***OMT: Mighty Spurs vs Palace***

[alekaras]

True. We still seem to be struggling against teams who sit deep at Wembley though. Got the win so not complaining but also not blind to this fact that we have yet to record a good solid win against a team who show little ambition to attack us from the off. The game seemed to follow the same pattern as Burnley, Swansea and Bournemouth.

And this is the one nut that Poch has yet to crack. And it's not like we're not winning the majority, but it's nervy. Unlike City this year who are smashing teams like this. Not sure what the solution is though, other than splashing the cash for one or two world class attacking options.

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

26 apps 13 goals in league last year, 6 apps 3 goals in league this year and gets assists too. He'd be brilliant for us, we dont have an ambundance of pace and think he's a slightly more polished version of Son.....

So not as prolific as Vardy when he won the league. As I said it's my opinion, but I thought Henry, Vieira, Bergkamp and Wright would have been brilliant for us, but many disagreed.

 

[glasgowspur]

He's spent a comparable amount to the other big money clubs, and to City in the past. Adjusted for football inflation.

With that money he's done what the vast majority of managers have failed to do. Push an English club close to Europe's true elite.

If that's not genius it's certainly close.

He never impressed in the CL with bayern who are one of the elite clubs, so you could say on that basis he's a donkey.
Or average his time at bayern and city out and say that he's a manager who's good at managing great players.

 

[Kenyan Spur]

The Tuskers back to doing their job. Well done!

For sure

 

[StephenH]

Liverpool with Mane still had one of their main problems with the bus parking teams.

Pace and dribbling can obviously make the difference, but for me passing tempo and movement is what's vital.

ALL teams have trouble with 'bus parking' at differing times.
Liverpool's problem is they/Klopp dont do defend!

We have little pace upfront to go past the last line of defence once we get the ball there. Harry, Son and Dele are brilliant at minimising this problem. We rely on crossing from wing back and we are pretty good at it. I was very impressed with Woys Palace, shame their board didn't have a clue when hiring FDB.
But full makes to Roy and the Palace players they could have and moreover should have won with chances they had.

 

[harr1984]

So not as prolific as Vardy when he won the league. As I said it's my opinion, but I thought Henry, Vieira, Bergkamp and Wright would have been brilliant for us, but many disagreed.

Don't see the relevance when one is an am and one is a CF. He has a one in two strike rate which as a PL striker is a very good ratio and as an AM/Forward even better....

 

[milo]

Interested to see what others make of that comment.

Managing a dressing room full of high earners with big egos is very different to working predominantly with kids.

 

[milo]

ALL teams have trouble with 'bus parking' at differing times.
Liverpool's problem is they/Klopp dont do defend!

We have little pace upfront to go past the last line of defence once we get the ball there. Harry, Son and Dele are brilliant at minimising this problem. We rely on crossing from wing back and we are pretty good at it. I was very impressed with Woys Palace, shame their board didn't have a clue when hiring FDB.
But full makes to Roy and the Palace players they could have and moreover should have won with chances they had.

I don't think that we do, our main methods of breaking down teams are by pulling players out of position through quick, accurate passing and by pressing aggressively to try and force errors. Wing backs stretching play is important but they get their man to commit before passing to another player far more than they put in a cross.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I love Pochettino, and he's been fantastic for us. But I'm not sure he would have been able to do what Pep is doing at City.

Honestly... I don’t think Pep is doing much that anyone else wouldn’t do
Buy the best available players that you can and pack the squad with players of a similar high level

If he can get a solid defence in there whilst scoring like they are of be impressed but their defence is still suspect IMO

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Managing a dressing room full of high earners with big egos is very different to working predominantly with kids.

He doesn’t have a dressing room with egos. He doesn’t sign those kind of players IMO

He signs players that are very good but not tacos

 

[harr1984]

Interested to see what others make of that comment.

