• The Fighting Cock is a forum for fans of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Here you can discuss Spurs latest matches, our squad, tactics and any transfer news surrounding the club. Registration gives you access to all our forums (including 'Off Topic' discussion) and removes most of the adverts (you can remove them all via an account upgrade). You're here now, you might as well...

    Get involved!

Tactics TFC's Tactical Autopsy Thread

Latest Spurs videos from Sky Sports

I know it’s hard to believe but it appears from your work that we score more goals when our main striker is fit and playing than when he isn’t!
 

I have to say that when we decide to press properly, it's really enjoyable to watch.
We totally suffocated Newcastle in the second half and Leicester in the first half. The high turnovers and winning the ball in dangerous areas is probably the one part of Ange's game that I like.
Obviously not sustainable for full 90 or a whole season but the stats certainly back up the eye test on this in that we have been the best pressing team so far this season.
Let's see if getting Solanke back in can help us convert chances. Obviously need to still be better defensively, think a by product of us pressing so much is we are more prone to defensive lapses in concentration through fatigue. Not pressing Joelinton was a good example of that. Also we had Bissouma and Maddison on yellows and Deki who was knackered. Think Ange should have made subs earlier in midfield.
 
Thanks bc,

Small sample so far against unrepresentative opposition but still interesting.

Just comparing vs Man City as arguably a successful template:

Defensive height 52 vs 48.5
Field tilt 75 vs 71
These two about the same really considering impact of opponents; both teams high defensive line and dominating territory

Average ball speed 8.7 vs 8.2
Direct ball speed 1.65 vs 1.4
Both teams relatively slow / patient in build-up. For both I think it's a consequence of spending a lot of time in possession around the oppo box, which tends to keep both these stats low, especially the second one.

Shot conversion 5.31 vs 9.02.
That's at least one extra goal per game so the difference between 4 points and 7 points for us. I suspect it's at least as much about quality of chances created rather than just shooting quality. Getting Solanke back will help but need to improve the last pass execution too.

Passes per defensive action 3 vs 8
Interceptions 4 vs 7.7
Tackles 15 vs 9.5
Both aggressive defensively but Spurs insanely so. The tackle / intercept split consistent with higher risk defending cos of you miss a tackle you're kind of out of play but if you miss an intercept you can regroup quicker. This looks like an area to tweak to me, more jockeying / getting shape right and less sliding in would make us less porous. I don't think it would be an abandonment of Angeball principles, just a tempering of defensive transition priorities / decision making.
 
Thanks bc,

Small sample so far against unrepresentative opposition but still interesting.

Just comparing vs Man City as arguably a successful template:

Defensive height 52 vs 48.5
Field tilt 75 vs 71
These two about the same really considering impact of opponents; both teams high defensive line and dominating territory

Average ball speed 8.7 vs 8.2
Direct ball speed 1.65 vs 1.4
Both teams relatively slow / patient in build-up. For both I think it's a consequence of spending a lot of time in possession around the oppo box, which tends to keep both these stats low, especially the second one.

Shot conversion 5.31 vs 9.02.
That's at least one extra goal per game so the difference between 4 points and 7 points for us. I suspect it's at least as much about quality of chances created rather than just shooting quality. Getting Solanke back will help but need to improve the last pass execution too.

Passes per defensive action 3 vs 8
Interceptions 4 vs 7.7
Tackles 15 vs 9.5
Both aggressive defensively but Spurs insanely so. The tackle / intercept split consistent with higher risk defending cos of you miss a tackle you're kind of out of play but if you miss an intercept you can regroup quicker. This looks like an area to tweak to me, more jockeying / getting shape right and less sliding in would make us less porous. I don't think it would be an abandonment of Angeball principles, just a tempering of defensive transition priorities / decision making.

Good breakdown. We are absolutely screaming a lack of final third quality above all else. I think the recruitment has really let us down this summer. There were (and still are) some good options sitting in the shop window this summer and for various reasons a lot of the big boys were restricted, whereas as we probably had more budget and PSR room than literally anyone in Europe. I've never criticised the amount Levy has spent, he's always put any profit back into the club, but been very critical of how we've spent it, but this window I think the lack of ability to realise a genuine opportunity to bridge gaps to teams above us is a failing.
 
Good breakdown. We are absolutely screaming a lack of final third quality above all else. I think the recruitment has really let us down this summer. There were (and still are) some good options sitting in the shop window this summer and for various reasons a lot of the big boys were restricted, whereas as we probably had more budget and PSR room than literally anyone in Europe. I've never criticised the amount Levy has spent, he's always put any profit back into the club, but been very critical of how we've spent it, but this window I think the lack of ability to realise a genuine opportunity to bridge gaps to teams above us is a failing.
Yeah. We'll never know what went on behind closed doors and if there were some near misses. But that aside, it really looks like season 24/25 results was a lower priority than building sustainably towards a peak in 25/26/27. Which personally I'm ok with but many won't be. But I think the holes in academy and recruitment quantity/quality 2018-20 have only just worked their way out of the system meant 24/25 was always going to be a stretch.
 
The tackle / intercept split consistent with higher risk defending cos of you miss a tackle you're kind of out of play but if you miss an intercept you can regroup quicker. This looks like an area to tweak to me, more jockeying / getting shape right and less sliding in would make us less porous
I said exactly this about Maddison’s attempted tackle on Joelinton in the lead up to their winning goal. If he could have just stood him up for half a second then we could have got in better shape to cut out the crucial through ball.

Instead he crashed in trying to win the ball at the first attempt without thought or fear of what was happening behind him. I think in that particular situation the upside to winning that challenge was a lower level than the downside of losing it.

Postecoglu obviously trains the team to not try to analyze threat v opportunity. It’s always front foot go for the kill. Even if that means you’re likely to pull your own pants down in the process.

Hopefully we’re still in early stages of the plan and we can soon see a more considered approach.
 
Back
Top