Reasons To Be Upbeat

[Roynie]

Whilst we haven't played too well yet this season, there are a few things we need to bear in mind. Without actually checking, it seems to me that we have had far more injuries this season than last. Kane and Dembele have just come back, Lamella, Davies and Alderweireld are still out and other players were out earlier in the season. Compared to last season after 12 games we were one point worse off and we have the youngest side in the premiership. It's not going to be all smooth sailing, we will get spells of poor form or injuries to key players but we will improve.

There is much to be positive about, despite being very disappointed by last night very poor performance.

 

[Spurs72]

And all these positive nancies go in to other more negative threads, hate on posts and neg them. Dont reap what you cant sow. Dont dish it out if you cant take it.

TBH @yankspurs I am not a Negative Nancy, what I hate are the Knee Jerk Reaction post That's it, if we have Kane then we need a compitant back up striker, Not another Striker aswell as Jansen, So we overspent on Sissoko, it was a Bad Buy, but he is here now and he is a body that we could use, Knee Jerks are a pain in the A** ,This thread is not a Knee Jerk the OP started it off positive, Think that's what I said

 

[yankspurs]

TBH @yankspurs I am not a Negative Nancy, what I hate are the Knee Jerk Reaction post That's it, if we have Kane then we need a compitant back up striker, Not another Striker aswell as Jansen, So we overspent on Sissoko, it was a Bad Buy, but he is here now and he is a body that we could use, Knee Jerks are a pain in the A** ,This tread is not a Knee Jerk the OPm started it off positive, Think that's what I said

We need a competent backup striker. Janssen is not close to being a premier league striker at the moment. Not fit enough and just not good enough. Using Sissoko is like playing with 10 men(as is using Eriksen at the moment, to be fair). Its not knee jerk to have some very serious qualms with this manager who spent about £49m on complete shit this summer and wanted to get shot of competent players yet still blames the squad, and who cannot seem to get this team playing even half way decent and who decides to rotate and not once play his strongest XI in the crown jewel of club football competition. Sorry but this managers leash should not be anywhere close to as long as it for some on here.

 

[Spurs72]

We need a competent backup striker. Janssen is not close to being a premier league striker at the moment. Not fit enough and just not good enough. Using Sissoko is like playing with 10 men(as is using Eriksen at the moment, to be fair). Its not knee jerk to have some very serious qualms with this manager who spent about £49m on complete shit this summer and wanted to get shot of competent players yet still blames the squad, and who cannot seem to get this team playing even half way decent and who decides to rotate and not once play his strongest XI in the crown jewel of club football competition. Sorry but this managers leash should not be anywhere close to as long as it for some on here.

Yeah can't get into it with you man, you are one of the people it seems I mentioned, we are Undefeated "but", Replace but with all the things you want fixed overnight, next week it will be FIRE Poch!

 

[yankspurs]

Yeah can't get into it with you man, you are one of the people it seems I mentioned, we are Undefeated "but", Replace but with all the things you want fixed overnight, next week it will be FIRE Poch!

Poch has pissed me off supremely in CL with how he treated the competition then he goes on blaming the squad(when hilariously enough, he was backed to the fullest extent in the summer and he wants a smaller squad) and blaming the home stadium. No taking responsibility though. The team has largely been awful this year in the league too. This whole unbeaten streak is crap. We've drawn like 8 or 9 games and the only convincing win we had was City. Not to mention, Pochettino is a complete joke of an in game manager in that he doesnt know how to change things annd waits way to long to sub.

 

[double0]

Poch has pissed me off supremely in CL with how he treated the competition then he goes on blaming the squad(when hilariously enough, he was backed to the fullest extent in the summer and he wants a smaller squad) and blaming the home stadium. No taking responsibility though. The team has largely been awful this year in the league too. This whole unbeaten streak is crap. We've drawn like 8 or 9 games and the only convincing win we had was City. Not to mention, Pochettino is a complete joke of an in game manager in that he doesnt know how to change things annd waits way to long to sub.

Excuse me, we are 3-4 pts off top against teams that haven't played European football.... that ain't bad.

Playing at Wembley didn't really help us in CL, I'm pretty sure at WHL, at least two of those defeats would be different, we've also had injuries so it hasn't been easy.

Generally we are improving overall moving forward.

