OMT Spurs vs Leicester City

[Bedfordspurs]

You raise an interesting, if perhaps uncomfortable point....does this highlight the emphasis too much on the physical vs the skillful....?

Of the players who are lived because they run more and work harder (that’s their main characteristic) vs the technical ones some times

 

[glorygloryeze]

Of the players who are lived because they run more and work harder (that’s their main characteristic) vs the technical ones some times

Indeed, the manager's choices...

 

[thfcsteff]

No surprise by the result really; we are one of Leicester's cup finals - the problem these days is we are lots of people's cup finals and we used to swat aside such 'get up for the match vs Spurs' teams. We don't seem physically or mentally strong enough to do so now...

Maybe now the most dangerous part of the game is when you've had a goal disallowed for VAR? Remember when Son very nerly made it 4-4 straight after the VAR decision to rule out Sterling's goal?

Massive massive thing. I agree.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Weird game.

I thought, in the main, we played pretty well. Promising signs of us getting back to our old selves.

Early pressure from Leicester, really pressing high up on us - and we played through it brilliantly. Over the last year chances are we would concede and be chasing the game. Instead we just played around it and looked strong.

Going forward, as usual we didnt create as many quality chances as we should, but we did create chances and looked dangerous. And not in a "those players improvised a chance" way that we've had for ages, but in a more structural "we are attacking well as a team" way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lamela in that central role. Ive said more or less since we got him that it would suit him, but this is the first time Ive seen him get the chance and really take it. Really really enjoyed his performance, and honestly think it was better than just about anything Eriksen has offered us there for a good year or so. Im very interested to see if he can keep it up. He was finding space, working his socks off, releasing the ball quickly and making a real nuisance of himself. Loved it.

Winks was quality, I thought. NDombele did well - though most exciting for me was how clear it was he can do MUCH better, what an exciting prospect. Aurier again proved valuable on the right, and also again proved Rose is something of a mirage. We are a different team with a proper attacking fullback, would be lovely to have one on the left...

Wasnt the greatest performance, but it was one full of positives for me that signalled some of our old selves.

We deserved to win, IMHO, and I do fear that losing will kick us down just at a time when we need some forward momentum.

Eriksen was useless coming on. As was Wanyama. And I do wonder what on earth Poch was thinking.

The VAR decision was flimflam, IMHO, and not just because Im a Spurs fan. It is so ridiculously close, and yet the technology cant 100% be relied upon at that margin. I think some discretion should be applied when its literally a couple of mm in the balance.

Maddison is a brickclam, clearly, but also a very talented player.

Tielemans, was he even playing? To think the people wanting us to sign him...

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Weird game.

I thought, in the main, we played pretty well. Promising signs of us getting back to our old selves.

Early pressure from Leicester, really pressing high up on us - and we played through it brilliantly. Over the last year chances are we would concede and be chasing the game. Instead we just played around it and looked strong.

Going forward, as usual we didnt create as many quality chances as we should, but we did create chances and looked dangerous. And not in a "those players improvised a chance" way that we've had for ages, but in a more structural "we are attacking well as a team" way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lamela in that central role. Ive said more or less since we got him that it would suit him, but this is the first time Ive seen him get the chance and really take it. Really really enjoyed his performance, and honestly think it was better than just about anything Eriksen has offered us there for a good year or so. Im very interested to see if he can keep it up. He was finding space, working his socks off, releasing the ball quickly and making a real nuisance of himself. Loved it.

Winks was quality, I thought. NDombele did well - though most exciting for me was how clear it was he can do MUCH better, what an exciting prospect. Aurier again proved valuable on the right, and also again proved Rose is something of a mirage. We are a different team with a proper attacking fullback, would be lovely to have one on the left...

Wasnt the greatest performance, but it was one full of positives for me that signalled some of our old selves.

We deserved to win, IMHO, and I do fear that losing will kick us down just at a time when we need some forward momentum.

