A disappointment but certainly not a surprise and on both form and the balance of play, it was pretty much the right result. It was also a good illustration of the problems we have – and folks, we do have problems!
There is no simple solution – even ENIC and Levy selling would not change anything in the short term, (but would IMO go a long way to fixing a core, underlying deficiency in THFC). No, the problems are many and some are compound, i.e. you can’t just line them up and fix them one-by-one: the fix for one will change the dynamics of a fix for another.
THE PLAYERS:
There is no doubt that some players have switched off and are now going through the motions waiting for a transfer opportunity or for Jose to quit/get sacked. There appear to be white ants in the dressing room undermining the Manager’s instructions and working against what he wants to do on the pitch: I think the identity of some of these is evident in non-selection.
We have good players, but we don’t have all the right players.
THE MANAGER:
It’s easy to pile the blame onto Jose and in truth he should take some blame for strange team selection, spouting indiscreet crap about players on TV, etc., but he’s struggling to get what he wants from players who are unable or unwilling to unpick their game (which has served them in plying their trade) and re-assembling it. Clearly, Tanguy has, as has Harry, Serge, Hugo, Lucas to name a few; all have improved under Jose’s coaching, but we need more and to eliminate those who cannot adapt. Without being able to directly manipulate his squad, Jose is a toothless tiger.
Jose has not been given the carte blanche he has had in previous manifestations of his divinity; this time he’s having to do some work! I think he knew that when coming in, but I also think he underestimated the extent to which Levy would frustrate him. He wanted Skriniar, and he might have been the strong leader Jose wanted to build a defence around with enough other defenders in the squad to find the blend that worked. He didn’t want Bale, but he’s had to dance a dog and pony trot at every press conference about why he doesn’t pick a former star whose back legs are now decidedly squeaky.
He needs more strength in depth, and again he’s been frustrated (I think) by Levy’s inability to let players go: Levy will not take a 2-million loss on a player but will keep him and then pay 2 million-a-year wages for the bloke to do nothing. Without clearing out the deadwood Jose is stymied by Levy saying we need to sell to buy, but then not being prepared to sell!
THE TACTICS
Tactically we started well, containing and drawing sides out then striking lightning fast on the break, but they soon cottoned onto that and initiated their own tactics to stop our smash and grab game. We moved then to ultra-deep containment a stifling of games. That didn’t work: we don’t have the personnel. Strangely Jose continued down this path despite this, I don’t doubt coaching players how to kill a game, but without a receptive and/or capable squad.
I think he knows what he wants to do, and I can see merits in some of his ideas, but he needs several new players to achieve this as some of the current lot just don’t seem to get it.
I agree. Managing Spurs must be like working for your worst boss ever which I’m sure we can all relate to. Hence why we have such high turnover in managers but also other footballing positions like recruitment and analysis.
His only saving grace being that he’s able to project manage a stadium build on time and budget.
I’d like him to share the credit and blame – at least publicly – by perhaps using the word ‘we’. Football is a team sport in a very broad sense, and Jose’s cherry picking blame apportioning I find simultaneously funny and cringeworthy. I think he has ego driven man-management skills (the worst kind), with the sort of results one might expect if you publicly belittle your staff, even indirectly. Good man-management is a subtle game for clever people but from where I’m sitting the Special one looks neither subtle nor clever. Maybe I should get a seat much further back.
It’s been a while since I’ve congratulated you on your online efforts, Aitch. You were up early this morning, early riser or trouble sleeping? You appear to put in as many hours as our Loony in chief; good on yer. You could perhaps rename your blog ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’, given that it’s so often more fun than the football. Well at least until the circus leaves town.
Not a leading question – but what would you like him to say?
Yup.
As I have written on many occasions on this website, it really doesn’t matter who the manager is, however good he might be. Levy will never buy the players that the manager wants. That does not mean going out and buying the most expensive players on the market but doing your recruitment homework in a professional manner rather than waiting for the phone to ring during the last hour of the transfer window and hoping someone throws you a bone. It becomes only a question of time before the manager is blamed for not getting the right results when he is forced to coach and manage a group of players that he never wanted in the first place. The inevitability takes over and he is sacked. Until Levy goes, nothing will ever change as the last 22 years have demonstrated.
