***OMT Tottenham Hotspur v SCBC***

[Gazza Dazzla]

Don’t know what Poch did to Sanchez. His first season he looked top notch. But he has never recaptured that early form.

Probably something to do with playing in a 3 with peak Jan and Toby either side of him and Dembele and Wanyama in front of him?

 

[Bedfordspurs]

On reflection I do think we forget that defence played midweek away in outer Mongolia or wherever it was
Maybe the travel is part of the issue ..

 

[Diamond Lights]

The thing that interested me the most yesterday was i think Son's 3rd goal. Kane dropping deep, his back to Son and the middle of the park, just chipped the ball in behind the defence clueless as to whether anyone was actually going to be there.

And that's not a negative. Obviously tactics were discussed for Kane to put the ball there even if he didn't have any vision to be sure, as Son would have been instructed to run through. And lo and behold, Son was there, ran through unopposed and scored a 3rd.

Great to see that from a tactical perspective, as clearly was some form of instruction. First half a worry though, just very little going forward cohesively. If teams sit back against us, we'll be in trouble.

 

[nayenezgani]

The thing that interested me the most yesterday was i think Son's 3rd goal. Kane dropping deep, his back to Son and the middle of the park, just chipped the ball in behind the defence clueless as to whether anyone was actually going to be there.

And that's not a negative. Obviously tactics were discussed for Kane to put the ball there even if he didn't have any vision to be sure, as Son would have been instructed to run through. And lo and behold, Son was there, ran through unopposed and scored a 3rd.

Great to see that from a tactical perspective, as clearly was some form of instruction. First half a worry though, just very little going forward cohesively. If teams sit back against us, we'll be in trouble.

Kane said as much in his post match interview, the game plan was to exploit the huge spaces in behind the high line.

He also admitted to not looking for one of the passes, just hitting it feeling Son would be in about the right spot.

 

[Mr Gogolak]

Maybe the performance wasn't as good as the scoreline suggests, but it was still fun to watch, particularly when you heard Jenas' comments during the game. I turned the sound off after he said that the players didn't look happy. Well, they didn't look too sad either at the end of the game, did they?

Amazingly, despite winning 5-2 away from home and a record performance from two of our forwards, most of the headlines I'm reading this morning are negative: Spurs should have been 3-0 down at half-time, Dele's unhappy at Spurs, Spurs didn't deserve anything from the game and so on. We should definitely work on our PR...

On a side note, you have to wonder where Bale is going to fit in the current system. Somehow, I can't see Mourinho dropping Lucas but it's going to be equally difficult to take Son out of the team on that display. Despite his claims before the Everton game that he knows his team, I think he's still figuring things out but it certainly makes me eager to see our next game, which is definitely more than I could say three days ago.

Also, it doesn't matter but I wonder whether Kane's first goal should have been disallowed. Son looked onside to me (but you could argue I'm biased).

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Maybe the performance wasn't as good as the scoreline suggests, but it was still fun to watch, particularly when you heard Jenas' comments during the game. I turned the sound off after he said that the players didn't look happy. Well, they didn't look too sad either at the end of the game, did they?

Amazingly, despite winning 5-2 away from home and a record performance from two of our forwards, most of the headlines I'm reading this morning are negative: Spurs should have been 3-0 down at half-time, Dele's unhappy at Spurs, Spurs didn't deserve anything from the game and so on. We should definitely work on our PR...

On a side note, you have to wonder where Bale is going to fit in the current system. Somehow, I can't see Mourinho dropping Lucas but it's going to be equally difficult to take Son out of the team on that display. Despite his claims before the Everton game that he knows his team, I think he's still figuring things out but it certainly makes me eager to see our next game, which is definitely more than I could say three days ago.

Also, it doesn't matter but I wonder whether Kane's first goal should have been disallowed. Son looked onside to me (but you could argue I'm biased).

