Greenlizard0 Weekend Football Thread ** spoilers ** [7th - 11th February 2015]

up until november last year, kane had only played 63 mins of football under poch

good job manu and soldado were so dire that he got his opportunity and grabbed it

hoping we make amends at anfield for them embarassing us at the lane
 
Robbo said:
The problem is being created by RvP and Falcao, he wants to ideally play them both, despite the fact that they don't really work as a partnership (so far anyway). This sort of system also means Mata would be playing a bit more withdrawn, where he doesn't seem to be that well suited. Maybe he can adapt and fill the creative midfield role.

A0ebuIP.jpg


Where do you put everyone in the above? We'll end up with 'star names' on the bench, not that I think it matters, and I do think that's what is causing issues. We need to start again, we've got a solid enough defence now with 4 players, so have to look ahead of them and ensure Blind is the 'shield', as that seems to work well.
Click to expand...

I would have the exact same back 7 (until the summer when at least Jones would be sold for Howedes or Hummels etc and probably either Coleman or Clyne at RFB) and Di Maria in the ??? and then Young and Januzaj as the wide forwards (as Young has seemingly re-invented himself as a half decent player at least).

I totally get why Tummy has said Rooney hasn't got pace as he rarely shows it (I think because our CM has been so terrible, he is playing to a system LvG wants him to rather than what he is capable of) - but Rooney has shown a few times in the last year and a bit he can break fast when needed. He should still be up front (and centre) though.

Nani is exactly where he needs to stay imo at home in Portugal.
 
Swapping Welbeck for Falcao hasn't turned out well so far either. As poor as Welbeck's finishing can be, he runs in behind and makes a major effort, Falcao is all or nothing (usually nothing).
 
cm1179 said:
up until november last year, kane had only played 63 mins of football under poch

good job manu and soldado were so dire that he got his opportunity and grabbed it

hoping we make amends at anfield for them embarassing us at the lane
Click to expand...

Asides from it being completely not true it's a truly amazing stat ;)

Of 16 Spurs played prior to November, Kane started or subbed into 11 of them. He played 4 full Europa cup games, started both cup games and subbed on for 5 of the 9 premier league games.

He subbed into one more league and started one more europa game before getting his first league start.

No less impressive how well he's done but he was being protected and eased into the team. Poch had a busy start to the season due to the europa cup qualification games and is now being credited with one of the fittest and least injured squads in the league. So keeping Kane for europa primarily during his first months in charge with a new squad training harder makes a hell of a lot of sense. He trusted Kane with Europa cup games where there was pretty big money(it's not CL big but it's easily 10-15mil if they manage to get far into the competition) on the line so i absolutely wouldn't read it as a sign he got lucky when he fell back on Kane and he happened to be good. He was good, he knew he was good and he was managing the team intelligently.

I think it's fair enough to point out that AVB gave him one league sub appearance last year but nothing else, not even on the bench, two cup games, one of them a start, and 4-5 europa league sub appearances. After he left despite having brought Adebayor out of the cold Sherwood gave Kane a real chance. Named in the squad so he was getting involved with the first team suqad, sub appearances in the league, sub appearances in the europa cup, first start in europa cup and then starting him in the final 6 games of the season.

Sherwood gave Bentaleb and Kane a really good season last year, starts, building them up, naming them in the squad, sub appearances then 6 starts to finish the season where he scored 3 goals was important.

Both players are further along than they'd have otherwise been. Not saying Sherwood is a messiah or anything, just that it's relatively well known he likes promoting youth players, I think working with the youth squad a lot so probably knew how good they could be. HE also had the advantage of it not being entirely his season, IE, AVB didn't do great(nor horrendously) but his job was more make the most of the rest of the season than if he took over in summer, was given money to make signings and told to try and get top four. So that allowed him a little leeway in blooding some youngsters preparing for this season.

If Spurs do well in Europa and/or get top 4(possible but I wouldn't bet on it for this season) I think how involved he was last year will have helped him hugely for this year.
 
Swagger187 said:
Some valid points there. I would much rather see a side where midfield is stacked full of midfield players. Valencia for example, not a bloody right back. The guy has some serious pace and the work effort to go with it. Whack him on the wing and he will go up and down all day. Herrera and Mata need to feature. Rooney is not a midfielder. He is a striker and needs to be up there. Holding the ball, making runs, scoring goals.

Van Gaal has lost it a little bit I think. I swear, in fact I know I have put better teams together on FIFA. There are a number of players in that team that have no right to be there.

Fellanli, janujaz, Phil Jones to name a few.

If I was in charge, which to be honest I think I should be from my armchair, it would be a team similar to this.

Keeper: De Gea
Def: Rafael (RB), Smalling and Rojo (CB), Shaw (LB)
Mid: Blind (CDM), Valencia (RW), Herrera (LW, well left side of a diamond), Mata (CAM)
For: Rooney and Van Persie or Falcao. Depends who wants to turn up and play.
Click to expand...

You're dropping di Maria? He's head and shoulders above your other outfield players, and most players in the league
 
drunkenmaster said:
Asides from it being completely not true it's a truly amazing stat ;)
Click to expand...

i read it in todays teleraph. may have been pl minutes.

looks like pochs double training sessions are paying dividends and we have been lucky with injuries or maybe the players have warmed to the manager and don't fancy dropping a sick note. vert getting back to his best and although there are still errors in the back 4, we certainly look a little tighter at the back

not sure how true it is but apparently pochs philosiphy is to win possession back within 5 seconds (if it's lost) or get into formation if not won back. we've definitely improved on our finishing too.
 
Purdy said:
Think its bound to happen eventually and with Kane being pretty good too I'm worried with Lucas out.

12-0 over the last 3 is it? It was fun while it lasted
Click to expand...

Nah, Allen can come in. He isn't as good defensively or at all frankly but with a back three he offers adequate cover...especially if playing against just the one up front.

Sturridge, sterling and coutinho should start tonight with Moreno and hopefully Ibe at wing back.... I'm pretty confident to be honest.
 
Still no right back. How many matches has valencia played there this season? Shocking. For the biggest club in the world tm to have to resort to that.

Never mind getting rid of our 3 fastest players including 2 of our most skillful players, being Nani, Zaha ha, welbeck. Sure we brought nin di maria but long balling it to him won't work.

Lvg has been making terrible decisions from start to finish. I don't think anyone can defend this.

width and pace have always been our strong suit, either with giggs and sharpe, or becks or ronaldo. There is no denying it or hiding from it. That was our brand of football and we were so good at it you'd struggle to stop us.

Now what is our identity or style? Slow slow, pass it back, boot it forward? Watch rvp and Falcao block each others runs as their poor form infects one another? We have looked hopeless.
 
Last edited:
What so hard about this?


------------------de gea

------valencia----jones----rojo----shaw

-----------------------blind

di maria-------------mata----------januzaj

--------------rooney------ falcao
 
utajoker said:
What so hard about this?


------------------de gea

------valencia----jones----rojo----shaw

-----------------------blind

di maria-------------mata----------januzaj

--------------rooney------ falcao
Click to expand...

Now i know utajoker because that lineup would be crushed in midfield as we are being currently. ..all you've done is change rvp for mata and switched him with rooney?
 
Personally I would like to see Wilson and Rooney up front as RvP and Falcao are both misfiring at the moment. I would go for the above with Herrera in the midfield instead of Januzaj and Wilson and Rooney up front.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom