*Official* English Football Season 2013-14

[NUFAN]

Knee-jerk in the sense that if Spurs had of won on the weekend, he would still be there. Also, I think you had your red and white glasses on in the derby, there is no way we were 'appalling' against Arsenal.

 

[Uppercut]

It's not really about his results. He's done some things well and not got enough credit- getting the best out of Bale in the centre particularly. He was also unlucky not to finish fourth after getting so many points.

But Villas-Boas is a tactical coach. He's not a man-manager or a wheeler-dealer or a strict disciplinarian. His selling point is that he gives the team a tactical edge. And Spurs keep losing games because their tactics are terrible. Why would you play a high line against Suarez with Dawson and Capoue at CB? It's the worst tactical move I've ever seen in the Premiership. And tactics are supposed to be his strength.

He had to go. The players can't possibly have any faith in his ideas after going through an embarrassment like that. Levy got rid at exactly the right time.

 

[Ikki]

I agree. Just watching Spurs play they were much worse than their results. They're much closer to the top 4 than they should be.

 

[Tom Halsey]

We also have to remember though that Spurs were down 2-0 when deservingly reduced to 10 man and all 3 replacements had been made. Basically, Spurs only truly looked a shambles once down to 10 man and we didn't handle the loss of Paulinho well at all. Suarez was awesome though and Liverpool easily deserved the win, I just think that if we had 11 man and a capable striker, AVB would still be around after losing say 3-1 at home.

Whilst I agree with you that had you lost 3-1 he'd still be there, I disagree with the shambles comment. I was at the game and Spurs were a total shambles from about the 10th minute on. I was already thinking it was the worst performance I'd ever actually seen live from a "top" team at 2-0.

EDIT: I agree with others that he probably had to go tbh. Spurs have been terrible all season and I think their league position can be considered a little fortunate; they've been worse than it suggests. I do have some sympathy with him regarding what happened in the summer though and depending on what the actual story is behind how much say he had in buying those players my opinion might change.

 

[Uppercut]

Telegraph reckons he didn't have much say in the signings, except for Lamela who he was very keen on.

His job was basically tactics, but you have to say he got the tactics badly wrong far too often. Zonal Marking puts it pretty well I think:

Villas-Boas enjoyed great success with a high line at Porto - although even there, the high defensive line seemed very risky at times. It’s the defining feature of his coaching style, and while it’s not a flawed tactic in itself, Villas-Boas repeatedly used it in situations where it didn’t suit his own players, and played into the hands of the opposition. That, put simply, is the opposite of the point of tactics…

The damning aspect isn’t the scoreline itself, or even the fact this was so similar to the City defeat. It’s that Villas-Boas he appeared to have learned his lesson from the City game, and changed his strategy accordingly…and then reverted to the high line against the Premier League’s most prolific striker, who loves running in behind defences. Sometimes bad results are unfortunate – you can lose 5-0 if a couple of players have an off-day, or if opponents are particularly clinical with their shooting. But when Villas-Boas’ sides get thrashed, the strategy always plays a huge part, and it’s generally the same issue.

 

[Furball]

Has Lamela been injured or something?

 

[Jarquis]

No, just **** whenever he's played.

 

[BoyBrumby]

AV-B was always a horrible, horrible appointment. Just an empty suit with a stats obsession. Points fingers in public too, which never endears managers to players. Yeah, he had one great season at Porto, but whoop-de-fecking-do. They've won something like 15 of the last 25 Portuguese titles. Plus he had Hulk and Falcao too, both of whom predated his arrival.

Speaking of which, the fact that yer Spurts were largely shyte last season was obscured by having a genuinely world class talent, who was also at the club before the make-believe Mourinho, at their disposal. This year, without him, they're just cod ordinary.

 

[Furball]

 

[superkingdave]

Looks like we have Liverpool in the cup again. Even worth putting up with BT sports commentary. Philliskirk and Petrasso have been decent

 

[NUFAN]

I don't feel as though Spurs position on the table is undeserving though. We've won against all the bottom half teams bar West Ham.

Has Lamela been injured or something?

He is apparently struggling with the language. I would like to see him tried as our striker, surely he will shoot more accurately than Soldado.

 

[grecian]

Bloody Sunderland, I was watching that match in this cruddy comp for the pens.

Bah Humbug.

 

[sledger]

Well, that was amusing.

Absolutely awful game until extra time though.

 

[Tom Halsey]

I don't feel as though Spurs position on the table is undeserving though. We've won against all the bottom half teams bar West Ham.

That should be expected, though. And you've done it in a very unconvincing manner.

 

[NUFAN]

That should be expected, though. And you've done it in a very unconvincing manner.

Yeah but my point is that if we get 3 points nearly every time against the bottom half, it makes sense that we are in or around 7th spot ahead of teams that don't win each match against the bottom half.

I'm not sure how many Spurs games everyone has watched against the lower ranked teams, but we haven't been the second best team in any game that we've won. I can only think of one occasion where we were probably lucky to get a penalty or else we would have drawn that game. Also, we've been good away from home, while other clubs haven't. Looking forward to seeing what the new manager can do.

 

[sledger]

Yeah but my point is that if we get 3 points nearly every time against the bottom half, it makes sense that we are in or around 7th spot ahead of teams that don't win each match against the bottom half.

I'm not sure how many Spurs games everyone has watched against the lower ranked teams, but we haven't been the second best team in any game that we've won. I can only think of one occasion where we were probably lucky to get a penalty or else we would have drawn that game. Also, we've been good away from home, while other clubs haven't. Looking forward to seeing what the new manager can do.

I think that's Halsey's point though. A team with serious aspirations shouldn't be given a lot of credit for beating teams that are, supposedly, a great deal inferior to them, these results should be shoo ins.

Spurs' league position might not be undeserving, but it certainly masks the fact that their results/performances for a large proportion of this year have been substandard.

 

[grecian]

Sherwood out, taking the team as far as he can....

 

[Tom Halsey]

Yeah but my point is that if we get 3 points nearly every time against the bottom half, it makes sense that we are in or around 7th spot ahead of teams that don't win each match against the bottom half.

I'm not sure how many Spurs games everyone has watched against the lower ranked teams, but we haven't been the second best team in any game that we've won. I can only think of one occasion where we were probably lucky to get a penalty or else we would have drawn that game. Also, we've been good away from home, while other clubs haven't. Looking forward to seeing what the new manager can do.

I think that's Halsey's point though. A team with serious aspirations shouldn't be given a lot of credit for beating teams that are, supposedly, a great deal inferior to them, these results should be shoo ins.

Spurs' league position might not be undeserving, but it certainly masks the fact that their results/performances for a large proportion of this year have been substandard.

I probably used the wrong word. I don't think their league position is undeserved if you look at it on face value, because as NUFAN says they've beaten a lot of teams deservedly. I still don't think they've been as good as the league position suggests though because of how unconvincing it's been. The league position implies they've been the 7th best team this season, which I think is false.

As an illustration of what I mean, take Southampton. They are below Spurs in the table but if we were to go backwards to just after the Spurs v Liverpool game, and assume that from that point on there would be no personnel changes until the end of the season I reckon Southampton would finish above Spurs more often than not; they have just been better so far this season, whatever the league position says. They might still finish above Spurs of course but there will probably be personnel changes at both clubs between now and the end of the season.

 

[sledger]

Sherwood out, taking the team as far as he can....

Should have gone for Hoddle...

 

[Cevno]

Vincent Tan has apparently now told Malky Mackay to resign or he'll be sacked.

Ridiculous situation.