***TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR v Chelski OMT***

[Hemant]

Would a Carick like DM have saved any of the goals tonight? Chelsea were great at stretching the pitch. Switching flanks quickly and getting space down out right - our clear and obvious weak spot.

Not easy to prove but if look at Lennon's. and Eriksen, when he was on the left, both were too far infield which made the switch out to their wide players easier. If a well positioned CM is holding then they can get wider and nearer the wide receiver thus making the pass out More difficult and if they do receive the ball then they can be put under pressure out wide earlier and in a less threatening position. Note the number of fouls Chelsea mids commit niggly fouls away from their own area, without getting booked.
Also, when Hazard played the one two, a good DM might allow the CB to cover the run as the DM is covering him in the CB position. I think Carrick would have been in front of Drogba, I think who played the one-two with Hazard.

 

[Hashegotthesackyet?]

Those commentator ***** on the MOTD, clueless!

 

[DublinSpur]

"We lost because of Chiriches". "We lost because of Lloris". "We lost because of Vertonghen".

I've heard them all, but truth is, we lost because Chelsea are the best team in England right now and in the top 3 or 4 in Europe.

What's more, just like the Emirates Marketing Project game, we were not three goals worse than them. In fact, we played some lovely football and were in control for much of the game. But the margin of defeat can be explained simply enough... 1) they have a defence that can withstand the best of attacks. 2) We do not have the best of attacks. 3) They have such skilled attacking players that you fancy them to score (against anyone) almost every time they press forward.

I hate the three goal margin... it's yet another big loss to the top sides. But I don't hate our performance, and I think there's a lot of positives to be drawn from the game, despite the scoreline.

 

[glorygloryeze]

What would you have done? I havent seen the game yet, but it sounds like the team picked done well but came undone by silly individual errors (yet again)

I would have started Stambouli alongside Mason and Bentaleb. Many of these players bust a gut on Sunday and to expect similar away vs Chelski 3 days later was foolhardy imo.
Stiffen up in front of our back 4 as much as possible. And played Naughton who whilst not the best is a specialist RB. If we were going to drop Soldado we should done so for the purpose of stiffening up our defensive spine. I certainly wouldn't have started Lamela in this one.

Only a convincing win AND performance vs Palace will suffice imo for us to forget about the choices taken today.

 

[Kandi1977]

Chelsea and Emirates Marketing Project are in a league of their own -- but 3rd and 4th place aren't a million miles away from this team, assuming Poch sticks with Kane, Bentaleb, Mason. Get Walker back in there and maybe Chadli and Townsend in the mix and apply ourselves as we did in the Everton game, we'l be good enough to beat most sides in the division imo.

You're right about ****ty and Chelski, but we are nowhere near challenging for a top 4 spot. We lack two of the most important elements to be among the best : being cynical and clinical! Also I feel that this year, the club lack ambition. It might save Poch, but we are not improving much, if any!

 

[diego_maradona]

Lloris 27
Chiriches 25
Fazio 27
Vertonghen 27
Davies 21
Mason 23
Bentaleb 20
Lennon 27
Lamela 22
Eriksen 23
Kane 21

Average age: 23.9

Thats a very young side there.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

"We lost because of Chiriches". "We lost because of Lloris". "We lost because of Vertonghen".

I've heard them all, but truth is, we lost because Chelsea are the best team in England right now and in the top 3 or 4 in Europe.

What's more, just like the Emirates Marketing Project game, we were not three goals worse than them. In fact, we played some lovely football and were in control for much of the game. But the margin of defeat can be explained simply enough... 1) they have a defence that can withstand the best of attacks. 2) We do not have the best of attacks. 3) They have such skilled attacking players that you fancy them to score (against anyone) almost every time they press forward.

I hate the three goal margin... it's yet another big loss to the top sides. But I don't hate our performance, and I think there's a lot of positives to be drawn from the game, despite the scoreline.

Disagree with your statement about us being in control. We had the ball but rarely did they look stretched or out of second gear. We looked tidy but blunt and created very little

It was for me a winnable game off the back of a great performance at the weekend but we concede defeat by playing a weakened team (not our best a viable which was the side that win against Everton)

We massively contributed to our downfall though with poor defensive errors and that has to stop (can't blame Poch directly for that) but why away at Chelsea play Lamella???? Yes he played some nice passes and did out Kane in once although he was offside but if your gonna change it then play a defence minded player rather than a player who is busy but impacts the game so little either way.

