Article by Sean Walsh(This is an opinion piece, feel free to agree or disagree in the comments)
Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. With that logic, AVB was a maniac. So was it his fault?
Probably.
I always supported Andre from day one at Spurs, but it had gone on far enough. This is the best squad we’ve had in years and we’re shipping 5 at home to the average XI. The system wasn't working. We couldn’t be patient. In football, that will rarely get you anywhere. Ever since the departure of Gareth Bale, the only attacking threat we’ve had is Andros bleeding Townsend who has had about 85% of our shots this season.
Don’t believe me that was AVB’s fault? Look at it this way - a simpleton who knows less than a dog on meth took us from 20th place into the Champions League quarter finals. Maybe football really is like a video game. Maybe AVB was looking too deep into things. Every time we’ve been spanked, there’s been no fighting play enabling us to say ‘we gave it a shot’. Actions speak louder than words.
Of course, the players have to take some responsibility as well. How Michael Dawson is still Captain is beyond me. He’s another one that can talk the talk but was making us so painfully bad. He’s a nice guy, but they finish last, and if we want to move forward he can’t keep playing. The attacking players aren’t escaping the blame either. If you want to win football matches, you’ve got to get forward. You’ve got to show ambition. None of the players showed that against Liverpool. If there was any justice in the world they’d be sacrificing their wages to refund anyone who went on Sunday.
So now the AVB 'era' is over, who comes in? Don’t start thinking unrealistically. Klinsmann and Capello are taking teams to the World Cup, so they’re definitely not going to come. Hoddle’s preferred XI to start vs Manchester City shows why Levy got rid of him, and I doubt Jurgen Klopp has even heard of Tottenham. The three best candidates (in my opinion) are Michael Laudrup, Guus Hiddink and Frank de Boer.
Laudrup had a hard task in replacing Brendan Rodgers at Swansea, but he’s turned them from a possession team, into an attacking possession team - remember those good ol’ days? He’s also won a trophy with them. How good would that be? Silverware at White Hart Lane. Before that he took a financially stricken Real Mallorca side to the fringes of Champions League qualification, only missing out by a point. We've got twice the quality of Swansea and Mallorca when he started there.
Next up, Guus Hiddink. It’s undeniable that this man has left a trail of glory wherever he’s been. A very average South Korea team to the World Cup semi-finals, an ordinary PSV Eindhoven side so close to the Champions League final, an ageing Russia team agonisingly close to the European Championship finals… I could go on, but we’d be here all day. Hiddink is a big name, has a large influence and is a great man manager - why not have him at Spurs? He may have managed Chelsea, but he promised to go back there after his stint with Russia, and look how that turned out.
Thirdly, Frank de Boer. He may be inexperienced as a manager, but his ability and tactical knowledge as a player and the achievements he’s had with Ajax in 3 years shows he has what it takes to take on the job in North London. 3 consecutive Eredivisie titles speak for themselves when you look at some of the talent that play in Holland again, and we’ve pinched their two best players! He’s got Ajax playing some super stuff, culminating in a memorable 2-1 win over Barcelona in the Champions League. Definitely worth a shout.
Whatever happens, we want our Tottenham back.
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I really don't understand some of the online commentary on Spurs at the moment. It's like kids wanting their comfort blanket. I am an Irish Spurs fan for over 30 years. I want Spurs winning Premierships and challenging for Champions Leagues. To look at the rejoicing over Adebayor and the lamentation over Townsend you'd swear as long as Spurs were attacking then nothing else mattered.
ReplyDeleteAVB is a guy who knows what he is doing. His downfall like many before him is he didn't want to compromise and why should he? He is the manager. That said, his selection policy was based on Spurs reacting to who they were playing not Spurs playing their way and letting the opposition react to that.
Lloris in goal and Walker at right back. Dawson is not a player to win Premierships or CL's with which really makes the captaincy questionable. He should be dropped. How so many first team players are injured is concerning. Ideally you would want an actual left back to play left back, but in the absence of one, Vertonghen is filling a gap. That leaves the central pairing. Kaboul and Chiriches. How comes they have never played as a pair?
Paulinho and Sandro as holding nothing wrong there. Dembele is another Dawson type. Their immediate cover should be Capoue. Then Lamela, Eriksen, Chadli or Holtby as the starting 3. Soldado upfront.
Lennon on the right as cover for Lamela.
Sigurdsson on the left as cover for Chadli.
Holtby as cover for Eriksen in the middle.
Townsend as second cover for any of the 3.
Defoe as cover for Soldado. Adebayor a distant cover for Defoe.
Now you can question 4-2-3-1 - but in real terms Spurs currently have 2 decent starting XI's. Play one in the league all the time. Play the other in the Europa all the time. Everyone gets games, stays match fit and the XI's become interchangeable.
This is where AVB fell down. Not once did he play the best XI for a run of games. Obviously my best XI is my choice, others will differ. But 7 new signings can't gel if they don't play together all the time - but especially when they don't do it once.
LLoris
Walker Kaboul Chiriches Vertonghen
Paulinho Sandro
Lamela Eriksen Chadli/Holtby
Soldado
Play them for a 5 - 10 stretch and see how the results are looking by early February.
Friedel
Naughton Dawson Capoue Rose
Dembele Townsend
Lennon Holtby Sigurdsson
Defoe
in Europe.
