***OMT - TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR V manchester united***

[Cochise]

Positives

• We looked solid defensively.
• Alderweireld looks like a top top acquisition and whilst not all of his long diagonals worked, a few of them really opened UTD up.
• Aside from the own goal Walker had a good game albeit up against a more traditional winger, the type of player he thrives against.
• Our possession play from deep is risky but when it worked we got forward well.
• Dier played well in midfield for me. He was on the front foot and actually did a lot more ahead of Bentaleb than I was expecting.

Negatives

• Kane looked slow today, definitely looked like the tired Kane of times last season. He tried too hard at times and held onto the ball too long.
• Chadli and Eriksen flitted in and out of the game, but I think more of that was to do with how UTD compacted the middle of the field and cut down on their areas of play.
• Bentaleb. A lot is expected of him this year and whilst this performance shouldn't be used to punish him, it should serve as a kick up the arse.

We outplayed UTD for large periods of the game and should've had a couple of goals in the first half. It's the first game of the season, players will improve and we will hopefully see some signings soon. I think the future looks quite bright.

 

[Keithd]

Not surprised bentaleb fudged up nor suprised we didn't score .. Harmless performance against another average team .. This Spurs teaming crying out for two new centremidfield players ...players who know how to care of ball bother defsively and a creative one .. Mason much more comfortable on ball than bentaleb but still not good enough .. Wide players with pace and effectiveness needed .. Chadli great chance late on to do something and ended up doing nothing .. Kane off the pace IMO too but expected .. Had few chances to nick a draw but not good enough .. Another self inflicted loss

 

[Raziel]

we were average, United were sh!t...thats now 3 games in a row under Poch where we have struggled to score against United

Does it ever occur to you "slit the wrist" lot that we made them look average? our midfield and defense stopped a team with Mata, Rooney, etc. from having a shot on goal before 65 minutes?

 

[DubaiSpur]

**** mate .. 1 mistake .. by someone who was one of our best players last season ... hardly same old, same old

Nah. We gave the ball away under no pressure quite a few times, struggled to connect defense to attack and generally lacked coherence in our pressing high up the field. Where we have improved (evidently) is in restricting the space in front of our back four and calming the game down after a period of pressure: good things, certainly, but not a 'totally different side from last season'. Like I said, real improvements will come around December/January, if we don't end the window as we are now, with one striker and a CB turned DM who looks unconvincing at best.

 

[Jordinho]

I'm serious, first day of school for them too, not from what I saw today but last season and the new signings, also they are surely going to add an expansive striker, maybe even Zlatan

IF they get a decent striker, keeper, CB and LVG stops playing his favorites in the wrong positions.

 

[Raziel]

Nah. We gave the ball away under no pressure quite a few times, struggled to connect defense to attack and generally lacked coherence in our pressing high up the field. Where we have improved (evidently) is in restricting the space in front of our back four and calming the game down after a period of pressure: good things, certainly, but not a 'totally different side from last season'. Like I said, real improvements will come around December/January, if we don't end the window as we are now, with one striker and a CB turned DM who looks unconvincing at best.

We don't need to be a completely different side (we did get 5th), tweaks ..

- defensively more solid = absolutely
- people also miss the fact that Rose didn't play, and he is a big part of our offensive pace/creativity

Agree we need to buy, but it was a solid display against a very expensive side, away from home against supposedly a very good manager ...

the we were poor, typical, etc. etc is a bit over the top

 

[indianspur]

Does it ever occur to you "slit the wrist" lot that we made them look average? our midfield and defense stopped a team with Mata, Rooney, etc. from having a shot on goal before 65 minutes?

we lost, didnt score, didnt really look like scoring. We were average against a poor United defence. No DeGea, Smalling and Blind as cbs, i mean come on is it too much to ask for a goal

 

[Hashegotthesackyet?]

I see BT Sport is now Man U TV!

 

[shaney]

Dont think I've ever been less excited going into an opening day fixture for as long as I can remember. In the past I would be chomping at the bit, heart racing, filled with excitement and expectation. This morning however, I felt very little apart from the dreaded expectation that it would be a dull lifeless peformance. Much as I dared to dream that it would be different, its exactly what I expected.

Dont let the scoreline fool anyone. Utd are'nt even that good and they did'nt even need to break sweat to beat us today. People can rattle as many ifs, buts and maybes as they like, it changes nothing. Same old same old.

 

[indianspur]

Dont think I've ever been less excited going into an opening day fixture for as long as I can remember. In the past I would be chomping at the bit, heart racing, filled with excitement and expectation. This morning however, I felt very little apart from the dreaded expectation that it would be a dull lifeless peformance. Much as I dared to dream that it would be different, its exactly what I expected.

