Spurs v Everton Preview

October 27, 2009 / Alan / 1 Comment

And so to the League Cup, in some ways a chance to put the Stoke defeat behind us but these days the midweek cup bears little resemblance to the issues facing us or any Prem team in the league.

From Everton’s perspective a kick-about in the Goodison car park has a greater priority than this evening’s match. Their injury list is in double figures and they are already fielding weakened teams in Europe, losing 5-0 last week, so we could have a situation where as their team is announced, we can call ‘Whooooo?’ after every name. I hear a couple of the subs are bringing their mums to tie their boot laces.

We’ll make changes too. With Crouch, Lennon, Woodgate, Defoe and King all missing there are opportunities for players who are pressing for a first team slot. It’s tempting to give them a run-out and I’d certainly like to take a look at Naughton for the first time in a Spurs shirt. However, I would not advocate wholesale change for change sake. This is a game we should win but we have to guard against complacency. Personnel rotation can upset our balance unnecessarily. More importantly, the first team is still learning to play with each other and I would prefer that we spend 90 minutes working on at least some combinations that will bear fruit in the Premier League.

I would go for a strong spine that could easily take the field in any league match. Let’s give Gomes more time to work with Dawson and Bassong in the centre. JJ has to start on Saturday so partner him with WP, develop their understanding together about who goes forward and who stays back, and when. Up front, Keane will play with Pav, although it’s shame Pav and Crouch could not have a run-out together. Maybe the Russian will benefit from the freedom of not being the target man, a role he does not enjoy and cannot be effective in, and have a greater license to roam. There’s no reason why he can’t play in this manner with Keane, however, and I’d like to see Harry tell him to play with Keane as Defoe does, i.e. the team are looking to pass and move, through-balls into the gaps and tell Pav not to have his back to the goal all the time. To me, the benefits of all this outweigh the desire to rest people.

Out wide there’s more room for manoeuvre. Bale should be selected at left back – he is so talented, I really want him to succeed here. Hutton or Naughton on the right. Kranjcar needs more game time to get fit, rather than rest. That leaves Bentley. Harry really does not fancy Bentley, for whatever reason, so if he has no place in our plans, to my mind it is pointless playing him, even if Lennon will be out for a while. Give someone else the experience. However, if he can play for his future, if he wants to stay and fight for a place, if the rumours about not giving him another league start for fear of triggering a transfer payment are untrue, then go for it, DB. Only Harry and Bentley know the answers to this one, but should he play and not show any real appetite, then we will make our own minds up about his future.

Spurs v Stoke. Should Have, Could Have, Didn’t.

October 25, 2009 / Alan / 2 Comments

Tottenham Hotspur did not play particularly well against Stoke City, but we played well enough to win. Whilst readily acknowledging our opponents’ sterling defensive qualities and admirable teamwork, we dominated for long periods and should have put this one to bed long before Whelan’s late winner.

A bright start showcased Huddlestone’s long range passing, spreading the ball from side to side, stretching the defence and bringing Assou Ekotto and Lennon into the play. As the half wore on, Hud faded but Kranjcar took his place in the spotlight. In this period he showed for the first time what he can bring to the team, brilliant and intelligent passing, shrewd movement and a constant threat. It wasn’t easy but we found a way round Stoke’s pressing game. Crouch’s header looked certain to go in and Niko struck the post.

Lennon was outstanding and one of the few who maintained a high standard throughout the match, until his injury. His runs were mesmerising: I lost count of in one run not only how many players he beat but also the number of different tricks that he used. Pace, drag-back, feints, he has them all now and at the same time keeps the ball under control. His crossing is much improved, he went both to the byline and cut inside, and with the latter he has a consistently decent shot to back it up. Full credit to the little man for working so hard on his game, and to whichever of our many coaches who has helped him.

Woody came and went, his sole contribution a reminder of his quality, especially as it was just about his first touch back after so long. At the time I thought it was a serious alice band displacement problem, but it soon became clear that he could not continue. I assume it was because of a head injury, a new problem. If he started without being fully fit, then that was poor selection.

In the absence of our centre half, Stoke sensed blood at the resulting corner but Gomes moved decisively off his line to catch assuredly at the far post and move it on. A fleeting but significant moment, Gomes is now prepared to take on that level of responsibility at crucial moments to infuse teammates with confidence. It augers well for the future. Goodness knows he didn’t have much else to do. The stats show that Stoke had two shots on target but I confess I don’t remember the second one.

The first half rather faded away but after the break we upped the tempo and pressed Stoke back for much of this period. JJ’s timely arrival kept up the levels. City cover, press and get back behind the ball but for the most part are not a negative team, looking to get the ball forward quickly and support the front men from midfield. However as the second half wore on their ambitions became severely limited. Even when we had ten men for the last 15 minutes or so they did not come out of their shell until just before the goal. Dawson and Bassong looked solid, untroubled by the set pieces. Unlike previous games, we conceded few unnecessary free kicks or throws in danger areas.

