PL: Spurs h Ratings and Reactions

[mykeyb]

I have seen lots of posts over the last 18 months about our club, our manager and the "3 year cycle".

I will say that my hatrid of Harry Rednapp knows no bounds and would hate to see him managing our club, but what he has achieved at Spurs in the 18 months he has been there showed last night when if you are honest they pretty much played us off the park. I am not sure how much money "arry" has spent in his time at Spurs compared to MONs spend in his time here and would make interesting reading. I dont believe we are competing for top 4 - more likely top 6. Man City will at some point wake up with or without Hughes, Liverpool too, Spurs look like they have a basis of a decent squad. If we can finish top 5 this season or top 6 with a couple of good cup runs I will be more than happy for Martin to continue but so far this season he has raised more doubts in mind than at any time under his stewardship.

[Jez]

The only threat Ashley Young poses is to those sitting behind the goal beyond the far post. His performances have been poor for a year now, he no longer deserves to be starting games in my view as for going to the World Cup the thought is laughable.

Agreed.

Dropped for Downing?

[Ryan.]

Moved inside to sit off Gabby?

[Jez]

Moved inside to sit off Gabby?

So he can continue under performing in another position?

[Milfner]

I am worried with the lack of balance in our team. Not one left footer in our starting 11.

However, I think Cuellar has just about won MOTM

[Malachite]

Late back on this:

Cuellor was very good at times, Freidal again pulled of some nice saves, Have to say Gabby worked his rock of for me, chased there keeper Gomez down almost every time he had the ball, pleased he got his goal however scrambled, come the second half spent as much time defending as attacking, personally i couldn't work out what was what, without doubt Spurs had the greater possession and the better quality possession i honestly thought it was difficult to believe that this Spurs team put Wigan to the sword so easily just days before.

Players that bother me big time, NRC just don't get him, Petrov seemed so lazy, we have to get into the transfer market and get some quality in central midfield, there's no other way.

[stewiek2]

For me this season, alot of last season as well, has had me scratching my head about our manager and just what he wants from this team, and squad?! Does he honestly believe that we can get top four playing the shit he is asking, nay dictating them to play!? If so then I'msorry, he is fuckign delusional. But no, surely e cant be asking that, he is an intelligent man who knows that football will create more than hoof?! As someone said, look at what Harry has done with Spurs since he took over? The points total in that period despite the crippling injuries to key defensive players, and the great style of football they play. You have to be blinkered and disgustingly biased to think we deserved anything out of yesterday. They were a class above us. It was embarassing but for a stern defensive display from our back four. Drop Ashley now, he needs a good kick up the **** arse. MON said on the forum he has heard what we want, well then why not start by getting them to play a style of football that suits them!!?!?! Even last season he had Barry and Petrov inthe middle. 2 players comfortable on the ball who can pass it, yet played hoofball. He also said that he is quite insular in that he keeps the same people around him throughout his career. Admirable, but in a game that is advancing in it's technique, style, it is shooting yourself in the foot. Fergie ticks over backroom staff to keep things fresh, brings new ideas, techniques etc. It's one way he has kept being so successful for so long. As the game has changed so has his backroom staff, his philosophy on the game, and his squad to deal with it. MON HAS to too!

[PaulMcgrathsknees]

Unfortunately alot of people have got yesterdays match all wrong.

I shall explain why.

Spurs were on a high and Lennon is having the sort of season we want Ash to be having. Lennon is on fire. Villa stopped any wing play whatsoever duing the first half. This was mainly down to Ash and Milner forcing the play inside. This gave the Spurs centre backs the ball. They did nothing with it. Lennon was lost in Luke Youngs pocket for 45 minutes and there was practically no threat.

Our goal was scored because Crouch didn't stand where he was supposed to for 1 corner. Redknapp will have gone absolutely apesh@t at him.

In the second half we should have put the game to bed on the break and this is where we are struggling this year. Ash is not doing his stuff. The sight of Ash Young, Milner and Gabby on the break is enough to worry any team. For some reason his mojo has gone.

In the second half Reo-Coker got injured and Stan tired. Redknapp did the one thing he had to do. Get rid of the totally ineffectual Palacios. The game then became a struggle. Spuds attacked but only about twice all match did I think they would actually score. Huddlestone couldn't get his shooting boots going and I thought it had one-nil written all over it and hoped a break away goal would come.

