Player Watch: Ryan Mason

[prawnsandwich]

That's worked well with Ade so far.
Soldado deserves a run.
If he doesn't come good with Eriksen and Lamela then we can look in the Jan window.
Saying Baldini should go. Seriously?
Eriksen, Lamela?

Ade is just recovering from malaria. Townsend and Lamela have been recovering from long term injuries. When 100% fit they will be doing the business.
I will disagree about Eriksen. His work rate and tackling have improved. He and Erik are still learning about the EPL as is Dier. All the guys mentioned will improve.
The only issue I have with Spurs at present is MoPo's home decisions.

Edit: Oh yeah, Mason-give him a start against the Arsenal. We will need quick balls out to quick players on the flanks.

 

[DaSpurs]

Might be a touch much to ask him to play against Woolwich from the start, but should defo be in the matchday squad.

For me, the most important attribute he brought to the team on Wednesday was his positioning. His starting point was 10-15 yards further up the field than Bentaleb?Stambouli/Capoue/Dembele. Having one player deep to offer a quick option to the centre backs is fine, but we have had two there - no triangle, just a rigid square which doesn't let us get anywhere.

Mason pushed further up so Bentaleb had to show for both centre backs, and was a clear pivot point for the attack (everyone knew Bentale was covering the central midfield position). This allowed Townsend to push further forward, the full backs to get right forward because the centre backs spread wider as NB could go as a third centre back if we got into trouble, Kane and Lamela could really roam forward, and because Mason was offering a threat 20-30 yards out, Kane was pushing up as a proper second striker, Soldado could roam from a centre spot without leaving no one upfront.


All because Mason had the courage and presence of mind to take a good starting position. To be honest, this shouldn't be something any other of our box to box midfielders (Dembele mainly, but add in Bentaleb and probably Stambouli from what I've seen) can't replicate but because of a variety of factors (Dembele - courage, Bentaleb - confidence, Stambouli - influence in a new side) they cant.

Great post, as it not only identifies spot on cause and effect in that match, but highlights why the quick forward passing is so integral to "propping up" Poch's system. So much of it was allowed to happen because of the quick movement of the ball, and the direction of it, that it allowed us to induce more of our own gameplan. We hardly even allowed Forest the chance to make an effort to get numbers forward and look for a second goal as the passing and movement simply had them pinned back. Yes, Forest was playing for the draw after conceding, but you'll note they could do nothing more even after we got the second.

 

[jezz]

Get him in the team.

I might get pelters for saying this but i want the team to have an English core tomorrow. I want Rose, i want Naughton, Townsend, Mason, Kane, i want players who above all are going to fight for the shirt tomorrow and know what this match means to the club fans etc. I know Naughton and Rose didnt come through the youth setup like the other 3 guys but they are the players in form in full back positions and deserve to play. Them being English and understanding the derby is another positive.

If we play all the out of form Carlos Kickaballs we are going to get turned over and comfortably too. However if we get turned over while playing our hearts out and battle with them until the end then i will be content. Because when i saw Mason, Townsend and Kanes celebrations against Notts Forest on Wednesday i saw how much wearing the Spurs shirt means to them all and lets face it, could it be any worse than seeing Adebayor and Capoue sauntering around like its a stroll in the park tomorrow while losing 5-2 again?

You might be happy playing you're British core.
The motto should be, If there good enough they play, I don't care where the come from.
If they come through the ranks then great.
But I'm not getting all sentimental because they came through the ranks.
If you think they would turn down a move if someone offered to double there wages, then your living on a different planet.
You play you're best team, if some of them are youngsters then great, if not then there not good enough.

 

[jezz]

Ade is just recovering from malaria. Townsend and Lamela have been recovering from long term injuries. When 100% fit they will be doing the business.
I will disagree about Eriksen. His work rate and tackling have improved. He and Erik are still learning about the EPL as is Dier. All the guys mentioned will improve.
The only issue I have with Spurs at present is MoPo's home decisions.

