Author: Alan

Dear Seth

/ Alan / 17 Comments

Dear Seth,

I’m terribly sorry about yesterday. You were so looking forward to your first game at White Hart Lane. It’s not always like that, honestly.

Did you have a good seat? It’s great up in the old East Stand. That’s where I sat for my first match too. My dad took me. He wasn’t interested in football like your dad is but he knew I wanted to go so much, he left my mum to look after the little sweetshop that we had, just down the road from your house funnily enough, and he gave up a Saturday just to take me to the Spurs.

The stand is still pretty much the same as it was then. It’s not modern like the other ones. We climbed up all those stairs. I dashed ahead of my dad, he was puffing and panting but I wanted to see the pitch as soon as I could. I remember standing at the top, looking down. It was so green. Like a magical place to me, seeing my team, my heroes. Something I had dreamed of. Now I was here. I was ten or eleven, a couple of years older than you.

Shall I tell you a secret? When I walk up the short flight of steps to the entrance, I still get a little excited. Look round, take it all in. When I walk from the car and am about to turn the corner where I can see the ground for the first time, I always speed up, just a fraction. It’s what being a football fan does to you. Silly, isn’t it? Don’t tell anyone.

Of course when I first went, you could get half price tickets for children. You didn’t have to pay £45 for each seat. Shirts didn’t cost £57. On top of that, your Uncle Mike had come all way the from Yorkshire. And look what happened.

Over the last few years, Spurs have played fantastic football. Not always, and we’ve never been able to defend properly for all the 45 years since I ran to the top of the East Stand for the first time, but we have been part of some thrilling games. Yesterday was the opposite. We couldn’t do anything right, not for one single moment. I waited and waited for us to start playing well, passing the ball around, Lennon and Bale making runs down the wings, like I told you they would before the game. It felt like I was in a time machine that had taken me back fifteen or twenty years, when people like Gerry Francis, Christian Gross and George Graham managed the club, the players weren’t very good and we played like this all the time. I’m really sorry, Seth.

Some clubs have a tradition. That means that whoever is the manager, they try to do things the same way. At Spurs we pass the ball around. We have skillful players. We attack. It’s entertaining and it sometimes means we don’t win as many matches as we should, but that’s what we want at Spurs. That’s what they teach you in the Tottenham Under 9s, isn’t it? You are a midfielder, good at passing. That’s what they were encouraging you to do yesterday morning at the new training ground. Wish I could see it, sounds fabulous.

That’s the Tottenham way, and Seth, it’s the right way to play this beautiful game. Pass and move. Pass and move. Your dad said it was obvious from one glance at the Under 18s and Under 21s yesterday that all the teams at Spurs play that way. Shame the first team forgot about it.

Sigurdsson is an international. Did you see how he controlled the ball and then turned into the Wigan man next to him? Not one or two touches but four or five, not every time but but most of the time. Did you see how often he was tackled? Tom Huddlestone, did you know he’s played for England? He’s a great passer of the ball. Long passes mostly. Yesterday some of the passes worked but most of them didn’t. They stay in the air for ages so the defenders can get there first. I like Tom but he has to learn to pass the ball quickly  a short pass will do so long as he moves off into more space so he can get it back. He didn’t move around much, did he? I think you could have shown him what to do.

Do you know what managers do? They organise the players, tell them where on the pitch they should play, how they should move around, things like that. I expect your coaches do that too. Hope they don’t shout at you, though. I go and see games on Sunday in our local park and all the coaches and dads shout at young boys your age. I hate that. At your age you should try your best and enjoy it. If you do that, you will have had a good game.

Our manager is Andre Villas Boas. He’s young, he’s new and I want him to do well. He’s the Spurs manager, after all. So far he’s not done too badly – we were fourth in the League. Yesterday he did some things that were not so good. Wigan are not as good as we are but he started with two defensive midfielders, Sandro and Huddlestone. They play in midfield like you and hang back a bit to protect the back four. It’s a very important position because it helps the defence and starts attacks when we get the ball. Sandro was excellent before he was injured – did you see how he made tackles and passed it simply so we could attack once we had the ball?

You are good at maths. If you have two defensive midfielders, you have one less attacker. We made it too easy for Wigan because of that. Here’s some more maths. Wigan lined their players up like this: 3 at the back, 4 in the middle and 3 forward. It’s unusual but it worked. We had no space as we tried to attack. We just couldn’t get it forward and when we did, we only had one man, Defoe, up front. It also meant that Lennon and Bale, our wide players, were marked a long way up the field. They couldn’t get going. They are dangerous, so it meant we couldn’t play well.

I think we could have done something about that but they didn’t. I think we could have at least tried to get them going. I think the Wigan manager Martinez was smarter than our manager.

