Match Threads Spurs vs Burnley - Match Thread - Day 25

[paulcumpstone]

excellent performance today, i dont think burnley were as poor as the commentary made out, we just moved the ball quickly and the side had a good balance.
I think the fullbacks were the fullbacks most of us have wanted to see all season, both comfortable getting forward and have the energy to get back, glad sanchez had a good game, ive been fairly critical of him recently but won lots in the air and used the ball better than he has recently, helps that there was so much movement around him.
Nice that we started on the front foot for a change.
think the starting 11 is very close to our strongest team with maybe a fit lo celso the only real player i would consider being worthy of a spot.
only slight negative today was lloris reluctance to come off his line, wether this is jose's instruction or wether he just doesnt have the confidence but a couple of corners i felt he should have come for the ball. clean sheet though so cant grumble

 

[McFlash]

Crack?

Yeah, arse crack, which is where he tends to speak from!

 

[McFlash]

On the American broadcast today the commentators mentioned we’ve played the most matches of any club in Europe’s top five leagues.

When you factor in that we had Europa League qualifiers against piss poor opposition and that England has an extra domestic cup competition (in which we got a very easy draw) I’m not sure this statistic is as impressive as it seems.

But it also comes down to miles travelled and miles in the players legs. The quality of the oppo doesn't matter as much as the amount of games that players have to train for an play.
That's the point being made, imo.

 

[Sarsipius]

'One swallow does not a bukkake make'

- William Skaespeare

 

[SpursSince1980]

I wanna see Bale start and tear them a new one. he's looked really good recently

Wish granted!

 

[DogsOfWar]

No surprise to me that once we're able to field our strongest eleven (arguably It would be Dele or Lo Celso for Moura) that we'd get a performance and a result.
It's a shame Ndombele and Bale weren't in better shape physically/mentally earlier in the season. Hopefully with Dele also back in th fold and Lo Celso's eventual return we'll be in good shape for the cups and a late push in the league.

 

[Serpico]

Did anyone else notice Son demonstrating a lot, being animated waving his arms, when moves were breaking down around the box. Maybe it was me reading it wrong but he seem to show frustration when he wasn't getting ball.

 

[Serpico]

No surprise to me that once we're able to field our strongest eleven (arguably It would be Dele or Lo Celso for Moura) that we'd get a performance and a result.
It's a shame Ndombele and Bale weren't in better shape physically/mentally earlier in the season. Hopefully with Dele also back in th fold and Lo Celso's eventual return we'll be in good shape for the cups and a late push in the league.

We have missed Lo Celso, very good player. An in formed Alli would enjoy playing off Bale. Ndombele, is played too deep for me, he wasted there. Not sure what overs feel.

 

[sebo_sek]

I think the one word that springs to mind in this game was FREEDOM. You could see the team were given lots of it. I dare say they enjoyed themselves. And it showed.

 

[sebo_sek]

'One swallow does not a bukkake make'

- William Skaespeare

Sadly, for some "nor will a score of them..."
This is a second 4-0 in a row. Give credit when it's due.

 

[Kingellesar]

Good performance, much needed win and clean sheet.

Fulham now is huge for us, confidence too. We havne't won back to back league games since November, so we need to get that off our backs.

 

[DogsOfWar]

We have missed Lo Celso, very good player. An in formed Alli would enjoy playing off Bale. Ndombele, is played too deep for me, he wasted there. Not sure what overs feel.

The problem is that if we play Ndombele further up the field there's no-one to link the play and when teams press us we have to resort to the long ball.
We also have other players who can play in the no 10 role but we only have Sissoko or Winks who can play in the centre and none of us really want to see that.

I think if we bring in someone like Sabitzer and get Skipp back next season we might see him go further forward but this season I don't see an alternative to him playing further back.

 

[GutBucket]

 

[Serpico]

The problem is that if we play Ndombele further up the field there's no-one to link the play and when teams press us we have to resort to the long ball.
We also have other players who can play in the no 10 role but we only have Sissoko or Winks who can play in the centre and none of us really want to see that.

I think if we bring in someone like Sabitzer and get Skipp back next season we might see him go further forward but this season I don't see an alternative to him playing further back.

It makes sense what you are saying and there seems no alternative. I just find Ndombele beats players and then he's isolated being deep with no out ball. When he does get further forward, for me he's a different player. A player of his calibre in MF shouldn't be so deep . Maybe iIl feel different when Lo Celso returns. Im so frustrated by it. I would change the formation to accommodate him.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

It makes sense what you are saying and there seems no alternative. I just find Ndombele beats players and then he's isolated being deep with no out ball. When he does get further forward, for me he's a different player. A player of his calibre in MF shouldn't be so deep . Maybe iIl feel different when Lo Celso returns. Im so frustrated by it. I would change the formation to accommodate him.

