Tottenham Vs Manchester City: Match Thread

[Luka Lennon]

frustrating match to watch because we were so bloody good especially first half but Hart was absolute quality but still left thinking we shoulda definately scored

Levy please go buy Fabiano, we have 4 good strikers and we desperately need a great one

 

[DFF]

But to answer the issue directly, it will be top 4 form. More precisely, it will be top 3 form...

Arse at home 2009 /2010 vs:
Villa w
Everton d
City d
Liverpool won
Total = 8 points

Chelsea at home 2009/10 vs:
Liverpool w
Everton d
Citeh l
Villa w
Total = 7 Points

Manu at home 2009/10 vs:
Citeh w
Villa l
Everton W
Liverpool W
Total = 9 points

Average gained by the top 3 teams at home against the four teams we're talking about, the second tier, = 8 points. I'd say that fits my prediction that if we did the same it would be a positive thing, but doesn't correspond at all to it not being good enough for top 4.

Last i checked there were 20 teams in the league. The glaring difference between those 3 teams you listed and us, is that they pick up better results against the smaller teams. That's why, despite picking up similar points against the 'second tier', they finish above us. That's also why we have to maximise the points we take off the teams around us, because we'll always drop points where we shouldn't (e.g. Wolves home and away last season). The Man Citys, Villas and Evertons will also drop points where they shouldn't, thus it's basically about taking points off each other. That will be the difference, in my opinion.

 

[Stoof]

Enjoyed a lot of our football today, we really knocked it about well at times. Although City came back intio it in the second half, they will definitely be the team that's happier with the point. It's no coincidence the early match reports are singing the praises of City's centre halves and Joe Hart. We were good today - we'll play a lot worse and win.

Now that I've got over the initial disappointment, I'm actually really happy with the way we played. Yeah we could've finished a bit better, but that'll come. If we play like that on Tuesday the I'm excited. Very excited.

 

[Michey]

Enjoyed a lot of our football today, we really knocked it about well at times. Although City came back intio it in the second half, they will definitely be the team that's happier with the point. It's no coincidence the early match reports are singing the praises of City's centre halves and Joe Hart. We were good today - we'll play a lot worse and win.

Now that I've got over the initial disappointment, I'm actually really happy with the way we played. Yeah we could've finished a bit better, but that'll come. If we play like that on Tuesday the I'm excited. Very excited.

Easily the best players on the pitch with Bale. Especially Kompany of the CB's

 

[karennina]

Last i checked there were 20 teams in the league. The glaring difference between those 3 teams you listed and us, is that they pick up better results against the smaller teams. That's why, despite picking up similar points against the 'second tier', they finish above us. That's also why we have to maximise the points we take off the teams around us, because we'll always drop points where we shouldn't (e.g. Wolves home and away last season). The Man Citys, Villas and Evertons will also drop points where they shouldn't, thus it's basically about taking points off each other. That will be the difference, in my opinion.

I still don't see how any of that really supports your thesis that 8 points at home against Pool, Villa, Everton, and Citeh isn't good enough for top four. The results I posted show that it's precisely what the top 3 got on average. I would agree that this result was at the low end of what we should have got - it's an 'acceptable but needs improvement' rather than a good result.

About dispatching the bottom ten teams, that's exactly where I'd say our greatest room for improvement is. It's got to be more feasible to beat not lose to Wolves, in a match we dominate, than it is to, say, convert an evenly balanced match against Everton into a win. The former scenario is much more under our control, and more susceptible to improvements we can make. If we get eight points from the second tier at WHL, yet miss CL, who will really look back on those games and say they were the main culprits?

 

[NEVILLEB]

Agreed, I'm sure they'll get better but Tevez, Adebayor, and Balotelli are three of the biggest head-cases in the game. Mancini's going to have some serious man-management to do with that squad and I'm not sure he's up to it. I feel over the course of the season we should better them again, though we do need a striker upgrade.

Bellamy and Robinho are a bit of a handfull too!

 

[Archibald-CPH]

For the first time in many years I was laid back, calm and pretty sure they would'nt score. Our defence looked very solid

 

[full-frontal-nudity]

To be fair, city are shit.

 

[ajspurs]

Bellamy and Robinho are a bit of a handfull too!

Funny you say that cos today I was thinking if there's anyone I didn't want to be playing today for City it would be Bellamy, probably just behind Tevez in the list mind. Last season he was one of their only bright sparks when they had performances like the one today yet he's the one person they're letting go.

Bigger names don't always equal bigger performances. I bet Bellamy would have done a better job today than Silva...

 

[Wsussexspur]

Would have taken a point before todays game but have come home with overall feeling of disappointment we really should have won that game. We played some really outstanding stuff at times and Joe Hart was outstanding today. I thought Benny had a really good game as well. City are only going to get better as season goes on so once the slight disappointment disapears will probably look back on this as not bad result.

