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Tottenham need forward momentum to make passing from the back work

mawspurs

Staff
Jun 29, 2003
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17,740
There was an unusual moment in the first half at San Siro on Tuesday night. With the score 0-0, the sky still deep blue above the stand, the game still to take its decisive shape, Mousa Dembélé burst the ball.
 

hughy

I'm SUPER cereal.
Nov 18, 2007
31,842
56,932
There was an even more unusual moment in the second half when the referee made Vorm re-take a free-kick because the ball didn't leave the area. I knew this was a rule for goal kicks, but since when was this a rule for a FK? Did the ref fuck up or am I stupid?
 

mil1lion

This is the place to be
May 7, 2004
42,338
77,592
There was an even more unusual moment in the second half when the referee made Vorm re-take a free-kick because the ball didn't leave the area. I knew this was a rule for goal kicks, but since when was this a rule for a FK? Did the ref fuck up or am I stupid?
Nope it's not just you, he got it wrong and treated it like a goal kick. I'd even go as far as it cost us the game :cautious:
 

TottenhamMattSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
10,925
16,007
Vorm doesn't seem to know what a keeper should and shouldn't do.
Can we put some one on in his place as a rush-keeper?
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,389
Poch obviously likes us playing out from the back otherwise we wouldn't be doing it all of the time, but it's causing us problems. Firstly, opponents now know how to target us in that area. Secondly, we seem to be getting slower and slower at moving the ball forward from our back line which I think is mainly down to CMs not finding spaces and angles where they can receive the ball, and on the occasions that they do, they also find themselves quickly shut down. Dembele can get away with it, but IMO Dier and Wanyama can't because they lack the skill to pull it off convincingly. We also suffer when Vorm is playing because he's not as good with his feet as Hugo. And when we try to play it long from the back, Kane doesn't seem able to win anything or hold the ball up. We need to mix it up and probably try to get the ball straight out to the wing backs more often. Our predictability is a weakness.
 

Locotoro

Prince of Zamunda
Sep 2, 2004
9,326
13,915
We need to stick to a formation that we are familiar with and play a strategy that we have played before. At the moment Poch is trying to shoehorn in the additional attacking player when he should be reverting to 3 at the back. Kane needs to be the main attacking threat and stay in the box
 

bigspurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2005
3,193
2,419
We need to stick to a formation that we are familiar with and play a strategy that we have played before. At the moment Poch is trying to shoehorn in the additional attacking player when he should be reverting to 3 at the back. Kane needs to be the main attacking threat and stay in the box

It’s like a surreal nightmare at the moment. Just left wondering WTF is going on in Poch’s head, apart from his dubious tactics and weird analogies involving cows.
 

Sweetsman

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2011
6,673
6,588
It’s like a surreal nightmare at the moment. Just left wondering WTF is going on in Poch’s head, apart from his dubious tactics and weird analogies involving cows.
The analogy about the cow was straightforward. What was weird about it? As for the tactics, they were working until the end. There's a lot of hindsight in comments. Players needed to come off due to fatigue and to provide defence. He can't factor in players not undertaking basic defensive duties.
Oh, City lost last night, three home CL defeats in a row, a first for an English club; but I don't hear any doomsday claxons.
 
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bigspurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2005
3,193
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The analogy about the cow was straightforward. What was weird about it? As for the tactics, they were working until the end. There's a lot of hindsight in comments. Players needed to come off due to fatigue and to provide defence. He can't factor in players not undertaking basic defensive duties.
Oh, City lost last night, three home CL defeats in a row, a first for an English club; but I don't hear any doomsday claxons.

Everyone in the football world thought that the cow thing was a bit weird, but I guess you know best. As for the tactics, did you watch the first half?! We were lucky not to be losing at half time. Did you actually watch the Fulham and Liverpool games? We look like a shambles at the moment. Talk about rose tinted glasses! Lol
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
Everyone in the football world thought that the cow thing was a bit weird, but I guess you know best. As for the tactics, did you watch the first half?! We were lucky not to be losing at half time. Did you actually watch the Fulham and Liverpool games? We look like a shambles at the moment. Talk about rose tinted glasses! Lol

Well he actually clarified his statement, he tried to use an analogy and failed, some people got it and most didn't assuming that he's having some meltdown or something, hardly a massive deal.

I tried to explain. I was explaining before to our chief scout and because he was saying 'it was difficult for me to understand'. So I'll explain again. I think (laughs) the most important thing is to be clever, improve and learn from the experience. That is the analogy. I tried to find another analogy. I didn't want to use that one but I remember it was a question. I tried to explain that you can only win with experience.
 

