Swansea Vs Tottenham Match Thread

[chinaman]

And a

4 goals in 5 games for Jan, wow. Who needs goal scoring midfielders eh...

Or goalscoring forwards for that matter.

 

[elDiablo]

4 goals in 5 games for Jan, wow. Who needs goal scoring midfielders eh...

Yeah, i was just thinking that, and what a goal he scored today. Great for any player, let alone your centre half!!! I imagine Hansen will be fapping over it later.

 

[Blackcanary]

Yeah, i was just thinking that, and what a goal he scored today. Great for any player, let alone your centre half!!! I imagine Hansen will be fapping over it later.

And suddenly my yoghurt-coated raisins taste like ash in my mouth.

 

[chinaman]

In fact I missed the game on TV today as I went for a long hike (16 Km) in the morning and I forgot to set the recording. How did we play today?

 

[gibbospurs]

Thanks for posting the goal i was waiting to see on match of the day tonight.

 

[Spurger King]

Thanks for posting the goal i was waiting to see on match of the day tonight.

Apologies gibbospurs. I've spoilered it now but I appreciate that's not much help now. If it's any consolation the Verts goal is pretty special too.

 

[The Apprentice]

Bale must have some sort of record for goals scored from outside the box in one season.

 

[gilzeantheking]

Bale must have some sort of record for goals scored from outside the box in one season.

He has scored 7 this season, more than anyone else atm

 

[davidmatzdorf]

That wasn't a very satisfying performance. It was a good result, but, as has been the case so many times this season, we are beating good teams like Swansea because we have star players. Not just Bale, it's plain that Vertonghen is becoming one of our seriously top players, along with Lloris and Sandro.

But it won't work to play like that against Everton, Chelsea and Man City and it won't always work against Sunderland or Stoke either. I thought that our season finally took shape in the home match against Swansea. It was the first time we could see the style AVB was trying to achieve and why it would work if the players executed it right. And it was the start of an 8 match unbeaten run. Today, for the first 30 minutes, we did the same thing and Swansea couldn't get the ball, assisted by Spurs getting the run of the loose ball throughout that half-hour. Then, immediately after our second goal, over a 2-3 minute period, Swansea collected a few loose balls, Dembélé and Parker lost control of the midfield and never got it back for the rest of the match. I'm not very surprised to see Naughton and Adebayor taking so much grief on this thread, but their performances weren't major contributors to our problem, which was that we couldn't keep the ball in midfield for a whole hour. It was excruciatingly bad.

Naughton's problems were in very small part due to any of his own failings. He's put in several really impressive performances this season, but only one of them has been at left back. He just isn't as good there. His main difficulties were that Tiendalli was playing very well and that Sigurdsson gave Naughton no protection at all. Both of them constantly drifted infield, leaving Tiendalli half an acre into which to run his overlaps. It's easier for Walker: he's playing in his preferred position and has one of the best defensive wingers in the league in front of him (although, as I suspected, Lennon is not 100% fit yet).

As for Adebayor, I've seen games in which he contributed a lot of useful hold-up play and passing, but this was not one of them. As well as having no touch whatsoever when attacking, he repeatedly lost the ball after holding it up for a second or two. He has no visible confidence at present and doesn't really look like he's trying very hard to find any.

As for the defending: well, we can't have it both ways. If we play a high line with Friedel in goal, we risk losing goals to balls over the top. If we defend as deeply as we did in the second half, we just invite trouble, which was what we got. There has to be an effective compromise, but we didn't find it today.

Michu is a pain in the arse. He's a good goalscorer, but I didn't realise he was such a drama queen. Three simulations in about 15 minutes of play is three too many. Dawson had trouble jumping with him because Michu is a handful. Vertonghen tried to tangle with him and that didn't work too well either.

Still, our main problem was in midfield: we couldn't keep the ball for the last hour of the game. Dembélé was largely invisible and Parker would win the ball and promptly lose it again. If we keep playing like that against the competition ahead of us, we'll finish 6th. I thought, brilliant goals aside, it was a largely dreadful performance today.

 

[Welshiespursboyo]

Right now, at this stage of the season, it's about results not performances. And today was a very good result make no mistake about that.

 

[ziggy]

Thanks for posting the goal i was waiting to see on match of the day tonight.

Ditto from me....
I remember when our centre forwards used to score goals like that.

 

[chinaman]

Another good result was Chelscum losing.

 

[Sweetsman]

I don't care how we win as long as we win. Today's win was vital. I am very worried that Arsenal are going to keep up their form. Next weekend is crucial: I had it down as a potential banana skin for the Goons against WBA, but the Baggies look like their minds are on the beach. We have to play Everton, who still have a chance of the top four. I really hope Chelsea beat ManU as it will mean their fixture list remains congested.

