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Spursbabe63

Active Member
May 11, 2005
791
214
I thought at times we played well....their keeper was worked more than ours, which actually tells you that we had quite a few chances!

The thing that frustrates me more than anything is...we all know Bale is more effective on the left, so why doesn't he bloody stay there? ...Since that hat-trick against Milan, he thinks he's Messi!!!
 

Damian99

Well-Known Member
Mar 17, 2005
7,687
4,771
What was the difference between this performance and say Sunderland away? We created more today than we did then...

We weren't great today by any stretch but we were better back in this system...having no Ade or Saha fucked us today.

I thought you said we wouldn't need those two to beat QPR. Seeing how only one of their players could probably get in our starting 11 and that our midfield pisses all over theirs.
 

felmani26

SC Supporter
Jan 1, 2008
24,362
43,015
The Path of Most Resistance

We have been discussing the way Swansea play a lot over in the Tactical Autopsy thread, one of the criticisms some have of Swansea is that they play too much football in their own half. "They invite you onto them" etc are frequently held up as criticisms of the total passing game.

But days like today, Sunderland, Stoke h, Wolves h, show the logic behind this ethos. How many times over the last few seasons have we watched almost identical games to this. They park, we go methodically forwards like robots.

It's not that we played badly, we didn't, it's not that we didn't put in effort, we did, it's that when you have an ethos that relies heavily on the individual, when those individuals don't pull off the exceptional moment, and you could really do with some tactical assistance from the coach we are a little short.

Minor grumble for me would be in the 3 why not stick Sandro central and have Parker right, Modric left. Seemed to me we had Parker central and Sandro right and Modric left. Or play 4231 and push Modric up in the attacking areas as a RM.

We were quite good first half and were hit by a sucker punch. Why panic - the same tactics failed miserably against Norwich and Chelsea. Lennon came on and decided he wanted to be VDV. Except he's not. And all that happened was again, a congested area just got more congested. Lennon managed to add fuck all to the melange. Except another body.

Games like this our full backs must contribute more. For the (how many games have we played this season) umpteenth time he delivered not a single quality ball or moment when he did get forward. He bombs forward and gets in good positions then his ideas and ability hit the rev limiter. Defensively he was ok but in a game where we have all the ball and territory that's less impressive. When we haven't he's been bad and we have been slabbed and he's been a major culprit.

Ekotto contributed even less today and defensively was back to his usual casual persona. He ambles towards players who are about to cross, perhaps he feels it would somehow fuck with his ch'i if he were to show tenacious intent ? Who fucking knows. Rose isn't an upgrade but Ekotto was pissing me off so I was non plussed at worst by the sub.

I've skimmed round the forum and there's the usual mass of lemmings chucking themselves off the cliff and then there's the angry "Modric should be dropped" bollocks (with the best suggestion as far as I can see that Livermore is in fact the new messiah), "the players look disinterested" or "Redknapp's a disgrace".

This isn't a case of players being stale or under rotated as far as I can see. The truth is we put in some performances worse than this earlier in the season; were they stale then ? We were gash at places like Blackburn, Fulham, West Brom, Liverpool ?

It is hard to rotate exceptional players for most teams, so much harder to rotate exceptional players when your ethos is biased toward the individual not the team ethos.

We have talented individuals, and our manager has contributed more than just picking the team on many occasions this season, but too often he hasn't or worse his tactical input has been detrimental. This game didn't need Lennon playing through the middle or on the left. We have Parker, Modric, VDV, Bale and (in name at least) Defoe all occupying the central ground. What we needed was to be patient, try to suck QPR out and then hit them with better movement. And if that didn't work we put Lennon on to run at tired legs down the right maybe.

Everyone will be pointing the usual accusing fingers, but just a little tactical craft might just have paid a dividend today, and on quite a few of the days in the last four months. And l must add, that for a club like us finding a tactical genius superior to Redknapp is no easy thing, if you look around the EPL I can't think of a single one who'd come here who be more tactically ingenious.

Which is why when he goes to England I hope we go after Rodgers, because at least if the individuals miss fire you have as a plan B what Arsenal have had for the last 15 years.

