I found this odd via soccernet match report: "It proved to be Dempsey's last contribution to the game as he came off for Gylfi Sigurdsson. The American received a standing ovation from the home fans, but Villas-Boas instead decided to give the forward what looked like a tactical talking to on the touchline." I didn't get that impression at all. Anyone else? Anyway, thought CD looked solid today. Can't argue with 2 assists. I think he is starting to hit his stride. Has put together a nice run of good games.
AVB was talking to him as he came off, he didn't seem angry or anything. Even if you have a great game the coach can still talk to you about something you missed while its fresh in his mind. I wouldn't worry about it.
But Ade runs out of steam in 2nd half, whereas Clint has always been somebody who plays as well at 89 as he does at 39'.
I don't understand all this weird anti-Defoe and Bale stuff. Defoe might not be the guy you pick as best man at your wedding, but look at his numbers and where the team is. His style is good for this team. Bale is a very, very, very good player Demps adds a different and important skill set. It was inevitable that he would have an adjustment time. But just cause Defoe carries himself like a dick, it has nothing to do with his effectiveness on the field. I feel like I've been watching a different team than many of the posters around here.
WTF - Demps has been on the field no-freaking-stop since he came to Spurs. What team is everyone watching???!!!
It's just a cool chant that is directed at the SUPPORTERS and middle managers at every Pub who consistently yell: Dempsey's Sh*te . Plus, it's catchy damn you.
Was just trying to give those people not watching a feel for the movement of the match. Dempsey was roaming and combining with Ade because Ade was also roaming and combining, doing midfield dirty work. We haven't see this so far from the Spuds.
I know. I was just adding that what you saw in the first half may not work so well in the second when Ade runs out of steam. He should have been pulled for a mid when the Greeks began threatening which brings me to AVB's Achilles heel - losing midfield shape. Neither one of us has been a fan of AVB but we might have to eat crow if he keeps this up. Breast or drumstick?
Bale is a dynamic player - but he also doesn't appear to be a guy that (yet) makes the rest of his team much better.
What are you going to fixate on if fan boards and "middle managers"- (why just the middle? Why not lower managers? Or upper managers? Or upper managers on their way down? Or lower managers refusing to play through the middle managers and just going all route 1?) - start loving on Demps? (Guess you'll have to learn dutch, because if AZ's form keeps up AZ fans will start bashing Jozy. ) I've never seen a club play a yank so much and do so well and get so much angst. It's psychotic.
I keep my life simple. For any coach I only have one rule to determine if they are good or not: can they consistently win a result against more talented teams and consistently win against less talented teams. Thus far AvB has lost to Mancity, Chelsea, Wigan, and drawn against weaker teams. The only 'win' thus far was ManU, and as such heavyweights as Reading and Southampton have put goals on them, it seems clear that with 3 more minutes, ManU may very well have tied the match. We arent even talking about Chelsea where his record was shameful in some instances.
I just rewatched the goal he gave up. Throw in back to defense > midfield pass LM > cross field pass > Ade foul > restart cross court pass > midfield pass > back to defense > worked to midfield > RM makes a good run then shot/cross > deflected back to midfield > greeks regroup and send it LM > LM makes a beautiful curling cross, I'd say 35meters in the air or more > Spuds LB gets beat on the run for the far post header. All in all, Spuds allowed probably 15 unanswered touches by the greeks. Brad on the cross: was protecting near post, but honestly was caught day dreaming, he could have come out and collected the long ball but realized too late his LB was beaten. Too much pace on the header to expect a save.
Agree. AVB could have been seizing the moment, emphasizing Clint's excellent plays, rather than criticizing.
I'm not particularly anti-Defoe, and I think Bale is quite excellent, though both have limitations not visible in looking at goalscoring statistics. I do think that reliance on Defoe and Bale and Lennon to "do something" is plenty for Spurs to perennially be a top-7 team. But I don't think that they offer enough consistency to crack the top 4. This is often reflected in the English media as a "one of those days" thing, but I think it's tactical and comes from their style of play. The lack of choosing to control much of the match by linking play and bringing in others from midfield as a default, and the reliance on speed in a way that requires rapid counter-attacks, makes the match more open. It falters, on luck or exhaustion, at times. The teams that play a rapid transition, countering style best (thinking of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at present) often link it with a cohesive press and a striker furthest forward (Benzema/Blaszycan'tspell) who brings player in on quick breaks with flicks and technique, neither of which I think Spurs have. I think Defoe is an excellent striker, and would make some Italian team near-champions or do as well or better than Suarez for Liverpool, for example. And Bale is near world-class, doing a ton and occupying a lot of defensive attention. Nonetheless, I don't think that Bale in particular manages to maximize his team's performance, and I think the English media gives him a pass because they are more used to 4-4-2 flying wingers and less attuned to the role of tactics in energy conservation and defensive shape. Basically, I hold Bale to a higher standard than his teammates, because he's clearly more talented than they are, even if he accomplishes more to make Spurs win than they do. It also is clearly part of why Dempsey hasn't been settling in well that he does default to control the ball, bring in players, find the pass, and that has been part of his lack of sync with teammates. So it comes up a lot in this forum, and to be fair, is often colored with an unfair sense of injustice/anger for those players not linking more with him - which is just a reflection of their style of play.
I didn't think the AVB experiment would work at Spurs but I'm happy to extend the honeymoon at this point.
You can line Dempsey up on the wing but he will not play there. I wonder if the Greeks would have scored with Bale in the game. I'll be happy to discuss Defoe's faults if he would just stop scoring long enough for me to do so.
As an Olympiakos supporter, I watched the Spurs - Panathinaikos match yesterday. Panathinaikos -Olympiakos this Sunday. A match that all should try and watch. Few matches in the world have such pedigree. Anyway, the Panathinaikos side as of yesterday is one of there weakest sides in the last 30 years. Panathinaikos is standing in 8th place currently in the Greek league. Currently, I do not see Spurs contending for a whole lot. Quite frankly, the game yesterday Panathinaikos could have gotten a result. The second half, Spurs was fortunate.
This is a reasonable, rational and largely correct analysis, which is very different from "Defoe (or Bale) are selfish and if they passed more Demps would be scoring, Spurs would be in ... what? Second?" I believe Spurs are currently punching above their weight. I think they are only a 3rd or 4th place with some luck. But they are good enough that with a bit of luck they could hang in that spot. But their style is their style and changing it won't help their standing. As long as they have those players they need to play that style. But as I've said before, I think Demps can actually provide a really interesting and import skill set as he is both poacher and can be a quick-passing link. Spurs have to play fast much of the time - and when they can slow it up at the right times, they will be even more dangerous. And they need better defending. But the idea that Defoe and/or Bale are not effective is just silly.