Spurs (A) - Post-Match Thread

[Nails]

I don't think the overall performance was as bad as people are making out. We dominated Spurs and had our attacking players been something other than the inconsistent clowns they've been for too long now, we'd have won comfortably.

Too much analysis of what feels like a straight forward problem for me. The 'attack' has gotten complacent since the 18/19 season. Far too many players playing within themselves or playing for themselves. Even KDB's decision making, and cutting edge has been massively blunted.

I said it back then, and it's worth repeating now. Those players (who won 198 points over two seasons) needed a BIG shake up after 18/19. They need fresh blood, competition, and new solutions. Torres was brought in a year too late. I suspect that there'll be a rebuild akin to 2017 next summer.

This season is now officially in the 'transitional' basket.

Agreed - played well in the first half. Could have been 1-3 at H/T.

 

[dannyboy29]

There is a big issue that is causing De Bruyne to try and do too much. David worked as his foil, as well as a link up for the whole of the left side and as much as we wished that would be taken over by Bernardo and Foden, it's not going to happen over night, if it will at all.

The bigger problem is control of transitions, awareness from a single person to control the traffic. That position is owned, in all of Pep's teams, by the 6, that one person needs to be VERY disciplined and aware of everything. I think Rodri is quite disciplined and his awareness is quite decent, but that small drop in level between Fernandinho and Rodri in the grand scale of the team, is huge. Gundogan managed to understand that position better, you can see when he plays there he not only knows where to move, but where to get others to move as well, and on the transitions the other way he knows where he and others need to be. The way we are losing games is mostly half spaces in midfield that were plugged up before, and then that allows time to get in behind which Pep knows is our biggest weakness.

Blaming Ederson for his positioning there is wrong IMO. That's the job he's asked to play and its saved us a lot, he needs to protect not only his goal, but the huge space between him and the whole back 4.

A football match is decided in the boxes, at the moment we are shite in both.

 

[doobyedoobye]

The end of an incredible player cycle is over and its not as simple as just transitioning immediately into a new gen, and expecting Pep to work miracles.

 

[SamBlue]

I watched the first goal we conceded over and over again and my blood pressure was just going up with every new rewatch. It was bad beyond believable, every single player involved made a wrong decision culminating in Edie rushing out when he should cut the angle by stepping out just 2-3 yard. Ndombele, Son and Kane took out 8 of players with a single move and a pass. Take any third division side and stick them into that scenario and they do not concede.
The second goal again, defending 3 against 2 on the back line and KdB and Rodri chasing Kane and Lo Celso and not being able to do anything. I mean, Rodri was not able to catch Kane running with the ball. Scary shit this!

 

[Tokyo32]

Don’t want to be negative but you guys saying the title is not over yet are hoping for too much. Yes we can be 5 points behind if we win our game in hand but we need to win like 6 games in a row now and hope others in front drop points. Remember last season where we could not win like 3 or 4 in a row till post lockdown, we are even more inconsistent. We are actually below Arsenal and United, just feel it is better to lower expectations to top 4 then if we streak up games till Christmas and near the top we can dream of winning which is a tough ask.

 

[Saddleworth2]

There is a big issue that is causing De Bruyne to try and do too much. David worked as his foil, as well as a link up for the whole of the left side and as much as we wished that would be taken over by Bernardo and Foden, it's not going to happen over night, if it will at all.

The bigger problem is control of transitions, awareness from a single person to control the traffic. That position is owned, in all of Pep's teams, by the 6, that one person needs to be VERY disciplined and aware of everything. I think Rodri is quite disciplined and his awareness is quite decent, but that small drop in level between Fernandinho and Rodri in the grand scale of the team, is huge. Gundogan managed to understand that position better, you can see when he plays there he not only knows where to move, but where to get others to move as well, and on the transitions the other way he knows where he and others need to be. The way we are losing games is mostly half spaces in midfield that were plugged up before, and then that allows time to get in behind which Pep knows is our biggest weakness.

Blaming Ederson for his positioning there is wrong IMO. That's the job he's asked to play and its saved us a lot, he needs to protect not only his goal, but the huge space between him and the whole back 4.

