Tottenham Hotspur Story - Another New Dawn

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philo1

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Daniel Levy announced the appointment of Philo1 as the new head of Tottenham Hotspur for the 2017/18 season. Whilst only on a short term contract it is hoped that he can win some silverware this year even though the club is in transition as the new stadium is being bulit. In a hastily organised press conference Philo1 set out his aims for the season ahead.
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I want us to be hard to beat....a sound defence is the cornerstone of all winning teams. We will play attacking football but not at the expense of dropping points. Whilst we can't compete with Man City and Utd on huge transfer fees we will strengthing the squad with shrewd purchases. We will also be overhauling the current coaching, scouting and medical teams to give our current crop of players every opportunity to play their part in the long season ahead. When asked about the future of some of the fringe players Philo1 remarked....all current players will be given a chance to prove themselves....even Sissoko:)
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Throughout pre season the coaching team was overhauled with top quality coaches brought in for each area.
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A Busy Pre Season

A busy pre season was organised by Philo1 to ensure that tactical formations would be fluid with all players by the time of the season opener. With a full medical centre before pre season even kicked off - Lamela/Rose/Dembele - Philo1 ensured that he worked closely with the medical team to avoid further injuries.

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Pre Season Recap

Pre season worked well with the players now being fluid in 4-2-3-1 Wide and 4-1-2-3 Wide. Marcus Edwards secured his place in the team with some fine performances. The stand out performers were Harry Kane and Mousa Dembele. Dembele in particular was in fine form - whilst lacking vision to make that final defence splitting pass his dribbling was immense and caused Inter and Real Madrid real problems.

New Signings

A beaming Philo1 sat with a pale worried looking Daniel Levy as they presented new signings Andrea Belotti and Andrija Zivkovic. Philo1 explained that the team needed another proven goalscorer to give Harry Kane some competition up front. With Philo1 intending to compete on all fronts additional cover was needed for both wings as he acknowledged that his pressing style was demanding physically on the players and may lead to a higher percentage of injuries.



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Match Day 1
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Newly promoted Newcastle were visitors to a sunny Wembely on opening day. With the media predicting a 7th place finish for Tottenham and 17th for Newcastle the bookmakers had this one as a home win.

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Match of the Day commentator Alan Shearer highlighted that Philo1 was a novice compared to Rafa and that Tottenham could come unstuck and that Wembley could become a 'lame duck' for Spurs as every team would raise their game at the iconic stadium.

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A good win on opening day with that man Dembele opening the scoring when Harry Kane was struggling to hit the barn never mind the door. A well worked free kick routine set up in pre season meant Eric Dier also got himself on the scoresheet. New man Zivkovic got himself an assist on his debut.When questioned about Vertonghen sitting on the bench Philo1 said......the Premier League is all about pace up front and down the wings...we are not blessed with pace at the back but Eric can do a job for us there when we need to.
Match Day 2



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An away trip to another one of the promoted teams had Philo1 warning his players about complacency. Philo1 made one change from the side that beat Newcastle last week.... Vertonghen coming in for Dier with Brighton not posing a problem with pace up front.

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A goal in August for Harry Kane was the only highlight in a disappointing performance with only 3 outfield players getting a rating of 7 or above. Fan favourite Sissoko:) also got on the scoresheet but man of the match was that man Dembele. Operating as an advanced playmaker in the middle of the park he was the only real threat that Spurs posed to a well organised Brighton. Causes for concern were an injury to new signing Zivkovic and Vertonghen (as BPD cover) being outpaced by Hemed for score for Brighton.

Upcoming

Two home games against sides we need to beat to challenge for the top 4 coming up.

Plus.... the Champions League Group Draw

Plus....''please sir can I have some more''...Philo1 goes begging to Levy


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Nicely layed out, well written and some good signings, keep it going mate :)
 
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Two wins in the first two games was a good start for Philo 1....but not all was well. Vorm threatened trouble if he wasn't to be allowed to return to Holland. Pack your bags was his response and straight onto the transfer list he went.

A private board meeting was held where minutes taken show a heated exchange between Daniel Levy and Philo1

Philo1 Danny...I need more money. After you sold our quickest full back to Man City and Danny Rose is injured I need to bring in full backs with real pace. I know you don't understand football but our centre backs are not the quickest and with most teams having pace up front even if we play a really deep defensive line we need quick guys to sit narrow and tuck in to protect Toby, Jan and Eric?

