Pesky Canaries pick holes in Spurs Champions league ambitions

By common consent, this is the most exciting season probably in premiership history with a mere four points separating the top four teams. Spurs have tried their level best to be part of this party. Unfortunately, they haven’t quite looked the part this season. This defeat at the hands of Norwich City, while not terminal, makes a tough task (finishing in the top four) even harder as Spurs are now six points behind Liverpool with only 11 games to go.

The week had started with the Champions league regulars across the continent entertaining us with their usual dosage of high class football. Even in defeat, Manchester City and Arsenal (though it pains me to say this) played high calibre football. Watching Spurs suffer a depressing Europa league defeat at the hands of FC Dnipro (coached by former Spurs manager, Juande Ramos)on a dog of a pitch felt like a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’. Watching Gareth Bale score a spectacular 30 yard screamer as Real Madrid went top of La Liga on Saturday was a further reminder of better times past. Spurs needed someone to inspire them to great heights (Bale style) against Norwich but no one could step to that level.

Perhaps, playing on such a heavy pitch in an eastern European outpost only three days ago took its toll. After all, his hand forced by injuries, Tim Sherwood had to name seven of the team that started in the Ukraine in today’s starting eleven. Spurs looked lethargic as the Norwich City players were sharper and quicker to every ball as they harried their way to a crucial victory. So much for having one of the strongest squads in the premiership. Perhaps the endless speculation over Sherwood’s own future has affected his confidence and made him more cautious despite the good start he has made to life as a premiership manager.  After all, in a game we needed to win, against hardworking but beatable opponents, there was a case for reverting to his preferred four, four, two formation and playing two strikers. The bold fresh Sherwood who initially took over from the sacked AVB probably would have done that. Incidentally, Spurs best period of attacking play in a largely forgettable match came when Roberto Soldado was introduced to partner Emmanuel Adebayor. While missing a couple of presentable goal scoring opportunities would have done little for his confidence, Soldado being upfront next to Adebayor makes the Spurs’ attack more varied and less predictable. Besides, given Spurs’ poor goals tally this season, going for goals seems a no brainer.

Admittedly, for a two striker formation to work effectively, two things need to happen. One of the strikers needs to drop deep and help out the midfield interchangeably. Both Soldado and Adebayor have shown an ability and willingness to do that. Secondly, the midfield needs to be really organised with a clear plan for attacking with the ball and defending without the ball. There has been no evidence of that in some of Spurs recent play, especially at Norwich. Nabil Bentaleb had a poor game by his recent high standards and perhaps needs to miss a couple of games to recover. Much of the game passed Paulinho by as he struggled to impose himself of the game. Perhaps he needs to sit in front of the back four for a while, not going forward and orchestrate Spurs’ midfield play from there. Mousa Dembele showed his usual good close control and dribbling skills, but his best work is  often done near the opposition box as his long passing is poor. Aaron Lennon played well enough without looking inspirational but perhaps he missed the outlet that regular right back Kyle Walker provides him.

Organizing the midfield four so that they attack as a coherent, well positioned unit and defend as a coherent, organised unit is the biggest challenge facing Tim Sherwood for the remaining eleven league games if Spurs are to have a realistic chance of gate crashing the top four and joining the Champions league party. Today was a bad day at the office and a setback but a six point deficit is not insurmountable. Tim Sherwood had estimated that Spurs could lose no more than 5 games to remain in contention till the end of the season. It is unlikely the teams above Spurs would lose half of their remaining fixtures between now and the end of the season. So Sherwood needs to reassess his target.  One of those teams, free scoring Liverpool currently occupy the 4^th spot, with a six point cushion to Spurs. It is vital that gap is not extended before Spurs play Liverpool in a potential ‘winner -takes- all’ clash at the end of March.

Such is the relentless pressure of chasing the holy grail of Champions league football. Watching the champions league games this week, this writer has to admit, it really is the only competition to be in. Chairman Daniel Levy would no doubt agree. He has made it his mission to make Spurs Champions league regulars and no Spurs manager is safe until Champions league football is on the menu at White hart lane and Tim Sherwood knows this. No pressure then.

