Match Threads Watford vs Spurs

[Woodyy]

I think Emerson is good enough to be used in rotation with a more adept RWB but at the moment he's our only proper option as Tanganga isn't really a RWB and Doherty has been shit in almost every game.

 

[bubble07]

It was a beautiful free kick by Son. Definitely a speciality from that angle

 

[rossdapep]

Mate, I love Conte as much of the rest of us and I think he's going to be a success. My opinion that today wasn't a good performance doesn't make that not true.

Applying your logic, we shouldn't have been able to question Nuno or Jose either as they knew far more about the state of the players that we do. I'm not asking for a 5-0 win but this is a Watford team who've won 1 out of their 10 and conceded 4 to West Ham four days ago. We scraped through with a win utilising a broadly similar group of players to the players who have consistently struggled to create quality chances against low blocks for over two years now, and in my opinion we could have made it much easier on ourselves by making changes earlier in the game.

Also, this is broadly Conte's system. We're not particularly good at it but we're trying to play it. The space today was exactly where Conte's teams always find space - in the wide areas of the final third. It was clear after half an hour, though, that we weren't using these spaces due to (a) the inefficency of our WBs and (b) the number of players Watford defended with in central areas and in the box.

This is a common struggle with Conte teams. Ask Inter fans and ask Chelsea fans. I'm delighted with three points and I

Fuck Watford and fuck Ranieri. They came out of their shell for a small ten-minute segment in the second half, and other than that they had no intention of trying to win that game. They sat in a deep block from the first minute and even after we scored didn't try and press us!

They deserve everything they got. Football is a better place when Ranieri isn't managing and when Watford aren't in the Prem.

Crazy why clubs keep appointing him. The Leicester title was a complete fluke, he's not going to repeat it. Can't even make a team look competent nowadays.

 

[Dov67]

I know everyone is still dubious because of past history etc, but he's really not the one making those decisions anymore.

I mean yes he has the power to overrule in principle, but FP and AC have been told in no uncertain terms the budget is theirs to do with what they will. If he goes back on this he will lose both of them for sure. He knows he can't afford to back down on the promises he's made now with pressure from above after the Summers debacle.

That would have been my expectation/hope in any case. My concern boils down to whether the budget itself will be sufficient to make the improvements the squad and team desperately need.

 

[taidgh]

And he's correct.

@mark_2017 You think we clearly deserved to win? We were extremely lucky to avoid a draw, I thought. 1st half we had a ton of possession but only a few real chances. 2nd half was pretty even, really, and we were fortunate to score there at the end. I don't think Mustoe was wrong in his assessment that we just about deserved the win.

 

[arunspurs]

Lloris save is clearly not a penalty....

i) Lloris doesnt touch the attacker before the touching the bal
ii) Ball goes to the left. And it goes left because its Lloris touch - can say that by looking at boot direction
iii) Only after that, Lloris touches watford player boots.

 

[fridgemagnet]

Does anyone know who the Irish co comm was on premier sports? Just so I know to avoid him in the future, jeez he was painful to listen to.

Missed the first half, hope the person in crowd is okay.
Davinson had a very good half I thought, I thought our passing was sloppy again at times and we definitely need a locksmith of a midfielder otherwise like peak Poch teams are just going to park most players behind the ball and hope to catch us on the break and we struggled back then even when Eriksen was in baller mode and that was what 4/5 years ago now?
Was annoyed with the result vs Southampton I just hope once the fixture congestion eases and we can get a couple in this window and a few in the Summer.
Otherwise happy new year and get the players on crossing practice FFS.

 

[Trix]

That would have been my expectation/hope in any case. My concern boils down to whether the budget itself will be sufficient to make the improvements the squad and team desperately need.

I don't know what the budget is, but I can't believe Conte has come here to work with a shoestring budget.

 

[THE SPURSBOY]

Need spammers to lose here with our next few league games can’t see many points

 

[Adam456]

I didn't see the first 28 mins due to overunning NYD meal but 29-101 mins was absolutely turgid again and we only just squeezed 3 points. I would have to see it again in super slow-mo but I'm not sure Lloris got a touch to that.

I can accept dropping points or that we have a bad game or both but what drives me absolutely NUTS is managers playing negatively and making the same mistakes. 2 DMs and back 3 against Watford is ridiculous. Then bringing on Winks on 68ish mins instead of Gil or somebody more attacking and then giving GLC 8 mins (of normal time) and Gil 3

I am really happy with the points and the how good we look in defence and I absolutely agree that we should back Conté to the hilt with transfers (otherwise why bother employing proven winners who say it will require investment) but he comes across as either making a point about the squad OR not knowing what he's doing in midfield

Furious ! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr etc.

