Andre Villas-Boas

[faymantaray]

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.

A conscious decision on his part all the same.

 

[NEVILLEB]

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

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.

I think he's an ideal poacher but he's not settled as a lone striker at Tottenham.

We need someone big who can hold the ball and help link with the midfield.

Adebayor is actually very good at that. It's why we brought him to play with VDV.

Unfortunately he can't shoot!

 

[sbrustad]

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

What do you suggest? We're not playing creative and exciting football, so start with two strikers and leave a central midfielder out?

Soldado is the real deal. Give him and the team some time. I'm sure they'll come good.

Do you remember "boring, boring city"? They sure as fuck weren't boring once everything came together.

 

[thinktank]

I think he's an ideal poacher but he's not settled as a lone striker at Tottenham.

We need someone big who can hold the ball and help link with the midfield.

Adebayor is actually very good at that. It's why we brought him to play with VDV.

Unfortunately he can't shoot!

Once soldado gets the service he needs he'll score a bagful. With this system you don't need a big bully up front if you play it right.

 

[Snarfalicious]

I do believe there are some valuable criticisms here. I, for one, am happy because we are getting results. But, even though I'm an ever-optimistic person, I'm just as guilty of holding the same feelings towards our "style" of play.

We generally start slow. We very rarely score early against lesser opponents. As a result, said opponents gain in confidence as their tactics continue to prove effective. Every club wants to score first as it's a great advantage obviously. But, I feel as though so many times we aren't adventurous enough at the start. We tend to play the safe passes and often times just end up stringing together passes between our deepest midfielder, center backs and fullbacks. It's incredibly lame and achieves absolutely nothing.

Today I felt the bigger problem was a huge lack of precision with passing. It wasn't just in the final third but all over the pitch. Our passing was atrocious and often times led to Hull's biggest opportunities to establish possession and/or chances on goal.

My biggest problem with the way we are playing is the lack of movement by our wide players. Townsend has been fantastic but I rarely see him making good runs in behind the defense. He relies on picking the ball up and charging directly at a defense. He has shown this can be incredibly effective, but I'd like to see him mix things up a bit.

Lennon is still working his way back and I really do not believe he can be the answer on the left. He's at his best on the right and that just happens to be where our best player (currently) is at his best. What's up with Chadli? I personally thought he was starting to come along before his injury and I love that he can get into the box and will do so happily. I believe Chadli could be incredibly effective now that we have Townsend on the right. He'd give us another physical presence in and around the box to get on the end of crosses after Townsend's runs.

I do think we are missing Rose badly. Vertonghen, for all of his strengths, is not that effective charging forward from the left as his lack of pace is generally exposed. When Rose was starting to click, it felt like we were attacking in waves. He was sending in dangerous crosses, space opened up on the inside because right backs had to keep width to track his overlapping runs. And, before he went down at Tromso I was smitten with the way he was playing.

In the end, I think it really is a mentality thing. Our players don't seem to get that killer instinct right at the start of matches. They look complacent with just holding on to the ball and hoping that an advanced pass will open something else up. I think the runs off the ball could be much better and I think we need an answer for our LW position. Oh, and Danny Rose needs to get healthy.

 

[NEVILLEB]

What do you suggest? We're not playing creative and exciting football, so start with two strikers and leave a central midfielder out?

Soldado is the real deal. Give him and the team some time. I'm sure they'll come good.

Do you remember "boring, boring city"? They sure as fuck weren't boring once everything came together.

We're not playing creative and exciting football because we don't have a striker to play off. Everything goes back and sideways. There's no counter attacking.

Soldado is the real deal at poaching goals but he doesn't have a real physical presence upfront. Ideally he'd play off Adebayor in our home games against the lower teams.

We will improve and I'm not suprised we're struggling for goals given the amount of new players we've signed. But AVB hasn't really got us playing great football since he joined. It's very effective but it's not exciting.

 

[sbrustad]

We're not playing creative and exciting football because we don't have a striker to play off. Everything goes back and sideways. There's no counter attacking.

Soldado is the real deal at poaching goals but he doesn't have a real physical presence upfront. Ideally he'd play off Adebayor in our home games against the lower teams.

We will improve and I'm not suprised we're struggling for goals given the amount of new players we've signed. But AVB hasn't really got us playing great football since he joined. It's very effective but it's not exciting.

I sort of agree, it's not easy on the eye. You could also argue that he could have bought different types of players , that he chose not to, and that this is all his masterplan. I like to think it's all a case of team cohesion and the lack thereof. Tonight we were often parked in the attacking third, and just lacked that killer ball (or, indeed, the initiative from Roberto).

