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Hugo Lloris

Recently we've been labelled a one man team, however I would argue that Hugo Lloris is as big in importance as Gareth Bale.

This season in the league we have conceded 30 goals in 26 games. Breaking this down further, Brad Friedel conceded 16 goals in 10 games and Hugo just the 14 in 16 games. So he conceded 2 fewer in 6 more matches. Considering 5 of the goals were against the scum, when the team fell apart in front of him; if you took that out he has conceded just 9 in 15, and has kept 7 clean sheets.

After 11 games this season in a table of goals conceded we would have sat 11th (Least goals conceded would be top). The reason I say 11th is because Friedel played in 10 and in the middle of them Lloris kept a clean sheet against Villa. Now however since Lloris has started, in a table of goals conceded over 26 games we sit 5th. Meaning we have risen 6 places. And if we look at the overall team performance, with Friedel we won 4 drew 2 and lost 4. So 14 points from 10 games, which is midtable form.

However with Hugo its: won 10 drew 4 and lost 2, giving us 34 from 16 games, which is more than an average of 2 points a game, which over a season would give you around 80 points, which would probably be 3rd place going on 2nd. This to me shows the impact that Hugo has had in our team, and we have to bare in mind he has had an ever changing back 4 in front of him, but has still limited the goals against.

The main thing about him is that it's not so much world-class saves, but how many times do you see him racing off his line to the edge of the box to clear the ball. He's a keeper which prevents chances from coming, meaning he doesnt have to make as many saves and whilst Friedel didnt make any obvious mistakes I cant help but wonder if we had Lloris from the beginning we would have done better in the early games of the season, particularly the opening 3.

I'm expecting some people to respond and say how Friedel played against the top teams, like Chelsea, Man City, and Manure. Which he did, and conceded 8, which isnt a good return. And I know Lloris has conceded 6 against the scum and United, but I feel the game against the scum wasnt his fault in any way as 9 players in front of him just folded once Ade went off. So yeah we're by no means a one-man team, but maybe a two-man team..

Written by craig spur

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Writer: craig spur

Date:Wednesday February 13 2013

Time: 5:05PM

Your Comments

Should we alsp praise Michael Dawson for adding leadership and additional quality to the back line? In giving credit to Lloris, I have to say he has been excellent and I agree that the proactive manner in which he keeps goal is a breath of fresh air and one that I think is a big part in adding to our quality and confidence at the back

oxfordspur

Great point about Dawson OX, we are undefeated when he starts. Lloris has been brilliant and his speed off the line and his decision-making has been very good. All keepers make mistakes but the truly great keepers do so much to stop scoring situations from developing. Lloris does this. Taking crosses, getting the ball quickly in to the feet of our players going forward and just overall class control of his box. But for two "inexperience" errors by Caulker when Lloris had matters under control, the points total and the stats would look even more impressive. He has made some top class saves too and I'd suggest that if he'd been in net against Chelsea, WBA, Norwich there may well have been some very different results. He is young, he is ours, and the more people focus on Bale the better. He, like Sandro and others, are stars. COYS

peterballb

What a load of codswallop. We have a squad of 25 and play up to 14 a game. There is no I in team as they say. Win as a team, lose as a team.

Love totty

just one vote on the site poll ??Llrois has been class we have a great keeper for many years to come!!.

Edinburgh Spur

Poor Hugo he must be cream crackered with all the running around his had over the last few games, his been reading the Complete Works of William Shakespeare, in between clearing the ball and the odd catch along the way, TOP LEVEL GOALKEEPER.

spu 4 life

Love totty, isn't that the point of the article? We aren't just about Bale. We are about the team, all of whom have a hand in where we are. Tat's what Harry never got. Through lack of options Harry had to use the whole squad in 2009/2010 and we qualified for the CL. It's the team. When you break it down to starters and subs, you are sowing the seeds of discontent and entitlement. Our squad was better than we finished the past two seasons, IMO. Andre is building a team. This is why we don't add players just for the sake of it. COYS

peterballb

Can't name 5 better keepers in world football.

