Bus-Conductor
SC Supporter
- Oct 19, 2004
- 39,837
- 50,713
We Lost the Possession
Not in the pure us v them way. But in a more literal us v us way. Around this time last season (or a couple of weeks earlier) we were at home to an Arsenal team that was 11 points and two places better than us. We had a similar amount of the ball (54% compared to this years 55%), but within these very bare, similar looking possession stats lies a multitude of sins that go some way to explain why we drew this game and won last years.
Last years game was also a ferocious affair, we set about them with a verve not previously seen by many Spurs fans of any Spurs team, but last year there was a slightly subtly different set up. Last year our CM2 was Mason and Bentaleb. Dier and Dembele were both in the team, but one was as CB the other as ACM. And in those subtle positional differences can be found the marginal differences that I think made 1 point today, three points last season. Despite having 1% more possession this year than last year, we actually made 64 less passes (last year 377 of 482 this year 313 of 420). The CM2 last year made 107 successful passes last year, the CM2 this year made 76. The attacking 4 last year made 115 successful passes, the front 4 this year made 94.
And lets put this into context again, last year we were playing 11 men who were 11 points better than us, this year 10 men and 3 points behind us. Also, the team put out today was the vast majority of SC's dream team. The Dier, Dembele, Alli triangle of terror. Well for me this was a triangle of trundle.
No one can fault the work rate, tenacity and endeavour of this team. But we drew this game because we frittered away possession carelessly and needlessly continually. Both their goals began from Alli frittering away possession instead of just doing the simple composed thing. And he was, of course, not alone.
There was a 30 minute spell between maybe the 10th and 40th minutes when Dembele's composure on the ball was actually very good and like an oasis of calm amidst the mayhem of everything else that was going on around him, but before and after that he completely disappeared. I still probably would have had Dier off before him because Dier was starting to look like a turtle in a windsock and should have been sent off, but neither of these two had good second halves, neither showed enough for the ball (Dembele - 35 - made less successful passes than Eriksen - 36 - and everyone was slaughtering Eriksen in the match thread and no doubt will be in here) and when we needed to exert some control over the game in the second half, calm it down, especially at 2-1 up, these two just went missing in action, set no tempo, showed no leadership. We needed to just keep the ball, knock it around, sideways, backwards, sideways, whatever, get Arsenal just chasing the ball, instead we had the forward/AM's just frittering away possession, the full backs continually just whacking the fucking ball to oblivion or the in Walker's case, the first opponent he could see, and we had two CM's exerting no passing tempo or control of the game when it was needed - and this was in complete contrast to the control Bentaleb's cool head and Mason exerted last year.
People like @mpickard2087 and myself have continually highlighted how we have continually miss managed phases of games, particularly that 60-90 minute phase. That sometimes possession is a better way of defending than just defending. Dier shrinks backwards into the CB line almost, and he drags the team back with him, the game, instead of being condensed, becomes very spread out, it becomes two zones - attack and defence - there is no longer the conduit of a dynamic midfield connecting the two, showing and recycling, and the game starts going from and end to end and becomes a bit of a lottery. We have seen this recently in games like Watford (also against ten men), Palace and ManC. But going back over the season other points were thrown away against Stoke, Arsenal away, Newcastle etc. There are times when pointless possession is anything but, at 2-1 with 20 minutes to go against ten men we should just be knocking it around, taking the sting out of the game, not turning the game into an end to end slug fest.
The bottom line for me, is that it is always dangerous to judge everything purely by results alone. There have been lots of things right this season. These last two games don't change that. We rarely get bettered for endeavour anymore, we've only been properly worked over once or twice all season (by West Ham for 45 minutes wednesday and Stoke for 45 earlier in the season). We compete and stand and and be counted in every game we play. Our young team plays without fear.
