Mauricio Pochettino - Sacked

[DeanoAustin]

I disagreed with his team selection in the first place, that said, we got an early lead and made it to HT intact.

This is my second criticism, we absorbed an amazing amount of pressure (at one point we had 25% possession and were camped in our half), that was inevitably going to tire the players, fresh legs needed early.

Eriksen and Dele were not helping the midfield, or the ball retention, or easing pressure. They needed to be off at HT or at least 10 minutes into second half if nothing changed.

Rose was putting in a shift but was poor (the 17% is real), but I would have said him out for Davies or Winks out for Lucas was a toss up for third sub (for me Eriksen/Dele out for N'dombele/Lo Celso would have been first 2)

If I was a player on that field I'd be tinkled we didn't have fresh legs against a high energy side like Pool early.

Yeah, I think they're very fair points mate and I don't disagree with any of it. Personally, I've still seen enough over the last week to give me some hope. I can understand those who don't feel the same though.

 

[Raziel]

Yeah, I think they're very fair points mate and I don't disagree with any of it. Personally, I've still seen enough over the last week to give me some hope. I can understand those who don't feel the same though.

Totally think we played better in last two games .. not enough but better and with real player effort.

Just super frustrating that we didn't manage the game better .. a hard earned draw would have been a great boost to all ...

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I think the last 2 games have given me something to believe in. We played in a way I didn't think we could anymore against RSB and the players followed Poch's plan yesterday and he clearly went there with a visible plan. In some games this year, it's looked to me like we didn't know what we were doing so that's an improvement. I also lost the head with his selection yesterday but I thought Rose and Toby were both very good and with how we set up, I can understand Ndombele being benched. The one big blot on Poch's copybook yesterday was keeping Eriksen on for so long when it was obvious he was getting murdered time and again.

If Poch stops the nonsensical press flimflam, he's earned a stay of execution for me and I'd give him the season.

The issue for me has always been his confused utterances and the fact I believed the players had lost faith in him. Over the last week, I've seen enough that the players still believe in him and he hasn't been spouting brick in the media.

I genuinely can see us going on a run over the next few months.

This is pretty much where Ive landed on it.

Im convinced, more than ever, Poch basically hasnt been doing his job. But the last couple of games there is a very clear showing that he has been working with the players, setting them up - its obvious theres been coaching, and a plan or strategy for the match.

I dont really like the decisions he made yesterday, for the most part, and I do question the logic of some of them, but it was again clear there was a plan and a shape - and to be honest thats more than we have had most of the season.

I really hope this is the beginning of Poch getting his brick together, though I do hold reservations about his performance. And even if he does get things rocking and rolling again, I think this spell will remain as a nagging doubt for a while yet.

There is a pretty favourable run from now, so a chance to build on the work being done.

Id personally like to see a return to the team, shape and dynamic we saw against RSB. It is, I believe, what suits us best, and Id like it to be a template from which Poch works.

Time will tell obviously, but Im feeling a bit better today than I was a week ago.

 

[PochettinoPochettinoPochettino]

Is that now 23 points from 26 games? If someone can confirm please. Whatever way you look at it that’s relegation form and that is a fact not my opinion.

I’m sorry but anyone defending Poch now needs to have a long good look at themselves and ask whether they want us to be relegated or not.

If we lose to Everton Sunday, and yes it’s an away game people, games which we don’t actually win, then he simply has to go to save our season. Fcuk Europe we are closer to relegation than those places.

 

[StephenH]

I disagreed with his team selection in the first place, that said, we got an early lead and made it to HT intact.

This is my second criticism, we absorbed an amazing amount of pressure (at one point we had 25% possession and were camped in our half), that was inevitably going to tire the players, fresh legs needed early.

Eriksen and Dele were not helping the midfield, or the ball retention, or easing pressure. They needed to be off at HT or at least 10 minutes into second half if nothing changed.

Rose was putting in a shift but was poor (the 17% is real), but I would have said him out for Davies or Winks out for Lucas was a toss up for third sub (for me Eriksen/Dele out for N'dombele/Lo Celso would have been first 2)

If I was a player on that field I'd be tinkled we didn't have fresh legs against a high energy side like Pool early.

