Lack of exciting attacking flair ‘Tottenham’ players

[fishhhandaricecake]

Without going deep into what we think about the quality of the current team/squad and views on the manager and tactics etc, one thing which I think is exacerbating the problem currently is our lack of exciting attacking flair ‘Tottenham’ players.

I think this has been an issue for about 3 seasons now. We had Bale back for a bit but he was in and out the team and not always fit but aside from that and Eriksens final days with us we’ve really lacked exciting players for a good few years now, it also doesn’t help that Kane has been our only striker as strikers and goal scorers get fans excited so always have the same one gets boring.

Throughout the years we’ve always had players we can enjoy watching who would pass and create with flair or who would attack with speed or who would be goal-scorers, well right now i think we really lack these and when you add to this the style of managers in Jose and Nuno and mess of a squad that has also gone stale for a while, I think that is partly why there is so much frustration.

Quite frankly we’ve become boring and that is not something we as Spurs fans have pretty much ever been that consistently used to over a few years in a row.

We’ve had the likes of:
•Stylish Midfield passers and creators : Hoddle, Gascgoine, Carrick, Huddlestone, Dembele, Modric, Van der Vaart, Eriksen

•Pacey exciting wingers : Waddle, Barmby, Anderton, Ginola, Lennon, Bale

•Exciting goal scorers:
Greaves, Allen, Linaker, Klinsmann, Sheringham, Ferdinand, Keane, Defoe, Berbatov, Crouch

Ok you could say that Son is electric and exciting on his day and Kane is an amazing goalscorer but aside from those two we have so so so few creative, stylish, attacking flair players and/or goalscorers, as well as that we have no-one who can take a decent set-piece and half our current squad can’t trap and pass a ball 5 yards so aside from when we put a decent counter attack together we don’t have many moments to get excited about with this team and style of play.

When Bentancur came on vs Southampton and hit that 40 yard pass it was the first time I’d heard those ooo’s and wows in the crowd for ages and I just think fundamentally these types of players have always been part of Spurs DNA. The football the last 3 years has been way too low possession and defensive compared to what we like to watch but I think it would be more digestible if we signed at least 2 exciting flair players.

Examples would be say Raphinia and Ward-Prowse and Laturo Martinez.

That would give us a winger who can cross and shoot and pass and create something out of nothing, bums off seats player, Ward-Prowse can deliver those tasty crosses and set-pieces and Martinez would give us pace and dynamism in attack, I really feel that as well as signing quality players this summer we need to try to sign a few who will excite the fans as that in turn will lead to more positive support which will encourage the team, right now on the pitch is flat and boring and the crowd are negative and frustrated and I think signing a few flair type players who are also of quality would really help us feel more like we are watching our ‘Tottenham’ again.

Anyone else feel similar?

COYS

 

[Spurs 1961]

One problem I see is that the recent trend in managerial choice favours people who don’t get flair players. They just want solid workmanlike types with no imagination but the ability to obey orders. The style is just counter attack not one of taking the initiative.

This style is the opposite of Pep and Klopp. It seems more pragmatic but in reality is doomed.

 

[Tottenham_God]

Ward-prowse is a significantly better CM than Winks

 

[Oh Teddy Teddy]

I get your point — on a very basic level, one of the first things I could think about that match (other than how shite…) was how boring our players are. There’s no flair, no creativity, no real pace outside of Lucas showing up here and there.

I do, however, think Romero and Bentancur have a bit more about them, and seem confident to show those abilities (for now).

I wouldn’t underestimate the wow-factor either. Football is entertainment after all. Or at least it should be.

 

[punkisback]

Without going deep into what we think about the quality of the current team/squad and views on the manager and tactics etc, one thing which I think is exacerbating the problem currently is our lack of exciting attacking flair ‘Tottenham’ players.

I think this has been an issue for about 3 seasons now. We had Bale back for a bit but he was in and out the team and not always fit but aside from that and Eriksens final days with us we’ve really lacked exciting players for a good few years now, it also doesn’t help that Kane has been our only striker as strikers and goal scorers get fans excited so always have the same one gets boring.

Throughout the years we’ve always had players we can enjoy watching who would pass and create with flair or who would attack with speed or who would be goal-scorers, well right now i think we really lack these and when you add to this the style of managers in Jose and Nuno and mess of a squad that has also gone stale for a while, I think that is partly why there is so much frustration.

Quite frankly we’ve become boring and that is not something we as Spurs fans have pretty much ever been that consistently used to over a few years in a row.

