Eriksen MOM - easy as pie that one. Strong cameos from both Ade and Kane. They hassled and harried the Sunderland defence with great aplomb and pulled their 3 CB's every which way, which allowed Eriksen the space he craves. Unfortunetly Spurs this season have been a 2 or 3 man team in parts at best with 8 or 9 passengers. We saw more of that against Sunderland where a chance to shine was foregone by players to seem more comfortable just doing the minimum.
I compared our performance to that of Everton on the weekend who were full of aggression, running and sheer will to win. Chalk and cheese. We always look as we cant be arsed until we go behind and are getting embarrased or wake up at half time as we usually do and realise that we are in a football game.
As usual the tactics and game plan seemed to be missing for the first 25 minutes. At least we had players playing in their ususal spots and we didnt try any of the creative kami kazi team positioning like the set up Tim and his fellow musketeers turned out against Liverpool.
What is it with Tim's sides? Does he confuse them with tactics so they blunder around for 45 minutes and decide at half time that they are going to throw away his tactics and just pass to each other like they should? Its an intruiging conundrum innit?
Frustrating really because when the lads decide to string a few passes together they dont look half bad!
Lloris should have just hoofed it for their goal, so partly culpable, but Vlad should have thrown it to him in the first place.
Naughton was unremarkable, which I'll take, but I do want Walker back badlly. At least, unlike the other fullback on the night, this guy tries.
Kaboul sliced one attempted clearance badly early on but otherwise looked his commanding self, not giving their strikers a moment to react to any passes forward and bringing the ball out well.
Chiriches, early fuck up aside (not just playing in Cattermole for an open goal, but throwing it to an unprepared goalkeeper in the first place), he played well, brought the ball out nicely, should good pace to mop up when needed and one his challenges.
Rose can't cross, gets caught out of position, gives the ball away constantly and is outpaced by even the slow Adam Johnson. I can live with that, he's poor, it's not his fault he's playing at a level that's way above him. What I can't live with is giving the ball away when an easy pass is on to Eriksen down the flank, overcommiting to the challenge to try and redeem himself and thus being beaten by the guy he gave the ball to, and then not busting a gut to get back and try to win the ball back. The amount of times last night Eriksen was at left back because this guy is a either lazy, unfit or both is disgusting. Worst attitude I have ever seen of any player, he's like the love child of Taarabt and Dalmat and with none of the ablity. I don't want him here next season, I want him out even more than I want Messi in.
Lennon was pretty involved by his standards, showed good pace to either beat a man to get into crossing positions or get on the end of passes, and worked hard off the ball, but he was infuriating. I've been perhaps his biggest apologist over the years but enough is enough. He's nearly 27 and he still makes the same mistakes. Why he feels the need to keep taking that extra touch when he's already beaten a man, either allowing his marker to get near him again or allowing his intended target (Kane on one memorable occasion) to end up closed down I know not! Just not good enough little man, breaks my heart though it does to say it.
Paulinho served his usual Jenasesque display of lack of involvement, shirking of responsibility and failure to provide anything positive in either direction. It's like playing with a one man midfield when he's in there, and how he was ahead of Sandro, who even off form does so much more than him, I cannot fathom.
Chadli looked far more comfortable than I expected as a central midfielder in a 2, and I'd be intrigued to see him with an actual partner in midfield. His range of passing was good, playing nice long and short balls (aside from a couple of inexplicably overhit passes), and he worked hard off the ball and closed down while on the ball never looked like being dispossed. Next to a Sandro it could be interesting, because he brings the ball retention of Dembele but, even if without his countryman's flair, there is a lot more purpose.
Eriksen played very well, two lovely assists, an outswinging cross with one foot and an inswinger with the other, and a well hit shot to score (albeit with a slight deflection). He looked as confident as I've seen him, knitted play very well and was constantly involved. Very happy, man of the match.
Kane improved as the game went on, showed strength and skill on a few occasions and worked very hard. He could have scored a hatful with the chances he had, but I'm delighted he at least got one. Not sure if he'll ever be top class, but he has a lot of good about him and has a lot of time on his side to improve. He needs to be more instinctive in the box as he doesn't react the way a striker should, but his game outside the box at least is very promising.
Adebayor scored twice and was leader for the night, driving us up the pitch from far deeper than I'd ideally ever like him to be and showing a lot of skill and awareness throughout.
Sigurdsson came on, did little, but scored. It's not the worst habit.
Townsend managed to be very Townsendesque in not much time.
Veljkovic didn't have much time to impress but seemed comfortable the couple of times the ball found him.
I know Lennon didn't come through our academy. I didn't say he did, I just can't believe we can't produce a kid with more to offer than "0". I was being facetious, I am sure we have.
On a good day Rose and Walker are very comparable. On a bad day Rose plunges a level or two below Walker.
if I had to keep one out of Benny Rose and Naughton it would be Rose
I'm 65 minutes in and rose has been excellent.
I'm surprised at how many people are simply making the throw-away comment that chadli looked good in a midfield two. He wasn't just in a two, he was playing the holding midfield player in a diamond. It was the role Jol used to have Carrick and then Huddlestone play. Whether it's a good move or not, playing Chadli there is surely worth a lot more comment than there's been in this thread?
Interestingly, Schweinsteiger was a winger until LVG took over Bayern and he turned him into a CM. If LVG takes over us, it wouldn't surprise me if he did the same.
Has anyone mentioned the massive improvement in the way we passed the ball last night. No? Too busy putting the boot in perhaps…..Absolutely loads of give and go's, pass and move, pass and move, little one two's, angles and therefore opportunities created. It was actually decent to watch if you can get past people making mistakes and not putting in a 100% mistake free performance.
A&C: Taking the anal out of analysis.
75' and Rose makes his first real error, in what has otherwise been an accomplished performance, with Eriksen running free in acres of space he manages to find the lone Sunderland defender instead.
Has anyone mentioned the massive improvement in the way we passed the ball last night. No? Too busy putting the boot in perhaps…..Absolutely loads of give and go's, pass and move, pass and move, little one two's, angles and therefore opportunities created. It was actually decent to watch if you can get past people making mistakes and not putting in a 100% mistake free performance.
A&C: Taking the anal out of analysis.
What about when in great crossing position(s) and he balloon's it to no-one, does that not count as an error ?
Rose has some good moments but is generally complete bojangles.
So what was the attempt of a cross in the first half, if that was not an error?75' and Rose makes his first real error, in what has otherwise been an accomplished performance, with Eriksen running free in acres of space he manages to find the lone Sunderland defender instead.