Ratings vs Chelsea in Capital Cup final

[Bus-Conductor]

For the second goal, there was some very half arsed pressing from Chadli. Fabregas was in acres of space-I don't know who was at fault for that. Bentaleb only waved a foot at him but how Costa could beat Walker with a shift and shoot, I'm fucked if I know. If it was Hazard, I could understand it.

EDIT: I think Townsend was dozing. And you are right about Walker making a mess of our defensive line ever before Fabregas received the ball.

Terrible attempt at a headed clearance by Rose for the first goal into the worst possible area but we were silly not to pick up the likes of Terry anyway. Dier didn't exactly put his body on the line with his attempted block.

Whats your take on the game JH ?

 

[Main Man]

Just looking at that first goal again, why is Danny Rose even stood where he is. He should be where Bentaleb is directly behind and then Bentaleb can pick up the spare man on the edge of the box. The spare man they found twice direct from corners incidentally.

Sunday League stuff it really is. Yet I see such set ups on set pieces still week in week out.

 

[Main Man]

i counted three other v dangerous set pieces with ivanovic making the same looping run with only bentaleb i think who reacted, late, to the danger. this looks like tactics from them, as opposedcto none from us. although we whipped in several good balls in the second half which just didnt fall for us.

We operate a zonal system that doesn't defend the back post!?! You couldn't make this stuff up.

It was a clear tactic from them as you say, but we didn't adapt and that is why I have huge reservations about Poch.

I can't think of a game or situation where he has changed tactics or philosophy which has resulted in a change for the better. Can you?

 

[Bus-Conductor]

View attachment 17927

Not the clearest screenshot, but only one of three players had to communicate effectively and that free kick would have been dealt with such ease.

Maybe one of them did shout but Danny Rose just ignored him (which is highly likely).

Either way, a terribly defended goal all round. Eight outfield players and a keeper vs 5. Plain embarrassing.

Yeah, that really doesn't look like the best zonal marking you'll ever see. Looks more like a fucking line dance.

 

[jonathanhotspur]

Whats your take on the game JH ?

I'm going out the door to work now, BC. Catch you later.

 

[Main Man]

People underestimated Fiorentina and everybody believed them- it was never an easy tie. No defence for the Leicester defeat though, that was shocking.

I didn't underestimate Fiorentina whatsoever. I actually expected a far tougher test than what they gave us.

Over two legs I thought they were bang average and in both games we showed at times our complete superiority over them.

Besiktas were certainly a far more impressive opponent than Fiorentina were imo.

 

[mpickard2087]

View attachment 17927

Not the clearest screenshot, but only one of three players had to communicate effectively and that free kick would have been dealt with such ease.

Maybe one of them did shout but Danny Rose just ignored him (which is highly likely).

Either way, a terribly defended goal all round. Eight outfield players and a keeper vs 5. Plain embarrassing.

A handy screenshot actually, because I think that just shows that it was a case of 'too many cooks'. We have seven players in a line, and almost between the widths of the post. I really don't see what the point or thinking of that was, you could lose at least three of those out of 'the line' for starters... I think that's just asking for what happened, because they are so close together you instinctively get two going for the same ball, another (Dier) then unable to react quick enough as it comes flying through/over a number of bodies (may have been better sighted if we had less bodies in there), and then it dropping into dangerous, unattended space.

Its all with the benefit of hindsight, but it doesn't look clever.

 

[Main Man]

A handy screenshot actually, because I think that just shows that it was a case of 'too many cooks'. We have seven players in a line, and almost between the widths of the post. I really don't see what the point or thinking of that was, you could lose at least three of those out of 'the line' for starters... I think that's just asking for what happened, because they are so close together you instinctively get two going for the same ball, another (Dier) then unable to react quick enough as it comes flying through/over a number of bodies (may have been better sighted if we had less bodies in there), and then it dropping into dangerous, unattended space.

Its all with the benefit of hindsight, but it doesn't look clever.

It is with the benefit of hindsight, but all set pieces ultimately end with the same result - the ball ends in a 'danger area'. And zonal marking specifically accommodates for this, but ours doesn't seemingly.

Rose in this instance is a complete waste stood there and Bentaleb (or specifcally our centre backs, and maybe even our Captain Lloris) should take responsibility and say "Danny, we don't need you there. Go and do (whatever)"

Why didn't that happen? Why does that never happen? I am not saying Michael Dawson should have stayed (thats a whole different argument), but would he in that position have allowed us to set up like that?

It beggars belief that an ex-international central defender (and I am assuming a pretty good one at that) see's this way of defending as the way forward.

Defending set pieces are fundamental to any team irrespective of where they want to finish, and I do not see how we can possibly ever finish in the top four defending this way.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

It is with the benefit of hindsight, but all set pieces ultimately end with the same result - the ball ends in a 'danger area'. And zonal marking specifically accommodates for this, but ours doesn't seemingly.

Rose in this instance is a complete waste stood there and Bentaleb (or specifcally our centre backs, and maybe even our Captain Lloris) should take responsibility and say "Danny, we don't need you there. Go and do (whatever)"

Why didn't that happen? Why does that never happen? I am not saying Michael Dawson should have stayed (thats a whole different argument), but would he in that position have allowed us to set up like that?

It beggars belief that an ex-international central defender (and I am assuming a pretty good one at that) see's this way of defending as the way forward.

Defending set pieces are fundamental to any team irrespective of where they want to finish, and I do not see how we can possibly ever finish in the top four defending this way.

Dawson was atrocious at set pieces.

