Match Ratings Match Ratings vs West Ham (H)

[mil1lion]

Own Goal - 7/10
Only involved in the one goal to get us off the mark but that was important today. Doing a good job quietly this season after replacing Bale, sitting nicely as 3rd top scorer. Son and Kane will get al the plaudits though.

 

[CantSmileWithoutYou]

I know he scored twice but feel some are getting a little carried away.
I'm not a fan of Son and today was a shining example of why.
Unless he is on with a chance of scoring himself he always slows the game down. His passes were always a second or more too late. He dalies on the ball doing step overs and such when a simple pass opens up the space.
An example of this, he was in on the left hand channel (offside but he didn't know).
He could have squared across the box for a possible Tap in. Instead he dallied and ran it out

Having said that.
Romero and Bentancur were both exceptional. I actually think Bentancur will come on further with Skipp alongside him

Not a fan of Son???!!!

Oh just fuck off.

Aww bless, you couldn't have just thought its a game of opinions and although you don't agree, they are entitled to theirs.
Nope, went straight on the attack.
He is a spurs player and will always have my support.
However, I think many forgive his poor performances and at times horrendous in game choices because he scores goals and is likeable.

Here's a challenge, watch a few games specifically focussing on Sons actual performance rather than his stats.
Specifically look for the difference in how quickly he attacks when he has a chance as opposed to when he could create for others.
Also look at the difference in how Kane (head up looking to play someone in) and Son (slows down the play by doing a few step overs, running down a blind alley and passing backwards or side wards).

If you give it a fair view, you would be surprised.

I set my brother the same challenge and he saw what I meant.

But hey,I could just fuck off

Absolutely, all about opinions.

there are opinions that are worth listening to, discussing the merits of, and maybe agreeing or at least agree to disagree.

And then there are downright stupid comments.

Congratulations on winning the dick comment if the day.

 

[SpursSince1980]

Own Goal - 7/10
Only involved in the one goal to get us off the mark but that was important today. Doing a good job quietly this season after replacing Bale, sitting nicely as 3rd top scorer. Son and Kane will get al the plaudits though.

only has one year left on his contract, so shop window dressing, ‘n all. That said, seems to have that rare ability to swoop in from nowhere and get on the end of a good cross. 10 goals in the PL this season. pretty damn impressive. forming a really solid understanding with the front three, and conte loves him. new contract?

 

[roslau]

Hope Conte cn transform Steven Bergwijn into LWB. Much more useful to Reguilon.

 

[ShelfWatcher]

Went for Son, but no argument with Bentancur
I now think he Romero and Kulusevski are all FP successes
So that's 3 out of 6 now, which is good.

 

[DenverSpur]

Bentancur best player on the pitch. Silky smooth. As a few have said he’s like a midfield version of Berbatov.
Romero ran him close for MOM. He just bullied WH’s forwards. It’s a long time since we had such an aggressive CB.
Kulu also had another impressive consistent performance.
Those 2 January buys have got to be the best bit of business we(or anyone else for that matter) have ever done mid season. They also demonstrate that it’s not exciting players we need but hard working intelligent footballers. What they show as well is that in the summer we don’t necessarily need 5 or 6 new players. If we can get 2 or 3 players who can make the same instant impact as those 2 we will have a team that will compete at the top end of the table.

 

[whitechina]

Bentancur best man on the pitch. Silky smooth. As a few have said he’s like a midfield version of Berbatov.
Romero ran him close for MOM. He just bullied WH’s forwards. It’s a long time since we had such an aggressive CB.
Kulu also had another impressive consistent performance.
Those 2 January buys have got to be the best bit of business we(or anyone else for that matter) have ever done mid season. They also demonstrate that it’s not exciting players we need but hard working intelligent footballers. What they show as well is that in the summer we don’t necessarily need 5 or 6 new players. If we can get 2 or 3 players who can make the same instant impact as those 2 we will have a team that will compete at the top end of the table.

