** FA Cup 4th Round - Tottenham Hotspur v Emirates Marketing Project **

[Grays_1890]

City did a job on us and no mistake.

As good as the back 4 we're in defence the attacking from the back was put under scrutiny by the press and it failed the test.

Bentancur and Kulu picked a bad game to be poor and I actually felt sorry for Werner and Johnson who made runs and were not found, we tried the ball over the top once and it worked, didn't try it again and in this system all things start further back building into attack.

Roll on getting bodies back and a summer to fix the last gaps.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

City did a job on us and no mistake.

As good as the back 4 we're in defence the attacking from the back was put under scrutiny by the press and it failed the test.

Bentancur and Kulu picked a bad game to be poor and I actually felt sorry for Werner and Johnson who made runs and were not found, we tried the ball over the top once and it worked, didn't try it again and in this system all things start further back building into attack.

Roll on getting bodies back and a summer to fix the last gaps.

Fully agree

 

[Jurgen the German]

That’s my feelings on it as well. Maddison was nowhere near ready was he?

I kept saying to my mate at the game he’s not warming up as the crowd would go nuts if he just stood up from the bench to jog and given how the game was going and how late he came on I’d agree he’s nowhere near 100%

 

[Bishop]

Disappointed with the result naturally but more disappointed with the performance. I didn’t expect an easy game but I thought we would hold our own more against them like we did away at Arsenal. For me, the forwards are comfortably the weakest part of the team. And it’s highlighted even more when Son isn’t there. Johnson looks timid and slightly afraid to put himself about. Richarlison has done well to bag a few goals lately but he needs quality next to him, he’s not going to create opportunities out of nowhere like Son. The defence do so well to play out from the back but we just kept losing the ball once it got to the midfield and front three. Now that we appear to have sorted the defence and midfield, the plan has to be to look at getting more cutting edge forwards in the summer.

Let’s hope we can have a good crack at top 4 and maybe push for the title if we can stay in it until our guys are back from the AFCON and Asian cup. More than anything I’m gutted it’s another year most likely without silverware.

100% the forward line is the weakest part of the side. I think with the reported interest in Nusa Ange is trying to address the lack of finesse and quality ball use we currently suffer from. It's going to take a few windows but I don think any of the guys who started yesterday will be the starts in year or two time. They might still be around the squad but for the style of football we are trying to play we need a little bit more technical quality from them.

I think that's stands for the most attacking CM role as well. Maddison has been great but the drop off from him to say Kulu or GLC is quite significant and we are going to need a better option than what we have now imo. We don't want to be in the same situation as the Eriksen era where we only had him for the role and the drop off when he was unavailable or out of form was too severe.

Otherwise midfield is in a healthy position but could probably do with another quality addition assuming some combo of PEH/GLC leave in the summer.

These are small adjustments and improvements needed. Not necessarily easy parts to find admittedly but the major infrastructural signings have already been made. Now we need to add to the quality so we can go toe to toe with City. It's a bit frustrating because we weren't a million miles off them but it all died once the ball hit midfield and sadly Kulu in particular.

We could see the shape and structure. It's clear as day what we are building, we just need to actually cpntinue following through.

Some of that will be making smart not emotional decisions. Some players who are fan favourites or cult heroes or even "can do a job on his day" will need to be moved on. If we want to play elite football, we need elite players and that doesn't mean signing 100m+ guys but it does mean being ruthless and spotting the talent when it's available.

 

[DubSpur]

That's the best Emirates Marketing Project can do to beat us? It's ok considering we are missing sarr, bissouma and son. Certainly shows that hojberg , skipp can be upgraded upon.

Also postecoglu needs better organisation in defence. The unmarked far.post in open play and no one guarding the posts during set plays - easy exploits waiting to be taken advantage of.

No one guarding the posts during set plays isn't an easy exploit. The stats back it up that zonal marking is more effective. Someone should've come alongside Vicario and pushed any City player away from him. Our set piece defending has been good and we've one of the best records at it this season.

 

[DubSpur]

City did a job on us and no mistake.

As good as the back 4 we're in defence the attacking from the back was put under scrutiny by the press and it failed the test.

Bentancur and Kulu picked a bad game to be poor and I actually felt sorry for Werner and Johnson who made runs and were not found, we tried the ball over the top once and it worked, didn't try it again and in this system all things start further back building into attack.

Roll on getting bodies back and a summer to fix the last gaps.

We were really poor at getting the ball into the forwards yet they are the ones getting the flak. It was probably Bentancur's worst game for us but understandable given his time out. PEH is not good enough. He well pop up with the odd great ball but in general his forward passing is either too slow or doesn't happen. Udogie was also a big culprit with not releasing the ball quick enough. I lost count of the times Werner or Richi made runs and he took too long and ended up turning back.

It's still early and injuries have taken their toll. Another transfer window and pre-season for Ange to drill the team and I'm sure those areas will improve.

