Spurs (A) - Post-Match Thread

[jimmygrimblesboots]

Ive got a good idea , why dont we play a right winger on the right wing and a left winger on the left wing , and a left full back on the the left side , it might be a start ,play the f*cking players in the positions we bought them for.

 

[Keeper!]

Stale is the word. Imagine stepping onto the training pitch in preparation for the next game and knowing you’re going to approach it the same way that hasn’t been working for months. Equally, imagine how easy it is for the opposition to prepare. We’re making it easy for them.

As for Kev, I’ve seen it before, where the best player ends up being a scapegoat for wider failings. Same happened with Kinkkadze. I see it’s starting now with him, at least he won’t have the boo boys to put up with, but hopefully he doesn’t get pissed off with the football.

As you say, if Pep comes through this it could pave the way for a dynasty, whatever doesn’t kill you etc., but if he persists, it’ll end in tears.

The backroom staff is stale, time to freshen that up, someone with the balls and ability to challenge Pep.

 

[Keeper!]

Any team missing their top striker for over 6 months is going to struggle to score goals and that’s our primary problem.
Jesus has also been missing but one striker alone is not enough to sustain the schedule we have anyway.
Not scoring first means teams can afford to park the bus and hit us on the break.
We need to get back to inflicting the first goal and we will then see us scoring more freely as the opponents have to take the handbrake off the bus and open up spaces for our forwards to do their stuff.
Hopefully with Kun coming back we will get our mojo going again.
Another top quality striker is now a huge priority.

We had our best player (KDB) out for most of the formidables season, we did not miss him, we should not be missing a 33 yr old striker coming to the end of his top flight career.

We are one of the biggest and best run football clubs in the world, injuries are part of the game and going into this season with only 2 strikers was crazy.

 

[NoApologiesForBeingSpurs]

Any team missing their top striker for over 6 months is going to struggle to score goals and that’s our primary problem.
Jesus has also been missing but one striker alone is not enough to sustain the schedule we have anyway.
Not scoring first means teams can afford to park the bus and hit us on the break.
We need to get back to inflicting the first goal and we will then see us scoring more freely as the opponents have to take the handbrake off the bus and open up spaces for our forwards to do their stuff.
Hopefully with Kun coming back we will get our mojo going again.
Another top quality striker is now a huge priority.

Hope you don't mind me commenting but from what I have seen of City this is your biggest problem going forwards. Aguero can do everything you want from a striker so he scares defenders, that means that every time he moves they have to worry which in turn drags the defence out of shape and makes the spaces for others.

Exactly the same with Kane where our first yesterday was created by Kane going towards the ball and both of your CBs going with him because they didn't want to give him the time to turn and run at them/pick a pass. The second was the opposite where they held their position, possibly because of the 1st, which gave him space.

Jesus just doesn't worry defenders in that way as he doesn't have the strength of Aguero to hold it up, the shooting ability from the edge of the box or the range/weight of passing to play others in. He's good at what he does well but Jesus isn't the panic inducing focal point that would allow everyone else to do the damage so defences retain their shape.

If you had a fit Aguero or a Kane/Lewandoski/Haaland yesterday you would have scored and probably won comfortably. Without that you have trouble breaking teams down so you commit more players to attack which leaves you open to the counter that Pep's tactics leave you vulnerable to. Our ridiculous conversion rate against you lately is because the kind of chances that we get are the kind that players like Son, Kane and Vardy are expected to convert 9 times out of 10.

I obviously don't watch as much of City as most of you but that's an outsiders view if any of you are interested.

 

[GoatersLeftShin]

Over the years I've always ignored the league table until teams have played 10 games. By that time they have generally played some good, some bad teams. It's pretty clear we are far short of where we should be. Top 4 this season is not going to be easy and I just don't see this team going on a long winning streak.

I would be very concerned if I had just handed Pep with a contract as I would expect a bounce from the players. We got lots of passing and no penetration at all. This is the same problem we've had for at least a year now and we look no closer to solving it.

In January we need to bring in a striker with height. Someone like Giroud who can head the ball for a start. We also need to shake the squad up and bring in some players who are strong and fast. I'd also be tempted to put 10 men behind the ball at places like Spurs to see what they do. Maybe even give them the ball in places to draw them out!!

This won't be a popular opinion at all but this season's title winners will be Spurs. Many people have written Mourinho off but there's no better manager when you have good but not great players. He knows the league and with Son, Kane and Bale has a strike force to match Liverpool.

 

[Keeper!]

Hope you don't mind me commenting but from what I have seen of City this is your biggest problem going forwards. Aguero can do everything you want from a striker so he scares defenders, that means that every time he moves they have to worry which in turn drags the defence out of shape and makes the spaces for others.

Exactly the same with Kane where our first yesterday was created by Kane going towards the ball and both of your CBs going with him because they didn't want to give him the time to turn and run at them/pick a pass. The second was the opposite where they held their position, possibly because of the 1st, which gave him space.

Jesus just doesn't worry defenders in that way as he doesn't have the strength of Aguero to hold it up, the shooting ability from the edge of the box or the range/weight of passing to play others in. He's good at what he does well but Jesus isn't the panic inducing focal point that would allow everyone else to do the damage so defences retain their shape.

