Tottenham Vs FC Schalke 04: Match Thread

arunspurs · Aug 10, 2014

Bentaleb was awesome yesterday. Pass & move entirely down to tempo he set. He has definitely moved up a gear from last season.
Dier too was brilliant with defending and passing from back.
Naughton & Rose were good too. Soldado & Lamela were ok without doing much.
Holtby was like a dog after the bone , did his part well.

Overall, Poch system is well received and it looks working. We made Schalke look a nonentity for most game -We dominated them . This is not highlighted here much. And we should 've created like 10+ clear chances
If we play same way against spam we will blow them apart next week.

sf135 · Aug 10, 2014

thinktank said:
Yeah, they were going nuts all game. Good craic.

The problem with not exploiting the space behind schalke's high line and the ocean of space they left on their right, especially in the first half, wasn't the lack of a remy imo, it was purely down to not having Capoue on who would have slotted 20/30 yarders through all day long.

Why I said I didn't like holtby and bentaleb as the 2 today. Both had good games in their own right but just didn't work for me mainly for that reason and also it didn't click with coco.

I'm actually pretty hooked on Capoue and Mason as a duo (until shiny comes anyway, but even so I like Mason and hope he's given a chance). Really hope poch liked what he saw from them in the US.

I totally agree with your holtby bentaleb comment, it really shows how important the 2 CDMs in the formation are. To me, there was a lack of incisiveness and service from our CDMs to our playmakers Eriksen and Lamela in advanced positions, which is also why I don't agree when people say they had poor games, to me Lamela especially just didn't get on the ball enough to grow into the game. Holtby sent some good balls forward but Bentaleb I felt didn't play quick enough to transition the ball quickly to our attacking players in central areas, giving them few chances to create. That being said, we still managed to create plenty and it's good that our squad has the technical ability to create chances from long balls. Capoue and Mason would be my ideal midfield pair as well.

Oh and holtby needs to work on his tackling if he's to continue playing in the midfield role

indianspurs · Aug 10, 2014

Just got back from my first visit to the lane

Hugo's an awesome waver

Qualsonic · Aug 10, 2014

indianspurs said:
Just got back from my first visit to the lane

Hugo's an awesome waver

Took you a long time!

Where do you live? India?

tobi · Aug 10, 2014

Holtby needs some tactical discipline.

indianspurs · Aug 10, 2014

indianspurs said:
Just got back from my first visit to the lane

Hugo's an awesome waver

OMG can't believe people fell for this, feel very bad now

All of you were talking about how great it was to be there and I felt left out and jealous, desperately wanted to be a part of it.

I don't think I will ever have the finances to visit WHL, that dream will go with me :cry:

thinktank · Aug 10, 2014

sf135 said:
I totally agree with your holtby bentaleb comment, it really shows how important the 2 CDMs in the formation are. To me, there was a lack of incisiveness and service from our CDMs to our playmakers Eriksen and Lamela in advanced positions, which is also why I don't agree when people say they had poor games, to me Lamela especially just didn't get on the ball enough to grow into the game. Holtby sent some good balls forward but Bentaleb I felt didn't play quick enough to transition the ball quickly to our attacking players in central areas, giving them few chances to create. That being said, we still managed to create plenty and it's good that our squad has the technical ability to create chances from long balls. Capoue and Mason would be my ideal midfield pair as well.

Oh and holtby needs to work on his tackling if he's to continue playing in the midfield role

That's all spot on.

Shadydan · Aug 10, 2014

Most positive thing about yesterday is that we were actually creating chances and looked cohesive going forward.

SlunkSoma · Aug 10, 2014

Eriksen and Lamela linking up is interesting - they need time to adapt but knowing our luck we'll have another Keane/Defoe situation on our hands.

Kendall · Aug 10, 2014

Eriksen doesn't look with it yet and I hope Soldado bucks his ideas up as I thought he was horrible yesterday.

Grapo2001 · Aug 10, 2014

Rose impressed me, and I felt had the better performance than Davies who got beaten by his man a few times.

Dier was very good until Kaboul went off.

Kane is a shocking diver.

Townsend looked our most dangerous player going forward, would be crazy to sell this talent.

nidge · Aug 10, 2014

Am I the only one thinking that Bentaleb and Holtby lacked any sort of synergy yesterday? (That cane be because they haven't played together in CM partnership before.) Also at times it looked like Bentaleb, Holtby, Eriksen and Lamela were all trying to play in the same areas and made everything way to congested through the middle.

kremlyn · Aug 10, 2014

Not to nitpic but while i really enjoyed yesterdays game i did see a couple 9f things made me think.

