*** Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United OOMT ***

[Robspur12]

First-off, it's an opinion. Not 'rose-tinted bull****' so behave! I love a good debate, discussion and counter-opinion, but insults? Nah. No need.

Now for the counter-point. Dembele in the middle is a total, and utter, liability these days. Too slow. Holds onto the ball too long. Gets stripped of it and loses possession. Slows the game down too much. I don't have the time to pick out the occasions this season where attacks have ground to a halt due to Dembele slowing it down too much when in possession, but what I will point out (in defense of my 'rose tinted bull****') is that Dembele hasn't been first-choice in CM for some time, never under Pochettino and he wasn't deployed there today when he came on as sub.

So if it is 'rose tinted bull****' it appears to be the sort of 'rose tinted bull****' which Pochettino and his staff are also seeing.

I am using my eyes, and offering my opinion, that the only way he survives in this squad come the summer is if he continues to fulfill a role in the squad either in cup competitions or playing higher up the pitch in important games off the bench.

Steff I think you are being harsh mate dembele is not a liability in midfield just not a defensive one. It is no coincidence is performances improve when he plays a more advanced role. I really hope Dembele is not one of the players moved on and in fact I don't think he will. As Poch recognises that he brings a much needed solidity in a not very physically imposing midfield.

 

[superpav]

lloris was averge today. he flapped at so many crosses.
gomez in that season we got 4th was world class.

eric thorstvedt the best spurs keeper i seen

 

[Rossi22]

People also need to remember the average age of our side...off the top of my head I'm going to guess it was 22 today.

We only had three players aged 22 and under on the field.

I thought Eriksen as a #10 was a big tactical mistake, he was basically a passenger and the reason we had so little control in the first half. When he starts left he acts as a third midfielder which helps us get a hold on the game, Chadli can't do this.

 

[Robspur12]

lloris was averge today. he flapped at so many crosses.
gomez in that season we got 4th was world class.

eric thorstvedt the best spurs keeper i seen

I suppose the games all about opinions. Ray clemence was the best I have seen between the sticks but I thought Oaul Robinson was pretty good in his first season.

 

[Yossarian]

lloris was averge today. he flapped at so many crosses.
gomez in that season we got 4th was world class.

eric thorstvedt the best spurs keeper i seen

Laughable.

 

[milo]

I suppose the games all about opinions. Ray clemence was the best I have seen between the sticks but I thought Oaul Robinson was pretty good in his first season.

I met Ray Clemence in the players lounge sometime in the late nineties. Nice guy, massive hands.

 

[braineclipse]

Wow... This thread...

Hard fought point, clearly second best in the first half, but better in the second. United are good, but rarely dominated. Created a few too many chances a bit too easily, no surprise with us still settling. Vlad somewhat out of position at right back, Fazio still in his first season, Davies in his first season, Stambouli only has a handful of games in the league, Mason in his first top flight season and so on... But we responded well after Hugo pulled us out of the pinch.

To get results against top teams we will need a bit of luck sometimes. If people were expecting us to just go out and be the better team against United at this point I really think expectations should be adjusted.

 

[milo]

Wow... This thread...

Hard fought point, clearly second best in the first half, but better in the second. United are good, but rarely dominated. Created a few too many chances a bit too easily, no surprise with us still settling. Vlad somewhat out of position at right back, Fazio still in his first season, Davies in his first season, Stambouli only has a handful of games in the league, Mason in his first top flight season and so on... But we responded well after Hugo pulled us out of the pinch.

To get results against top teams we will need a bit of luck sometimes. If people were expecting us to just go out and be the better team against United at this point I really think expectations should be adjusted.

I agree 100%. For me the criticism and negativity in the OMT has got to the point where they bear no relation to the match that is played.

 

[braineclipse]

I agree 100%. For me the criticism and negativity in the OMT has got to the point where they bear no relation to the match that is played.

Agreed.

To some extent it can be expected during the game, nerves are tense and it all gets a bit edgy at times. We all shout out things during the game that we would realize was over the top if we heard it afterwards. At least I know I do.

But after the game? And in the player threads... Too much, too far for me.

 

[milo]

Agreed.

To some extent it can be expected during the game, nerves are tense and it all gets a bit edgy at times. We all shout out things during the game that we would realize was over the top if we heard it afterwards. At least I know I do.

But after the game? And in the player threads... Too much, too far for me.

This is not aimed at anyone in particular but it feels to me that people say things in the heat of the moment and then feel unable to back down or reconsider what they have said, so just carry on repeating it instead.

 

[Rossi22]

Were people happy with that 1st half? I thought it was possibly the worst 45 we've played all season.

 

[braineclipse]

Were people happy with that 1st half? I thought it was possibly the worst 45 we've played all season.

We were poor. Decent on the ball, not really dominated, but they opened us up too easily. After a bright start that is. Really felt we adjusted well to their system and players in the second half. But no doubt we were second best by some margin in the first.

For me it's more that I accept that at this point we will sometimes be clearly second best in a half of football against a team with as much quality as that Manu team has. Not that I'm happy with our performance.

 

[monkeybarry]

This is not aimed at anyone in particular but it feels to me that people say things in the heat of the moment and then feel unable to back down or reconsider what they have said, so just carry on repeating it instead.

