Match Threads Southampton vs Spurs - FA Cup 4th Round Match Thread

[wirE]

There’s positives from this game. GLC, Gedson, Tanganga. Let’s keep on pushing forward

 

[edson]

 

[TottTommy]

We are missing a target man to take the pressure off the defence and midfield. LoCelso will fit in seamlessly once Eriksen has gone and is so much more an all round player.

A snip at the price we are going to get him for.

 

[walworthyid]

Frustrating to concede a late equaliser but was always going to be a tricky game. At least we're still in the hat.

Some more positives to take, and some old problems rearing their ugly head again (fitness levels, concentration, wastefulness).

Feel like we are progressing slowly, Jose is starting to figure out the weaknesses in the squad and combinations are starting to form. We're starting to be a bit better defensively and are moving the ball quite well through midfield at times. Problem is not doing it for 90 mins, and not killing games by missing simple chances. If our attackers start delivering more the pace of this recovery will pick up considerably.

Big week for the club. Buy a striker and DM of sufficient quality and we can get back on track IMO.

Totally agree. Jose is starting to make the right noises now that he no longer has to say that all of his new players are amazing. He recognises the areas that need strengthening and I'd I'm sure working on it.

People seem to forget that we are currently having to work around having no left back, no defensive midfielder and no centre forward! Yet we are becoming far more competitive, much harder to beat and you can even see the green shoots of combinations beginning to develop in the midfield.

Of course, we have grown accustomed to watching attractive and effective football for the last 5 years and it has been tough for the last 12 months or so, but you can at least see something cohesive beginning to take shape.

Absolutely love lo celso. Once he has a good platform behind him he is going to fill Eriksen's shoes and add the dynamism he showed for our goal.

Tanganga looks really promising in that he has that certain composure that top players need. No he isnt a left back and looks uncertain there, but there is something about him that makes me believe that he is going to be a good player.

If we can get a couple in next week, we may have a decent end to the season and go into next season with some optimism.

 

[VegasII]

A DM is definitely need long term. Pining for the times when we had Sandro and Wilson P.

 

[SpursSince1980]

@Athenspur I know folks like to hit to the old hit disagree button and then say nothing. But if you have the desire to disagree, perhaps you also have the fortitude to explain what you disagree with? I'm genuinely curious.

 

[walworthyid]

A DM is definitely need long term. Pining for the times when we had Sandro and Wilson P.

Neither would work now, especially against the press. Lo celso showed today what we have been missing. He received the ball with 2 players around him, turned and went on a driving run. Your deepest midfielder needs to have that in his skillset.

I loved both sandro and wilson p but that was where they were weakest.

 

[Monkey boy]

Having only watched the BBC highlights I must say that I’m quite pleased with that. Definitely looks like we created better chances than we have for some time and but for some really wasteful finishing the game would have been won before the hour mark. GLC looked at the heart of everything good that we did. Maybe just maybe we’re starting to turn a corner.

 

[edson]

 

[IamSpurtacus]

here's an idea - what about Tanganga in midfield?

has pace, and could drop into central defence when Toby/Jan/Sanchez step out

Can't be worse than dier...

 

[Push & Run]

Tanganga dm ? just a thought

 

[muppetman]

Half the problem is, and has been with this squad of players for years now, is that too many of them need/want too many touches of the ball. City or any half decent team you watch get out of tight spaces by moving the ball first time around the opposition players bearing down on them. Most of ours just don't want to do that, they take that touch or two and think for that crucial second before moving it and the next man is under pressure then and often played into big trouble. It isn't in their make up and since Poch's time it isn't drilled into them to play one and two touch. When they actually do you fall off your chair.

The real killer is in the final third though. Just second half as an example, twice you have Lamela take many more touches rather than play a simple pass to put Son in on goal. Alli could just slip Son in on his left, instead tries to bundle through three defenders in the box. Alli again could have played Moura or Lamela in through towards goal, instead just takes five more touches and meanders across pitch till its bundled out for a throw. Moura had numerous ones where he didn't make his mind up and fucked up instead of laying it or releasing it. The list could go on....