We had sufficient opportunities to secure victory but lacked a cutting edge. Defoe enhanced his reputation still further by sitting in the stands. This match was crying out for his pace and sharpness. One such moment would have tipped the balance in our favour. Crouch was always a potential threat but far from forming a partnership as I had hoped in my preview, Keano became more detached and the game passed him by. Again. His flawed technique was evident at times. On two or three occasions he was in pole position for a long ball but took his eye off it in mid-air to check what options were around. Fine, but it gave the defender that extra fraction to get ahead of him and take it away, or meant that Keane lost sight of the trajectory and lost control when the ball finally arrived at his feet.

Also, Hud and Niko both disappeared from view and their second half performances were woefully inadequate. Big Tom missed a real opportunity here. His passing and crossing could have unlocked the packed defence but he failed to take advantage. He looked keen to come off, knowing he had let us down. Kranjcar meanwhile did not last the pace; effectively we had 9 men on the pitch for the final quarter of an hour. Wilson tackled hard but passed the ball poorly. That left JJ; we didn’t have a lot going on in midfield at that point. Stats also show that we had 22 shots, 12 of which were on target, but we created few proper chances.

Without the passing or guile, our play became narrow. Even the excellent Lennon was funnelled across field, rather than hitting the byline, and we seldom got behind the defence. Benny and Charlie should have got into the game more at this point. As a result, Stoke could pile bodies in the way and reduced us to ineffective long shots or weak one-twos, trying to thread the ball through gaps that weren’t there. Be patient, spread the ball around, keep possession and a high tempo, and the chances will come. Tom?

Even so, I was not expecting Stoke to score. Daws and Bassong were left exposed by a weak tackle from BAE, and that was that. Tuncay’s miss a few minutes before should have given me a hint of the impending disaster, or more to the point, given Harry the message to drop a couple of people back and secure at least a point. However, as I’ve said, despite it all we were on top and Stoke had not gone to attacking mode. I’m glad we kept pushing forward.

On the journey home the mood was glum but I was not overcome with the bitter and twisted feelings that usually accompany an injustice. Some of this was our fault. Not one to tell the grandchildren about. But, hey, I was there when Spurs had three captains in one game. I suspect even that isn’t a first.

Spurs v Stoke City Preview

October 24, 2009October 24, 2009 / Alan / 4 Comments

Although it’s tempting to chart Spurs’ progress against our performance in certain individual games, the season unfolds a series of little sequences of matches that provide a better guide as to how well we are doing. Today’s contest against Stoke City marks the end of a four game run against teams lower down the league, sandwiched in between Chelsea, United and the Arse next week. If we are to achieve a top six finish, this sequence is frankly more significant than those glamour games. A win today makes 10 out 12, unbeaten in four, form that will keep us near the top. Modest though that target may appear, repeat that over the course of the season and we are in clover.

Playing Stoke is a bit like being part of a re-run of Land of the Giants. Even without the suspended Huth, they will use their main weapons of strength and power to the full. West Ham left the Victoria Ground bruised and battered last weekend. By all accounts Stoke deliberately put it about a bit, and our defenders will have a tough time of it at set pieces especially. Whatever your position on the debate in this blog about our resilience, Pulis will identify this as a weakness and tell them to get the elbows out.

However, that’s all part of the game, always has been and I hope always will be. Stoke are much more than a bunch of cloggers and long throws. Supremely fit, they move the ball quickly and in Beattie and Fuller play two up front, whilst Ryan Shawcross is one of the most sought after young defenders in the league. Beattie was much in demand a few years ago. Strong and mobile, he scored and made plenty of goals for Southampton and as a favourite of manager Hoddle was rumoured to be on his way to the Lane as another in our tradition of footballing skilful strikers. Then again, Hoddle was once that much away from signing Michael Ricketts. Beattie’s wasted his abilities since then but is finding form and will be a danger today. Meanwhile, on the BBC football site a slightly bemused Ricardo Fuller says, ‘The gaffer says I need to lose a bit of weight’. He’s not scored in the league this season but runs around a lot. His words not mine.

Although Woodgate is available, I think King and Bassong will continue with Dawson still on the bench for his physical presence, we might see him later in the game if Stoke are coming forward. JJ will get the nod over Big Tom in centre midfield with Lennon and Kranjcar on the flanks. Up front, the pairing of two small mobile strikers could by-pass the big Stoke defen…Oh. See what an idiot you were, JD. This could have been a perfect game for you. Crouch and Keane can do the damage, however, and it will be interesting over the next three matches to see if they can create a partnership. Keane worked so well with Berbatov, maybe this is what he needs, a strike partnership to shake him out of the doldrums.

