We are getting our team back....slowly

[arunspurs]

When Modric, Van Der Vaart, Ledley & Bale left the club in two seasons - I felt so disconnected with the club, as a fan. We have had a turnaround of 38 players in last 3 seasons (buys & sells) - fans hardly knew the players playing for them. I think this had a detrimental effect in terms of decline in Lane atmosphere, in home games.

Start of season, Pochettino had trouble in knowing his best XI. He selected Kaboul as his club captain & Ade as vice captain, which didn't go well with Tottenham faithful. I believe 20+ games into the season, Pochettino now understands which players he can trust and work with. Kaboul, Capoue, Adebayor are more or less sidelined.

He has started trusting his young players - Kane, Mason & Nabil. He has put huge responsibility on their shoulders. Slowly but surely, I can see attitude of the side changing. The come from behind wins, last minute away wins are starting to show a pattern - more determined and a never say die attitude.

Kane, Mason, Eriksen, Bentaleb, Davies, Lloris are slowly starting to gel as a team. With Walker back, I can see this group of players forming a good bond.

Our performances haven't been good. But there are signs of improvement. It is looking as if , players are buying into Poch's philosophy. Prime example is Eriksen - a player who, is now hustling & bustling.Start of season, he looked out of place in Poch's high pressure system. But since Everton game, he has been a revelation in terms of work rate.

I think its only a matter of time, the effort on pitch is translated into performances and in turn into results.

Till now, I was saying Poch has to be given time, without any conviction. But I am now convinced, that he can get us back on track. It is going to be long road ahead, but I think we have atleast started the recovery.

 

[jezz]

When Modric, Van Der Vaart, Ledley & Bale left the club in two seasons - I felt so disconnected with the club, as a fan. We have had a turnaround of 38 players in last 3 seasons (buys & sells) - fans hardly new the players playing for them. I think this had a detrimental effect in terms of decline in Lane atmosphere, in home games.

Start of season, Pochettino had trouble in knowing his best XI. He selected Kaboul as his club captain & Ade as vice captain, which didn't go well with Tottenham faithful. I believe 20+ games into the season, Pochettino now understands which players he can trust and work with. Kaboul, Capoue, Adebayor are more or less sidelined.

He has started trusting his young players - Kane, Mason & Nabil. He has put huge responsibility on their shoulder. Slowly but surely, I can see attitude of the side changing. The come from behind wins, last minute away wins are starting to show a pattern - more determined and a never say die attitude.

Kane, Mason, Eriksen, Bentaleb, Davies, Lloris are slowly starting to gel as a team. With Walker back, I can see this group of players forming a good bond.

Our performances haven't been good. But there are signs of improvement. It is looking as if , players are buying into Poch's philosophy. Prime example is Eriksen - a player who, is now hustling & bustling.Start of season, he looked out of place in Poch's high pressure system. But since Everton game, he has been a revelation in terms of work rate.

I think its only a matter of time, the effort on pitch is translated into performances and in turn into results.

Till now, I was saying Poch has to be given time, without any conviction. But I am now convinced, that he can get us back on track. It is going to be hard road ahead, but I think we have atleast started the recovery.

For once I started to agree with you.
But then read the highlighted bit.

 

[arunspurs]

For once I started to agree with you.
But then read the highlighted bit.

So Eriksen has not changed his game & pressing more ? Hmmmm....

 

[jezz]

So Eriksen has not changed his game & pressing more ? Hmmmm....

Yesterday's game?
Scored and assisted our goals.
Massive kudos for that.
But pressing and tackling, just no.

 

[Strikeb4ck]

Until we string together 4 or 5 performances like the one against Everton together, I'm not buying into any of this. We were second best vs Swansea, second best vs Besiktas, second best vs Palace. I know we are in a feel good mood after stealing 3 points but this team isn't anything close to what we had in the Bale/King/Modric/VdV days.

That team you mention and the identity it had was exciting, fast paced, goal-filled football. We have nothing like that right now, it's slow, anemic, and at times totally out of ideas. We have a negative GD.

I agree the squad is gelling and the players look more comfortable with one another, but I would expect that after 1.5 years of being together, bar a couple newcomers.

I also don't agree at all with what you said about Eriksen. While he has "hustled and bustled" a couple times this season (like vs Everton), for the most part he is still a bit lazy when played out wide (he should be played as the creative mid in a 433 anyways, would suit us best). Several times yesterday he was caught too far up or too far inside and left Davies isolated way too many times. I'd say Lamela is the one hustling and bustling this season, he is working very hard in an attempt to prove himself and repay the faith the supporters showed. While Eriksen has been getting end product, key goals and assists, he's probably had one or two games this season where he's matched the defensive output of a Lennon, Lamela, Townsend, or Chadli.