Someone needs to drill them in the concept of simple football. Pass and move with minimal touches. What's infuriating is we were largely doing it first half, pinballing it about quickly to create counters. Yet players then resort to their bad habits second half.

It's an interesting point but I wonder if it is purely coaching or if it's what you get when you shop on our budget?

 

[Push & Run]

here's an idea - what about Tanganga in midfield?

has pace, and could drop into central defence when Toby/Jan/Sanchez step out

Can't be worse than dier...

Sotty you beat me to it, but not such a daft idea. I always thought Foyte might end up there but that does not look likely, any other suitable options would cost a bomb so why not promote from within

 

[muppetman]

I said previously that I wanted to see signs of improvement and I think they are slowly arriving. Now ot see if we can get Lo Celso and Ndombele on the pitch for 90 minutes at the same time!

 

[doctor stefan Freud]

here's an idea - what about Tanganga in midfield?

has pace, and could drop into central defence when Toby/Jan/Sanchez step out

Can't be worse than dier...

Keep him in defence- he’s going to be decent there

 

[Cochise]

Southampton had more fight than us. The way they pressed us, the way they snapped into challenges kept us on the back foot for large portions of the game.

The opening twenty was a prime example where they did not give any of our players a second to get on the ball. The ball spent a lot of time in the air and Redmond was a constant outlet for when they eventually got it down. Then from the twentieth minute onwards we started to play.. Gio tucked in more, our play started to circulate through him and Dele and we created real opportunities. Ings had that chance cleared off the line but that was from a quick freekick that caught us out.

They took a long time to make Hugo work, but the second half was shit from us. Nothing stuck up top, not just the long balls, but the short passing just got intercepted the moment it got near Son or Lucas. We need some new forward players to take some of the weight off those two.

Needed a DM to sit in and take up those positions that Redmond was finding in front of our back four too. Winks was getting drawn out and Redmond would just drop in and start something.

Pro's
Some good one touch passing which scythed through their lines when they tried to press.
Gio and Tanganga really staking a claim for places in our starting XI.

Cons
Redmond really giving us trouble.
Not being to consistently pass out nor retain possession due to shape and a lack of fitness and desire.
Not to single him out but Sanchez did not look comfortable on the left. The guy shanked a few clearances and lost his bearings on that side of the two. He's looked a bit dodgy these last few appearances.

 

[ardiles]

Sotty you beat me to it, but not such a daft idea. I always thought Foyte might end up there but that does not look likely, any other suitable options would cost a bomb so why not promote from within

Or we could give Skipp more playing time to see if he can, at least, play alongside Ndombele and GLC

 

[hamsup_sotong]

I have a question for all the tactical whizzes out there.

This has been prevalent since pochs time and even now i see it.. why in the world are the full backs tucked in so much? A simple lofted ball switches play and relieves the pressure so easily.

Its also kind of harsh on sonny , he has to track back and mark the left winger and then rush full pelt when we counter.. no wonder why hes gassed..
So many times i see him sprinting back to go for Redmond while tanganga sticks behind. Shouldn't it be japhet moving for Redmond while sonny comes back to double team?

 

[walworthyid]

Sofianne Boufal hasn't scored since since Boxing Day 2017

Don't you just hate it
when they say that

And who did that previous goal come against? Yep, you got it, spurs!

 

[ralphs bald spot]

I have a question for all the tactical whizzes out there.

This has been prevalent since pochs time and even now i see it.. why in the world are the full backs tucked in so much? A simple lofted ball switches play and relieves the pressure so easily.

Its also kind of harsh on sonny , he has to track back and mark the left winger and then rush full pelt when we counter.. no wonder why hes gassed..
So many times i see him sprinting back to go for Redmond while tanganga sticks behind. Shouldn't it be japhet moving for Redmond while sonny comes back to double team?

I think its a problem as well - imo its the lack of a central midfielder who can drop in to the back 4 and effectively create a five allowing the full backs to pull out wider and not leave huge gaps between them and the centre halfs..

This and the then your playing a centre half at full back makes us very narrow defensively