easy way to stop teams at corner kicks you pick your five worst headers of a ball and put them on the half way line because all they do is clog up our penalty area.The opposition will have to keep back 5 defenders and possibly a sweeper so now the team taking the corner will only be able to put 3 players into the area making it easier for Vicario to get to the ball and our defenders to head it away.Very simple tactic but much better than our current efforts.
LikeLike
Defensive midfield needed ! Last year and present, missing link : Højbjerg !
LikeLike
“Biggest game of the season” but for only one of the two teams. One playing to win the NLD, the other to win the title.
LikeLike
Misplaced my comment to Alan…it’s attached to p56 as a reply…sorry blog…woe is me etc.
HIbberni
LikeLike
Welcome back, Alan. Please review your thoughts about occasional posts. I’m sure I speak for all your readers that we enjoy them more than you might know. We’d like more, not less. And it gives us a chance to let off steam…
I promised myself that this season I’d wait about ten games before pontificating. But what the heck – the signs are already obvious. I don’t mind my team losing or drawing as long as it gives a good account of itself and that’s what happened at Leicester and ‘Toon. But that was five points lost from games we controlled and coulda, shoulda won. These will be five points that will separate us from a top four place at the end of the season.
The root cause of the problem is midfield. We offloaded a bunch of midfielders but haven’t replaced them. Bergvall and Gray are not replacements for Hjobjerg. If they were meant to be replacements then they’d have been starting games. We are missing more steel in midfield to grab the likes of Udogie and Porro and instill a ‘they will not pass’ attitude. It was a big mistake not to add more quality and bite into the midfield group and we’ll suffer all the way through to the January window. At the moment we are way too open and fragile, not helped by whatever it is that Ange is trying to deliver.
Why do we expect anything different from the years and seasons gone by? We dine at a different transfer table to the top European clubs and we seem to be settling for buying promising talent passed over by the others. We’re not buying the talent and experience the team needs. Something tells me that Werner and Johnson do not strike terror into the hearts of opponents. And when Son has one of his quiet spells then we are reduced to a single Solanke threat. And don’t get me started on the current preference for camping outside the opponent’s box and fiddling around waiting for an opening that usually ends up with a misplaced pass to nowhere. Seems like we’ve been here before…..
LikeLike
I’m worried for this team and it’s manager. There doesn’t seem to be any core or heart to its purpose. The midfield is chopped and changed each game and no matter who we play the script isn’t changed. Lots of huffing and puffing but very little reward for taking the game to the other teams, which seem to pick apart our defences with Porro and Udogie nowhere in sight. Maybe more pragmatism is needed to settle things down. Another defeat or two (ManC coming up soon) and then losing becomes a habit which will dilute our already fragile confidence. Important to win against Brentford this weekend, otherwise….
LikeLike
Conceding one goal is not an issue for me.
A team set up to attack must score goals. You can’t win without scoring goals.
You can’t score goals by passing the ball back to the defenders all the time and you can’t score goals by keeping possession outside their defensive lines. Nor with continuous wayward crosses like we saw so often on Sunday.
LikeLike
Just wait till the Thursday cup starts then the wheels will really fall off.
LikeLike
agree with most of the above. However, I believe our biggest problem is our speed, or lack of, in transition from defense to attack. We seem incapable of playing out from the back, every time Vic gets the ball at his feet I worry! How many times do we play the ball around our own penalty area, and end up with a rushed pass or worse, losing the ball. Not only does this cause us defensive problems, it gives the opposition time to reorganize. No wonder we have the most completed pass rate in the league, our centre backs seem to spend their time passing to each other, with no urgency to push forward. It looks as if we are afraid to make a forward pass until everyone is in their correct position. A bit of risk taking in the oppositions half would be good. And for Pete’s sake let’s learn to play out from the back. Coys
LikeLike
Adding more meat to p56’s bone (our descending points average EPL games only).
23/24:
First 26 games 1.92
First 10 games 2.60
Next 16 games 1.50
Final 12 games 1.33
First season average 1.74 which is similar to our last 4 managers’ first season with the exception of Nuno.
24/25:
First 4 games 1.00
To put this start into perspective we need to average 1.82 points for the remaining games just to equal last season’s tally of 66.
Hibberni
LikeLike
Maybe the first thing to say is this wasn’t great football. Apart from the goal we gifted them it had 0-0 written all over it. I know some people pay a lot of attention to possession stats but possession without penetration is worthless, which pretty much sums up our first half. We kept the ball and passed it sideways without really creating much of anything. The second half we seemed to try and be more direct but didn’t do it very well.
