Our Poor European Form

[Krafty]

Not enough technical ability and nous for me. We only seem to operate when going at 100mph, which is fine when you can do that but when you cant, when form or fitness prohibits it, when the opposition can stop you, when you play the likes of Sissoko, then you need to be able to play another way.

We don't have the pace up top to play on the counter, we don't have the wingers to play wide, and we don't have the technical ability to play possession football and slowly open up teams. There are a lot of good players but the squad is still not fully shaped. The summer window was a step backwards, sadly.

 

[sunnydelight786]

Our recent record in Europe:

LLLWDLLWLD

2 wins out of 10 games.

All the excuses in the world can cover that woeful record. We are a utter embarrassment in Europe yet our fan base have the cheek to laugh at AFC record in the CL

 

[Stavrogin]

We don't have the pace up top to play on the counter, we don't have the wingers to play wide, and we don't have the technical ability to play possession football and slowly open up teams. There are a lot of good players but the squad is still not fully shaped. The summer window was a step backwards, sadly.

I think we do have sufficient players to patiently open teams up but they're too inconsistent in their mentality/composure. If everything is going well i'd be confident we can create chance and score against stubborn opponents. But if things are getting tense, you just know they're going to shoot aimlessly or force a pass that has no hope of succeeding.

Is it just because they are young and often under a lot of pressure? Are they generally too 'nice'? Do we need one player with that psychopathic, spiteful kind of intelligence who is oblivious to pressure or context?

 

[Krafty]

I think we do have sufficient players to patiently open teams up but they're too inconsistent in their mentality/composure. If everything is going well i'd be confident we can create chance and score against stubborn opponents. But if things are getting tense, you just know they're going to shoot aimlessly or force a pass that has no hope of succeeding.

Is it just because they are young and often under a lot of pressure? Are they generally too 'nice'? Do we need one player with that psychopathic, spiteful kind of intelligence who is oblivious to pressure or context?

I feel it is a combination of not having enough players who can do something out of nothing (think Bale) and not having a good enough foundation. There are plenty of positives, but we are lacking proper wingers that can offer width up the pitch, we do like to play with two out and out strikers, we don't have rapid pace in the forwards (Son maybe aside) nor a target man, which means if plan A doesn't work, there is no alternative.

 

[SUIYHA]

Our recent record in Europe:

LLLWDLLWLD

2 wins out of 10 games.

Dreadful. Both against CSKA Moscow too.

Some more horrifying statistics to look at. Let's analyse our away record in Europe:

In our last 11 European away days, we have scored just five goals, two of which were penalties.

We haven't scored more than once in a European away game since beating Asteras Tripoli in November 2014.

Enjoy European away days do you? Tell me which one your favourite was - here are the list of teams we've beaten in our 31 games since Crouch scored at the San Siro in 2011:

CSKA Moscow
Qarabag
Asteras Tripoli
AEL Limassol
Tromso IL
FC Sheriff
Anzi Makhachkala
Dinamo Tbilisi
Shamrock Rovers
Heart of Midlothian

None from the top five ranked European leagues, and based on this season's rankings, only two from the top twelve leagues (one of which was relegated the year we beat them), and only three from the top 23 leagues.


You know what the worst thing about last night was? That it wasn't a complete shock. We've been shit in Europe for a long time now.

Christ we'd better beat Stoke this weekend...

 

[knowlespurs]

the most worrying thing for me is that we arent beating pretty poor teams, at the game last night Gent were awful, they were a championship team and will get hammered in the next round, Leverkusen were poor and we couldnt score against them.

 

[shelfboy68]

All the excuses in the world can cover that woeful record. We are a utter embarrassment in Europe yet our fan base have the cheek to laugh at AFC record in the CL

We are arsenal of the europa league.

 

[djw1973]

And now we have to put up with shit like this from dreamteamfc among other sites/trolls/slags

Mauricio Pochettino appointed Brexit adviser after leaving Europe twice in two months

 

[yido_number1]

Only upside is we can focus on the league now. At least our season isn't over like it would of been in the past and we are actually competing really well in the league these days. Hopefully we can use the window to improve the attacking replacements to make up for Sissoko and keep the progression.

 

[djw1973]

We would have got Genk FFS....and Manure get Rostov!

 

[Hazardousman]

Dreadful. Both against CSKA Moscow too.

Some more horrifying statistics to look at. Let's analyse our away record in Europe:

In our last 11 European away days, we have scored just five goals, two of which were penalties.

We haven't scored more than once in a European away game since beating Asteras Tripoli in November 2014.

Enjoy European away days do you? Tell me which one your favourite was - here are the list of teams we've beaten in our 31 games since Crouch scored at the San Siro in 2011:

CSKA Moscow
Qarabag
Asteras Tripoli
AEL Limassol
Tromso IL
FC Sheriff
Anzi Makhachkala
Dinamo Tbilisi
Shamrock Rovers
Heart of Midlothian

None from the top five ranked European leagues, and based on this season's rankings, only two from the top twelve leagues (one of which was relegated the year we beat them), and only three from the top 23 leagues.


You know what the worst thing about last night was? That it wasn't a complete shock. We've been shit in Europe for a long time now.

Christ we'd better beat Stoke this weekend...

