We're all pissed off...but

[Sp3akerboxxx]

Chadli is the only player we have that can play as an inside forward in the AML position really, and he's not even a great one. Obviously out of our league, but a player like Schurrle would have been perfect for us.

TBF, we probably haven't seen the best of him yet too.. not even 60% I think..

I hope you're right. He's just not a very good finisher and doesn't have much pace. Pretty much two pre-requisites for an inside forward.

 

[stevenurse]

Too many people on here are looking at the score and not taking into account the performance. We absolutely battered them in the second half and would have deservedly gone on to win if Krul didn't play such a blinder.

All you people saying "AVB got the team selections wrong" "he's playing the wrong players etc" what you really mean is "he isn't playing the players I think he should". Each of the starting 11 today have put in good performances at some point this season so AVB has a right to pick them. Just blaming AVB for not picking the players YOU think he should with the advantage of hindsight, is lazy analysis at best.

So you're saying that to want sandro to play is purely because of favouritism?

We are so much better with a ball winner in the middle as opposed to paulinho and Dembele (who has quickly become a fancy foreign version of Scott Parker). As for Lamela, how could you expect him not to play today? Another game as an unused sub isn't the best for a player who until 12 today would have been buzzing.

I guess it's the curse of the international break again.

 

[Matthew Wyatt]

Wiganspur, your positivity is engaging, but really, you're going to crack your cheeks with that smile. We should be doing so much better and the buck stops at the man in charge. AVB has thus far flattered to deceive, and I among many was suckered in. It might be because I'm angry and I may recant, but right now I honestly don't believe he has what it takes. I think he's a snake-oil merchant.

But, to be charitable, give him 'til the end of the season, and then if we haven't made CL, fuck him off. There has to be better out there. Football management is not a difficult job.

 

[WiganSpur]

Wiganspur, your positivity is engaging, but really, you're going to crack your cheeks with that smile. We should be doing so much better and the buck stops at the man in charge. AVB has thus far flattered to deceive, and I among many was suckered in. It might be because I'm angry and I may recant, but right now I honestly don't believe he has what it takes. I think he's a snake-oil merchant.

But, to be charitable, give him 'til the end of the season, and then if we haven't made CL, fuck him off. There has to be better out there. Football management is not a difficult job.

I'm not saying AVB is definitely the man to bring success to this football club. I'm just saying give him a chance to put right what's wrong and find our best eleven. IMO the jury is still out on him. Between now and January we need to see AVB start getting the team selection right and get the team creating (and scoring) more chances. As I said, if in January we are still in a situation of scoring less than a goal a game and looking slow and pedestrian in our play, then i'll start to question whether AVB is up to the job.

 

[markiespurs]

Newcastle are poor at the back and although we had a couple of chances I still wasn't convinced we would score.

This is the same Newcastle though that shut out Chelsea only last week, so they can't be that shit at the back.

 

[Bulletspur]

We have to play all of our best players. We didn't today.

I agree. If Lloris is good enough to be on the bench then he should have started. So should have Sandro, Capoe and Lamela. Paulhino and Dembele need a rest and AVB seem to have a soft spot for Siggs...... or he probably has found his soft spot!.

 

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

This is the same Newcastle though that shut out Chelsea only last week, so they can't be that shit at the back.

They've been all over the place at the back especially away from home. Everton tore them apart so did Man city. I didn't see the Chelsea game but generally they really haven't been making it difficult for teams.

 

[Legend10]

I'm not even annoyed. We absolutely battered them. Any other day etc

We all move on

You were happy with the intent or lack of that we played with in the first half? I very rarely compain but I thought our first half performance and lack of application in this period which was emphasised by Paulinho's shocking attempt at a tackle was pretty appalling!

2nd half was indeed much better but why don't we start with the same intensity!

I'm really really disappointed with that performance.

 

[EQP]

On some level i think the players really don't care for the EL. I remember last season AVB's go to reasoning for playing the strongest team available in the EL was that the following Sunday the same team would follow it with a appropriate performance, that has clearly not happened this season.

 

[Legend10]

I agree. If Lloris is good enough to be on the bench then he should have started. So should have Sandro, Capoe and Lamela. Paulhino and Dembele need a rest and AVB seem to have a soft spot for Siggs...... or he probably has found his soft spot!.

