Match Threads LASK vs Spurs - Match Thread - Round 5

[shelfboy68]

I'm not going to let a poor result in performance terms spoil what has been a great start to the season.
I also hope that we don't drop off against the gooners because I want them to be trashed on Sunday, I'm not convinced that we will win the league when you see displays like that from some of the players but we are going in the right direction.

 

[wadewill]

I know it’s not an excuse, but the pitch seemed shit

so did that ball, they just didn’t seem comfortable with it.

I hope it was the type of ball and not the actual fact it was, you know, a ball

 

[spursfan77]

I support Spurs. Managers come and go and this one is well known for how he operates and how long he lasts. Hate the football we play but have watched us with the likes of Ramos, AVB and other dire times.

It’s just you moan a lot about the football that the presumption is that you’d moan in the ground about it too rather than get behind the side. If you do get behind the team then fair enough. We’ve all seen times a lot worse than this, these are the good times!

I have every home game ruined for me by a couple of guys who sit in the row behind me in the south stand and moan non stop throughout the games. They’ve nearly come to blows with other fans because of it on a couple of occasions. One time one of the moaners had his kid with him but it didn’t deter him. I’ve not gone to a couple of matches partly because of them. I don’t know why they bother to go to matches if they behave like that.

 

[Matthew]

Joe Hart MOTM

 

[rez9000]

Most of the players didn't seem up for it (Jose said as much afterwards). So this doesn't give me cause for alarm against Arsenal. What does worry me though is they won 4-1 and got a huge morale boost from the return of fans.

Worrying that Doherty hasn't started well, and another poor performance by Sanchez. I think he'll need to leave to try to get his confidence back and turn his career around. Shame as he was really good in his first season, in my opinion

Weirdly, I have a little part of my brain saying that their win against Vienna may actually work in our favour (albeit only to a very small extent) in that they've been on such a terrible run that if they'd lost last night, they may have been even more desperate against us. With a win under their belt, they may be slightly less desperate, if that makes sense?

I agree that Doherty has been worryingly bad. Then again, that same little part of my brain thinks maybe he was brought in not to be the first pick right back, but to give Aurier a nudge. Serge has certainly been playing a lot better this season than previously... ? (although Doherty being given the #2 shirt may put paid to that theory!)

 

[rez9000]

Reading all this negative bollocks is just embarrassing. Unbeaten in 10 is it, top of the league, comfortably through to the knockout stages of the EL and STILL the words DISGRACE, EMBARASSING, BELOW PAR, BORING etc, get thrown around. Go and support... who? we're top of the LEAGUE

I get what you're saying, sebo and I agree in principle, but at the same time, it was a poor individual performance. I was disappointed but, like you, I look at the positives. But that still doesn't stop me thinking of it as two points dropped rather than one point gained, because, let's face it, we were up against an Austrian side. No disrespect to the Austrian league, but their teams are hardly Real Madrid.

Let people vent.

 

[ralphs bald spot]

I thought Japhet had a good game generally.

honestly - I thought he was all over the place - I will say he has more excuses than most and alongside Davinson who was truly awful couldn't have helped but I don't think he was good at all and his ball distribution amongst many was terrible

 

[Spurs_Bear]

Weirdly, I have a little part of my brain saying that their win against Vienna may actually work in our favour (albeit only to a very small extent) in that they've been on such a terrible run that if they'd lost last night, they may have been even more desperate against us. With a win under their belt, they may be slightly less desperate, if that makes sense?

I agree that Doherty has been worryingly bad. Then again, that same little part of my brain thinks maybe he was brought in not to be the first pick right back, but to give Aurier a nudge. Serge has certainly been playing a lot better this season than previously... ? (although Doherty being given the #2 shirt may put paid to that theory!)

Added to the fact that Arteta changed pretty much 11 players from the loss against Wolves...so technically those in terrible form still haven't experienced a win.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

honestly - I thought he was all over the place - I will say he has more excuses than most and alongside Davinson who was truly awful couldn't have helped but I don't think he was good at all and his ball distribution amongst many was terrible

Yep, doesn't get off lightly because he's one of our own, he was really poor too.