Adebayor strikes again as Spurs grind out vital win

A few posts back, I suggested that we would soon find out if Tim Sherwood is a good manager, a lucky manager or both. After a scrappy victory against rivals Everton, it might just be the case that he is a lucky manager. One nil to the Tottenham does not quite have the same ring to it. Never will truth be told, however, Sherwood and quite frankly most Spurs fans would not care too much if he scraps enough one nils from the seasons remaining fixtures to get into fourth spot. So long as Manchester united do not finish 5^th and win the bloody Champions league! Surely that’ll never happen……….again. Please God!

This promised to be a good footballing match with both Everton manager, Roberto Martinez and Sherwood committed to attacking football. One for the purists even. However, what unfolded over ninety frantic minutes was a throwback to the days when former Everton manager, David Moyes brought his scrappers to the Lane. To be fair, Everton made the better start and what composed football was on view generally came from them as they dominated the early proceedings. With a decent striker, they may well have scored first, one chance requiring a fantastic save from goalkeeper Hugo LLoris after only six minutes. The pattern was set and despite the willingness of fullbacks, Kyle Walker and Danny Rose to get forward at every opportunity, Spurs only attacked sporadically in the first half, Adebayor just failing to connect with a wicked low cross from Rose was the exception in a half which Spurs were quite happy to reach half-time with their goal intact.

The second half was only marginally better and it was no surprise when Sherwood reacted after fifty nine minutes to introduce Andros Townsend to the fray. Quick thinking from Kyle Walker created the winning goal for Emmanuel Adebayor which he controlled well before finishing smartly, escaping the attentions of the otherwise excellent Sylvain Distin who had shackled him effectively all afternoon. As the ball hit the back of the Everton net, you could feel the relief erupt all around White Hart Lane. Sherwood, recognising that in such a tight game, one goal might be enough, sent on Etienne Capoue to shore up the midfield and by and large, Everton’s threat was reduced.  He almost regretted that change though in injury time when Capoue appeared to foul Everton full back, Seamus Coleman in the penalty box. The penalty claim was firmly in the ‘I’ve seen them given’ category but when your luck is in, the marginal calls go for you and the celebration by Spurs’ players at the end showed they knew it was a big victory as they leapfrogged Everton in the table. Now, only Liverpool stands between Spurs and the Champions league.   

With Liverpool only three points ahead, it’s definitely game on. However, being directly behind Liverpool in the table makes the goal deficit quite glaring. Liverpool have scored almost double the number of goals as Spurs have scored so far this season. Secondly, while it was hugely uplifting watching Arsenal get stuffed at Anfield, the form showed in this game plus their recent dismantling of Everton is ominous for Spurs, who still have to visit Anfield. Still, despite some heavy defeats this season, Spurs have only conceded two goals more than Liverpool. Their defence remains vulnerable and can be got at if Sherwood gets his midfield selection, organisation and tactics right.

So it was a boost to have Andros Townsend back in action. While he did not have any great influence on the game, he would have benefited immensely from the run out as he builds up match sharpness. After his enforced rest, he now needs to rediscover his early season form to aid Spurs quest for the Champions league and his own quest for a world cup spot. Christian Eriksson, whom Townsend replaced did not have an influential game but is showing some encouraging signs. Paulinho had a poor game by his standards but both remain key players for Spurs as we enter the business end of this crazy season. Of the other midfielders on show, Nabil Bentaleb continues to impress with his perceptive passing and willingness to show for the ball. Mousa Dembele has so much ability and is almost impossible to knock off the ball with close control and dribbling skills. His short passing is quite effective, so Sherwood needs to find a way to play him further up the pitch as long range passing is not his forte. Playing him in central midfield limits the damage he can do to the opposition as he is often too far away to cause the kind of foul that led to the winning goal. Capoue, perhaps sensing that Sherwood may not fancy him that much, does not seem the confident midfield enforcer that stormed through the early matches of the season before his injury. How effectively Sherwood uses these midfielders will go a long way to determining Spurs’ short term and Sherwood’s long term prospects.

