Analysis of the goals conceded against Burnley

Never a dull moment, eh? Great season, highest finish for 20 years, away at relegated Burnley on final day, 2-0 up. Just enjoy yourself, lads!

Oh dear.

Burnley’s goals.

Elliott’s goal.

Graham Alexander has the ball in the middle of the park. Very little pressure on the ball – in the previous games where we’d played Huddlestone and Modric in the middle of midfield, we’d relied on the strikers to work back and close in situations like this, whereas Tom and Luka tended to hold their positions.

A simple threaded ball takes our midfield out of the game. Notice Elliott at this point sneaking round the back of King. Assou-Ekotto is out of shot at the moment, but he is not aware of his position.

A glorious flick from Fletcher puts King on his back-side – something you don’t see too often.

Very clever strike-play – you have to stand back and applaud a bit of skill like this. Good player, Fletcher.

Elliott’s in, and Assou-Ekotto’s positioning is now shown up.

Alnwick goes to ground horribly early. Surely Gomes would have put up more of a fight?

Cork’s goal.

Elliott drives forward through the centre of our midfield, unchallenged.

Modric gets close to him, but not close enough to get a foot to the ball.

Bale has been caught upfield, and the pass to Paterson is therefore a simple one.

One touch, and he whips in a cross. They often say that strikers make good crossers of the ball, and it certainly rings true in this instance.

The ball is a beauty. It drops steeply over Dawson’s head, and poor old Kaboul has no chance, having been left with two players.

Lovely header from the totally unmarked Cork. Awful, awful defending – the whole team failed to close properly, but Dawson’s positioning was all wrong. Let’s hope Fabio wasn’t watching!

Paterson’s goal.

Fletcher has the ball, and faces up Kaboul. Palacios is interested too at this point.

Fletcher jinks through both Kaboul and Palacios like they aren’t there.

It’s pretty awful defending from the pair of them, but credit has to go to Fletcher again.

Awful ball-watching from Assou-Ekotto, who lets Paterson sneak in ahead of him. Alnwick is in a poor position.

Watching Alnwick’s hopeless scramble across goal is cringe-worthy, but fair play to Paterson, who fully deserved his goal.

Thompson’s goal.

34 year old Robbie Blake skips around Palacios in the middle of midfield.

His control is so god that he’s also able to go round Modric.

He lays the ball off to Thompson, who has support.

Elliott picks up the ball, and strikes low and hard from distance.

As the ball comes into the box, Thompson opportunistically sticks out a leg, and prods the ball beyond Alnwick.

I say beyond Alwnick…is it? It pretty much goes in the middle of the goal. Abysmal second half performance from the entire team, but especially Alnwick – hopefully his last for Spurs, though, as I believe his contract is up.

Join the conversation

  1. First and fourth goal were Dawson's mistakes. Not watching the men coming into the centre of our six yard box. He was literally marking space.
  2. It's a sad job Windy to have to take a close look at conceding four goals for the first time this season.
    More than Chelsea, Arsenal or Man.Utd could manage.
    But true supporters will not shoot the messenger.
    And there was me thinking you had been made redundant.
    A worrying collapse of both the midfield and the back five and no goals from the forwards again.
    Not quite out of the woods yet.
  3. It is no use crying over spilt milk.......................................................
  4. I think we need to gain a little perspective. The game had nothing riding on it for either side and so it was always bound to be open. Moreover, after a run-in that saw us play Arsenal, Chelsea, United, and City, I think we can forgive the boys for taking it easy at the end. We'd already made the champs league!!
  5. Make yourself necessary to someone...................................................

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