*****Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester ***OMT

[DubaiSpur]

Or maybe they need to occasionally be given a rest when we can afford it?

Or maybe they need other players to step up a bit when they go through small blips in form. Our "midfield 5" today other than Eriksen. Rose, Aurier, Sissoko and Dembele. Aurier eventually delivered one good cross. Other than that one good cross what did those 4 players actually contribute going forward?

Alli and Eriksen have been masking weakness from others most of the season. Very harsh to have a go at them for a small number of ineffective games when others have been ineffective most of the season.

Aurier, I excuse - I'm not judging him this season, as I did with Sissoko, N'Koudou and co. last season. Rose was awful too - I don't exempt him from the charge, he was awful. Sissoko was sh*te - he's usually criticised very unfairly, but he was properly sh*te today. Dembele was okay - held onto the ball well, and did his job. He's not Winks, he can't distribute it like Winksy can. So he does the job behind Eriksen and Alli, while those two ostensible 'create'.

They did not do so today. And they haven't been doing it for a few weeks now. They get more stick because they get equally imbalanced prestige and praise when we win.

 

[thfcsteff]

He was better at this point last season, despite playing the same amount of games, more or less. His output was similarly bad then, but I felt he *tried*, and I defended him for that - for whatever reason, I don't feel he is trying much anymore.

Either way, drop him. If he's knackered as you say, let him ride the bench for a good long while to rebuild his fitness. If he thinks he's Danish Dynamite because he scored against Madrid and incinerated Ireland, then a spell on the bench will remind him that we are a better team than Denmark, with more options available to us (now that Lamela is back - thank GHod for that).

This time last year he was scared and not playing 'brave'...right now, he simply looks over-played. I see effort. He needs a break. Dele too, gave a lot of effort especially second-half, but we need competition for his place. The Squad is too thing. How Aurier is avoiding criticism tonight is astounding. He was PONY!!!!!

 

[Rorschach]

Alli and Eriksen have been masking weakness from others most of the season. Very harsh to have a go at them for a small number of ineffective games when others have been ineffective most of the season.

I think this is a good point. They are entitled some balance in the criticism. Not that they should be immune from it but an awful lot is well over the top.

In saying that I do believe in a meritocracy and so I would play Son and Lamela in their stead for the next match. Give them a try.

 

[P.D.]

Or maybe they need to occasionally be given a rest when we can afford it?

Or maybe they need other players to step up a bit when they go through small blips in form. Our "midfield 5" today other than Eriksen. Rose, Aurier, Sissoko and Dembele. Aurier eventually delivered one good cross. Other than that one good cross what did those 4 players actually contribute going forward?

Alli and Eriksen have been masking weakness from others most of the season. Very harsh to have a go at them for a small number of ineffective games when others have been ineffective most of the season.

To be fair we generally haven't played that well this season, been sloppy in defence and not created enough either. Look at all the turd at Wembley where apart from Liverpool have we scored more than once in the league.

 

[thfcsteff]

Moussa slows us down, agree Sissoko was pony too tonight. You're being kind to Aurier. He came with big rep. Sanchez has slotted in seamlessly.

 

[DubaiSpur]

I think highly of this bunch and I include Eriksen and Alli in that. They’re young lads having a poor spell. It’ll happen.

How the fudge we expect players to have loyalty when we’re slagging them off at the first sign of trouble I don’t know.

I’m embarrassed by some of the brick our fans have posted tonight and that fudging clown on the BBC site is the prime example.

This is still a fudging great team, a great manager and a great club. It’s a bad spell but I’ve no doubt that we will bounce back.

They're having a poor spell, but we don't need to suffer anymore while they play through it. We now have other options to maybe spark them into fighting for their places again - complacency does nothing to improve one's mental state, and both have become far too complacent in their statuses as our key playmaker and second striker, respectively.

Son and Lamela are part of this bunch, too. And if they try more, fight more, press more and just flat out play *better*, it's being disloyal to *them* to insist on playing Eriksen and Alli despite that. Loyalty goes both ways - that's the beauty of having options to use.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

He was better at this point last season, despite playing the same amount of games, more or less. His output was similarly bad then, but I felt he *tried*, and I defended him for that - for whatever reason, I don't feel he is trying much anymore.

Either way, drop him. If he's knackered as you say, let him ride the bench for a good long while to rebuild his fitness. If he thinks he's Danish Dynamite because he scored against Madrid and incinerated Ireland, then a spell on the bench will remind him that we are a better team than Denmark, with more options available to us (now that Lamela is back - thank GHod for that).

The problem is, you can’t just drop someone like Eriksen that easily. Not when we’re struggling to break teams down. Because there is no one like him. That means we either need to play an entirely different way (straight 4-4-2 with Llorente upfront perhaps) or we play a youngster. But both of those other choices have negatives too. Poch has a responsibility to protect young players and not put them into situations where it could be detrimental to them long term. If the team is struggling, the last thing a young player needs is taking a slagging from fans because they’ve replaced a star player and haven’t been able to live up to them while turning around a teams bad form. And sometimes chopping and changing too much is also bad - going from one playing style to another relying on no incisive passers is also going to disrupt fluency.

