I liked Erik Lamela before it was cool

[SpurMeUp]

What a surprise that you are deflecting away from Lamela , he needs kicking up his arse for trying to do that in his own half. And i say that as a big fan of his. Of course it was the initiating factor.

Lamela knew instantly. He was looking to the sky berating himself. As we're trying to apportion blame, Poch setting up the team with Lamela tucked into midfield has got to share with Verts and Lamela.

Yet if Son had put his early shot into the net we might all be talking about how one DM is so obviously the way post Stoke result etc. Poch tried something, it wasn't the game to do it in hindsight. New stadium, CL return etc


Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app

 

[parklane1]

Lamela knew instantly. He was looking to the sky berating himself. As we're trying to apportion blame, Poch setting up the team with Lamela tucked into midfield has got to share with Verts and Lamela.

Yet if Son had put his early shot into the net we might all be talking about how one DM is so obviously the way post Stoke result etc. Poch tried something, it wasn't the game to do it in hindsight. New stadium, CL return etc


Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app

I I can't dance with that really.

 

[Baleforce]

Why?

I would love to see this group of players being tutored by Guardiola.
I doubt we would see the same lackadaisical attitude we saw from the majority last night.

did you not see stones and bravo at the weekend?

 

[StephenH]

did you not see stones and bravo at the weekend?

One incident, they had never played together in a competitive game. Also Slatan! what a finnish.
Did you see the first 40mins! They had Man U in their pocket.

He has been there 8 weeks or so - Outstanding

Best performance since Mourinho(spit) took Chelsea to high flying City and got a 1-1 a couple of season ago I think (poor memory). Chelsea were again outstanding!

 

[Baleforce]

One incident, they had never played together in a competitive game. Also Slatan! what a finnish.
Did you see the first 40mins! They had Man U in their pocket.

He has been there 8 weeks or so - Outstanding

Best performance since Mourinho(spit) took Chelsea to high flying City and got a 1-1 a couple of season ago I think (poor memory). Chelsea were again outstanding!

bravo looked dodgy the whole game imo

in fact, i'd go as far as to say he's looked dodgy for every minute of every game i've seen him in, that's what you get when you put a midget in goal I guess

 

[StephenH]

bravo looked dodgy the whole game imo

in fact, i'd go as far as to say he's looked dodgy for every minute of every game i've seen him in, that's what you get when you put a midget in goal I guess

"midget" bad choose of word in my case

With the money they have Bravo is not a long term problem for them?

 

[Finney Is Back]

One incident, they had never played together in a competitive game. Also Slatan! what a finnish.
Did you see the first 40mins! They had Man U in their pocket.

He has been there 8 weeks or so - Outstanding

Best performance since Mourinho(spit) took Chelsea to high flying City and got a 1-1 a couple of season ago I think (poor memory). Chelsea were again outstanding!

And yet had a couple of contentious decisions not gone Emirates Marketing Project's way last weekend they wouldn't have won the game. Small margins.

I do get that Emirates Marketing Project have been impressive and Guardiola has done a good job (so far) however I cannot see how you don't feel that we are now a far better team than we were 2 seasons ago with our comedy team that included Chiriches, Kaboul, Naughton, Capoue (who to be fair to him at Watford has proven that he is a much better player than he showed at Spurs), Paulinho, Soldado and Adebayor. Surely you don't really believe that we have gone backwards since Poch was appointed do you?

 

[Finney Is Back]

Lamela knew instantly. He was looking to the sky berating himself. As we're trying to apportion blame, Poch setting up the team with Lamela tucked into midfield has got to share with Verts and Lamela.