If you had a fit Aguero or a Kane/Lewandoski/Haaland yesterday you would have scored and probably won comfortably. Without that you have trouble breaking teams down so you commit more players to attack which leaves you open to the counter that Pep's tactics leave you vulnerable to. Our ridiculous conversion rate against you lately is because the kind of chances that we get are the kind that players like Son, Kane and Vardy are expected to convert 9 times out of 10.

I obviously don't watch as much of City as most of you but that's an outsiders view if any of you are interested.

Our issues run a lot deeper than Aguero.

We have no pace, energy or enthusiasm in this team.

This present team is done.

 

[Burtonblue]

Hope you don't mind me commenting but from what I have seen of City this is your biggest problem going forwards. Aguero can do everything you want from a striker so he scares defenders, that means that every time he moves they have to worry which in turn drags the defence out of shape and makes the spaces for others.

Exactly the same with Kane where our first yesterday was created by Kane going towards the ball and both of your CBs going with him because they didn't want to give him the time to turn and run at them/pick a pass. The second was the opposite where they held their position, possibly because of the 1st, which gave him space.

Jesus just doesn't worry defenders in that way as he doesn't have the strength of Aguero to hold it up, the shooting ability from the edge of the box or the range/weight of passing to play others in. He's good at what he does well but Jesus isn't the panic inducing focal point that would allow everyone else to do the damage so defences retain their shape.

If you had a fit Aguero or a Kane/Lewandoski/Haaland yesterday you would have scored and probably won comfortably. Without that you have trouble breaking teams down so you commit more players to attack which leaves you open to the counter that Pep's tactics leave you vulnerable to. Our ridiculous conversion rate against you lately is because the kind of chances that we get are the kind that players like Son, Kane and Vardy are expected to convert 9 times out of 10.

I obviously don't watch as much of City as most of you but that's an outsiders view if any of you are interested.

Don’t mind you commenting whatsoever especially as you speak the truth.
Kun frightens defenders.
Jesus just worries them. He’s an excellent player but can’t do it all on his own.

 

[give it to gordon]

Hope you don't mind me commenting but from what I have seen of City this is your biggest problem going forwards. Aguero can do everything you want from a striker so he scares defenders, that means that every time he moves they have to worry which in turn drags the defence out of shape and makes the spaces for others.

Exactly the same with Kane where our first yesterday was created by Kane going towards the ball and both of your CBs going with him because they didn't want to give him the time to turn and run at them/pick a pass. The second was the opposite where they held their position, possibly because of the 1st, which gave him space.

Jesus just doesn't worry defenders in that way as he doesn't have the strength of Aguero to hold it up, the shooting ability from the edge of the box or the range/weight of passing to play others in. He's good at what he does well but Jesus isn't the panic inducing focal point that would allow everyone else to do the damage so defences retain their shape.

If you had a fit Aguero or a Kane/Lewandoski/Haaland yesterday you would have scored and probably won comfortably. Without that you have trouble breaking teams down so you commit more players to attack which leaves you open to the counter that Pep's tactics leave you vulnerable to. Our ridiculous conversion rate against you lately is because the kind of chances that we get are the kind that players like Son, Kane and Vardy are expected to convert 9 times out of 10.

I obviously don't watch as much of City as most of you but that's an outsiders view if any of you are interested.

cant argue with any of that !

 

[OB1]

Agreed, those stats are a shocker. The chances /shots one I tend to pay less regard to now, just because not all chances or shots are ‘equal’ are they?

Aa team with players of our ability should be scoring at least once from 22 shots even when it is not a parade of clear cut chances but the quality of the strikes was not good enough.

Not for the first time, I think a lot of the problem is mental. Our lack of league goals I'm sure means the players are not relaxed enough when the strike the ball.

The problem is exacerbated by conceding early to a team sitting deep with something to hold onto.

Of course the shot that presumably isn't on those stats is the one that did go in and got chalked off, wrongly in my view but I'm not sure if that is down to my eyesight or the state of the current handball rule; anyway, it didn't look like a clear and obvious handball offence to me.

The goal first goal conceded was all about what was going on in the players' heads. They made a series of errors. Bernie sold himself unnecessarily, Laporte vacated his space unnecessarily, Cancelo was unnecessarily slow to react but was I think making up ground, and, worst of all from my point of view, Ederson unnecessarily darted off his line. had Eddie stayed home and Son produced the same shot, it would have been a back pass.

Ederson then made the same mistake for the second goal. The second goal started from an error by Mahrez, who made a poor pass to unnecessarily concede possession.

No doubt this thread if full of people telling Pep how to do his job but when you produce stats like that, time and again, and then lose because, whichever set of players you choose, they make too many crucial errors, it must be very difficult to be convinced they won't make those errors if you change your tactics.

 

[NoApologiesForBeingSpurs]

Our issues run a lot deeper than Aguero.

We have no pace, energy or enthusiasm in this team.

This present team is done.

I think your lack of pace, energy and enthusiasm is a result of the issue I outlined. Yesterday you started off brightly but because we could comfortably keep our shape you couldn't get into our box or get in good shooting positions around it and there is no point in crossing to Jesus from wide against a busy box.

The longer the game went on the more your pace, energy and enthusiasm waned because nothing was changing.

Whenever I have watched Aguero pull defences around you create good chances, even when you don't score the more chances you create the more enthusiasm there is because it is working. The goals then become almost inevitable