Lot of sense in that post. The problem I had on Sunday with Eddie was his positioning was 'no mans land'. Not close enough to put pressure on the ball or cut down angles but too far out to make the forward pick the target for his shot more carefully. He needs to work on his 1v1 as well. Not making himself big enough. Joe was inferior in his distribution and was weak to his left but a key strength was 1v1 and positional play. Don't get me wrong I'm a big fan of Eddie and he is still young enough to improve. I hope we have the right coach for him though.

 

[Eoiyflem]

8 points behind with a game in hand. 30 games still to play & you say the title is over , wow. I will guarantee we will be top two by the new year & challenging.

Oh you guarantee it, well that's ok then....

You mustn't have been watching us for the past year, we havent a snowball in hell's chance of challenging for the title

 

[SidJames]

Spurs fans are insufferable.

All giving it the Big i am on Twitter.

Not much between them, and the Candle Waivers.

Winning the game,fair enough i get it,they are buzzing.

But fuck me it wasn't a Maureen masterclass like they are making out.

Maureen plays one way....Pep plays one way,that is all.

Making out they set up to concede possession.and hit us on the counter.When they play like that every fucking week duhhhhhh.

 

[nellyonthewing]

The end of an incredible player cycle is over and its not as simple as just transitioning immediately into a new gen, and expecting Pep to work miracles.

I agree but its that art of re-building that branded Paisley and Whiskybreath as great managers. Pep has not done that has he.

 

[jonmcity]

Spurs fans are insufferable.

All giving it the Big i am on Twitter.

Not much between them, and the Candle Waivers.

Winning the game,fair enough i get it,they are buzzing.

But fuck me it wasn't a Maureen masterclass like they are making out.

Maureen plays one way....Pep plays one way,that is all.

Making out they set up to concede possession.and hit us on the counter.When they play like that every fucking week duhhhhhh.

Says allot if they are happy to watch a their team park the bus against opposition when they are at home.

 

[robbieh]

As far as I can see, we have as good a squad as anyone and if we don't then there are only 2 people responsible, who bought them all.
Laporte and Dias would walk into the Spurs and Chelsea teams. KdB, Foden and Torres are great players, not to mention Raheem and GJ.

If Pep is demanding a rebuild then all the accusations of cheque book manager are true. He should be getting much more out of these players.

 

[BobbyBoy]

First time in the Pep era I sat and watched Spurs v City didn't expect to concede a goal during at any moment. It was comfortable beyond belief bar a 10 minute spell in the first half, a Jose V Pep game we have all seen multiple times. I'd love to know the stats on first goal the winner, I'd imagine the team that scores first has won more than 90% of the games.

I don't think City are out of it by a long shot, 78-80 points probably wins it and City are among 4 teams capable of getting that. Liverpool are big favorites but Spurs, Chelsea and City all have a decent shout. Injuires and Covid will be key, the fact Mane and Salah have had Covid already is why I make them favorites.

 

[sir baconface]

I agree but its that art of re-building that branded Paisley and Whiskybreath as great managers. Pep has not done that has he.

Nail on head. Everyone acknowledges 100% what he did a couple of years back. It’s his questionable rebuild track record plus tactical inflexibility that are currently feeding the doubters.

 

[pavelsrnicek]

It's not the strikers, it's the supply.

Rodri wasn't even the issue yesterday, he was one of the better performers, but you know you are in trouble when Harry Kane is leaving you for dead and he effectively gave up the chase after him.

The goals conceded yesterday were very reminiscent of the ones against Lyon last season, people not switched on, balls over the top and into the channels, exposing Ederson stood in no-man's land.

Until we get someone who can do the hard yards and allow De Bruyne to make more considered bursts of energy, where it serves us best, in the attacking number ten space, we are still going to be banging our heads against a brick wall.

Teams have always sat in against us, nothing has changed on that score.

The only difference is that opponents are asking their forwards not to press Eddie or our backline, essentially telling them to drop into midfield and create a further block in front of our own midfield, the supply is becoming more high percentage risk passing when aimed between the lines.

Those opposing forwards are happy to drop deeper because they now have the ambition and knowledge that there will be fifty yards of space to run in behind us because we are all on top of each other.

They wouldn't do that previously when Fern was able to physically defend the transition.

Teams want us passing out wide, especially to Mahrez, who is an absolute liability every time he plays.

