Analysis of the goal conceded against Wolves (15/1)

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Steven Fletcher’s goalWalker “concedes” a corner, and Johnson gets up above Dawson to meet Jarvis’ kick. Friedel saves his header, but it comes out into the six-yard box, and Fletcher reacts first.

Walker gives the ball away with a chipped pass down the line, and it comes back at us. However, Walker redeems himself by going shoulder to shoulder with Edwards, who nudges the ball forward. Walker sees the ball out, and trots off expecting a goal kick to be given – the referee (out of shot, so presumably without a decent view of the incident) gives a corner.

Jarvis is quick on the scene and seems to want to take the corner before we are set up – a move that we should also adopt more often – and Spurs don’t seem quite ready. However, it is a “looping” corner into the six-yard box and, for all his faults, one that I would have expected Gomes to come out and attempt to punch clear. Friedel stays on his line, and lets the defenders attempt to deal with it. Johnson gets up really high and meets the ball at the back post ahead of Dawson.

Friedel reacts to keep out the header as Kaboul, who was leaping with Fletcher, readjusts his body and tries to see where the ball has gone.

Friedel’s hand-out falls nicely for Wolves in the six-yard box, and Fletcher is first to react, and prods home from close range.

It was very frustrating to concede from a set piece – particularly one that was wrongly awarded – but it would be easier to take if we made the most of set pieces ourselves. We had eight corners in this game, compared to Wolves’ one, and we failed to threaten from any. I personally think that van der Vaart’s corners are poor, and that we should try someone else on corner duty for a sustained period – perhaps Assou-Ekotto. The only time that we seem to threaten from corners is when we find Bale’s near-post run, but teams have got to know that ploy now, and he is generally either blocked off or closely watched.

Join the conversation

  1. You are (as ever) absolutely right about the real lack of threat from corners. Didn't we win four or five in a row against WBA at home and nothing even looked like coming from them. Similarly we win quite a few dangerous free kicks but now again we seem to have almost no chance of converting. VDV always wants to take them and far too often either misses the target or blasts it straight into the keeper's midriff.
  2. I was thinking exactly the same thing yesterday, we do not score enough goals from corners. Personally I would have left footers take corners from one side and right footers from the other. You always get the ball bending inwards rather than out if you know what I mean.
  3. You're absolutely right.
    The question is why Levy who is so careful on spending money to buy players that could improve the squad is paying millions to the members of the technical staff who for a number of seasons now can't address the serious and obvious problem of Spurs regarding taking and defending set pieces?
    Is he so irrelevant with football that he can't see the long time existing shortcomings of his team?
    That's the worst thing that can happen to a club.
    To have a president that he is irrelevant to football and hires others to do his job.
    I think that's why Spurs although they are among the 15 bigger spenders world wide last twenty years it's the only club among them that never won a major domestic or international title.
    Because in order to advance forwards you must know which are your shortcomings and how you can address them.
  4. And is there anything more dangerous for us than a Walker throw in? he can throw quite a long way, but to a Spurs player?? Surely can't be that difficult to coach throws?

    I also think Arry is missing a trick in not complaining (rationally not necessarily ranting) when refs get it wrong. It wasn't a corner for their goal and Ade wasn't offside when he scored. Why do Utd get such favourable treatment from refs? Part of the answer is they are terrified of Fergie if they got it wrong. Arry should have them thinking twice about decisions against us. He wouldn't say anything bad about Neville after what should have been a straight red for an attempted leg break on Modric while a debate was raging about Glen Johnson's relatively harmless challenge.
  5. Anon - agree. We see pictures of BAE taking free kicks in training, but he so rarely gets a chance in matches.

    Anon - I tend to agree, but we seem to like the short corners which is one argument for the more technical players both being over in the corner.

    IoanX - Great points. Would make such a difference if we could even up our goals from set pieces by 5%.

