Ratings vs Liverpool

[Cravenspurs]

Just watched the game and here are my thoughts:

1) we are lucky to have that Frenchman behind the sticks
2) Dembele is a beast, BUT must be quicker to get the ball moving
3a) Son made great runs behind the back four
3b) Dier found Son on those runs behind he line
3c) We need those runs behind the line that Son is making
4) Kane is so quick mentally. Granted could have been a bit quicker with his choices in the first half.
5) should have won the game as we managed most of the game

 

[dannythomas]

We were away to a good Liverpool team who have gone up 3 levels since Klopp took over. A ground where we habitually lose. We went a goal down and came back yet again. We could have easily won it in the last few minutes. We had the majority of possession, 18 shots , 5 on target . It's a measure of how far we have come that people are complaining about so much. We have lost 4 games all season FFS.
Once again the Dier - Dembele combo plays and we don't lose. Outstanding performances from Lloris, Toby, Rose and Eriksen . Dembele was our best player in the second half and another great goal from Kane with a wonderful assist from Eriksen.
Not everything was perfect of course but I never expected us to win the league and if we finish top 3 it will have been a great season way better than expected . And we can only get better with the youngest team in the league.

 

[bubble07]

Not sure about that. Son was debutising for Lamela who is one of the first names on the teamsheet. And Son his still adapting to the league. I wouldn't say it's an essential area to strengthen. Especially with Onomah developing and Pritchard to return.

We need a serious world class player to play in 1 of the 3 positions behind Kane who produces goals and assists. If we can secure automatic CL we can attract one

 

[Borks]

Eriksen lost the ball on the edge of our box and then lost it in the middle of the park before the Coutinho dive. Other than the assist (which he did well for) he offered very little. Corners were generally shocking and free kicks were poor but that doesn't stop half of SC rating him up there with Hugo (who was immense) for the match yesterday

Fuck me, it's actually painful reading this tripe.

 

[The Apprentice]

Eriksen lost the ball on the edge of our box and then lost it in the middle of the park before the Coutinho dive. Other than the assist (which he did well for) he offered very little. Corners were generally shocking and free kicks were poor but that doesn't stop half of SC rating him up there with Hugo (who was immense) for the match yesterday

Fuck me, it's actually painful reading this tripe.

Quite.

 

[Borks]

Quite.

Obviously he didn't lose the ball twice, take poor corners or poor free kicks. I'm making it all up you see. Eriksen never dangles a leg out when pressing, he always fully commits to any challenge.

 

[UpTownSpur]

You love to envisage outlandish comments which have never been made ("only he could do that"), whilst simultaneously missing the irony of people talking about him when he doesn't play, even though you pick him out for individual criticism every time he does.

11 players and subs gave everything for the club and got us a point in a very difficult game and someone gives the MOTM to someone who didn't even play on the basis it proved his value to team? If I was as petty and sad as that player's hard core fan club I'd have given him a well deserved neg rating, but I'm not, so pulled him up on it. I support Spurs, not any one particular player, and I don't seek denigrate half the team to try and make my favourite player look good.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I remain nonplussed by Son, he's not the most sure footed or composed that's for sure, he's more direct than clever, but you are never going to see the best of a forward playing in him once every few weeks that's for sure.

 

[dannythomas]

I remain nonplussed by Son, he's not the most sure footed or composed that's for sure, he's more direct than clever, but you are never going to see the best of a forward playing in him once every few weeks that's for sure.

I'm not sure he fits into our team formation. When he played in Germany wasn't he more like a number 10 ? Here we are using him mostly right side of the 3,. Lamela is better at that than Son. In fact his best game was in the Leicester cup replay when Kane didn't play and Chadli and Son played in a kind of 4-4-2 .

 

[Mornstar]

I've slated walker and rose in the past but I must say both have come on leaps and bounds in recent weeks. Rose in particular seems to be the one engineering a lot of our good attacking moves these days...long may it continue

 

[JonnySpurs]

It's funny, I didn't think Son was particularly poor. He wasn't brilliant either but I think he is being held to seemingly very high standards. I have no doubts he will be a big player for us next season. Overall I thought he was bright and busy and tried to press as much as he could. His touch is a bit off at the moment and he does seem to need 1 too many touches at times but I feel confidence and sharpness will alleviate this.

