Chelsea Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[Lufti]

How?

He got rid of Holtby, who apparently was one of the perpetrators of the lazy culture (just going off ITK).

What else was he meant to do, Levy has given him no backing and neither have the fans.

Let's be fair for a second, unless it's JJ saying it, it's guesswork as far I'm concerned. How do we know he didn't have any backing? He must have given about 20 interviews saying how he's very happy with the squad, doesn't want any signings, and that once everyone is back from their injuries the team is good enough. That's what we do know.

 

[jolsnogross]

What does a proper football man mean?

Someone who has lived the game and been successful at it and can combine football theory with application. Or an anti-Levy, anti-Commoli, anti-AVB, and increasingly an anti-Baldini.

 

[Lufti]

Sherwood is about the only reason for optimism with Spurs at the moment. The fact is, we are a hopeless attacking side and it's a hangover from AVB's time that will not be shed until the summer (at least). Sherwood's interview was exactly the right response, as has been the case throughout his tenure in terms of pre- and post- game opinion and analyses. Mourinho concurred with it and gave a lovely sideswipe at AVB too - Spurs can make you seem a little uncomfortable when they have possession, but there's never any danger there so you can stay calm. That sums AVB's so-called philosophy up very nicely indeed. It'll take a summer and more to undo the damage of AVB's possession for possession's sake approach and return this club to an attack-oriented one and not a bloody toothless characterless side we see today.

Sherwood's been an improvement on AVB, I'll give him that. But pretty much only because he bought back Adebayor. If you think Bentaleb was the best player in the first half we must have been watching different games. As far as I could see, he simply recycled possession and had our only decent chance of the game but fluffed it. We've dominated one game since Sherwood has been in charge, one game and that was against a woeful Stoke side. Even in the 4-0 against Newcastle it could have easily gone another way if it weren't for Lloris. Essentially all Sherwood has done is put an arm round the shoulders of the players still upset from AVB's regime, and said exactly what fans want to hear in every single interview without actually making any visible changes afterwards. Have we really improved under Sherwood, or have we effectively just seen Adebayor re-introduced and a team no longer playing under a rigid game plan?

 

[jonathanhotspur]

Sherwood's been an improvement on AVB, I'll give him that. But pretty much only because he bought back Adebayor. If you think Bentaleb was the best player in the first half we must have been watching different games. As far as I could see, he simply recycled possession and had our only decent chance of the game but fluffed it. We've dominated one game since Sherwood has been in charge, one game and that was against a woeful Stoke side. Even in the 4-0 against Newcastle it could have easily gone another way if it weren't for Lloris. Essentially all Sherwood has done is put an arm round the shoulders of the players still upset from AVB's regime, and said exactly what fans want to hear in every single interview without actually making any visible changes afterwards. Have we really improved under Sherwood, or have we effectively just seen Adebayor re-introduced and a team no longer playing under a rigid game plan?

We need some sexy German players, Lufti.

 

[Lufti]

We need some sexy German players, Lufti.

Agreed although Schürrle was horrific today haha

 

[jonathanhotspur]

Agreed although Schürrle was horrific today haha

I said "sexy".

 

[Gedson100]

You sick bastard. Are you a self-sadist or something? Why the fuck would you watch MOTD and relive it all again? Freak.

I am fucking hardcore.

Didn't watch the highlights, just turned up the volume for the interviews & 'insight' after.
They mentioned his comments and said they thought it strange to attack his players, which it was. And stupid, but they didn't say that.

 

[Lufti]

I said "sexy".

Volland, Ginter and L.Bender?

 

[Spur4life]

I can see arsenal come too the lane next week and beating us by 3 or 4 goals.

 

[Spurs 1961]

see motd did not think Eto'o dived which is what I heard on this thread. The replays they showed were not clear to me either way. So was it a dive or not?

 

[Scarlet57]

I can see arsenal come too the lane next week and beating us by 3 or 4 goals.

Not forgetting one of our players to get sent off, plus some injuries to boot!

 

[THFCSPURS19]

see motd did not think Eto'o dived which is what I heard on this thread. The replays they showed were not clear to me either way. So was it a dive or not?

I fucking hope the FA think it was a dive and IMO it was a clear dive. Even if there was contact, it's not a red card.

 

[Sarsipius]

Bender?

Yep.

 

[Spurs 1961]

I fucking hope the FA think it was a dive and IMO it was a clear dive. Even if there was contact, it's not a red card.

If there was contact guess we can't complain as we have had the odd important soft penalty this season. It now seems everyone falls to the floor if touched in the penalty box

 

[Spur4life]

see motd did not think Eto'o dived which is what I heard on this thread. The replays they showed were not clear to me either way. So was it a dive or not?

Dive or not ? Are defending was crap

 

[jonathanhotspur]

Volland, Ginter and L.Bender?

I'd never heard of the first 2.

 

[Blackcanary]

If there was contact guess we can't complain as we have had the odd important soft penalty this season. It now seems everyone falls to the floor if touched in the penalty box

It's that "well, he's entitled to go down there..." mentality. Must make refereeing an absolute nightmare with everybody chucking themselves over at the slightest nudge. I certainly couldn't have called it in real time from today.

 

[easley91]

It wasn't a penalty, but I'm not so sure it was a dive.

 

[greaves]

Dive or not ? Are defending was crap

We don't take defending seriously. But then I bang on boringly about this, so my apologies. We go on about trying to get hold of brilliant strikers, creative mids and so on, but if we could develop (which may take time, I know) or buy reliable, intelligent players in defence it would be a huge plus (and not just in terms of goal difference). I may be being unfair - forgive me - but are Dawson, Rose, Walker really solid and alert defenders (even Vertonghen)? It really shouldn't be a 'let's make do' part of the team...

 

[easley91]

We don't take defending seriously. But then I bang on boringly about this, so my apologies. We go on about trying to get hold of brilliant strikers, creative mids and so on, but if we could develop (which may take time, I know) or buy reliable, intelligent players in defence it would be a huge plus (and not just in terms of goal difference). I may be being unfair - forgive me - but are Dawson, Rose, Walker really solid and alert defenders (even Vertonghen)? It really shouldn't be a 'let's make do' part of the team...

Defending would be much better if we were able to select the same back four on a consistent basis. And now Dawson is injured, that will continue to happen. There is no chemistry or cohesion with our defenders, because it changes every single game. Those sides who are able to select the same back four benefit from it greatly, they know each other's games and are able to cover. I remember in the commentary today that the Chelsea LB stays tight with Terry and Ivanovic does the same with Cahill on the right. It's a massive reason as to how they've been able to grind out wins and keep teams out. They've played with each other enough to get a good relationship together.