Kane again covers for Spurs' deficiencies

The scoreline flattered us in that we were lucky to get four and they were unlucky not have scored more. Are we really getting worse in defence or is it that every team knows how to play us ?
Its the exact same every week high line, FBs used as WBs because we don't use width and no effective cover from the MF. It was again too easy for the mighty foxes to spread the ball wide and attack us with ease every time. Nothing has changed and AV fecking P who was allegedly a defender wont adapt or change a thing so we continue to leak goals and steal points against the fodder. Even with three from Harry Kane still didn't deserve the points and we are not getting anywhere near top four ffs. And while teams are carving up our defence with a simple plan that always works we of course are as always painfully labouring away by trying to slot little flick ons through defences instead of stretching them and making them work. Chadli and Townsend were absolutely rubbish especially Chadli who should have been dragged by the manager for not only his inept performance but for diving. Id give him next week off just for that. Im not sure who was worse Chadli or Walker. Other than Rose and Kane we looked tired and lacking everywhere across the park im sure Burnley will be up for it next week and will play it exactly the same because guess what, we will play it exactly the same.

 

Why is townsend not mentioned? He is still **** even if he is shooting less these days. Looking clueless in attack and defense, providing **** all cover for Walker and always losing the ball when bringing it up. All speed and no brains. Poch needs to drop him ASAP. Walker needs a slap to wake him up as well. That two footed blind tackle on Lloris was uncalled for. If Lloris is out for the rest of the season, expect more goals to be shipped in (5th worse in league btw, only bottom 3 and newcastle have conceded more).

Anyhow, Poch needs to rethink his tactics as well as we are getting turned over too easily in midfield. 3 at the back, with Capoue (#whereiscopue?) covering would be most suited for the PL; that if he he insists on having his FBs going forward all the time. Its bloody laughable i tell you. I want to hope we can sneak in 4th, but that is as likely as the an extinction level event happening come May. It has been a fairly decent first season for Poch and 6th/7th is realistic for us. It would be good if we can avoid europe for one season.

COYS!

 

He signed nor kaboul or chiriches and undoubtedly tried to move the pair on but they weren't for leaving or no takers probably.

 

Drilling them will make no difference. None of the defence is good enough....they're all gormless and do not have the ability to read the game. The team needs to be rebuilt from the back something that hasn't happened in at least 30 years at spurs. We are stuck in a vicious circle signing 'nearly' players who can't quite cut it on high wages and low resale value. Whereas chelskichavscum can still sell players easily for big money when it doesn't work out I.e. Schurelle, Luiz etc. They get the best of both worlds. This team reminds me alot of the mid 90s...teddy Sheringham banging in the goals let down by a terrible defence including vega who was almost as arrogant as vertonghen. We now need ro concentrate on new stadium and hopefully enic gets bought out...without huge investment Europe league is the best we can expect. Until that happens the likes of lloris/Eriksen will use us as a shop window for bigger things and the vicious circle will continue.

 

Spot on analysis Notnats, i genuinely cant understand this untouchable status that Botch is recieving.
It is the same school boy errors every week, its so easy for all and anyone to create chances.
This coach is so 1 dimensional its painful and this 4231 formation that the club insist on playing against every team on every occaision that doesnt work is ridiculous. We dont have the quality to execute it properly and Botch clearly doesnt have the ability to Organise it properly or Adapt.

And another leveller on just how poor our defence is and Botchs' poor excuse for coaching it, is we currently for the first time since ever have the EPLs top scorer and arguably our best ever keeper yet we sit in 7th praying for others to slip up. And how Spursy would it be for us to not qualify due to Goal difference .

 

Defensively we are shocking but blame the players for individual errors not the manager for working with what he inherited. At the start of the season we all said a left back was a priority and we bought Davies. Yet Rose has improved immensely. Walkers loss of form is alarming....but how much is due to having Townsend in front of him? Dier is still learning, Fazio lacks pace but does win headers and tackles and Verts is a poser. Nobody wanted Vlad or Kaboul. Yedlin is a major gamble and may be a better bet as Townsends replacement. Fredericks will be Walkers competition next season but needed experience which he is getting on loan. We see this season out, finishing 5th or 6th.which is reasonable for what needed doing this year and then we can judge Poch after he gets HIS team.

