Since Man City...

[mrlilywhite]

Poch has completely changed our tactics so that we're essentially playing a 2-4-3-1, which both limits our pressing and leaves us defensively suspect.

Love the guy, but he's to blame for this - the players don't know what they're supposed to be doing.

I couldn't agree more mate. This system that he has us playing isn't suited to the players he has. I get that he wants to play wingbacks, but wingbacks need to do two things going forward.

1. Draw men out to create space between the lines. This only works if a team let's you play this way. If you come up against a team that has a like minded idea and pose threats of their own down the flanks, it nullifies our threat and keeps our attacking third too narrow.

2. Assuming we can get our wingbacks into advanced positions, they need to be able to cross the ball. I have seen far too many times when the cross hasn't even beat the first man, so any space created is quickly negated by their inability to find anyone. Seen so many times when in a high position they end up playing it back to the support player.

If this is our attacking option "A" I wonder if there will ever be a "B"?

 

[rabbikeane]

I think the injuries are a huge factor.

Some are apparently playing with injuries too, like Son and now Dele.
They can play, but it affects them. We've seen it ruin Spurs careers before, like with Chris Armstrong.
Getting players fully fit and playing a balanced side again will be crucial for us.

 

[WiganSpur]

I think the injuries are a huge factor. It's led to chopping and changing, and a guy like Dembele seemingly always just building fitness and groove from a new injury.

I agree it can't help, but surely you can't blame that for virtually the whole team just standing off and not pressing?

 

[mpickard2087]

Last season our build up play and what we did with the ball was often like this. Our play out of the back wasn't the best, a lot of risk averse sideways and backwards passes, people just ignored it because we won. We had the energy and high press though that meant we kept battering on the door until the breakthrough eventually came, plus individuals in form who came up with moments when needed.

Take away the press, tempo and energy and individual form and you're left with fairly turgid foundations. Not helped by Poch packing the squad with even more beastly power players with little finesse.

 

[bubble07]

How many goals have we scored in open play against man city?

Edit: 3 goals in 9 games. There lies the problem

 

[cliff jones]

1. Key injuries in key positions
2. Lack of continuity in the team due to pt 1
3. A hangover from last season
4. The euros meaning a large chunk of our squad had little rest over the summer, compounded further by point 3.
5. I think the press has been abandoned until the second half of the season to save energy. Injuries have been impact not muscular.
6. Young squad collectively out of form and no on pitch leaders to pull them out of it.

Still think we'll pull through this and give top 4 a good go.

pretty good summary there, but it's also pretty clear our fringe players aren't up to the level required. We've bought badly, and with the possible exception of Winks the next gen don't look like they're up to any more than a league cup cameo.

Poch has also chosen tactics which the personnel don't suit. Monaco play down the wings where they have pace and power and where the pitch is more playable. So he picks a narrow team with wide forwards hardly known for their defensive qualities.

 

[THX2208]

 

[eViL]

no on pitch leaders

This and no genuine competition for places.

 

[Lighty64]

Poch has completely changed our tactics so that we're essentially playing a 2-4-3-1, which both limits our pressing and leaves us defensively suspect.

Love the guy, but he's to blame for this - the players don't know what they're supposed to be doing.

you say defensively suspect, but in the league we have conceded 8 and only 1 from open play which we as good as put on a plate for Leicester.

trouble is Wanyama hasn't really had a disastrous game for us, so Poch won't drop him, but Wanyama who has taken Diers role in the team doesn't play the same as what Dier did last season. I honestly wished even if it meant Poch using Wanyama, he set the team out to play in the same way that made us quite exciting last season to watch.

the annoying thing is in the league won 6 drawn 6 out of 12, though i really do believe that the 0 column will change this week with the injuries and suspensions to key players

 

[Cravenspurs]

Last season our build up play and what we did with the ball was often like this. Our play out of the back wasn't the best, a lot of risk averse sideways and backwards passes, people just ignored it because we won. We had the energy and high press though that meant we kept battering on the door until the breakthrough eventually came, plus individuals in form who came up with moments when needed.

Take away the press, tempo and energy and individual form and you're left with fairly turgid foundations. Not helped by Poch packing the squad with even more beastly power players with little finesse.

Ding ding ding!!!! Not much has changed folks, we are just not as good as we thought we were.

Sure people are not hitting on all cylinders, but last year was seriously not that impressive when looking at the WAY we played. Sure the results came, but the WAY we played was still very poor, slow, and we relied on Kane pulling cats out of a hat.

I completely agree with you man. We need to drop the physical beasts and move to a technical side. This isn't American Football, this is football football and you can't have technically inept individuals pack the squad.

 

[Lighty64]

Ding ding ding!!!! Not much has changed folks, we are just not as good as we thought we were.

Sure people are not hitting on all cylinders, but last year was seriously not that impressive when looking at the WAY we played. Sure the results came, but the WAY we played was still very poor, slow, and we relied on Kane pulling cats out of a hat.

I completely agree with you man. We need to drop the physical beasts and move to a technical side. This isn't American Football, this is football football and you can't have technically inept individuals pack the squad.

not sure if for some reason you have me on ignore as you never reply or debate when I have quoted you in the past, but last season we did play well and was top of the majority of stats going, and scored the most goals in a season for 30 odd years

 

[Cravenspurs]

not sure if for some reason you have me on ignore as you never reply or debate when I have quoted you in the past, but last season we did play well and was top of the majority of stats going, and scored the most goals in a season for 30 odd years

Sorry buddy, not ignoring you, just sometimes feel I domniate the boards and also sometimes others answer the questions you ask me

But here I go!

