Spurs Post Match Thread

[Chazza]

Which was easier:

1/ Carroll, half volley on the turn, on your wrong foot, 12 yards from goal.
2/ Suarez, free header from seven yards.

?

[Kenneth]

As predicted, **** all mention of Bale's disgraceful dive today.

[Muddled]

kenny and co have rebuilt the team from the defence up. were much tighter at the back and were ok ish in midfield. my guess is that this summers transfers will focus on the attacking side. we need another two to three attacking players.

then we wilk see next season what happens.

This is a very valid point.

Teams are usually built up on sound defensive foundations.

Kenny in his first year in charge has made us very resolute defensively - and in games - not sacrificed that for our need to attack. It's the transition from back to front that we struggle with, mainly against teams that sit in front of us.

[Lecter]

Which was easier:

1/ Carroll, half volley on the turn, on your wrong foot, 12 yards from goal.
2/ Suarez, free header from seven yards.

?

Both were chances that good strikers would have taken

Rooney, Hernandez, Aguero et al would have buried those chances

Hell even Ba & Papa Cisse would have taken them both

[Lecter]

As predicted, **** all mention of Bale's disgraceful dive today.

I was just made up Skrtel gave him something to moan about

[Muddled]

My view of the match:

Overall we played very well. We controlled the game against a very strong and well playing Spurs team, put them under pressure like we should at Anfield.

Yup, although Spurs set up for a point, I thought we went about our business very well from both a defensive and midfield aspect. Going by the pre match thread, you'd think people would have taken a point before the game.

Carroll had another good game, hope he keeps building on it. Won a lot of arial challenges, layed off the ball well but still needs to control the ball at the feet a litlle better.

I agree, but I thought his ball control was infinitely better too; he looked monsterous in the air and looked deft on the floor - I mentioned in the match thread that he looks lighter on his toes and I think neither Kuyt, nor Bellamy, looked to take a risk on the flick-ons he won.

For me our backs where MOM's, played very well the whole game. Johnson had Bale stopped nicely and was one of the few players actually crossing a ball in the game for us. Same goes with Kelly, solid back and forth - very impressed with the young lad, hope he get's to play more.

Johnson on his left side, looks better defensively than he does on the right and I can only guess this is because he concentrates more. It doesn't dillute his attacking instincts neither and I agree - Bale was dealt with nicely.

Kelly looked great again - never seen a performance below average from him, but he can improve his delivery from deep.

The main problem yesterday was first and foremost our CM. I'm getting more and more convinced that Adam doesn't hold much future in this team. He is simply too slow on the ball to be a playmaker. He needs 2-3 touches every time before he makes a pass, and while a very good passer it helps little when our game have slowed down to much. That was the magic of Alonso, the ability to make great passes at a high pace. Spearing while a good fighter/tackler is just not good enough on the ball. To many touches and to many silly balls given away. He even seems to panick at times.

I thought it was a better game from Adam; I think in the first half he looked short of confidence and I was surprised to hear the crowd on him from the off - when that happens, your first touch is heavy and the weight in your pass is off, but he grew in to the game and constantly looked to drop off and take the ball. An improved performance I thought.

Secondly a lack of crosses from our wingers Kuyt and Bellamy. Partly explained by the first problem - it takes to long for the ball to get there and the defense is in position before a good crossing chance can be taken.

I don't think we were set up for Kuyt and Bellamy to get to the by-line and cross; I think they provided more width than what was necessary, as they should have pushed in more centrally to play off Carroll, but because Spurs congested the midfield they got pushed further out.

Otherwise Skrtel and Agger solid as ever Although Skrtel almost lost his head a couple of times, I was a bit worried at times during the match yesterday.

Yup, I noticed Chris earlier mentioning that it would be sods law our attack clicks next season at the expense of an defensive injury or drop in form. It's been a cracking defensive line we've had this season, if they can continue as a unit, stay injury-free and continue their form next season, I'll be more than happy.

[Exiled_red]

As predicted, **** all mention of Bale's disgraceful dive today.

Imagine the press reaction if it had been Suarez that had done that...

[Muddled]

On another note, I think Adam did alright, kept things ticking along nicely. Gerrard didn't look right at times. There were moments when he should've ran to close down a Spurs player and didn't. Think he's feeling the effects of his leg strain and didn't want to push it too much.

