OMT Tottenham v Olympiacos

[Daisuk]

because players have missed from there before

Yes, but given that we had a few other shots at goal as well, and the total xg for the half was 0.84, it roughly means that say 75% of the time, that chance will result in a goal. So 25% of players getting a chance like that, open goal, unmarked, two-three meters away from goal, will miss it? Sounds odd to me!

Anyway, I'm obviously just nitpicking, but would like to know how you rate a chance like that in xG. I reckon 99% of those goes in the goal in professional football.

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

It was Moura's sliding tackle that you're probably thinking about. I was pretty sure the ref would have called a foul on that, but he didn't. Surge's throw was not a foul one from what I can tell, unless his foot was over the line, which I couldn't see.

Yea was Moura, it was never a foul in a million years, but like both of you I’m also surprised it wasn’t given!

 

[yiddo37]

Yea was Moura, it was never a foul in a million years, but like both of you I’m also surprised it wasn’t given!

Not sure about a million years.
I'm surprised the ref didn't blow for a foul, Moura slid through the player before getting near the ball. Other way around and I'd have wanted a free kick. Obviously glad it went our way.

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

Not sure about a million years.
I'm surprised the ref didn't blow for a foul, Moura slid through the player before getting near the ball. Other way around and I'd have wanted a free kick. Obviously glad it went our way.

No way, watch it again. He slid alongside the player about a yard away from him, their play moved towards Moura without the ball and instigated the contact. Had he taken the ball with him it may have been different.

 

[yiddo37]

I did watch it again, ball was within playing distance of the opponents left side which he was protecting. So whilst he did edge towards Moura it still doesn't excuse him sliding through the player to get the ball. All opinions and fortunately the ref agreed with yours which in this age of fouls being given for the slightest touch was a relief when the usual VAR check went through.

 

[SteveAWOL]

Yes, but given that we had a few other shots at goal as well, and the total xg for the half was 0.84, it roughly means that say 75% of the time, that chance will result in a goal. So 25% of players getting a chance like that, open goal, unmarked, two-three meters away from goal, will miss it? Sounds odd to me!

Anyway, I'm obviously just nitpicking, but would like to know how you rate a chance like that in xG. I reckon 99% of those goes in the goal in professional football.

Dunno if you caught the Valencia match today but they squandered 2 similar chances!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1199782362696974336

 

[7percent]

I've been reading that Kane's equaliser should not have stood as it was a foul throw, but VAR official did not pick it up, if that's the case does VAR have to check that the ball is correctly placed at corners, free kick are taken from the exact spot of the offence and players are the exact distance from the ball? We'll be there all night.

I was right down the other end in the North Stand and was so certain it was a foul throw and they were about to wipe the goal off that I think I was about the only one not celebrating.

Also, there didn't seem to be any VAR stops or checks.. in the stadium it felt like we weren't playing with VAR.

 

[Kandi1977]

Hmmm. How is Alli's goal less than 0.84 xg? Tap in from two meters on a blank goal. Should be even closer to 1, one would think.

Because lesser players wouldn't even be ready to tap it in, as they would certainly not expect to get the ball, and even if they were ready, some would still miss it.

 

[scaramanga]

Because lesser players wouldn't even be ready to tap it in, as they would certainly not expect to get the ball, and even if they were ready, some would still miss it.

Some would get saved, etc.

Also, passed across the pitch have a far lower chance of being scored than one vertically or diagonally up the pitch.

