On an individual and collective level, last nights performance was dreadful. Decision making and execution were awful in the face of a really up for it opposition. It was really poor from so many of our team BUT the more worrying pattern for me is our approach to games, our tactics.
1. Where is the press, it's half-arsed at best but it is always like this so to me it seems the instructions are not to fully press. The team constantly drops off and forms a bank of 5 at about 18/20 yard line and 4 in front on the about 25 yard line. It is beginning to resemble Jose's Spurs except in a different formation.
2. Where is the control. A 2-man midfield is a rarity in the modern game and while Winks can retain the ball and recycle it, and given a bit of space can create, PEH is utterly useless in possession. His use of the ball is sideways and backwards and when he tries something more dynamic possession is often lost. He is useless at resisting the press and often coughs it up but more often than not we are out numbered in midfield so he is exposed even more. Yes we have a couple injuries in CM but we do not seem to have the personnel for a 2-man midfield and out numbered and yet we persist with it and fail to control games as a result.
3. Counter attack - is our strong point but it seems to be all we have. Jose had us counter attacking effectively and he is largely responsible for the slight tweak to the way Kane plays now and his many assists. I cannot see what Conte is doing much different other than the formation. My 12 year old was losing it last night, he could not understand why we just played in short bursts - gaining possession, trying to attack quickly, failing, conceding possession for a while winning it back and repeat. Where is our style beyond the counter-attack. Boro embarrassed us last night in this respect, they used the ball well, were creative and imaginative, they moved it around quickly and offered movement and options all over.
4. Fatigue. Its not an excuse but it is a factor - City(a) Burnley(a) Leeds(a) Boro(a) all in 10 days. This will take its toll and yet we have seen few changes to the team in this period - Doherty for Royale and Winks for an injured Bentacor is basically it. I do not know whether Conte is trying to make a point but IMO its poor management in a difficult schedule. Why Reguillon is not starting is beyond me. Kulusevski was poor last night but looked knackered but stayed on until ET I think. Bergwijn since his Leicester heroics has barely played and almost scored inside 1 minute of his arrival.
I know we lack the depth of quality, compounded by a few injuries BUT to me its the mindset of the manager, like Jose, which seems limiting in the way we approach games. It is rigid and organised and seems to allow little opportunity for freedom and expression. Its the same approach to every game no matter the opposition. We are pretty predictable as a result and if the Kane dropping deep to spring our attacks thing doesnt work then its a struggle.
Some of the blame lies with Conte
posted on 2/3/22
It will be 15 years since we last won a trophy (& that was the tin pot League Cup)..... I cannot count the number of players, managers, playing styles & formations we've had in that time..... Only thing that's consistent in all that... Levy/ ENIC..... Gross mismanagement of the highest order.....end of conversation.
We are full of excuses.... Its all BS !. Like everything in life, its starts at the top
posted on 2/3/22
comment by Phenom (U20037)
posted 15 minutes ago
Kulu looks a player, people righting him off so early is hilarious
Emerson and Winks classic scapegoats
Its boring now
I am holding all hope on next season now. Full pre season and summer window. Then its fully sh 1t or bust.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Winks was rubbish last night though, even you have to admit that Phenom. The few balls he did pass forward, he passed straight to a Middlesborough players. He was constantly losing the ball, and was huffing and puffing to get back. He`s a liability, but Conte is limited with both his other midfield options out injured.
posted on 2/3/22
comment by sandy, golden boot winner fa cup 1901 (U20567)
posted 45 seconds ago
comment by Phenom (U20037)
posted 15 minutes ago
Kulu looks a player, people righting him off so early is hilarious
Emerson and Winks classic scapegoats
Its boring now
I am holding all hope on next season now. Full pre season and summer window. Then its fully sh 1t or bust.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Winks was rubbish last night though, even you have to admit that Phenom. The few balls he did pass forward, he passed straight to a Middlesborough players. He was constantly losing the ball, and was huffing and puffing to get back. He`s a liability, but Conte is limited with both his other midfield options out injured.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
both him and Emerson were rubbish
but theyre just classed as the worst of the lot everytime theyre bad when the whole lot of them have been crap
posted on 2/3/22
comment by Diamondlights (U20501)
posted 2 minutes ago
It will be 15 years since we last won a trophy (& that was the tin pot League Cup)..... I cannot count the number of players, managers, playing styles & formations we've had in that time..... Only thing that's consistent in all that... Levy/ ENIC..... Gross mismanagement of the highest order.....end of conversation.
