Do we remember what a through ball is?

[dynamoSpurs]

I honestly can't remember the last time we executed a smooth bit of play.

We get into the final third and it's just square ball, after square ball, then either a tame shot from far or dead cross from deep... Or even back passes, completely choking our attack.

I'm seeing occasional decent runs (although not nearly enough), but it's like the players aren't seeing them and so many opportunities for through balls just go begging.

A problem we've had all season.

It's like we scared to execute the killer passes and we persist on playing it safe as we fear interception and a counter. Either that or the players are just unaware of the runs...

I don't know but it's pissing me off.

 

[SoulDog]

Holtby's ball to soldado today?

 

[CowInAComa]

Yeah but we are winning possession.

 

[Blake Griffin]

Yeah but we are winning possession.

we actually lost 52-48

 

[robin09]

We automatically look out wide for the wingers as soon as we win the ball back.

Instead we should be thinking more direct sometimes. There's definitely opportunities to try and slot a ball straight between the centre backs that we don't think about.

 

[camaj]

It's been a problem all season, we have so much play on the edge of the box and we're dying for a ball whipped in from the line or some neat through ball. We pass the ball backwards unless there's not a perfect opportunity and sometimes when there is.

 

[beats1]

Holtby has tried a few but they just not coming off because by the time the front four get the ball, the other team has already got in their own box defending like beavers

 

[Lufti]

It almost seems like it's instructed to be honest, because we barely played them last year either and I don't see why players who were creative for other clubs come and play for us and are suddenly unable to play a through ball. Read a stat the other day, can't remember where from, but no one on our team has played more than one through ball this season. Seems like they're being told to get the ball to the wide players at every opportunity who then come inside and crowd the middle up even more..

 

[Syn_13]

I think the team are being forced to practice on PES 2010...

 

[mil1lion]

It helps when there's a through ball to be played. For all of Soldado's movement his runs are often away from goal and down the channels. I'm not surprised we're reluctant to play through balls at times.

Our best through balls today were out wide for the fullbacks to run onto. There aren't a lot of options centrally though.

 

[Spurs1960]

We automatically look out wide for the wingers as soon as we win the ball back.

Instead we should be thinking more direct sometimes. There's definitely opportunities to try and slot a ball straight between the centre backs that we don't think about.

They are not wingers, they are Gareth Bale impersonators.

 

[idontgetit]

 

[Spurs 1961]

Painfull to watch how pedestrian we are especially after watching Woolwich tear teams apart by slick football through the middle. It hurts

 

[theShiznit]

too many slow witted players that take two touches before they've even looked up, they see a run and by the time they get their brains into gear that space has been closed.

And that's just the people that see the forward passes... then there are those (Dembele, Paulinho) that don't even see them. And prefer to play sideways.

we need an axis of players that can pass/move and create space for the less intelligent members to run into.

I'd like to see Eriksen, Holtby and Lamela in behind a striker.

 

[marvel]

I saw the stats on the Spurs Statman Twitter on this last week, prior to Everton we successfully completed FOUR through balls all season (14th best in the league overall)

 

[nferno]

it's like we play fucking rugby rules.

if we can't hit simple through balls, there's no chance we'll see any of the L1+△ passes soldado thrives on.

 

[wooderz]

The ball into Soldado for the 2nd goal against Villa?

 

[worcestersauce]

what we need is people running into the space in the box for the through ball to aim at and not Soldado, our midfielders have to run from behind the ball into the box otherwise Soldado is running across with two defenders around him all the time.
I lost count of how many times there was an acre of space between the six yard box and the side 7 corner of the penalty area and both sides too yet we never exploited it once.
Sorry to bang about it ad nauseum but its just movement, quite simple, it'll come, everything else is in place.

 

[THOWIG]

We need as many players as possible who can pass the ball forward starting with Capoue.

 

[THOWIG]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/nov/03/tottenham