Let us remember it was Liverpool at home!
Not your normal game, so I thought the team was very combatant attitude-wise and they all battled well.
My only real disappointment was Winks, he was not good. Winks lost us so much possession sadly as I like the lad, I'm unsure he is good 'enough' long term. The Eriksen and Dele setup was for me a 'needs must' situation due to "fitness" issues with GLC and N'dombele etc.
Our full-backs did better than many have been giving them credit. Marne was very cute for the penalty so not agreeing with whole dumber & dumber rubbish.
Our big problem is our midfielders or lack of fit quilty ones.
The likes of Dire and Wanyama MUST be replaced in January for fit usable players.

 

[glorygloryeze]

I think the last 2 games have given me something to believe in. We played in a way I didn't think we could anymore against RSB and the players followed Poch's plan yesterday and he clearly went there with a visible plan. In some games this year, it's looked to me like we didn't know what we were doing so that's an improvement. I also lost the head with his selection yesterday but I thought Rose and Toby were both very good and with how we set up, I can understand Ndombele being benched. The one big blot on Poch's copybook yesterday was keeping Eriksen on for so long when it was obvious he was getting murdered time and again.

If Poch stops the nonsensical press flimflam, he's earned a stay of execution for me and I'd give him the season.

The issue for me has always been his confused utterances and the fact I believed the players had lost faith in him. Over the last week, I've seen enough that the players still believe in him and he hasn't been spouting brick in the media.

I genuinely can see us going on a run over the next few months.

Fair enough on the effort the players showed in the last two games (which should be a minimum btw), but his use of Ndombele and then his reaction to a journo asking a question about how he impacted the game shows his propensity to utter weird stuff as well as make odd selections is still alive and kicking.

Why both Eriksen and Alli were allowed to play so brick for over 80 minutes (as has been their norm these days) in a game when he had the bench options he did was simply unfathomable.
What really is the point of buying new players now?

 

[glorygloryeze]

It's no disgrace to lose to Liverpool, who look like champions elect. But to semi-handicap yourself by playing the same players who have been playing brick all season and not try and change things when eminently possible stops it taking away the memory of the previous brick results AND performances.

Our next 6 games:

Everton A
Sheff utd H
West Ham A
Bounemouth H
Man Utd A
Burnley H


Is that a really more favourable run than:

Palace H
Leicester A
Soton H
Brighton A
Watford H
Liverpool A?

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

It's no disgrace to lose to Liverpool, who look like champions elect.

The disgrace is, IMO, just how readily people are accepting the "Well we shouldnt expect a result there anyway" line of thought.

Really shows how accepting of our current form/prospects people are. Im not. We are more than good enough to go to Liverpool and take the game to them. Or, at least, we should be.

That we went there with the intent to just sit and defend like a lower league team in the hope of a result is the real disgrace.

I understand the reasons why, but that only speaks to how far back we have fallen from where we should be.

 

[glorygloryeze]

The disgrace is, IMO, just how readily people are accepting the "Well we shouldnt expect a result there anyway" line of thought.

Really shows how accepting of our current form/prospects people are. Im not. We are more than good enough to go to Liverpool and take the game to them. Or, at least, we should be.

That we went there with the intent to just sit and defend like a lower league team in the hope of a result is the real disgrace.

I understand the reasons why, but that only speaks to how far back we have fallen from where we should be.

I agree if i look at things over time. But where we are right now i expected to get pumped and was still tinkled off we lost, but happy we still have some dignity.
Even still, losing to Brighton, Saudi Sportswashing Machine and the Watford and Olympiacos performances shows right now that we are not fit to hope for much at Anfield.

Looking at the bigger picture, worries remain...

 

[DeanoAustin]

It's no disgrace to lose to Liverpool, who look like champions elect. But to semi-handicap yourself by playing the same players who have been playing brick all season and not try and change things when eminently possible stops it taking away the memory of the previous brick results AND performances.

Our next 6 games:

Everton A
Sheff utd H
West Ham A
Bounemouth H
Man Utd A
Burnley H


Is that a really more favourable run than:

Palace H
Leicester A
Soton H
Brighton A
Watford H
Liverpool A?

