AS Monaco Vs Tottenham: Pre Season Match Thread

[StockSpur]

another season of slow stagnant unimaginative football about to be served up? without the 90' screamers from gareth to save our asses though

and i thought it was just me

 

[Shanks]

Ade put away one in six, which isn't awful but is hardly top-notch; one in five, and better still one in four, is what we need. Defoe's conversion rate was worse than one in seven. Between them, Lennon (who, amazingly, was our most clinical finisher by some margin, needing just four shots for every goal) and Bale created 130-odd scoring opportunities; 11 were put away.

We saw this afternoon why AVB wanted Moutinho, but the fact is that when we had Modric and VdV we were creating plenty of chances but they weren't being put away.

This pretty much sums up Spurs for the last few years.
It's precisely what has been missing.

If we are honest, if it wasn't for Bale scoring as many as he did, and when he did, we'd have been mid table, because quite simply we don't have anyone who can finish.

Creating I'm not so worried about, our new boys should give us some of that (Paul & Chad), and if Bale stays he creates a lot on his own.

Not sure what Soldier boy is like, but hopefully better at finishing that what we have. I'd like to see another striker come in hopefully, and another creative type player.

But we also need to rebuild our defense..

Goals win games though, and I often think 'what what have happened if we had a decent goalscorer' over the last 2 seasons in particular.

 

[elDiablo]

I'm convinced Townsend offers more than Lennon in the right of the attacking three.

exactly - a shot from range for a starters. Id like to see the type of crosses he puts in, as Soldado will do sweet FA with lennon's little dinkers. Lennon's cut backs can be deadly though so all is not lost, and they both provide an option. Could be great competition fo AL too. When Bentley came, he really stepped up a level, so hopefully healthy competition will have the same effect.

 

[elDiablo]

Shame, what is the point of giving a kid 2 minutes in friendly ? What do you learn, how quickly he can undo his tracksuit ?

With Wenger's zip problems it seems he wasn't even afforded 2 mins on the pitch.

 

[THOWIG]

Dempsey midfield maestro...


lol in all seriousness we obviously lost VDV and ratboy but its also the incoming players who i feel arent quite what we needed. if you asked me at the beginning of the summer what kind of player we needed a bx2bx/DM wouldve been almost last on the list yet thats exactly who we brought in. Chadli also looks to be less of a creator and more of a scorer. These players are probably in the 1st team yet they arent the answer to our problems from last season which was unlocking stubborn defences. A CM/CAM/WF would've been top of the list, the likes of bernard banega moutinho eriksen ljalic etc. providers who can lift their head and pick a pass. I really hope Holtby is utilised a lot next season as i feel a midfield of sandro paul and dembele will leave soldado


We need a player in midfield that can pass and a player on the wing who offers more than just pace. We need some invention.

 

[spursgirls]

This pretty much sums up Spurs for the last few years.
It's precisely what has been missing.

If we are honest, if it wasn't for Bale scoring as many as he did, and when he did, we'd have been mid table, because quite simply we don't have anyone who can finish.

Goals win games though, and I often think 'what what have happened if we had a decent goalscorer' over the last 2 seasons in particular.

This frustrated me like mad last season. We had so many shots that we should have had many many more goals than we did. For professionals, their ability to get the ball in the net was often awful.

I still feel though that we let in far too many goals too. Look at the goals against for the teams above us, and they are miles better. That bodes the question as to whether our defenders are poor, or whether they are pushing up too much and leaving gaps, or whether the midfield aren't doing enough to cover defensively. Will we have the right balance this season? Let's hope so.

 

[JimmyG2]

Embarrassing.
I had a long list straight after the game:
inept, pathetic, unprepared, disorganised, disrespectful,
but having slept on it I'll settle for embarrassing.
Long time since I felt that whilst watching Spurs.
Plenty of excuses of course but Monaco looked like a team fine tuning their engine
and we looked like a team that had lost the plans whilst assembling a kit car.
We end the season with five centre halves
and begin the next with none. Genius.
One striker and Kane and we sell Dempsey.
In AVB, Levy , Baldini and now Uncle Joe we trust.