Sometimes, we need to stick together and ride out these situations. I can bet Poch isn’t having a go at Eriksen. He knows how much pressure he is under and appreciates him trying his hardest right now. He’s had no alternative until tonight with Lamela back. The injuries we have been dealing with for first choice players are absolutely ridiculous and the pressure on players that would normally be taken out of the firing line for their replacements is huge right now. But, that is our cross to bear because of the strategy we have as a club.

This is the first major test of Poch’s reign. But I think the key is to stick together. Believe in what we are doing, and understand the frankly ludicrous expectations he has established and understands the sheer amount of pressure some of these players are under, considering injuries, international commitments, no stadium, etc etc.

 

[DubaiSpur]

Moussa slows us down, agree Sissoko was pony too tonight. You're being kind to Aurier. He came with big rep. Sanchez has slotted in seamlessly.

Sanchez has slotted in brilliantly, but then, I don't expect everyone to replicate that. It's a pleasant thing when it does happen (like with Wanyama last season, and Toby the season before that), but expecting it of all our signings is just way too unfair. Thus, if they have good games from the off, great - if they don't, no reason to judge them for that. Not in the first season, anyway.

 

[Rorschach]

Llorente is disappointing, isn't he? I know he is not getting a lot of minutes on the pitch but those he has got have been forgettable.

 

[thfcsteff]

Sanchez has slotted in brilliantly, but then, I don't expect everyone to replicate that. It's a pleasant thing when it does happen (like with Wanyama last season, and Toby the season before that), but expecting it of all our signings is just way too unfair. Thus, if they have good games from the off, great - if they don't, no reason to judge them for that. Not in the first season, anyway.

I certainly respect your opinion, but cannot agree re: Aurier. But anyway, what a frustrating night and time. We will rise again. And if we finish 10th and win the CL, I won't give a fudge hahahahahahahahaha!!!

 

[Bedfordspurs]

They're having a poor spell, but we don't need to suffer anymore while they play through it. We now have other options to maybe spark them into fighting for their places again - complacency does nothing to improve one's mental state, and both have become far too complacent in their statuses as our key playmaker and second striker, respectively.

Son and Lamela are part of this bunch, too. And if they try more, fight more, press more and just flat out play *better*, it's being disloyal to *them* to insist on playing Eriksen and Alli despite that. Loyalty goes both ways - that's the beauty of having options to use.

I really can’t fathom not starting son
He was one of our few threats on Saturday

 

[DeanoAustin]

They're having a poor spell, but we don't need to suffer anymore while they play through it. We now have other options to maybe spark them into fighting for their places again - complacency does nothing to improve one's mental state, and both have become far too complacent in their statuses as our key playmaker and second striker, respectively.

Son and Lamela are part of this bunch, too. And if they try more, fight more, press more and just flat out play *better*, it's being disloyal to *them* to insist on playing Eriksen and Alli despite that. Loyalty goes both ways - that's the beauty of having options to use.

I’ve no problem dropping them but I think it’s poor to be questioning their professionalism and attitude to be honest.

 

[Spursman]

Or maybe they need to occasionally be given a rest when we can afford it?

Or maybe they need other players to step up a bit when they go through small blips in form. Our "midfield 5" today other than Eriksen. Rose, Aurier, Sissoko and Dembele. Aurier eventually delivered one good cross. Other than that one good cross what did those 4 players actually contribute going forward?

Alli and Eriksen have been masking weakness from others most of the season. Very harsh to have a go at them for a small number of ineffective games when others have been ineffective most of the season.

Small number? They’ve been crap for most of the season. Especially Dele

 

[DubaiSpur]

The problem is, you can’t just drop someone like Eriksen that easily. Not when we’re struggling to break teams down. Because there is no one like him. That means we either need to play an entirely different way (straight 4-4-2 with Llorente upfront perhaps) or we play a youngster. But both of those other choices have negatives too. Poch has a responsibility to protect young players and not put them into situations where it could be detrimental to them long term. If the team is struggling, the last thing a young player needs is taking a slagging from fans because they’ve replaced a star player and haven’t been able to live up to them while turning around a teams bad form. And sometimes chopping and changing too much is also bad - going from one playing style to another relying on no incisive passers is also going to disrupt fluency.

Lamela. Reintroduce him slowly, but he could be exactly the player to make Eriksen fear for his place again. He got an assist today within a minute of coming on, while Eriksen's final act was an unforgivably awful, utterly League-2-level miss.
We do have the option *now*. A young player like Edwards would have way to much pressure on him, but maybe Lamela would have less.

