Spurs (H) | PL | Post Match Thread

[St.Pauli support]

The easy pass that Haaland messed up when him and Bobb won the ball back off their defence was worse imo.

That's what I thought too, but when I watched it again Erling's pass is spot on but (I think it's) Lewis suddenly stops and can't reach Erling's pass anymore. Pure Clownery.

When those invitations aren't accepted a team knows it won't score on that day. Spurs knew as well we wouldn't.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

I assume everyone is losing their shit. The ones who can't handle it are throwing their toys out.

It's early, we don't know what or how good we will be yet after two games. Let the team settle into the season before panning them.

No good performances yesterday I thought. Players nervous and not knowing where each other were. It will come, the players are good enough.

A measured response imo.

A bad day no question, but the over-reaction on here is not that unusual, and a ramped -up version of a normal matchday thread following a loss.

Probably made worse with it being the first home game of the season ?

This week on here will undoubtedly be manic and not for those of a nervous disposition !

 

[Willo the Wisp]

It's simple. Rico's the only regularly fit player who understands Pep's complex inverted tactic. Stones said that when asked to do the same by Guardiola in the treble season, he had to ask Rico how to do it.

Rico's being asked to play RB, No6, No 8 & No 10, & teams have figured out how to get around it by exploiting the RB space he vacates. The issue is that Pep's persisting with a complex system that other teams have sussed out & he's showing few signs of ditching it & going back to basics any time soon. This is our problem.

Since last November's collapse, I can't think of a top PL or CL team that we've come up against who haven't used similar tactics to beat Pep's inverted system.

It no longer works, but Pep is persisting with it & it's seriously costing us. We just need to get back to our original 4-3-3 basics & rebuild our squad & tactical approach from there. The mess we keep finding ourselves in against top opposition isn't Rico's fault, it's Pep's.

I fully agree with you, to further the argument against the system, the only period last season that we looked a decent team was when Nico O' Reilly played at LB and Nunes at RB, that team did not have wingers and the 2 full backs were the attacking outlets on the wings, we has a loaded midfield and it was not so easy get through us.
But when it came to the Cup Final Nunes was dropped in favor of Akanji, and both Doku and Savinho were chosen, Nico was probably asked to play the inverted full back role, but he was lost and his attacking threat was also lost.
A couple of friends I have here have always claimed that Pep has a humungous ego and everything has to be about him, I always argued against them until that day, when I saw that line up I knew we were going to lose that match, it was crackers the changes he made.

 

[mattyads]

I assume everyone is losing their shit. The ones who can't handle it are throwing their toys out.

It's early, we don't know what or how good we will be yet after two games. Let the team settle into the season before panning them.

No good performances yesterday I thought. Players nervous and not knowing where each other were. It will come, the players are good enough.

Good enough for what? … is the question.

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

I assume everyone is losing their shit. The ones who can't handle it are throwing their toys out.

It's early, we don't know what or how good we will be yet after two games. Let the team settle into the season before panning them.

No good performances yesterday I thought. Players nervous and not knowing where each other were. It will come, the players are good enough.

We don’t know if they are good enough yet, they may even be hampered by wild and stupid tactics. Time will tell

 

[Blue2202]

People should look at Reis like Saliba.

Arsenal spent £30m on him in 2019 and he was loaned out for 3 years while they had average CBs and then when he was ready, he came back and has been one of the best CB's in the PL since. It's not a waste of money, it's an investment for the future, and if the club had a fixed budget, they wouldn't have put the money in a long term project.

If there was a RB on the market who looked like a 23 year old Walker (or even a 28 year old Walker), the club would have gone out and bought him.

There isn't. No one can name a RB with Walker's profile because there isn't one. Khusanov has the pace and physicality to be that player at CB, but he's 21 and only been here 10 games. Again, there's no outstandingly fast, physically dominant CBs on the market either.

Instead of people being annoyed we haven't replaced him immediately, this should really make people appreciate what we had in Walker.

Nowhere have I said Reis was a waste of money, I'm simply stating a fact relating to our recent spending. Reis may well turn out to be a very good investment (or he may not) but since Walker left in January we've clearly had a hole in our starting XI never mind just squad.

I'd say addressing issues in the first team starting XI should be above anything else we do transfer wise - we haven't done that and it's continually costing us in games. Therefore I think the money spent on Reis could have been put to better use to try and address this glaring issue.

You say there's no one of Walkers profile out there... I say there's probably 15 teams in the Premier League alone who have a better starting right back than we do currently.

 

[Rammy Blue]

Their first goal was so soft but a carbon copy of so many before it. So easy to play against.

Pep insisting on a high line with a defence which includes Ake, Lewis, Stones and Dias is absolutely criminal. Ake is the fastest out of them all but he’s lost a yard (or few) in the past couple of years.

One long ball (which Marmoush didn’t bother closing down because he was too busy marking Bentancur who was already marked!?) and a flick on into 70 yards of space behind the defence. Ridiculous and suicidal tactics.

