*** Tottenham Hotspur v Woolwich *** OMT

[Lemonade Money]

There's only two Mousa Dembeles...

 

[El Guepardo]

Agreed and something I've said for a while.

Not sure how many people remember, but I said a while ago we all needed to be brave and support the manager. Part of that is knowing that what he wants to build is a squad HE had built using our youth system and scouting network, rather than going out and 'buying' the answers. It's about far more than just the 11 on the pitch for this fella, he runs this club like an old school manager (I wouldn't be surprised if he chooses the tea used in the canteen!) and for that reason, he can frankly do whatever the fuss he wants.

You make Pochettino sound like... shudder...Wenger. I would be pleased though if Pochettino went on to manage us for a similar length of time and achieved at least a similar level of success to that enjoyed by Wenger.

 

[thfcsteff]

There was one tackle in particular where I held my breath.... It was down on Arsenal's dead ball line where Lamela seemed to slide in from a long way off and seemed to have his legs raised. I think their player jumped out of the way, if their player hadn't jumped then I would've been surprised if the ref had not shown a second yellow. It was one of those situations where Lamela didn't really have too much to gain but had a hell of a lot to lose. He just needs to get a bit more savvy.

I would be interested to hear Pochettino's reasons for substituting Lamela. I don't think it was for energy level reasons as the player was still working hard. It may well have been as he was worried that Lamela would give the ref an opportunity to send him off, but I wonder whether Pochettino just wanted to bring on Son as a player with more pace and direct dribbling ability at a time when the game was more stretched as Arsenal were going for the win having salvaged an equaliser for an undeserved draw. Lamela found himself in some great attacking positions yesterday throughout the game but failed to convert those positions into goals/chances either due to not being fast enough or not being confident/skilfull enough.

I think this was absolutely the reason Son came on for him instead of someone else, and this is where I thought the Arteta sub was very very clever because he made sure that 'stretch' wasn't on by keeping the filth more compact and forcing them to play higher up the pitch with discipline.

 

[thfcsteff]

Seems a strange way of thinking.

If Harry Kane puts the ball in the top corner do you want him to stop shooting because he almost missed?

Hmmm...the difference here is you're playing a bunch of clams who would stop at nothing to take an extra roll on the turf/scream to the sky (as Giroud had spent the entire game doing the big fudging ponce). I think he'd have been suckered into it myself.

 

[glasgowspur]

You make Pochettino sound like... shudder...Wenger. I would be pleased though if Pochettino went on to manage us for a similar length of time and achieved at least a similar level of success to that enjoyed by Wenger.

Surely the biggest uderstatement of the season!!!!

 

[Finney Is Back]

I think this was absolutely the reason Son came on for him instead of someone else, and this is where I thought the Arteta sub was very very clever because he made sure that 'stretch' wasn't on by keeping the filth more compact and forcing them to play higher up the pitch with discipline.

Good point.... I hadn't noticed this while at the game.

 

[parklane1]

I just Googled it. His contract is up at the end of the season but he is rumoured to be close to signing a new one. Maybe Symonds getting sacked could work in our favour. Evidently Everton and Bayern Munich have shown interest.

Well we would be better then Everton I guess, not sure about BM though but you never know.

 

[milo]

Well we would be better then Everton I guess, not sure about BM though but you never know.

I would have thought that there cannot be many clubs in the world who are more attractive to young players right now.

 

[parklane1]

I would have thought that there cannot be many clubs in the world who are more attractive to young players right now.

I do agree, but the lure of certain clubs ( Barca, Madrid, BM) would be huge to a youngster, he has been at Fulham since he was 16 so maybe he would like to stay in London.

 

[milo]

I do agree, but the lure of certain clubs ( Barca, Madrid, BM) would be huge to a youngster, he has been at Fulham since he was 16 so maybe he would like to stay in London.

Yeah. It is very tough to compete with the really big clubs but if a young player wants to play, not many could beat us.

 

[Baleforce]

play for Spurs, get bought by United or Real

 

[We are Tottenham]

We are in the position of strength we find ourselves in partly thanks to not making too many signings. Dier has been given a year to settle in and time to adapt in a position where most didn't see him being anywhere close to this good at first. There were calls for Lamela to be replaced, now he's an automatic starter. Kane got his chances in part because of us not signing another striker to replace Adebayor/Soldado 18 months ago. Mason and Bentaleb have proven themselves under Pochettino in part because we didn't sign someone that may or may not have worked out.

It's what we do. Look at some of the comments from Pocehttino in the Poch thread...



