A theory as to why Pochettino was hired...

[michaelden]

Problem is... he's in Barcelona (apparently), I'm in Essex... and skint

I think a a cycle up to Bulls Cross and a hand written note along with this presented to a Spurs person, it might just make his desk. You can but try mate, don't fail because you never tried

 

[Flashspur]

Would have been nice to have added a link and some credit to my original post that you took the stats and some of the ideas from, rather than just a tiny bit in brackets at the bottom. Well here it is:

http://anythingbutpenalties.com/2014/05/24/mauricio-pochettino-through-statistics/

....can see the inspiration for the OP. Good read!

 

[NEVILLEB]

You think Soldado will start over Adebayor?

Why?

 

[LukeBB]

You think Soldado will start over Adebayor?

Why?

Because out of the two I see Ade being sold this year and considering Poch can also speak Spanish I reckon he'll fancy Soldado considering he'll more likely suit his system because he'll stick to the width of the box whereas Ade tends to drift wide and sometimes go missing from games.

This system will also likely allow Soladado to produce better numbers due to the high tempo style which he was more suited to at Valencia.

 

[fatpiranha]

Excellent OP .

If Poch does indeed play that system I can see some players being very happy with it (Lloris, Walker, Sandro) and others not so much (Dawson, Paulinho, Adebayor). I agree with @LukeBB that Ade will be on his way out and I think a replacement like Bony would be much more suitable than one like Lukaku. I also think Konoplyanka would be ideal for this system.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Because out of the two I see Ade being sold this year and considering Poch can also speak Spanish I reckon he'll fancy Soldado considering he'll more likely suit his system because he'll stick to the width of the box whereas Ade tends to drift wide and sometimes go missing from games.

This system will also likely allow Soladado to produce better numbers due to the high tempo style which he was more suited to at Valencia.

You could be right but based on last season then Adebayor is the better Premier League lone striker.

He's played at Arsenal, City and Real Madrid. Underrating his contribution was a lesson i'd hoped we learnt last season.

Soldado has it ALL to prove.

Let's hope he does.

 

[michaelden]

Excellent OP .

If Poch does indeed play that system I can see some players being very happy with it (Lloris, Walker, Sandro) and others not so much (Dawson, Paulinho, Adebayor). I agree with @LukeBB that Ade will be on his way out and I think a replacement like Bony would be much more suitable than one like Lukaku. I also think Konoplyanka would be ideal for this system.

I'm not sold on him.

 

[luka loopy]

Excellent OP.

Does anyone think that Adebayor could play wide in the three behind the striker? In the no 11 position shown on OP, diagrams, in the vaunted 'Rodriguez role'. That way we still have a no 9 leading the line, but Ade can play as a wide target man when we go more direct, he has the pace to make runs in behind and his movement is second to none.

I don't think his work rate is in question, The end of last season proved that he will give his all providing he buys into the managers philosophy and set-up.

 

[Arthur Hucksake]

He was hired because he was a cheap option, Levy felt he could control him and nobody else wanted the job. Trolololol

 

[mpickard2087]

Because out of the two I see Ade being sold this year and considering Poch can also speak Spanish I reckon he'll fancy Soldado considering he'll more likely suit his system because he'll stick to the width of the box whereas Ade tends to drift wide and sometimes go missing from games.

This system will also likely allow Soladado to produce better numbers due to the high tempo style which he was more suited to at Valencia.

Ask the Spanish speakers Ramirez and Osvaldo (the latter admittedly contributing to his own demise with off-field antics) if that guaranteed them a place in the team at Southampton...

From what I have seen of Pochettino, if you don't do what he wants and offer enough for the role then he wont pick you. Soldado is going to have to show he can consistently offer a presence up front and be a focal point in my opinion, as Poch at Southampton liked someone acting as a target up front. I think Adebayor and Kane are ahead of him in the pecking order if there isn't a change of approach.

 

[Nocando]

@LukeBB Sorry of you've covered this already but I haven't had time to read it fully and haven't read the replies either. But for me the biggest area of concern is how does MP deal with the tactic that many of the lower teams employ by soaking up pressure and nicking a goal on the counter (and then defend that goal lead). How will MP ensure we can break down teams who are camped within their first third of the pitch? MP's high pressure / line will play into the hands of these teams.

Teams like Manchester City and Arsenal are experts at breaking these types of teams / tactics down and usually achieve this through incisive skill and quick dangerous passing (Silva for city along with most of Arsenal players because thats how theyre coached).

Eriksen isn't really that sort of player (yet) and we don't have anyone else of that playing style to achieve this. Players like VDV and Modric were great at this but I'm not sure if we've been linked with anyone of that ilk, let alone have a chance of signing them.

How did MP achieve this at Southampton? Did he achive this? Will teams play a different style against us than what they did against Southampton (yes is the answer). To answer my own question I don't think MP has had to deal with this issue overly so far and this is something he will have to overcome, otherwise we will drop some vital points.

 

[Arthur Hucksake]

@LukeBB Sorry of you've covered this already but I haven't had time to read it fully and haven't read the replies either. But for me the biggest area of concern is how does MP deal with the tactic that many of the lower teams employ by soaking up pressure and nicking a goal on the counter (and then defend that goal lead). How will MP ensure we can break down teams who are camped within their first third of the pitch? MP's high pressure / line will play into the hands of these teams.

