Lack of exciting attacking flair ‘Tottenham’ players

[fishhhandaricecake]

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 that’s a good word intelligent footballers, creative ones but it depends.

I don’t think Bale is the most intelligent player tbh but he mabye still is and certainly was electric and importantly he had pace but also quality, his crosses and shooting and technique were all top class, prime Lennon was very exciting, his end product wasn’t amazing but he ran at players, commited players, it was brave and fast and fun, now it’s all backwards and sideways bullshit.

Intelligent players as you say can also be exciting: carrick was a joy to watch, modric the same, Berbatov, Robbie Keane all could create something out of nothing and/or had wonderful technique and reading of the game.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

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

So true, I don’t find Lucas particularly exciting at all, more just frustrating 9x out of 10 as he dribbles into crowds of players over and over. At least he tries things but more often than not I know it’s ending up with him falling over or running into 3 defenders or a miss placed pass etc.

Tbh I miss Eriksen, he was the heartbeat of our team and once we lost Dembele & Eriksen that ripped out all the control and creativity we used to have under Poch.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

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

The problem is that the last three managers don’t do flair.

 

[rossdapep]

So true, I don’t find Lucas particularly exciting at all, more just frustrating 9x out of 10 as he dribbles into crowds of players over and over. At least he tries things but more often than not I know it’s ending up with him falling over or running into 3 defenders or a miss placed pass etc.

Tbh I miss Eriksen, he was the heartbeat of our team and once we lost Dembele & Eriksen that ripped out all the control and creativity we used to have under Poch.

Yeah we could really do with a player like him. As well as physicality in the centre.

If Conte is so demanding with how and where we move the ball in build up then Lucas is a problem for that because his instinct is to run with the ball as soon as he sees space or feels a player on him.

That can have its advantages but ultimately it's not a long term strategy to have because it relies on Lucas not having one of those games where he can't trap the ball or not stop dribbling into the blind alleys you mention.

Son can be a little bit similar to, but at least we know Son can score plenty of goals. Lucas doesn't offer that.

And that was the beauty of having Bale last year as he provided key moments.

So if we are to move forward, we either need a Bale type who will provide lots of goal input or a highly technical intelligent player who is going to improve everyone around him and follow out Conte's systematic movements to a T.

 

[wrd]

I mean we just shipped out the 4 players who under the right circumstances would be those flair players and the majority of fans couldn't wait to see the back of 3 of them. We made a decision as a club to go a certain direction when we appointed Jose and we have continued that direction. If we want to back Conte then this is the by-product of it. I'm extremely happy we have Conte but was also sad to see those players deemed surplus but I have to accept that can't have it both ways where I want the full Conte mode but also want the players who are those flair types as they invariably don't have the necessary work rate these type of managers desire. If we wanted to build around those players we needed to go a different direction. We now have to see this through. As others have pointed out it may be a case of hoping to land technically excellent players who have the work rate.

 

[Tottenham_God]

wow, you really like to go left field ! ?

Yeah look, I guess I'll go fuck myself. But stating the obvious seems to be in vogue on here. So who am I to buck the trend ?

 

[Tottenham_God]

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.

Unless you're a GK. Slim pickings.

If Bentancur gets that 8 shirt I think he'll sell plenty

 

[panoma]

You're not wrong. A long term issue with having a squad full of "boring" players is recruitment of new fans. Kids often idolize the flair players/goal scorers, and as you say, we don't have many left.

 

[dontcallme]

I mean we just shipped out the 4 players who under the right circumstances would be those flair players and the majority of fans couldn't wait to see the back of 3 of them. We made a decision as a club to go a certain direction when we appointed Jose and we have continued that direction. If we want to back Conte then this is the by-product of it. I'm extremely happy we have Conte but was also sad to see those players deemed surplus but I have to accept that can't have it both ways where I want the full Conte mode but also want the players who are those flair types as they invariably don't have the necessary work rate these type of managers desire. If we wanted to build around those players we needed to go a different direction. We now have to see this through. As others have pointed out it may be a case of hoping to land technically excellent players who have the work rate.

