Tottenham Vs Benfica: Match Thread

[Shadydan]

He didn't win them single-handed though. Against Man United especially it wasn't Bale that won or drew the matches, it was the team fighting for 90+ minutes to secure 4 points against Fergie in his swansong season. That level of grit and determination is something we've barely seen this season and has been a massive loss.

Let's not try and dress up that Utd game as if it were an outstanding defensive performance, we just sat deep and let Utd come at us after they scored their 2nd, actually quite lucky to get away with 3 points.

I agree though we don't have anywhere near the fight and determination as last season, we actually had belief when going into games which was something that's always been lacking at Spurs I thought.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

And our displays under Sherwood are so much better? where is the attacking football he promised? how many chances did we create against Chelsea and Benfica? Why is our most creative player stuck out on the left?

"how many chances did we create against Chelsea and Benfica"

How many chances do you think any team would create?

Benfica failed to qualify from the group stages of the CL on goal difference. They have lost one Primeira League game all season and top their league by seven points over Sporting and nine points over Porto and have a goal difference of +27.

Chelsea under The Special One haven't lost at home for seventy four games. I would take a wild guess mainly due to limiting the visiting sides chances.

You seem to think that this Spurs side should just stroll about on the pitch hitting the oppositions goal with shot after shot? We ain't that good, whether AVB, Sherwood or Shergar was managing this current side. A fifth place finish and EL footie next season is round about our current standard given the players we have and the long injury list.

Wake up and smell the coffee. If you seriously think the LVG is going to fly in and make this current squad a top four side then you are very much mistaken.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

Dude - chill. You saying that AVB's tactics had NOTHING to do with those wins, while I say they were part and parcel of a bigger picture... who's really being extreme here?

The "bigger picture" was a full on, widescreen fucking horror showing in HD on film at The Etihad my friend. AVB's tactics had absolutely everything to do with that one. Followed up with a reloaded version at home to Liverpool, and though no Oscar's were handed out for any players AVB did win the award for best role in impersonation of a successful coach. An award he previously won at Chel$ea.

 

[Damian99]

I am too drunk to describe how fucking pissed the fuck off I am at the club. So I'll just say this. Levy OUT! Sherwood OUT! ENIC OUT! Its depressing and angering me how much of a trainwreck we have become this season. Im trying to find a fucking bright spot but I cant. I just cant. So fucking depressing.

We've done enuff not to be relegated.

 

[Pat Rice Spurs fan]

From the BBC site, about midway through the first half.
This really made me laugh but I guess it shows how people can see things so differently.


Jason Roberts at White Hart Lane
Posted at
"When Tottenham have had the most success it is when they have actually gone long from back to front, because they have had the power and strength of Harry Kane and Emmanuel Adebayor up front, who are putting the defenders under pressure."

 

[thinktank]

More time Team Sherwood spends on the training field with our team the worse we get...

We obviously don't practise any combinations WHATSOEVER around the box, or any training on how to develop the ball through the phases of the field of play.

I am totally intrigued at what goes on in training. Proper intrigued.

 

[only1waddle]

We obviously don't practise any combinations WHATSOEVER around the box, or any training on how to develop the ball through the phases of the field of play.

I am totally intrigued at what goes on in training. Proper intrigued.

They didn't have phases of the field of play in the 90's, 2 up top mate, up and at em.. Gertcha...

 

[scottlag10]

"how many chances did we create against Chelsea and Benfica"

How many chances do you think any team would create?

Benfica failed to qualify from the group stages of the CL on goal difference. They have lost one Primeira League game all season and top their league by seven points over Sporting and nine points over Porto and have a goal difference of +27.

Chelsea under The Special One haven't lost at home for seventy four games. I would take a wild guess mainly due to limiting the visiting sides chances.

You seem to think that this Spurs side should just stroll about on the pitch hitting the oppositions goal with shot after shot? We ain't that good, whether AVB, Sherwood or Shergar was managing this current side. A fifth place finish and EL footie next season is round about our current standard given the players we have and the long injury list.

Wake up and smell the coffee. If you seriously think the LVG is going to fly in and make this current squad a top four side then you are very much mistaken.

well side stepped, but where is the attacking football tim promised? Why is he playing our most creative player out on the left? and then complaining that we didn't have enough guile to break them down. If Arsenal dick us at the weekend (god forbid but its a real possibility) the only person that will need to wake up and smell the coffee will be Joe Lewis. PS Oh yes those legends of world football Olympiakos pipped Benfica to qualification (yes I know but we beat Man. Utd!)

