Match Threads Spurs v Everton - Match Thread - Day 1

[Little-B]

This lopsided formation is so predictable we’ll be in big trouble if we keep it up, we are much more suited to a 4-3-3 and I’m surprised José can’t see this!

Lucas is an impact player and if you must play Dele give him a similar role Rodriguez played today for Everton or don’t play him.

 

[tototoner]

Going to be a long season unfortunately, dreadful today, no plan, no desire, no fight and no intent

 

[Vincent30]

I still can't get how tired some of our players look.

Once again CM is still an issue, anyone that thinks Winks is close to starting 11 for a top half Premier League team needs their head examining, to go from Dembele to Winks is probably the most painful thing i've ever witnessed.

To hear so much in the documentary, about pressing, desire etc, i don't ever see it. Lucas second touch is always a tackle, Dele rarely ever accelerates and seems to have taken over the Eriksen rule of pressing being general running after the ball. Can't they just watch Lamela and understand what actual pressing is, it's really not that hard to explain to an adult surely.

Unless we pull off a blinder the end of this window, having a starting 11 that could include Davies, Winks, Sissoko, Lucas, is barely top half quality.

Lastly, if this was Jose's Chelsea, as much i hated them, they would have all been over the ref for that freekick being nearly 10 yards further forward, 'nice' Tottenham don't say a word, our players really fuck me off with their lack of being fighters. Do we actually want to win? You can't just win by kicking the ball about a bit. Just sets such a meh tone.

 

[SushiMane]

I didn't see it listened on the radio but it seemed to me that Everton had Allan to break it up and give it to Rodriguez to make the passes to set the forwards off and Doucoure up and down supporting both of them and linking with the forwards, that was their midfield. I'm really not sure we have that blend.

Allan was great in front of their line.. I think Doucoure was just everywhere too, definitely stopped a counter or two in the first half.

 

[noggen]

F this.. I'm heading back to the transfer forum.

 

[felmani26]

The team were very poor second half but you're right that change from Jose was poor and handed Everton the game.

Alli needed to get in the game more but we were keeping Everton on their toes and restricting them to pot shots. That was because of the system, so Jose got the start right.

I don't know what his thinking was, maybe he wanted more runs from deep and a more defensive shape in midfield. However it had the reverse effect and where Everton had been struggling to break our lines, they were now 1 or two passes from getting behind.

The problem was doubled because whilst Alli had been poor, we didn't have any player getting in the space between the lines. That made it comfortable for Everton who could take more risks and throw more men forward.

Hopefully Jose realised this and doesn't try to change shape that way again.

If he wasn't happy with Dele he should have just switched him for Lamela or Bergwijn and kept the shape.

I'm not Alli's biggest fan granted but in the system he was at least occupying the minds of both the defenders and the likes of Allan by him deployed between the lines.

Second half, Everton could push up and squeeze Son, Kane and Moura with Sissoko now almost nullifying Doherty's effectiveness down the right. Nobody able to facilitate getting the ball up top quickly other than hopeful long balls from Dier/Alderweireld.

We massively missed some nous in the middle but attitude wise, it stunk!

 

[tobi]

What position was that? Because he wasn't playing as a holding midfielder. Winks was playing that role.

Correct me if I'm wrong but it looked to me like he was in position to make tackles and interceptions.

He does roam from his position though.

 

[gerishep]

None of our players are suited to this style of play, Maureen is going to set our club back 3 years.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Our midfield looked so open and sluggish...

 

[joey55]

The idea that we've had a good window because we've signed players in positions we needed is such pretentious clap trap. The difference between the good teams and the rest is star quality. We've bought absolutely zero since Son and Toby, 5 years ago.

There was a time when you could make a very valid argument, for any of Lloris, Verts, Toby, Rose, Walker, Dembele, Son, Eriksen and Kane, for being the best player in their position in the league. Imagine trying to argue with Utd, Cheslea or Pool fans that Davies, Holjberg, Sissoko, Ali, Winks, Lucas, Dier or Toby etc are the best in the league in their positions!

 

[WiganSpur]

Most worrying thing about the game was Hojbjerg's performance.

 

[joey55]

None of our players are suited to this style of play, Maureen is going to set our club back 3 years.

Thank fuck for that, we were good 3 years ago!

 

[spud]

This game has shown how important it is to get the players needed in key positions before the start of the season. I get that it's not as easy as I may think but how could teams like Everton and Leicester get their key targets in before the start of the season.

On the contrary. Our players are as good, if not better, than Everton's.

This game has shown how important it is to have a tactical plan that your players buy into. They had one. We didn't. Our tactics seem to be 'give the ball to Harry' with no idea about how to do it.

 

[Wsussexspur]

This game has shown how important it is to get the players needed in key positions before the start of the season. I get that it's not as easy as I may think but how could teams like Everton and Leicester get their key targets in before the start of the season.

But under Levy its the same old story every season he will haggle and search the market for the "best" possible deals even it is detrimental to the team!! He will never change and will always put profit before on field success!

 

[Deleted member 27995]

They went and bought a whole new midfield we trotted out two players who have limitations in their games next to a player people can't make up their mind as to what he actually is.

We're so disjointed - again - and the front three/two/three were static - wingers who don't take their man on regularly enough and ....



I'm down. I'm going to make tea and take a paracetamol.

 

[CornerPinDreamer]

If only Jose had as much time as Ancelotti to get the team playing good football.. it’s just not fair on Levy’s erection

 

[rossdapep]

I didn't see it listened on the radio but it seemed to me that Everton had Allan to break it up and give it to Rodriguez to make the passes to set the forwards off and Doucoure up and down supporting both of them and linking with the forwards, that was their midfield. I'm really not sure we have that blend.

This is what I was saying. Jose prefers it to be a little different but we do really lack a box to box mid who offers relentless energy but can create at the same time.

 

[wrd]

I know this game was poor, there's no getting away from that but we do have the tools within the squad to fix these issues and shouldn't write off our season based on this one game. We're notoriously poor at the start of nearly every season (which is something the club needs to analyse greatly).

We had a good defensive shape today in the first half, Doherty and Hojbjerg did actually provide some solidity. What we lacked was the connection from midfield to attack. I wasn't shocked to see Dele not come out for the 2nd half, I don't think he was any worse than anybody else out there but I knew Jose wouldn't risk Ndombele on for Winks but I was surprised that Lamela wasn't the chosen one, he can link midfield to attack and play the 1-2's and also can add a lot of intensity which we lacked.

I think if we look at going forward and we consider that Lo Celso will be back, Lamela can come in, hopefully Ndombele can get up to speed and add the creativity from deeper we can fix by far the biggest issue of our game today.

What concerns me is our defence. Dier has been touted as the big solution but again he fails to attack the ball, Alderweireld was very poor today and looked 2 yards behind the game. We need Sanchez to kick on because he can provide what we lack and is a possible solution. If I'm Jose I'd personally be more desperate for Reguilion than Davies so we have a more balanced fullback system both in defence and attack.

Bringing on Sissoko really ruined our shape and I thought the logical solution was going to be because we were bringing on Ndombele to make it 4-3-3 and add Sissoko to cover defensively. What we saw was akin to the Poch era where we lose all shape chasing a game we're losing.

 

[joey55]

Most worrying thing about the game was Hojbjerg's performance.

I re-watched his pre season highlights last night and he gave the ball away a lot more than I remembered at the time.

 

[Donki]

It's one fucking game, 1 game, when did we turn into this fucking shit show of entitled knobs. I sure as shit wasn't happy with the performance but ffs grow some balls.