That's the trust he's put in some of our players and the trust he should continue to put in players like Bentaleb, Mason, Alli, Dier, Pritchard and perhaps even Onomah this season. They're not there to make up the numbers, we're not looking to sign 2-3 first choice players in January. They're there because Poch trusts them. They've gotten us this far and if they won't quite get us to the CL this season they will be stronger for the experience and as a club we'll again be in a position of strength next year.

We actually have very good strength in depth compared to just about every season and compared to most of the CL chasing teams.

A striker in January would be good. Doesn't have to be world class. Could easily be someone young and developing.

I agree how we have brought the young players through. Its amazing''but we still need to look out for tallent abroad..ie Modders , berbs,Erikson...star player.
I am still waitng to see Pritchard!
I,m on record to saying he will be the Best..lol

 

[We are Tottenham]

Well I came away from that game with a increased belief that we are on the way to be a very good side. I know its easy to slag of the Arse ( its natural) but they are a very good side and apart from City will probably finish higher then the rest.


However we controlled that game for a long period and were unlucky not to come away with all 3 points, we still have players who are not quite the finished product but as they mature they will get better and improve. As for buying players in Jan ( backup for Kane) I do not think there will be anyone better then what we have available until the summer so as long as we can get Song, Nije fit we should be good.

As I said elsewhere I have seen a few false dawns a Spurs supporter but this group of players and manager are showing a great deal of promise for the future.

Well the false dawns come because the World class players that we have had get fudging taken away from us every season!!!!!!!!
And lets face it we have lost perhaps as many world class players as the rest of the prem put together.................

 

[mudshark]

We always seem to concede these sort of 'perfect storm' goals where 99 times out of 100, a wouldn't have happened and b wouldn't have done c, but it does, and they do. We must get more clinical in front of goal, though, and in the final third generally. Turn the dominance into concrete advantage. Seems to me we created a fair bit more than they did, and if we'd put just one of those other chances away, Özil's cross and Lloris's ...whatever that was wouldn't have made any difference. A lot of positives to be taken, but we've said as much countless times in the past, and they're really only that if you manage to build on them. Hopefully, we're actually in a position to do that for a change, and I want us to fuсking destroy them when they come here.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Well the false dawns come because the World class players that we have had get fudging taken away from us every season!!!!!!!!
And lets face it we have lost perhaps as many world class players as the rest of the prem put together.................

But none were world clas ps before we signed the and they became world class playing here

 

[alekaras]

You make Pochettino sound like... shudder...Wenger. I would be pleased though if Pochettino went on to manage us for a similar length of time and achieved at least a similar level of success to that enjoyed by Wenger.

I think it was Klinsman who said almost a year ago that Poch could very well become Spurs' Sir Alex Ferguson. Now wouldn't that be something.

 

[alekaras]

Well the false dawns come because the World class players that we have had get fudging taken away from us every season!!!!!!!!
And lets face it we have lost perhaps as many world class players as the rest of the prem put together.................

As long as we're producing them at a steady rate, that's OK. Eventually we'll get to the point where we'll be the preferred destination and they'll prefer to stay.

 

[alekaras]

Very true. I couldn't agree more.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...s-side-draw-1-1-with-Arsenal-at-Emirates.html

 

[glasgowspur]

Very good article. I've often felt some of our players that came through the ranks were undisciplined and wondered if that was due to this "Spurs way" mentality. I

Re the fergie comparasions, was saying similar last year. One way he won't be like fergie or any of the greats is that can't see us signing our competitors best players.

 

[braineclipse]

I agree how we have brought the young players through. Its amazing''but we still need to look out for tallent abroad..ie Modders , berbs,Erikson...star player.
I am still waitng to see Pritchard!
I,m on record to saying he will be the Best..lol

Well, we signed Son, Clinton and Wimmer this summer that when settled could be the next talent from abroad turned star player.

I don't disagree that we should sign players, but looking for automatic starters/world class players in January seems like a bad idea to me. If there are opportunities to sign talented players we should take it, but we're not in a desperate situation to sign new players.

Well the false dawns come because the World class players that we have had get fudging taken away from us every season!!!!!!!!
And lets face it we have lost perhaps as many world class players as the rest of the prem put together.................

Top players leave. This is the reality. United lost Ronaldo... So much was written about Liverpool not selling Suarez to Arsenal and how we should be more like them blah blah, almost win the league, into the CL and he leaves anyway when an actual top club comes in for him. The plan must be to get a conveyor belt type thing going with talented players ready to step up when someone leaves. Replacing a world class player by signing new players in the market directly is proving very difficult.

That development of players is key, and having a path into the first team and patience with younger players signed. That development can be halted by signing too many first team players and we would risk getting into "much of a muchness" territory.

I think that requires patience, also in the transfer market. If the right player for the right price becomes available in January I trust the club to make the move. If that player doesn't become available we'll be fine too.