 

[doctor stefan Freud]

1. Man City performance wasn't quite good enough to convince you?

2. Yes other players are young, Alli is 20 Dier is 22. Also it's not the opposition they learn from playing against, its the occasion. All our players have experienced or are more experienced in high pressure champions league fixtures, which they will benefit from.

3. Don't compare AVB and Poch, please. The state of the club when each took over was just so far apart it's just idiotic to compare their 'win percentage'. How do you think their win percentages would look if this side had Bale, or if AVB's side didn't have Bale. The improvement of individuals under Poch has been superb, not one player improved under AVB apart from Bale who is the exception because he is a freak and was always destined for the top. How do you think players like Alli, Rose, Kane, Dier, Lamela, Dembele, Walker would be getting on now if we still had AVB in charge? AVB took over a strong club with 3 top class players (Bale, Lloris, VDV) and it was a shambles when he left. Poch picked it up with 1 (Lloris) and now we find ourselves with 4-5 top players and in a very strong position as a club even if we have had a bad couple of months.

Hans Moleman, I like the cut of your subterranean gib

 

[StartingPrice]

Not in my lifetime, but weren't we actually relegated in the 70's? That must have been some pretty shite football...

It did see the birth of GHodd, however...

 

[Lighty64]

We need a competent backup striker. Janssen is not close to being a premier league striker at the moment. Not fit enough and just not good enough. Using Sissoko is like playing with 10 men(as is using Eriksen at the moment, to be fair). Its not knee jerk to have some very serious qualms with this manager who spent about £49m on complete shit this summer and wanted to get shot of competent players yet still blames the squad, and who cannot seem to get this team playing even half way decent and who decides to rotate and not once play his strongest XI in the crown jewel of club football competition. Sorry but this managers leash should not be anywhere close to as long as it for some on here.

so who should we of bought that would be happy sitting on the bench? not 1 team in the PL has signed a striker that has torn it up yet, the nearest being ibrahimovic from UTD, but doubt we could of matched his signing on fee, and wages, but would definitely not want to sit on the bench

Sissoko has only started 4 games in the PL won 3 drawn 1, and hasn't made an error that has lead to us conceding? though he hasn't scored yet this season

could be a reason teams are stopping us play, but 6 wins 6 draws (8 or 9?)

you do realise we haven't even had the opportunity to field our strongest XI due to injuries or don't you follow injury news

Poch has pissed me off supremely in CL with how he treated the competition then he goes on blaming the squad(when hilariously enough, he was backed to the fullest extent in the summer and he wants a smaller squad) and blaming the home stadium. No taking responsibility though. The team has largely been awful this year in the league too. This whole unbeaten streak is crap. We've drawn like 8 or 9 games and the only convincing win we had was City. Not to mention, Pochettino is a complete joke of an in game manager in that he doesnt know how to change things annd waits way to long to sub.

please quote, because the interviews I saw I'm sure he said Wembley wasn't to blame

as above 6 wins 6 draws, 2 of those draws the oppositions keeper was MotM, so how is that Poch's fault

his timing might be poor, but it definitely worked v Wet Spam

at the end of the day, i have to ask a simple question

did you follow football before you started following Spurs? (5yrs ago?)

i have to ask, because you really haven't got a clue about football, and really don't think too much before you post

 

[StartingPrice]

I still think the collapse at the end of last season is having an effect on the squad. We had a fearlessness last season, a youthful strut. Now there are players who look like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders at times.

I'm disappointed as I really thought they would use last season's disappointment as motivation and come back like a pack of mad dogs foaming at the mouth for revenge. But for some reason or another it hasn't happened.

I think what we need is a spark, to set off a chain effect. I guess many of us thought the City game would be just that, but then we had the international break straight after and all the momentum dissipated away.

A big Kane performance, maybe with someone else stepping up to be his wing man, and I think others who are currently looking low on confidence - Eriksen, Alli, Dier, Dembele - and the rest will follow.

I agree.
I think some folk are underestimating our injury/suspension list. Seriously, write down every player who has been injured, suspended...or late back from Olympic duty.

We have been off form, too. Poch has been trying to settle players in. And he has been trying things out to make us less predictable and more versatile.