Last season, the corresponding fixture was won in the first half as Lennon and Modric combined down the left to slaughter their poor young right back. I think his name was Wilkinson – he was subbed at half time but by then we had scored three. Stoke won’t repeat that tactical error today but we must adopt a similar attacking outlook and keep piling forward. As I said last time, scoring is the key to our success at the moment and if we get two or three, we will win.
This blog is providing the Fans Verdict in the Observer tomorrow, so expect a sudden circulation increase. Twice the opportunity to kvetsch about my analysis. Last time they surprised me by asking for scores out of ten for each player. It’s hard enough anyway placing that sort of value on a performance (‘can I have 6.2546 for Keane?’) but I had to sort that out whilst negotiating the Tottenham one way system and a bagel, so the Guardian Chalkboard it was not.

My marking was based more on loyalty to the players than anything else. It’s one thing offering some (hopefully) constructive criticism to other Spurs fans on this blog but as soon as an outsider asks, I become protective. At the time, Gomes was back in the team after becoming a bit of a joke for pundits for several howlers. He had not played that well but my instant reaction, as obviously the first player to be marked, was to give him a seven. No way is anyone going have a go at the Gome. He’s my Big Gome. This skewed everything, because in comparison on the day Led had achieved probably a 12 but overall the performance was not that good, so in reality no one deserved more than an 8. What I’m saying is – it was rubbish, and I dribbled egg mayo down my shirt. This time I will be prepared. Smoked salmon.

Spurs: We Will Score One More Than You

October 22, 2009 / Alan / 2 Comments

Sitting pretty in third without playing consistently well, the accepted view is that Spurs have developed the precious asset of being able to play below our ability and win, or at least not lose. Our last two games perfectly illustrate this. The emotional cocktail at the final whistle was a double shot of pleasure mixed with a dash of relief. Four points, yet we could have easily come away with none. Make that – last season, we would definitely have come away with none.

Play badly and win. Win ugly. Hard to beat. These are the off the shelf clichés that the lazy TV pundits habitually trot out to fill time but my question is, how do we know? Have Tottenham changed their ways or, dare I say it, have we been lucky? How can we tell?

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m enjoying this as much as any of you. We’re doing just fine, thank you. I’ve been banging on about our defensive frailties in, I hope, a constructive manner, and because I care. I want us to do better but right now we’re making good progress. I said top six at the start of the season, not top four and I’m certainly not a whinging Spur.

Maybe it’s me. Just sit back and enjoy it. But I have an inquisitive, questioning nature. I don’t necessarily accept things, things that matter I mean, at face value. And this everlasting passion matters more to me than anything except my family. So I dig a little deeper. I’m only reflecting on my own perceptions here because I’ve agreed with the received wisdom. Although people often brand me a cynic, I prefer to believe that I know what is truly meaningful. Passion is no ordinary word.

Let’s examine the evidence. In the last two games we have withstood sustained late pressure. Last season we surely would have caved in, the best example being the Blackburn game when, protecting a one-nil lead, Palacios was sent off, albeit harshly and we conceded twice. On Saturday we held out for 30 minutes with ten men. We also resisted well against Liverpool at the start of the season. Against Birmingham we picked ourselves up for Lennon to score the winner at the death in a match where arguably Birmingham deserved a point.

Or – against Birmingham we failed to convert our superiority into goals, let them back into the game, conceded a stupid goal through weak defending and won only because Carr fell over. Bolton had us on the ropes and we couldn’t cope with crosses. Pompey? Couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo, and that’s being harsh on banjos. Lucky lucky Tottenham.

Same events but different interpretations, many of which have been aired in the comments on this blog. There’s truth in both. One thing that strikes me is that we don’t look like other teams that ‘win ugly’. Off the top of my head, the old Liverpool team of the 80s or, dare I say it, the Arse in the ‘one-nil’ days, differed in the crucial aspect of limiting the chances that the opponents had to score. Playing them, it felt like you could hardly get near their goal, let alone score. Both these teams had great players but they were supremely well organised, set up to protect the goal at all costs.

Whatever you say about our Spurs, that description doesn’t fit. We defend better than we used to but we simply cannot shut up shop once we are ahead. Our asset is that we look more likely to score, therefore we are in a position where we have a lead to defend more often – we’ve scored in every game this season bar one. Also, we can add to that lead, scoring twice or more in all but two matches. Moreover we counter attack superbly at times, not only able therefore to score again but also teams cannot throw all of their resources into attack for fear of the gaps being exploited. We defended poorly at times against Pompey and Bolton but in both games we missed chances to score even more.

So the new model Spurs is different from the old, and that is a welcome and permanent development. It’s based less on improved defending, although as I say we are better, and more on goalscoring prowess. We make so many more chances than I can recall for years now, and we do so consistently. We lack the bloody-minded resilience of other teams that are typically called ‘hard to beat’ and ‘win ugly’, well, this team may be many things but ugly is not one of them.

I’m happy with where we are and my expectations are grounded, but here’s a thought to finish with. If we could develop that mental and physical resilience, how good might we be? Exciting, isn’t it.