Match Threads Aston Villa vs Spurs - Match Thread

[shelfboy68]

What was strange yesterday was that we looked dodgy at set pieces. I've always though that defending those is one of our strong points, it has been at the other end attacking them that we've had problems

There are signs that some of passages of play and movement are excellent but then we let ourselves down with ropey defending I'm sure it will all come together.

 

[Gb160]

There are signs that some of passages of play and movement are excellent but then we let ourselves down with ropey defending I'm sure it will all come together.

Every time they got a corner I was terrified, something isn't right as this sort of stuff can be coached and drilled into players.
First goal was a stupid mistake caused by hesitancy by both Toby an Hugo...second goal Toby just got his pants pulled down, they had a couple of other good chances from corners as well.

 

[mpickard2087]

What was strange yesterday was that we looked dodgy at set pieces. I've always though that defending those is one of our strong points, it has been at the other end attacking them that we've had problems

Is it? When?

 

[spursfan77]

There are signs that some of passages of play and movement are excellent but then we let ourselves down with ropey defending I'm sure it will all come together.

I don't think we should under state the effect missing Kane has at both ends of the field. I've lost count the amount of times he's been the player heading the ball away at a corner. Also he holds the ball up and occupies the defenders differently to Sonny.

 

[spursfan77]

Is it? When?

I'd like to see the stats but in my mind we rarely concede from corners.

 

[dagraham]

Is it? When?

Agree. I always thought it was one of our weaknesses even when we were otherwise rock solid in defence under Poch.

Whilst Toby and Vertonghen were the best CB pairing in the league, if you had to pick a flaw, neither were particularly dominant in the air. And Lloris was never especially commanding as far as crosses into the box were concerned.

 

[mpickard2087]

I'd like to see the stats but in my mind we rarely concede from corners.

I have no idea what we'd compare like to other teams in the league, but for me it was one of the bigger weaknesses of the last few years/Poch's reign.

Individually a few of them have often had problems, Alderweireld and Dier in particular I have seen too many times caught underneath the ball and not getting off the ground.

This was also one of my prime examples to use when discussing marginal gains in regards to the conversation of "why cant we get over the line and become winners", at times we have seemed determined not to learn from the past/mistakes. We conceded exactly the same sort of set piece goal in two different semi finals to Chelsea for instance, plus in other games too including one of the CL games last year, yet still refused to mark people on the edge of the box at corners etc.

 

[UbeAstard]

I'd like to see the stats but in my mind we rarely concede from corners.

Or score from them.

 

[mightyspur]

TBF, I thought the delivery Grealish put in for their corners was quality. Almost always in the exact spot they need to be.

 

[teedee]

Grealish was superb amd he passes unlike our lot who are so selfish.
He's as good as gazza

Gazza was world class, Grealish is just a good PL player. Simples!

 

[Gassin's finest]

Grealish was superb amd he passes unlike our lot who are so selfish.
He's as good as gazza

Gazzaniga, right?

 

[DiscoD1882]

Every time they got a corner I was terrified, something isn't right as this sort of stuff can be coached and drilled into players.
First goal was a stupid mistake caused by hesitancy by both Toby an Hugo...second goal Toby just got his pants pulled down, they had a couple of other good chances from corners as well.

Actually looking at the first goal Toby was actually in the right place. But the ball took a deflection and dropped quicker than expected. The corners were worrying though.

 

[pangtong]

Or score from them.

Think we'll score more with Lo Celso taking them. His corners for us so far have been excellent.

 

[philll]

I don't understand Dean Smith's comments about the penalty. In the heat of the moment the ref didn't think it was a pen but when it was looked at again it very obviously was. If that's not "clear and obvious", what is? It's a perfect example of why VAR exists.

 

[al_pacino]

Smiths comments are down to the fact he's just walked off the pitch after conceding a shitty(for them) late goal and not really knowing what to say. He wants to defend his player but he really has nothing to go on so he chooses an easy target.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Yes but (as I alluded to in my post) could you see what they were trying to implement? What's Mourinho's plan?

For the time being, I think his plan is pretty clear: to scratch his way to the end of the season, using his experience and pragmatism to get us into a Champions League qualifying position somehow, then to use the summer to continue the renovation of the squad, formulate a way of playing that suits his mainly-inherited players and instill his tactical plan into the team, ready to start next season in a less haphazard manner.

This is what happens when you take over someone's squad in mid-season. If you're flexible and can improvise, you make it work somehow, until you have time to recast things in your own preferred style.

 

[daryl hannah]

I don't understand Dean Smith's comments about the penalty. In the heat of the moment the ref didn't think it was a pen but when it was looked at again it very obviously was. If that's not "clear and obvious", what is? It's a perfect example of why VAR exists.

Yeh I've lost respect for Dean Smith for that.

Trouble is on match of the day, the pundits are saying, "you could argue that there's contact, but is it clear and obvious?" - F*CKING YES.

 

[Gassin's finest]

Tottenham find a way through without forward-thinking - Football365

Tottenham went from ruthless against City to profligate at Villa. Do they need a striker? Can they play this well with one?

www.football365.com

 

[Japhet]

Great to get the three points when it looked as though we would have to settle for a draw with 93 mins gone !!

It was a really good performance from Bergwijn, and Toby redeems himself with a finish which Kane would have been proud of , but oh my, our defending for corners was the worst I've seen in a long while, almost everytime we conceded a corner Villa looked like scoring from it. That has got to be addressed and quickly.

It has also been said already but we dropped a huge bollock not snapping up Grealish when we had the chance,and today showed us how big an opportunity that was missed.

To conclude, not a vintage performance but we got over the line, and the team's around us will be extremely pissed off that Engels gifted us that chance right at the end to net us the three points.

All I'd say about that is, if we'd got Grealish I think it's highly doubtful we'd have got Lo Celso.

 

[dontcallme]

Grealish was superb amd he passes unlike our lot who are so selfish.
He's as good as gazza

Please tell me you're being ironic or referring to Gazaniga.