AVB got it slightly wrong today

[The Spurs Lad]

In quite a lot of them yes lol, but many of them we've looked great. The difference is that across the last couple of games it really looked like we as a side had it together. We hunted in packs, the forwards midfield and defence all pressing high and then dropping off together. I thought we'd finally cracked it, all the drills and training had paid off. Taking someone as improtant as Dembele out of the middle fucked with that. It was always going to hurt the dynamic losing Lennon but we made it worse than it needed to be by messing with the spine of the side. It just fell really open and disjointed today

Your name couldn't be more inaccurate

 

[dvdhopeful]

I'd have picked the same team as pretty much everyone else and I was surprised to see Livermore in instead if Holtby. But having seen how we performed and that we should have gotten at least a point, I can't see how the selections can be seen as wrong even when wearing great big fuckoff 'I hate Jake' Mr Magoo goggles

Because we lost, had Walker/Defoe/Benny not mistaken their brains for their assholes, we'd have threads on here about what a stunning tactical genius AVB was for bring Livermore in. If people want to blame someone, they'll do so regardless of anything that actually took place.

 

[balalasaurus]

And how does that explain him not bringing Holtby on between their 2nd goal and the 85th minute when quite honestly we started to look tired and crumble.

this is what i think: at that point it was still 2-2 and a 50-50 in terms of who could go in front. we were playing a game that was so far effective. while they had pace we had presence and were doing an effective job of containing them. the good thing about lloris is that he recovers quickly after an error and that has a calming effect on the other players. if we had brought holtby on it would have added to our pace (and marginally to our creativity) only to the detriment of our presence and would be a risk i would take only with nothing to lose. at 3-2 down we could only really attack which is what AVB did

 

[The Spurs Lad]

Because we lost, had Walker/Defoe/Benny not mistaken their brains for their assholes, we'd have threads on here about what a stunning tactical genius AVB was for bring Livermore in. If people want to blame someone, they'll do so regardless of anything that actually took place.

Maybe some people, however do not brand everybody under the same idea, that makes you just as bad. Personally, if we won today of course i wouldn't be as annoyed, however it wouldn't have changed my opinion on how we played(assuming the game panned out the same, with maybe Gerrard missing the penalty and the 2nd being blocked on the line or whatever).

this is what i think: at that point it was still 2-2 and a 50-50 in terms of who could go in front. we were playing a game that was so far effective. while they had pace we had presence and were doing an effective job of containing them. the good thing about lloris is that he recovers quickly after an error and that has a calming effect on the other players. if we had brought holtby on it would have added to our pace (and marginally to our creativity) only to the detriment of our presence and would be a risk i would take only with nothing to lose. at 3-2 down we could only really attack which is what AVB did

I agree with what you are saying but surely there is minimal risk in putting Holtby wide right, Dembele central with Parker again to reunite their great partnership. IMO that only offers us more energy in attack and more stability in defence.

 

[balalasaurus]

I agree with what you are saying but surely there is minimal risk in putting Holtby wide right, Dembele central with Parker again to reunite their great partnership. IMO that only offers us more energy in attack and more stability in defence.

to be honest i think holtby doesn't play as well out wide. he needs space to work with and fairs better in the middle linking up play. that is why avb plays him wide when bale and lennon are present in a rotating front three with JD/Ade at the top; so that he always gets a chance to move around and create space. that's not to say that he cant play there but putting him there against a team like liverpool would be better suited to a time when we've only got the option to attack. at the end of the day though this is all theorizing. who knows what was going through AVB's head

 

[The Spurs Lad]

to be honest i think holtby doesn't play as well out wide. he needs space to work with and fairs better in the middle linking up play. that is why avb plays him wide when bale and lennon are present in a rotating front three with JD/Ade at the top; so that he always gets a chance to move around and create space. that's not to say that he cant play there but putting him there against a team like liverpool would be better suited to a time when we've only got the option to attack. at the end of the day though this is all theorizing. who knows what was going through AVB's head

Fair enough, though i would argue that we haven't seen him play wide right with the ability to cut in, only wide left. When Sigurdsson was wide right he didn't play anywhere near as well as he has since playing on the left being able to **** in. Neither have the pace to play wide on the same side as their preffered foot.

I would also question whether playing him right and only having one player out of position was more of a risk than splitting up Dembele and Parker and having Dembele out of position as well as having Livermore in a key position when ultimately he really isn't good enough for games of this magnitude.

 

[JAYSTAR]

Fair enough, though i would argue that we haven't seen him play wide right with the ability to cut in, only wide left. When Sigurdsson was wide right he didn't play anywhere near as well as he has since playing on the left being able to **** in. Neither have the pace to play wide on the same side as their preffered foot.

I would also question whether playing him right and only having one player out of position was more of a risk than splitting up Dembele and Parker and having Dembele out of position as well as having Livermore in a key position when ultimately he really isn't good enough for games of this magnitude.

