Match Ratings Ratings vs Crystal Palace

[Spurs_Bear]

121 voted for our two CB's. 16 for Lamela. 13 voted for Dembele. And you think my narrative is out of whack ?

I don't get what you mean, think?

 

[Styopa]

I think some of you are a being a little bit harsh about our performance. Whilst Palace are close to the foot of the table, they are pretty strong at home - neither Man City nor Chelsea won at Selhurst this season. In fact, since Hodgson took over I think the only other team to win at Palace is Arsenal. They're well organised and they set up to contain us, yet had we taken our chances we would have won about 3-0.

 

[mpickard2087]

Joint MOTM clearly goes to @Bus-Conductor and @Spurs_Bear for rolling back the years and engaging in a vintage ratings thread catfight.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I need more on the Wanyama/Dembele thing here.

Wanyama "had a very good game, seeing more ball than anyone blah blah blah..."

81 passes with 87% accuracy.

Dembele "looked laboured and didn't move the ball quick enough etc etc amen..."

75 passes with 92% accuracy.

One of those players was on the pitch for 10 minutes plus injury time longer than the other one.

Neither (according to whoscored) made any tackles.

BC Bingo. We're in Wilson Palacios/Tom Huddlestone territory here.

I feel like you’ve started posting regularly again just to piss of @Bus-Conductor

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I must say, I see @Bus-Conductor point about this performance not being anywhere near as bad as some people are saying. Palace set out to stop, to spoil and to defend en mass, we still created chances consistently and could’ve had the game wrapped up quickly but for Kane’s profligacy and two stonewall penalties being denied. Yes, it could’ve been better, and if our two fullbacks had their crossing boots on I imagine it would’ve been, but we stuck to our guns, kept playing football in line with our ideals and got the reward our play deserved. It would’ve been all too easy to start pinging long balls to Kane in hope that their centre backs fell asleep, instead we just kept them pinned back, kept looking for pockets of space and won because we deserved to win.

 

[Mr Pink]

I've just rewatched the game and I would say Eriksen was our best player, not really sure why Dier is getting so many votes. He was OK, nothing more, nothing less.

The genuine few moments of quality came from Eriksen though, and he misplaced more passes than he usually does.

It was a scrappy game that we dominated, and deserved to win, but enjoyable it wasn't bar the elation of a last minute winner.

88 minutes of pretty frustrating stuff in all honesty.

The way we responded to a disastrous start in Turin, to a European giant, isn't even in the same stratosphere to what we saw yesterday lol

 

[SpursSince1980]

With the exception of Aurier, I don't really feel anyone played poorly. Yes, I know Aurier put in a very important challenge, but he also has to live with 1) 3 foul throws 2) missing an open goal 3) only about to deliver 1.5 good crosses out of 10 or 12. Wasn't great.

Lloris -6 - had very little to do
Aurier - 4 - see above
Sanchez - 6 - did well when called upon
Dier - 7 - i give me a little bump over sanchez, as he played solidly, and considering he hasn't played at the back for a while, that was a strong performance.
Davies - 6 - good defensively. average offensively. i know he can do a lot better than that.

Wanyama - 6- clearly still rusty, but as the game went on, he seemed to improve
Dembele - 6 - he was good, but not quite up to the brilliance of his recent games

Eriksen - 6 - he was decent throughout, but had a few wayward passes.
Lamela - 6 - the effort was there, but the skill was floundering at times. he too is still getting match fit.
Alli - 7 - i like the way he's been playing recently. gone back to basic and working very hard.

Kane - 6 - he worked hard(ish), but missed a couple he'd normally put away. stuck it away though in the end.

SUBS:
Moura -6 - injected a bit of pace. but was trying to too hard.
Sonny NET

So, I'm gonna give MOM to Dier, for filling in at CB and keeping tabs on Benteke... allowing us to focus on attacking them.

RE Team Selection and Poch. By-n-large the selection looked good, but I don't get why he left Trippier out. I could understand if Zaha had played. Maybe he'd feel that Aurier could do a better job containing him. but it was obvious we were going to dominate possession and our full backs would get many chances to throw crosses into the box. there's simply no competition between the two when it comes to this skill. i'm a little perplexed as to why Poch didn't think it would help.

 

[smallsnc]

With the exception of Aurier, I don't really feel anyone played poorly. Yes, I know Aurier put in a very important challenge, but he also has to live with 1) 3 foul throws 2) missing an open goal 3) only about to deliver 1.5 good crosses out of 10 or 12. Wasn't great.

