Donki
Has a "Massive Member" Member
- May 14, 2007
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Lol don't worry biglad, that's just one of them "I told you so post" I hate them too.
Ratings v Leicester and MotM
- Thread starter BringBack_leGin
- Start date
Lol don't worry biglad, that's just one of them "I told you so post" I hate them too.
Donki
Has a "Massive Member" Member
- May 14, 2007
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Not that I'm disagreeing but Jan's shirt was being pulled just as much.
EnfieldYiddo
Silence
- Aug 6, 2012
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You clearly didn't read my post, the lauding of Kane on this site borders on sickening
Bobbins
SC's 14th Sexiest Male 2008
- May 5, 2005
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Nope, I obviously did read it, because I quoted it, and referred to specific parts of it.
There's probably a reason you've been absolutely pasted for it. How you've decided my post rates as 'Spam' makes no sense - unless you're just annoyed at being called out on a ridiculous post, of course.
Bus-Conductor
SC Supporter
- Oct 19, 2004
- 39,837
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It's a Tragedy, but not quite a Greek one
I have a huge problem with Pochettino's continued selection of Dier at CM, especially in a CM2. If you want to play high tempo football, press close and aggressively, and transition quickly and with progressive purpose, then the selection of Dier in the CM2 fundamentally contradicts that philosophy. The other problem is that Pochettino likes to get everyone bombing forward including the FB's, and Dier is just not mobile or dynamic enough to cover everyone's arses, as we saw when their guy walked passed him for his booking. And he continues to give the ball away in very dangerous areas and did so at least three times today.
That's the only major selection grumble, but it is still quite a major grumble, as for me the CM is the engine that drives the footballing machine.
This was always going to be a very difficult test. Leicester have been bang on form for a long time, going back to the end of the season and their tails were up, their fans giving it large. Tough atmosphere and a test of character.
Particularly under those circumstances, I thought we were generally pretty good in the first half. We utterly dominated the game, imposed our game on them, most worked hard, they didn't have a single shot on target and but for the omnipresent fuckery of great situations or the fuckery of the pre great situations we could have gone in up.
Walker was abysmal first half. Defensively terrible, comically allowing two of their players to stroll past him on separate occasions (Albrighton was one) he had a few chances to put in crosses and they were all piss poor but worse is that we got him one v one several times but every time he refuses to take it and drive at their defender, always choosing to turn back inside into the Leicester bus park grid lock. He's not a good defender, he's not clever offensively but he also bottles using his pace to try and drive something and make something happen. I thought he was very good in second half, played a great ball for Chadli and defended much better, but the deficiencies and his inability to develop and improve his deficiencies means we must replace him and soon. I understand why he's still around, his pace gets him up and down and his position keeps him involved, but in this system, with inverted AM's the full back must deliver more than Walker delivers, especially when we are getting him continually into good attacking positions. It is pivotal to the strategy Pochettino is trying to employ.
Davies is not much better either, defensively he always looks surprised by what attacking players do, he often seems to be a split second behind the opponents moves, and unlike Walker, he doesn't even have the pace to occasionally make up for it. And going forward he generally offers knish. And he really should have won the header that lead to Mahrez's equaliser (more of which later).
The second half became a bit more of a messy affair than the first, but we were still the better side. It was getting more open, and space was now a bit easier to come by. I think the game was absolutely crying out for someone like Carroll to come on for Lamela or Dembele, a player who could help us retain poession up the pitch, plays with his head up and is better than most the AM's we have at finding incisive passes between little gaps. I wouldn't have minded Alli or Onomah coming on for Dier, but Dembele was starting to flag (and head up incision is not his "thang" anyway) and we really needed a bit of craft.
Taking Mason off not Dier, was fucking bonkers IMO. Dier had been treading water and was also on a yellow.
