OMT ***Tottenham Hotspur vs Emirates Marketing Project***

[billyiddo]

I hope it is part of our evolution, and if we finally combine possession with goals next season we can be a great team. But that will mean keeping our good players, and adding quality in some areas, and I'm not sure whether we will be able to do that. I also think maybe AVB prefers "safe" players over "risky" players... players who dribble or play ambitious balls forward will lose the ball more often than players who play safer passes. But an element of risk is necessary to win difficult and/or evenly matched games. I would like to have seen Carroll/Thudd/Townsend get more playing time than they have. Even though they are a riskier option.

And we are almost at the end of the season and I still don't know what AVB's preferred system is or what his plans for us are.. hopefully he will set out his intentions more clearly at some point. But sometimes I worry that, for example, when he expresses confidence in our forward line-up, as he did at Christmas, he actually means it.

what would you prefer him to do when we have two forwards whose form is almost entirely linked to confidence?

don't really want to take the OMT off course but i think we can look at players we know him to be quite keen on in the past (Mouthino and Willian for example) and form some ideas as to where we wants to take us. a central midfield of Dembele, Sandro and a Mouthino variant of sorts, for example, is pretty close to being a perfect premiership midfield 3, probably lacking in goals but the strength they have in defense probably negates the need to score so freely. a player of that ilk could have potentially made a huge difference to not only our points tally but also our ability to take control of games and our style in general.

 

[jaysea67]

It currently looks as though it will be a tight run thing as to whether Emirates Marketing Project are in Pot 2 or Pot 3 of next season's Champions League group stage draw. Arsenal and Chelsea would both be ranked above Emirates Marketing Project whereas Spurs would be ranked below them.

It could be very beneficial to Emirates Marketing Project if Spurs were to finish in the top 4 at the expense of either Arsenal or Chelsea. Mancini please take note.

 

[AdamB]

Anyone seen any comments etc from anyone at Spurs about how Bale and Lennon's recovery is going? Am not on teletext so don't see anything put on there

They've had 10 days rest now so hopefully things picking up.

Think AVB gave all the players time off post Basel with training resuming on Tues this coming week so presumably more info might start to emerge then. Helpfully that the City game is on Sun rather than Sat as 24 hours extra could make the difference

 

[paxtonwolf]

Anyone seen any comments etc from anyone at Spurs about how Bale and Lennon's recovery is going? Am not on teletext so don't see anything put on there

They've had 10 days rest now so hopefully things picking up.

Think AVB gave all the players time off post Basel with training resuming on Tues this coming week so presumably more info might start to emerge then. Helpfully that the City game is on Sun rather than Sat as 24 hours extra could make the difference

Knowing our luck out Defoe, Bale and Lennon will all still be out and Gallas will be the one that is fit enough to play!

 

[shaney]

It currently looks as though it will be a tight run thing as to whether Emirates Marketing Project are in Pot 2 or Pot 3 of next season's Champions League group stage draw. Arsenal and Chelsea would both be ranked above Emirates Marketing Project whereas Spurs would be ranked below them.

It could be very beneficial to Emirates Marketing Project if Spurs were to finish in the top 4 at the expense of either Arsenal or Chelsea. Mancini please take note.

The gods dont like us that much. Interesting though !

 

[Modric THFC]

It currently looks as though it will be a tight run thing as to whether Emirates Marketing Project are in Pot 2 or Pot 3 of next season's Champions League group stage draw. Arsenal and Chelsea would both be ranked above Emirates Marketing Project whereas Spurs would be ranked below them.

It could be very beneficial to Emirates Marketing Project if Spurs were to finish in the top 4 at the expense of either Arsenal or Chelsea. Mancini please take note.

I doubt Mancini cares much about next season. Another Fa Cup win isnt enough to keep him in the job.

 

[Mumorn]

We lost ground after drawing the game for which you created the OMT. Those two dropped points could see us losing out on CL Qualification, if so that's you having knocked us out of the CL race.

You can rely on other results to help us through but the outcome could be the same. We could lose out on participation in a tournament, thanks in part to your defective OMT... It was defective, because it didnt work!! We didn't win!!

By the end of my draw, we were comfortably sitting in 3rd place thank you very much.

Suddenly my OMT for the Basel game gets closed, this one happens, we lose on penalties and a few days later we are 4th without even having played a league game.

 

[Spursalot]

By the end of my draw, we were comfortably sitting in 3rd place thank you very much.

Suddenly my OMT for the Basel game gets closed, this one happens, we lose on penalties and a few days later we are 4th without even having played a league game.

Walob.

Your match thread took it from being in our hands, to no longer being in our hands. :lol:

 

[Mumorn]

Walob.

Your match thread took it from being in our hands, to no longer being in our hands. :lol:

But we were still in 3rd. We still didn't lose.

plus I don't care what Spurs do.. i'm 13 games in, 11 wins, 2 draws, 0 losses. Sucka.

 

[VolSpur]

Honestly think we should bring back the pee stains and go with this lineup. Think it gives us our best shot. The front 3 don't stay in the same position anyway so why not start Bale out on the left? Carroll can fill that hole whenever Bale cuts inside, and can provide a better through ball than most anybody we've got. Call me crazy, but if we win this one I think it'll come down to Lennon's play more than Bale's.