Yet if Son had put his early shot into the net we might all be talking about how one DM is so obviously the way post Stoke result etc. Poch tried something, it wasn't the game to do it in hindsight. New stadium, CL return etc


Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app

Fair points.... We did start the game well and it looked like it would be a matter of how many we would win by if the game had continued as it had started. That is why I was so annoyed with Lamela really, as a result of that one stupid moment the game completely changed. Monaco's goal gave them belief, seemed to put doubts into our own player and quietened the crowd. I get that Vertonghen could've done better, as could Davies have. Alderweireld could also have tried to get closer to Vertonghen in case their player did manage to get it inside onto his left foot, I just don't see how StephenH can decide that anybody other than Lamela was the main cause of us conceding that goal.

The fact that (other than on Wednesday) you probably won't see a single player this season attempting to nutmeg a player in his own half when he is the deepest midfielder tells you all you need to know. Players don't do it because it is stupid in that it is very high risk but reasonably low reward and they know that they will get absolutely murdered by their manager as a result.

 

[tynesidespur]

I too am a big Lamela can (he won me over completely in the last three quarters of last season) but last night showed how one really bad decision from a single player can end up costing you the game at that level. I felt that we were quite significantly on top until that moment and it really did change the game. It's fine attempting a nutmeg on Townsend when out wide in the opposition's half with Danny Rose 15 yards behind you. To attempt one in the middle of your own half with our midfielders and fullbacks in the process of pushing on is something that should be coached out of you by the time you are 16. I bet Poch was absolutely fuming with him behind closed doors.

For me, the only reason Lamela wasn't hooked at HT was because he redeemed himself to some extent by putting the ball on Toby's head to get a goal back. If he hadn't done that I've no doubt he would've been subbed alongside Son. He grafted hard 2nd half to try to make up for the mistake.

 

[Baleforce]

"midget" bad choose of word in my case

With the money they have Bravo is not a long term problem for them?

apologies

he's a problem for now, he'll cost them goals regularly

 

[Finney Is Back]

For me, the only reason Lamela wasn't hooked at HT was because he redeemed himself to some extent by putting the ball on Toby's head to get a goal back. If he hadn't done that I've no doubt he would've been subbed alongside Son. He grafted hard 2nd half to try to make up for the mistake.

It will be interesting to see which of him, Son, Eriksen and Alli miss out at the weekend. One can make a case for all of them to be included/excluded. Hopefully Poch will simply choose his 3 based on their performance in training these past couple of days.

 

[monkeybarry]

For me, the only reason Lamela wasn't hooked at HT was because he redeemed himself to some extent by putting the ball on Toby's head to get a goal back. If he hadn't done that I've no doubt he would've been subbed alongside Son. He grafted hard 2nd half to try to make up for the mistake.

This is why he will be allowed the odd mistake.
He plays a high risk, low percentage game at times and sometimes that will cause issues - but he will always bust a gut to put it right....you can't train that

 

[StephenH]

And yet had a couple of contentious decisions not gone Emirates Marketing Project's way last weekend they wouldn't have won the game. Small margins.

I do get that Emirates Marketing Project have been impressive and Guardiola has done a good job (so far) however I cannot see how you don't feel that we are now a far better team than we were 2 seasons ago with our comedy team that included Chiriches, Kaboul, Naughton, Capoue (who to be fair to him at Watford has proven that he is a much better player than he showed at Spurs), Paulinho, Soldado and Adebayor. Surely you don't really believe that we have gone backwards since Poch was appointed do you?

No of course not! and I never meant that, last April we were excellent........since then we have gone backwards or regressed.
I'm still haunted by last May's results and Saudi Sportswashing Machine still gives me footballing nightmares especially when you take into consideration how good we were going.
Other than the Stoke result and Stoke where terrible again, I still see this malaise running through the squad and Harry's form or lack there of, is the most poignant illustration of that.

My mention of Guardiola at City underlined for me this fog/attitude that has descended over Poch's squad.
I of course do not know why things have changed, but something has. Monaco was a further example of this.

