Match Threads Spurs vs Leicester - Match Thread - Day 14

[Teddy Klinsmann]

If city win the game in hand we go sixth, how is it possible to go from 2nd to 6th

As a club we went from guaranteed 2nd to 3rd a few seasons back. Anything is possible with us.

 

[Barrd10]

It seems that the biggest workload running wise for our entire team is on the front 3. In Liverpool’s it’s their midfield. So when 2 of the front 3 play 3 games in a row they are of the pace. Then we struggle even more with our ‘tactics’.

 

[Barrd10]

As a club we went from guaranteed 2nd to 3rd a few seasons back. Anything is possible with us.

Yep came 3rd in a 2 horse race.

 

[rupsmith]

No one can seemingly do what Kane does, but that's not the point is it? The point is we are playing a brand of football that doesn't lend itself to any creativity, bar some moments of magic from Kane - without him on form or unavailable, then you have a system that is designed to defend and hope we can create chances that we can score from, which are limited as it is. This isn't about mentality, at least not through losing a match we could have one against a Liverpool side who are clearly a level above everyone else. The mentality, or lack of comes from sitting deep and absorbing a lot of pressure to in turn try and counter and score. In essence, we are looking to play a style that can be easily nullified.

We have enough creative players in that squad who can play with flair and creativity, but our football is bypassing those options. We have enough fullbacks who can get down the flanks and deliver, so why aren't they? Were Leicester that good today they nullified every option we had? No, they only had to stop the counter and then we were lost. I've said it before, you can't keep playing a system that can not adapt to its player's strengths. Jose is far too narrow-minded when it comes to utilising the players he has. I've not seen enough times when we have played with any level of dominance in a game. Btw It was Lo Celso who went off injured, not N'Dombele.

I respectfully disagree. A significant number of the players in this squad are from a side struggling since late 2018. We were playing with very limited tactical success, with the Poch philosophy of pressing front foot football having fallen away very quickly since that time. It was not a coincidence that it took nearly a year and Jose taking over to get an away win. It was a very tough 2019-20 season with multiple injuries, an exhausted squad and very very limited creativity.

Jose has managed to fill some key positions with Dan Levy at a minimal cost, improve existing squad players, get Ndombele to fill in the creative midfielder role and adopt a rapier type counter attacking approach which has proven to be generally successful. We were hard done by in the Liverpool game, the Newcastle game was robbery and the West Ham game was a freak result. Jose has continued to learn about this squad. It is increasingly clear that the likes of Winks, Alli, Sissoko, Aurier have either peaked or are limited players. He has managed to put together a plan that ekes out the best qualities of the players of the squad which has been a generally successful approach this season. The Everton game we were well beaten and in this game Aurier gifted away a game which was under control but blunt. Ndombele was clipped on the ankle in the first few minutes and was struggling since then and was substituted during the half. Lo Celso followed suit pretty quickly. Sissoko and Aurier had a very poor game and the own goal from Vardy not tracked by Sissoko summed it up. If we finish top 4, Jose will have done a fantastic job. Wouldn’t mind a league cup to go with it. I do see Kane going to Madrid though. Or Bayern

 

[Daytripper]

Dont mind negs, just the dumb ones (dohs and spams without reason or an explanation). Though, tbf, it was a rather infantile reaction

I’ll agree with last sentence

 

[hamsup_sotong]

Just wondering .. was that albrighton kungfu kick into kanes stomach a red card offence?

 

[TTID2002]

How else would you describe it?

We're a team finding our feet. Our coach is in his first full year. We've had a tremendous run of games recently, not only in number but also in quality of opponent. We've reshaped our starting 11 and the type of football we play, and haven't had the time nor the resources to build out strength in depth. We sit 5th at Christmas during a highly competitive season in which ten points will very likely separate first from 11th when games in hand are played.

Calling us shit and saying that the wheels have fallen off is a childish, dramatic reaction to a poor run of three games after a fantastic run of eleven. Calling it Spursy is a self-defeatist attitude that does nothing to help the club, inside or out.