Nah~ the best mid season business was to sack Nuno and get Conte in

 

[spids]

Absolutely, all about opinions.

there are opinions that are worth listening to, discussing the merits of, and maybe agreeing or at least agree to disagree.

And then there are downright stupid comments.

Congratulations on winning the dick comment if the day.

No mate, your ‘fuck off’ comment wins that hands down (and is now in the running for dick comment of the month).

Whilst I don’t agree with @kd2000’s view on Son, I really appreciate them explaining his thoughts, and I do think Son has been bang out of form for a while now, possibly a victim of being over played. But, even when not playing well he scores and assists, and for me that’s the sign of a world class player. Son may not be the best fit as a WF coming into feet and creating in Conte’s system, but his movement is world class. Pace, intelligent piercing runs, ability to stay onside, and a clinical 1-on-1 finisher.

There’s no way Son was MOTM (Bentancur, Romero and Kane were all much better across the 90 mins)

 

[kd2000]

your criticisms of son aren't without foundation but you can't just gloss over his goal contributions so flippantly, without them where would we be? sure it would be nice if his all round game was a little more polished but how many players out there have that as well as his output?

That's fair.
Yes his goals have been a blessing for us, and we would certainly be worse off.
I've never said otherwise.
However, personally, my own opinion is I am not his biggest fan

 

[Push & Run]

No mate, your ‘fuck off’ comment wins that hands down (and is now in the running for dick comment of the month).

Whilst I don’t agree with @kd2000’s view on Son, I really appreciate them explaining his thoughts, and I do think Son has been bang out of form for a while now, possibly a victim of being over played. But, even when not playing well he scores and assists, and for me that’s the sign of a world class player. Son may not be the best fit as a WF coming into feet and creating in Conte’s system, but his movement is world class. Pace, intelligent piercing runs, ability to stay onside, and a clinical 1-on-1 finisher.

There’s no way Son was MOTM (Bentancur, Romero and Kane were all much better across the 90 mins)

 

[Push & Run]

Sonny can be brilliant yes but all too often be a fanny. Goes to ground looking for fouls (as does fanny reggie) instead of fighting for the ball and how many players have the ability to fall over consistently whilst not under pressure, even the ref brought him down. He may be nice, he may be occassionalyt brill but I want winners in the mould of Benta. This is where if we had leaders they would say for fucks sake sonny man up, toughen up and compete for the team. If he developed a mean streak to his game as Mane has, he would be real world class. Just my opinion, if you don't like it fine, but no need for abuse.
Great performance by Benta, he brings composure needed and glues the defence together, note when he lost the ball he SPRINTED to win it back and not sit in his arse moaning!

 

[spids]

I think almost our entire fan base now agrees on our first XI. The only spots up for debate are Reg vs Sess at LWB, and Skipp vs Højbjerg in CM, and both are moot points right now due to injury. Imagine swapping in Sanchez for Romero, Winks for Bentancur, and Moura for Kulusevski. We'd become a totally different side.

Conte's (well, Paratici's) challenge is to get another 4 or 5 players into the squad who will have us debating starting positions all over the pitch. A mass debate if you like.

 

[PLTuck]

Went for Son who terrorised their defence all game. Strong case for Kane, Kulu or Bentancur as well.

Many on here owe Dier, Davies and Doherty an apology.

 

[onthetwo]

Amidst all the justified narration about our inconsistency, there is a different way to look at this, which is that we have won 4 of our last 5 league matches (5 of our last 7), during which time we have scored 16 goals and conceded 4 in the last 5.

Perhaps more importantly, we have started to see a consistent style of play during the past 7 matches that resembles Conte-ball as we know it. Gone are the 20-minute periods in every match when our midfield would be incapable of completing two simple passes in succession, with minimal movement off the ball and players constantly being caught in possession.

