Match Ratings Ratings vs Stoke

[jonnyp]

I have to say that I thought Alli was the worst out there today for us. This sounds worse than it is, because that was an excellent team performance today, very rarely were we troubled and, when we were, we dealt with it well at the back.

Were I Poch, I’d be having a word with Dele, rest him for a bit and get him back to basics on the training pitch. Coco is ready for a start, that much seems obvious, so give him minutes for match fitness whilst Poch works with Dele on his ball retention. He’s gotten a bit “powder puff” with his hitting the deck from virtually every challenge, with very few going our way. Who knows, it may just benefit him in the long run.

The frustrating thing with Dele, apart from his poor (to be kind) first touch lately, is that it's so easy to fix his most annoying flaw at the moment: losing the ball needlessly in the middle of the pitch and creating counter attacks against us. He's done it so often this season, but he had like 3 today alone. Poch just has to let him know in no uncertain terms he needs to stop to try and flick and turn a player in the middle of the pitch every single time, especially if he has no team mate to cover him should it fail. If it works, yes it can lead to a chance but the risks with this far outweighs the potential gain because it so rarely comes off. It's a complete liability for him to play like that. If he just cuts that out, and tries to control and hold the ball up instead, he'd be much better, and more effective. IMO.

 

[Sandros Shiny Head]

Out of form? Or did the goals just paper over the cracks. Technically it’s very hard to make a case dele is near Lamela. You could see as soon as he came on the link up with winks and eriksen was different class is just flows. For me dele makes our play disjointed. I’ve always thought if you took away his goals there’s not to much left.

Ronaldo's goals paper over the cracks of his dreadful team play these days but nobody gives a shit because goals are important

 

[IfiHadTheWings]

Sonny was the bollox today, one of the first names on the team sheet for me at the moment...proper threat and finishing is quality.

Dele, for all the shit he is getting that little knock for his assist is top draw and he provides goals/goalscoring opportunities on a ridiculously consistent basis for a 21 year old. He seems to be our scapegoat this seasons, dont get me wrong he frustrates the shit out of me at times but some of our fans criiticism of him at times is laughable...the boys mustsrd and we could and have done a hell of a lot worse.

Either way COYS i hope we kick on from here and cement the CL for the New Lane.

 

[Jimmypearce7]

Son needs a song.

He was great.

I voted for Dier. Totally solid and gave us a platform to win.

 

[Spurs 1961]

Ronaldo's goals paper over the cracks of his dreadful team play these days but nobody gives a shit because goals are important

Yep take away goals and games end 0-0

 

[Ionman34]

The frustrating thing with Dele, apart from his poor (to be kind) first touch lately, is that it's so easy to fix his most annoying flaw at the moment: losing the ball needlessly in the middle of the pitch and creating counter attacks against us. He's done it so often this season, but he had like 3 today alone. Poch just has to let him know in no uncertain terms he needs to stop to try and flick and turn a player in the middle of the pitch every single time, especially if he has no team mate to cover with him should it fail. If it works, yes it can lead to a chance but the risks with this far outweighs the potential gain because it so rarely comes off. It's a complete liability for him to play like that. If he just cuts that out, and tries to control and hold the ball up instead, he'd be much better, and more effective. IMO.

Agreed.

He’s very young and is going through a dip in form, which is to be expected, but when that happens you go back to basics, play it simple and let the form reassert itself as you get the basics right.

His decision making is quite poor at the moment, whilst his execution is almost as bad. He did play a lovely ball in for Son to score, but prior to that he was trying some Hollywood passes that didn’t get within 10 yards of who he was attempting to hit.

He’s forcing it and it’s failing more often than not. Add to this that he’s rather flakey in the challenge and quite easy to muscle off the ball, and you have a player that needs his coach to take him to one side and work on those basics with him. Get that right and the obvious talent has a far better platform for success.

I won’t bag him out here, but it’s obvious that there is a glaring weakness in his game that, if worked on diligently, will make him a far more potent force.

 

[Spurs 1961]

Son needs a song.

He was great.

I voted for Dier. Totally solid and gave us a platform to win.

I thought Dier was rock solid today. From the start he was sharp in everything he did.

 

[olliec]

Easiest MOTM ever. Son was sublime and on another level today.

 

[Spurs 1961]

If I was rating Stoke players then oh dear. The keeper had a decent game but can’t see anyone else getting above 3 as a rating; though maybe I am being too generous

 

[JollyHappy]

Stats don’t lie:
Dele Alli pass completion 67.9% the lowest by miles everyone else over 80%.
Total passes 28 only Kane was lower with 19.

67.9% For AM is pretty awful by any standards.

I'm not going to say Ali is playing well but it's easy to have high pass stats if you don't take risks. He is trying to create things and that's why he is lower. You don't expect a number 10 to have 80%+ all the time.

 

[For the love of Spurs]

Out of form? Or did the goals just paper over the cracks. Technically it’s very hard to make a case dele is near Lamela. You could see as soon as he came on the link up with winks and eriksen was different class is just flows. For me dele makes our play disjointed. I’ve always thought if you took away his goals there’s not to much left.

