I wonder how AVB is feeling right now. Maybe he'll admit he was/is very stubborn managing wise and could change his ways sooner rather than later.
The ref in the Stoke Reading game gave a red card for a tackle even LESS egregious than Ivanovic's - and you guessed it, its the same ref. And it was a penalty too.
After one game in the opening of a new season that was decided by a single goal, from the penalty spot no less? Doubt it very much.
If you watched the game you would know that Spurs dominated the first half and were also threatening in the second half....They need some creativity in the middle and Modric would be a big miss for them...I am not sure why AVB should change his ways...He should just sign one more creative player and a striker....Moutinho and a striker would be great additions for Spurs.... Not offside imo...The benefit of the doubt should always go to the attacker....
TBF, they did not play that badly, and the pressing game did limit Newcastle's chances. A draw would have probably been a fair result.
as someone who did watch the game I believe the point being made is that AVB continues let his obstinace get in the way of good decisions while I do agree with you that Spurs were the better side and were quite unlucky in the first half- hitting the post and the bar- at the end of the day football is a result oriented business and it became pretty clear in the second half that Newcastle were most likely getting something out of the game The point which stuck out to me was when Stuart Robson (and no I dont agree with all of the points commentators make) made the interesting statement that perhaps AVB would try to alter the system by bringing VDV on. He suggested that VDV could join Sigurdsson behind the front man. While I did think that Lennon and Bale were getting good change out of both fullbacks their final product was not the best and Pardew wisely dropped Tiote a little deeper allowing him to break up the attacking play through the middle and neutralise Sigurdsson. What did AVB do? A like for like swap while keeping the same tactical system in play. Speaking as someone who witnessed this first hand far too often for my liking last season- it does not bode well that the initial showing of the new AVB was that he is still the old AVB. I also found it interesting that he is sticking to his policy of bascially outsing players- Defoe, Gallas, VDV- but still choosing or being forced to play them. I still suspect this will not end well imo.
Soton put up a good fight and showed that imo there really are no easy games in the Prem the days of Derby may be long past us now and I think the League is better for it
Jay Rodriguez (Burnley, £6m), Paulo Gazzaniga (Gillingham, undisclosed), Steven Davis (Rangers, free), Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace, compensation not yet agreed)
Besides the players Fern just mentioned that they brought in, they have some real quality in Lallana, Cork, Hoisveld (sp) and of course Lambert. Kelvin Davis (their GK) is up their in years but he was phenomenal last season for them too.
Adkins is a solid Manager as well starting to see a trend in the better promoted teams of good, sound managers who try to have their teams play football- Rogers, Lambert, Holloway, et al I really hope that trend continues and we see less of the "keep us up at all costs" Managers such as Warnock
Spot on mate. I thought they were absolutely magnificent today bearing in mind who they were playing against. I think they'll suffer in the long run because they lack the quality but their attitude and style of play were exemplary.
Really thought that Soton showed that Citeh, while a very good side, are a vulnerable side. Their two goals were class and really showed a disorganized Citeh side and if you can keep Citeh equal or behind at the 60 minute mark they are open for the taking, but that is no easy task. (I also realize, that this is true with any side, but Citeh really throw it forward). I like the look of Soton. I reckon they'll stay up.