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Rating vs Real Madrid (a)

MOTM

  • Lloris

    Votes: 258 53.3%
  • Toby

    Votes: 9 1.9%
  • Sanchez

    Votes: 53 11.0%
  • Verts

    Votes: 29 6.0%
  • Aurier

    Votes: 7 1.4%
  • Dier

    Votes: 2 0.4%
  • Winks

    Votes: 61 12.6%
  • Sissoko

    Votes: 55 11.4%
  • Eriksen

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Kane

    Votes: 1 0.2%
  • Llorente

    Votes: 4 0.8%
  • Rose

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Son

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Undecided

    Votes: 5 1.0%

  • Total voters
    484

Spurs_Bear

Well-Known Member
Jan 7, 2009
17,094
22,286
Known Knowns, Known Unknowns, Unknown Unknowns

I don't know.
I am genuinely not sure what I have just watched. It was a bizarre team selection, an even stranger tactical set up and the game itself continued that sequence. I would probably need to watch that game another 2 or 3 times to figure out what happened. Were we tactically shrewd, were they tactically poor ? Both ? Neither ? I honestly don't know.

This wasn't a pragmatic masterclass, of that I am sure about, it was more like parking a bus at one end, simultaneously trying to drive a bus through the gates at the other end, and leaving the guy in the middle riding a unicycle up the M1 at rush hour. Whether that was tactical genius or tactical Redknappery, I still honestly don't know.

That game could have ended 3-0 to Spurs, 3-0 to RealM or 3-3, and in those circumstances it's hard to say it was genius.

Right up until Kane's chance, the decision to play Llorente and that structure was looking pretty poor, there was very little joined up play between him and Kane, and playing Son to exploit counter attacks, and link up and compliment Kane would have seemed far more logical to me. Then in quick succession Llorente sets up our two best chances. But I still can't help but feel for most of that game, Son would have been a better choice.

The CM3 was a little bit "Sherwood" for me. Even Real play Casimiro FFS. It didn't really protect our defence at all, completely surrendered control to RM. Not outplaying that Madrid CM 3 is no crime at all, but allowing them so much free, unhindered, possession, could and possibly should have been more fatal, but for the real heroes of that game, the back 5, it could have cost us dearly. Aurier blotted his copy book a little, but in hindsight, thinking about it and watching it again, with Kroos a few yards out and bearing down on goal, I'll give him a mulligan. He wasn't to know Kroos would take a heavy touch and Alderweireld would clear. It was a desperate situation that called for a desperate action, an action he didn't really get right, but hey ho. Him fucking about and trying to dribble out which lost the ball in the first place was less forgivable. That aside, the back 5 were pretty damn good, and saved our arses many times. Young Sanchez deserves a shout as well, good effort from the kid.

Those of us who spent a chunk of last season saying Winks should be getting more starts will chose to say recent events, including tonight, support that theory. But I'm sure those calling us heretics for doubting Poch knows best will no doubt claim Poch new Winks wouldn't be ready until exactly the 8th week of the following season and held him back as part of the masterplan. Pay your money, take your pick. Either way, the boy was pretty good again tonight. I still think he needs to be defensively a little more tenacious and positionally astute, but he's only a few games in, and with the ball he's a breath of fresh air after some of what we've seen in our CM.

Genius, or gung ho ? I really don't know, maybe a bit of both. I think playing a back five was tactically clever, it stopped them getting Marcelo on the ball in those dangerous areas beyond our full backs, and combated the inevitable overloads a team like rm get in attacking areas, I’m just not sure every aspect of the rest of the plan was as clever. But this was a good result, a good night.

Individual

Lloris - Good performance, some good saves.

Aurier - Some not so clever stuff but some decent stuff too.

Sanchez/Dier/TA - Very good games all of them, read danger pretty well, snuffed it out pretty well, and stayed switched on all night in a fiery atmosphere against some great players.

Vertonghen - Another very good performance, defensively mucked in, was calm on the ball when it was needed, and got forward a couple of times well too.

Sissoko - Decent game, good ball for Aurier in the build up to the goal, worked hard.

