Match Threads Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool FC

plenty of criticism to go around today but the number of mental mistakes was appalling. Dier's slow back pass, trips gift pass in the final 10, dembele's terrible first touch on the dribble all led to Liverpool breaks. Spurs struggle with teams that play faster than them and it showed today with how many bad decisions there were. It was as if the ghost of Kyle Walker was moving from player to player.

Vinny_Sammways_left_peg said:

You need to get out more.

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Sounds like an offer

doctor stefan Freud said:

Sounds like an offer

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Sure, you can bring your other half.

you have one, right?

Well that was a disgraceful performance most prominently from the manager. Two clear-cut chances given away within three minutes of the game starting and we change nothing the entire half.

Hate to say it but, today shows what happens when two teams of similar standard take the approaches both did in the summer.
We 100% lack(ed) ambition.

Keita didn’t play well today at all but, we buy him, we win that game today. Our midfield today was awful.

Poor poor display...just got back home now.
So very static in the centre of the park and nobody could hold the ball in the final 3rd. Eriksen very poor again. Terrible.

Giovanni said:

Poor poor display...just got back home now.
So very static in the centre of the park and nobody could hold the ball in the final 3rd. Eriksen very poor again. Terrible.

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He has been like it for the majority of his time on the pitch this season.

I miss the International break

doctor stefan Freud said:

Go for it. Keep claiming that not strengthening our weakest position hasn’t adversely affected Poch and the squad. Keep denying it, and by the same token maintain your position that anyone concerned by this is deluded and obsessive. It’s not as if multiple itk that have decent reputations on this site haven’t stated that Poch was privately unhappy, or that he didn’t refuse mediocre players on deadline day when it became clear Levy hadn’t secured his targets. And even if you disregard all that, there is so much at the moment that suggests issues at the club, from lacklustre performances to contract extension inactivity, to stadium delays. But that’s fine, keep trying to separate these factors, keep telling those of us whose concerns are, sadly, looking a little more rooted in reality than we actually feel comfortable with that we’re irrational and wrong and entitled. Doesn’t change the fact that Poch, our best manager in decades, doesn’t quite seem him self.
You might not notice that we could be right. But your brain does

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Nailed it mate. The best manager we’ve had in decades is struggling to hide how he’s been royally shafted.

soflapaul said:

plenty of criticism to go around today but the number of mental mistakes was appalling. Dier's slow back pass, trips gift pass in the final 10, dembele's terrible first touch on the dribble all led to Liverpool breaks. Spurs struggle with teams that play faster than them and it showed today with how many bad decisions there were. It was as if the ghost of Kyle Walker was moving from player to player.

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Something is clearly not right within the team whether that be they have stopped listening to poch or that they are just generally disinterested but clearly all is not great.
Part of the problem maybe that we have persisted with the same squad for too long with both the challenges to Leicester and Chelsea in their title winning seasons we have continued with the same old players and system which needed a freshen up but never materialised so now we are stuck with a tired one dimensional side.

The last two performances showed us why not investing in the squad is going to be our downfall. It is not just a matter of new shiny toys for us all to play Football Manager with, the bigger issue is when the signs from upstairs are that we're happy to stay as we are, the players (and the coaches) may suffer from apathy. The fact is whilst we have done fantastically well in making Champions League football three years on the bounce with a financial outlay below all our rivals (and some outside the top six), this group of players have not won anything. And they're not particularly young anymore. They've grown together and they want to win something together but for that one or two genuine quality additions to push them further was needed. The other clubs all did it. Standing still while others are trying to be better can raise envious eyes and lack of motivation. We as fans have been doing it all summer, so the actual players - the employees - who know they can get great offers elsewhere are of course going to do it.

New players, new dynamic, competition for places creates a culture of wanting to push yourself further. Most of our players have been together for the last three years and again whilst they have done really well generally, and have good camaraderie off the field. They are professional athletes and when you train with the same people all the time it's to be expected an element of comfort is formed. To achieve the highest honours we can't accept everyone being all pally-pally.

Our lack of investment means we are stuck as we are for the next three months. There are two ways of at least getting around this. The first is the return of Wanyama, Lamela and Winks. Admittingly Winks was thrown into the deep end and struggled today but in the wider picture he is a busy tenacious player with decent technique and a lot of potential to grow into. Lamela ended last season in good form and has been good off the bench against Fulham and today at least in getting some spark into the others. And Wanyama is a much needed return because it is evident that we lack a midfield general who can screen the defence but actually get us on the frontfoot too with his ability to carry the ball. Central midfield was a vacuum for Liverpool to pop the ball around today. As far as I'm concerned Wanyama is our best midfielder and a starting XI player.

The second way is to delve into the academy. When Pochettino arrived to the club it was the use of players like Kane, Mason and Bentaleb who displaced older bad eggs in the dressing room and gave us some excitement and big optimism. Now obviously as we have pushed on from that season, Kane has become world class but the other two were upgraded on, but as far squad players go they could have still stayed and did a job. What happened happened but lets stop with this myopic criteria that you have to be top class to get into our first team now because Kane would never have met that criteria when he was up and coming.

This season has only begun yet feels so old with all the off field problems at the club, and the last two defeats. Truth be told we only played well for a half against Utd and were lucky against Newcastle. Obviously the season is young and we can turn this around quickly however the team need to give us something to shout about because as I said, others chose to improve in the summer whereas we stood still.

shelfboy68 said:

That's our club all over never seize on an opportunity just one laughable moment after another, I wouldn't bank on top four mate I think that is very ambitious imo we look nothing like it more like 6th or 7th is where we might end up and levy will be happy with that and pat himself on the back for another job well done.

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believe me I’m not banking on it. Would snap your hand off for it now if I’m being honest.

Just got home from the game and gutted about the result. Thought we gifted them both their goals and created hardly anything. Much like the Watford we far too often got into the final third and were totally clueless about what to do so ended up passing backwards.

HW61 said:

Nailed it mate. The best manager we’ve had in decades is struggling to hide how he’s been royally shafted.

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I don't think he is hiding anything, the squad speaks for itself, that reflects only on one person and that is Levy. Poch has played a blinder (depending on your view of Enic/Levy)

That midfield trio today is more suited to a 9th place side. Dembele finished and Dier is a centre half.

I would rather we finish adrift in all competitions that might shake the club up a bit unlikely but it might.

shelfboy68 said:

I would rather we finish adrift in all competitions that might shake the club up a bit unlikely but it might.

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It won't.

Just noticed the gooners are winning as well .

dagraham said:

Just noticed the gooners are winning as well .

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See what happens when you spend money in the transfer window ...

So I didnt think anything of the Son miskick - i mean i thought it was a miskick, Just watching the replay and erm that is a fucking penalty

We deserved to lose and would have been totally undeserved but not the point - WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Im going to start a petition