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Good...three months, Bad three months

Krafty

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2004
4,768
2,099
Jebus wept. At the time of our last column, Spurs had a 100% winning record. Now? The only thing that is 100% is the disappointment. Never mind echo of glory, even in victory there is a ton of grumbling. Anyway, let's get this back up and running, as we take a look over pretty much the season to date...


Good times


Harry Kane


No.1 striker? Continues his scoring run from the end of last season, and is showing more and more development. Getting faster, stronger, more confident by the day. Has always read the game well, has remarkable composure and great tenacity that puts his forward competitiors in the shade.


Hugo Lloris

So good I feel sorry for him that he has that shower in front of him.


Jan Vertonghen

Baffling absence makes the heart grow fonder. It doesn't matter if he is an arrogant, moody prig, he's our best defender and should be playing pretty much every game given the form of others.


Ryan Mason

At 23, certainly on the later side to make his Premier League debut at the club he has been at since day one, but has shown a drive and willingness to make a forward pass that has been sadly absent from this Tottenham side for too long. His cementing of a starting XI position will open the doors for other academy products, if only because they cannot be as bad as the internationals they are replacing.


Nacer Chadli

Top scorer. Doesn't offer much else, and it might be better to think of him as a second striker than having a nominal wide position that offers no cover for our full backs, but he has shown good awareness and finishing in the box. I would be fine with him being the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none option in our attacking line.


Erik Lamela


Still not performing at the level expected, but that goal.....that goal....it's the stuff Tottenham is made of. However, let's not let him leave the final third of the pitch, please?


Mauricio Pochettino

Despite his poor record, Pochettino has had a good three months if only because a) people want him to get time simply due to other Spurs managers not getting time, and b) because the players are - rightfully - taking the blame. He will get a chance to restructure the club the way he sees fit, something AVB might be envious of.



Bad times


Daniel Levy

Levy has to take responsibility for the club's current malaise. He has either appointed the wrong managers, or appointed the wrong men above the manager *cough* Italian wig wearer *cough* who have signed the wrong players. Levy might be best letting Pochettino run the footballing side of the club, certainly anything to do with the senior squad, exactly how he wants to run it.


The summer signings


Struggling to get games except in the cups, apart from Federico Fazio who has picked up two red cards in his short stay in England. Cue discussion over who really wanted to sign those players.


Emmanuel Adebayor

Silly boy, very silly boy. It's one thing to criticise the fans who pay your wages, it's another to criticise the fans who pay your wages when you have done absolutely nothing to justify one penny of those wages. Adebayor's pop at the home support is even more ironic given all of his goals this season - both of them - have come at White Hart Lane! Tit.


Mousa Dembele and Paulinho


Both linked with moves away from the Lane, and ultimately I don't think there will be too many tears shed. Dembele started well but injury seemed to limit him, mentally as much as anything else, while Paulinho has looked pretty poor since signing. Both players suffer cant influence the game/wont influence the game, and in that crucial central midfield position a lot more is needed than sideways, backwards passing, the odd flash highlight before generally being outfought or outsmarted by the opposition.


Younes Kaboul


If ever there was a warning over signing Jay Rodriguez after his big knee injury, here it is. Kaboul looks a weak forgery of the towering, commanding centre back he once was. Positionally AWOL, mentally scared, the only reasons the Frenchman is still in the side is because of the captain's armband and the deficiencies of those around him.

While our defensive problems extend beyond one man, the team must surely be undermined when the leader is so fallible.


The fans

I couldn't afford to renew my season ticket this year. I tried really hard to try and make the numbers work, deluding myself that there was a justification for paying nearly a thousand pounds plus travel and other costs when I could watch a lot of the games for free on the inter.....down the pub, but when I looked back at the quality of the spectacle last season there were so few highlights. It was the final nail in the coffin.

Now I'm glad I did not fork out a month's wages to see such dour, turgid football from a bunch of players of whom far too many simply don't seem to care. The support has been criticised, and undoubtedly the Lane is not the greatest place to play your football right now unless you are the away side, but we have been fed scraps for nearly 18 months.

After the press initially got on our backs as supporters, they have quickly realised that it is the players who are responsible for the terrible performances and results, however until Pochettino can rid the club of the average, overpaid wasters in the team we will have to grit our teeth and hope for a brighter future.

COYS!
 

avonspurs

MoPo's lover
Apr 28, 2006
4,072
4,100
Good times


Mauricio Pochettino

Despite his poor record, Pochettino has had a good three months if only because a) people want him to get time simply due to other Spurs managers not getting time, and b) because the players are - rightfully - taking the blame. He will get a chance to restructure the club the way he sees fit, something AVB might be envious of.

Have you not seen some of the threads of this forum? ;)
 

eddiebailey

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2004
7,452
6,672
Not sure why you have problems with what Ade had to say. I thought it was an honest, balanced assessment of the situation, and the fans share in that. Hearing something other than platitudes from anyone connected with the club made for a welcome change.
 

eddiebailey

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2004
7,452
6,672
Not sure how Poch escapes so lightly in your assessment. As you say no-one in their right minds wants him sacked at this stage, but he has done nothing to inspire confidence.
 

Krafty

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2004
4,768
2,099
Not sure how Poch escapes so lightly in your assessment. As you say no-one in their right minds wants him sacked at this stage, but he has done nothing to inspire confidence.

