Defoe Vs Man City

[mpickard2087]

Wasnt his worst game today, sometimes he goes through a whole stint on the pitch completely anonymous.

If he's going to play it has to be in a 4-4-2 with a partner, Defoe comes alive in and around the penalty box but often does nothing for long periods of the game before bursting into life. You cant drift in and out of the game if your up top on your own, Defoe does just this way too frequently.

 

[jonathanhotspur]

It is unusual for the ball to bounce off him. When did it happen today? I've seen it fired at him and he's taken it in his stride on many occasions he doesn't look uncomfortable on the ball or receiving it, players like Bent, Carrol, even Welbeck look uncomfortable receiving the ball and look jittery, Defoe doesn't. He's also got good close control when running with the ball. Every player will overrun the ball or miss control it every now and then but he's not a serial offender. Defoe does lack in a few areas but control isn't really one of them.

If I watch the game again later, I will get back to you.

 

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

No it wasn't as I said at the time, the early ball might have been on if Bale played it first time and then it was would have been a square ball instead of a ball that Defoe could take in stride and hence we could have lost all forward momentum. Also Defoe held his run after Bale was clearly looking to take the ball outside of Lescott.

I'll have to watch it again but for me the ball was on longer than first time and it could have been played so he didn't have to break stride. Don't get me wrong it would have been easier with a right footer but the ball was always on until he pushes the ball on the outside and when he does from what I can remember Defoe makes the run. You could say maybe they weren't on the same wavelength but for me personally I wouldn't be trying to lay into someone for that.

 

[I'mNotReallyHere]

From my perspective he was your most dangerous player for a lot of the game. For quite a lot of the game I thought Richards had Bale under control, having said that Clichy didn't have his best game. Coming into the game I thought Savic was the weak link, the first goal sadly proved me right. Defoe chasing him down panicked him into making a poor backpass and he had the composure to round Hart. As an outsider I think he is good enough as backup, as I say I thought he did well in the second half today (I don't think it's fair to criticise individuals on the first half, key players from both teams weren't at the races before the break).

As for the game as a whole, Jesus that second half was torture. We could've gone run away with it, you pretty much immediately pull it back, you come within inches of a winner and we nick it with a last minute penalty. Incredible second half. Thought it was a bit harsh on Spurs, felt you deserved a point out of it. As for the Balotelli 'stamp', before I'm asked about it, I genuinely didn't see it; my season ticket is up the other side of the ground near the away fans, and the first I saw of the incident was Parker on the floor and Balotelli getting booked.

On that showing, and that of Arsenal against the scum, you'll get top 4 no problem. The Spurs squad is miles ahead of Arsenal's. I'm going to say you'll finish ahead of Chelsea as well.

Good luck for your season. Could you do us a favour and beat those bastards from Stretford at your place?

 

[tttcowan]

Maybe we've been spoilt with berbs and keane but the amount of stick Defoe gets is fairly ridiculous... He's never going to be world class but he's better than a hell of a lot of other premiership strikers and he'd get game time for everyone in the league except Man City... He'd be used at manure, certainly play for Chelsea and Arsenal and start for everybody else in the league...

And BC, for someone who loves stats so much,

http://www.imscouting.com/reports-generator3/?id=40&l=5304&p1=0&p2=500&p3=0&p4=20#rep

He's currently 7th best goal return in the league... He'd be higher if Man City hadn't scored quite so many goals this year.

He doesn't fit our style of play very well and today he was isolated, but why on earth he's being hammered and no ones shouting about how poor VDV was today is beyond me.

...Certainly, I don't envy Harrys job trying to get someone better in than him for a minimal outlay on transfer fees and wages.

 

[mpickard2087]

From my perspective he was your most dangerous player for a lot of the game. For quite a lot of the game I thought Richards had Bale under control, having said that Clichy didn't have his best game. Coming into the game I thought Savic was the weak link, the first goal sadly proved me right. Defoe chasing him down panicked him into making a poor backpass and he had the composure to round Hart. As an outsider I think he is good enough as backup, as I say I thought he did well in the second half today (I don't think it's fair to criticise individuals on the first half, key players from both teams weren't at the races before the break).

As for the game as a whole, Jesus that second half was torture. We could've gone run away with it, you pretty much immediately pull it back, you come within inches of a winner and we nick it with a last minute penalty. Incredible second half. Thought it was a bit harsh on Spurs, felt you deserved a point out of it. As for the Balotelli 'stamp', before I'm asked about it, I genuinely didn't see it; my season ticket is up the other side of the ground near the away fans, and the first I saw of the incident was Parker on the floor and Balotelli getting booked.

On that showing, and that of Arsenal against the scum, you'll get top 4 no problem. The Spurs squad is miles ahead of Arsenal's. I'm going to say you'll finish ahead of Chelsea as well.