Dont let the scoreline fool anyone. Utd are'nt even that good and they did'nt even need to break sweat to beat us today. People can rattle as many ifs, buts and maybes as they like, it changes nothing. Same old same old.

correct

 

[Nigeyman]

First off very very frustrated with that, some positives but in the main I am distraught because I believe we should have got a result there.

thoughts

-Bentaleb...seen to many of those sloppy instances recently, he was culpable in this fixture last season of doing the same thing, I have no issue with mistakes made as long as the perpetrator learns from them, really disappointed with Nabil, he handed them the initiative when we were on top.

-Dier....did a job, made some decent tackles and did better than I thought, when the tide was going against us though it became clear that we badly need some experience and nous in that centre midfield, a leader.

-Eriksen...again should have scored and got us in front, frustrating.

-defence...Alderweireld & Verts looked solid, Toby picked out some excellent passes as well, money well spent and pleased Utd found it difficult to create against us.

Pace- we are indeed crying out for it, we simply have to buy someone who can put the fear into opposition defenders by running in behind.

As a side we played well, though we will suffer more often than not if we continue to not being clinical when we are on top, also we need to stop giving the opposition a 'get out of jail card' Its so frustrating to lose to such a sh**ty goal it really is.

If we get some know how, expereince and quality in centre midfield with some leadership, some pace to either compliment Kane or give us some speed on the flanks, then we will have a good season, 3 players must be signed if we are serious about our footballing ambitions this season.

Coys fans, I know its a frustrating day but its not as black as sometimes its painted, there are positives to take out of this game once we have finished giving Nabil a boloc**ing.

 

[NorwegianSpursFan]

I thought there were alot of positives today. We looked solid at the back, Toby looked good, Walker had a good game and we pushed on till the end.

To everyone saying utd is average, it might just be that we made them look that way. Yes, Bentaleb had a poor game, but he's young and I, for one, will give him plenty of time. Young players will have off games every now and again.

We lost against United at ot, it's not like we got hammered at home against relegation fodder.

 

[NWND]

Dont think I've ever been less excited going into an opening day fixture for as long as I can remember. In the past I would be chomping at the bit, heart racing, filled with excitement and expectation. This morning however, I felt very little apart from the dreaded expectation that it would be a dull lifeless peformance. Much as I dared to dream that it would be different, its exactly what I expected.

Dont let the scoreline fool anyone. Utd are'nt even that good and they did'nt even need to break sweat to beat us today. People can rattle as many ifs, buts and maybes as they like, it changes nothing. Same old same old.

People like you.make we want to stop following football

 

[Jarrell89]

I know he's not everone's cup of tea but Andros might have been useful in this game.

He's not my cup of tea but tbf he is more direct than any of our other wide options.

 

[DubaiSpur]

We don't need to be a completely different side (we did get 5th), tweaks ..

- defensively more solid = absolutely
- people also miss the fact that Rose didn't play, and he is a big part of our offensive pace/creativity

Agree we need to buy, but it was a solid display against a very expensive side, away from home against supposedly a very good manager ...

the we were poor, typical, etc. etc is a bit over the top

We weren't poor, we weren't great, and we missed an opportunity to win against a side who will likely not be this vulnerable again. I'm not saying we haven't improved, or that we were consistently poor: alekaras suggested that we looked like a totally different side to last season, and I disagreed with him. You saw things in my post that just weren't there, mate.

 

[Jordinho]

I continue to be astounded by the ability to find something to be unhappy about.

 

[jimmyb]

Dont think I've ever been less excited going into an opening day fixture for as long as I can remember. In the past I would be chomping at the bit, heart racing, filled with excitement and expectation. This morning however, I felt very little apart from the dreaded expectation that it would be a dull lifeless peformance. Much as I dared to dream that it would be different, its exactly what I expected.

Dont let the scoreline fool anyone. Utd are'nt even that good and they did'nt even need to break sweat to beat us today. People can rattle as many ifs, buts and maybes as they like, it changes nothing. Same old same old.

 

[Yiddo]

I think Eriksen should be played in the Modric role as he is not consistent enough in the number 10 role.

 

[jimmyb]

I think Eriksen should be played in the Modric role as he is not consistent enough in the number 10 role.

He's not a Modric kind of player at all. Would be disastrous in that role.

 

[alekaras]

We weren't poor, we weren't great, and we missed an opportunity to win against a side who will likely not be this vulnerable again. I'm not saying we haven't improved, or that we were consistently poor: alekaras suggested that we looked like a totally different side to last season, and I disagreed with him. You saw things in my post that just weren't there, mate.

I saw a team that wasn't lost, which is what we were in the latter part of last season. In that regard we looked miles better. But we still lack that midfield link and a pacy option up front. So still more work to do, but I like the direction we're headed in. And I'm one of the doom and gloom guys!