3 days Ago By Amir Mir
Glenn Hoddle put two Tottenham players in the firing line after their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. Arsenal went into the match without Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard , whilst Tottenham had Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven returning to the XI. Yes, Yves Bissouma was also missing for the home side, but Spurs knew this was a huge chance to beat their neighbours for the first time in a long time.
The possession stats will tell you that Tottenham dominated because it was over 60%, but in truth, their play in the final third was very poor. And just like the previous campaign, Ange Postecoglou and his team’s problems from corners haunted him again because Gabriel Magalhães scored the winner for Arsenal from a corner. Hoddle wasn’t pleased with Guglielmo Vicario in between the sticks and how he ‘wasn’t convincing’ when dealing with those in swinging corners.
Arsenal scored two out of their three goals from corners in the north London derby last season, yet fast forward 12 months later, and there is no change. That’s why Hoddle is frustrated and how Tottenham ‘s number one goalkeeper keeps backing away rather than wanting to deal with the ball. But Vicario wasn’t the only one in the firing line, with Cristian Romero slammed for allowing Gabriel to have a free header inside the six-yard box and how you simply can’t allow that in ‘any era of football’, as he told Premier League Productions (15/09/24 at 4:10 pm).
Guglielmo Vicario and Cristian Romero slammed “The goalkeeper has got an achilles heel here,” said Hoddle. “Other clubs have seen it. Any ball in that in swinging area into that six-yard box.
I am not sure he can come. There are too many bodies there. “But his intent is to go back.
He is never looking to come out. He is involved in the battle up. He has got to detach himself away from that and think to himself ‘where is my intent?’ His body is always going backwards.
He has got to come and punch some of them balls. They have played that ball because time and time again, he has conceded. He flapped away in the first half.
He wasn’t convincing. He is a big shot-stopper, but he has to come and make himself more physical. Until he does, then he will concede more goals.
“If your goalkeeper is coming, then you can’t be unopposed. You have to do your homework and make sure you are focused in on that scenario. Romero, I don’t know where he was.
He just switched off completely. You can’t allow a free header from inside the six-yard box from a corner. No way.
I don’t care what era of football you are in. You can’t allow that.” Poor start by Tottenham Tottenham were beaten at Newcastle before the international break and they also dropped points against newly-promoted Leicester City on the opening day.
This isn’t the start Postecoglou and Spurs fans wanted, with European football around the corner and their calendar is about to test their resolve even further. READ MORE: Ian Wright hits out at £39m Tottenham player’s actions during defeat to Arsenal Postecoglou won’t change his style and he is insistent that he will win something because he has done so throughout his career. Whilst Celtic are a huge club and there was immense pressure to him deliver, the issue is that they are used to winning and Tottenham aren’t.
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