The silent backlash continues...

[xtrac]

It really isn't just recent Spurs managers that have adopted 4-2-3-1, it's the way of much of the world. Since you mention SAF, here's quite an old, but possibly interesting, article on the subject - referencing SAF:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2008/dec/18/4231-442-tactics-jonathan-wilson

'4-2-3-1's transfer to England – at least in terms of a recognition of it as something distinct from 4-4-2 – came with Manchester United as an emphatic 3-2 home defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League in 1999-2000 convinced Sir Alex Ferguson that the more orthodox 4-4-2 he had employed to win the treble the previous season had had its day in European competition (although he maintains, with some justification, that he has never played 4-4-2, but has always used split forwards)'.

Yes a variation of the 4-4-2 system, with split forwards, we played a 4-4-1-1, ultimately we played 2 forwards, wether a wing forward or 1 in behind the striker, Rafa, Defoe and Ade played the wing forward role to accommodate 2 strikers when we played a 4-1-4-1 with parker or sandro infront of the back 4, its all about being flexible with the system, something i dont see with this system as we continually play 1 upfront, thats my take on it i could be wrong.

 

[phil]

I whole-heartedly agree with the OP. I've been going to WHL for over 60 (sixty) seasons and have been a season ticket holder for many years but last season was by far the least exciting I have experienced. Apart from the Arsenal and Chelsea games and perhaps a couple of others our home performances were turgid. Let's face it, we were extremely fortunate to finish 5th.

We have no way of breaking down teams that come to defend and, up until now, we've done nothing to address the problem in the transfer window. It is no coincidence that we are far more successful away from home where the opponents don't sit as deep. Unlike Maske2g, I have renewed my season ticket but it wasn't an easy decision and I can't say I'm looking forward to the coming campaign with any confidence that things will improve.

 

[sloth]

Or not:
Availability: Not in stock. You can still order this title and we will do our best to source it for you, but can't guarantee availability.

Probably be $300 postage from there to here

I might invest in "Nearly Reach The Sky, A Farewell to Upton Park" though.
Or not (and that IS in fucking stock of course).


EDIT: And get a load of THIS on Amazon.com. Bwaa Haaa Haaa Haaaaa:

Nearly Reach the Sky: A Farwell to Upton Park Paperback February 6, 2015 Paperback – 1605
by Brian Williams (Author)

3 Used from $1,568.89
4 New from $1,568.89

Contact the author direct!

 

[Monkey boy]

You were right the Silent Backlash is in full swing. Our fans remain silent the whole game and then provide the backlash at the end of the 90 minutes.

Cant say I blame them to be honest. That was turgid, again.

 

[tototoner]

Are those that laughed at Redknapp back in 2010 when he said we've never had it so good still laughing now

 

[Bobbins]

Are those that laughed at Redknapp back in 2010 when he said we've never had it so good still laughing now

Yes, because I don't remember us winning the league or 8 FA Cups under Harry, so he was still talking bollocks despite what's happened since.

 

[Hoowl]

You were right the Silent Backlash is in full swing. Our fans remain silent the whole game and then provide the backlash at the end of the 90 minutes.

Cant say I blame them to be honest. That was turgid, again.

I though there was a decent atmosphere for the most part yesterday.

 

[cliff jones]

You were right the Silent Backlash is in full swing. Our fans remain silent the whole game and then provide the backlash at the end of the 90 minutes.

Cant say I blame them to be honest. That was turgid, again.

completely wrong. atmosphere good, helped by the stoke lot, performance generally good with some incisive play against decent opposition. we lost our way after kane and mason went off, the squad is not complete, and the fans sensed it. thats objective.

 

[Sevens]

Are those that laughed at Redknapp back in 2010 when he said we've never had it so good still laughing now

They'd never admit even if they weren't.

Looking back it was such a strange time to be a Spurs fan on football forums. Verbally most people seemed to be delighted with the style of play and the fact we were being taken seriously in the media. But the Football Manager loving fashionista on the football forums seemed utterly miserable when Redknapp was in charge.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

Are those that laughed at Redknapp back in 2010 when he said we've never had it so good still laughing now

He did have Modric, Bale, VDV and King at his disposal, which any half decent manager would have won things.. Can't recall Redknapp adding any silverware during his reign here.

 

[Speedy]

completely wrong. atmosphere good, helped by the stoke lot, performance generally good with some incisive play against decent opposition. we lost our way after kane and mason went off, the squad is not complete, and the fans sensed it. thats objective.

Atmos was fine yesterday on the shelf until Kane went off. Then everyone sat there trying to work out why we'd let Stoke bring it to us

 

[Sevens]

He did have Modric, Bale, VDV and King at his disposal, which any half decent manager would have won things.. Can't recall Redknapp adding any silverware during his reign here.

Here we go with the revisionism again. Should I bite? Why not. It's been a while.

Amazing how so many people think Lamela needs more time and is only adjusting to the league (first season doesn't count apparently) and yet Modric was world class and needed no adjusting when Redknapp first took over.

Redknapp took over an absolute pile of dog turd. The squad was awful. It had two or three players with potential but the balance was a mess and most of the first team was mid-table, at best, quality. We had lost our three main forwards in the space of 6 months. We had Pavlyuchenko as our main man up front! Or maybe we could just bring in Frazier Campbell.

It's funny because people remember what they want to remember. People remember Bale & Modric always being brilliant in Spurs shirts and remember them as always being available. They were not. The season we qualified for the CL Modric was out for most of before Xmas with an injury. Bale only started playing after Xmas and whilst he did well he wasn't the player he was two seasons later.