Sometimes, we need to stick together and ride out these situations. I can bet Poch isn’t having a go at Eriksen. He knows how much pressure he is under and appreciates him trying his hardest right now. He’s had no alternative until tonight with Lamela back. The injuries we have been dealing with for first choice players are absolutely ridiculous and the pressure on players that would normally be taken out of the firing line for their replacements is huge right now. But, that is our cross to bear because of the strategy we have as a club.

Exactly - he had no alternative. Now he does. So use him. Eriksen's head isn't in the game - so bench him. If Lamela is in a better place, play him.

This is the first major test of Poch’s reign. But I think the key is to stick together. Believe in what we are doing, and understand the frankly ludicrous expectations he has established and understands the sheer amount of pressure some of these players are under, considering injuries, international commitments, no stadium, etc etc.

Nah, I don't think this is Poch's first major test. He had a slow start in 15/16, and a similarly bad, bad run last year at around this time. He manages. I have no doubts about Poch on that score, none whatsoever. But I don't think the solution involves letting Alli and Eriksen play like League 2 players until they get some form again. It would be unfair to Son and Lamela, for one.

And as for international commitments, again, Denmark is utterly irrelevant to Tottenham Hotspur. No big club cares that their players went and blagged a hat-trick for their country if they then play like sh*te for their club - if we are trying to become that club, then that's the sort of attitude we need to have as well. We can still give them time and support in other ways (i.e, affording every player two years at the club post-signing, no matter what his form in the first season - I'm a very strong advocate for that), but making allowances because they incinerate Ireland or pulverize Poland is not the way to go about it, not at all. It irks me.

 

[Cochise]

So I missed the game. How did we play?

 

[90291Spur]

So I missed the game. How did we play?

We were great. Clinical, incisive. 100% concentration. Didn't let Vardy use his speed or Mahrez shift the ball onto his lethal left peg. Sissoko was a revelation and we didn't miss Toby or Big Vic at all. Dier slotted seamlessly into midfield and Rose is better than he ever was. And what a relief to have Llorente to come off the bench and add that extra killer dimension to our attack.

 

[braineclipse]

He was better at this point last season, despite playing the same amount of games, more or less. His output was similarly bad then, but I felt he *tried*, and I defended him for that - for whatever reason, I don't feel he is trying much anymore.

Either way, drop him. If he's knackered as you say, let him ride the bench for a good long while to rebuild his fitness. If he thinks he's Danish Dynamite because he scored against Madrid and incinerated Ireland, then a spell on the bench will remind him that we are a better team than Denmark, with more options available to us (now that Lamela is back - thank GHod for that).

How many poor games have we seen from Eriksen exactly? A small handful I would say. I think that should be expected in a season. Particularly when never given a rest.

Eriksen tried today for sure. It just didn't come off for him.

I don't want him dropped at all. Not for a good long time for sure. Just maybe rotated a bit once in a while. If this is an actual serious drop in form let him play his way back into form starting a game a week.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Lamela. Reintroduce him slowly, but he could be exactly the player to make Eriksen fear for his place again. He got an assist today within a minute of coming on, while Eriksen's final act was an unforgivably awful, utterly League-2-level miss.
We do have the option *now*. A young player like Edwards would have way to much pressure on him, but maybe Lamela would have less.



Exactly - he had no alternative. Now he does. So use him. Eriksen's head isn't in the game - so bench him. If Lamela is in a better place, play him.



Nah, I don't think this is Poch's first major test. He had a slow start in 15/16, and a similarly bad, bad run last year at around this time. He manages. I have no doubts about Poch on that score, none whatsoever. But I don't think the solution involves letting Alli and Eriksen play like League 2 players until they get some form again. It would be unfair to Son and Lamela, for one.

And as for international commitments, again, Denmark is utterly irrelevant to Tottenham Hotspur. No big club cares that their players went and blagged a hat-trick for their country if they then play like sh*te for their club - if we are trying to become that club, then that's the sort of attitude we need to have as well. We can still give them time and support in other ways (i.e, affording every player two years at the club post-signing, no matter what his form in the first season - I'm a very strong advocate for that), but making allowances because they incinerate Ireland or pulverize Poland is not the way to go about it, not at all. It irks me.

As you say, now he has the options, he hasn’t had them before. I think you’re being too harsh on Dele. But with Eriksen, he doesn’t strike me as someone that doesn’t care, he just strikes me as someone that mentally drained. As does Dier. But we haven’t had any other choice but to play them.

 

[StephenH]

So I missed the game. How did we play?

Leicester were back to thier league winning form in the first half.
We were limp and ponderous, showed so real fight in the second half.

Good game for the neutral.

 

[braineclipse]

As you say, now he has the options, he hasn’t had them before. I think you’re being too harsh on Dele. But with Eriksen, he doesn’t strike me as someone that doesn’t care, he just strikes me as someone that mentally drained. As does Dier. But we haven’t had any other choice but to play them.

We had the choice to rest these players against Dortmund. That was an option.

Pochettino didn't and that gamble hasn't worked.