The worst thing he did was get caught on the ball which led to Sturridge's first shot at goal but that was as much about our insistence on playing out from the back when Liverpool were pressing high. He also could have been in on goal very early on after forcing one of the Liverpool players into coughing it up to Walker only for Kyle to overhit his pass horribly. Besides that he had a cracking effort at goal when it was chipped over the Pool back 4 and he hit it on the volley as it came over his shoulder. Incredibly hard skill which he so nearly executed.

I think Son has shown flashes of his brilliance this season which we will only see more of as time goes on. He's not had a good run of games yet and had the odd injury to compound that. He'll be key for us next year I think.

Lastly, I love seeing Dembele get so much praise. I think from a defensive stand point he was outstanding. He won the ball back repeatedly with his trademark strength and athleticism. I have always been one of his biggest fans but actually I think he had a weak first half. In total he was dispossessed 5 times which is quite a lot and I felt he stuggled at times. That said he clearly redemeed himself in the 2nd which is why I think everyone is so high on him today as they're forgetting his 1st 45 mins. It's also worth noting that Dier didn't track Coutinho for his goal as he flew straight past him from his 1-2 with Sturridge. Shows that as good as he's been this season, he still has things to learn.

Overall I was pleased with the performance and actually felt a draw was fair. Plenty more twists and turns to come in this title chase I feel, despite Leicester undeservedly winning yesterday.

 

[cliff jones]

Felt we played well, shame Liverpool did too.

The three behind h failed to click, but then h himself made two or three poor choices when we had them on the run in the final third. Still h got my vote for yet again making the difference.

Too much hate for Son, when he wasn't as wasteful as others and went mighty close with the volley. Too much love for a bloke who didn't play, even if he has had a far better season and may well have made a difference but we will never know.

Dier at fault for the goal, as was Toby who, if he has a tiny fault, it's not judging when to put a foot in. Quick give and goes have become a feature of our play in recent weeks, but Coutinho gave us a bit of a lesson in them to be honest.

More naive criticism of the Beast. It's really hard to understand what some of you expect. Take him out and we are far, far from a title chasing team. Great that,Poch has got him signed up, and his is one of the first names on the team sheet.

 

[cliff jones]

It's funny, I didn't think Son was particularly poor. He wasn't brilliant either but I think he is being held to seemingly very high standards. I have no doubts he will be a big player for us next season. Overall I thought he was bright and busy and tried to press as much as he could. His touch is a bit off at the moment and he does seem to need 1 too many touches at times but I feel confidence and sharpness will alleviate this.

The worst thing he did was get caught on the ball which led to Sturridge's first shot at goal but that was as much about our insistence on playing out from the back when Liverpool were pressing high. He also could have been in on goal very early on after forcing one of the Liverpool players into coughing it up to Walker only for Kyle to overhit his pass horribly. Besides that he had a cracking effort at goal when it was chipped over the Pool back 4 and he hit it on the volley as it came over his shoulder. Incredibly hard skill which he so nearly executed.

I think Son has shown flashes of his brilliance this season which we will only see more of as time goes on. He's not had a good run of games yet and had the odd injury to compound that. He'll be key for us next year I think.

Lastly, I love seeing Dembele get so much praise. I think from a defensive stand point he was outstanding. He won the ball back repeatedly with his trademark strength and athleticism. I have always been one of his biggest fans but actually I think he had a weak first half. In total he was dispossessed 5 times which is quite a lot and I felt he stuggled at times. That said he clearly redemeed himself in the 2nd which is why I think everyone is so high on him today as they're forgetting his 1st 45 mins. It's also worth noting that Dier didn't track Coutinho for his goal as he flew straight past him from his 1-2 with Sturridge. Shows that as good as he's been this season, he still has things to learn.

Overall I was pleased with the performance and actually felt a draw was fair. Plenty more twists and turns to come in this title chase I feel, despite Leicester undeservedly winning yesterday.

Excellent analysis. Not sure the all or nothing brigade could understand it though.

