• 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

***** Tottenham v Liverpool *****

Again, could well have been a penalty but Liverpool made the same challenges on us 4 or 5 times in various different parts of the pitch and they never got given but because their shout was in the box its a mistake by the ref? If that challenge was made in the middle of the park no one would be mentioning it and thats what the problem is.
 
While I think Kane should have been sent off I think it is brilliant that he was not because Klopp's whinging made it all the sweeter.

Bottom line Kane was not sent off and we were the better team on the day, Klopp and the Scousers should get over it. I am just gutted we only scored 2 goals.
 
Lovely for the Scousers and Herr Klopp to have a (self-generated) noisy reffing controversy to muffle any criticism of how they actually played. We were coming off a long layoff and clearly rusty with our finishing and passing yet gave them all sorts of problems. They had some good moments but clearly look like a top team beginning to slide down the long slope of steady decline.

But they'll be howling about 'the injustice of it all' and that Tierney's a 'roosterney bastard' when they really need to look at what they need to do to remain in the title hunt. But I'm guessing that FSG's recent purchase of NHL club Pittsburgh Penguins has made their transfer budget just a tad thinner.
 
just watched a 40 minute highlights reel of the game, and the lasting thing for me is where has this Winks and Dele been for the past 18 months? I know that Dele missed a couple of chances, but the difference is he was in a position to actually miss them - he's bimbled about like your Nan trying to remember where she left her Rothmans for the past season or so - today he was in that hole behind Kane and Son and doing what he did so, so well when we stole him from MK Dons.

A word about Kane too - he needs to be more up top to enable Dele to play like that, and he did it really well. I agree with a couple of earlier posters, it felt like a game from the Poch era today, we had a shape, a system, a way of beating the opposition and played with confidence and swagger at times. If we can get Cuti back fit, and a little more end product from the wing backs, we're going to be hard to handle at home now.

I think you pretty much perfectly answer the question you ask in your first paragraph in your second paragraph.

A shape, a system. Starting to look well drilled, a way of playing, purpose with the ball, not just waiting for the pressure to get too much and then boot it and get ready to sit back again.

On those two in particular. System and shape, but not least playing roles that suit them.

Winks centrally in a midfield three, less space to cover defensively, less exposed. A more set pattern of play, predictable movement that gives him options.

Alli box to box, no not as the #10 people claim is his only role, but a role with the freedom to make those attacking runs.

But yeah, in addition to that they seemed to play with belief and confidence, something that has been missing. Difficult to say how that has returned, can only hope it lasts.
 
I get Liverpool being upset about thrvOane challenge because in this day and age that's usually a red card but it was a genuine attempt to play the ball. Robertson just decided to lash out and kick Emerson, one was serious foul play the other a timing issue. Regarding the ref in general I think he was awful and I'm never one to complain about a ref, don't think I've ever made any negative comments I. The last even if it has affected us. We had 2 penalty situations both not given the Davies one was pretty ridiculous, somehow Liverpool ended up with the freekick despite Davies being the one who had the ball and being impeded. There was another one close to their goal, I'm trying to remember the player but he just got completely barged off the ball and the ref played on. I think Tierney got confused and though Liverpool were at home because he gave everything soft on their favour except the potential red and penalty decision.

Really, really promising performance from us yesterday. The 532 does seem to suit a but better as many of us thought. We do need a little bit more though as we really only had 3 players who you semi rely on finishing a chance. Obviously they all left their shooting boots at home. We also need a bit more crispness in our passing, a lot of the missed chances were due to a slightly slow or bouncy final ball. The Dele to Kane chance being a prime example.

All told when Alison is their man of the match you know you've done well. I want to see more involvement from Ndombele because he offers the quality link of midfield and attack and he is sadly just about the only player in the entire squad who can be expected to reliably play that pass for their first goal.
 
Honestly I think Kane should have been sent off. At home, England star, the superstar that is Harry Kane, early in the game. He gets away with it. He shouldn't, but such is the game at times. We've been at the other end of that often enough for me not to care.

Fantastic performance overall. Yeah, they weren't at their best. But in the starting lineup we were without Romero, Reguilon, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Moura. All clear first choice players recently when fit.

A midfield three composed entirely of players I think probably a majority of Spurs fans would have been happy to see sold come January, before this game at least.

Fantastic. Well done to Conte and the players. We could have done even better in a couple of key situations and won, but overall I really don't think we could have asked for more.

Please sir can I have some more of that.
 
Honestly I think Kane should have been sent off. At home, England star, the superstar that is Harry Kane, early in the game. He gets away with it. He shouldn't, but such is the game at times. We've been at the other end of that often enough for me not to care.

