wrong.
The title of this post was going to be “If you can’t be good, be lucky” because that pretty much summed up Spurs’ one nil victory at home to Hull City but then the boss had his say on events.
It’s a dangerous game AVB is playing, fans don’t like being slagged off, it helped usher ‘Arry out the door. Obviously from his comments the players have been moaning and whinging about the atmosphere in the Lane over the last few home games to make him come out with it.
We looked like the away team. We played in a difficult atmosphere with almost no support. We have a wonderful set of fans but they can do better. We don’t need the negativity of today.
Away from home their support has been amazing; we play with no fear and we need that atmosphere at White Hart Lane. We didn’t have the support we should have done. There was much anxiety from the stands, the players had to do it alone. We spoke about it at half-time. I told the players that we would have to do it on our own. They had to dig deep and look for the strength within themselves. They also believed that it’s not easy to play in this stadium when the atmosphere is like this.Andre Villas-Boas
The problem is it’s a chicken and egg situation, old catch 22.
If the players didn’t play as crap as they did against Hull the fans would be in better voice or would the players not have played that crap with more vocal support?
The thing is there isn’t that verve in play. Yes, away teams come like Hull and West ham previously with a flat back ten mentality and it creates problems but those problems don’t seem to be met with any life from those in white. You look at the stats at half-time and while the home side had most of the ball Lennon and Soldado had less touches of the ball than the Hull “striker” Sagbo.
It says a lot that.
I kept reading criticism of Holtby, dropping too deep to pick up the ball and he’s getting crap marks in the papers. But he had to drop deep because nobody was doing anything. It’s the same criticism van der Vaart used to get when they were screaming for Defoe to come on. Which they were probably doing again. He offered a lot when introduced. That was sarcasm by the way. Almost as much as Eriksen. What has happened to Eriksen? So good at the start and now looking hopeless.
Yes the team AVB picked wasn’t the right one. Lennon hasn’t done anything since his return to deserve another start and he did even less here on the left. Sandro was struggling in his third straight game after such a long lay off.
But it was the usual routine of slow passing about – that’s when passes actually went to their intended targets – little width, no movement and no give and goes which is the only way to play a flat back 10 that led to the crowd disappointment. Those players AVB put out there are better than that, better than a Hull reserve side. A team coached by AVB should not be outwitted by one coached by Steve Bruce.
Dembele is blaming the size of the pitch. One a five metres longer and a metre wider like Old Trafford would be better, more space is required but more life is required. Show more life and so would the crowd. The crowd show life from the off then the team have to match it and get out of the blocks with some pace and intent.
That certainly hasn’t been happening at home.
Yesterday it took another dodgy penalty to sneak the win. And after all they won. While everyone is talking up the south London lot, everyone is talking up Liverpool, Spurs sit three points and one point behind them, not playing well, just scoring the one goal and keeping clean sheets. Best points tally at this stage of the season.
You can’t argue with that but the performances at home just aren’t that entertaining. But then those that slag off the Emptycrates library can’t have too much to say if they are doing the same.
No game report because well it just wasn’t worth the effort. Lucky as said before, which I did find enjoyable because I can’t stand Steve Bruce. Surprised that Huddlestone didn’t get a goal, especially with that last minute free kick. Also surprised to see Townsend emerge from behind the advertising hoardings and return to the field of play. He was down there so long you feared the worst but when he did come back he did remind me of Godber in the Porridge film when he is concussed during the football game against the celebs – A weather man, eight small parts and a widow Twanky.
Everton up next in the league, harder game that may be easier because they won’t park the bus at home.