Gamechanger

[lukespurs7]

We had 3 players with over 20 goals last year & Eriksens stats. We have plenty of players that influence games

Gamechanger is just a cliche knee jerk reaction for when we don't win.

Would this thread be here if Alli had poked that home?

Agree with the Alli bit mate and if we’d wont mabye no kneejerk BUT this thread isn’t just because of this game, time and time again away to the top 6 we rely on Kane. Yes we had 3 players with over 20 goals last year which is great but I feel those goals will have been against lesser opposition or top teams at Home. Also it’s not just the goals but the ability to beat a man 1v1, run with pace on the break and stretch teams. Sonny does this well but you saw as soon as he went off that meant we had no Kane and no Son on the pitch and we were not going to score in a month of Sundays.

I’m not being negative it’s just frustrating as to me it’s glaringly obvious this is what we lack. Imagine if we’d had bale playing today I think we’d have won. And that’s the difference between us coming 2-4th each year opposed to winning the league.

I want to know if Poch can see this too and Levy, I wonder if Poch agrees but we can find or afford this type of player?

 

[lukespurs7]

Yep, this.

Eriksen plays yet another pass that very few in world football can execute on a consistent basis, and should really have been converted. That game-changing ability isn't enough though apparently.....

One pass. The entire game we had very few clear cut chances and this is the issue.we got in good areas with nice build up play but didn’t hurt them enough. Difference between us being a good team and a great team. Punish teams and we didn’t.

 

[lukespurs7]

I don't think so mate we lost last year with him playing and we still would have lost today imo, it's not who is in the team always more of what is lacking which is inner belief.

The belief is one thing, the quality of player is another. Imagine if we had Bale playing instead of say Alli today. Bale was there running at them and causing problems with Son also doing the same, I think that would’ve given us belief just like when Kane plays. One side of it is general belief the other is looking around you and thinking who is causing them problems and seeing players do that gives the whole team belief and a lift rather than Alli falling on the floor and moaning.

 

[lukespurs7]

Eh?

The point is it's a game of fine margins. Signing a player doesn't guarantee us a win today, we have plenty of players who can assist or score out of nothing

Agree with this but what we don’t have is many players who can run at teams and stretch them a la Hazard, Martial, Bale etc. We only have Son and sometimes Kane. Take them away and we have a quite predictable attack which is easy for top teams to defend against.

 

[mpickard2087]

One pass. The entire game we had very few clear cut chances and this is the issue.we got in good areas with nice build up play but didn’t hurt them enough. Difference between us being a good team and a great team. Punish teams and we didn’t.

Isn't that the definition of a game-changer? In those tight games where nothing is happening, defences are on top, they come up with one moment, that piece of quality otherwise missing from the game? What is a game-changer if not that?

Or is this just another 'pace, beat 6 men every time, do mad FIFA skillz' fetish thread?

 

[lukespurs7]

Isn't that the definition of a game-changer? In those tight games where nothing is happening, defences are on top, they come up with one moment, that piece of quality otherwise missing from the game? What is a game-changer if not that?

Or is this just another 'pace, beat 6 men every time, do mad FIFA skillz' fetish thread?

I think doing one good pass won’t have as much impact on a game as say a Hazard or Bale picking up the ball and running at teams, shooting, crossing and opening up space 3/4 times in a game. The good pass is one way of doing it but we need a game changer who can also stretch teams. I’d say in his prime with us Bale is a gamechanger, Sane at City,Hazard/Willian at Chelsea, Coutiniho/Salah/Mane at Liverpool, Eriksen is more of a Fabregas type game changer.

 

[sherbornespurs]

I can see where the OP is coming from - I have this recurring dream of Gazza, in his 1990 prime, playing in this team.