Fantastic performance overall. Yeah, they weren't at their best. But in the starting lineup we were without Romero, Reguilon, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Moura. All clear first choice players recently when fit.

A midfield three composed entirely of players I think probably a majority of Spurs fans would have been happy to see sold come January, before this game at least.

Fantastic. Well done to Conte and the players. We could have done even better in a couple of key situations and won, but overall I really don't think we could have asked for more.

Please sir can I have some more of that.

Don't forget the 3 "donkeys" at the back who topped most peoples list for their P45s. This result must give the players confidence in themselves and the system. Despite the planned upcoming fixtures I would keep as many players as possible in the team and bin the robotic rotation idea, only leave players out who need a rest as you never know that games might be played.
 
Its the most useless stat i have seen and is used to create even more argument about who deserved to win. We were expected to score 1.65 and Liverpool 1.29 but it ended 2-2 so how is it even relevant?

It’s just an indication of who had the better chances. How is that not relevant? By your logic do you think every stat in the game is irrelevant?

I can’t help but suspect it’s the name ‘expected goals’ that most makes people dislike the stat. Maybe the name distracts and misleads from the stat’s purpose simply being to try and give an indication of who had the better chances - hardly an irrelevant concept, it’s something that fans always talk about after a game.
 
It was an exciting game to be at yesterday with a great atmosphere and we did waaay better than I thought we would before kick off. However, I don't t think we were as good as many here are making out. Sure, we should have won but also could easily have lost.

The way Liverpool played reminded me of when they lost 7-2 to Villa last season, the only difference being our crap finishing. They were so open. All those 1st half chances came from quick breaks and balls into the channels following spells where Pool were camped on the edge of our box. I don't think our upcoming opposition will afford us such space to create, especially West Ham on Tuesday. We've been a counter attacking team for the last few seasons but struggle when we need to dictate.

Of the players I thought Sessegnon did really well shacking Salah and the defense did pretty well under some sustained spells of pressure.

Our much maligned midfield 3 were a mixed bag I thought. Winks was very good, sharp passing and good energy. Dele was hit and miss, some good play often followed by the all to familiar dawdling on the ball or a poor pass. Tanguy was poor, a couple of good passes but couldn't beat a man today and lost the ball in dangerous positions so many times.

Oh, and Conte. Love him. He is imo one of the top 5 elite managers out there. Not many could get a tune out of our very average squad but he is finding a way. If he is backed in the next two windows I feel we could be a real force next season.
 
It was an exciting game to be at yesterday with a great atmosphere and we did waaay better than I thought we would before kick off. However, I don't t think we were as good as many here are making out. Sure, we should have won but also could easily have lost.

The way Liverpool played reminded me of when they lost 7-2 to Villa last season, the only difference being our crap finishing. They were so open. All those 1st half chances came from quick breaks and balls into the channels following spells where Pool were camped on the edge of our box. I don't think our upcoming opposition will afford us such space to create, especially West Ham on Tuesday. We've been a counter attacking team for the last few seasons but struggle when we need to dictate.

Of the players I thought Sessegnon did really well shacking Salah and the defense did pretty well under some sustained spells of pressure.

Our much maligned midfield 3 were a mixed bag I thought. Winks was very good, sharp passing and good energy. Dele was hit and miss, some good play often followed by the all to familiar dawdling on the ball or a poor pass. Tanguy was poor, a couple of good passes but couldn't beat a man today and lost the ball in dangerous positions so many times.

Oh, and Conte. Love him. He is imo one of the top 5 elite managers out there. Not many could get a tune out of our very average squad but he is finding a way. If he is backed in the next two windows I feel we could be a real force next season.
Have to agree with a lot of this
Not sure how pool gave us so much space TBH as they had plenty of the ball
They were camped as your describe it but not creating much even though the stats say they had plenty of chances. Every time we attacked we looked like scoring which is a huge positive
Conte will have us set up nicely for games when we have more of the ball, I have no doubt about that
The guys a master at work
 
Trying to view the decisions with neutral goggles and can’t understand how Kane stays on the pitch and Robertson gets sent. Think there is a case for both to be yellows or both reds but for consistency within the same match, let alone the same league, they both deserve the same colour card. More intent from Robertson but kanes is a much worse challenge in terms of potential injury

Jots should have had a penalty, it was a much stronger claim than either of our shouts - think winks’ was outside the box anyway - but don’t understand why their second goal was not disallowed for the handball. Sky tried to justify it by saying the phase of play moved on but that’s a nonsense - lloris has to punch the ball away because Salah has moved it towards our goal with his arm!