Maybe I just feel this way because I'm pessimistic based on the whole picture and how we've played over the last week or so, but I think we are a far cry from having that identity the team you mention had.

 

[arunspurs]

Until we string together 4 or 5 performances like the one against Everton together, I'm not buying into any of this. We were second best vs Swansea, second best vs Besiktas, second best vs Palace. I know we are in a feel good mood after stealing 3 points but this team isn't anything close to what we had in the Bale/King/Modric/VdV days.

That team you mention and the identity it had was exciting, fast paced, goal-filled football. We have nothing like that right now, it's slow, anemic, and at times totally out of ideas. We have a negative GD.

I agree the squad is gelling and the players look more comfortable with one another, but I would expect that after 1.5 years of being together, bar a couple newcomers.

I also don't agree at all with what you said about Eriksen. While he has "hustled and bustled" a couple times this season (like vs Everton), for the most part he is still a bit lazy when played out wide (he should be played as the creative mid in a 433 anyways, would suit us best). Several times yesterday he was caught too far up or too far inside and left Davies isolated way too many times. I'd say Lamela is the one hustling and bustling this season, he is working very hard in an attempt to prove himself and repay the faith the supporters showed. While Eriksen has been getting end product, key goals and assists, he's probably had one or two games this season where he's matched the defensive output of a Lennon, Lamela, Townsend, or Chadli.

Maybe I just feel this way because I'm pessimistic based on the whole picture and how we've played over the last week or so, but I think we are a far cry from having that identity the team you mention had.

I clearly said Performances isn't good. So don't correlate the performances to what I am saying. See this from player effort perspective. I can honestly say last season, our players never tried or looked like trying. This season, in past 10 games, I can see a distinct change. Effort level is right up there.

 

[Strikeb4ck]

I clearly said Performances isn't good. So don't correlate the performances to what I am saying. See this from player effort perspective. I can honestly say last season, our players never tried or looked like trying. This season, in past 10 games, I can see a distinct change. Effort level is right up there.

I wouldn't say our players didn't try last season, AVB's tactics were just all wrong + players were adapting so we always looked poor, and then by the time Sherwood came along there was 0 confidence and the season was done. Under AVB there was effort put in, just fruitless. Under Sherwood, sure, no one cared towards the end.

I still think for the most part our play looks labored, slow, and not that full of running. I don't know how you could watch for instance the Besiktas match and come to your conclusion that we look full of running and effort and inspiration.

 

[arunspurs]

I wouldn't say our players didn't try last season, AVB's tactics were just all wrong + players were adapting so we always looked poor, and then by the time Sherwood came along there was 0 confidence and the season was done. Under AVB there was effort put in, just fruitless. Under Sherwood, sure, no one cared towards the end.

I still think for the most part our play looks labored, slow, and not that full of running. I don't know how you could watch for instance the Besiktas match and come to your conclusion that we look full of running and effort and inspiration.

Besiktas ? Who in the list I gave, played against Besiktas ? only Walker....And how did he play ? probably our best player on the night ...
IMO, that's a second XI - where Poch really needs to tinker & get it sorted.

 

[Borks]

Revelation in terms of work rate

If anyone can be classed as that it would be Lamela. Forget the rest of his performance, I see few others (Kane and Mason probably) who put in as much work as Lamela. Eriksen, just no. Great goals recently but stop trying to pretend he's something he's not.

 

[arunspurs]

Revelation in terms of work rate

If anyone can be classed as that it would be Lamela. Forget the rest of his performance, I see few others (Kane and Mason probably) who put in as much work as Lamela. Eriksen, just no. Great goals recently but stop trying to pretend he's something he's not.

Beg to disagree. Eriksen has improved in last few games. Statistically he ran 8 miles against Everton which isn't what he was doing start of season...You just need to look at his improved defensive work in recent games.

 

[DaSpurs]

Until we string together 4 or 5 performances like the one against Everton together, I'm not buying into any of this. We were second best vs Swansea, second best vs Besiktas, second best vs Palace. I know we are in a feel good mood after stealing 3 points but this team isn't anything close to what we had in the Bale/King/Modric/VdV days.

That team you mention and the identity it had was exciting, fast paced, goal-filled football. We have nothing like that right now, it's slow, anemic, and at times totally out of ideas. We have a negative GD.

I agree the squad is gelling and the players look more comfortable with one another, but I would expect that after 1.5 years of being together, bar a couple newcomers.

I also don't agree at all with what you said about Eriksen. While he has "hustled and bustled" a couple times this season (like vs Everton), for the most part he is still a bit lazy when played out wide (he should be played as the creative mid in a 433 anyways, would suit us best). Several times yesterday he was caught too far up or too far inside and left Davies isolated way too many times. I'd say Lamela is the one hustling and bustling this season, he is working very hard in an attempt to prove himself and repay the faith the supporters showed. While Eriksen has been getting end product, key goals and assists, he's probably had one or two games this season where he's matched the defensive output of a Lennon, Lamela, Townsend, or Chadli.

