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Villas-Boas Must Stop Spurs From Going Stale

Although Spurs sneaked past Lyon to set up a mouthwatering tie against Inter, their lack of tempo in central midfield is a worrying problem. Perhaps it's time to make a change...

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Comments 1 - 10 of (16)

seanofaspur (Tottenham Hotspur) says...

I wish he would learn to dribble with the ball

Posted 10:03pm 22nd February 2013

fictionalemu says...

Think this is a bit premature. Parker is only a few games back from injury, so it might take him a while to get up to pace. And, assuming he does return to full fitness (which at his age admittedly isn't guaranteed), he's never been a player accused of lacking the 'energy' and 'tempo' that you believe Spurs need in midfield. At his peak a couple of years ago, Parker was a great box-to-box midfielder. If anything, the main criticism (on F365 as well as elsewhere) was of his technical ability, not his energy. He was often accused of being a typical English midfield: all action but little skill.

Posted 5:49pm 22nd February 2013

broady (Tottenham Hotspur) says...

The main reason we've lost an edge over the last ten games has been because Defoe has lost form (and then become injured). Dempsey is solid but isn't dynamic or quick enough, Adebayor hasn't stepped up and Sigurdsson looks like a player chronically lacking confidence. This has caused AVB to become overly reliant on Bale and, as others have pointed out, we've lost width as a result of Bale's forays into the middle and we now struggle to stretch defences. You're absolutely right Matt that Parker hasn't been in the same form as last season but I think we're exaggerating Sandro's ability. He's outstandingly strong and he's brilliant at winning back possession but he doesn't recycle the ball quicker than Parker and he doesn't play defence splitting passes on a regular basis. Before Sandro's injury I was actually looking forward to Parker coming back and giving us a little more impetus in matches where we needed a breakthrough but he just isn't the same player as last season. What we need is Parker and Defoe to regain form and we'll be fine (which may be asking too much, but at least we're still winning). I also don't think it's worth reading too much into the Lyon game itself given their quality and the fact that they put 10 men behind the ball for the majority of the game.

Posted 4:56pm 22nd February 2013

TeddyJurgen79 says...

Sandro as you say is our best combination with Dembele. Livermore is also more mobile and closer to Sandro than Parker. But remember that Sandro didn't get a sniff last season as Parker complimented Modric and they were again arguably the best central midfield combination in the league. I like Parker. i think he's dogged and his 12 point turn as you put it does retain possession. I remember Wilson Palacios breaking up play and then giving the ball back almost immediately. Parker is good at both roles which is rare. I'm not saying drop Dembele, i just wonder whether Parker would compliment Holtby better, who is more in the Modric mould, and as you say Livermore would be better suited to playing with Dembele. It maybe just needs simplifying, instead of trying to keep everyone involved.

Posted 4:15pm 22nd February 2013

colinw (Tottenham Hotspur) says...

I agree after watching the Lyon game but its the first time it gas become so blatently apparent. Bale made so many clever runs that were never seen un time that I started to worry that he may decide to move on if he doesn't get better service and support, which is also the same thought I had when watching the fantastic Jack Wilshire earlier in the week. Csrrick, I thought. How we could do with Carrick in the team.

Posted 12:48pm 22nd February 2013

chelseablue_no1 (Chelsea) says...

One of Spurs problems last night was Bale, every time he got the ball all he thought about was shooting from 40 yards, if he tried passing the ball, then other players might get on the scoresheet and make life easier for Spurs.

Posted 10:59am 22nd February 2013

dinivan_x (Tottenham Hotspur) says...

Was going to spam the mailbox, but it appears you've written my article for me. the only thing you've not pointed out is that quite a bit of the imbalance is caused by Bale's roaming role. If he plays on the left he ties up the fullback AND either one of the centre-backs or defensive midfielders and as a result the whole midfield opens up. Parker's not a bad option for that formation. With Bale in the free role, we just don't look as cohesive and although it allows him to shine, it makes us look like a one man team... a bit like a very crap version of Real Madrid.

Posted 10:45am 22nd February 2013

parklanespurs (Tottenham Hotspur) says...

Keep the faith with Scotty, he's a legend and always gives us 110%. He's been out for a while and it takes time to get back up to speed. Mousa has been as much to blame (hopefully the goal will kick him back into gear) To be fair everyone was off the pace for most of the match yesterday and don't forget Lyon are a top side too... only 3 points behind PSG with all their superstars. They got their Goal and then had 10/11 behind the ball the whole game.. Barca wouldn't have found it easy to score against such a disciplined team away from home. (Milan match?) This was a champions league level match and with Inter next, it's great to see the boys playing at some of the great stadiums / teams. Looking at the teams in the last 16, you really get an idea that it's only the English tabloid press that seem to think the Europa League is a 2nd rate competition. So much is made about the Champions League being everything, and you can only attract the top players if you¿re in that competition. I think that's rubbish...It's sky TV and the Murdoch press's perception that they want everyone to have, as they pay SO much for the rights and they need it to be lucrative. Just look at Super Jan and young Lewis.. 2 of the hottest young talents in Europe, both top players that the Gooners would absolutely love to have, both decide to sacrifice Champions League football to come to us and play in the Europa. COYS !!

Posted 10:15am 22nd February 2013

s_man (Tottenham Hotspur) says...

The midfield combinations are there to be played with but with a quality striker we could have won the game without much fuss. Adebayor is completely frustrating now, and Im not even talking about his languid disinterested style! Wish we still had Pav or Crouch.

Posted 10:12am 22nd February 2013

markofaspur (Tottenham Hotspur) says...

Agree it wasn't great last night particularly in midfield although Lyon did an excellent job of closing us down and not allowing us to play. Still its good that we have the spirit to grind out a result, something we've been missing in the past. Love Scotty Parker but agree its time to give someone else a go, maybe Holtby? Livermore makes too many mistakes and THudd is just far too slow

Posted 9:22am 22nd February 2013

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