 

[kitchen]

Embarrassing.
I had a long list straight after the game:
inept, pathetic, unprepared, disorganised, disrespectful,
but having slept on it I'll settle for embarrassing.
Long time since I felt that whilst watching Spurs.
Plenty of excuses of course but Monaco looked like a team fine tuning their engine
and we looked like a team that had lost the plans whilst assembling a kit car.
We end the season with five centre halves
and begin the next with none. Genius.
One striker and Kane and we sell Dempsey.
In AVB, Levy , Baldini and now Uncle Joe we trust.

And if it were a real competitive game that actually meant something, this wouldn't be such a bad post. However, it was a pre-season friendly. If we lose 5-2 to Palace on the first day - I'll agree wholeheartedly with a post like this.

We can't blame the management for injuries to our centre halves. A fortnight ago, Vertonghen and Dawson were both fit. The fact that both are out now is not bad management, or poor running of the club, it's bad luck. We're looking for another CB, and whilst I think we've made a mistake selling Caulker before getting another, there's still plenty of time before we play any games that matter.

We have another Striker in Soldado - he's not ready to play. Again bad luck that Defoe got injured, and Ade was out for 'personal reasons'.

If you looked at our two centre halves before kick off, and then see that they have the best number 9 in the world up-front, and then considered fact that they have a very strong side and ours was weakened. To see all that and expect us to win or draw that game, away from home, then I question your level of sanity.

 

[WhiteHart4Ever]

Bale didnt play

As for 433 and 4231 there isnt that much difference it depends on how high the wingers are. Like Barca play 433 but on paper it pretty much is a 4231

Also AVB has said according to one poster in a interview we are playing 433 and it was his plan to slowly make the transition

It becomes quite academic as you can play every formation in a number of ways, but normally these days when ppl talk about 433 its about whether you use forward wingers cutting in or not. In 4231 you'd normally have 2 holding midfielder, a no10 AM/F and at least one of your wingers 'Lennon-like' - this is what we played last season.

In a 433 you'd nornally have 1 holding midfielder that really sits in front of the defence, two mobile midfielders, and, in AVBs Porto, attacking fullbacks, leading the 2 wingers sometimes to act as normal forwards, and the DM almost as a CB in attack as the offensive shape can resemble a 343 if you like. A Sandro-Dembele-Sandro-Chadli-Soldado-Bale offensive line-up smells of 4-3-3 and as we've both Chadli who certainly fits that system rather than a traditional winger I'm assuming that's what we're going for..

 

[kitchen]

It becomes quite academic as you can play every formation in a number of ways, but normally these days when ppl talk about 433 its about whether you use forward wingers cutting in or not. In 4231 you'd normally have 2 holding midfielder, a no10 AM/F and at least one of your wingers 'Lennon-like' - this is what we played last season.

In a 433 you'd nornally have 1 holding midfielder that really sits in front of the defence, two mobile midfielders, and, in AVBs Porto, attacking fullbacks, leading the 2 wingers sometimes to act as normal forwards, and the DM almost as a CB in attack as the offensive shape can resemble a 343 if you like. A Sandro-Dembele-Sandro-Chadli-Soldado-Bale offensive line-up smells of 4-3-3 and as we've both Chadli who certainly fits that system rather than a traditional winger I'm assuming that's what we're going for..

Two Sandros!!!!???

Best. Team. Ever.

Double Pain!

 

[eddiebailey]

The concern is our inability to field a credible side with only two weeks to go before the start of the season. It is quite doubtful whether any of the missing players will be in a fit state to start a Premiership game in a fortnight, and we then have a Europa game on the back of that.

Caulker apart, this is more down to injuries and late signings than letting players go, but it is slightly worrying that ITK has most of the fit players we do have linked with moves.

It is also worrying that despite all our injuries and all the uncertainty, AVB still seems reluctant to start Townsend and Carroll, the only players seemingly capable of injecting any attacking urgency into our play.

 

[amathews3416]

The concern is our inability to field a credible side with only two weeks to go before the start of the season. It is quite doubtful whether any of the missing players will be in a fit state to start a Premiership game in a fortnight, and we then have a Europa game on the back of that.

Caulker apart, this is more down to injuries and late signings than letting players go, but it is slightly worrying that ITK has most of the fit players we do have linked with moves.

It is also worrying that despite all our injuries and all the uncertainty, AVB still seems reluctant to start Townsend and Carroll, the only players seemingly capable of injecting any attacking urgency into our play.

