Greenlizard0 Weekend Football Thread ** spoilers ** [14th - 17th September 2012]

Am v happy for AVB.

My two primary concerns for spurs were a split dressing room and players not understanding what to do whilst attacking in 433; both of these were present at the end of last season.

That performance and the reaction showed that the players were on side with the coaching staff and that they were starting to click Onto how to play the system.

433 makes us much stronger in midfield but converting that Possession into goals is difficult if you have 11 players forced back in front of you.

The team switched between probing and incisive play when faced with a parked bus to the fluid counter attack football that Harry introduced.

The real surprise for me was that the team was skilled enough to support defoe and play to his strengths. Under Harry we would have expected him to hold up the ball and everything would have fallen apart.

Here, the team was good enough to ignore him until they could give him the ammunition to score; he missed some chances but overall JD looked great.

The opposition were terrjble but this was a Spurs team who have been completely lost for a demi season; that is a huge amount of negativity to reverse. That performance gave scintilating hints that the reverse had started.

Lets hope it is not a flash in the pan and that the football and results continue to improve.

Honourable mentions to Vertonghen and Lennon
 
Was at the Madejski yesterday, very tough game to watch all round, supporting my local side but being a childhood spurs fan. Never actually thought I'd see Reading, who back then were a languishing old division 3 side, playing Spurs.

Firstly, when the team came up for Spurs I was shocked. No BAE, no Adebeyor, thought AVB had taken a knock to the head and underestimated Reading. Tottenham started the game well, and pretty much every Reading supporter around me could see what was coming. I don't know if Reading were set up to give the Spurs players all the time and space they want, or if they just werent following instructions, but Spurs couldn't have asked for an easier game.

Gunter handled Bale pretty well from what we could see. Lennon was running rings round Ian Harte, who was giving him 10/15 yards space the entire game. McAnuff didn't do anything all game, he's supposed to be the captain, yet he didn't track back, help out, couldn't even complete a two yard pass. The first goal was so obvious it could have been telegraphed, simple straight pass that to Lennon inside Hart, a cut back to Defoe and he's probably not going to have a simpler goal this season.

Then came McCarthy's little cameo. This guy is supposedly better than Federici who is usually a very solid keeper. I don't know what he was doing but Spurs should have been three up by half time. Federici apparently was dropped rather than injured which is very harsh on him, two mistakes early in the season when he's been solid for a couple of seasons now.

My thoughts from the first half, Spurs didn't look great. Reading were just worse. Dembele was the one highlight for me, although Sigurdsson wasn't far off even though he really looked like he didn't want to shoot or score against his old club. Pogrebnyak falls over a hell of a lot.

Second half, Le Fondre came on for Karacan which surprised me, as Karacan looked better than Leigertwood he was out of his depth. Perhaps Karacan still isn't match fit but who knows. Reading started the half better, McCleary looks class down the right for them, but chances are he'll be dropped for Kebe and McAnuff will stay in the team, which will be a big shame. Both him and Le Fondre caused Naughton a lot of trouble, but Vertonghen was an absolute rock in defence, got his head or boot on everything that came in to the Spurs box.

The second goal killed Reading off completely. Looked almost like a carbon copy of the first goal. Simple pass and run to the by line past Harte, cut back to Bale, goal. Lots of Reading fans left at that point which was disappointing. Third goal was poor defending, stood off Defoe, allowed him to run into a dangerous position and a good finish which is what you would expect. Spurs were playing with Reading at this point, keeping possession well and looking a class above, which they were. Reading then scored, simple high cross over all the defenders and a tap in for Robson-Kanu. No idea who was supposed to be marking him (Walker?) but he was left wide open. Consolation but little more.

Overall thoughts from the game? Spurs didn't look great. Reading were just awful. Defoe as a loan striker wont work against a better centre back pairing than Reading put out yesterday. Gorkss and Pearce aren't bad, but they are big strong old fashioned centre halfs, they couldn't cope with the pace of Spurs attacks. Reading can't play one up front, Pogrebnyak needs some support, McDermott has a problem though as he's trying to stay loyal to the players who got them promoted, but they just aren't good enough against the top teams. Was disappointed not to see Adebeyor, or AVB crouching in the technical area!
 
Ian Harte would be **** scared of Lennon's pace. Harte was very slow when he was in his prime. Was always about as manouverable as an oil tanker.
 
Last season against anyone with pace McAnuff helped him out. Yesterday McAnuff was nonexistant, left Harte hung out to dry. I didn't understand why Reading didn't play Mariappa who is supposedly a bit of a speed demon and leave Harte out, even Shorey must still be quicker than him, and against Spurs it was just asking for trouble.
 
the dembele and sandro partnership could (unfortuanetly) see parker getting very few chances which is a real shame.

we do miss modric's flair in the middle but what sandro and dembele lack in that area, they make up in physical presence and wont get bullied like modric did. dembele also gets forward a lot.

if we do get moutinho in january, i can see sig getting dropped rather than dembele or sandro.
 
cm1179 said:
the dembele and sandro partnership could (unfortuanetly) see parker getting very few chances which is a real shame.

we do miss modric's flair in the middle but what sandro and dembele lack in that area, they make up in physical presence and wont get bullied like modric did. dembele also gets forward a lot.

if we do get moutinho in january, i can see sig getting dropped rather than dembele or sandro.
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I disagree, unlike Harry we wont see that 11 play every single game of the season, players will get chances and injuries happen, plenty of space of all players, except jenas and to some extent livermore.
 
yeh i hope so. we need rotation to have a succesful season, even more so now we have only just got our first 3 points and with the euro games.
 
Feel sorry for everyone who bet on Toon, I would have lumped on Everton if I didn't have a thing against betting against my own team.
 
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