*** Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United OMT ***

[Jimmy-g]

Out of curiosity did anyone see their bench yesterday... It was awful and was basically their under 21s

We talk about it being a squad game and clearly we have a small number beyond the first 11 that Poxh wants

When I saw there bench I was stunned. They have spent £160m and still lack anything resembling a squad and look imo weaker than us

Yes they beat us and battered us in that first half. Yes we were atrocious and made them look great but I still wouldn't be surprised to see us finish above them

I like your optimism its fantastic.

I personally think that Chadli, Walker and Townsend are simply not good enough also Dier, Bentaleb and Mason need time and yesterdays game was too much for them, when Kane dropped back into the three he created more and broke up play better than any of Ericksen, Chadli and Townsend which sums the three up, we lack a leader and a couple of older heads, I used to have your optimism and have been excited by a lot of false dawns but other than Lloris and a few with potential our present squad does nothing for me.

 

[imcallingbullsh*t]

What I don't understand is the lack of communication between the players on the pitch. Yes the manager is responsible for tactical awareness and for assessing the situation during the game, and acting on that assessment. However the defenders should be talking to each other and the midfield, constantly organising and adjusting. The problem down Walker's side was obvious to the players, yet they allowed it to continue. I would expect them, at the least, to let the manager know they have a problem and it needs sorting, and better still to sort it out themselves.

I sort of agree however it would be difficult for players to see the whole picture. Walker had a terrible game however he probably backed himself to leave young free and deal with him when he received the ball. Which to a certain extent he did, however the fact that by doing that he was forcing Dier to come to Fellani and leaving Rooney free in the middle means it has to be sorted by the manager as its a team shape rather than a player shape issue.

Leaving yesterday i walked away with more of an acknowledgement that LVG was very clever rather than anything else

 

[imcallingbullsh*t]

I like your optimism its fantastic.

I personally think that Chadli, Walker and Townsend are simply not good enough also Dier, Bentaleb and Mason need time and yesterdays game was too much for them, when Kane dropped back into the three he created more and broke up play better than any of Ericksen, Chadli and Townsend which sums the three up, we lack a leader and a couple of older heads, I used to have your optimism and have been excited by a lot of false dawns but other than Lloris and a few with potential our present squad does nothing for me.

You would swap them for Navas, Zabaleta and Silva. Yet those 3 players were undone by Burnley...

Its why these are called kneejerk threads. Pre-Fiorentina we had youngest team in premierleague flying high in a cup final etc.
We lose a cup final v chelsea, away at old trafford and dont get required result away in italy and suddenly we are crud?

Patience and stick with the plan, i agree we may need some more experience but we are on the right track. We dont want another Paulinho, Chriches transfer window

 

[glorygloryeze]

I did answer my own question, but partially. If we had played like we did at City or at Chelsea, I would understand. At least in those games we threatened and had some good spells. Against United we did f_ck all all game and they're not as good as the other two AND we played them when our team is further along in its development. Troughs are one thing, but this was complete regression.

That's a bit mean...

 

[indianspur]

i keep seeing we need experience

maybe Poch should have selected Kaboul, Paulinho and Adebayor instead, im sure that would have made all the difference

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I like your optimism its fantastic.

I personally think that Chadli, Walker and Townsend are simply not good enough also Dier, Bentaleb and Mason need time and yesterdays game was too much for them, when Kane dropped back into the three he created more and broke up play better than any of Ericksen, Chadli and Townsend which sums the three up, we lack a leader and a couple of older heads, I used to have your optimism and have been excited by a lot of false dawns but other than Lloris and a few with potential our present squad does nothing for me.

The reason why I make the comment about United isn't about us. It's more that they have some bloody hard games and they looked stretched

I don't think we will get top 4 but i don't think they will either

 

[imcallingbullsh*t]

I think Liverpool will not win tonight
I think they will beat Utd next weekend
I think we will beat Leicester

We will then be 3-4pts off 4th

I think everyone will be moaning that if we had beaten utd we would be in pole position.

A lot is going to happen over the next few weeks with so many teams involved, beat the teams below us and then see what happens v City and Southampton

 

[Jimmy-g]

You would swap them for Navas, Zabaleta and Silva. Yet those 3 players were undone by Burnley...

Its why these are called kneejerk threads. Pre-Fiorentina we had youngest team in premierleague flying high in a cup final etc.
We lose a cup final v chelsea, away at old trafford and dont get required result away in italy and suddenly we are crud?

Patience and stick with the plan, i agree we may need some more experience but we are on the right track. We dont want another Paulinho, Chriches transfer window

To compare Chadli, Walker and Townsend to City`s three is a no brainer, they are a different class, are you saying that Townsend has a chance of being as good as Silva, as for knee jerk I have never rated our three. good players are good players at 22, our biggest problem is that none of our experienced big money signing have really come off, the only half reasonable one is Ericksen and he comes into the potential class.

 

[Jimmy-g]

i keep seeing we need experience

maybe Poch should have selected Kaboul, Paulinho and Adebayor instead, im sure that would have made all the difference

Indian, this reflects more on who is buying our players !

