spurslenny
I hate football
- Nov 24, 2006
- 7,545
- 6,539
i think that's what he means.
Terrible performance
- Thread starter andyw362
- Start date
Max_Junglie
Well-Known Member
- Jan 14, 2008
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My thoughts:
We were poor, United were very good today - not spectacular, but very effective and ran us ragged, even with 10 men. Rooney was fantastic and Foster had a great game. I thought our attitude was OK until their third, after which we did give up a bit, but I can forgive that in all honesty - so long as we don't make a habit of it.
Crouch was very effective in the first half IMO - set up the goal and had at least two great opportunities to bring the ball down and shoot, neither of which came off. The Utd defence were giving him uncontested headers for most of the first half - in the second half they only to grips with him by roughing him up pretty well.
Neither Keane, Defoe or Lennon ever really got into the game. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't seek to give Lenny the ball at every opportunity, and that when he did get the ball he just wasn't prepared to run at Evra. OK, Evra might be one of the best LBs in the world, but he should still have had a few goes at him.
Darren Fletcher moans more than Keane. Which is quite a feat.
I can't see how the ref can be blamed for anything today though, certainly not for costing us the game - true, he was abominable, but he still sent Scholes off, which was pretty amazing in itself seeing as he'd let Scholes referee the first half for him. The reaction of some posters would make you think he'd sent a Spurs player off. He actually gave us a considerable advantage and plenty of time to make the most of it. We blew it.
And I must be missing something because I can't for the life of me understand where the faith some people have in Gio comes from. I've seen every Spurs game since he was signed and I've never seen anything to suggest that he can be effective, much less match-winning, in the premier league, and certainly not against possibly the best team in the world. It's a nice conceit to suppose we have a mercurial genius lurking on the fringes of the squad, but if he was actually ready (or any good) he'd be on the bench or in the team.
Still, we've got 12 points from the first five games and that includes Utd and Liverpool. That's a pretty good return IMO.
We were poor, United were very good today - not spectacular, but very effective and ran us ragged, even with 10 men. Rooney was fantastic and Foster had a great game. I thought our attitude was OK until their third, after which we did give up a bit, but I can forgive that in all honesty - so long as we don't make a habit of it.
Crouch was very effective in the first half IMO - set up the goal and had at least two great opportunities to bring the ball down and shoot, neither of which came off. The Utd defence were giving him uncontested headers for most of the first half - in the second half they only to grips with him by roughing him up pretty well.
Neither Keane, Defoe or Lennon ever really got into the game. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't seek to give Lenny the ball at every opportunity, and that when he did get the ball he just wasn't prepared to run at Evra. OK, Evra might be one of the best LBs in the world, but he should still have had a few goes at him.
Darren Fletcher moans more than Keane. Which is quite a feat.
I can't see how the ref can be blamed for anything today though, certainly not for costing us the game - true, he was abominable, but he still sent Scholes off, which was pretty amazing in itself seeing as he'd let Scholes referee the first half for him. The reaction of some posters would make you think he'd sent a Spurs player off. He actually gave us a considerable advantage and plenty of time to make the most of it. We blew it.
And I must be missing something because I can't for the life of me understand where the faith some people have in Gio comes from. I've seen every Spurs game since he was signed and I've never seen anything to suggest that he can be effective, much less match-winning, in the premier league, and certainly not against possibly the best team in the world. It's a nice conceit to suppose we have a mercurial genius lurking on the fringes of the squad, but if he was actually ready (or any good) he'd be on the bench or in the team.
Still, we've got 12 points from the first five games and that includes Utd and Liverpool. That's a pretty good return IMO.
Ledders Army
Well-Known Member
- Jul 26, 2008
- 738
- 783
I don't think united we're good today, they were very very average, which is why i'm so frustrated. They didn't play well, went down to 10 and still won comfortably. We were shocking today, a long way off 4th. With the players we have should do better, Harry's just got to pick the right team.
speccy_spur
Active Member
- Aug 2, 2005
- 1,192
- 0
Part of the problem was Harry had so little time to work with a lot of the squad 'cos of international duty. Playing ManUSA Corp after one days training together is always gonna be tough because...they are simply much, much better than Spurs - Luka.
- Thread starter
- #86
Its the same for everyone else though?
Our midfield just wasnt good enough today. Thank god JJ is back.
hybridsoldier
Well-Known Member
- Aug 2, 2004
- 5,892
- 1,185
I agree, we simply did not show the passion we have in our previous 4 games. We were aggressive and in the face of Liverpool. Here we looked tired and resigned to defeat. I don't know what it was....and it got worse when they went down to 10 men!
thfcsteff
Well-Known Member
- Jul 30, 2005
- 1,117
- 339
It was that as the game went on, we could not keep the ball. Luka is so so important in this regard...add to that Wilson's yellow and it was a double-deflater...
AnotherSpursFan
Well-Known Member
- Dec 4, 2006
- 1,815
- 1,797
The team lack common sense. When you give the ball away you let the other team play.
Route one is as dumb as it gets with the current squad we have. Peter is tall, yes but he's also a very good footballer. Get the ball rolling on the grass again and we shall do fine.
