Match Threads Chelsea vs Spurs - Match Thread

[SugarRay]

I think we already are that...identical to the Spurs side with Bale and Modric.

I don't see this group or manager winning anything and I fully expect the side to break up and the manager to move on to better things this summer.

As I have said many times...we have a good enough team to compete but ultimately fall short. As ever we are 2 or 3 players short...I don't expect that to ever change...which is why I am trying to change my mindset about Spurs and football and decrease my emotional attachment to something I have no control over and is always set up for failure.

We are not Utd or City or Chelsea or Liverpool - we see ourselves as gatecrashers to the party hiding in the corner guzzling the communal cider hoping that nobody notices us....not the life and soul that wants to take home the fittest bird in the room.

Sadly, what that means is that we are extremely unlikely to win any trophy that other clubs want to win and the sooner people understand that the easier it is to see these failures for what they are.

No point wasting your time moaning about Levy.

I couldn’t give a fuck about trophies in the grand scheme of things. They mean nothing. I just want a good side to watch, who give their all and for us to get the fuck away from Wembley. Being there annoys me more than anything.
I want to go home. I’ll be much happier then.

Note - I actually preferred the Modric/Bale side. Just seemed very ‘Tottenham’ to me. Flawed but electric. This lot are actually quite predictable, very consistent and full of substance. Very un-Tottenham

 

[mpickard2087]

We didn't lose tonight because of lack of savvy.....we took a team that were superior in every facet to extra time. We did see out the game...we took it to penalties.

We lost because we don't have enough talented players in our squad to cope with the injuries we have had.

We've conceded a carbon copy set piece goal to Chelsea in two cup semi finals now in recent seasons (along with other occasions as well), lack of savvy and not learning does come into it.

 

[SugarRay]

You've got me there. I only really properly followed Spurs from 99 when I moved here.

And I think this squad and this mentality are one of the truly special sporting moments of my life.

Unlike you there's not a single game or season where I've expected them to succeed more than they did. Except for the Leicester season where they fell in a heap after the league was lost.

The next season we steam rolled all the way to the end even when catching Chelsea was impossible. That is called as "response". We learned. We kept going.

My expectations are that we keep building a base. A mentality. A presence. If we don't have that we might snatch a twinkly cup but we WON'T BE CONTENDERS.

My experience of following Hawthorn (look them up) is that you have to be established contenders before longterm success can be attained.

I'd hate for that base which is being built so brilliantly to be thrown away because our support for it wanes...

I support this side, like any other Tottenham side I’ve known mate. It’s not about supporting any base that’s being built or the project etc. That’s got nothing to do with me and I have no influence on that. I just support them every other week from minute 1 to minute 90.

I fully expect us to lose every big game but that’s because I’m used to it by and large and it’s typical behaviour from most football fans.

 

[buttons]

Gutted. Again. But proud how we fought on despite the circumstances.

The worry, of course, is how many more chances this team will get to win something before it is broken up.

 

[St José Dominguez]

A bit like if everyone says a player is underrated are they really underrated, if everyone says we’re close to something special constantly year after year are we actually getting closer or standing still. We’ve got a class manager and a very good team with great players, of course we’re close to something special with those ingredients it’s impossible not to be, fact is we aren’t closer now than we were two years ago and I don’t see any evidence at all of us striving to get closer. Players age and players leave, if you don’t strive before you know it you’re no longer close to anything.

 

[Phomesy]

Lol just checked my Fitbit.

So my calorie counter and active minutes monitor went through the roof during that second half. These are readings as if I was at the game instead of watching it on sky on The sofa with a glass of red and trying not to swear in front of my kids.

That’s observable emotional and physical data right there motherfuckers

 

[SpursDave88]

A bit like if everyone says a player is underrated are they really underrated, if everyone says we’re close to something special constantly year after year are we actually getting closer or standing still. We’ve got a class manager and a very good team with great players, of course we’re close to something special with those ingredients it’s impossible not to be, fact is we aren’t closer now than we were two years ago and I don’t see any evidence at all of us striving to get closer. Players age and players leave, if you don’t strive before you know it you’re no longer close to anything.

I actually think we were closer over the last 3 years than we are now. We are drifting further away.

 

[fortworthspur]

Im glad I forgot to record this one. if only away goals mattered.

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

We've conceded a carbon copy set piece goal to Chelsea in two cup semi finals now in recent seasons (along with other occasions as well), lack of savvy and not learning does come into it.

If Dele were here perhaps he would have come up with one of his headers that he seems to get against Azpilicueta - and we win the match.

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

I’m confident we will beat them in the league game

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

I don't understand the hand-wringing. We have a seriously depleted squad - that limits our options in almost every conceivable way. And the lack of attack also has an impact on the defense - since we can't hold the ball and put pressure on the opponents.

There is nothing to learn here, beyond the fact that our current healthy players are not as talented as Chelsea's current healthy players.

This is not an indictment on Poch's "ability to win a Semi-Final". This is not a reason to shake our head, and think we will never win a Cup. Its just that we were not better in this moment in time - and due largely to things outside of our control.


The loss is gutting - because it is a loss. But its not a team-defining moment.

 

[TheChosenOne]

One thing that puzzled me was the way the Hazard goal occurred... It was a gift from the moment we gave away the FK which was taken quickly but ..