spurspanther

cant say i`ve seen him have a stunnung game since lazio away,

ghulamville

Finally. Quality keeper and my favourite spurs player, you don't become the captain of the french national team with a shedload of CL caps by being crap. In my opinion he is in the top 10 goalkeepers in the world and arguably the top 5. I'm also a lot more nervous about tomorrow now that Freidal is in goal, I find it silly that AVB's "resting" Lloris, hopefully he plays the second leg. But as a few have mentioned already, it's a team game and as a team we have been playing well and getting the results... And Lloris could become a spurs legend ;)

rahn DMC

Lennon has also upped his game this season maybe he is been outshon by Bale at the minute but earlier on this season he has been class also the players have said he has stepped up and become somewhat of a leader in training and before matches

krafty007

i am seriously concerned about the decision to keep on Friedel next season (and this season) as Hugo's back-up / cup keeper. It's not that he's bad, but rather that their styles are just so different, it upsets the entire defensive setup as seen to shocking effect in the leeds game. the question is, would it have been better to hang on to gomes or cudicini instead? i can't really understand AVB's/the club's decision here, and i can see it costing us many a game

BS Baffles Brains

LLoris is the world class keeper we`ve been looking for for the last 25 years+ ,outstanding .
Putting Bad friedel ahead of him against Lyon is criminal ,Bad Friedel is poor & he`s not even close to the same league as Lloris .

Dembele ,Sandro ,Vertonghen deserve a mention along with Bale & lloris ,by far our best 5 players .
Dempsey ,Lennon & Adebayor need to start producing in the final 3rd ,average season by all 3 .
When a player you like plays bad ,fans say " he had a quiet game " ,it`s the same thing ,just polite .

big cockeral

I have been amazed at the difference Hugo has made especially I as thought Brad was really good for us after Gomes. Really *****ed off that AVB has picked Brad for tomorrow. Made him stupid promises probably. I just hope Hugo is cool with because in my book the mark of a great player is one who makes the rest better too and he does.

Love totty

@Craig spur Well said!! Apart from the league games the europa league match against lazio is worth mentioning. Lloris seemed to be invincible in front of goal. I havent seen any keeper perform better than this throughout an entire match. The no. of shots were lazio 25, spurs 4. Yet the final score was 0-0 thanks to Hugo. Even in the game against the scum he made some brilliant saves. I'm disappointed to know that he wont be picked against Lyon. What the hell is AVB thinking? He shouldnt be taking such risks in important matches.

Floydboy

man lookin forward to tonights match,this is why its important to be back in the best cup competition in the world,better than world cup

ghulamville

Lloris has been a breath of fresh air. His consistency is something we have not seen at WHL since the day of Jennings. as for the whole one man team thing, no one was saying that earlier in the season when our only credible goal threat was Defoe!

Tactically Challenge

Add Lennon to that as the bloke has been brilliant this season!!!

woodyn17

Nothing would make me happier than seeing Friedel become our GK coach. Perhaps no3 next season, but no way he should be our no2. You can't be a defender that is so used to your GK claiming balls and then have the complete opposite as the backup. The irony is that Gomes plays the same way as Lloris, is early 30's and in many ways would be a great backup. It's not as if we could now say that he unnerves his defence or is a calamity keeper after not seeing him play for 2 seasons. How do we know what he's like? What we do know though is that Brad isn't ideal.

muttley

dare i say it but i have always liked lloris's attitude, compare his body languge when he was not playing to ade. having said that you cant say the goals against le scum was down to the team and the clean sheets all down to the keeper. you probably get similar stats when dembele has played and yes daws too

troffer2

what baffles me more, is not that Friedel gets a game....but that Avb says this is going to be a tough game against top class opposition, with champions league pedigree and a test for spurs and that the EL' is not to be taken lightly by spurs.................Yet...decides to play a weaker side !!! Of course we know qualifying for the champions league is our priority.....BUT...for me, squad rotation for the sake of it, is simply not nec'...and certainly Not at the business end of the season. Football twists and turns of it's own accordance.........For me, it is about playing your strongest side every game, from here on in...to the end of the season. Let injuries, suspensions and players off form, change the side, when they occur.

