*** OMT Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United ***

[Muttley]

For me, everything good and bad was on show tonight from Ange. He will always divide opinion.

Some would say we were "lucky" to find ourselves 3-0 up but that is the tactical side of Ange. He has a system that can damage the opposition. Fair play for exploiting their weaknesses.

On the flip side of that, taking a veteran keeper and asking him to do unnatural things is just plain dumb. We all know where Utd's first 2 goals came from....our training ground.

I also thought Ange's game management was shocking. We all know the squad is running on fumes. The boys had done some amazing high press in the first 60m mins but were really struggling in the last third of the game. We used 1 sub in the 79th minutes and 2 subs in the 90th minute. We didn't need first team finesse. We needed fresh legs on that pitch. Ange handed them the advantage by not using his bench and not changing shape. He should have trusted his bench way more than he did.

Chuffed to be in the semi-final though.

 

[lurker of old]

Home after 1.00am after a nightmare train journey.......ignoring Fraser's howlers, I thought that was the best we have played this season.
Whole team played well, with special mentions for Djed and Solanke. I was up in the corner of the south and east, so had a better view than normal, and until we tried to chuck it away, I thought we were fantastic....

 

[JerusalemMan]

What a wonderful game that was.

 

[metalgear]

ange

For me, everything good and bad was on show tonight from Ange. He will always divide opinion.

Some would say we were "lucky" to find ourselves 3-0 up but that is the tactical side of Ange. He has a system that can damage the opposition. Fair play for exploiting their weaknesses.

On the flip side of that, taking a veteran keeper and asking him to do unnatural things is just plain dumb. We all know where Utd's first 2 goals came from....our training ground.

I also thought Ange's game management was shocking. We all know the squad is running on fumes. The boys had done some amazing high press in the first 60m mins but were really struggling in the last third of the game. We used 1 sub in the 79th minutes and 2 subs in the 90th minute. We didn't need first team finesse. We needed fresh legs on that pitch. Ange handed them the advantage by not using his bench and not changing shape. He should have trusted his bench way more than he did.

Chuffed to be in the semi-final though.

ange's reluctance to use subs is becoming an issue

spence for instance... what took him so long to bring the boy on- he is better than udogie who has been underperforming for a long while

 

[tommysvr]

ange

ange's reluctance to use subs is becoming an issue

spence for instance... what took him so long to bring the boy on- he is better than udogie who has been underperforming for a long while

Spence started.......?

 

[tommysvr]

Hate to spoil the fun with a positive post but does anyone remember us beating both Manchester clubs in a cup competition in the same season before?

Great question! The answer is no! We had the chance in 2007/08 but lost to Man Utd. That's only time we've played both clubs in the cups (in different cups too) in the same season.




We did knock Emirates Marketing Project out of both cups in 1992/93:

 

[Mrs Vert]

This was a clear red

https://twitter.com/x/status/1869865703534100522

I can't stand that ratface

 

[braineclipse]

ange

ange's reluctance to use subs is becoming an issue

spence for instance... what took him so long to bring the boy on- he is better than udogie who has been underperforming for a long while

He had Bergvall, Lankshear, Johnson and Reguilon as "senior" players to bring on. Reguilon has zero match fitness.

Imo not a great game state to bring on Johnson at 3-2. Think Ange did what he could.

 

[thfcsteff]

ange

ange's reluctance to use subs is becoming an issue

spence for instance... what took him so long to bring the boy on- he is better than udogie who has been underperforming for a long while

Last night, I'll bet you'd have seen a host of subs on 70 minutes if Forster hadn't brain-farted again. As for Spence, you would have to trust that there were legitimate reasons (maybe making sure he absorbed responsibility on and off the ball) unless you think the manager purposely does not play good players for brick reasons...

 

[thfcsteff]

He had Bergvall, Lankshear, Johnson and Reguilon as "senior" players to bring on. Reguilon has zero match fitness.

Imo not a great game state to bring on Johnson at 3-2. Think Ange did what he could.