Eriksen was useless coming on. As was Wanyama. And I do wonder what on earth Poch was thinking.

The VAR decision was flimflam, IMHO, and not just because Im a Spurs fan. It is so ridiculously close, and yet the technology cant 400% be relied upon at that margin. I think some discretion should be applied when its literally a couple of mm in the balance.

Maddison is a brickclam, clearly, but also a very talented player.

Tielemans, was he even playing? To think the people wanting us to sign him...

I didn’t think maddison was great either
Considering they had a 4 man attacking midfield on paper we made two saves in the first half and one before they scored their goal.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I didn’t think maddison was great either
Considering they had a 4 man attacking midfield on paper we made two saves in the first half and one before they scored their goal.

Maddison, for me, is clearly VERY talented. That goal was a stunner, and some of his passing (and vision) is quite brilliant.

However, I think right now he is a bell end. Too much ego and arrogance, to interested in being a dingdonghead, to the degree I dont think he is as good a player as he could actually be.

 

[Benny_Lad]

Weird game.

I thought, in the main, we played pretty well. Promising signs of us getting back to our old selves.

Early pressure from Leicester, really pressing high up on us - and we played through it brilliantly. Over the last year chances are we would concede and be chasing the game. Instead we just played around it and looked strong.

Going forward, as usual we didnt create as many quality chances as we should, but we did create chances and looked dangerous. And not in a "those players improvised a chance" way that we've had for ages, but in a more structural "we are attacking well as a team" way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lamela in that central role. Ive said more or less since we got him that it would suit him, but this is the first time Ive seen him get the chance and really take it. Really really enjoyed his performance, and honestly think it was better than just about anything Eriksen has offered us there for a good year or so. Im very interested to see if he can keep it up. He was finding space, working his socks off, releasing the ball quickly and making a real nuisance of himself. Loved it.

Winks was quality, I thought. NDombele did well - though most exciting for me was how clear it was he can do MUCH better, what an exciting prospect. Aurier again proved valuable on the right, and also again proved Rose is something of a mirage. We are a different team with a proper attacking fullback, would be lovely to have one on the left...

Wasnt the greatest performance, but it was one full of positives for me that signalled some of our old selves.

We deserved to win, IMHO, and I do fear that losing will kick us down just at a time when we need some forward momentum.

Eriksen was useless coming on. As was Wanyama. And I do wonder what on earth Poch was thinking.

The VAR decision was flimflam, IMHO, and not just because Im a Spurs fan. It is so ridiculously close, and yet the technology cant 400% be relied upon at that margin. I think some discretion should be applied when its literally a couple of mm in the balance.

Maddison is a brickclam, clearly, but also a very talented player.

Tielemans, was he even playing? To think the people wanting us to sign him...

I thought Winks was fine until he moved him right side of the 3. Not only did that expose Wanyama who would then need to play it out but it also put a square peg in a round hole, Winks is never a right sided player of a diamond imo.

Thought Lamela had lots of great possession in the first half (movement must be good) but only really got his distribution right on a couple of occasions, the goal being one of them. 3 or 4 times he got dispossessed (partly due to having to shift everything back to his left foot). What I think would be great for him is if he got a little run central in a 4231 with 3 attacking options to choose from with his pass. With just Kane and Son, it wont always be easy.

I have problems with the diamond, mainly because we have only 3 attacking players and are still giving up chances at the back.

 

[Benny_Lad]

Maddison, for me, is clearly VERY talented. That goal was a stunner, and some of his passing (and vision) is quite brilliant.

However, I think right now he is a bell end. Too much ego and arrogance, to interested in being a dingdonghead, to the degree I dont think he is as good a player as he could actually be.

I thought he played well. Used the ball well, would flourish in our team. Interested to know why you think he's a bell end? Like what actual tangible stuff is he doing to cause this judgement?

