Mentality

[spurslenny]

Having watched most of the seasons highs and lows, and culminating in last night's debacle, it's occurred to me that having the mental edge over rival teams far out ways the importance of the quality of playing personel.
For example, we played a much inferior (in terms of player quality) Sunderland team midweek (with our superior XI) and yet that advantage did not tip the result in our favour. Then yesterday, two relatively equally matched teams, one on a good run of former (us), and the other woefully lacking in confidence and form (liverpool). And yet the team on a bad run of former rolls over the other without breaking a sweat. How is this possible? How can the tables be turned so radically? And why is it so often Spurs that find ever more impressive ways of being on the receiving ends of results like this from positions of strength?
If the mods feel this thread need not exist, please delete. But our mentality is so much more than players ability, player value, player experience (after all, we have players that have won things before), and I don't know if we've debated this as such.
Sorry for the ramble, just interested to know what people's views and solutions might be to our seesaw mental strength.

 

[eViL]

Aggression.

Man City and Chelsea took a beating from us when we were at our aggressive best from the start.

 

[Kiedis]

Pashun and agressiveness is important, but yesterdays debacle was a case of absolutely mental tactics, and then trying to turn the tide against a frantic homeside with an absolutely rocking Anfield behind them. The tactics fucked our mentality in this case.

We've been able to turn over Chelsea and Man City when they were fly and stand our ground at the Emirates when Arsenal seemed to be in unstoppable form.

Our heads are usually hard enough.

 

[danielneeds]

Having watched most of the seasons highs and lows, and culminating in last night's debacle, it's occurred to me that having the mental edge over rival teams far out ways the importance of the quality of playing personel.
For example, we played a much inferior (in terms of player quality) Sunderland team midweek (with our superior XI) and yet that advantage did not tip the result in our favour. Then yesterday, two relatively equally matched teams, one on a good run of former (us), and the other woefully lacking in confidence and form (liverpool). And yet the team on a bad run of former rolls over the other without breaking a sweat. How is this possible? How can the tables be turned so radically? And why is it so often Spurs that find ever more impressive ways of being on the receiving ends of results like this from positions of strength?
If the mods feel this thread need not exist, please delete. But our mentality is so much more than players ability, player value, player experience (after all, we have players that have won things before), and I don't know if we've debated this as such.
Sorry for the ramble, just interested to know what people's views and solutions might be to our seesaw mental strength.

This is wrong though. Liverpool were totally on it yesterday, and they worked their asses off closing down and pressing.

 

[Johnny J]

Imo yesterday was about players making ridiculous, pub-team level mistakes (hello Davies and Dier), and (assuming the players followed the game plan) Poch getting the tactics badly wrong.

Liverpool's entire plan, every game, and especially at Anfield, is to come out the blocks like Usain Bolt and try to get an early lead. They did exactly that to us. Because we weren't set up to soak up the early pressure and then hit them on the break, we left ourselves wide open. It was pathetic how easily they passed through us. According to OPTA, we conceded the most chances in the field half since OPTA first started recording statistics for us.

 

[PostmanNat]

This is what people forget and it constantly winds me up (this is not a dig at anyone in particular I just wanna add) they're not machines, they're human. Each one of those players is a person.

We cant just send them out there and press a button to play football and phone an engineer when something goes wrong. Just like you, or I, or anyone for that matter, were all the same. They're just like us, albeit they happen to be pretty f*cking good at football.

You have to be realistic with what you have. Sure at times mentality has got to us, it would be stupid of me to say otherwise, Newcastle being a good example. But take a look at our squad for god sake? They're only going to improve as they get older. You can't buy into MoPo's philosophy of building something from nothing (which we all agree takes time and love) and yet still demand results week in and week out pointing out our flaws on the next popular "spursy" dig when things don't go our way.

We have a bitchin team and a bitchin manager. If you look across the entire season we're f*cking smashing it, even with the odd (and just to reiterate perfectly normal and expected) set backs along the way.

P.s. Sorry if this seems a bit ranty and word vomitee, just smashed this out in a keyboard rage

 

[Mullers]

Having watched most of the seasons highs and lows, and culminating in last night's debacle, it's occurred to me that having the mental edge over rival teams far out ways the importance of the quality of playing personel.
For example, we played a much inferior (in terms of player quality) Sunderland team midweek (with our superior XI) and yet that advantage did not tip the result in our favour. Then yesterday, two relatively equally matched teams, one on a good run of former (us), and the other woefully lacking in confidence and form (liverpool). And yet the team on a bad run of former rolls over the other without breaking a sweat. How is this possible? How can the tables be turned so radically? And why is it so often Spurs that find ever more impressive ways of being on the receiving ends of results like this from positions of strength?
If the mods feel this thread need not exist, please delete. But our mentality is so much more than players ability, player value, player experience (after all, we have players that have won things before), and I don't know if we've debated this as such.
Sorry for the ramble, just interested to know what people's views and solutions might be to our seesaw mental strength.

It was a big game yesterday and Liverpool took it seriously. We haven't beaten Liverpool since 2013 and our Anfield record is poor, that gives Liverpool a boost, 2 quick goals and the game was over, felt just like old times.

 

[shelfboy68]

This is wrong though. Liverpool were totally on it yesterday, and they worked their asses off closing down and pressing.

They were and they were the same when we played them at the lane earlier in the season, they should of been out of sight by the time we got the equaliser.
It seems that we cannot deal with Liverpools quick in your face football and their pressing which considering that we use a form of pressing is curious.