I don't think we have been bad at them this year in general have we ? I wasn't even aware we'd switched to a purely zonal system until Sunday. Even other set pieces that day didn't look so flat as that line looked for the goal. It was like a fucking post office queue.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

I can't think of a game or situation where he has changed tactics or philosophy which has resulted in a change for the better. Can you?

I'm pretty sure he has changed to a bastardised 442 switched Eriksen into central midifeld which has given him space to run onto the ball from deep and score late winners?

 

[Main Man]

I'm pretty sure he has changed to a bastardised 442 switched Eriksen into central midifeld which has given him space to run onto the ball from deep and score late winners?

Yes I have heard this before but whenever I have watched games back having two upfront has never proven to be reality.

Soldado coming on just results in Kane dropping deeper (too deep) whilst Eriksen seems to just take responsibility imo rather than doing what Phe is told imo.

 

[Main Man]

Dawson was atrocious at set pieces.

I don't think we have been bad at them this year in general have we ? I wasn't even aware we'd switched to a purely zonal system until Sunday. Even other set pieces that day didn't look so flat as that line looked for the goal. It was like a fucking post office queue.

Set pieces is my biggest bug bear and I can assure you defensively we have been absolutely horrific on set pieces all season. Offensively we have been just as bad, but that has all been smoked over by Eriksen's brilliance when striking direct at goal - his corners incidentally are consistenly poor and don't beat the first man, although I have noticed an improvement from both him and Lamela in this respect since Xmas.

Your criticism of Dawson is unfair and completely unjust too. He had/has many faults, but his organisational skills on set pieces inparticular wasn't one of them.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Set pieces is my biggest bug bear and I can assure you defensively we have been absolutely horrific on set pieces all season. Offensively we have been just as bad, but that has all been smoked over by Eriksen's brilliance when striking direct at goal - his corners incidentally are consistenly poor and don't beat the first man, although I have noticed an improvement from both him and Lamela in this respect since Xmas.

Your criticism of Dawson is unfair and completely unjust too. He had/has many faults, but his organisational skills on set pieces inparticular wasn't one of them.

His (Dawson) organisational skills at set pieces was non existent.

How many goals have we conceded from set pieces this season ?

 

[Main Man]

His (Dawson) organisational skills at set pieces was non existent.

How many goals have we conceded from set pieces this season ?

We have conceded 16 goals from set pieces in all competitions, although 7 of those were penalties and 3 were direct from free kicks.

Sunderland's equaliser and West Brom's winner are the most notable in the League as they have cost us points directly - four in total.

Also, Leicester's equaliser in the FA Cup came from a poorly defended corner. Again, we all know too well the impact that goal had on the game and our subsequent involvement in the competition.

More recently in the Europa League, Fiorentina of course got their equalising goal at the Lane from a set piece, and we all know how important that goal was.

Then as discussed we have Terry's goal on Sunday which was a monstrous blow to our chances of lifting the Capital One Cup.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

We have conceded 16 goals from set pieces in all competitions, although 7 of those were penalties and 3 were direct from free kicks.

Sunderland's equaliser and West Brom's winner are the most notable in the League as they have cost us points directly - four in total.

Also, Leicester's equaliser in the FA Cup came from a poorly defended corner. Again, we all know too well the impact that goal had on the game and our subsequent involvement in the competition.

More recently in the Europa League, Fiorentina of course got their equalising goal at the Lane from a set piece, and we all know how important that goal was.

Then as discussed we have Terry's goal on Sunday which was a monstrous blow to our chances of lifting the Capital One Cup.

So in the league, 2 goals from defendable set pieces ?

 

[spurs9]

View attachment 17927

Not the clearest screenshot, but only one of three players had to communicate effectively and that free kick would have been dealt with such ease.

Maybe one of them did shout but Danny Rose just ignored him (which is highly likely).

Either way, a terribly defended goal all round. Eight outfield players and a keeper vs 5. Plain embarrassing.

It's quite amazing that we have 8 players in the box, Chelsea have 4, yet we only manage to mark 2 of them.

 

[spurs9]

Yeah, that really doesn't look like the best zonal marking you'll ever see. Looks more like a fucking line dance.

After the conga line marking tactic didn't work, I heard we are going to try hokey cokey marking next, although Dawson never seemed to have success with it.

 

[Main Man]

So in the league, 2 goals from defendable set pieces ?

That is how many goals we have conceded from non-direct kicks which have cost us points.

Terry also scored from a set piece in our 5-3 victory and I am sure there is another one which came in a victory or heavy defeat but I can't remember it off the top of my head (I have it all written down at home).

Over the course of a season you might find this acceptable - but Lloris, the woodwork and a combination of luck & poor finishing have clouded over how seriously poor we are at set pieces.

Honestly, if you are going to the game tonight I ask you take note of our set up at set pieces. It will horrify you.

Although hopefully Poch will have learnt the error of his ways and we simply defend them properly from now on.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

That is how many goals we have conceded from non-direct kicks which have cost us points.

Terry also scored from a set piece in our 5-3 victory and I am sure there is another one which came in a victory or heavy defeat but I can't remember it off the top of my head (I have it all written down at home).

Over the course of a season you might find this acceptable - but Lloris, the woodwork and a combination of luck & poor finishing have clouded over how seriously poor we are at set pieces.

Honestly, if you are going to the game tonight I ask you take note of our set up at set pieces. It will horrify you.

Although hopefully Poch will have learnt the error of his ways and we simply defend them properly from now on.

How many did we concede from non direct set pieces in the previous few seasons ?

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I'm going out the door to work now, BC. Catch you later.

What's your take on the game and how are you feeling about pochettino ?