Townsend or no Townsend?

[michaelden]

This is the crux of the problem, why do deliberately compress the play when our proven asset is pace and power? AVb fits players to his system rather than playing to the strengths of his players.

Or he's playing a player who appears to be on form but doesn't fit the system. I think that Lamela will be getting more & more game time and Townsend less as he is struggling to adapt his style.

 

[woodyspur]

simply not The Who without him tho...

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

Or he's playing a player who appears to be on form but doesn't fit the system. I think that Lamela will be getting more & more game time and Townsend less as he is struggling to adapt his style.

You and I know that's what needs to happen.
I'm worrying whether AVB knows that at the moment.

 

[jurgen]

I think we've forgotten how young and relatively inexperienced Townsend is as he's become a fixture and obviously had those England performances that have brought so much hype to bear on him. As such, I'm definitely not sure he is ready (if he ever will be) to be our 'main man' and that AVB should exercise some of the caution he has used before on more experienced performers such as Lloris and arguably even Lamela.

I really don't think it's healthy, especially with our squad depth - to play him in a cast for instance - it sends out strange messages that he is already some form of talismanic figure when we clearly have other guys who could play that position - and I feel that this combined with the England hyperbole is actually a weight on him. It seems often managers use such younger players sparingly to help them develop, often to the mystery of the public and press, yet here he is starting nearly every match (even an older player like Paulinho appears to be suffering from this too). AVB can't be guided by this hype or we won't get an Andros of his full potential in my opinion.

I'm sure he can have a role in other parts of the 'system' as well, as he does have the ability to go outside as well as maneuver in tight situations, but at the moment there's nothing like enough craft and movement to our play - and I guess in time we will see if this is Andros himself or a particular tactical decision that is causing it..

 

[jezz]

As you rightly mentioned Townsend had 3 and at times 4 players on him throughout the game.
That would suggest that opposing managers realise that he represents our greatest danger and they try to stop him at all costs.
People compare him to Bale and say that he is a poor imitation.I remember plenty of games when Bale played on the left and because he had 2 players on him,he never kicked it all game.
It was only when Bale played in the middle that other teams coundn't cope with him because they just could not allocate extra players to smother him and as I said earlier in this thread we need to do the same with Andros.
We have 3 players in Eriksen,Lamela and Towensend who are flexible enough to be switched constantly in all 3 attacking positions behind the striker.For the life of me I can't understand why we are not using this tactic regularly.
This is one way to mess up defensive tactics,constantly ask different questions of them and confuse them.When they are concentrating on what these 3 are doing they are forgetting someone else and thats when the likes of Soldado finds space to score.

This is were townsend falls down, intelligent players realize whats happening and draw these 3 or 4 players to them, then make a quick pass and move into space, this then leaves 2 or 3 players dead in the game and opens up space for the rest. Trying to cut inside, beat the players and shoot is what Bale did best, Townsend cannot do this, he dosent have it in his locker yet.
Watch lamela play he passes and moves quickly, he only tries to beat 3 or 4 in the box, knowing its dangerous to stick a leg out in the box and you can win penalties.
Townsend needs to pass and move when 3 or 4 players are with him, not try and beat them, shoot and be a hero.
Once he learns this he game will go into overdrive.
He should take a seat, watch and learn.

 

[chinaman]

He cannot learn by not playing. He can only learn through bitter experience that no matter how good he is, he'll lose the ball 9 times out of 10 trying to beat 3 or more opponents in the same dribble.

If we want to see him grow as a player with us, we'll have to suffer the lapses he has during his learning process.

 

[dude573]

Just a thought really, and minus pub football I have no real playing experience. But I noticed Newcastle had at times up to four players marking him yesterday, which free'd up huge pockets of space in the centre. I was thinking perhaps if he would look to his left instead of going so direct he could pick out Eriksen, Lamela or Holtby who could arguably exploit that space left by opposition defence?

In a sense, use Townsend as a trap or false attacker to free up pockets for our other attacking players?

 

[jezz]

He cannot learn by not playing. He can only learn through bitter experience that no matter how good he is, he'll lose the ball 9 times out of 10 trying to beat 3 or more opponents in the same dribble.

If we want to see him grow as a player with us, we'll have to suffer the lapses he has during his learning process.