82spursdebut

World class keeper at last ! All great teams have one and now we do so all good to start bringing in the silver.

Little spur

The keeper I always wanted at spurs, finding a back up keeper in the same mold has to be sorted out in the summer because as some have said and as I've said Lloris and Freidal are so different it's not funny. I can only hope that our center backs play slightly deeper than normal and close the space between themselves and Freidal or else we will concede.

Jantheman

NO. Dont get me wrong Lloris is clearly a quality player and could go on to be a Spurs legend, but he's not as important as Bale. Who would you rather get injured? Big love for Lloris though. I think as OxfordSpur rightly pointed out its the Lloris/Dawsonj combination that has really made the difference imo. Ive been critical of Dawson at times in the past and he has his limitations. But the way's hes gone from surplus to requirements to first choice centreback is immense, he's been an absolute rock. Verts is a better player, but Dawson has been our best defender in the last 2 months

HuddersfieldYiddo

Hope being loyal to brad does not cost us a chance to start the lining

Little spur

Also sad to see Lennon STILL getting stick from a certain poster. For me Lennon has been our second best player this season behind Baleinho although Sandro & Dembele would have run him close if it wasnt for injuries

HuddersfieldYiddo

Those stats are totally skewed and unfair to Freidel. The whole team was playing crap in early season and leaking goals like crazy and it wasn't brad's fault. The defence has been tightened up considerably since Hugo took over.

Hot_Spur

Craig, I think your stats are meaningless but what is obvious is how much better Lloris is than Friedel, so the point of your article is good. Friedel always gave me the creeps anyway, huge frame but ***** scared to come out and command the ball,always preferred Gomes. Good point about Dawson and without looking it up I think he was not available (injured) for much of the end of last seasons collapse.

matt hoten

@Hot_Spur yet lloris managed a clean sheet in the middle of all thos matches friedel played and friedel couldnt manage 1?

craig spur

He has been great, also the way AVB brought him into the team was truly great management. Football in England is harsh, if Hugo had made his Maribor mistake against Man City, got punished for his mistake against Villa then let in 5 against the scum he would have been finished. Instead AVB has brought him in slowly and steadily, and respectfully to Fridel, and now given him his number 1 shirt now he is ready. Well done!

T.H.F.Chris

Also i want to point out that i dont think we are one or two man team by any means, i was merely poking fun at that idea. I think the partnership of sandro and dembele was vital in the first half of the season and its such a shame sandro's out for the season, and i think lennon has been important, and defoe's early form will be another factor if we do finish 4th, even if he doesnt find form again. And holtby looks like something we've missed for a while. My main disagreement with the whole 'one-man team' is that every one of our strongest 11 would all get into at least a top 6/7 side

craig spur

Love all the experts criticing AVB' choice for tomorrow game in playing Friedel. They sound a bit like the Life of Brian. AVB what has he done for us etc.etc. Has the thought occurred that it's brilliant man management. Might he be playing Brad for the home leg and letting Lloris play in the away leg allowing him to make a triumphant return to his old home and old fans? I think that's his idea but hey what does AVB know about management and player selection and motivation? Bring back Harry eh? After all he didn't rest players when they weren't injured and he didn't allow burn out last year did he? On balance I'll go with AVB actually knowing best.

oldun

oldun...you should read my post,above...lol Yep' we have to believe he knows what he is doing...but he sure do baffle me ...lol

82spursdebut

craig spur....one man team....No......we certainly are not...BUT we are currently a one man winning team. And that in itself is worrying.......as we know, it only takes a charlie adam like chap to come along and ruin the platform, that spurs have built.

82spursdebut

Anyone knows the stats when both Friedel and Gallas have started together?. I think Gallas is likely to get a start and with Lloris rested, he’d be the one to translate what the French are saying during corners and free kicks!

