OMT - TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs Man U

[shaney]

It was and I thought he would have had a bit more composure than that. He is a composed finisher but the miss yesterday highlighted that he is low on confidence and ultimately how he berated himself after shows the pressure he has.

The build up play was excellent though and his all round game is good.

Thats why I am baffled that AVB too him off. Subbing a striker on crippingly low confidence will simply make him lose even more self belief. Who knows what would have happened if he stayed on he could have scored a lucky winner of his backside, but who cares, it would have given his confidence an almighty boost.

Look at the way Lamela has been treated - of course he has'nt played well so far, but it looks like he has been given up on and simply been put out to pasture. Do we give up on him so soon. If his confidence wasnt shot to pieces before yesterday it certainly will be now.

 

[Modric THFC]

I didn't state that Townsend was a better player defensively in a individual sense. I said that the balance of the team defensively would have been no worse with Townsend and Lennon playing and that was as much to do with how poorly I felt Chadli was playing as it was about their respective abilities. As for defensive qualities, Townsend has pace and will track back with urgency if it is required - I have yet to see that of Chadli. For someone of his physical stature, he looks to me like someone who doesn't want to be touched which doesn't bode well in a league reknowned for its physical nature and demands.

He stuck to Smalling? He let his opposite number win every single header, virtually unchallenged. That's before I start on his whole percentage of passes thing which were mainly sideways and over 5 yards. I wouldn't mind if it was Vidic we were talking about but it's Smalling who is another example of a player nowhere near good enough to represent the champions of England but one who comfortably dealt with any threat that Chadli posed.

I have no issue with players who sacrifice their normal game to be solid but Chadli wasn't even that solid and posed no threat to Smalling either so to my mind he was of no real use to us during the game.

I like the player and I think he can be useful but he has to show more for me and it starts with growing a little bit of heart and fire and looking like he wants it.

He won 3 headers and lost 3 but whatever

 

[Seedy Ron]

Just back from the match.

That was more like it. Good performance today, very unlucky not to have won. United were gifted two goals. On another day we could have been 3-0 up before they scored.
Sounds daft, and maybe it is, but I enjoyed that game far more than the 1-0 wins over Hull and Swansea.

Play like that for the rest ofthe season and I will have no complaints, apart from the occassional strange substitution. (I still dont get the Townsend for Lennon change, surely had to be Chadli?)

Certainly saw a lot of light at the end of the tunnel today.

Agree with all that Paxton, although I didn't think Lennon had done much second half tbh (neither did Chadli I admit).

Liked the look of Paulie playing higher up with Soldado, some nice link up between them that should get better if they can get more games together. Such a shame Bobby didn't thrash in that chance in the first half, would've done him the world of good.

 

[scaramanga]

Thats why I am baffled that AVB too him off. Subbing a striker on crippingly low confidence will simply make him lose even more self belief. Who knows what would have happened if he stayed on he could have scored a lucky winner of his backside, but who cares, it would have given his confidence an almighty boost.

Look at the way Lamela has been treated - of course he has'nt played well so far, but it looks like he has been given up on and simply been put out to pasture. Do we simh give up on him so soon. If his confidence wasnt shot to pieces before yesterday it certainly will be now.

I seriously doubt Lamela cares how it look to you.

 

[Pirate55]

Evra wasn't booked until Townsend had come on. One of the few times Townsend actually managed to run at him instead of hitting a poor cross or just have a bad first touch.

It's not just that Chadli was doing better than Lennon in the second half, but AVB might have thought Townsend would have more luck trying to get past Evra.

Sorry, I thought he had been booked for the bad tackle on Lennon earlier on when the ref played an advantage. If he HAD been booked then ( as he surely should have been) then he would have been off later. That might have made a difference.

 

[shaney]

I seriously doubt Lamela cares how it look to you.

I "seriously doubt" Lamela, any of the other players, AVB or anyone outside of this forum give a flying monkeys what you, me or any other posters write here. Well done for pointing out the obvious, though.

 

[Pirate55]

Whaaaaat?

Paulinho checks inside for a pass, sees it isn't coming and so then checks back across to bring defender (I think it's Evans) with him to give Sandro the sight of goal to take a pop! As for Soldado, he's checked off Vidic at the same time Paulinho's checked inside in case that pass goes to Paulinho who will then quickly look to play it inside Vidic for Soldad to dart onto!!!!!

If you wanted to take a pop at Soldado today, it would surely have been for the first-half chance he missed when Paulinho slid a fantastic pass to him, which simply required him thwapping it back across De Gea. That was a striker's chance for sure!

Do you really think either Paulie or Soldado was open and available for a pass ? I don't. They were NOT running into space. Same with when Lennon had his shot saved and retrieved the ball by the byline. Pauline stood BEHIND the defender and didn't create a pass for him so he could only put it across an open goal. Soldado wasn't even in the frame for a simple pull back.

Why do you think we are forced to shoot so often from outside the box? The simple answer is that there is not enough movement from our front men to make themselves available for a pass. This is one of our main failings IMO.

 

[DHSF]

Do you really think either Paulie or Soldado was open and available for a pass ? I don't. They were NOT running into space. Same with when Lennon had his shot saved and retrieved the ball by the byline. Pauline stood BEHIND the defender and didn't create a pass for him so he could only put it across an open goal. Soldado wasn't even in the frame for a simple pull back.

Why do you think we are forced to shoot so often from outside the box? The simple answer is that there is not enough movement from our front men to make themselves available for a pass. This is one of our main failings IMO.

I agree with the Lennon bit. Lennon put in a ball in a dangerous area i.e. a yard out but Paulinho really shoulda headed in that area - Soldado had played the ball initially so i wouldnt blame him too much for not being in the area.

As for Sandros goal - Soldado was running in the area in case of any spills had the keeper saved.