We were under pressure due to Spuds keeping the ball (but creating little) and the BIGGEST factor by a mile was Dowd.

I like Crouch, but the bloke cannot head the ball without climbing all over players with his hands on shoulders and elbows all over defenders. This is why Capello will not play him. Every continental referee blows him for his constant fouling. Dowd just let him foul and win headers all match. Every single header he won was a foul. (And the wrestling of Milner to win a free kick was just one of the worst decisions I have ever seen)

If Dowd had been strong enough (worst ref I have ever seen), we would have had about 15 free kicks which would have taken the pressure off. Crouch would have been subbed and Spurs would have had Keane on for Crouch rather than Palacios. We would have won.

As an earlier poster had said if Dowd had received a bung I could understand his incompetence.

The Spurs full backs were ineffective. Dawson on MOTD basically admitted it was handball.

They had possession. It was given by Dowd.

Has O'Neill ever come out and slagged off the ref? It's not his style.

And if we are one down to Spurs, I expect us to press and keep the ball. I expect them to soak up pressure and play Lennon as their threat on the break.

Sometime we play badly and win. Soemtime we don't turn up. Sometime teams get a good hiding.

Sometimes refs make a team (who were on a massive high) look better than I think they are.

Spurs have a tough run of mid/bottom-table type games coming up. The next few weeks will define their season, not a game of 12 vs 11 when they could only get the ball in the net with their hands.

Villa will finish above Spurs IF Ash starts to threaten like Lennon. Spurs will finish above Villa if Lennon does not get injured.

And I would like to finish on the fact I don't dislike Spurs. But my God, I effing well hate Melted Candlewax Face.

[Neil]

There was a lot to compare with the Bolton game in this match. It seemed to go the same way, we scored early then I was always worrying that if we dont score another soon that Bolton were gonna manage to get something back. It was a 2nd goal that didnt look like it was coming for some time but we managed to get one more before half time and we battered them in after that, but Bolton were shit.

For the spurs game we did something very similar with the early goal and needed that second that never looked like it was coming. Unforunately, unlike Bolton, Spurs were far from shit and we had no answer to it.

[Ponky]

I think this was an extremely good analysis:

David Pleat's tactical report: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur

Villa's determination at early corners gave them the initiative, but they lack a charismatic schemer to aid Stiliyan Petrov

Shape

Martin O'Neill was not fearful despite seeing Spurs rattle in nine against Wigan on the previous Sunday. He bravely went for dual strikers supported by two wingers in Ashley Young and James Milner. This was a 4-4-2 with England potential in both wide positions. The midfield graft would be shared between the energetic and back-in-favour Nigel Reo-Coker and the smoother Stiliyan Petrov. Shorn of Stephen Warnock and James Collins, his reshaped back four would need protection to ensure the dangerous Jermain Defoe was denied space between the home side's centre-backs and full-backs.

Tactics

Aston Villa's determination at early corners gave them the initiative and confidence to play. They crowded Heurelho Gomes well at the set-pieces, reminding themselves that they had scored 50% of their goals this season from such situations. Defensively, Villa closed quickly on Tottenham's suppliers, which made the service to Peter Crouch and Defoe spasmodic in the first half. Villa's midfield and front men forced Tottenham's defenders to pass inside and thus prevent a regular flow of supply to Aaron Lennon. Milner pushed up early on Vedran Corluka and angled himself to stop the outside pass. Jon Carew and Gabriel Agbonlahor followed across field. This forced Corluka to play inside or strike a hopeful ball long, neither of which tapped into Lennon's threat. From the back, Villa closed quickly while Tottenham, on the left, played into their hands, Niko Kranjcar comfortably coming inside on his right foot and Benoît Assou-Ekotto crossing from positions too deep.

Did it succeed?

Partially but then, in the first 15 minutes of the second half, Villa began to drop deeper. They still kept two up but they began to tire and the tempo of their early hustling of the first half could not be maintained. Tom Huddlestone and Wilson Palacios began to command the ball against immediate opponents Reo-Coker and Petrov, who were forced to guard areas closer to their back line. Spurs, confident and composed, suppressed Villa with their quicker passing and, consequently, Milner and Ashley Young were forced to help their full-backs rather than busy themselves as an attacking force. After 20 minutes of that second period, Villa needed to retake the centre and possibly substitute a tiring striker for a third midfield player to get hold of the game.