Daniel Levy....I don't know what you expect of me....I know I expect you to compete with Man City who have spent £380 million in the last 2 seasons...but don't forget I got you Sissoko and Foyth....you managers are all the same.


With no extra funds on the way it was straight into Match Day 3. A home game against Stoke was up next in a game Spurs were expected to win. Philo1 made 2 changes to the side that beat Brighton with Soony coming in for the injured Zivkovic and Dier replacing Vertonghen to counter the threat from Berahino.
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Match Day 3

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A good win for us.....Philo1 said....we dominated possession and Stoke didn't have a shot on target...so I think we deserved it. Mousa was great for us today...and I'm please Belotti is up and running with his first competitive goal of the season.

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Champions League Draw 2017/2018
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The draw pitted Tottenham against Feyenoord, Shakhtar and Athletico Madrid. A tough group but not impossible. Tottenham would start their campaign away to Feyenoord then home to Shakhtar before the showdown with Athletico. Philo1 was upbeat saying.......good rotation will be the key to maintaining our good start in the league as well as playing well in the champions league.


Match Day 4

A tough game with Champions League Football on the Tuesday night Philo1 rotated the squad....two changes from the side that beat Stoke....KWP coming in for Ben Davies and Davison coming in for Toby to combat the strength of Rondon up front for WBA.
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A good fourth win for Philo1 with Harry hitting goal number 2 and 3 for the season. Philo1 said..... I'm pleased for Davison to get his first game under his belt and he did really well up against Rondon. Harry was the difference today....a different class. We dominated possession but you have to do something with it...we had a healthy 11 shots on target so I'm pleased.
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On Match of the Day the pundits discussed the start that Tottenham had made. Danny Murphy said....he doesn't know what he is doing....he is playing Dembele as an AP on attack and Dele Ali as AP on support. He his leaving the defence totally unprotected....madness......madness.

Gary Lineker....with a live feed to Philo1...said What do you make of comments in the studio....



Well Danny is entitled to his opinion but I will change my squad when I see fit....we have conceded 2 goals in 4 games and in those 4 games combined they have had a total of 12 shots on target....thats 3 per game. My players work hard to get back and help out and they (Ali and Dembele) have the strength and workrate to compete.


Coming Up

Champions League Night @ Wembley

Can the unbeaten league start continue

Carabao Cup Draw


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Tottenham Hotspur Story - New Dawn Continues

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The Story Continues........

With four wins from four it was a good start for Philo1. Up next was the opening Group E Champions League game against Feyenoord. Whilst Tottenham had strengthened the squad in pre season they were still short of pacey full backs and were light in central midfield. With Philo1 deciding to go with Dele Ali and Dembele as his first choice pairing in midfield in a 4-2-1-3 that only left Winks and Wanyama as back up - neither of whom had strong attacking attributes to come in for either of the first choice options.

Champions League

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Feyenoord v Tottenham Hotspur

Philo1 made four changes to the side that beat West Brom - KWP came in for Trippier, Toby was back in the side to replace Davinson Sanchez, Wanyama came in for Ali and Belotti replaced Kane.

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A very tough game against a good Feyenoord side. Belotti was the difference getting a brace and Wanyama played a blinder getting two assists. Sissoko, our only real option on the right with Lamela injured also got on the scoresheet.

Premier League Match Day 5

Everton v Tottenham

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Our toughest opponent yet on paper led Philo1 to play pretty much his strongest 11 outside of injuries. Trippier, Ali and Kane all came back into the team for what was sure to be a tough game away to Everton.

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A very narrow win against an unbelieveably good Eveton side. In the post match press conference Philo1 said.....Jesus Christ....a couple of times in that match I thought we were playing Barcelona...I had to get my assistant to check we had went to the right ground. Whist Eriksen and Ali both have high attribute ratings for passing and vision they couldn't string two passes together!!!! Yet Ashley Williams and Besic were launching 90 yard passes perfectly in between our central defenders to land right......and I mean right on Sandros foot!!! Not just once but over and over again. I need to speak to my team who collect player opta data from FM18....somebody needs to have a good look at themselves. A big loss was an injury to Dier in the 12th minute. Had Dier stayed on the pitch we would have handled the pace of Sandro much better.