 

[glorygloryeze]

I think we may be getting ahead our ourselves in thinking Bale and lennon will be back. The prognosis the club gave of 'expected to return to training in 2 weeks; was like a holding statement to get the hacks off our backs and keep our opposition (esp Emirates Marketing Project) guessing.

I very much dobt they'll be back and we will miss their pace to be bale to push City back.

If we lose this match (quite likely imo) i hope the fans don't boo the team or add to the negativity. Losing to City, the current PL Champions, is no disgrace in itself. As lomg as we don't have another tonking we should just move on if we lose.

Whilst saying that, hoping for a steady defensive performance with Vertonghen getting a late headed winner!

COYS

 

[Mumorn]

I do think Bale will be rushed back. I do think Lennon will miss this one out though.

 

[DMac]

Unfortunately Parker will definitely play and I dread to think of him going against Yaya Toure. We just won't keep possession well enough with Parker in there.

I'd much rather see a 4-3-3 like this:

Lloris
Walker Dawson Vertonghen Walker
Holtby Carroll Dembele
Lennon Bale Sigurdsson

But I'm really torn. It sort of depends on how we plan to play whether Ade should start or not. If he does then I would have Bale as a left forward, I just don't think we control the game well enough with Bale in the center.

 

[Crawley]

Unfortunately Parker will definitely play and I dread to think of him going against Yaya Toure. We just won't keep possession well enough with Parker in there.

I'd much rather see a 4-3-3 like this:

Lloris
Walker Dawson Vertonghen Walker
Holtby Carroll Dembele
Lennon Bale Sigurdsson

But I'm really torn. It sort of depends on how we plan to play whether Ade should start or not. If he does then I would have Bale as a left forward, I just don't think we control the game well enough with Bale in the center.

That Walker is some FB, isn't he?

 

[greatwhitenorf]

Kinda like the idea that it's a relegation battler playing them Wednesday before visiting us. Since City and Wigan will now meet in the FA Cup final, here's hoping it gives the midweek match a little fizz. To say nothing of blood, thunder and red cards. Maybe even supplementary discipline for Aguero for stomping on Luiz.

Like the earlier posting suggesting City might go lightly on us in order to further their CL draw situation. I'm friends with a couple of City supporters and they absolutelly cringe at the thought of City in the third pot getting yet another group of death-type draw that puts them at risk of an early exit, yet again.

They say they want an 'Arsenal-type' draw - sitting in second pot, drawing one of the lowest seeds from the 'A' pot. Letting us earn a win next weekend wouldn't be the worst thing. They're presently 15 back of United and six up on Arsenal with a game in hand. They could well afford a day off. Or an off day.

 

[braineclipse]

Unfortunately Parker will definitely play and I dread to think of him going against Yaya Toure. We just won't keep possession well enough with Parker in there.

I'd much rather see a 4-3-3 like this:

Lloris
Walker Dawson Vertonghen Walker
Holtby Carroll Dembele
Lennon Bale Sigurdsson

But I'm really torn. It sort of depends on how we plan to play whether Ade should start or not. If he does then I would have Bale as a left forward, I just don't think we control the game well enough with Bale in the center.

This is the kind of game where Parker is needed. Much more so than against Basel and Fulham. A good rest going into this game, I think he will bounce back and put in a good performance.

There are very few players in the world that fans will feel confident about going up against Yaya Toure, that's part of what makes him so special.

Keeping possession could end up being less important in this game, if Bale and Lennon are back I would be quite happy for City to have the ball quite a bit and for us to go counter attacking. Certainly makes me feel better than the thought of us trying to break them down while they're organized and them getting to do the counter attacking.

 

[Mumorn]

Parker against Yaya should be fun :lol:

I actually thought Sandro did a VERY good job on him in the away fixture, much like he did against Fellaini at Goodison, Sandro is very good at that. Sadly, Yaya is not the only person we should be worried about, Aguero seems to have hit a bit of form, Nasri always plays well against us and Tevez is always dangerous. We will have to press very well for 90 minutes. A positive is that we always do well against the top clubs.

I'd personally put Dembele on Yaya rather than Parker and perhaps tell Parker to shield the back four ALL game and make sure there are no runners in behind. BIG game needed from Adebayor though, Kompany and Nastasic DOMINATE the air, so we have to play the ball at feet and hope Ade can touch it well and bring the likes of Sigurdsson and hopefully Bale and Lennon into the game.

It will be tough but a win or even a hard fought draw would speak absolute wonders for our top 4 hopes. Remember, going into the game we could be 5th, potentially 6th depending on results that happen midweek. Chelsea have Liverpool away after our game on Sunday so a win would be absolutely brilliant of course.

 

[AdamB]

Lets see what Man C turn up on Sunday; the title is effectively over and second place is as good as in the bag given that, apart from their visit to WHL next Sun, they have a very easy run-in - Wigan this Wed and then West Ham, Swansea, Reading, Norwich and 1 other

I fear that we wont have Bale or Lennon so a point for us might be a good result

 

[Mumorn]

I believe we've lost 1 in the last 9 at home against them and that was that monstrouserty at the beginning of last season.

 

[AdamB]

I believe we've lost 1 in the last 9 at home against them and that was that monstrouserty at the beginning of last season.

as much as I'd like to think that'll have a bearing on Sunday, I take those sort of things with a bucket-load of salt. Squads and managers change so much nowadays that those previous games have little bearing on an upcoming on. If teams were settled over longer periods then there would be a certain psychological and histocal influence but I dont see it nowadays