King? The season we qualified for the CL he made just 20 league apps. The following season he made just 6. The season after that he was pretty much finished and a shadow of the player he was.

Redknapp was far from perfect but to give it the BS that any half decent manager would have won things is quite frankly an idiotic statement to make. There have been far better teams than Redknapp's Spurs teams that have failed to win trophies.

We (as do most fans of their clubs) also over rated how good we were. We were close to being a very good side. But there were still better sides than us, including Arsenal.

Our best XI wasn't better than Arsenal. A lot of Spurs fans beat themselves up still that we "blew" the chance to beat Arsenal. In truth they were better. Their team had beaten us in the Premiership for years before and have beaten us in the years after that season. Their core players in that team have proven themselves to be top four quality year after year before and since. Ours hadn't and haven't. Combine that with Van Persie staying fit for the first time in an age and scoring 30 Premier League goals? It would have been a brilliant achievement to have beaten them that year and in hindsight it wasn't a failure that we didn't in my opinion. They had better players and a better Manager and still only managed to beat us by 1 point.

 

[adamthfc]

Here we go with the revisionism again. Should I bite? Why not. It's been a while.

Amazing how so many people think Lamela needs more time and is only adjusting to the league (first season doesn't count apparently) and yet Modric was world class and needed no adjusting when Redknapp first took over.

Redknapp took over an absolute pile of dog turd. The squad was awful. It had two or three players with potential but the balance was a mess and most of the first team was mid-table, at best, quality. We had lost our three main forwards in the space of 6 months. We had Pavlyuchenko as our main man up front! Or maybe we could just bring in Frazier Campbell.

It's funny because people remember what they want to remember. People remember Bale & Modric always being brilliant in Spurs shirts and remember them as always being available. They were not. The season we qualified for the CL Modric was out for most of before Xmas with an injury. Bale only started playing after Xmas and whilst he did well he wasn't the player he was two seasons later.

King? The season we qualified for the CL he made just 20 league apps. The following season he made just 6. The season after that he was pretty much finished and a shadow of the player he was.

Redknapp was far from perfect but to give it the BS that any half decent manager would have won things is quite frankly an idiotic statement to make. There have been far better teams than Redknapp's Spurs teams that have failed to win trophies.

We (as do most fans of their clubs) also over rated how good we were. We were close to being a very good side. But there were still better sides than us, including Arsenal.

Our best XI wasn't better than Arsenal. A lot of Spurs fans beat themselves up still that we "blew" the chance to beat Arsenal. In truth they were better. Their team had beaten us in the Premiership for years before and have beaten us in the years after that season. Their core players in that team have proven themselves to be top four quality year after year before and since. Ours hadn't and haven't. Combine that with Van Persie staying fit for the first time in an age and scoring 30 Premier League goals? It would have been a brilliant achievement to have beaten them that year and in hindsight it wasn't a failure that we didn't in my opinion. They had better players and a better Manager and still only managed to beat us by 1 point.

Applauds

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

Redknapp took over an absolute pile of dog turd. The squad was awful. .

Are you generally serious?..

 

[Sevens]

Are you generally serious?..

Redknapp's first ever winning Spurs side:

Tottenham: Gomes, Hutton, Corluka, King, Assou-Ekotto, Bentley, Jenas, Huddlestone, Modric, O'Hara (Lennon 70), Pavlyuchenko (Bent 67).
Subs Not Used: Cesar, Zokora, Gunter, Giovani, Campbell.

 

[tototoner]

Yes, because I don't remember us winning the league or 8 FA Cups under Harry, so he was still talking bollocks despite what's happened since.

I don't think many fans on here are old enough to remember us winning the league, how many generations ago was that now.

 

[Arthur Hucksake]

I am not convinced Harry would do any better with this squad. Only thing I do know, Townsend would play instead of Lamela.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

I whole-heartedly agree with the OP. I've been going to WHL for over 60 (sixty) seasons and have been a season ticket holder for many years but last season was by far the least exciting I have experienced. Apart from the Arsenal and Chelsea games and perhaps a couple of others our home performances were turgid. Let's face it, we were extremely fortunate to finish 5th.

We have no way of breaking down teams that come to defend and, up until now, we've done nothing to address the problem in the transfer window. It is no coincidence that we are far more successful away from home where the opponents don't sit as deep. Unlike Maske2g, I have renewed my season ticket but it wasn't an easy decision and I can't say I'm looking forward to the coming campaign with any confidence that things will improve.

You weren't in block D east stand row 12 saturday were you?

 

[SteveH]

All together now

 

[Bing]

In the 20+ years I have been supporting this club I don't ever recall feeling as ambivalent about our team.

I feel little excitement when I watch them play and I get the impression that the majority of our players feel very little affinity with the club and could not really give a sh1t about its history and traditions.

As much as I want to get behind Poch and support him, I am just finding it very hard to love the guy...it is an indictment of our club more than the man himself but how many here truly believe in their heart of hearts that he will be here in five years?

We have turned into a club in constant transition over the last 4 years.

Some of the stuff we used to play under Jol and particularly under Redknapp was nothing short of sublime....that quality of football, and more to the point the quality of player we had back then seems a long long way off.

But at the end of the day you can talk about good players, a nice training ground, playing nice football and a great manager but what success boils down to is 11 guys who are 100% committed, give everything they have and would bleed for each other. We have lost that team spirit and I have no clue how you get it back!