The Wigan players aren’t as good as ours. We wouldn’t buy any of them but there is a lesson for you here – they played better as a team. Did you notice how they passed the ball to each other over short distances, then moved into space? They passed the ball the way they were facing, and passed it quickly. That means it is less easy for them to be tackled. It worked. Perhaps you can try that when you next play for Spurs.

Our manager could have changed his tactics but he wasn’t keen. I don’t understand why he took Defoe off. He wasn’t playing well but he needs other men to give him the ball. He’s our best scorer and we were behind. I don’t get it. Do you?

We really need need a big striker to play up front. Your dad has seen a few decent centre-forwards in his time, ask him what they do. We have Adebayor. He’s good but sometimes the manager does not want to play him, then Adebayor sulks because he’s not in the side. He has to wait, to try harder. Seth, you would play football all day and all night if you mum and dad would let you. That’s the right attitude to have. I bet all professionals were like that when they were your age. It’s a shame some of them have forgotten.

As you know, Seth, I go to almost every home game. That was one of the worst I’ve seen in the last twenty years, maybe the worst. Still, it doesn’t always happen but the best team won. I hope you enjoyed it, though. I hope too that you play well for Spurs. Part of being a fan is you watch them play badly, then after a while you start thinking about the next game, about coming back. That’s a real fan. Who knows, maybe in ten years time I’ll wave to you from the Shelf, except you will be on the pitch. I’ll still be there.

Say hi to your dad and Uncle Mike for me,

Regards,

Alan

Superjan Struck Down By Kryptonite Posioning

/ Alan / 6 Comments

Look! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Sure, Superman is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, he may be able to leap tall buildings with a single bound but could he keep the Spurs defence together? Superjan can. Vertonghen can do the lot. Centre half, he’s assured and quick. Switch him to left back, the whole team is transformed. He takes free-kicks, he scores from other people’s. Charging heroically upfield, he scores too (I know it’s been adjudged an own goal but that United effort will always be his to me).

Last night, we discovered that somewhere inside Carrow Road, there’s a chunk of green kryptonite hidden away. Unsuspecting, he took the field only to find his powers drained from his body. Ten minutes later, he was revealed as a mere mortal. Norwich wear green shorts. Coincidence?

Villas Boas clearly believes in his powers. When Vertonghen came on as substitute, Spurs were on top as they had been from the kick-off without ever playing especially well. Norwich were cranking up for a final ten minute fling. Throughout the second half we had tried but failed to add to our single goal lead, so the manager decided it was time to protect what we had. Hardly radical, although it was a surprise to see Vertonghen slot into a central defensive midfield position. An extra defender who can also turn defence into attack couldn’t do much harm.

But Superjan looked odd to me. Normally focussed and keen, he didn’t look as if he had the appetite for this one. From a corner, he airily waved a leg at a shot that was going well wide and deflected it in. A few minutes later, from a free kick that was wrongly awarded to Norwich, he lost his man and Holt headed down for Jackson to tap in the winner. A complete turnaround against the by then well-established equilibrium of a match where we were the better side but failed to score the goals to confirm our superiority. Dempsey then missed a penalty to complete our indignity.

AVB is a meticulous man who has demonstrated his commitment to cup competitions by preparing strong sides in the Europa League and League Cup. However, in a sporting age where backroom staff outnumber the playing squad, little things make all the difference. I question why Vertonghen rather than Dawson or Caulker was marking Holt, Norwich’s most dangerous player. When the penalty was awarded, the players did not appear sure about who was supposed to take it. At least Dempsey had the guts to step up to the spot. Two small but crucial errors of preparation that proved decisive.

For better or worse, right or wrong, this blog is always honest with you, dear reader. I try to be consistent but when it comes to the League Cup, I confess to some hypocrisy. I can’t get too worked up about it, win or lose. Except of course if we beat Arse**l in the semi-final or reach Wembley, where suddenly it becomes a tournament we all want to win, officially designated ‘A Springboard For the Future’.

Neither should ew read too much into a single game like this one. Whatever the rhetoric, the players of both teams were not up for it as they would be for a league game. However, place it in the context of other recent performances and there were examples of unwelcome trends that Tottenham will have to work on if we are to prosper.

We don’t score enough goals, or to put it better, we don’t turn our superiority into goals. We have a tendency to look good and take up good wide positions – Bale and Falque (in the second half) were excellent. Falque has certainly developed his game and delivered 3 or 4 top class crosses plus one sublime cutting pass that took out the entire Norwich defence only for Bale to have a weak shot saved. However, there is nobody on the end of the crosses. Not enough bodies in the box and no figurehead striker. Either get one or play a different way because defenders can get heading practice on their training pitch not in competition. Without Dembele, we miss creativity in central areas. How we were spoilt with Luka and Rafa.

