Spurs 2013-14: Jermain Defoe, The Greatest European Scorer

[Gunfighter 09]

Speaking of things to play for: 
 

 
Managerless Tottenham Hotspur will meet former boss Juande Ramos in the Round of 32 of the Europa League after being drawn against Ukraine outfit Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk......The winners of the tie will be at home first against PAOK or Benfica in the following round.

 
 
They avoided Napoli, Juventus, Basel and Ajax..... See, things are looking up!
 

I can't believe they moved that quickly.
 
Of that group, I would like Laudrup the most, just because I think the style he inserted at Swansea fits my own preference.
 
If I was in charge though, I would put a caretaker (like Guus) in for the rest of the year, and get Roberto Martinez this summer, and basically deal with the fallout from displeased Everton fans.

 
I like this solution quite a bit..
 
Apparently Tim Sherwood is the interim, at least for Wednesday. 

 

[cjdmadcow]

There's significant criticism over here for both Baldini and Levy, and rightly so imho. Baldini oversaw the recruitment of £100M worth of continental talent, all with the blessing of Levy, and handed it over to a manager who had different ideas as to how he wanted the squad to look. Recipe for disaster all over.
 
All the pre-season talk about Levy being a mastermind is complete nonsense...he's a control freak who is only interested in taking all the glory without any of the responsibility. I'm amazed the actual owners at ENIC have stuck with him.
 
And on a political point, as someone from Merseyside it's nice to be responsible for an increase in the jobless totals in London for a change.

 

[DLew On Roids]

David Cameron should plan to abandon North London.

 

[URI]

 
Seems like a panic move. Or proof that AVB is truly terrible at managing a locker room. Because while the on-field product looked bad yesterday, they were missing their first choice LB, LCB, played a DM as the RCB, and had a metric fuckton of U-21 super talents still learning to play together in the attacking midfield. Oh, and Soldado has been shit, and no alternatives at striker except for Europe's Greatest Goal Scorer. But lots of creative midfielders. It's a weird roster that Baldini assembled and that it didn't jell perfectly should be no surprise. 
 
And if URI were in charge, the first thing he'd do is put a collar on Lloris with a 15' chain attached to a stake in the middle of goal. Too many easy chances given up by overaggressive sweeper keeping.

 
Well, tactically, AVB has been extremely conservative this year compared to last.  Part of that is losing Bale, but the season started with them playing quite defensively at Crystal Palace, and then so worried about Swansea's passing attack they flooded the midfield. 
 
In the Arsenal game, he played for the draw rather than the win by pulling Sandro in for Capoue, and he didn't press Chelsea. 
 
He lost 3 games (West Ham, @Man City, and Liverpool) by a combined score of 14-0.  The team managed 9 shots on goal combined in these games.
 
He couldn't figure out a way to link up the midfield to Soldado, and his loaning of BAE and complete burying of Ade ended up being mistakes that really land as his feet.
 
His adherence to playing  a defensive line plays into Lloris' skills for sure, but he was slavish to it despite his three most athletic CB's (Vertonghen, Vlad, Kaboul) not being on the pitch.  You can play a high line without issue if you have Jan Vertonghen with a more stay at home defender.  You can not when your center backs are Dawson and Capoue.  Suarez completely sliced up their defense without touching the ball, which shouldn't happen to a top-four team.
 
I think the decision was proactive, but not rash.  I'm sure there were eyebrows raised losing at home by 3 goals to West Ham, and then a deep investigation started when they were embarrassed at Etihad.  Getting your tits run off at home without being able to put a shot on goal was the last straw.
 

I can't wrap my head around the fact the Spurs fired their manager and they are still ahead of ManU in the standings. This table is still so congested that the Spurs still have plenty to play for and the next 3 games are against Southampton, West Brom, and Stoke, 2 at WHL. They need at least 7 points.

 
Even worse...14 in 3 games, 7 in the other 9.
 
And they need 9 points, if this is really a team that is going to challange for the Champions League.  Soton is playing well this year for sure, but Spurs have more talent and should take max points.

 

[URI]

All the pre-season talk about Levy being a mastermind is complete nonsense...he's a control freak who is only interested in taking all the glory without any of the responsibility. I'm amazed the actual owners at ENIC have stuck with him.

 
I don't see Daniel Levy the owner firing Daniel Levy the chairman.  Joe Lewis might, but it would probably involve Levy deinvesting 30% of his ownership of ENIC.

 

[cjdmadcow]

 
I don't see Daniel Levy the owner firing Daniel Levy the chairman.  Joe Lewis might, but it would probably involve Levy deinvesting 30% of his ownership of ENIC.

 
Fair point, you got me there, I didn't realise he was a major shareholder. That makes it even funnier now.

