Harry's striking dilema - Stat Attack

[2bearis2do]

OK, well here we are. At the end of another impotent transfer window. We have what we have and Harry has the rest of the season to try and make our strikers work for us. At least he has at last admitted that there is a problem up there! (see Guardian article)

So I thought it was worth just looking back at who we have at the club and asking ourselves what is the best upfront solution. So I delved into the world of stats. Revealing? I think so.

I think the first point to make is that we need to classify VdV as a striker. He sits behind the front man and is the best we have up front. So who do we pair up with him?

Crouch?
2009-10 2229 mins on the pitch 8 goals 7 assists
2010-11 1315 1 goal 6 assists

Game for game and minutes on the pitch Crouch has played more than any of our strikers in the last two seasons and yet unsurprisingly he gives us the poorest return of any of our 3 strikers - yet Harry persists with him - as he offers us something different? (a striker that doesn't score goals? That is something different).

Pav?
2009-10 748 mins on pitch 5 goals 3 assists
2010- 11 801 mins 5 goals 1 assist

Amazingly Pav comes out on top for minutes on the pitch to goals scored. And yet even more amazingly he gets the least amount of playing time. He has not actually been given a full 90minutes by Harry this season. The same happened last season and when Harry finally gave him a run of games - he was a monster - going on a run which I believe pushed us to that sacred 4th spot.

Defoe
2009-10 2555 mins 18 goals 5 assists
2010-11 548 0 goals 2 assists


Well poor old Defoe has had a rotten season due in large part to his injury. He is, when on form our best striker and when you see him as we did beside Rooney for England it does make one salivate. Surely he and VdV MUST start beside each other home or away and start to work on developing a barnstorming partnership before the season is over and out?

Who would you choose?

Personally I'd like to think that with the midfield we have, the passing game should be continued all the way to the back of the net. I'd also like to think that that philosophy should be applied against all, but the big teams, home and away.

Adrift of the top 4 now, we have to go for it. One up front is not an option and VdV is a striker in today's game.

VdV (legend)
2010 -2011 Mins on Pitch 1364 Goals 9 Assists 6.

 

[mattstev2000]

Got to be VDV and Pav.

Crouch, as you've proved, has the honourable distinction of being a striker who can't score and Defoe is very average (even his good scoring record last season was over inflated by getting a 11 goals in three games against Hull, Leeds and Wigan).

Pav doesn't get the chances that Crouch and Defoe do. Same problem with Keane when he was here.

 

[JimmyG2]

Nice to see the stats about Pavlyuchenko given wider publicity.
I've been pedalling them for so long I've even bored myself.
Shame Harry doesn't read SC.
Don' they have statisticians at Spurs?
Statistics smatistics

 

[battspur]

Robbie Keane ...doh

 

[Marty]

Crouch has a very good record against Blackburn ... just saying!

My only hope is that Harry has realised that Defoe doesn't turn up away from home and therefore must not start. Not holding my breath though.

 

[Maske2g]

Pav and Defoe. VDV on the Right allowed to drift in. Thats what going for it is. 2 up front is not "Going for IT" Thats called not depressing the fans.

Wilson plays on the right of the two to cover if VDV goes wondering , and Bale and Modric can tuck in to tighten it up until the numbers get behind the ball. We should have so much possession as we do already that this happens 2-4 times a game at most.

A risk worth taking.

 

[Boony]

Pav HAS to start... for me, a record against a team who have made so many changes means nothing... Go on the Pavmister

 

[Lucky22]

I remember people pulling similar stats out for Berbatov saying that he wasn't scoring goals during the end of Jol's tenure, yet he was the one laying them up for everyone else - who wouldn't have him back now?!
We recognise that Crouch needs to score more goals (you don't need stats to show you that!) but at the same time don't dismiss what he brings to the overall team in terms of link-up play.
Anyway, 98% of all stats are made up (yes, I just made that up!).

 

[2bearis2do]

Nice to see the stats about Pavlyuchenko given wider publicity.
I've been pedalling them for so long I've even bored myself.
Shame Harry doesn't read SC.
Don' they have statisticians at Spurs?
Statistics smatistics

An Additional Pav stat for you.
He has had an average of 50minutes per appearance this season - Basically Harry gives him a half.
That's where Harry ruins players confidence by not giving them a chance. For me Pav is a better finisher and makes better creative runs than Defoe (who is a speedmeister and shot blaster)
But what can you do when the manager doesn't like your style?
Crouch to his credit gives everything but achieves very little.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

but at the same time don't dismiss what he brings to the overall team in terms of link-up play.

O.K. then lets play Crouch a forward or striker or goal scorer (in the loosest terms) that produces what our central midfield or wingers should be doing and that is assists!

As Harry brianwashed you as well into thinking that Crouch is the magic pill to this teams success. He is fucking useless. No other team in the whole of Europe would take him and no team across Europe would have taken him in part exchange. He contributes nothing but long ball tactics, and punts into the box from either winger. That is seventies footie and a style that surprise, surprise Harry grew up playing.

I don't suspect for one minute that Pav will be given a run out for any length of time so we will just have to bend our necks that little bit further than usual in order to see the flight of the ball over the remainder of the season.........

 

[michaelden]

Please note that Defoe is not a regular scorer but rather has purple patches then long droughts. Of his 18 goals last season 9 came in 2 games.

 

[Marty]

Crouch has a very good record against Blackburn ... just saying!

I know only douchebags quote themselves but I think I deserve a pat on the back for calling this one :grin:

 

[michaelden]

:lol: good call Marty :up:

 

[Kingstheman]

We do have a strange situation at Spurs.

A few seasons ago, our strikers scored for fun... now, they can't score for toffee (in comparison).

 

[MikeCOYS]

We do have a strange situation at Spurs.

A few seasons ago, our strikers scored for fun... now, they can't score for toffee (in comparison).

Yeah I agree, few years ago we just keep on scoring and our defence was strong as well (at home).

I think Harry is making bad choices sometimes, he stick with our starting 11 and it's fine but sometime he needs to rest them and start with some other players for other games.

He used Bale in every game and now he's injured, same with VDV and Modric. He should rest them for less tougher matches such as Wolves, West Brom etc... then again it won't decrease the chance of a win but will lessen the chance of losing our best players in important matches coming up.

I think Harry needs to play Pav' more but after Pav' stated he wants to leave we should not play him as he won't try his best and just leave Crouch and Defoe upfront now with Krancjar just behind and Peinaar on left. Leave Palacios out.