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I thought Winks was fine until he moved him right side of the 3. Not only did that expose Wanyama who would then need to play it out but it also put a square peg in a round hole, Winks is never a right sided player of a diamond imo.

Thought Lamela had lots of great possession in the first half (movement must be good) but only really got his distribution right on a couple of occasions, the goal being one of them. 3 or 4 times he got dispossessed (partly due to having to shift everything back to his left foot). What I think would be great for him is if he got a little run central in a 4231 with 3 attacking options to choose from with his pass. With just Kane and Son, it wont always be easy.

I have problems with the diamond, mainly because we have only 3 attacking players and are still giving up chances at the back.

Wouldnt argue really. Though I would question, was Wanyama exposed, or just not good enough?

Im not a fan of the diamond at all. I think we drop Sissoko, Winks and NDombele in the 2, Lamela central in the 3 as you suggest = we are a much better looking team (would probably bring Moura in on the right).

I thought he played well. Used the ball well, would flourish in our team. Interested to know why you think he's a bell end? Like what actual tangible stuff is he doing to cause this judgement?

Nothing too tangible, more the way he carries himself, the attitude he presents.

I completely understand some will argue with that, and fair enough, but whenever I see him play I always think he is a prick and he could be better if he just focused on the football.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Maddison, for me, is clearly VERY talented. That goal was a stunner, and some of his passing (and vision) is quite brilliant.

However, I think right now he is a bell end. Too much ego and arrogance, to interested in being a dingdonghead, to the degree I dont think he is as good a player as he could actually be.

His goal was aver good goal
Everything else he did was somewhere between decent and average
The guy slows flashes of brilliance and flashes of invisibility
He will get better and better with age I’m sure

 

[a spur from swansea]

Look its clear for all to see that there is something not quite right with the team.

Poch has relied very heavily on Kanes form in previous seasons to paper over some patchy team form.

This could be the defining moment of the season 7 games in 21 days and so far 1 great win 1 draw and 1 loss when both were there for the taking.

We are really going to struggle for top four unless poch and the team get their act together quickly. It’s about how much Poch wants to when it’s likely united will come calling again soon given their poor form and Real Madrid will also come calling it again.

Poch is an honourable man and will see out until the end of the season but it’s a real test of Levy’s patience if results don’t start coming.

Speculation about managers losing their job is part and parcel of the game- it’s not pathetic, it’s reality, if your not getting results and the team performance is not great then , like it or not, a manager change is the first thing that happens.

That is not to say I don’t think Poch cant turn it around, cos he can but he really needs to want it.

Sorry but we've got the best manager for over 30 years,he's created a side that took us to a champs league final and he's still got to beg,borrow and steal players... i think my patience is with the chairman...with the goons,utd and chelsea still in a state of flux we should be stamping our place behind city and 'pool, even trying to stay on their coat tails but now we got sides like Leicester and west ham catching us....we should be investing in players each year,those two years of not buying is coming back to haunt us now,its laughable sometimes that we plead poverty whilst charging fans £76 for munich tickets...£81 for chelsea tickets plus seeing first team tops costimg £95 in the club shop....the buck stops with the chairman and Lewis i say.

Poch will go next year or so and i dont blame him....but then a new manager new project and the same excuses of not buying any new players....

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I thought he played well. Used the ball well, would flourish in our team. Interested to know why you think he's a bell end? Like what actual tangible stuff is he doing to cause this judgement?

Have you not seen his twitter comments...

 

[Benny_Lad]

Have you not seen his twitter comments...

That's what I was asking for (and yes I have). Wondered whether the dislike was an off field thing or an on field. I'm totally not bothered about off field stuff, makes absolutely no difference to the player on the field imo.

 

[StephenH]

Nothing too tangible, more the way he carries himself, the attitude he presents.