DISCLAIMER: I realise that I may have missed some good chances first half hour but the rest of the game I think was the half chance for Son and the goal. Against a side that offered almost zero going forward

 

[mark87]

@mark_2017 You think we clearly deserved to win? We were extremely lucky to avoid a draw, I thought. 1st half we had a ton of possession but only a few real chances. 2nd half was pretty even, really, and we were fortunate to score there at the end. I don't think Mustoe was wrong in his assessment that we just about deserved the win.

Yes I think we deserved to win. And also chill out

 

[sandros kung fu kick]

Does anyone know who the Irish co comm was on premier sports? Just so I know to avoid him in the future, jeez he was painful to listen to.

Missed the first half, hope the person in crowd is okay.
Davinson had a very good half I thought, I thought our passing was sloppy again at times and we definitely need a locksmith of a midfielder otherwise like peak Poch teams are just going to park most players behind the ball and hope to catch us on the break and we struggled back then even when Eriksen was in baller mode and that was what 4/5 years ago now?
Was annoyed with the result vs Southampton I just hope once the fixture congestion eases and we can get a couple in this window and a few in the Summer.
Otherwise happy new year and get the players on crossing practice FFS.

Brian Kerr, I think

He was horrific

 

[ardiles]

Im glad we didn’t need to use Dele or Doherty. If we’re selling them, I’d rather we have some of our youth players on the bench over those two.

 

[septicsac]

Got out of jail today. Son had been quiet, but his free kick delivery, was Eriksenesque.
We need more from out full backs and a more creative midfielder in games like today's, Emerson delivery so poor at times, Skipp and Peh too similar and obviously no trust in nDombele and understandably so.
Big 3 pts though, didn't play particularly well but pts are on the board, while scum played well and left empty handed, great start to a 2022.

 

[Mattspurs1982]

Sorry if said before but hasn’t conte just set a new record for a new manager unbeaten after 8 games… exciting times

 

[taidgh]

Yes I think we deserved to win. And also chill out

I'm completely chilled. Just surprised that anyone would think we clearly deserved to win that game. I think we just edged it. Either way, delighted to have got the three points.

 

[HedgieSpur]

It wasn't a good performance. A set-piece goal at the death doesn't change that. Conte would probably be the first to tell you that.

We're allowed to criticise when strange decisions are made. He's a top, top manager and I'm delighted he's ours but that doesn't mean his system doesn't have flaws nor does it mean he's a superhuman.

Agreed. Certain posters appear to want this place to be a fucking Politburo. Mistakes were made by Conte today and while Im ecstatic to see us win again, constructive criticism of any aspect of him or the players is entirely valid and indeed one of the purposes of this forum.

 

[mark87]

I'm completely chilled. Just surprised that anyone would think we clearly deserved to win that game. I think we just edged it. Either way, delighted to have got the three points.

People have different opinions, mate

 

[wiggo24]

Yes but bring 3 in and then you have 3 players to bring on.

The back 3 look good with Romero still to return. We NEED an attacking RWB a playmaking CM and another attacking option. Get all three and we are set until the Summer. In fact I'd happily just take two of the three in Jan if we can't do all three because it would change us dramatically just having more attacking threats from 2 more areas of the pitch.

Bang on. Our squad isn't great but with Conte improving the more limited players even just signing 2/3 in this window would make an enormous difference. At present the only two consistent scorers or creators are Son and Kane, and they're in fairly average form. Add a RWB who can create and a third attacker, or a more progressive CM, and we'd suddenly have far more options.

Bruno Guimaraes would be my top target for the CM role. He's utterly superb, one of the best ball progressors in Europe and intelligent defensively too. Arsenal have been linked but I think he'd add so so much in that position.

 

[Yakflange]

Does anyone know who the Irish co comm was on premier sports? Just so I know to avoid him in the future, jeez he was painful to listen to.

Missed the first half, hope the person in crowd is okay.
Davinson had a very good half I thought, I thought our passing was sloppy again at times and we definitely need a locksmith of a midfielder otherwise like peak Poch teams are just going to park most players behind the ball and hope to catch us on the break and we struggled back then even when Eriksen was in baller mode and that was what 4/5 years ago now?
Was annoyed with the result vs Southampton I just hope once the fixture congestion eases and we can get a couple in this window and a few in the Summer.
Otherwise happy new year and get the players on crossing practice FFS.

I think it was Brian Kerr - and I agree, he was awful. I'm not sure whether watching the game or listening to him was more painful.