Route one is as dumb as it gets with the current squad we have. Peter is tall, yes but he's also a very good footballer. Get the ball rolling on the grass again and we shall do fine.
luptic
Well-Known Member
- Jul 21, 2008
- 2,358
- 3,066
Thought rooney, berbatov and flecther were immense today for united. We scored to early in the game, and united simply squeezed the play and hit us on the counter attack. Their passing was quicker and more accurate, many of their players turned up and but in a performance were as ours didnt. Lennon was good at times but Evra looked very comfortable against him today. Keane was waste on the left mever offered enough. Crouch caused them some problems but ferdinand and vidic were able to handle him. Wilson looked well tired. Hopefully this is the kick up the backside they need for the chelsea match.
Dr Know
SC Supporter
- Aug 21, 2008
- 11,699
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The only person IMO that needs to take blame for yesterday is Harry. We tried Keane on the left before and it didn't work. I think he was under pressure from Crouch and thats why he started. Harry said before if the team is going well he won't change it so why start with Crouch? Nicko should have started on the left and thats the only change that was needed because Keane on the left made it harder for Palacios. Harry said that the players kept looking for Crouch when they had the ball, I think that was our downfall but FFS Harry you said you brought in Crouch to give us something different, well thats it! what do you expect the players to do when they know thats why Crouch was bought? I'm a big fan of Harry but if he is looking for blame he needs to look at himself, lets just hope we can learn from yesterday and Harry completely kills the idea of Keane on the left.
Also to be fair the internationals did not help, the players looked very lethargic and our passing game was no where to be found
Also to be fair the internationals did not help, the players looked very lethargic and our passing game was no where to be found
raf18
Well-Known Member
- Aug 29, 2006
- 2,502
- 1,819
agree. but arry did warn us a couple of weeks ago that we will try to attack too much in games and it will leave us open.
Gambler
Well-Known Member
- Jan 5, 2006
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er I thought you were just referring to yesterday's game. Utd get away with it every week is all I was saying.
Just watched MOTD they didn't even show Evra sticking the head on VC and only showed the challenge which Vidic received the booking for, none of the others he should have been off for.
Bus-Conductor
SC Supporter
- Oct 19, 2004
- 39,837
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We had a big hoo ha on here last week because a couple of us dared to suggest that the best managers do change a winning team. The best managers adapt their team, making use of their squad, to suit the opponent. They don't pick their team based on who they played last week.
Redknap did make one change but it effectively became two changes that effected things negatively from a team dynamic. Crouch individyally gave his all and played well enough but they were the wrong team and tactics for the game and they didn't show much forethought for team dynamics, tactics or balance.
I was desperate for us to sign another creative player like Benayoun - I still believe a decent offer for him would have persuaded Benitez - and when Modric is injured you can see why. We look a little bit short of craft and ideas when he's not around.
I would personally swap Lennon for Benayoun. (Would prefer to have both in my armoury though)
This is why it is vital we start to give GDS some game time. If (IF) he can develop into a creative intellignet part of our squad then he will prove vital as Lennon actually creates very little for all his wizzing around.
Redknap did make one change but it effectively became two changes that effected things negatively from a team dynamic. Crouch individyally gave his all and played well enough but they were the wrong team and tactics for the game and they didn't show much forethought for team dynamics, tactics or balance.
I was desperate for us to sign another creative player like Benayoun - I still believe a decent offer for him would have persuaded Benitez - and when Modric is injured you can see why. We look a little bit short of craft and ideas when he's not around.
I would personally swap Lennon for Benayoun. (Would prefer to have both in my armoury though)
This is why it is vital we start to give GDS some game time. If (IF) he can develop into a creative intellignet part of our squad then he will prove vital as Lennon actually creates very little for all his wizzing around.
SpurSince57
Well-Known Member
- Jan 20, 2006
- 45,213
- 8,229
Unfortunately, due to the international break Kranjcar's had virtually no opportunity to train with the team, whilst if dos Santos was as jet-lagged as Palacios appeared to be he wouldn't have been much cop either. Bentley? He hasn't exactly been a roaring success that side, has he? We could have gone with Bentley on the right and Lennon on the left, I suppose, but maybe Keane was felt to be the least worst option in the circumstances. Then, of course, Modric only notionally plays on the left, and what we missed in addition to his creativity was his support for the CMs—when you have Huddlestone's deficiencies being exposed because of a sub-par Palacios you've got problems.
And we compounded those with some sloppy passing, giving the ball away to about the last side you want to do that to.
Bus-Conductor
SC Supporter
- Oct 19, 2004
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Having rewatched the highlights there is also another great example of the poor contribution of Lennon. On MOTD just before Rooney's goal it shows his previous breakaway. This starts with Lennon, passing up the chance to cross it in favour of coming in and trying to beat two men. He plays a one two with Corlika and then dwells on the ball and looses it to Evra. What does he do next ?
You guessed it; he stands there watching ManU break up field in a very dangerous break, despite being our quickest player.
This is why Lennon is not a top drawer player. Giggs would have chased that fucker back and made sure he tried to redeem his error and help his team.
I would be far more forgiving of Lennon's lack of intelligent use of the ball if he did shit like that. But he doesn't. It's not all his fault. Our coaches should be drilling this into him day after day, but great footballers do this instinctively.
He does do it occasionally I know, but he needs to do it every time, every game.
You guessed it; he stands there watching ManU break up field in a very dangerous break, despite being our quickest player.
This is why Lennon is not a top drawer player. Giggs would have chased that fucker back and made sure he tried to redeem his error and help his team.
I would be far more forgiving of Lennon's lack of intelligent use of the ball if he did shit like that. But he doesn't. It's not all his fault. Our coaches should be drilling this into him day after day, but great footballers do this instinctively.
He does do it occasionally I know, but he needs to do it every time, every game.
