Spurs (H) - Post-Match Thread

[blueparrot]

Because Foden has the ability to change things in an human instance that Delap doesn't have?

That and most likely Pep was on the sidelines trying to get them to stop lumping balls in, bringing on Delap would probably have encouraged it.

 

[Shaffer92]

Keith Hackett former ref says spurs winner should not have stood due to offside in the build up.He can't understand why var and the lines wasn't shown.

Looks on to me tbh

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

I'm feeling a little better about Saturday - the Dipper fan on The Chase has been caught! Good on yer, SinhaMan!

 

[Tangled up in blue.]

I'm feeling a little better about Saturday - the Dipper fan on The Chase has been caught! Good on yer, SinhaMan!

Eh!

 

[BrianW]

I don't think Pep ever puts a youth player on when we are chasing a game. I imagine he thinks it's unfair pressure on them if they don't do well.

 

[Bill Walker]

Agree that Delap should have played part at some stage, especially with the crosses count being so high. The best hope for most crosses was that they would by-pass almost everyone and Bernardo comes in sniffing late to ghost one in-off. It got to a stage in the last 10 minutes where I wish Pep would have brought Stones on and played him upfront to cause some mayhem and distraction and nod a few in.

All those high crosses, Stones or Ake couldve headed a goal if he didnt want to throw Delap on.
Puzzles me sometimes does Pep, the game was crying out for a big 9, if he's not gonna risk Delap in those circumstances why is he on the bench ?

The last 2 games he's come on he's made something happen.
And please Pep we need to go back to Stones/Ruben.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

All those high crosses, Stones or Ake couldve headed a goal if he didnt want to throw Delap on.
Puzzles me sometimes does Pep, the game was crying out for a big 9, if he's not gonna risk Delap in those circumstances why is he on the bench ?

The last 2 games he's come on he's made something happen.

Absolutely!

And please Pep we need to go back to Stones/Ruben.

Please, Pep, let’s teach our full backs how to defend the back post cross!
Pretty please?!

Hell, we even use this tactic against other teams!! How many times have we seen that City chip over the top to the back post recently?!

And, then, while you’re at it, teach the CBs about correct positioning for defending under stress, including knowing where the runners are, and where the FBs are!

We have BRILLIANT “ball playing” CBs, but who are asked to do “everything” even when we defend with only TWO defenders on the counter attack. We saw it on the first goal (Dias got done, couldn’t get back, and Cancelo couldn’t cut out the ball to the new lad and got merged for the goal) and then NEITHER FB defended properly for Spurs’ 2nd & 3rd goals.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

All the more puzzling then when we put on about 200 high crosses in this game.

You've got a point.

 

[Prater70]

All those high crosses, Stones or Ake couldve headed a goal if he didnt want to throw Delap on.
Puzzles me sometimes does Pep, the game was crying out for a big 9, if he's not gonna risk Delap in those circumstances why is he on the bench ?

The last 2 games he's come on he's made something happen.
And please Pep we need to go back to Stones/Ruben.

Personally thought we could have put Rodri up for last fifteen.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Agree to a point (especially about the back probs, would give anything for a miracle cure right now), but I don't think we were that much off the pace and it's the media hype that sows the seeds. I try to disregard the post match hype because it all centres on a few seconds - a missed shot here, a goal conceded there - is all it takes for the media to make the difference between them saying something like "superb performance that you'd expect from the champions" to "masterplan from Kane" and so on.

In otherwords, without really changing anything on another day we'd have scored 2 more and they'd have scored 2 less. The way we play is always going to be vulnerable to the counter attack and the teams with better strikers are more likely to take advantage, so we're bound to lose the odd one here and there.

Again the media are hyping up the "title race back on" theme but it was never off, certainly not unless they think it's all down to one result. While we probably can't afford too many slip ups, I don't see Liverpool going through the rest of the season with a 100% record so I'm not overly concerned. Fact remains that to win the title, they still have to win their game in hand, beat us at the Etihad, match every other result we get, and better our goal difference. Not impossible but you'd be mad to take the bet.

We were much the better team despite being below our best. But what I notice is that when we're playing well, you barely see a misplaced pass. Against Spurs we misplaced a few passes more than normal, but still passed the ball at a level any normal top four team would consider to be outstanding. We tried to draw Spurs onto us - hence the slow play at times and they stuck with their small team low block mentality. And yes, we were inches away from two more goals. If we'd won, Spurs would have been slaughtered on MOTD for their park the bus tactics and four defeats in a row, but because we gifted them their goals it's a 'masterclass' apparently. Can't help but think Ferna would have had us in a formation to have stopped the counter attacks at source (with him no doubt making the telling interceptions) - Kane wouldn't have had all that space for his pass for the first.