Tottenham Vs Stoke: Match Thread

[CowInAComa]

Yeah, I was perfectly content with the performance untill the last 20 minutes or so. It's the 2nd game of the season, it takes a while to get going and we still need new players in. But those 20 minutes... My word...

This exactly. No one was complaining after 70mins, it was a thoroughly professional and decent performance.

And everyone has the right to complain about the last 20. Because, well, what the fuck was that.

The sad thing is, it's almost too predictable that we would fall apart at that point.

 

[CowInAComa]

On lamela. He was no shitter than any of the 10 players he played the last 30 mins with.

 

[only1waddle]

Not the first time Poch has made some odd substitutions.

Too early to judge him yet. But assuming Levy actually buys some players to give him a decent squad then he will need to up his game.

He is quite negative and his football is very similar to AVB. Hope that changes!

I don't think our first half football was negative, our attacks looked varied and inventive at times, the problem is with MP's god awful in game management.

 

[KenTHFC]

For everyone saying the all round performance was shit, the first half was brilliant. Had Kane scored that one on one it would've been a different game

 

[spursfan77]

Completely agree.

But the defensive midfielder only papers over the cracks of tactical naivety.

There was an article last month of where and how we concede most of our goals. Guess what, it was the same today. We obviously aren't working on the right things in training. Either that it the players aren't fulfilling their duties properly.

 

[Hoowl]

The first half gave me a lot of confidence for this season. We controlled the game and restricted Stoke to a couple of chances (admittedly of our own making). Kane linked play nicely, we created and took our chances.

The second half we let Stoke into it. The penalty was the turning point but you could see it coming with the joy they were having down the left hand side before that. Without Kane we didn't really have anything going on up front and it shows how important getting N'Jie was. We probably need another new forward too.

Nothing worked for Lamela today. I really want him to succeed but he's just a yellow card waiting to happen. However the drop in performance seemed generally to be the lack of a leader on the pitch to organise and rally everyone. Hopefully we can get someone in before the window closes...

 

[panoma]

When are we gonna see this "Poch brand" of football thats supposed to be based on high intensity and pressing. The players still just stroll around with little purpose.

I wonder when it's gonna look like we have something that resemble a plan.

 

[SPURSLIFE]

This is the last thing is say about Lamela. He's a European player. What I mean by that is that he can only perform in Europe. He cannot do it domestically at all, and it's why he performs best in the group stage of the EL. I think we should give him this season, then if he doesn't perform, he's gone.

That's what many said last season and I wouldn't be surprised if the Lamela lovers will be saying it next season also.

 

[spursfan77]

Ali z on COYS is saying that the manager has wanted an experienced defensive midfielder all summer but levy hasn't delivered one.

 

[SpartanSpur]

Are you serious? Umm so you are cheerful after that? Don't make it personal, it's classless.

Your post was so glass half empty it was my natural response.

The second bit was in jest and I didn't actually believe that to be true. Apologies for any offence caused.

Compared to the games vs stoke last year there was a lot to be positive about. Butland made 4-5 top drawer saves and we still scored two. Despite being under more pressure than I'd like we still seemed to be riding it out well with the 2 goal cushion. Lloris made one really good save.

Then we gave them a penalty for nothing, and true to form for a young spurs team, buckled afterwards. Does one error undo all the positives before that?

You made it sound like it was all doom and gloom and there was nothing to take from it. That just isn't true.

 

[ilikeost]

On lamela. He was no shitter than any of the 10 players he played the last 30 mins with.

I really have to disagree with this. I think Lamela was by far the worst player on the pitch for the last 20 minutes. He contributed absolutely nothing, he gave away fouls in dangerous areas and he lost the ball as soon as he caught a glimpse of a Stoke shirt. And I'm not saying that it was his fault that we lost the 2 goal lead, what I'm saying is that he was just really, really bad.

 

[WiganSpur]

They were dominating for most of the half, we only looked 'gutless' for the last 20 because that's when they finally managed to put the ball in the net.

The warning signs were there before the last 20 minutes.

 

[TheLionKing]

On lamela. He was no shitter than any of the 10 players he played the last 30 mins with.

Perhaps. But he costs 30 million, the others don't. Is it too much to expect impact on a game at least occasionally from a player who cost us that much, when he's replaced someone who cost us practically nothing?

We have to cut our losses on this guy before his suitors realise just how slow, weak, predictable and clueless he actually is.

I would love for this not to be the case and he was this amazing player we thought we were getting..... Fact is, it's becoming clearer each time he steps on the pitch, that he's just not good enough to add anything to our team.

 

[2bearis2do]

Oh Spurs - you are so Spurs.
It'll take time to come together, no doubt and Pochy needs to get "his first" squad together and be given time to mould them into his vision. He's got rid of a lot of deadwood - now he needs to get "his" new young guns firing.
My biggest concern with MoPo and his team with Harry Kane up top - is that he can't see beyond that system and I think Harry would benefit hugely from a strike-partner. Dier as the holding midfielder is a bit like MoPo playing Kaboul at the beginning of last season - totally and so obviously wrong! Lose that position and Dier there and add one up front to support Harry - so we can start to play the Spurs ) way again! At the moment we're so one dimensional, lack explosion, creativity and cohesion... we need time - another transitional year - get used to that phrase - and I don't mind that - if I can see progress and that MoPO isn't transfixed with this one way of playing - 2 games in and a few more buys to come and we could come good - I bloody hope so, we have to get better - no doubt.

 

[bigfrooj]

Just back from the game. Just what we knew really...We need someone to deputise for Harry, unforced errors cost us dearly and the supremely talented Lamela plays like a tit in a trance. When he wakes up we might have a player there but when like this he is very frustrating - so much that he wound up Walker so much he nearly got himself sent off.

 

[shelfboy68]

When are we gonna see this "Poch brand" of football thats supposed to be based on high intensity and pressing. The players still just stroll around with little purpose.

I wonder when it's gonna look like we have something that resemble a plan.

Its a good point as apart from 3-4 games last year we never really saw it, maybe lets get the squad completed hopefully and see where we go from there.

 

[DanielT]

still waiting on Vert to command our defence after 3 years

 

[CowInAComa]

I really have to disagree with this. I think Lamela was by far the worst player on the pitch for the last 20 minutes. He contributed absolutely nothing, he gave away fouls in dangerous areas and he lost the ball as soon as he caught a glimpse of a Stoke shirt. And I'm not saying that it was his fault that we lost the 2 goal lead, what I'm saying is that he was just really, really bad.

Lamela isn't ever going to work in the prem. This much is clear to everyone.

But todays result was nothing to do with him being on or not. It was because of tiny bollocks and weak mentality across the board. Everyone was lamela shit in the last 20mins.

His performance did just reinforce my opinion that he won't make it though.

 

[SpartanSpur]

They were dominating for most of the half, we only looked 'gutless' for the last 20 because that's when they finally managed to put the ball in the net.

The warning signs were there before the last 20 minutes.

I wasn't too concerned prior to goal, that one Lloris save aside. We were pretty compact and they weren't doing much, arnautovic cutting in and shooting over mostly.

If you were watching another side(I.e. Unbiased) you'd have thought stoke had likely missed their chances and would fail to score. You know like spurs do often when teams park the bus.

Yes it was a complete clusterfuck after the pen, but that's spurs being Spurs.

 

[homer hotspur]

I've just hears Poch's interview and am now much more optimistic about our chances of winning at free scoring, pacy, Leicester next week - NOT. By the way, I hadn't even heard of their first goalscorer before. How many options do they have, I wish we could swap Mahrez for Lamela ( or quite a few others actually)