Ratings:

Friedel 4 - Is he Robinson's grandad ? The goal was lardy (not for the first time this season). but there was another moment when one of our defenders sliced a clearance high up in the six yard box, the ball stayed up there for about an hour, Friedel just stood there rooted, quivering like the fucking coward he is. Hasn't anyone else noticed how uneasy we look now whenever teams attack. I thought Friedel was supped to inspire confidence ?

Walker 6.5 - Run Forest, run.

Gallas 6 - ok

King 6 - it's horrible watching his decline.

Ekotto 4 - nonchalant fucker.

Sandro 6 - OK

Parker 7- Good-ish.

Modric 6.5 - Tried hard but once we brought Lennon on his job got harder and the area he was trying to operate in got more congested. He seems to take 15-20 minutes to settle away from home as well, and there is usually uncharacteristic ball wastage in this settling in period. I've noticed this often.

VDV 7 - Tried hard but second half had the same problem. Our managers decongested brain made for a congested pitch.

Bale 6.5 - He did try hard to get on the ball, but when everything is congested in front of you and faced with a double wall of opponent it's not always going to happen. He didn't do anything brilliant and he didn't do anything terrible either.

Defoe 4 - Seems harsh on Ekotto to give Defoe the same mark. When not scoring he is moribund.

Lennon 5 - Another brick in the Wall.


Redknapp's 6 - team selection was good - he had no choice but to play Defoe I guess. His first half tactics were OK. The half time sub was pointless and hurt more than it hindered.

The point about an ethos based on individual brilliance over a team collective is absolutely spot on and it's a point that is so fundamental in our decline yet it is rarely picked up on.

Unfortunatey we are in the midst of the long painful goodbye with Harry and we just have to hope we manage to cross the line in fourth for us to then make the necessary changes this football needs to progress in the short, middle and long term.
 

stemark44

Well-Known Member
Mar 17, 2005
6,598
1,829
That was funny when Bale went into the crowd, fair play to him for doing that actually.

I'm still not convinced though, perhaps the nervousness over powers the will to win but for me there isn't wasn't enough determination in the final third, and we lacked movement badly in those areas.

For me, whoever had the ball, we got to a certain area of the pitch and then checked and passed back - a real sign that the movement ahead of the ball carrier isn't good enough.

Collectively there wasn't that mentality to win at all costs - just my opinion though.

Bale was crazy to go into that crowd because they really spouted some amount of venom towards our players......fair play to him.

You mention the final third but we only had Defoe,he was the only available striker we had and this formation and type of game isn't for him.

I thought we tried hard to get back into the game but bringing Lennon on for Sandro was unnecessary and we needed to be a bit more patient.
 

steve

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2003
3,503
1,767
I thought you said we wouldn't need those two to beat QPR. Seeing how only one of their players could probably get in our starting 11 and that our midfield pisses all over theirs.

Nope I said it was the best team he could play. I wasn't happy without Ade or Saha, not at all, but I didn't think we'd lose and I don't think we deserved to either. Our midfield did piss all over theirs. One awfully defended goal aside from a free kick that wasn't, they created jack shit.

Who would you have taken from QPR today apart from Zamora before the match?
 

Mr Pink

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2010
54,775
99,336
Nope I said it was the best team he could play. I wasn't happy without Ade or Saha, not at all, but I didn't think we'd lose and I don't think we deserved to either. Our midfield did piss all over theirs. One awfully defended goal aside from a free kick that wasn't, they created jack shit.

Who would you have taken from QPR today apart from Zamora before the match?

So did we though, in fact given our superiority we created very little clear cut opportunities.

A draw probably would of been a fair result.
 

steve

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2003
3,503
1,767
So did we though, in fact given our superiority we created very little clear cut opportunities.

A draw probably would of been a fair result.

Bale, Defoe and VDV had 3 excellent chances. I think VDV should've scored. QPR created NOTHING.
 

Damian99

Well-Known Member
Mar 17, 2005
7,687
4,771
So did we though, in fact give our superiority we created very little clear cut opportunities.

