Barcelona vs Tottenham Hotspur (Joan Gamper Cup) 19.00 Tonight

[danielneeds]

Shame we faded at the end there, but the turn around from Ange in a short space of time with a slightly shambolic preseason planning has been great.

So many players whose confidence is returning, the team working hard and playing with conviction. It’s all really good.

Obviously, lots of rough edges that will only come together with more work and time, but Brentford is a worrying fixture as their strength on transition and set pieces is where we’re the weakest. Hopefully we can score early and take the sting out of them.

 

[arunspurs]

Thanks. Saw all the dier hate and I missed everything from 1-2.

I was one of those with Dier 'hate'. Its not that he made just 1 error.

It was his sheer unwillingness to make a foul on Fati to stop the winning goal from happening. Chiellini will make that foul even if he was sleep walking.

I love Dier for his contributions to club all these years. But his lack of desire to defend, he has no business being a PL CB.

 

[mill]

He's a lovely bloke but it's kind of a miracle that Dier has lasted this long at Spurs tbh.

Only reason he's still here is because we hired 3 successive defensive managers that allowed him to play to his strengths in a deep defensive line and not expose his weaknesses (as much).

In a team that tries to play football he's not even good enough to even be 4th choice anymore. If he wants to stay this season he really shouldn't be expecting to get on the pitch very much, if at all.

I was a massive dier fan over the years, loved it under Poch when he enabled us to switch between a back 4 or 3 mid game allowing walker and rose to run riot. His time has come and gone though, it’s a shame as obviously he loves the club but sadly just not good enough

 

[Timberwolf]

If that's the eleven it would be weird that they didn't play that midfield together not once in pre season.

I'd have GLC for PEH

I think the fact Ange has exclusively used Lo Celso and Maddison in the same 'most attacking 8' position suggests he's not going to play them both at the same time. Not initially anyway.

I do think Lo Celso and Maddison could be great together, mind, but don't think Brentford away is the best game to try it out.

 

[mil1lion]

Clive alens predicted 11 for Sunday for what it's worth

Vic
Emerson romero vdv udoghie
Bissouma
Hojberg maddison
Kulu kane son

Doubt Hojbjerg plays that role. He's been playing the same position as Bissouma. Could be Lo Celso, Skipp or Sarr as all have played as 8s and done well. I think I would go Lo Celso of the 3.

 

[Timberwolf]

I was a massive dier fan over the years, loved it under Poch when he enabled us to switch between a back 4 or 3 mid game allowing walker and rose to run riot. His time has come and gone though, it’s a shame as obviously he loves the club but sadly just not good enough

Yeah I feel bad criticising him as he's a great bloke and seems to really love the club.

Wish him all the best, but it's time to move on or fade in to the background.

 

[Oh Teddy Teddy]

A good coaching exercise to look back at that game and see where their goals came from and realise that's something we need to address. The one thing I was disappointed in was our seeming reluctance to put the ball into the box towards the end but no real concern. I think we've all been pleased at the way the players have picked up how Postecoglu wants to play but the reality is we're still bedding it in.

I do think it could be a challenge with the second string’s fitness. Without European games, and with such a big squad, if we ever need to call on the likes of Dier, Reguilon, without match fitness, it’s not going to be pretty.

 

[bubble07]

If that's the eleven it would be weird that they didn't play that midfield together not once in pre season.

I'd have GLC for PEH

Yea or sarr

 

[mill]

I think the fact Ange has exclusively used Lo Celso and Maddison in the same 'most attacking 8' position suggests he's not going to play them both at the same time. Not initially anyway.

I do think Lo Celso and Maddison could be great together, mind, but don't think Brentford away is the best game to try it out.

My worry with this is lo celso loses interest given our lack of European football. Hopefully we can keep everyone happy

 

[LeSoupeKitchen]

 

[Timberwolf]

My worry with this is lo celso loses interest given our lack of European football. Hopefully we can keep everyone happy

Maddison always misses a fair few games with niggling injuries and Lo Celso will come on as a sub in almost every match, so hopefully that will be enough. Would be ideal if him and Maddison get a run of games playing together at some point too.

