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SUIYHA

Well-Known Member
Jan 15, 2017
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Earlier in the week, Nick Wright from Sky Sports wrote this article basically calling out Poch and the team for not pressing the way they used to:


It's something I've been saying for a while - putting tactics and formations aside, the whole approach seemed to have change - the intensity that had made Pochettino successful had gone.

Today literally felt like a direct response to that. Everyone pressed high up the pitch, the full-backs bombed forward and what was the result?

More goals in the first half today than we'd scored in every first half in every competition at our new stadium so far (nine games). In fact, in our SIXTEEN games in all competitions played at either Wembley or WHL in 2019, we'd only scored five first half goals before today, and had failed to score a first half goal in 12 of them.

So pleased to see this Tottenham again. If we keep this up we'll come 3rd quite easily.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
The persistent tactical fouling was great to watch, we kept getting bookings but it was reassuring to see everyone was fighting for each other.
 

Ronwol196061

Well-Known Member
Apr 9, 2018
3,925
3,646
We had lots of energy around the ball in this one and will have even more when Ndombele takes more control in mid. He showed some nice touches in this one and will be great once he finds his spot. Add that to the growing influence Winks has,throw in Lo Celso and we should be controlling the middle in games.
The CB's did very well too in getting the ball out and forward and Aurier looked like he owned the position in this one (lets stick with it)
Palace did give us the space but I was really happy with our energy in this one.
 

wrd

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2014
13,603
58,005
The persistent tactical fouling was great to watch, we kept getting bookings but it was reassuring to see everyone was fighting for each other.

Yeah we had the fouling bit down, now we need to master City's ability to evade yellow cards
 

Cochise

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2019
4,762
12,519
It's funny hearing the crowd's reaction when Winks "slows the play down" when, in fact, all he did was provide the time for the pass to Serge to become available.

I thought he'd ruined the whole move when he slowed it down like that.
 

Lighty64

I believe
Aug 24, 2010
10,400
12,476
These things definitely helped but there was also a clear shift in intent from us. Despite those points you mentioned if we played like how we had in the past we still would have struggled in that match IMO. If we play with this intensity, speed and attacking intent consistently then we'll massively increase the chances of breaking through even the teams who sit back. Take Liverpool yesterday for example, 1-0 down to a team wanting to just sit deep and counter but the persistent attacking intent forced the openings. We have to try and force things and make them happen with aggressive play whereas in the past we've pondered and waited for certain chances to open up easily for us.

look I agree, but what I'm saying is Villa and Newcastle never once left that space for a ball over the top, and closed us down. pace against teams with 10 men behind the ball means you need the players that can pass it within 2 touches. 1 control 2 pass. Sissoko did better yesterday, but had the room to do it, Winks 2-4 touches with a Parker spin. they where given room and time to do it yesterday. the other 2 games where so different, and they wasn't as narrow.

when playing bus parkers your trying to find the little spaces, yesterday you could fit a bus in some of the gaps Palace left. when a team parks the bus, it's all tippy tappy in our half with the hope of drawing them out of position, and then your relying on that perfect cross and hope it gets converted. get a goal early then opens the game up, unfortunately with the other 2 home games played so far the away team have got the early goal, and made it tough. we got the break v Villa, but Newcastle defended as if their life depended on it
 

bozzaSPUR

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
475
541
Earlier in the week, Nick Wright from Sky Sports wrote this article basically calling out Poch and the team for not pressing the way they used to:


It's something I've been saying for a while - putting tactics and formations aside, the whole approach seemed to have change - the intensity that had made Pochettino successful had gone.

Today literally felt like a direct response to that. Everyone pressed high up the pitch, the full-backs bombed forward and what was the result?

More goals in the first half today than we'd scored in every first half in every competition at our new stadium so far (nine games). In fact, in our SIXTEEN games in all competitions played at either Wembley or WHL in 2019, we'd only scored five first half goals before today, and had failed to score a first half goal in 12 of them.

So pleased to see this Tottenham again. If we keep this up we'll come 3rd quite easily.
Totally agree. Watching the game took me back 2/3 years when the football we played was exciting and we scored a lot of goals as a result of the pressing. Aurier was a revelation and Toby and Jan looked rock solid. Even Lloris was throwing it it to one of our players! Only disappointing aspect was that H was making runs to receive balls from Toby which never materialised so instead he was coming deeper to provide balls like the one that Lamella scored from. Still it's a team game and providing the lads win whoever scores is irrelevant in the bigger picture of things.
 

ajspurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2007
22,987
31,167
look I agree, but what I'm saying is Villa and Newcastle never once left that space for a ball over the top, and closed us down. pace against teams with 10 men behind the ball means you need the players that can pass it within 2 touches. 1 control 2 pass. Sissoko did better yesterday, but had the room to do it, Winks 2-4 touches with a Parker spin. they where given room and time to do it yesterday. the other 2 games where so different, and they wasn't as narrow.