Critical_Spur

Outstanding keeper, good shot stopper, agile, and athletic. My only criticism would be his kicking and general distribution can be a bit loose, but nobody is perfect.

Frank

No we are not a one man team, but we have nicked 7 points out of the last 9 against Norwich, WBA, and Newcastle by virtue of opportunist efforts by Gareth Bale, which were the difference v WBA, and Newcastle, and saved a point v Norwich. Those who don't give him full credit for his influence on our results, are deluded, he is the player most likely to see us into the top 4, not only by his goals but the havoc he reeks on defenders causing doubling up and creating space and opportunities for others, which are largely wasted, we would soon see the difference if he was out injured. We would also see a positive difference if we had somebody good enough, and quick enough, to get on the end of some of those killer daisy cutter crosses he puts across the 6 yard box regularly, a proper finisher would fill his boots

Frank

Well put frank.

Little spur

No doubt one of the best keeper in Europe.

what_sux

Great article Craig. Stats are stats, you just managed to work them into your arguement and I agree. I also understand you were making a mockery of the 'one man team' hype. No need to justify yourself IMO.

thenuge

super lloris...end of

rovinella62spurs

World class Keeper. Baffles me why he isn't starting against Lyon.

asherthesmasher

Agreed, it's a strange decision not to play Lloris tonight (if it's true) but considering the job AVB has done so far, I am more than happy to back the managers decision. AVB has done an excellent job of introducing Lloris into the team without shattering Friedels confidence even though Brad must now realise that he's the number two keeper at the club. Back the team, keep the faith and tonight should show us how ready we are for the CL if we do manage to finish top 4, well top 3 actually because we all know by now that if we finish 4th Arsenal will win the CL.

thfc1882whl

IAVBIT but I too would have preferred Lloris in goal. He is so good. Why put our second best (clearly) goal keeper on for this game? How important is it for us to win this game and not concede? How important is it for Lloris to be rested? Still, AVB knows what he is doing.

Madaboutspurs

What sets him apart from Friedel is he is quick off his line to snuff out any danger, where as friedel will hold his ground and hope the striker makes the wrong choice!! The first goal against Leeds is a fine example of Friedel not doing enough to prevent a goal. Lloris would have made the scorer rush more with his choice of where to place his shot.

WestStandEnclosure

no we shouldnt Ox because Dawson doesnt

tophobunty

thfc1882whl, if we come fourth Arsenal will still not win the champ league. However due to the poor showing by English clubs this year, the English quota will be cut from four to three. I know they can't just cut the quota like that for next season, but knowing our luck, they'll make an exception!

In-spurs-ational

In-spurs-ational - UEFA are unlikely to cut our quota unless English teams consistently perform below standard in the group stages. Generally speaking all 4 teams come out of their respective groups, only Utd and City last season failed to but that will be balanced out by the fact Chelsea somehow won it. This season Chelsea and City failed to come out of the group and I don't see Arsenal winning it, United?

The leagues with 4 teams are England, Spain and Germany, we also top the points system so 1 or 2 bad seasons could be ok, consistent underachievement would see us fall.

yiddyboy

I think everyone now agrees that Lloris is the best keeper at the club! Therefore surely everyone must agree that the clubs number 1 keeper should play tonight in such a hugely important game for the club, in terms of bring silverware to the club! The club's last chance to win a trophy this season! Rotation can be good, but not just to keep squad members happy! Get hard AVB! Play your best team in Europe!!!

pelebro

Good article Craig Spur. I would actually go as far as to say that Lloris is the most important player in our team at the moment. Yes I know Bale is world class and his recent goals have been vital - nobody is arguing about that. But Lloris has quietly given us a far greater, more coordinated, more coherent and more confident back 5 (despite the constant changes in personnel) and that is shown in our very impressive defensive record. I agree that goals win games but with our dearth of strikers we rarely look likely to score more than goal per game so keeping clean sheets is what is helping us nick 3 points from games we would have previously drawn or lost. Having played as a CB to a decent level you can never understimate the impact a world class keeper makes to your defensive mindset and solidity. Long live Lloris!