The thing is this isn’t a new problem. Ignoring the disaster that was Mourinho and Conte even under Pochettino we saw similar problems sometimes. While the team moved the ball quickly we were good. But sometimes, for no apparent reason, we would slow down and suddenly were totally toothless. Pochettino never managed to eradicate the problem and what is currently happening under Postecoglou looks very similar to me. You could argue we need a leader on the pitch but to me the players we have should be mentally stronger, they have the quality but maybe not the heart.
There is perhaps a lesson from Arsenal here. Arteta has been in charge there since 2019 and got a huge amount of abuse from their fans in his early days. Its really only in the last two seasons he’s got the team playing the way he wants and got close to City. All of which suggests its a longer process than fans want. Again I know a lot of fans response is always the same “buy more players, spend more money” (the Chelsea solution ?) . But if the players you have aren’t playing to their potential why would any new ones ?
Either Postecoglou sorts it out or he doesn’t. But I see no point in giving any manager less than three seasons. If you do you just accumulate players that don’t fit which is what we’ve been trying to deal with the last transfer window. The other thing is should Postecoglou fail then make sure the next manager has a similar philosophy. I’m hoping though that doesn’t happen, that Like Arteta he manages to create a squad that plays the way he wants them to play. But it might take longer than we want.
LikeLike
I agree jodn14 but unfortunately Postecoglou has a stubborn streak which is coming more to fore with every presser.
This is the first time he has coached in the top echelon and it’s not sufficient to repeat what was done before in minor leagues; there has to be the ability to adapt and change otherwise you will be found out.
What also concerns me is that players will start to become disillusioned with tactics that do not produce results. It may be happening already.
Hibberni
LikeLike
I suppose my question is how much is down to the coach and how much down to the players. If Postecoglou is having the same problems as Pochettino had there has to be questions about the players attitude. As with Poch’s team I think this squad is capable of more than it is delivering. I don’t think this is down to tactics, its down to the mental side. If the team was doing exactly the same thing but moving the ball forward at pace, rather than sideways slowly, then the results would be very different. Maybe we need to focus a little less on skill and a bit more on attitude when recruiting. Maybe the players are too comfortable. Whatever the reasons when different managers start having the same problems at the same club changing managers might not solve anything.
LikeLike
Coventry
Let’s face it most of the game was a repeat performance of all the issues that have been highlighted here.
That said there were some pluses:
The surprise substitution of Spence for Udogie.
Bentancur’s performance which argues for him to play further forward and
that of Kulusevski
Incidently I’m not arguing for the sacking of Postegolou but I am critical of his tactics and his approach to them.
Hibberni
LikeLike
Here’s a link on how to break down a low block…
https://totalfootballanalysis.com/article/tactical-theory-successfully-break-low-block-tactical-analysis-tactics
The conclusion and, in particular, it’s first para. I think is relevant to our current situation
Hibberni
LikeLike
Brentford
The first half response to the Brentford goal was excellent mainly due, I think, to the increased tempo (at last).
For me the 3rd goal on the break was even better; it brought back memories from previous seasons and killed-off Brentford.
I see no reason, given the quality of our defensive players, why there should be concern (in the stadium) when we are called upon to defend, it’s part of the game is it not and presents the the opportunity for the breakaway.
4-3-3 is an attacking formation but our CB’s heatmaps again showed (halfway in our half) them nicely positioned for defensive or transition duties. So much better than the N’castle farce. We shared possession with the Bees but still had 23 shots. Maybe Postecoglou is modulating the gung-ho approach?
Hibberni
LikeLike
Qarabag
Oh boy, the thrills and spills of Angeball…
Without mentioning any names there were some standout performances last night.
Two games now where we’ve shared possession, scored 6 and conceded 1. I think that reflects our squad’s determination and belief in themselves.
Congrats Ange on another canny set of substitutions.
Hibberni
LikeLike
Man. Utd.
To dare…perchance to dream…
Bentancur looks back to his best, 96% pass rate yesterday.
Werner has the speed & positioning but perhaps needs the confidence booster of scoring.
Spence is rapidly becoming a revelation at LB having arrived as a RB/RMF.
As for Kulu, well MOTM on SofaScore & WhoScored, ’nuff said.
I could go on but suffice it to say yesterday was another example of some standout individual performances. For those to happen there has to be a higher level of cohesion & focus amongst the squad as a whole.
On va voir
Hibberni
LikeLike
Alan – Loving your articles, as always.
Trying to get my teen boys to appreciate them. It’s hard work. But I will keep at it.
It’s not all about 20 second sound bites!!!
@Hibberni – Enjoying your opinion, honesty and optimism!!!
Pez
LikeLike
After the United game Ange said that was how he wanted them to play every game. It’s easier said than done of course but you can see what he is aiming for. Contrast that with Ten Haag, United fans have no idea what he is trying to achieve. Personally I accept it will take time to get where the manager wants to go, think where Arsenal were in Arteta’s second season. But I understand that for many fans it’s about instant gratification.