Connected with this, we sit back after we’ve scored rather than snuff out the game. To be fair, this was not so much of a problem last night. After Bale scored from range, we continued to keep possession well for a period but to retreat and hang on to just a single goal, as AVB is keen for us to do usually, is a game we’re not yet resilient enough to play.

Finally, there are too many games where a couple of players go missing. Last night there were extended periods where Siggy, Dempsey and Carroll were not involved. (In defence of a talented young player, Carroll demonstrated his customary involvement in the second half). It felt as if we were playing with ten men for much of the first half. Dempsey, a player I was pleased to buy, has not yet found his niche. There’s no doubt that Martin Jol got something from him that Villas Boas can’t.

Even so we were too good for Norwich. League Cup or not, this was a missed opportunity.

Weebles Wobble But They Don’t Fall Down

/ Alan / 11 Comments

 

The Spurs back four yesterday

Even after all these years, you do wonder. Is it just us that so totally dominates one half then disappears so completely in the second? Or can other teams perform the Halloween Jekyll and Hyde routine? Spurs eased past all Southampton resistance in the first half, playing some gorgeous flowing football in the process but halfway through the second period we were wobbling like a Weeble on speed.  Thanks largely to our two central defenders, Gallas and Caulker, we held firm when in the past we might well have crumbled. We wobbled but didn’t fall down and there’s a lot to be said for that. Not straighforward, never is, but 4th in the table is a good place to be this Monday.

This is Tottenham On My Mind’s 300th post. Not one for anniversaries really but those lovely people at WordPress remind me how well I’m doing, adding a quote from a well-known author to give this slave-to-a keyboard a boost. I preferred the 298th post but not even the BBC would celebrate that. Perhaps for a change I should ask a fan of another club to blog about matches like this one. Their perspective might be fresher. They could answer my question – I suspect it’s not just us but that’s how it feels.

They say it’s a sign of a good team that they win when playing badly. Another indicator is when sides notch routine victories without much of a fuss, in which case we still have a lot to learn. As against Maribor on Thursday, we failed to generate momentum from within when under a little pressure.

Centre-backs were the eventual stars of this game but at half time they had barely touched the ball. All eyes were on Bale and Lennon. Against his old team Bale lost his first challenge against a young full back then proceeded to shred his confidence into tiny, tiny pieces, first heading in at the far post, an unstoppable late run onto Huddlestone’s perfect cross, then producing a series of tantalising crosses that others should have made more of. On the other side, the Saints defence was largely absent and Lennon made the most of it.

Defoe missed the several beautifully crafted chances that came his way but it is a measure of his improvement this season that as he cocks the trigger, you expect him to put them away. But a goal up and  the pleasure of enjoying the way we were moving the ball around, fluent and effortless football at times. Dempsey remembered how he plays the game, one or two touches then move, in stark contrast to last week where he held onto the ball for an age each time he had possession. It just confused him. He was effective but has yet to build up a partnership with Defoe – they could be good for each other. He popped up for the second, though, reacting quickest to a loose ball after Defoe’s fine run and shot had been cleared off the line. We’ve missed those poacher’s goals these past few years. Now he and JD are in the right place, right time.

Southampton were awful – they left too much space, the ref probably counted how many men they had on the field. Second half, they decided to turn up finally and quickly our possession game broke down. We shrivelled like shrink-wrap exposed to a flame, curling up until we were pressed back to our own box, seldom emerging except for fleeting moments of promise that disappeared as quickly as they came, as we generously presented the ball back to our opponents.

Saints banged over the crosses and pinched a smart goal from a corner, another rebound, this time from Friedel’s save, but he had an unnecessary amount of room. For 20 minutes we could not keep hold of the ball at all. I intended to comment that Dempsey and Defoe disappeared but then realised the same could be said for most of the team at this point.

Livermore epitomised the problem. I like him as a player – quick feet, willing to take responsibility, decent passer with a good engine. Last weekend AVB brought him on to pep up the tempo – win the ball, pass and move. He tried the same this week, replacing the ponderous Huddlestone but it was a complete failure because Jake showed the other side of his character, giving away possession and unnecessary free kicks, one of which began the passage of play that resulted in their goal. I’m disappointed – he simply must put that aspect of his game right.

