• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

OMT - Tottenham Hotspur - Leicester City

I'l preface this by saying that Poch's current stock of credit lies in the fact that, between 2014/2015 and the present season, he's made the team take a point (and occasionally more) from games we would routinely lose in the most dodgy fashion prior to his arrival.

Having said that, however, this weekend, and this game in particular, shows that we haven't improved one bit from where we were last season, and that our rivals for a top four spot possess reserves of talent and game-winning tactical/team nous that puts them above us in taking points from games like these, and more generally. Take City, for instance - the same team that we deservedly beat annihilated West Brom today, at the Hawthorns, 4-0. While we are now grimly used to scraping a point from Tony Pulis' sides and grimacing about how completely he has our number. Or take Liverpool - they annihilated this same Leicester side 4-1. In fact, this is now Leicester's first point away from home this season, and they've been largely crap in every game..except against us.

In this game, we showed that our mentality hasn't improved a single jot from last season yet. We're really, really struggling to score from open play in front of goal, that's a given. But, having taken the lead, we then throw it away in the most embarassing series of errors we've yet given away this season, from Wanyama's horrible header to Dier getting drawn to the ball and Walker failing to put Musa off. Reminiscent of our collapse over a larger series of games in April/May last season, that goal.

We can make excuses about the lack of key personnel, but let's be honest, of the two we miss most, Kane was in pretty bad form prior to the injury, and Toby's injury is the type that all our rivals also routinely suffer from. The point remains that, having grinded out the lead, we then immediately threw it away, then laboured fruitlessly for about thirty minutes and gave up for the final ten or so, with Verts' header against the post bookending a period where we were really hanging on. We got a point, we remain unbeaten - the lessons of Poch from 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 still hold. But we have not improved our mentality at all - we've failed this test, and we're still far too soft and weak to go the distance, imo. The players can gob off to the press about playing like Phillip Lahm and being serious contenders all they want, they can't yet show that they're any more mentally ready to do it than they were when they withdrew into their shells in the final weeks of last season.

As a final note, I hope the point and laboured second half performance was worth limply throwing the League Cup game for, Poch. Certainly didn't look like it helped at all.
 
Another draw against a compact, mid-table team. Teams know how to setup against us and we lack the magic to create something out of nothing.

We shot ourselves in the foot though, no idea what Wanyama was thinking about with that header.

On the other hand, we gained a point from this fixture, as last year we lost it.
 
Very frustrating game. We were unfortunate with our chances. I dont know what is wrong with the team at the moment. Perhaps the players need some days off.
 
Another draw against a compact, mid-table team. Teams know how to setup against us and we lack the magic to create something out of nothing.

We shot ourselves in the foot though, no idea what Wanyama was thinking about with that header.

On the other hand, we gained a point from this fixture, as last year we lost it.

Yep. Very fine margins.

A better decision or execution from Wanyama and we'd have won.

The thickness of the woodwork the other way on either occasion and we would have won.

No need for the toys to exit the pram. Look at the climate, not the weather.
 
Ummm.
When we pass the ball forwad we lose possession.

It's not though for lack of effort.
No point in digging individuals out.
 
Yep. Very fine margins.

A better decision or execution from Wanyama and we'd have won.

The thickness of the woodwork the other way on either occasion and we would have won.

No need for the toys to exit the pram. Look at the climate, not the weather.


Yeah you keep saying that to yourself and watch a top four spot recede further and further into the distance.
 
Very frustrating game. We were unfortunate with our chances. I dont know what is wrong with the team at the moment. Perhaps the players need some days off.
I think it's the new 4-1-4-1 formation and slow pace.
But I was just thinking, we also rotate quite alot and have players that can play numerous positions, but few that are really exceptional in their (mf/forward) position except Kane and Alli is on the way to that.
 
Part of our probelm is the reliance on random slow sideways passing

When we play fast we look dynamic

I'd liked to have seen Dembele moved into a 10 position. Get him to try and beat a man on the edge of their box, get a shot a away, draw a foul, draw defenders and pop it off into space. He's really the only one that can go past players.

CCV on for Eriksen, Dier into midfield as Demebele in behind Janssen.
 
Back