Winks - Another decent knock. Initiated the goal with a piece of typical desire to move forward and make something happen, worked hard and won't have had a bigger test than this.

Eriksen - Probably the worst I've seen him play in terms of his touch and execution at several important moments. Set pieces were poor too. This was not the set up for him, RM's world class CM3 are way too strong to be sticking him in a CM with Winks and Sissoko. That was never going to get the best out of him and it didn't. He still saw nearly as much ball as Winks, had a hand in Kane's chance, nearly scored himself, and on balance he probably contributed as much as Sissoko and Winks with the ball, but by his high standards it was still a poor performance.

Llorente - I don't now. Just before the Kane and Eriksen chances many, including me were screaming for him to be taken off, we were getting outplayed and having a spare wheel up there doing a Micky Quinn impression wasn't seemingly helping the team cause much, and he wasn't working defensively at all. Then he sets up two great chances.

Kane - Not a great night all in all. I though both he and Llorente could have worked harder without the ball. He pretty much telegraphed where he was putting his shot when clean through too. (Still the save of the game though).

"Always seems to me...that Sorry...seems to be the hardest word..."
 

JonnySpurs

SC Veteran
Jun 4, 2004
5,346
12,398
This ratings thread gets more and more strange by the week. SO many weird comments. I honestly cannot understand if people are over-analysing or just trying to be a bit sensationalist, this isn't a complicated one IMO.

One of the things that has frustrated me about Poch previously is that, particularly against Liverpool, he has tried to stick to his principles and play football his way without considering that if you just look at what the opponent has struggled against then with the quality we have we could easily have beaten teams that have otherwise turned us over.

I feel like he has learned from those previous mistakes and last night was another example of that.

Picking Llorente could be seen as odd but equally it could be seen as Poch picking the most experienced player we have in a massive game. Calm heads and leadership were needed and I thought Nando was excellent. He worked hard, looked to flick the ball on to Kane where possible with his head and then later in the game found one utterly sublime touch pass into Kane which so nearly resulted in us going 2-1 up.

Beyond that I thought every player was good, apart from Eriksen who unfortunately seemed to struggle with the occasion. He looked a bit nervy on the ball to me, heavy touches, wayward passes. He still did some good but the lofty expectations he's set meant that by comparison he looked a bit average.

I dont want to single anyone out but I'm gonna. Sissoko was genuinely brilliant IMO. He looks so confident now and it's reflected in his touch. I also think his friendship with Aurier is working wonders for him and the two link-up really well. Beyond that Sanchez deserves a special mention. 21 years old this kid and he looked the calmest player out there. He was impeccable in my view and showed how good he could end up being in future.

Lastly, nobody loves Moussa Dembele more than me but Poch mentioned that he felt more pain in the warm-up and sadly it feels like he may not ever be able to play for us consistently again. That thought used to scare me but the highest praise I can give Winks is that I'm not scared anymore. I've been a massive fan of Winks since I first saw him play and last night he should a maturity and bravery that most players his age simply wouldn't cope with.

Great performance, unlucky not to win.
 

matjcole

Well-Known Member
Feb 24, 2005
1,712
1,075
More pumped right now than Ronaldo's blow up doll of himself will be tonight after he rewards himself for another goal! That was everything I wanted it to be and I hope this team takes it and runs with that performance.

Hugo "Foot of god" Lloris - 9
Serge "Giveth and Taketh Away" Aurier - 7(ish)
Davinson "Not in my house" Sanchez - 8
Eric "Don't mind me just mopping up the mess" Dier - 8
Toby "Ronaldo wishes he looked this good" Aldeweireld - 8
Jan "Dive? Never heard of him" Vertonghen - 7
Moussa "Aurier is my main beau" Sissoko - 8
Harry "Modric/Scotty P Love Child" Winks - 9
Christian "The Spotlight it burns!" Eriksen - 7
Fernando "Never too old for this shit" Llorente - 7
Harry "Own goals count as mine too" Kane - 7

Subs:
Danny "Childish Gambino" Rose - 6
Heung "Whose this Sissoko bloke?" Min-Son - 6

Mate this has given me proper giggles.
 