I’ve been saying for ages the ENIC ownership has to change to bring about improved success on the pitch,but i fear it will never happen.Lewis can’t have much time left to complete his gentrification of the Tottenham area to sell for a massive profit,but i suspect his son will step in to continue the process,still with levy in his position of total control over everything THFC.
Bearing that in mind nothing will change for whichever manager is brought in.Mourinho’s days are numbered judging by his post match performance yesterday.But would a younger more forward thinking manager,like Howe for example,have anymore success.
It is only ENIC who is holding us back having saddled the club with this enormous debt for building a white elephant which is a permanent reminder for all of Levy’s vanity.
I just listened to Maureen’s post match interview with Jonathan Pearce, and after already having stated that – “I am always being criticized for the way I ….. analyse matches (it’s clear he means blaming players) – the pundit then asks him about the number of times Tottenham have lost a lead. Jose begins his answer with this statement:
“It’s a compliment to me …….. in the sense of …. the way we start matches ….. the organisation we bring to the game is good.”
Then he goes on to say:
“Then what happens during matches ……. and the tendency to lose too many points from winning positions …… is again one of the situations I don’t feel comfortable discussing with the media any more” (I no longer feel comfortable publicly blaming players, although I just indirectly did).
So within the answer to one question Maureen has stated that when Spurs start well and take the lead, it’s his doing, but when Spurs lose that lead and things go bad it’s the players doing.
This self aggrandising egomaniac is a parody of himself and I think the writing which can be found on walls in South West London and Manchester, should not be ignored.
I’ve had quite enough of the Trump of the football world. Hope Levy feels the same way.
For any meaningful change to happen at the club, Enic have to alter their modus operandi. This means prioritising matters on the pitch at the expense of the property empire they are continuing to build. Do the cynics on this site like me really believe that Levy has what it takes to radically change the way he runs the club? Rather like Mourinho who is reverting to type, Levy is incapable of stepping away from the football side of matters and appointing people who know what they are doing. This in effect means appointing a CEO with football experience to undertake a root and branch reform of our scouting, technical analysis( black box if you will) , player recruitment and medical staff, something Liverpool did. All these departments need radical change. In effect, if Enic are not prepared to sack Levy for 22 years of ineptitude, then he would remain nominal chairman. Unfortunately, I cannot see Levy who thinks he always knows best, although the facts beg to differ, interfering where he is not wanted.
Another alternative would be for Enic to sell up but they will ask for far too much money which would scupper any chance of that happening.
Therefore, the only real solution is for Lewis to finally see the writing on the wall and sack Levy because quite simply, if Levy remains nothing will change at the club. I imagine this would only happen if fans boycotted the stadium and we entered a relegation dogfight otherwise it’s back to Groundhog Day.
“When I look at Moyes and Rogers this season (not managers I would rate especially) winning more games and playing a nicer brand of football, I just cannot make a case for Jose.”
BINGO!
“but I also think he underestimated the extent to which Levy would frustrate him”
So, a manager known for almost autistic levels of scrutiny, recording and organising in all football related matters, was naive? Surely he either believed he could do a reasonable job despite Levy’s very well known MO, or, achieving success with Spurs wasn’t the primary reason he signed up.
Personally, feel that even if Jose got more players he wanted, that his man management is so at odds with the present day player that it would probably only be moderately successful.
Tactically, managers like he and Benitez really had it nailed some years ago. Now it seems that the possession game (when well implemented) has evolved into something very difficult to nullify by sitting in and being simply ‘solId’ as a team.
Jose has also been extremely fortunate to have Kane in his system, without him I fail to see how it works at a high level. That’s aside from the goals etc.
All the points Finn makes are very valid ones, however ENIC need to back our manager properly but should it be Jose? A dynasty of trophies and relentless winning to follow? I’m not convinced, and as much as Levy irritates me, I very much doubt he feels that anymore either.
With all the issues we have, this job was Jose’s chance to redeem himself both as a manager and the public perception of himself. He’s changed the latter to an extent but as much as I wasn’t keen on his appointment, there was a point where it looked like the constant ‘low block’ might be with tolerating.
Can anyone honestly say, that even under the circumstances that they’ve been impressed?
When I look at Moyes and Rogers this season (not managers I would rate especially) winning more games and playing a nicer brand of football, I just cannot make a case for Jose.
With perfectly decent players like Toby being left out of such important games, the end is near…
👍…well said…now, dog walk in the snow…