Dele plays almost like a much much better version of Dempsey or Chadli, his game can be hit and miss and he can disappear but he can pull an assist or goal out of nowhere at any time because he has such flair.

We do need mercurial players like Dele and also Son (who was at his very very best today) but sometimes the balance of the team in terms of play doesn’t work if both Son and Dele have games where they are running blind alleys or being selfish. Lamela by contrast is the definition of a team player who links and presses so well.

It’s about getting the balance right, you also have to remember that with Dele prior to Lamela returning we had no other options. We have good attackers but little depth to cover them or provide competition. I would also make the point that Dele is very young and a chancer so he will have big ups and downs, it’s natural.

 

[Ionman34]

If I was eating Stoke players then oh dear. The keeper had a decent game but can’t see anyone else getting above 3 as a rating; though maybe I am being too generous

God I hope you meant rating...

On that, I think it’s important to realise that they were made to look that poor. They came with a game plan that involved putting 9 men behind the ball and stifling us. It worked for a short while but, credit where it is due, we eventually opened them up. I don’t hold with the “we were lucky” tosh either, we pressured them into an error through good incisive attacking play, utilising the width well. They still tried to keep their defensive shape, but we cut them open twice in quick succession and the game was effectively over then as our fluidity just seemed to go up another level from that point. Another 2-3 goals really wouldn’t have flattered us from then on.

Stoke weren’t dismantled because they didn’t turn up, they were dismantled because we got somewhere close to our A game and blew them away.

 

[Spurs 1961]

God I hope you meant rating...

On that, I think it’s important to realise that they were made to look that poor. They came with a game plan that involved putting 9 men behind the ball and stifling us. It worked for a short while but, credit where it is due, we eventually opened them up. I don’t hold with the “we were lucky” tosh either, we pressured them into an error through good incisive attacking play, utilising the width well. They still tried to keep their defensive shape, but we cut them open twice in quick succession and the game was effectively over then as our fluidity just seemed to go up another level from that point. Another 2-3 goals really wouldn’t have flattered us from then on.

Stoke weren’t dismantled because they didn’t turn up, they were dismantled because we got somewhere close to our A game and blew them away.

Hehehe ... corrected! The thought of even touching a Stoke player is too awful to contemplate

 

[fortworthspur]

If I was rating Stoke players then oh dear. The keeper had a decent game but can’t see anyone else getting above 3 as a rating; though maybe I am being too generous

Zouma put in a shift.

 

[coys200]

I did suggest this sometime ago, that his goals masked a lot of his flaws which most seem to overlook and I was therefore shot down. The thing is in my opinion he has not been much worse that he had last season only that the goals have dried up and teams have sussed him out, leaving him looking exposed. I have always said that he was overhyped in the sense that peope believe that he is better than he actually is. Not for a minute saying he is bad mind you.

Pretty much spot on. He was kind of inflated stats wise being a midfielder. When last season he was essentially a 2nd striker. Said before he scored more tap ins than Kane last season.Maybe Teams have sussed that late run or maybe he’s just mis timing it now. Maybe there’s just nowhere to run with packed defences and that suits someone like Son much better. I feel he’s trying be a glory hunter to live up to his billing. Imo he now needs to go back to basics and also go back to being a true midfielder. Kane and Son clearly look our most potent front options. I’d like to see him in a 3 Man midfield with winks and one other. I’ve been harsh on him today only because I feel he needs to re assess his game imo.im sure they go over the stats and that 67.9 and 28 passes will stick out like a sore thumb. Stats wise it was his worst PL game of the season.

 

[DiamondLites]

Sonaldinho MOTM - dynamic, inventive, incisive and decisive. Should be the first of attacking players on the team sheet on current form

 

[spids]

Son was by far our best player today - the o nly one who turned up first half. I thought Winks was pretty pedestrian first half but became a much bigger influence 2nd. Nice to see Lamela looking sharp after such a long lay-off. When Wanyama and Aldereiweld are fit, we have a seriously strong squad to choose from.

 

[Woodham Wanderer]

All good today, Harry could have easily had 4, Alli I thought was better - still not there- but better. Lamela just gives us an alternative. Finally great to have a performance at Wembley in the league.
Son probably shaded it today.

 

[Vincent30]

Seeing Son like this is why i would love another pace option like Zaha, Pulisic in our AM pool. We watch Liverpool blow away teams with their direct football and pace and no where near our defence.

When we line up with the 3 AM behind Kane, Son (he must have a sprint trainer these days hasn't looked quicker) one side, with Zaha / Pulisic the other and either Lamela or Eriksen in the middle could be a dream team for some games and give us that one missing piece of the puzzle.

Without Son's speed and directness (if he does get injured) we would really have no different options to our attacking play and variation is key.

Dele seems to be his own worst enemy at the moment, lately he keeps picking the wrong options 90% of the time, this will soon change and he will get back in the grove and i'm over the moon Lamela is back to provide that competition.

 

[OPModric]

I'm not going to say Ali is playing well but it's easy to have high pass stats if you don't take risks. He is trying to create things and that's why he is lower. You don't expect a number 10 to have 80%+ all the time.

And you dont expect a number 10 to have poor ball control and stupid desicion making.