Analysis of the goal conceded against Wolves (15/1)
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Steven Fletcher’s goal – Walker “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.
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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.
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.
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!
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!).
I do rate him... but he needs to learn when to pass the ball.
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
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.