 

[DJnVa]

 
 I'm sure there were eyebrows raised losing at home by 3 goals to West Ham, and then a deep investigation started when they were embarrassed at Etihad.  Getting your tits run off at home without being able to put a shot on goal was the last straw.
 

 
Just read a Guardian article that said the questions really did start with the West Ham loss.
 

And they need 9 points, if this is really a team that is going to challange for the Champions League. Soton is playing well this year for sure, but Spurs have more talent and should take max points.
 

 
We'll know a lot in 13 days.
 
Be very interesting to see what changes are made for the midweek game.

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

Frank de Boer (Ajax) and Jurgen Klopp (Dortmund) should also be among the leading candidates.

 

[DLew On Roids]

No offense to Spurs, but I can't see Klopp leaving Dortmund for White Hart Lane.

 

[thehitcat]

No offense to Spurs, but I can't see Klopp leaving Dortmund for White Hart Lane.

 
 
Agreed and where is 'Arry in this list.  He would come if they would just call...

 

[URI]

No offense to Spurs, but I can't see Klopp leaving Dortmund for White Hart Lane.

 
I don't take offense to that at all...Klopp would be amazing though.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

This firing seems way too reactionary to me -- but I think that often about football managers getting sacked.  They are still just a few points out of a CL spot with some very winnable games coming up.  What do they think they are going to get?  Playing a concussed Lloris really seemed to be the beginning of the end for AVB -- he seemed to take that criticism very hard and started a campaign of undue defensiveness about himself after that, which seemed to make it hard to keep him around once the team did not progress quickly enough to meet its price tag.
 
As for Klopp . . . With enough money, I guess anything can happen, but Klopp just signed a long extension a couple of months ago, specifically to put to rest all the speculation about him coming to England.  He says all the right things -- I don't worry about the grass being greener, this is my home, players need to know the coaching situation will be stable, etc.  Lots of guys say that and it seems like bullshit, and if Dortmund find themselves mid-table next year or something, the bloom may be off the rose.  But right now, it's hard to think of too many clubs and managers that are more fit for one another.  He just won his CL group and has the draw today, has his team in good shape to finish high in what's turning out to be the best league in Europe, and gets to play every other game in one of the top 5 (if not the top) home field atmospheres in football.  Klopp may move some day, but the timing on this one seems all wrong.
 
Edit:  clarity

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

Would Martinez really leave Everton for Spurs? Surely bigger clubs will have him in their sights now.

 

[URI]

What bigger club has a manager vacancy on the horizon? 
 
Maybe Manchester United.  I guess Chelsea and Real always have their eyes on the horizon. 

 

[Zomp]

How about Luciano Spalletti?  Admittedly I'm a fanboy of his style but if I had a choice it would be him.  Success everywhere he goes,players like playing for him, fun playing style.  He'd probably leave Zenit for Spurs.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

I wonder if maybe they will go for someone who they view as a stop-gap with potential.  Maybe you try to get a guy like Di Matteo and if he turns things around you stick with him, but if not, then in the off season after the world cup you may have a pick of other guys like Capello.  I'm just kind of throwing Di Matteo out there as a concept, not really a name -- he's probably not much interested in another de facto interim gig.

 

[DJnVa]

A couple Spurs boards have thrown out Klinsmann's name. The 2 betting favorites are Capello at 7/4 and Laudrup at 9/2.
 
A poster at one Spurs board claims to be in the know and said there's a consensus behind the scenes, and it'll be announced in January. And he's not English.

 

[URI]

 

[CodPiece XL]

Good Lord....with Clarke getting fired on Saturday, AVB today...the average time for a Manager to keep his job in the EPL  is about 1.9 years, take Wenger's 17 years out of the mix and it's 379 days..
 
I was never sure what to make of AVB, he had Falcao and Hulk at Porto during his tenure, perhaps at his relatively young age he should have stayed for a couple more years.

 

[JayMags71]

A couple Spurs boards have thrown out Klinsmann's name. The 2 betting favorites are Capello at 7/4 and Laudrup at 9/2.
 
A poster at one Spurs board claims to be in the know and said there's a consensus behind the scenes, and it'll be announced in January. And he's not English.

Oddly, the Guardian's podcast mentioned Glenn Hoddle coming in, with Chris Hughton and Clive Allen as his assistants.

 

[thehitcat]

Sven is also available and he's not at all English. 
 
All kidding aside it seems like it's set up for it to be Capello with Baldini already in the technical chair.

 

[mgoblue2]

and get Roberto Martinez this summer, and basically deal with the fallout from displeased Everton fans.

Yeah I don't think so. Everton have a shot at UCL qualification this year if not Europa. Plus Martinez seems like the type of guy that isn't swayed by big money, and seems relatively loyal even through my biased eyes.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

To me, the criticism of AVB is perfectly legitimate but the real question is whether another manager, who doesn't know the squad and will need time to adapt, is actually likely to produce a better performance the rest of the year.  I'm skeptical about that.  Maybe cutting the AVB cord is the right thing to do anyway for the long term but the timing of the move seems mainly to be about assigning blame.
 