They had a few more chances but the majority of their efforts were headed away by the excellent Gallas and Caulker. Big Willy is one of those players I would not have picked for yesterday’s game but I’m glad to see him there, and if that doesn’t make sense it’s intentionally contradictory. He was poor last week but he is so shrewd and determined in the box. He misjudged a bouncing ball early on then did not put a foot wrong, winning virtually everything that came his way. He’s also a fine tutor for young Caulker, who grew stronger under pressure.  They won the game for us. Despite the pressure (and my anxiety), Saints made few chances and Friedel few saves in the final quarter and we ran the clock down well enough towards the end.

Hudd was in and out, some good, some not so good but never quite finding his range for his long passing. Lovely moment for the goal, though – if you see it again, watch how he’s looking for bale without looking at the ball yet he knows exactly where it is and delivers an inch-perfect ball. Sandro was strong defensively, culminating in a headed block that knocked him over but not out. He rose immediately, brain scrambled but his mind on one thing, stopping the next attack.

Maribore

/ Alan / 6 Comments

It’s half-time in a Europa League group that’s a marathon not a sprint. Two clichés for the price of one there. Full value from Tottenham On My Mind, as always. I’m sure you’re grateful.

What the hell, let’s take this stuffed doggy toy of an analogy, sink in our jaws, shake it about and rip the innards right out all over the living room floor. Always a pleasure and a privilege to watch the mighty Spurs but be honest, that game felt like a marathon at times. Still, in terms of the group, long distance races tend these days to be a tactical battle with the runners clustered in a group until the closing lap or two. The tension builds as the bell approaches but much of it is a waiting game. If Spurs were Mo Farah (stay with me, it will all be over soon), we’d probably be holding our position in third, saving energy for the finish but keeping Brendan Foster on the edge of apoplexy.”He has been the fastest! He is the fastest! He will be the fastest!” There’s nothing wor Bren likes more than conjugating a verb during commentary.

Remember that the Glory Glory days of memory were in the much missed era of a knock-out competition over two legs. The group tends to prolong the agony rather than the suspense because the latter fades away into boredom long before the end. Win the three home games and that should be enough. We have drawn one, against the best of the other three teams, with two home matches to go. Maybe the suspense is cranking up a notch after all. By then, let’s hope we still care.

Villas Boas seems satisfied thus far. He clearly prefers to hold what we have so rather than pressing for a winner in a game where Maribor and their fans were delighted with a point against the world-famous Spurs, we finished with two defensive midfielders and our fullbacks well inside our own half. The away point will do. We were lethargic for extended periods and even when the uppers in the half-time tea started to work in the second half never made enough chances to be comfortable.

Maribor defended well, almost welcoming the opportunity to funnel back to their own box where they restricted the space and marked tightly. They were more sprightly on the break than we expected therefore we could never settle. Their forwards were disconcertingly able to find room around the edge of our area and after a few scares they scored first, a fine run that left Walker a spectator, Huddlestone bamboozled and Lloris nowhere before scoring. Like many of their chances, it was skillfully made but poorly defended. Giving the ball away in midfield was once again our undoing, Townsend the culprit. He was punished but was by no means the only sinner as we tried to come inside and beat players when there was room on the flanks and passing is for us much more effective.

Falque helped to brighten up our performance with some good work down the left. He set up the goal. Defoe was turning away to celebrate his sweetly struck shot from a rebound but instead saw it strike the back of a cringing defender on the line. It ran to Sigurdsson who mishit it home from a matter of feet. Messy not Messi, and when we had attempted to replicate Iniesta’s wonderful goal against Celtic by delicate passing interchanges inside the box, Maribor easily crowded us out.

Still, we made our good fortune on that occasion by attacking the box and having several players ready and waiting. Far too often we were crossing to a lone striker. When Sandro advanced to support the attack, we looked better but otherwise we badly missed Dembele’s combination of strength and creativity in midfield. Siggy seemed as if he was trying to both set up chances and be on the end of them. He ended up doing neither . Throughout we looked weak up front and seldom picked up the tempo to a pace where we know we play better. Huddlestone offered no drive from the centre. Like him, much of our play was ponderous.

It’s an art to get out of the Europa League group with the minimum of effort.  We are fielding strong teams so there’s little rest for several of our top players. An early win can make everything so much easier – we clearly went for it which is why it was so disappointing to concede to Panathinaikios in a game we dominated. I suspect AVB would like to be thinking about resting players when in fact we have to go hard to qualify. Ironically it should spice things up a bit. The games at the Lane will have something at stake.

AVB, like me, does care about this competition. He’s right in thinking also that it will help the team settle into his pattern of play. Frankly this result won’t figure much in the history of Tottenahm Hotspur and we can’t read too much into it. However, as part of the learning process, Spurs must develop the ability to up the tempo and take the game to inferior opponents, even for a spell or two in each match. We have to keep our heads rather than get on top then take turns to blast aimless longshots, as we did last night.