OMT Spurs vs Olympiakos

[DeanoAustin]

It looked to me as though a square ball across would've gone in front of both of those players, with Kane then very likely to get on the end of it.

You could be right. I saw the angle once and thought it looked like a "thread the needle pass" because the other defender was making the pass you suggested difficult. I could be wrong though.

The other point, not that it excuses Lamela if you're right, is that Kane would have done the same thing (as someone else pointed out).

 

[MKSpur]

Can anyone fathom why Poch picked Sanchez at right back again? He is probably the most limited player technically in the whole Spurs squad. Having Sanchez playing in what for us is actually a key position in terms of turning defence to attack is so detrimental to our game. IMO we can just about afford to hide Sanchez's limited technical ability away at centre half, but we cannot do that at right back.

Anyway a point away in Athens is actually a decent result. Obviously annoying after being 2-0 up, but that was rather against the run of play I thought as Olympiacos started the game quite well. I felt that last night we tended to get better as the game went on and I thought that we were the far more likely winners in the last 20 minutes or so.

Hopefully we go back to the same starting team that we had against Palace for the weekend game and produce a similar performance. At the present time Aurier, Rose, Sissoko and Son are better options to start than Sanchez, Davies, N'Dombele and Ali (I am largely ambivalent over which one of Lamela or Moura should start).

You can see why Aurier would not be asked to play 3 games in a week but seeing KWP on the bench goes back to a question I have is why have a non game changing player on the bench if they can’t play 90. Otherwise does Poch honestly think Sanchez is better than KWP??

Of course there are permissible conspiracy theories such as that Poch is sending a message to Levy regarding squad strength or is just sticking with Sanchez out of stubbornness!

 

[parklane1]

Strange game to be honest, we looked good at times but never really looked sharp enough in our passing. Not a bad result getting a point from a away game considering that Kane, Eriksen, Alli, Jan were way below their best.

The atmosphere was brilliant and they have a good home record in Europe so it was never going to be easy, great goal from Moura and Winks had a great game.

 

[SteveAWOL]

You can see why Aurier would not be asked to play 3 games in a week but seeing KWP on the bench goes back to a question I have is why have a non game changing player on the bench if they can’t play 90. Otherwise does Poch honestly think Sanchez is better than KWP??

Of course there are permissible conspiracy theories such as that Poch is sending a message to Levy regarding squad strength or is just sticking with Sanchez out of stubbornness!

And why have Dier on the bench every week but not utilise him at DMF / RB / CB to help shut out a game we’re leading.

 

[Bullet]

Can anyone fathom why Poch picked Sanchez at right back again?

Poch is on a windup again. A full back in the modern game needs to be agile twisting and turning, marathon runner stamina to get up and down, comfortable on the ball to receive and pass, and a decent cross, good speed... Sanchez is not the right player for full back. Not at all. He looked like a big muscular bloke being asked to do a role his body shape is wholly not suitable for.

 

[Bullet]

A key point I haven't seen mentioned... Olympiacos would be desperate to get 3 points in their home games, if they are to progress out of the group.
So Spurs restricting them to 1 is good news.
If we draw 3 away and win 3 at home, 12 points.
If we draw 3 away, and at home we win 2 and draw with Bayern we get 10 points, lovely job.

 

[Bullet]

Ndombele and Winks as a pairing is not working yet. Both want ball to feet, and don't make runs in between the lines, or behind the defence, to create space. That makes the attacking play static and predictable.

We have 4 attackers ahead of them, so I don't really expect them to make runs behind the defence... but yes certainly Ndombele can make great dribbles and runs between the lines and cause havoc in theory.
His slow lolloping stride when out of possession is really tough to watch... we're used to players sprinting back to position, he lollops along like a school kid, or Emmanuel Adebayor.