Spurs (A) | EFL Cup | Post Match Thread

[kaz7]

Glad we are out , we have a huge injury crisis and something has to give

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

I can normally tell after 5 minutes to be honest. Not always right of course. I remember Merlins first couple of touches that convinced me he would be a legend . Harsh comparison I know. I also saw one of Maradona's first games for Argentina and was stunned into silence within seconds again unfair comparison. The general rule for Pep I think is that a player has to be fairly special to get into the first team squad the Academy players who get chances like last night are normally not good enough to make that initial breakthrough. It doesn't mean they are not good players its just that the Pep quality bar is rather high, too high for most.

You can definitely tell the really great ones very quickly. First touch and a 40 yard pinpoint pass says it all. David Silva and Sergio looked the business immediately. Foden was amazing as a teenager, streets ahead of anyone at his age. For me the ones who run with their heads down rarely become elite players no matter how fast they are.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

I went to the game with that stupid feeling of being excited to see another game and knowledge we would lose it because Pep was saying it whoever wanted to listen and it was this haunted ground for us.
Two observations from the game. Right now we have a lot of players highly capable to schlepp the ball around in all different patterns, we are the best in the world, just to be totally ineffective once they hit the box.
And all the goals we are conceding this season is totally on Pep and his weird set up. I don't blame Rico or CBs at all, you need to be in the grounds to see our positional game to realise why we are so weak. Rico is not inverting at all, he just plays proper 8 when we are attacking, our left and right CB as some sort of wing backs good 80 yards from our own goal and It is only surprising we didn't concede even more with this tactical approach. It is like expecting a platoon of soldiers to defend the country size of Luxembourg. It is going to be fun season to watch, he is not relenting and he got himself ultra small squad will all these injuries and Foden retiring, exactly what he likes.
Saying all this, Nunes started showing his quality.

Very good following and support last night for a game that was almost a lost cause before ko.

A respectable performance and good experience for the academy lads, none of whom were overawed.

Grande piscis al la frio !!

 

[69FACUPfinal]

We won’t as we have away games against Juventus and PSG to come. Pep will go strong.

I hope so. I really don't want those 2 extra games in February.

 

[levets]

Naturally don’t like losing but in the big picture of this season with so many injuries we are better off out of the Carabao cup . You need home draws in this competition to progress as the stronger teams then put out weakened teams against you , we got a tough away draw just like last season it’s nearly always a bridge too far . Some great performances from the young players a big plus for the future. We now move on and back to the PL ……. Top of the league !
CTID

Last four seasons we’ve had shitty draws, all away, in the League Cup.
West Ham, Southampton, Newcastle, Spurs, all of them played a strong team against our ‘second string’. As you say, home draws are key in this comp.

 

[herrock]

That's what I mean, different perspectives and that's all good. If O'Reilly has been any Phillips in convinced most people would have slaughtered his performance and said same old/not good enough. Thought Simpson did nothing wrong apart from a wayward pass but can't say he did anything that could be described as class. Good luck to both of them though.

Phillips made glaring mistakes , and Simpson Pusey had only been on the pitch a few minutes when he rolled the ball back under his foot whilst being pressed, turned and laid it off. Cool head on young shoulders

 

[Inca Roads Bert]

Just after cooling down I have some thoughts.

- The academy lads plus some full timers did well. Daring and composed with the ball and not in awe of the spuds experienced players -according to the EspnLA argies.

- Actually the main culprits were the older blokes. Aké was left closer to the opposition box than ours for Werner's goal (FFS we let Timo score! anyway we once let Havertz) and Rico (I'm regarding him as one of the olders) was again blind to the opposition forward running behind him.

- Nunes was our best player, definetely not a flop, settling well after the mandatory year.

- We need to work on our finish, and get the lads used to shoot once the goal is on their sights; yes, that's you Rico. Nico almost equalised.

- Worried about the never ending injuries.

- We have present and future. If the Barcelona lads could destroy the Mardrid cryarses, ours definitely can.