I guess many of us thought the City game would be just that,

And it may well have done...but for the accursed international break

 

[StartingPrice]

If we got chucked out of the CL but played as if we wanted to be there then fine... The fact is that our players look like they can't be fucked. I think Poch looks like he can't be fucked neither.

The whole body language of our team is not coming across well at all.

I think as fans we can excuse being beaten by better teams as long as we give it a go. We have have played like a bunch of pansies this season and yesterday when our CL campaign was on the line we played like we couldn't wait to get knocked out.

What

The

Fuck

Don't want to offend anyone - especially not anyone who actually traveled to Monaco - but our CL campaign was pretty much over when the final whistle went at Wembley against Leverkusen. We would have had to beat a very good, regular CL team, in Monaco, last night (and they very clearly had our number), and then hope Monaco, having nothing to play for, would go to Germany and get a result against a side who would have been fighting for their place, while we would have had to go into the CSKA game knowing it would probably be for nought and score two or three more goals more than them just on the off-chance. And was with CSKA taking a point last night.

The whole campaign was disappointing - those who predicted that Wembley would hinder rather than help us seem to have been proven right. And injuries reduced our chances even more. But I wouldn't read too much into last night, TBH. After Leverkusen beat us, the Chelsea game on Saturday became far more important than the trip to Monaco...and it looked like Poch and the players had an eye on it last night IMHO.

 

[StartingPrice]

Last night’s performance was dire. There is no denying that. In fact it was one of the most inept performances I’ve ever seen from any side.

I understand the doom mongers coming out from under their rocks. I noticed peering over a blokes shoulder this morning, on the tube, that the Sun highlighted Pochettino’s recent record.

You can point figures at Pochettino and the attitude of the players certainly. It disturbed me to read Rose’s comment that he was gutted to miss the Chelsea game as it was the fixture that all of the players were keeping an eye out for. This highlights a lack of focus or the respect for last night’s opposition.

For me the issue is pretty simple. Our squad is not strong enough and those responsible for recruitment including Pochettino are at fault. We have failed to capitalise on successful seasons time and time again. Add to the fact that a few of our players have been poor or found out somewhat then we really haven’t progressed at all.

I sound like I’m joining the doom mongers, but I’m not. We have some incredible talent in our squad and I’m convinced that the future is extremely bright with the team and with Pochettino, but we still lack the key players we needed last season i.e. controlling midfielder, a skilful forward and a striker.

Winks may well develop into the controlling midfielder, but the jury is severely out on N’Koudou, Janssen and Sissoko.

Our whole recruitment needs seriously addressing. When you look at the efficiency and ambition of Dortmund’s recruitment in the summer you can see where we are deficient.

We annoyingly aren’t far off, but we still have a way to go.

I agree with some of what you say - but TBH I think the game was up after the Leverkusen defeat and the players (and Poch) knew it.

 

[StartingPrice]

Hans Moleman, I like the cut of your subterranean gib

 

[THFC_67]

I agree with some of what you say - but TBH I think the game was up after the Leverkusen defeat and the players (and Poch) knew it.

I hope that you're wrong about the players and Poch's attitude because the game was far from up. If we had won last night, then a win against CSKA, already beaten them away, and we would have been through regardless of other results. It was a massive game and to have performed so poorly was very disappointing.

Monaco are a good side and even at our best it would have been difficult but not impossible. We had a similar situation a couple of years ago with an away game v Fiorentina and the league cup final on the Sunday, we got caught between a rock and a hard place and lost both. Two huge games one after the other, one as important as the next, I think you have to go for the old one game at a time routine.

 

[Lighty64]

Don't want to offend anyone - especially not anyone who actually traveled to Monaco - but our CL campaign was pretty much over when the final whistle went at Wembley against Leverkusen. We would have had to beat a very good, regular CL team, in Monaco, last night (and they very clearly had our number), and then hope Monaco, having nothing to play for, would go to Germany and get a result against a side who would have been fighting for their place, while we would have had to go into the CSKA game knowing it would probably be for nought and score two or three more goals more than them just on the off-chance. And was with CSKA taking a point last night.