I'm with you, appointing sherwood is a total balls up, he just doesn't have a clue. we're going backwards at a rate of knots, we need someone at least to steady the ship and we need leaders to fight for the club, all missing i fear
ReplyDeleteWell said Sean, right behind you on this and I guess you'd sent it in before last nights debacle. I have no idea what Sherwoods team selection or set up was about. Again send out a different team to the last one (which was different from the one before and so on and so on...) No experienced CB? Even Dawson would have been better. Why Defoe? Fine give Ade a go but we need Soldado playing to continue from the Anzhi game, but he hasn't started since! Explain that. We are clueless. It's the worst time to be a Spurs supporter. I know it's unlikely but I'd love to see Klopp in but would be happy with Hiddink. FdB and Laudrup I'm unsure of. Lets face it though, we're hardly anyone's preferred destination are we?
ReplyDeleteMark French
uhh, I hate to say this but this is our Tottenham. Maybe some of the games of the avb era were not, but we definitely back to our Tottenham. off field dramas, controversy, decent players, lots of hope - only to have the soul destroyed in a way that only Spurs can do.
ReplyDeleteAs for who comes in. it is a pity that we missed out on Martinez. Right now really no one stands out. If I had to choose, I would probably go for Hiddink
Dawson could not play as he was suspended. Sherwood did not have a lot of other options to go with. If Dawson was available, Capoue could have moved to defensive midfield - and things would have looked a lot better. Right now our defensive options are limited.
ReplyDeleteAppointing Tim Sherwood as caretaker/manager was a knee jerk reaction, by the same person (Mr. Levy), who gave a knee-jerk reaction in the first place and sacked AVB. We just got ripped open by of the teams who are very resurgent and scoring for the fun of it at the moment, as well as pressing for an elusive CL spot this season - these things happen in football (not that Levy has got a clue when it comes to football), if we had just been thumped 5-0 by the liked of Palace, Cardiff, West Brom, Sunderland etc then yes fair game the manager should be told that he's on borrowed time unless he turns things around - but to sack a manager just before the busiest time of the season is suicidal -- thanks again Mr.Levy, merry xmas to you as well.
ReplyDeletefuck you, totnum is shit, my dick is big
ReplyDeleteI would love to have a few hours with AVB Levy and Baldini to get a de-brief!!
ReplyDeleteI pay a lot of money that I work hard for to watch this lot and I WANT ANSWERS!!! -
These are my questions:..
The Back 4:
1)Why release Caulker when Kaboul is nowhere near ready to play even 1 game a week, let alone 2? - Leaving us short of the standard amount of CB's required???
(I imagine poor old Capoue would like an answer to this as well!!!!)
2)Why hire a manger who wants to play a high line, and then make Dawson an integral part of a system he could never fit into??
3)Why release a LB (Benny) when the only other options are Rose, who, is still finding his feet and proving himself?
4)Couple this with the fact, that the only cover for LB is:
An absolute rookie (Fryers)
A RIGHT FOOTED RIGHT BACK (Naughton)
Our best CB????? (Vertonghen)
4a) - How about signing another LB in the summer when we CLEARLY needed one?? - If we were stitched up by Real Fuckbag madrid over Contreao, was there no other targets????????
5) - Considering a manager (AVB) was hired, whose philosophy is based upon a high line and marauding full backs to provide width, why oh why am I asking the above questions after you all sat in a jacuzzi/on a yacht over the summer and had 3 months and £100m to recruit suitable personnel for the managers preferred defensive system?????????????
(Especially given that this year was supposed to be a big league push which always requires defensive consistency)
Midfield:
1)Who is our No 10? - I can tell you right now, Paulinhio is not a f*****g No 10.
2)Why is Siggurdson played LW when he made his name as No 10 at every other club???
3)Who signed Chadli? - Also,. Why on earth is he played on the wing in the premiership??
Front 3:
1) - Why sign Soldado, who is effectively an upgrade (In my opinion) on Defoe, when we needed another CF?
2) Why sign Soldado and then play with inverted wingers who don't put the ball in the box, to a striker who mad ehis name by finishing chances in the box?????
3) - There is nothing inherently wrong with inverted wingers, but, as above, why would they play with a 'striker/poacher' instead of a CF who would be more suited to dealing with crowded penalty areas?
4) - Why play with inverted wingers if you DONT have the right FULL BACKS necessary to provide the MUCH NEEDED WIDTH??????? - SPACE HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE!!!
A FINAL OBSERVATION: - -
AVB (and now Sherwood) has been very unlucky with injuries, especially to the back 4,.
BUT,. If the balance of player was better, without the overloading of similar attacking players, that are'nt really wingers or good occupy a No 10 role, and the right defenders, this may have been eased..
Why play such strong teams in the Europa League group stages???/ - Honestly, the tournament is a joke!!! - Agin, in my opinion, I would be MORE THAN HAPPY to attend group stage games, knowing I would be watching OUR YOUTH and I would delight in it!! - If we get through, make the decision on if you want to commit to it then,..
THERE IS NO REWARD IN WINNING IT!!!!! - (Winner should be in next year's CL & CL failures should NOT be dropped into it!!)
We have a squad brimming with talent, but the overall balance of the squad is an absolute joke!!!!!! -
I AM SO DISAPPOINTED. - THE SPURS FANS, AS WELL AS THE PLAYING & NON-PLAYING STAFF DESERVE MORE FROM THE JOKE OF MANAGEMENT WE HAVE!!!!