Takes neutral goggles off. Great refereeing, we deserve a bit of luck against this lot. COYS
 
Trying to view the decisions with neutral goggles and can’t understand how Kane stays on the pitch and Robertson gets sent. Think there is a case for both to be yellows or both reds but for consistency within the same match, let alone the same league, they both deserve the same colour card. More intent from Robertson but kanes is a much worse challenge in terms of potential injury

Jots should have had a penalty, it was a much stronger claim than either of our shouts - think winks’ was outside the box anyway - but don’t understand why their second goal was not disallowed for the handball. Sky tried to justify it by saying the phase of play moved on but that’s a nonsense - lloris has to punch the ball away because Salah has moved it towards our goal with his arm!

Takes neutral goggles off. Great refereeing, we deserve a bit of luck against this lot. COYS

Its not a nonsense - it’s the new rule! (You might think the rule is nonsense, but the referees made the right call according to the rule. And Sky’s interpretation was correct too).

Agree with everything else you say though.
 
Why are so many of you constantly going on about the referee decisions! Who gives a flying fudge.

Kane and Son work better closer together, defenders aren’t as sure how to commit to them as they pose different but complementary threats. If we use them like that, we still desperately need at least one alternative to them though.


It’s a little harsh on Moura who doesn’t fit naturally into those 3 midfield slots but seeing the improvement on Dele and Winks today, perhaps Conte’s coaching is helping define individual roles better, so potentially he could end up playing a central role or rwb?

Dele was making the overlap like the Dele of old (surely an instruction to look for the run with a diagonal over the top as Dier, Sanchez and Winks all executed good passes of this ilk) and he was also not hanging onto the ball as much as usual, Winks was regularly passing forwards or moving the ball on quickly and pressed and intercepting well.

Edit: ditto Tanguy, whilst I don’t think he did enough defensively he was also looking to shift the ball rather than beat his man / draw fouls. Come to think of it same with Kane and the fouls too.

I also believe Skipp will replace Ndombele next time out and Hojbjerg will be on the bench.

Yep been calling for 3-4-1-2 for a while. Kane and Son up top together with someone in behind feeding them and the wing backs, will strike the fear of the almighty in most defences.

Nothing wrong with Lucas being a squad player. We need a strong squad if we are going to do anything this season. And for some games we can go back to 3-4-3 and even rest players and use Bergwijn, Lucas and Vlahovic as a three. Or even Lucas and Kane up top as a two or Kane and Vlahovic etc. And with all the midfield options it gives me hope we can manage the busy periods to come and still win games.

Lets get Vlahovic done in January if nothing else and that will improve our chances this season greatly.
 
My takes on the game.
I liked the setup. I think it suited Son and Kane well playing in a two. Think Lucas has played well this season. This just looked better balanced.
Kane goal was about winning it high up the pitch. Winks, Dele and Ndombele and involved. Good goal.
Kane’s foul was dangerous he was not in control. If that happened later in the game he walks.

Equaliser was annoying if you wanted to be critical then Sanchez needs to get tighter to Jota.

Surely Salah gains an advantage by the ball being controlled by his arm? No wonder the refs make mistakes the last few years they’ve changed the rules so many times. Or at least the guidance on how to interpret them.

Decent forward pass by Winks for the equaliser thought he had a decent game. The system suited him.

Clear red for Robertson no one is disputing that.

Royal had a shaky first half improved in the 2nd.

Thought Sessegnon had a great game. Salah didn’t influence the game much at all. Between him and Davies they kept him quiet.
 
Its not a nonsense - it’s the new rule! (You might think the rule is nonsense, but the referees made the right call according to the rule. And Sky’s interpretation was correct too).

Agree with everything else you say though.

The right decision would have been for the ref to spot the hand ball in the first place and to give us a free kick.
 
Trying to view the decisions with neutral goggles and can’t understand how Kane stays on the pitch and Robertson gets sent. Think there is a case for both to be yellows or both reds but for consistency within the same match, let alone the same league, they both deserve the same colour card. More intent from Robertson but kanes is a much worse challenge in terms of potential injury

Jots should have had a penalty, it was a much stronger claim than either of our shouts - think winks’ was outside the box anyway - but don’t understand why their second goal was not disallowed for the handball. Sky tried to justify it by saying the phase of play moved on but that’s a nonsense - lloris has to punch the ball away because Salah has moved it towards our goal with his arm!

Takes neutral goggles off. Great refereeing, we deserve a bit of luck against this lot. COYS


There is not metric in the world where Robertson is not a red card.
That was a disgusting cowardly tackle.
 
Back