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

well side stepped, but where is the attacking football tim promised? Why is he playing our most creative player out on the left? and then complaining that we didn't have enough guile to break them down. If Arsenal dick us at the weekend (god forbid but its a real possibility) the only person that will need to wake up and smell the coffee will be Joe Lewis. PS Oh yes those legends of world football Olympiakos pipped Benfica to qualification (yes I know but we beat Man. Utd!)

We win and it's a masterstroke, that only Pep would have thought of. We lose and the dumb manager loses us the game.

If Arsenal "dick" us this weekend so what? Fire Sherwood, not going to happen. And if indeed it was to happen how much time the new man. A half of a half season in charge? Ten game perhaps? Perhaps a new manager every game to give the team that "bounce" effect?

Every team plays attacking football, it's just when Sherwood said this your immediate thought was that of Barcelona or Madrid, or even of BM ............... pity because Spurs have never been that good at attacking but please don't take my word for it, just look at the pitiful goal difference over the past decade.

Guess that was Sherwood's, AVB's Redknapp's, Ramos, Jol's, Santini's..............fault?

 

[GlennHoddle]

We win and it's a masterstroke, that only Pep would have thought of. We lose and the dumb manager loses us the game.

If Arsenal "dick" us this weekend so what? Fire Sherwood, not going to happen. And if indeed it was to happen how much time the new man. A half of a half season in charge? Ten game perhaps? Perhaps a new manager every game to give the team that "bounce" effect?

Every team plays attacking football, it's just when Sherwood said this your immediate thought was that of Barcelona or Madrid, or even of BM ............... pity because Spurs have never been that good at attacking but please don't take my word for it, just look at the pitiful goal difference over the past decade.

Guess that was Sherwood's, AVB's Redknapp's, Ramos, Jol's, Santini's..............fault?

Gaz from the few posts i have read from you, would I be right in saying you want Sherwood to get the job long term?

Have results and performance since he got the job re inforced your opinion on this?

I am all for continuity in our club, felt at the time that AVB had to go, we were probably left with no alternative to tide us over til the summer, so the job is Sherwoods to lose (possession 9 tenths of the law and all that!), i love the way he tells it the way it is after games, the ways us fans see it.

But against Chelsea and Thurs night I think I seen the beginning of the end for him.
He felt that the "effort was there" on Thurs, and the embarrassment (by both coaches) at the end not moving before the other did and not looking in any direction but straight ahead, watching too much of Alan Pardew!

Add to that, it seemed as if the only tactic we employed was to hit long balls to Ade (and it was plain to see that this wasn't working and Luisaio was beating him to every ball). This to me came from the line as Kaboul, and Verts were trying the long ball nearly every time and we all know how they like to come out with the ball themselves.

Then Harry Kane coming so deep to collect the ball and start our attack (the young striker showing every other player the hunger they all should have).
Sherwood should be getting his midfielders, centre backs to this and tell Harry to stay up top with Ade so we have our two strikers in an advanced position?
Kaboul roaming up the right wing, crowding the space another example

I'm sorry to say but it all looks to me as if we are a bit all over the place.
I would love Sherwood to succeed, we'd have a young manager who knows the club inside out and could take us forward for years to come.
But i think we need an experienced manager, ala LVG, who the players will be afraid of and respect.
The capitulations after going a goal down have to stop and to me we need experience on the line for this.
The players will realise no matter who they are, if they don't put in the effort, then they won't start or will be hauled off, sadly that is not the case at the moment

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

Gaz from the few posts i have read from you, would I be right in saying you want Sherwood to get the job long term?

Have results and performance since he got the job re inforced your opinion on this?

I am all for continuity in our club, felt at the time that AVB had to go, we were probably left with no alternative to tide us over til the summer, so the job is Sherwoods to lose (possession 9 tenths of the law and all that!), i love the way he tells it the way it is after games, the ways us fans see it.

But against Chelsea and Thurs night I think I seen the beginning of the end for him.
He felt that the "effort was there" on Thurs, and the embarrassment (by both coaches) at the end not moving before the other did and not looking in any direction but straight ahead, watching too much of Alan Pardew!

