*** OMT - should we even bother ? ***

[Seedy Ron]

Really? Davies and Skipp caught out badly for two of their goals but it’s Forster’s fault?

Given how badly we defend, you need your keeper to find a save every now and then. The second Mbuemo goal was a very tight angle.

Not his sole fault we lost, or conceded, but another position our non-existent DOF needs to address.

 

[AdamB]

Really? Davies and Skipp caught out badly for two of their goals but it’s Forster’s fault?

The first was a good yard inside the post and the second I think he should have stopped too, or at least a decent keeper would have done. 3rd he was blameless for

I'm not saying that others couldnt have also prevented the goals (esp Davies) but I think a good keeper saves their first two

 

[Benny_Lad]

Maybe, though a keeper with some agility saves their first two today. 4231 can work if your no 10 drops deep out of possession

That will work if the midfield 2 are elite. Other than that it needs 3 and one going forward rather than the other way round.

Ps. I’ve noticed Forster getting plenty on here (and I’m sure we will upgrade next season) but I was sat behind both and they looked unsavable.

 

[Spur of the moment]

Meh.



I hate it when we attack but pause, cut back, pause and they get 73 men behind the ball, then we get surprised when they block all of our shots. Jeez.

That's the issue that most needs tackling.

Opposing managers are all onto how vulnerable we are to the high press, especially when passing interminably across the back. Nailed on that sooner or later we'll yield possession just when we are at our most vulnerable, with wide open spaces for them to capitalise upon when (not if) we eventually fudge up. Happens game after game after game.

 

[thfcsteff]

Agreed. Was a big difference. We still didnt look like we had a plan of how to attack in the second half though

The biggest difference IMO was that Damsgaard popped up between lines to repeatedly play the right little pass which moved Brentford effortlessly towards our static and entirely flat/unimaginative midfield. One tweak and we were sorely exposed. A back-four with Benjamin at FB also did not help.

 

[thfcsteff]

Bissouma was pretty good on the ball but absolutely terrible without it.

Brentford pressed higher and with more intensity in the second half.

His positional/off-the-ball play has been questionable since he arrived. He was somewhat dynamic first-half, but Brentford hadn't worked us out at that point. Once they did, he just flattened out again. I was disappointed that he showed no real personality in the second-half, instead (as you said) his somewhat erratic off the ball movement resulted in Skipp being left with too much.

 

[NaijaSpurs]

The really annoying thing about today's result is that in the first half, we played some of the best free-flowing football we played all season. We should have scored at least 3 in the first half. But then, for some reason, we just collapsed in the second half.

 

[yiddo37]

See, I think the first half the only threat from Brentford came down our right-hand side.

I thought our midfield looked good. Lots went through Bissouma, and Kane was dropping deep and creating heaps of chances for runners. The second half that just stopped. I'm not sure if that is due to a change in formation for Brentford, or we just eased off, or we changed formation. But it was like a different bloody team.

I think that's why this game has made me so bloody angry, because in the first half I thought we'd turned a corner by going with the 4-2-3-1.

Yeah you're right bar a couple of times first half it was predominately down our right. Second half they had as much space as they wanted including the throw that led to the equaliser.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Need to watch it back but two players stood out for me
Sanchez who played well and passed well too
Bissouma … best player on the pitch for me

 

[Spur of the moment]

The really annoying thing about today's result is that in the first half, we played some of the best free-flowing football we played all season. We should have scored at least 3 in the first half. But then, for some reason, we just collapsed in the second half.

It was not so much a collapse by us as the result of a master tactical stroke by Thomas Frank. It was pretty clear from the way they increased their tempo and energy levels second half that he'd instructed his team to ramp up the intensify their high press. To help with this he replaced the struggling Onyeka with the more energetic Damsgaard.

