Tottenham Vs Chelsea: Match Thread

[davidmatzdorf]

Liverpool have played the same if not more games, watching them now they dont seem tired at all - better players? better management?

Perhaps one factor is that they have older players who have learned better how to manage their exertion over the course of a strenuous season. Our spine is full of first-full-year players: Dier, Mason, Bentaleb & Kane.

And Liverpool's top 4 challenge petered out even before ours did, although they've found better form again recently. I'm not sure you can draw a meaningful distinction based on a 3 point gap over 32 matches.

 

[eddiebailey]

Not very baffling. I've been watching a team that is visibly tired. Jaded.

Through 2/3 of the season, we would always be the fresh side, with its tails up, in the last 10 minutes - hence all the late winning goals.

That's entirely disappeared over the past 4-5 weeks. Everyone looks knackered, even the younger players. We've played over 50 matches, FFS.

The number of games is certainly a factor, but I suppose the question is how much that end of season tiredness has been exacerbated by lack of rotation, intensive early season training and continued intensive training between games. The concern was always that Poch's methods meant that we would implode in the run-in, which seems to be what has come to pass, as it did to an extent with Southampton last season.

I can't help but feel that if that if key to succeeding in the Premiership was more intensive physical training someone would have stumbled upon it before Poch. I know Martin Jol for one always stressed the importance of pacing yourself over the season to ensure a strong run-in. A standard rule of policy-making is, if it hasn't been done before, ask why.

 

[IGSpur]

Perhaps one factor is that they have older players who have learned better how to manage their exertion over the course of a strenuous season. Our spine is full of first-full-year players: Dier, Mason, Bentaleb & Kane.

And Liverpool's top 4 challenge petered out even before ours did, although they've found better form again recently. I'm not sure you can draw a meaningful distinction based on a 3 point gap over 32 matches.

They also have a better 'squad' they've got players who are willing to come in for the collective of the team. Henderson, Allen, Lucas, Can and Gerrard. Also decent players no standouts but they know their system and can be rotated in and out with not much difference to their game. We can't Do that as we know we have players in our squad who don't have it or have it but don't want to show it.

Our main problem is our wide players aren't good enough and we don't have many. Not only that but they have young eager ones like Sterling and Markovic not to mention they brought back a young keen one with energy I'm Ibe. they are all quicker than our wingers but are also have a better workdays. Ability wise apart from Sterling it's debateable, but we have players who struggle to keep the ball and create. We just need better players to rotate and help Poch.

But like you said even then they are only 3 points ahead of us with a more settled experienced team