Tottenham Vs Newcastle: Match Thread

[StockSpur]

despite the penalty which was right in front of the linesman and cabayes the thug mugging dembele right in fron of that fat fuck in black and getting away with just a yellow, we missed a hatful of chances at killing the game of as usual and parker cant pass for shit, we still won

 

[EJWTartanSpur]

Still in brickies if anyone wants a jäger bomb ?

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Newcastle have an excellent midfield and are a pretty good side generally. They're in a false position as a result of their squad-wide injury crisis earlier in the season. There were long phases of that game where we were second best in midfield and struggled to retain the ball, but yet again we dealt with that and conceded a handful of chances - only one in the second half that I can recall. The key to our defensive play is to keep the opposition from working the ball into the box on the ground and then to rely on Lloris' mobility to collect high balls and snuff out chances before they become chances. If we keep conceding 5-8 chances per game, we will not lose many matches.

The issue about Bale being a "one man team", which I expected to come up today, is a false problem. For nearly a decade, we've all watched as Tottenham have inched forward in quality as a team. Since 2009, we've had a genuinely threatening squad and we've taken turns to say that, if only we had that one world-class player to win games when the rest of the team couldn't quite deliver, then we'd be a real threat for the title. Well, now we have him. This season Bale has gone from exciting potential to dominant force. He's a proper top-5-in-the-world attacking player now and we have him at least until this Summer and, if we qualify for the Champions League, probably for another year thereafter. The rest of the team hasn't become worse since August. It's just that Bale has become better.

Despite the usual chorus of moans, Dempsey played pretty solidly today and treated us to one piece of quite flashy skill - no one ever gives Dempsey credit when he does a flick and turn like that, because people don't think of him in that way, but he does show very good technique from time to time. He's not a striker and holding the ball up is not his forte. If Adebayor had been back on time and had trained, I think Dempsey would have been on the bench. But he did reasonably well.

I comprehend even less the criticism of Lennon, who was excellent again today, fizzing in some very threatening low crosses and doing, yet again, way more than his fair share of defensive work. I don't think people realise quite how important Lennon is when we lose the ball on his side. He's right in there, slowing down and harassing the resulting attack, and he deserves a bit of the credit for the small number of chances we concede.

Parker is playing just as well as he did last season, but it's a measure of just how far Sandro has come that we look far less stable in midfield since his injury. Dembélé has been OK for several weeks, but I can't recall him having a really dominant match in some time. I wonder if his hip is bothering him.

Walker had his best game in ages today. I don't recall him getting caught out of position once (unlike Naughton) and he combined with Dawson and Lennon very well when launching attacks.

As for Holtby, judging by his comments last week about the fearsome pace of English football, I reckon he got substituted because he isn't yet up to 90 minutes of buzzing about like a man possessed. His first touch is excellent, but he gradually drifted out of the game after about 25 minutes, playing deeper and deeper as Newcastle's midfield started to monopolise the ball, which took him out of a position where he could create anything and link up with Dempsey. I was a bit disappointed when he was substituted, because I was looking forward to seeing what he and Adebayor can do together, but it was immediately obvious that the change worked. He was knackered.

Hard-fought result against decent opposition at home. Next.

 

[Gbspurs]

Just watched the game (work again!) and Bale was just incredible. Scary how good he is getting and in the end I was absolutely gutted he didn't get a hattrick.

I'm sure all this has been said but we looked miles better when Ade came on, I was disappointed to see Holtby go off rather than Dempsey and fingers crossed Dembele is ok, although I didn't think he had a good day today.

One thing which is worth noting is that Lennon has become a fantastic defence player. So many times today he saved us and he was all over the pitch. Top lad.

 

[hugefanfromwayback]

I have mixed feelings today. On the one hand, much needed points in the bag, return to winning ways etc. On the other we have a lurking frailty that needs addressing. We came out of the blocks like a great team today, Bale's goal a blinder and ten or fifteen minutes in and this was the team I like to watch... fast passing, creating chances.

Yet a bit of ball watching here and bad luck there and all of a sudden they're equal and all our self belief drained out of the team. Caulker had an impressive start to the season but in recent times, for me, he's really shown his inexperience...similar to Walker in some senses, he's a very good footballer per se but not quite got the hang of defending yet. I could lob Naughton into that bracket too unfortunately, always strikes me as a teenager playing amongst men when I see him.

I see some unconvinced by Lennon, for me that's plain wrong, he has pace few in the league have, that alone scares the bejesus out of defences and the number of times he dinks the ball and gets the foul per game brings us possession, territory and often yellow cards for the other team. I have never understood why he doesn't get a proper shot in an England shirt.

Dembele also started the season with MOTM performances and has recently started to lose some of those 50/50 possessions he was dominating before. Parker is showing signs of returning to his best but there were times today where we struggled to link up to our midfield playing out of defense. I do think Holtby could be the key to unlocking some of this. Maybe fair enough to rest him with the substitution although Dempsey was once again innocuous.

Some people seem to think he puts in a shift and is a team player but for me all I saw today was some relatively straight forward passing with his back to goal and a lot of shots that the keeper needn't even blink at....like trying to chop wood with a very blunt axe. I'd personally give Siggy a run in the team.

Bale was magic and deserved the hat-trick but the whole time I couldn't help thinking they were always in with a chance, and worse still without Bale's magic (and let's face it, two sublime finishes) that the luck and results would have run against us. We need to firm up our defense by playing our best back four, for me that's KW, MD, JV & BAE.

