Looking for an improved performance
Tomorrow sees an away European tie that Pochettino will be looking for an improved performance in after the last game against AEL Limassol in Cyprus.
UEFA Champions League, Third qualifying round
Ludogrets 0 Partizan Belgrade 0
Partizan Belgrade 2 Ludogrets 2
Ludogrets win on away goals
Bulgarian side Ludogrets showed against Liverpool last night that European football is not easy and we have seen many tough games away form home in the the UEFA Europa League in recent seasons.
Apart from the year Jermain Defoe was banging in the European goals we have tended to struggle away from home in the Europa League and been pleased to come away with draws. Against AEL Limassol in the last away game we didn't look like scoring until Erik Lamela came on and turned the game on it's head.
The shadow squad have to step up on that performance if they want to force their way into the Premier League starting eleven. Players like Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend look destined for a season on the sidelines so this is their opportunity in a tough away game, rather than an easier game at White Hart Lane, that they have to show they have more to offer.
That does not mean trying to do everything yourself but playing your part within a system. Follow the coaches instructions and he'll notice, you role is to excel within that. For someone like Lennon, who may well find himself on the left, it's about interchanging positions, can he pop up everywhere the way Nacer Chadli is doing.
His attribute is speed and we have seen him running along the defensive line looking for a through ball to run on to, but few passes have been good enough to date. If Paulinho is playing as the attacking midfielder he needs to be looking for those potential balls as does Andros Townsend, assuming he starts on the right.
In all honesty though do you see Townsend playing those sort of balls? I don't yet they would be better for the team and for him than simply cutting inside to have a shot himself. The system we play is all about the team and not the individual. It does mean that Townsend has to be continually looking around, continually aware of where everyone is, which although it sound obvious, studies have shown players don't do enough.
Paulinho is another who has to step up considerably on the poor performance he put in at White Hart Lane against AEL. In the first half he was anonymous and only provided an assist to Kane because the opposition virtually passed him the ball with only 1 defender to stop the pair. Pochettino was throwing his arms in the air annoyed when we scored, not celebrating, clearly he was frustrated at what he was seeing and I think a lot of that was about the Brazilian.
A half-time team talk saw the side come out and immediately press for 4 minutes not allowing AEL out of their own half. During that time we lost the ball 3 times and won it back 3 times. Chiriches gave the ball away, chased it, made the tackle to poke the ball for Paulinho to slip past his man and score.
It is a test tomorrow that Pochettino will want to see some of these players stepping up their game.
UEFA Champions League, Third qualifying round
Ludogrets 0 Partizan Belgrade 0
Partizan Belgrade 2 Ludogrets 2
Ludogrets win on away goals
Bulgarian side Ludogrets showed against Liverpool last night that European football is not easy and we have seen many tough games away form home in the the UEFA Europa League in recent seasons.
Apart from the year Jermain Defoe was banging in the European goals we have tended to struggle away from home in the Europa League and been pleased to come away with draws. Against AEL Limassol in the last away game we didn't look like scoring until Erik Lamela came on and turned the game on it's head.
The shadow squad have to step up on that performance if they want to force their way into the Premier League starting eleven. Players like Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend look destined for a season on the sidelines so this is their opportunity in a tough away game, rather than an easier game at White Hart Lane, that they have to show they have more to offer.
That does not mean trying to do everything yourself but playing your part within a system. Follow the coaches instructions and he'll notice, you role is to excel within that. For someone like Lennon, who may well find himself on the left, it's about interchanging positions, can he pop up everywhere the way Nacer Chadli is doing.
His attribute is speed and we have seen him running along the defensive line looking for a through ball to run on to, but few passes have been good enough to date. If Paulinho is playing as the attacking midfielder he needs to be looking for those potential balls as does Andros Townsend, assuming he starts on the right.
In all honesty though do you see Townsend playing those sort of balls? I don't yet they would be better for the team and for him than simply cutting inside to have a shot himself. The system we play is all about the team and not the individual. It does mean that Townsend has to be continually looking around, continually aware of where everyone is, which although it sound obvious, studies have shown players don't do enough.
Paulinho is another who has to step up considerably on the poor performance he put in at White Hart Lane against AEL. In the first half he was anonymous and only provided an assist to Kane because the opposition virtually passed him the ball with only 1 defender to stop the pair. Pochettino was throwing his arms in the air annoyed when we scored, not celebrating, clearly he was frustrated at what he was seeing and I think a lot of that was about the Brazilian.
A half-time team talk saw the side come out and immediately press for 4 minutes not allowing AEL out of their own half. During that time we lost the ball 3 times and won it back 3 times. Chiriches gave the ball away, chased it, made the tackle to poke the ball for Paulinho to slip past his man and score.
It is a test tomorrow that Pochettino will want to see some of these players stepping up their game.
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