PLAYER RATINGS: Tottenham 0:1 Aston Villa

Think its quite clear that Ramos thought we had signed a better player in schneiderlin just to clear that up! Some people find it harder to admit than others that's all !! For me fazio and stambouli have flopped and were both signed on the watch of MP. Now we are saying the
System don't suit mmmm! They may come good but I doubt it. I personally don't think Stam will ever push for first team and actually over the last few years I've realized some players aren't even signed for first team. First team numbers in abundance are impossible to keep happy so to have players who are happy to play for a biggish club on good money unfortunately and wrongly do play a place. This is why
we are not seeing certain players rotated at the bbusiness end of the season as some ain't good enuf. Now this is why the Europa league plays a part for these types of players and hopefully Pritchard yedlin and lamela to follow HKs path this term.

 

Although, I may not agree with some of you have written here, I must say that I quite enjoyed reading that last post from you Notnats.

Dare I even say it's, both, well thought out and nicely constructed... I think I must be rubbing of on ya! LOL

I, personally, DO think Poch knows exactly what he wants from midfield - but whether the boys are in the best condition, right now, to deliver on the managers demands is another thing entirely.

You see, the thing about an EFFECTIVE high-press, is that it requires the WHOLE TEAM to be synchronized/ together in their movements, otherwise the side can be left badly exposed.

I think that has been our biggest issue over the past month, as well as the sloppy individual errors at the back that has continuously plagued us this term.

A good press is cohesive, aggressive and performed at a high-tempo.

Well, Spurs' attempts at the press have been anything but as of late with certain individuals letting the side down.

Now I believe this to be the result of the mental fatigue I've been talking about, rather than a lack of commitment or confusion regarding the system.

Kane, Eriksen, Mason and Bentelab all have vital roles to play as the spine of the team with regards to initiating and enforcing the press, and as I KEEP saying at least 3 of that 4 look knackered!

We have, already, seen on a number of occasions this season, that when the players are fresh and firing, they have produced the kind of press that will act as a template for the future under the stewardship of Pochettino.

Arsenal nor Chelsea could live with us when the boys carried Mauricios modern and forward-thinking blueprint almost perfectly , as we simply bludgeoned them into submission with a carefully coordinated, and yet ferociously relentless press, the likes of Barcelona would be proud of.

Young players - young team. There will be mistakes and drops in form as they adapt to the demands of the league, manager and system.

LET THEM LEARN AND GIVE THEM TIME!!!

 

Agree totally about the pressing system its an all or nothing team strategy really and not all players can or will buy into it. I've tried to incorporate into my amateur team. When it works boy it works and when it doesn't it really doesn't. I find top players can do it naturally is Keane Vieira matic Gerrard's etc but that's what makes them top class players. Players of considerably lesser talent ie players of Southampton Swansea and to a certain extent lower league in cup games v higher league will buy into to make up for thier 'lack of ability'. I find tho that middle of road players such as we have very often WILL NOT buy into it. To change that mentality for a team to carry this out consistently rather than sporadically like we have is more of a revolution than a transition which
Spurs are said to be moving from one period to another. My fear and belief is that Mopo won't get that time to revolutionize which entails bringing players in moving players on that don't want to move. Incorporating youth and instilling this pressing game into the quality mids we do have Townsend lennon capoue dembele eriksen lamela's of the squad. Hopefully he does get time to do so but your talking another two transfer windows at least and I just cannot see it!

 

Excellent points made in the two last posts but I still maintain that the system is wrong, it is confusing and the players are definitely not committed to it.

I do agree that the high press can be very effective in keeping the ball in the oppositions half and pressuring them into a mistake but for me it just does not work with a team like ours. Its too simplistic and its too easy for teams to move us around and draw us out of position, its a bit like a dog chasing a wheel, it looks great while chasing it but it doesn't know what to do with it when he catches it. The whole team must be committed to pressing and chasing in order to force the mistake and remain compact. But one mistake and it falls to pieces. How many times this year and im not talking about this end of the season and the notion that its just down to mental fatigue. im talking about the whole season where we've kept a team backed up in their own half and dominated possession but have been completely unable to break them down. we've been so compact and tight that we have no one that can play a through ball or an incisive pass, we've not at all been able to stretch a resolute defence.

An effective high press is extremely difficult to achieve and even more difficult to maintain, and the opposition will always at some point win the ball or regain possession because we are slow and ponderous on the ball. How many times have we bee n caught out labouring in the oppositions own half with acres of space between the Mf and the back four with a simple ball to a player moving into that space and then a nice diagonal/long ball on to the running forwards. Worse again we use a high line and push our slow CBs up and make it easier for the opposition to counter attack and we've seen it work against us every week regardless of the opposition. This isn't working and the team is not buying into it, we are to exposed and to vulnerable.

Personally I don't completely buy into the high press myself in regards to the whole team playing this fast tempo, high pressure where every player needs to play high where the team pressing and the whole effort hinges on not only winning the ball but keeping it. The other team will always have or regain possession and punish us for playing like we are Barcelona which we are not.

Does the high press have to be the whole team pushing up at all times ? too hard, rarely works.
Whats wrong with the false press?
Have your players that are very good at pressing the ball and, I don't know, this might sound a bit old school, but what about occasionally using a proper DM to press the space and protect the back four, someone who can cut off and close down the marauding teams like Burnley, Leicester and Aston Villa, someone who can intercept the ball?

Tempo and controlling tempo and dictating play is not at all about running at the other team like mad dogs, well not all the time anyway, its about knowing when to push and knowing when to pull back.

While I accept that the players are suffering from some fatigue and as a result are not performing to their optimum levels I don't believe this is the whole reason for our poor showing of late, we've been giving up the ball and letting teams attack us t will with simple plays all year. Our system is flawed and the manager is naïve.

 

good post and agree especially with when it works it really works but when it doesn't it really doesn't. I would add to that that when it doesn't the whole system falls to bits and we are left completely exposed and open to attack.