deka-

Well-Known Member
Dec 7, 2006
271
471
French journal L'Equipe. Not sure what's worse : players positions, ratings or the fact they think Pochettino is italian? o_O


b39b6c7a2faad1682076a196bca07e4a9281a83f.png
 

kungfugrip

Well-Known Member
Apr 8, 2005
1,613
1,523
What a great performance. Stand outs for me were Vertonghen, Lloris, Sanchez, Winks. Eriksen off the pace a bit but a massive performance from a patched up team who have never played that formation before. Take a 1-1 draw all day long, thank you!
 

robbiedee

Mama said knock you out
Jul 6, 2012
2,714
7,494
A great team performance last night. I gave Lloris MOTM but I really, really, really like Sanchez...watching him play you forget he's only been here 5 minutes and is only 21.
 

Coyboy

The Double of 1961 is still The Double
Dec 3, 2004
15,506
5,032
I was literally in the top row but still got a good view of the game. It was my first European away game and luckily there was no problem getting in or any trouble with police/fans.

I thought Sanchez was MOM as he looked so assured and given his youth, it was a very good performance. I'm prepared to eat a tapa of humble pie regarding Sissoko. I still believe he is a poor player for this level but he did very well last night (and has a catchy song too!).
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,889
32,560
You'd probably be correct to say that it was neither a footballing or tactical masterclass. Kane/Llorente was for the most part an awful partnership whether with or without the ball, the midfield as a unit you'd have to question at times tbf.... but an increasingly depleted team managed to go to Real Madrid and got something out of the game through everyone working their bollocks off, particularly the defence and midfield. We rode our luck a couple of times but were generally secure, scrambled when we needed to, and even had our moments at the other end. There was a lot of spirit and grit to that performance.

If I had to pick out individuals, it would be Dier and Winks. Dier showed that, if he wants to be, he could be a very good centre back and I hope he/Poch realises this. Winks played as the sole pivot, and at times didn't always have the greatest help as others had been dragged away from position, but he was secure in front of the defence and with the ball was calm, composed, and positive with what he did - compare that to some others. Well done kid.

Lloris - Two or three very good saves, one incredible.

Aurier - Clearly has a lot of talent and can play a bit, it's getting inside that mind though. I don't blame him for the tackle, Kroos is six yards out centre of goal it is desperate measures time, but what he does get blame for is losing the ball (with was it Kane/Llorente?) in our third needlessly fucking around with it - a few mins from the end of the half it should have just been whacked down the channel and regroup. Saying that, he did recover well and have a strong second half and was very solid. Also put in the cross for the goal.

Sanchez - Lost his position a few times, but that is a minor quibble. For 21 he looks very impressive and defended very well.

Dier - Very good game.

Alderweireld - Ditto. Best game of the season.

Vertonghen - Also very good.

Winks - As I've said, very impressive given the opposition and the role he had.

Sissoko - Worked very hard, and had some good moments linking up with Aurier. Still think he was a bit timid with the ball at times in a few really good moments.

Eriksen - And if we're talking timid... Also put in a real shift for the team but looked slightly off it - a touch slow in body and mind and not his usual quality.

Llorente - Fed off scraps for the most part. As a unit him and Kane didn't really work, both always in the same area trying to do the same thing, a bit muddled about who was leading the line whilst who dropped off, and I think he could have worked harder. But he plugged away and in the second half created our two chances with his target man play.

Kane - Definitely one of our weaker performers on the night. As I said, his partnership with Llorente didn't really work too well and he too could have worked a little harder. Turned the ball over quite badly a few times which led to counters. And that chance..... Decent save or not you'd expect him to bury it. The goalie had sat down so early as well.

Subs:
Rose - Welcome back.
Son - n/a.
 

nailsy

SC Supporter
Jul 24, 2005
30,536
46,630
Hugo was my MOTM. It wasn't just the two world class saves, he had everything that was thrown at him covered.

Everyone else, with the exception of Eriksen, deserved at least an eight out ten.

It was a shame that Kane didn't score his chance, but I don't think you can blame him as the shot was going in, but the keeper pulled off a brilliant save.
 