I agree. And I just need to express my opinion that 'Dembele is absolutely class!!!' And that he should always play in the middle no matter what - he controlled the game from the right wing today and just glided past supposedly top notch players who could barely get the ball off him... Totally love the fact we got this guy. My spurs MOM along with Verts who was pretty solid again.
Gutted Walker had another brain spasm and that BAE made contact with the diving cheating, but annoyingly superb Suarez.. Very relieved to look at the table and realise it isn't over yet.
Interesting how much we missed Lennon today eh?

Thank you.

 

[balalasaurus]

Fair enough, though i would argue that we haven't seen him play wide right with the ability to cut in, only wide left. When Sigurdsson was wide right he didn't play anywhere near as well as he has since playing on the left being able to **** in. Neither have the pace to play wide on the same side as their preffered foot.

I would also question whether playing him right and only having one player out of position was more of a risk than splitting up Dembele and Parker and having Dembele out of position as well as having Livermore in a key position when ultimately he really isn't good enough for games of this magnitude.

if i'm honest i dont rate the parker-dembele relationship so highly. parker can only really get out of sticky situations by doing that turn around of his which today was nullified by liverpool not to mention the times when he'd give passes with too much weight. but i agree dembele is most effective running at the opposition rather than playing on a wing. AVB probably thought it would be better to have a defensive central midfield in parker and livermore with the more creative players given license to roam in from the wing. it was working until we started to lose ourselves

 

[septicsac]

Was surprised by the team selection, but dont even consider myself more qualified than AVB when it comes to picking the team. He knows better than any of us who has trained well and who might be carrying minor knocks etc. Plus, it could be argued that he had it spot on - with a bit more clinical finishing and less clusterf##k defending from both our full backs we could have won this game comfortably. I am angry we were beat, especially to the pool, but very angry as they did not deserve all 3 points. Still onwards and upwards, lets take out our rage on Fulham and pick up another 3 points and get back on track.

 

[Dharmabum]

I don't see why. We created more than them, off and on target. Looked very much in control 2nd half of the game.

AVB can't control the stupid errors that cost us the game though.

Exactly. Spurs were in fact dominating but 1) Siggi can only hit goal from 2 meters out, Defoe never passed the ball to better placed player for Spurs do decided to try for an assist to Suarez instead followed up by a clumsy tackle by Ekotto 3) Walker totally brainless back pass (that Lloris should have done better on though).
Spurs gifted Liverpool this win.

 

[hodsgod]

Here's another one for you to doh. AVB has been fantastic.

But today with the absence of Lennon, I think Bale should have played LW and Holtby or Sigurdsson behind Defoe. We suffered from a lack of width and penetration today.

We bloody killed them for long periods and two stupid errors cost us the game away at Anfield. I don't think we can criticise the manager, and I am not a fan of him!

 

[Capocrimini]

We didn't lose because of AVB's tactics or personnel he picked in the absence of Lennon - we lost because of fucking attrocious individual errors.

No need for a tactical autopsy.

Sorry meant to press agree!

Think AVB got it spot on Walker was stupid, Lloris was unlucky as was verts on the line. Defoe and Bae was just WTF. Next game is crucial need a win Swansea will be tough so Fulham is a must win. As disappointed as I was we deserved the 2-1 poss 3-1 victory bar the two moments of madness but thats football. Would have been more annoyed if we lost playing shit which we didnt and we always looked like we were going to score wven at 3-2.

COYS

 

[Bulletspur]

Well, he made a mistake in the build up to both their 1st and 3rd goals. If that doesn't factor as part of the problem to you then that's your opinion.

You might as well include everyone who touched the ball leading up to before Livermore got it, because if they did not give it to him, then he would not have caused their goals as you claim.

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

Here's another one for you to doh. AVB has been fantastic.

But today with the absence of Lennon, I think Bale should have played LW and Holtby or Sigurdsson behind Defoe. We suffered from a lack of width and penetration today.

With the absence of any decent strikers at the club we should simply play with Bale up top on his own.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Disagree. The playing of Dembele at ALM, but with him playing almost as a LM in a kind of 433 gave us complete control of that game.

 

[DanNolan]

RAM maybe? he werent left was he?

 

[Huddlestone22]

If anything he got it right today.

We were dominating until Walker's complete brain fart and then Defoe's attempt at contribution.

 

[thinktank]

If anything he got it right today.

We were dominating until Walker's complete brain fart and then Defoe's attempt at contribution.

 

[tommyt]

Maybe AvB selected Livermore on merit?

 

[punky]

You have to wonder what Lewis Holtby is thinking.

Hardly used sub last 2 big games then after Lennon gets an injury has to watch Livermore be shoehorned into the formation while Holtby gets a token 10 minutes.

If it was me, i'd wouldn't be too impressed.