Tottenham 1-1 Blackpool: Defoe strike cancels out Adam penalty
The starting line-ups
Late drama saw both sides pick up a point at White Hart Lane.
Harry Redknapp left out Aaron Lennon, using Rafael van der Vaart on the right, and two strikers. Danny Rose made a rare start at left-back.
Ian Holloway played his usual 4-3-3 formation. Sergei Kornilenko started as part of a front three, probably as he’d done well against Spurs earlier in the season.
This was an open game with plenty of goalscoring chances. A draw was probably an accurate reflection of the balance of play, though neither goal seemed to owe much to tactics.
Spurs shape
Redknapp’s decision to play with two strikers meant that both Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko took it in turns to become involved in build-up play, and both dropped deep and wide. Spurs were actually quite fluid when they had the ball, despite a boxey 4-4-2 theoretical starting shape, as move forwards showed good movement. However, the knock-on effect was that Spurs didn’t have someone in the box playing on the shoulder of the last defender, and some decent crosses went to waste.
Many of these promising opportunities in wide positions were down the left, where Gareth Bale stayed wide (unlike Rafael van der Vaart on the other flank, who came inside) and Danny Rose supported him keenly. They have to take some responsibility for the crossing situations not being turned into goals, however. A couple of Bale crosses were flashed across the area between goalkeeper and defence – and looked excellent individually – but Bale is sometimes guilty of doing everything too quickly – he storms past a full-back and thumps a cross into the box.
That’s great in itself, but often gives the strikers no time to catch up with play (considering that they can’t always sprint straight into the box, they often have to change direction to escape their marker), and this possibly explains why Bale has, amazingly, just one assist all season in the Premier League.
Rose was also disappointing with his crosses, but overall he had a very good game. He and Younes Kaboul took it in turns to go forward, and Blackpool tracked the runs of the Spurs full-backs poorly. They were slow to get back into position, and with Holloway giving them license to switch around at will, there was sometimes a delayed reaction to a full-back run – as if the players weren’t permanently programmed to get back. There’s also an argument that the Blackpool midfielders are not mobile enough to cope with no support from the wide players, so it is a two-pronged problem.
Modric and Adam
The best player in the first half was Luka Modric, who played his classic short, neat passes to create chances through the centre of the pitch. He also spread play to the full-backs with some longer passes, but generally kept things short.
His attitude was in stark contrast to Charlie Adam’s, who still looks to hit ambitious passes first and foremost. Despite Holloway’s warning this week – “What he has got to do is concentrate on playing simply, quickly, nicely and neatly and forget all his World Cup Willie shots from the halfway line because that is not really going to help anybody when you’re not on form. That’s not the way to get back in the game” – Adam was still guilty of conceding possession too cheaply.
In fairness, we didn’t see quite so many of his long diagonal balls, but when looking at his passing chalkboard, it’s notable that all his red arrows are when he’s playing forward passes. Sometimes, it’s better to play a short pass and allow your side to move up the pitch, before playing the killer pass in a more dangerous position.
Second half
Redknapp changed things at half time, bringing on Lennon for Pavlyuchenko, putting van der Vaart behind Defoe, and going 4-4-1-1. Spurs looked good in the twenty minutes after half time, but Bale’s injury meant Crouch came on, van der Vaart went to the left, and Spurs were back to 4-4-2 – not a disaster, but not what Redknapp wanted.
In the period where Defoe and van der Vaart were the main threat, Blackpool did well to keep a high line (though not suicidally high, as against Arsenal). The danger when you play against a forward duo of ‘a quick player upfront’ and ‘a creative player in behind’ – Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney, for example, is that the striker forces the defence to play deep, and increases the space for the No 10 to work in. Blackpool didn’t fall into this trap, however, and van der Vaart wasn’t a big threat.
Defoe had a decent game and his goal was well-deserved. His sharpness in the box seems to have vanished in the past year, but his game has improved tactically. His movement outside the box is better, his link-up play is promising, and he’s also reliable without the ball, in terms of his defensive job. A few of his shots were blocked in this game when he should have offloaded the ball, but his goal was excellent.
Jason Puncheon’s introduction at half time was a good move from Holloway – he was more mobile and direct than Kornilenko, and made Blackpool a greater goal threat.
Conclusion
A game more about small individual notes of interest, rather than an overriding tactical narrative that decided the game. Both were more concerned with playing their own game than nullifying the opposition, and both sides could have had the three points.
Tottenham 1-1 Blackpool: Defoe strike cancels out Adam penalty
Gareth Bale has only 1 assist this season? Guess there must be some kind of conspiracies between Tottenham Hotspur and FA…
mustn’t there be some suspicious UN body involved as well?
Would probably have been a lot better for Tottenham if they had had Hutton or Corluka at right back. Kaboul may run forward some times, but he has quite poor crossing and passing abilities. They could have taken advantage of the space left, when VdV went central.
ZM, do you consider Holloway ‘tactical’ in any way?
Two quick notes, Defoe as a player is becoming far more involved in build up play, dropping deeper, linking up play, only just really noticed, could be an explanation for his poorer than usual goal return. Michael Owen plays alot more like this these days, as his pace and movement has gone with age, could this be the future Defoe? At present I still think he’s able to play like he always has, playing on the shoulder, running in behind with pace.