We’ve had the likes of:
•Stylish Midfield passers and creators : Hoddle, Gascgoine, Carrick, Huddlestone, Modric, Van der Vaart, Eriksen

•Pacey exciting wingers : Waddle, Barmby, Anderton, Ginola, Lennon, Bale

•Exciting goal scorers:
Greaves, Allen, Linaker, Klinsmann, Sheringham, Ferdinand, Keane, Defoe, Crouch

Ok you could say that Son is electric and exciting on his day and Kane is an amazing goalscorer but aside from those two we have so so so few creative, stylish, attacking flair players and/or goalscorers, as well as that we have no-one who can take a decent set-piece and half our current squad can’t trap and pass a ball 5 yards so aside from when we put a decent counter attack together we don’t have many moments to get excited about with this team and style of play.

When Bentancur came on vs Southampton and hit that 40 yard pass it was the first time I’d heard those ooo’s and wows in the crowd for ages and I just think fundamentally these types of players have always been part of Spurs DNA. The football the last 3 years has been way too low possession and defensive compared to what we like to watch but I think it would be more digestible if we signed at least 2 exciting flair players.

Examples would be say Raphinia and Ward-Prowse and Laturo Martinez.

That would give us a winger who can cross and shoot and pass and create something out of nothing, bums off seats player, Ward-Prowse can deliver those tasty crosses and set-pieces and Martinez would give us pace and dynamism in attack, I really feel that as well as signing quality players this summer we need to try to sign a few who will excite the fans as that in turn will lead to more positive support which will encourage the team, right now on the pitch is flat and boring and the crowd and negative and frustrated and I think signing a few flair type players who are also of quality would really help us feel more like we are watching our ‘Tottenham’ again.

Anyone else feel similar?

COYS

Completely agree. But it’s the culture at the club now. The flat cap brigade love a clogger in PEH yet hounded out the flair players.
the academy flair players all seem to leave too. We have had a cultural change for the worst.

 

[Erm33]

If you told me right now I had to buy a spurs shirt with one of our players names on the back I'd struggle to pick one.

That's how shit and unlikable our squad is.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

I agree with you, the kind of player you would get a shirt with his name on the back even if your not the type that really does that. One of the reasons I want Dybala, aside from his obvious qualities and the fact he would be a massive upgrade to our RWF, he’s also an exciting player to watch.

 

[Erm33]

Would genuinely love to know the number of Bale shirts sold last season vs shirts sold with names on this season of the whole squad.

 

[ralphs bald spot]

If you told me right now I had to buy a spurs shirt with one of our players names on the back I'd struggle to pick one.

That's how shit and unlikable our squad is.

you have noticed Kane or Son then

 

[DenverSpur]

While I agree to great degree with what you say I would counter with the argument that one of the reasons we have been so unsuccessful for so long is that we pander to the fans desire for exciting flair players. Unfortunately many of these type of players blow hot and cold. For every exciting pass, dribble, run and goal there are huge passages of games and the season when they contribute very little. Football is a team game and if they want to be successful they cannot afford to carry passengers no matter how exciting they are. We have had over the years many exciting flair players but unfortunately we’ve often ended up with a group of individuals and not a team.
West Ham are a good example of this under Moyes. Like us their fans are always wanting exciting players but the “exciting” players they’ve had over the years haven’t really helped them achieve anything. Moyes came in binned the underachieving flair players and built a team around hard work, consistency, team spirit and discipline. They’ve still got some exciting players but these one’s are more consistent and work hard for the team and subsequently they been more successful than they’ve been for years. Poch did a similar thing with us and we had our most successful period since the early 80’s.
I’m all for exciting flair players but they’ve also got to be grafters who are willing to work hard for the team. Salah and De Bruyne are good examples of flair combined with graft for the team.

Having said all that I’d take the 3 players you mention in a heartbeat as they all have the required flair and work ethic.
It all boils down to buying the right players and not being blinded by their moments of brilliance - there has to be the complete package.

 

[Guntz]

Yup, our team for the most part, is filled with cloggers who have no guile and struggle in possession.

We're desperate for a few players who are actually not afraid of receiving the football.

 

[Dr Know]

Ward-prowse is a significantly better CM than Winks

Who isn't?

 

[DenverSpur]

To add to my earlier post it’s not so much exciting flair players we should be looking for as much as intelligent players. Intelligent players read the game well so find it easy to find space, have time on the ball and see passes early. That is much more exciting and productive than just being a fast and exciting dribbler.

 

[dontcallme]

I agree with the lack of flair players. We have invested in Ndombele and Gil among other but so far none have really stepped up and become that player the fans just love.

It's part of the reaosn I'd like Bale on a 1 year deal and I wanted Traore. Someone who you get excited about when he gets the ball.

 

[rossdapep]

To add to my earlier post it’s not so much exciting flair players we should be looking for as much as intelligent players. Intelligent players read the game well so find it easy to find space, have time on the ball and see passes early. That is much more exciting and productive than just being a fast and exciting dribbler.

Yep.

This is the problem and one player sums this up. Lucas Moura.

I like Lucas. He works hard and has had some fantastic moments at the club. He's full of energy but really lacks intelligence and consistency.

