Tottenham Hotspur - Hugo Lloris The Key To Villas Boas's Defence

TheHardTackle examines the defensive performances of Tottenham Hotspur , and takes a look at what makes Hugo Lloris a key component of Villas Boas's Spurs. [caption id="attachment_124402" align="alignright" width="300"] Hugo Lloris' - unconventional, but very effective[/caption] Though Tottenham Hotspurai??i??s 'treatment' of Hugo Lloris, in the medical sense, has catalyzed heated debate in the week gone by; his handling of matters, in footballing terms, continues to impress and he has unarguably been one of the key instruments in the clubai??i??s excellent defensive record this term.

Lloris stands apart from many of his contemporaries. He is no foot soldier merely obeying instructions with the benign acceptance of a company man; he is a revolutionary, something of a tactical facilitator, whose strengths allow his team to adopt the high line so favored by the coach. Few goalkeepers dictate, with such readiness, such fluency, the manner in which their side plays; most opt instead to work within the confines of a traditionally functional role.

How have Spurs fared in defence thus far? A quick look at the figures provides a platform from which to expand. In 18 games this season, Tottenham have conceded 8 goals and kept 13 clean sheets. In 10 Premier League games, that breaks down to 6 goals conceded and 7 clean sheets with the club garnering the second-highest average possession in the division. They have yet to concede in the Europa League. We are presented with an amalgamation of control and solidity the likes of which run contrary to precedents established in the clubai??i??s past and which serve to confound fans brought up on a more sparkling albeit erratic aesthetic.

Feelings of disorientation extend to the opposition, for it is they who have to combat the strangles and suffocation forced upon them. The choke, so central to how Spurs have played this season, occurs due to a high defensive line and an unrelenting press initiated by the forwards. The high line acts in the manner of an advancing wall, restricting the opponentsai??i?? space and it often forces them back towards their own goal.

The confinement has enabled players such as Lewis Holtby and Paulinho, in particular, to press with greater zeal (they have less ground to cover) - the net effect of which is less time on the ball for the opposition and an increased number of errors closer to goal. The ploy has an almost sadistic tinge to it. It is an examination of an opponentai??i??s technique, especially forensic because the questions posed are by a fellow professional. Oneai??i??s credibility, how one is judged by the discerning, and oneai??i??s self-esteem, how one judges oneself, are potentially in question when a team deploys the high press and the recent game against Everton is a fine example of this.

In the first half, Everton were overwhelmed by Tottenhamai??i??s harrying and were forced into a display at odds with their position and self opinion. Time and again they conceded possession in dangerous areas and they were unable to impose themselves in their nouveau progressive approach on account of the away sideai??i??s press. Such was the dominance in the first forty-five minutes that it appeared entirely reasonable to assume the pitch was at a tilt. Evertonai??i??s players became the objects of crowd frustration and their confidence visibly dipped. The press, like its namesake, has a habit of inflicting heat on whatever it comes into contact with and the half-time whistle would have been Chopin to their ears.

Though Spurs were unable to continue in the same vein in the second half, the idea that their style has merit was evidenced that afternoon, even if the quality of their attacking play was disappointingly short of the high standards set for them. Undoubtedly, the system is one worth persevering with but that the individual components within it are not functioning as they ought to.

Hugo Lloris - the most important piece of the puzzle? Without trivializing matters too far, Hugo Lloris is the single-most important character in the piece [to the extent that it is debatable whether Loic Remy would have scored in Newcastle's 1-0 win over Spurs had Lloris been present]. AVBai??i??s high line, with respect to its defensive aptitude, works so well precisely because Lloris is the custodian of the teamai??i??s goal. His natural leanings prompt his sweeping of crosses and through balls but its execution betray a studious mind, an impeccable judgement and ability that if demonstrated in a defender, would evoke hysteria. Problems are solved with the ease of Pulp Fictionai??i??s Winston Wolf and with the nonchalance of some of his more indolent countrymen.

[caption id="attachment_124459" align="alignright" width="315"] AndrAi?? Villas-Boas is an advocate of the high defensive line; and Lloris is a key component of it[/caption] His acceleration off his line and the certainty that accompanies his forays still take the breath away despite multiple viewings. The apogee of this sub-genre took place in the North London Derby defeat at the Emirates when Theo Walcott found himself alone with only the keeper to beat. Walcott, no slouch lest we forget, raced onto a defence-bisecting pass and a goal seemed all but inevitable. What happened next forced many to stand and applaud, not in relief, but in epiphany. That goalkeepers could do such things did not seem especially plausible. Lloris, having hurtled from his box, with leg outstretched, dispossessed the attacker in a manner that stunned everyone.

The speed with which he moved and the quality of the tackle raised the bar indefinitely. Knowing that Lloris possesses these dimensions allows his defenders to push high up the pitch and play the offside trap (this has been a feature of their play this season) with a comfort level that would otherwise be absent. Secure in the knowledge that balls passed beyond them are likely to be recovered by the French captain, his defenders play with a focus and intensity that induces nightmares in their adversaries. His presence is the legal equivalent of a watertight indemnity clause such is its ability to protect and soothe.

Beyond the narrow context of his effect on how football is played at Tottenham, Lloris might in time come to engender a seismic shift in how the role of goalkeepers is perceived. It would be perfectly reasonable for coaches everywhere, with a penchant for a high line, to train their young recruits in line with what ought to be termed the ai???Lloris programmeai???; though it remains questionable whether such things as judgement can ever be taught.

If we consider the work he has accomplished, both in semi-revolutionizing his position and instituting a new code for his contemporaries, his commitment to his style under all the circumstances, his ability to think outside of the box both literally and figuratively in a role that attracts criticism of the most vitriolic kind, we need not be surprised that connoisseurs propagate his virtues so volubly. He is undoubtedly a seminal figure in the game right now.