 

[Pat Rice Spurs fan]

I think doing one good pass won’t have as much impact on a game as say a Hazard or Bale picking up the ball and running at teams, shooting, crossing and opening up space 3/4 times in a game. The good pass is one way of doing it but we need a game changer who can also stretch teams. I’d say in his prime with us Bale is a gamechanger, Sane at City,Hazard/Willian at Chelsea, Coutiniho/Salah/Mane at Liverpool, Eriksen is more of a Fabregas type game changer.

I agree with your point and I love watching these kind of players BUT Bale left us for a world record fee, Coutinho is going to cost Barca £150m (if rumours are to be believed) and just how much does Hazard get paid?
Reports suggest we've been in for most, if not all these players at some stage, but missed out - either because another club offered more than we could afford, or the player was offered higher wages elsewhere.
And of the players you'd hope we could afford, their clubs are desperate to keep them - after our previous interest in Zaha, he signed a new contract at Palace, apparently on more than £100k a week.
Then, when couldn't get the finished article, we've tried the next best thing, by buying potential, in the shape of N'Jie & N'Koudou, as well as previously giving Townsend game time in the team.
Recently, I accept that's not really worked either.
I don't know where that leaves us. Hopefully a new stadium and more regular Champions League football will mean we can challenge those bigger clubs for fees and salary but until then, we probably need to keep trying to unearth the next big thing (remember, it did work with Bale), rather than crying that we can't afford the current one.

 

[lukespurs7]

I agree with your point and I love watching these kind of players BUT Bale left us for a world record fee, Coutinho is going to cost Barca £150m (if rumours are to be believed) and just much does Hazard get paid?
Reports suggest we've been in for most, if not all these players at some stage, but missed out - either because another club offered more than we could afford, or the player was offered higher wages elsewhere.
And of the players you'd hope we could afford, their clubs are desperate to keep them - after our previous interest in Zaha, he signed a new contract at Palace, apparently on more than £100k a week.
Then, when couldn't get the finished article, we've tried the next best thing, by buying potential, in the shape of N'Jie & N'Koudou, as well as previously giving Townsend game time in the team.
Recently, I accept that's not really worked either.
I don't know where that leaves us. Hopefully a new stadium and more regular Champions League football will mean we can challenge those bigger clubs for fees and salary but until then, we probably need to keep trying to unearth the next big thing (remember, it did work with Bale), rather than crying that we can't afford the current one.

Zaha, Marhez? Neither of those attainable?

 

[dontcallme]

Surely Alli, Eriksen, Kane and even Son are game changers. Regulars scorers and often out of nothing.

I am warming to Zaha and like Mahrez though concerned at how consistently he performs.

 

[danielneeds]

The obsession with a dribbling game changer is baffling. The ball moves quicker than any man, we just need to move it quicker and more intelligent off the ball running in the final third.

 

[Pat Rice Spurs fan]

Zaha, Marhez? Neither of those attainable?

Like I said, after Palace refused to sell Zaha to us before, he signed a new contract - getting paid the same our more than Harry Kane. He's not likely to leave and accept less just because it suits our wage structure.
And while Zaha seemed to want to come to us, after his Man U experience, he's always going to have love for Palace and be happy being a big fish in a small pond.
Personally, I think Mahrez wants to be at one of the top top clubs and is prepared to run down his contract at Leicester to achieve that.
However, a lot of people do question whether these guys, Gray also @ Leicester & perhaps the likes of Lanzini or Antonio @ Wham! are consistent enough to be playing for us. I don't watch enough football to answer that.

 

[lukespurs7]

Like I said, after Palace refused to sell Zaha to us before, he signed a new contract - getting paid the same our more than Harry Kane. He's not likely to leave and accept less just because it suits our wage structure.
And while Zaha seemed to want to come to us, after his Man U experience, he's always going to have love for Palace and be happy being a big fish in a small pond.
Personally, I think Mahrez wants to be at one of the top top clubs and is prepared to run down his contract at Leicester to achieve that.
However, a lot of people do question whether these guys, Gray also @ Leicester & perhaps the likes of Lanzini or Antonio @ Wham! are consistent enough to be playing for us. I don't watch enough football to answer that.

