Boro Away - Match Thread

SuprSi

What a bag of crap. I could only watch the first half but even that showed how little interest there was in the result from the team. Jenas as captain?!? He hardly completed a pass in the first half, didn't track back, didn't move the ball forward - leading by example? And what's the point in bringing King if he isn't fit?

We didn't start with our strongest team, in a formation that wasn't tried in pre-season training, against a team who had heart without much quality, and we were soundly beaten. Sound familiar?

I'll hold of damning the season for a while yet, but we need much more against Sunderland next week.

One-Day-Juande

I agree, I'm going to take this game as a stumble at the start, still doesn't make any less disappointing. We have to beat Sunderland next week. And when I say beat, I'm not saying scraping a 1-0. It needs to be decisive and if it is a 1-0, it needs to have been a case of spurs running them off the pitch for 90 mins with only a good defensive performance from Sunderland stopping more. I'm sure the players know that the fans are very expectant of good performances. As such they need to step up and show what they're worth because god knows there are some fantastic players in this side.

rocky25

We would have been better off keeping Kaboul and letting Dawson go.
When the ball is in the air Dawson looses all concept of positioning and awareness.

Thank God we have Woody, he should be Team Captain.

We have lots of talented players on the pitch, but they need to work to work harder when we haven't got possession.

We also looked vunerable at corners and free kicks again.

Haven't learnt much from last season.

positivenote

very poor yesterday. I actually thought Modric was alright. We defo need a player like veloso off portugal, a center back and a center forward. Bent is not good enough to lead the line for us. Bers needs to be played if hes at the club, stupid having him on the bench if he's fit. Same old spurs mind... pretty to look at but soft in the middle.

cxcully

Can't really get a truly clear impression before 4-5 games in but doesn't bode well....A selected few;

DAWSON- Championship standard.Is Dervitte fit?
BAE- a great run,one good cross but positioning slack...one of those guys you just know won't improve.No character.Bale please
ZOKORA- one super cross but not a right back and ponderous/useless going forward
JENAS- ridiculous decision to have as captain.Second best in two crunching midfield tackles and pathetic yellow card...a couple of trademark driving runs but as usual becomes isolated
MODRIC- faded in second have but some nice touches.Should come good as season progresses
GIOVANNI- good pace and close control.Encouraging.Nice to see a left footer there
BENT- don't know what to make of him in an isolated role but seems unlikely to provide any spontaneous moment of brilliance...goalscoring or otherwise
BERBATOV- I think he was actually "playing from memory alone" (like Dunga in Extra Time WC Final 94) but even this was thrilling whenever he drifted toward goal.Don't like his attitude but we'll miss him so much....

TACTICS- Strange selections but I suppose he went with preseason form.What the hell is going on with Ledley?Nice to see some attempts at retaining possession European-style but little real attacking edge.Boro's uptempo simplistic Premiership-style pressing rattled us too easily.
Looked better when 2nd striker came on (besides immediately conceding goal from corner).1 striker/3 attacking midfielders might work if we get Arshavin.
Defensive midfield;Godammit,is there a young Dunga undiscovered somewhere in Brazil?!Is Tiage Mendes still available/interested? http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article704063.ece

Orlando Engelaar....gigantic Dutch DM that look efficient at times at the Euros
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_Engelaar

Dream on.....

Hatch99

No excuses.Crap performance. No Guts and no balls for a fight. Disgusted. Major improvement needed.

ziedth

Heartbreaking!!!

IMO no more evidence needed that we signed wrong this summer and letting Robbie and Sulky go could cause massive problems down the line,

Bent is NOT good enough to have on his own up front, at the very least i believe he needs someone who can know balls on for him or thread through balls.

I hope i'm wrong and we stuff sunderland.

Hatch99

ziedth wrote: »

Heartbreaking!!!

IMO no more evidence needed that we signed wrong this summer and letting Robbie and Sulky go could cause massive problems down the line,

Bent is NOT good enough to have on his own up front, at the very least i believe he needs someone who can know balls on for him or thread through balls.

I hope i'm wrong and we stuff sunderland.

