Team v Vitesse Arnheim

[Clockspur]

The first page of the last accounts under revenue show why top 4 finish over winning a very minor cup has to take priority, look at CL prize money as opposed to FA Cup, the revenues are affected by covid but the PL/CL are the money earners.
If fans want top players earning top money at the club it is not going to be accomplished by winning this cup it can only be done by by doing well in PL & getting back into CL.
The players available for this game contain enough with international experience to compete, hopefully!!

https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/media/33788/financial-results-year-end-30-june-2020.pdf

id be up for prioritising CL qualification if I thought it would mean that we would finally buy top quality, but we won’t so I can’t give a shit about finishing top 4.

Here is a competition we are second favourites for - and Rennes are third favourites, and should we top our group we avoid a knock out round and would be seeded. However we are prioritising what is likely to be a finish of 6/7/8 in the league over winning a bloody cup.

No way West Ham will rest players tonight, they actually want to win Europa and will be going for it big time. Therefore, would it have hurt to take Kane and Son tonight, we would still be fresher than West Ham.

Why is it that Liverpool can play a high press at Watford and then put in another good performance at Atletico, but we’re worried about running out of puff against European minnows.

Sometimes I lose my shit with this club and the ridiculous decision making - it’s fucking Groundhog Day

 

[davros]

I am really struggling to see who we can play in CM either as a 2 man CM or 3 that doesn't make me feel we will be overran. One area we really need better squad depth in!

I was thinking the same thing.

It'll be Winks, and almost certainly with Lo Celso. We might look flimsy playing 4-2-3-1 with those chaps in the centre...

Gollini
Tanganga Sanchez Rodon Davies
Winks Lo Celso
Bergwijn Dele Gil
Scarlett

... but if this team starts, we look reasonably strong. It's a lot a lot of responsibility for Scarlett, but a great opportunity and there are players in the team who should provide some chances for him. And we basically have to develop him into a viable second choice striker. It's a lot of responsibility for Winks, who would probably have to take on the Skipp-type duty of shielding the defence and giving Lo Celso the freedom to bring to ball forwards.

 

[SirHarryHotspur]

id be up for prioritising CL qualification if I thought it would mean that we would finally buy top quality, but we won’t so I can’t give a shit about finishing top 4.

Here is a competition we are second favourites for - and Rennes are third favourites, and should we top our group we avoid a knock out round and would be seeded. However we are prioritising what is likely to be a finish of 6/7/8 in the league over winning a bloody cup.

No way West Ham will rest players tonight, they actually want to win Europa and will be going for it big time. Therefore, would it have hurt to take Kane and Son tonight, we would still be fresher than West Ham.

Why is it that Liverpool can play a high press at Watford and then put in another good performance at Atletico, but we’re worried about running out of puff against European minnows.

Sometimes I lose my shit with this club and the ridiculous decision making - it’s fucking Groundhog Day

If this was CL then Nuno would not be sending a 2nd XI team and there are home games still to come where points can be made up if we lose today. It's a 3rd rate cup that most fans are not interested just look at the sales for the home games the stadium will be two thirds empty. As for Liverpool on a couple of occasions at least they have put out 2nd XI teams in lesser competitions like FA and EFL cups when they preferred to concentrate on PL games.
Here's one of the games they put out what was basically 2nd XI.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50148250

 

[Clockspur]

If this was CL then Nuno would not be sending a 2nd XI team and there are home games still to come where points can be made up if we lose today. It's a 3rd rate cup that most fans are not interested just look at the sales for the home games the stadium will be two thirds empty. As for Liverpool on a couple of occasions at least they have put out 2nd XI teams in lesser competitions like FA and EFL cups when they preferred to concentrate on PL games.
Here's one of the games they put out what was basically 2nd XI.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50148250

fair enough but Liverpool win Champions leagues and the premier league, we’ve won 2 milk cups in 30 years.

we might not sell out the home games for the group stage, but you can bet your bottom dollar we will for a quarter or semi final and then as per usual every man and his dog would be looking for a ticket should we make the final. This side more than anything else needs a trophy, something to show for the quality that we have. It could then kick start us back to being competitive. Any top 4 finish is entirely dependent on United persisting with Ole and ourselves hoping we can out do the likes of Arsenal, Everton and Leicester over the course of a season

 

[smallsnc]

I think (and hope) this is more about getting our "A" team some valuable training time together than it is about downplaying this competition. Players have had very little training since switching to the 4-2-3-1 due to the timing of the switch and the international break. Hopefully the 2nd team got the same and may have been why we saw no changes on Sunday. We need some continuity and consistency and hopefully this is a start.

 

[dude573]

I think a problem with putting out our second team in this competition is that our opponents raise their game for us we're one of the biggest scalps. We also end the group stage in a tricky fixture at home to Rennes.

I can understand us resting players, but we should still take a strong bench.

 

[tommyt]

The best thing for me not having established 1st team players on the bench is that the onus us on those playing to try to get a result knowing that the 'big boys' won't be coming on at the 60 min mark to save them.

This is their game and they are gonna get the chance to shine. I am really looking forward to seeing who steps up for the challenge!!

 

[SirHarryHotspur]

I think a problem with putting out our second team in this competition is that our opponents raise their game for us we're one of the biggest scalps. We also end the group stage in a tricky fixture at home to Rennes.

I can understand us resting players, but we should still take a strong bench.

Unfortunately even putting out a strong squad doesn't guarantee anything, look at away to Zagreb last season Jose put out a strong team minus Son & PEH both unavailable and look what happened , lack of commitment from players.