Strengths

Brad Friedel was a fine shot-stopper and Richard Dunne cajoled his defensive colleagues strongly while the rearranged full-back pairing battled gamely. Milner covered acres with his team-before-self work ethic. Consistently eager, his second-half performance was one of retrieving rather than creating. The spirit of the side was excellent, working to double up at every opportunity. Considering the rearranging that O'Neill had to make in his back four, the genial Irishman will have gratefully accepted this hard-earned point.

Weaknesses

They dropped too deep as they tired and the front men could not sustain their early pressing game. Carew, starved of service, does not vary his play to get involved when the midfield needs help while Ashley Young retreated into his shell, lacking the bounce and verve to attack defenders although he worked like a Trojan. Crucially, in midfield, Villa need a charismatic schemer to aid Petrov. This side lacks a player to unlock doors, command the ball and set their pacy forwards running in on goal: a Cesc Fábregas or Stephen Ireland might do the trick. In the meantime, Villa are making the best of their current resources.

[roonst83]

Don't suppose we could sign Paul Merson could we? He's the sort of player that we need pulling the strings from midfield to attack and unlocking defences.

We really lack some creativity going forwards.

[roscoe]

I really hope Delph comes on soon. Depends who he has around him as support though I guess. Petrov hasnt helped him in his starts unfortunately

[Annoyman]

As on countless occasions during MON's time in charge, we go 1-0 up, we sit back, we draw or lose...

And for ****'s sake, stop bringing everyone back for corners!!

Statistically we're one of the teams least likely to surrender a lead, and the defeat at Blackburn was the first time we'd lost a game we scored first in for absolutely ages

[o'lbs]

i think we were planning to defend the 18 yard line we should of gone to 4-5-1 quicker. Carew was sinking deeper and deeper so there was nothing up front to pump it up to. sidwell should of come on for carew instead of reo coker and be told to get into the box when ever the wingers had it. he came on in a defencive role and sat on the edge of the D.

we were good first half but crap 2nd. I hope Collins comes back soon.

[Richard]

Before the game I said we'd lose 3-0 and I suppose we should have done so to get a point is a good result.

However, I think we demonstrated what we are which is a upper mid table team happy to compete at that level and with the mentality to match. No belief or winning mentality to put us with the bigger clubs. It has been that way for a long time now and the manager has not changed it. Has he taken us as far as he can ? Sadly the answer has to be yes.

[Big_John_10]

No belief or winning mentality to put us with the bigger clubs. It has been that way for a long time now and the manager has not changed it

Since MON has been in charge i can only think of man u as a team that has walked all over us. This year we beat chelsea and liverpool and last year we took 4 points off arsenal and deserved to have beaten them both times. Did that have nothing to do with a winning mentality?

[Jon]

No belief or winning mentality to put us with the bigger clubs. It has been that way for a long time now and the manager has not changed it

Since MON has been in charge i can only think of man u as a team that has walked all over us. This year we beat chelsea and liverpool and last year we took 4 points off arsenal and deserved to have beaten them both times. Did that have nothing to do with a winning mentality?

yup. i'm really struggling to think where Trickie can have got such views from. They seem to have little basis in fact, just some sort of negative hunch. Baseless, if you will.

the fact we have beaten both Chelsea and Liverpool this season surely suggest the exact opposite of what Richard is trying to say. :?

[Guest Ricardomeister]

You cannot imo just quote individual games and say that because we beat Liverpool and then a few weeks later we beat Chelsea that we have a winning mentality. If you say that then you surely have to acknowledge that we also have a losing mentality as we have lost to 3 teams in the bottom 8. To me, the facts show that we have neither a winning or a losing mentality....just that we are very inconsistent and you never know which Villa will turn up.

[dappadan]

I would of took a point before the game.

I was so upset with our second half performance and the fact we could not get a foot on the ball, however I was more than pleased with the first half performance, so focussing on the positive a point is a good result and we are becoming very hard to beat.

[Pilchard]

Since MON has been in charge i can only think of man u as a team that has walked all over us. This year we beat chelsea and liverpool and last year we took 4 points off arsenal and deserved to have beaten them both times. Did that have nothing to do with a winning mentality?

I would say Liverpool have done it twice at Anfield, too.

Not that that is something to be too embarrassed about.