Article by @ginolasleftfootCheck out the e-Spurs Podcast here!
In the addiction of football, at its core lies the conundrum of how a team can lose the match but win the points. Remember ‘Billy Hoyle’s’ Latino girlfriend in ‘White Men Can’t Jump.’
‘Sometimes when you win, you really lose. And sometimes when you lose, you really win.’
Billy looks very confused throughout this all. And it’s that expression spread across Billy’s face that was mirrored throughout Spursdom, après our gun slinging Togolese striker, quite literally struck. One shot on goal, one goal scored. Three points to the victor. (Actually Defoe had a classic pop at the end, damn him for skewing those figures.)
The duality of Sherwood’s record so far and his team’s performance over this period is a query to raise as one cannot be happy with the teams display on Sunday.
The midfield personnel continues to pose more questions than answers, with Eriksen being deployed out wide; much as AVB did during his tenure, despite proving effective in his preferred number 10 role behind the striker. Paulinho appeared to occupy the widths either side of the half way line neither fully supporting Adebayor nor providing sufficient defensive cover. This isn’t to say he wasn’t effective in what he contributed, only to question whether he could have been deployed more effectively.
Dembele’s performance carried both praise and criticism as his ability to move past players with the ball is in essence, the Tottenham way. Sadly, the Belgian doesn’t appear to possess the acceleration to gain that extra yard and therefore finds himself in a situation that leads onto a central theme to our performance yesterday.
Our players display a distinct lack of off ball movement. The static nature of the team’s final third approach play lacked any invention and meant we too often found ourselves without passing angles and thus wrestled off the ball (Ade aside, Everton seemed to boss us on a physical level). Dembele’s final thirds passes were mainly lateral, posing the question; Was there a lack of support (either transitory or static) or does Dembele lack the technique and awareness to see and exploit an opening?
Bentaleb has been praised for the relative ease he has assimilated himself to the Premier League, but adrenaline can provide that extended platform for performance only for it to wane. The young Frenchman has done little to attract grand criticism and has achieved some impressive passing statistics during his short spell and yet his performances yesterday and against Man City asked questions perhaps the 19 year old doesn’t yet have the answers to. His physique will develop in time allowing him greater strength on the ball, but it’s what he now looks to do with the ball that poses the greater question.
More Cider Press than Half Pitch Press.
Sherwood’s selection policy has shown he sees no immediate need for a specialist defensive midfielder in his starting XI. A bold approach or foolish one pending your poison, yet Tottenham failed to show any collective approach to their defensive duties against Everton, which surely is paramount to a team who operate without a DM.
Everton continually found space to exploit as Spurs failed to execute any form of pressing game or create a solid defensive unit within their own third. As a result, players pressed in 1v1 situations allowing Everton to spread play via numerous angles. Operating without a recognised striker and using Steven Naismith as the focal point enabled Osman and Mirallas to constantly interchange positions. The Rose/Coleman, Walker/Baines sideshow meant all four fullbacks were constantly thrusting forward to engineer those overload situations.
This left Dawson and the Vert left to marshal three attacking players, with Osman having an excellent game and Pienaar providing further support from midfield. One fails to see the long-term ability for this type of defensive play to work against elite teams. Everton with Lukaku would have asked greater questions of us.
Our attack continues to stutter with only Adebayor proving the exception as his goal tally rises to seven in eleven matches. His work-rate was impressive yesterday, unlike Lennon who failed to exploit the space Baines left behind during his skirmishes with Walker. Subbed after 86 minutes, he offered little creativity and one must wonder if we are to progress to elite levels whether Lennon has the attributes to maintain his place in the squad.
Watching Lewis Holtby lift the ball into Sidwell’s on-running path in Fulham’s 2-2 draw against Man Utd, highlighted Tottenham’s lack of dynamism when attacking. Our attack play is still missing the mythical ‘zip!’ everyone keeps talking about, and we find ourselves faced with a well organised unit; a la McCarthy/Barry/Distin/Jagielka, by the time we merrily amble up the pitch.
It is evident that positions were missed during our summer spending frenzy, and Danny Rose should use all available League minutes to glean as much experience and knowledge he can as there will surely be competition brought in over the summer period for his position.
A final note on fitness as the players appeared somewhat leggy in the final minutes of the game. Last ditch tackles and stumbled dribbles are a sign of fatigue and almost cost us with Capoue (possibly short on fitness, or clumsy) hacking down Coleman in the penalty box. Hopefully Sherwood isn’t taking this relaxed, simplistic approach to football too far as simplicity is deceptive.
Hard-work is its slutty mistress.
Bring on the Toon.
Follow me @ginolasleftfoot
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Most of the time our team generally do'nt look fit,Iheard somewhere that this was due to the rather odd training routine of the last bloke,whose slow start up tactics seem ingrained in the team,only after Sherwoods hairdryer at half time do's any urgency appear which then fades as the team appear to tire.We've got a brand new training ground,get 'e fit !!
ReplyDeleteWe must have done something right. We won!
ReplyDeleteHoltby's great but let's not fall for the trap of whoever's not playing for us is better than those who are. I don't agree with the analysis above. I thought that though much of what Spurs tried didn't come off, they were risking the ball more in the hope of getting a clear chance. You can't say it didn't come off.