** Tottenham Hotspur vs Fussball Club Basel 1893 OMT **

[Cal_Yido]

The only small thing to take from tonight is that we are still in this tie. Everything else went wrong. We were awful, and Basel should have this tie out of sight completley. Our best most influential player in Bale got injured, as did one of our other main men Lennon.

The most irritating thing for me though were some of the fans around me. I sit in the same seat for 13 years, and had a lot of newbies up there tonight, who booed Gallas's touches for the middle part of the first half. I know he had a bad game, but no matter what there is no condoning booing an individual player, always winds me up.
Atmosphere in general was very flat and quiet, forgot it was a European 1/4 final, felt more like a qualifying Europa League game. I remember only 6 or 7 years ago a 1/4 final v Seville and the lane was rocking. How times have changed so quickly..

Praying Bale isn't too bad, as well as Lennon, or we will need a miracle to claim top 4. Onwards and Upwards.

 

[charlietheyid]

Same old story for me:

- We cant keep the ball, we dont have good footballers and we have no technique, no creativity whatsoever

- Bale is fantastic and the rest very average, siggy, holtby adebayor and dempsey are just not good enough

- The squad is too small Mr Levy, yet again, playing the same players all over again, and the bench is just poor. Then you dont rest players and they get injuries.

- Gallas is too old but we knew that already, dawson comes on looks shaky and assou ekotto is just too sloppy. We need top quality to win titles, not average players but Ive been saying that for years.

- Friedel doesnt help the defense and they look shaky when he plays

 

[AdamB]

First choice back 5 in the awya leg; try to keep a clean sheet such that us grabbing one goal somehow puts us through

 

[billyiddo]

Atmosphere in general was very flat and quiet, forgot it was a European 1/4 final, felt more like a qualifying Europa League game. I remember only 6 or 7 years ago a 1/4 final v Seville and the lane was rocking. How times have changed so quickly..

i think the majority of Spurs fans took the draw far too lightly - i remember checking my phone - seeing we got Basel and thinking ooohh tough one this - then looking on here and plenty of posters were talking as though we were already through.

 

[elltrev]

Same old story for me:

- We cant keep the ball, we dont have good footballers and we have no technique, no creativity whatsoever

- Bale is fantastic and the rest very average, siggy, holtby adebayor and dempsey are just not good enough

- The squad is too small Mr Levy, yet again, playing the same players all over again, and the bench is just poor. Then you dont rest players and they get injuries.

- Gallas is too old but we knew that already, dawson comes on looks shaky and assou ekotto is just too sloppy. We need top quality to win titles, not average players but Ive been saying that for years.

- Friedel doesnt help the defense and they look shaky when he plays

Wow, what original and thought-provoking insight

Bale was awful tonight, whilst Sigurdsson scored an (albeit deflected) goal and played an exquisite through-ball for Holtby / Parker's chance. More than Bale did all game. Plus he gave the ball away far less. And whatever you thought of Holtby's performance on the ball (I thought it was good), he worked his arse off and made 6 tackles and 3 interceptions. Ridiculous to write him off as not good enough already...

 

[Cal_Yido]

i think the majority of Spurs fans took the draw far too lightly - i remember checking my phone - seeing we got Basel and thinking ooohh tough one this - then looking on here and plenty of posters were talking as though we were already through.

Yeah I overheard people talking about Amsterdam and who we would get in the Semi etc. Basel on paper was probably as good a draw as we could have got, however any team in the 1/4 final of a European Cup competition are not going to be mugs are they. We completely underestimated them, and as I said they could easily have killed the tie tonight. We're lucky to still be in with a shot. Will be very tough ask there next week.

 

[r-u-s-x]

Is that how it works now...if you play poorly you stop chanting?!

I go to the Lane at least ten times a season and bar the massive games the atmosphere is always poor and we've played well in the majority of games Ive been to so can't use that as an excuse....

Not saying that, Atmosphere was not that bad. Just nervy_ last 30 was brick

 

[billyiddo]

Basel on paper was probably as good a draw as we could have got

id have put them behind Chelsea and Benfica myself if im honest - although i wouldn't have wanted Kazan either but that was more for the journey in the away leg (yeah yeah hindsight)

i think we have good chance of advancing to the semi's though - probably more my blind optimism that though :lol:

 

[iggyfog]

it was when holtby went off that we stopped being able to keep the ball - he is pretty useful at that with his short passes - he plays it very simple.