 

Vertonghen is a good left back. Nothing else! Rose could be up like a left winger with Vert back of him... I think that the team need a number 6 in front of our defense And a good Capoue would be this person... And for Walker and Chadli Who are both totally out of form, they have to be dropped out of the team NOW! Why yesterday we hadn't finish the match with Ade in place of Chadli with 2 up front And Eriksen just behind them And a 3 midfield with Mason, Bentaleb And Paulinho? May I remember that Paulinho was known with Brazil who played with a midfield of 3 players... And why we are triing to keep the ball near the flag of the corner without any player in the penalty area at the 88's minute? Then Leicester scored immediately their third goal! Like all of you I hate ars@nal or ManU but they are still 5 or 6 players in the last 16m for a corner at the 88's minute. Not Spurs... At 4-2!
COYS!

 

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino:

"It was a very tough game. We suffered until the end of the game because we conceded a third goal.

"We knew before the game that Leicester are a very good team. I think they deserve more. It was a very tough game and I am happy with the result because three points was very important after the defeat at Manchester United.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31883462

Leicester are a very good team?

No there **** and bottom of the league utter **** with 8 points away from home this season.

 

I think Botch has been afforded way more slack than AvB or Timmy who Botch is no better than with a more settled squad

 

Yes Felon that my twite. We should have won 9 0 like Wigan a full years back. Smash them show them there hurt. 9 nil. Shame and relegate them. Leicester you are are toss. (Woman Man Supermarket.). Never Never Never.

 

Well if i remember correctly we,ve played Leicester 3 times this season , we mugged them the 1st time at Christmas when they really outplayed us at their place , they knocked us out of the cup at the lane , deservedly so and they were a bit unfortunate yesterday aswell so on the evidence of them games this season they look as good a side as Spurs .. Now one of these sides is rock bottom and going to get relegated , and the other and quiet a few of their fans think their good enough for the Champs Lge .. lol , thats the reality of it ....

 

I had some time today, recovering from a curry night last evening and have amused myself with some "analysis", sort of responding to Matt's view about Kane and his significance to the cause.
We have 53 points so far this season, the same as at this stage last season. We've had two goalless draws and two biggish wins 4-0 and 3-0, so 8 points there. That leaves 45 other points gained. I looked at the players who scored the "winning" goal in the other 26 games, giving 3 points for the winner and one for the draw, so Chadli against the Gooners got 1 for that.
Of the 45 points gained Eriksen "won" 16, Kane also 16 and Dyer, Soldado, Lamela and Townsend 3 each, with Chadli earning that point at Arznl.
There is no easy way to credit Hugo for his contribution this season....too difficult for sure.
Eriksen earned all of his points largely before Kane got fully under way and no key goals from Eriksen since Sunderland at The Lane in January.
We earned 21 points in our first 15 games, 32 in our next 15, so definitely a better second half.
What it does also show to me is the importance of delivering critical goals and therefore points by Eriksen certainly and by Kane latterly. It's a pity Eriksen has gone off the boil a little recently.
It also shows me that Chadli, despite his goals, delivered few key goals. I make that point for no other reason than the fact that I don't get Chadli....
If we finish strong, we might just do it, although MU's win today, rather than a draw, did not help.
COYS

 

Anyone who wants to know know why I have ALWAYS said Jan is Spurs' THIRD best central defender (at best...) Just needs to have a look at his displays in the 2nd half of this season.

I've been seeing the guy do the same things for the last 2/3 years!

Listen, he CAN improve...but does he REALLY have the desire/drive to?

After all, Poch can only do so much...

Personally, I would rather see Fazio, Chiriches or Kaboul given a run in his place. Perhaps it may act as the kick up his (apparent), self-entitled, backside he needs.