Yes anybody who thinks that was a reasonable performance needs to set their standards a little higher. We created some half chances at best, of which those were snatched at. Their keeper made pretty comfortable saves off Bale first half and VDV second, his other chance he snatched at and hit it wide. For all our possession we did not open them up in 90 minutes of footall, this is a fucking team who we should be really be able to at the very least score against. I thought we were clueless, wasteful of possession in decent areas and NOT once did any fucker attack any of VDVs set pieces. Some, infact most were good deliveries.
 

steve

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2003
3,503
1,767
Porky pies.

My post quoted below

" Fuck me but you lot are a whining bunch of pussies..." oh ooh hoo boo hoo we have no Ade or bench ooh hoo boo hoo....."

Man up will ya for fucks sake, positively our midfield PISSES all over theirs and at least Harry has given us a platform by playing the right team for once...Outside of Zamora not ONE QPR player would get anywhere near our first 11 today....

Spurs to win 2 - 1 "

So wind your neck in and check your facts before you call me a liar sfb...
 

steve

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2003
3,503
1,767
And you didn't answer the question...who would you've taken before the game from QPR?
 

Damian99

Well-Known Member
Mar 17, 2005
7,687
4,771
My post quoted below

" Fuck me but you lot are a whining bunch of pussies..." oh ooh hoo boo hoo we have no Ade or bench ooh hoo boo hoo....."

Man up will ya for fucks sake, positively our midfield PISSES all over theirs and at least Harry has given us a platform by playing the right team for once...Outside of Zamora not ONE QPR player would get anywhere near our first 11 today....

Spurs to win 2 - 1 "

So wind your neck in and check your facts before you call me a liar sfb...

Thats basically what i said you said. The first sentence is suggesting we don't need Ade and the rest of it is what i said you said, you tit.

You can disagree with that comment if you like aswell.
 

steve

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2003
3,503
1,767
Thats basically what i said you said. The first sentence is suggesting we don't need Ade and the rest of it is what i said you said, you tit.

You're full of shit. Now you're infering what I said, and calling me a liar over it. Wind your neck in sfb I didn't call you out, if you're gonna call me out get your facts straight. People were whining i called them to task. NOWHERE did I say (or have EVER said) that I want Defoe playing over Adebayor.
 

Mr Pink

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2010
54,775
99,336
Bale, Defoe and VDV had 3 excellent chances. I think VDV should've scored. QPR created NOTHING.

I'm sorry Steve, did we have one excellent chance?

Bale's header was the best of it, and VDV's shot was a decent effort rammed down the keepers throat....but no way where any of them gilt edged.
 

steve

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2003
3,503
1,767
Haha ok Damo you keep disagreeing pal. You obviously can't answer the question.
 

steve

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2003
3,503
1,767
I'm sorry Steve, did we have one excellent chance?

Bale's header was the best of it, and VDV's shot was a decent effort rammed down the keepers throat....but no way where any of them gilt edged.

I thought VDV's 2nd half was a cracking chance that he snatched at, which was the one I meant - don't blame Bale he got a good head on it (so to speak)
 

Damian99

Well-Known Member
Mar 17, 2005
7,687
4,771
You're full of shit. Now you're infering what I said, and calling me a liar over it. Wind your neck in sfb I didn't call you out, if you're gonna call me out get your facts straight. People were whining i called them to task. NOWHERE did I say (or have EVER said) that I want Defoe playing over Adebayor.

Are you pissed? I haven't said you wanted Defoe to play over Ade.

You made a monkey of yourself posting what you did. You called everyone PUSSIES for giving an opinion, of which THEY WERE ALL PROVED RIGHT ABOUT and left you looking a little bit silly.

Our midfield pisses all over almost every teams in the premiership, so what??
 

Mr Pink

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2010
54,775
99,336
I thought VDV's 2nd half was a cracking chance that he snatched at, which was the one I meant - don't blame Bale he got a good head on it (so to speak)

Yeah VDV'S was a good chance to be fair, but we never looked like opening them up, getting in behind or stretching them.
 
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