Have to challenge one word, the weak you assigned to Dembele in the first half. Think he did well. Yeah, he got caught but so did everyone else. On both sides. It was a frenetic duel of the pressers, and as vertonghen has accepted previously sometimes when playing out from the back the defenders including Dier really give him the odd stinking pass when they can see, and mousa can't that opponents are swarming all over him. The fact he shows all the time means he will come in for disproportionate and unfair stick.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I'm not sure he fits into our team formation. When he played in Germany wasn't he more like a number 10 ? Here we are using him mostly right side of the 3,. Lamela is better at that than Son. In fact his best game was in the Leicester cup replay when Kane didn't play and Chadli and Son played in a kind of 4-4-2 .

I think he played mostly in similar formations in Getmany, as a wide forward, ARM/ALM or as a striker, don't think he played as a "10".

He's quite industrious and energetic as well, so I don't think he's a terrible fit for Poch's system, I just think we lack composure in the front group and he doesn't exactly exude that and we are hardly likely to see his "a" game when he's getting used in fits and starts.

I actually don't think he was terrible on Saturday, he was certainly better than Kane and Alli.

I think he'd be better played left, drifting in onto his right foot as well.

And I think he's done a perfectly acceptable job as a back up striker.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

We need a serious world class player to play in 1 of the 3 positions behind Kane who produces goals and assists. If we can secure automatic CL we can attract one

I think you are dreaming. For a start we can't afford to buy a genuine world class player(de bruyne costs 40m+ and he isn't arguably even world class) when we're in the middle of building a new stadium. Secondly all the noises coming out of the club are about buying and developing young talent. So that would point to giving Son, Njie, Onomah, Pritchard, Alli, etc.. all time to develop rather than spending big bucks on a player that might not improve what we already have.

 

[bubble07]

I think you are dreaming. For a start we can't afford to buy a genuine world class player when we're in the middle of building a new stadium. Secondly all the noises coming out of the club are about buying and developing young talent. So that would point to giving Son, Njie, Onomah, Pritchard, Alli, etc.. all time to develop rather than spending big bucks on a player that might not improve what we already have.

I get that but there has to be room for an already established quality playmaker if we secure top 3

 

[Ionman34]

Personally, I think those saying that Son is trying too hard are bang on the money. It seems to me that his touch being poor is a symptom of his ongoing adjustment to the pace of the English game, in that he is looking for where the ball is to go next before he has it fully under control. He's taking his eye off the ball a split second before he has it, leading to the heavy touch.

I'm certain that, once he settles into the pace of the game and develops that understanding of where his team mates are or will be, he will come on in leaps and bounds.

 

[JonnySpurs]

Excellent analysis. Not sure the all or nothing brigade could understand it though.

Have to challenge one word, the weak you assigned to Dembele in the first half. Think he did well. Yeah, he got caught but so did everyone else. On both sides. It was a frenetic duel of the pressers, and as vertonghen has accepted previously sometimes when playing out from the back the defenders including Dier really give him the odd stinking pass when they can see, and mousa can't that opponents are swarming all over him. The fact he shows all the time means he will come in for disproportionate and unfair stick.

Thanks!

Weak was a poor choice of word on my part, untidy might have been better. Fair point about him being given passes under pressure, didn't necessarily consider that. As I say, I'm his biggest fan and was shouting loudly for him to stay and play when others wanted him sold.

 

[degoose]

I don't believe he has the tough characteristics required for English football and something you either have or you don't and he defiantly doesn't.

which is what people said about Lamela when he first joined.

 

[dannythomas]

I think he played mostly in similar formations in Getmany, as a wide forward, ARM/ALM or as a striker, don't think he played as a "10".

He's quite industrious and energetic as well, so I don't think he's a terrible fit for Poch's system, I just think we lack composure in the front group and he doesn't exactly exude that and we are hardly likely to see his "a" game when he's getting used in fits and starts.

I actually don't think he was terrible on Saturday, he was certainly better than Kane and Alli.

I think he'd be better played left, drifting in onto his right foot as well.

And I think he's done a perfectly acceptable job as a back up striker.

Alli indeed had a poor game on Saturday but his contribution over the season has been phenomenal for one of his age. And , like all great strikers, we can forgive an average performance from Kane because he once again scored a crucial goal. I'm not really convinced about Son but of course he needs more time. Buying a young back up striker like Dembele Junior would be a smart move in the summer. In fact I was disappointed we didn't agree to the loan back deal which is apparently why it didn't go through in January.