Ratings vs QPR

[Spurs_Bear]

Scrappy Doo

I have to confess, after watching the first half I was not exactly thrilled. I thought QPR looked typically shit and we looked lethargic. We were dominating, but almost as much by default as it seemed as much part of QPR's game plan as it did ours.

But I'm going to give the team some credit here, because what the second half became was a real scrap, with QPR starting to show some teeth and what I really like about this young team is that it seems to thrive on alley scraps, which is really uncharacteristic for any Spurs team and a trait I love.

Obviously I remain slightly bemused by Townsend's selection as I just don't think he fits the system, he's lazy and wasteful and a liability without the ball. He was largely disappointing again bar a very well placed free kick for the first goal. I guess one moment of substance is an improvement but there's still too much head down waste, carelessness and laziness off the ball.

I understand why Rose was probably rested but I also think Eriksen and Bentaleb were due a rest too as that was their fifth game in 16 days I think. And I think those decisions inevitably showed. Neither let us down, in fact both had decent games but a rest would have done both some good I think, preferably wednesday.

It's easy for us to watch games like this and whinge about some of the quality (and I did), but sometimes you have to earn wins the ugly way. Our football was superior for large spells, but when we needed to we got stuck in and didn't allow ourselves to be bullied, when they tried to get up us we got right back up them harder. Typifying that spirit for me is Mason. The boy had another good game, gritty, determined, fluid and played a nice through ball for Chadli, even if Kane did end up taking it and burying it. He was ably assisted by Bentaleb, who didn't have his best game, but was still very good and showed much of the same characteristics as Mason.

The other player who deserves a mention os Eriksen. The kid has just played (tough high pressure) 5 games in 16 days but no midfielder/attacker saw more ball than him.

There wasn't much we could do about their goal really, you don't expect Sandro to score a goal like that, he never did for us. But apart from that and maybe a couple of half snifters we really limited them to fuck all, by a combination of control of the ball and our own ability to battle. It was rarely pretty, but we've been famous for losing pretty. We seem to be becoming a new animal.

Individual stuff:

Lloris - Decent game when called on. Seems to make at least one certain goal saving save a game. Baled out Walker big time.

Walker - Look, I know the boy tries, no-one puts in more effort, and he does put himself into the game and for 80 minutes of a game he can be OK, decent, but he does some mind blowingly fucktardially stupid things. Like his header in the first half, he knows their player is there he's just watched him go there, what the fuck was he thinking. There was the blunders late in the game where he lets a ball go across him to their player then gets fucked by Hoilett. Then there's being played through 1v1 (god knows that's a rarity in itself) and he just dribbles it straight into the keeper. They are just three moments amongst a few today. But there are always a few, every single game just about. The playing the ball inside to an oppo on an attack with everyone up field, the wasting of every single chance to cross, the weird positional shit, the shielding a ball out that isn't going out etc etc. I get the conundrum with him, there aren't a plethora of world class RB's out there and it's like do you swallow the utter banal stupid crap he does for the bulk of OK he does. For me it's a no, but I can understand why its a conundrum. If he was called Carlos Walkerino I'm pretty sure there'd be hardly any left with any patience for the shit he does. Hurry up KWP.

Dier - Decent enough

Vertonghen - Good game.

Davies - OK/Meh. Not as much stupid as Walker, but not much ambition either and I don't think he's a brilliant defender from what I've seen so far.

Mason - Joint MOTm. Typifies the spirit that's getting us hard earned victories on the road.

Bentaleb - Mason's partner in crime, a slightly cooler head but still got the scrap in him when called on.

Townsend - Very good set piece for the first goal but very wasteful on a couple of other occasions like when played in by their mistake, he could pass or at least shoot on target, instead blazing high and wide. he's very slow at chasing back and closing down too. Not his worst game of late but just doesn't do what is required with or without the ball.

Eriksen - Joint MOTM. He's still struggling with that incisive pass in crucial moments and that is a bit disappointing but despite playing 5 games in 16 days (including away in Florence and the CCup) he saw more ball than anyone in our midfield/attack, made more passes and was very unlucky not to score. Really put a shift in and his work rate and consistent level of involvement in games has been one of Pochettino's biggest successes.

Chadli - OK.

Kane - Worked hard, got his reward with two well taken goals. Occasionally he's bait green with the choices he makes, a bit greedy sometimes in impossible situations but I guess part of that is his youthful exuberance and who's to knock where it's getting him so far eh ?

Subs - I thought the subs were all OK today,

Utterly astounded by your assessment of Eriksen who had a worse than very poor first half. Shocked.

