Bus-Conductor
SC Supporter
- Oct 19, 2004
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- 50,713
(Not so) Dope on A Rope
For 60-70 minutes that was an absolutely absorbing game. One of those games where even though things weren't all going our way, it was still hard to take your eyes off it or get too wound up, there was just so much happening.
I'm not sure how much of how we played, and ultimately, won this game was part of a grand plan, maybe much of it, maybe some of it, maybe none of it, maybe Poch wanted us to jab and move a fair bit more early on, but watching us sit on the ropes and take jab after jab but then spring out with killer punches was a bloody thrilling novelty to behold.
I thought for a game like that, even if Alli wasnt suspended, Son was absolutely the right choice, yes, he can be a little erratic at times, but no worse than Alli, and what he does bring is energy on the counter, and he used that energy brilliantly to open the scoring and was a genuinely lively threat throughout, and if he'd been passed to a couple more times in great positions, he'd have possibly had another goal, although to be fair, he did blow one such chance too.
In theory this was a better balanced choice for the CM3 too, swapping out Sissoko for Dembele, I completely understand and agree with the change, but for 60 minutes Dembele really struggled to cope with the ferocity of Dortmund's press. He's used to being able to buy himself time with a twist and twirl, but this Dortmund team don't take that kind of prisoner, and without the ball it was even worse, as the game fizzed around him, and this was never more evident than for their goal, where he was left bewildered, by their zip zip passing. Dier too was having a tough time of it first half, chasing shadows, and the pair of them made about 6 passes between them, and also struggled to stem the death by a thousand cuts football that was suffocating us, the pair of them barely getting a tackle in.
The second half started pretty similarly to how the first finished, but various facets were gradually changing, we were starting to scare them more and more on the break, they got very unlucky with a perfectly good goal being chalked off at 1-2, and then on the hour we did manage to punish them again. The first two goals had been largely solo efforts, this one more team construct, the ball inevitably flowing through Eriksen and dispatched by Kane. Now the dynamics were really changing, Dortmund had to keep trying to go forward, but they their energy was wilting, a combination of 60 minutes of high octane effort and the constant wounding that exposure brought them was curbing their enthusiasm to chase back as ferociously as they pressed forward and we were getting at them time and time again.
Like a boxer who's had his stomach, ribs and kidneys constantly jabbed, weary Dortmund were now much less reluctant to throw punches, and the last 20-25 minutes was pretty comfortable.
There were good performances from several players. Kane struggled a bit to hold the ball first half when we needed it, but did set Son away for his goal and second half he worked his bollocks off and was bloody superb, wasted a couple of situations but also made a couple more and scored vital goals himself. The two full backs were decent, good energy, Aurier was a bit positionally lax a couple of times first half and didn't really deliver much in terms of offensive end product, but was a powerful and pacey second half and is a ferocious competitor. Davies has probably had two of his best games for us in the space of 7 days.
Eriksen is just so fucking vital, even on a day like this when he's spent 60 minutes struggling for oxygen, given that CM3 role again, he saw more ball than any other mid/forw, made 5 key passes and gradually, quietly as ever, became the most influential player on the pitch.
All the CB's were damn good throughout and kept us in it first half, but Vertonghen was fucking imperious tonight. Gets my MOTM.
Individual
Lloris - Good game, one great bit of sweeping.
Aurier - Mixed bag first half, very good second half.
TA - Rock solid.
DS - This kid's slipped right in nicely. Couple of iffy moments but generally, considering the test, was damn good.
JV - Rolls Royce performance. Imperious. MOTM
Davies - Poch has clearly worked with him, got him getting forwards much better, and he's just had his best week in a spurs shirt IMO.
Eriksen - Week afteer week this diminutive, unassuming Dane leaves his mark all over games.
Dier/Dembele - Punch drunk first 60 minutes, took a 9 count, got up off the floor and managed to duck and move the last 5 rounds.
Son - Brilliant early burst of energy and was a lively thorn at various stages, wasted a great chance, but got himself into several great positions and didn't always get the service his runs merited.
Kane - His first goal typified him - all determination. There some slack moments where he could have had a surer hold up touch first half, but second half he was very, very good, worked his nuts off and caused them all sorts of problems.
