Progressing ugly...insight into being a Graham era gooner?

[sasa_moto]

It wasn't too enjoyable tbh, but you have to play that way at this level at times. Just look at Arsenal the other night for example. They couldn't keep the ball either but they were really poor at the back. At this level you have to play intelligent football if you're going to progress. It's nice to see we do have this other side to our game if the need calls for it. We cant play too open in these latter stages of the Champions League.

When it comes to keeping the ball I would say Milan are 3rd in the world to Arsenal and Barcelona. So it's no suprise we couldn't play our normal game. It reminded me a bit of the win over Arsenal at home where we defended most of the game, but this time we didn't counter attack as well. A fit Bale and fully fit VDV would've made all the difference.

Yes, but use of long balls to Crouch was far, far, far too excessive. It was ugly to watch and it was clearly not working, because we lost possesion almost every single time. There were other options, our midfield wasn't that pressed, so we had to lump it all the time.

 

[nailsy]

I've got to agree with those who are saying that it wasn't our plan to play such a defensive game. Milan dictated play and forced us to play defensively. And we played it brilliantly.

 

[JerryGarcia]

I think the joy of the occasion will kick in when the draw for the next round is made and we see the name Tottenham Hotspur hatch out of the little Champions League egg. I don't care who we get next, anything can happen now we could even beat Barca with a fair bit of luck (maybe they'll eat dodgy lasagne before the first leg).

 

[SpurSince57]

No you don't need a doctor. A great result but a game that has not made me feel as estatic as I should be on reaching the last eight, and that's because it wasn't a "Tottenham" performance.
I am old enough to remember the glory nights of the early sixties when we always seemed to play with flair and attack.
I am very happy but not estatic - now to reach the semi-finals!

So am I, and I can also recall some very dour, niggly, physical games that stopped just short of being brawls. It wasn't all champagne moments by a long chalk; that's just the way we prefer to remember it.

 

[felmani26]

What annoyed me most was how the same old rhetoric was said pre-match by Messrs Chiles & Southgate in that we only know one way to play and that if we come under the cosh we will be exposed etc - did they not see us in the previous leg, a real tactically great performance in the Champions League?! Honestly this lazy journalism is become tiresome and not even a mention of Sandro's defensive display post-match was quite frankly negligent from a punditry perspective.

That being said, last night showed how adaptable we can be to situations and with players coming back to fitness then this will only add to the tactical flexibility Harry can utilise at his disposal.

 

[Sauniere]

What annoyed me most was how the same old rhetoric was said pre-match by Messrs Chiles & Southgate in that we only know one way to play and that if we come under the cosh we will be exposed etc - did they not see us in the previous leg, a real tactically great performance in the Champions League?! Honestly this lazy journalism is become tiresome and not even a mention of Sandro's defensive display post-match was quite frankly negligent from a punditry perspective.

That being said, last night showed how adaptable we can be to situations and with players coming back to fitness then this will only add to the tactical flexibility Harry can utilise at his disposal.

I know what you mean, I found myself wanting to listen to Souness talk about us again. After the first leg he was the most excited and enthusiastic I've ever seen him before. I found it such a breath of fresh air from the usually dour miserable twat that I've always liked to dislike. I don't like Adrian nobhead Chiles and Southgate is a sit on the fence kind of guy in my opinion, or rather agrees with everyone.

 

[cusop]

As a 600 gamer I have the perspective. I am floating above Sydney, I really am but just making the point that when Arsenal were really consistantly successful under Graham, they must have often left their fans weighing up the means used to the desired end. Progressing ugly.

I understand what you mean mate. It is difficult to weigh the opportunities of winning versus the style that sets the Lane a light! We are lucky as fans as most games you go to at the Lane whether we win or lose are barn burners. And that actually pissed off the Goons even more! That our lovely club can go years with out success, yet we turn up and sing and shout and run a myriad of forms to discuss the game and the feelings. For me last night two things happened.

1, The Joy to here the Yanky commentator admit you could not hear the CL anthem above us singing it!

2. The fact that my hands were deadly cold as we defended for our CL lives.

I watched the second half against with lovely couple of bottles of wine and I was amazed at how well we played.

As a club we are not quite there yet. Last night was a terrific lesson. But next year will be an incredible task, cos if we get 5th then the club will need to keep hold of Bale and Modric and others.

But now the club has had this experience, we might just push on to get into the top 4 instead of screwing around with the likes of Blackpool and Wolves! Get the job done when necessary.

 

[mattyspurs]

I know what you mean, I found myself wanting to listen to Souness talk about us again. After the first leg he was the most excited and enthusiastic I've ever seen him before. I found it such a breath of fresh air from the usually dour miserable twat that I've always liked to dislike. I don't like Adrian nobhead Chiles and Southgate is a sit on the fence kind of guy in my opinion, or rather agrees with everyone.

I agree with that Steve and was going to post the same thing.

Souness was on Talksport this morning and he was still saying how well we played last night, under tough circumstances against a very good Milan side.

I am really starting to like him

 

[Rout-Ledge]

We did exactly what we needed to do in this game. Most of the big football writers in the media (Phil McNulty, Martin Samuel etc.) are commending us and our backs to the wall performance and commenting on how it shows we don't just rely on cavalier attacking in the CL.

Unbelievably, yet somehow inevitably, some of our own fans are complaining about the manner in which we knocked Milan out of the CL despite playing fair and with 100% commitment.

