Team for Dortmund...

[Mr Pink]

I think physical and mental fatigue are factors without a shadow of a doubt, and it's also the travelling. As someone who does quite a lot of short haul flying I know how it fatigues you - I can't really explain why it does either, but I always feel more tired after flying even when it's an hour and a half flight or something.

I also think the fact that the EPL has no winter break plays a part too. I think people underestimate the benefit to players, physically and mentally of just having a couple of weeks without the physical and mental pressures of top level competition in front of huge crowds.

All that said, I still think Poch got the team and tactics horribly wrong for the Dortmund away game. Why play almost full strength teams in earlier rounds to then play a much weaker team against a team like Dortmund at this stage ? We could still have rested certain players like Kane, Toby, FB's and a CM, and still put out a more competitive team and - more importantly - been tactically much better prepared.

Love what we are doing generally, but Poch balls'd this tie up good and proper.

Agree on the mental fatigue part and travel. Poch has as good as said that he got the team selection wrong for the first game as well.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

By getting it so wrong last week, Poch has also created a huge dilemma for himself now as well, does he risk any first team players on a completely lost cause ? If he does the effort that the players are going to have to exert to try and chase down a 3 goal deficit will be monumental.

He might as well play an entire U21 and take the consequence and give the first team the night off.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Agree on the mental fatigue part and travel. Poch has as good as said that he got the team selection wrong for the first game as well.

What did he say ?

It wasn't just the team either, it was like we'd never seen Dortmund play.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Agree on the mental fatigue part and travel. Poch has as good as said that he got the team selection wrong for the first game as well.

How he thought we would have any foothold in the game with Carroll and Mason as our CM pair I will never know. As I said in the match day thread, it was tantamount to Redknapp playing Modric and Kranjcar as our midfield 2 away to Man City a few years back. Flippin idiotic.

 

[Mr Pink]

What did he say ?

It wasn't just the team either, it was like we'd never seen Dortmund play.

Think there was a snippet in the Times this morning, where he said team selection was based on analysis but he accepts he could of made other choices - just read to me that he was holding his hands up sort of thing but balanced it with the fitness stuff.

 

[mpickard2087]

I think he may as well rotate again. Almost no chance of progressing and we have some big league games coming up. Even on paper 'easier' games like at the weekend wont be, because Bournemouth will absolutely run their bollocks off (and have found their feet in this league now compared to when we played them previously), if we cant match that it will be difficult for us.

On the wider issue, I think our players are definitely looking jaded now. Don't look at the results, look at what is happening in matches and on a wider scale... Our closing down and pressing game has definitely dropped off, you will still be able to find plenty of instances of it in a game but as a unit and across 90 mins its become less of a sure thing (go back and look at the number of times a Villa player just breezed past a Spurs shirt on Sunday for instance, I'd be extremely concerned against a remotely competent team). The last few games we're also looking far more open and the opposition is finding space between the lines. With the ball it's also been a touch more erratic across the park and we're at times struggling to play the ball up the pitch or indeed keep it and the error count has been off the scale in some games.

For me, and I appreciate you have other factors such as the how well the opposition is playing, those are all tell-tale signs of fatigue. To be expected at this stage of the season, but when the approach is based around high energy, high press, work rate and often furious football that blows the opposition away then even a slight drop off in energy levels may be magnified.

 

[roslau]

Poch should give a fair chance to Nabil.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Poch should give a fair chance to Nabil.

If there is one player in the squad who has been given his fair chance, I think it's Bentaleb.

 

[Bofbro]

If there is one player in the squad who has been given his fair chance, I think it's Bentaleb.

Not this season possible due to injuries, last seasons form alongside Mason surely should put him in front of Carroll.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I think he may as well rotate again. Almost no chance of progressing and we have some big league games coming up. Even on paper 'easier' games like at the weekend wont be, because Bournemouth will absolutely run their bollocks off (and have found their feet in this league now compared to when we played them previously), if we cant match that it will be difficult for us.

On the wider issue, I think our players are definitely looking jaded now. Don't look at the results, look at what is happening in matches and on a wider scale... Our closing down and pressing game has definitely dropped off, you will still be able to find plenty of instances of it in a game but as a unit and across 90 mins its become less of a sure thing (go back and look at the number of times a Villa player just breezed past a Spurs shirt on Sunday for instance, I'd be extremely concerned against a remotely competent team). The last few games we're also looking far more open and the opposition is finding space between the lines. With the ball it's also been a touch more erratic across the park and we're at times struggling to play the ball up the pitch or indeed keep it and the error count has been off the scale in some games.

For me, and I appreciate you have other factors such as the how well the opposition is playing, those are all tell-tale signs of fatigue. To be expected at this stage of the season, but when the approach is based around high energy, high press, work rate and often furious football that blows the opposition away then even a slight drop off in energy levels may be magnified.

