Comparing Fonseca’s Roma to last year’s Tottenham Hotspur
By Aaron Coe
Tottenham vs Roma on Defense
The defensive end of the pitch showed some similarities and some differences between the two sides. While neither team was particularly good defensively, their approaches varied greatly. The one place where the two teams had similar issues was with individual errors.
While the refrain around the Spurs was individual errors that were hurting the team, the stats did not always support it. Although there is no stat for NOT clearing the ball, there is a statistic for errors leading to an opponent’s shot.
Tottenham only had four total errors leading directly to an opponent’s shot, while Roma had 12. Of course, there are lots of ways to make individual mistakes that lead to the other team scoring and Roma has the statistical proof to back it up.
Those errors were to be expected in some ways for Roma, as Fonseca plays with the ball in the back far more than Tottenham did last season. Fonseca’s teams rely on a sweeper keeper and invite pressure.
As we know with Tottenham, when the pressure was light the defense was tight but when the pressure was high things went south. This is a concern heading into the next season, as Tottenham will need to either improve or change many of their defenders to handle the kind of pressure they invite on the ball.
Don’t mistake playing out of the back for a low block
Beyond playing out of the back and making individual mistakes the defensive approaches of Roma and Spurs are quite different. Yes, Roma played out of the back but with their crisp, progressive passing were able to use their passing to push the defense up the pitch.
Roma gave up more goals on the season, 58 compared to just 45 from Tottenham, however, some of this was just poor fortune. Roma conceded four fewer shot-creating actions per 90 than did Spurs and conceded 2 fewer shots per match.
When you consider Roma had a +4 per match shot advantage compared to Tottenham’s -1, maybe there is something to Fonseca’s approach. Whereas Mourinho’s more defensive, counter-attacking tactics led to more pressure on the defense, the idea is that Fonseca’s attacking, possession style will lead to less.
Next. Pros and cons of appointing Fonseca. dark
If Fonseca can get the team to start passing better and more aggressively as he did with Roma, then maybe that can happen. If not, well Tottenham may end up having a season remarkably like their last.