I have two questions....

[southlondonyiddo]

Why wasn't Erickson playing today?

 

[fortworthspur]

He is when Eriksen's injured.

yes, I know that now.

 

[bill]

Dembélé ...... so frustrating

 

[Macspur261]

yeah 5 questions is too much.

Nah it's not that, it's just that 5 is my lucky answer, well it was many years ago when my primary school teacher asked me what 3+2 was, so I've kind of stuck with it for sentimental reasons ever since.

Not proved very lucky though I must admit, I've never been called a clever boy again when using it subsequently to every question I've been asked since

 

[Pedro]

1. Don't know

2. Absolutely nothing

I hope that helps

 

[Mattspur]

1. I think our slow tempo goes hand in hand with our lack of movement off the ball. After all, you can't play the ball quickly if there's no one looking to receive it quickly. I think the 2 main reasons for this are firstly, a lack of structure and game plan. And secondly, the players lack the confidence to take a risk and the responsibility to make things happen. Instead, taking the easy option and passing it square or backwards as they're to scared to lose the ball. I think the supporters have a part to play in this second reason but the first is down to the manager.

2. It's difficult to be critical of a player in their break through season but he'll have to increase his end product next season.

 

[worcestersauce]

Some good answers here, I think its correct to say we don't move the ball qickly enough our passing is too often delayed even fractionally allowing opponents to anticipate which is why so many of our passes forward are intercepted. Maybe that is because we are slow maybe because our players aren't instinctively a single unit yet maybe because there is too little movement ahead of them, personally I suspect its a bit of all three.
I guess Andros offers us movement and speed which defenders don't like I just wish he was as good as he thinks he is and I wish Lennon had a bit more of that self belief.

 

[strader]

You only have 2 question, that's a man with no worries.

 

[Spurs 1961]

4-4-2 does not suit the players that we have. Paulinho does his best work in advanced positions, Dembele needs freedom, and ade and Soldado end up wandering too much in an effort to link play.

I have always been a big lennon fan and although he put a real shift in today he doesn't offer enough going forward at present. We miss eriksen in the team and im hoping that Lamela will Come good and add the creativity that we need.

I think 4-1-4-1 or variations thereof is our best formation.

A lot of good points. I watched the game yesterday and felt Paulinho is a shadow of the player we had early in the season ut then maybe he played off instinct and the form he showed for Brazil in the summer. Since then he has had AVB, now Tim and some injuries but he was not used properly on Sunday. I like both Soldado and Adebayor but am not convinced they are a partnership. Dembele really does need to be allowed to run at the opposition from more forward positions and so much needs Sandro

 

[playboypaul]

Why wasn't Erickson playing today?

PEDANT ALERT!!!!

Because we have no one with the name Erickson playing for us.

 

[$herringham]

1. Why do we play with such an absurdly slow tempo ? Are we told to play this way ? It cannot be coincidence, surely ? We look slow, ineffective and generally clueless every week.

2. Can anyone, anywhere, tell me what Townsend provides ? Where I'm sat, he offers absolutely nothing except a lot of aimless running around, down dead ends usually before the inevitably appalling final decision consisting of one of the following: a crap shot, a crap cross or a loss of possession.

Re question 2: Yesterday he was everywhere. At one point he was on the right, cutting in outside the box making a run in passed and then the ball was lost for a moment on the left by Ade I think and for some reason who was now on the left? Townsend! This was all within 10 seconds or so, intercepted on the left and won a corner. He's very motivated and hungry and that's a winning combo for me. He did go flat under AVB but take note now, he's everywhere. He's rising in my books. Just my opinion though, others will see it different

 

[WestBelfast Spurs]

Whens the last time we hit the net inside the 1st 15 minutes of a match?

 

[topper]

Whens the last time we hit the net inside the 1st 15 minutes of a match?

In the Prem, not once this season?

 

[theShiznit]

As some have already said our tempo and movement is dictated by a core of players and those players either dwell on the ball far too often some taking too many touches and others taking too long to spot a pass, and the movement is slow and predictable, not just cm's either.

Also creativity is lacking, the simple ball is usually the ball that ends up being made.

