Sometimes during the long winning streaks this season, a small minority of fans were infected by a certain amount of hubris. As soon as a negative result happened, some took the opportunity to decry the club with both hands. “We didn’t spend enough money”, “Friedel is rubbish”, “Steffen Freund isn’t shouting loud enough”. Etcetera. But […]
Posts Categorized: Defoe
Mad Craachy’s Black Apalachi: Stoke v Tottenham Tactical Preview
Stoke play with a totally different nature to the rest of the Premier League, they are very aggressive and direct, they are in your face. It is a style that has brought them success so it is not up to me to condemn them. But it is easier to cope with now I have played […]
Thor’s Hammer: Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham Tactical Analysis
When I have a son, I’ll be able to tell him all about Tottenham’s history. One day, I might tell him about these two players that used to be on that White Hart Lane turf. One was this useless, lanky striker. He walked around the pitch like he was looking for a toothpick in the [...]
Who Needs Strikers, Anyway?: Spurs v Southamption Tactical Analysis
There are some games that Tottenham have won this season that displayed what is frequently called a “winning mentality”. That drive and confidence that forces players on and up the pitch with the ball even when it seems like the footballing gods have no gifts to give you that day. Spurs have shown it time [...]
Ride the Dembele Train: Spurs v Soton Tactical Preview
Last weekend’s game at Wigan felt like a third date that didn’t end in a night of passion. All the expectations were there, the groundwork had been laid in the previous weeks, and it was assumed beforehand plenty of chances to score would make themselves apparent. But for whatever reason Tottenham never quite settled into [...]
Dreaming of a Haircut: Wigan 2-2 Spurs Tactical Analysis
Wigan Athletic should be a pushover. Should be. - Me, 22/04/2013. It feels like every time Andre Villas-Boas tries to take some risks with his Tottenham tactics, it comes back and bites him on the behind. Switch to 4-4-2? Get thumped 5-2 at The Emirates. Switch to 4-4-2 again? Get thumped 4-1 at the San Siro. Switch to 4-3-3? [...]
DW, We Got This: Wigan v Spurs Tactical Preview
In many ways, playing Wigan Athletic almost feels like some kind of international cup tie. The Latics carry themselves with a swagger that’s just a little bit different to every other team in the Premier League. From their continental 3-5-2 formation (more on that later) that is unlike anything else in the league, to [...]
A win at Wigan
This weekend, we play Wigan at the DW stadium. The chase for top four is still on. A win against Man City, an amazing comeback which really lifted our spirits against last years league winners. So, lets continue our drive and determination to Wigan, and hopefully a win! Lennon returns to bomb down that wing, …
AVB Reads my Blog: Spurs v Man City Tactical Analysis
Even if the valiant comeback and eventual 3-1 win in yesterday’s match against Manchester City doesn’t get Tottenham into the Champions League it proved, if nothing else, that I know what I’m talking about when it comes to tactics. In my preview yesterday, I said that the only way to beat the title holders would [...]
Spurs v Man City: Quick Tactical Preview
It feels like an age since Tottenham last played, doesn’t it? In footballing terms, it almost has been an age. A two-week break for our players coming after a gutting but heroic exit from the Europa League is something of a blessing in disguise, and for those who constantly complain of Spurs never getting any [...]
Chalkboard For City | The ‘One-Man Team’ Edition
By the time the single-term Champions arrive at The Lane tomorrow it’ll have been a whole ten days since our semi-tragic parp-parp-whoops exit from the Europa League. In that period, Arsenal and Everton will have played thrice and Chelsea and City on two occasions. These things rarely boil down to the machinations of a diary, [...]
Without a Paddle?: Tactical Analysis of Spurs With and Without Bale
“One man team” has always been a lazy criticism when it comes to football, regardless of the club. It’s not in doubt that every squad will have their triggerman, the fulcrum of the team and someone that just makes the side tick, but to reduce the tactical depth of eleven men to the performance of one [...]
The Rise of Tottenham Hotspur (Part 2)
This is a continuation of my earlier post under the same name. Check that one out first if you haven’t already! Let’s pick up from where we left off, Harry Redknapp had just turned us around from bottom of the league, 2 points from 8 games, to a comfortable finish and a cup final. …
Lambert for England? Stats compared to Rooney, Sturridge, Defoe et al
Before the game against Chelsea, Southampton’s midfielder Jack Cork started psywar by stating that The Saints’ ace striker, Rickie Lambert is better than Fernando Torres. What Cork was saying could be perceived as nothing but a usual pre-battle war dance, but not only did Lambert play superbly in that game, the talisman scored the winning goal [...]
Lambert for England? Stats compared to Rooney, Sturridge, Defoe et al
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Time for a striker to Step Up for Spurs | Defoe & Adebayor Stats
With only eight games left to go in the fight for a top four finish in the Premier League, Tottenham will be hoping that one of their strikers can find a bit of form to help them with their pursuit. There is no denying that both Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor have struggled this term [...]
Time for a striker to Step Up for Spurs | Defoe & Adebayor Stats
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Goal Involvement | Which of the Top Goal Scorers are involved in most goals?
There have been some interesting statistics on Twitter of late about “Goal Involved” in. This is when you combine the goals and assists of a player and create a percentage over the team’s total goals. It’s an interesting statistic that can show a variety of attributes for teams and players. Firstly it can show how [...]
Goal Involvement | Which of the Top Goal Scorers are involved in most goals?
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Adebayor back for Spurs but Defoe’s out for three weeks
ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS insists Togan is ready for Newcastle this weekend despite having only had one training session
Tottenham v Man Utd | Statistical Match Preview | Can Spurs do the Double?
