After writing about intuitive "super exiting attacking coach" whose players can't create two chances against team which is sitting deep, today we'll talk about Ange Postecoglou assistant manager and as far as I understand "defensive coach" Australian with Croatian origin Mile Jedinak.
It is well known fact that when you play "free flow attacking football" with high line you can be exposed to counter attacks. I won't moan about number of those counter attacks, but on way how poorly Tottenham defends. Despite having very good goalkeeper and players like Vicario, Udogie, Romero and Van de Ven we are conceding a lot of goals. It was not like that in the beginning of the season, but these days we are at around 2 conceded goals per game and 2-3 very good saves by Vicario per game and similar number of dangerous shots from very dangerous positions which go wide of goal done by all alone "ghost players". As Napoleon noticed more then two centuries ago "One should not ask from fortune more than she can give to him." I'd say we are very lucky to concede this little number of goals because we have pacy players like Van de Ven and Udogie who saved us numerous of times and Vicario who is one of the better goalkeepers in the league.
I know Ange told "I am not coaching defense", but as far as I understand Mile is the one who is doing that on training sessions. I don't know what those players are doing on training, but I know way how they conceded two goals vs Wolves is unacceptable for this level of competition and make me doubt even in regularity of that match. First was corner, with all our players in 5 meters, after which alone Wolves player did tap in from 6-7 meters by head while other Wolves player was all alone and unmarked on like 15 meters behind him. Only Maddison who was to far away on at least 3-4 m from scorer bothered to jump on ball, while rest of them who were closer to scorer just watched. The closest one was night life super star and Calvin Klein super model Son Heung-min. Second goal was even more embarrassing because it was attacking corner after which Bissouma lost the ball like Sunday League player and Pedro Neto started counter attack. We were not short in numbers there was 3 of Wolves and 5 of Tottenham players running back with Bissouma having 5 meter advantage in run on center. Bellow average player Emerson Royal didn't do what average player in that situation would do and instead of that ran parallel and on distance with Neto allowing him free run toward 5 meters and just then moved closer to him trying to prevent shot on goal. Two other players ran toward there too and the most embarrassing Bissouma stopped to track Wolves player and left space of I think more than 4-5 meters between him and last Wolves player. Neto noticed that and passed to him and he kicked ball like he is shooting penalty. That was not even Championship level of defending. That was shocking League One level of defending. It's not just Bissouma who is abandoning tracking back of opponents in this squad.
Let's talk about previous games now and failing to protect goalkeeper in 5 meters in two consecutive games, let's talk about alone player from Burnley in FA cup game near the end, about what Ansu Fati missed for Brighton on 1:1 and how they failed to score in 3 on 1 situation after that too. There is tendency that a lot of players go toward ball like little kids and let 1 or even 2 totally unmarked and alone players in other part of the box and if right pass comes it's goal or 'save who is alive' situation in the best scenario for us. My opinion is it's happening because midfielders or attackers thinks they are to good or to big stars to track back opponents. We can talk about enormous number of chances Brentford created against Tottenham in 3:2 victory which made me turn off TV on half time too or about Vicario's super saves vs Brighton, Wolves or Everton.
Those players have no clue in defending too. It's not like Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie or Porro are bad, they are all very good players. I'd point finger to other players who are not doing enough in defending and strategy goals set up by coach in defending. It's not just about let's go everyone to block player with the ball so he can't shot, little is in standing close to other opponents or on line of possible passes to avoid "lonely rabbits" to jump "out of hat" alone in front of goal.
Johnson on example is not tracking back and helping Porro in defending, while Kulusevski is doing that. Son tracks back, but from time to time become unaware what is happening behind his back or let player escape from him like on first goal for Brighton away. Bissouma, Skipp, Bentancur, Hojbjerg are also not doing enough in defending while I think Sarr is trying.
Level of defending like team and decision making about what to do in our defense is shocking. They don't know who is going on player who is marking. I know people told Ange insist that player with the ball should always have two solutions for pass, but didn't know that rule applies for opponents.
It looks so easy to score goal against Tottenham. You just need to pretend you will shot and all will group around you and then you pass to someone alone and he is in dead chance. Title contenders and even top 4 contenders differs from others in fact that they can score goal easy, but it's very hard to score against them. Spurs aren't obviously one of those.
Mile Jedinak ultimately failed as defensive coach in Tottenham. We need to change him and to defend a lot better. Cutie Romero need to shake those players and to take back leadership role in defending and to point out who is doing what like Van Dijk is doing in Liverpool. Communication between players during defending must be a lot better. Arteta made revolution in Arsenal when he introduced punishments if ball goes through some non covered lines. Arsenal is looking much better defensively after that, a part from two New Years first games when they were obviously on holiday like Spurs are for month if not more. This is not Australia, this is little stronger football league, we need little better defensive coach then Mile Jedinak. We also need better squad players then Emerson Royal and Ben Davies.
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