Good luck for your season. Could you do us a favour and beat those bastards from Stretford at your place?

Heres Balotelli if you havent seen it yet...

I dont think we can or will catch you now, could have been so different though... a two point gap instead of eight points if Defoe had read it a bit earlier/ was a couple of inches taller and Ledley didnt make his first mistake in about 10 years on today of all days.

Surprised you think that about Defoe, although he was the only one up there a lot of the time for the majority of the time so you wernt spoiled for choice. For me he doesnt get involved in the game enough, ok in a 4-4-2 when you can compensate for him drifting in and out of the game but not when he is up top on his own.

 

[I'mNotReallyHere]

Heres Balotelli if you havent seen it yet...

I dont think we can or will catch you now, could have been so different though... a two point gap instead of eight points if Defoe had read it a bit earlier/ was a couple of inches taller and Ledley didnt make his first mistake in about 10 years on today of all days.

Surprised you think that about Defoe, although he was the only one up there a lot of the time for the majority of the time so you wernt spoiled for choice. For me he doesnt get involved in the game enough, ok in a 4-4-2 when you can compensate for him drifting in and out of the game but not when he is up top on his own.

Oo-er, definitely looks dodgy. However the rule as I understand it is that if the referee sees the incident and takes action (as Webb did by issuing the yellow card) there can't be any action taken? I might be wrong, but that's how I understand it (and was why the Glen Johnson on Lescott tackle wasn't punished a couple of weeks ago).

Going back to Defoe, I have to say I was more worried about Defoe going up against Savic than any of the other battles. Having said that, it might say more about Savic than Defoe that I say that. He was unlucky for the chance, though I certainly was expecting him to take it.

 

[mpickard2087]

Oo-er, definitely looks dodgy. However the rule as I understand it is that if the referee sees the incident and takes action (as Webb did by issuing the yellow card) there can't be any action taken? I might be wrong, but that's how I understand it (and was why the Glen Johnson on Lescott tackle wasn't punished a couple of weeks ago).

Going back to Defoe, I have to say I was more worried about Defoe going up against Savic than any of the other battles. Having said that, it might say more about Savic than Defoe that I say that. He was unlucky for the chance, though I certainly was expecting him to take it.

Balotelli got booked before this for a foul, there was no action taken here Webb missed it so there could possibly be action taken against him.

Also theres footage of Lescott in another thread where he forearm smashes Kaboul and it was missed you might want to check out :wink:, watching it live I thought it was clumsy but seeing it again a few times he's a lucky boy to get away with that. I have no complaints about the Penalty but you did get a bit of help from Mr Webb today... as a lot of us feared :bang:

Sorry everyone else for going off-topic :grin:

 

[kdspur]

still for life of me cant believe defoe missed that chance! how and why he did not bust a gut to get right in there as there was no chance to be offside speed bale was going at ....u have to push yourself and adrenalin alone should have got him there and eys should be lighting up with bale bombing down the line. it was obvious a cross was coming in and if anyone looks back at it again you will see how laboured defoe at edge of box was till it was 2 late. thats the difference people . its simply that bit of drive ambition and gutsy play that seperate top top players from average ones. the quicker people get off the sentimental bullshit oh he played well etc the better.. we badly need a world class striker to really see the difference it can make..its the reason we are third and not first really..

bottom line is and i dont care how well or not well he played that miss is by a player who is simply not good enough to be in first 11. he is a good sub to come on maybe and thats the sole reason harry is keeping him sweet imo.

 

[double0]

I know a lot of people will want toshout me down over this, however I am sick and tiredof him being SC's scapegoat.

Talking solely about todays game. He didnt do great in the first half with the ball but then it wasnt his fault that we didnt get the ball in the right areas. Without the ball he pressed high up the pitch and covered whenever either winger went walkabouts. He did his bit to keep a shape.

In contrast during the second half I feel that he did very well. He stretched the CBs often, he scored a goal with a cool finish, and worked his butt off for the team. Bales cross was just out of his reach, and yes its annoying but imo bale could have squared earlier which is what defoe checked his run for. The bad thing for us is by checking his run it meant he didnt quite make it to the ball at the end. Everyone is so quick to jump on his back, he played well today certainly ran himself into theground for the teams benefit. Why oh why must "fans" berate him so much?

Face it we dont have an uber world class striker, but Defoe does his bit scores his goals and works hard. Hes improved his hold up play no end and created chances to counter today. I say well played Jermain and the rest of the Boys did me proud today! How abut we stop moaning at players that try their best?

Agree it sometimes gets silly how Defoe is a default scapegoat.

Against City I thought he did all he could played well, closed down defenders scored a goal also his movement was good. Yes I understand the need also to buy a specialised lone striker though I'd still have Defoe in and around the first team depending on form and games (is he not our top scorer this season?)