I used to think that
Now I think many people just have a wharped and unrealistic view of football and results with little middle ground and every game is a cup final

 

[milo]

I used to think that
Now I think many people just have a wharped and unrealistic view of football and results with little middle ground and every game is a cup final

You could be right. I rarely read the OMTs during the game because I cannot watch football and post/read at the same time and it makes me despair at some of our posters.

 

[thfcsteff]

I agree 100%. For me the criticism and negativity in the OMT has got to the point where they bear no relation to the match that is played.

It's madness IMO.

 

[thfcsteff]

Steff I think you are being harsh mate dembele is not a liability in midfield just not a defensive one. It is no coincidence is performances improve when he plays a more advanced role. I really hope Dembele is not one of the players moved on and in fact I don't think he will. As Poch recognises that he brings a much needed solidity in a not very physically imposing midfield.

Indeed mate, I was (in perhaps stronger terms) making that point. For me, when played as a CM/DM, he is a liability (apologies if that bit wasn't clear) but in that attacking three, he has a role. As a squad member. I still think he needs to be far better consistently in order to be a survivor in this squad.

 

[thfcsteff]

We only had three players aged 22 and under on the field.

I thought Eriksen as a #10 was a big tactical mistake, he was basically a passenger and the reason we had so little control in the first half. When he starts left he acts as a third midfielder which helps us get a hold on the game, Chadli can't do this.

You're right, I just looked that up. But the average age of the side today was 24. If you factor in that Lamela usually plays, ditto Bentaleb (thus two older players stepping down) I think it's fair to say that generally-speaking we have a very young average side.

Agree entirely with the second point. Chadli was a massive massive disappointment for me today, and if Eriksen is to play in the middle right now (at this point in his development) it has to be with exceptional players outside. I still think that one day, we will see him a freer role from a deeper position. If we were to sign Schneiderlin, I would say long-term you could bet your house on it.

 

[NWND]

Firstly, both teams were clearly running on empty in that game I felt. I also feel our general game declines significantly when we don't have both Bentaleb and Mason in midfield. With one or the other in there it isn't as good as having both in there. Don't think any of our other midfielders move the ball as quickly or as intelligently as they do and so our quality drops with either missing. We need to address depth in this area. Our general team looked a bit patched up at the start of the match with Townsend, Chiriches and Stambouli in there.

Secondly, we kept a clean sheet, against a team that has IMO the best strike-force in the country. Oh, and for the avoidance of doubt, having a world-class keeper pull of world-class saves to keep us in a match when we're under the cosh isn't luck, it's called investing in a world-class keeper. Would we have lost that game if we didn't have a world-class keeper? Yeah, maybe, but we do, so boo to all of you.

Thirdly, we clearly struggled to get to grips with their team in the first half. Second half we were much better and grew stronger to the point where we were clearly the team pushing for the winner. It does show to me that the players out there are listening to the manager, that he says the right things at half time and that we are now a very fit team. I thought we clearly looked fitter than United going into the last part of the game as they visibly fell away. Considering we have EL to contend with, while they have had f*** all to contend with, I'd say that is pretty impressive.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

We noticed something today from my seat... Luis van Galls head is actually a combination of several faces

His lower half is cya illy ferries whilst his hair is actually Hugh Grants. We never worked out his eyes

 

[DHSF]

Firstly, both teams were clearly running on empty in that game I felt. I also feel our general game declines significantly when we don't have both Bentaleb and Mason in midfield. With one or the other in there it isn't as good as having both in there. Don't think any of our other midfielders move the ball as quickly or as intelligently as they do and so our quality drops with either missing. We need to address depth in this area. Our general team looked a bit patched up at the start of the match with Townsend, Chiriches and Stambouli in there.

Secondly, we kept a clean sheet, against a team that has IMO the best strike-force in the country. Oh, and for the avoidance of doubt, having a world-class keeper pull of world-class saves to keep us in a match when we're under the cosh isn't luck, it's called investing in a world-class keeper. Would we have lost that game if we didn't have a world-class keeper? Yeah, maybe, but we do, so boo to all of you.

Thirdly, we clearly struggled to get to grips with their team in the first half. Second half we were much better and grew stronger to the point where we were clearly the team pushing for the winner. It does show to me that the players out there are listening to the manager, that he says the right things at half time and that we are now a very fit team. I thought we clearly looked fitter than United going into the last part of the game as they visibly fell away. Considering we have EL to contend with, while they have had f*** all to contend with, I'd say that is pretty impressive.

I agree but when you have jokers on here littering other threads with 'Liverscum were lucky' etc etc etc thats what I find funny and hilarious infact but lets bypass that.

First half I thought we didnt really do ourselves justice and not because the players didnt put any effort but I think how we were set up was not conducive to preventing Manure from attacking us the way they did. Not only the set up of the team but I would have liked to have seen Walker and Lennon play but understand why Walker didnt (is Lennon injured? or just out of favour) They finished poorly and from these world class strikers they had they really shoud have put two or three away... I thought Rooney and Young were very very good in the first half but we nullified them in the second.

Second half we dominated them, frustrated them and played as how I had expected in the first half and primarily because we defended higher, stayed on Carrick and Rooney and nullified Young.