We didn't deserve to lose today, and if we'd won the game it wouldn't have been a travesty either, but what happened today is what's happened against other teams recently and we've gotten away with it. But today we were punished and in the end could just as easily lost the game as won it. And it wouldn't have been because overall we were bettered, it would have been because Pochettino has this 60-90 minute twighlight zone, where the game management goes awol, and this must be addressed. It was his teams achiles heel at Southampton too. Time must be spent on the training ground figuring this out.
I really don't think Dier and Dembele is the best combo for a CM to achieve this. I really think we are missing what Bentaleb brought last season. That dynamic, 90 minute, box to box connecting, ball recycling capability. And I think some games, not all, we would really benefit from having Dembele's calm, composure in the attacking midfield, to balance off some of the careless bumbling of the likes of Alli, Kane, Son, Lamela.
We failed to win this game IMO, because we didn't look after the ball well enough when it mattered.
Individual
Lloris - Fuck all to do really, unlucky with the second, seemed a bit flat footed on the first.
Walker - Really terrible going forward most of the time and a couple of really Walkeresque moments defensively, in between he was OK.
Alderweireld - Good game
Wimmer - Good game, great last ditch challenge at the end saves a possible defeat.
Rose - Credit for effort and getting himself into some great positions but just about fucked all of them away with carelessness.
Dier - Really struggled to exert any control. Very lucky not to get sent off. Second poor game in a week.
Dembele - Apart from a good 30 minute spell first half was very ineffective.
Eriksen - Really struggled to exert his usual composed influence in the ferocious malaise that this game was for the most part, definitely not great today, but still managed to see more ball than Dembele and nearly as much as Dier and nearly twice as much as all the other forward players.
Alli - A really poor game today when we were in possession. It was his fumbling up of possession, something he did all game, which led to both their goals and he just lacked composure all game. Should have been hooked.
Lamela - Was having a really good first half, pressing ferociously, winning the ball and very involved, if still ultimately, like others, wasting some great situations, but a stupid yellow meant he now had to play within himself and was the right first sub.
Kane - A wonderful goal aside, was very poor. First half, along with Alli, he was the worst culprit for failing to control the ball and hold it and make the right next move.
Not in the pure us v them way. But in a more literal us v us way. Around this time last season (or a couple of weeks earlier) we were at home to an Arsenal team that was 11 points and two places better than us. We had a similar amount of the ball (54% compared to this years 55%), but within these very bare, similar looking possession stats lies a multitude of sins that go some way to explain why we drew this game and won last years.
Last years game was also a ferocious affair, we set about them with a verve not previously seen by many Spurs fans of any Spurs team, but last year there was a slightly subtly different set up. Last year our CM2 was Mason and Bentaleb. Dier and Dembele were both in the team, but one was as CB the other as ACM. And in those subtle positional differences can be found the marginal differences that I think made 1 point today, three points last season. Despite having 1% more possession this year than last year, we actually made 64 less passes (last year 377 of 482 this year 313 of 420). The CM2 last year made 107 successful passes last year, the CM2 this year made 76. The attacking 4 last year made 115 successful passes, the front 4 this year made 94.
And lets put this into context again, last year we were playing 11 men who were 11 points better than us, this year 10 men and 3 points behind us. Also, the team put out today was the vast majority of SC's dream team. The Dier, Dembele, Alli triangle of terror. Well for me this was a triangle of trundle.
No one can fault the work rate, tenacity and endeavour of this team. But we drew this game because we frittered away possession carelessly and needlessly continually. Both their goals began from Alli frittering away possession instead of just doing the simple composed thing. And he was, of course, not alone.