You feel we are almost there, almost turning the corner of believing in our own winning mentality. We sure have the talent, we just seem to find ways of shooting ourselves in the foot at times. I think that unjust Chelsea snatch of our CL spot last year caused real psychological damage, just like Lasagnagate, it's as if we expect the world to conspire against us to stitch us up......and when we have that in the back of our heads, the results replicate our fears.

I'm quietly confident we'll turn that corner though, I think most of us are. It would be a glorious victory for Spurs and all our supporters if we're able to push on and threaten those trying to buy the title and the old guard in United. What's going on with that stadium Danny boy? Hurry son. COYS!

 

[Damian99]

And what the fuck that prick Pardew was upset over at full time, especially as his player could have broke Dembele's leg and should have been sent off for that tackle.

Pardew is nothing but a arrogant wanker.

 

[guiltyparty]

Helstorm: what exactly are you disagreeing with?

My entire post was facts. Accurate stats and nothing else. Disagree with my opinion-driven posts all you like, but how can you disagree with bare stats?

 

[Roynie]

A very good performance against a strong Toon side. For me the weak link, and it's not really THAT weak, is Parker.

He is very good in the tackle, works hard and runs all of the game. However, although his forward passes are very penetrating I lost count of how many times he over hit his passes and gave the ball away. It's that last thing you want to do with any side, but with NewChateau getting much stronger after their TW signings to put us under a lot more pressure.

I suppose it's a sign of how much we are missing the Beast! Get well soon Sandro.

 

[SteveH]

despite the penalty which was right in front of the linesman and cabayes the thug mugging dembele right in fron of that fat fuck in black and getting away with just a yellow, we missed a hatful of chances at killing the game of as usual and parker cant pass for shit, we still won

Yes a couple of passes did not find the target but his all-round play more than made up for that.

Thought he was outstanding.

 

[Blackcanary]

And what the fuck that prick Pardew was upset over at full time, especially as his player could have broke Dembele's leg and should have been sent off for that tackle.

Pardew is nothing but a arrogant wanker.

Apparently he was annoyed because AVB got distracted and started to wander off down the tunnel, without having shaken his hand. Pretty sure it must have been unintentional but Pardew could start a fight in an empty room!

 

[guiltyparty]

Apparently he was annoyed because AVB got distracted and started to wander off down the tunnel, without having shaken his hand. Pretty sure it must have been unintentional but Pardew could start a fight in an empty room!

He always moans about other managers

 

[Leigh]

And what the fuck that prick Pardew was upset over at full time, especially as his player could have broke Dembele's leg and should have been sent off for that tackle.

Pardew is nothing but a arrogant wanker.

So what do you call Walker's tackle that ended in a stretcher?

 

[hughy]

So what do you call Walker's tackle that ended in a stretcher?

Have you ever tried to kick a football and not follow through?


Have you ever tried to kick a football?


Do you know what football is?!

 

[Leigh]

Have you ever tried to kick a football and not follow through?


Have you ever tried to kick a football?


Do you know what football is?!

Ha, nob.

The guy was moaning about the tackle on Dembele whilst conveniently forgetting Walker's.

Pipe down.

 

[hughy]

Ha, nob.

The guy was moaning about the tackle on Dembele whilst conveniently forgetting Walker's.

Pipe down.

Because Walker's wasn't a 'tackle' as such. He caught Gouffran on the follow through. Absolutely nothing Walker could do about it!



I'm assuming the answer to all three of my questions was 'no'.

 

[Leigh]

Because Walker's wasn't a 'tackle' as such. He caught Gouffran on the follow through. Absolutely nothing Walker could do about it!



I'm assuming the answer to all three of my questions was 'no'.

I'm still playing, so I didn't need to dignify them with a response. Which I'm doing now. Shame on me.

 

[Damian99]

So what do you call Walker's tackle that ended in a stretcher?

What on earth are you talking about? Walker won the ball fair and square, he isn't late and does NOT have his studs showing, you are either on a wind up or have no fucking idea about what is and isn't a fair challenge on a football pitch.

The injury to the Newcastle player was not the result of a late/nasty challenge, but a fair one in which he came out of it worse off, the one on Dembele is late and Studs first and imo was intentional.

How you can even compare that to the one on Dembele, is unbelievable to say the least.

 

[hughy]

I'm still playing, so I didn't need to dignify them with a response. Which I'm doing now. Shame on me.

As a keen footballer then you'd realise it's impossible to kick a ball in a 50-50 challenge without following through. Hence why is wasn't called up as a foul, and hence why none of the pundits, managers or players at the time questioned it.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

So what do you call Walker's tackle that ended in a stretcher?

No one else on either side or in the press even thought it was a "tackle". Walker cleared the football and caught Gouffran entirely by accident.

 

[mpickard2087]

As for Holtby, judging by his comments last week about the fearsome pace of English football, I reckon he got substituted because he isn't yet up to 90 minutes of buzzing about like a man possessed. His first touch is excellent, but he gradually drifted out of the game after about 25 minutes, playing deeper and deeper as Newcastle's midfield started to monopolise the ball, which took him out of a position where he could create anything and link up with Dempsey. I was a bit disappointed when he was substituted, because I was looking forward to seeing what he and Adebayor can do together, but it was immediately obvious that the change worked. He was knackered.

Interesting. My instinct was the opposite, that if anything he was too close to Dempsey a lot of the time and needed to come a bit deeper towards the midfield to try and get on the ball and have an effect on play.

I may have to watch the match again if I have the time.