Our style of play

[Gaz_Gammon]

This is unnecessarily negative and saying that players like Eriksen, Alli and Son aren't game changers is daft (albeit I'd like to see Lamela back in to offer a bit more guile).

I think the issue is that these players aren't getting the ball in positions where they can make a difference.

As you say there is a lot of passing that is going nowhere in our midfield, meaning those players don't get the ball quickly enough and when they do they are crowded out.

We need to get the ball forwards quicker from midfield, as we did quite well against CSKA, and then the likes of Eriksen will have more time and space to make things happen.

Unfortunately we don't have the midfielders to do this other than Winks at the moment. If Poch isn't going to trust Winks, then he needs to address this in January.

Other than that I don't think there's too much to panic about. Our defence is decent, we've got a great striker and some quality players. We just need to knit them together with a decent midfield.

I think the issue is that these players aren't getting the ball in positions where they can make a difference.

I am lost for an answer to that quite incredible assessment. All three players behind Kane are not getting the ball teed up for them. They are being played to be the creativity, not to have the ball served up on a plate for them!

We need to get the ball forwards quicker from midfield, as we did quite well against CSKA, and then the likes of Eriksen will have more time and space to make things happen.

Eriksen excels against weak sides, that much is obvious. Against the better sides he goes missing, that much is undeniable. Using CSKA as an example of how to exploit a team is plain daft, i mean i could have picked eleven players in that crowd on the night that would have run CSKA close.

Not being negative as you have stated but those three have played far too many games producing the same result, and Sunday proved it once and for all that collectively they offer very, very little against better sides.

 

[rocklink]

Eriksen has always been overrated since his youth days... he doesnt have the ability of coutinho, firmino, mata or ozil

 

[philip]

Where is Lamela and when is he back? We look impotent without him

 

[double0]

Where is Lamela and when is he back? We look impotent without him

By his brother side apparently who's sick in hospital.

 

[kungfugrip]

Eriksen has always been overrated since his youth days... he doesnt have the ability of coutinho, firmino, mata or ozil

Can't agree with this at all. Last year Eriksen had 16 assists in the league. Coutinho had 6. In fact the most assists Coutinho has ever had is 7. I think has more ability than anyone else in the squad to be honest.

 

[yankspurs]

Our style of play is AVB mark II but its worse. Why? Because under AVB, he was masking a horribly leaky defense so it had a purpose. Under Poch, its like we're stuck in the middle of philosophies where the manager has no clue what he wants to do so we are resigned to AVB ball. We dont press whatsoever now, and we dont want to go defensive so where stuck in the middle of 2 contrasting philosophies looking more like a poor mans tiki taka than a decent footballing side every day since Poch doesnt realize there are more ways to play the game besides pressing, tiki taka and a pragmatically defensive approach.

 

[yankspurs]

By his brother side apparently who's sick in hospital.

He's back in England now aiming to play again before the new year. If he is ready, I think we should give him time in a closed door friendly/ youth game like 4 or 5 days before the Saints game then start him vs Saints. We need him on the field ASAP.

 

[alfie103]

Our style of play is AVB mark II but its worse. Why? Because under AVB, he was masking a horribly leaky defense so it had a purpose. Under Poch, its like we're stuck in the middle of philosophies where the manager has no clue what he wants to do so we are resigned to AVB ball. We dont press whatsoever now, and we dont want to go defensive so where stuck in the middle of 2 contrasting philosophies looking more like a poor mans tiki taka than a decent footballing side every day since Poch doesnt realize there are more ways to play the game besides pressing, tiki taka and a pragmatically defensive approach.

You should phone him up and tell what's wrong.

 

[Charly***]

Last season we were solid to start with but our attacking play took a while to get going. It was the Sunderland game when the first shoots appeared with Mason's goal. It was a nice move with some good passes but more importantly great movement. Both Mason & Lamela made decent passes but as soon as they'd done so they got on their bikes and broke through the lines rather than the static play we're seeing at the moment. It's that kind of movement with third man runs that gives rise to the kind of scintillating football we saw at times last season. At the time Poch said that's exactly the kind of football he wants us to play.

But that took weeks of playing largely the same players for them to build up that kind of understanding & that's been harder to do this year with an interrupted preseason and key players on the treatment table.

Until we get into the new stadium and can afford top individual talent we'll have to rely on good teamwork more than than individual talent to pick the lock.

In the meantime as a few on here have said Dier probably gives rise to better attacking play than Wanyama, even though Victors played well for us. Dier dwells on the ball less and passes forward quicker & more frequently. Before the opposition get set. Likewise Winks vs Dembele.

We still suffer from a lack of balance in the three behind the striker. We miss Lamela because he adds variation, he can play the passes but also makes runs beyond the striker & between the lines in midfield. Son makes runs in behind but he's too inconsistent & looks more of an impact player than someone you can rely on to perform week in week out. Alli does make these runs in behind but his finishing hasn't been up to it so far and he needs to stop flicking the ball all the time, but he will get there. Eriksen gets criticised a lot for not doing enough or for playing too safe but if we had more movement around him with runs in behind he'd find things a lot easier.

Poch clearly wants players with better movement in the three. Sons the most effective we've got so far but he's still a way off what we need.