 

[Wirral Spurs]

I don't care how we win as long as we win. Today's win was vital. I am very worried that Arsenal are going to keep up their form. Next weekend is crucial: I had it down as a potential banana skin for the Goons against WBA, but the Baggies look like their minds are on the beach. We have to play Everton, who still have a chance of the top four. I really hope Chelsea beat ManU as it will mean their fixture list remains congested.

If it does, our game with them will be postponed.

 

[Little Squatman]

That wasn't a very satisfying performance. It was a good result, but, as has been the case so many times this season, we are beating good teams like Swansea because we have star players. Not just Bale, it's plain that Vertonghen is becoming one of our seriously top players, along with Lloris and Sandro.

But it won't work to play like that against Everton, Chelsea and Man City and it won't always work against Sunderland or Stoke either. I thought that our season finally took shape in the home match against Swansea. It was the first time we could see the style AVB was trying to achieve and why it would work if the players executed it right. And it was the start of an 8 match unbeaten run. Today, for the first 30 minutes, we did the same thing and Swansea couldn't get the ball, assisted by Spurs getting the run of the loose ball throughout that half-hour. Then, immediately after our second goal, over a 2-3 minute period, Swansea collected a few loose balls, Dembélé and Parker lost control of the midfield and never got it back for the rest of the match. I'm not very surprised to see Naughton and Adebayor taking so much grief on this thread, but their performances weren't major contributors to our problem, which was that we couldn't keep the ball in midfield for a whole hour. It was excruciatingly bad.

Naughton's problems were in very small part due to any of his own failings. He's put in several really impressive performances this season, but only one of them has been at left back. He just isn't as good there. His main difficulties were that Tiendalli was playing very well and that Sigurdsson gave Naughton no protection at all. Both of them constantly drifted infield, leaving Tiendalli half an acre into which to run his overlaps. It's easier for Walker: he's playing in his preferred position and has one of the best defensive wingers in the league in front of him (although, as I suspected, Lennon is not 100% fit yet).

As for Adebayor, I've seen games in which he contributed a lot of useful hold-up play and passing, but this was not one of them. As well as having no touch whatsoever when attacking, he repeatedly lost the ball after holding it up for a second or two. He has no visible confidence at present and doesn't really look like he's trying very hard to find any.

As for the defending: well, we can't have it both ways. If we play a high line with Friedel in goal, we risk losing goals to balls over the top. If we defend as deeply as we did in the second half, we just invite trouble, which was what we got. There has to be an effective compromise, but we didn't find it today.

Michu is a pain in the arse. He's a good goalscorer, but I didn't realise he was such a drama queen. Three simulations in about 15 minutes of play is three too many. Dawson had trouble jumping with him because Michu is a handful. Vertonghen tried to tangle with him and that didn't work too well either.

Still, our main problem was in midfield: we couldn't keep the ball for the last hour of the game. Dembélé was largely invisible and Parker would win the ball and promptly lose it again. If we keep playing like that against the competition ahead of us, we'll finish 6th. I thought, brilliant goals aside, it was a largely dreadful performance today.

We lost at Liverpool despite a great performance, because of the performance of a few individual players. I'll take a few star players winning us a game as a positive thanks

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

Thought that Parker looked tired today and though he was playing out of his natural position Naughton had a very poor game. As DM said Siggy didn't help Naughton anyway. Not the best performance but we did have spells especially in the first half where we played well and passed the ball around.

As for Michu i'd take him in a heartbeat. A skillful player both with his feet and in the air and a brawlaer of a player.

 

[worcestersauce]

Just watched game on football first.
Ought to test Michu for substances today, well out of order nasty piece of work today diving all over the shop and causing bovver. Managed to piss me off and I already knew the result.

 

[Mr Pink]

I want United to beat Chelsea, definitely. The chance to play them after being in Russia is fantastic for us. If Rafa makes too many changes in order to rest some for our game they could well end up going out of Europe which promotes our chances of winning it even further.

Its win win as far as I'm concerned. Definitely want United to beat them in the Cup - don't want our game with them moved, no way. I know we have Basel away as well, but nowhere near the distances they have to travel.

 

[tippspur59]

Had to stop watching the game when Swansea scored,I just knew we would be hanging on by our fingernails for the last 20 mins and up to the last second of injury time.delighted we got over the line in the end.

 

[RButch]

Aww why didn't MOTD show Michu's dives.. If that was Bale or Suarez they would be calling for a witch hunt!