 

[lurker of old]

Last night was something I didn't thing I'd see under Ange: Dull.
We struggled to get out of our own half, we misplaced pass after pass. Defensively it was heroic but boy was the midfield poor: the offensive side of our game was non-existant. As others have said, this wasn't the game for Bentacur and Kulu to have an off day, and Walker made Udogie look like a schoolboy. Hopefully a blip, but we are going to have to play much much better to beat Brentford.
The only good thing was the Nepalese curry I had at Euston before the game...delicious

 

[lurker of old]

I liked Ange's summary. No bull or excuses....hopefully the team will come out all guns blazing against Brentford.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Last night was something I didn't thing I'd see under Ange: Dull.
We struggled to get out of our own half, we misplaced pass after pass. Defensively it was heroic but boy was the midfield poor: the offensive side of our game was non-existant. As others have said, this wasn't the game for Bentacur and Kulu to have an off day, and Walker made Udogie look like a schoolboy. Hopefully a blip, but we are going to have to play much much better to beat Brentford.
The only good thing was the Nepalese curry I had at Euston before the game...delicious

Brentford aren’t city

 

[glasgowspur]

I understand the comments about Bentancur and kulu being poor and we missed maddison, but I don't see maddison having much effect against city without Sarr and Bissouma or a fully fit Bentancur with him in midfield and son in front of him.
That was the strongest squad on the planet we played last night, a squad with winning ingrained in it, we did alright.

 

[Baleforce]

Wasn’t that impressed with City tbh, had a lot of the ball, but Vicario had an easy night other than during corners.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Wasn’t that impressed with City tbh, had a lot of the ball, but Vicario had an easy night other than during corners.

They were missing their two best players. Take the two best players out of any team and they will look weaker. They still bossed the game without them.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

They were missing their two best players. Take the two best players out of any team and they will look weaker. They still bossed the game without them.

Didn’t one of those two get the assist for the goal?

City’s football looks amazing but it’s fudging blunt imo

For a team who plays great football their end product is poor

You spend a £B and have one true goal scorer. That’s not great IMO

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Wasn’t that impressed with City tbh, had a lot of the ball, but Vicario had an easy night other than during corners.

I agree
Was talking to some decent city lads at the station and they were saying that without Haaland their football is better but their outcomes are much worse
Effectively they have another “technical player” and then rely on overwhelming teams. It’s the same as Arsenal.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

We lost yesterday because of a few players being slow their usual standards… kulu and Bentacur. It happens
What is frustrating is know we have 2 options away with their country, but that happens too
Shame Lo Celso is made of glass as he would have been a genuine option
I always think you can carry one player in a game who may be having a poor one, but not two and not in midfield

back on city…. Their left side is very odd.
gavradiol playing out of position and looking like a CB out of position.
bob who is still developing.
Count Doku who is a bit of a blunt weapon.
grealish who needs to leave now
I do find that set up very odd

 

[glasgowspur]

They were missing their two best players. Take the two best players out of any team and they will look weaker. They still bossed the game without them.

We were missing our three best players.

 

[glasgowspur]

I agree
Was talking to some decent city lads at the station and they were saying that without Haaland their football is better but their outcomes are much worse
Effectively they have another “technical player” and then rely on overwhelming teams. It’s the same as Arsenal.

Pep relies on the narrative of "we play great football, we win, therefore we win because we play great football".
They won last night with a scrambled goal from a set piece, and even that could have been chalked off.
They do play fantastic football, and do it a lot, but the depth and quality of the squad allows them to grind teams down.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Pep relies on the narrative of "we play great football, we win, therefore we win because we play great football".
They won last night with a scrambled goal from a set piece, and even that could have been chalked off.
They do play fantastic football, and do it a lot, but the depth and quality of the squad allows them to grind teams down.

Yep
100%
It’s boring watching them for me
I love watching movement and passing but theirs is very slick but predictable. It’s clearly brilliant because it’s effective but it’s because they swamp you.

 

[glasgowspur]

We lost yesterday because of a few players being slow their usual standards… kulu and Bentacur. It happens
What is frustrating is know we have 2 options away with their country, but that happens too
Shame Lo Celso is made of glass as he would have been a genuine option
I always think you can carry one player in a game who may be having a poor one, but not two and not in midfield

back on city…. Their left side is very odd.
gavradiol playing out of position and looking like a CB out of position.
bob who is still developing.
Count Doku who is a bit of a blunt weapon.
grealish who needs to leave now
I do find that set up very odd

Bentancur is just back from injury, playing with Peh instead of Sarr or Bissouma, no son.
What would be interesting to see and I don't think we have been able to is Sarr, Bissouma, Bentancur, maddison and glc rotating in their best roles and fully fit.
We've always had to have a Peh or skipp in there or as the sub.

 

[seaside spur]

Last night was something I didn't thing I'd see under Ange: Dull.
We struggled to get out of our own half, we misplaced pass after pass. Defensively it was heroic but boy was the midfield poor: the offensive side of our game was non-existant. As others have said, this wasn't the game for Bentacur and Kulu to have an off day, and Walker made Udogie look like a schoolboy. Hopefully a blip, but we are going to have to play much much better to beat Brentford.
The only good thing was the Nepalese curry I had at Euston before the game...delicious

Don't agree that Walker made Udogie look like a schoolboy,we must have been watching different games. Udogie had two to deal with most of the time and more than held his own ,especially one on ones , he has a good game.