Match Threads Spurs vs Wolves

[rossdapep]

Just for a little perspective, Wolves also beat Man City 2-1 this season. A Man City team that are nine years into their project.

They also conceded a very similar goal to us where a sloppy dispossession led to Neto running the length of the pitch down the righthand side.

Unlike us though, Man City actually failed to break down Wolves from play at any stage in the game and actually required a wonder freekick to score their goal. Man City created very little at all in the game and just resorted to pop shots from distance in desperation. I'd actually argue that Man City actually struggled even more than us against them.



Below is Gary O Neill discussing how he set up Wolves to nullify City, and I imagine many of the same principles would've been used against us. I can remember O' Neill actually talking about Ange's tactics later in the show but couldn't find any footage unfortunately.



The moral of the story though is that its no great shame in losing to one of the best organised teams in the league atm and Ange shouldn't have to hang his head in shame for losing to them, particularly when you consider he was without his two crucial full backs.

I remember what he said.

He basically said that Spurs are really difficult to stop as they don't have specific patterns or movements.

Players pop up in spaces you don't anticipate.

Whereas City are more structured with their system but difficult to stop cause they are so good and one little mistake or loss of concentration and they punish you.

I think that last part is where we have problems.

I watched some of the game back and a few situations we got the ball into a good area but we made a mess of the first pass or touch that would have put us into a really good chance to create.

For example, Richarlison received the ball in between the def lines. Son and Deki were in a line but all starting to come in and it was a 3v3.

There was space but Richarlison tried to quick touch pass to Son (I think) and it went behind him.

Little details like that often go missed cause we tend to focus on the overall performance.

But even if we had been 5% sharper in those instances, we probably would have created much more and who knows. It then becomes a good win in a tough game.

Like Arsenal were doing before Xmas.

I just think we lack that sharpness.
Perhaps players have also lost that cohesion they had earlier.

 

[Now it's Spursonal]

I remember what he said.

He basically said that Spurs are really difficult to stop as they don't have specific patterns or movements.

Players pop up in spaces you don't anticipate.

Whereas City are more structured with their system but difficult to stop cause they are so good and one little mistake or loss of concentration and they punish you.

I think that last part is where we have problems.

I watched some of the game back and a few situations we got the ball into a good area but we made a mess of the first pass or touch that would have put us into a really good chance to create.

For example, Richarlison received the ball in between the def lines. Son and Deki were in a line but all starting to come in and it was a 3v3.

There was space but Richarlison tried to quick touch pass to Son (I think) and it went behind him.

Little details like that often go missed cause we tend to focus on the overall performance.

But even if we had been 5% sharper in those instances, we probably would have created much more and who knows. It then becomes a good win in a tough game.

Like Arsenal were doing before Xmas.

I just think we lack that sharpness.
Perhaps players have also lost that cohesion they had earlier.

Yeah I'd agree with everything you've said

And just on the part I've bolded, I think this is actually where we severely missed out on Udogie in the game moreso than Porro.

Often times this year I've found that they way we ended up breaking down the teams that sat deep was from one of Udogie's underlapping runs. Ben Davies on the other hand kept going for overlapping runs which were ignored by Son in favour of himself cutting inside and ultimately recycling the ball backwards.

 

[rossdapep]

Yeah I'd agree with everything you've said

And just on the part I've bolded, I think this is actually where we severely missed out on Udogie in the game moreso than Porro.

Often times this year I've found that they way we ended up breaking down the teams that sat deep was from one of Udogie's underlapping runs. Ben Davies on the other hand kept going for overlapping runs which were ignored by Son in favour of himself cutting inside and ultimately recycling the ball backwards.

Yep

You are right.

Little details like that.

Udogie has struggled a little bit recently with touches in his own half inside but still he has the bravery and skillset to receive the ball inside the oppositions area and do something.

Davies is very easy to deal with as he isn't going to try and dribble anyone and he isn't comfortable approaching the oppositions goal in tighter spaces.

It's essentially one player less to worry about from the opposition's defensive perspective and I reckon O'Neil would have planned that into his tactics.

 

[Mr Pink]

Yeah we need to take the game away from teams. Like we did Newcastle.

The start to the second half versus Brentford was with the energy and drive we need.

Brentford 's team talk would have been to double down and keep it tight, yet we still blew them away in 10 mins.

Gave it back to them though.

So we can do it but for some reason we either have a decent 10 mins or so then drop off to pick up again before HT or just don't get going until 25 mins or so have passed.

I think yesterday was the first first half where we just got progressively worse.

But if you start really strong and look to suffocate the opposition, you may defeat their will.

Teams come here knowing that they need to stay compact and catch us out.

If you overwhelm them and get 2 up, you force them to change their entire mindest/gameplan.

I am confident it will happen but it is odd we can't get that control right at home early on

Totally agree.

Its perplexing as Agne acknowledges it, so he's clearly very aware of it

Im sure its been discussed but I fully expect us to fly out against Palace.


Maybe because we won against Brenford/Brighton the management are a bit guilty of not addressing it.

Two weeks off, there's absolutely no excuse for a fast start against Palace now.

 

[Monkey boy]

Totally agree.

