Spurs (H) | PL | Post Match Thread

[manimanc]

Were top of the table, now potentially 8 points off top.
Were 3rd in the CL, now outside the Top 8.
Were unbeaten in the PL for a long long time, now lost 3 in a row.
Are out of the League cup already.

Cling on to that 2nd position all you want, but it wont last long either. The reality is there are problems in attack, midfield and defence. I think the defence can be fixed as we've the personnel for it (and Dias will be back too, we can rotate Walker with Akanji), but midfield and attack will have the same issues.

No need to get out of your pram about it.
Just accept that things go in cycles and this team, who have give us never ending pleasures with the treble and four in a row, have come to the end of theirs.
Why do you think Pep has signed on for two more years? Because he knows the team needs a rebuild and he wants in.
Just look at the bigger picture.

 

[city saint]

Agree. Recent attacking acquisitions (the obvious aside) haven't been near the level of what came before them, even as prospects.

A few tidy tricks but the lack of end product is frightening.

i think doku will be good enough with a bit more time.i think our problems are in the midfield

 

[eversince 76]

Well that was hardly what I wished for obviously. Looks to me the team are low on confidence. And conceding easily gets them dis balanced. I think we need to be patient because this isn’t going away at a fingertip. Not even beating Feyenoord if we are able to (although we have to).

Clearly midfield has its problems and leave the defence vulnerable. We create enough chances but the number of times our midfield was overrun or simply let their direct opponent get away from them was frightening yesterday. Pep and his staff needs to sort it out. Quickly.

This is the first ever serious hick up in the Pep area so far. Interesting to see how its gonna be handled. Nobody wants this. But its a serious blip.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Those two stand out but you can throw in Doku and Savinho too as they are 'prospects' who might not make it for our required level (I don't think they will) and 80 mill for the CB Gvardiol only to play him at LB (he clearly can't do that).

Wishful thinking on a grand scale

Doku and Savinho would be absolutely fine with the proper structure and personnel in midfield.

 

[ancoats]

What will the neighbours think ? hahaha
Fuck them today I am going out with my head held high and my City coat and hat on

You Know they will be out in force looking for us today with their New manager and players will win the league
the rag media have done all their jobs in bigging up United and the players are world class

Smile as the blues are aching

 

[Paleblue2]

Spineless capitulation yesterday, the Dippers will muller us - recruitment has been awful but Pep has plenty of credit in the bank, the players not so much.

 

[daztrueblue91]

Doku and Sav are icing on the cake type players........we can afford to give them time...Doku for me has already shown enough that he can play here last season and he is currently injured so Im not sure as why eh is getting invovled in any discussion about our play this season. We can afford o wait on those two and they are not the probelm

Its the wastes of money on Nunes, Phillips, bringing Gundo back that are the mistakes as this is where the problem lies

You’re right about icing on the cake type players. We need a bit more substance over style in the squad though.

We’re almost a third of the way through the PL season and our four top scorers are Haaland, Gvardiol, Kovacic and Stones.

Doku, Foden, Grealish and Savinho have 34 appearances in the league between them this season and have collectively scored 1 goal.

We can blame injuries, fatigue and a drop in motivation all we want. Yet the reality is when those players are on the pitch, they are not performing.

 

[Lee the Blue]

Feels like Liverpool in 2022/23 when they dropped off and finished 5th - 20 odd points off the top. They then had to reset and bought a new midfield on the fly that summer.

That looks very much like us this season.

Gundogan & Nunes aren't good enough. Gundo's legs have gone, Nunes never was at top 4 level of player. KDB has also dropped off a cliff as Father Time has caught him - in any sane world we aren't offering him another contract. Bernardo has been piss poor this season too - looks very jaded.

Arsenal play pretty much the same system as us - the hold midfielder is the absolute key position to make it work. He has to be there to shut doors, shield the back 4 and keep the ball moving to the same coloured shirt.

They have Rice - if he's injured they have Jorginho as a reserve. And Partey. And Merino. 4 possibles options.

We have Rodri ..... and no fucker. That is the nub of the main issue here and until a genuine hold midfielder can again be plugged in once again, we won't be beating any quality sides at all. We dropped ourselves in this position btw falling asleep at the wheel in an act of complacency.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

i think doku will be good enough with a bit more time.i think our problems are in the midfield

Yep, first line of real defence, and the first port of call to instigate an attack. I bet though that Gundog 'n Bernie ran as hard and as far as they normally do. It was one of days when Tottenham couldn't do a thing wrong. Whatever they tried - attack, defence, midfield - came off. And let's be honest they didn't do half as much as some teams we've seen at the Etihad. What they did was clinically efficient! Be a long time before they perform like that again!

I still think our players are taking the field with the idea in their heads that Rodri isn't there. We have had lengthy spells without Aguero, Vinny, KdB, Haaland but they were never missed as much as Rodri's been missed. I used to think WTF are we gonna do now David Silva 'n Yaya aren't starting, but we coped. We are not coping without Rodri. But the January window could save some of the season!

 

[simon23]

Those two stand out but you can throw in Doku and Savinho too as they are 'prospects' who might not make it for our required level (I don't think they will) and 80 mill for the CB Gvardiol only to play him at LB (he clearly can't do that).

Wishful thinking on a grand scale

The problem isnt our wide players....you could ahve the best in the world out there they aint solving the midfield issues.....

Gundo, Lewis - both extremely poor defensively....People seem to be ignoring Lewis (because he is young and an academy graduate) but he was really bad yesterday and not for the first time.....People get on Walkers back (rightly so) but Lewis is equally as culpable whether at right back or in midfield. Gvardiol also had a stinker but he has been one of our better performers most of the season.