1. Kaboul. He looks very strong and composed but he isn't buying into the strategy at the back. When in posession tye cbs should split allowing a cm to drop between them to distribute. Dier (who was excellent, especiall playing his first game at lcb) shifted over but Kaboul wouldn't and was often trying to play the quick ball to the advanced players who hDn't set themselves and were either robbed or had to lay it back giving the preesing impetus to shalke ezpecially in the early part of the second half. He needs to commit to the system or it just looks like chaos.

2. Townsend. He needs a good talking to but not about his decision making when with the ball, rather the positions he is in to receive it. On the left of the attack he finds it more difficult to shoot so he runs for the byline and crosses or cuts inside to lay off. It means the playis far quicker and more fluid and involves the team more. He is useful on the right but it makes us very one dimentional. I'd like to see him make a concerted effort to stay more on the left. He'll get more assists and probably score just as many goals if he cuts out the predictable inverted winger thing. I'm ot bashing him, i'd just like him to see how useful he can be to the team by providing service not just a goal threat.

Larryjanta · Aug 10, 2014

kremlyn said:
Not to nitpic but while i really enjoyed yesterdays game i did see a couple 9f things made me think.

1. Kaboul. He looks very strong and composed but he isn't buying into the strategy at the back. When in posession tye cbs should split allowing a cm to drop between them to distribute. Dier (who was excellent, especiall playing his first game at lcb) shifted over but Kaboul wouldn't and was often trying to play the quick ball to the advanced players who hDn't set themselves and were either robbed or had to lay it back giving the preesing impetus to shalke ezpecially in the early part of the second half. He needs to commit to the system or it just looks like chaos.

2. Townsend. He needs a good talking to but not about his decision making when with the ball, rather the positions he is in to receive it. On the left of the attack he finds it more difficult to shoot so he runs for the byline and crosses or cuts inside to lay off. It means the playis far quicker and more fluid and involves the team more. He is useful on the right but it makes us very one dimentional. I'd like to see him make a concerted effort to stay more on the left. He'll get more assists and probably score just as many goals if he cuts out the predictable inverted winger thing. I'm ot bashing him, i'd just like him to see how useful he can be to the team by providing service not just a goal threat.

I agree entirely no Townsend in the left. I think he is much more dangerous there and it's where I think he'll start from. The only disagreement I have is that it's clear the front 3 rotate around and I have no problem with him popping up on the right or centrally during the game. I think that will get the best out of him and all our attacking mids.

kremlyn · Aug 10, 2014

Larryjanta said:
I agree entirely no Townsend in the left. I think he is much more dangerous there and it's where I think he'll start from. The only disagreement I have is that it's clear the front 3 rotate around and I have no problem with him popping up on the right or centrally during the game. I think that will get the best out of him and all our attacking mids.

Sorry if i din't make that clear - i agree but he should predom8nantly play from the left.

SlunkSoma · Aug 10, 2014

Probably time for me to don my tin hat but I was pretty disappointed with block 34 slating Schalke fans throughout the game - it was pretty classless. Lewis Holtby, he left cos your shit was funny but unnecessary for a friendly.

Jamturk · Aug 10, 2014

Kendall said:
Eriksen doesn't look with it yet and I hope Soldado bucks his ideas up as I thought he was horrible yesterday.

Maybe not, but for me he was MOM

I watched the game again this morning and he created 4 great chances with sublime balls.

Huff and puff is all well and good but its class that win games

Eriksen is a matchwinner.

iluvsteffenfreund · Aug 10, 2014

I worry that lining up with holtby and Bentalab against the likes of Fabregs and matic, toure and Fernandinho, Ramsey and wilshere, gerrard and Henderson we will get over run again. These two were constantly bossed by the better players last season and they can not be expected to be the core of our midfield they are not good enough if we have aspirations to finish top 4. We need to strengthen or it will be the same old story. The nearly men

faymantaray · Aug 10, 2014

Watching our 1st goal again it really was a thing of beauty; Naughton down the line to Eriksen who lofts it in towards Adebayor, Ade knocks it back for Lamela who finds Lennon who inturn finds Holtby who cuts it back beautifully for a class left-footed finish from Ade!

Lufti · Aug 10, 2014

Reece said:
So ... 2-1. Can't deduce much as I was out all day and of course it's a friendly. I guess @Lufti will have the most interesting insight?

Well it's hard to read too much into it to be honest mate - was against a disinterested reserve Schalke side. It seems like we even sent our reserve fans over, I've never heard them so quiet haha (although tbf there was only around 200-300 it seemed

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