Tottenham Vs Fiorentina: Match Thread

stemark44 · Feb 20, 2015

THFCSPURS19 said:
That's interesting. Most people on here (including me) thought he was our best/one of our best players. I don't think he was disappointing by any means, he destroyed their LB for most of the time and him being subbed off was an awful decision IMO.

This........could not understand taking Townsend off last night....he was the only threat we had all game and it was taking at least 3 of their players to try and cope with him.
That really should have opened up opportunities for others to get into the box but it never happened.
We needed Kane on from the start because Soldado isn't brave enough or strong enough to bully defenders and get in where it hurts.

JohanTheYid · Feb 20, 2015

stemark44 said:
Poor night for Poch,I really couldn't understand the team we started with and tactically their manager made a few changes at halftime and we couldn't cope.
This was a trophy that we really should have gone all out to win as I can't really see us finishing in the Top 4.
We can't keep a clean sheet so unless Harry Kane scores twice in every league game we have no chance.

Its not a great result, but I think the dissapointment is aimed in the wrong place. The team he picked should have been out of sight in the first 30 mins, if they were are we even having a conversation over the side picked? The fact they werent is down to the players, not Poch.

As to the second point, we have "no chance" yet here we are, 13 games to go, only 3 points off the top 4. I would say we have as good a chance as any of the top 6 - we're picking up points we shouldnt and our increased fitness should tell even more coming into the home straight of the season. I genuinely wouldnt be surprised to see us nick 4th.

Blackcanary · Feb 20, 2015

nightgoat said:
Totally agree with this bit. This was the game to play our strongest team. We'd had eight days rest prior to last night so should have been able to cope with only making a couple of changes for West Ham.

What is quite apparent though is that at least one of Mason and Dembele needs to play as otherwise there's no one to drive the team forward. Paulinho just doesn't do that.

Yep, i'm at a loss as to why this wasn't the bigger priority over the West Ham game. They're in poor form, they have widescale injury issues, i'm confident for that game. If Poch wanted key players fresh for that game, why not start Kane, Mason et al and then hook them at 60 minutes?

Failing to play a stronger team in this game has knock-on implications for the second leg and the cup final.

dricha1 · Feb 20, 2015

JohanTheYid said:
Its not a great result, but I think the dissapointment is aimed in the wrong place. The team he picked should have been out of sight in the first 30 mins, if they were are we even having a conversation over the side picked? The fact they werent is down to the players, not Poch.

As to the second point, we have "no chance" yet here we are, 13 games to go, only 3 points off the top 4. I would say we have as good a chance as any of the top 6 - we're picking up points we shouldnt and our increased fitness should tell even more coming into the home straight of the season. I genuinely wouldnt be surprised to see us nick 4th.

Agree. I want to win the Europa, but that'll be harder than finishing 4th in the league IMHO. We go out of Europa next week and it makes a top 4 finish more likely not less.

stemark44 · Feb 20, 2015

JohanTheYid said:
Its not a great result, but I think the dissapointment is aimed in the wrong place. The team he picked should have been out of sight in the first 30 mins, if they were are we even having a conversation over the side picked? The fact they werent is down to the players, not Poch.

As to the second point, we have "no chance" yet here we are, 13 games to go, only 3 points off the top 4. I would say we have as good a chance as any of the top 6 - we're picking up points we shouldnt and our increased fitness should tell even more coming into the home straight of the season. I genuinely wouldnt be surprised to see us nick 4th.

If we had started with Kane and Dembele..............this tie would be over.
I will also reiterate my previous point.
We can't keep a clean sheet so the only way we can pick up enough points and finish 4th is to outscore our opponents every game.That simply won't happen.

Locotoro · Feb 20, 2015

BK007 said:
Well, I fell asleep and missed the whole thing!

Seems like the right choice too.

Just wanted to pop in and say a couple things.

.....The fact that we cannot beat Fiorentina at home, irrespective of who we've played and what Fiorentina's form currently is, says it all...

.....expecting CL-chasers Fiorentina to fold like a newly minted replica of QPR. Disrespectful, ignorant, but perhaps, worst of all, it's this mindset, our "right to win" that puts us in the company of Liverpool and West Ham. Just because they're from the continent and not CL dropouts does not make them pushovers. It's funny how a large number expect it to be a procession of teams coming to the Lane, or getting visited by the Spurs, to capitulate and give up. In years past we've gone out to Benfica and Basel. Hardly teams that are invincible, but not having had the coaches to actually give us a chance.

"...do people really think we can even compete with Madrid, Bayern and Juventus?"

"...I don't believe for one second that we are unable to compete with Madrid or Barcelona in the near future...."

Que?

Locotoro · Feb 20, 2015

THFCSPURS19 said:
That's interesting. Most people on here (including me) thought he was our best/one of our best players. I don't think he was disappointing by any means, he destroyed their LB for most of the time and him being subbed off was an awful decision IMO.

The problem with Townsend is that he will torture a Left back time and time again and he has the pace and ability to do it but....and its a big but.....he's decision making is so poor that he becomes completely inefficient with the ball.

The archetype "frustration player"

shelfboy68 · Feb 20, 2015

JohanTheYid said:
Its not a great result, but I think the dissapointment is aimed in the wrong place. The team he picked should have been out of sight in the first 30 mins, if they were are we even having a conversation over the side picked? The fact they werent is down to the players, not Poch.

As to the second point, we have "no chance" yet here we are, 13 games to go, only 3 points off the top 4. I would say we have as good a chance as any of the top 6 - we're picking up points we shouldnt and our increased fitness should tell even more coming into the home straight of the season. I genuinely wouldnt be surprised to see us nick 4th.