When watching Barca tear Citeh apart the other day it was noticable that in that core of Xavi, Iniesta and whoever else is there they only look wide as a last resort, their first, second and third look is for a pass between the lines.
Look at our "creative" players, and by the time they are looking to pass (far too late as several opportunites have usually been and gone) their first look is the easy wide pass, that's not creative football because then you're just relying on 2/4 players either beating someone or putting in a good percentage ball (which all crosses essentially are)

We need to put in as many of the quicker passers (and spotters of passes) as we have in key areas then we may see a rise in tempo and purpose in possession. Until then just enjoy the sleep...

 

[JollyHappy]

2. Can anyone, anywhere, tell me what Townsend provides ? Where I'm sat, he offers absolutely nothing except a lot of aimless running around, down dead ends usually before the inevitably appalling final decision consisting of one of the following: a crap shot, a crap cross or a loss of possession.

Have watch of the replay of our goal yesterday and then please let me know why you cannot see what Townsend contributed. As far as I can see, he took the ball from our box to theirs and then made the right pass to Adebayor. Or am I missing something?

 

[aRTy]

1. Why do we play with such an absurdly slow tempo ? Are we told to play this way ? It cannot be coincidence, surely ? We look slow, ineffective and generally clueless every week.

2. Can anyone, anywhere, tell me what Townsend provides ? Where I'm sat, he offers absolutely nothing except a lot of aimless running around, down dead ends usually before the inevitably appalling final decision consisting of one of the following: a crap shot, a crap cross or a loss of possession.

I can both sides of the Townsend argument of liking and not liking him. My brother doesn't like him much as he just see's aimless shots and selfishness of not passing. I see him as someone with potential. He adds pace and the ability to dribble passed 2-3 players but his decision making is pretty woeful. He needs to improve those to stay here.

 

[al_pacino]

1) Give the ball to the midfield > midfielder takes 3 touches to get the ball out of his feet > in the time it takes for him to get the ball under control all players are now marked and have to make new runs > repeat about 85% of the time.

2) Andros clearly has a lot to learn but lets see what he can do with some service(see point one). With some space or just one person in front of him he can get the ball to attacking areas very quickly and put the opposition on the back foot, he then just needs to produce more.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Pace of the game is dictated by the core of the side. We have Dembele and Paulinho there. Neither is good at pinging the ball around. Thus we have a shit tempo to all our play. It doesn't matter how fast your wingers are if they never get the ball in dangerous areas early enough.

Townsend was the one who drove us forward on the break for our goal. A lot to learn but he offers pace, directness and scares fullbacks

I think this is probably right but I'm not sure what we can do about it. We don't really have that player in the squad since Modric left.

I think Tim would like it to be Bentaleb, but he isn't cut out for that at this stage (and I don't think he's that sort of player anyway).

Eriksen has the passing ability but there are serious doubts about whether he can play central midfield in the Premier League.

Other than that I'm not sure who there is. Carroll and Holtby are both decent passers of the ball but were obviously deemed not good enough, and we didn't bring anyone in during the window.

Perhaps the best option is to put two midfielders alongside Eriksen and see if we can do the job with that bit of extra protection. So tell Paulinho and Sandro to just patrol the midfield and let Eriksen dictate play.

Maybe something like:

Lloris

Walker Kaboul Vertonghen Rose

Sandro Paulinho
Eriksen
Chadli ---------------Dembele
Adebayor​

 

[XSuicideBunnyX]

I have another question - is Harry Kane really a preferred attacking option ahead of Ericksen?

When we're winning a game, there's no player that wastes time like HarriKane - be it kicking the ball out of the park, getting played bad through balls and having to hold it up in the corner, or just generally not losing posession like those other strikers by passing the ball straight to the opposition keepers.

 

[Blackrat1299]

Great, more sneering, insulting put-downs of our own players when we've won.

With fans like these, who needs opponents?

Two points.

1. Are you really happy with the way our team is performing?

2. If you are not happy with people expressing their views here what the hell is this forum for?

If you don't like it, get Admin to lay down some ground rules.