Match Threads Spurs Vs Olympique de Marseille

[chas vs dave]

Don't expect high intensity performances every game, just professional footballers being able to string a few passes together, which in the first half they were incapable of doing...

Yes, however they are only human. I think the occasion got to the team. Imo

 

[JCRD]

Not sure how it came across on TV but it was a tough watch in the stadium.

We never really looked in any danger of conceding but Marseille did a good job of closing down the midfield space when we were trying to turn the ball around the corner quickly. They were constantly snapping away while we had no intention of holding the ball or controlling possession. Both teams kind of cancelled each other out but it made for a very uninspiring game of football.

Great to see Richy getting his first goals even if the first was v poor from the keeper. Main thing with the group stage though is that we got the 3pts and can now look to the weekend and how we can make sure City worry about us as much as we worry about them.

I was at the game but also had it recorded so I sped watch the game again. Overall such a tough watch.

We have two ways of playing it seems - one is like the first half where we are pretty much concentrated in our own third and then when we get the ball we try to explode on a counter but the ball cant stick because its just too too deep. It was too predictable and way too narrow. Too many flicks and one touch that I think our players had to do because Marseille were restricting us.

Second half or any other half where we play 30-40 yards higher up and wide with the wing backs higher and the likes of Son and Kulu coming inside. That is far more effective and just looks pure dangerous.

It is a concern the general theme because whilst we are getting three points it isnt sustainable long term. It used to be a slow start but I now consider it to be tactical and intentional, us sitting back. Perhaps it is conserving energy as there are loads of games and our squad isnt there yet to chop and change s we are managing that. I can see that as an explanation but more likely, we are just hugely risk averse and impacts our attack.

 

[StockSpur]

Some of this fan base is really pissing me off. Some of you are really acting like the self entitled pricks we take the piss out of daily in the "let's laugh at" threads.

Firstly the league table.

View attachment 116642

The 2 draws obviously being away to Chelsea and West Ham. 2 of our hardest away games every season.

We just won our first Champions League game at home 2-0.

Dress all the performances up as you like we the results are the results and aren't flukes. Bad first halves or bad second halves, but did enough to win.

We havn't actually done anything recently to warrant being this super team that should have 70% possesion and dominate most teams have we? Get off your high horses and realise this is a gradual thing ffs.

So, youre saying Son is playing this badly on purpose, we purposefully took perisic off of corner duty to constantly hit the first defender? and Kanes miss hitting the ball by design? and defenders are heading the ball back to their open players so they can cause another near miss?
And were not hitting any passes with accuracy, causing heart attacks in the stands..

No, No, No..,

Last night we couldnt break them down with 11 vs 10, it was awful

 

[aliyid]

I was at the game but also had it recorded so I sped watch the game again. Overall such a tough watch.

We have two ways of playing it seems - one is like the first half where we are pretty much concentrated in our own third and then when we get the ball we try to explode on a counter but the ball cant stick because its just too too deep. It was too predictable and way too narrow. Too many flicks and one touch that I think our players had to do because Marseille were restricting us.

Second half or any other half where we play 30-40 yards higher up and wide with the wing backs higher and the likes of Son and Kulu coming inside. That is far more effective and just looks pure dangerous.

It is a concern the general theme because whilst we are getting three points it isnt sustainable long term. It used to be a slow start but I now consider it to be tactical and intentional, us sitting back. Perhaps it is conserving energy as there are loads of games and our squad isnt there yet to chop and change s we are managing that. I can see that as an explanation but more likely, we are just hugely risk averse and impacts our attack.

I'm still naively fixated on the first half against Southampton first game of the season. We looked so good, lots of bodies forward in attack, good movement off the ball and everybody creating angles and multiple options. Yet we seem to have stopped that for a more solid style where we contain the opposition and exploit opportunities.

It's clearly not that we can't play the free flowing attacking football but we've chosen to play a lower intensity / high percentage style (possibly to ensure we don't burn out with the number of games this year).

 

[JimmyG2]

Excellent way to paper over the cracks
win or don't lose.
The football is average to crap
with the occasional flash of team-work
and individual attacking brilliance
but 3 points counters all arguments.
I look forward to better as the squad continues to gel.
Old players improving (Dier, Davies)
New players settling remarkably quickly.
The short term future is bright under Conte
The medium term is somewhat hazy
the long term doesn't exist in modern football.
Relax and enjoy Jimmy.

 

[hughy]

Excellent way to paper over the cracks
win or don't lose.
The football is average to crap
with the occasional flash of team-work
and individual attacking brilliance
but 3 points counters all arguments.
I look forward to better as the squad continues to gel.
Old players improving (Dier, Davies)
New players settling remarkably quickly.
The short term future is bright under Conte
The medium term is somewhat hazy
the long term doesn't exist in modern football.
Relax and enjoy Jimmy.

I always enjoy Jimmy.

 

[Martinhotspur]

So, youre saying Son is playing this badly on purpose, we purposefully took perisic off of corner duty to constantly hit the first defender? and Kanes miss hitting the ball by design? and defenders are heading the ball back to their open players so they can cause another near miss?
And were not hitting any passes with accuracy, causing heart attacks in the stands..

No, No, No..,

Last night we couldnt break them down with 11 vs 10, it was awful

But we scored twice. So we did break down

 

[spurs mental]

Last night we couldnt break them down with 11 vs 10, it was awful

It's generally the way when a team goes down to 10 they camp inside their own half along their 18 yard line. It's nothing new that teams with 10 men are hard to break down.

 

[spursfan77]

I sit in block 119 in the East Lower so literally feet from the Away fans which is great when we are winning but crap when we aren't. The Marseille fans were giving it large and a few lighters got thrown when the second goal went in but the stewards - English and French - were doing their best and a line of police were deployed at 2-0; the main trouble seemed to be where the fans faced off to one another in the North stand

I don't doubt that and I am sure they were in the past. Just flagging up that UEFA have given us grief before.