 

[stinkfoot]

Do you ever take off your sanctimonious rose tinted goggles ?

Just wondering.

Read Steffs blog post, I think it sums up the reasons behind his match thread attitude well.

 

[NWND]

i think the majority of Spurs fans took the draw far too lightly - i remember checking my phone - seeing we got Basel and thinking ooohh tough one this - then looking on here and plenty of posters were talking as though we were already through.

I think the majority of Spurs fans are moany negative ****s, me included. Goodnight all!

 

[charlietheyid]

Wow, what original and thought-provoking insight

Bale was awful tonight, whilst Sigurdsson scored an (albeit deflected) goal and played an exquisite through-ball for Holtby / Parker's chance. More than Bale did all game. Plus he gave the ball away far less. And whatever you thought of Holtby's performance on the ball (I thought it was good), he worked his arse off and made 6 tackles and 3 interceptions. Ridiculous to write him off as not good enough already...

I dont know if Holtby will be good enough or whatever. We need him to produce now. We need points to finish in the CL now, not in four years time. Thats why we got him in January.

Bale is at the start of both goals. Siggy, you're right, is probably the best of the rest. But there is no creativity. No technique. Have you seen Dempsey on the ball? We're so flat in midfield.

Only away from home on the counter we can be dangerous. I was at the fulham game and there was nothing happening. No movement.

 

[stinkfoot]

fudge me that was a great ball by Sig wasn't it? I rewound it a few times!

 

[djp82]

Sorry but tonight has been costly for us .... AL +GB injured is the Europa league worth missing top 4 ? Not in my eyes I think Harry was correct to play the fringe players last year .

 

[Bedfordspurs]

it was when holtby went off that we stopped being able to keep the ball - he is pretty useful at that with his short passes - he plays it very simple.

I thought he was constantly involved which was a lot more than Bale or anyone else in an attacking aspect.

He wasn't perfect but he works his socks off and that was needed against a side playing much better than us. Bu hey AVB knows more than we do

 

[90291Spur]

Sorry but tonight has been costly for us .... AL +GB injured is the Europa league worth missing top 4 ? Not in my eyes I think Harry was correct to play the fringe players last year .

You might have lit the blue touch paper by mentioning Redknapp (ducks for cover and puts on tin hat).

 

[Bedfordspurs]

One thing for me is that if your gonna play your best attackers, why no play our best defenders?

friedel didn't its us a goal but the constant changes can help him or anyone. As for Benny and Gallas... Ill refrain from slanderous comments but I thought they were out run by Ade tonigh which shows how bad they were

 

[Bonsaiboy]

Sorry but tonight has been costly for us .... AL +GB injured is the Europa league worth missing top 4 ? Not in my eyes I think Harry was correct to play the fringe players last year .

Agreed, just not worth it, said it before the game and doubly believe it now, especially if you haven't got the squad for it.

Bale out for min 2 games and possibly the season? Lennon aggravating an injury he's been carrying for a while, and will carry a while longer now? Players knackered for Everton and we'll struggle to beat them now. For what? Glory? Glory isn't that maroon and gold coloured piece of crap. Top 4 probably out the window now.

We had the chance to respectfully exit the tournament against Lyon in a dignified manner and we should have taken it.

Don't give a sh1t about anyone who bleats on about silverware. It's a sh1t trophy, I'd rather play 2 games in the CL compared to 10 in this one.

 

[djp82]

You might have lit the blue touch paper by mentioning Redknapp (ducks for cover and puts on tin hat).

Maybe so but we finished top four
and we lost two of the players who when on song are all that's good about our side ..

 

[thfcsteff]

Every team gets injuries. Werent you the one bigging up AVB for creating a structure meaning we didnt rely on individuals?

Where is that much vaunted structure now - we looked absolutely brick.

Correct. I am. It is why, despite strikers not scoring and a coterie of injuries all season, we are still in 3rd and still in the QF of the Europa League. You're likely one of those who under-estimated Basle. Probably still think that because of their name we should've beaten them comfortably. Your continual probing to question a manager who has done far more right than wrong, and your continual search for anything to negate what he's achieved this season blows my fudging mind. I'ms surprised you haven't gone in for your regular 'Ade-bashing' session, although I have a page or two to check so never too late. By the way, pick up The Guardian and read what a hero of yours said today.