 

[greatwhitenorf]

Dunno if you caught the Valencia match today but they squandered 2 similar chances!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1199782362696974336

In Norfa Merica these days, the fashionable expression is 'Bet On Yourself'. Watching some of this week's miscues, you gotta think the bets were placed on something else. Cue up the appropriate tune-age from our friend Guy Garvey and Elbow:

The fix is in
There's a nag gonna dance home at Epsom
The fix is in
Can't wait to see how it upsets 'em

Too many times we've been postally pipped
We've loaded the saddles, the mickeys are slipped
We're swapping the turf for the sand and the surf and the sin
Cause the fix, the fix is in

The fix is in
The odds that I got were delicious
The fix is in
The jockey is roostery and vicious

The redoubtable beast has had Pegasus pills
We'll buy him the patch in the Tuscany hills
And the Vino di Vici will flow like a river in spring
Now the fix, the fix is in

The fix is in
The snaps of the steward so candid
The fix is in
Yes, our pigeons have finally landed

The Donahue sisters will meet us in France
In penguins and pearls, we'll drink and we'll dance
'Til the end of our days 'cause it ain't left to chance that we win
Cause the fix, the fix is in

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

As Jose asked about him, Callum was actually on his way back home to Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, with his mum Keeley and dad Matthew, a family of Spurs fans proud of their son’s quick thinking and Jose’s response.

Keeley said: “We were in the stadium and saw Jose go over to Callum. We just thought it was going to be a high-five and didn’t expect any more than that but then both of our phones started pinging!

“The smile on Callum’s face! It was such a lovely thing that Jose did to say thanks like that. Callum always says that by sitting on the touchline watching these players he learns so much and takes it all away with him for his own football. I’m so proud of him.”

Turning back to Tuesday night, and reality struck Callum on his way home - as we mentioned, he still had a maths exam at school the next day! “The whole way home I was using a torch in the car to go over my maths revision!” Callum told us. Thankfully, Southend High School for Boys agreed to move his exam to Thursday.

Speaking to us on Wednesday night, you felt like it still hadn’t quite sunk in...

“It’s all a bit surreal,” said Callum, now into his sixth season as a ballboy and a ‘veteran’ of the Lane, Wembley and even our League Cup tie at MK Dons. “I was just doing my job and I still can’t quite believe what happened.

“I didn’t even see the goal! I was busy getting the ball that had come off (after Masouras tackled Serge) and then I heard the cheer. I turned around and Harry was celebrating.

“I looked at the replay on the screen and watched exactly what happened. You can see from my smile it was just unbelievable. Jose didn’t have to do that. It was really nice of him to come over to me. It’s made my day, my life, really! I love Spurs and it was an amazing moment I’ll never forget.”

 

[Spurs7891]

It is great to come from behind to win this match. We should not have conceded the 2 goals in the first place but still it was encouraging the way Mourinho made the changes to inspire us to this win. That is the difference between an experienced manager and a young one. Pochettino would not have replaced Dier with Eriksen so early in the match. Mourinho with his brilliant track record knew what he was doing and that inspired us to come from behind to win.

Credit to Alli, Kane and Aurier for the goals. I think the turning point was the goal by Alli just before half time. It gave us the believe to come back. Kane's goal after half time helped us to turned the match as well. Fortunately for us, Aurier got us the third goal while Kane did well to get the fourth goal. This match shows we still need Eriksen as he inspired us after replacing Dier, getting the assist for the fourth goal. Credit to Son and Moura for getting other assists but both had quiet game apart from that.

Our midfield had a mixed match. Winks and Dier started poorly until Dier was replaced by Eriksen. But we improved in the second half. Thought Sissoko did well after replacing Moura in the second half. Good to see Ndombele coming on to replace Alli late in the match. But he didn't have much time to make an impact. This match shows we still need a defensive midfielder like Wanyama to help us control the midfield.

Our defence concede 2 soft goals. Not sure why our defence can't seem to keep a clean sheet nowadays. We should have been more alert for their first goal. Instead they had all the time in world to score that long range goal. Similiarly, our defence should have blocked their second goal. This match shows we badly need Alderweireld and Vertonghen back to their best.

This win means we have now progressed to the Round of 16 of the CL. But we made hard work of it. That shows we still need to improve our performance to go very far this time. Let's hope Mourinho will improve our defence in the coming matches.