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.

Pompey v Spurs. Wouldn’t Have Happened Last Season

October 18, 2009October 18, 2009 / Alan / 19 Comments

Three points, some nice attacking football, a good game to watch and third in the table. Put it like that, not a bad Saturday afternoon, but in truth, we got away with it. Emotions at the finish were a mixture of pleasure and relief. Saved by a couple of comedy misses.

Like the Bolton game, our midfield did not shield the back four sufficiently and as a result it was too simple too often for Portsmouth to pierce the heart of our defence. The back four were stretched too easily in both matches. We have to sort this out if we are to remain so high in the league and it could have been different if Pompey had decided in the window to purchase strikers who could actually score from three yards. However, once ahead we looked composed and comfortable for extended periods, despite the efforts of hard working opponents, and we always look capable of creating chances. Down to ten men, we showed the organisation and resilience that will serve us well in the future. Wilson’s value, even off form as he is, was demonstrated in his positional play. Hud and JJ tend to drift back and then find a position, whereas when we lose the ball, Wilson assesses the situation quickly and dashes back straight into a gap.

Defoe was utterly stupid to get himself sent off. Doesn’t he realise Spurs will now lose our place in the top three of the Fair Play League? Where is his sense of responsibility? The Fair Play League is ridiculous – in the categories ‘Respect Towards Referee’ and ‘Behaviour of Officials’ Manchester United are among the highest points scorers – but JD gave Portsmouth the initiative at a crucial point in the match and it also sent a message ringing loud and clear around the Premier League that he can be wound up. He’s banned for three games and we need him. Watching as I was on a stream, he didn’t appear to be getting overwhelming stick from players or the crowd (I’d be interested to hear from people who were there), apart from Brown who was nipping at ankles and offering opponents the benefit of his footballing wisdom throughout, just like he did for us, bless him. Even if he were, surely he doesn’t care that much about Portsmouth. It can’t be any worse that what he hears at West Ham. However, playing on his mind was the court appearance of the person accused of killing his brother. Maybe his resolve was weakened.

Corluka and Lennon worked well together for the most part. Defensive protection on the flanks is about combination play, with the wide midfielder dropping back to cover his full back. Any opponent has to therefore get round the midfielder and then still has to face the defender. Lennon will never be a formidable defensive force but his increasing willingness to filter back helps out enormously, whilst his developing stamina ensures he can still be a counter attacking force deep into the game to relieve pressure on a weary defence, just as he did yesterday. Coming forward, Corluka constantly slipped him in, mostly with little sliders inside the desperate full back Ben Haim.

Harry saw that weakness and made certain it was exploited throughout the game. I suspect he felt the whole back four were cumbersome, hence his decision to partner Defoe with Keane as against Burnley, which surprised at kick off but yielded five goals. However, the game passed Keano by for the most part and Crouch was the right man to have on the pitch after the sending off.

Gomes was fantastic; the saves from the deflected free kick and the volley in the second half were outstanding. Also, he was solid enough on the crosses, with his punches gaining decent distance. Performances like these for a player where confidence is clearly an issue can be a turning point. He’s ready to become one of the top keepers in the League. In fact, we defended set pieces well for the most part, so another plus point there.

Another fine game from King. For someone who is so injured, his leap for the goal was remarkable and although he never appears to be sprinting, he is seldom outpaced. It is one of the great injustices of the contemporary game that King is not lauded as one of the finest centre halves of the modern era. Not only is he one of the best I have ever seen at Spurs, right up there alongside England and Gough, by now he should have had 60 or 70 England caps. All this fuss about Rio, Rio should be a reserve if Ledley were not injured. In this world of hyperbole and bombast, Ledley doesn’t fit in, hence the lack of media attention.Thank goodness – he just gets on with his job quietly, with dedication, a one club man so no transfer scandals, unassuming, determined, brilliant. A master – I love the man.

Nice of Harry to take that call for Kevin Bond. Judging by Bond’s expression, it was his wife ringing to say that the builder hadn’t arrived and could he stop at the garage for a pint of milk on the way home. See, they are just like the rest of us really….

There were mixed views about Bolton, as in the comments on my piece. A point won or more evidence of our lack of strength and inability to protect the defence? Four points from these two away games when in recent years we would have come away with none, so I’m not complaining too much. Yesterday our determination in defence when a man short showed resilience and for extended passages we held possession, another big problem for us in the past. Probably both perceptions have merit. We have made huge strides under Harry, and really, lest this blog gives the wrong impression, I’m delighted. Progress is tangible and creativity, leading to chances, is not a problem any longer. In other senses we remain a work in progress, with the defensive midfield standing between us and the Great Leap Forward.