Some thoughts on the Wigan match

[fredrikstad]

To avoid relegation must be our only target this season. I'm shocked to se us play in a defensive and non creative way. We are supposed to have quality players, but that means jack if they don't show it on the pitch. No disrespect to Wigan, by all means... but they are a team we must beat. Don't think Harry will be our long term answer..
I do feel we need a manager who can build something from the bottom. Let him have a three year period. We have spent a fortune on different kinds of compensations like Ramos and Jol (biggest mistake in the recent history of our club).
Maybe it's time for ENIC to get out and take some of the board with them???

 

[spurs_viola]

....
The Redknapp recovery seems to have stalled and it seems I like a few others on this site are genuinely concerned that the stomach for the fight is not there. The tactics and selection etc made by the manager may also be damaging us.

The same players who let down Ramos are now reverting to type under Redknapp I just hope we can sign enough new players this month to get us the 20 or so points that should save us this season my expectations are no more than that especially if Manure decide they want to win the Carling Cup after all.

Agree totally and have commented in the same vein all along.

Hopefully Redknapp has seen the light as far as Bentley is concerned and will keep him on the bench until he shows he is worth a place in the 1st team again (doubt it strongly though and expect his whining about "not given a proper chance" to start again soon).
Hopefully he can see that Bale must not be anywhere near the first team at the moment and needs to be sorted out mentally and physically asap away from the spotlight - after all we do have about 20 coaches there at the moment, don't we?

Hopefully he will not play a DM like Zokora as a right midfielder again, when he has Lennon sitting on the bench and he's not injured.

And will not take the only creative, attacking central midfielder (Modric) off when we are crying out for more creativity and supply to strikers.

Too much to hope for? I hope not.

 

[Sanj]

I for one was most underwhelmed with the signing of Defoe. Not good enoigh 1st time round, and not much has changed. Defoe is also no better than bent.
We were crying out for a striker who could get the midfield involved - whether that be a targetman like Heskey or a clever player like Keane.
Harry's targets say a lot about his and the clubs current ambitions - and i am not encouraged by the direction.

 

[supertedley]

I for one was most underwhelmed with the signing of Defoe. Not good enoigh 1st time round, and not much has changed. Defoe is also no better than bent.
We were crying out for a striker who could get the midfield involved - whether that be a targetman like Heskey or a clever player like Keane.
Harry's targets say a lot about his and the clubs current ambitions - and i am not encouraged by the direction.

Have to agree with you there mate. My memories of the wee man were that he usually got out muscled, was mostly in the huff and constantly missed the killer pass to his striking partner when they were in a better position to shoot.

Is Bale injured or something as my Mum would have been faster than him today!

 

[alextheyid]

Where do I start? I know.....that was one of the most depressing, insipid, gutless displays by a Tottenham team that I have ever had the misfortune to witness. From tactics and personnel selection to individual and collective performances to inexplicable substitutions, there is barely anything to praise. I write this just after the game and without seeing any comment, so this may be a knee-jerk reaction, but I really can'y see my opinion changing.

The one thing that gave cause for optimism was the performance of Michael Dawson. One of only two only players (the other being Jamie O'Hara) to emerge with any kind of credit from the debacle. He was strong in the air and in the tackle and was just about our only hope of avoiding defeat. When he went off injured, we were sunk.

I can understand that, expecting a muscular performance from Wigan, you try to match fire with fire. So you play a defensive midfielder. But Ledley King? A man who is not fit enough to train between games is played in a position with which he is almost totally unfamiliar, and (almost certainly) without his teammates seeing him play in training! Why not Corluka, with Zokora at right back? At least they could have practised that.

Gareth Bale. Oh Dear. How can such a talented player who played so well when he first arrived become such a liability? If I was awarding marks out of ten, he might get one for turning up. It was as if he had never played the game. Positionally poor, he challenged his opponent square on, therefore giving him both inside and out. No surprise, then, that he barely made a tackle. He clearly had no confidence, and no idea. What do they do in training? We have a cast of thousands on the staff, can't any of them help a young man play in his preferred position? Doesn't anybody know how to play full back?

Poor Bale was the worst, but really, who was much better? Nobody gave me the impression that they wanted to win. Nobody seemed to be ready to play. When we had control in the first few minutes and Wigan didn't lay down and die, the life went out of us. Inaccurate passing, virtually no movement, no support for the ball-carrier. Etc....etc....etc.

So what does the management do? First, nothing. Then , shortly after half time replace Pav with Bent. Why five minutes into the second half? If Pav was injured, fair enough, but ridiculous if he wasn't, as it didn't give him enough time to make an impression and gave Bent five minutes less time to make a difference.

Then, having pushed Modric into a position on the right where he will be less effective, he is taken off. So now we have replaced two players with skill for one with none (Bent) and Lennon. And what happens? Lennon gets the ball about three times in total. WTF? Wasn't there any instruction to give it to him? If you want to give the opposition a problem by bringing on somebody who can hurt them, shouldn't you have a plan to get the ball to him?

And what about Gomes? The man pulls a hamstring or groin early in the second half and - it appears - is forced to stay on! FFS - if your keeper can't run / kick / move around his area aren't you asking for trouble? Even if we had got away with it and got a point, how long is he going to be out for now that he has made his injury worse by playing on? You had a keeper on the bench Redknapp, why didn't you use him?

I don't get it, I really don't. I realise that this has been a rant, but I can't believe what I just saw. I was worried before today by the increasing tendency of players and management to blame everything but themselves for bad results, but after that I'm terrified. There is simply nothing to suggest any cause for optimism. One thing is for certain: no matter who we sign this month, if this is the benchmark for the rest of our season, then we are going down. And don't expect us to bounce back any time soon.

i agree whole heartedly..i love jamie o!

 

[vicbob]

Great piece spud, sums everything up even after a nights sleep. That was a real low point yesterday, and the blame has to lie with Harry, what a terrible negative performance. We dont have the players to out fight or out muscle teams like Wigan, hopefully he wont try those tactics again. If we are to go down (which i still dont think we will, dont ask im an optimist) then can we at least go down fighting, and not that pathetic excuse for a team yesterday. It ironic that 2 of our supposedly "weaker" players in Jamie and Daws put in a half decent display and showed the overrated "superstars" for what they are. Now ive got to go to work and get the piss taken out of me again, oh the joys of being a spurs supporter!!!!

 

[Jenko]

I am still expecting to win the next 2 games so will reserve judgement on Harry until after them. I actually thought the starting line up was perfect except I would have benched Modric for Lennon as people just walk by modric when hes played in the middle.

 

[mackay59]

I can tell you this from experience.............you can train, practise and give players directions and they still go out and do the opposite.

In which case you have to change the players if you can afford it and have the opportunty.