Edit: Oh yeah, Mason-give him a start against the Arsenal. We will need quick balls out to quick players on the flanks.

If Adès not fit he shouldn't play, I have a feeling he's saying he is fit.

 

[Time for Heroes]

You might be happy playing you're British core.
The motto should be, If there good enough they play, I don't care where the come from.
If they come through the ranks then great.
But I'm not getting all sentimental because they came through the ranks.
If you think they would turn down a move if someone offered to double there wages, then your living on a different planet.
You play you're best team, if some of them are youngsters then great, if not then there not good enough.

You completely missed the point as usual.

We need players who are going to fight and know what this match means, not fuckers who week in and week out show a complete lack of passion for the shirt.

Capoue, Paulinho, Adebayor may have all the talent in the world but there nonchalant and lazy approach to the game is not going to wash tomorrow.

 

[DaSpurs]

You might be happy playing you're British core.
The motto should be, If there good enough they play, I don't care where the come from.
If they come through the ranks then great.
But I'm not getting all sentimental because they came through the ranks.
If you think they would turn down a move if someone offered to double there wages, then your living on a different planet.
You play you're best team, if some of them are youngsters then great, if not then there not good enough.

It isn't about fans getting sentimental about them or that they even came through the academy (as the poster even points out by referring to Rose and Naughton), it's simply that these British players will inevitably have a firmer idea of what the club is and what it means to the fans. It's about giving a shit. I'd much, much rather throw a rookie in there such as Mason who grew up with the people of Tottenham and knows what this derby means to them rather than some Brazilian superstar who likely hadn't even heard of the club until his agent quoted a proposed wage, and his play for over a year has reflected it. Talent and passion can each only get one so far, and we're at a point to which one has to ask what's all this "talent" really for given the results, and then correspondingly whether we should be going in a different direction.

And again, I'm not English, so this isn't a xenophobic rant here.

 

[NEVILLEB]

That's worked well with Ade so far.
Soldado deserves a run.
If he doesn't come good with Eriksen and Lamela then we can look in the Jan window.
Saying Baldini should go. Seriously?
Eriksen, Lamela?

I like Eriksen and Lamela but he has to be judged on all the players he's brought in so far.

How many of the players brought in would have got in the team in Redknapp's last season?

We brought in players who weren't upto the standard and in the wrong places. Overloading on central midfielders whilst leaving us with one, inexperienced left back was stupid. A striker not suited to our style of play or even the Premier League.

 

[prawnsandwich]

If Adès not fit he shouldn't play, I have a feeling he's saying he is fit.

All the players mentioned are "fit" but not 100% fit enough for 2 x 90 minutes a week.

 

[DaSpurs]

I like Eriksen and Lamela but he has to be judged on all the players he's brought in so far.

How many of the players brought in would have got in the team in Redknapp's last season?

We brought in players who weren't upto the standard and in the wrong places. Overloading on central midfielders whilst leaving us with one, inexperienced left back was stupid. A striker not suited to our style of play or even the Premier League.

Also left the left wing inadequately addressed (Chadli wasn't enough while we stockpiled on the right), and those center mids were too similar.

But I don't think it's sufficient evidence to pin it all on Baldini and suggest the whole plan has failed. Baldini can bring in the players, but he can't get them to be bothered on a pitch.

 

[jezz]

You completely missed the point as usual.

We need players who are going to fight and know what this match means, not fuckers who week in and week out show a complete lack of passion for the shirt.

Capoue, Paulinho, Adebayor may have all the talent in the world but there nonchalant and lazy approach to the game is not going to wash tomorrow.

WEST HAM you mean this kind of mentality?
Ade I agree, the other's seriously?
Paul has hardly played.
Capoue, sorry i don't agree.

 

[jezz]

I like Eriksen and Lamela but he has to be judged on all the players he's brought in so far.

