Match Ratings Ratings vs West Ham

[Wheeler Dealer]

Once we dropped off, we reverted to type a little. We are far better team on the front foot, which we were doing for first 80 minutes

 

[synththfc]

I can't tell if Dier is terrible or not fit, we'll know by January though.

Dele MOTM, Kane Son Sanchez Moura also standouts.

 

[spids]

Gazza 7
Aurier 8
Alderweireld 8
Sanchez 7 - Showed once again that when he tries to make if physical he often loses out. Either conceding needless free kicks or losing his man at set pieces. Hopefully Jose can help him realise his enormous potential.
Davies 7
Dier 7- still looks a stone too heavy. rusty as well.
Winks 7
Dele 8
Son 8
Moura 7 - Played well, but fluffed a very easy chance.
Kane 8

Subs:
Eriksen 4 - Pathetic ... trotted after the ball but don't think he actually made any effort to actually get it. It was like playing with 10 men after he came on. Should be frozen out or forced out in January. No point spending time building him back up if he is off on a free in the summer.
Sissoko 6 - The confidence it took Poch months / years to make him a confident player looks to evaporated. Weak mentally I suspect.
Rose 6

Mourinho - 8 - Simple change to a 4-3-3. Realises we have 4 great attacking players. Almost glad we capitulated at the end so he realises how big the job really is. Think he'll be looking to buy a CM and a CB as soon as he can persuade Levy to spend.

We looked so much more solid first 65 minutes as Mourinho let the front 4 attack and had the other 6 ready to defend. Dele looked brilliant, Kane put a proper shift in for the first time in ages (so great to see him attack a header like that for his goal).

 

[Dr Know]

I know this is about today’s game but before I go saying who is crap and needs to be gone, I think I’ll be giving everyone till the end of the season before making such comments. There’s going to be a period of time needed for the players to get over losing Poch but also hearing a new voice with different instructions. It’s typical for us to say Sissoko or Dier was crap but these are players that we previously held in high regard. I actually read a post on here claiming that Dele should be out if the club. That same poster was creaming his/her pants today posting the Dele was the best player out there today.......hope you see my point.

I think Dele has his best game for a long time but I’m just happy to have witnessed good football (first 70mins) and the fact that we’ve got 3 points which I hope boosts confidence

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Gazzaniga had little to do but I feel for a guy his size he could come for a cross more, goals like Ogbonna’s frustrate me. Decent distribution overall.

Aurier was good. Not good for Aurier, just good. Beautiful cross for Kane, composer and decisive defensively, pushed forward well. More please.

Alderweireld was mainly good but I feel he was static for the Antonio goal, though Antonio is generally very tough to handle.

Sanchez played well, lots of snuffing out attacks by pushing forward to intercept and used his pace well. Did, however, lose Ogbonna too easily for the Wear Ham second.

Davies, one silly foul aside, did well, passed out nicely to set off Son (think Ekotto/ Bale or Corluka and Lennon) and was solid defensively.

Dier was fine defensively, blocked off most passing channels, but was sloppy passing the ball, almost nervous. Hopefully game time improves this.

Winks played well, he must have seen more of the ball than anyone and there seemed to be purpose to his passing. Seemed to benefit from Dele’s finding pockets.

Dele seemed to play a free role when we had the ball, but became left of a midfield three when we lost it, and did both jobs very well for most of his time on the pitch. Inventive, key role in two goals, lots of determination and closing off the ball and made his team mates jobs much easier.

Lucas huffed and puffed, disciplined protecting Aurier, and showed some quick feet a few times, but most of what he tried didn’t come off. Great run to get his goal however.

Son was very good of course, really lovely feet for his goal and great assist with his pace and weighted pass to the far post. As ever was the last player with our fans after the match.

Kane covered more ground than anybody, kept making angles runs, on another day could have scored three, scored a great header and took a 70mph ball to the face. Combative aggressive Kane is back. My motm for being our leader in every respect.

Rose, Eriksen and Sissoko didn’t manage to reverse a tide that had turned against us increasingly be each of their respective introductions.