This.
I think we can safely say that Brennan has been in the 'red' zone and Ange is trying to save him for Sunday.

 

[IulianSteaua]

We need a DM or a CM which can handle defensive duties and moves the ball fast. We also need a LB. Spence has come în wonderfully but his natural position is RB and I am tired of improvisation. Udogie and Bissouma need proper competition for those spots. I heard that Vicario might be out for another 2 months, we also might need to take a look at a GK. That is the winter transfer business I am hoping the club addresses.

 

[paxtonwolf]

I suppose Ange is right, in a way

If that was us watching the same game but it was Arsenal v Man United, I would be saying what an entertaining game it was

But when its your own team its not quite the same. Then it becomes a risk to health and an emotional rollercoaster

1-0 Happy
2-0 Happier
3-0 Bouncing off the ceiling
3-1 Worried
3-2 Blowing a gasket
4-2 Relieved
4-3 Clock watching panic mode
FT Not sure whether to laugh or cry

The following morning looking back, yes it was an enteraining watch in the true sense of the word, but my word, it does not feel it in the moment
One things for sure, the paying spectator gets their moneys-worth

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

The game has got so tribal now, club fans don't want an entertaining game they want easy wins. It's very satisfying to sit and watch your team beat opponents by 3 or 4 goals but it lacks the excitement and tension which are to me an essential element in any competition.

 

[braineclipse]

This.
I think we can safely say that Brennan has been in the 'red' zone and Ange is trying to save him for Sunday.

That may also be the case. I was more thinking tactically. We really needed Kulusevski and his ability to keep possession under pressure, hold it up and his work rate and smartness defensively.

Johnson would be great in a situation like that if we got to where we could play him through. But that's a big if, and with Maddison tiring, Sarr and Bissouma in midfield, no Romero we needed a hold up player more than a run in behind player.

We were also very much in a fight. Physically, emotionally. The kind of situation where you'd keep Kulu on over Johnson.

Imo (and knowing I've been wrong before) it's a really good decision by Ange.

 

[tommysvr]

The game has got so tribal now, club fans don't want an entertaining game they want easy wins. It's very satisfying to sit and watch your team beat opponents by 3 or 4 goals but it lacks the excitement and tension which are to me an essential element in any competition.

The funny thing is if we were a “let’s win 1-0” team the stress wouldn’t change. It would still be there. The complaints would be about not getting the 2nd goal to kill a game.

 

[mudshark]

Don’t agree Steff. We have ridiculous stats for not going long from the back. It’s being encouraged by the manager. Of course Forster has massive culpability but that’s how he’s being told to play despite not really being capable of it. Good goalkeeper but not a footballer.

It was an unbelievable game. We got through so alls well that ends well. But we need to be a bit more clever.

Whether or not it's what he's encouraged to do, I'd say he's got to think for himself in situations like that. Your first duty as a goalkeeper is not to concede goals. Sniff the danger, use your own head. Worry about how you distribute the ball second. If he gets a 'philosophy' lecture from Postecoglou afterwards, he can argue his case. In future, he can cite this game as exhibit A.

 

[Raziel]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1869864780535587172

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

The funny thing is if we were a “let’s win 1-0” team the stress wouldn’t change. It would still be there. The complaints would be about not getting the 2nd goal to kill a game.

With our previous 2 manager I walked away from some winning games saying that was a hard watch. As a life long defender I understand the importance of defence but always understood that you win games by scoring goals not by keeping "clean sheets"

 

[Raziel]

With our previous 2 manager I walked away from some winning games saying that was a hard watch. As a life long defender I understand the importance of defence but always understood that you win games by scoring goals not by keeping "clean sheets"

I think it depends on the competition type

- Clean sheets win leagues
- Scoring goals wins cups

 

[Raziel]

fyi .. ffs I thought our fans are deluded

United's social media fudges are all spinning the story that they somehow bottled that game, and were unlucky? wtf, 2 of the luckiest goals (or least gifted goals) while conceding 4 and you think you deserved something?