Maybe I just feel this way because I'm pessimistic based on the whole picture and how we've played over the last week or so, but I think we are a far cry from having that identity the team you mention had.

Completely agree. It's slow, lethargic, still far too horizontal, and rife with the indications of responsibility-ducking and lack in belief. I'm happy we won yesterday, but that still doesn't change how immensely I'm looking forward to January and holding onto hope we'll see a crucial personnel change in at least a couple areas. These signings don't have to be bunkerbusters, but rather just an introduction of some fucking athleticism and aggression.

 

[Chezaspur]

One of the big plusses of the Everton game for me was Lennon, who can't get a start now !

 

[Borks]

Beg to disagree. Eriksen has improved in last few games. Statistically he ran 8.5 km against Everton which isn't what he was doing start of season...You just need to look at his improved defensive work in recent games.

8.5km or miles?

 

[DOX]

DISTANCE COVERED STATS
MINS KM MILES

Swansea total 114.1 70.9

Gylfi Sigurdsson 90 12.5 7.8

Ki Sung-Yeng 90 11.9 7.4

Wayne Routledge 90 11.4 7.1

Tottenham total 123.8 76.9

Christian Eriksen 90 13.2 8.2

Harry Kane 90 13.1 8.2

Nabil Bentaleb 90 11.9 7.4

Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...e-winner-visitors-seventh-Premier-League.html

 

[Monkey boy]

Well i admired your attempt at a positive thread, sorry its turned into a negative one.

As you say, clearly the performances have been poor but at least we are picking up wins which at least should be seen as a positive. As for Eriksens work rate, yes its not exactly great but sometimes you have to have at least 1 player in your team that can create or score out of the blue to win you the points. He's got the potential to be OUR main man for the next 5 years so everyone bashing him can do one! Plus he has the best song ever!

 

[Bobbins]

Walker returning yesterday was like meeting an old friend again who you hadn't seen for years. I actually recognised a player for once. Plus his speed and strength immediately showed what we've been missing at right-back for nearly a year, even if he did look understandably rusty.

To be honest though until we give up on this 4-2-3-1 stuff and/or get a new striker (how much better would we be with Bony up front?) I can't see things getting consistently better. I don't think we were as bad yesterday as many people have been saying (the stealing 3 points things that's all over here and the media is annoying - yes Swansea had chances but that's why we have the world's no. 3 goalkeeper), but we still didn't really look any good.

Key to improvement will be the back 5 of Hugo, Walker, Fazio (who I am not at all convinced by, but perhaps to be replaced long-term by Moreno? Wrong side CB I know), Vertonghen and Davies playing together, every week, for the rest of the season. We must build a solid platform at the back and this is our best 5 at the moment (oh how we've missed Walker).

After that, a new striker is the priority. Soldado's not even capable of producing the excellent link play he was managing in the past - he was a complete passanger yesterday.

After that, I was us to move to a 4-3-3 (which won't happen), with Eriksen central. But if that doesn't happen at least the above things will go some way to improving us.

Having said all that I'm really enjoying these last minute 2-1 away wins, very satisfying. And it's nice to see the team showing some signs of togetherness when we've been scoring these goals.

 

[ajspurs]

I think it's easy to say that on the back of a victory like yesteday's, even if the performance wasn't great. In fact I felt exactly the same after the Everton game, but I think @Strikeb4ck got it right, we need to string performances and results together or hard fought victories like the one we got yesterday are useless.

Truth be told, I haven't seen enough to convince me that we're not still awful at home, this needs to change drastically or we won't get anywhere this season. Some of the home performances, including the recent Palace one have left me disgusted. I'm happy now but I'm not forgetting how I feel after almost every game at WHL!

 

[Nebby]

Sorry, but I just don't share your confidence. Our defence is all over the place at the moment. No sign of any cohesion or understanding.

 

[Maske2g]

We were second to absolutely everything for a good 80% of the game yesterday.

 

[Bobbins]

Sorry, but I just don't share your confidence. Our defence is all over the place at the moment. No sign of any cohesion or understanding.

I don't agree with that - I think our defence is actually the one area that's starting to show genuine improvement. Finally Vertonghen is being picked every week, Davies is starting to really establish himself and look superior to Rose, and we finally have Walker back, who was only decent yesterday and still looked better than anyone else we've tried at RB while he's been out.

Fazio is still suspect to good movement and IMO needs to be replaced, but other than that I personally think we're finally starting to look more solid. The lack of protection from the midfield is what's making us still give lots of chances away.