I would'nt say we signed wrong, because Gomes Bentley Modric and Dos Santos are quality players, but I do feel we have failed so far to strengthen in 2 vital areas, ie Centre Half and Central Midfield. Yes Modric is a central midfielder but we need a complete defensive player with him, a Nicky Butt type player, someone who will do the dirty work, because as I mentioned in another thread, neither Jenas or Modric will do the dirty defensive work, particularly needed in away games. And at centre half, Dawson is simply not up to it. Why we did'nt go and sign a big bruiser (but a good footballer too) like the lad Newcastle just bought, I dont know.

2 weeks to go to till the window shuts, and assuming berbatov is off, we need to do some serious shopping on those 2 areas as far as im concerned (and a new striker to help bent ).

Im not asking for much am I :-)

therecklessone

Some seriously baffling team selections made by Juande on Saturday.

1. With a fully fit squad I can't see Zokora play anywhere except in midfield, so why with Hutton missing did we play him at RB at Gunter's expense? It left us with Jenas and Modric as the CM duo.

2. BAE is good going forward but he was caught out of position a couple of times when Boro countered, and didn't seem interested in getting back. I can only hope Bale wasn't 100% ready to play, otherwise I have serious doubts about Ramos' decision making.

3. I don't have a problem with the formation employed (was used in 3 of the 5 pre-season games) but the personal picked left Bent too isolated and provided no screen to the back 4. We'd have been much more solid with either Zokora or O'Hara in CM and Jenas or Modric pushed on at Lennon's expense.

4. Michael Dawson's failure to improve on his early show of potential is so disappointing, though I wonder now were his early cameos helped by having King as his CB partner along with Carrick holding the midfield and Robinson in form behind him?

I hope Ramos leaned a valuable lesson at the Riverside on Saturday, and adjusts accordingly.

On the subject of further transfer activity...I don't believe we will see a defensive-minded midfielder join the club this window, with Jenas installed as vice-captain his position is secure for the time being, and I can't see Modric being employed on either wing at the expense of Bentley or dos Santos. That suggests that the only way a DM can be accomodated is in a 5 man midfield, and with us still trying for Arshavin I'm thinking Ramos will eventually line us up 4-4-2.

therecklessone

cxcully wrote: »

Can't really get a truly clear impression before 4-5 games in but doesn't bode well....A selected few;

DAWSON- Championship standard.Is Dervitte fit?
BAE- a great run,one good cross but positioning slack...one of those guys you just know won't improve.No character.Bale please
ZOKORA- one super cross but not a right back and ponderous/useless going forward
JENAS- ridiculous decision to have as captain.Second best in two crunching midfield tackles and pathetic yellow card...a couple of trademark driving runs but as usual becomes isolated
MODRIC- faded in second have but some nice touches.Should come good as season progresses
GIOVANNI- good pace and close control.Encouraging.Nice to see a left footer there
BENT- don't know what to make of him in an isolated role but seems unlikely to provide any spontaneous moment of brilliance...goalscoring or otherwise
BERBATOV- I think he was actually "playing from memory alone" (like Dunga in Extra Time WC Final 94) but even this was thrilling whenever he drifted toward goal.Don't like his attitude but we'll miss him so much....

TACTICS- Strange selections but I suppose he went with preseason form.What the hell is going on with Ledley?Nice to see some attempts at retaining possession European-style but little real attacking edge.Boro's uptempo simplistic Premiership-style pressing rattled us too easily.
Looked better when 2nd striker came on (besides immediately conceding goal from corner).1 striker/3 attacking midfielders might work if we get Arshavin.
Defensive midfield;Godammit,is there a young Dunga undiscovered somewhere in Brazil?!Is Tiage Mendes still available/interested? http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article704063.ece

Orlando Engelaar....gigantic Dutch DM that look efficient at times at the Euros
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_Engelaar

Dream on.....