Its perplexing as Agne acknowledges it, so he's clearly very aware of it

Im sure its been discussed but I fully expect us to fly out against Palace.


Maybe because we won against Brenford/Brighton the management are a bit guilty of not addressing it.

Two weeks off, there's absolutely no excuse for a fast start against Palace now.

he also wouldn’t be the first manager to claim that they’ve spent the whole week drilling them about the need for a fast start only for the players to come out like a stoner at an after party. If Jose and Conte can’t get them to do it I’m not sure whether Ange can either.

 

[Trix]

View attachment 138011
The first goal was diabolical. No challenge at all on the player and as for the winner! Look at the still above. We had five v two of them as we chased Neto and the eventual goalscorer Gomes was way behind the play in his own half, nobody checked their shoulder, everybody was fixated on Neto and Gomes just sauntered through to score. Poor poor defending all round. Wages should be getting docked for incompetence like this.

Ask any defender what is the hardest thing to defend and they'll tell you it's the counter attack. Having to run back towards your own goal at full speed whilst keeping an eye on what is going on all over the pitch is nigh on impossible. It's not a numbers issue it's the amount of space left open. I've got far bigger concerns about defending set pieces though as we are laving far too many players unmarked or mismatched right now.

 

[Westmorlandspur]

Strange how set piece defending has changed. It was the Everton home game when we conceded the first goal from a corner.
Bissouma only needed a quick check to see Gomes. There was no one else nearby. Romero went to help v Neto but Sarr went as well . Surely there should have been a shout to mark Gomes. Even from Vicario who could see what was going on.

 

[Nayim60yards]

Ask any defender what is the hardest thing to defend and they'll tell you it's the counter attack. Having to run back towards your own goal at full speed whilst keeping an eye on what is going on all over the pitch is nigh on impossible. It's not a numbers issue it's the amount of space left open. I've got far bigger concerns about defending set pieces though as we are laving far too many players unmarked or mismatched right now.

I agree to an extent Trix but a quick scan of the pitch from even just Bissouma would have told us that there were enough players dealing with what was in front of them. Royal was closing in on Neto and the other Wolves player wide on the left would be covered by one of the players in front of him. He should be wondering who is going to be trying to thunder into the box to meet a potential cross as it was very unlikely (although not impossible) for Neto to score from that wide position.

 

[Trix]

I agree to an extent Trix but a quick scan of the pitch from even just Bissouma would have told us that there were enough players dealing with what was in front of them. Royal was closing in on Neto and the other Wolves player wide on the left would be covered by one of the players in front of him. He should be wondering who is going to be trying to thunder into the box to meet a potential cross as it was very unlikely (although not impossible) for Neto to score from that wide position.

It's not just the counters I see an issue with. For me we look incredibly structured when in possession like everyone is understanding what the manager wants even if it doesn't come off, and a bit of a mess when defending our box. Players on top of each other and/or going for the same ball, and not tracking runners especially from set pieces. It looks a bit of a mess tbh and I think that's why so many clearances make it about 10 yards and straight to an opposition player. It all just looks a bit desperate and last ditch imo. Hopefully that will come with coaching but it's one area I've seen no real improvement as a unit even though we've 100% upgraded personnel, and we are much better as far as individual duels are concerned.

 

[Dannyspur]

Our squad consistently don’t look around them. Its really annoying.

The awareness all over the pitch annoys me. Romero is a prime example, time and again he fails to see runs from the forwards, or misses out on quick passes to the wingbacks because he is totally focussed on the central midfielder. When we get possession at a corner or goal kick, Sonny and Deki nearly always turn their backs on our keeper when he collects the ball. He is often looking for a quick kick or throw out but they are just not aware and the opportunity is missed, allowing the other team to set themselves for our passing out from the back routines. We often have players in acres of space out wide, but players just don’t see them, let alone move the ball quickly to them, by the time the ball gets across the pitch, they have defenders around them.

 

[daveduvet]

… thank goodness for Vicario .. or we’d have leaked a lot more goals.

 

[What Lies Beneath]

… thank goodness for Vicario .. or we’d have leaked a lot more goals.

Ange has got 2 weeks to find some cohesion and match sharpness which is evidentially lacking right now . No excuses a performance needs to arrive against palace to get us back in some Rhythm to solidify top 4

 

[Westmorlandspur]

It's not just the counters I see an issue with. For me we look incredibly structured when in possession like everyone is understanding what the manager wants even if it doesn't come off, and a bit of a mess when defending our box. Players on top of each other and/or going for the same ball, and not tracking runners especially from set pieces. It looks a bit of a mess tbh and I think that's why so many clearances make it about 10 yards and straight to an opposition player. It all just looks a bit desperate and last ditch imo. Hopefully that will come with coaching but it's one area I've seen no real improvement as a unit even though we've 100% upgraded personnel, and we are much better as far as individual duels are concerned.

But how do we explain that we didn’t concede a goal from a corner till the Everton home game in December. It’s gone to pot for some reason.

 

[Trix]

But how do we explain that we didn’t concede a goal from a corner till the Everton home game in December. It’s gone to pot for some reason.

No idea. It's definitely been poor the last few weeks though.