I thought Gerrard looked sharper to be honest, although I do agree that he looks cautious of challenging players. He crunched Parker once, but that was after he had been riled, I don't think we'll be seeing him bossing any part of the midfield any time soon, because I now think he's got to use his brain as apposed to his body.

[Phoenix07]

I thought Gerrard looked sharper, to be honest, although I do agree that he looks cautious of challenging players. He crunched Parker once, but that was after he had been riled, I don't think we'll be seeing him bossing any part of the midfield any time soon, because I now think he's got to use his brain as apposed to his body.

[Muddled]

Both were chances that good strikers would have taken

Rooney, Hernandez, Aguero et al would have buried those chances

Hell even Ba & Papa Cisse would have taken them both

I'm just pointing out that if we're lambasting our finishing, citing both the Carroll *and* the Suarez chance would have been fairer, as the latter was a more 'clear-cut' opportunity.

I do however, think that the Carroll chance was a difficult one. Yes, a player amongst the goals and high on confidence would have caught that sweet, but to be fair, it doesn't take much to take a wild swing on the half volley with your weaker foot, to hit row z.

[Lecter]

I'm just pointing out that if we're lambasting our finishing, citing both the Carroll *and* the Suarez chance would have been fairer, as the latter was a more 'clear-cut' opportunity.

I do however, think that the Carroll chance was a difficult one. Yes, a player amongst the goals and high on confidence would have caught that sweet, but to be fair, it doesn't take much to take a wild swing on the half volley with your weaker foot, to hit row z.

I've been as critical of Suarez as I have of Carroll in terms of finishing

Neither of them have been good enough in front of goal

[Muddled]

I've been as critical of Suarez as I have of Carroll in terms of finishing

And the original point was aimed at Zapater, not the consistency in your criticism.

[Maxiedge]

The Spurs players were throwing themselves at every cross/shot. A bit of composure, a feint, a dummy and they would have looked a little silly but in high pressure games like that you'll get slaughtered if you don't take the shot first time (like Torres vs Mancs on sunday) so it's a difficult situation.

I'm coming round to the idea that every purchase made in the summer has a role to play in the squad and can bring something different into the team but we could do with another outstanding attacking talent just to put the icing on the cake. He doesn't necassirily need to have a goal scoring record but just have that extra bit of quality that can fit into the team and allow us to create even better chances than we are now. Suarez, Carroll, Kuyt and Gerrard are all more than capable of scoring 1 or 2 per game.

If we signed a striker solely for the purpose of 'putting away chances', well, it's not that simple really and I think it would backfire.

[Fierce]

Kenny is great at interviews

Haha, Kenny is so prickly.

I think he could do with being a little less caustic personally. Its funny when he rips an interviewer for something, and they take it in good grace because of who he is. But soon people are going to start getting a little annoyed IMO. I love how much he sticks up for us, but I don't think it's necessary absolutely all the time

[The Birdman]

Same old story.
Great defensively without arguably our player of the season so far in Enrique, Gerrard getting closer to his best, Adam meh again but no silly fouls in bad areas and he seems sharper, Spearing just isn't good enough, against a bottom 6 side then ok but Livermore was a much better holding midfielder for Spurs this season and is about 4 years younger.

We controlled the game for large periods just have a real problem with our decision making and quality of our final ball in the final third

Carroll was good again, more mobile, fitter, more aggressive and seems to have benefited from a run of regular games, Kuyt works hard and Bellamy had his quietest game going forward but helped nulify Walker when they attacked.
Suarez missed a sitter from 6 yards.

Like I said at the start, same old story.
I hope we continue with this formation, rotation of front players around Carroll as the pivot with Suarez and Bellamy as first choices.
I'd play Henderson, Gerrard plus 1 every week in midfield.

We aren't far away and don't need much imo, a better defensive/holding midfielder than Jay as even when Lucas returns it could take him another 6 months to get back to his best.
A goal scorer, not a striker that drifts or drops off, we have enough of those but a goal scorer. Someone like Hernandez who as Sky pointed out has won Man U 9 points with his goals this season.
I'd also like us to add a right winger so that we have that option.

Almost as important for the longterm imo is that we get Flanagan, Robinson, Wisdom, Coady and Sterling out on loan deals for some/all of next season