After the tension of the last Premier League game it was on to the Carabao Cup. Tottenham had been drawn against Sheff Utd in the 3rd round. This was, in Philo1s mind...the best chance of winning a cup as some of the bigger teams still play weakened sides in the latter stages. However, with Premier League and Champions League fixtures coming thick and fast Philo1 would field a weakened side where he could.

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Sheff Utd v Tottenham

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A match where the scoreline doesn't reflect what happened on the pitch. We controlled possession from the start and apart one or two nervy minutes at 3-2 the game was well won. Marcus Edwards started on the left and played really well getting himself an assist as well as scoring from the penalty spot. Philo1 was so glad he had selected Ben Davies as back up set piece taker to Eriksen as he scored an absolute screamer of a free kick. Nkoudou...making a rare apprearance also got on the scoresheet.

Premier League Match Day 6

Swansea v Tottenham

Back to league action as Tottenham go for 6 wins from 6. KWP comes in for Davies at left back and Davinson Sanchez comes in for the injured Dier.


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A sixth win on the run and a good performance to go with it. Philo1 said.....I'm really pleased with the team effort.....everybody played their part. I thought our wingers could have been a bit better with our passing in the final third but apart from that we were good. Harry got number 4 and 5 of the season and it was great to see Davinson get his first Tottenham goal.

At this point in the season I could not be happier..... we still have some big players to come back from injury plus Daniel might splash the cash in January if we keep the momentum going.

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Coming Up

Tactical Look at Tottenham

October Premier League/Champions League Games


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Tottenham Hotspur Story - The New Dawn Continues

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In a Sky Sports Review Show the pundits reviewed the season so far and looked at the tactical set up behind Philo1s unbeaten start. The pundits were split on some of the key points behind Tottenham sitting 1st in the league. Was it a kind opening schedule with none of last years top 6 or was this new Spurs finally putting the smaller teams to the sword.

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Gary Neville asked Philo1 to take him through his summer signings and how they have fitted in to the team. Well... Philo1 said....I want this team to win trophies...not in 5 years time...but now. We start winning things then we can spend more on player transfers and wages. We need to close the spending gap on the others sooner rather than later. That is why we did not invest in 15/16 year olds...but rather in players who can play their part straight away. Belotti and Zivkovic have already created goals and provided assists.

In pre-season we created multiple set piece routines...we then tried them all in pre-season games to see what worked and what didn't. Was it a pain in the ****....yes...and some were horrific but we are already seeing the rewards with 5 goals from corners and 3 from free kicks.....this is what has made the difference in some of the matches.

We also hired scouts that were high in tactical/tactics then they scout the next opposition. We focus what area of the pitch their assists come from and where do they concede from. We scout every player in the opposition team so we know are we likely to need to tweak our set up because of a pacey striker or tough dominating midefield man. We don't just react to their strengths...we also try to maximise our own.

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Leicester as you can see above are very strong defensively on the wings but less so through the middle.


We also watch every game in full (in 3D) so that we can clearly see what is working and what isn't. The amount of times in games where we have made tweaks that have won us the game is amazing. Doesn't always work but most of the time it does.

Gary Neville...Does this not mean 1 season takes about a year to complete?

Philo1....no its not as bad as that but it can be like watching the real Tottenham team at times which means I have to go through the pain twice. On the upside....when we play well the football is great...same as in real life.

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Tells us about your 4-2-1-3 set up.....having 2 Advanced Playmakers in the centre of the pitch leaves your defence exposed. Well...the tactical analysis tells me the same thing...yes we can drop Wanyama in there as a BWM as and when we need but if you watch the matches....Ali and Dembele do an awful lot of tracking back and have the physicals to compete against most central midfield hardmen. For me...I use use the players in their best positions...I know people are tempted to play Eriksen out wide as an Advanced Playmaker but his is our best player...so we keep him in the centre so he can effect our attacks through the middle and can spread the play to the wings with some great passes.

Jamie Redknapp asked....can you keep this run going?

Philo1....We will just keep doing what we are doing and see where it takes us.


Champions League Match Day 2

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In order to progress with the Group favourites we had to take all the points against Shakhtar. Philo1 made only 1 change with Belotti starting up front.

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Our Champions League dream nearly came to a swift end as Belotti...who Philo1 had been praising to the Sky Sports team got sent off in the 26th minute. With the game finely poised at 1-1 we were going to be up against it. Sonny was sacrificed.....Eriksen pushed out wide as a AP (Philo1 eating humble pie here - see above) and on came Harry. Harry played a blinder and got his first hat trick under Philo1 - amazing!