I would much rather have a slower but more technically accomplished player there who can play with intelligence.

A lot of what Lucas does is instinctive and very much individualistic. It's harder for others to get on his wavelength and read what he does.

If you were to compare him to someone like Firmino, a Brazilian who isn't as naturally talented in terms of dribbling and on the eye but is very intelligent and it's his intelligent movement that gave Salah and Mane the ability to have so much contribution up top.

This seems unfair on Lucas as I could easily have picked out others but I do think its an area we seriously need to improve on and like you said, we really need some footballing intelligence in key areas

 

[Dirtysanchez6]

100 percent no flair players and a lack of creativity ! Squad is full of very basic players

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

If you told me right now I had to buy a spurs shirt with one of our players names on the back I'd struggle to pick one.

That's how shit and unlikable our squad is.

Yea that kind of sums it up doesn’t it!

Aside from maybe son I’d not want any of the other players on the back of a spurs shirt right now.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I agree with you, the kind of player you would get a shirt with his name on the back even if your not the type that really does that. One of the reasons I want Dybala, aside from his obvious qualities and the fact he would be a massive upgrade to our RWF, he’s also an exciting player to watch.

100% mate I think a signing like that would be fairly transformative for the team and also the fans someone of real quality and excitement, Diaz would’ve brought that also so shame that we missed out on him to Liverpool.

Traore also would’ve gone bums off seats but ultimately his excitement would probably wane as we’d be frustrated by his lack of end product but Dybala or someone similar is exactly the type of player we need.

I’m fine with conte and his football because he’s a genuine top 5 in the world world class manager and with the right players the football will be fine, his Chelsea and inter teams were perfectly watchable and exciting but a good part of that was down to quality and flair players likes of Hazard, Willian, Fabregas, Hakimi, Martinez, Lukaku, Perisic, Brozovic, Eriksen etc but let’s be honest Conteball without top top quality players and without flair player is not really spurs and it’s not really what the fans want so when we do lose the negativity is doubled.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

While I agree to great degree with what you say I would counter with the argument that one of the reasons we have been so unsuccessful for so long is that we pander to the fans desire for exciting flair players. Unfortunately many of these type of players blow hot and cold. For every exciting pass, dribble, run and goal there are huge passages of games and the season when they contribute very little. Football is a team game and if they want to be successful they cannot afford to carry passengers no matter how exciting they are. We have had over the years many exciting flair players but unfortunately we’ve often ended up with a group of individuals and not a team.
West Ham are a good example of this under Moyes. Like us their fans are always wanting exciting players but the “exciting” players they’ve had over the years haven’t really helped them achieve anything. Moyes came in binned the underachieving flair players and built a team around hard work, consistency, team spirit and discipline. They’ve still got some exciting players but these one’s are more consistent and work hard for the team and subsequently they been more successful than they’ve been for years. Poch did a similar thing with us and we had our most successful period since the early 80’s.
I’m all for exciting flair players but they’ve also got to be grafters who are willing to work hard for the team. Salah and De Bruyne are good examples of flair combined with graft for the team.

Having said all that I’d take the 3 players you mention in a heartbeat as they all have the required flair and work ethic.
It all boils down to buying the right players and not being blinded by their moments of brilliance - there has to be the complete package.

Agree with the first points that spurs of old loved a flair player and we were the opposite to now, we had some fancy dans who blew hot and cold but mabye didn’t have the consistency or work ethic such as a Ginola for example.

So as with most things there is a balance to be had of quality / flair and hard work.

Berbatov was a beautiful player to watch stylistically, he didn’t ‘work hard’ but he was very effective and clever and he got a move to man.u and won things there so I don’t think flair and hard work always have to go hand in hand and tbh boy what id give for this current team to have Ginola and Berbatov in it, my god!

early 90’s we had waddle, Gazza, Lineker, then Klinsmann, Anderton, Barmby, Sheringham, then under Jol we had Carrick, Davids (iconic rather than exciting), Lennon, Mido, Berbatov, then Redknapp we had Bale,Lennon, Modric, Van der Vaart, Keane, Defoe that’s 6 players who could get you off your seat, absolutely night and day compared to now.

Poch era was more high pressing exciting team football but we had Walker and rose exciting pace, Toby and Jan oozed class at the back, dembeles skill and dribbling and dominating midfield was a joy to behold, prime eriksen and dele was poetic and then Kane and son getting so many chances and scoring so many goals but since poch left and until now, aside from Bale’s moments of brilliance and Son and Kane combining there has been absolutely no one and nothing to consistently get the fans excited and for the most part of the last 3 years it’s frankly been very boring.

As I said, I’m ok under conte to sacrifice the style of play a bit which is why to counterbalance that I hope we sign at least 2 bums off seats players this summer because we all need a lift.

 

[homer hotspur]

Ward-prowse is a significantly better CM than Winks

wow, you really like to go left field ! ?