 

[alfie103]

Where is all the celebration gone of our beloved manager and team who were riding high at the top? Come on don’t be fickle you Mourinho fanboys and girls. Get behind your man ‘cos he’s a winner and will bring us glory. 10 goals in our last 9 league games show we can win every match; it’s just those dumb players not playing to the script by keeping clean sheets. Jose is the man to take us back to the great heights of Ramos and Graham when we were winners.

I think today showed why Mourinho sets up to be defensive. If we try and push up the pitch, we can't keep possession so we lose it and get exposed as back line isn't the quickest and the full backs can't back into position quick enough. Offensively, we can't keep possession as our players (apart from Kane) have got the technical ability to keep hold of the ball and create chances.

We still have some limited players so Mourinho sets up accordingly.

 

[handsomecake]

united 4-0 up at half time. Big Dick energy.

 

[nedley]

Awful performance all around.

Bring on stoke!

I'm genuinely worried about that game.

 

[Marcus_spur]

I’ll agree with last sentence

At least we can agree on two things (arse being the other)

 

[handsomecake]

The line between Toby and Eric going from world beaters to panel beaters is wafer thin.

They flounder at times.

 

[Teddy Klinsmann]

united 4-0 up at half time. Big Dick energy.

We’d have went 1 up after 3 mins and sat back for 87 mins.

The best teams hammer opponents and go at them. We sneak a goal and hope to see it out.

 

[hutchiniho]

I’m not defending the performance today, because it was indefensible.

But this really is a game of fine margins. So many sliding door, if only moments in the last 3 games

Palace - that ridiculous save in the 92nd minute from the Dier free kick. 6 days later the same goalie lets in 7 against who else, but Liverpool

Liverpool - Kane scores that header 99 times out of 100, to say nothing of Bergwijn or that double deflection in the first half, or that stupid set piece conceded in the 90th min from which they, of course score.

Leicester - Aurier, shit for brains......enough said.

the counter should be that we have a good enough squad to ensure that games are not decided by fine margins.
Liverpool away I totally get. That type of match absolutely. One team misses a header, the other scores, there’s the result.
But against Palace. Look what Liverpool did yesterday. We should not be ifs and butsing a last minuting super save. If we turned up and played properly in that game, second half in particular it should have been at least 3 or 4-1
Today we were bad, and as you say not helped by Sissoko and Aurier reverting to the mean.

 

[midoshairband]

And I didn't even notice that a win for Southampton at Fulham on Boxing day and we could be looking at 10th place if Villa win 2 of their 3 games in hand

here if you need to talk mate ?

 

[Rout-Ledge]

We're a team finding our feet. Our coach is in his first full year.

I don’t have much time for this. He’s been here over a year and he’s had 38 league games now.

Games like today happen, and they can happen to almost any team. The question is how often is it ok? We had a ropey Xmas period last season. If this year goes similarly it’s not going to look great.

 

[hamsup_sotong]

The line between Toby and Eric going from world beaters to panel beaters is wafer thin.

They flounder at times.

Don't think today was on them though
Moussa and aurier mistakes for the goal

 

[DenverSpur]

Utd score 2nd and 3rd minute, that puts us 5th. Chelsea win tomorrow puts us 6th. Wolves beat Burnley and us next Sunday puts us 7th...

Man City win puts us 8th

Couple of (games in hand) wins for Villa puts us 9th

magnificent

Sorry but can you all stop doing this. Here in the States we can watch all the games but given the time difference I don’t necessarily watch them live so it’s really annoying to go on the Spurs match thread after watching our game to have someone tell me the score in other games I haven’t watched yet. I’m not sure what their relevance is in a match thread as opposed to the Race for the title thread

 

[Jolmaster]

That performance was the cherry on top of a shite weekend, firstly palace down tools and tier 4 chinavirus comes into effect.
oh well hopefully an absolute battering of Stoke this Wednesday is forthcoming

 

[Escher]

here if you need to talk mate ?

If Arse go above us I might be in touch