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I

I think Liverpool will not win tonight
I think they will beat Utd next weekend
I think we will beat Leicester

We will then be 3-4pts off 4th

I think everyone will be moaning that if we had beaten utd we would be in pole position.

A lot is going to happen over the next few weeks with so many teams involved, beat the teams below us and then see what happens v City and Southampton

I agree with this... I think we will end up a few points short and then kick ourselves

United away isn't the game that matters in that case. It's games like west brom at home or Stoke at home or sunserland away (where we played really well) thah cost us

It's typical of us but it does for once feel like we're pulling in the right direction

 

[imcallingbullsh*t]

I


I agree with this... I think we will end up a few points short and then kick ourselves

United away isn't the game that matters in that case. It's games like west brom at home or Stoke at home or sunserland away (where we played really well) thah cost us

It's typical of us but it does for once feel like we're pulling in the right direction

And the vast majority of those games were played with a completely different team. Our line-up v west Brom

Lloris
Kaboul
Chiriches
Rose
Dier (RB)
Capoue
Dembele
Chadli
Lamela
Eriksen
Adebayor

Only Lloris, Rose, Chadli and Eriksen remain as first choice (Dier maybe but not as RB)

 

[We are Tottenham]

You would swap them for Navas, Zabaleta and Silva. Yet those 3 players were undone by Burnley...

Its why these are called kneejerk threads. Pre-Fiorentina we had youngest team in premierleague flying high in a cup final etc.
We lose a cup final v chelsea, away at old trafford and dont get required result away in italy and suddenly we are crud?

Patience and stick with the plan, i agree we may need some more experience but we are on the right track. We dont want another Paulinho, Chriches transfer window

Paulinho...LOL...He was the first in the string of transfers ....and going to be our first class Brazilian.

mega buy...new Lampard etc...

What a giant flop...and then there was...oh well...

 

[indianspur]

Indian, this reflects more on who is buying our players !

I think you will see that Poch will prefer younger players to play his system/style. He is not afraid to put faith in youth, and the younger players will run through brick walls for him which anyway his type of high intense pressing football demands.

These calls for experience will fall on deaf ears imo. If you think we need and should bring in more experience, then we will have to change the manager.

 

[billyiddo]

And the vast majority of those games were played with a completely different team. Our line-up v west Brom

Lloris
Kaboul
Chiriches
Rose
Dier (RB)
Capoue
Dembele
Chadli
Lamela
Eriksen
Adebayor

Only Lloris, Rose, Chadli and Eriksen remain as first choice (Dier maybe but not as RB)

I know ultimately it's meaningless but it would be interesting to see our ppg after the period of games at the beginning of the season where we were playing Adebayor, Kaboul and Capoue and when Mason Bentaleb and Kane became starters.

 

[parklane1]

I did answer my own question, but partially. If we had played like we did at City or at Chelsea, I would understand. At least in those games we threatened and had some good spells. Against United we did f_ck all all game and they're not as good as the other two AND we played them when our team is further along in its development. Troughs are one thing, but this was complete regression.

Disagree, a team with so many young players are bound to have bad games its what happens. Pooch picked the wrong team yesterday which did not help.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I know ultimately it's meaningless but it would be interesting to see our ppg after the period of games at the beginning of the season where we were playing Adebayor, Kaboul and Capoue and when Mason Bentaleb and Kane became starters.

Basically it's results from November

 

[alekaras]

Disagree, a team with so many young players are bound to have bad games its what happens. Pooch picked the wrong team yesterday which did not help.

I don't disagree, but this was a really bad game. I'm one of the optimists, by the way. And I didn't mean that we regressed overall. Just in this one game it appeared like we did. We will have bad days, but I expected they would look a little better than yesterday. In any case, onwards and upwards.

 

[parklane1]

I don't disagree, but this was a really bad game. I'm one of the optimists, by the way. And I didn't mean that we regressed overall. Just in this one game it appeared like we did. We will have bad days, but I expected they would look a little better than yesterday. In any case, onwards and upwards.

We were poor there is no doubt about that, as I say I believe Poch made the mistake of naming the wrong team ( first time this season I have questioned his decision). But you are right onwards and upwards.

 

[Bullet]

United's confidence is shaky; so is ours. They pressed us back and their first 3 shots on target all went flying into the net, all of them right in the corner.

It reminded me of Spurs vs Cheatski, everything we tried that day went flying into the net and it looks like a drubbing.

It's like a see-saw really, it starts to tip... another effort flies in... then another. But if they scuff wide or hit the post a lot can change and momentum swings fast in football.

But yeah... we offered nothing and were well beaten, I don't deny that!

 

[SteveAWOL]

I know ultimately it's meaningless but it would be interesting to see our ppg after the period of games at the beginning of the season where we were playing Adebayor, Kaboul and Capoue and when Mason Bentaleb and Kane became starters.

FWIW...

In the first 11 PL games, when those 3 were regular starters, we averaged 1.3 points per game.

In the 6 reverse fixtures we have played thus far we have averaged 2.2 points per game.

In the 18 games since, that home loss to Stoke on Nov 9th, we have averaged 2pts per game.