As others have implied, the two new players have made a great difference because of their composure and calmness on the ball, but the improvement has affected everyone, as the passage of play in defence on the right during the second half showed today - no panic, just keep passing the ball until a route appears to clear it to a teammate.

Bentancur epitomised that today: I reckon he was chanelling Luka Modric today. He was often to be found in a Modric-like lake of space in the centre of the pitch, with enough time to consider whether to run or pass, but whenever he received the ball under pressure, he always had the first step away from potential trouble planned out - very Modric in style.

We haven't had someone who can retain the ball under pressure like that since Dembélé left. The difference in grip was drastic.

Kane, Romero and Kulusevski also excelled; Doherty had his crucial moments; Son did what Son does twice; Davies and Dier were inconspicuously capable; Højbjerg was OK, in a role that mainly called for him to nullify Rice; only Reguilon had a disappointing game.

But Bentancur was the best and most effective player on the pitch, by a long way.

It's fun to support a team that scores goals and has a style. Perhaps this summer can be approached with excitement, rather than trepidation.

Great shout re Bentancur resembling Modric. I was in Torino last week and was surprised that the locals there werent fans of his.

 

[HodisGawd]

Felt tense in the ground but watching it back it was a relative breeze.

Everyone played well.

Son was excellent. Every time I watch him I think he's woefully off form but he still bangs in the goals. I guess it's just my expectations are so high for him.

I actually thought Kane's passing was slightly off. It was still very good and the assist was brilliant, but there were a few loose passes in there. Gutted Kane didn't score because he deserved it.

Dier is really becoming a quiet colossus for us. When he plays well you don't even realise it. Love him.

Kulusevski is a real testament to the fact that you don't need dynamism and pace to play on the wing. Did literally nothing wrong. He's creative, intelligent, tidy and very technical. Fantastic signing. His partnership with Doherty is a joy.

Doherty. I don't know what to say. A month ago he was absolute dogshit. Now he's proving effective. I'm amazed. We still need to upgrade but it looks like he can take us to the end of the season.

Reggie. I'm just getting annoyed now at his complete inability to finish off chances. He gets in great positions. He really should have about 10 goals this season. FFS sort it out! Otherwise very pleased with his work.

Romero and Bentancur. Pure class. These players can take us places. Two or three like them in the summer and we are up there.

My big worry at the moment is the Conte has his XI but we don't have much else. He seems to be delaying subs because bringing anyone on inevitably weakens the team. Injuries will be crucial and getting Skipp back to allow some rotation is also very important.

The Arsenal game will decide our season.

 

[C1w8]

That's fair.
Yes his goals have been a blessing for us, and we would certainly be worse off.
I've never said otherwise.
However, personally, my own opinion is I am not his biggest fan

Not a big fan is a bit more understandable, i think to say you arent a fan full stop which is where the convo started is what left people scratching their heads a bit.

The other thing you need to look at (maybe you do, it just wasnt mentioned) is how many runs he makes when he doesnt even get played the ball. he's very often our only player trying to break the line, not just on the counter but when we have the ball lying deep. It's all very well for kane to drop short and he likely will get the ball played to him more than Son in behind because its easier for our midfield/defenders, but we need Son threatening to make that run to keep defenders thinking about in behind as well as strikers dropping deep, and he does it willingly, often not getting the ball. Kane and Kulu are great at what they do, but they are not a threat in this way.

You mentioned the moment he went through and was offside and dallied, which is an example of one of those runs - personally, i think he and also the other players knew he was off, the attempt to continue the attack was half hearted...either way, if you also note that he was the one making that run, not Kulu or Kane. Similarly, the moment he took the 2 yard hand off from Bentancour in our half, ran maybe 50+ yards up the field fast enough that the west ham midfielder couldnt catch him to make a foul let alone a tackle, played a great ball into Kanes feet and Kane had his effort saved. Again give that to Kulu or Kane in that position and they aren't able to do that.