Credit to Alli for his goal. He was in in the thick of it in the centre circle at the start of the move, Kane did brilliantly to drive the move forward leaving three defenders in his wake and then having the presence of mind to lay it off (having already been guilty of his usual quota of selfish head down inappropriate shots), Chadli was probably aiming for Kane but Alli had bust his bollocks to get on the end of the move (and also credit for him to checking to keep himself onside - which he clearly did).
It was a cracking team goal and a deserved and hard earned lead.
What happens next was cruel, and owed a lot to a piece of individual skill, but there were three elements of self destruction that can't be ignored. We were very lethargic from their kick off. Chadli seems to be nowhere when the ball comes to his side. Davies has to win the header or at least clear out Vardy, and then I want to subsection my next query:
Tactical preparation query:
Surely our team, and especially defenders are prepared for the individual opponents we/they will be facing. Mahrez is very much left footed. Vardy right. In the first half the only dangerous moment came when Vertonghen shows on oncoming (into the box) Vardy outside onto his (stronger) right. The goal was a tough call and Vertonghen is left exposed by davies and Chadli's fuck ups, but surely you know Mahrez wants to come inside onto his left - if you have been prepared well. If it was me (and I used to apply this always when playing one footed players - which was most - even at my own amateur club/pub/5-a-side level) I'd be showing Mahrez outside onto his weaker foot for various reasons. It'sgoing to become much harder for him to score from wider angle, much harder for him to do something (shoot/cross/pass) with his weaker foot and there will be cover for what happens next. So I ask the question:
Was Vertonghen prepared properly by the coaching team. If he wasn't it's poor coaching. Even if he wasn't, he's a clever lad, I think he should make that split decision better. IMO.
I think Pochettino is still sticking a tactical finger up his own arse at times, the continued selection of Dier is so counter intuitive, and his subs are banal at best, tactical cluster fucks at worst, and we seem to turn to jelly every time an opponent scores, this must be addressed from the coaches, like when AVB immediately got to grips with conceding late goals.
But that doesn't change the fact that there are some good traits going on too. For 80 minutes of this match we dominated the ball and, despite it not always being cohesive and coordinated, we worked pretty hard without the ball. We could have gone up there and been intimidated by the partizan crown and and in form team, but we didn't, we tried to impose our game on them, and pretty much succeeded. Just a bit of guile at either end was lacking.
Individual stuff:
Lloris - fuck all to do. Saved 1 out of 2.
Walker - Fucking abysmal first half. Inept offensively and defensively slapstick. Much better second half, played a great ball for Chadli and defended well.
Alderweireld - Good game.
Vertonghen - Good game in general but the two moments I highlighted above. I think he should show Mahrez outside for the goal, his being the final fuck in a cluster.
Davies - Fucking underwhelmed by this guy. Defensively and offensively always seems to be half a yard behind whatever's going on.
Dier - Pretty poor in lots of ways. It's not his fault, he shouldn't be there.
Mason - Good game.
Dembele/Lamela - Both worked hard with and without the ball but neither produced anything creative of note and Lamela collected a stupid yellow card. I like he's tenacious and gets his foot in, but if he's going to pick up cards they need to be worthy, not stupid and needless.
Chadli - His usual melange of dimwitted careless waste speckled with moments of inspiration. Worked a bit better off the ball but still a weal link defensively.
Kane - Great play for the goal, but also some really head down selfishness. I don't think he's working as hard as he used without the ball, pressing etc and he's also seeing less of the ball. If he's going to develop into an uber striker, and he has the potential he's got to make better decisions and work the defenders more off the ball.
Alli - Wasn't really heavily involved in general but great run into the box for his goal.
I have a huge problem with Pochettino's continued selection of Dier at CM, especially in a CM2. If you want to play high tempo football, press close and aggressively, and transition quickly and with progressive purpose, then the selection of Dier in the CM2 fundamentally contradicts that philosophy. The other problem is that Pochettino likes to get everyone bombing forward including the FB's, and Dier is just not mobile or dynamic enough to cover everyone's arses, as we saw when their guy walked passed him for his booking. And he continues to give the ball away in very dangerous areas and did so at least three times today.