Lloris -6 - had very little to do
Aurier - 4 - see above
Sanchez - 6 - did well when called upon
Dier - 7 - i give me a little bump over sanchez, as he played solidly, and considering he hasn't played at the back for a while, that was a strong performance.
Davies - 6 - good defensively. average offensively. i know he can do a lot better than that.

Wanyama - 6- clearly still rusty, but as the game went on, he seemed to improve
Dembele - 6 - he was good, but not quite up to the brilliance of his recent games

Eriksen - 6 - he was decent throughout, but had a few wayward passes.
Lamela - 6 - the effort was there, but the skill was floundering at times. he too is still getting match fit.
Alli - 7 - i like the way he's been playing recently. gone back to basic and working very hard.

Kane - 6 - he worked hard(ish), but missed a couple he'd normally put away. stuck it away though in the end.

SUBS:
Moura -6 - injected a bit of pace. but was trying to too hard.
Sonny NET

So, I'm gonna give MOM to Dier, for filling in at CB and keeping tabs on Benteke... allowing us to focus on attacking them.

RE Team Selection and Poch. By-n-large the selection looked good, but I don't get why he left Trippier out. I could understand if Zaha had played. Maybe he'd feel that Aurier could do a better job containing him. but it was obvious we were going to dominate possession and our full backs would get many chances to throw crosses into the box. there's simply no competition between the two when it comes to this skill. i'm a little perplexed as to why Poch didn't think it would help.

Agree about Aurier selection but also would have liked Lucas or Sonny instead of Lamela, not because of quality but think the addrd width would have helped.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

I feel like you’ve started posting regularly again just to piss of @Bus-Conductor

My worry is what the fuck have you boys been letting him get away with for the last two years??

 

[dudu]

I'm also a little bamboozled by how so many thought that game was so dire, but were raving about how wonderful the Juve game was. Both games followed similar patterns, except one of them didn't feature us being fucking clowns for the first twenty minutes, then also giving up another penalty and a handful of other great chances the opposition.

Both games featured us relentlessly pinning the other team back, but against Palace we got into a shitload more good attacking positions, made even more great chances that Kane wasted, and actually won the game, not drew it.

Now I know Palace are a fuckload shitter than Juve, but both games we basically dominated with some good approach play, both games we wasted chances and both were rescued by Kane and an Eriksen set piece. Eriksen was the only player in both games who performed.

Winning these types of games is us being like proper teams. Like how Utd and Arsenal used to win championships.

With regards to those saying Eriksen wasn't great. He fucked up one very good chance to shoot from the edge of the box. Apart from that he did what he usually does - saw shit loads more ball than most AM's do, more than most CM's do, set up Kane for an absolute sitter with a sublime bit of improvisation, played a great ball that Alli fluffed, for a guy who's remit is to make these kind of passes and put also put balls into the box his completion was still bloody high (84% - which is higher than tubby Hudd's was most weeks @Spurs_Bear ) and he still set up the winning goal as well. You take Eriksen out of that game, it becomes Newport, or worse, Southampton away.

But hey, lets give it to Dier because his eyes are bluer.

I agree with a lot of what you say here.

My opinion about MOTM is somewhat in line with your overall sentiment in that I dont think there was a MOTM. We ground out a result as a team and our grit and determination took us over the line. All our players were sloppy in possession - no one really covered themselves in glory but as a team we came through and finished the job.

 

[TEESSIDE1]

I must say, I see @Bus-Conductor point about this performance not being anywhere near as bad as some people are saying. Palace set out to stop, to spoil and to defend en mass, we still created chances consistently and could’ve had the game wrapped up quickly but for Kane’s profligacy and two stonewall penalties being denied. Yes, it could’ve been better, and if our two fullbacks had their crossing boots on I imagine it would’ve been, but we stuck to our guns, kept playing football in line with our ideals and got the reward our play deserved. It would’ve been all too easy to start pinging long balls to Kane in hope that their centre backs fell asleep, instead we just kept them pinned back, kept looking for pockets of space and won because we deserved to win.

It was one those performances that would be deemed decent or a disaster pending the result. We won, we created chances and dominated the game. Had we drew then it was 2 pts dropped that at this stage we can’t afford to drop. Performance wise, Poch would have been criticised due to the late subs and keeping both Dembele and Wanyama on for an eternity when it was clear they weren’t needed.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I feel like you’ve started posting regularly again just to piss of @Bus-Conductor

He’s not back to piss me off, he’s back cause he can’t get enough of me.

I’m the Elizabeth Taylor to his Richard Burton.