 

[bubble07]

Considering he has not had a regular run in the side Defoe has had a very good season so far

Adebayor is more complete but I'm not so sure he would have scored defies goal

 

[nightgoat]

No it wasn't as I said at the time, the early ball might have been on if Bale played it first time and then it was would have been a square ball instead of a ball that Defoe could take in stride and hence we could have lost all forward momentum. Also Defoe held his run after Bale was clearly looking to take the ball outside of Lescott.

The ball wasn't on because I don't think Bale actually looked until it was too late. Even then Bale could probably have pulled the ball back further than he did. Personally I think Defoe's biggest mistake was not angling his run. If he'd made contact with the ball a couple of yards further to his left the ball would have crept in the corner. As it was he didn't have enough of the goal to aim at, so to speak.

If it had been the other way round with Defoe squaring for Bale, then the reaction on here would be significantly different, I think.

 

[Krafty]

Top scorer, six goals in last 7 starts I think. He's doing better than Hernandez who everyone seems to rave about. I wonder how much stick some of our previous goalscorers would have got if they were under the scrutiny of the modern fan.

No doubt Adebayor would have done a better job of holding the ball up, but then again he might not have gambled on Savic making an error and getting our first goal. Also, I remember Adebayor being very ineffectual against Stoke until we changed the system entirely for the second half.

We took a little while to get used to having JD upfront, but once we started trying to play balls down the channels or into space, rather than directly into him, we looked better.

I have to say I'm pro-Defoe, I feel he should get more of a look in, especially since I feel we should play two upfront more, a lot more at home certainly. He probably isn't good enough to play for England regularly, but he is a decent enough player, the type of player people have said Liverpool and Arsenal have needed for a while. He is outscoring, Suarez, Carroll, Torres....

All in all, he is not the next Pele or fat Ronaldo, but he is a very good player and does a very good job for us.

 

[Black]

Hopefully Defoe won't be here next season. Top clubs need top strikers

He would not even be a regular in any of the top 6 clubs ATM. His stay is well over due.

 

[hooty]

Ahhh Defoe, just seen it again and the run for the miss just wasn't good enough. Just ran in a straight line and didn't anticipate the ball at all.

 

[jonathanhotspur]

It is unusual for the ball to bounce off him. When did it happen today? I've seen it fired at him and he's taken it in his stride on many occasions he doesn't look uncomfortable on the ball or receiving it, players like Bent, Carrol, even Welbeck look uncomfortable receiving the ball and look jittery, Defoe doesn't. He's also got good close control when running with the ball. Every player will overrun the ball or miss control it every now and then but he's not a serial offender. Defoe does lack in a few areas but control isn't really one of them.

I've been having another look at the game and I didn't realize how bad his off the ball movement was this afternoon. He rarely found himself a pocket of space/made himself available for a pass.

He didn't touch the ball too many times today and nobody's control is perfect all of the time, sure, but I am of the opinion that, in general, his touch is not that of a top class player.

His first touch was terrible 47 seconds into the first half. At 37:58, his second touch was actually a tackle and at 77:30, after getting in behind Lescott, his lack of balance/close control saw him take a fresh air kick with Bale free in an excellent position.

I think he held the ball up well on 3 occasions and I didn't fancy him to round Hart because I think he lacks composure when he has too much time to think. So credit to him there. He just rolled it into the net.

 

[Reado]

Ahhh Defoe, just seen it again and the run for the miss just wasn't good enough. Just ran in a straight line and didn't anticipate the ball at all.

No, the problem was that he DIDN'T run in a straight line! He if carried on towards the back-post as he was doing then it would have been fine, however, he made one stride towards the near post which cocked up his stride. Even though he was moving back towards the back-post, he was now out of stride.

 

[tototoner]

thought he did OK yesterday, took his goal well and was unlucky at the end.

he's no Keano though

 

[adamthfc]

The ball wasn't on because I don't think Bale actually looked until it was too late. Even then Bale could probably have pulled the ball back further than he did. Personally I think Defoe's biggest mistake was not angling his run. If he'd made contact with the ball a couple of yards further to his left the ball would have crept in the corner. As it was he didn't have enough of the goal to aim at, so to speak.

If it had been the other way round with Defoe squaring for Bale, then the reaction on here would be significantly different, I think.

The reaction would be massively different

 

[Gbspurs]

The reaction would be massively different

I would expect Defoe to score more so than Bale since Defoe is a striker. However that said bale took a bashing when he scuffed that shot in the box beginning of the second half so who knows. My first reaction to it was that bales ball wasn't good enough but looking at the replays he put a great, slightly hard ball across. Defoe is definitely at fault but he didn't do it on purpose!! I think the reason for all the frustration is just how big that goal could have been for the whole season. How would city react losing to a rival when 2 up at home, how would we kick on having achieved a come back like that etc etc. Now it will always been a "what could have been" unfortunately.