There was a 30 minute spell between maybe the 10th and 40th minutes when Dembele's composure on the ball was actually very good and like an oasis of calm amidst the mayhem of everything else that was going on around him, but before and after that he completely disappeared. I still probably would have had Dier off before him because Dier was starting to look like a turtle in a windsock and should have been sent off, but neither of these two had good second halves, neither showed enough for the ball (Dembele - 35 - made less successful passes than Eriksen - 36 - and everyone was slaughtering Eriksen in the match thread and no doubt will be in here) and when we needed to exert some control over the game in the second half, calm it down, especially at 2-1 up, these two just went missing in action, set no tempo, showed no leadership. We needed to just keep the ball, knock it around, sideways, backwards, sideways, whatever, get Arsenal just chasing the ball, instead we had the forward/AM's just frittering away possession, the full backs continually just whacking the fucking ball to oblivion or the in Walker's case, the first opponent he could see, and we had two CM's exerting no passing tempo or control of the game when it was needed - and this was in complete contrast to the control Bentaleb's cool head and Mason exerted last year.
People like @mpickard2087 and myself have continually highlighted how we have continually miss managed phases of games, particularly that 60-90 minute phase. That sometimes possession is a better way of defending than just defending. Dier shrinks backwards into the CB line almost, and he drags the team back with him, the game, instead of being condensed, becomes very spread out, it becomes two zones - attack and defence - there is no longer the conduit of a dynamic midfield connecting the two, showing and recycling, and the game starts going from and end to end and becomes a bit of a lottery. We have seen this recently in games like Watford (also against ten men), Palace and ManC. But going back over the season other points were thrown away against Stoke, Arsenal away, Newcastle etc. There are times when pointless possession is anything but, at 2-1 with 20 minutes to go against ten men we should just be knocking it around, taking the sting out of the game, not turning the game into an end to end slug fest.
The bottom line for me, is that it is always dangerous to judge everything purely by results alone. There have been lots of things right this season. These last two games don't change that. We rarely get bettered for endeavour anymore, we've only been properly worked over once or twice all season (by West Ham for 45 minutes wednesday and Stoke for 45 earlier in the season). We compete and stand and and be counted in every game we play. Our young team plays without fear.
We didn't deserve to lose today, and if we'd won the game it wouldn't have been a travesty either, but what happened today is what's happened against other teams recently and we've gotten away with it. But today we were punished and in the end could just as easily lost the game as won it. And it wouldn't have been because overall we were bettered, it would have been because Pochettino has this 60-90 minute twighlight zone, where the game management goes awol, and this must be addressed. It was his teams achiles heel at Southampton too. Time must be spent on the training ground figuring this out.
I really don't think Dier and Dembele is the best combo for a CM to achieve this. I really think we are missing what Bentaleb brought last season. That dynamic, 90 minute, box to box connecting, ball recycling capability. And I think some games, not all, we would really benefit from having Dembele's calm, composure in the attacking midfield, to balance off some of the careless bumbling of the likes of Alli, Kane, Son, Lamela.
We failed to win this game IMO, because we didn't look after the ball well enough when it mattered.
Individual
Lloris - Fuck all to do really, unlucky with the second, seemed a bit flat footed on the first.
Walker - Really terrible going forward most of the time and a couple of really Walkeresque moments defensively, in between he was OK.
Alderweireld - Good game
Wimmer - Good game, great last ditch challenge at the end saves a possible defeat.
Rose - Credit for effort and getting himself into some great positions but just about fucked all of them away with carelessness.
Dier - Really struggled to exert any control. Very lucky not to get sent off. Second poor game in a week.
Dembele - Apart from a good 30 minute spell first half was very ineffective.
Eriksen - Really struggled to exert his usual composed influence in the ferocious malaise that this game was for the most part, definitely not great today, but still managed to see more ball than Dembele and nearly as much as Dier and nearly twice as much as all the other forward players.
Alli - A really poor game today when we were in possession. It was his fumbling up of possession, something he did all game, which led to both their goals and he just lacked composure all game. Should have been hooked.
Lamela - Was having a really good first half, pressing ferociously, winning the ball and very involved, if still ultimately, like others, wasting some great situations, but a stupid yellow meant he now had to play within himself and was the right first sub.
Kane - A wonderful goal aside, was very poor. First half, along with Alli, he was the worst culprit for failing to control the ball and hold it and make the right next move.
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