That's the only major selection grumble, but it is still quite a major grumble, as for me the CM is the engine that drives the footballing machine.
This was always going to be a very difficult test. Leicester have been bang on form for a long time, going back to the end of the season and their tails were up, their fans giving it large. Tough atmosphere and a test of character.
Particularly under those circumstances, I thought we were generally pretty good in the first half. We utterly dominated the game, imposed our game on them, most worked hard, they didn't have a single shot on target and but for the omnipresent fuckery of great situations or the fuckery of the pre great situations we could have gone in up.
Walker was abysmal first half. Defensively terrible, comically allowing two of their players to stroll past him on separate occasions (Albrighton was one) he had a few chances to put in crosses and they were all piss poor but worse is that we got him one v one several times but every time he refuses to take it and drive at their defender, always choosing to turn back inside into the Leicester bus park grid lock. He's not a good defender, he's not clever offensively but he also bottles using his pace to try and drive something and make something happen. I thought he was very good in second half, played a great ball for Chadli and defended much better, but the deficiencies and his inability to develop and improve his deficiencies means we must replace him and soon. I understand why he's still around, his pace gets him up and down and his position keeps him involved, but in this system, with inverted AM's the full back must deliver more than Walker delivers, especially when we are getting him continually into good attacking positions. It is pivotal to the strategy Pochettino is trying to employ.
Davies is not much better either, defensively he always looks surprised by what attacking players do, he often seems to be a split second behind the opponents moves, and unlike Walker, he doesn't even have the pace to occasionally make up for it. And going forward he generally offers knish. And he really should have won the header that lead to Mahrez's equaliser (more of which later).
The second half became a bit more of a messy affair than the first, but we were still the better side. It was getting more open, and space was now a bit easier to come by. I think the game was absolutely crying out for someone like Carroll to come on for Lamela or Dembele, a player who could help us retain poession up the pitch, plays with his head up and is better than most the AM's we have at finding incisive passes between little gaps. I wouldn't have minded Alli or Onomah coming on for Dier, but Dembele was starting to flag (and head up incision is not his "thang" anyway) and we really needed a bit of craft.
Taking Mason off not Dier, was fucking bonkers IMO. Dier had been treading water and was also on a yellow.
Credit to Alli for his goal. He was in in the thick of it in the centre circle at the start of the move, Kane did brilliantly to drive the move forward leaving three defenders in his wake and then having the presence of mind to lay it off (having already been guilty of his usual quota of selfish head down inappropriate shots), Chadli was probably aiming for Kane but Alli had bust his bollocks to get on the end of the move (and also credit for him to checking to keep himself onside - which he clearly did).
It was a cracking team goal and a deserved and hard earned lead.
What happens next was cruel, and owed a lot to a piece of individual skill, but there were three elements of self destruction that can't be ignored. We were very lethargic from their kick off. Chadli seems to be nowhere when the ball comes to his side. Davies has to win the header or at least clear out Vardy, and then I want to subsection my next query:
Tactical preparation query:
Surely our team, and especially defenders are prepared for the individual opponents we/they will be facing. Mahrez is very much left footed. Vardy right. In the first half the only dangerous moment came when Vertonghen shows on oncoming (into the box) Vardy outside onto his (stronger) right. The goal was a tough call and Vertonghen is left exposed by davies and Chadli's fuck ups, but surely you know Mahrez wants to come inside onto his left - if you have been prepared well. If it was me (and I used to apply this always when playing one footed players - which was most - even at my own amateur club/pub/5-a-side level) I'd be showing Mahrez outside onto his weaker foot for various reasons. It'sgoing to become much harder for him to score from wider angle, much harder for him to do something (shoot/cross/pass) with his weaker foot and there will be cover for what happens next. So I ask the question:
Was Vertonghen prepared properly by the coaching team. If he wasn't it's poor coaching. Even if he wasn't, he's a clever lad, I think he should make that split decision better. IMO.