The failings today were typical of 2019 under Pochettino away from home. Too early to say if the positives were Mourinho, or just not Pochettino, but it was our best performance in a while against decent opposition for an hour and I can’t remember seeing us control a match or loom so cohesive in too long. Hopefully the first hour is a sign of things to come and the final half hour can be eradicated, because in that first hour we were organised and overall solid without sacrificing attacking endeavour, which ironically was meant to be Pochettino’s hallmark.

Irregardless, an away win in 2019, I’m happy.

 

[1966]

The Dele return is definitely a great feel-good story. Good for him! All starting attackers were very good.

I went with Kane because he was the most consistently good from start to finish and he made the most varied range of positive contributions: goal, key passes, fancy flicks, good tackles, strong hold-up, unusually persistent pressing, drawing fouls, and taking big hits for the team like a man (John Terry's school of captaincy that). A few things go a metre in his favour on another day and he has a brace and a couple of assists (thinking particularly of the well-taken offside goal and a cross he attempted that just caught the backheel of another runner). A real leader's performance with bags of quality.

 

[Coyboy]

Gazzaniga had little to do but I feel for a guy his size he could come for a cross more, goals like Ogbonna’s frustrate me. Decent distribution overall.

Aurier was good. Not good for Aurier, just good. Beautiful cross for Kane, composer and decisive defensively, pushed forward well. More please.

Alderweireld was mainly good but I feel he was static for the Antonio goal, though Antonio is generally very tough to handle.

Sanchez played well, lots of snuffing out attacks by pushing forward to intercept and used his pace well. Did, however, lose Ogbonna too easily for the Wear Ham second.

Davies, one silly foul aside, did well, passed out nicely to set off Son (think Ekotto/ Bale or Corluka and Lennon) and was solid defensively.

Dier was fine defensively, blocked off most passing channels, but was sloppy passing the ball, almost nervous. Hopefully game time improves this.

Winks played well, he must have seen more of the ball than anyone and there seemed to be purpose to his passing. Seemed to benefit from Dele’s finding pockets.

Dele seemed to play a free role when we had the ball, but became left of a midfield three when we lost it, and did both jobs very well for most of his time on the pitch. Inventive, key role in two goals, lots of determination and closing off the ball and made his team mates jobs much easier.

Lucas huffed and puffed, disciplined protecting Aurier, and showed some quick feet a few times, but most of what he tried didn’t come off. Great run to get his goal however.

Son was very good of course, really lovely feet for his goal and great assist with his pace and weighted pass to the far post. As ever was the last player with our fans after the match.

Kane covered more ground than anybody, kept making angles runs, on another day could have scored three, scored a great header and took a 70mph ball to the face. Combative aggressive Kane is back. My motm for being our leader in every respect.

Rose, Eriksen and Sissoko didn’t manage to reverse a tide that had turned against us increasingly be each of their respective introductions.

The failings today were typical of 2019 under Pochettino away from home. Too early to say if the positives were Mourinho, or just not Pochettino, but it was our best performance in a while against decent opposition for an hour and I can’t remember seeing us control a match or loom so cohesive in too long. Hopefully the first hour is a sign of things to come and the final half hour can be eradicated, because in that first hour we were organised and overall solid without sacrificing attacking endeavour, which ironically was meant to be Pochettino’s hallmark.

Irregardless, am away win in 2019, I’m happy.

Don't do this again, please.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Don't do this again, please.

I’ve edited away a typo I noted and left that in there purely to trouble you

 

[AnotherSpursFan]

why the f is Eriksen substituted in, oh my lord....
stop this madness already, he said he is leaving, stop putting cancer in the team

Once again, we dont have a midfield. Ndombelee and the tenacious Lo Celso as CM pls...i cant bear to see another auto back pass from Winks everytime he receives the ball from the defenders.

 

[DJS]

I know this is about today’s game but before I go saying who is crap and needs to be gone, I think I’ll be giving everyone till the end of the season before making such comments. There’s going to be a period of time needed for the players to get over losing Poch but also hearing a new voice with different instructions. It’s typical for us to say Sissoko or Dier was crap but these are players that we previously held in high regard. I actually read a post on here claiming that Dele should be out if the club. That same poster was creaming his/her pants today posting the Dele was the best player out there today.......hope you see my point.

