Spurs’ inability to defend set pieces is something Postecoglou is adamant about, despite growing evidence to the contrary.
After a disastrous first half, Spurs’ spirited second half performance nearly produced an improbable equalizer against their title-chasing rivals, but eventually the damage had been done.
Spurs had two times as many shots and 72% of the possession in the first half as Arsenal, so their 3-0 halftime lead may not have accurately reflected their play, but it did highlight their superiority in the attacking end.
The Gunners were astute and took advantage of two of Tottenham’s most obvious vulnerabilities: counterattacking and corner defense.
“It’s not just that, I think there’s more to it than that, but our defensive set pieces for those two were just awful. However, there are many more issues to resolve.
That builds on remarks he made earlier this month, saying, “I’ve never had a specific set-piece coach.” That has always been the responsibility of someone.
“It’s always preferable in my opinion if that person is on the coaching staff because it’s an extension of how our football is played. I don’t think of set-pieces as apart from the rest of what we do as a squad. Hopefully, everything is connected.
Postecoglou disclosed that Ryan Mason is in charge of attacking set plays, while Mile Jedinak, a former captain of Australia and Crystal Palace, was brought into his coaching setup last summer. Jedinak’s work at Hotspur Way will undoubtedly be scrutinized because Spurs are still far from fixing their set play issues.
Still, the most urgent issue is probably how to defend against set pieces. Guglielmo Vicario was successfully battered by Ruben Dias from a corner that Nathan from in Manchester City‘s January 1-0 victory over Tottenham is a tactic that many other teams have adopted subsequently.
Vicario is always bumped and pushed by an opponent before the ball is sent in when Spurs are facing a corner. Ben White was given the duty of doing so on Sunday, and as the Italian was giving his defenders instructions, he attempted to take off Vicario’s glove, adding a layer of shithousery to his disruptor role.
When I asked Vicario at the beginning of March if he thought referees in England provided enough protection for keepers, he politely said, “I think it’s a different way to what I had to face in the past [in Italian football].”
“Perhaps you just need to get comfortable and try your hardest to deal with that.” I believe referees are doing a good job.that he is unable to prod Vicario as the ball enters.
The fact that Postecoglou, his coaches, and the players had just two weeks to be ready for the derby and come up with a strategy to neutralize Arsenal‘s set-piece danger worries Spurs fans. Not that they weren’t forewarned: Arsenal leads the league in set-piece goals scored so far this year with 20.
Nevertheless, they were utterly helpless to stop them. For all the good that Postecoglou has done at Spurs, set-pieces increasingly look like a blind spot he is unwilling to check and a stubborn failure to address
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