 

[chas vs dave]

View attachment 116645

The guy in the middle with the beard has that "Oh, shit! I'm surrounded by morons" look

 

[Serpico]

In a funny way them going down to 10 men made it difficult at first. We were (I can only speculate) getting on top when they had 11 and would have gone on to win the game I believe.

 

[ralphs bald spot]

Its a repeating topic we sit to deep, there are huge gaps between the midfield and the forward line and as a result we can't build up meaningful possession of the football. Its ok playing on the break and inviting sides on but we need to keep the ball better and press with a bit more intensity and that doesn't mean pushing on and trying to win the ball back early every time we aren't that side but when Conte first arrived you could see that he was effectively setting traps with triggers to push that at the moment is negated because we drop of so deep

They were an alright side nothing more , but we played with no intensity it was to easy for them, the long haired failed ex Arsenal player we made him look capable as there is no pressure on the ball he was probably the best player on the pitch in the first half. The sending off won us the game I thought our midfield players were poor last night but they are being asked to do one hell of a job in every game and I think that rotation in that area might be key in the coming weeks - I would certainly have got Skipp on the pitch at some point last night

 

[Trix]

We've had warning from UEFA before about or stewarding not being good enough. I doubt they will be too happy about last night.

I don't think there was much of an issue with the stewarding mate, in the grand scheme beyond a few plastic bottles being thrown it was contained pretty well, from the vids I've seen. As has been said there were a few idiots on our side that were clearly trying to escalate things, but they will be easily identified and banned I would imagine. Can't see us facing too much of an issue as a club especially if we publicly punish those to blame from our side.

 

[ralphs bald spot]

In a funny way them going down to 10 men made it difficult at first. We were (I can only speculate) getting on top when they had 11 and would have gone on to win the game I believe.

I don't think we were getting on top just reacting from a poor first half, we still hadn't worked their keeper when he was sent off

 

[Trix]

Its a repeating topic we sit to deep, there are huge gaps between the midfield and the forward line and as a result we can't build up meaningful possession of the football. Its ok playing on the break and inviting sides on but we need to keep the ball better and press with a bit more intensity and that doesn't mean pushing on and trying to win the ball back early every time we aren't that side but when Conte first arrived you could see that he was effectively setting traps with triggers to push that at the moment is negated because we drop of so deep

They were an alright side nothing more , but we played with no intensity it was to easy for them, the long haired failed ex Arsenal player we made him look capable as there is no pressure on the ball he was probably the best player on the pitch in the first half. The sending off won us the game I thought our midfield players were poor last night but they are being asked to do one hell of a job in every game and I think that rotation in that area might be key in the coming weeks - I would certainly have got Skipp on the pitch at some point last night

It was a bit like this when Conte first came in, then all of a sudden things clicked and we were away. He's tried to drill the players a lot more into what he wants to see them do over pre season so I'm not surprised we are a bit disjointed. I'm confident it's not too far away though and once we get that epiphany moment we'll kick on.

 

[shelfboy68]

The irony of your post is that the sending off was a direct result of drawing Marseille onto us and hitting them on the break.

Come on mate really

 

[wrd]

I really don’t mind it in the league but in an opening home champions league group game under the lights I think it’s the wrong move. Had we gone at them I think we’d have been a couple of goals up before half time. They really weren’t a good side and didn’t look like scoring at all despite how much we let them on to us.

Anyway it’s over, we won, let’s move on. Son to score against Man City. It’s obviously gonna happen.

I'm over the moon with how it went to be honest, we barely broke a sweat first half then played vs 10 in the 2nd half.

I appreciate the romanticism of the champions league evenings but I'm feeling a bit more pragmatic towards the group stage this year, we can afford to fuck up in the group stages because once those 6 games are done, so long as you qualify then it's erased. In the league we have 38 games and with the quality of Man City, one misstep can prove critical.

 

[JCRD]

I just noticed that we have two away games in a row in the CL - anyone know why? normally it is home and away alternating. Seems the case with all CL teams actually.

 

[wrd]

I'm over the moon with how it went to be honest, we barely broke a sweat first half then played vs 10 in the 2nd half.

I appreciate the romanticism of the champions league evenings but I'm feeling a bit more pragmatic towards the group stage this year, we can afford to fuck up in the group stages because once those 6 games are done, so long as you qualify then it's erased. In the league we have 38 games and with the quality of Man City, one misstep can prove critical.

Actually to quote myself for a second this was why I was pretty pissed off vs West Ham. On paper a draw away to rival was good but 1-0 away from home, their fans didn't seem at it, their players didn't seem at it and it was us who basically dragged them back into the game. Away from home 1-0 should see us in our system at our absolute best because teams will have more pressure to push forward, our system should thrive in that circumstances and we rolled out the red carpet for them to equalise. That's the type of misstep where it could be the difference because Conte is going to have us competing but these are the margins we have error because of this man city team with Haaland could amass a frightening amount of points. Thankfully they've shown vulnerability defensively themselves.

Now Conte himself, I feel was not at fault at all for the events we conceded but he did decide to not to risk the point so I accept he's better placed to make the judgement on that situation but yeah I was not thrilled we didn't close that game out but the performance last night, perfect for me within the context of the City game on Sat, the value of the group stages and the scheduling issues.

 

[worcestersauce]

I don't think we were getting on top just reacting from a poor first half, we still hadn't worked their keeper when he was sent off

It was a couple of minutes into the second half and had he not fouled Sonny we would have worked their keeper right then. We started the second half higher up and had plaid to the flanks for what seemed like the first time, it was a definite difference from the first half and it led directly to the sending off.