It is actually quite likely that most of our missing players from yesterday's side will be fit in time for the first game - with the exception of Kaboul, Sandro, and Verts.

This is the preseason, if one of your better players has a stubbed toe, you sit them out and not risk it. People are looking way too much into these injuries and making them seem much more serious than they are because they sat out a friendly game, on the road.

 

[mpickard2087]

And if it were a real competitive game that actually meant something, this wouldn't be such a bad post. However, it was a pre-season friendly. If we lose 5-2 to Palace on the first day - I'll agree wholeheartedly with a post like this.

We can't blame the management for injuries to our centre halves. A fortnight ago, Vertonghen and Dawson were both fit. The fact that both are out now is not bad management, or poor running of the club, it's bad luck. We're looking for another CB, and whilst I think we've made a mistake selling Caulker before getting another, there's still plenty of time before we play any games that matter.

We have another Striker in Soldado - he's not ready to play. Again bad luck that Defoe got injured, and Ade was out for 'personal reasons'.

If you looked at our two centre halves before kick off, and then see that they have the best number 9 in the world up-front, and then considered fact that they have a very strong side and ours was weakened. To see all that and expect us to win or draw that game, away from home, then I question your level of sanity.

Whilst most of this is hard to argue with, the absolutely pathetic level of commitment and desire shown by some of the senior players out there was hard to watch, friendly or not. These are guys who should be looking to impress and earn a place in the team, yet they looked like they couldn't be bothered at all and left it up to the younger players to offer the threat.

For example, Based on what I have seen so far this pre-season, if there is any sort of meritocratic approach to picking the team vs Palace, Townsend should be ahead of Lennon in the pecking order all day long. He shouldn't be allowed to swan his way through pre-season with a miniscule of effort and take his place in the squad for when the season kicks off proper.

 

[JimmyG2]

And if it were a real competitive game that actually meant something, this wouldn't be such a bad post. However, it was a pre-season friendly. If we lose 5-2 to Palace on the first day - I'll agree wholeheartedly with a post like this.

We can't blame the management for injuries to our centre halves. A fortnight ago, Vertonghen and Dawson were both fit. The fact that both are out now is not bad management, or poor running of the club, it's bad luck. We're looking for another CB, and whilst I think we've made a mistake selling Caulker before getting another, there's still plenty of time before we play any games that matter.

We have another Striker in Soldado - he's not ready to play. Again bad luck that Defoe got injured, and Ade was out for 'personal reasons'.

If you looked at our two centre halves before kick off, and then see that they have the best number 9 in the world up-front, and then considered fact that they have a very strong side and ours was weakened. To see all that and expect us to win or draw that game, away from home, then I question your level of sanity.

Who said anything about winning or drawing?
I have always put performance before results.
This was a shambles before we took to the pitch
and worse once we did,
partly through bad luck and partly through mismanagement.
Caulker being sold as you accept.
I am not so certain that this will not be repeated against Palace in two weeks time
as some of our first team squad will not have met each other let alone played together.
Huddleston should have started with Livermore rather than the inexperienced Fryers,
Carroll and Townsend should have been on much earlier,
Chavli should have started on the left and been replaced much earlier, he was dire.
Lennon didn't look interested and Siggy is not a left winger, although Chavli is.
Plenty of stuff that is not 'bad luck' there`.

 

[eddiebailey]

It is actually quite likely that most of our missing players from yesterday's side will be fit in time for the first game - with the exception of Kaboul, Sandro, and Verts..

But part of the purpose of preseason is get match fitness, and to integrate new players, so in our preparation we are behind where we need to be.

And Kaboul, Sandro and Verts are big players to be without. There is also still talk of selling Daws and Scottie; presumably we would look to replace them, but it is all looking very makeshift at the back.

 

[TariccoDI]

I'm really glad that it was only a friendly and that I was already on holiday over there as other than their half decent stadium and the Monaco team already looking more than a bit tasty, we were a shower of sh*t much like the 0.5% beer on sale in the stadium!
They ran us ragged which was not surprising with our line up compared t their £200m + line up. Half decent turnout from Expats and holiday makers in the away end but no noise at all which was a shame.

Ah well, the real business matters start against Palace! Roll on Sunday 18th August!!