No it isn't and if we play as we have been doing so far this season, we'll likely get the same return.

However, if we play as we can or anywhere near it, we can pick up a lot of points and get back in the race for top 4. The question for fans is, do you believe this manager and players can pick it up? I was a very firm no up to this week but I've seen enough to think we will. I can understand those who still have grave doubts and I can also understand those who never had any doubts.

But I don't think any fan thinks we can play like we have so far this season/year and pick up a lot of points from that run.

If we don't pick it up, I think it becomes very difficult for anyone to make a case for Poch to stay.

 

[glorygloryeze]

No it isn't and if we play as we have been doing so far this season, we'll likely get the same return.

However, if we play as we can or anywhere near it, we can pick up a lot of points and get back in the race for top 4. The question for fans is, do you believe this manager and players can pick it up? I was a very firm no up to this week but I've seen enough to think we will. I can understand those who still have grave doubts and I can also understand those who never had any doubts.

But I don't think any fan thinks we can play like we have so far this season/year and pick up a lot of points from that run.

If we don't pick it up, I think it becomes very difficult for anyone to make a case for Poch to stay.

We've seen us have good games/performances and think "ok, this is where we pick up" or bad performances and think "ok, we're going to see a reaction now" ...and then nothing.....

We will see (again) at Everton next week..which become a 6 pointer now..if we lose they leapfrog us..and they are currently 16th

 

[DeanoAustin]

We've seen us have good games/performances and think "ok, this is where we pick up" or bad performances and think "ok, we're going to see a reaction now" ...and then nothing.....

We will see (again) at Everton next week..which become a 6 pointer now..if we lose they leapfrog us..and they are currently 16th

Yeah that's fair. Results have been brick for a year and performances have been poor for at least 18 months. So a win against Everton, even if it's a 6-2 like last season, doesn't change anything in itself. We've really got to push on and do it over 6-10 games for me.

 

[StephenH]

Our fitness and injury management is suspect IMHO

Dire, Wanyama are done. Time to go!
GLC not ready/injured, N'Dembele (sp?) not fully fit. Don't even get me started on Sessegnon, a talent for sure but his continued injury problem seems to be following a trend at Spurs

So we had Sissoko (Mr 100%) and Winksy gives his all, but I'm sadly not sure he is now cutting it.
We need some fit midfield players, not Dele or even Eriksen. Dele is an attacker, not a midfielder.

 

[billyiddo]

Sessegnon had one injury, which he is recovering from

 

[glorygloryeze]

How long does it take for ANY midfielder to be fit under Poch?
The way he speaks about being 'fit' and 'ready' we'd be better off buying players almost 2 years before they are expected to play in the first team....

Yet, the likes of Wanyama, Mason, Alli were able to, so perhaps it's a "already used to British football/PL" thing..which makes it all the more odd we seem to have stopped buying midfielders from the PL or from British clubs...

 

[DeanoAustin]

How long does it take for ANY midfielder to be fit under Poch?
The way he speaks about being 'fit' and 'ready' we'd be better off buying players almost 2 years before they are expected to play in the first team....

Yet, the likes of Wanyama, Mason, Alli were able to, so perhaps it's a "already used to British football/PL" thing..which makes it all the more odd we seem to have stopped buying midfielders from the PL or from British clubs...

I find this very odd too. Does any other club in the world do this?

Surely players always have a decent level of fitness and aren't coming to the party looking like me. And the tactics can't be that complicated that it takes two months to understand.

 

[billyiddo]

Is it perhaps, and try to stay with me here, something managers say to protect new signings from having too much pressure put upon them?

 

[glorygloryeze]

Is it perhaps, and try to stay with me here, something managers say to protect new signings from having too much pressure put upon them?

Poch used to be good at doing that...but saying a player will take TWO YEARS to get up to speed? I mean a record signing, really?
If you are Levy surely you don't want to constantly hear the 'manana, manana' stuff, at those kind of prices, and especially when you are turning down cheaper alternatives (according to rumours)..?

 

[billyiddo]

Why are you STILL taking what he says literally?

 

[glorygloryeze]

Yeah, fair enough.....he has shown himself to chat brick constantly recently, so i should learn really...it's the doing brick as well that i guess is concerning...