    Jill - I know, frustrates me too! Redknapp has always been respectful of referees - possibly too much so!
  6. Corners! we don't score enough from set peices period. I agree with VDV not taking corners, he'd be better suited to the edge of the box as he's probably the best we have at adapting at close quarters. I thought Dawson should have done better, he was marking fletcher not Kaboul. Kaboul turns hands up turned and looks at dawson before turning his head away. Imho, I think Dawson lack of ability to make an instant decision makes him a problem to play with. Hence he only looks the goods alongside king. We have done very well at the back since the United and Citeh defeats. Can't fault the keeper this time, tho he does stick to his line. Adebyore, Kaboul and Dawson should all be capable of clearing from the 6 yrd box. One of our best defenders is playing for Swansea. I'd sign vertoghen for next season and expect Kaboul and Caulker to fight for the other position. Probably edging towards Kaboul depending on how caulker handles it. Dawson has a lions heart but tin mans brain. He's been around for years and is still committing the same ol same ol mistakes, at crucial times. I think we lost this game up the other end. Adebyore is frustrating, he should have gone off for Defoe just after the hour. I thought Defoe missed easy chances but Ade (when onside) is a poor finisher. Of course this is based on a team aiming to win the league. I think we'll scrape into the top four with who we have..if King and Gallas are fit!
  7. Spot on Windy and you have echoed what i said yesterday Friedel is a corner away from conceding goals the Swansea and Wolves games have cost us four points . My two biggest moans are this Friedel and Van an have bad games yet the next games they play Gomes had eight clean sheets on the trott the year we finished fourth. That year he had Hudds 6ft3 and Crouch 6ft7 helping out in defence and King for most of the season. But my mega moan is about Van Der Vaart there is no doubting his class but for me he is a Luxury we could live without and this is why last season we struggled for goals and had 14 draws that cost us a top four.. Harry then paired Van with Crouch and for a limited time it worked till defenders started elbowing Crouch in the back Van went deeper and left Crouch isolated and the goals dried up. Harry turned to Defoe and Van no goals Pav and Van no goals. He would use Crouch in the slower Ufa games and then expect Defoe and Pav to play in the league with wrecked heads from being snubbed in the biggest games in our History. He only scored six goals but most of them won us points in a season he missed two months with ankle trouble. This year he has trained hard doing extra work with French fitness coach 70 year old and he was on fire. This pair Ady and Defoe was real strikers and could have beat Crouch and Defoes 28 goals when we finished fourth. Then disaster Van was left out of the Ufas and Defoe left in and when Defoe played Thursday Van played in the league if it was the champions league Defoe would have played in the league Van scored and we won Defoe got more and more frustrated then he would come on and rescue us when Van stopped scoring Defoe got praised and Benched. This had a knock on affect Ady has bean left isolated and his goals have dried up along with Harry saying he will have too take a pay cut. Defoe kept rescuing Spurs nd Van kept not scoring Stoke Swansea Wolves have cost us7 points in all those games 4411 has bean used and that is our Luxury Van Der Vaart who cost 8 million but if the truth be none he cost us champions league spot 50 million will he again time will tell Defoe Ady wont cost us if Harry wakes up and relises Van dries up after Christmas.My subs would have bean Kranjcar and Defoe for Parker and Van Rose and Defoe 72 mins is not good Management teams are messing with energy levels and us playing Thursday played into Wolves hands. perfectly Davspurs
  8. Sorry Windy Wednesday
  9. I'm actually working on a piece about our corners and free kicks and whether we are actually wasteful or not
  10. Anon - Personally still think Dawson has a lot to offer but, I agree, that he is being rapidly overtaken by others - Kaboul this year, and potentially Caulker next year. So long as he's happy to not play every game he is, of course, still a great guy to have around the place.

    Dav - have to disagree with you totally on vdV - think he's put in a couple of really top class performances recently when some around him haven't been particularly great - WBA in particular. I'd have brought on Pav and tried to get more crosses into the box, personally.

    Sibs - awesome, one to look forward to. I gather Matt Swan on Twitter was doing similar (I was going to do one until I hear he was!).
  11. VDV is a great player, his work rate has been awesome recently. His touch and vision and speed of reaction in front of goal are all excellent. I remember people saying Hoddle and Ginola were 'luxury' players. Quite honestly if you can't appreciate the honour of watching real quality then maybe Spurs aren't the right club for you!!
  12. Windy, soz to go off subject a lil but yesterday was reading a blog about Coulibaly. It mas mentioned that you dont really rate him(i dont know if thats true), if this is your view then can you explain why please mate.
  13. Hello mate - can you point me in the direction of the article?

    I do rate him... but he needs to learn when to pass the ball.
    1. Windy, soz about delay mate. It was on Cartilage Free Captain about 'Keeping the vulture away from Coulibaly', it was a reply from someone who actually said that they were a lil worried cos of what you said and that you were a voice to be respected basically. Alot of us have taken Coulibaly to heart already and have high hopes. I agree he needs to learn when to pass but he will learn. A spurs legend in the making i hope. Superb blog by the way mate.
    2. Thanks for that, I've replied. Thank you as well for the kind comments, really appreciate it!
  14. A few points:
    1. We didn't lose and given the Arsenal result today some of our "lost points" should be seen in perspective;
    2. Dawson is OK as a back-up player and not a regular starter for the reasons stated above: rushes in too often and positions himself badly, plus while he has been away the team has evolved;
    3. What does one have to do to get Friedel off his line?
    4. VdV is a class act, but should be where he is most effective during corners and that means not taking corners. We have big players like Kaboul whose powers are wasted and this will be doubly so if we get Samba;
    5. Whilst Bale's free role is interesting, it is an evolving one and should be the exception, not the rule;
    6. Bale should watch the following two players concerning free kicks:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCFL1UEJ47M&feature=youtube_gdata_player


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGbYsn2Blus&feature=youtube_gdata_player

    Sweetsman
  15. None of our current corner takers or free kick takers are doing the business. Bit frustraing when both Bale and Rafa have scored some good goals from free kicks in their careers.

    Trying someone else couldn't make it any worse. The only argument against BAE might be that he needs to either be staying back or at least on the edge of the box to cover a breakout.

    As said above, I would have Rafa on the edge of the box because he is probably the best reader of broken play and probably the best instinctive finisher from distance under pressure.
  16. From a different perspective, I won't be sorry to see a premiership without Stoke or Wolves in, never mind their style of play or supporters or anything football related, it's just an irrational hatred that has stuck with me for years. Much like the irrational love of football itself I guess.

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