Premier League 2016/17

[thebenjamin]

This summer they spent their £30m on Mané. We spent it on Sissoko.

To me that says absolutely everything about the difference in style between Pochettino and Klopp.

I love Poch but he is very much defence first, Klopp is much more gung ho and risky.

The reward of taking such risks is that when it works you do what Liverpool are doing now. Of course it may blow up in their faces at some point but without European football I can't see it happening.

No, that's just a simple case of £70K a week vs £130K a week. Poch has already said he wanted Mane. We couldn't afford his wages.

 

[DIEHARD]

It's not too much to do with individuals. It's got a lot to do with our tactics this season. We had the players last season so we have players this season, it's our slow play that's the issue.

We don't have the squad in my view but have players when fully fit but they need the tactics to adopt.

 

[CowInAComa]

What bearing does us not scoring have on Liverpool beating everyone at the moment?

Who said it did?

It has a bearing on the league table and why we are going backwards whilst they are going up.

 

[thebenjamin]

Who said it did?

It has a bearing on the league table and why we are going backwards whilst they are going up.

But they are beating everyone else but us. We can't stop them winning games. Our scoring drought has nothing to do with their form.

We're 3 points off the top and unbeaten. Not exactly what I'd class as 'going backwards'.

It's pretty obvious we can't play without Kane, we can't support the absence of Kane. If Kane's injured, we aren't going to win very many games or score many goals. If he'd had this injury last season, we wouldn't have won as many games as we did. So we're just muddling through until he's back.

The club could have gone out and bought an established magic player who dribbles past people and scores 15 goals from wide areas, but we don't invest the type of money in wages to buy an established player of that type. Had we done that we'd be in with a real shout of the title, but we didn't, so again we're relying on Kane scoring all our goals.

 

[eddiev14]

No, that's just a simple case of £70K a week vs £130K a week. Poch has already said he wanted Mane. We couldn't afford his wages.

Ok if he wanted Mané and lost out then why did he not buy a cheaper version of Mané?

I get the wages thing but there's always another, less proven player out there with the same skill set.

And even if you argue, which I would, that it's not Pochettino's fault and the blame lies entirely with our scouting and ability to tie up deals - both of which are embarrassingly poor - all ITK and reports suggest that Pochettino was the one who pushed Levy hard to sign Sissoko on deadline day.

So he wanted him and, let's be honest, it's not going to be for his attacking prowess now, is it? It's because he's athletic and strong, which is what Poch likes.

And that's fine to a point. However I think he's in a situation now where he's signed lots of fit, athletic players who are good at pressing but has under appreciated the benefit of guile and creativity.

Even the great disciplinarians like Ferguson appreciated the need for the odd maverick and adapted their team structure to make sure getting the best out of them was not to the detriment of the team.

IMO this is something Poch needs to learn and adapt to doing, which is why I was particularly excited to hear we were going for Isco in the summer.

 

[CowInAComa]

But they are beating everyone else but us. We can't stop them winning games. Our scoring drought has nothing to do with their form.

We're 3 points off the top and unbeaten. Not exactly what I'd class as 'going backwards'.

It's pretty obvious we can't play without Kane, we can't support the absence of Kane. If Kane's injured, we aren't going to win very many games or score many goals. If he'd had this injury last season, we wouldn't have won as many games as we did. So we're just muddling through until he's back.

The club could have gone out and bought an established magic player who dribbles past people and scores 15 goals from wide areas, but we don't invest the type of money in wages to buy an established player of that type. Had we done that we'd be in with a real shout of the title, but we didn't, so again we're relying on Kane scoring all our goals.

Ah the mythical 'missing piece of the jigsaw' player. The reoccuring excuse handed down through the ages. If its not Moutinho, its Leandro, and now I assume its Mane?

Or maybe, we should coach some proactive progressive football rather than the risk averse halfwit bollocks we try to pull off ever week.

Other teams create and score goals without Harry Kane up front and Ronaldinho on the wing. How do you explain that?

 

[Shadydan]

No, that's just a simple case of £70K a week vs £130K a week. Poch has already said he wanted Mane. We couldn't afford his wages.

We also missed out on Wijnaldam and Isco for the record, we just have to face it attacking players tend to cost more than defensive players in terms of wages so to entice the top class ones we will always be 2nd best.

 

[thebenjamin]

Ah the mythical 'missing piece of the jigsaw' player. The reoccuring excuse handed down through the ages. If its not Moutinho, its Leandro, and now I assume its Mane?

Or maybe, we should coach some proactive progressive football rather than the risk averse halfwit bollocks we try to pull off ever week.

Other teams create and score goals without Harry Kane up front and Ronaldinho on the wing. How do you explain that?

Not sure what your point is. We are punching massively above our weight overall. And the club is in better shape than it has been in decades.

But if you think Pochettino isn't the right manager for spurs then good luck to you.

 

[Hazardousman]

I think Liverpool and City will be the top two. Not sure which order but I definitely think they are the best two teams in the league this season.