This! Gobby brick and full of himself to boot. Wheelchair MkII

Edit
And I don't do teletext @Bedfordspurs luckily for him

 

[Bedfordspurs]

That's what I was asking for (and yes I have). Wondered whether the dislike was an off field thing or an on field. I'm totally not bothered about off field stuff, makes absolutely no difference to the player on the field imo.

Off the field I assume

The guy has an ego his play can’t match yet

 

[Finney Is Back]

I absolutely hope so. That's the kind of midfield I'm suggesting we go with.

Poch seems obsessed with this diamond brick though and Sissoko.

i thought it was Poch's decision to substitute Sissoko that lost us the game on Saturday. Made all the stranger by the fact that there was just no need to make that substitution.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Sissoko was at risk, being on a yellow, I can understand him coming off.

Wanyama coming on, however, was just wrong.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Weird game.

I thought, in the main, we played pretty well. Promising signs of us getting back to our old selves.

Early pressure from Leicester, really pressing high up on us - and we played through it brilliantly. Over the last year chances are we would concede and be chasing the game. Instead we just played around it and looked strong.

Going forward, as usual we didnt create as many quality chances as we should, but we did create chances and looked dangerous. And not in a "those players improvised a chance" way that we've had for ages, but in a more structural "we are attacking well as a team" way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lamela in that central role. Ive said more or less since we got him that it would suit him, but this is the first time Ive seen him get the chance and really take it. Really really enjoyed his performance, and honestly think it was better than just about anything Eriksen has offered us there for a good year or so. Im very interested to see if he can keep it up. He was finding space, working his socks off, releasing the ball quickly and making a real nuisance of himself. Loved it.

Winks was quality, I thought. NDombele did well - though most exciting for me was how clear it was he can do MUCH better, what an exciting prospect. Aurier again proved valuable on the right, and also again proved Rose is something of a mirage. We are a different team with a proper attacking fullback, would be lovely to have one on the left...

Wasnt the greatest performance, but it was one full of positives for me that signalled some of our old selves.

We deserved to win, IMHO, and I do fear that losing will kick us down just at a time when we need some forward momentum.

Eriksen was useless coming on. As was Wanyama. And I do wonder what on earth Poch was thinking.

The VAR decision was flimflam, IMHO, and not just because Im a Spurs fan. It is so ridiculously close, and yet the technology cant 400% be relied upon at that margin. I think some discretion should be applied when its literally a couple of mm in the balance.

Maddison is a brickclam, clearly, but also a very talented player.

Tielemans, was he even playing? To think the people wanting us to sign him...

Some interesting points here. I thought that after the first 15 minutes or so we played ok but we still gave up too many chances.

I didn't think N'Dombele did anything of particular note, his time at Spurs so far has underwhelmed me but just as with any player coming from overseas, he needs time. I thought that N'Dombele was probably our weakest starting midfield player, I certainly didn't see him doing any more than Tielemans. I also thought that Winks was average at best. I agree that Lamela played very well, especially in the first half. I thought Sissoko also played well and it was him coming off that allowed Leicester to start getting the upper hand in the game. Why on earth did Poch take him off?

I agree that we perhaps deserved to win the game but if we did then it was marginal. A draw was probably the right result and certainly didn't deserve to lose it.

Agree with the comment on Eriksen and Maddison (he would've been a nice replacement for Eriksen in our squad, as I think many of us were saying at the point when Leicester signed him for a very reasonable fee).

The VAR decision was correct. Unfortunately the system has to be yes or no and there is no 'margin for error' rule. Son's line was goalside of their last man and therefore offside is the right VAR decision.

We certainly don't look like a top 4 side at the moment. Luckily Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal are all in somewhat transitional phases. The worry I have about us at the moment is that we don't seem to have a trusted gameplan. We haven't made our mind up whether we're a team that wants to press and play high up the pitch, sit back and counter or play slow, possession dominant football. I think that lack of trusted gameplan is what is causing us to be giving up so many chances to the opposition.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Sissoko was at risk, being on a yellow, I can understand him coming off.