I think Pochettino is still sticking a tactical finger up his own arse at times, the continued selection of Dier is so counter intuitive, and his subs are banal at best, tactical cluster fucks at worst, and we seem to turn to jelly every time an opponent scores, this must be addressed from the coaches, like when AVB immediately got to grips with conceding late goals.
But that doesn't change the fact that there are some good traits going on too. For 80 minutes of this match we dominated the ball and, despite it not always being cohesive and coordinated, we worked pretty hard without the ball. We could have gone up there and been intimidated by the partizan crown and and in form team, but we didn't, we tried to impose our game on them, and pretty much succeeded. Just a bit of guile at either end was lacking.
Individual stuff:
Lloris - fuck all to do. Saved 1 out of 2.
Walker - Fucking abysmal first half. Inept offensively and defensively slapstick. Much better second half, played a great ball for Chadli and defended well.
Alderweireld - Good game.
Vertonghen - Good game in general but the two moments I highlighted above. I think he should show Mahrez outside for the goal, his being the final fuck in a cluster.
Davies - Fucking underwhelmed by this guy. Defensively and offensively always seems to be half a yard behind whatever's going on.
Dier - Pretty poor in lots of ways. It's not his fault, he shouldn't be there.
Mason - Good game.
Dembele/Lamela - Both worked hard with and without the ball but neither produced anything creative of note and Lamela collected a stupid yellow card. I like he's tenacious and gets his foot in, but if he's going to pick up cards they need to be worthy, not stupid and needless.
Chadli - His usual melange of dimwitted careless waste speckled with moments of inspiration. Worked a bit better off the ball but still a weal link defensively.
Kane - Great play for the goal, but also some really head down selfishness. I don't think he's working as hard as he used without the ball, pressing etc and he's also seeing less of the ball. If he's going to develop into an uber striker, and he has the potential he's got to make better decisions and work the defenders more off the ball.
Alli - Wasn't really heavily involved in general but great run into the box for his goal.
Last edited:
Mr Pink
SC Supporter
- Aug 25, 2010
- 55,162
- 100,363
I agree completely on Dier, and the reasons you give for how it impacts on us. But with that very much in mind, I fail to understand how you rate that performance so highly?
Fair enough we had more possession and controlled large spells of the game at a tough ground against a side doing well currently, but we're still extremely blunt in attack IMO.
Anybody looking at just the stats would think we absolutely battered Leicester, we really didn't. And herein lies the problem. With far less ball they still looked more threatening than we did. We might of won the possession and long range pot shots but they looked more like hurting us when they came forward than vice versa.
A slow, methodical control of games is good at times - especially away from home if you're leading. The way we're playing reminds me of the way United use to play a goal or two up away from home under Fergie - slowing the game down and controlling it at their own pace.
We seem to be playing this way under all circumstances. But there's certain areas that need addressing, we know that.
The Apprentice
Charles Big Potatoes
- Mar 10, 2005
- 11,145
- 15,632
I thought we dominated large swathes of the game and looked alright.
Same problems from last season still rear their heads. Dembele offers pish offensively, lamely frustrates the hell out of us, diet isn't a midfielder, Davies isn't good enough. New year, same problems xx
Same problems from last season still rear their heads. Dembele offers pish offensively, lamely frustrates the hell out of us, diet isn't a midfielder, Davies isn't good enough. New year, same problems xx
nasescoba1985
Well-Known Member
- Jan 27, 2011
- 847
- 3,058
When is Kieran Tripper going to get his chance? How many more shit crosses does walker have to do before poch realises this guy should not be our main right back. I saw more positives in Tripper in pre season than I have seen in walker for years. I don't even get out my seat when walker gets down the wing as 99.9% of the time his crosses always end up at the opposition. Awful player.
whitelanefever
Well-Known Member
- Aug 21, 2012
- 2,149
- 2,855
No it wasn't Ryan was starting to struggle & the game was passing him bye.. At least Dier was still tracking runs.. Mason was also on a yellow card by the way.
