Pelach wants to give Johansson a helping hand
Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach says the way they defend is the reason they are facing so many shots this season, but would also like to reduce the workload on goalkeeper Viktor Johansson.
Only Plymouth Argyle (17.6) average more shots conceded than Stoke (15.8) in the Championship but Pelach has revealed it is partly down to the way they approach games.
“We defend the space rather than the man and when you do that you allow the opposition to have possession in front of you but theoretically it doesn’t hurry you because you always have 11 men behind the ball,” the Potters head coach told BBC Radio Stoke
“I prefer this because if you press all the time and go man for man they get more one v ones against your goalkeeper.
“In the way we defend, we concede more corners than other teams, more shots than others but you always give your goalkeeper a chance to save it.”
As a result, Stoke goalkeeper Johannsson is one of the busiest in the Championship, leading the division for total saves with 67.
“Viktor is playing really well and that’s why I employed (goalkeeping coach) Paul Clements because the way I coach outfield players relates very well to how he coaches the goalkeepers,” Pelach added.
“Everything we do is connected – when the defensive line is doing one thing, Viktor is doing one thing in the goal. No one sees it but it’s all connected.
“I expect a great season for Viktor and he will have to perform because we concede shots – I want to concede fewer but it takes time and it will go down step by step.”
Stoke are at home to promotion chasing Burnley in the Championship on Saturday.
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The famous phrase “the game is about glory” echoes around the magnificent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before every game as a call to arms and the club’s mission statement.
They were the words of the legendary Danny Blanchflower, who captained Spurs to the league and FA Cup Double in 1961, the charismatic figure who epitomised the stylish image the club wished to portray.
Ange Postecoglou, the Australian manager who led Spurs to the first glory they have enjoyed in 17 years by winning the Europa League, has discovered in the most brutal manner that this message carries a hollow ring in the hands of chairman Daniel Levy.
Postecoglou followed that time-honoured Spurs mantra, fulfilling a promise to win a trophy in his second season. His reward for grabbing the glory was the sack.
In the statement confirming Postecoglou’s dismissal after two seasons, Spurs revealed the new reality by saying: “Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.”
In other words, head not heart. Glory and emotion are welcome but are not the currency that carry most weight at Tottenham Hotspur these days.
Glory and emotion, at least under Levy, are not enough for Spurs any more, even though his only previous brush with success during his time as chairman was winning the League Cup with Juande Ramos as manager in 2008.
Postecoglou, justifiably, reflected on his work with “pride”.
In a statement he said: “The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime.”
When history tells the tale of Postecoglou’s time at Spurs, it will remember the historic night in Bilbao when Manchester United were overcome in a manner his critics claimed was beyond him – organised, disciplined, tactically sound, victorious.
It will also recall a dreadful Premier League season and a 17th-place finish, with 22 defeats and only 11 victories, but Postecoglou’s real legacy will be becoming only the third Spurs manager to win a European trophy after the great Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.