To be honest i would be suprised if we got fourth as i think we have conceded the most goals out of the teams up there.
It wouldnt matter if we played a top team or a conference side we just struggle to keep clean sheets add to the mix Our over reliance on kane scoring games like last night highlight our problem areas.
While anything can happen in ninety minutes i cant see us winning over there which is a pity as i wanted to see us win this with whats at stake.
We seem to struggle in this competition once we get out the group every year we get no further than last eight.

MaccSpurs · Feb 20, 2015

Fiorentina are unbeaten in their last 10 European away games - and have not lost in 13 matches on their travels in the Europa League and its predecessor, the Uefa Cup.

Mr Pink · Feb 20, 2015

JohanTheYid said:
Its not a great result, but I think the dissapointment is aimed in the wrong place. The team he picked should have been out of sight in the first 30 mins, if they were are we even having a conversation over the side picked? The fact they werent is down to the players, not Poch.

As to the second point, we have "no chance" yet here we are, 13 games to go, only 3 points off the top 4. I would say we have as good a chance as any of the top 6 - we're picking up points we shouldnt and our increased fitness should tell even more coming into the home straight of the season. I genuinely wouldnt be surprised to see us nick 4th.

Totally agree.

Furthermore, the players culpable of missing the best chances in the first half are first teamers anyway - Eriksen and Kane, are second and third top scorers respectively.

All this we have no chance of top four is ridiculous as well, considering we're well over the half way point and are bang in contention with a run in that isn't too bad compared to some of our rivals.

The most crucial point of all though, is that we're a team that is getting better and better and what we've witnessed in the last few weeks has been sharp improvement. I really don't think you can say that some of the competition are on such an upward trajectory like we are, possibly Liverpool. Certainly not United, who continue to look a mess and the goals have dried up a bit for Southampton. Arsenal have some key players back that will benefit them but they're performing like they always do IMO.

We, on the other hand, continue to look better. Last night was a set back and it was frustrating to not have scored at least a couple with that first half domination but if we beat West Ham on Sunday, and follow it up with wins against Swansea and QPR we'll be right on top of United going into the game against them - and I fancy us against them, I really do.

Khilari · Feb 20, 2015

thinktank said:
Mate, it was his best performance yet. He was excellent.

Interesting how we all see different things. That was near peak Townsend for me.

He should be very proud of that performance.

Wow how different your opinion is to mine! I'll respect it though.

What did you think about his end product though? The number of times his crosses found no-one and the number of times he decided not to cross when he had the opportunity, holding it up, passing to walker then getting it back then losing possession (2nd half mostly)

Cavehillspur · Feb 20, 2015

Wil be interesting to see who plays in goal in the away leg, if its Hugo I think we'll see Vorm in the final.

dagraham · Feb 20, 2015

We fucked up good and proper last night and are as good as out imo. The players will have one eye on the cup final and the second string aren't good enough to there and win.

I can't understand the inclusion of Soldado and Paulinho. We needed to everything in our power to make the 2nd leg as comfortable as possible. Now we run the risk of playing our best team, still losing and screwing ourselves for the cup final.

yiddo23 · Feb 20, 2015

Cavehillspur said:
Wil be interesting to see who plays in goal in the away leg, if its Hugo I think we'll see Vorm in the final.

or hugo for both?

yiddo23 · Feb 20, 2015

dagraham said:
We fucked up good and proper last night and are as good as out imo. The players will have one eye on the cup final and the second string aren't good enough to there and win.

I can't understand the inclusion of Soldado and Paulinho. We needed to everything in our power to make the 2nd leg as comfortable as possible. Now we run the risk of playing our best team, still losing and screwing ourselves for the cup final.

as long as we remember that we cant predict the future and get all worked up, stranger things have happened than overcoming an away goal deficit with a less than perfect team,

Cavehillspur · Feb 20, 2015

yiddo23 said:
as long as we remember that we cant predict the future and get all worked up, stranger things have happened than overcoming an away goal deficit with a less than perfect team,

Cup final 3 days later will be a major distraction though and no doubt at the forefront of the players' mind. It shouldn't be, but it will be difficult for them to be 100% focussed against Fiorentina on Thursday with the trip to Wembley so close afterwards. IMO of course.

chinaman · Feb 20, 2015

yiddo23 said:
or hugo for both?

I think so.

thinktank · Feb 20, 2015

nidge said:
But we didn't. Our finishing and final ball were still very poor. Regardless of how nice it look for the first 30 minutes we still went in at HT 1-1 to me that makes it a poor half of football.

Makes it a blistering half of football from a team that's still developing and has done amazingly well in only a few months time, going from dimwits to potential destroyers!

The next stage of our - very rapid - development is becoming more clinical.

As long as we are playing aggressive, progressive, fast-paced football like we have been, creating those chances, the execution side will come.

I really do despair sometimes...genuinely. Jesus.

thinktank · Feb 20, 2015

Khilari said:
Wow how different your opinion is to mine! I'll respect it though.

What did you think about his end product though? The number of times his crosses found no-one and the number of times he decided not to cross when he had the opportunity, holding it up, passing to walker then getting it back then losing possession (2nd half mostly)

His overall performance made him my MoM.

Japhet · Feb 20, 2015

dagraham said:
We fucked up good and proper last night and are as good as out imo. The players will have one eye on the cup final and the second string aren't good enough to there and win.

I can't understand the inclusion of Soldado and Paulinho. We needed to everything in our power to make the 2nd leg as comfortable as possible. Now we run the risk of playing our best team, still losing and screwing ourselves for the cup final.

Soldado scored one and put one on a plate for Chadli so I think his inclusion was justified. Paulinho on a CM 2 is useless though. Thank God Fiorentina's CMs looked like they were on a day trip from an old people's home.

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