 

[rez9000]

Added to the fact that Arteta changed pretty much 11 players from the loss against Wolves...so technically those in terrible form still haven't experienced a win.

Yeah, that was the counterargument to what the little part of the brain was saying. I think I was just engaging in some wishful thinking!

 

[pedrodelawasp]

Everyone to get their backsides booted after that performance. Then we move on.

 

[14/04/91]

In terms of attitude and application, there have been some strange showings in the EL, regardless of personnel.

I'm purely talking about attitude, not performance nor result, but it doesn't seem to matter who's selected. The fringe players haven't generally given the manager enough to think about and some of the 1st choices (used away at Antwerp and last night) didn't seem to want to be there.

Maybe things will improve when we get to the knock-out stage and some of the bigger names are in the hat. We've clearly struggled to get motivated to play in cold, empty, small grounds but we've done enough to get through.

It does worry me that we're becoming too reliant on our first XI when we've got a huge amount of matches over the next 6 weeks. Ideally these matches would've seen the current 'squad players' all busting a gut to give the manager a decision to make. Wishful thinking I guess.

 

[elfy]

Even before last night I was thinking about Harry's comments a few years ago about how clubs fight to get into the Europa League, but then once in just want to get out of it.
It's a trophy, and one at the start of season we have a good shot at. BUT, we are top of the table - without getting into whether or not we actually have a shot at the title, I wouldn't be too sad to drop out of the Europa and focus on the league.
If, and it is a big if, come January we are within a few points of top spot in the league then Europa will be an unwanted distraction and could potentially be the difference between challenging for the title and settling for Champions League places.
Playing Thursday in Eastern Europe is terrible preperation for weekend league matches.

 

[faymantaray]

If Bale/Son had put that chance away to make it 3-1 we would have won comfortably.

 

[WhiteHeartLowe]

If Bale/Son had put that chance away to make it 3-1 we would have won comfortably.

That score might have suggested that at first glance, but it would be a false impression, no way we could be honestly described as 'comfortable' last night.

 

[Goobers]

Shit show at the back and high lights the need for another CB in January.

Yes as a unit I thought they were ragged and I thought the individual performance from Sanchez was awful but I thought Japhet did ok actually. You worry that Sanchez has little confidence which really doesn't help but I am not sure if he has the quality or the room to improve to the extent that we require.

 

[sebo_sek]

I get what you're saying, sebo and I agree in principle, but at the same time, it was a poor individual performance. I was disappointed but, like you, I look at the positives. But that still doesn't stop me thinking of it as two points dropped rather than one point gained, because, let's face it, we were up against an Austrian side. No disrespect to the Austrian league, but their teams are hardly Real Madrid.

Let people vent.

I get it. But all we needed was a point to qualify. We need to win the next one to win the group. If we don't then I'll probably have a moan or two. Last night was completely "meh" from both me and the lads.

 

[Ionman34]

Yes as a unit I thought they were ragged and I thought the individual performance from Sanchez was awful but I thought Japhet did ok actually. You worry that Sanchez has little confidence which really doesn't help but I am not sure if he has the quality or the room to improve to the extent that we require.

I remember Kyle Walker tearing it up in his first season, getting YPOTL, then having an absolute stinker the following season and the same doubts being expressed. He didn't turn out too bad did he? Unless you're bus conductor that is.

The point is that Sanchez is still very young, particularly in CH terms, so this needs to be factored in, rather than making sweeping statements that he isn't good enough, the experiment has failed etc ad nauseam.

Players have drops in form, moreso when they're young and still learning their trade. There are multiple examples at Spurs alone on players being written off, only to turn their form around.

You'd think that we'd have learned by now.

Cut the boy some slack. He's struggling now, but there's no reason to believe he can't turn that around.

 

[mumfordspur]

I think - as someone above alluded to - we drew away and move on to the Nomads.
LASK are 2nd in their league and have only let in 6 goals in 9 games so last night was a strange one all round.

 

[JoaoPereira]

If Bale/Son had put that chance away to make it 3-1 we would have won comfortably.

are we playing the if game?