Chelsea Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[eddiebailey]

Not looking forward to this .....but maybe the PE teacher will prove me wrong and set us up well and drag a performance out of them.

PE teacher? Van Gaal hasn't taken over yet has he?!

 

[eddiebailey]

The reality is, Bentaleb will start.

If Eriksen is out I bloody hope so.

 

[SpursManChris]

LIVE TEXT COMMENTARY

1.00 - Younes Kaboul <<OFF - (injured) ON>> - Michael Dawson

1.30 - GOAL - Chelsea

 

[SpursManChris]

My 6 year old daughter will be wearing her spurs shirt for this one! We've not lost a game when she has this season!

We save it for the big matches or trips to the lane.

Why do you need to save it? It's not expendible is it? We need her to wear it for EVERY match!

 

[degoose]

Which pub is the place to be before the match?

i recently went to the bricklayers on high road and that was a pretty decent pub, it's right round the corner from the white hart lane station

 

[SpursManChris]

If Eriksen is out I bloody hope so.

WTF, what's it got to do with Eriksen? Is Bentaleb some sort of creative replacement?

 

[davidmatzdorf]

WTF, what's it got to do with Eriksen? Is Bentaleb some sort of creative replacement?

Basically, yes. In the absence of Eriksen, Holtby and Lamela, he's the one most likely to produce an accurate, creative attacking pass.

Paulinho can score goals and produce magic near the box, but tends to drift out of games. Dembélé has his virtues, but playing with his head up looking for a pass is not one of them. And Sandro is more inclined to win it and lay it off than to thread in a cutting pass. That leaves Bentaleb, whose precise passing is one of his strengths. He's not Eriksen, but he's what's available.

 

[gloryglory]

Have just read quote from Tim - "we will respect them and park the bus, but the doors will be open".

Doesn't this mean we will play defensively, but we will do it badly? Probably true, but should it be our aspiration?

 

[gloryglory]

Basically, yes. In the absence of Eriksen, Holtby and Lamela, he's the one most likely to produce an accurate, creative attacking pass.

Paulinho can score goals and produce magic near the box, but tends to drift out of games. Dembélé has his virtues, but playing with his head up looking for a pass is not one of them. And Sandro is more inclined to win it and lay it off than to thread in a cutting pass. That leaves Bentaleb, whose precise passing is one of his strengths. He's not Eriksen, but he's what's available.

Sigurdsson is available.

 

[Kirito]

So Bentaleb has fooled people into thinking he is a creative player now? Some of you are mad.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Sigurdsson is available.

Yeah, forgot about him. And he can shoot. But he also tends to drift out of games and we can't really afford one of those in midfield today.

 

[eddiebailey]

WTF, what's it got to do with Eriksen? Is Bentaleb some sort of creative replacement?

He is the best passer in the team after Eriksen, and playing in a more advanced role as he did against Newcastle (where he was MoM) he will at least give us the potential to unlock Chelsea.

 

[SpursManChris]

Basically, yes. In the absence of Eriksen, Holtby and Lamela, he's the one most likely to produce an accurate, creative attacking pass.

Paulinho can score goals and produce magic near the box, but tends to drift out of games. Dembélé has his virtues, but playing with his head up looking for a pass is not one of them. And Sandro is more inclined to win it and lay it off than to thread in a cutting pass. That leaves Bentaleb, whose precise passing is one of his strengths. He's not Eriksen, but he's what's available.

So you place him in Eriksen's position? Either Center attacking mid or left wing? Why has Bentaleb never played in those positions then?

 

[SpursManChris]

He is the best passer in the team after Eriksen, and playing in a more advanced role as he did against Newcastle (where he was MoM) he will at least give us the potential to unlock Chelsea.

So you place him in Eriksen's position? Either Center attacking mid or left wing? (if we play 4-2-3-1) Why has Bentaleb never played in those positions then?

 

[eddiebailey]

So you place him in Eriksen's position? Either Center attacking mid or left wing? Why has Bentaleb never played in those positions then?

It is not about playing like for like; it is about having that skill set on the pitch.

 

[db1]

I'm hoping Mourinhos perfect home record is broken and imagining the smug interview will instead be one blaming the referee or linesman for an unfair penalty or free kick which helped us. Whatever happens, I'm not going to moan today. *unless of course a certain defender plays and does a Cruyff turn on the halfway line as the last defender, leading to us conceding a winning goal ;-)

 

[eddiebailey]

PE teacher? Van Gaal hasn't taken over yet has he?!

To EnfieldYiddo who spammed this - you top know that van Gaal actually was a PE teacher? Just curious.

 

[THFCSPURS19]

I love the optimism but let's be real here, they've never lost a match at home in the PL under Mourinho. I'm sure that we will be broken one day, but we most certainly won't be the team to do it. The best we can hope for is somehow getting a draw.

 

[shelfboy68]

I love the optimism but let's be real here, they've never lost a match at home in the PL under Mourinho. I'm sure that we will be broken one day, but we most certainly won't be the team to do it. The best we can hope for is somehow getting a draw.

Sensible and honest post we don't and won't get anything here today a draw is the best we could hope for if they have a bad day but in reality we have neither the mentality or balls to win here sorry folks.

 

[Hoddtastic72]

I love the optimism but let's be real here, they've never lost a match at home in the PL under Mourinho. I'm sure that we will be broken one day, but we most certainly won't be the team to do it. The best we can hope for is somehow getting a draw.

That's not a good attitude to take into the match. We've broken hoodoo's before in recent times...who's to say we cant do it again today. Need to go into the match with belief, not just hoping to squeeze a draw if were lucky.