JimmyG2

SC Supporter
Dec 7, 2006
15,014
20,779
Lloris.........8+........Stood up and sat down when required. Calming influence.
Aurier........7...........Shame about the pen but otherwise positive and a good outlet.
Toby..........7+.........Sound.
Sanchez....7..........Settling in nicely but if he's 21 I'm a centenarian. Oh wait.
Dier............7+........Effective.
Verts..........7+........Lack of pace exposed going forward but took his place in a sound back 6
Winks........8+........Composed and mature performance from a mere youth (21). And in token of which I make him MOM despite other sound claims. In 11 years time, when he's Modric's age (32) he might be just as good.The other H steps into the sunlight.
Sissoko......7..........Not as impressed as some but is making good use of his natural talents.Getting better every game
Eriksen.......6+....... Not as depressed as some, worked hard but his usual touch deserted him
Llorente......6+........Bit of a lump but an effective one late on.
HK..............6..........Well marked, not a natural partner for Llorente.But at least RM wont be so desperate to sign him.
Cunning plan H.

Coming of age, stepping up to the plate and any other cliche you can think of. We did it. Could have gone any way but that was a RESULT! Proud night
 

Gilzeanking

Well-Known Member
May 7, 2005
6,107
5,037
This ratings thread gets more and more strange by the week. SO many weird comments. I honestly cannot understand if people are over-analysing or just trying to be a bit sensationalist, this isn't a complicated one IMO.

One of the things that has frustrated me about Poch previously is that, particularly against Liverpool, he has tried to stick to his principles and play football his way without considering that if you just look at what the opponent has struggled against then with the quality we have we could easily have beaten teams that have otherwise turned us over.

I feel like he has learned from those previous mistakes and last night was another example of that.

This is a good point . Many have felt that in the past Poch has seemed a bit rigid with his setting up ,and in-game management . With the position change half time vs Bournemouth and this effective (in the end) RM formation , it looks like Poch is becoming more flexible/unpredictable.

He's always on about improving players and the team etc . Looks like he applies that to himself too .(y)
 

Spurrific

Well-Known Member
Jun 2, 2011
13,501
57,356
I think you should rein in your use of the word "nonce".

As you will be aware, language evolves constantly. In recent years, with the prevalence of football twitter and Reddit, the word has taken on another meaning - more in-line with the definition of "plonker". I'm not saying you were being a paedophile/sex-pest, just a pompous plonker.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
40,137
63,700
French journal L'Equipe. Not sure what's worse : players positions, ratings or the fact they think Pochettino is italian? o_O


b39b6c7a2faad1682076a196bca07e4a9281a83f.png
Unlike UK media, L'Equipe actually use the full 1-10 scale when they rate players - as they bloody well should. You can score two OGs and make numerous mistakes and still get a 4 in UK media. It's ridiculous. I think L'Equipe have been a bit hard on a few players on both sides, Sissoko, Sanchez and Jan in particular, but it's not totally out there.
 
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fortworthspur

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2007
11,248
17,550
The penalty decisions apart that could have gone either way, the ref had a good game with only one booking. Verts was close to being booked several times.
He let the game flow and to their credit RM didn't do the usual play acting etc

Casemiro got the slightest of touches on the ball before clattering into Llorente's leg - its a foul anywhere else on the pitch so yeah it was worth a shout.

there was nothing subtle about Aurier's.
 

jonnyp

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2006
7,246
9,789
Aurier - Clearly has a lot of talent and can play a bit, it's getting inside that mind though. I don't blame him for the tackle, Kroos is six yards out centre of goal it is desperate measures time, but what he does get blame for is losing the ball (with was it Kane/Llorente?) in our third needlessly fucking around with it - a few mins from the end of the half it should have just been whacked down the channel and regroup. Saying that, he did recover well and have a strong second half and was very solid. Also put in the cross for the goal.

I distinctly remember it wasn't only him involved in that exchange. It wasn't exactly an easy situation for him once he got the ball back from Lllorente. So I guess my question is why aren't you complaining that Llorente or even Sissoko didn't kick it away? Also there was a lot of play in between that and the penalty - so to totally blame that incident for the goal is a bit harsh IMHO.
 
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