The reports from last night’s 2-0 defeat against Valencia seem to be united in their assessment of the game: They suggest that while both sides were evenly matched for much of the contest, a lack of cutting edge up front eventually sealed Spurs fate, even if the scoreline flattered the hosts.
After an even opening, Valencia started the scoring on 18 minutes after collecting the ball from 30 yards out and drilling it into the top corner of Friedel’s net. It was an unstoppable shot with no blame attached to the Tottenham keeper but it left us chasing the game for much of the second period.
Tottenham pressed but on 76 minutes, the Spanish doubled their lead with a rare chance that was well taken by Feghouli.
If you read the report on the club website and took it at face value you could be forgiven for thinking that there was only one side in it. However, other reports back up that story so the need for reinforcements up front must be abundantly clear – although they must have been pretty obvious before this clash.
Sounds the same old story. Easier to score than miss. Pretty obvious to all fans what has been missing over last two seasons. I just cant see the commercial sense in not spending on a striker years ago. If we can – why cant Levy?
Evenly matched? Blimey, I’d hate to see it when we are played off the park. Apart from the opening 20 minutes, they were far, far better and at times we looked clueless.
Sign Joe Allen could be another john White for those with long memories.
Livermoe (overrated IMHO) & JJ as the “engine” WTF did you expect?
I just hope that AVB doesn’t see nether end light in JJ as even Carroll could have done better or even Bentley as a CMF
No engine and no striker.. 0-2 was a credit to the team
No Adebayor replacement. It took three years to replace Berbatov… A year later we’re back to square one.
Wow how fickle have we become a so called friendly in a hostile atmosphere what can only be described has horrible noise. There players where not in a friendly and tugged and fowled there way through the game till the ref had had enough and sent a players of. Its obvious you have never played in goal Friedegg was way of his line when the ball sailed over his head and one of the reason the player shot at goals. The second goal was worse he left his line and left a gaping hole behind him i played in goal and has a striker and Friedegg made both goals easy for the scorers. This would not be our starting midfield would not be Livermore and Jenas and one worry for me was the missing Hudds i hope his ankle has not broken down and its AVB being carful. My other slite worry is Ecotto wants to beat his opponents twice and lost the ball a few times in dangerous places or gave it away hitting hopeless shots down the wings secondly our high line wont work with Gallas 35 and Friedel 41 in the side. We played okay but there keeper was very quick of his line and saved a double chance against Lennon and Defoe cant be blamed because we had chances to score but bad shooting and good keeping saved them all. All is not doom and gloom but a bit cloudy at the moment with A sunny high not far off i hope Mr Levey.
And that leandro Damaio deal is out the window as Internacional want €60m-£47m I say we get Dzeko
Please tell me you are kidding right? Dzeko is making close to 160,000 a week. Almost as much as Ade, so I do not see that happening one bit.
Jaysus it’s hard to be positive about the start of the season. We’re in the same state as last year and could start with a similarly weak midfield. I can’t see it changing much between then maybe Ade will sign but that could be it till the end of the month. Ade has one week and no Match time to get fit. What’s wrong with Ba at this stage?
GK off his line as a sweeper is part of the “high line” tactic and is THE reason why we need a faster younger GK.
Spansih grounds have ALWAYS been hostile and not just for the players i can assure you. Spanish players unlike the Italians who invented diving & timewasting, are responsible for the “dirty” football ethos with the raised elbows & ankle amputations and deliberately getting the oppositon sent off and they still excell at it.
I guess that is the only way that they can all cope with RM & Barca BUT we better get used to it if we have ambition.
Dav….the backline was good until we ran out of steam and BAE looked relatively unfit. Livermore held the lock spot well but is a little one dimensional and when he tried not to be JJ let us down. Bale, Gylfi & Lennon really did well but IMHO it seeemd 4-?2-3-?1 for most of the match and unless we find a decent striker and someone who can both tacke and pass it could be a very slow start to the season. Yes , I know, but Sandro will arrive exhausted while Sturridge is only part of the answer.m
TBH I did not expect AVB’s ideas to hit home quickly but it is obvious that the Spanish have already worked out how to counter his Porto system and I hope that hhis system can evolve to a plan B & C
Don’t get to down guys it was only practice match and it looked liked AVB was checking out Livermore and JJ, so no recognised midfield and only one striker, leaving it a little late again Mr Levy arn’t we!
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we are still not a complete team. lt is causing me concerns that there is alot of dilly dalying on the transfer market. lt started well with two very good signings but the season is only a week away and it is obvious that money for new signings is going to come from the sale of Modric which does not look too hot at the moment. The clock is ticking away to the new season.
TBH I doubt that we will see two strikers a GK and a ?CMF (depending upon whether Modric goes & Corluka & Krancjar being sold = no modric) until late august if ever.
Without them AVB will NOT have the players he feels that he needs to work his system and even tnat presupposes that it will work as two years in tactics is a long time for stasis so i nhope that his system has evolved.
I would be surprised that even with the above theoretical four players we are clicking by Xmas but IF we do get the right ones early 2013(Mayans excepted) if we are still in the Euro, Valencia if they meet us then might not find it so easy.
Does anyone here know that you can use a comma? Sometimes a period, too, when you’re at the end of a complete thought?
Just checking…
I don’t take too much stock in the lost. I did catch some of it, and it was ok, but even? We were hardly a match most of the game. We didn’t have any dangerous possession for any period of time, but I hope the new boys on the club learned a thing or two.
Some pretty bad view on here about Valencia. You could say passionate fans for instance. They played an 18 year old up front as their star striker was injured, as were their 3 most valuable players and first choice keeper. They won comfortably, even when being a man down for losing his self control. By the way he is Argentinean not Spanish so all the dirty Spanish stuff is a bit off the mark, in fact no diving or bad foul were seen. Worst incident was Defoe going in on Diego Alves, no intent though.
But guess what, it was a friendly, public training basically so worthless as a form pointer to both teams.
A stunning goal by Jonas though effectively won it.
Agree, I think we already went into this as thinking we were going to lose it though. It just seemed that way. Get some reps, thats it. Which is ok with me too.
I managed to catch most of the first half. AVB’s obsession with inside-out wingers will be his (and our) downfall.
Bale plays well when he’s out on the left and can use his speed to run past his man on the outside, or come inside if he wants. Same for Lennon on the right.
Swap them over, as AVB does with all his teams, and all they ever do is come inside onto their stronger foot – where there will be a mass of people waiting, because they know as well as we do what’s going to happen. It slows the attack down, the wingers check back, give it to someone to avoid losing it (if we’re lucky) – but nothing is ever created.
Look at how Chelsea stifled Bayern in the CL – same thing, every time.
We’ll be mid-table at Christmas if we’re lucky.