For 60-70 minutes that was an absolutely absorbing game. One of those games where even though things weren't all going our way, it was still hard to take your eyes off it or get too wound up, there was just so much happening.
I'm not sure how much of how we played, and ultimately, won this game was part of a grand plan, maybe much of it, maybe some of it, maybe none of it, maybe Poch wanted us to jab and move a fair bit more early on, but watching us sit on the ropes and take jab after jab but then spring out with killer punches was a bloody thrilling novelty to behold.
I thought for a game like that, even if Alli wasnt suspended, Son was absolutely the right choice, yes, he can be a little erratic at times, but no worse than Alli, and what he does bring is energy on the counter, and he used that energy brilliantly to open the scoring and was a genuinely lively threat throughout, and if he'd been passed to a couple more times in great positions, he'd have possibly had another goal, although to be fair, he did blow one such chance too.
In theory this was a better balanced choice for the CM3 too, swapping out Sissoko for Dembele, I completely understand and agree with the change, but for 60 minutes Dembele really struggled to cope with the ferocity of Dortmund's press. He's used to being able to buy himself time with a twist and twirl, but this Dortmund team don't take that kind of prisoner, and without the ball it was even worse, as the game fizzed around him, and this was never more evident than for their goal, where he was left bewildered, by their zip zip passing. Dier too was having a tough time of it first half, chasing shadows, and the pair of them made about 6 passes between them, and also struggled to stem the death by a thousand cuts football that was suffocating us, the pair of them barely getting a tackle in.
The second half started pretty similarly to how the first finished, but various facets were gradually changing, we were starting to scare them more and more on the break, they got very unlucky with a perfectly good goal being chalked off at 1-2, and then on the hour we did manage to punish them again. The first two goals had been largely solo efforts, this one more team construct, the ball inevitably flowing through Eriksen and dispatched by Kane. Now the dynamics were really changing, Dortmund had to keep trying to go forward, but they their energy was wilting, a combination of 60 minutes of high octane effort and the constant wounding that exposure brought them was curbing their enthusiasm to chase back as ferociously as they pressed forward and we were getting at them time and time again.
Like a boxer who's had his stomach, ribs and kidneys constantly jabbed, weary Dortmund were now much less reluctant to throw punches, and the last 20-25 minutes was pretty comfortable.
There were good performances from several players. Kane struggled a bit to hold the ball first half when we needed it, but did set Son away for his goal and second half he worked his bollocks off and was bloody superb, wasted a couple of situations but also made a couple more and scored vital goals himself. The two full backs were decent, good energy, Aurier was a bit positionally lax a couple of times first half and didn't really deliver much in terms of offensive end product, but was a powerful and pacey second half and is a ferocious competitor. Davies has probably had two of his best games for us in the space of 7 days.
Eriksen is just so fucking vital, even on a day like this when he's spent 60 minutes struggling for oxygen, given that CM3 role again, he saw more ball than any other mid/forw, made 5 key passes and gradually, quietly as ever, became the most influential player on the pitch.
All the CB's were damn good throughout and kept us in it first half, but Vertonghen was fucking imperious tonight. Gets my MOTM.
Individual
Lloris - Good game, one great bit of sweeping.
Aurier - Mixed bag first half, very good second half.
TA - Rock solid.
DS - This kid's slipped right in nicely. Couple of iffy moments but generally, considering the test, was damn good.
JV - Rolls Royce performance. Imperious. MOTM
Davies - Poch has clearly worked with him, got him getting forwards much better, and he's just had his best week in a spurs shirt IMO.
Eriksen - Week afteer week this diminutive, unassuming Dane leaves his mark all over games.
Dier/Dembele - Punch drunk first 60 minutes, took a 9 count, got up off the floor and managed to duck and move the last 5 rounds.
Son - Brilliant early burst of energy and was a lively thorn at various stages, wasted a great chance, but got himself into several great positions and didn't always get the service his runs merited.
Kane - His first goal typified him - all determination. There some slack moments where he could have had a surer hold up touch first half, but second half he was very, very good, worked his nuts off and caused them all sorts of problems.
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