And also, am I the only one who hasn’t bought all the hype surrounding Bale? Quite how he got PFA POTY is beyond me, he’s had two good games all season, and they were in the Champions League! He’s suffered from the media hyping him up as the next Messi. He’s quite easy to mark out of a game, as Everton showed, and the way Everton played was the exact way you deal with him. He’s actually quite simplistic in his play, he wants to knock the ball and run, so stand off him, making it harder for him to knock and run, and then double up on him. Overated player i.m.o.
i think he’s quite good actually, but over-rated indeed. maybe if he learned how to defend he’d be a superb leftback. would you criticize a leftback if he knocks the ball & runs from deep? depends what the winger would do really. if you play Modric on the left, cutting inside, you’d have better game control, more men forward, higher possession, etc…if ‘arry wants that. i really do think a system can make or break a player. Bale has been good until he got noticed. now how can Rednkapp bring the best out of him again?
I get the impression that if Bale were to play in a side like Barcelona, he’d be used as a left-sided equivalent of Dani Alves.. always with space in front of him.
Good read.
However, I don’t quite follow the paragraph underneath the Bale & Rose chalkboard. When you say…
“He (Rose) and Younes Kaboul took it in turns to go forward, and Blackpool tracked the runs of the Spurs full-backs poorly. They were slow to get back into position, and with Holloway giving them license to switch around at will, there was sometimes a delayed reaction to a full-back run – as if the players weren’t permanently programmed to get back.”
Do you mean the Blackpool midfielders or Blackpool as a team?
I think you mean midfielders because of your reference to the switching, if so, I totally agree with that. I think our midfield tracking of runners is highly inconsistent at best and certainly doesn’t lend itself to us defending well as a team. Possibly giving them the license to switch roles in game means that they have less defensive awareness for wide play and they’re more inclined to drop deep and central as a default recovery position.
Hmm, I thought he just forgot to say “the wide players” and instead wrote “they.”
that was how I read it too.
I like your work on your own web site, and I am curious if you would have preferred to see the 352 you discussed previously out of Blackpool given Tottenham’s tendency to go for a 442… ?
This game highlighted several things about Spurs this season:
They’re getting much better about controlling possession and using controlled, short passes than they have in the past. Before, they seemed to prefer a long-ball game, especially with Crouch up front. Now, largely through Modric, they seem more able and willing to build the play up more slowly. What they don’t have is a forward (or pair of forwards depending on tactics) who can consistently pose a goal threat.
I’ve been a fan of Bale’s for years. I don’t think he deserved the PoTY and he’s no Messi (by a long way) but he’s a great young player. Since the accolades started coming in mid-season he’s been very heavily marked and his production has dropped off proportionately. Still, when he’s double-teamed — even when he’s not directly adding anything — another Spur’s player is unmarked. Remember, though, he’s 21, a hard-worker, and not full of himself. He’ll be a great part of Spur’s for years. And to anyone saying he’s no good because he’s not the best in the world compare him to his counterparts on other teams. He’s a solid player with years to grow and the willingness to do so. As a side, Seamus Coleman strikes me as a very similar player.
For this game, though, the two most interesting players were Lennon and Rose. Lennon, because despite his talent he seems unwilling to take-on defenders. I wouldn’t want him to do it all the time but enough to keep the defenders honest. With Bale being defended as he has been lately Lennon should take the opportunity to (simultaneously) pull the defense the other way.
Danny Rose (20) seems like he could be a potent addition to Spurs in the future. With performances like this (plenty of attack without sacrificing defensive responsibilities) I wouldn’t mind seeing him sharing time with BAE or even taking over.
I really like the youth of Tottenham. If they hold it together they could have a promising future (if they get a quality striker up front).
Lastly, and I hesitate to mention this on a tactics forum, what’s with Spur’s luck lately? Both of Chelsea’s goals in the previous game seemed suspect (didn’t cross the line and offside) and now against Blackpool, the first penalty seemed questionable since it looks like Dawson was pushed from behind but sometimes calls go that way; after an amazing stop, though, I’d think the ref with think twice before giving another soft penalty (it seemed a pretty easy fall).
And no mention of the horror tackle that should have gotten Adam sent off and banned for the remainder of the season? Or of the dive on the second penalty call?
Certainly Spurs have been the beneficiary of some poor officiating this season (their goal away to Chelsea was offside during its creation) but between the United Gomes/Nani debacle, the Chelsea “goals” last week and yesterday’s poor decisions, and of course the major injuries during international duty (Dawson and Defoe) luck and/or Premier League officials have not been on Tottenham’s side this season as it was last.
Great chalkboard comparison betwixt Modric and Adam. I think it clearly demonstrates the difference in the real quality of the players (not that Adam is bad). Modric keeps things moving and plays the dangerous ball when it’s on (plus his workrate and movement to support teammates is tremendous), while Adam hits and hopes. Though spectacular when it comes off, Adam spraying balls all over the place (and misplacing about a third of them) puts his team under increased pressure (which they clearly do not need).
Good point about Bale’s crosses coming in to early as well. They are generally into “dangerous areas,” but if there is no one there yet to receive them, how dangerous are they really.