Manchester City Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[Blackrat1299]

I wonder if AVB is schizophrenic? If so he can argue with himself and sort out the best team and tactics.

 

[TheGreenLily]

Boohoo no CL football, we've only had it once in our history anyway.
AVB is just trying to make us more solid so that we are capable of nicking a result. Losing games by playing free flowing football isn't ultimately going to make people like you happy anyway.

What would make me happy is going out and going for it.

That was why I was okay with the result against Newcaste, we went for it and should have got something out of the game.

This was just pathetic and AVB withdrew back into his little safe zone fucked us.

 

[LSUY]

The concentration was not there, but the reaction of the players was positive. Everything went wrong for us, every opportunity was a goal and we paid a heavy price, too much for what we deserved.

I think you saw a different game to me Andre. The defence was a shambles and we didn't even look like threatening City's goal once City had relaxed. We were lucky we only let in 6.

 

[tobi]

Definitely not the main problem, meant to quote someone else's post but wasn't working properly on my phone.

Our problem is the way we're trying to play. Regardless of formation/tactics/personnel the way we're trying to play is the same and it's awful.

Highline with Dawson
Verts at LB
Lots of possession and doing nothing with it
Slow build-up
No counter-attacking

I would say they're our biggest problems than any individual players.

We have possession than almost every team we play against but can't buy a goal.

I refuse to believe that the slow build up is an instruction from AVB, IMO the players are going OTT in regards to being patient in possession. Also its clear that the players lack common sense so AVB needs to instruct them to up the tempo from the start.

I agree about Dawson (he needs to be ruthless with him again) and the lack of creativity he needs to address those asap but again the players are making bad decisions on the pitch that can cause possession to be recycled.

Also Vertonghen is playing with an attitude (not the good kind) because he's not playing at CB, he doesn't complain when he plays 95% of his Belgium matches at LB.

 

[Francis Gibbs]

I'm going to be honest and say that despite thinking he should be given more time, I think that game may have just spelled the end of AVB as our manager

the end started when he dug out the fans, such a school boy error - the slippery slope may have a few more twists but inevitably it's coming

 

[THFC 1882]

David Howells ‏@Howellsey2 m
Choices for the lads now? Sulk and get worse or fight and get better. AVB needs to be strong and positive. #COYS

 

[EnfieldYiddo]

Worst thing is this isn't even the worst result of the season, W'ham was IMO.

 

[sim0n]

53% possession....yay

We hear ya Mr. Pink and seen it all too often. AVB wins possession,.... but loses everything else,.... yippy... und Tchuess!!

Welcome Marco Van Basten!!!

 

[glacierSpurs]

- we sold 1 star player and bought in possibly 7.. tell me that was not an intent?! stop those lame excuses and bullshit transitional period. city shows us there is no transitional period.

- gelling? Navas, Negredo etc looked comfortable and potent.. Soldado and Lamela are not young pamper kids to cuddle in the warm.. city shows us newcomers can be orientated into the team effectively.. even Pelligrini is new!

-until end of season before verdict given to AVB? or Christmas? how many of you already had that thought of him out after the defeat to spammers can admit to yourself silently..

impatient fan I am maybe to some. but because we invested that well and much during the summer only got me to dream big.. FFS, out team rates amongst the best in the league yet we are watching disappointing games week in week out.. optimists can continue to count on learnings from these matches.. and then please be hopeful some of our star players are not leaving by the next summer because they may feel the team is ONLY progressing.. by then the evil cycle starts again and fuck hell the transitional period again...

so we are not title contenders anymore according to one man, and maybe now we are not top-4 contenders as well after this game... I seriously can't see how such comments can help the team to a winning mentality... that man should have learnt of Danny Blanchflower and Bill Nicholson quotes first before saying anything non beneficial..

my thoughts are so in disarray and so are my points.. simply, the system and our play is simply not effective in bringing out the best of the team.. and unless that one man can be reborn to a whole new way of philosophy, which I can understand is really not an easy take to abandon one's own and adopt another, his relationship with the club is really not going anywhere positive...

 

[TheGreenLily]

David Howells ‏@Howellsey2 m
Choices for the lads now? Sulk and get worse or fight and get better. AVB needs to be strong and positive. #COYS

We are fucked.

 

[Spurs 1961]

Is AVB trying to get another big payout so he can start his rally driving career early?

Levy can give him a sat nav and a pait of gloves as a leaving present. Just think someone started a thread earlier in the season about how we should give AVB a long new contract!

 

[truebluespur]

How pathetic was Lemela?

Honestly I don't think he was that bad. Other players played worse. In comparison, I feel Lamela was one of the better players... at least he was presenting himself instead of hiding.

I just don't know what to think anymore... It boggles the mind how AVB is struggling with this group of players

 

[sim0n]

So who's gonna be our next manager?

MARCO VAN BASTEN with Herr Freund as his asst manager...

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

I know he means well but it would be insanity to let Levy select another manager............Santini,Jol,Ramos,Redknapp and AVB have got us nowhere.
Its hard to believe that Harry has been our best manager in over 20 years....sweet Jesus.

Yer, two top four finishes and a CL QF was a disaster, especially after today's blinding performance. Who are you the chief polisher of Trophy's at WHL?...........part time job i guess?

 

[THFCSPURS19]

More from Andre Villas-Boas: "There is an immediate shock after 15 seconds.

"The concentration was not there, but the reaction of the players was positive. Everything went wrong for us, every opportunity was a goal and we paid a heavy price, too much for what we deserved.

"City were excellent, and we were extremely poor.

"My responsibility is to lift the players, there is always another game coming. We have to give a response in the Europa League.

"We have to be ashamed of ourselves, and react to a defeat like this."

DON'T YOU DARE, ANDRE, I DON'T WANT A SINGLE FIRST TEAM PLAYER ANYWHERE NEAR NORWAY

 

[Francis Gibbs]

If only our fans weren't so quiet things would have been different.......oh, wait

Yeah and pitch was pretty wide today

 

[mill]

Most sensible post I've seen.

Except we had the possesion and people aren't just pissed off over this game

 

[DEFchenkOE]

I refuse to believe that the slow build up is an instruction from AVB, IMO the players are going OTT in regards to being patient in possession. Also its clear that the players lack common sense so AVB needs to instruct them to up the tempo from the start.

I agree about Dawson (he needs to be ruthless with him agains) and the lack of creativity he needs to address those asap but again the players are making bad decisions on the pitch that can cause possession to be recycled.

Also Vertonghen is playing with an attitude (not the good kind) because he's not playing at CB, he doesn't complain when he plays 95% of his Belgium matches at LB.

I honestly believe this is instruction from avb as we start/play 95% of our games in this way. If it's not his instruction then wtf is he doing as a head coach of a top epl club as he clearly isn't strong enough to get the players to do what he wants.

Game after game we play with this slow tempo, lots of possession and slow build up. Last season as well, not just this. And if he doesn't/can't/won't change he'll be out of a job in no time.

 

[Mullers]

What would make me happy is going out and going for it.

That was why I was okay with the result against Newcaste, we went for it and should have got something out of the game.

This was just pathetic and AVB withdrew back into his little safe zone fucked us.

So after the Newcastle game you didn't say AVB should fuck off now because of this one game, you tell him to fuck off?

 

[Blackrat1299]

I could stomach a defeat if my team was out there fighting and putting them under pressure. We were like trout, they tickled our chins and we gave in.