Match Threads Watford vs Spurs - Match Thread

[thinktank]

Am I the only one getting really fucked off with Alli's show pony performances? He may produce the odd bit of magic, but 95% of the time he is a complete passenger. Until we get someone to challenge him for his place or Poch rakes him over the coals he is going stagnate big time!!

Will take a while before some are ready to admit it.

Same with Dier.

There's a reason I've excluded dele from so many of my matchday team selections (to hysterical blowback).

He can pop up with a goal, but the deficiency he presents in other areas isn't a fitting pay-off imo, and is too much of a liability for some games.

Really have to pick and choose when to play him imvho.

 

[ardiles]

We’ve had a bad day today. Even the best teams have bad days.

Hope we’ve learnt from today and the team is ready for Liverpool in two weeks time. We’ll have more back up players for that game as well.

 

[Doctor Dinkey]

Just goes to show what 2 players missing can do to our bench, more injuries will come during the season & it will be ridiculous if we don’t strengthen in jan

I bet we don’t strengthen in January.

 

[SdB]

I bet we don’t strengthen in January.

we are potless because of the new stadium, we need to sell to buy. I can't see buyers

 

[Blackrat1299]

We’ve had a bad day today. Even the best teams have bad days.

Hope we’ve learnt from today and the team is ready for Liverpool in two weeks time. We’ll have more back up players for that game as well.

As long as no one gets injured in the international!

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

Win at OT lose at VC. What does it all mean Basil?

Apparently it's certainly not anything to do with being Spursy

 

[SirNiNyHotspur]

Thought Watford were pretty crap until they upped the tempo for 5 mins, then watched us crumble, Worrying how easy that was for them to only have to play for 15 mins to beat us

 

[Lifeson]

The 3 in the back formation needs to stop. We concede a goal everytime we play this way. As much I like Sanchez, we cannot continue to give the midfield to the opposition.

On the very only bright side of this dreadful game: Winksy entered the game very well.

I think you're right, is Dier the key? He has a unique role in the team when he plays it seems. He is both a midfielder and a center half, giving us more control of the midfield rather than having 3 center halves like today.

 

[m*****73]

What we needed was a midfielder and leader who could grab a game by the scruff of the neck, drive the team forward and simply refuse to accept defeat.

It was clear after the 2nd leg against Juve and again in the FA Cup semi final.

We needed a Vieira or Keane type of player - or even an Ince. We don't have it and we didn't (couldn't or wouldn't?) go out and buy one in the summer. It's been an obvious weakness for a long time.

Levy and Poch have to take responsibility for that.

 

[spursfan77]

Beat Liverpool, which we are more than capable of and everything will be fine. Just a shame we’ve got two pointless friendlies coming up when all of our England players will probably play when they really need 2 weeks off.

Hopefully we pull a few out

 

[shelfboy68]

I bet we don’t strengthen in January.

If we didn't strengthen in the summer like we should have done there is fuck all chance of doing it during January.

 

[Marty]

We were shocking for 15 minutes, duly punished, and weren't good enough in the final 15 to turn it around again.

The fact that we edged a cagy first half and started well in the second doesn't matter now. And even then we were decent in defence but always unconvincing going forward.

Watford deserve a lot of credit and are absolutely miles better than a lot of people thought they'd be this season. But we still pissed it away and can't blame anyone but ourselves.

I would've been happy with 9 points from 12 early doors at the start of the season, but this was a bad and gutting result.

 

[Sweetsman]

It WAS a classic Spursy performance wasn’t it. Dominate the game, don’t score, get a fluke of a goal, then get bullied into a loss for the last 25mins. Classic!

We are a joke going forward at the moment. Kane and Alli were a disgrace. Neither are fit or sharp or good enough at the moment but we don’t have the strength in depth to not start them. Kane I can understand starting as we have no-one else but Alli has been awful for a whole season now - and a World Cup - and yet Poch still starts him. Crazy.

Eriksen was terrible today too. Moura did his best, caused them a lot of issues in the first half but had very little support or decent balls to work with even then, and then he tired. Would be very unfair to criticise him.

Despite us dominating the game for 65mins Watford were more direct and dangerous - on the counter attack at home! - even before they took control for 10 mins and buried us.

Poch should have seen this and changed things so we were more solid at the back - this is probably our best defensive lineup remember, but today we always looked vulnerable. Toby looked like he doesn’t want to be there.

There’s no way City, Liverpool, Chelsea, United or Arsenal would have lost that game. We are simply not good enough at the moment with not enough grit or strength in depth.

Some might say this is just one loss away at the best Watford team in years - but the all round nature of it is a big worry. There are problems behind the scenes in this team mark my words.

Is this something you know? If so, what is it that you know?

 

[King of the Lane]

We didnt play very well but on the run up to their first goal, Cathcart clearly flew 2 footed into a tackle and nothing was given. They then scored and Cathcart put in the winner. Watford had a nice slice of luck there.

 

[Japhet]

I think you're right, is Dier the key? He has a unique role in the team when he plays it seems. He is both a midfielder and a center half, giving us more control of the midfield rather than having 3 center halves like today.

Thought this game was perfect for Dier playing the DM/CB hybrid game but I think Poch was keen to include Sanchez. We totally dominated possession for so much of the game that we just seemed to doze off, and got what we deserved as a result.

 

[Marty]

Some might say this is just one loss away at the best Watford team in years - but the all round nature of it is a big worry. There are problems behind the scenes in this team mark my words.

This is absolute horseshit and you know it. I understand the need to vent but this is just plain wrong

 

[rossdapep]

we absolutely controlled the midfield for the first 50 minutes - the possession was around 65-35 up until then. I agree wholeheartedly we need another midfielder, and a good one.

Can only agree, I wasn't particularly concerned with Watford scoring for the first 50 mins, more concerned with how our attack were playing. However, Watford grew into the game, Dembele started to get tested and couldn't cope with the workload.

Poch has to see that. We all know Dembele's limitations. Unless of course Poch had his hands tied. Dier injured? Winks & Wanyama not ready yet.

 

[13VanDerBale13]

Beat Liverpool, which we are more than capable of and everything will be fine. Just a shame we’ve got two pointless friendlies coming up when all of our England players will probably play when they really need 2 weeks off.

Hopefully we pull a few out

Massive game, win and we’re back on track, lose and all our problems will be magnified, (lack of strength in depth & stadium issues)

 

[StevePil]

International break at the worst possible time, there is nothing worse than waiting 2 weeks to put a performance like that right - we were awful today, reminded me of WBA away end of last year, Poch sounds angry and telling players it is a wake up call but for me today he was poor, and he needs to learn too.

Just hope we get no injuries during the break and put in a performance against pool as if we play like that, they will smash us - they will be out for revenge after their last performance against us at Wembley so its going to be tough anyway, if we lose to them it really starts to put pressure on as next up brighton away.

lets see how things go but it would have been such a different story going into Wembley on back of a win today against them, now feels like they have upper edge

So angry with that performance today, would have taken 9 points as expected us to lose at OT but after getting those 3 pts and losing to Watford, makes your blood boil supporting this team sometimes

 

[shelfmonkey]

He's too deep mate. He is at his best playing off a striker where he doesn't have time to think about what he's doing. Neither dele nor Eriksen are CM's and Poch needs to understand this and quickly. It's no surprise to me Eriksen's form a=has been poor this season because he's being asked to play a different role than last season. Hopefully Winks can start matches form the opening whistle soon and Eriksen and Dele can move further up the pitch again where they actually affect play.

Hope you're right.