A shirker, someone who wants the personal glory, but doesn't have the heart or the bollocks to earn it for either himself or his team-mates, floating aimless lofted passes to the non-existent back post.

Teams are evolving and modifying because they know we have some players who are soft touches or don't want to fight for the right to play.

That's on Pep, he is a person who refuses to evolve or modify his demands to play a certain way, so buys players previously suited to a style of play which has been not so much found out, but isn't the all-conquering conundrum it once was.

I think problems that started to emerge up a couple of seasons ago like our lack of width with inverted wingers which were masked by other performers. Now combined with Bernardo’s loss of form with the loss of Fernandinho and Silva plus now Aguero coming towards the end have created a perfect storm.

If we start playing Sterling or Ferran right and Foden or Jesus left we will improve enormously. Mahrez should be shipped out, he’s lazy, selfish and brainless. I’ve never seen someone so good at running the ball out of play so consistently. He is a cancer on this team. He doesn’t press, doesn’t make the right runs or decisions and loses the ball regularly. On the left we’re playing an inverted winger and an inverted full back, there’s no natural width there.

We need to decide whether to stick or twist with Rodri, if he’s the future then he needs legs beside him. If not he’ll need replacing. I thought Bernardo could do it beside him but he seems lost at present.

If we added Aouar and Grealish to this team in January we’d be an entirely different side, we won’t. I’d say left back only in January if even that.

 

[sir baconface]

Says allot if they are happy to watch a their team park the bus against opposition when they are at home.

Any club that hires that cnut is happy to settle for “functional”.

It‘s no coincidence that their symbol is a cock.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Let's look on the bright side - if you had to choose a season to play behind closed doors in the last decade, it would definitely be this one.

 

[sir baconface]

I think problems that started to emerge up a couple of seasons ago like our lack of width with inverted wingers which were masked by other performers. Now combined with Bernardo’s loss of form with the loss of Fernandinho and Silva plus now Aguero coming towards the end have created a perfect storm.

If we start playing Sterling or Ferran right and Foden or Jesus left we will improve enormously. Mahrez should be shipped out, he’s lazy, selfish and brainless. I’ve never seen someone so good at running the ball out of play so consistently. He is a cancer on this team. He doesn’t press, doesn’t make the right runs or decisions and loses the ball regularly. On the left we’re playing an inverted winger and an inverted full back, there’s no natural width there.

We need to decide whether to stick or twist with Rodri, if he’s the future then he needs legs beside him. If not he’ll need replacing. I thought Bernardo could do it beside him but he seems lost at present.

If we added Aouar and Grealish to this team in January we’d be an entirely different side, we won’t. I’d say left back only in January if even that.

A few pointed to Grealish in the transfer thread but were mostly shouted down by sages who didn’t like his hair or socks. Nevertheless, he practically kept Villa up single handedly and is pulling the strings again now. Imagine his energy and drive in our current setup.

Unfortunately he’s now worth a whole lot more so that ship has sailed.

Downside - he might keep FFS out of the team ;)

 

[pavelsrnicek]

A few pointed to Grealish in the transfer thread but were mostly shouted down by sages who didn’t like his hair or socks. Nevertheless, he practically kept Villa up single handedly and is pulling the strings again now. Imagine his energy and drive in our current setup.

Unfortunately he’s now worth a whole lot more so that ship has sailed.

Downside - he might keep FFS out of the team ;)

I didn’t see it myself. I’d always give a new signing a chance but I really didn’t think he’d kick in as he has this season.

 

[Dax777]

It’s astonishing that some people think the title is a possibility. The real question is whether we’re good enough for the top 4. We are pretty much at the same level as the rags, scrapping for the European spots. It isn’t just a bad patch, it’s been declining to this point for almost 18 months. This is our level.

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!! Why did I read this post? I didn't want to acknowledge this just yet :(

Tricky Trev!!!! You've soured my morning by bringing forth what had been comfortably hiding in my subconscious :(

 

[Phil1]

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!! Why did I read this post? I didn't want to acknowledge this just yet :(

Tricky Trev!!!! You've soured my morning by bringing forth what had been comfortably hiding in my subconscious :(

So two posters who are chatting shite..
We will comfortably be in the top 4, in fact we will be challenging for the title whilst utd will struggle to make the top 7.
You can get back to me in May.