Watford vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[ardiles]

I don't know, ManU are weirdly open. I don't know if Mourinho has been eating mushrooms.

I'm surprised too. Jose usually tends to park the bus in away games against the top 6.

 

[ilikeost]

"Spurs finished 4th in a 20 horse race"- some random nonce on twitter

I'm not so sure we'll be 4th...

 

[Sweetsman]

I'm surprised too. Jose usually tends to park the bus in away games against the top 6.

It's a helluva game, and the saves by Dr Gea were amazing.

 

[1882andallthat]

Going behind to relatively early goals in recent games is killing us at the moment and it doesn't appear to be a small coincidence that Toby has been absent. With that in mind we need to use this time whilst he is out by at least nailing the contract negotiations.

We are getting enough negative press at the moment with our recent form and the media are growing louder and louder over Rose, quite frankly the last thing we need is it to be amplified by the media 10 times be suggesting Toby is also up for grabs by the likes of one of the current top 3 because that would represent two of our really key defenders who the media keep reporting are supposedly "unsettled" and could be poached by rivals and that sends out all the wrong signals. Psychologically, wrapping up the deal could arrest some of this negativity off the field and it might also inject some positivity on it, to get us out of this mini rut.

 

[Saoirse]

I do think our squad depth in defensive positions is lacking and that's really going to take its toll as well. For the three centre back positions plus holding midfield we now have Vertonghen, Dier and Foyth available. In other words, we have zero room for rotation, can't play three at the back unless we have no holding midfielder, and are reliant on a teenager with minimal experience. I know we've been unlucky with the Alderweireld and Wanyama injuries, but we really could've done with another player in there.

 

[Phil-spur99]

There is a serious lack of pace in our side and the combination of no Toby and nobody but Kane and Son chipping in with goals is a real worry.

 

[guiltyparty]

That stat is dependent on the quality of players that can be brought on. If you bring on Salah or Mané, then it's likely to have more effect than some of the players we can bring on.

Indeed

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

It is ok.
We are really, really good. We are just unlucky. Such a shame that the ref/the woodwork/the FA/the media is against us, because really without that, we'd be the best. So anybody critical should chill out.

 

[Gassin's finest]

I've had a good think about it and I've decided I liked it better when we were really really good.

Radical thinking... I like it!

 

[Sweetsman]

I have to say that the Goons have played very well, but I think they've been allowed the space to do so. Mourinho was much more wary of us. De Gea MOTM, shame that Pogba got sent off; I didn't think it was a straight red.

 

[ardiles]

I do think our squad depth in defensive positions is lacking and that's really going to take its toll as well. For the three centre back positions plus holding midfield we now have Vertonghen, Dier and Foyth available. In other words, we have zero room for rotation, can't play three at the back unless we have no holding midfielder, and are reliant on a teenager with minimal experience. I know we've been unlucky with the Alderweireld and Wanyama injuries, but we really could've done with another player in there.

If it really comes to the crunch, we could play Davies at LCB and Rose at LWB

 

[thekneaf]

If it really comes to the crunch, we could play Davies at LCB and Rose at LWB

I want to see this sooner rather than later

 

[shelfboy68]

I have to say that the Goons have played very well, but I think they've been allowed the space to do so. Mourinho was much more wary of us. De Gea MOTM, shame that Pogba got sent off; I didn't think it was a straight red.

I felt the opposite when we played Utd that mourhino felt we had less to hurt them with as it panned out that day the goons have more than us in the attacking third again imo.

 

[Johnny J]

I don't think we were as bad as all that and, normally, this would have been considered a decent draw with 10 men against difficult opponents. We limited them pretty well and they have been pretty potent up front this season. The problem lies in the context of our bad run and the fact that all the other top 5( I'm excluding Burnley for now) have been very impressive recently. It has always been a huge task for us to compete with the Manchester clubs and Chelsea and it was naive to think that we had suddenly become a much better team/squad than Arsenal and Liverpool when there is clear evidence to the contrary. If we don't bring in a couple of better attacking options in January( which we probably won't), I think it is going to be top 6/Europa for us and maybe a proper FA Cup effort.