LikeLike
Ferencvaros
Well, that was a veritable ‘hodgepodge’ of a game, lineup included.
Ange ‘keeping the powder dry’ for Sunday methinks.
Dan Kilpatrick’s ratings & comments (The Standard) are a fair reflection of the game with the exception of those concerning Timo.
He plays “on the fringes of the match” because he’s a winger; just needs to score is all.
AP might want to reconsider leaving Spence out of the squad and replace Odobert with him given the latter’s injury (we are allowed 3 changes to ‘A’ list players) and the frailty of our defensive left side last night.
Hibberni
LikeLike
It would have been an easier game if Ange had played his first team. The trouble is you can’t do it that way. Trying to play players twice a week will just burn them out, no matter what the “play your best team” brigade may say. You also need to give young players game time if they are going to develop. So while the match was a bit of a struggle Postecoglou made the right call. Werner is frustrating at the moment. He fits the system perfectly but is really low on confidence. There again so was Brennan Johnson a few weeks ago. I’m not sure what the reference to Spence is about, he was left out of the European squad due to our inability to develop our own players in recent years. Thankfully that seems to be changing.
LikeLike
Mea Culpa Jod.
8 places are reserved for ‘locally trained players’ of which we are not allowed to have more than 4 ‘association trained’ players in the squad and must have 4 ‘club-trained’ players in the squad to qualify for the full complement of 25.
The only ‘club-trained players are Austin & Whiteman hence the fact that we have 4 GKs in the squad and are only allowed a complement of 23.
So my suggestion to replace Odobert is irrelevant as the replacement would have had to have been one of the ‘association-trained’ players in order to maintain 23 places.
The following link shows our Europa squad before the arrivals of Gray, Odobert & Solanke who have since been added to the squad making a full quota of 17 non-homegrown players:
https://www.reddit.com/r/coys/comments/1d41vd7/homegrown_squad_registration_for_202425_europa/
Article 32 of the UEFA rules does allow, however, for a club to register a maximum of three new players before the start of the knockout phase but, for us, any replacement(s) would require the removal of someone from the current squad.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
BHA
To say that was a game of two halves would be an understatement.
Maybe the Good, The Bad And The Ugly would be more appropriate.
Defensively a new low; ball watching and failure to man-mark in the box.
Romero in particular looked all at sea and far too wide positionally for a CB (see his heatmap) and, of course, he and Bentancur are both immediately off to South America and return two days before our home game against West Ham…
I looked at the heatmap for our four defenders together and there was gaping hole on the left side of our box which of course Welbeck exploited and from which he scored B’ton’s third.
I thought that we were improving at the back but yesterday proved me wrong.
AP, swallow your pride and get a defensive/set-piece coach onboard before it’s too late…please.
Hibberni
LikeLike
P.S.
Left side of our box is Romero’s side as I look at the heatmap.
I shall endeavour to be more accurate in the future.
HIbberni
LikeLike
Stumbled across this blog – as an Arsenal fan, it’s quite refreshing to hear a balanced, inward looking point of view about Spurs (“unless we acknowledge that, we’re deluding ourselves and we’ll never be able to move forward…”) Honestly feel that’s what holds the club back from making significant progress.
Most of my closest friends who are Spurs fans blame everything but their own club for the lack of recent success (refs, fixture schedules, net spend, not being able to compete in the transfer market etc.)
It would be nice to hear a similarly balanced view from Arsenal, and other fans about their own clubs. The 7 or 8 year stretch that Spurs had the better of Arsenal, our fans were all making similar noises. Even now, Man City remain streets ahead but we’re in denial – the refs are against us, “no one else gets sent off for kicking the ball away”, when really, we’re probably 3-4 player upgrades (and some discipline problems that stem from Arteta’s petulance) away from where we need to be.
It took Arsenal a real “come to Jesus” moment (pun intended 😂) to get out of the rut. Owners and leaders being 100% aligned in the strategy, and having a vision to execute on it. Until Spurs figure this out, yes they may win the odd cup, but (for them) I fear they will never become the elite club they long to be.
Will check back here from time to time. Cheers! And good luck
LikeLike
WHU
Let’s not paper over the cracks..
The fact that AP played all of our late-arriving (from Int. duty) players underlined the importance of this game.
The first half continued to show the issues that we have when we lose possession up front.
More often than not our fullbacks are out of position obliging one of the CBs to cover wide and thereby opening up the centre of our defense.
I’m not talking about us retreating into a low block, simply making certain players more aware of their defensive positioning responsibilities when we lose possession.
12 corners in the first half with no end product. Wherefore art thou o defensive/set-piece coach?