Ade - it was more that he thought he could criticise anyone. He should be looking a lot closer home first

As for Poch, GW/BW tries to look at the bigger picture, and the fact that Poch is not at the top of the people to blame despite a record that makes AVB or Sherwood look like the second coming, makes it a good time (relatively).

There is always the danger that this is the best its ever going to get for him!
 

TottenhamMattSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
10,925
16,007
Adebeyor is suffering for the same reason soldado is.
He might as well be the only player on the pitch, the payers we have can't function in the formation they're lining up in.

I don't think anyone has had a good month in the premier league.
Kane would scrape in due to cups and U21's though.
 

taidgh

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2004
7,897
16,243
Jebus wept. At the time of our last column, Spurs had a 100% winning record. Now? The only thing that is 100% is the disappointment. Never mind echo of glory, even in victory there is a ton of grumbling. Anyway, let's get this back up and running, as we take a look over pretty much the season to date...


Good times


Harry Kane


No.1 striker? Continues his scoring run from the end of last season, and is showing more and more development. Getting faster, stronger, more confident by the day. Has always read the game well, has remarkable composure and great tenacity that puts his forward competitiors in the shade.


Hugo Lloris

So good I feel sorry for him that he has that shower in front of him.


Jan Vertonghen

Baffling absence makes the heart grow fonder. It doesn't matter if he is an arrogant, moody prig, he's our best defender and should be playing pretty much every game given the form of others.


Ryan Mason

At 23, certainly on the later side to make his Premier League debut at the club he has been at since day one, but has shown a drive and willingness to make a forward pass that has been sadly absent from this Tottenham side for too long. His cementing of a starting XI position will open the doors for other academy products, if only because they cannot be as bad as the internationals they are replacing.


Nacer Chadli

Top scorer. Doesn't offer much else, and it might be better to think of him as a second striker than having a nominal wide position that offers no cover for our full backs, but he has shown good awareness and finishing in the box. I would be fine with him being the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none option in our attacking line.


Erik Lamela


Still not performing at the level expected, but that goal.....that goal....it's the stuff Tottenham is made of. However, let's not let him leave the final third of the pitch, please?


Mauricio Pochettino

Despite his poor record, Pochettino has had a good three months if only because a) people want him to get time simply due to other Spurs managers not getting time, and b) because the players are - rightfully - taking the blame. He will get a chance to restructure the club the way he sees fit, something AVB might be envious of.



Bad times


Daniel Levy

Levy has to take responsibility for the club's current malaise. He has either appointed the wrong managers, or appointed the wrong men above the manager *cough* Italian wig wearer *cough* who have signed the wrong players. Levy might be best letting Pochettino run the footballing side of the club, certainly anything to do with the senior squad, exactly how he wants to run it.


The summer signings


Struggling to get games except in the cups, apart from Federico Fazio who has picked up two red cards in his short stay in England. Cue discussion over who really wanted to sign those players.


Emmanuel Adebayor

Silly boy, very silly boy. It's one thing to criticise the fans who pay your wages, it's another to criticise the fans who pay your wages when you have done absolutely nothing to justify one penny of those wages. Adebayor's pop at the home support is even more ironic given all of his goals this season - both of them - have come at White Hart Lane! Tit.


Mousa Dembele and Paulinho


Both linked with moves away from the Lane, and ultimately I don't think there will be too many tears shed. Dembele started well but injury seemed to limit him, mentally as much as anything else, while Paulinho has looked pretty poor since signing. Both players suffer cant influence the game/wont influence the game, and in that crucial central midfield position a lot more is needed than sideways, backwards passing, the odd flash highlight before generally being outfought or outsmarted by the opposition.


Younes Kaboul


If ever there was a warning over signing Jay Rodriguez after his big knee injury, here it is. Kaboul looks a weak forgery of the towering, commanding centre back he once was. Positionally AWOL, mentally scared, the only reasons the Frenchman is still in the side is because of the captain's armband and the deficiencies of those around him.

While our defensive problems extend beyond one man, the team must surely be undermined when the leader is so fallible.


The fans

I couldn't afford to renew my season ticket this year. I tried really hard to try and make the numbers work, deluding myself that there was a justification for paying nearly a thousand pounds plus travel and other costs when I could watch a lot of the games for free on the inter.....down the pub, but when I looked back at the quality of the spectacle last season there were so few highlights. It was the final nail in the coffin.

Now I'm glad I did not fork out a month's wages to see such dour, turgid football from a bunch of players of whom far too many simply don't seem to care. The support has been criticised, and undoubtedly the Lane is not the greatest place to play your football right now unless you are the away side, but we have been fed scraps for nearly 18 months.

After the press initially got on our backs as supporters, they have quickly realised that it is the players who are responsible for the terrible performances and results, however until Pochettino can rid the club of the average, overpaid wasters in the team we will have to grit our teeth and hope for a brighter future.

COYS!
Great to see this back. I always look forward to reading this. Think you were spot on with most of this.

However, the only way Poch has had a good 3 months is that it's accepted he'll be here a while It's been one step forward, one step back.

Like eddiebailey, I don't have a problem with Ade's comments, just his performance. He's been beyond bad.
 

JimmyG2

SC Supporter
Dec 7, 2006
15,014
20,779
I think your comments on Ade are spot on. It's the context of his performances that makes your comments valid.The last person to be criticizing any one else but himself.
 
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