Whole lot of nails hit on head there Mike, nice to see you back around.

positivenote

we wont be signing a 'nicky butt' type player... thank god. We need a third center half as ledley (RIP) prob wont play 50% of the games. Moe importantly than anything is the fact we need goals... how can we expect to get out of mid-table (last years position) if we sell the best striking partnership we've had in 20 years. Levy talks all this gup about breaking the top 4 and yet here we are with less than two weeks to go and we have bent leading our lines. I dont know the soultion or who we will get in but it needs to be of the quality of Berbatv and Keane or else we are going backwards. The, eventual, selling of berbatov to utd is a disgrace... first sheringham, then carrick, now berbs... it'll be bale or hutton next summer. If levy is seriously l;ooking to break into the elite you shouldnt be selling without replacements of better or equal stature in the bag.

Bit of a rant i know, but its the same auld pre-season/start season rubbish...
ALTHOUGH... we will wait till friday week when the window is shut to be totally negative

Hatch99

positivenote wrote: »

we wont be signing a 'nicky butt' type player... thank god.

Sorry mate, but such a player is exactly what we need, somebody to do the dirty work. Every midfield player we had on the pitch on sat wanted to bomb on and attack, inc JJ and Modric. Nobody wanted to sit and protect the back 4. The player we supposedly bought for that was zokora, but for me, he aint up to it, if he was , he would'nt be playing right full.

Im very dissapointed that so far, having spent so much, we have yet to sign a good centre back and non attacking midfielder.

Maybe the next 2 weeks will sort that out.

positivenote

believe in the hudd

Hatch99

positivenote wrote: »

believe in the hudd

Yes maybe, but Im not convinced he is mobile enough to do it against top teams !!

I-Bleed-White

Hatch99 wrote: »

Sorry mate, but such a player is exactly what we need, somebody to do the dirty work. Every midfield player we had on the pitch on sat wanted to bomb on and attack, inc JJ and Modric. Nobody wanted to sit and protect the back 4. The player we supposedly bought for that was zokora, but for me, he aint up to it, if he was , he would'nt be playing right full.

Im very dissapointed that so far, having spent so much, we have yet to sign a good centre back and non attacking midfielder.

Maybe the next 2 weeks will sort that out.

Chelsea played Essien in right back while they were having problems with that position last season. The main problem I took from that was our cover at the back. Full strength : Hutton,Woody,King,Bale we look good. Who is cover for Hutton through and Dawson is not good enough cover for King. He has loads of ability but not enough of a brain to be CB. What happened with that young lad we signed from Cardiff last season CB. I'd happier starting him than Dawson.

Other lesson to be learned from this is the only way we are going to get away with playing Modric and Jenas in the middle is this.

---

Gomes

---

---

Woodgate

---

King

---

--Hutton

---

Zokora

---

Bale--

---

Jenas

---

Modric

---

---

Bentley

---

Dos Santos--

---

Bent

---

Subs: Lennon, BAE, Gunter, Berbatov,

Water/Towel Boy : Dawson

This Utd. formation best suits out team. Assuming all fit. It leaves Jenas and Modric floating around ACM which suits them as they are never gonna tackle in midfield. Leaves Zokora with nothing to think about but protecting the back. Bentley and Dos Santos playing high up the pitch in the same Role Ronaldo was playiing for Utd. as they can both score and Bent getting on the end of crosses and confusion in the box which suits the kind of direct player he is. Also Hutton and Bale can come bombing forward as wing backs.


All in all playing one up front. Making us more solid in midfield yet still preserving the attacking football that we tend to enjoy as Spurs supporters.

therecklessone

I-Bleed-White wrote: »

What happened with that young lad we signed from Cardiff last season CB. I'd happier starting him than Dawson.

He was left sitting on the bench, but Gunter is a RB not a CB. Should have started at RB and allowed Zokora play in the midfield IMO.

Spider_Baby!

In fairness, Zokora played right back until he joined Spurs.

therecklessone

Spider_Baby! wrote: »

In fairness, Zokora played right back until he joined Spurs.

You sure about that mate? My recollection of him at WC 06 was playing midfield, and he was bought to play midfield.

Spider_Baby!

He played midfield internationally, which is where he got noticed, but at Genk (sp?) he was definately a right-back. Also, in all the old champ man's he is a RB

Hatch99

I would'nt go by Championship Manager to be honest mate.

Anyway, whats the point in buying Gunter if we are'nt gonna play him when Hutton is injured, it defeats the purpose of having a back up right full.