Fair enough, good analysis.
There must be others in other leagues? Basically we need another Son.

 

[lukespurs7]

The obsession with a dribbling game changer is baffling. The ball moves quicker than any man, we just need to move it quicker and more intelligent off the ball running in the final third.

Man.city play the way they do because they have numerous pacey players, we don’t so can’t.

 

[cider spurs]

Lol. I get the point of this thread, but I have to ask...Where was the United game changer last week when they played the mighty Huddersfield?.

Too many ifs and buts for me.

What if Davinson was playing, would that ball get through to Martial, what about Kane, would he bury those chances.

What about Zlatan, would he set them on their way to comfortable winners.

Loads of different aspects to consider for every team, every game.

Yes Kane played against Liverpool, but if pace and trickery are key...How come they only managed to score a single goal?.

Our goals for and against columns haven't been to shabby in recent seasons, and whilst Kane has scored bucket loads, as already stated above plenty of others added to the goal tally.

In fact, was it one point during last season or one prior, that no Midfield in the top 5 European leagues had scored more goals combined than our very own.

Again I see your point, and any addition that improves the squad is most welcome. Pace offers us the ability to use a different approach, but it's not the be all and end all IMO.

As for trickery, I think we've got that base covered. Get Lamela back firing, Eriksen is...Well Eriksen, Alli maybe needs to get back to focusing on the basics instead of a little too much of the showboating. Hopefully Edwards can make the grade and add further guile and flair. Son is good for chipping in with goals also.

I see the problem as the quality of second choice striker grade. A problem we'll always have, trying to get somebody capable of filling in for Kane, and actually capable of scoring from the get go. All of this whilst usually bench warming and in receipt of inferior wages compared to some of the heavily funded clubs.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

We need to add some pace to this squad particularly in the final third. We rarely get round the back of teams and pull balls across the six yard box. City are masters of this with Sane, Walker, Sterling and Jesus doing this at ease, Walker put an absolute peach into Sterling yesterday for their 3rd goal.

 

[tobi]

The obsession with a dribbling game changer is baffling. The ball moves quicker than any man, we just need to move it quicker and more intelligent off the ball running in the final third.

This doesn't happen enough, especially against lesser teams and away at big teams.

A player with those attributes can force the issue per se because they are so direct. It changes the mindset of both teams and if said player is double teamed then someone else is open.

 

[ljinko888]

I was happy to see Martial on the bench. For me he is their best talent. Great close control, balance, cool finisher. He is the type of forward who puts fear into the opponent.

We have Son who can beat players from the wing. But he got subbed.

We could do with another because in tight games you need to have something up your sleeve to open it up. They subbed Rashford for Martial - two speedy dribblers. We sub ours for a target man. And we still played the same passing game rather than hitting it up to Llorente.

 

[shelfboy68]

I was happy to see Martial on the bench. For me he is their best talent. Great close control, balance, cool finisher. He is the type of forward who puts fear into the opponent.

We have Son who can beat players from the wing. But he got subbed.

We could do with another because in tight games you need to have something up your sleeve to open it up. They subbed Rashford for Martial - two speedy dribblers. We sub ours for a target man. And we still played the same passing game rather than hitting it up to Llorente.

Trouble is we lack the options and variations from the bench due in the main to not having finances of the others, this leaves us in a permanent state of catch up and short of course.

 

[ljinko888]

Trouble is we lack the options and variations from the bench due in the main to not having finances of the others, this leaves us in a permanent state of catch up and short of course.

Might sound crazy but I think Davies and Rose on the left wing give the best of both worlds. Davies plays nice intricate passes to link up play. Rose a more dynamic dribbler.

Not something I'd advocate week in week out but in games like yesterday I think it would give us an extra dimension.