Arsenal will be just behind them in 3rd and there will be a fight between us, Chelsea and United for 4th.

I know many of you won't like sending such a compliment their way but the flair in that Liverpool side is just wonderful and I can't help but feel rather envious of the way they are blitzing teams with all those goals scored. Reminds me a bit of the games under Redknapp when it all clicked.

Looking at City, Arsenal and Liverpool I think their flair players who can do something out of nothing are what give them the edge on us, and help them to get past the teams we struggle to beat in a tight game. You could say the same about Hazard at Chelsea.

And this is why it should be considered a huge failure if they finish above us, last season Liverpool were nowhere near us, we had the summer to strengthen knowing our flaws and if Liverpool were to finish above us that would be an indication that we didn't seize the opportunity to improve, both in terms of players and tactically because people forget that aside from Mane and a few others, this is essentially the same Liverpool side that finished behind us the season prior.

We have nobody to blame but ourselves if they finish above us because last season the only real two teams that underperformed with their players were City and Chelsea imo, the rest were exactly where they should be.

This season it seems like WE are the team underperforming, we aren't anywhere near our levels of last season both in terms of pressing or attacking intent and I feel that's because we failed yet again in the transfer market and we have failed to adapt, it also looks like for some players and even our manager somewhat that we are a little complacent, although that is solely my opinion and I could be wrong.

On the flip side the Liverpool players look hungry and like the shackles are off, I think that's the difference, WE aren't at the level we are capable of and that's something that lays on the shoulders of Poch and possibly our recruitment (Sissoko for example.)

 

[Hazardousman]

All bullshit excuses.

We had a huge head start on them developmentwise and Klopp has them beating us all ends up on every criteria apart from our stupid unbeaten run in a matter of months. Despite Milner at left back and Henderson as captain and a comedy defence. Those are facts.

We havent scored in open play for 360 minutes, not sure how much of that is due to Liverpool's superior wage bill.

Exactly, he has turned them around and got them looking like this despite an utterly shambolic transfer policy and quite frankly, a rather mediocre side as evidenced by the fact Mane is the only real difference for them in comparison to other seasons and yet we have finished above them for years now.

I think what I get from all of this is, Klopp actually is a very good manager, it pains me to say it but he is and he himself may be the difference here.

 

[DIEHARD]

I like how contemporary saw something that needed to change and he changed tactics. As a result they've overtaken us in great fashion. You can prevent goals and score at the same time.

We don't.

 

[Pellshek]

Spurs win: I'm engaged with the weekend's football, check the results, look at the table, watch MOTD, visit & post on the forums...

Spurs lose: Total tune-out.

 

[eddiev14]

And this is why it should be considered a huge failure if they finish above us, last season Liverpool were nowhere near us, we had the summer to strengthen knowing our flaws and if Liverpool were to finish above us that would be an indication that we didn't seize the opportunity to improve, both in terms of players and tactically because people forget that aside from Mane and a few others, this is essentially the same Liverpool side that finished behind us the season prior.

We have nobody to blame but ourselves if they finish above us because last season the only real two teams that underperformed with their players were City and Chelsea imo, the rest were exactly where they should be.

This season it seems like WE are the team underperforming, we aren't anywhere near our levels of last season both in terms of pressing or attacking intent and I feel that's because we failed yet again in the transfer market and we have failed to adapt, it also looks like for some players and even our manager somewhat that we are a little complacent, although that is solely my opinion and I could be wrong.

On the flip side the Liverpool players look hungry and like the shackles are off, I think that's the difference, WE aren't at the level we are capable of and that's something that lays on the shoulders of Poch and possibly our recruitment (Sissoko for example.)

Yeah, agree. Although most of us would've said exactly the opposite after the City match.

We have to start using big victories as a marker for performance, and then push on with a string of victories.

Has to start Sunday.

 

[heelspurs]

I like how contemporary saw something that needed to change and he changed tactics. As a result they've overtaken us in great fashion. You can prevent goals and score at the same time.

We don't.

And neither does Liverpool. It's just the opposite problem. We don't score right now but we did last year. And we are still creating chances. We are not being clinical. And thus far this year we have not had a settled side (suspensions, injuries, etc). We will be fine by the end ans still will not be conceding goals. Liverpool will continue to let them in for fun.

 

[rocklink]

I still think this Liverpool team will burn out, and when they do they won't have the joys of a solid defence to rely on. Arsenal and City will be in it for the long haul though.

I think spurs will burn out , not liverpool

 

[TheChosenOne]

So .. Stoke vs Swansea tonight...

A tale of two cities - What the Dickens is that all about ?

 

[DIEHARD]

If Routledge ever scored a header against any of my defenders I would haul their ass off and fire the fucker,

 

[yankspurs]

Routledge you idiot

 

[LSUY]

Got to hand it to Mark Hughes. He's got Stoke playing much more entertaining football. That Arnautovic pass was wonderful.

 

[Dirty Ewok]

and Sunderland are down 1-0 to Bournemouth 10min into the match....