Yeah, we did score a lot more than we have in the past. We outscored opponents by a hefty divide, but how easy were those goals? Like the original poster said, we banged on the gate until the lock broke. I can't remember the game but we had 24 or so shots and scored something like 1 or 2 goals. That total number of shots is amazing, but were they quality? Some were and some weren't, but the key is that those shots came mostly from getting the ball back in the high press, recycling the ball, and attacking at a parked defense.

So what myself and a lot of others are saying is "Yes, we performed wonderfully last year and it was fun to see us kick some butt...cause we did. West Ham last year, the 4-1 was awesome! Some real great passages of play.

But, and this is a big BUT, for the majority of the season we still struggled to break teams down. Most shots, second to most goals, most chances created are all fine and dandy, but when you shoot 24 times and only score 1 or 2 it might mean that those shots are of low quality, which they were.

So yeah stats say we were dominant, which we were, but HOW we play matters a lot and last year we were pretty lucky to batter teams to death and eventually they broke.

So what am I getting at? We play an offensive inept game and we did so last year, it's just last year we scored goals...albeit hard goals.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Judging by several posts in multiple threads lately, for those of us who were laughed at last season when alluding to the fact that we had a great table position in parts because all of ManUtd, Chelsea and Liverpool underperformed in the same season, well those of us can feel justified. We always said that we'd see this season how good we actually are, and how important or not important the failure of other teams last season were. I guess it's official, we'll have done a darn good job if we finish top 4 two seasons in row, and we are not better than such a target would suggest.

 

[Lighty64]

Sorry buddy, not ignoring you, just sometimes feel I domniate the boards and also sometimes others answer the questions you ask me

But here I go!

Yeah, we did score a lot more than we have in the past. We outscored opponents by a hefty divide, but how easy were those goals? Like the original poster said, we banged on the gate until the lock broke. I can't remember the game but we had 24 or so shots and scored something like 1 or 2 goals. That total number of shots is amazing, but were they quality? Some were and some weren't, but the key is that those shots came mostly from getting the ball back in the high press, recycling the ball, and attacking at a parked defense.

So what myself and a lot of others are saying is "Yes, we performed wonderfully last year and it was fun to see us kick some butt...cause we did. West Ham last year, the 4-1 was awesome! Some real great passages of play.

But, and this is a big BUT, for the majority of the season we still struggled to break teams down. Most shots, second to most goals, most chances created are all fine and dandy, but when you shoot 24 times and only score 1 or 2 it might mean that those shots are of low quality, which they were.

So yeah stats say we were dominant, which we were, but HOW we play matters a lot and last year we were pretty lucky to batter teams to death and eventually they broke.

So what am I getting at? We play an offensive inept game and we did so last year, it's just last year we scored goals...albeit hard goals.

but the fact you said we wasn't very good last year was wrong, yes for chances we should of scored more, but creating those chances you have to play well.

every pundit last season towards the last 3 months all wanted Leicester to win the league, but they all also said we was the most exciting team to watch. so when you get your own supporters not appreciating our football last season it makes it very hard to understand their views.

perfection in football especially in the premier league which is the hardest league in Europe will never happen, but the way some post on here they expect it 50 games a season, and it will never happen, and last night to be honest hardly anyone gave Monaco the credit they deserved

 

[southlondonyiddo]

It's not since the City game, it's been this way since the Chelsea game last season. That game which gave rise to the nonsensical notion that this was a new type of Tottenham.

No the Chelsea game was the nonsensical media drivel telling everyone that was where we bottled it and lost the league

What a load of bollox. Nothing to do with Hazard (world class when we turns up) turning up or us losing at home to the eventual champions weeks and weeks before etc etc etc

Some supporters buy all this shit too. Amazing

 

[shelfboy68]

Hangover leftover from last seasons meek surrender probably some still feeling sorry for themselves a few injuries have caused a bit of disruption but no excuses.
We need to go back to what we were doing well last year for now and forget any title talk or top four as we are not good enough, see where we finish in may and hope Danny boy will let Poch spend decent on the right players to take us forward.

 

[buttons]

There are three things I think:

- To a point I think we have been unlucky with a) injuries to key players - Kane, Toby, Lamela and Dembele and b) other players bang out of form - eriksen, Dele, Dier, Demeble again - a combination of both of these has led to an unsettled line up.

- Our summer signings, except Wanyama, have flopped.

- Poch has moved away from the tried and tested formation and has rested/changed players at the wrong time I.e. Last night.

I think if we can get through the Chav game this Saturday, we'll have a decent run at things through December. Key players should be back and it is about the time last year things really started to accelerate.

 

[Teemu]

Fucking Brexit

 

[lol]

I

I'd rather win the FA cup and finish 7th.

The mentality HAS to change

and if i was a top player i will leave a team that is 7th but won an FA cup for a team that is top 4 but no FA cup

 

[nedley]

and if i was a top player i will leave a team that is 7th but won an FA cup for a team that is top 4 but no FA cup

Yep. They all flocked from Chelsea and Utd didn't they?