How many of the players brought in would have got in the team in Redknapp's last season?

We brought in players who weren't upto the standard and in the wrong places. Overloading on central midfielders whilst leaving us with one, inexperienced left back was stupid. A striker not suited to our style of play or even the Premier League.

Come the end of the season you could be right, after 5 game's this season you're judging far to early.
Left back?
Jan plays there, but yes I wish contrea would have signed.

 

[Luka Van der Bale]

You 'think'.

Let's hope so.

Soldado was an awful signing and showed that Baldini didn't understand the physicality of the Premier League.

Oversimplification at its finest.

 

[jezz]

It isn't about fans getting sentimental about them or that they even came through the academy (as the poster even points out by referring to Rose and Naughton), it's simply that these British players will inevitably have a firmer idea of what the club is and what it means to the fans. It's about giving a shit. I'd much, much rather throw a rookie in there such as Mason who grew up with the people of Tottenham and knows what this derby means to them rather than some Brazilian superstar who likely hadn't even heard of the club until his agent quoted a proposed wage, and his play for over a year has reflected it. Talent and passion can each only get one so far, and we're at a point to which one has to ask what's all this "talent" really for given the results, and then correspondingly whether we should be going in a different direction.

And again, I'm not English, so this isn't a xenophobic rant here.

Do you seriously think ozil sanchez, will give a shit?
Who said anything about Paul playing? You not me.
West ham was a far more rough and tumble, get stuck in game. We did ok in that one, with ten men.
Arsenal will not try to kick us off the park, they will try and play us off the park.
You play you're inform player's regardless of who the opponents are.
I would like to try and win the game, not get stuck in with a couple of British players.
Tim tried this last season and they mugged us off 3 0.
I'm English and want to win, not get mugged off because someone wants some British player to get stuck in.
I

 

[jezz]

Ade is just recovering from malaria. Townsend and Lamela have been recovering from long term injuries. When 100% fit they will be doing the business.
I will disagree about Eriksen. His work rate and tackling have improved. He and Erik are still learning about the EPL as is Dier. All the guys mentioned will improve.
The only issue I have with Spurs at present is MoPo's home decisions.

Edit: Oh yeah, Mason-give him a start against the Arsenal. We will need quick balls out to quick players on the flanks.

Huh?
I think you have read my post wrong.

 

[DaSpurs]

Do you seriously think ozil sanchez, will give a shit?
Who said anything about Paul playing? You not me.
West ham was a far more rough and tumble, get stuck in game. We did ok in that one, with ten men.
Arsenal will not try to kick us off the park, they will try and play us off the park.
You play you're inform player's regardless of who the opponents are.
I would like to try and win the game, not get stuck in with a couple of British players.
Tim tried this last season and they mugged us off 3 0.
I'm English and want to win, not get mugged off because someone wants some British player to get stuck in.
I

But this is running off the assumption talent trumps passion in every single case, and is a notion I cannot agree with.

Tim went to the Emirates with a 4-4-2 and a very toothless midfield, including an 18 year old who had received his competitive debut for us earlier that week. He didn't feel on the back of picking Englishmen, he simply went in with a poor plan altogether.

Arsenal's big names don't have to care because they have a) a set gameplan and b) overwhelming quality. They beat us in both of those categories, so as any tactician in any field would tell you, attempting to go toe to toe in this instance would simply be unwise. If an advantage is passion, especially when our "more talented" players are simply not getting it done anyway, then you field your advantage. If every battle over the course of history was directly fielding every strength against the same corresponding strength of the opposition, you and I very well could be speaking a different language right now, if even the same one.

Paulinho was an example, not a specific counterpoint.

 

[jezz]

But this is running off the assumption talent trumps passion in every single case, and is a notion I cannot agree with.

Tim went to the Emirates with a 4-4-2 and a very toothless midfield, including an 18 year old who had received his competitive debut for us earlier that week. He didn't feel on the back of picking Englishmen, he simply went in with a poor plan altogether.

