Spurs (A) - Post-Match Thread

[baggy]

Dominant performance, shit result.

Story of this season.

And last...

 

[Chris B]

I don’t think Pep’s worried in the slightest how the opposition are going to play and that’s the problem. We know how they’re going to play before we go out there; sit deep, soak up pressure and attack on the break.

By now I’d have expected a more pragmatic approach of sitting a bit deeper, to encourage the opponent out and hitting on the break ourselves. There’s no surprise, even half decent teams are going to give us problems if we persist.

The Lyon game wasn’t that long ago. Pep set the team up to match their defensive formation, and then was slaughtered for not playing to our strengths.

 

[Big Yaya Wilko 12]

You’re blaming Rodri for the goal?? I mean, that’s a real stretch!!

It was a collective shit show that goal, but it starts from Rodri being out of position. Again. If it's once or twice you let it go, everyone gets caught out of position once in a while. But it's consistently with him.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

We play like zombies and not the screaming, thrashing, sprinting types from 28 Days Later. We play like the ones from Night of the Living Dead. It might have struck fear into people's hearts a few years ago but now everyone is sat waiting at the top with a shotgun while we slowly shuffle our arses up the stairs looking for a nibble.

The problem is a lot bigger than individual performances and individual players.

 

[Damanino]

Yes and so far Spurs scored 11 more goals than us, are they that much more defensive/pragmatic?

Bit of pragmatic tactics would do very well for City, but it would result couple for 1-0 wins maybe and Pep hates those. He is rather losing 1-3 or winning 4-0 than winning 1-0.

In December we play United away, Soton away, Everton away, and first game in January is Chelsea away. All these clubs will try to do what Spurs did, be more pragmatic than usually they are, be compact, let us pass in the back when we are far from their goal, and run one vs one at Ederson when we make some mistakes, lose the ball etc.
We might not win any of these games seriously. Worst is Solskjaer beat Pep at home/away last season in PL. Even he found Pep out. If it happens again in a couple of week, than they will be most likely above us t the table still in 3 weeks time.

Pep needs to change this shit run around very quickly, and Juanma Lillo has to help him big time. He brought him in to help him, they have to sort this mess.

 

[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.

 

[give it to gordon]

Exactly, sometimes you set up to stop the opponents strengths, we don't, unless we play the 7th best team in France in a Champions League tie, then our manager sh1ts himself.

Lol

I said earlier teams in champions league dont set up to park the bus , they give us a game which makes for a nice change !

If Pep had set us up to park the bus to play against another bus what sort of game would that have been ? One day two park the bus sides will play each other in the worlds most boring match hopefully one team will be City lol

Pep knew Lyon would attack us and for some bizarre reason almost went with the bus, instead of going toe to toe with them.Pep knew spurs would park the bus so didnt park the bus and it back fired.

 

[Blue Til Death]

PEP needs to start playing his own game rather than worrying how the other team are going to play.

Isn’t this what he’s doing and the nub of the problem?? He needs to start worrying about how other teams play and set us up to beat them, including changing things very early if required ..

 

[svennis pennis]

We are starting to resemble Hleb era Arsenal. Legendary players and leaders have left over time and their replacements have not been at the same level. We’ve sleepwalked into this scenario and the manager is starting to resemble Wenger’isms. ‘It’s not us, it’s them, we played incredibly well’.

 

[Mr HJ]

I'm no fan of Mahrez whatsoever. I think he's shit compared to when we used to have Sterling and Sane ripping teams apart. What annoys me is that other players are equally shit and equally ineffective (and I don't give a monkey's toss as to the reasons why) as Mahrez yet seem to get a free pass. I just don't buy it that dropping Mahrez solves all the problems. Right now, Foden is our best player and I'd start him as often as possible, even above De Bruyne.

I understand that completely but yesterday I don't think we could be critical of Kev's effort. He was all over the pitch and if anything was trying too hard. Just think of his effort to get back and stop the second whereas Mahrez, Walker and Rodri just didn't make any effort.

I guess the point I try and make is that since Riyad became a regular we have gone away from playing fast, crisp attacking. That is a fact and it happened since Pep made it clear that he felt bad about keeping him on the bench. You are right we need to play with both wide men being effective I would like to see Sterling on the right (where he looks better) Torres on the left and a midfield three of Kev, Phil and either one of Rodri, Gundogan or Bernardo. That would give us more balance right away which is why we need to move on from the right winger stopping most of our threat by either taking too many touches or trying to take on ridiculous shots. That is the only reason I feel we would be instantly better as a team without FFS in the team.

I also think we need to play a true left footer at left back. Delph & Zinchenko were both not good fullbacks but at least he gave us balance. Cancelo has done ok but is a right back and it didn't help Torres yesterday having a player that cuts inside all the time. Walker had a very poor game and maybe the rotation should be on that side. It's not good that we still don't have a reliable left back.

Overall with the likes of Palmer coming through the future will be much better but it seems to me that Pep finds it easier to drop and rotate Phil and Bernardo more which doesn't help any rhythm. I've calmed down a bit after yesterday's missed opportunity but having 4 shots on target out of 22 is a big issue and we cannot have our main threat (supposedly) having a less than 5% rate of on target attempts. It's still early enough to put it right - first action means no place for you know who.

 

[Brad mcfc]

Frustrating because we have so many chances to score. The opposition gets one chance and buries it.

 

[Blue Hefner]

He's a tidy passer but he's constantly out of position when a team breaks on us. He's too slow to be out of position as much as he is. Watch a team when they attack and Rodri is 10 yards away from where he should be to break up the play. Mostly in FRONT of the ball. As a DM he offers zero protection.