Flabbergasted.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Utterly astounded by your assessment of Eriksen who had a worse than very poor first half. Shocked.

Flabbergasted.

Picture Eriksen with Walker's face, it'll soften the blow.

 

[werty]

Lloris 7 - Some really good saves. Lucky not to give away a penalty.

Davies 5 - Offers less than Rose going forward and isn't much better defensively.
Dier 6 - Ok. One great header in the first half. Zamora and Austin aren't the easiest to deal with but overall he done well.
Vertonghen 7 - A bit better than Dier. Looked in control any time he had to do anything.
Walker 6 - I'm sure the stupid things he did have been discussed, so I won't beat a dead horse. Offered much more going forward than he normally does. Started position offensively was better which allowed him to get into those good positions.

Bentaleb 7 - Just does everything well.
Mason 7 - Much less headless chicken energy and more controlled energy...if that makes sense.

Townsend 6 - Good cross for the goal. A few other decent bits but a whole lot of frustration too.
Eriksen 6 - Bad first half. Much better in the second when shifted to the left.
Chadli 5 - Wasn't in the game in the first half. When moved more centrally he got a bit better, but still needs to offer more.

Kane 9 - Two goals. Could have easily had two more, set up three good chances and works his nuts off. What more could you want?

Dembele 6 - One of the few attacking players who wasn't easily muscled off the ball. Thought we gained better control when he was on until we (and he) switched off.
Lamela 4 - Looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

 

[Mr Pink]

Utterly astounded by your assessment of Eriksen who had a worse than very poor first half. Shocked.

Flabbergasted.

These stats back up where you're coming from Bear...I thought Eriksen struggled today, albeit he improved second half.

This is a little snippet from an article on Mason, from 365, this paragraph in particular:

Whilst that target still remains some way off, Mason has become noticeably more comfortable in the final third. He followed up his goal on Wednesday with a delightful pass to assist Kane's second goal at Loftus Road, and looked assured on the ball throughout. During a frantic match, Mason lost possession just nine times. The figures for Christian Eriksen, Bentaleb and Kyle Walker were 25, 17 and 27 respectively.

http://www.football365.com/f365-says/9748789/F365-Says

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Hmm
You mention all the things Walker did wrong in detail but neglect the things he did well, making crucial blocks and winning several aireal duels . Making a goal saving tackle when a qpr player was through on goal, putting in a great cross that kane should've finished.

Suppose you can't stop a witch hunt, until said witch is on the stake

You forgot "and he runs fast".

 

[Mornstar]

I just don't get walker. Gotta be one of the thickest ever players seen in our shirt. Really need an upgrade in this area over the summer as I feel walker is a disaster waiting to happen every time he gets near the ball.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

These stats back up where you're coming from Bear...I thought Eriksen struggled today, albeit he improved second half.

This is a little snippet from an article on Mason, from 365, this paragraph in particular:

Whilst that target still remains some way off, Mason has become noticeably more comfortable in the final third. He followed up his goal on Wednesday with a delightful pass to assist Kane's second goal at Loftus Road, and looked assured on the ball throughout. During a frantic match, Mason lost possession just nine times. The figures for Christian Eriksen, Bentaleb and Kyle Walker were 25, 17 and 27 respectively.

http://www.football365.com/f365-says/9748789/F365-Says

How about these stats.

Eriksen received the ball 54 times, making 39/51 accurate passes. Mason Rcvd 34, 37/43, Bentaleb 29, 38/54.

No-one showed for the ball more than Eriksen, considering where he was playing and the games he's played lately I think his effort to show and offer outlets is what helped us retain the ball and win this game. He also runs and harasses as much as anyone and better than some now, it was him hassling Caulker for example for Townsend's chance.

No one had a great first half.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

Picture Eriksen with Walker's face, it'll soften the blow.

Did you think Eriksen had a poor first half until you checked the stats?

 

[Spurs_Bear]

How about these stats.

Eriksen received the ball 54 times, making 39/51 accurate passes. Mason Rcvd 34, 37/43, Bentaleb 29, 38/54.

No-one showed for the ball more than Eriksen, considering where he was playing and the games he's played lately I think his effort to show and offer outlets is what helped us retain the ball and win this game. He also runs and harasses as much as anyone and better than some now, it was him hassling Caulker for example for Townsend's chance.

No one had a great first half.

Does taking a set piece count as 'receiving the ball'...?

Also, if Bentaleb made 54 passes but only received the ball 29, how did he get the ball the other 25 times?

