Article by Jon Lewis… and reminds Spurs fans that we’re killing time until we hire a real manager this summer.
Postgame on Sunday:
Asked if he felt Spurs were outnumbered in the midfield: “We was not outnumbered in the midfield … we wasn’t …”
Asked if playing the 4-4-2 was to blame (for the poor showing): “I didn’t see us playing 4-4-2 … We just had 11 numbers on the field and tried to rotate and fill up every area of the field. I think it is very, very - I don’t know what you are saying about 4-4-2...”.
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Regarding the “tactics” (note quotation marks) inherent to what looked to pretty much everyone else in the world as a 4-4-2: “Adebayor dropped deep into that area and picked up the ball. Our wide players funnelled in. I don’t think we were ever two players in midfield. When the ball was on the right, Christian Eriksen tucked across into the middle.”
First: We were outnumbered in the midfield – and the problem (again and again) was the space afforded the Arsenal’s central midfield … all that time to pick up their heads and choose …
Second: We played 4 at the back, 4 in the midfield (2 wide players and 2 in the middle), and 2 up front. That’s a 4-4-2. Yes, the wing on the side of the field away from the ball was responsible for cheating back towards the middle, but that’s how you play a 4-4-2. And yes one forward was asked to drop deep to pressure the ball (to make up for being outnumbered in midfield!), but again, that’s how you play a 4-4-2.
Finally: Even with the injuries, the line-up choices were pretty naive given the formation and “tactics” and the quality of the opponent. Bentaleb over Capoue against a team with such an excellent midfield? Erikson asked to provide cover on the left when the more sensible option is a better athlete and proper winger, like Chadli? Both decisions proved costly. Bentaleb looked confused positionally and never worried the Arsenal mids. Erikson proved a poor choice of cover, especially when Rose forgot he can play with either foot and gave away a goal.
Happy as I was on New Year’s Day, and it’s always great to beat United, let’s face it, we beat a mid-table team, and only just. Four days later we’re out of the FA Cup – that’s two Cup exits in as many games under Sherwood – and post game our coach is answering questions like he’s been asked: “When did you stop beating your wife?”
We don’t have the players to play a 4-4-2 against the better teams. And it doesn’t help to say we’re not playing a 4-4-2 or worse, that it doesn’t matter what formation you play. (Yes, Sherwood has said that too.)
First, a practical plan for the near future (assuming we’re playing a formation that by any other name is still a 4-4-2). We’ll come closer to fielding a competitive 4-4-2 when Paulinho and Sandro are healthy and Vertongen is back at centre-half. But Erikson has to sit. He is a small, thin, light, slow #10, not a left wing and he can’t provide cover in the centre of the park or on the wing when Rose makes a run, gets lost, or gives the ball away. Still, I worry – I wonder. Even when we’re healthy, the formation wastes the talent we have (what do we do with Dembele and Capoue if we start the Brazilians? And we should start the Brazilians!). The 4-4-2 puts a lot of pressure on our outside backs, both of whom looked bad on Saturday – both of whom are inconsistent, naive, and depend too much on athletic ability (size and speed) to make up for a lack of skill and smarts. (Am I the only one who’s noticed that Walker has, more than any other Spurs player, regressed since AVB’s ouster? And Danny Rose is a mid-table talent, in over his head against the better teams.)
The January transfer window is open and there’s talk of ageing Italian strikers coming in as well as rumours of picking up strikers who don’t start on bad teams (Stephen Fletcher and Shane Long) as Defoe seems sure to be on the way out. Also in play is a loan deal for an ageing centre-half (Lescott) who may be slower and more of a liability than Dawson. Folks say they want BAK back; this from fans of London’s “Jewish team,” this despite the solidarity BAK feels for M’Bala M’Bala, the anti-colonialist and overt anti-Semite (in a tweet to the French provocateur BAK treats anti-Semitism as some sort of in-joke; no thanks, I’d rather lose).
Lamela out and Guarin in? (I’d rather have Guarin – I wanted Guarin last summer … so yes, even if we lose face and money in the deal, but only if we play a 4-5-1 – right now, with the 4-4-2, we don’t need another big athletic central midfielder to keep the bench warm with Capoue and Dembele).
Nothing more promising has been mooted and nothing very promising is likely what we’ll get.
When asked about transfers, Sherwood says we don’t need anyone; we just need injured players to get fit again. It’s the one right answer; but not for the obvious reasons. Practically speaking, Levy is unlikely to fortify Sherwood’s squad when he is quite clearly resigned to hiring a new coach come July. (And that, from where I sit, is the right answer.)
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could not agree more! well said. but I do feel we must find a good left back
ReplyDeleteYep I think Sherwood as taken on to much and it's showing who ever we get as new manager I wish them luck my dad bought me a mackarno set when I was 4 ..... Think about it
ReplyDeleteSaw Chadli at pre-season friendly and he showed nothing at all and still doesn't - needs off-loading. Lamela needs to be loaned out to a prem club to "get with it" or sold.
ReplyDeleteDembele could be as game-changing as Bale if coached to finish off runs with decent shots on goal.
Lloris is superb in goal but rubbish at distributing the ball - often putting pressure on his own players resulting in more opposition attacks.
Ekotto needs recalling as Rose is not enough or as good.
Defoe needs to go as Soldado offers so much more and has heard of the off-side rule.
...just saying
Who is BAK?
ReplyDeleteIf ever there was an article from someone bitter that AVB was rightfully sacked then this is it. Sherwood has so far shown much more than AVB ever did, we went to Arsenal trying to win the match, we were never going to match their midfield even if we had a full squad available, rather than the few available players who were all shattered after 6 games in 2 1/2 weeks, as we had no previous chance to rotate over Christmas period. We have so far picked up more points per game under Sherwood, scored more than double per match under Sherwood and conceded less under Sherwood. Just because you see 2 strikers on the pitch also does not automatically mean we are playing 4-4-2 as you incorrectly summise. Absolutely pathetic.
ReplyDeleteBAK is actually BAE - how can you support Spurs, let alone blog about it without knowing that? Also, quote marks (") indicate someone said it, when you write 'Jewish team' - that is how you were supposed to do it. Same with 'tactics' etc - I would suggest for all Sherwood's faults he is better a being a football manager than you are at being a football blogger.
ReplyDeleteI'[m not going to bother banging on about giving managers time, the AVB episode taught me that when people have made their mind up no amount of conversation is possible - it becomes agenda driven and pointless - very much like this article. This isn't a balanced blog, it is a football fan's diary where your opinions are laid out on the table rather than a forum for discussion. Despite saying this, I don't think that's a bad thing, I think you should market it more toward that though, that way people will know what to expect and you would be received better!