Moura will be out for bale
We know he loves Moura but we’re talking a different label here

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

The issue with the Winks/Hojberg pairing as an analogue to the deep playmaker/high disruptor pairings he's used is that...well, quality-wise, they're just not on the same level, from the evidence of the last few games. Winks does an okay job sitting in front of the back four, but he can't actually screen them anywhere near as well as Cambiasso or Alonso used to do for Mourinho, and he can't distribute it anywhere near as well as those guys either.

Hojberg, on the other hand, can do an okay job pressing high, but does he actually win all the tackles he flies into? Does he know what to do with the ball when he wins it? Does he have the work-rate and awareness to drop into the midfield line alongside the distributor when needed? Jury's out.

The two players that would be ideal for the role are Lo Celso and Ndombele, classic two-way midfielders in every sense of the term. However, frustratingly, each has a key flaw that prevents them being the 'ideal' Mourinho deep midfielder, although presumably he will make both work.

Lo Celso can be an excellent disruptor, but he's a bit too small physically to really win out the way Khedira, Motta, Essien or Ballack used to do. Ndombele can be an excellent deep distributor/one stop shop to break the press, but his languidity and general lack of fitness make relying on him to shield the backline incredibly risky.

I think we're stilling missing that world-class player who can sit deep and be a Makelele, freeing Lo Celso and Ndombele up to work in more of a Mourinho 4-3-3 (as at Chelsea) in the Essien and Lampard roles. I listed Allan and Partey in the other post - Allan is now at Everton, Partey will shortly be at Arsenal. We need someone similar - Denis Zakaria, Igor Zubeldia, Mikel Merino, Thomas Delaney. Some of those are more disruptors than distributors, others are the exact opposite, but they can all do both to a 'Mourinho' standard more than what we've got - imo.

I think you're right @DubaiSpur .

A lot of us thought PEH was that player BUT obviously we didn't know his role judging by the way he's been deployed so far. It's a tad weird as we all thought DCM was sorted, just what we needed, and now it looks like things are just as confused?.

The last thing I want is PEH playing further forward as a disruptor. 1 because I don't think he's very good and 2 He's taking a place that Ndombele or La Celso would have and basically the aim should be to get those two on the field together as often as possible. 433 4141 or diamond.

ATM if La Celso gets injured ... we're a bit f.cked

 

[metalgear]

That's the type of drilled in understanding that we lacked before Jose. Early cross... Expect someone to be there. Or near /far post positioning if the cross is coming from the goal line.

Often there's no time for the crosser to look; conversely it's the job of the defence to close down quickly to deny the crosser the opportunity.

The thing that interested me the most yesterday was i think Son's 3rd goal. Kane dropping deep, his back to Son and the middle of the park, just chipped the ball in behind the defence clueless as to whether anyone was actually going to be there.

And that's not a negative. Obviously tactics were discussed for Kane to put the ball there even if he didn't have any vision to be sure, as Son would have been instructed to run through. And lo and behold, Son was there, ran through unopposed and scored a 3rd.

Great to see that from a tactical perspective, as clearly was some form of instruction. First half a worry though, just very little going forward cohesively. If teams sit back against us, we'll be in trouble.

Sent from my SM-T865 using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app

 

[milo]

That's the type of drilled in understanding that we lacked before Jose. Early cross... Expect someone to be there. Or near /far post positioning if the cross is coming from the goal line.

I think that's nonsense. The understanding between Son and Kane isn't new. They've always linked well and been deadly against teams playing a high line.

 

[Diamond Lights]

I think that's nonsense. The understanding between Son and Kane isn't new. They've always linked well and been deadly against teams playing a high line.

Agree but think instead of usual cases where it's but of the flow of football, this felt pre-determined in planning. Each goal a carbon copy in effect.

 

[milo]

Agree but think instead of usual cases where it's but of the flow of football, this felt pre-determined in planning. Each goal a carbon copy in effect.

I think that is just Son spotting which players he's got the better of and Kane knowing where he will be. It might've been something they discussed at half time, it clearly wasn't something we'd worked on in training ahead of the game, or we would've seen more of it in the first half.