 

[Bulletspur]

Then yesterday, two relatively equally matched teams, one on a good run of former (us), and the other woefully lacking in confidence and form (liverpool). And yet the team on a bad run of former rolls over the other without breaking a sweat. How is this possible? .

This is wrong though. Liverpool were totally on it yesterday, and they worked their asses off closing down and pressing.

I think this is what he is saying

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

This is wrong though. Liverpool were totally on it yesterday, and they worked their asses off closing down and pressing.

The problems started with Mane. His play over the first half an hour was fifty percent down the right wing (according to the stats). My thoughts were, were was the leadership on the pitch to tell Son to drop back and support Davies, and why the fuck did Poch not react to this as well?

All well and good having Lloris as Captain but what the fuck can he say from his position when everyone can see the the issues unfolding in front of them. Either Toby or Dembele needs to lead this side, or better still in the Summer bring in an experienced leader.

The result could have been so different had we adapted and changed, but away at Liverpool after going two goals down in under twenty minutes and impossible one to recover from. Just too many of the usual suspects not wanting to take ownership of the situation, either not being good enough at this level or mentally not accepting individual responsibility or both.

 

[danielneeds]

I think this is what he is saying

No, he said Liverpool ran through us without breaking sweat, I'm saying they worked themselves into the ground until their nuts were muddy to make us look awful.

 

[spurslenny]

This is wrong though. Liverpool were totally on it yesterday, and they worked their asses off closing down and pressing.

How is it wrong?

Liverpool were on a bad run of form and rolled us over with ease.

 

[danielneeds]

The problems started with Mane. His play over the first half an hour was fifty percent down the right wing (according to the stats). My thoughts were, were was the leadership on the pitch to tell Son to drop back and support Davies, and why the fuck did Poch not react to this as well?

All well and good having Lloris as Captain but what the fuck can he say from his position when everyone can see the the issues unfolding in front of them. Either Toby or Dembele needs to lead this side, or better still in the Summer bring in an experienced leader.

The result could have been so different had we adapted and changed, but away at Liverpool after going two goals down in under twenty minutes and impossible one to recover from. Just too many of the usual suspects not wanting to take ownership of the situation, either not being good enough at this level or mentally not accepting individual responsibility or both.

We know that we are a young team, and sometimes our game management and ability to react to problems on the pitch isn't great. It isn't something that can't be changed overnight, it's a gradual thing, with experience and hard work.

 

[danielneeds]

How is it wrong?

Liverpool were on a bad run of form and rolled us over with ease.

My point is that we have to accept when the opposition works as hard as they did, in a partisan home stadium, it's very difficult to counter. You have to be very smart and have a plan, and I don't think Poch did.

Too often we look at Spurs matches in a Spurs vacuum, it wasn't a stroll in the park for Liverpool. They sweated hard for it.

 

[spurslenny]

My point is that we have to accept when the opposition works as hard as they did, in a partisan home stadium, it's very difficult to counter. You have to be very smart and have a plan, and I don't think Poch did.

It wasn't a stroll in the park for Liverpool. They sweated hard for it.

OK well that's your opinion.

My opinion is that we didn't threaten them at all over the 90 mins and that I would doubt they will have an easy game against a top6 team.

And to counter their rampant style of football ? Well, approaching the game with the right mindset and preparation (both tactically and mentality) would be a good start. And we did neither. We sleepwalked into the game hoping for the best it seemed.

 

[Shadydan]

I don't have a problem with our mentality, I think we are progressing in the right direction, yesterday had nothing to do with mentality it was purely a tactical fuck up which wouldn't allow us to compete.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Win a trophy. It sounds like a cliche quick fix. It isn't. Until we win a trophy, we'll have a fickle mentality. When we do win a trophy, a new door will be opened.

 

[Spurger King]

OK well that's your opinion.

My opinion is that we didn't threaten them at all over the 90 mins and that I would doubt they will have an easy game against a top6 team.

And to counter their rampant style of football ? Well, approaching the game with the right mindset and preparation (both tactically and mentality) would be a good start. And we did neither. We sleepwalked into the game hoping for the best it seemed.

The players looked lost. They didn't seem comfortable with the setup, and that translated into a general lack of confidence.

I think 5 at the back, and probably Sissoko instead of Son would have made us much more solid and harder to break down.

With the setup we had, the least we should have done was match their pressing game. It was a total mess really.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

We know that we are a young team, and sometimes our game management and ability to react to problems on the pitch isn't great. It isn't something that can be changed overnight, it's a gradual thing, with experience and hard work.

Being young and naive is one thing, simply not being good enough at the very top level is not. The latter can be said of two or three of the current squad, and thats as plain as daylight when you look at our away performances against the top five or six teams we have played away over the past couple of seasons.

I am extremely happy with our progress, but am totally pissed off with our transfer policy. When i looked at our bench yesterday we didn't have anyone who would even worry Rochdale who we could bring on let alone Liverpool.

 

[Bobbins]

We know that we are a young team, and sometimes our game management and ability to react to problems on the pitch isn't great. It isn't something that can't be changed overnight, it's a gradual thing, with experience and hard work.

The young team excuse is going to wear thin one day though - and why if we're so young and inexperienced, and if it played a part in our collapse last season (as lots of people think) didn't we address that in the summer and add some more experience?

It may be that Poch only wants to work with young players but then that should be considered a fault in his philosophy if the young team line is going to be trotted out as an excuse for failure.

He can't have it both ways. Though I don't think the age and experience of the team had much effect yesterday compared to the tactical clusterfuck they were deployed with.