Two out of the EPL’s top three in-form sides face each other on Sunday, as Tottenham Hotspur host Manchester United at White Hart Lane. Spurs will be looking for a remarkable “double” over United – something that hasn’t happened since the 1989-1990 season – after their gritty 3-2 win back in September at Old Trafford. [...]
Tottenham v Man Utd | Statistical Match Preview | Can Spurs do the Double?
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Who should be starting out of Defoe, Adebayor, Sigurdsson and Dempsey?
A fine run of form throughout the festive period has seen Spurs move into the Champions League places, and this has been achieved generally playing a 4-4-2 system with Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe up front. However the two don’t seem to have struck up a natural partnership in these matches, and the form of [...]
New Year, I’m Happy
Domination so complete, I have a crick in my neck from facing in the same direction for too long. Then, finally, Lloris’s bank holiday stroll around his green and pleasant area is rudely interrupted. He saves well, low to his right, two hands. Being alert after long periods of inactivity is another of his many [...]
Today’s Bale Incident: A Quick Word…
Same controversy, different week. Spurs just can’t have an incident-free week at the office, can they? This week, Tottenham took seven points from a possible nine, scored six goals and conceded just once. According to the stats, the only team in better form are Manchester United. Yet still one of the biggest catalysts of this [...]
Stoke at The Lane | Not the End of the World
Tottenham are up against footballing Renaissance men Stoke this afternoon; a team who if they were represented by the medium of architectural design, would be a pile of breeze blocks thrown into a dirty skip.
Adebayor and Defoe – Should Spurs stick with both strikers?
After an excellent performance against Panathanaikos in the Europa League last Thursday the pair were hailed as amongst the deadliest in the league, before a blunt display at Everton cooled the enthusiasm for a two striker system at Spurs. Given that the two have never had a real run in the side together at White [...]
Tomorrow’s Wishlist- Everton Away
Fellaini being kept in check. Dear God, please tell me AVB has a plan to keep Fellaini in check. Much like our own Mousa Dembele, the be-fro’d Belgian is in the enviable position of being at the centre of a side that has been assembled around him. With Darron Gibson and Leon Osman winning the …
Golden Boot Race: Graphical Analysis of Suarez, Defoe, RVP, Ba & Michu
With 149 games of this season having been played and 231 to go, the race for the golden boot is starting to take shape. With this in mind I have taken a closer look at shooting stats for the current top 5 goalscorers so far this season in the English…
Adebayor- Give Him The Ball And Someone Will Score
The news that Gareth Bale will spend around two weeks out after suffering a pulled hamstring away at Fulham last Saturday has prompted a degree of existential soul-searching for me today. Even as the dust settled after a few hours of panic after Bale limped off that afternoon and once it had become clear that …
Deadly Defoe at the Double | Premier League Striker Stats Comparison
On Saturday afternoon at Craven Cottage, a brace for Defoe took him to four goals in a week and his tally for the season up to 9. Aside from the goals, Defoe had a relatively quiet game, making just 14 passes in the entire 90 minutes. Defoe is a player…
Fulham 0-3 Tottenham: Tidiness Is A Virtue
When looking back in Rose-Tint-O-Vision to the beginning of our last season under Harry Redknapp, many onlookers in their attempts to play up Andre Villas-Boas’ early trials and tribulations with Tottenham have emphasized how entertaining the football Tottenham played was during the white hot run of form that cemented us (temporarily) at third place in …
EPL Players Of The Week | Man of The Match choices from Match Day 13
Welcome to the Players of the Week for Match Day 13 (last weekend’s matches). Please click on the page numbers below or use the easy navigation to find out who I’ve selected as the Man of the Match for your team! Sunderland 2 – 4 West Bro…
Defoe and Bale Restore Natural Order | Hammers Nailed
West Ham walloped, then. You’d have forgiven Spurs for approaching this with some degree of caution. Having lost four of the last five in the league and facing that dangerous animal of a newly promoted buoyed by good form and travelling support stricken with Cup Final Fever- amongst other, less savoury afflictions- this could’ve easily turned into one of those afternoons where things didn’t quite click into place.
Villas-Boas and Spurs – Sit Back, Deep Breath, How’s It Going?
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has been charged with many failings during his relatively short career. These include being aloof and uncommunicative, out of his depth, obsessed with tactics and worst of all, not being Jose Mourinho or Harry Redknapp. Over the weekend came the ultimate condemnation – AVB, you were seen in possession of a notebook. J’accuse! [...]
Villas Boas displays adaptability – earning plaudits in defeat
Andre Villas Boas has taken a lot of stick from some Tottenham fans over recent weeks, despite the challenges he has faced in his short time at the helm at White Hart Lane. Some have questioned his ‘negative’ tactics and him not playing ‘the Tott…
A look at AVB after 10 games in charge at Spurs
White Hart Lane has been home to a poisonous atmosphere this season. Boos were heard at half time in the very first home game of the season, when Spurs were unable to take the lead against West Brom. These boos were heard again against Norwich, and wer…
Weebles Wobble But They Don’t Fall Down
Even after all these years, you do wonder. Is it just us that so totally dominates one half then disappears so completely in the second? Or can other teams perform the Halloween Jekyll and Hyde routine? Spurs eased past all Southampton resistance in the first half, playing some gorgeous flowing football in the process but halfway through [...]
A Defining Week For Spurs and AVB
The value of some performances transcends the goals, the points or the league table. Spurs victory at Old Trafford yesterday evening was infused with meaning that runs deep and will resonate long after the celebrations die down, although I suspect those who were fortunate enough to be there floated home rather than requiring any form of transport. [...]