At this point I think we are more likely to draw, truth be told we could be looking at our first loss at the lane in the league this season after this week, I just hope the confidence isn't knocked too much, that's the problem right now, how much will Gent beating us have an affect on our confidence?

I am also worried that without Rose our left side is going to get exposed and I think Poch will be reluctant to play with 3 at the back again which will limit us in attack.

Say what we want about last night but we looked more dangerous going forward than we have done in weeks and that's down to the formation which allows Eriksen to influence things more imo.

 

[ljinko888]

We need to evolve our style of football in Europe so it's not dependent on pressing.

We have to work smarter not harder. We put a lot of huff and puff in Europe without much reward while our opponents cut us apart in a few slick passes. I'm looking at Monaco and Leverkusen as flagging examples.

Off the ball movement is crucial but we also need creative forwards who have a bit of spark to make their own space. I would say Son can do this but he has consistency issues. We need more.

This gives us a counter attack threat so we don't have to press. Having more gifted footballers allows us to control games more.

 

[shelfboy68]

We need to evolve our style of football in Europe so it's not dependent on pressing.

We have to work smarter not harder. We put a lot of huff and puff in Europe without much reward while our opponents cut us apart in a few slick passes. I'm looking at Monaco and Leverkusen as flagging examples.

Off the ball movement is crucial but we also need creative forwards who have a bit of spark to make their own space. I would say Son can do this but he has consistency issues. We need more.

This gives us a counter attack threat so we don't have to press. Having more gifted footballers allows us to control games more.

Yes better quality in the squad is what we need will we get unlikely.

 

[Spurs 1961]

It's time to stop talking of our team as 'young' Look at what the kids of Monaco have done and we should realise that talented youth can reach decent heights. It has been said a lot this season but winning something I think is crucial to win something now hence the Europa Cup had to be taken seriously.

 

[Shadydan]

It's time to stop talking of our team as 'young' Look at what the kids of Monaco have done and we should realise that talented youth can reach decent heights. It has been said a lot this season but winning something I think is crucial to win something now hence the Europa Cup had to be taken seriously.

Whilst I agree I think the fact that we're playing in the most demanding league in the world means it's difficult to compare, League 1 isn't a patch on the Premiership in terms of intensity, scheduling and competitiveness so it doesn't surprise me that a young team such as Monaco and their players can play to their full potential without as much pressure as they would be under if they played here.

 

[danielneeds]

We need to evolve our style of football in Europe so it's not dependent on pressing.

We have to work smarter not harder. We put a lot of huff and puff in Europe without much reward while our opponents cut us apart in a few slick passes. I'm looking at Monaco and Leverkusen as flagging examples.

Off the ball movement is crucial but we also need creative forwards who have a bit of spark to make their own space. I would say Son can do this but he has consistency issues. We need more.

This gives us a counter attack threat so we don't have to press. Having more gifted footballers allows us to control games more.

It's true - two legged knock out football is a very different beast to the PL. You look at managers who've been standout in Europe - people like Mourinho and Benitez - they know how to set up a team to grind out a result away from home.

Poch is still evolving as a manager, This was his first year as a coach in the CL, he'll have learned a lot hopefully.

 

[Spurs 1961]

Whilst I agree I think the fact that we're playing in the most demanding league in the world means it's difficult to compare, League 1 isn't a patch on the Premiership in terms of intensity, scheduling and competitiveness so it doesn't surprise me that a young team such as Monaco and their players can play to their full potential without as much pressure as they would be under if they played here.

What you say has a lot of merit in it the problem is we can never find out for certain as the schedules are so different

 

[Hazelton]

But, and I doubt this will be popular, I also don't think that we, and by extension English football, are as good as we think we are. Especially tactically. Teams who we enjoy a massive financial advantage over seem to be better drilled and able to carry out their game plan.

This is essentially it for me. The Premier League is the most tightly contested league in the world, but our bigger teams do suffer as a result. The likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG, Juventus etc can usually afford to rest their best players in the league games and make the Champions League the priority. We can't rest players against anyone in the Premier League because almost every team can beat you on their day.

Squad rotation and, by extension, squad depth, is the key. Our starting eleven is very good, the best Spurs team I've seen in my lifetime, but as soon as one piece is taken out, you start to worry. Vertonghen gets injured? Oh... Alderweireld gets injured? Oh... Rose gets injured? Oh... Dembele gets injured? Oh... and so on.

 

[sunnydelight786]

Only upside is we can focus on the league now. At least our season isn't over like it would of been in the past and we are actually competing really well in the league these days. Hopefully we can use the window to improve the attacking replacements to make up for Sissoko and keep the progression.

I read/heard that same BS line last season after getting dicked by BVB, how did that one work out again....?

 

[faze_coys]

This is essentially it for me. The Premier League is the most tightly contested league in the world, but our bigger teams do suffer as a result. The likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG, Juventus etc can usually afford to rest their best players in the league games and make the Champions League the priority. We can't rest players against anyone in the Premier League because almost every team can beat you on their day.

None of them teams rest key players tho?

The real reason English teams do not do aswell in Europe is simply because they are not as good as everyone likes to think they are, whether it's tactically or for squad personnel