when playing bus parkers your trying to find the little spaces, yesterday you could fit a bus in some of the gaps Palace left. when a team parks the bus, it's all tippy tappy in our half with the hope of drawing them out of position, and then your relying on that perfect cross and hope it gets converted. get a goal early then opens the game up, unfortunately with the other 2 home games played so far the away team have got the early goal, and made it tough. we got the break v Villa, but Newcastle defended as if their life depended on it

Oh yeah I agree with all of that, I'm just hopeful that in playing more like how we did yesterday we don't make it look anywhere near as mission impossible against bus parkers as we have done as of late.
 

Lighty64

I believe
Aug 24, 2010
10,400
12,476
something that did help on Saturday was we only had 2 or 3 goal kicks (to be honest I don't even remember us having any). Palace never pressed us if we did, which meant the ball was going forwards a lot quicker.

People expecting us to play with this pace and urgency will be very disappointed the minute a team comes here to park their bus, and not press us when in our half.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
something that did help on Saturday was we only had 2 or 3 goal kicks (to be honest I don't even remember us having any). Palace never pressed us if we did, which meant the ball was going forwards a lot quicker.

People expecting us to play with this pace and urgency will be very disappointed the minute a team comes here to park their bus, and not press us when in our half.

Both sentences contradict each other :D
 

Lighty64

I believe
Aug 24, 2010
10,400
12,476
Both sentences contradict each other :D

ok i should of said not press us at goal kicks


the weird thing about Saturdays result, a lot of the multi neg posters that will be back when we lose, or struggle have been very quiet. why are they not in here celebrating a good result
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
I don't like tactical fouling, never have.

There, I said it.

What's not to like, I think they're great...probably a reason why our defence wasn't getting breached so much in comparison to previous matches, Arsenal took 26 shots against us, City took 31. Palace had 11 because we were stopping them using tactical fouling.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
ok i should of said not press us at goal kicks


the weird thing about Saturdays result, a lot of the multi neg posters that will be back when we lose, or struggle have been very quiet. why are they not in here celebrating a good result

There's a load of notable absentees that haven't posted since Saturday...
 

JimmyG2

SC Supporter
Dec 7, 2006
15,014
20,779
What's not to like, I think they're great...probably a reason why our defence wasn't getting breached so much in comparison to previous matches, Arsenal took 26 shots against us, City took 31. Palace had 11 because we were stopping them using tactical fouling.

I quote a section of my blog review of the game entitled 'Spurs get street wise' and I stand by it.

https://jimmyg2.blogspot.com/

Professional fouls:
We committed nearly 20 fouls, twice as many as Palace and several on danger man Zaha which the commentators lovingly refer to as 'professional fouls' and positively encourage. They are not, they are profoundly unprofessional and are spoiling the game.

Some of them were close to the half way line and danger was remote. It earned Winks and Eriksen yellow cards. which are clearly not enough as teams rotate the fouls amongst themselves. Two yellows might cure it or 15 minutes sin bin and a yellow.

Some will argue that this is Spurs getting more street-wise and joining the 'big boys'. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. We are already a big boy and we don't need it and nor does the game.
 

Cochise

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2019
4,762
12,519
To be fair, the ref yesterday jumped on those types of foul (I think I remember saying something about Kane getting away with one).
That is a big improvement from the last game at Arsenal where Xhaka seemingly fouled with impunity.

This is the best we can expect without something like a sin bin being introduced.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
I quote a section of my blog review of the game entitled 'Spurs get street wise' and I stand by it.

https://jimmyg2.blogspot.com/

Professional fouls:
We committed nearly 20 fouls, twice as many as Palace and several on danger man Zaha which the commentators lovingly refer to as 'professional fouls' and positively encourage. They are not, they are profoundly unprofessional and are spoiling the game.

Some of them were close to the half way line and danger was remote. It earned Winks and Eriksen yellow cards. which are clearly not enough as teams rotate the fouls amongst themselves. Two yellows might cure it or 15 minutes sin bin and a yellow.

Some will argue that this is Spurs getting more street-wise and joining the 'big boys'. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. We are already a big boy and we don't need it and nor does the game.

The big boys deploy tactical fouling and have been doing it for years.

We have done it under Poch since he got here so it's nothing new although we had stopped doing it and with us not pressing as much and taking less risks which funnily enough coincided with our bad run of form over the past 8 months or so.

There's nothing unprofessional about tactical fouling, it's part of the game and I'm surprised that after 6 years of Poch ball people are starting to speak out against it now, are you just noticing it for the first time or something?
 
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