We are playing like England has been to some degree

 

[StephenH]

apologies

he's a problem for now, he'll cost them goals regularly

Im not impressed with Bravo. But I watched Hart in the Torino team (I know I need to get out more).....Bravo just shaves it

 

[tynesidespur]

It will be interesting to see which of him, Son, Eriksen and Alli miss out at the weekend. One can make a case for all of them to be included/excluded. Hopefully Poch will simply choose his 3 based on their performance in training these past couple of days.

I think Alli will be pushed back in behind Kane. I thought he was the best of the bunch you've listed.
I see Dembele & Sissoko coming in. I would imagine Son will miss out & 1 from Lamela/Eriksen.
There's an argument to bring Janssen in too since we're playing a poor team at home.

 

[JerusalemMan]

Its the ability of an individual to improve a group nothing to do with money. Poch talks the talk and then just stumbles when it matters.

Are we are flat track bullies in the making?

Are you on some sort of wind-up?
It's funny in one way and tragically annoying in another.

 

[StephenH]

Are you on some sort of wind-up?
It's funny in one way and tragically annoying in another.

Probably a wind-up thinking back!
Poch has done good but he needs to put some fire in their collective bellies.
I was so cheesed off with that Monaco game, it was like groundhog day.

Was looking at what Guardiola achieved at City last saturday 'in eight or so weeks' and it nothing to do with City's money. He got them 'at it' and it was a footballing joy to behold.
I want a spurs team with more 'umph'.........we need eleven Danny Rose's!

EDIT as Poch rightly said "we lack passion"

 

[Jordinho]

Probably a wind-up thinking back!
Poch has done good but he needs to put some fire in their collective bellies.
I was so cheesed off with that Monaco game, it was like groundhog day.

Was looking at what Guardiola achieved at City last saturday 'in eight or so weeks' and it nothing to do with City's money. He got them 'at it' and it was a footballing joy to behold.
I want a spurs team with more 'umph'.........we need eleven Danny Rose's!

We could re-visit this in two years time, unless Guardiola has gotten bored and moved on. Just look at the way Mourinho teams fall apart in the third season. He wears them out with too much fire in their bellies. Only Ferguson has managed to constantly re-ignite his squads, but I don't think what we're seeing now is more than a fluctuation in form.

 

[Finney Is Back]

No of course not! and I never meant that, last April we were excellent........since then we have gone backwards or regressed.
I'm still haunted by last May's results and Saudi Sportswashing Machine still gives me footballing nightmares especially when you take into consideration how good we were going.
Other than the Stoke result and Stoke where terrible again, I still see this malaise running through the squad and Harry's form or lack there of, is the most poignant illustration of that.

My mention of Guardiola at City underlined for me this fog/attitude that has descended over Poch's squad.
I of course do not know why things have changed, but something has. Monaco was a further example of this.

We are playing like England has been to some degree

Last April we beat Man Utd and Stoke and drew with Liverpool and West Brom.
This season we have (so far) beat Stoke and Palace and drawn with Liverpool and Everton. We have conceded only 2 goals in those 4 games.

If you compare our results to the identical games last season we have exactly matched them.

If you compare the results of our first 4 games to last season then we are 5 points better off.

I have wondered recently whether the incredibly tough pre-season that Pochettino puts the players through means that the players aren't at their peak at the very start of the season because they are still tired from the tough pre-season, the fact we had so many away at Continental Championships is likely to have impacted us even further. I wonder whether Pochettino accepts a a trade off of us being a little under par at the season's start knowing that it pays dividends a little later in the season. The fact that we have got through our first 4 games with 5 more points than last year is a bonus I think.

 

[StephenH]

We could re-visit this in two years time, unless Guardiola has gotten bored and moved on. Just look at the way Mourinho teams fall apart in the third season. He wears them out with too much fire in their bellies. Only Ferguson has managed to constantly re-ignite his squads, but I don't think what we're seeing now is more than a fluctuation in form.

City will be very successful across all competitions.
Great manager + loads of money.......devastating combination
Mourinho is a busted flush IMHO