 

[WiganSpur]

Shame we faded at the end there, but the turn around from Ange in a short space of time with a slightly shambolic preseason planning has been great.

So many players whose confidence is returning, the team working hard and playing with conviction. It’s all really good.

Obviously, lots of rough edges that will only come together with more work and time, but Brentford is a worrying fixture as their strength on transition and set pieces is where we’re the weakest. Hopefully we can score early and take the sting out of them.

I think we should be alright with VDV in now. We actually haven't played our first XI all pre-season. I'd love to see back 4 of Emerson Romero VDV Udogie with Bissouma in front of them. Lots of physicality to cope with Brentford there. If VDV isn't thrown in then reluctantly Sanchez probably gets the nod being best of the deadwood in pre-season and most suited to high line tactics.

 

[chas vs dave]

He made two stand out saves tonight: the defence in front of him tonight were more questionable and have had how many more chances to fail. For me Vicario not at fault: early days people.

He didn't really do anything wrong. The team fell apart at the end, due to tiredness. I'm focusing on the positives.

Unfortunately, there are fans that are always looking to blame and moan.

 

[PrettyColors]

He didn't really do anything wrong. The team fell apart at the end, due to tiredness. I'm focusing on the positives.

Unfortunately, there are fans that are always looking to blame and moan.

No none of the goals would be pinned on him as mistakes whatsoever. But also, as a former keeper myself, I am troubled by his technique and closing of angles. He did concede 4 goals at the end of the day, getting a hand on none of them, 4 clean goals, and the hope is a top keeper would stop one of them.

there’s this weird kid gloves thing we do with new players, you can offer constructive criticism without being a moaner, but unfortunately so many people see it as black and white.

 

[Timberwolf]

He didn't really do anything wrong. The team fell apart at the end, due to tiredness. I'm focusing on the positives.

Unfortunately, there are fans that are always looking to blame and moan.

Apologies if the Dier criticisms came across as overly negative - I thought our performance tonight was overall really positive and encouraging with loads to be optimistic about.

Far more good than bad: Bissouma, Perisic and Lo Celso all looked great and Sanchez was absurdly good. But most importantly we look like a team transformed under Ange and our overall play is so, so much more fun to watch.

However, I couldn't just ignore the negatives and it all but confirmed for me that Dier shouldn't be near our team and Porro lacks the defensive awareness to be a RB: we've basically conceded a goal per game in pre-season due to him losing his man.

 

[mill]

No none of the goals would be pinned on him as mistakes whatsoever. But also, as a former keeper myself, I am troubled by his technique and closing of angles. He did concede 4 goals at the end of the day, getting a hand on none of them, 4 clean goals, and the hope is a top keeper would stop one of them.

there’s this weird kid gloves thing we do with new players, you can offer constructive criticism without being a moaner, but unfortunately so many people see it as black and white.

Kind of agree with this nothing wrong with a snap judgement doesn’t mean you have to die on that hill

 

[muppetman]

I think that teams batters our "Conte Team" which I think says something about what Ange is trying to implement,

 

[Timberwolf]

I think that teams batters our "Conte Team" which I think says something about what Ange is trying to implement,

I was actually thinking earlier it would be fascinating to watch a Conte Spurs 11 vs an Ange Spurs 11.

I know who I'd be supporting.

 

[nicdic]

What a performance from Big Dav Sanchez!

 

[WiganSpur]

I was a massive dier fan over the years, loved it under Poch when he enabled us to switch between a back 4 or 3 mid game allowing walker and rose to run riot. His time has come and gone though, it’s a shame as obviously he loves the club but sadly just not good enough

He's similar to how he's always been, but without that straight line speed he used to have. I never rated him as a midfielder.