Ange Postecoglou mentioned Tottenham’s set-piece defending was his “burden to carry” as Jamie Redknapp mentioned Spurs are “scared” of defending dead-ball conditions.
Gabriel Magalhaes headed Arsenal to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Tottenham in a fiery North London derby on Tremendous Sunday.
From Spurs’ perspective, it was the sixteenth set-piece aim they’ve conceded this calendar yr. Much more damning is that, because the flip of the yr, Postecoglou’s aspect have conceded 13 occasions from corners – the second-highest complete within the division.
Postecoglou in Might mentioned “he wasn’t interested” about his aspect’s weak point whereas defending set-pieces and he was equally prickly when pressed on the topic in his post-match press convention following the Arsenal defeat.
He mentioned: “I do know for some motive individuals assume I do not care about set-pieces, and it is a narrative that you could preserve occurring for ages and ages. I perceive that.
“Like I mentioned, we work on them on a regular basis, like we do with each different crew.
“You recognize that they are a risk. As I mentioned, for probably the most half we dealt with them very well at present, however we switched off in a single and we paid a value. You be taught from that and you progress on.
“It is what it is. It’s my burden to carry and I’m happy to do that. Like I’ve always said, for me there’s a bigger picture that’s at play here that’s much more important than the finer details of us getting to where we want to.
“For us, the best way ahead is to, as I mentioned, attempt to flip the soccer we’re enjoying now into one thing significant.
“We’re a team that’s progressing in many areas. With all that sort of progress, there’s always kind of new challenges and new things that you need to overcome.
“After I have a look at the 4 video games in isolation this yr, our soccer’s been extra constant and extra compelling than it was in our first 4 video games final yr. Clearly the outcomes do not replicate that.
“I think we’ve made progress in certain areas, but there’s other areas, like I said, we still need to improve on. That’s my job, to kind of fill those gaps as quickly as possible.”
Redknapp: Spurs are scared at set-pieces
Jamie Redknapp on Sky Sports activities:
“When I look at Tottenham, certainly from set-pieces, it feels like fear. It feels like they’re scared.
“For the aim, in that six-yard field all people – James Maddison, Micky van de Ven – is simply holding on to their man for expensive life. It is panic, it is worry. Mikel Arteta mentioned it: ‘Can we get the supply proper? Can we assault the ball?’
“I think about the great teams at set-pieces, Chelsea used to keep Didier Drogba as a free man because they knew he might not be the best at getting involved in marking somebody. But you say to him: ‘You go and attack the ball. You’re so good at attacking the ball, don’t worry about marking somebody.’
“Alan Shearer, when he defended the close to put up, he was at all times incredible at simply going to leap.
“I think everyone is so conscious of not being the one who makes a mistake. I’ve got my man, I’m taking care of this. Instead of thinking there’s only one ball, go and attack it and make sure they don’t score.”
Neville goes in ‘laborious’ on Vicario
Gary Neville talking on The Gary Neville Podcast:
“It’s poor defending from Romero. He has got to stay tight to Gabriel. I will go hard on the goalkeeper. I played with dominant and not so dominant goalkeepers, and it’s an absolute must for me to have a goalkeeper that’s brave.
“He was a yard or so off his line, however he was getting concerned. That ball lands three or 4 yards in your zone, and I am not having this concept that goalkeepers get blocked.
“The nice goalkeepers, in the event that they get blocked, it is a foul and a whistle will go. He has to come back out and punch that. He has to assist Romero. That is the expectation of me as a defender that my goalkeeper has to come back out and catch it or punch if it is three or 4 yards out from the centre of the aim.
“I don’t care how it’s being played in, your starting position should be one or two yards out, you should be able to step and catch or punch. The idea that he gets involved all the time, he’s pontificating, he’s always whinging before the ball comes in, his arms are everywhere, he’s a bit frantic. I don’t want to see that.
“The most effective goalkeepers will come out the odd time and flap and miss, however that does not cease them from doing the precise factor the following time.
“You don’t want an emotional goalkeeper in my opinion. You want calmness. It’s a rock, it’s your last line of defence. I don’t want them shouting and putting their arms everywhere because it creates anxiety in the crowd and with your defenders. I wanted him to be more dominant.”
Evaluation: Set-piece proves decisive
Sky Sports activities’ Nick Wright:
It was in all probability becoming that the sport was determined by a set-piece. Considered one of Arsenal’s largest strengths stays a perplexing weak point for Postecoglou’s Spurs.
Gabriel’s header, powered dwelling from contained in the Spurs six-yard field from Saka’s inswinging supply, was the twenty second set-piece aim Arsenal have scored within the Premier League because the begin of final season, probably the most by any aspect within the division.
The writing had been on the wall, with Arsenal inflicting repeated issues from corners even earlier than Gabriel made the breakthrough. A serious weapon for Arteta’s aspect stays a deadly weak point for his or her north London rivals.
Three of Arsenal’s final 4 Premier League objectives in opposition to rivals Tottenham have been from corners – the identical variety of nook objectives they scored within the earlier 88 North London derbies mixed.
Son: It is a painful consequence
Tottenham captain Heung-Min Son to Sky Sports activities:
“The football was there, we dominated the game. It was the lack of details and we conceded two goals last season to set-pieces and today is also about set-pieces.
“That is the small print that change ends in massive video games. It is a painful consequence and I am positive the followers are very, very upset.
“We need to improve, 100 per cent, and move on. In tough moments, we have to stick together.
“We’re getting within the last third, we’re making the precise photographs and proper choices. However the gamers need to take accountability as a result of that is the toughest half. We confirmed it in coaching and within the video games, we must be extra medical.
“Early in the season, it’s a tough moment definitely. We have to stick together and then if we get good results, we will bounce back stronger.
“We now have to take accountability, there’s nothing else to say. The idea is there, the soccer is there. We now have to be extra medical.”