 

[Baleforce]

I think that is just Son spotting which players he's got the better of and Kane knowing where he will be. It might've been something they discussed at half time, it clearly wasn't something we'd worked on in training ahead of the game, or we would've seen more of it in the first half.

Son was making the runs in the first half, the change was Kane dropping back into space and being the one making the passes, in the first half it was longer drops from deep MF or DF.

 

[Baleforce]

Also, Kane was working a lot wider than we’ve seen from him for some time.

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

Also, Kane was working a lot wider than we’ve seen from him for some time.

I think this works as CBs switch off believing theres no danger with him out wide.

 

[Raziel]

On reflection I do think we forget that defence played midweek away in outer Mongolia or wherever it was
Maybe the travel is part of the issue ..

And the entire team had to evacuate their hotel at 4:45am due a false fire alarm

 

[Raziel]

I think that's nonsense. The understanding between Son and Kane isn't new. They've always linked well and been deadly against teams playing a high line.

Son and Kane +one works well, watch the game again

- In the past it was Son, Kane and Eriksen
- Yesterday it was Son, Kane plus (see the passes to Kane, i.e. the assist to the assist) Ndombele/Lo Celso

 

[Bedfordspurs]

And the entire team had to evacuate their hotel at 4:45am due a false fire alarm

That too
Maybe I’m just giving them more slack but that’s me

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

Maybe the performance wasn't as good as the scoreline suggests, but it was still fun to watch, particularly when you heard Jenas' comments during the game. I turned the sound off after he said that the players didn't look happy. Well, they didn't look too sad either at the end of the game, did they?

Amazingly, despite winning 5-2 away from home and a record performance from two of our forwards, most of the headlines I'm reading this morning are negative: Spurs should have been 3-0 down at half-time, Dele's unhappy at Spurs, Spurs didn't deserve anything from the game and so on. We should definitely work on our PR...

On a side note, you have to wonder where Bale is going to fit in the current system. Somehow, I can't see Mourinho dropping Lucas but it's going to be equally difficult to take Son out of the team on that display. Despite his claims before the Everton game that he knows his team, I think he's still figuring things out but it certainly makes me eager to see our next game, which is definitely more than I could say three days ago.

Also, it doesn't matter but I wonder whether Kane's first goal should have been disallowed. Son looked onside to me (but you could argue I'm biased).

Mr G where have you been? This is Spurs we love negativity, nothing is ever good enough, 9-0 should have been more, 2-1 away should have been a clean sheet, too much possession, not enough possession, need more players, dump this mob, its endless.

 

[milo]

Son and Kane +one works well, watch the game again

- In the past it was Son, Kane and Eriksen
- Yesterday it was Son, Kane plus (see the passes to Kane, i.e. the assist to the assist) Ndombele/Lo Celso

I don't disagree. What I was saying is nonsense is that Son and Kane combining effectively was new. We've seen the kind of play we had yesterday, countless times before.

 

[Mr Gogolak]

Moura will be out for bale
We know he loves Moura but we’re talking a different label here

That's the obvious answer, but... I don't know, in terms of balance, it would completely change the complexion of the team. I can't see Bale or Son putting in the kind of effort Lucas does and a lot of managers, Mourinho even more so, love hard-working forwards. Plus, not so long ago, he gave an interview in which he said that Lucas' problem was that he never had a coach willing to play him week in, week out and that intended to give him a lot of playing time... Maybe he'll rotate the three of them depending on the profile of the opposition full-backs but I'd be really surprised if Lucas found himself in Davies' situation.

Mr G where have you been? This is Spurs we love negativity, nothing is ever good enough, 9-0 should have been more, 2-1 away should have been a clean sheet, too much possession, not enough possession, need more players, dump this mob, its endless.

Ha, what was I thinking? Mind you, I think Mourinho enjoys these headlines. He seems to enjoy that 'siege mentality' that served Ferguson well at Manchester United. He likes to have a small-ish group of players who buy into his philosophy and are willing to go to war for him. That's probably the reason why I complained about having 'too many players'. It's difficult to be seen as a cult leader by a guy who hardly ever plays for you.