Alderweireld..seriously.. I counted 3 headers where he didn't clear his lines & put it straight back into a danger area.. He got dragged to the ball a couple of times on the wrong side .. 1 leaving Walker with 2 players to cover.. 1 other time Kyle couldn't cut the gap to his cb because he had to mark a player, .if leicster had a midfield runner one simple ball & we would of been cut open..there was also a couple of times on potential crosses positions where he lost his man 1 of them leaving kyle with 2 men to deal with with the cross never came in but if it had we were screwed he got lucky that leicster didn't have the quality to expose him .. he got away with it this time
Jan was awful
Mason I like him but he wasn't good today & looked off the pace
yusrisafri
Well-Known Member
- Jun 27, 2004
- 6,369
- 7,548
Wtf did chadli do wrong that we need to get rid of him for, after last night's game? Putting him in the same bracket as Pamela is just insane and disrespectful to what he has given to us.
yusrisafri
Well-Known Member
- Jun 27, 2004
- 6,369
- 7,548
Hole in one - no one
Eagle - no one.
Birdie - Dembele
Par - Lloris, Kane (2nd half), Chadli, Alli
Bogey - Toby, Walker, Mason, Dier, Lamela, Verts
Double Bogey - Davies
If Rose doesnt start next game, i seriously think Poch needs his head checked. Him being our best player last season + An awful Davies. 1+1=2. Too simple to analyse.
And if Prtichard and Clinton arent at least on the bench, I just dont know what else to say
Eagle - no one.
Birdie - Dembele
Par - Lloris, Kane (2nd half), Chadli, Alli
Bogey - Toby, Walker, Mason, Dier, Lamela, Verts
Double Bogey - Davies
If Rose doesnt start next game, i seriously think Poch needs his head checked. Him being our best player last season + An awful Davies. 1+1=2. Too simple to analyse.
And if Prtichard and Clinton arent at least on the bench, I just dont know what else to say
mason and davis seemed like victims imo
totally out of their depth, always stretched and mostly on their arse on caught short,
bullied and generally pushed around
we were totally dominated throughout
and were fortunate to score, as we created nothing of note
if mason was mom
then how would the opposition midfield players rate?
totally out of their depth, always stretched and mostly on their arse on caught short,
bullied and generally pushed around
we were totally dominated throughout
and were fortunate to score, as we created nothing of note
if mason was mom
then how would the opposition midfield players rate?
Haha I know, it's incredible that a pro footballer can do it so often. He's been doing it every season, quite incredible.
littlemandefoe
Conte's Blue and White Army!
- May 22, 2005
- 4,245
- 4,540
So that makes it OK? He's rubbish and we're not going anywhere with him around.
littlemandefoe
Conte's Blue and White Army!
- May 22, 2005
- 4,245
- 4,540
What does Chadli do for us? He got his goal last week, he assisted us this week but thats the problem with half the people on this site. They see him do something alright and they praise him but they forget the other 85% of the time he does fuck all and is a average player.
Needs to be replaced with someone who can do the job all of the time.
I think before his goal Mahrez was shown onto his weaker foot , but he stuck a fierce shot and almost scored as well. I guess this must have affected Vertonghen's thinking.
yusrisafri
Well-Known Member
- Jun 27, 2004
- 6,369
- 7,548
He gave us 13 goals from midfield last season, albeit being in and out of games. And despite your assertion that he is doing fuck all so far this season, he has scored 1 and assisted 1 in 3 games. If that is not enough, then maybe we should get messi or ronaldo. Name me 1 other player in the premier league who plays as a midfielder and scores that many goals and makes assists like chadli. You wont find many, if there are indeed any.