You could see straight off how much this had the desired effect of throwing us off our game, forcing us back into our own half and into errors that ultimately led to all three of their goals. First off Kulu was dispossessed near the touchline, triggering the move that lead directly to their equaliser. Next it was that outrageously unpunished foul on Kane that set them on their way for their second. Finally it was the surrounded Skipp who slipped and surrendered possession near our box for their third.

I suspect it might be difficult for us to prise Frank away from Brentford - should that be our aim - but for me he would be the perfect fit for us next season, He seems to command the respect of his players, gets them following his instructions and working as a team, has them play at a high tempo and perhaps most important of all, gets them to attack, attack, attack.

What's not to like?

 

[afsoc4life]

Seeing the result after getting home was disappointing. Brentford at home?

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

Seeing the result after getting home was disappointing. Brentford at home?

Watching the 2nd half you’d have been even more disappointed.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Watching the 2nd half you’d have been even more disappointed.

Yeah
Was really weird
Very very good first half
Shocking second
Credit to them knowing that Forster is rubbish at anything low down
Really love Reya on his audition. If we don’t follow up on that and buy him we are even more stupid than I think we are

 

[AdamB]

Really love Reya on his audition. If we don’t follow up on that and buy him we are even more stupid than I think we are

I dont think there's many teams looking for a keeper this summer which helps, but there's a risk that he sews up a deal with someone before our new manager/DoF have agreed a plan on who/what we need

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I dont think there's many teams looking for a keeper this summer which helps, but there's a risk that he sews up a deal with someone before our new manager/DoF have agreed a plan on who/what we need

Very much so
United will want him too I believe
There are a lot of good keepers that would be an upgrade for us big Reya ticks all the boxes

 

[harr1984]

The biggest difference IMO was that Damsgaard popped up between lines to repeatedly play the right little pass which moved Brentford effortlessly towards our static and entirely flat/unimaginative midfield. One tweak and we were sorely exposed. A back-four with Benjamin at FB also did not help.

Bang on, and this is why Mason has a massive advantage. Opposition managers can't really plan much against a Mason team because he doesn't have a reputation for a particular style or formation. People are questioning why we looked so good first half and not second - first half Brentford weren't setup knowing how we were going to play. Once Frank had seen enough of us, at half time he made some adjustments and brought Damsgaard on and surprise surprise Mason had no answer.

We all love Mason but he is nowhere near ready for the PL. If he truly believes he has what it takes as a manager he needs to leave Spurs and make a name for himself lower down the ladder somewhere....

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Bang on, and this is why Mason has a massive advantage. Opposition managers can't really plan much against a Mason team because he doesn't have a reputation for a particular style or formation. People are questioning why we looked so good first half and not second - first half Brentford weren't setup knowing how we were going to play. Once Frank had seen enough of us, at half time he made some adjustments and brought Damsgaard on and surprise surprise Mason had no answer.

We all love Mason but he is nowhere near ready for the PL. If he truly believes he has what it takes as a manager he needs to leave Spurs and make a name for himself lower down the ladder somewhere....

In masons defence he didn’t have another
modifier on the bench who you call a ball retainer to bring on
Weirdly the bench looked like it was missing players again

 

[AdamB]

Very much so
United will want him too I believe
There are a lot of good keepers that would be an upgrade for us big Reya ticks all the boxes

Yes, upgrading the keeper isnt a massive challenge and even if they arrive in August rather than July its not a disaster.

Bigger challenge this window will be outfielders and the new DoF/manager having a time to assess what they do and dont want before the season starts

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Yes, upgrading the keeper isnt a massive challenge and even if they arrive in August rather than July its not a disaster.

Bigger challenge this window will be outfielders and the new DoF/manager having a time to assess what they do and dont want before the season starts

I’d assume the pan for what we need is already here with the guys left by Paratici
We also now have scouts and data people in place

 

[AdamB]

I’d assume the pan for what we need is already here with the guys left by Paratici
We also now have scouts and data people in place

Agreed, but the DOF/Manager are responsible for those signings. They'll have to live with the decisions and own the decisions. They can't pin them on the previous regime.

They might also have their own views