Premier League Match Day 7/8

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A dominant win over a very defensive Crystal Palace team who only managed 2 shots the whole game. Goals 9 and 10 of the season for Harry Kane. Huddersfield were a tougher nut to crack than the score line suggests. Belotti came back in for this one but it was fellow new boy Zivkovic who got on the scoresheet with Sonny and a very rare goal from Wanyama. The good start continues but tougher tasks ahead which will be the proving ground for this new Tottenham team.

Coming Up..............

Will it all fall apart against Athletico Madrid, Arsenal and Man City???????


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Tottenham Hotspur Story - The Dream Continues

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With 6 Premier League wins on the bounce for Tottenham and leading Champions League Group E after 2 games it was time for our toughest challange yet - a showdown with group favourites Athletico Madrid. Dele Ali was injured in training so Philo1 made 4 changes to the side that beat Huddersfield. In came Toby, Sissoko, Wanyama and Harry Kane replaced Belotti.
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Champions League Match Day 3
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A top notch performance from the boys saw us run out 4-1 winners in a game where the scoresheet does not reflect how even the match was. Harry Kane was the difference bagging 2 goals and getting an assist. Toby got a goal through a well worked corner routine and Wanyama got his second goal in two games. Could we actually win this group?
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A trip to the Emirates was up next for Philo1 and his team in the North London derby. Having played none of the 'Big Guns' in the league so far this was a chance to measure ourselves in terms of meeting Board expectations and qualifying for the Champions League. Team news was Dele Ali was back from injury so he would replace Wanyama in the midfield.
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Premier League Match Day 7

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A very tight game with plenty of drama. We won 2-0 thanks to a penalty from Harry Kane, a penalty miss from Giroud and a late late goal from Wanyama - his 3rd in 3 games. Whilst shots on target were few and far between for both sides Hugo Lloris pulled off 2 cracking saves giving him his first Man of the Match award.

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With games already coming quick and fast it was the Carabao Cup up next with a tricky away trip to Southampton. With a top of the table clash at the weekend with Man City Philo1 had to be careful with team selction with the medical team advising several first 11 players were at high injury risk. With that in mind even though Philo1 saw this cup as his best chance of silverware he made 4 changes to the team that beat Arsenal. In came Zivkovic, Sanchez, Marcus Edwards and Belotti.

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A terrible performance from the team. We dominated possession but created nothing. Both new boys, Belotti and Zivkovic were poor. At the start of the season I was undecided between Belotti and Dolberg - going for experience and an ability to hit the ground running I wonder if the right decision was made? Eriksen came off the bench and won the match with 2 fine goals.

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Premier League Matchday 8

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The top of the table clash with Man City saw the welcome return of Danny Rose from a long term injury. In other team news Wanyama was preferred to Ali in the centre and Toby, Sonny and Harry Kane all came back in to the starting 11.

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My favourite perfromance of the season so far. Defensively we were on the money. Despite having Sonny go off injured then his replacement Zivkovic got injured as well - the team played great. Danny Rose charged up and down the wing endlessly and got himself 2 assists and the man of the match award. Harry got goal number 14 of the season and Wanyama popped up again to get his 4th!!!


Champions League Match Day 4

The 'Crunch Match' of Group E was up next - away to Athletico Madrid. If we could get a good result here we could well finish top of the group failing disaster in the remaining 2 games. Team News saw Sanchez, Belotti and Eric 'Where Have You Been' Lamela come into the starting 11.

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Lucky Lucky Spurs. We fell behind to an early goal and never looked like turning it round. Even when Athletico had Saul sent off we looked no better. Lamela was awful on his return from injury but new boy Belotti stepped up with a wonder volley to save the day.

Premier League Matchday 8


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Burnley were visitors to Wembley - team news sees Lamela come in on the left but only because both Sonny and Zivkovic are injured. Sanchez keeps his place at the back to combat the strength of Chris Woods and Dier starts his first ever game as centre mid.


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A poor performance all round by the entire team. We dominated possession but did nothing with it except try and hit shots from 30 yards. For the 2nd game in a row the opposition had a man sent off and we failed to capitalise. Worst performance of the season.

Season So Far

Despite the poor showing in the last 2 games the season so far has been a success. We sit at the top of the league with Man Utd and Man City 3 points behind. We are top of Group E in the Champions League with 2 games left and into the Quarter Finals of the Carabao Cup.

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