Southampton Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[Sarsipius]

Here are some facts about Nabil Bentaleb.

Bentaleb is an 19 year old attacker who also likes to play as a central playmaker or left-winger.

He is a France under-19 international who is also eligible to play for Algeria.

Formerly in Lille's academy, he was released at 15 and signed with Belgian side Mouscron. He had a trial at Birmingham before impressing Spurs enough to sign him up.

Crikey, I thought he looked like he was playing the DM role but maybe this was more of a deep lying playmaker.

Anyone have any info on how he's used for the U-21's? Spursidol perhaps?

 

[CowInAComa]

I think we all need to remain calm, very calm. That team, formation and the subs would not get us anywhere near 4th place. Don't get me wrong it was nice to see the right players being picked but the shape was wrong. The last 2 subs were absolute madness and while I thought Bentaleb looked quality surely the sub should have been Capoue for Dembele. Defoe for Soldado was also a bad substitution given the stage of the match and the way we had lost the midfield.
Overall I thought we looked very untidy and didn't really have much of a plan. We were too open at the back and the gap between Chiriches and Dawson was wide enough to drive a bus through at times. Rose does not look great either and was clearly labouring at the end. Anybody who thinks he is in the same class as BAE is very wrong.

Now for the good, Eriksen didn't have a great game but plugged away and used the ball well. Dembele hasn't really got the discipline for that role but again I thought he did some decent things. Ade, well what can you say? That was the £25 million striker that we all know he can be. Great finishes, worked his socks off, great build up play, strong, and I'd forgotten how quick he is for a big fella. All round great performance. Soldado missed some good chances but I really like him and I know it will happen for him.

We can't play like that every week and I really hope that while Tim is in charge, not too long please, that he is a bit less gun-ho and doesn't stick with the 4-4-2.

Glad we bloody won!

You would have a point, if only the subs didnt turn out to be very good indeed. In which case you dont have a point.

Bentaleb and Chadli were very good, and Defoe did what you could reasonable expect of Defoe in the final minutes of a game

 

[jonathanhotspur]

sherwood is great

i lol'ed at the ''i get a bonus for every debut''

Makes AVB look like a wet blanket, doesn't he?

 

[Timberwolf]

COYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that Ward-Prowse?

 

[Cavehillspur]

Lets he honest...the first half wasn't great, but in the second half we battered them. Could easily of been 5-2 if Soldado was finishing.

Yeah think Soldado had more chances in the 2nd half than he's had all season. Also good to hear Sherwood say he didnt think we played well 1st half, whatever he said at HT worked.

 

[Metalhead]

I'm still to be convinced by Tim. Happy that we won though.

That's fair enough. It would be crazy to say he should get the job based on one result but equally I think that he needs to be given time, certainly until an alternative permanent coach is identified.

 

[jonathanhotspur]

Since when was Bentaleb so good? Controlled the middle of the field when he came on, and made Dembélé look like a chump.

His touch was fucking unbelievable.

 

[NEVILLEB]

That's the Tottenham I remember. The new kid looked impressive.

 

[Mr Pink]

Yeah think Soldado had more chances in the 2nd half than he's had all season. Also good to hear Sherwood say he didnt think we played well 1st half, whatever he said at HT worked.

Yep. Bottom line: we'll start scoring again now and confidence will come from that.

 

[MikeCOYS]

Wow what a stressful game - but Bentaleb looked composed and had good skill on the ball. Eriksen did well, Ade looked quality and Soldado looked great with a partner up top. Southampton's excellent defence actually looked uneasy against our two, which is saying something.

All without Sandro / Dembele (with Sandro and fit) / Verts / Kaboul etc etc ..

COYS!!

That's what confidence can do to a player. Bentalib was brimming with confidence. He knows he has to make his chance count, and he did. Well played.

We have players with much more quality than Bentalib (no offense) but they're lacking confidence hence they always try to shift the ball (responsibility) as fast as possible to the next player, instead of being composed like Bentalib and picking out a decisive forward pass.

I liked Bentalib's awareness, he reminds me of Barkley in a sense. By that I mean a player that prefers do a forward pass rather than a back pass, and a lot of players prefers the safer choice. His shimmies then smart passes eased the pressure off us and instead of parking bus when we're leading like we did under AVB, we caused them troubles and stopped them from pushing all their players in our box.

 

[kitchen]

Maybe I'm not being clear. I'm trying to say that if AVB was still our manager then we wouldn't have achieved a better result (i.e. we wouldn't have claimed a more convincing win) than Sherwood got today, and that I had more fun watching Sherwood's side. Therefore based on what little we've seen so far, I'm happier with Sherwood in the hot seat than I was with AVB, because IMO AVB would [at best] only equal Sherwood's results, and would play a less enjoyable brand of football. I don't think I can put it any more plainly than that?

Had Soldado brought his shooting boots, then we would have won about 5-2 today.

 

[cheeseman]

Walker looks like the victim of Mr Spock's nerve grip.

 

[Bennys LOL]

Lots of good things to take from todays game, no surprise Ade is impressing a new manager he always does when he gets a fresh start. I think he and Soldado could strike up a winning partnership, Soldad got a lot of chances today.

As a lot of people on here said weeks ago, after today i would like to see Eriksen in midfield but i'd like capoue next to him, the guys pure class and i think they could make a great CM pairing.

We will and always would miss the quality of super Jan in CD and we'll improve there when he's back.

really good match today after a pants 1st half, the lads really responded and got better the more the confidence came.

 

[dagraham]

No he will turn to .....shit.
Satisfied now?

No need to get your knickers in a twist. I've been calling for Ade to play with Soldado all season but he struggles to maintain hunger and focus for long periods of time. Sorry if that realisation bothers you.

 

[littlemandefoe]

Nabil looked good. Very happy to see him! Am I the only one who is disappointed with Lloris? When we signed him, I honestly thought we had just signed one of the top 5 keepers in world football however some of the decisions he makes are awful. Certain choices like what he did at the Emirates were very good but most of the time he gets caught out and makes himself look like a very poor keeper. When he came out today to let Lambert score was awful and Walker gave him a right ear full, deservedly so. However, I am very happy with the win and was a better performance 2nd half. Adebayor looked great and I feel Soldado will get a goal very soon! Still need the centre backs sorting! Chirches gets caught out way too easily and I love Daws so much but he is scary to watch. Walker very good as usual. Onwards and upwards. COYS

 

[ButchCassidy]

Why is anyone even watching this lol???

The minute i saw the formation and line up I turned it off, you all know the deal by now lol. I guess I'm a terrible fan though? (in the same way a beaten wife that dobs to the police is a terrible wife )

Ahh well some better football on later.

 

[Sarsipius]

Badger face... That's a new one.

I like to think of him as Bradley Walsh's mentally challenged brother

Ruprecht Walsh

 

[CowInAComa]

Tomorrow will be our best performance of the season.

Most goals, most excitement, least boredom. Win away against proper side.

Youre welcome.

West Brom is going to be better though.

 

[jonathanhotspur]

BC must be still cleaning his load off the cat's face. Giving a kid a chance? Isn't that what we hired the last guy for? Fuck me, it was awesome to find out that we might have an even better squad than we realised.

 

[cheeseman]

Most goals, most excitement, least boredom. Win away against proper side.

Youre welcome.

For what? You did fuck all.