 

[spursfan77]

Considering the schedule I think this had to be done and it’s quite brave. If we do lose it’s not a disaster with Rennes and Vitesse home to come. To give the first Xi a week off is a big plus. Although I’d say players like Lucas Ndombele with no internationals should be on the bench and are both game changers we might need.
Still I quite like the first Xi is so clearly defined and at the moment nobody could really argue. So it’s down to this mob to show us what they can. 4231 or 433 will be interesting to see. And great to see so many academy involved.

I agree with this especially as Bergwijn is only just coming back from injury and so it will be a risk to play him for 90 minutes. I wonder if we will go with a front three of him, Dele and Bryan so that we have Scarlett on the bench as a decent replacement?

 

[Yid-ol]

I agree with this especially as Bergwijn is only just coming back from injury and so it will be a risk to play him for 90 minutes. I wonder if we will go with a front three of him, Dele and Bryan so that we have Scarlett on the bench as a decent replacement?

Think I would rather have Scarlett up top and a few creative players around him. Even though he has played a few games we always throw him on with players who don't create for him.

I would like to see

Scarlett
Bergwijn..................Markanday
Gill
Winks Dele/lo celso​

 

[spursfan77]

The best thing for me not having established 1st team players on the bench is that the onus us on those playing to try to get a result knowing that the 'big boys' won't be coming on at the 60 min mark to save them.

This is their game and they are gonna get the chance to shine. I am really looking forward to seeing who steps up for the challenge!!

If we go on past history it wont be any of them. A large majority of our squad just don't have the professionalism or stomach for it I am afraid.

 

[spursfan77]

Think I would rather have Scarlett up top and a few creative players around him. Even though he has played a few games we always throw him on with players who don't create for him.

I would like to see

Scarlett
Bergwijn..................Markanday
Gill
Winks Dele/lo celso​

I agree with that, but if we are to play him in a game I wish wed just do it with Son and Kane. Get him playing with actual top class players to see what his game is about. Playing in these mix and match teams make it really hard to judge his actual quality level.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Gio should be starting as a number 10, its where he has excelled recently and he is our most creative player in the squad that traveled.

 

[dude573]

Unfortunately even putting out a strong squad doesn't guarantee anything, look at away to Zagreb last season Jose put out a strong team minus Son & PEH both unavailable and look what happened , lack of commitment from players.

That team only started Kane, Lloris, Dier and Moura who I would call our first teamers now. Although I completely take your point.

I think we just have to live in hope that a result like that with our strongest players never happens again.

 

[Deleted member 29446]

Won't we watching our B-team, will be so dull..

With that said it's completely the right decision from Nuno...

 

[djhotspur]

id be up for prioritising CL qualification if I thought it would mean that we would finally buy top quality, but we won’t so I can’t give a shit about finishing top 4.

Here is a competition we are second favourites for - and Rennes are third favourites, and should we top our group we avoid a knock out round and would be seeded. However we are prioritising what is likely to be a finish of 6/7/8 in the league over winning a bloody cup.

No way West Ham will rest players tonight, they actually want to win Europa and will be going for it big time. Therefore, would it have hurt to take Kane and Son tonight, we would still be fresher than West Ham.

Why is it that Liverpool can play a high press at Watford and then put in another good performance at Atletico, but we’re worried about running out of puff against European minnows.

Sometimes I lose my shit with this club and the ridiculous decision making - it’s fucking Groundhog Day

I am sorry but that is simply not true. They made numerous changes in their last 2 Europa league games so don’t say something to make a point that isn’t true.
Yes they probably do care, but they are rotating to get the best out of their squad.
Yes we probably will finish outside of the champions league but teams are faultering around us. Chelsea just lost Lukaku and werner so have no striker, United are struggling and have Liverpool Saturday then us so we can literally make up 6 points on them.
If can improve things in January I’m sure Newcastle will be offered some of our players and we can maybe sign a quality player then great.
but this is a new made up cup that no one cares about and if we win it we will only get abused by other fans anyway.
we have to put a good showing against West Ham, I don’t want to concede 3 goals again due to a tired team. West Ham are playing a team 6th in the Belgium league they will rotate fully with us on Sunday. They can also afford to draw or lose this and still qualify comfortably.

 

[Pistols At Dawn]

I do not understand the hand-wringing and pearl-clutching in this thread.

Nuno has got it SPOT ON in his decision for Vitesse, win lose or draw.

The benefits are manifold: Rest for the Starting XI and time on the pitch for the "Second XI" to develop chemistry -- with little risk, since we already top the Conference table with two home games still to come.

And surprise! If we actually play well and win (hey, it's possible), our youngsters will feel they've really accomplished something together without the help of the "stars." Invaluable injection of confidence.

I say, well played Nuno!

 

[wadewill]

While Top 4 is the remotest of possibilities we should be prioritizing the league

This is a nothing cup

I dont think its a hard decision to make, it's nice he has made the right one

 

[SonicSarr]

I do not understand the hand-wringing and pearl-clutching in this thread.

Nuno has got it SPOT ON in his decision for Vitesse, win lose or draw.

The benefits are manifold: Rest for the Starting XI and time on the pitch for the "Second XI" to develop chemistry -- with little risk, since we already top the Conference table with two home games still to come.

And surprise! If we actually play well and win (hey, it's possible), our youngsters will feel they've really accomplished something together without the help of the "stars." Invaluable injection of confidence.

I say, well played Nuno!

And if we lose we still have 2 more home games and an easy-ish away game to qualify, if we insist on prolonging this farce.

It's much more productive for the club to use this for giving youngsters experience and minutes to squad players and those coming back from injury.

 

[SonicSarr]

Won't we watching our B-team, will be so dull..

With that said it's completely the right decision from Nuno...

I can't wait to see the likes of Scarlett, Gil, Markanday myself. Anyway Vitesse are only Chelsea's B-team, so should be a fair contest ?