Lloris wasn't on the bench, Gomes was.

 

[Bulletspur]

Lloris wasn't on the bench, Gomes was.

I stand corrected.

 

[Vulcan10]

Rre the sandro situation I'm guessing he still had the injury that forced him off last week & avb didn't really want to risk him. However we missed him so much he had to come on and boy did he make a difference.

 

[Damian99]

I'm not even annoyed. We absolutely battered them. Any other day etc

We all move on

So defoe instead of Lamela didn't even raise an eyebrow?? Good lord

 

[CosmicHotspur]

So defoe instead of Lamela didn't even raise an eyebrow?? Good lord

A sharp intake of breath and a rude word from me.

 

[CornerPinDreamer]

A sharp intake of breath and a rude word from me.

..I'm glad the wife wasn't home and there were no Portugese football managers within earshot

 

[johnny69]

Shame really... I had great expectations for this season but I can now see that it's
not going to happen...maybe next season we will be a force to contend with but can't see
us being top four this season

 

[Jimmypearce7]

We wasted the Bale money on players who haven't improved the team. Can we be pissed off about that?

 

[Spurs 1961]

Yes there were so many frustrating things about today:

• Townsend's shooting
• No Lamela
• The Defoe sub
• Wrong team selection which wasted a sub
• Our terrible first half
• Krul
• Poor finishing

But: When was the last league game where we created so many chances and played with some real intensity and urgency for once? We murdered them in the second half and genuinely could have had 3 or 4.

Our finishing wasn't up to scratch but the point is we looked threatening. We actually got crosses into the box, we actually saw some movement.

Of course it's no good looking threatening if you don't score but as far as i'm concerned it's progress. How many times have we seen us create fuck all this season? If we can keep up that intensity and sort our finishing out then things will look rosier. Creating opportunities and not being able to take them is a better situation to be in than not looking like opening teams up in a month of Sundays.

Slowly but surely AVB is learning more and more about the new players. It's only a matter of time before Lamela comes in now and from the half time sub today i'm sure Andre is learning he needs Sandro or Capoue in the side. Three times AVB has tried Defoe & Soldado 4-4-2, hopefully he knows this isn't the way to go now.

Sorry but this nicely reasoned article falls down on the facts. We have had many games this season where we have had a lot of possession and shots but there has been mo improvement in the end product. Indeed we have regressed to the point of not just being the most boring team to watch but being the most ineffective in scoring goals. It really does not matter about all the lovely stiff you found in the game...unless we score goals we don't win so by definition we ultimately fail.

Now the first half of this game is typical of our performances all season. We start games as though playing in quicksand. No speed of thought, no quick movement, no adventure, no supporting runs from players. We play a static stand in our positions game. Now compare to other teams and note how often they blow sides away in the first half then consolidate...just this weekend will give you enough examples.

As for all this guff about AVB learning. There is no evidence for this only some dreamlike wishful thinking. All in ll I think this article is the biggest load of tripe I have seen in a while. Time to get a reality check

Give AVB a chance to find his best team. If lessons are not learned by the next calendar year and the goals are still not coming then i'll start to have doubts about whether the manager is taking us in the right direction.

 

[kitchen]

There is a difference between a chance and a clear cut chance like the eriksen one! We havent created many clear cut chances!

That wasn't even a clear cut chance, it was practically a Gimme. He was dead central, only yards from the goal, with the keeper shifting over from the right. He had two options there. Hit it first time with his right foot in to the bottom left = Goal, Krul or no Krul. Or do what he did, but just put it beyond the keepers reach, it merely required a pass in to the bottom corner.

 

[shelfboy68]

Wiganspur, your positivity is engaging, but really, you're going to crack your cheeks with that smile. We should be doing so much better and the buck stops at the man in charge. AVB has thus far flattered to deceive, and I among many was suckered in. It might be because I'm angry and I may recant, but right now I honestly don't believe he has what it takes. I think he's a snake-oil merchant.

But, to be charitable, give him 'til the end of the season, and then if we haven't made CL, fuck him off. There has to be better out there. Football management is not a difficult job.

Best post of the day