Limp defending

[g_harry]

Our defence is shocking and not just our four defenders but the team as a whole.

I have stated this before that our players dont seem to know how to tackle or get stuck in, always backing out of challenges and 50-50 situations.

Again another shot from outside the box has beaten us, but as usual our players turn away fron the ball when it is struck. If malbranque had not of pulled out and stood up to young coming, young would not have has a strike on goal. This is not bad luck as some people say. If you look at the majority of goals conceded from outside the box 80% if the time if the player blocking was brave enough the shot woulf have been stoped/block/ deflected.

This needs to be adressed immediatley.

:bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

 

[PT]

And Ramos will have identified this scenario, as well as the statistic that we have dropped points in the dying moments of a game five times this season and plenty last season too.

Be patient my fellow yid!!

 

[SpurSince57]

I honestly hadn't noticed this.

 

[g_harry]

Again Zokora turning his back on a shot he could have blocked if he had been man enough to face the ball. Chimbonda also guilty of this for cross which forsell hit the bar. Need to stop playing like a bunch of girls.

 

[Paxtonite]

Again Zokora turning his back on a shot he could have blocked if he had been man enough to face the ball. Chimbonda also guilty of this for cross which forsell hit the bar. Need to stop playing like a bunch of girls.

Zokora bashing on these boards is too easy isn't it? He was too far away to get a decent block in and to my mind he is a better defeder than both Dawson and Kaboul and he showed that recently.

There are basic defending errors happening at the moment because the players think that they are better than they are.

Birmingham's penalty came because we once again lost the ball needlessly in their half (Keane the culprit), for the third goal Berbatov got caught out and there was no other spurs player near enough to cover the lost posession. Their second goal was ridiculous too. Almost in slow motion. Dawson was once again woefully exposed and made a desperate lunge after being the wrong side of the attacker. He should have stayed on his feet and chased the guy.

There are too many poor choices being made by players all over the pitch. Posession is needlessly lost at times and the gaping gaps in midfield and defence are inviting trouble. Players need to be closer to each other defensively.

As for the long shots, we could have a dvd of greatest goals against us these last couple of season (yes the rot started last season - Campo, Barry, Baines to name a few). This is down to the midfielders to get themselves in the way and close down and we do not have the midfielders to do that.

Hudd, for all his presence, can ping a pass but he is cumbersome when tracking back. Steed is the most improved player in the side in my opinion but he lost his impact in the game in the second half.

Anyway i digress. The point is we give posession away cheaply; the defence is poor positionally (i don't think Dawson is the player everybody thought he was and Kaboul is having a nightmare start to the Prem); the midfield doesn't give enough cover and the forwards are not holding the ball up as well as previous seasons.

Complacency has crept into our squad this year after two 5th place finishes. I reckon they only felt that they had to turn up yeaterday to win (as they did against Sunderland for example) and whilst i think we would have won the game yesterday had Keane stayed on the pitch, we would make life so much simpler if we kept clean sheets.

The problem runs deep and we need to get back to basics and survive this season somewhere in mid table if possible and try and win a cup if we are lucky enough to do so.

 

[AngerManagement]

Dawson and Zokora's attempts to hault Jerome before he equalised were foeful. BErbatove should have cleared the ball away before being dispossed resulting in the winner (as well he should have put the game to bed a 3-1 when he hit the post)

We look good at times, but we are very disjointed and we lack fight and spirit when things are going against us at times.

I think we do need some experience to be brought in, someone who can solidify the indviduals into a team. I have faith Ramos will have us playing as we should before long, we do surely need some wise investments in key areas in jan however.