***OMT Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton, White Hart Lane, Sat April 18th, 5.30pm***

[thfcsteff]

As culpable as Danso was for the 2nd goal, it’s worth looking at Rutter. Had an age stood on his own on the edge of the box, and we had 3 defenders marking 1 player about 6 yards out.

Agreed, there are several points of inefficiency before Danso's error.

 

[thfcsteff]

Objectively that's no penalty. In the context of decisions given against us this season, it is. Again, consistency - or rather the lack of it.

Udogie gets goalside of Minteh, who has no chance of getting the ball, so instead pushes into Udogie's back to nudge him over. It's a clear penalty. Apparently the reason VAR gave was that 'Udogie wasn't going to get to the ball'; what were they watching? He's in on goal FFS!

 

[Robbo]

Udogie gets goalside of Minteh, who has no chance of getting the ball, so instead pushes into Udogie's back to nudge him over. It's a clear penalty. Apparently the reason VAR gave was that 'Udogie wasn't going to get to the ball'; what were they watching? He's in on goal FFS!

Fair points, I just don't think there's enough in it to (objectively) give a penalty. I think Udogie goes down to easily. I'm certain there are other teams (in red and blue) who would get this decision, of course, but we're not admitted into that club.

 

[Robspur12]

I’m sorry but I think it’s perfectly reasonable to make the point that we could have been playing with this level of intent all season. And I think completely removing the intent and ambition from the team is why so many players have played below their capabilities.

Brighton passed through us a few times. We passed through them plenty of times. When we recovered the ball, our players actually looked forward. There were options and movement in front of them. If we played with this intent all of this season we wouldn’t be 18th,

And I’m sorry to say, it’s on the manager that decided this was the right approach and the people who appointed and persisted with him. I’m not trying to keep the polarisation going, I’m making a point that this performance and level of intent and the clear comfort the players showed in playing this way shoots down the argument that these players were bad and could only be trusted to play in the most risk averse of ways.

The reason we have struggled in the league over the last 4 seasons other than a purple patch at the start of Ange, is 1) an inability to stop conceding goals at an alarming rate. Even this season we are among the worst for goals against. 2) injuries to offensive players and a failure to replace the quality we had have blunted any attacking momentum.

We had intent today but it didn’t matter we still couldn’t turn it into the win we needed because sadly we cannot defend properly. I don’t think intent alone is going to keep us up. We need Madders back and imho we need to play Palhinha and another as the defensive pivot to make us more solid.

 

[Muttley]

Fair points, I just don't think there's enough in it to (objectively) give a penalty. I think Udogie goes down to easily. I'm certain there are other teams (in red and blue) who would get this decision, of course, but we're not admitted into that club.

The point I lost my rag was when Alan Smith said it was only a little shirt pull and therefore not a penalty. Based on the laws of the game that makes it a penalty and a yellow. It's a totally black and white decision to make. That is, if you believe the laws of the game should be the reason a referee is on the pitch.

Perhaps we should just play football without referees moving forward. They are absolutely pointless.

 

[SissokoWasGood (BoL)]

The reason we have struggled in the league over the last 4 seasons other than a purple patch at the start of Ange, is 1) an inability to stop conceding goals at an alarming rate. Even this season we are among the worst for goals against. 2) injuries to offensive players and a failure to replace the quality we had have blunted any attacking momentum.

We had intent today but it didn’t matter we still couldn’t turn it into the win we needed because sadly we cannot defend properly. I don’t think intent alone is going to keep us up. We need Madders back and imho we need to play Palhinha and another as the defensive pivot to make us more solid.

We’re 2 games in to playing a style for a new manager. I think it will get better under him, it might be too late for this season, but I think we’ll get there.

And I think the issues since Poch (who we never should have sacked in my view) have been different each time. It’s a whole complicated mess that comes from thrashing from one idea to the next rather than sticking with something that is actually unique and special to Spurs and building on that differentiator.

If Danso hoofs it today I’d say it was a well earned win in a game where we defended well for the most part. And as the games go on, I’m confident we’ll do better at executing what De Zerbi wants.

 

[SissokoWasGood (BoL)]

The point I lost my rag was when Alan Smith said it was only a little shirt pull and therefore not a penalty. Based on the laws of the game that makes it a penalty and a yellow. It's a totally black and white decision to make. That is, if you believe the laws of the game should be the reason a referee is on the pitch.

Perhaps we should just play football without referees moving forward. They are absolutely pointless.

Another atrocious refereeing performance backed up by the commentators because everyone’s involved in their little self perpetuating circlejerk and no one can just state the obvious.

The Udogie thing was ridiculous. As well as the treatment of Xavi today. There was one time he was flat out barged over towards the end of the first half on the right, quite close to the box. The commentators I had actually were shocked nothing was given. It was the most blatant foul of the whole game. And then later on the commentators make a point of Xavi having gone down too easily all game and so now the ref is looking to make an example of him.

Completely atrocious and I’m sick of this brick. It’s the highest level, stop fudging missing obvious calls.