Wanyama coming on, however, was just wrong.

I could understand that if he'd had another talking to from the ref but he hadn't. I think the ref probably would've also realised he was wrong to book him in the first half and been lenient had there been anything that was borderline.

That substitution though gave Leicester more space to attack on our right through Winks replacing Sissoko as well as ruining our possession through Wanyama replacing Winks. If he really wanted to take Sissoko off then I think it would've been far better to leave Winks where he was and just directly replace Sissoko.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Some interesting points here. I thought that after the first 15 minutes or so we played ok but we still gave up too many chances.

We certainly did. We did look better though, and we played through their high press well, something we have been rubbish at for a while now.

I didn't think N'Dombele did anything of particular note, his time at Spurs so far has underwhelmed me but just as with any player coming from overseas, he needs time. I thought that N'Dombele was probably our weakest starting midfield player, I certainly didn't see him doing any more than Tielemans. I also thought that Winks was average at best. I agree that Lamela played very well, especially in the first half.

I thought he played well. Did some good stuff, made it look easy, easy to pass over when watching. Did some more obvious stuff, turning players, holding players off, that really had me excited.

Over all Id say he was probably better than you think, if you watched it again your opinion would change some - but over all I should say Im not making out like he was brilliant. I thought he was decent, with flashes of things to come, which is what I found exciting.

I agree that we perhaps deserved to win the game but if we did then it was marginal. A draw was probably the right result and certainly didn't deserve to lose it.

I really do think we deserved to win. They were dangerous on the break, but aside from a few chances were very limited over all by how we played.

This was probably our best performance all season, and if VAR wasnt so dodgy we would have won comfortably IMO. As much as you think the game swung on Sissoko going off - Id argue if Sons goal stood we would have won at a canter.

The VAR decision was correct. Unfortunately the system has to be yes or no and there is no 'margin for error' rule. Son's line was goalside of their last man and therefore offside is the right VAR decision.

It was correct in terms of the rules of VAR as set up. It is fundamentally wrong though, in the way it is set up.

There is room for error, to the degree that calls as marginal as that was (and we are talking millimetres, arent we?) should have some discretion applied.

The system is not millimetre accurate, to treat it as though it is is a fundamental flaw.

We certainly don't look like a top 4 side at the moment. Luckily Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal are all in somewhat transitional phases. The worry I have about us at the moment is that we don't seem to have a trusted gameplan. We haven't made our mind up whether we're a team that wants to press and play high up the pitch, sit back and counter or play slow, possession dominant football. I think that lack of trusted gameplan is what is causing us to be giving up so many chances to the opposition.

Agreed. The diamond is brick. I think the diamond was adopted to accommodate our issues last season, but it has no place in the team today.

We need to settle on a formation and stick to it. 4231 seems the best suited and most comfortable.

Its all so bloody obvious its frustrating Poch is carrying on as he is. Id love to think there was reasoning behind it, as to why its preferable to hobble along with a diamond, but honestly I just dont see it.

I could understand that if he'd had another talking to from the ref but he hadn't. I think the ref probably would've also realised he was wrong to book him in the first half and been lenient had there been anything that was borderline.

That substitution though gave Leicester more space to attack on our right through Winks replacing Sissoko as well as ruining our possession through Wanyama replacing Winks. If he really wanted to take Sissoko off then I think it would've been far better to leave Winks where he was and just directly replace Sissoko.

I think the way Sissoko plays, there is always the chance of a yellow. I dont mind him coming off on those grounds at all.

Winks was doing well in that base of midfield position, Id have been happier with a direct replacement to Sissoko. Skipp probably the best option, but Id have had Dier ahead of Wanyama as well.

Wanyama looks done, first thing he did on the field was get roasted and give away a foul (and get a yellow).

Things swung on that, but it was more that Wanyama came on, rather than Sissoko went off, IMO.