 

[cusop]

We did exactly what we needed to do in this game. Most of the big football writers in the media (Phil McNulty, Martin Samuel etc.) are commending us and our backs to the wall performance and commenting on how it shows we don't just rely on cavalier attacking in the CL.

Unbelievably, yet somehow inevitably, some of our own fans are complaining about the manner in which we knocked Milan out of the CL despite playing fair and with 100% commitment.

That will happen! Its the difference between enjoying a fine wine, or sniffing glue to get a fix!

 

[felmani26]

I have to agree that Souness speaks alot of sense and calls a spade a spade - doesn't try to beat around the bush or give the same old platitudes that so many other pundits do and should be commended for it.

Adrian Chiles just tries to be funny all the time but ends up being a complete tw@t - should really learn a thing or two from Jeff Stelling!

 

[Sauniere]

I agree with that Steve and was going to post the same thing.

Souness was on Talksport this morning and he was still saying how well we played last night, under tough circumstances against a very good Milan side.

I am really starting to like him

Damn missed that, I'll see if I can find it. He's growing on me too mate.

Problem with Chiles is he's so smug and it riles everyone with his foul lippy leering expression.

 

[mattyspurs]

Damn missed that, I'll see if I can find it. He's growing on me too mate.

Problem with Chiles is he's so smug and it riles everyone with his foul lippy leering expression.

He was on the **** and **** show this morning about 11:30

 

[kernowspur]

Oh FFS.

It's the QFs of the CL. That's not enough glory it itself? The first leg against Milan, the Young Boys games, the Inter games? Those weren't evoking of the glory glory days?

Jeez, for people to even suggest they are anything other than overjoyed to have gotten this far is beyond me. The early sixties saw us as a title winning side in an era of different football. We have only just returned to being a top 5 side and now you are complaining because we don't win in "the Tottenham way".

Some people have to move on from this "Tottenham way" bullshit. Its out of date. I'd give up 100 "Tottenham way" matches if the trade was to see us lift an important trophie by winning the league or CL.

"Oh ffs" to quote you. Those of us brought up on the Tottenham team of the sixties do know what the Tottenham way is and think football is a beautiful game, you're probably to young to know. Even when we lost to Benfica in the semi-final we attacked them at the Lane, Benfica then were the best team in Europe and better than today's Milan.
I said I am "Very Happy" we got through, just wish we had done it with more style.

 

[kernowspur]

So am I, and I can also recall some very dour, niggly, physical games that stopped just short of being brawls. It wasn't all champagne moments by a long chalk; that's just the way we prefer to remember it.

True SS57, but the glory glory nights of European football were wonderful, some of the league performances were terrible, especially towards the end of the sixties.

 

[midoNdefoe]

:roll: No-one should be left underwhelmed by our performance. AC Milan are leading Serie A by a mile and are full of players who have spent their careers playing CL football, to put in the kind of gritty performance we managed last night took huge character and showed that we can grind out a result against anyone.

Lets not forget we were bottom of the league a couple of seasons back, and this is our first season playing in the World's biggest competition. People need perspective.

I for one am extremely glad we have the players and team spirit to switch tactic when game plan A is not working

Which is generally what the scum lack. Unless thier performance in barcelona was thier plan b....dont shoot!

 

[Such Small Portions]

My comment when leaving the Lane last night was: "We've given the Champions League enough entertainment this year, tonight was about getting through and only about getting through. And what do you know, we only went and did it."

 

[Vecellio]

It wasn't that ugly, although Milan had the better chances of the match it really wasn't that one-sided or anything. The onus was on them to do something. We played it smart and professional, as we have often failed to do in the past. If we'd have played it any other way we'd have probably gone out on the away goals rule.

 

[Azrael]

"Oh ffs" to quote you. Those of us brought up on the Tottenham team of the sixties do know what the Tottenham way is and think football is a beautiful game, you're probably to young to know.

Admittedly, I was born in the 70s, but point is that football is vastly different from what it was then.

Besides, even if what you say is true, 50 years have gone by. 50 fucking years of largely dross. I am quite sure that not winning with flair is a small price to pay for returning to the days of success.

Even when we lost to Benfica in the semi-final we attacked them at the Lane, Benfica then were the best team in Europe and better than today's Milan.
I said I am "Very Happy" we got through, just wish we had done it with more style.

The problem is that fans like you are impatient.

Oh "it's not done in the Tottenham way" so its not quite special enough. What utter twaddle. Maybe it hasn't crossed your mind that right now it is a big fight and a big deal for us to be up there with the elite. If we can continue to progress and become permenant fixtures in due course then we can worry about whether or not we are playing in the Tottenham way. As I said earlier in the thread, wins are a necessity, playing in the Tottenham way is a luxury.

Besides, this week's result is, IMO, the only game in the CL thus far that hasn't been played in the Tottenham way so I really don't see what there is to complain about. Must every single damned game be played in that way in order for you to be properly overjoyed?

 

[dontcallme]

I'd understand the OP more if we played a defensive game more often. We've consistently gone out to attack this season and we've won many plaudits as a result.

We played 7 time CL winners who have only lost once in 2011, to us, and we were being outplayed. We adapted to this and put in the sort of defensive display that many didn't think us capable of. Surely this is a positive rather than something to be underwhelmed by.