They were with prime Walker and pace in the side, never mind which what we’re using now. How Khusanov doesn’t get the nod - and Nunes - purely for their pace is beyond me.

Their first goal wouldn’t have got anywhere if we had a central defender better than Dias playing who can win a ball in the air. He mistimes his jump and is far too far away from Kudus. Win that header and the move stops instantly.

 

[Doc_Testosterone]

Stop overreacting.

The only worrying thing yesterday was the inability to create any decent chances as a team in the second half, we could have played till midnight and not scored.

Talk of the Goalkeeper, Rico and Pep is just looking for a fall guy.

We’ve lost to Spurs loads of times in successful years, it’s the second game of the season and you’re all in meltdown. Rag behaviour.

Give the new lads time to bed in and some of the new ideas. I thought first 30 mins or so, our pressing was much better and we were creating different chances to in previous seasons, same as in the Wolves game.

It’ll take time.

I wouldn’t really call it overreacting. We endured last season with the premise it was injury related and an “off” season. Brought in players in January who by now had ample amount of time to bed in. Then we accepted the CWC embarrassment because it was apparently pre-season and players were new (3 at the time).

The 3 new players are not the problem though, but the rest of the squad is. We banked on the rest of squad just having an off-season, rather than the reality that they got carried by outstanding players like Kevin, Rodri, Gundogan, Mahrez, Walker, Ederson and Bernardo. Most of who (including our defence) are washed now due to age.

Now we are literally in the same spot as last season with less injuries (albeit Rodri is still not fit), and we need more time? That sounds far more like the rag behaviour who had a 10 year transition period with all their excuses.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Rodri looked terribly slow to many of our fans. As you know, there's a lot more to football than pace. Pace is less important in midfield than technique, intelligence, stamina...

There's room for tactical experiments. In the Treble season, Pep found the solution in February...But we had enough quality and chemistry before that to stay in the PL race. Now there are a lot more moving parts, the space of tactical possibilities is much bigger, with many trade-offs. For example, starting Cherki has its upsides and downsides. The same with Rico or Nunes.

Again, the key is whether and how soon Rodri can start and control games. The things he can give us are very simple and sometimes hard to notice, but they change the game: how we move the ball from defence to attack, how confident and calm we are on the ball, how the rhythm makes the whole greater than the parts, and so on. Let's hope he can regain form. The most influential player we have had under Pep. But if he struggles, fans will turn against him as well. Patience is almost non-existent these days...

I think Cherki is a great player and of course Rodri is world-class but the balance in the team is wrong. We don't have enough pace, especially in the back line. Kusanov needs to play for starters. It's a shame Savinho has not worked out because he would have helped.

 

[Rammy Blue]

The balance of how we set up, for me. Not sure Cherki is ready to play in a midfield three against a team as physical as Spurs. Maybe with Rodri at his peak sitting behind but not with a whole new midfield.

I thought it affected our whole setup.

Still convinced Pep thought they’d go 5 at the back and try and hit us on the counter. Picking that midfield 3 was our downfall, we needed the extra body in there and just 2 attackers either side of Erl.

 

[Rammy Blue]

The main thing that stood out was we have a team who no longer has any physicality. Our players were bullied off the ball, time and time again. This you can live with to a certain degree if you have an out ball and play the ball quickly. Playing back to Trafford isn't like playing back to Eddie, who is like playing with another outfield player. He might have been subject to the odd brainfart but Walker provided that aggressive nastiness which we are missing, we are all too nice.

The game is clearly being refereed differently over the last few seasons where more physical players (unless its Haaland) are allowed more leeway yet we dont start players like Kushanov. We need someone in the middle, who is an alternative to Rodri who brings a bit of bite to the team, Nico isnt that player.

Im sure we will look a different team when we have Rodri and Gvardiol back but we are far from complete.

Finally can we get someone who can head the ball, or at least train someone who can because Ive never seen a tall striker like Haaland be so bad at it.

The amount of 50/50’s we pussied out of yesterday was driving me batty, I was screaming at our players to get stuck in, think we lost every fucking challenge….

 

[Ric]

What makes it worse is that there's no incentive for them to sign Sav anymore, knowing Levy he would probably say they are good enough to ride the season out. If we had smashed them properly yesterday that would have added to their desperation to bounce back from the Eze humiliation

That might be a good thing tbh. We struggled to create anything of note yesterday, so our need might be greater than theirs. Savinho gives us another attacking option, and I hope he stays.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

I think Pep need to make 2-3 selection issues:

a) There is an obvious call to make on Trafford. He played a terrible game. It wasn't 1 error. I hope Pep rests him.

b) Marmoush does not work wide on the left. He cannot be asked to play there. If we want to play Marmoush and Haaland together, then they have to play as a 2.

c) Whether we can play Cherki. He may have strong offensive skills, but his defensive game is weak and he is slow.