At the end of the day, Spurs have a lot of young talent but the turnover in the squad has been huge (including many new players who hadn't played in England before) and they still need that young talent to mature and produce a few real game-changing players.  A sober assessment of their squad suggests  the 6th-8th best team in England and they're seventh in the table so I'm not sure that AVB really underperformed, embarrassing thrashings aside.

 

[URI]

Yeah I don't think so. Everton have a shot at UCL qualification this year if not Europa. Plus Martinez seems like the type of guy that isn't swayed by big money, and seems relatively loyal even through my biased eyes.

 
He's loyal to a team he's managed for like 20 minutes?  I'm glad Roberto is such a romantic hero though.

 

[veritas]

To me, the criticism of AVB is perfectly legitimate but the real question is whether another manager, who doesn't know the squad and will need time to adapt, is actually likely to produce a better performance the rest of the year.  I'm skeptical about that.  Maybe cutting the AVB cord is the right thing to do anyway for the long term but the timing of the move seems mainly to be about assigning blame.

 
Agreed. This only makes sense to me long term if they bring someone in this year who they see being with the team for a long time. Otherwise why not just let him finish out the season and replace him after? Part of the problem with this year's team is that they have a ton of new players who haven't jelled yet. Switching managers now and again at the end of the season doesn't seem like it's going to help them in that area.

 

[CodPiece XL]

I don't often watch Spurs games but I did watch the game yesterday. What astonished me was how high up the pitch Spurs were defending but they were not applying pressure. That's usually a recipe for disaster, if you are going to defend that high up you need to be first to the 50/50 balls or close down fast. The back four were exposed time and time again, no protection from midfield. Liverpool were creating chance after chance, through balls time after time for Suarez to chase. Perhaps it was my imagination but against Man Utd they had more of a flat midfield defending deeper. Regardless, AVB completely had his tactics wrong and failed to react and change them....I'm not sure are injuries an issue since I don't watch them regularly. I just thought the way AVB set about this game was completely wrong...and if this was any indication then I can't say I'm surprised he's gone.
 
edit: Having said this.....they were reduced to 10 men.

 

[mgoblue2]

You're right, it has been a short time and yes Spurs are a slightly bigger club of late but it's not like Everton play in the Conference North or something. To leave a team he has playing well for a team with more money and below him in the table (although who knows for how long) seems like a slight reach though. Martinez won't leave Everton this season for Spurs. If/when the Glazers sack Moyes is a different story.

Ed: clarity

 

[DJnVa]

 
Agreed. This only makes sense to me long term if they bring someone in this year who they see being with the team for a long time. Otherwise why not just let him finish out the season and replace him after?

 
Because maybe they feel that with AVB they had no shot at Champions League and maybe not even qualifying for Europa? Maybe he was losing the locker room?

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

What bigger club has a manager vacancy on the horizon? 
 
Maybe Manchester United.  I guess Chelsea and Real always have their eyes on the horizon. 

 
Martinez *could* be a logical successor for Wenger at Arsenal. I don't know if that is a "vacancy on the horizon", but it makes a fair amount of sense in theory.

 

[URI]

You're right, it has been a short time and yes Spurs are a slightly bigger club of late but it's not like Everton play in the Conference North or something. To leave a team he has playing well for a team with more money and below him in the table (although who knows for how long) seems like a slight reach though. Martinez won't leave Everton this season for Spurs. If/when the Glazers sack Moyes is a different story.

Ed: clarity

 
It's not even that I consider Spurs a "bigger club" in the English sense of hierarchy.  They are undoubtedly a richer club, and will spend more on players' and manager's wages than Everton will.
 
If Spurs name a caretaker until the end of the year, and then go up to Roberto and say "We'll pay you 25% more a year than you're making, and you'll have a 30m GBP net-transfer budget to work with, and you have another 300k a week to play with in wages...there just aren't that many managers who would turn that down for a club they've been at for 12 months.

 

[DLew On Roids]

Oddly, the Guardian's podcast mentioned Glenn Hoddle coming in, with Chris Hughton and Clive Allen as his assistants.

 
(I think they were kidding...)

 

[URI]

They should add Jurgen and Gus Poyet as their striker and youth team coaches.

 

[DLew On Roids]

They could bring back Ian Walker as goalkeeping coach.

Excuse me...England's Ian Walker. Kind of like Shea Hillenbrand, AL All-Star.

 

[Vinho Tinto]

 
Call him.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I think Hitman: Agent 47 is actually pretty busy right now, Vinho.

 

[DJnVa]

Maybe back to this guy:
 

 

[soxfan121]

Mike Goodman with a look at the end of AVB.
 