The whole campaign was disappointing - those who predicted that Wembley would hinder rather than help us seem to have been proven right. And injuries reduced our chances even more. But I wouldn't read too much into last night, TBH. After Leverkusen beat us, the Chelsea game on Saturday became far more important than the trip to Monaco...and it looked like Poch and the players had an eye on it last night IMHO.

no if we won last night, a win v CSKA guaranteed progression as if we had won both we would be on 10pts, but only 1 of them could better that total a BL win v Monaco would of put us in 2nd with Monaco on 8pts, Monaco win would mean BL 3rd on 7, a draw would of seen us win the group with Monaco in 2nd on 9pts

 

[StartingPrice]

I hope that you're wrong about the players and Poch's attitude because the game was far from up. If we had won last night, then a win against CSKA, already beaten them away, and we would have been through regardless of other results. It was a massive game and to have performed so poorly was very disappointing.

Monaco are a good side and even at our best it would have been difficult but not impossible. We had a similar situation a couple of years ago with an away game v Fiorentina and the league cup final on the Sunday, we got caught between a rock and a hard place and lost both. Two huge games one after the other, one as important as the next, I think you have to go for the old one game at a time routine.

Okay, I've looked at it again. I was going by what the commentators said last night, and I think it confused me a bit as I remember saying after the Leverkusen defeat that we had to win both our remaining games to progress. Which was correct (after all).

So, I was only surmising about the reason for the performance. If indeed there was a reason - maybe Monaco were a better side, I certainly felt they had the measure of us. Maybe our lads were lacking conviction, deep down. Maybe Poch believed that what he put out should have been enough to get a result. Who knows.

Personally, I feel that even getting a draw against Monaco would have been a tough ask, and folk are also assuming a victory against CSKA - who, after all, just got a draw away to Leverkusen.

But, just to clarify, I would have Keegan-loved it if we had went all out with our best available 11 and got a victory last night. But I, along with everyone else (let's not forget) would also have been pissed and spitting Poch shaped teeth, if he went hell-for-leather, but we failed to win, or we won and then failed to beat CSKA, etc., but, in the meantime, the team against Chelsea look absolutely shattered and we get biatched. I guess I am finding it a bit easier to deal with than some because I pretty much accepted that elimination was the most likely outcome after the Leverkusen defeat - and, unlike some (unpopular opinion coming up), I would actually really, really, really like to win the Europa

 

[Lighty64]

Okay, I've looked at it again. I was going by what the commentators said last night, and I think it confused me a bit as I remember saying after the Leverkusen defeat that we had to win both our remaining games to progress. Which was correct (after all).

So, I was only surmising about the reason for the performance. If indeed there was a reason - maybe Monaco were a better side, I certainly felt they had the measure of us. Maybe our lads were lacking conviction, deep down. Maybe Poch believed that what he put out should have been enough to get a result. Who knows.

Personally, I feel that even getting a draw against Monaco would have been a tough ask, and folk are also assuming a victory against CSKA - who, after all, just got a draw away to Leverkusen.

But, just to clarify, I would have Keegan-loved it if we had went all out with our best available 11 and got a victory last night. But I, along with everyone else (let's not forget) would also have been pissed and spitting Poch shaped teeth, if he went hell-for-leather, but we failed to win, or we won and then failed to beat CSKA, etc., but, in the meantime, the team against Chelsea look absolutely shattered and we get biatched. I guess I am finding it a bit easier to deal with than some because I pretty much accepted that elimination was the most likely outcome after the Leverkusen defeat - and, unlike some (unpopular opinion coming up), I would actually really, really, really like to win the Europa

you are having a bad day mate and best to quit on this one while you can, CSKA were at home yesterday, but was playing a lot better than they did when we played them

 

[StartingPrice]

no if we won last night, a win v CSKA guaranteed progression as if we had won both we would be on 10pts, but only 1 of them could better that total a BL win v Monaco would of put us in 2nd with Monaco on 8pts, Monaco win would mean BL 3rd on 7, a draw would of seen us win the group with Monaco in 2nd on 9pts

You are right, see above. Got a bit confused

 

[Lighty64]

You are right, see above. Got a bit confused

have seen, not very often I don't read every single post in a thread before commenting, unlike many that i believe just post after skimming through threads, or I have 90% of the forum that have me on ignore, which I'm used to at home with a wife and 2 adult children that ignore me too

 

[StartingPrice]

you are having a bad day mate and best to quit on this one while you can, CSKA were at home yesterday, but was playing a lot better than they did when we played them

Jaysus wept

In my defence, I have been poorly...a poor little man-flu suffering victim