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Pre Season 2017

It was a very odd performance. We seemed to lack energy, our touch was as poor as I have seen with even Dembele mis-controlling. There is a bit of no matter how good you are if someone puts you under pressure and closes your options then you will make more mistakes.
However, the experiment of 4-3-3 didn't work, Dier, Dembele and Winks left us too narrow and easy to press. Also, effectively neutered Trippier and Davies and left us with no width.
Perveserly we looked better with our younger players. However, it is asking too much of Tashan to change games. He only touched the ball a handful of times in his 1/4 of a game.
I still think we need some pace and a minimum of a winger and striker cover.
Seeing how slow we were at the back, Wembley could be very difficult for us to defend.
Another observation which surprised me was Toby at RCB instead of Dier. I think Dier has more zip to cover the ground wide than Toby.
 
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Players looked absolutely fudged after Poch's triple sessions all week.

This time last year we were getting beat by Juve and Atletico Madrid and all the players from the Euros hadnt even returned to training.

Absolutely nothing to be worried about apart from what we knew before. That we need to strengthen the squad. The first team is fine, we aren't gonna find anyone to improve it. But the options from the bench are non existent We were subbing on NKoudou, Sissoko and Janssen in our final 10 games hoping one of them can turn a game around. Absolute waste of time.


If we had a proper game next weekend these are the only fit ones worth considering to get on the pitch. Lloris, Tripper, Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Wanyama, Dembele, Eriksen, Alli, Kane; Vorm, Winks. You would see Wimmer, Walker Peters, N'Koudou, Janssen and Onomah making up the other 5 places on the bench. The level of player just drops off a cliff.

Yes I know Son, Rose and Lamela are out injured but we are always gonna have a few out at any given time.
 
Modric THFC said:
Players looked absolutely fudged after Poch's triple sessions all week.

This time last year we were getting beat by Juve and Atletico Madrid and all the players from the Euros hadnt even returned to training.

Absolutely nothing to be worried about apart from what we knew before. That we need to strengthen the squad. The first team is fine, we aren't gonna find anyone to improve it. But the options from the bench are non existent We were subbing on NKoudou, Sissoko and Janssen in our final 10 games hoping one of them can turn a game around. Absolute waste of time.


If we had a proper game next weekend these are the only fit ones worth considering to get on the pitch. Lloris, Tripper, Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Wanyama, Dembele, Eriksen, Alli, Kane; Vorm, Winks. You would see Wimmer, Walker Peters, N'Koudou, Janssen and Onomah making up the other 5 places on the bench. The level of player just drops off a cliff.

Yes I know Son, Rose and Lamela are out injured but we are always gonna have a few out at any given time.
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Just remember when we signed Davies, Dier, Trippier, Alli.

None were going to be world beaters, but they ended up performing beyond all recognition. I back Janssen and GK to get there. And Onamah and KWP to do what Winks has done.
 
Last year City came out flying, Spurs more sluggish. Football in 2017 is planned meticulously, particularly if a large component of the game plan is dependant on stamina. Our guys look a couple of weeks off the pace and I anticipate Poch will get it right. Wanyama is critical to the team and was a huge loss for this type of game, Dier being way off the pace didn't help. No panic YET, however needs a good response in the next outing.


Sitting on my porcelain throne using Fapatalk
 
We had some injuries.
We probably had over trained to prepare for the long season ahead.
We have young players with potential, who will, no doubt, improve.

But we were totally mullered.
Could have been 6 or 7.

We need to wake up and smell the coffee.

I am not saying we need wholesale revamp but we do have glaring deficiencies (perhaps 2-3 players) which need to be addressed to stand-still, let alone win anything.
 
Modric THFC said:
Players looked absolutely fudged after Poch's triple sessions all week.

This time last year we were getting beat by Juve and Atletico Madrid and all the players from the Euros hadnt even returned to training.

Absolutely nothing to be worried about apart from what we knew before. That we need to strengthen the squad. The first team is fine, we aren't gonna find anyone to improve it. But the options from the bench are non existent We were subbing on NKoudou, Sissoko and Janssen in our final 10 games hoping one of them can turn a game around. Absolute waste of time.


If we had a proper game next weekend these are the only fit ones worth considering to get on the pitch. Lloris, Tripper, Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Wanyama, Dembele, Eriksen, Alli, Kane; Vorm, Winks. You would see Wimmer, Walker Peters, N'Koudou, Janssen and Onomah making up the other 5 places on the bench. The level of player just drops off a cliff.

Yes I know Son, Rose and Lamela are out injured but we are always gonna have a few out at any given time.
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I don't know that they're doing double training sessions in the US let alone triple.

We have an ability to not show up. It happened in the league a couple of times, Liverpool away IIRC was one of them. Scares me that it'll happen it the by games next season. You can't win sh!t if you have that weakness too often.

Wouldn't say no to at least one signing with good winning mentality. A Naybet/Davids figure in an otherwise excellent squad. Swap Dier for Carrick and 35m?
 
We miss having pace. They played through balls behind our defence and we were split open constantly, yet we can't do that at the other end.
 
Didn't see the game however from the comments above the shortcoming were (unsurprisingly!) the same as last season - lack of pace up front and players on the bench significantly weaker than the first 11.

As I've been saying since the start of the window, we need 3-4 players this summer (net) to stand-still (being another CB, an attacking CM/no 10 type (likely Barkley) and an attacker with some pace who can cover CF). Also need another RB now Walker has gone.

Still time to get them, and sounds from Poch's comments the other day that a plan exists - I just hope we're successful in executing on it given that by leaving it late again, Levy/Poch are putting themselves under pressure again
 
No pace in that team, and not a great amount from the bench.

That will more than likely be the team to start the season.
 
There is reasons to be concerned but not overly.

Would that have happened if we had a back three along with Rose and Walker as wing backs, including Dier at centre back with Wanyama in midfield? Put Lamela and Son on the bench and suddenly our options to bring on improve vastly.

Obviously the one issue with the above was the significant error in selling Walker. The fact he was sold to a direct rival puts it on a par with spending 30m on sissoko.

So we can improve a lot by implementing the above, Walker aside of course and that is one handicap that we cannot solve with a system or injuries because he is no longer our player.
 
I just watched the whole match. I thought it would be exactly as it was, one sided.
We didn't look at it. They look very good and the pace throughout their squad could make them favourites for EPL for me, if their defence is up to it.
Pep looked like he had every player up for it. Poch looked it was a friendly.

Yes it was a friendly.
 
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