Sweetsman

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2011
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6,588
Everyone in the football world thought that the cow thing was a bit weird, but I guess you know best. As for the tactics, did you watch the first half?! We were lucky not to be losing at half time. Did you actually watch the Fulham and Liverpool games? We look like a shambles at the moment. Talk about rose tinted glasses! Lol
If "everyone in football" is meant to refer to the parochial English tabloid press, then they're thick as shit. It was simple for Dan Kilpatrick and his like, on the other hand. We started badly in an intimidating stadium and then grew into the game, coming to dominate it. These games are at the beginning of the season so the cogs are going to be rusty. It's not rose-tinted, it's just a dose of objectivity.
 
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tonester

Active Member
Jul 29, 2004
70
167
If everyone in football is meant to refer to the parochial English tabloid press, then they're thick as shit. It was simple for Dan Kilpatrick and his like, on the other hand. We started badly in an intimidating stadium and then grew into the game, coming to dominate it. These games are at the beginning of the season so the cogs are going to be rusty. It's not rose-tinted, it's just a dose of objectivity.
Totally agree - the game last night was unfortunate, and if we'd have won then it would have been a very good away performance. Fine margins and all that.

Regardless of Poch's tactics and odd substitutions so far this season, there's just some fundamental issues that are really hurting us. Why do we start games so slowly, where has our collective pressing gone and why do we keep conceding from set pieces?

Big game this weekend!
 

Sweetsman

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2011
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6,588
Totally agree - the game last night was unfortunate, and if we'd have won then it would have been a very good away performance. Fine margins and all that.

Regardless of Poch's tactics and odd substitutions so far this season, there's just some fundamental issues that are really hurting us. Why do we start games so slowly, where has our collective pressing gone and why do we keep conceding from set pieces?

Big game this weekend!
Because the team hasn't settled down to a rhythm yet.
 

cliff jones

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
4,059
6,513
This is a decent article, From Barney Ronay at the Guardian, asking whether Spurs are trying to add another approach to the play-book and linking the difficulties implementing it to injured absentees and team connectivity further upfield

IMHO it's a combination of more sides spotting our over-playing at the back and pressing high, and the fact that Dier and Davies in particular have passed the ball badly in our own third. Others have made mistakes too, but I think those two, and Vorm to a degree, are the main problem. Sanchez is much better with the ball than some give him credit for.

Also, when we have squeezed through the press, the forward players have been misplacing passes, too- Harry's hold up play, a huge strength of his, has been awful.
 

Trix

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
19,336
329,025
We need to stick to a formation that we are familiar with and play a strategy that we have played before. At the moment Poch is trying to shoehorn in the additional attacking player when he should be reverting to 3 at the back. Kane needs to be the main attacking threat and stay in the box
We have Hadley played 3 at the back in the last couple of seasons. Last season it was Jan and Dav in a two the season before it was Jan and Toby.

The problem isn't so much with the defence it's the zero cover in front of them, brought on from the constant midfield change ups. In both formation and individual responsibilities.

Against inter we looked comfortable playing with 4 at the back and 2 in front. Even though the midfielders didn't have a great game it was still pretty solid as it was familiar. As soon as Lamela went off and Winks came on the shape changed completely. We looked confused, no one knew who they were ipicking up and we started to panic.
 

wrd

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2014
13,603
58,005
We have Hadley played 3 at the back in the last couple of seasons. Last season it was Jan and Dav in a two the season before it was Jan and Toby.

The problem isn't so much with the defence it's the zero cover in front of them, brought on from the constant midfield change ups. In both formation and individual responsibilities.

Against inter we looked comfortable playing with 4 at the back and 2 in front. Even though the midfielders didn't have a great game it was still pretty solid as it was familiar. As soon as Lamela went off and Winks came on the shape changed completely. We looked confused, no one knew who they were ipicking up and we started to panic.

It sent a negative message to the team aswell I feel, before that we were creating a good opening every 2/3 mins and also felt like the team had no idea what to do on the corners once those subs were made also.
 

taidgh

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2004
7,897
16,243
There was an even more unusual moment in the second half when the referee made Vorm re-take a free-kick because the ball didn't leave the area. I knew this was a rule for goal kicks, but since when was this a rule for a FK? Did the ref fuck up or am I stupid?

The ball:
• must be stationary and the kicker must not touch the ball again until it has touched another player
• is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves except for a free kick to the defending team in their penalty area where the ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area
 
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