I've got to be honest here MP and say so far, I've not noticed a quantifiable collective "drop off" in energy or pressing or an overt increase in carelessness. I think there have been lots of games where, for whatever reason, throughout the season, we haven't pressed great and we are always a pretty eratic team in the final third.

I think Eriksen, once again, has been over used and it remains to be seen if this effects him like it did last year.

You may be right, I just haven't noticed massive collective signs. Arsenal for example we were at it like bastards.

 

[nicdic]

I think he may as well rotate again. Almost no chance of progressing and we have some big league games coming up. Even on paper 'easier' games like at the weekend wont be, because Bournemouth will absolutely run their bollocks off (and have found their feet in this league now compared to when we played them previously), if we cant match that it will be difficult for us.

On the wider issue, I think our players are definitely looking jaded now. Don't look at the results, look at what is happening in matches and on a wider scale... Our closing down and pressing game has definitely dropped off, you will still be able to find plenty of instances of it in a game but as a unit and across 90 mins its become less of a sure thing (go back and look at the number of times a Villa player just breezed past a Spurs shirt on Sunday for instance, I'd be extremely concerned against a remotely competent team). The last few games we're also looking far more open and the opposition is finding space between the lines. With the ball it's also been a touch more erratic across the park and we're at times struggling to play the ball up the pitch or indeed keep it and the error count has been off the scale in some games.

For me, and I appreciate you have other factors such as the how well the opposition is playing, those are all tell-tale signs of fatigue. To be expected at this stage of the season, but when the approach is based around high energy, high press, work rate and often furious football that blows the opposition away then even a slight drop off in energy levels may be magnified.

Could also argue that now that Bournemouth are virtually safe, they might switch off a bit.

 

[Syn_13]

By getting it so wrong last week, Poch has also created a huge dilemma for himself now as well, does he risk any first team players on a completely lost cause ? If he does the effort that the players are going to have to exert to try and chase down a 3 goal deficit will be monumental.

He might as well play an entire U21 and take the consequence and give the first team the night off.

I reckon we'll see another mixed team with the likes of Toby and Eriksen still playing alongside your Masons and Carrolls. Pretty much same as last week.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I reckon we'll see another mixed team with the likes of Toby and Eriksen still playing alongside your Masons and Carrolls. Pretty much same as last week.

Your boys made it a hell of a game last night.

 

[nicdic]

I reckon we'll see another mixed team with the likes of Toby and Eriksen still playing alongside your Masons and Carrolls. Pretty much same as last week.

Eriksen was a doubt, so sure to miss out.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Who ever plays tonight is on a hiding to nothing.

Dortmund are the last team you want to be chasing a game against, especially with our careless bunch.

 

[Gb160]

Eriksen was a doubt, so sure to miss out.

IMO he's being rested, he's been in Denmark meeting their royal family this week...seems strange for an injured player to be allowed to buggar off for a few days at such a critical time in the season.
Surely if he was injured he'd be at hotspur way getting pumped full of cows blood or something?
Fully expect him to be playing on Sunday.

 

[Nine while nine]

IMO he's being rested, he's been in Denmark meeting their royal family this week...seems strange for an injured player to be allowed to buggar off for a few days at such a critical time in the season.
Surely if he was injured he'd be at hotspur way getting pumped full of cows blood or something?
Fully expect him to be playing on Sunday.

I understand the Danish prince asked Christian whether Pochettino was planning to rest Alderweireld or not.

"Toby, or not Toby, that is the question" he said.

Apparently.

 

[nuttynoah]

I can see Poch playing a full strength side, except for Dembele and Eriksen.
With Mason and Son replacing them.
Poch won't want another drubbing, he'll want to restore a bit of respectability back into the club after what happened last week.
If it's a loss cause after 60 minutes then I can see him taking off our 3 players who need the rest the most.
Get a couple of early goals and it's game on, trouble is I can't see Dortmund not scoring.

 

[millsey]

Of course it plays a part, but the fear mongering that goes on here is ridiculous. We have a fitness team that know what they're doing. Since way back in November people have been citing fatigue as the reason for poor performances. I'm not saying it won't have any impact, I'm just arguing that any dip in performance isn't necessarily due to fatigue, and we won't really know exactly what the deal is.

The away tie made sense to rest players. We'd just played two very intense games in a short amount of time. Most of our key players have either now been rested or are unavailable, so I see no reason not to go with a stronger looking side.

Can Spurs ever do wrong?

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Can see Chadli, Son, Mason and even Carroll starting tonight again. Questions over Alli and Kane starting and I think Lamela might be in there as well. I think Poch will have admitted defeat, at least to himself, but will also be aware of the effect on morale a battering could be. Such a shame, I think even if we had kept it to 1-0 first leg we could have taken them at the lane. 3-0 is impossible and last thing we need to be doing is going to extra time which is the most we could, even in our wildest dreams, hope for.