Analysis of the goal conceded against Birmingham

I’m not entirely sure that this is necessary, as it was such an obvious error from a normally very switched-on defender that cost us this week. However, there are no doubt other parts of the move that the goal came from where you can point the finger.

Goals (Birmingham goal at 31 seconds)

The 90 minutes are up, and as you’ll see from the clip (above), 5 minutes of stoppage time have just been indicated. The problem is that Spurs haven’t put together a meaningful attack for 10 minutes; instead, inviting Birmingham on to them, and defending deeper and deeper. Because Spurs do this all too often, Birmingham must know that they have a chance if they can keep the ball alive in the box. Equally, the Spurs defence must be nervous – but it’s important that they stay switched on.

The ball is on the Birmingham right, and Spurs are re-grouping after an “attack”. We seem to have plenty of bodies back, and there doesn’t seem to be too much danger.

The ball is played in from deep. Notice at this point number 6, Liam Ridgewell, at the bottom of the picture. He’s trotting upfield to get involved in the attack.

Michael Dawson stretches to win the ball, unchallenged from Benitez. Ridgewell’s made up some ground, Corluka’s been sucked in, and McFadden has pulled away to pick up the pieces if necessary.

Dawson’s header is a poor one – because he’s stretching, he doesn’t get much distance, and it goes straight out to McFadden.

Before Jenas can get tight enough, McFadden slings the ball in again. Positionally, we look fine. Dawson has one eye on Benitez, King has Jerome, and Corluka’s in an area to keep an eye on Ridgewell.

The delivery is reasonable but, for me, King is caught flat-footed, and barely gets off the ground. Jerome does a great job of helping it back across. Notice Gomes – he’s come too far across goal – in fact, beyond his near post. Unlikely that Jerome can score at the near post here, so why has he drifted that far across?

Ridgewell has done nothing more than continue his run – he must think it’s his lucky day. Corluka, normally very reliable in these situations, has switched off, not read the danger and, with Gomes in no-man’s land, has gifted Ridgewell a goal.

So in essence, you can mainly pin this one on Corluka, but questions can also be asked of Dawson, King, and Gomes in my opinion.


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Join the conversation

  1. Jenas gets off lightly here. He doesn't close down fast enough or with any conviction. Just jumps and turns his head ten feet away from Mcfadden, but the blame could be spread to five or six players. How depressing.
  2. started earlier than that . keane had the ball in birminghams half and instead of giving bale an easy square ball decides to switch play to bentley which then invites corluka to overlap . in the 90th min ,, not bloddy neccesary
  3. Bale did a similar thing vs. Leeds. I'm at a point where I feel we'll never learn how to keep a lead. Not the way a top side would at any rate, i.e. comfortably, with possession.
  4. We conceded going needlesly for the third goal against Leeds and yesterday by trying to keep the ball and failing.
    I knew as soon as Jenas came on at the 89 mins mark he would get the blame for something.
    We defended too deep after we scored, an old failing.
    You must admit Windy that the Spurs defence lately has been almost putting you out of business on the 'goal analysis' front.
  5. The thing gone wrong from the attack. Jenas just send to the field and he go late to the ball in birmingham box. Blue passed the ball for counter attack and we conceded.
  6. Jenas could well have closed the ball down better than he did. That ball should have never made it into the box as easily as it did! He is becoming a liability!
  7. what a surprise Jenas is eing blamed its almost like the twats don't like him.

    what a shocker
  8. Why on earth did Harry replace Bentley who had been effective by Jenas who is not playing well currently. In principle, you do not disorganise a team that is doing well by bringing in substitutes late into a game especially weaker players. Both Keane and Jenas made absolutely no impact and were useless. That was the turning point in our match. The midfield weakened allowing Birmingham to push us deeper and deeper into defence. We had lost our attacking strength. It has all to do with tactics that we seem to be lacking and therefore not winning matches as we should.
  9. I'm actually a Jenas apologist (as much as any sane person can be, anyway). I was actually hoping that Harry would sub him on earlier for either Palacios (who was on a yellow) or Huddlestone (who never had a stamp on the game) but out wide his positional sense is/was lacking (understandably). And as I mentioned the blame could be put on virtually the entire team from a petered out attack to the whole back four + Gomes.
  10. Gomes, too, had his share of blame. You do not go to one extreme side of your goal for a ball that you are not going to get and thus leave practically your whole goal mouth exposed.
  11. Plain and simple.
    a. King shouldn't have played, no longer fit for PL games.
    b. Daws should learn to use his brain more often, stupid clearence all the time!
    c. Jenas should be off-loaded...NOW!!!
    d. Charlie is no 90 mins player, shuts down early in all matches.
    e. Keane & Crouchie...sell them off. Need strikers in the mould of Carew, Kenwyne, Drogba or Agbonlahore.
    f. Harry....need to learn mor on how to make tactical substitutions. Past few games, same mistake... his idiotic substitutions cost us easiliy 9 points.

    COYS!!
  12. What I can say by reading last comment is that I'm glad to know that there are at least some Spurs fans with a better knowledge of football than our president and our manager.

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