Add to that, it seemed as if the only tactic we employed was to hit long balls to Ade (and it was plain to see that this wasn't working and Luisaio was beating him to every ball). This to me came from the line as Kaboul, and Verts were trying the long ball nearly every time and we all know how they like to come out with the ball themselves.

Then Harry Kane coming so deep to collect the ball and start our attack (the young striker showing every other player the hunger they all should have).
Sherwood should be getting his midfielders, centre backs to this and tell Harry to stay up top with Ade so we have our two strikers in an advanced position?
Kaboul roaming up the right wing, crowding the space another example

I'm sorry to say but it all looks to me as if we are a bit all over the place.
I would love Sherwood to succeed, we'd have a young manager who knows the club inside out and could take us forward for years to come.
But i think we need an experienced manager, ala LVG, who the players will be afraid of and respect.
The capitulations after going a goal down have to stop and to me we need experience on the line for this.
The players will realise no matter who they are, if they don't put in the effort, then they won't start or will be hauled off, sadly that is not the case at the moment

I guess we could see if three Managers in a calender year would work. If not let's try one every quarter. I mean we have to try something different from firing one every other season or so because that's simply not working.

Before we do that though i'd like to see one manager, i mean any manager being given the length of his contract as a Spurs Manager. We cannot keep changing managers with the aim to get lucky with one of them eventually, and it's clear that the majority of these players cannot perform under AVB or Sherwood. Today's Daily Telegraph article is quite telling, true and damning (and not biased either way may i add).

With Sir Keith Mills fanning the flames in favour of Sherwood, i think he will still be around next season irrespective of what happens on the pitch for the remainder of this season.

 

[scottlag10]

We win and it's a masterstroke, that only Pep would have thought of. We lose and the dumb manager loses us the game.

If Arsenal "dick" us this weekend so what? Fire Sherwood, not going to happen. And if indeed it was to happen how much time the new man. A half of a half season in charge? Ten game perhaps? Perhaps a new manager every game to give the team that "bounce" effect?

Every team plays attacking football, it's just when Sherwood said this your immediate thought was that of Barcelona or Madrid, or even of BM ............... pity because Spurs have never been that good at attacking but please don't take my word for it, just look at the pitiful goal difference over the past decade.

Guess that was Sherwood's, AVB's Redknapp's, Ramos, Jol's, Santini's..............fault?

?

 

[Rupstoh]

Sherwood is performing the classic 'managing upwards' stance; a completely reliable way of saying "You asked me to do this in the belief you have in me, yet the tools and advice you have given me are not acceptable. What are you going to do about it Mr Levy?"

 

[GlennHoddle]

I guess we could see if three Managers in a calender year would work. If not let's try one every quarter. I mean we have to try something different from firing one every other season or so because that's simply not working.

Before we do that though i'd like to see one manager, i mean any manager being given the length of his contract as a Spurs Manager. We cannot keep changing managers with the aim to get lucky with one of them eventually, and it's clear that the majority of these players cannot perform under AVB or Sherwood. Today's Daily Telegraph article is quite telling, true and damning (and not biased either way may i add).

With Sir Keith Mills fanning the flames in favour of Sherwood, i think he will still be around next season irrespective of what happens on the pitch for the remainder of this season.

I'm 100% with you on that, but it's us fans that have alot to answer for, everyone seems to demand instant success.

I am willing Sherwood to succeed, i really am, but i am concerned with the lack of leadership/decision making from the line during games. What are Ferdinand, Ramsey and Freund doing? Is there a need for so many cooks when there doesn't seem to be much of a plan B anyway?

IMO Sherwood seems to have lost it a bit esp with that debacle that was, at the final whistle against Benfica.

Tim will get to finish the season with us, of that i have no doubt, but i just feel that if LVG is still available come the summer, we have to take the leap and this time let him see out his contract, give him the full reins and the full backing he wants.
Would Tim be willing to stay and learn under LVG? It could be great for him but would he think he is entitled to be the main man and move elsewhere?

Football is a funny old game, I can us beating the Scum (where do us Spurs fans get the optimism from?) and the whole atmosphere around the football club will change again!

 

[BehindEnemyLines]

They'll rename us 'Oscar Pistorius'.........as we'll lose both legs whilst having 4 shots on target.