Arsenal's big names don't have to care because they have a) a set gameplan and b) overwhelming quality. They beat us in both of those categories, so as any tactician in any field would tell you, attempting to go toe to toe in this instance would simply be unwise. If an advantage is passion, especially when our "more talented" players are simply not getting it done anyway, then you field your advantage. If every battle over the course of history was directly fielding every strength against the same corresponding strength of the opposition, you and I very well could be speaking a different language right now, if even the same one.

Paulinho was an example, not a specific counterpoint.

The old saying goes, if you can't beat them, join them.
They are weak defensively.
Play the high press and they won't cope.
Play like the QPR and Sunderland games, we have a chance.
Going up there to get in there faces, we will lose I guarantee it.
They will play round us and we will get mugged off.

 

[Time for Heroes]

The old saying goes, if you can't beat them, join them.
They are weak defensively.
Play the high press and they won't cope.
Play like the QPR and Sunderland games, we have a chance.
Going up there to get in there faces, we will lose I guarantee it.
They will play round us and we will get mugged off.

Contradicting yourself. The high press is effectively pressurising them and 'getting in there faces'.

 

[Metalhead]

The Majority of Spurs fans think Arsenal will stuff us no matter what team we put out. The majority of Spurs fans also think Mason shouldn't start against Arsenal because he will get slaughtered.

Lets play him and see what he can do. He has been at Spurs since he was 8 and played Arsenal many times at youth level so one thing he will not lack is heart. Also he will be up against Ozil, Ramsey and Arteta, so it's not like he will be physically dominated. A intelligent, technically gifted player with heart could be exactly what we need against them.

Also, it would send a message yo the other squad and Youth players that you impress, you will get a chance in the first team.

From an individual player point of view, I would go for Stambouli & Mason in the center but as their partnership looked good in pre-season, Capoue & Mason would probably be the better choice. That said, with Eriksen's lack of form, I would be tempted to switch to 4-3-3 and have a mid 3 of Stambouli, Mason and Capoue.

I wouldn't mind Mason announcing himself like Rose did although that goal that Rose scored was a one in a million.

 

[kremlyn]

You might be happy playing you're British core.
The motto should be, If there good enough they play, I don't care where the come from.
If they come through the ranks then great.
But I'm not getting all sentimental because they came through the ranks.
If you think they would turn down a move if someone offered to double there wages, then your living on a different planet.
You play you're best team, if some of them are youngsters then great, if not then there not good enough.

Good ponts. Terrible grammar an spilleng.

 

[DaSpurs]

The old saying goes, if you can't beat them, join them.
They are weak defensively.
Play the high press and they won't cope.
Play like the QPR and Sunderland games, we have a chance.
Going up there to get in there faces, we will lose I guarantee it.
They will play round us and we will get mugged off.

Except I don't want to join them in any manner, I wish to beat them. As another saying goes, by Sun Tzu in the timeless The Art of War, "So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak." Attempting to take them on with pace and quality given the respective squads is most likely not a plan set up to be successful.

They'll play "round us" if we field three, or even two, of our lethargic big fellas in a holding two as we've done against them since last season. We have no one with his ballplay, passing, and movement in deep positions who can pin them back and force them to alter their game, so we do nothing but allow them to come at us with quick, skillful, determined numbers. A player willing to push them back, possibly on the back of a bit of extra passion, is precisely what we need.

I'll say it again, but the Sunderland and QPR games really weren't all that impressive in some regards. The QPR game featured great opening up of easily exposed places and some clinical finishing, but our passing really wasn't any better or even different. In the Sunderland game, we created a plethora of chances but very few ones of genuine quality on the ground, and our midfield continued to be extremely horizontal and lacking in incision in their passing.

We need abrupt, immediate change; because the assured, experienced talent simply isn't getting it done.