The few times Haaland and Marmoush have played as a two (even in periods of games) they have looked devastating. The link up play for the missed chance by Marmoush yesterday showed what they can do. Haaland makes space for Marmoush behind him. We have to try this more, at least in games against weaker opposition.

 

[Goodlove]

I allowed myself to get carried away before this game, felt reenergised, excited about the new players and to a large extent I still am. Yes, I agree we didn’t play well and I’m disappointed in the manner of the goals we conceded but it’s spurs and they are a real bogey team for us, was half expecting it so I’m not really counting it as something out of the ordinary. Onto the next one blues, 3 points at Brighton. Nice little break and then into them red fuckers. Stick 4 past them and this will all be forgotten

 

[carlosthejackal]

I allowed myself to get carried away before this game, felt reenergised, excited about the new players and to a large extent I still am. Yes, I agree we didn’t play well and I’m disappointed in the manner of the goals we conceded but it’s spurs and they are a real bogey team for us, was half expecting it so I’m not really counting it as something out of the ordinary. Onto the next one blues, 3 points at Brighton. Nice little break and then into them red fuckers. Stick 4 past them and this will all be forgotten

Love your optimism, but yesterday we didn’t have one leader on the pitch when the going got tough.

 

[Bantamgaz]

As an outside dont you think this season as early as it is was always gonna be a year of bedding players into a style and system ?????
You may still go and win the league but i can see this new team taking a while to really push on

 

[I'm Blue]

I fucking hate Spursy and especially hate how we shit the bed every time we play them.
The only plus side is at least there was no Son to run riot after we give him the freedom of the midfield, again.
Yep I’m still ever so slightly fucking annoyed.

 

[Marvin.]

Love your optimism, but yesterday we didn’t have one leader on the pitch when the going got tough.

That was noticeable.

The ground was flat in the 2nd half. We started brightly for the first ten minutes of the 2nd half and then we just let the game drift to a conclusion. We didn't have the ability to lay siege to their goal and there was no belief in the ground.

 

[Dribble]

I fully agree with you, to further the argument against the system, the only period last season that we looked a decent team was when Nico O' Reilly played at LB and Nunes at RB, that team did not have wingers and the 2 full backs were the attacking outlets on the wings, we has a loaded midfield and it was not so easy get through us.
But when it came to the Cup Final Nunes was dropped in favor of Akanji, and both Doku and Savinho were chosen, Nico was probably asked to play the inverted full back role, but he was lost and his attacking threat was also lost.
A couple of friends I have here have always claimed that Pep has a humungous ego and everything has to be about him, I always argued against them until that day, when I saw that line up I knew we were going to lose that match, it was crackers the changes he made.

Fabio Capello made the same accusation against Pep last season too. He questioned why Pep always seemed to make unhinged tactical & line-up decisions in major finals.

Fabio accused Pep of making those finals about him. He wanted victory to be because he made a genius tactical change, so he could take all the glory.

Capello questioned why you'd wait until a final to change a system that got you to a final in the first place? City fans have called it "over-thinking", but on reflection, it amounts to the same thing.

I'd never looked at Pep like that before Capello mentioned it.


Fabio Capello on Guardiola March 2025

"Do you know what I don't like about Guardiola? His arrogance. The Champions League he won with City was the only one in which he didn't try anything strange in the decisive games. But every other year, in Manchester and Munich, on the key days, he always wanted to be the protagonist."

"He changed things and made up things so he could say: 'The players don't win, I win'. And that arrogance has cost him several Champions Leagues. I respect him, but I see that clearly."

Fabio Capello accuses Pep Guardiola of doing 'tremendous damage to football'

Fabio Capello has been a vocal critic of Pep Guardiola in the past and has now attacked the Manchester City boss again, claiming his iconic possession system had done "tremendous damage" to football

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[ancoats]

Was it just another Spurs at home game we lost or was it more of the same from last season ?
I wanted to see City stamp our game all over Spurs because they are under new management and building finding their feet in the first away game, but it was Spurs that stamped their game on us in our first home game

City started OK but after Aït-Nouri was injured and came off we fell apart, This is what I will never understand with Pep and his setups at fullbacks, Lewis doesn't understand the role and Ake is not a fullback, So why do we keep inverting Lewis into midfield knowing the left back off injured ? You have to have a solid defence with players in their roles.

Spurs attack the left side after the injury, knowing Ake is weak and slow and not a left back, It felt like Klopp and Liverpool and Salah having a free run down the left at anfield ?

Pep needs a balanced squad and like-for-like players on the bench, not FUCKING cover players ? that every tom dick and harry manager knows our weakness at full-backs

Now it's a Very Big week for me ? Pep has to sort out the players he wants and get rid of the dead wood, even put some noses out of joint and some home truths ? even if it's going back to basics in a False 9 and Haaland on the bench for the Brighton game so be it because it's now a big 3 points game