Braineclipse is right. Poch doesn't coach egos and theres a good reason for that. It is very difficult to coach a team of egos and at the same time be expected to win the league, its not Championship Manager - its why Pep and Mourinho get paid the big bucks. Poch hasn't won anything as a coach and its far too simplistic to suggest he would achieve what Pep does with a practically blank cheque book....

 

[braineclipse]

He never impressed in the CL with bayern who are one of the elite clubs, so you could say on that basis he's a donkey.
Or average his time at bayern and city out and say that he's a manager who's good at managing great players.

I'm quite certain Bayern would have loved keeping him around. As would Barca. And I think both clubs will take him back in a heartbeat if he ever wants to return. Obviously at City they want to keep him for as long as they can.

Not a perfect measure of success or ability. But look at other top managers at those and similar clubs. Not many that can match that.

 

[DeleHarry]

Honestly... I don’t think Pep is doing much that anyone else wouldn’t do
Buy the best available players that you can and pack the squad with players of a similar high level

If he can get a solid defence in there whilst scoring like they are of be impressed but their defence is still suspect IMO

It's the style of Guardiolas football. ...not every manager has that philosophy. its amazing to watch.

 

[DeleHarry]

Interested to see what others make of that comment.

Poch would have got the results but not with the swashbuckling football we are witnessing this season from them. It's taken a year for those players to truly understand what Guardiola wants from them. I think even De Bruyne recently admitted this.

 

[harr1984]

It's the style of Guardiolas football. ...not every manager has that philosophy. its amazing to watch.

Absolutely!

 

[elltrev]

Mourinho does it all the time.

Of course the intention isnt to "not win".

However, IMO, there is a big difference between playing defensive with the intent to win, and playing simply with the intent to not lose.

Palace had no recognised striker, and only really 2 attacking players, with everyone else behind the ball. Thats the latter example in this case, IMO.

I think I'm in the minority with my view here, but find it interesting to discuss!

When you say 'playing with the intent to not lose', do you specifically mean being content with a 0-0?

And what tactical approach do you think would give Palace their best chance of winning away to Tottenham?

 

[StephenH]

I don't think that we do, our main methods of breaking down teams are by pulling players out of position through quick, accurate passing and by pressing aggressively to try and force errors. Wing backs stretching play is important but they get their man to commit before passing to another player far more than they put in a cross.

We need a plan B. But that as I say is probably out of our current financial situation.
We are not going buy from the Mbappe end of the market.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I think I'm in the minority with my view here, but find it interesting to discuss!

When you say 'playing with the intent to not lose', do you specifically mean being content with a 0-0?

And what tactical approach do you think would give Palace their best chance of winning away to Tottenham?

I think its with the absolute priority being on not conceding, and therefore getting a draw. With a jammy win being an absolute jackpot.

Mourinho has made his career on it, remember his approach to Barca away with Milan? He will literally turn up with 11 players instructed to not leave their own half. I think its disgraceful.

Theres a difference between sitting back, being compact and hitting on the break, and just sitting back. A very fine line sometimes, but a distinct one IMO.

Palace played with no intent to hurt us, not really. More hopeful that Zaha/Townsend would pull one out of the bag and that was it. Hope rather than intent. They sat deep and compact and in such a shape they were never really going to get at us om a way to really hurt us. Given the run they are on I can understand it, but I just find its a negativity that infuses with the team and becomes something of a self fulfilling cycle.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

It's the style of Guardiolas football. ...not every manager has that philosophy. its amazing to watch.

True.. you only need to look at what Mou is doing at United

His philosophy is helped by having a blank cheque book

Id like to actually see some players improve through something he has done first before I throw all the plaudits at him

 

[diego_maradona]

And this is the one nut that Poch has yet to crack. And it's not like we're not winning the majority, but it's nervy. Unlike City this year who are smashing teams like this. Not sure what the solution is though, other than splashing the cash for one or two world class attacking options.

we have it within us, we were smashing the same sides 4 and 5-0 last year.