Spurs (H) Post Match Thread

[OntarioBlue]

Moving away from the VAR debate and back to our play, I thought we played extremely well, but there are certainly areas that require work and improvement.

In the second-half, I thought we lost a bit of shape and purpose with the substitutions and it took too long for the players to gel again. That is something that can be and needs to be worked on in training.

I think Zinchenko needs to work on exploiting the space before him when he is 1 v 1 with the opposition fullback. There were a couple of occasions, before he pulled up, when he had his man exposed but chose the safer option (backwards or inside). He needs to be more confident about taking the man down the line or into the box even if it is simply to tire the opponent.

Similarly, Sterling/Jesus and especially Mahrez need to be more direct when they have been left exposed with one man to beat. VAR is going to play a part in goals, and I’d like to see us going at players in the box and making them challenge. Will we get all decisions? No. But by doing so we increase the likelihood of a penalty being given.

I am a big fan of Zinchenko but his weaknesses as a full back have already been exposed a few times this season. He is extremely vulnerable to fast wingers who run at him or have the pace to get past him and balls played into space behind him. He almost cost us a goal late in the game today when Moura (think it was him) went past him like he wasn’t there and got a cross in that Otamendi intercepted. If he hadn’t Kane had a tap in.

Mahrez is just so predictable when he plays out on the right. He is so one footed his only plan is to get the ball on his left foot and defenders with the experience of Rose and Alderwereid will just eat him up for breakfast.

Like most others on here I am frustrated by our inability to put this one away today from the amount of chances we created but I realise that on another day we will score five or six from the same number of chances. It’s just the nature of the game. Tottenham dodged a bullet today. On another day we could have have absolutely battered them.

Onwards and upwards.

 

[Paladin]

I now invite the defenders of VAR to continue to defend this fucking shitshow

VAR just spoils the moment. I'd rather go back to the referee making the decision, be it right or wrong. Some go for you, some against. It will even itself out etc.

But it is too early to judge on the success of VAR if it is to be judged fairly.

The disallowed goal was the correct decision, however much that might seem unfair. We were not the first to be penalised by it. We will only be able to claim bias, if we see the same handballs ignored in similar situations when it benefits our rivals. It is too early to judge on this aspect of VAR.

The same applies to the penalty. One of the things said with the introduction of VAR was that it won't be used to re-referee game. So it might just be a case of having to put up with referee mistakes sometimes. Again, we might have to give it some time before we can make a judgement on the fairness of this.

However, I would add:

- Oliver didn't referee that incident in the first place, so it could be argued that using VAR wouldn't have been re-refereeing the incident.
- We have already seen referees asking for a review to see if there had been a sending off offence. Isn't this re-refereeing? I don't see the difference.

Let's see how things stand after a few more weeks.

 

[Bluemoonie92]

Looked liked it kicked off outside after the game.

Can’t stand spurs fans

Police were filming the whole thing so I think a few people will be getting knocks on the door tomorrow. Stopped the spurs fans singing VAR though

 

[ChicagoBlue]

I know it sounds daft but there’s more to football than seeing correct decisions. If I just wanted to see correct decisions then I’d stay and watch it at home. VAR just leaves me numb.

In this instance, they have simply taken an integral foul in football (handball) and made a big clusterfuck of it! It is one thing if an inadvertent handball goes in (Boly last season for Wolves, for example), but when it is NOT a deliberate handball and doesn’t go in, then it is simply incidental contact.

On that decision, I’m not convinced the ball didn’t hit Skipp’s arm, too, but VAR doesn’t seem to care under the new rules.

While we are at it, it is absolutely ridiculous that Lamela’s foul on Rodri at the near post isn’t given as a penalty under VAR, and suggests that the game is focusing in ridiculously small margins on some decisions and ignoring assault.

Time for a rethink for next season already, because this version of VAR is ruining the game as a spectacle. 50,011 people ecstatic and 5,011 devastated, and the emotions of the game have created another event. THEN, Oliver touches his ear and the air is completely taken out of yet another game, another celebration, and another game changing VAR decision is all anyone cares about...with most agreeing already that it is ruining the game by trying to be too precise. This is not FIFA 19, it is the lifeblood of 55,022 humans all coming together on a Saturday afternoon and being taken in an emotional journey by the action on the field, not a TV studio somewhere near Heathrow Airport.

I hope VAR doesn’t kill the golden goose, because it drops billions of pounds into the English game every year, and stop that flow and it’s all over as we know it!!!

 

[nellyonthewing]

Poor subs by Pep for me . Sterling was ineffective in the 2nd half and Mahrez should have come on at 60 minutes . Mahrez is not a late impact sub minute . David is not at the races nowadays and to come on as a sub won't help the side unless we are 3 up.

 

[blueballs84]

No problem with the disallowed goal if every game they look at after every goal and a similar incident goal gets disallowed.

Spurs looked good but we should won that game by 2 clear goals at least.

It won't though. VAR is a vehicle for selective referring. People who supported it were naive.

 

[kevin horlocks wand]

Spurs players never even complained.

The analysis of that goal and the time it took meant they were looking for any excuse to disallow it.

 

[i8rags]

This is bollocks, it’s not even a debate.
Was never handball and a million similar incidents over a century say so.
Change the rules and var it, still not clear so fuck that.
The first half penalty was one of them that gets given or not, but var it, and anyone with sight can see it, it’s beyond my comprehension that it wasn’t given, I’d give my left tit to listen in as to why it wasn’t.
I want to punch something but I’m scared if it’s reviewed it’d only be a glance.

 

[oman0115]

if that was against united I would be fucking loving it ,finish our chances and last minute goals wouldn't be necessary, we were brilliant today bar two sloppy bits of defending,WTF was eddie playing at for their first , tomorrows another day ,you'll be up for it next sunday

Finish chances yes City win, but here lies the issue. We have to finish everything and win by 2 o 3 goals because VAR will be used against us. You watch Liverpool will need something in a close draw and it will be used for them. Over a whole season that's mentally and physically draining. i thought we'd win the title again but after today I don't know. Of all their weapons this is the most destructive and damaging one yet.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Putting Var aside, we missed sitters and let in two soft goals. Christ they only attacked us twice. Put it down to rustiness but it was a very disappointing result. I need to see the recording but I thought Kyle and Laporte played well as did Gabby when he came on. Kev was very good in first half as was Raz. Both faded badly in second. Mahrez was poor when he came on and it could have cost us.