Spurs (A) | PL | Post-Match Thread

The perfect fumble said:
2. Our time is up, we've been sussed
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Anyone thinking this needs to take a minute to actually think things over properly. Whenever we hit a dip in form people seem to think that other teams have figured out how to play against us.

The reality is that when the players we have are playing at their proven level and being putting out there by one of the best managers of all time, backed up by countless incredible backroom staff and with the spending power we have, we aren't a fucking Rubik's Cube.

We've been here at least twice during Pep's reign. I lost my shit the second time around and completely lost faith. Then the club showed me how stupid I was. It's not happening again.

I get the frustrations because we really are a fucking shit team to watch when we're not firing on all cylinders. But people lose perspective too quickly and typically their patience doesn't extend beyond three to five bad games. Unfortunately, I think we're in for a lot more than that before we pick up again.
 
He needs to respect the art of defending to .
This season this is not a full complete team from back to front .
He shouldn't of also put rico on the leftside, that was totally crazy decision from a top experienced manager .
We have got very good defenders who are not getting game time .
A defence of Walker or Rico, Dias, Laporte & Ake would of been a better selection.
Pg has got Grumpy Oldman Syndrome & is making things awkward within the camp .
when he had is rant the other week about everyone getting to comfortable he should of included himself in the topic .
The team is disjointed in every department at this moment & its not just the players at fault ,its the management to that needs a kick up the backside .
 
pete73 said:
All credits to Rico Lewis, he's good on the ball and has the right mentality.
However, all the games he's played, he seems to forget Haaland is on the pitch. Never looks for him, never passes to him. This has to change, it has become contagious!!
Haaland seems to soak up the frustration from his mates not providing, he now looks sad and frustrated. It will get to his confidence and performance if it lasts much longer.
So please: Rico - Look for Haaland and start passing, ffs!!
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On BEin Andy Gray (ffs) called Rico a continuity player. Maybe he was right for once. He's a hard worker and never gives the ball away, but he rarely if ever seems to pass more than 5 yards. The issue is that he is not creative, he will rarely assist or score.
I have no clue what the problem is, but yesterday was poor, with only Grealish and Ake having a decent game. The midfield were not at it, and I feel for Haaland. He makes the runs and........ back we go. Time to lighten up on this "possession is all" bollocks and start to take some chances in the final third. Imho.
 
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flb said:
When you look to the games before the WC (bar Brentford at home) we weren't anything as bad as we are after it. Kev wasn't his scintillating best but he's become a shadow of himself whilst at and after the WC. What's also alarming is the talk/rumours that Walker has been unhappy -he's been the ultimate professional at his time with us, and what the hell has happened to Foden? Phillips hasn't done anything at all whilst at the club regardless of his injury problem. Why all of a sudden have we fell off the cliff in our intensity on the pitch? Ruben or Laporte aren't getting any game time on the pitch whatsoever, even Edison just doesn't seem himself with his distribution.
The only players covering themselves in glory are Akanji,Ake,Lewis,Rodri,Mahrez and Jack and obviously Haaland.
The rest surely cant have fallen off that much in the space of 4 months? Even Pep doesn't seem himself-he's one for studying body language-well from a fans perspective neither is his like it used to be. Something appears terribly wrong at the minute, where has the unity disappeared to?
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I think the players have just eventually become pissed off with the constant and needless rotation and playing them out of position for no apparent reason or benefit (as per the post by @Bluemoon has risen above). They don't like it and they, like us can see that it isn't working. Hardly any of the complete back line have no idea what position they might be playing from one game to the next - regardless of how they play or perform. To play Rico at left back yesterday was just stupidity of the highest order. Ake had one his best games in that position against a top of the table Arsenal in his previous game. So he replaces him with a kid who has just broken through into the squad playing him out of position for a game like yesterday - just why the fuck would you do that? The players are frustrated with Pep. It's 100% clear and Pep is frustrated with the players because they can't seem to grasp his footballing genius and play superbly every week when being playing out of their usual and favoured positions. The relationship between the manager and the players has broken down - badly. Unfortunately, I can't see it improving. When that happens there is only one way it is going to end.
 
stan bowles said:
His modus operandi seems to be to drive at defenders solely to initiate contact and win free kicks. He showed plenty of effort yesterday (oh for some of that from several others too, please) and lots of fire in his belly but he's always going to ground. He certainly knows how to win free kicks. Other fans will say he's always getting kicked - I think he's always looking to get fouled. Never beats a player and never scores.
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Getting free kicks and fouls will not win us games. He needs to score or assist.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
Akanji should be the DM option alongside Rodri.

He's not strong enough as a central defender, certainly in the air, but he is quick enough and certainly has the passing technique to help us higher up.

I would than go Walker, Dias, Laporte and Ake as the back four until Stones is back.

I'd drop Mahrez for Kev wide right, have Walker doing the donkey work foil overlaps.