It was good to see Jermaine Defoe on the White Hart Lane pitch one last time as a Spurs player. After 362 appearances and 143 goals over 10 years (punctuated by one year at Portsmouth), he heads off to play in the American league. Thanks for the memories JD and all the best in Toronto.

 

Spurs shown a Long way from Hull to Champions League

This was not quite the therapeutic trashing we needed to get the defeat by Manchester City out of our system but in the circumstances; it was a relief to travel back with a point. With Liverpool and Manchester United both dropping points, it was undoubtedly an opportunity missed to tilt that battle in our favour. Then again, no one said this was going to be a straight forward march to the promised land of the Champions league. More an attritional trudge that could end with the door slammed in our faces right at the end.

Having displayed some tactical variety in the last two games with mixed results, Tim Sherwood reverted to his trusted 4-4-2 formation and restored Roberto Soldado to the starting a line up. A clear statement of attacking intent. It was also uplifting to see Jan Vertonghen and Paulinho back in the starting eleven. Their return was quite timely given injuries to Mousa Dembele and Vlad Chirices who had both played well recently.

While this line up shows the strength of the current Spurs squad, a strong is no good if it is unbalanced. From kick off Hull found their rhythm far quicker than Spurs. This was perhaps unsurprising given that their midfield play was being orchestrated by former Spurs favourite Tom Huddlestone. It’s fair to say that Tom Huddlestone underachieved at Tottenham. The sale of one of the best passers we have had at the Lane since the maestro himself, Glen Hoddle caused much debate which was only supressed in the excitement generated by the avalanche of new and exotic talent that pitched up at Spurs Lodge.

Throughout the first half, Spurs struggled to establish any sort of rhythm, offering only sporadic threats. Hull, energised by their new January signings pressed and disrupted Spurs play, scoring when Shane Long took advantage of hesitation between Jan Vertonghen and Danny Rose to finish smartly. Spurs continued to press without establishing any control. Adebayor and Soldado constantly dropped deep while Christian Eriksson struggled to impose himself on the game from wide on the left. The second half saw an improvement and although Spurs deserved the equaliser, scored by Paulinho, it was not a convincing performance overall.

While Tim Sherwood has done well since taking over, it is crucial that he establishes quickly, a midfield general. Spurs have some very talented midfielders. One of them needs to be responsible for orchestrating the midfield play and bossing games. He clearly likes 4-4-2 with fast wingers so the midfield general must be encouraged to release the wingers quickly. Christian Eriksson, I feel would be more effective off a main striker or behind two strikers even though he has played well in recent games. I feel for Roberto Soldado. He looks a shadow of the lethal finisher who terrorised La liga defences for the last three seasons. He still strikes me as an instinctively good finisher because of his movement, perhaps when the Europa league restarts, he may get a few goals to help his confidence. This could be crucial in the run in.  

Tim Sherwood also needs to orchestrate a win over a top four team as soon as possible, as much for confidence as for credibility. Unfortunately for him, beating Manchester United is not the prize it once given they have already lost 10 times in all competitions this season. Spurs have done well to stay in contention given the way the season has unfolded on and off the pitch. However the season defining moment is approaching. After Everton at the Lane next Sunday, all but three of Spurs remaining fixtures are against teams below us in the league. The three fixtures in question, Liverpool and Chelsea away and Arsenal at home are among a set of fixtures in March that could define both Spurs and Sherwood’s prospects.

The bean counters have now crunched the numbers that tell the story of this season’s transfer window that closed on Friday. Apart from the record spending for the season by clubs despite a less than frenetic January, a few deals will have raised an eyebrow or two; 

Southampton, in league one three years ago, loaning a striker (Dani Osvaldo) to Italian league leaders and Champions league contenders Juventus. Fulham, bottom of the premiership and perhaps heading to the championship loaning a striker (Dimitar Berbatov) to French moneybags and league challengers Monaco who will be in the Champions league next season. Two Italian internationals, Marco Boriello and Antonio Nocerino sign for relegation threatened West Ham from Roma and AC Milan respectively. It’s a funny old world. Word of advice for Signor Boriello and his mate Nocerino, no matter what Big Sam Allardici tells you, I’d give the West Ham lasagne a miss. Very dodgy. 2006 and all that. Very traumatic experience.