But they have to be the right flair players. Ginola performed almost every game. He loved playing and brought great joy to the fans.

i can't say the same about the players we've let go.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

But they have to be the right flair players. Ginola performed almost every game. He loved playing and brought great joy to the fans.

i can't say the same about the players we've let go.

?!

 

[homer hotspur]

Yeah look, I guess I'll go fuck myself. But stating the obvious seems to be in vogue on here. So who am I to buck the trend ?

sorry matey, no offence intended. It just amused me as a stand alone random outburst but, as you say, we are all prone to those at the moment.

 

[Trix]

Who isn't?

It is close though, and I think she has the edge as far as ferocity of tackling is concerned.

 

[Tottenham_God]

sorry matey, no offence intended. It just amused me as a stand alone random outburst but, as you say, we are all prone to those at the moment.

Mate, no offense taken. I happen to enjoy fucking myself. So you should feel you've done me a great favour

 

[wrd]

But they have to be the right flair players. Ginola performed almost every game. He loved playing and brought great joy to the fans.

i can't say the same about the players we've let go.

Ginola played in the 90's and had already bedded into english football. These type of players are disappearing imo. I mean can you imagine Van Der Vaart in this day and age of football. It's not just Spurs either.

 

[ilikeost]

Ndombele and Lo Celso were supposed to be the creative midfielders, total flops. Gil and Bergwijn are pacey attackers/wingers, flopped (so far). We now have Kulusevski (who people are busy hating on because he doesn't have Aaron Lennons pace). So they have definitely tried to sign the types of players you are asking for.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Ndombele and Lo Celso were supposed to be the creative midfielders, total flops. Gil and Bergwijn are pacey attackers/wingers, flopped (so far). We now have Kulusevski (who people are busy hating on because he doesn't have Aaron Lennons pace). So they have definitely tried to sign the types of players you are asking for.

Agree mate they’ve just not worked out.
Let’s hope in summer we can sign some where they’re exciting and creative and attacking and with real quality that suits our team and league.

I doubt we’d get any of them but the 3 I mentioned would transform us imo:
Raphinia
Ward-Prowse
L.Martinez (if not then Bale or Dybala)

 

[haslemereyid]

I think its what happens when you prioritise the system over the individual players - no room for mavericks

 

[Gilzean at the near post]

Great OP

Our last 3 managers play systems that to a large extent have no room for flair players. We often see 8 of our 11 being largely defensive and to be honest it drives me mad

We play wing backs who don't have huge defensive responsibilities but are not great at creating from their frequent possession in wide positions. Why can we not play wingers who are able to help defensively when needed. That will be far more entertaining and productive. Surely Bergwijn over Docherty?

I remember the 80's when we had a midfield of Hoddle, Ardiles, Villa and Galvin. None of them were ball winners but they worked hard and we let the opposition worry about what we could produce and not the safety 1st we have now. And it was terrific to watch.

As a supporter I would rather see the flair and unpredictability that talented players bring. It makes games more exciting.
Our recent managers prefer their system to provide a predictable game pattern and seem skeptical about playing talented players who may not be consistent game after game. A recent example is the handling of Bryan Gill. He has been given so few minutes and yet has ability, is industrious but is presumably not trusted. A great shame.
Let's bring back some flair and change the emphasis and let the opposition worry about us instead of the other way round

 

[chrisd2k]

Dalmat was fun in a very, very poor side.

I miss Modric and Berbatov the most. Berbs did things with the ball I hadn't seen before. He understandably gets a raw deal because of the way he left but wow that man could play.

I'm not even looking for flair these days, just players who have good technique to be total control of the ball in tight spots. We have so many players right now who look frightened of it and teams know to press high and that's the end of our game plan.