 

[scaramanga]

I "seriously doubt" Lamela, any of the other players, AVB or anyone outside of this forum give a flying monkeys what you, me or any other posters write here. Well done for pointing out the obvious, though.

I agree.

In which case, why's it an issue that it 'looks like' Lamela is frozen out?

 

[Kingdawson]

We played well yesterday so i don't think we can really moan about anything tbh. On another day that's a 2-0 comfortable win (did united even have 1 clear cut chance?). Soldado played well, Paulinho played his best game yet imo, Dembele and Sandro looked solid, Lennon and Walker looked good.

 

[Kingdawson]

I agree.

In which case, why's it an issue that it 'looks like' Lamela is frozen out?

tbf he has been frozen out?

doesn't start in a game he should have (Saudi Sportswashing Machine), gets fed to the wolves in a new position vs City, gets dropped all together a week later. It's clear he's not rated.

 

[Pirate55]

I agree with the Lennon bit. Lennon put in a ball in a dangerous area i.e. a yard out but Paulinho really shoulda headed in that area - Soldado had played the ball initially so i wouldnt blame him too much for not being in the area.

As for Sandros goal - Soldado was running in the area in case of any spills had the keeper saved.

But that is the whole point. Soldado did indeed play a great ball to Lennon. But what happened next? He didn't bust a gut to get in the area to finish what would have been a reasonably simple chance. On MoTD Shearer said that when he was going through a lean spell, Sir Bobby Robson said to him that he WASNT seeing enough of his number. By which he meant he wanted to see him in the area FACING the opponents goal. Soldado should be doing as much of this as possible.

BTW, Steff. I don't have a pop at players for missing chances. My gripe is when they don't bust a gut to get into areas for the chances in the first place. No complaints on the move that led to the chance. Great flick by Soldado, good ball by Paulie and good run from Soldado. All that was missing was the finish. We need more moves like this and the goals will come.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

I thought for 20 mins yesterday we were pretty good, the main thing missing in the last few weeks, tempo, was there.

After they equalised I think we sunk back to what we have displayed for most of the season and I think the draw was probably the fair result in the end.

Walker had a real mixed bag of a game, great strike for the free kick but a real couple of errors unfortunately, I like him and I think he's still improving.

Vertonghen had a solid game I thought, Daws was ok in the air but got skanked once horribly by Welbeck which we were lucky to get away with.

I've been a big critic of AVB recently, but I thought he deserved credit for setting up differently yesterday with the conventional winger in Lennon, who had a decent game and I was one of those that didn't agree (didn't boo though...) with the substitution to bring on Townsend.

Soldado had a more involved game which was good to see, should have done better with his chance though. Paulinho had a very good first half but faded quite badly in the second and was a bit anonymous.

I said before the two Manchester games that my thoughts on AVB would be clearer after the Fulham and Sunderland games away from home. Looking forward to heading to Craven Cottage on Wednesday, glad that Martin Jol has been sacked, less of the chanting for him and more for the team hopefully.

 

[scaramanga]

tbf he has been frozen out?

Your opinion

doesn't start in a game he should have (Saudi Sportswashing Machine)

,

Your opinion

gets fed to the wolves

Your opinion

in a new position vs City,

He's never played that position before? Ever? Well if not we've finally found some substance at least.

gets dropped all together a week later.

Aha! This bit's fact.

It's clear he's not rated.

We were doing so well. Shame, back to your opinion again.

So what we can take from all of that is "he got dropped". You know what? It happens. It's happened to every single footballer in the world - especially those being eased into a new team in a new country.

 

[milo]

tbf he has been frozen out?

doesn't start in a game he should have (Saudi Sportswashing Machine), gets fed to the wolves in a new position vs City, gets dropped all together a week later.It's clear he's not rated.

I don't think that is clear at all. I think that he is being introduced slowly whilst adapts to a new country, team and style of football. I guess which of us is right will be clear at the end of the season when I would expect him to be a first team regular.

 

[Kingdawson]

I don't think that is clear at all. I think that he is being introduced slowly whilst adapts to a new country, team and style of football. I guess which of us is right will be clear at the end of the season when I would expect him to be a first team regular.

Nah don't think so (if so why hasn't AVB did that with the other signings).

 

[BrainOfLevy]

I don't think that is clear at all. I think that he is being introduced slowly whilst adapts to a new country, team and style of football. I guess which of us is right will be clear at the end of the season when I would expect him to be a first team regular.

It's like people have forgotten how Lloris was handled last year...clearly wasn't rated.

 

[Jordinho]

Nah don't think so (if so why hasn't AVB did that with the other signings).

Because they're older and more experienced. Soldado and Paulinho are the only ones that are regular starters. Chadli and Capoue have been injured and given time to get 100 % fit. Vlad wasn't thrown into the team until Rose got injured. Eriksen started every other game until he got injured, but has a lot more experience and speaks English well.

 

[Millsy_Yiddo]

Do you really think either Paulie or Soldado was open and available for a pass ? I don't. They were NOT running into space. Same with when Lennon had his shot saved and retrieved the ball by the byline. Pauline stood BEHIND the defender and didn't create a pass for him so he could only put it across an open goal. Soldado wasn't even in the frame for a simple pull back.

Why do you think we are forced to shoot so often from outside the box? The simple answer is that there is not enough movement from our front men to make themselves available for a pass. This is one of our main failings IMO.

If you watch it again, he halted his run to try and create an angle for a cut back from Lennon. Lennon had already made the decision to play the ball across the goal though.

 

[Kingdawson]

It's like people have forgotten how Lloris was handled last year...clearly wasn't rated.

No i remember....i remember well.

I remember Lloris getting league games here and there to settle him in. The situation was nothing like the Lamela one in the slightest.