He's such an ineffective DM.

For that first goal: No way should Aurier have the time to turn in centre midfield to play in Son. With his back to goal, if Fernandinho was in there he's up his arse. Instead Rodri is 10 yards away so Bernardo has to tuck in and can't in time. Aurier has all the time in the world to play it over Son. Shite.

Yep. He's either behind the ball when he should be in front or in front of it when he should be behind. How Kane had so much time and space for the second should be the first question when they are back in on Monday and the second question should be why the fuck did Rodri give them the ball to take the free kick for the first

 

[Burtonblue]

He's a tidy passer but he's constantly out of position when a team breaks on us. He's too slow to be out of position as much as he is. Watch a team when they attack and Rodri is 10 yards away from where he should be to break up the play. Mostly in FRONT of the ball. As a DM he offers zero protection.

He's such an ineffective DM.

For that first goal: No way should Aurier have the time to turn in centre midfield to play in Son. With his back to goal, if Fernandinho was in there he's up his arse. Instead Rodri is 10 yards away so Bernardo has to tuck in and can't in time. Aurier has all the time in the world to play it over Son. Shite.

It was a question of all the holes in the cheese lining up for the Son goal. Several small individual errors contributed but the biggest fuck up was Eddy rushing out into no man’s land and gifting them the goal.
You can’t lay the blame exclusively at Rodri’s feet. I though he had a pretty decent game, especially first half and saved a certain goal from Hojberg I think in the second.

 

[waspish]

Yep. He's either behind the ball when he should be in front or in front of it when he should be behind. How Kane had so much time and space for the second should be the first question when they are back in on Monday and the second question should be why the fuck did Rodri give them the ball to take the free kick for the first

Because we ain’t game smart under Pep we to nice look at spurs blocking our free kicks or just holding the ball we give the ball back to them they take a quick free kick we on the back foot asleep while son runs through!

Game Smart we ain’t and as a club we should wake the up.

 

[The slaughtered lamb]

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

Ultimately, the buck stops with the boss but I agree, it’s all a bit pally.

 

[Esteban de la Sexface]

Cancelo has the least amount of footballing intelligence I've ever seen from a top level player. He looks lost a lot of the times. He is a good athlete, but he just switches off completely at times. Some of his passes when under zero pressure are diabolical. He'll stand there, look like the power has gone off up stairs and just kick it anywhere inside. Same happens in defending. It will take a second or two of vacancy before it registers that, oh ya, fuck, I'm a defender.

 

[Craig]

Exactly, sometimes you set up to stop the opponents strengths, we don't, unless we play the 7th best team in France in a Champions League tie, then our manager sh1ts himself.

Haha very funny but also bloody true!

 

[blueinsa]

Dominate what? Possession stats?

We created little or nothing, we were not peppering their goal with shots.

Dominated.

Had we finished the game with 33% possession and just 4 shots on goal this place would be off its head with how shit we where.

We dominated the game and sadly it was a shit result but very much a result the powers that be wanted.

Maybe we will score against spurs again soon and they will let the goal stand and perhaps results will change?

I won't hold my breath though.

 

[stan bowles]

I understand that completely but yesterday I don't think we could be critical of Kev's effort. He was all over the pitch and if anything was trying too hard. Just think of his effort to get back and stop the second whereas Mahrez, Walker and Rodri just didn't make any effort.

I guess the point I try and make is that since Riyad became a regular we have gone away from playing fast, crisp attacking. That is a fact and it happened since Pep made it clear that he felt bad about keeping him on the bench. You are right we need to play with both wide men being effective I would like to see Sterling on the right (where he looks better) Torres on the left and a midfield three of Kev, Phil and either one of Rodri, Gundogan or Bernardo. That would give us more balance right away which is why we need to move on from the right winger stopping most of our threat by either taking too many touches or trying to take on ridiculous shots. That is the only reason I feel we would be instantly better as a team without FFS in the team.

I also think we need to play a true left footer at left back. Delph & Zinchenko were both not good fullbacks but at least he gave us balance. Cancelo has done ok but is a right back and it didn't help Torres yesterday having a player that cuts inside all the time. Walker had a very poor game and maybe the rotation should be on that side. It's not good that we still don't have a reliable left back.

Overall with the likes of Palmer coming through the future will be much better but it seems to me that Pep finds it easier to drop and rotate Phil and Bernardo more which doesn't help any rhythm. I've calmed down a bit after yesterday's missed opportunity but having 4 shots on target out of 22 is a big issue and we cannot have our main threat (supposedly) having a less than 5% rate of on target attempts. It's still early enough to put it right - first action means no place for you know who.

Second action...as soon as the first one is over, is no place for Bernardo Silva. Stop making out it's a rhythm issue with him. He's not delivering to the same extent Mahrez isn't. The reasons are of no importance. I also think it's time we looked at the goalkeeper position. Yesterday, those two goals don't go in if it's Allison between the sticks. Ederson needs to up his game or I'd be looking to upgrade.

 

[Blue Hefner]

Second action...as soon as the first one is over, is no place for Bernardo Silva. Stop making out it's a rhythm issue with him. He's not delivering to the same extent Mahrez isn't. The reasons are of no importance. I also think it's time we looked at the goalkeeper position. Yesterday, those two goals don't go in if it's Allison between the sticks. Ederson needs to up his game or I'd be looking to upgrade.

If Foden turned in the performances these two do, we wouldn't see him for months!

I disagree regards the keeper - he had very little cover so needed to close the players down. Perhaps he could have done it better but I think he's the least of our problems