Agreed. We didn't bring in any better attacking options in the summer, for some godforsaken reason (please noone tell me "the players aren't out there"), zero chance of us doing so I'm a January.

 

[homer hotspur]

I do think our squad depth in defensive positions is lacking and that's really going to take its toll as well. For the three centre back positions plus holding midfield we now have Vertonghen, Dier and Foyth available. In other words, we have zero room for rotation, can't play three at the back unless we have no holding midfielder, and are reliant on a teenager with minimal experience. I know we've been unlucky with the Alderweireld and Wanyama injuries, but we really could've done with another player in there.

There is a limit to just how many squad players can be left waiting for their chance- I think most of us were quite surprisd when we went after Davinson Sanchez and we have Wanyama( currently injured) and Dier who are versatile to play both positions as well as Davies in a 3( as per Wales). And of course we have 4 wing backs who are pretty interchangeable. Clearly Foyth is next in line and then, if it comes to it, we will have to look to the youth team but Dier would fill in first . I think it is in the attacking midfield and striking positions where we seriously compare badly to our main rivals..

 

[Saoirse]

There is a limit to just how many squad players can be left waiting for their chance- I think most of us were quite surprisd when we went after Davinson Sanchez and we have Wanyama( currently injured) and Dier who are versatile to play both positions as well as Davies in a 3( as per Wales). And of course we have 4 wing backs who are pretty interchangeable. Clearly Foyth is next in line and then, if it comes to it, we will have to look to the youth team but Dier would fill in first . I think it is in the attacking midfield and striking positions where we seriously compare badly to our main rivals..

There's definitely a limit, but we have 5 senior players for 4 defensive positions (CB and CDM). That's excluding Davies who's also been our only left back for three months. That's inevitably going to result in everyone who's fit having to play every game for most of the season - you certainly want at least one more squad option in there. If we trust Foyth that's fine, but it seems a big gamble for a teenager with minimal experience (would we trust a youth team CB who'd only had one decent loan spell?) and we've yet to do so.

 

[homer hotspur]

There's definitely a limit, but we have 5 senior players for 4 defensive positions (CB and CDM). That's excluding Davies who's also been our only left back for three months. That's inevitably going to result in everyone who's fit having to play every game for most of the season - you certainly want at least one more squad option in there. If we trust Foyth that's fine, but it seems a big gamble for a teenager with minimal experience (would we trust a youth team CB who'd only had one decent loan spell?) and we've yet to do so.

I assume CCV is gone for the whole season and not able to be called back if required

 

[Sweetsman]

I felt the opposite when we played Utd that mourhino felt we had less to hurt them with as it panned out that day the goons have more than us in the attacking third again imo.

OK, but they were much less open against us; they left the bus in the car park today. Their only goal was from a long pass and related to a defensive error; our chance was from a pass that carved them open without intervention from any of their players. You could accuse me of a bit of artistic licence here.

 

[ljinko888]

Pogba was talking about hoping City players would pick up injuries before this game so him getting sent off and missing the Manchester derby is poetic justice.

Imagine had he not been sent off and played that game looking to nail De Bruyne or Silva.....

 

[SPURSLIFE]

Calm down everyone yes not playing well but on the plus side Lamela is back Toby,and Victor W will hopefully be back soon.Looking at are fixtures for December we should win most of are games maybe the toughest one is city away.We should be ok come the the start of January but need to rest and few during this Xmas running.It was never going to be an easy season playing away from white Hart lane.

What makes you think we will win most of our games in December when we had easy ones we should have won in November. Regarding Toby he still hasn't signed a new deal and Levy has said he is not changing their wage structure for anybody so with a lot of clubs interested in him he could be gone in the January window with Rose.Lamela is good sometimes but he's certainly not our saviour. I do agree that Wnyama has been missed more than anyone his physical presence is inspiring for the team.
So I admire your optimism but I think it's just wishful thinking. If we can't put away the likes of WB and Watford and Leicester I hate to think what will happen when we meet City. We rolled over against the Arse, never turned up and we seem to have gone to pieces since although to be honest we haven't played well all season with maybe a couple of exceptions.