Spurs (H) | PL | Post Match Thread

Stoned Rose said:
It’s not a skill, it’s an attitude and professionalism.

I remember making the point several times early last season even though we were blagging results - that we didn’t look anywhere near fit or strong enough.

I really cannot be arsed with having to go through that again this season.

Being intensely fit is non-negotiable at this level and we need to fucking sort it and quickly.
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HUNGER and Fire in the Belly, that is what I want back
 
Now that I've had a bit of time to think I reckon a lot of today was our truncated pre-season biting us on the arse against a side who were fighting fit, super physical and right up for it. I think if this game came after the international break we would look completely different.

Cherki and Reijnders also got a bit of a reality check as to what the Premier League is like today, they will get up to speed quickly as both are top players.

That back 4 today was dire though, we need some pace in there desperately, one of Nunes or Khusanov need to be playing. Gvardiol walks straight back in aswell. All the players today have their qualities but as unit they were atrocious.
 
balotellishaircut said:
Strange isn’t it, Pelligrini used to school Spurs home n away with ease, but Pep struggles every season against them.
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I think that has something to do with Pellegrini being able to manage against the might of Andre Villas Boas and Tim Sherwood. Once Pochettino was in and settled, he battered us at White Hart Lane and did a job on us at the Etihad.

6-0 win and a 5-1 win in 13/14
4-1 win and a 1-0 win in 14/15
4-1 defeat and 2-1 defeat in 15/16
 
hihosilva said:
Trafford showed today that he's not ready for the No1 spot. We need to hang on to Ederson
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Granted the goal must have killed his confidence but there was a few dodgy moments with Trafford today

Does seem a bit harsh on the lad to throw him in as number 1

40 million though wasnt it? That's a lot for a backup keeper
 
youngbob said:
Not a total disaster imo. An improvement on our defeat against them last season. Last season we conceded four goals from 3.3 xG.



Thought today was just a case of us coming across a well-drilled side (like always against Frank, just with better players than Brentford) and Pep not having a clear answer. We've had dozens of games like that under Pep over the years and a lot of them have come against Thomas Frank. It happens. I'd rather it happened while the window was still open instead of us having a strong start and then being in a shit situation when no answers can be found in January.

But, having said that, today frustrated me more than the 4-0 defeat last season because it was obvious after 10 mins what Spurs were going to do and Pep just didn't respond to it. They're a big physical side and they were pressing us high. On the one or two occasions we sent it over the top, we caused all sorts of problems and created a couple of chances. But Pep just... decided not to do that again. This is exactly the kind of game where opposition CBs feared Ederson, because they knew a razor accurate ball could be sent over their heads at any point, but they weren't scared of Trafford and we stopped letting him play the long ball anyway. I'm not blaming Trafford for the mistake because he's clearly been instructed - as all our defenders have - to keep it short and play out from the back. It should be on Pep to spot the potential for disaster before it happens.

We also needed stronger lads out there. As soon as I saw the line-up my first thought was how much weaker it looked compared to previous seasons, with big lads like Ederson, Walker, Akanji, and Rodri who could impose themselves and bully the opposition. In their places today we had Trafford, Lewis, Bobb, and Gonzalez with his arm virtually in a sling. I thought Pep hung them out to dry. Cherki and Reijnders offer no defensive protection and it felt like Pep didn't plan for that eventuality. Ait-Nouri held his own fairly well and I don't think it's a coincidence that Spurs squeezed in front shortly after he went off. Ake clearly wasn't fit either. It's fair enough to get it wrong if the opposition come with a surprise plan, but to change absolutely nothing until 55 mins was criminal. Spurs threw their weight around and got themselves 2-0 in front because they knew they could bully us, and that meant we lost out in a lot of 50/50 marginal moments and it swung the game their way.

With that said, I really believe that if Marmoush and Haaland had buried their chances then we'd probably have come away with a point - and we'd have been decent value for it. It wasn't a total disaster. We absolutely had our moments, we just didn't seize upon them. There's lots to be excited about based on the Wolves game, and I think today was just a case of putting too many new and inexperienced players in the same team. Hopefully this isn't a repeat of last season when Pep sees that a certain combination of lads doesn't work but continues to play it and play it and play it in the hopes that somethings ends up going differently. Our strongest team is probably: Ederson Nunes Dias Gvardiol Ait-Nouri Rodri Reijnders Foden Cherki Marmoush Haaland, and five of that XI were missing today in very key positions against a team set up perfectly to play us.

We won't win the league. But I felt that before the season even started. We'll be good for 3rd and a run at the cups, which is what this season is about. Last season was a repeat of the 15-16 season, this season will be a repeat of 16-17, Pep will win one last title with us next year and bow out. Keep the patience and keep the faith.
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Well he wont win anything without 3 or 4 quality players. The new guys looked totally out of their depth out there today and I dont see them reaching the required levels.On todays performance 6th or 7th is on the cards but I am hoping it was the fucked up end to last season which meant no proper pre season which done us in today.
 
Didn’t seem to have a plan! They pressed and we had no idea how to get round it hence Trafford making a massive blunder. Shocking all round from back to front to sideline, why kaolo Toure after some of the top assistants we have had? Clapping and waving his hands as though he has to be seen to be doing something, Looks out of his depth!
 
hihosilva said:
Trafford showed today that he's not ready for the No1 spot. We need to hang on to Ederson
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Our whole tactical set up comes from the goalkeeper. If we can’t confidently play or from the keeper it effects the whole team. Most important position in our team with these tactics. The tempo was was lost every time it went back to Trafford. Even simple passes sideways were not struck well or were slightly behind the defender. How we are picking Trafford over Eddy or Ortega baffles me. Not sure Donnaruma will be any better in that sense. Biggest blunder in Pep’s tenure in my opinion.
 
jimharri said:
Bloody hell. Reading this thread this evening, the players may as well pack it in and open a stall on Dickenson Rd market, selling second hand football clobber.
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Come on @jimharri we don't tend to disagree - but after lunchtime can you blame us???
Football is/always has been - 1 game just makes a difference, and today was NOT a good day no matter how you spin it
 
Double R said:
No suprise we started to look like a team once Rodri and Foden came on.
Cherki and Bobb showed their inexperience, and Trafford a bag of nerves.
But Gonzales, I made a point of watching him specifacly, and he went hiding behind opponents. When Stones, Dias, Lewis etc were in possesion he was nowhere to be seen. Absolutely no like up whatsoever. Put Rodri in the same position and hes making space for the pass, demanding the ball, dictating play, I get that Rodri is the best in the world at this, but clearly its still a major problem for us.
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Agree with you entirely on Nico G. The fastest he moved all afternoon was when we was subbed. He was where the ball wasn’t. Nowhere near the standard required
 
Our standards have dropped and also our levels. Players like Doku, Lewis and such like would be nowhere near our best side in recent years and we’ve been gaslit into believing these are city players. Gradually our world beaters have slowly been replaced with much lesser players, resulting in much lesser performances. After the injury our back 4 was Ake Dias stones and Lewis. Entering the 25/26 season and that being our back 4 is shoddy to say the least.

You then have Pep, who quite easily in the best manager we will ever see but equally doesn’t see the wood from the trees anymore. Repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results. You can not play as high as we do, be as lackluster in front of goal and win games against half decent sides. It simply won’t happen. Any half decent manager knows how to play against us and they tend to do it quite easily. A lot thought a summer window and a refresh will bring us back but it was never that simple and Pep leading the rebuild always worried me. Whoever replaces him won’t win anywhere near as much, but a fresh approach and fresh ideas wouldn’t go amiss.
 
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