Last season wasn't great in terms of how we looked on the pitch either (and that can certainly be used in the case against AVB's "boring" football philosophy) but the new additions, especially Holtby, Lamela and Eriksen, can hardly be described as strong, phyiscal players. I'm very positive about this young, exciting group of players and can't wait to see how the season pans out. We've been sub-par so far but are still in 4th place with 19 points.

 

[NEVILLEB]

When you watch Suarez and Sturridge at Liverpool, or Rooney and Van Persie at Man Utd, you remember how effective playing two forwards can be.

 

[hodsgod]

It's exactly the same as last season, only difference is we aren't being beaten in the last few minutes. Our manager is in the don't get beaten, and hope to win school. We go out and play with two midfielders that are there to break play up and protect the defence. The front four don't stand a chance, as I said it was exactly the same last season, until injuries forced him to play a more attacking formation.

Personally I hate it, I want to be entertained, and for me, and I only speak for myself, the result does not justify the means. I don't want to be bored to death, I want excitement.

 

[Matrix]

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.

Dare I say it but we miss Modric and or VDV

 

[NEVILLEB]

I'm not unhappy, I'm just defending people who are saying we're a bit boring...because we are!

I do think it will change but AVB should have a plan B and that should include playing 4-4-2 at home against the smaller teams.

 

[hodsgod]

When you watch Suarez and Sturridge at Liverpool, or Rooney and Van Persie at Man Utd, you remember how effective playing two forwards can be.

This current fashion for one attacker will change soon enough, I remember when 532 was the answer, god knows what the question was!

 

[hodsgod]

I'm not unhappy, I'm just defending people who are saying we're a bit boring...because we are!

I do think it will change but AVB should have a plan B and that should include playing 4-4-2 at home against the smaller teams.

Exactly what we were saying last season.

 

[Snarfalicious]

When you watch Suarez and Sturridge at Liverpool, or Rooney and Van Persie at Man Utd, you remember how effective playing two forwards can be.

The problem is do we have a player that is capable of close control and precision passing to play as one of those strikers? Soldado is a good passer but not an incisive one. Adebayor generally has a poor first touch. Usually, in a situation like that you want a guy who is a bit quicker with a classier touch (Suarez/Rooney) to pair with a pure finisher (RVP/Sturridge - Sturridge to an extent).

I'm not sure if we have the capability to offer that. We could play a different style with a guy like Adebayor as opposed to a Suarez/Rooney type and hope that the first touch is there as he does have quite a few tricks in his locker. I think it could work, I'm just not positive of it.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Exactly what we were saying last season.

Last season he dropped playing one upfront because we never scored any goals. He took Bale off the wing and played him off the striker.

He's desperate for it to work in the premiership but the purchase of Soldado seems misguided as the lone striker.

 

[dontcallme]

First thing to remember is that since AVB has taken over we have done very well. Last season we got our record Prem points tally and this season we have had our best ever Prem start.

I realise this is a thread about the quality of our football under AVB but it's always important to remember how well we're doing.

Last season I was prepared for less exciting football. We lost 3 important players so it was sensible to build from the back and be more self-assured.

This season we have spent £80m on attacking players but we are still struggling to create chances and play quality football.

I don't have a problem with any Spurs fan seeing this as a concern as long as they remember my first 2 paragraphs.

So will we ever play quality football under AVB?

We certainly have the players to do it. For the system to work we need our full-backs to offer the width. Walker's crosses almost never get past the first defender and Rose seems more prone to coming inside rather than hitting the byline. This needs to be rectified.

We have largely a new midfield so they need to gel and start passing and moving more fluidly. Paulinho has been compared to Lampard so we need him playing further upfield and getting into the box more.

Maybe it's time to play Holtby in the two man midfield. Less solid but a passer to get the AMs going.

The other question is Soldado. He is a striker who needs to be created for. This isn't a bad thing but if we aren't creating then we have to question if he is the striker we should have leading the line. Too early to say of course.

I believe if he was playing for Arsenal he'd score a hatfull.

Will AVB ever let the players off the leash a bit and let the midfielders hit the box more? If Townsend is going to be an inverted winger and take lots of long shots then we need players in the box for the rebounds. Relying on him to score regularly from 20+ yards is not going to be very productive.

For now I'm happy to be patient. I don't think it is simply a debate about results against quality of football. I believe we need to play more attacking football and create more to move to that next level.