Whatever the right amount of time to give Villas-Boas was, it was certainly more than 16 games. Spurs would have cost themselves very little by giving their coach until the end of the season, and they’ve potentially cost themselves a lot. The downside to keeping Villas-Boas is basically a disappointing upper-mid-table finish with the potential to run it back next year with basically the same cast of characters and a new coach, while the upside is he rights a team that isn’t even particularly that far off course, and guides them to a Champions League spot himself.
 

 

[DJnVa]

Guess who's back?
 

 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/10524275/Emmanuel-Adebayor-brought-in-from-cold-by-Tottenham-for-Capital-One-Cup-clash-with-West-Ham.html
 
 

Tim Sherwood wants to reintegrate Emmanuel Adebayor into the Tottenham Hotspur squad and may even start the Togo forward in the Capital One Cup quarter-final against West Ham United on Wednesday night.
 

Adebayor played only 45 minutes for Tottenham this season while Andre Villas-Boas was in charge but the forward is expected to be part of Sherwood’s first squad as interim head coach and is in serious contention to face Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday.
 
 
And: http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/267293.html

Basel coach Murat Yakin has denied he has spoken to Tottenham about replacing Andre Villas-Boas.
 
Yakin, 39, has impressed since taking charge of Basel in October last year, leading the club to the 2013 Swiss title as well as eliminating Spurs en route to last season's Europa League semi-final
 

.
 

 

 

[DJnVa]

The Telegraph on the "inside story": http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/10521678/Tottenham-chairman-Daniel-Levy-and-manager-Andre-Villas-Boas-had-become-distant.html
 

There was no common ground between André Villas-Boas and Daniel Levy as they met briefly after Tottenham Hotspur's 5-0 humiliation at home against Liverpool. And there had to be if they were to continue. Both men were hurt and as Levy sought answers, Villas-Boas bristled.
 

The conversation turned to whether Spurs could employ two strikers, for example, and Villas-Boas interpreted this as a suggestion that he should play Emmanuel Adebayor who he wanted out of the club, who had been a source of friction and who has been a crushing disappointment, despite being the highest earner. The conversation was not constructive.
 


Quickly the decision was taken to reconvene yesterday morning and, shortly after 10am, Villas-Boas and Levy decided that the time was right for the head coach to go. Technically he was not sacked and, in truth, the sense around Villas-Boas was that he wanted to go and was relieved it was over. He and Levy have never been, according to a source close to the Portuguese, a “dynamic duo”. By the end the relationship between the pair was ever more remote; it was not a meeting of minds.

 

 

 

[DLew On Roids]

Spurs have had such luck bringing in managers from Switzerland.  I can see why they'd want to try it again.

 

[veritas]

Adebayor scores, of course

 

[DJnVa]

He also got a yellow.
 
West Ham scores in the 80th and 85th minute to take 2-1 lead despite Spurs with nearly 70% possession and outshooting them 17-8.
 
EDIT: Just saw---of the 17 Spurs shots, only 2 are on goal. West Ham is 6 for 8.

 

[URI]

Spurs have had such luck bringing in managers from Switzerland.  I can see why they'd want to try it again.

 
Well Christian Gross should keep us from grabbing Yakin about as much as Juande Ramos would keep us from grabbing someone like Ernesto Valverde
 
I think it goes without saying that we are shit to the tune of losing 5-1 to fucking West Ham at the Lane this year.

 

[soxfan121]

 

[URI]

 

 

 

[JayMags71]

So, what's the deal? Is the problem tactics, injuries, or poor roster construction? Watching Sunday, that's what it seemed like to me. It seemed like 1.) defenders who were poorly suited to playing AVB's defensive system, 2.) midfielders who didn't/don't compliment Soldado's playing style.

Am I wrong?

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

So, what's the deal? Is the problem tactics, injuries, or poor roster construction? Watching Sunday, that's what it seemed like to me. It seemed like 1.) defenders who were poorly suited to playing AVB's defensive system, 2.) midfielders who didn't/don't compliment Soldado's playing style.

Am I wrong?

 
3) Injuries.
4) Unrealistic expectations for a team that sold its star player and brought in a bunch of new young guys who haven't played together or in England.

 

[DLew On Roids]

URI, you take my smartassed bullshit too seriously.

What's the deal with Lamela? £30M and he plays in the Europa League despite being a regular choice for Argentina and a star in Serie A. According to Tim Vickery, he's been a star since he was 12, so I can't imagine he's feeling pressure. Does he have personal problems?

 

[URI]

I'm guessing his personal problems might be "AVB didn't like him?"
 
I would have played him by now for sure.  And fuck your Swissness.

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

Lamela's brother (back on Sunday or so) said he had a knock and wouldn't be playing in this match. I would imagine one of Levy's directives (along with play Adebayor if we're paying him) is play Lamela!
 
Regardless, today's result sucked ass.