Teams like Manchester City and Arsenal are experts at breaking these types of teams / tactics down and usually achieve this through incisive skill and quick dangerous passing (Silva for city along with most of Arsenal players because thats how theyre coached).

Eriksen isn't really that sort of player (yet) and we don't have anyone else of that playing style to achieve this. Players like VDV and Modric were great at this but I'm not sure if we've been linked with anyone of that ilk, let alone have a chance of signing them.

How did MP achieve this at Southampton? Did he achive this? Will teams play a different style against us than what they did against Southampton (yes is the answer). To answer my own question I don't think MP has had to deal with this issue overly so far and this is something he will have to overcome, otherwise we will drop some vital points.

The way around this is pretty much what Liverpool picked up on. You have to score early as possible. That will pressure the opposition to come at you, and then you counter them.

We don't have the craft yet, so have to rely on timing. Knowing when to attack is the kicker. Otherwise you just end up with back and forth across the middle of the pitch and back four... ala AVB footy.

 

[Sir Henry]

Best theory I can think of is that he impressed in his interviews.
Could be wrong though.

 

[fatpiranha]

I'm not sold on him.

I mentioned him because we've been heavily linked and if Poch plays with inverted wingers there aren't many better in our price range. He's improved a lot over the last couple of seasons and at 24 years old I can see him developing still further. Averaged a goal every 3 games last season (a goal every 2 games in Europe). Has a £16M buy out clause.

I know anyone can look good in a YouTube vid but there's some nice stuff on this one.

 

[SpurSince57]

Because out of the two I see Ade being sold this year and considering Poch can also speak Spanish I reckon he'll fancy Soldado considering he'll more likely suit his system because he'll stick to the width of the box whereas Ade tends to drift wide and sometimes go missing from games.

This system will also likely allow Soladado to produce better numbers due to the high tempo style which he was more suited to at Valencia.

What does this actually mean?

 

[LukeBB]

What does this actually mean?

This style of looking to catch the opponents out whilst supplying many crosses into the box will allow Soldado to enjoy more touches and actions in the box, whereas under AVB he had to come deep in search of the ball. Hopefully the service Soldado will be getting this time around will suit his one touch finishes and movement in the box, half the time under AVB he was trying to dribble into the box and shoot from range which is clearly not his game, if you watch some of his highlights from Valencia, he was always the one on the end of counter attacks and crosses.

 

[Norwegian Spurs fan]

This style of looking to catch the opponents out whilst supplying many crosses into the box will allow Soldado to enjoy more touches and actions in the box, whereas under AVB he had to come deep in search of the ball. Hopefully the service Soldado will be getting this time around will suit his one touch finishes and movement in the box, half the time under AVB he was trying to dribble into the box and shoot from range which is clearly not his game, if you watch some of his highlights from Valencia, he was always the one on the end of counter attacks and crosses.

Agree with you on this! Soldado is a typical "fox in the box" player and I would also keep Soldado ahead of Ade of many other reasons too! I simply don't trust Ade after all his prima donna acts during his rather short spell with us. There are reasons why Arsenal and City got rid of him in the first place.

 

[SpurSince57]

Agree with you on this! Soldado is a typical "fox in the box" player and I would also keep Soldado ahead of Ade of many other reasons too! I simply don't trust Ade after all his prima donna acts during his rather short spell with us. There are reasons why Arsenal and City got rid of him in the first place.

And these would be?

 

[SpurSince57]

This style of looking to catch the opponents out whilst supplying many crosses into the box will allow Soldado to enjoy more touches and actions in the box, whereas under AVB he had to come deep in search of the ball. Hopefully the service Soldado will be getting this time around will suit his one touch finishes and movement in the box, half the time under AVB he was trying to dribble into the box and shoot from range which is clearly not his game, if you watch some of his highlights from Valencia, he was always the one on the end of counter attacks and crosses.

As originally posted by Sp3eakerboxxx in the 'Soldado Starved' thread:

http://www.statsbomb.com/2014/03/the-spanish-inquisition-roberto-soldado/

Read and digest.

Soldado had 46 attempts from open play last season, of which barely a quarter were on target. That's 23 shots per goal.

Adebayor had 33 shots, 23 on target, for 11 goals. That was the best return in the league. Not even Aguero came close.

Oh, and here's another, much shorter theory as to why Pochettino wasn't hired. Van Gaal was no longer available.

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

As originally posted by Sp3eakerboxxx in the 'Soldado Starved' thread:

http://www.statsbomb.com/2014/03/the-spanish-inquisition-roberto-soldado/

Read and digest.

Soldado had 46 attempts from open play last season, of which barely a quarter were on target. That's 23 shots per goal.

Adebayor had 33 shots, 23 on target, for 11 goals. That was the best return in the league. Not even Aguero came close.

Oh, and here's another, much shorter theory as to why Pochettino wasn't hired. Van Gaal was no longer available.

Don't you think the difference in stats has a lot to do with the team pattern of play in which each played their games ? Soldado played in AVB's mega defensive, slow build up which meant he was snatching at half chances most of the time. Adebayor played under Sherwood's gung-ho style of almost all out attack.