I think Dele has his best game for a long time but I’m just happy to have witnessed good football (first 70mins) and the fact that we’ve got 3 points which I hope boosts confidence

Yep Mourinho hasn’t had that long with them either to instill his methods fully.

Sissoko is crap though, sorry but he really is.

 

[DJS]

why the f is Eriksen substituted in, oh my lord....
stop this madness already, he said he is leaving, stop putting cancer in the team

Once again, we dont have a midfield. Ndombelee and the tenacious Lo Celso as CM pls...i cant bear to see another auto back pass from Winks everytime he receives the ball from the defenders.

Lo Celso and Ndombele as our two man midfield lol...

 

[bubble07]

Kane lead the line very well

 

[Dr Know]

Yep Mourinho hasn’t had that long with them either to instill his methods fully.

Sissoko is crap though, sorry but he really is.

Crap or going through a lack of form phase. I thought he was a beast of a player last season and even at the start of this season, was the only one to appear to be putting in a shift

 

[McFlash]

We've got our Dele back.
And I liked the dirty side of Kane - it's almost like Jose told him to play like Costa!

Alli mom, no doubt.

 

[DJS]

Crap or going through a lack of form phase. I thought he was a beast of a player last season and even at the start of this season, was the only one to appear to be putting in a shift

But even then he couldn’t score and his touch was woeful at times.

Don't get me wrong, he’s done a lot better for us then when he first came but tbh I’m never that keen to see him in team and would prefer he was replaced with someone with more ability. Although he’s just signed new contract so...

He also never seems to do that well being a sub and is much better as a start, not sure why I have that feeling but he always seems a little iffy coming on during a game? Maybe some played just aren’t suited for being a sub?

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

There are people in this thread criticising Aurier when he had a fantastic game. Fucking hell.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

There are people in this thread criticising Aurier when he had a fantastic game. Fucking hell.

Unfortunately 90% of this site makes its mind up pre match then grasps at any straws it can from during the game to make that point post match.

 

[Dr Know]

But even then he couldn’t score and his touch was woeful at times.

Don't get me wrong, he’s done a lot better for us then when he first came but tbh I’m never that keen to see him in team and would prefer he was replaced with someone with more ability. Although he’s just signed new contract so...

He also never seems to do that well being a sub and is much better as a start, not sure why I have that feeling but he always seems a little iffy coming on during a game? Maybe some played just aren’t suited for being a sub?

Each to their own, I guess we will see what José thinks as I don’t think he will accept free passengers on this bus

 

[Japhet]

Gazza 7 Did about as good as could be expected.
Aurier 7.5 Good game. Lovely assist. Couple of dodgy moments that weren't his fault.
Alderweireld 7 Pretty solid. Antonio goal was a bit meh.
Sanchez 7 Snuffed out a lot of problems but got caught out for one goal.
Davies 7 Did what was expected, which was what he's good at.
Dier 5.5 Rusty as a rusty thing with extra rust.
Winks 7.5 Kept the midfield together and looked better with less DM duties.
Lucas 7.5 Worked hard. Showed some nice touches. Scored one fluffed another.
Dele 8.5 Looked back to his old mischievious self first half. Faded right out second 45.
Son 8 Worked hard and looked dangerous. Better without having to cover an attacking FB.
Kane 8 Led by example.

Subs - all ineffective.

Mourinho 7.5. Not a particularly exciting lineup but it got the job done. No 'fuck about russian roulette' at the back gets a big + from me. Subs brought nothing to the game. Lo Celso is more productive and also more combattive than Eriksen so would have liked to have seen him.

 

[John48]

I can't tell if Dier is terrible or not fit, we'll know by January though.

Dele MOTM, Kane Son Sanchez Moura also standouts.

I think Dier needs play across the pitch breaking up the oppositions moves & not keep going forward & limiting his movement until he's fully match fit.