Being assured of a starting place in any team isn't particularly healthy if you ask me. Especially if you are doing little to justify your inclusion.

 

Get a ****in grip boys we won the match gifting goals v a side fighting for thier lives.. And what.. ? Would rather watch this spurs side than the avb side that either won one nil every week zzzzzzzz or got absolutely mullered five n six nil. At least we are scoring goals cos that is a much more difficult problem to solve than stopping conceding. Yeah
We need a centre half or two we all know that but where are they all? Arsenal need one utd need one as do city who payed 30m for mangala. Its the poorest the game as ever been in that position. Name ten world class center halves already. 5 even? Luiz went for fifty mil ffs!!
Lucky to score four nonats we hit post chadli skyed two Kane missed a sitter what world are u in?

 

Lol, fair call BF and yes we did score four and im happy to take every one of them although I would still maintain that the four goals flattered us, one of Harry's goals was an own goal and very lucky, the penalty, well it was always a penalty but a tad soft and the last one, the last one, again a lucky own goal.
Not very convincing in my opinion but hey ill take them and the three points.
I think my problem at the moment is with the general style of play and in particular, AVPs tunnel vision approach. The only reason we have scored goals is because we have the best, inform striker in the league banging them in and not at all because of any general attacking flair or creativity from the MF. Kane and Eriksen, and of course Lloris have saved our season and saved our manager from questions that should be asked. Ive watched the game again and the goals conceded don't look any better, just atrocious and embarrassing. Im finding it difficult because its starting to be almost exactly the same every week, we labour away looking for a way to go through defences with two ineffective inverted wingers while every team seems to use width to easily glide past our way tooo easily stretched defence. Is it me ? am I imagining all this ? I don't think so, I usually watch all the games at least twice. For me we have glaringly obvious problems. We can blame the CBs all day but we know their capabilities and their weaknesses yet Potch continues with a high line with the FBs bombing forward, no real DM cover and then the predictable ball over the top and Roberts yer mothers brother all over again. Our CBs are not the best in the league but we let teams attack them and it looks to me like Jans head is dropping again. And I can almost guarantee that we will approach our next game at Burnley the same way and that they will fancy having a go down the flanks into the open spaces that we will give them. Yes we will all slag off the defence but who sets them up ?

 

I must say the lads have been SUPERB in the way they have responded to heartbreak of losing games in both the Europa League and C1C final.

Indeed, I cannot remember supporting a Spurs side with so much character, spirit or will to win.

Even vs Leicester, where we just shaded a game which (in theory) should've been more straightforward after taking a early lead, Spurs sides of old would have lost a match where we had squandered a 2-0 advantage.

Spurs sides of old would have felt sorry for themselves and problem have folded under the jeers and moans coming from the stands.

Well NOT this Spurs team...

Listen, apart from Rose and perhaps Kane after his 3 goal haul, you couldn't REALLY say any Spurs player played well, or even close to something approaching their potential. And, yet, STILL we've managed to win.

And despite the fact that Leicester had threatened to score on a few occasions, getting into good positions, I am firmly of the view that Spurs had the better chances hitting the post and missing TWICE from 5/6 yards!

What Poch and the players have to do is ensure we don't have a game where so many players are off-form.

Because after the 1st 30 mins where Spurs were the better team, too many performances dipped, as the lads became sloppy and wasteful in possession.

Eriksen, Mason, Townsend , Chadli and Kane were the players charged with attacking from the front two departments within the team, and yet NONE of those players, with the exception of Kane, looked at the races in that regard.

Townsend drifted in and out of the game with most of the play coming down the left or centre of the pitch.

Chadli dithered on the ball, offering little in terms of creativity. Yes his movement off-the ball was as good as usual, finding himself in great positions to score twice, but his subsequent finishes pretty much summed up his day.

Eriksen was poor and has been struggling for form ever since he curled home that wonder strikes against Sheffield Utd in the 2nd leg of C1C semi final.