Very frustrating

 

[Rossi22]

Lloris 27
Chiriches 25
Fazio 27
Vertonghen 27
Davies 21
Mason 23
Bentaleb 20
Lennon 27
Lamela 22
Eriksen 23
Kane 21

Average age: 23.9

Thats a very young side there.

Eriksen's 22

 

[diego_maradona]

Eriksen's 22

Even younger then!

 

[wiziwig]

I don't think Poch or any other top manager, or any of us here for that matter , could've selected a Spurs team to win at Stamford Bridge from the squad that we have . The Chavs are just to far ahead of us at present. I hate to say but Abramovich's mob could win the two biggest prizes this season, they're that good .

They also had an extra days rest and I felt two of our best performers of late Mason and Eriksen, appeared leggy as did one or two others . It was the wrong game for us coming so soon after such a big effort on Sunday.

We go again :dipper:

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I don't think Poch or any other top manager, or any of us here for that matter , could've selected a Spurs team to win at Stamford Bridge from the squad that we have . The Chavs are just to far ahead of us at present. I hate to say but Abramovich's mob could win the two biggest prizes this season, they're that good .

They also had an extra days rest and I felt two of our best performers of late Mason and Eriksen, appeared leggy as did one or two others . It was the wrong game for us coming so soon after such a big effort on Sunday.

We go again :dipper:

But with fans paying their money you would like us to have our best side out wouldn't you?

Sunderland drew with them at the weekend and there an awful team so it's achievable

 

[LCLC]

We lacked cutting edge but my word are we staring to look a decent side with the team that started - we lack a couple of players but I am actually happy with a lot of that game funnily enough

 

[the dza]

You're right about ****ty and Chelski, but we are nowhere near challenging for a top 4 spot. We lack two of the most important elements to be among the best : being cynical and clinical! Also I feel that this year, the club lack ambition. It might save Poch, but we are not improving much, if any!

I think we could have a strong middle and end of season though. It's taken the first dozen league games for Poch to find out who is going to play for him and who isn't. I think he now knows who his best centre-half pair is, who his best centre midfielders are and who his best striker is. The core of the team is there imo, they showed it against Everton. All they need now is games together, with an impact from a few others like Chadli, Walker etc.

IMO, we're 6 points from 3rd place and in a position to push on. I'm not sayign we're nailed on to finish in the top 4, but I don't see why we can't be in the mix for it.

 

[wiziwig]

But with fans paying their money you would like us to have our best side out wouldn't you?

Sunderland drew with them at the weekend and there an awful team so it's achievable

I get you but with this fixture, whether we go with Chiriches for Naughton , or we go with Lamela and rest Nobby for Palace at the weekend , it's the manager's decision and I'm fine with it.

 

[Modric THFC]

how was it chirches fault we lost
we looked far worse with dier at right back
we lost because of lloris

So we failed to score but lost because of the second goal we conceded???

 

[billyiddo]

devils advocate - 2nd goal does knock the stuffing out of you. at 0-1 you're still in the game, a game which we were playing well in and conceded against the run of play..

 

[glorygloryeze]

devils advocate - 2nd goal does knock the stuffing out of you. at 0-1 you're still in the game, a game which we were playing well in and conceded against the run of play..

This; though when following bits on the radio on and off, it did feel like Chelski were just chilling waiting for us to run out of puff or slacken and give away a chance....

 

[Modric THFC]

devils advocate - 2nd goal does knock the stuffing out of you. at 0-1 you're still in the game, a game which we were playing well in and conceded against the run of play..

Normally but at no point tonight did we have the stuffing knocked out of us. We were fighting until the end.
All three goals were caused by individual errors. Its ridiculous to blame Lloris for us losing the game.

 

[chicken_badge]

You realize you can get rid of that... thing now? We did win a couple of games.

<<<< What, this?

I thought I had to actually win a match thread. Ah well, have to say I deserved it. Also made a few people round here realise that there are worse things in life than being a Spurs fan right now.

 

[Legohamster]

I personally though Lennon was at fault for the first goal, he just stopped running and stood there, completely avoidable.

It's frustrating as we had enough chances to score, but poor finishing and incorrect decisions let us down as normal.