SpuriousLife

Those saying Arsenal won't win the CL, no doubt you said the same about Chelsea last year !!

Hot_Spur

Lloris is so important to us he will be prone to odd mistake but he is a confident very good GK who clears up very well and we have improved with him and yes I agree he is as important as Bale.

secondly I think our defence has improved with Dawson over Gallas. i think AVB got it wrong playing Gallas over Dawson especially with Caulker I could see that partnership wouldn't work because we need a strong header of the ball at CB and Caulker is still learning and Gallas several occasions didn't clear the ball enough with his head and when he did it was weak. Same with Vert both Vert and caulker need a player next to them that is strong in the air. However, AVB needed to get to know is players and I think he has found Dawsons strengths and Gallas weaknesses and realised Dawson is much needed. Yes Dawson is slow and will be turned and give the ball away but every player has their weaknesses and Dawson is also valuable to us when kabule is out.

I think a strong team needs a good spine a good GK a good CD a good CM and a good Striker. We have a good GK, CD, CM but not the striker yet. Lloris for me has settled the players at the back and they like the fact that he comes of his line it relaxes them.

thfan

I do think that AVB is being too nice in keeping Friedel happy, but never mind the 1st leg at home, THE important match is the away leg. Lloris simply HAS to play in that one, irrespective of the score from the 1st game.

Spuds-U-Like

Hugo is head and shoulders above Friedel in terms of quality, there's no debate there. The obvious reason for AVB giving Friedel a start is to keep him fresh and interested and part of the setup. Something that is essential should - heavens forbid - Lloris gets injured.

darkenvai

In that case darkenvai, I'd have let Friedel go & kept Cudicini. Carlo was brilliant coming off the bench.

Spuds-U-Like

I don't think that Cudicini is a better keeper than Friedel. He was definitely very accomplished at warming a bench though. Had lots of practice ;-)

darkenvai

Debateable darken buddy, I happen to think there wasn't a lot between them & I'd say Carlo was more like Lloris in ability & coming off his line, than Brad. Plus Carlo was happy to be a No. 2, whereas I'm not convinced Friedel is.

Spuds-U-Like

Probably why Friedel is being thrown the bone that is tonight's Lyon game.

darkenvai

Lloris is in the top 5 keepers in the world, simple. That’s why we had to pay so much for him (think it was the 5th highest ever amount paid for a GK) Really disappointed that AVB had “rested Lloris” for this one though. I think it’s a very stupid decision in terms of actual quality on the pitch and on a personal level to Lloris. Yeah he’s come out and said when Brad played PL games Lloris played in the EL so now its Brad turn, fair comments, but I think AVB should have used a bit more heat and less by the book in this instance. One of the on form teams in Europe, and we don’t have a game for another week, Lloris would have honestly been my first name on the team sheet. I think if h doesn’t start Lloris in the away leg there will be some serious tension between the 2. I think AVB is a cracking manager and I am (and always have) been 100% behind him but he does make some bloody stupid calls sometimes.

hudderspur

I've been very impressed with Hugo. I feel more confident when watching a game as the decision making the lad makes is almost always right.

Metal Spurs

We have 2 quality keepers, neither of which has let us down. Very different, in that Hugo is a sweeper keeper allowing to play a higher line, and Brad is solid but more on his line giving him more time to see shots as he is a good shot stopper. Prefer Hugo but happy to support either with me being behind the goal tonight.

COYS R US

Hugo has been fanatastic...very pleased with how he's dealt with the physicality of the PL, I thought he may get caught out on crosses etc but he's been calm and strong. Brad- what is going on there? we should be waving goodbye to him in the summer instead of keeping him as #2...would be a disaster if Hugo picked up an injury after we've got rid of Gomes...

shedboy2

The one player team tag suits us down to the ground. All our other stars are performing admirably but all the focus is on Bale.

Slurms McKenzie

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