Pochettino needs to help Dier at the end of games
After the draw against Besiktas Hugo Lloris looked distinctly disappointed and afterwards said when you are 1-0 up, even if you are not paying well you have to find a way to win.
That is what top teams do and if we want to be a top team that is what we must do. Unlucky wins nothing, unlucky is for losers. Football is a tough results based business, you get the result or you don't, there is no in between.
No we were unlucky nonsense, no the words of a winner, you have to win those games, we have to learn how to do so.
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Fast forward 3 days and Tottenham are playing Southampton at White Hart Lane is the Premier League. The score is 1-0, we are closing the game out and what happens, they create a guilt edge chance in the centre of the goal, 6 yards out and the striker hopelessly misses a sitter. We nearly blew two 1-0 leads in the space of 3 days.
I talk about the mental side of the game and being clinical because they are so important. Switch off mentally at the end of the game when you think you have done the hard work and bang, you've blown it. Yes the opposition are going to press but that is when you have to concentrate just as hard if not harder to prevent mistakes and avoid them creating clear cut chances.
Of course if we were clinical, we would have been 2-0 up against Southampton instead of hitting the post. That was a prime example of why I say we must learn to be clinical at the end of games when we are 2 or 3-0 up instead of playing keep ball, then at times like this we wouldn't be counting ourselves unlucky we would be celebrating a second goal.
It's a mentality thing, I've done enough verses I can do more. Only one attitude achieves greatness and that is what we should be striving for.
Preventing chances at the end of a game is a collective thing. Yes Thursday was an individual howler but Sunday was a team effort, not defending as a team or a partnership to prevent dangerous crosses. Southampton were attacking and having some joy against Eric Dier and sides are going to do that each week if Kyle Naughton is out until next year. We got away with it this time, next time we need to prevent it from getting to that stage.
The right side of midfield in those situations becomes important and for all we want to develop Erik Lamela and keep him on the field, which is clearly what we are trying to do, there is a case for bringing on Aaron Lennon to help Dier with his defensive duties. So far Lennon has had 107 Premier League minutes, all of which I would suggest have been for his defensive work rather than attacking work.
If that is the role Pochettino is currently using Lennon in on the left, then he may as well use him in that role on the right as well, he'll do a better defensive job than Lamela or Eriksen on the right when we need to close a game out and perhaps Dier will not get beaten as easily as he has been at the end of games. He is a centre-back, is only 20 and at times needs the help of someone experienced in front of him instead of someone also trying to learn the ropes in the Premier League.
The result is everything as Lloris says. Prevention is better than cure.
That is what top teams do and if we want to be a top team that is what we must do. Unlucky wins nothing, unlucky is for losers. Football is a tough results based business, you get the result or you don't, there is no in between.
“Today was a really tough game against a big team. They showed that on the pitch; but it’s one more point and hopefully we’ll improve in the next games. They put in a good performance collectively. We have to learn from this game because when you lead 1-0, maybe when you don’t really deserve it, you have to win that kind of game.”
No we were unlucky nonsense, no the words of a winner, you have to win those games, we have to learn how to do so.
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Fast forward 3 days and Tottenham are playing Southampton at White Hart Lane is the Premier League. The score is 1-0, we are closing the game out and what happens, they create a guilt edge chance in the centre of the goal, 6 yards out and the striker hopelessly misses a sitter. We nearly blew two 1-0 leads in the space of 3 days.
I talk about the mental side of the game and being clinical because they are so important. Switch off mentally at the end of the game when you think you have done the hard work and bang, you've blown it. Yes the opposition are going to press but that is when you have to concentrate just as hard if not harder to prevent mistakes and avoid them creating clear cut chances.
Of course if we were clinical, we would have been 2-0 up against Southampton instead of hitting the post. That was a prime example of why I say we must learn to be clinical at the end of games when we are 2 or 3-0 up instead of playing keep ball, then at times like this we wouldn't be counting ourselves unlucky we would be celebrating a second goal.
It's a mentality thing, I've done enough verses I can do more. Only one attitude achieves greatness and that is what we should be striving for.
Preventing chances at the end of a game is a collective thing. Yes Thursday was an individual howler but Sunday was a team effort, not defending as a team or a partnership to prevent dangerous crosses. Southampton were attacking and having some joy against Eric Dier and sides are going to do that each week if Kyle Naughton is out until next year. We got away with it this time, next time we need to prevent it from getting to that stage.
The right side of midfield in those situations becomes important and for all we want to develop Erik Lamela and keep him on the field, which is clearly what we are trying to do, there is a case for bringing on Aaron Lennon to help Dier with his defensive duties. So far Lennon has had 107 Premier League minutes, all of which I would suggest have been for his defensive work rather than attacking work.
If that is the role Pochettino is currently using Lennon in on the left, then he may as well use him in that role on the right as well, he'll do a better defensive job than Lamela or Eriksen on the right when we need to close a game out and perhaps Dier will not get beaten as easily as he has been at the end of games. He is a centre-back, is only 20 and at times needs the help of someone experienced in front of him instead of someone also trying to learn the ropes in the Premier League.
The result is everything as Lloris says. Prevention is better than cure.
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