Spurs (a) - pre-match thread

[Father Paul]

We don't need the press saying it, we can see it for ourselves. In the second half v celtic they couldn't wait to get rid of the ball and have a little walk for a bit. It was a criticism of pep at bayern when they lost to barca and

I wasn't too enamoured last week when pep said the players aren't getting tired because they're winning. Well maybe they didn't realise they were or maybe pep thinks we wouldn't ever start losing but they certainly look tired now. I don't know how much was just talk but he said in his noel chat that he didn't see why he can't just go from win to win to win like he has done previously. Maybe he has underestimated this league. People always talk about Christmas being a big drain on the English based players, but yet he thinks we can get through that with this intensity and just keep winning.

I think he's done amazingly well and we've been brilliant so far, but I fear he has more to learn than r is prepared to accept.
He said the only pro let at Swansea was finishing attacks off, the part of the job he says is down to the players and he can't help with, but it wasn't. Our pressing style committed players out of position leaving spaces for them to exploit. If he thinks his system is perfect then he is in for a shock and this weekend could be a first taste of that.

I don't think Pep has ever said that "His" or anybody else's system is perfect. In fact if you listen carefully to the man he talks incessantly about refinement and improvement. Of course when players are expending a lot of energy there comes a point when fatigue enters the equation and this has to be factored in. What would you suggest as a better alternative have the players jog around for 90 minutes like last season watching the scores pile up? Contrary to what you think I believe Pep is acutely aware that he is on a steep learning curve at present and does not underestimate the task he is faced with. Yes we may lose on Sunday but I doubt if it will be the same scoreline as last seasons fixture.

 

[Father Paul]

Still think we'll have too much for them, although a point is a good result. IF we win, that's the two toughest away games done and dusted.

Bravo
Sagna Stones Otamendi Clichy
Sterling Dinho Fernando Gundo Silva
Aguero.

2-1 City.

Still a number of tough away fixtures what about the Dippers and the Gooners?

 

[Chippy_boy]

Still a number of tough away fixtures what about the Dippers and the Gooners?

Agreed. Dippers away is the toughest fixture in the calendar. Not because they are so great, but because it's always their fecking cup final and we usually bottle it. I'd like to think Pep can fix that, but I imagine it will be just like Wednesday only Liverpool have better players.

 

[eversince 76]

It'll be a completely different game to Wednesday. Both difficult ties in their own way. Celtic gave their all and were a bit fortunate with the goals (1st maybe offside, 2nd own goal, 3rd bad mistake by Kolarov). Them being in front all the time kept the atmosphere going. And the weather didn't do our style of play many favours as well. No excuses, but Spurs have a better team than Celtic on paper, yet are unable to play like Celtic did. The panicing comments that have arised on here since are beyond believe.

Sunday will be a tactical battle between two very cleverly managers. I think this game suits Stones more. Kolarov will probabaly move to left back. Otherwise pretty much the same team with Nolito probably to be replaced by either Sane or Navas. No worries about either one of them. It'll be a tough yet interesting game. In the past we've had some up and down restults at WHL and going by that one we are in for an up one again. So ... 5-1 again?

 

[bluebrother55]

Agreed. Dippers away is the toughest fixture in the calendar. Not because they are so great, but because it's always their fecking cup final and we usually bottle it. I'd like to think Pep can fix that, but I imagine it will be just like Wednesday only Liverpool have better players.

We need to stop giving them too much respect. After Spurs though, the fixture list is looking quite good for us so a win at the Lane on Sunday would give us clear light of day going forward and we could open up quite a gap at the top.

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

We were robbed last year , the fact their goals were offside was glossed over in most match reports and we have given them some good hidings in recent years at their place which will make them think twice about attacking us at will . If they go all out attack/pressing we will find holes in their defence , expect a high scoring game but we need to win to shut a few ex spurs pundits up who are predicting a comfortable victory for their underachieving football club

 

[Cityfan]

We were robbed last year , the fact their goals were offside was glossed over in most match reports and we have given them some good hidings in recent years at their place which will make them think twice about attacking us at will .

From memory our goal was marginally offside as well. Still it was a strange game with us being completely dominant and deserving of more goals in the first half and them being dominant in the second half.
Unfortunately it was the harbinger of later poor performances as although we had lost to West Ham we had not been dominated for anytime by anyone previously and for quite a bit before in the previous season however we had repeated spells like that through much of last season against the better teams and even the not so good teams like Stoke.

 

[Feed the Elk]

I think it'll be a tough one and will happily take a point now.

Spurs will treat it as their cup final - we are a major benchmark for all the top teams now.. we are the ultimate scalp no matter who we play whereas for us, this will almost be like just another game.

If we aren't at it from the first whistle it will be a long 90 minutes, a bit like the Celtic game just gone

 

[Alex B]

Bravo
Sagna Stones Otamendi Kolorov
Fernando
Fernandinhio Gundogan
Sterling Silva
Aguero

Sane and Nacho off bench if needed. 1-3 City Aguero hatrick. Best striker in the league will step up.

 

[Ezra]

I think Celtic's gameplan was a wake up call for our whole team, and particularly our defence. We needed that test. It's shown that when pressed we have mistakes in us still. I've seen that the Guardian and Jenas on BBC both suggest that by pressing City you can beat them, in fact Jenas believes Spurs will beat us because they're so good at pressing the ball.

I think Guardiola is far more intelligent than those articles are giving him credit for. He can't work his magic immediately, it will take time before we've ironed out issues and are completely comfortable on the ball when under pressure - as his Bayern side were more often that not. But it's not a case of press us and you'll beat us. That's such an exaggeration. We pressed Bayern and beat them. But despite having ten men they still dominated and the win was never certain. I've seen pressing teams get torn apart by a side playing more direct, and I think Spurs will get torn apart on Sunday. We've been wasteful in front of goal, but we create so many chances. They'll press us but we'll have been working all week preparing for that and I think we'll shock them. We've seen tactical tweaks such as full backs tucking into the centre of the park. Mourinho expected us to do that when we played the Rags, we didn't and we had acres of room down the flanks because of it.

Either way, we will not encounter too many sides that can a) press consistently for the entire game or b) score more than we will. The Celtic game showed that despite that pressing we'll get chances, and by pressing you're leaving space elsewhere should you not manage to win the ball.

We'll have been working in training this week on a plan of action for the Spurs game, well aware they'll take it to us. I'm interested to see how Pep sets us up to cope with this. Looking forward to the game, it will be our first major test (apart from the derby) considering 5 of the 6 sides we've beaten are sat at the bottom of the league.

One side of me thinks Pep will get us to play slightly different to counter their pressing. Perhaps by looking to play the ball over their defence for Sterling/Aguero to run onto. The other side thinks Pep is using this season in general as a training exercise for the next few years under his management. He'd rather we played it out from the back, made mistakes and lost than lose our identity. Spurs had it easy last time, without Kane they're slightly more fluid but I think we'll beat them.

1. You should post more.
2. Totally agree.
Pep has far exceeded my expectations. I had/have utmost faith in what he's planning for us, I just didn't expect to see implemented so soon! I actually think we will beat Spurs, but if not I'll still be walking round as if cat has got the cream!