 

[haxman]

Bigger names don't always equal bigger performances. I bet Bellamy would have done a better job today than Silva...

Agreed but lets see when Silva adjusts to the speed of the Prem. He's a top player.

 

[PT]

Also massive hand ups to benoit assou ekkoto, WOW outstanding it was definetly his day today superb performance. He really has come on from the days of being unsettled, weak and defensively vunerable.

Benny failed to come out with his fellow defenders and let in Tevez who just had Gomes to beat. Benny got back and made a world class tackle to retrieve the situation but his lapse could easily have cost us our hard earned point today.

 

[brett.spurs]

It was SWP, not Tevez, but yeah.

BAE for President.

 

[ajspurs]

Agreed but lets see when Silva adjusts to the speed of the Prem. He's a top player.

He is indeed.

City did look like a bunch of individuals rather than a team today. I think they'll have a similar season to last to be honest, I can see them having a lot more poor performances throughout the season.

The 1st half of todays match was a very good sign and that was without players like Gio, Kranjcar, Sandro, Palacios and Pav etc. Hopefully we can replicate that display throughout much of the campaign.

 

[I'mNotReallyHere]

City fan here, back for the first time since that disappointing (for us anyway) night in May.

Well, if I'd been offered the draw before the match I'd have taken it no questions asked, given you're our bogey team. Glad to get this game out of the way first too. As it was, we were extremely lucky. In the first half it could've been 4 or 5-0 to you were it not for Hart, who I'm sure you'll agree played an absolute blinder. Bale tore Richards a new arsehole every time, but I felt Kolarov had a decent half given he was playing with an injury, I thought in general he kept Lennon out fairly well. Your defence did a good job stopping Tevez, Silva, SWP et al in their tracks. Felt we were playing 4-6-0 at times though, Tevez playing as a lone striker was dropping far too deep and we didn't have an outlet up front like you had Crouch, for example. Felt Adebayor or Jo (don't laugh, he's had a decent preseason ) should've started with him.

Second half was a bit more even, how SWP didn't put us 1-0 up at the start I will never know. When Adam Johnson came on I felt we had a much better attack, but in the end the draw was a good result for us. I'd say we owe it to Hart for keeping us in it though, without him it could've been yet another drubbing. What today showed is that it's going to go to the wire again regarding 4th, we've got a better squad of players but you've got a better team. May the best team over the season reach the CL

Oh, and g'luck in the week for your CL game.

 

[AW?]

Not read the thread as i've had a few so can't be arsed.

Bale was truely immense! King too. Gomez had little to do but did it well. Nobody else really shined for me. Dawson looked good as ever back with King, but City never really tested us.

All in all i'm not overly happy with the result, but we played very well for most of the game so can't complain too much.

 

[Arkie]

Risking this post being deleted by not being in the correct thread but... I couldnt get to the game today. Can someone tell me whats happening North of Paxton on our new stadium site, anything left there or is it all demolished?

 

[AW?]

Benny failed to come out with his fellow defenders and let in Tevez who just had Gomes to beat. Benny got back and made a world class tackle to retrieve the situation but his lapse could easily have cost us our hard earned point today.

Exactly!

He made the fuck up in the first place. His pace makes him look better than he is, blah blah blah been saying this for years.

He had a little spell last season when i actually thought he looked fairly decent. The rest of the team were flying at the time though and after a few weeks of looking great went back to being utter dogshit.

He's not good enough.

 

[camaj]

Read the stadium thread, it's a sticky.

 

[jondesouza]

City fan here, back for the first time since that disappointing (for us anyway) night in May.

Well, if I'd been offered the draw before the match I'd have taken it no questions asked, given you're our bogey team. Glad to get this game out of the way first too. As it was, we were extremely lucky. In the first half it could've been 4 or 5-0 to you were it not for Hart, who I'm sure you'll agree played an absolute blinder. Bale tore Richards a new arsehole every time, but I felt Kolarov had a decent half given he was playing with an injury, I thought in general he kept Lennon out fairly well. Your defence did a good job stopping Tevez, Silva, SWP et al in their tracks. Felt we were playing 4-6-0 at times though, Tevez playing as a lone striker was dropping far too deep and we didn't have an outlet up front like you had Crouch, for example. Felt Adebayor or Jo (don't laugh, he's had a decent preseason ) should've started with him.

Second half was a bit more even, how SWP didn't put us 1-0 up at the start I will never know. When Adam Johnson came on I felt we had a much better attack, but in the end the draw was a good result for us. I'd say we owe it to Hart for keeping us in it though, without him it could've been yet another drubbing. What today showed is that it's going to go to the wire again regarding 4th, we've got a better squad of players but you've got a better team. May the best team over the season reach the CL

Oh, and g'luck in the week for your CL game.

Cheers for that. And credit to your fans, quite a few of whom applauded the presentation to our double winning side.