Match Threads Spurs vs West Ham - Day 15

[talkshowhost86]

Ange has got more out of this limited squad than Conte or Jose ever did.

But good lord the squad is still so poor.

No striker.

One midfielder who can pass it (and he's injured).

Two centre backs of any quality (one injured).

And a complete lack of creativity outside Maddison.

We need to spend 100m+ in January

 

[Impspur1]

Only four more games until window opens, just need to stop the rot and go again

 

[RuskyM]

Teams lose games. Teams especially lose games when they don’t have their best players. It happens.

Difference between Jose and Conte and now is you see reasons to invest beyond “he’s won before”.

 

[homer hotspur]

It will be 4 home defeats on the bounce. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s audible disgruntlement at the final whistle.

Audible disgruntlement , you'll never sing that

 

[Impspur1]

Ange has got more out of this limited squad than Conte or Jose ever did.

But good lord the squad is still so poor.

No striker.

One midfielder who can pass it (and he's injured).

Two centre backs of any quality (one injured).

And a complete lack of creativity outside Maddison.

We need to spend 100m+ in January

Agree with most of this but sadly we won’t spend that but I don’t think we need too, just be smart with what we spend, eg Vicario

 

[Trent Crimm]

We are now 1st team in pl history to take the lead and lose 5 games in a season or something.

Happy Xmas

 

[nedley]

It will be 4 home defeats on the bounce. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s audible disgruntlement at the final whistle.

We're not losing against Newcastle. They look absolutely buggered.

Sunday is a cup final must win.

 

[Impspur1]

We didn't lose because we lacked effort.

Get that but accountability is also a part of captaincy and he is just doing that. They are asked to do certain things and clearly are not.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Tragic… even with our injuries that was tragic

 

[Impspur1]

Tragic… even with our injuries that was tragic

It wasn’t actually a bad 11 and one that should be capable of kicking the ball a little harder from time to time

 

[jackson]

It will be 4 home defeats on the bounce. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s audible disgruntlement at the final whistle.

Didn't they just lose 3-0 against Everton...?

 

[Impspur1]

Didn't they just lose 3-0 against Everton...?

Welcome to Spurs Toon!

 

[Doctor Dinkey]

We're not losing against Newcastle. They look absolutely buggered.

Sunday is a cup final must win.

Newcastle will beat us in afraid. Games get a bit more winnable after that though

 

[rossdapep]

Went for a walk with the dog to cool off.

A highly frustrating evening.

It started very well. Our play was superb up until the final pass where we either didnt release it when we had to or fluffed the chance to shoot.

West Ham started to just focus on doubling up on Deki and it worked because he couldn't go outside and coming back inside was where they wanted it.

We had zero aerial threat from inswinging crosses into crowded areas.

But Deki should at least hit a couple.

The other issue is Hojbjerg and Bissouma are not blessed with being able to score from cutbacks.

Arsenal have 3 players who can score.

We have Son and Maddison but one was playing CF and other injured.

I thought Ange should have switched Son and Johnson sooner. Johnson had space to run on his side but messed up every chance he had.

Son would have at least tried to cut in and hit top corner.

West Ham then dug in and once they did that we struggled to really get back on top gear.

We were playing slower and overpassing it every single time.

No-one wanted to shoot and no-one knew who to pass to do it.

This is one area we need to fix. Wingers who can go both ways and are a bit selfish at times.

The time to be selfish is when space is more limited and you get that sight of goal.

The amount of times we passed it up was ridiculous.

Deki is really guilty here. He was hitting them in regularly at end of 22 season.

Now he refuses to hit it.

Second half really highlighted how poor Hojbjerg is in the system. He couldn't do anything with any effect. Flicking the ball into the area to know one, struggling to open his body to swivvle.

Bissouma can be excused as ineffective here because he is a pivot player and he can do that well.

Hobjerg is more of a screen player who needs to play into space. He isnt someone you give the ball to and ask to create. Neither is Bissouma but 2 together (one being far less effective) and all the opposition have to do is let you build and block you as soon as you arrive at the penalty area.

If we had Bentacur and Maddison I am certain we would have stepped up a gear because those 2 are brave with the ball and have the ability.

I don't want to see Hojbjerg start a game again if 2 of the main midfielders are fit.

We do need depth here though.

Ange has his hands tied but got a bit wrong too.

But it is pointless whinging or making claims about it being "unacceptable" because this is a process.

Ange has always hit bumps in the road. Those bumps help you plan ahead for what is to come.

We know with the group of players we have, we are a couple of injuries away from really struggling to break down low blocks.

Pep had this issue when he went in at City.

In fact, Pep started with City really strongly but before Xmas amd after they hit a bump. They even lost 4-1 to Everton and 3-1 to City.

That bump gave Pep the info he needed to make City vastly superior the following season.

Ange will know he has to change things amd improve himself.

He did it at Celtic and many were questioning him.

No coach goes into a club and fixes all its issues in the first few months.

Next season will be much more closer to how we will be under Ange long term.

Also, Lo Celso.

I said about 2 weeks ago that whilst he is a superb player he can be quite ineffective at times in the PL.

Thats because he is heavily reliant on his left but lacks explosiveness to really burst away or get power behind hos player.

Maddison doesn't struggle with that. He can go either way and get passes/shots off quickly and powerfully with both feet. He is also a better dribbler in long distances. Whereas Lo Celso is very much "on the spot" with hos dribbling.

This takes away quite a bit of dynamism and makes it predictable.

So against a low block, teams will just get close enough to Lo celso to make sure he goes to his right or has no backlift Cause he isn't a powerful finisher like Maddison with limited backlift.

We need better tools to break down low blocks.

We will get there, but Ange needs help with the right players

 

[Russ1201]

Only four more games until window opens, just need to stop the rot and go again

Wouldn't rely on the transfer window we will only end up disappointed with Levy unfortunately.

 

[Impspur1]

Wouldn't rely on the transfer window we will only end up disappointed with Levy unfortunately.

Guess time will tell but I think Ange will be backed, relatively speaking

 

[homer hotspur]

Wouldn't rely on the transfer window we will only end up disappointed with Levy unfortunately.

The right players at the right price simply won't be available in January. We will get a couple in Im sure but don't expect anything major. Possibly if Richy went to Saudi , we might go for Toney but odds against until next summer. We also don't have the squad spaces for many signings

 

[djhotspur]

The confidence is gone. When we concede now the heads drop sadly

 

[Russ1201]

Guess time will tell but I think Ange will be backed, relatively speaking

Hope so but i fear Levy will be starting to think top 4 is fading away and by January will feel no motivation to try and spend.

 

[tubbygold]

Um did you not watch the game Vs city?

I did. That was great. I still stand by what I said - in most games with these low blocks, he just slows down play. We need someone who can get to the line, but almost every single time he cuts inside and the ball keeps rotating back to him till we lose it. It's just tiresome.

When there's chaos he's great.