Andre Villas-Boas

[NEVILLEB]

Yes. We looked far better once Defoe came on!

That's a bit of a simple statement. Soldado and Defoe are too similar to be effective together.

Adebayor and Soldado however would change the way we play.

Use your brain.

 

[RichieS]

AVB made a stupid comment.

He plays one striker at home and then complains that the fans are negative.

Barcelona play with none. What's your point?

 

[thinktank]

But AVB proved last year that he is very capable of addressing and correcting problems that recur during games. For example we stopped leaking late goals, started scoring them ourselves and went on a run of relative consistency. We were dragged over the finish line by Bale to an extent but some of our players are going to have to make a step up to talisman level if we are going to challenge this year. Currently AVB is experimenting with the squad and substituted early today which was encouraging. Sure some of his decisions seem bizarre but he is a smart guy and best of all he is not sacrificing results as the process progresses.

I really don't think we have any choice but to get behind him. Of course he is not exempt from criticism but to say things like we have never played well under him is just ridiculous. Just a few weeks ago I was absolutely gushing over our play against Norwich, I honestly think when Rose gets back from the black hole that is our treatment room we will see an improvement in our attacking and urgency.

Agree with most of that. Thing is, he has such a specific way of playing and it really does take a very specific type of player for each position and he just doesn't have all the pieces in place yet.

Just hope he gets what he wants in Jan.

Jesus, just watching Southampton on motd; they've got some fierceness about them. #want

 

[NEVILLEB]

Barcelona play with none. What's your point?

If you've been watching this season you'd have seen that we've got no presence upfront. At home, against the smaller teams, we can afford to play 2 upfront.

That's my point. We're not Barcelona.

Neither Soldado or Defoe are suited to playing alone in the premier league. Paulinho also hasn't made the connection between midfield and the strikers he needs to.

We've only scored 9 goals all season so we need to look at ways to change that. Playing two strikers could help.

 

[Misfit]

Starting to become general opinion amongst non-Spurs supporters, so if you can't take it, better put hands on your ears or hope that we start to play some football. Besides some bottom teams have their excuses in material, what's ours?

Well, you've got to allow them a period of adjustment. For decades they've witnessed us play pretty football, even when stocked with utter garbage in the squad, and get pumped mercilessly season after season. This whole "Tottenham playing sturdy, largely uninspired football and ticking along with 3 pts most weeks" is confusing enough for us on here.

They must be losing their grip on sanity.

 

[Matrix]

You can't seriously be comparing us to the scum?? They move the ball like the wind, move like lightning and play 1/2 touch dynamic football.

They can afford to play one up with that kind of force behind it. If we did the same, solly would be banging them in from open play.

Just trying to make the point that 1 striker can be enough to get you goals.

 

[thinktank]

Just trying to make the point that 1 striker can be enough to get you goals.

Yup. Just need the right team behind him!

 

[Misfit]

Agree with most of that. Thing is, he has such a specific way of playing and it really does take a very specific type of player for each position and he just doesn't have all the pieces in place yet.

Just hope he gets what he wants in Jan.

Jesus, just watching Southampton on motd; they've got some fierceness about them. #want

Honestly, as much as I love Sandro, I think kapow is the one. He hunts players down. Bullies them and harries them constantly. Since he's gone out our pressing game has gorn for a Burton. We need to up that again and it's really the only thing that slightly concerns me. There was a 3 or 4 game period where regardless of lineup or oppo we kept that intensity and it was our best run in terms of performances. Need that back.

 

[Martinhotspur]

Barcelona play with none. What's your point?

Barcelona have Messi who chips in with a couple of goals every now and then.

 

[NEVILLEB]

The problem is incredibly obvious but there are still some idiots who can't see it.

Goals For

1. Man City - 21
2. Arsenal - 20
3. Liverpool - 17
4. Chelsea - 16
5. Man Utd - 14
6. Everton - 14
7. Swansea - 12
8. Newcastle - 12
9. Southampton - 10
10. Tottenham - 9
11. Aston Villa - 9
12. Fulham - 9

 

[RichieS]

And yet we are above all but 3 of those teams... Must be some kind of voodoo.

 

[RichieS]

Barcelona have Messi who chips in with a couple of goals every now and then.

Was just trying to provide a counter-argument to "more strikers = more goals".

 

[Misfit]

And yet we are above all but 3 of those teams... Must be some kind of voodoo.

Quite. ignoring the ridiculous defensive record we have. It's a concern for sure. It's obvious we need to start scoring more than just one goal a game to give ourselves a bit of breathing room in games themselves and in general terms wrt GD etc. However, only conceding goals in 3 league games so far means we're not being lucky. A finer margin anyone at the club would like no doubt but there's a reason we're in 4th and there's no doubt lots of hard work will be being done to correct and improve our scoring record.

 

[RichieS]

Quite. ignoring the ridiculous defensive record we have. It's a concern for sure. It's obvious we need to start scoring more than just one goal a game to give ourselves a bit of breathing room in games themselves and in general terms wrt GD etc. However, only conceding goals in 3 league games so far means we're not being lucky. A finer margin anyone at the club would like no doubt but there's a reason we're in 4th and there's no doubt lots of hard work will be being done to correct and improve our scoring record.

It would be nice to start scoring more goals soon, but I'd love to see how many people on here would be complaining if we won every league game 1-0 over the course of a season.

 

[NEVILLEB]

And yet we are above all but 3 of those teams... Must be some kind of voodoo.

This thread is about playing exciting football and you are defending it by highlighting our defensive record?

 

[NEVILLEB]

We lack any real presence upfront. That's the problem.

 

[The Spurs Lad]

But AVB proved last year that he is very capable of addressing and correcting problems that recur during games. For example we stopped leaking late goals, started scoring them ourselves and went on a run of relative consistency. We were dragged over the finish line by Bale to an extent but some of our players are going to have to make a step up to talisman level if we are going to challenge this year. Currently AVB is experimenting with the squad and substituted early today which was encouraging. Sure some of his decisions seem bizarre but he is a smart guy and best of all he is not sacrificing results as the process progresses.

I really don't think we have any choice but to get behind him. Of course he is not exempt from criticism but to say things like we have never played well under him is just ridiculous. Just a few weeks ago I was absolutely gushing over our play against Norwich, I honestly think when Rose gets back from the black hole that is our treatment room we will see an improvement in our attacking and urgency.

That late goal thing is the funniest of the lot with AVB. More to do with him stopping subbing Sandro for Livermore than increasing complexity of late training.

 

[thinktank]

Honestly, as much as I love Sandro, I think kapow is the one. He hunts players down. Bullies them and harries them constantly. Since he's gone out our pressing game has gorn for a Burton. We need to up that again and it's really the only thing that slightly concerns me. There was a 3 or 4 game period where regardless of line-up or oppo we kept that intensity and it was our best run in terms of performances. Need that back.

Capoue is definitely more dynamic. He's our toure/viera in-the-making for sure. Not a bad thing to have sandro and capoue fighting it out for a starting position. Pretty awesome.

 

[Kendall]

Boring boring Tottenham.

Snoozefest watching Spurs these days. Not surprised the crowd fell asleep.

 

[thinktank]

We lack any real presence upfront. That's the problem.

That's just an option we're lacking...maybe with Ade being brought back in we'll have that option back (if he decides he wants to play proper football again) If soldado had the right chemistry behind him he'd be banging them in. Look at the guys penalty technique for one...he's the real deal.