He touch was shocking all game, and his passing wasn't much better.
Spurs need the Dane to be something close to his best for the next 8/9 games if the side are going to put together the kind of run that could see us still, yet, claim a CL place.

Perhaps the biggest issue for TH in yesterdays game though was found in the middle of the park where Bentelab and Mason REALLY struggled to take control of proceedings.

Not only were they outnumbered in the engine room for much of the match, a point that was magnified by particular Nabils lackluster display in possession of the ball, but they were out-thought by a three-man midfield containing the wiley-old veteran Esteban Cambiasso who was impressive thoughout.

Pochettino DID highlight this issue however and the introduction of the much maligned Paulinho is where the game seemed to turn back in Tottenham's favour.

Going from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3 enabled Spurs to match up the opposition and give Mason and Bentelab the help the badly needed on the day.

I wonder if now might be the time to take either Bentelab or Mason out of the firing line for the next couple of weeks. We should remember that it ONLY their 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively, at this level, with the former also having been involved in the ACONs earlier in the campaign.

Maybe both players are beginning to show signs of mental fatigue with their standards just dropping in the past few weeks.

Unforced errors and lapses of concentration have become a reoccurring feature of their game in recent weeks, and I just feel that a break from the strain of 1st team duties might do them both some good.

The reason I give Jan such a hard (but fair) time is because HE seems to think he is top class player.

Now I have no problem with that, I like my players to be confident, perhaps, in arrogant, but you MUST be able to back it up...consistently!

One good game in 4/5 isn't NOT good enough, and if Jan or his agent truly believe he is a CL class defender then instead of just thinking, or telling people, that, he should set about proving it!!!

On a final note, Danny Rose was excellent yesterday and has been for much of the season.

Is he the finished article? No

Is he still prone to being mindless, reckless and/or naive at times? Absolutely.

But what the kid is showing is the kind of potential and growth that I have ALWAYS been aware he has.

His delivery has improved greatly, while his general influence on matches has also grown.

Positionally he is better, which is largely due to a development in his reading of the game.

The kid is a rough diamond,for me, who, although still has a some way to go before I can start calling him a complete LB, has a GREAT set of tools....(yes,tools).

 

Ar Ramo, fair point not fully singing on the Rose song sheet and will the goalie sick note be the end of hope?

Will we be beat Burnley next week? Man City didn't. They didn't even score.

I don't want to talk about the NIGHT i spent in Filbert St getting a 90 notes ticket in the Olympic Gallery for the 1999 League Cup Final 1 0 win 89 minute.

 

Again totally agree with this.

Poch for me is like a hybrid AvB and Sherwood rolled into 1.
Theres the 1 dimensional/stuborn turgid aimless football, inverted wingers and high line defence.
Then theres the complete mayhem all over the park, no one seemingly knowing what their duties are other than run alot, get forward and get the ball to kane.

 

Rose was only the best defender because the rest have now dropped to his level. Having Pochs industry and drive is one thing. Having actual skill , experience of dictating and reading the flow of a game and not just blindly following instructions with no plan B id both s failure in the coacing and thr the players. You could literally see the dumfounded ? Sign above several players heads as they stumble into another's mistake, another error which concedes possession or a goal.That is whats most frightening. They look clueless.

 

Foxes had aerial superiority from start to finish. Even when our defenders were first to a header, the control of the ball upstairs was mostly poor. I attribute that to lack of attention to aerial performance by coaching staff. Spurs deliver the ball by land and players lose their ability to compete in the air as they do not practice enough.

I agree with Ramos about Eriksen being a shadow of himself as of late. He is a young player, and although hugely important, must be rotated to allow for mental recovery.
Paulinho was very good. Brazilian deserves a start after a few appearances like that. Chadli now looks like Paulinho of old: uncertain, mistaken, unable... He has not seemingly recovered after losing his father.
Spurs scored 4 lucky goals, one more goal than the opponent which scored quite impressive all 3. We shall be happy. COYS!!!!