What particularly stood out to me watching the replay was seeing Giroud in an offside position in or on the six yard box -he traversed the box from the left to the right across the goalkeeper's line of sight as the ball was dinked by Hazard. I immediately thought than technically he was interfering with play but it happened very quickly and as far as I know nothing was mentioned ? Did anyone else see this or am I hallucinating again ? #drinkfreeme

 

[St José Dominguez]

I don't understand the hand-wringing. We have a seriously depleted squad - that limits our options in almost every conceivable way. And the lack of attack also has an impact on the defense - since we can't hold the ball and put pressure on the opponents.

There is nothing to learn here, beyond the fact that our current healthy players are not as talented as Chelsea's current healthy players.

This is not an indictment on Poch's "ability to win a Semi-Final". This is not a reason to shake our head, and think we will never win a Cup. Its just that we were not better in this moment in time - and due largely to things outside of our control.


The loss is gutting - because it is a loss. But its not a team-defining moment.

I don’t understand the faith that good times are around the corner. It just goes against the evidence being presented to me in recent times. I don’t believe anymore we’ll win anything with this current crop and manager, even though both are good enough to at least win a domestic trophy. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen, we wouldn’t be the first very good team to win nothing. Today was just an injury caused loss, in isolation not anything big but it is another in a long line of falling short moments that have no signs of stopping. It’s innevitable people will comment on the bigger picture.

I don’t believe in having faith in something, I like to see evidence of it with my own eyes. It’ll be a shame and I’ll look back at this time with frustration but it’s not the end of the world football wise and we’ll probably win a fair few trophies in next 30 years. We’re definitely throwing away a great opportunity now though and have been for a few years.

 

[gibbospurs]

Anyone know or hear why Rose didn’t start tonight?

 

[Bulletspur]

sunday's game becomes massive now, we must ensure were still be in the cup come full time, whether thats via a win or a replay!

Lets hope that we aren't out of two cups in 4 days come the end of Sunday

 

[shao]

I genuinely feel like there is a curse on us. Honestly. No joke.
I don't blame anyone (maybe Levy), but I can honestly say, I think I've had enough now. If we could just come up with the goods once, when it mattered, i reckon it would all fall into place but you just can't fucking legislate for this muthafukin curse that some **** has put on spurs. FUUUCUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK OOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

I don’t understand the faith that good times are around the corner.

I don't know that good times are around the corner.

But, I do know that losing today is not an indication that we can't win tomorrow. Its an indication that today - with the team we could put out there - we did not have enough to win. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Starting a front line of Llorente, Lamela, Eriksen - with a midfield of recently returned Dier, and even more recently returned Sissoko - an attacking combination that has probably never played together - was not good enough today. Yet, before the match, most people were saying: "thats about as strong a line-up as we can manage right now".

It is what it is. We did not lose today because Poch left better players on the bench. We did not lose today because we lack the mentality to win big matches. We lost today, because Chelsea were the better squad today. We beat Chelsea twice this season - because on those days we were the better squad.

 

[stevenurse]

I genuinely feel like there is a curse on us. Honestly. No joke.
I don't blame anyone (maybe Levy), but I can honestly say, I think I've had enough now. If we could just come up with the goods once, when it mattered, i reckon it would all fall into place but you just can't fucking legislate for this muthafukin curse that some **** has put on spurs. FUUUCUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK OOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I considered starting a 'why always us?' thread, but decided against it. Im sure all fans have their regular gripes or times they feel cheated, but it does seem like we constantly get the raw end of the deal.

Lasagnegate

Chelsea win the CL (and sign hazard) while we miss out, only for the rule to change the following year

Leicester... FFS

Fulop throwing 3 in his own net on the last day so arsenal finish above us

Rule change this season meaning we dont go through tonight, added to the ridiculous injuries and typical timing of the asian cup.

Bar tonight, which realistically was the 'trophy to decide who loses to city' game, those other moments have been huge moments in our history, which by and large have inexplicably gone against us.

I've said it before but even the scum in their fa cup winning seasons, bar city and chelsea, they didnt have a tough game from the 3rd round on, and played 90% of those games at home. Chelsea when they beat us in the semi 2 years ago. 3 from set pieces and a 1/1,000,000 matic goal. This team is incredible and I'll support them always (and let myself get far too emotionally involved) but to win something instead of just being proud of being the nearly men would be nice

 

[isaac94]

I couldn’t give a fuck about trophies in the grand scheme of things. They mean nothing. I just want a good side to watch, who give their all and for us to get the fuck away from Wembley. Being there annoys me more than anything.
I want to go home. I’ll be much happier then.

Note - I actually preferred the Modric/Bale side. Just seemed very ‘Tottenham’ to me. Flawed but electric. This lot are actually quite predictable, very consistent and full of substance. Very un-Tottenham

trophies mean nothing?

 

[jolsnogross]

This is an odd game to get all existential about the meaning of following Spurs. We're crippled with injuries and absences, and any side missing such a volume of star quality would be second favorites to a top side without such problems. Just shake it off - this *particular* match was always going to be a challenge - and we lost on a couple of 12 yard kicks.

Had we won the 12-yard-kick mini-competition, none of this over-reaction would be happening.

It's something else to suggest we bottle it repeatedly - and there's some evidence for that - but this particular match isn't it.

I also don't give a shit about the early stages of the FA Cup. Palace away is also a challenge in our current predicament and I won't lose any sleep if we advance no further. I'm more interested in having a healthier squad for the league and CL games to come.