We absolutely want him this deep. He needs to be on the ball as much as possible setting the tempo and transfering the ball seemlessly from the defensive third to the attacing third. Playing as a number 10 doesn't suit his skillset as he doesn't have a natural eye for goal and ends up spending his time with his back to goal without the ball. He's so much more of Modric than a Van Der Vaart.

 

[Serpico]

He absolutely want him this deep. He needs to be on the ball as much as possible setting the tempo and transfering the ball seemlessly from the defensive third to the attacing third. Playing as a number 10 doesn't suit his skillset as he doesn't have a natural eye for goal and ends up spending his time with his back to goal without the ball. He's so much more of Modric than a Van Der Vaart.

I’m not suggesting up front , number 10 whatever that means anymore. Attacking Midfield as you are suggesting just less of the defensive bit. I don’t see the link up from him, he’s seems to have too much to do being so deep. Once he’s beaten a player he’s always seems to be in his own half. Get him forward where he can do damage.

 

[Shadydan]

I’m not suggesting up front , number 10 whatever that means anymore. Attacking Midfield as you are suggesting just less of the defensive bit. I don’t see the link up from him, he’s seems to have too much to do being so deep. Once he’s beaten a player he’s always seems to be in his own half. Get him forward where he can do damage.

Playing him deep in a double pivot is his best position and the best position for the team. He's a press resistant player with a quick release out-ball which are vital ingredients for a modern day player. If you're not playing him in a two then you need to play in a 3CM.

 

[Monkey boy]

We have missed Lo Celso, very good player. An in formed Alli would enjoy playing off Bale. Ndombele, is played too deep for me, he wasted there. Not sure what overs feel.

Didnt watch the whole game so maybe im ill informed but the highlights show that the first, third and fourth goal all pretty much started with Ndombele breaking the lines from deep. He also played the ball through to Kane where he shot just wide. Not sure how you can call that being wasted?

 

[davidmatzdorf]

We absolutely want him this deep. He needs to be on the ball as much as possible setting the tempo and transfering the ball seemlessly from the defensive third to the attacing third. Playing as a number 10 doesn't suit his skillset as he doesn't have a natural eye for goal and ends up spending his time with his back to goal without the ball. He's so much more of Modric than a Van Der Vaart.

I’m not suggesting up front , number 10 whatever that means anymore. Attacking Midfield as you are suggesting just less of the defensive bit. I don’t see the link up from him, he’s seems to have too much to do being so deep. Once he’s beaten a player he’s always seems to be in his own half. Get him forward where he can do damage.

We can see that Ndombele can play as a no.10, but it's a waste of his abilities in the context of the squad. We have about three other players who can play effectively as a no. 10, not including Harry Kane.

I hadn't thought of referencing Modric, but one could argue that Ndombele shares parts of his game with Modric and other parts, more so, with Mousa Dembélé. What Ndombele does that we cannot replicate from elsewhere in the squad is (1) to win and control possession under pressure in our half, then dribble the ball forward 20-25m without losing it, thus transforming a defensive position into an attacking position (that's the Dembélé bit) and (2) to ping perfectly-weighted vertical passes from anywhere on the pitch to a teammate's feet, often through very narrow gaps between opponents (that's the Modric bit).

Those vertical passes could equally well be through passes from a no.10 position and he would get more assists, but they can also be a substitute or an alternative to that 20-25m run out of defence.

Lamela, Dele, Kane, Bale and Son can all put in a well-weighted through ball. But they can't do what Ndombele does, which is to switch defence to attack at a variety of paces and in a variety of ways, either taking out opposing midfielders by dribbling through crowds of them, or leaving them for dead by bypassing them with a swift vertical pass.

He belongs in central midfield. It would not surprise me if our go-to formation next season features a 3-man midfield populated by Højbjerg, Skipp and Ndombele. Between them, they have power, tackling skills, positional ability, running, close dribbling and attacking passing.

 

[Serpico]

Didnt watch the whole game so maybe im ill informed but the highlights show that the first, third and fourth goal all pretty much started with Ndombele breaking the lines from deep. He also played the ball through to Kane where he shot just wide. Not sure how you can call that being wasted?

I'm speaking generally, over a few games and what I feel Ive seen from him, he seems too deep for me. Against Burnley it was better and he played ok and contributed . Often I feel he struggles a little and that may be a poor team performance, him having a bad day or nullified by the opposition-who knows. I just feel when he's doing his thing he's often too deep and has too much to do and too much distance to cover getting forward where I want to see him.