We are full of excuses.... Its all BS !. Like everything in life, its starts at the top
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Boring narrative mate!
Its deeper than one single issue and its foolish to think otherwise. Levy didnt tell our team to sit back and trying and pick off a Championship side. You telling me a team that beat City and then lose to Boro is the ownership's fault. They may contribute to it but its flawed to lay all the blame with them,
posted on 2/3/22
comment by Diamondlights (U20501)
posted 2 minutes ago
It will be 15 years since we last won a trophy (& that was the tin pot League Cup)..... I cannot count the number of players, managers, playing styles & formations we've had in that time..... Only thing that's consistent in all that... Levy/ ENIC..... Gross mismanagement of the highest order.....end of conversation.
We are full of excuses.... Its all BS !. Like everything in life, its starts at the top
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It did start at the top, they appointed Conte, a so called elite manager. So let him prove it then. Stop keep blaming ENIC. Yes, some is down to them, but they have giving all their managers money, most has been wasted, and Spurs have had two so called elite managers come in past couple of seasons, and it still has not worked. So how can ENIC be at fault. Surely the players are to blame mostl, alongside some awful managerial tactics.
posted on 2/3/22
Conte had to pick Winks and Hojbjerg in a two man midfield because there was nobody else, of course these two do not work but this is what happens when you leave yourselves with a unbelievably weak squad.
Likewise with fatigue, our 4th game in 10 days and the players looked tired, lack of options to rotate and this is what happens.
Conte deserves criticism though, he left it too late to make changes regardless of whether his tactics were right or not.
I can see us struggling against Everton also, they were well up for it against City and there will be more of the same against us, they will run, hassle and get in our players faces, which usually means we will struggle. We just need to hope Skipp and Bentancur are back, I can`t face another game of Winkjbjerg.
posted on 2/3/22
comment by sandy, golden boot winner fa cup 1901 (U20567)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Diamondlights (U20501)
posted 2 minutes ago
It will be 15 years since we last won a trophy (& that was the tin pot League Cup)..... I cannot count the number of players, managers, playing styles & formations we've had in that time..... Only thing that's consistent in all that... Levy/ ENIC..... Gross mismanagement of the highest order.....end of conversation.
We are full of excuses.... Its all BS !. Like everything in life, its starts at the top
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It did start at the top, they appointed Conte, a so called elite manager. So let him prove it then. Stop keep blaming ENIC. Yes, some is down to them, but they have giving all their managers money, most has been wasted, and Spurs have had two so called elite managers come in past couple of seasons, and it still has not worked. So how can ENIC be at fault. Surely the players are to blame mostl, alongside some awful managerial tactics.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We spend big money on rubbish players (GLC, Sanchez, Ndombele etc, hire "world class" managers and nothing changes... This isn't about inconsistency over the course of a couple of months and few iffy results.... We are talking about 15 YEARS !!!!!! Only one thing has remained consistent !!! We are not talking about a couple of new players might get us over the line.... We are talking about a wholesale squad overhaul which is 4 years late........ Whether we play 3 at the back or whether we press or not is missing the point.... There's a structural decline that's impacting every level of the club..... The responsibility lays with Levy & Enic
posted on 2/3/22
The press has become extinct over the last few years. Poch's last season saw our weak minded players give up with the press as they thought they could win the majority of games with a bit of magic from Kane or Son.
Levy is such a clueless chairman when it comes to football matters its almost funny. He creates the shiny new training complex (good) then fails to appoint the right people to get the best out of the world class training complex. I literally have no idea about our style of play and haven't for years. Where are the young players to challenge the rotten first team midfield? Where is the succession plan? where is our club DNA fast attacking football. Nowhere due to stale old mates act leadership and a hope from Lewis and Levy to cash in
posted on 2/3/22
The reason our squad is so light is also because conte sanctioned the sales of 4 players, 3 who could play in midfield
posted on 2/3/22
comment by “I repeat” (U8366)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
The reason our squad is so light is also because conte sanctioned the sales of 4 players, 3 who could play in midfield
----------------------------------------------------------------------
& Levy & Co decided to replace 4 with 2 !! Getting rid of those 4 was not the problem, as always it was our lack of action in properly replacing/ strengthening that is now causing the problem. .... Same thing happened with Jan, Toby, Rose, Walker, Dembele Ericksen.....Root cause of this.... Levy & ENIC....... AGAIN