Gundo in the ten and Phil can decide if he wants to fight it out with Jack on the left for now.



...............Ederson........
Walker...Dias...Laporte...Ake
.........Akanji....Rodri.....
De Bruyne...Gundo....Grealish..
... ............Haaland.........
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I Will start foden cm
We need some speed
In the sommer:
In : Bellingham - Gvardiol - kvara/leao -
Maybe Rice too
 
remember arthur mann said:
That bad ?
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Everything you said in your original comment is tactically right, so there's nothing to learn really apart from how toothless we can look at the moment. We didn't create much apart from the Mahrez off the bar, we controlled the ball fairly well but they looked dangerous on the counter, and they pressed Rodri and the midfield well which we didn't know what to do with. I could think of a billion things I would prefer to do with a spare two hours.
 
I just want to know why Laporte and Diaz are on the bench. Can't be injured, they would not be in the squad, if that was the case. Is it attitude, not training well. Pep highlighted Philips and Mahrez lack of fitness, tell us about those two. Even though Kevin is not at his best, he had to play yesterday for his vision alone.
I don't know rhe answers.
 
Rico is going to be a fabulous player but throwing him into that complicated role against a top 6 team playing counter attack and on his unfamiliar left side was a step too far yesterday. Played correctly that role benefits the team, played incorrectly it unbalances the team. Added to that, Rodri was looking very tired and Ake was forced to be centre and left back at the same time. So in the end it was a typical Spurs away performance. Still lots to play for. I suspect we're gambling on having a full fit squad in a few weeks time, then beating Arse twice and winning the CL. But what do I know!
 
Tugay One Cup said:
Anyone thinking this needs to take a minute to actually think things over properly. Whenever we hit a dip in form people seem to think that other teams have figured out how to play against us.

The reality is that when the players we have are playing at their proven level and being putting out there by one of the best managers of all time, backed up by countless incredible backroom staff and with the spending power we have, we aren't a fucking Rubik's Cube.

We've been here at least twice during Pep's reign. I lost my shit the second time around and completely lost faith. Then the club showed me how stupid I was. It's not happening again.

I get the frustrations because we really are a fucking shit team to watch when we're not firing on all cylinders. But people lose perspective too quickly and typically their patience doesn't extend beyond three to five bad games. Unfortunately, I think we're in for a lot more than that before we pick up again.
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I don't think we are shit to watch but I get why some people do. Personally, I can enjoy much of our possession play.

The problem is two fold, partly (I think), it is the squad we find ourselves with but the biggest problem is that the majority of our opponents play a variation on packing their defences and hoping to prey on our mistakes. Spurs have been particularly good at that. Teams more and more are adding in spoiling tactics to try and disrupt our flow. Spurs did a lot of that and ultimately had a player sent off but got away with it.

It's proving a hard nut to crack but seems we have another big problem breaking.
 
Avoided this last night, such a disappointing result & performance.

If we pass to Spurs in front of our own goal, they'll score - theory now conclusively proven after testing it out at the Etihad.

Rodri had the worst game I can remember in a City shirt.

KdB makes things happen.
 
Every week we are waiting for things to spark to life again. Our football is boring and slow. The derby should have been the wake-up call, but things have continued the same.

What really worries me is our failure's in the transfer market the last few seasons. We now have one senior fullback at the club who is also 32 with seemingly questionable fitness. £45m wasted on Kcal Phillips who Pep can't even trust enough to give Rodri a rest for a single fucking game. Gomez who, let's face it, was bought to be sold on, he wouldn't start for a championship side, but has now become a member of our squad simply to make up bodies. And then there's the players we've let go and haven't replaced such as Cancelo, Zinchenko, Sterling.

With such a crucial window ahead, you have to wonder if we are capable of another summer 2017 overhaul.
 
Lavinda Past said:
There's a fine line between genius and madness.

One fine line at the club is more than enough imo!
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All about opinions but our one "genius" continually over thinks things... Martin Samuels said so himself when I spoke to him at Porto Airport the morning after the UCL final.. He said "one day he'll tinker so much that he gets it right"

Shameless name drop but I thought it was relevant
 
Boozoo said:
I'm sorry but Rico Lewis is just not up to it. Yes, he connects with most of his passes but there is nothing outstanding there. There is nothing like a Cancelo move or Cancelo improvisation. Cancelo was such a dynamo - so he had some off days - if he wasn't injured he could have got back to it ... and Laporte and Dias. Its insulting to these stars to have an average 18 year old playing.
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He is far from average but agree he needs resting now
 
sutty66 said:
yeah but that’s on pep and the board to react and sign players who have the ability surely??! we’re bored of mahrez grealish on wings slow midfield soo why can’t ‘the professionals’ see that???
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I'm not bored with them, but we've become one dimensional & don't seem to have anyone who'll risk losing possession now & again, by having a go...
 
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