Bullshit, no we dont.
I want to win and if the player is hindering us, see ya comes to mind.
We have better players, fcuking play them its simple.
He will learn from watching and playing with better players.
Right now hes a liability, his stats are rubbish, drop him and lets move on.
if he dosent learn, sell him and get someone who will.

 

[double0]

With Townsend you get yhe feeling people want him to fail so that Lemala gets a run in the team.

Theres nothing wrong in Townsend taking shots at goal the idea is to put the ball into the back of the net. Against Newcastle I believe he had 4 shoots at goal two brought out good saves two shots a bit wayard....lmo theres nothing wrong in that.

 

[jezz]

With Townsend you get yhe feeling people want him to fail so that Lemala gets a run in the team.

Theres nothing wrong in Townsend taking shots at goal the idea is to put the ball into the back of the net. Against Newcastle I believe he had 4 shoots at goal two brought out good saves two shots a bit wayard....lmo theres nothing wrong in that.

Whats wrong with playing a better player?
Lamela is a better player get over it.
41 shots 1 goal and 0 assists is goalkeeper stats.
Maybe he would be good in goal?

 

[SteveH]

Nice lad but not a good enough footballer sadly. Andros is not good enough and never will be. There are quite few English players like Andros around they come and go.

 

[al_pacino]

only saw the highlights but was he really that bad? He seemed to play a decent role in at least a couple of very decent chances yesterday.

 

[ajspurs]

Whats wrong with playing a better player?
Lamela is a better player get over it.
41 shots 1 goal and 0 assists is goalkeeper stats.
Maybe he would be good in goal?

Better player or not until Thursday Lamela had shown nothing to warrant a start over Townsend. He's always been the better player of the 2 but he also clearly hadn't settled and wasn't performing because of it. Now that he's shown what he's capable of and Townsend not really producing much and maybe being found out a bit I'm a bit more encouraged to see him potentially take Townsend's position.

Right now hes a liability, his stats are rubbish, drop him and lets move on.
if he dosent learn, sell him and get someone who will.

Wow, how supportive. That attitude is bollocks mate.

 

[michaelden]

only saw the highlights but was he really that bad? He seemed to play a decent role in at least a couple of very decent chances yesterday.

I'm no Townsend fan but he did deliver a few good crosses. Still didn't do enough to make me think he's the better prospect than Lamela

 

[michaelden]

He cannot learn by not playing. He can only learn through bitter experience that no matter how good he is, he'll lose the ball 9 times out of 10 trying to beat 3 or more opponents in the same dribble.

If we want to see him grow as a player with us, we'll have to suffer the lapses he has during his learning process.

Um... they can learn to pass and not shoot on site on a training pitch, you don't need game time to learn that

 

[Mr Pink]

Its no Townsend for me, needs to come out of the team at the moment and I'm convinced he's part of our problem attacking wise. I'd rather have Lennon on the right if Lamela isn't getting picked.

I think Lennon looks for the pass more, plays with his head up more and is a shit load better defensively.

 

[TheSecretNonFootballer]

Um... they can learn to pass and not shoot on site on a training pitch, you don't need game time to learn that

Arguably he'd learn by watching Lamela not do it.

 

[ajspurs]

only saw the highlights but was he really that bad? He seemed to play a decent role in at least a couple of very decent chances yesterday.

He wasn't any worse than say, Sigurdsson, Dembele, Paulinho or Soldado but his decision making was incredibly frustrating. I don't mind him having pops at goal but he was shooting when he shouldn't have been and he just looked too greedy to be honest. Still one of our brightest sparks on the pitch mind but other than a ball across goal which I think led to Eriksen's chance and a shot that Krul saved and pushed out to the side nothing really came of his play.

 

[double0]

Whats wrong with playing a better player?
Lamela is a better player get over it.
41 shots 1 goal and 0 assists is goalkeeper stats.
Maybe he would be good in goal?

Of those 41 shots you keep totting how many were off target?

And for the record its not only the inverted wingers role to provide assists the main striker should get more involved instead of waiting to be spoon fed

 

[Francis Gibbs]

ffs this thread makes me laugh - he is currently our only attacking threat and I mean only.
His pace and directness, that we have nowhere else in midfield or attack unsettles defences in a way that
our backwards/sideways passing doesn't come close to
Yes he takes the wrong option on occasion and he can be frustrating because of this but I really cant imagine
watching us without this option, paint drying springs to mind