Analysis of the goal conceded against West Brom (25/8)
Brunt’s corner is floated in, and headed away by Gallas, who is competing with McAuley.
The ball is retrieved by Rosenberg, who intelligently plays it back into the box early.
McAuley has pulled off at the far post, untracked, and heads back into the danger area.
Lukaku leaps impressively and heads goal-wards, but why is Friedel not doing everything to meet McAuley’s looped header? Lukaku is a big man, but goalkeepers have the advantage of being able to go with both arms raised – he should be looking to claim this, or at least punch it away.
Fortunately for Friedel, Gallas has dropped back on to the line, and gets it out, with Bale hooking clear. Note Morrison at the bottom of the screen grab, having just run past Walker, approaching the edge of the box.
The ball doesn’t travel too far, and Brunt heads intelligently back into the box, where Spurs have not picked up their men. Walker hasn’t tracked Morrison at all, and a number of players are sucked towards the ball. West Brom have three players unmarked in dangerous areas.
Vertonghen gambles and doesn’t meet the bouncing ball, and McAuley helps it on.
It falls to Morrison, near to the penalty spot, with Walker yards away, only now realising his error.
Morrison’s shot is guided intelligently into the corner – he doesn’t need to put too much power on it, and just focuses on hitting the target.
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Until a coach will get busy to solve that problem, Spurs will suffer some bad results and waste of points.
It's basically poor situational awareness and lack of communication. Amateur defending from the team...
West Brom out played Liverpool last week and when lakuku came on he ran their defence inside out.
West brom will defy the pundits this season, those who had them down as relegation fodder. These being the same pundits who had both Liverpool and spurs down for convincing wins.
Boing boing.
We had at lest three opportunities to get the ball clear and safe.
We could very easily have lost this. We were too deep and had too many defenders doing nothing basically.High line? I wish.
I think I've seen this film several times before: dominate but fail to score and lose or draw to an extra time goal.
Why two defensive midfielders at home to alleged 'relegation fodder'? Wouldn't surprise me if they finished above us.
Why two attackers when one had done absolutely nothing all game.
Why not start with Siggy and VDV.
Why sell Dawson and keep Gallas other than for financial reasons.
Second game running we should have gone in at half time 2 goals up.
It's gonna be a turbulant season Andres.
Friedel has never been a great commander of his box from memory - and on this occasion his failure once more to assert any kind of authority in his area encouraged a high level of panic in the defenders.
The telling point for me was that just after Gallas had headed the ball off the line he seemed to berate Friedel for not stepping a yard or two to his right to catch the ball - which would have been the wisest course of options. This would have calmed things and prevented the goal.
I like Friedel but he is far too long in the tooth now to be the number one - bring Hugo Lloris in - please?
Watch how Vertonghen was taken out by an Albion player as the ball comes in from the cross which leads to the goal. As Bale hacks the ball away, they are wrestling on the ground. I think it's Sigurdsson who tries to reach McAuley's knock back from which Morrison scores.
Welcome to the PL Jan!!
HotspurHQ blog: http://hotspurhq.com/2012/08/27/jan-vertonghen-has-tough-premier-league-debut-for-tottenham-against-wba-2/
It's just a matter of time of course, and if any silver lining can be found in the recent Kaboul injury it's that Vert can come to terms with the premiership next to a defender he seems more natuarally suited to working with before having to get to grips with playing next to Kaboul.
Personally I really hope it also means we keep Dawson as Gallas is looking a little tired and last season began to get on my nerves with his dribbling into advanced midfield without any real direction and a gaping hole behind him, only to lose control of the ball.