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Does taking a set piece count as 'receiving the ball'...?

Also, if Bentaleb made 54 passes but only received the ball 29, how did he get the ball the other 25 times?

No idea. Tackles, turnovers ??

 

[Spurs_Bear]

No idea. Tackles, turnovers ??

Sounds to me like you don't really understand your evidence. A judge would disregard that.

Therefore it can't be used.

 

[Mr Pink]

How about these stats.

Eriksen received the ball 54 times, making 39/51 accurate passes. Mason Rcvd 34, 37/43, Bentaleb 29, 38/54.

No-one showed for the ball more than Eriksen, considering where he was playing and the games he's played lately I think his effort to show and offer outlets is what helped us retain the ball and win this game. He also runs and harasses as much as anyone and better than some now, it was him hassling Caulker for example for Townsend's chance.

No one had a great first half.

Prefer mine, they're more straightforward for a start. I have no idea what those actually mean.

 

[mpickard2087]

Watching the extended highlights, I'd managed to forget that they hit the bar. Very decent chance and he probably tried to hit it too hard if anything. The Zamora chance second half we also probably got away with... He was at an angle but had more time than he realised. Whilst we are on that, that was a prime example of something that really afflicts our game - two men going for the same ball. All Walker and Dier have to do there is communicate. If one challenges, then one should drop and pick up the second ball. Instead they both do the same thing, neither are convincing, and Zamora spins and is away. It's a problem all over the pitch, but that was a good example of it. Fucking talk to each other...

Seeing the game again I would also have given both of those as penalties. The QPR player isn't getting to the ball but Hugo comes flying out, is nowhere near winning the ball, and does make contact with him. The handball we did get away with... I know its very close range but hands are very high and I think that would have been given more times than not.

Mason in particular really was very good in the second half. He was everywhere.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Sounds to me like you don't really understand your evidence. A judge would disregard that.

Therefore it can't be used.

Received the ball stat is purely passes from team mates.

curtesy of OPTA, 442 Stat zone.

 

[Spursidol]

Makes me shiver some wanted Lukaku...28 million, 7 league goals. Harry only started his first game on November 9th against Stoke, and he has more than double lol.

and some wanted Benteke - he and the rest of Aston Villa have scored 15 goals in PL, Kane has scored 16....

BTW, Charlie Auston looked a much better all round striker than I had been expecting - and looking at his stats has been averaging a goal every 2 games over the last 5 years, admittedly only this season in the PL, but that's a decent scoring record over 5 years. Do we think he's a more sensible target than Lukaku or Benteke assuming QPR go down

 

[jonathanhotspur]

and some wanted Benteke - he and the rest of Aston Villa have scored 15 goals in PL, Kane has scored 16....

BTW, Charlie Auston looked a much better all round striker than I had been expecting - and looking at his stats has been averaging a goal every 2 games over the last 5 years, admittedly only this season in the PL, but that's a decent scoring record over 5 years. Do we think he's a more sensible target than Lukaku or Benteke assuming QPR go down

The Setanta Ireland pundits were saying that Austin needs a partner and basically offers nothing outside the box.

We have one of those already...

...and he has also added doing-nothing-inside-the-box to his repertoire.

 

[Spursidol]

The Setanta Ireland pundits were saying that Austin needs a partner and basically offers nothing outside the box.

We have one of those already...

...and he has also added doing-nothing-inside-the-box to his repertoire.

'Austin needs a partner and basically offers nothing outside the box.' - my understanduing before the match (but I've not sen him much) was that he was only a target man, another Daarren Bent.

However I was surprised that he seemed to be more than just a target man in this match. And his stats are impressive, might be just a one season wonder in PL but 15 goals is very good.

So I'm interested in lots of points of view

 

[jonathanhotspur]

'Austin needs a partner and basically offers nothing outside the box.' - my understanduing before the match (but I've not sen him much) was that he was only a target man, another Daarren Bent.

However I was surprised that he seemed to be more than just a target man in this match. And his stats are impressive, might be just a one season wonder in PL but 15 goals is very good.

So I'm interested in lots of points of view

I've seen next to nothing of him but I agree his stats are fantastic. I also happen to think he is very handsome.

 

[Spursidol]

I've seen next to nothing of him but I agree his stats are fantastic. I also happen to think he is very handsome.

There's a building site just round the corner from you with other bricklayers !

 

[Bobbins]

Rose has been one of our best players this season. Can't stand fans like you

By the way, what exactly is wrong with me hoping our new £10m left back was going to be better than our current one?