 

[Disconosebleed]

Our style of play is AVB mark II but its worse. Why? Because under AVB, he was masking a horribly leaky defense so it had a purpose. Under Poch, its like we're stuck in the middle of philosophies where the manager has no clue what he wants to do so we are resigned to AVB ball. We dont press whatsoever now, and we dont want to go defensive so where stuck in the middle of 2 contrasting philosophies looking more like a poor mans tiki taka than a decent footballing side every day since Poch doesnt realize there are more ways to play the game besides pressing, tiki taka and a pragmatically defensive approach.

You talk so much shite it's actually quite difficult to believe you're serious. If you are a wind-up, credit to you for the dedication required to spend so long on this forum purely so that 17,000 posts later people will take your bafflingly wayward analysis at face value.

 

[yankspurs]

Last season we were solid to start with but our attacking play took a while to get going. It was the Sunderland game when the first shoots appeared with Mason's goal. It was a nice move with some good passes but more importantly great movement. Both Mason & Lamela made decent passes but as soon as they'd done so they got on their bikes and broke through the lines rather than the static play we're seeing at the moment. It's that kind of movement with third man runs that gives rise to the kind of scintillating football we saw at times last season. At the time Poch said that's exactly the kind of football he wants us to play.

But that took weeks of playing largely the same players for them to build up that kind of understanding & that's been harder to do this year with an interrupted preseason and key players on the treatment table.

Until we get into the new stadium and can afford top individual talent we'll have to rely on good teamwork more than than individual talent to pick the lock.

In the meantime as a few on here have said Dier probably gives rise to better attacking play than Wanyama, even though Victors played well for us. Dier dwells on the ball less and passes forward quicker & more frequently. Before the opposition get set. Likewise Winks vs Dembele.

We still suffer from a lack of balance in the three behind the striker. We miss Lamela because he adds variation, he can play the passes but also makes runs beyond the striker & between the lines in midfield. Son makes runs in behind but he's too inconsistent & looks more of an impact player than someone you can rely on to perform week in week out. Alli does make these runs in behind but his finishing hasn't been up to it so far and he needs to stop flicking the ball all the time, but he will get there. Eriksen gets criticised a lot for not doing enough or for playing too safe but if we had more movement around him with runs in behind he'd find things a lot easier.

Poch clearly wants players with better movement in the three. Sons the most effective we've got so far but he's still a way off what we need.

We've rarely seen any movement in the AM3 in Poch's time here though. We look good when we press high up the pitch and win the ball back making them play on the back foot in transition. Last season, we pressed very well and it masked the lack of movement. This season we arent pressing so it is being magnified.

 

[Charly***]

We've rarely seen any movement in the AM3 in Poch's time here though. We look good when we press high up the pitch and win the ball back making them play on the back foot in transition. Last season, we pressed very well and it masked the lack of movement. This season we arent pressing so it is being magnified.

I'm not sure whether we're deliberately not pressing as opposed to not being allowed to press. When sides play out from the back like City we're all over it. But by pressing us, or not playing out from the back, or making the pitch as big as possible, or overloading our fullbacks, our opponents have stopped us getting the press going.

 

[PMS]

A V B

 

[double0]

Our style of play is AVB mark II but its worse. Why? Because under AVB, he was masking a horribly leaky defense so it had a purpose. Under Poch, its like we're stuck in the middle of philosophies where the manager has no clue what he wants to do so we are resigned to AVB ball. We dont press whatsoever now, and we dont want to go defensive so where stuck in the middle of 2 contrasting philosophies looking more like a poor mans tiki taka than a decent footballing side every day since Poch doesnt realize there are more ways to play the game besides pressing, tiki taka and a pragmatically defensive approach.

Be sensible. under AVB we were getting smashed 3,4,5,6 nil by teams and even with Bale in the team

 

[adamsky]

The problem this season has mainly been Alli and Eriksen have not performed to their potential. They have both had some good games but not consistently and we rely so much on them to carry an attacking threat.

I generally find that if either of those two have a good game then we invariably win and look good.

 

[Kiedis]

Be sensible. under AVB we were getting smashed 3,4,5,6 nil by teams and even with Bale in the team

That's not correct. In his first season, we took some time to get settled, but our biggest loss was 2-5 versus Arsenal and 2-4 versus Chelsea fairly early in the seson. From november and outwards, we we're a good team defensively.
It was the season after that the wheels truly came off With the 6-0 loss at City and the 0-5 against Liverpool.
But it's not really important...

 

[YiddoTom90]

Shouldve bought wisely in the summer, not panic. Same will likely be said this time next year.

 

[double0]

That's not correct. In his first season, we took some time to get settled, but our biggest loss was 2-5 versus Arsenal and 2-4 versus Chelsea fairly early in the seson. From november and outwards, we we're a good team defensively.
It was the season after that the wheels truly came off With the 6-0 loss at City and the 0-5 against Liverpool.
But it's not really important...

Whats not correct. You've just said we got smashed with the score lines I mentioned. please read what I said and then what you wrote.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

Whats not correct. You've just said we got smashed with the score lines I mentioned. please read what I said and then what you wrote.

Gareth Bale had gone when we started getting twatted.

 

[St José Dominguez]

Is it possible Wanyama (who's been great) isn't the problem but it's the guy playing next to him?
Aside from Arsenal away I think Dembele has been a shadow of last season. His form last season was absolutely key to how we played.

That mixed with Eriksen and Deles dreadful seasons so far is what our problem is (plus we simply don't look as energetic as we did last year).