Match Threads Watford vs Spurs - Match Thread

[spursfan77]

Of all the teams that are going to be least affected by injury, although fair play, I don't blame them.

Jesus and Aguero not got with their national teams either.

 

[Metalhead]

Jesus and Aguero not got with their national teams either.

World class players, favourable CL draw and players not going to international games. They are going to be a juggernaut this season.

 

[cooperman]

(Toby, Rose, Dier, Alli, more recently Trippier sadly) are far from pleased with the lack of transfer activity

Can you point me towards the place Toby, Rose, Dier, Dele and Trippier have expressed this?

I get that Rose, at some point in the past, expressed a desire to leave. I also get that Toby was angling for higher wages, and because of the way his dad/agent handled negotiations, Poch wanted rid (which is very different from saying that Toby wanted out).

But can you give sources for your contention that all these players were displeased with the lack of transfer activity?

 

[Shadydan]

I guess that's the worry. We weren't great for 65mins admittedly but even at 75% we still dominated the game until we were bullied into submission. The point is that the desire hasn't been there since the beginning of the season. We've been sloppy, under par, our defence is leaking goals it shouldn't (remember this was our strongest defence on paper), we're insipid going forward, our build-up is slow. We don't look like the team we were last season (although admittedly our build up was slow last season at times too). We wouldn't have lost that game last season - or the previous season.

Some will blame tiredness. Eriksen certainly looks tired. Kane looks well off the pace and tired. Alli isn't tired as much as not looking like he's going to be the player he was two seasons ago ever again without a serious wake-up call (one that doesn't look like it's coming any time soon).

But Poch certainly isn't blaming tiredness, he's saying all of the above - and adding that our winning scorelines have flattered to deceive so far this season.

Intel from the club (and sources on here can clarify I'm sure as it's not exactly a secret behind closed doors) is that Toby and Rose both definitely wanted to go - just not to the clubs who came in for them. Toby wanted Man U but Levy wouldn't sell to them because they didn't offer enough cash - he would have though, if they had ... something which angered Poch as he believes that not many top-6 clubs would sell good players to their closest rivals for top-4 - even if they wanted to leave. And he has a point.

This is compounded by the fact that some of the key first team players (Toby, Rose, Dier, Alli, more recently Trippier sadly) are far from pleased with the lack of transfer activity because they don't feel the team are currently good enough to challenge for honours or trophies, despite the lines to the press RE: the lack of purchases meaning it shows the manager's faith in the current squad.

Combine this with the problems with the stadium and the unrest that creates amongst the players having to play another nomadic season at the last minute and ... it's no wonder there are problems behind the scenes with this team. Anyway, I'm just going by what I've been told. If anyone on here knows any different let them be the ones to shoot it down by all means.

? Either I've missed something Re the intel or you've completely made some of this up.

Some fair point in there though but there's some mitigating circumstances that you've missed or probably forgotten as to why we haven't been all guns blazing so far this season.

- We had 9 players in the latter stages of the World Cup which meant that they came back late and only had a week of training before the first match. We are the only team in the world who had as many players in the latter stages who were first teamers for their countries and seeing as Poch is always talking about how important pre season is for his players you can see it's clearly taken an affect on them hence the sluggishness, not a complete surprise to see Lucas buzzing around and looking a class apart since he had the whole summer off and a pre season.

- Don't we normally start the season slow anyway? I'm pretty sure this is the best return of points we've had under Poch in the first 4 matches, we have history of these early season sluggish performances before we kick into gear in September. This is nothing new with Kane either - he's been like this in previous seasons before catching up in September, it's just how he is. Eriksen has started the season before like this before getting into a rhythm and kicking on, Alli(?) was amongst our best players in the first 3 matches and was getting praised, he had a stinker on Sunday but IMO that was more tactical than personal.

- We've also had 3 away matches, not using that as an excuse but we all know that playing away from home is harder than playing at home and this Watford match was meant to be a home game anyway, pretty sure if that was the case we would have had 12 points.

Again not using these as excuses but these factors can't be discounted.

Regarding this intel...I dunno I think you're just looking for things and trying to draw negative conclusions really, yes players may have wanted to leave but if they really wanted to go they would have made a point to Poch and they wouldn't be here now believe me i.e Walker, not sure on the Levy thing either about him wanting to sell, sounds a load of rubbish to me but would be good if a source could confirm that, also when exactly did those players complain about lack of transfer activity and what did they say?

The problems with the stadium would no more affect the players than it would have last season, they're not kids - the players and management are professional enough to get on with it. We played around 30 matches at Wembley last season and by all accounts are more than used to it so what's another 10 going to do to them? The fans are the ones who this stadium thing affecting, not the players.

Think you're just looking for things that aren't there just to feed into your negativity personally.

 

[Gb160]

Anyway, I'm just going by what I've been told

Told by who?

 

[Jonesey]

Can you point me towards the place Toby, Rose, Dier, Dele and Trippier have expressed this?

I get that Rose, at some point in the past, expressed a desire to leave. I also get that Toby was angling for higher wages, and because of the way his dad/agent handled negotiations, Poch wanted rid (which is very different from saying that Toby wanted out).

But can you give sources for your contention that all these players were displeased with the lack of transfer activity?

I'm afraid I can't no. But I'm positive there are other people on here who will be just as aware as I know they have connections with the club as well.

 

[Bulletspur]

I have copied Bus-Conductors ratings of this match in the ratings thread if anyone is itnerested

 

[coys200]

Ben Davies been superb tonight for Wales.

 

[Shadydan]

I'm afraid I can't no. But I'm positive there are other people on here who will be just as aware as I know they have connections with the club as well.

You're lying.