The 2nd half & the ‘tactical change’.
AP felt we needed an injection of pace in the MF and Sarr is certainly a more direct player than Maddison who has a tendency to move the ball sideways although the latter did have 5 key passes in the 1st half.
‘Horses for courses’ methinks and the end result was probably due more to West Ham’s defense (lack of) than the substitution.
P.S.
The EPL ‘Dispossessed’ to date.
N° 1 Kudus 25
N° 2 Kulusevski 22
I guess that’s the price one pays for players with ‘clout’.
Hibberni
LikeLike
AZ
A quietly satisfying result (for me). We seem to fair better where games are more balanced and I wonder if this improves the players’ focus and concentration.
Bentancur dominated the middle of the park; 111 touches & 91/97 (94%) pass rate.
Our defense…91% ‘tackles won’ rate and a clean sheet.
As for the youngsters AP summed up their performance in the post match interview.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
CP
Mickey VDV exposed by Romero’s flighted ball across the box…Udogie out of position, not for the first time this season…Porro, who should have been keeping a wary eye on Mateta, flails at the cross ball and hey presto we are one down.
The goal was similar to the one West Ham scored last week; an opposition player left unmarked at the far post.
Here’s a link to Opta Analyst from 18th Sept.
https://theanalyst.com/2024/09/tottenham-problems-chances-created
Apart from the main thrust of the article what interested me also was our ‘Zones Of Control’ and of the 3 ‘contested zones’ one is on the right side of our box and another in front of our box!
Wherefore art thou o defensive/set piece coach?
9 games in, 1.44 points per game.
Average for the remaining games 1.83/game to equal last season’s total of 66.
Hibberni
LikeLike
CP 2
Having looked more closely at the build up to the CP goal Romero, confronted with 2 CP players, is under pressure and restricted in his choice of what to do next. Porro is not in the picture & Bissouma has failed to create a simple passing lane for him (Romero).
So, including my observations above, we have a cluster of errors involving our all our defensive-oriented players.
Hibberni
LikeLike
MANC
Timo scores……!!!!
Our ‘bête noire’ strikes again; another freebie for the opposition at the far post.
That’s 3 almost identical goals we’ve conceded in recent games.
I was looking forward to our 3 CB’s playing together for the first time and then disappointment raised it’s gloomy head.
Still, although City dominated possession (we had 32%), I believe Vicario had only one save to make.
Hibberni
LikeLike
AV
From the PL website.
‘Spurs entered this game having conceded the opening goal in 11 of their 13 home Premier League matches in 2024, though they had recovered to win on seven of those occasions’.
Enter Pedro Porro with every intention of making it 12. I love his unbridled enthusiasm but feel he’s becoming a loose cannon. His heat map yesterday showed him favouring the inside-right position rather than left-back. Some self-restraint would not go amiss.
Another balanced game possession-wise with Vicario only required to make one save again.
Not for first time the Spurs ‘double-tap’ put paid to the opposition.
The telling stat; Villa lost possession 43 times in their defensive half…
Hibberni
LikeLike
Galatasaray.
Beaten at our own game…
A number of our players in the first half were intimidated by the oppositions’s strong tackling and failed to exert any influence on the game.
Only in the second half did we begin to match Galatasaray in the tackling stakes thanks to AP’s removal of the above-referenced players.
According to Sofascore we committed 10 fouls for which we received 6 yellows & a red card from the Belgium referee. This is probably what one would expect from a native of said country whose only claim to fame are 2 foul-tasting vegetables and an array of treacle-like substances commonly referred to as beer.
Hibberni
LikeLike
Ipswich Town
A Repetitive post.
So, are we all still enjoying the ride?
A comedy of errors, annoyingly one that we’ve seen before on numerous occasions.
I’m beginning to understand (believe) Conte’s final outburst and then there’s Lloris’s latest revelations…
Fortunately there’s no one left without a win otherwise I’m sure we would be happy to comply.
Let’s not kid ourselves, we fully justify our league position and any thoughts of qualifying for a European competition next season have receded into the dungeons of despair.
This is your problem Postecoglou. You have created it in the belief that you can apply past tactics in minor leagues to the EPL.
You have failed to achieve a balance between attacking and defensive transitions.
You have failed to appreciate the managerial and coaching qualities in the opposition.
You have stubbornly refused to allow the club to employ a defensive/set-piece coach.
My only hope is that your stubbornness will hasten your departure back to the minor leagues.
Hibberni
LikeLike
Alan,
I have a post ready which includes 2 diagrams.
Can I post with the diags.?
Are you intending to post soon in which case I would prefer to wait for that?
Hibberni
LikeLike
Back on the beat now, feel free to add anything you wish in the comments section, much appreciated.
Cheers, Aaln
LikeLike