The main thing that gets me with Son is his when he drops in a horrendeous touch which he does a couple of times a game, wish he could sort that out but for all that he brings to the game he's overall a massive net positive for us and has been for years.

 

[jurgen11]

What you say is fair and I think we've all been critical of Sonny, especially recently but with all that being said, he's still scoring goals and providing assists.
He's a forward/striker and while he can be streaky/inconsitent/frustrating, he's doing bloody well considering he's not actually playing well.

When he stops scoring, I'll maybe agree with some of the recent calls to drop him but at the moment, he's still doing what he's there to do.

I think sometimes, he's set our expectations too high.

Thankfully our manager also ignored the recent calls to drop him. He was having a bad streak, it happens. The only way to end it is to play out of it and you cant do that sitting on the bench. Even on poor form he gives the opposition something to think about

 

[HodisGawd]

Son's a brilliant player. We just expect too much of him. He's not going to be perfection, but 2 goals in a game isn't exactly bad.

The second yesterday looked sharp. Let's hope that's a sign the he's back to his best.

Honestly, the Son/Kane combo is out of this world. Savour it while we have it. These guys will never be the problem.

 

[JonnySpurs]

A really good performance against a good side. I'm not even remotely interested in the talk from Sky and BBC about their exertions on Thursday night. They played at home and should've been buzzing after their win, 120 mins or not. We also played the night before and away from home so frankly that's not as big of a factor as it was suggested to be and it really annoyed me that they were being given that excuse for getting thoroughly outplayed by us.

Lloris - 7 - very little to do but when called upon he was calm and assured. Nice to see him kicking long at times to relieve the pressure which ultimately led to the 3rd goal.
Doherty - 7 - Good pressing for the 1st goal, bit clumsy to concede the corner that led to theirs. All in all he's playing well and was very close to a goal early in 2nd half.
Romero - 9 - Superb. Love his aggression and front foot defending. He must be a nightmare to play against. Antonio is so strong but didn't look it yesterday.
Dier - 8 - Solid, neat and tidy. A calming presence and clearly the leader of this team.
Davies - 7 - As above.
Reguilon - 6 - Reggy is starting to frustrate me. He does so well to get into good positions. Great engine, probably the fittest player in our side. He would've got a 7 if it hadn't been for his INFURIATING dive when he was put through one on one. The theatrics are embarrassing and he needs to cut that shit out. He also needs to be doing better with his finishing. Wing backs are so important in this system and it's important that he learns some composure in those moments when he's through on goal. Otherwise he was ok overall.
Hojbjerg - 8 - Really solid and whilst he wasn't as good as Bentancur, his partnership with Rodrigo is working beautifully and he has a lot to do with that.
Bentancur - 9.5 - Rolls royce performance. Never stops moving. Passes and immediately finds space to receive again. Tackling back numerous times as well. Gliding about the pitch with grace and poise. A lovely central midfielder that has massively elevated our play in the middle 3rd of the pitch.
Kulusevski - 8 - Continues to play with great skill and intelligence. Unlucky not to get a goal or assist but didn't matter.
Kane - 9 - Also unlucky not to get his goal, particularly his 2 chances 2nd half. Essentially 3 assists tho and some excellent all round play. Does he get the assist for the OG?
Son - 8.5 - A consistent threat throughout, 2 classic Son goals and pressured Zouma into turning the 1st goal in. His overall play isn't quite at it's best, his touch is a little wobbly at times but he's still bloody brilliant and winning games for us.

One of the key things for me is the way we're playing out from the back has improved massively. The one touch passing is slicker and clearly due to coaching. Once we upgrade at RWB and LWB, I think we'll see more goals and more games won as a result. Clear progress being made.

 

[spids]

Not many giving Højbjerg the credit he deserves for yesterday's performance. Whilst Bentancur was more eye catching, Højbjerg did a lot of good work to help him.