Playing the way we are now I think we can hope for 4th. If we can get Paulinho scoring, our full backs creating, Soldado being provided for and pla better pass and move football then I think we can get higher.

 

[sbrustad]

The problem is do we have a player that is capable of close control and precision passing to play as one of those strikers? Soldado is a good passer but not an incisive one. Adebayor generally has a poor first touch. Usually, in a situation like that you want a guy who is a bit quicker with a classier touch (Suarez/Rooney) to pair with a pure finisher (RVP/Sturridge - Sturridge to an extent).

I'm not sure if we have the capability to offer that. We could play a different style with a guy like Adebayor as opposed to a Suarez/Rooney type and hope that the first touch is there as he does have quite a few tricks in his locker. I think it could work, I'm just not positive of it.

Arsenal are probably the "best" team (in terms of players) to compare us to. Giroud is a similar type of player to Soldado, and although Giroud wasn't exactly scoring freely last season it looks like he's coming unstuck for them this season. I guess team cohesion has a role to play here. Giroud is in his second season, and the only new addition to their lineup is Özil.

I wouldn't say United and Liverpool (and Man City for that matter) play anything like a 4-4-2 even though they line up with what is essentially two strikers. What I will concede, though, is that even if you disregard the actual players in their lineups it's more of an attacking-minded one. Suarez, Rooney, Aguero are all expected to score goals and get in the box.

I'm not really sure what to make of Liverpools lineup to be honest, but when it comes together they play some exciting stuff. 3-4-1-2, 5-4-1, 5-3-2, 3-5-2.. Whatever it is.

 

[spurs-r-us]

'The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It's nothing of the kind. The game is about glory. It's about doing things in style, with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom.' Danny Blanchflower

Can anyone remember when we last played a game 'the Spurs way'?

I agree with the quote, but the gung ho style of Sandro and Chiriches today was half the reason we played so poorly.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Abs

First thing to remember is that since AVB has taken over we have done very well. Last season we got our record Prem points tally and this season we have had our best ever Prem start.

I realise this is a thread about the quality of our football under AVB but it's always important to remember how well we're doing.

Last season I was prepared for less exciting football. We lost 3 important players so it was sensible to build from the back and be more self-assured.

This season we have spent £80m on attacking players but we are still struggling to create chances and play quality football.

I don't have a problem with any Spurs fan seeing this as a concern as long as they remember my first 2 paragraphs.

So will we ever play quality football under AVB?

We certainly have the players to do it. For the system to work we need our full-backs to offer the width. Walker's crosses almost never get past the first defender and Rose seems more prone to coming inside rather than hitting the byline. This needs to be rectified.

We have largely a new midfield so they need to gel and start passing and moving more fluidly. Paulinho has been compared to Lampard so we need him playing further upfield and getting into the box more.

Maybe it's time to play Holtby in the two man midfield. Less solid but a passer to get the AMs going.

The other question is Soldado. He is a striker who needs to be created for. This isn't a bad thing but if we aren't creating then we have to question if he is the striker we should have leading the line. Too early to say of course.

I believe if he was playing for Arsenal he'd score a hatfull.

Will AVB ever let the players off the leash a bit and let the midfielders hit the box more? If Townsend is going to be an inverted winger and take lots of long shots then we need players in the box for the rebounds. Relying on him to score regularly from 20+ yards is not going to be very productive.

For now I'm happy to be patient. I don't think it is simply a debate about results against quality of football. I believe we need to play more attacking football and create more to move to that next level.

Playing the way we are now I think we can hope for 4th. If we can get Paulinho scoring, our full backs creating, Soldado being provided for and pla better pass and move football then I think we can get higher.

Spot on.

 

[ralvy]

It feels for me like we're going through a similar stage to that of City under Mancini. The first season or so they were set up to be solid and not lose games. He made sure they were a strong unit at the back whilst they were trying to bed in their influx of attacking signings. Then after a while they all clicked going forward. I think/hope this is what AVB is doing. We've got a pretty rock solid base and now we just need to wait for Eriksen/Lamela and the rest to get going properly. Then we'll be absolutely flying.

I think you have hit the nail right on the head. Though I remember that City side only performing that way against the most dangerous teams (us included), while they would usually give a sever beaten to the weaker sides (or am I remembering the season after that one); but your point still stands. We're still a work in progress, AVB's expression after we were only able to score from yet another penalty decision is a proof of that.

So I don't mind us being boring and uninspiring as long as we're still heading to the next stage of our game.