Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool

Cheers.

A City win tonight will see them move to 2nd and 8 points behind Chelsea, but I cannot see them overhauling a gap that big, especially with CL football kicking in this week. I read somewhere that you have a 2 week gap until your next game? Sounds nice on paper but in reality, at this stage of the season momentum is absolutely essential, especially coming off the back of a fine performance against a direct rival, I'm sure Klopp would've wanted to go straight into the next challenge. I've often found that teams that get extended breaks mid-season look rusty and lack sharpness in the game after that break. Having said that though, you are playing Leicester and they are utterly ****e

 

I am like most spurs fans on here angry at the way we played or rather didn't play.if you told me before the season kicked off that we would be second in the league at this time of the season and would have a lot of injuries to key players some for 2 months at a time or more as In lamellas case and having played all the big guns away from the lane I would have bitten your arm off. We missed rose badly yesterday but if we had lamella down the left he would have provided ample cover for Davies and we might have got a result.I say it was a bad day at the office let's just move on and I really hope poch stops fielding weakened teams in the cups let's go for it in the europa and fa cup. Resting players in my opinion shouldn't happen they are just as likely to get an injury in a league game as they are in the cup.winning builds confidence and momentum I would rather win a trophy than finish in the top 4 only to throw it away in the champions league the next season by fielding a weakened team.COYS

 

Still fuming at a lot of things, but I was wondering if anyone could confirm something that I don't think I've seen mentioned.
Did Dier play at right-centre-back in recent games and switch to the left of the pairing for this one?
I'm pretty sure that he did, though it would be quite a strange decision if true.

 

Toby has certainly played left of the 2. Didn't see Saturday's game (and don't want to), so can't comment on whether it was switched. It would be strange if they did.

 

Thw whole back line was a mess but it certainly did seem as though Dier was more often than not the defender closest to Davies. Utter madness given the fact that he's barely better than Wimmer at CB and Davies was left exposed by Son's lack of defensive work.

Our whole approach to the game had a tinge of arrogance to it, starting with the ridiculous comments made by Poch, Eriksen and others in the build up regarding our title chances. 'What title chances?' I hear you say. What title chances indeed.

 

I thought that we should've been using Wimmer in a back three recently, to be honest.
Not sure why we changed the whole system because of one injury and it cost us badly in this game.
Mane's their danger man and we basically gave him the whole side, as Son's tracking back isn't great.
Dier looks a lot more comfortable as part of a three, too.

Liverpool struggle against sides that counter against them and let them wear themselves out.
They basically stopped the game in the second half, as they were clearly knackered.
Klopp's tactics don't suit a number of his current players, who can't keep up that style for a full game.

 

Dier's excellent in the three but not so much as a two, though I'd say he's looked better than Wimmer in any formation. Not sure if Kev is unsettled or just can't get a rhythm but it's a real shame, having ended last season giving the impression he'd really push Jan for a place in the side this year, it now looks like there could be a possibility of him leaving in the summer unless his situation improves. Even if he is still relatively young, no one wants to sit on the bench for as long as he has and the fact he still can't get in the side in Jan's absence doesn't say much for him.

 

Just want to say: everyone on here has absolutely nailed it IMO. The system was wrong. We need to play 3 at the back. It's a real shame that, as it turns out, we are once again in the position where one or two injuries throws off the whole system. And this is apparently because Wimmer is no longer trusted and I'm surprised that Poch has let this situation develop.

I'm still at a loss as to why N'Jie was deemed so in need of replacement. By this time last year he'd added something coming off the bench several times. Meanwhile his replacement has added exactly zero so far. And it's February.

Overall I didn't see the result or performance as an indictment of any individual players. Liverpool played so well that every time we had the ball we quickly needed players to execute a string of 8/10 or better passes just to keep possession and it didn't happen. We lost the ball a hell of a lot but that was more to do with Liverpool's passing that our incompetence.

Back to individual players - I do think that we should be more patient with Janssen and not draw too many conclusions. It's not his fault that either he wasn't ready to replace Kane earlier in the season (and during a time when we were creating sod all for him) or that he's not the quick, dangerous game-changer that we need on the bench.

Sissoko on the other hand...Just a baffling signing. Another addition to our long line of terrible record-breaking signings.

 

Harsh on GKN I think. Would agree that N'Jie was given little chance, but the same is true now. The lad has looked more than decent in the rare 10-15 min spells he has had, and the 2 games he has featured from the start were tactical disasters for other reasons.
Still think that GKN has the promise to stick with him - and he would certainly have been a better option on the left last weekend!

 

It wouldn't surprise me if Poch reverts to a three at the back in our next Prem game, although Alli and Eriksen need a massive kick up the arse (once again) as Son will likely be dropped so it's them that'd keep their spots.

Wimmer deserves one more chance, after doing so well last season he can be forgiven for his shaky displays this campaign, in a three with Dier and Toby against Stoke he should have it relatively "easier" than when he's stepped in against the likes of Arsenal and City away from home.

Playing that three also relieves pressure on Davies, we know he can't get back as quick as Rose so if he goes up on the attack and is caught out, there's Wimmer and co left to cover him.

Davies may actually be a casualty in the summer, bloody superb LB and it'd be a real shame if he does go but we're becoming more and more reliant on the speed that Walker and Rose can counter and track back at, regardless of whether that's 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 and so it's now becoming apparent that we need a LWB which unfortunately Davies isn't. Trippier is fine, he's not as fast as Walker (though who the **** is?) but he's no slouch either and his superior crossing ability doesn't always need him to beat a full back like Kyle does so well, so he can cross a lot further back if need be.

 

If anything, it wouldn't surprise me if Davies' experience of playing in a back three for Wales might save him - at Wimmer's expense.

 

I think it's time to give the media the headline they've been printing in the rumour columns for a year and go in for Ryan Sessegnon. If 3 at the back is our future and we find ourselves in need of a LWB understudy whose style is similar to Rose, he is the answer. Young, affordable and home grown. I watch Fulham a fair bit as my cousins are season tickets holders at CC. He is the real deal that lad. Needs to stay humble and not let the hype get the better of him, and he'll be a superstar one day. Pacy, strong, eye for goal, switches flanks with ease, runs at players with confidence.

Over on the other flank, I know Trippier can seemingly do no right in my eyes but still...I was very impressed by Adam Smith last night. Got forward really well and gave the City defense a torrid time. Also looks confident and comfortable on the ball. Has become an ever-present for B'mouth and at 25 is approaching his peak. Again, won't break the bank, knows the league, knows our club.

Just throwing some ideas out there.

 

I think Dier's pretty decent at CB to be honest, ****ed up against Pool and is currently much better at DM but he's made some immense tackles in that back line and it's worth remembering he's still only 23, plus being switched about as often as he has (CB>RB>DM>CB) in the space of just two and a half years probably hasn't helped. His passing is massively underrated too, can occasionally hit a Toby-esque style pass, more time with Toby (and Jan) and he'll become one of the very best CB's in my eyes, just as he can become one of the very best DM's, special player in my opinion, love the bloke... I mean I changed my ****ing username for him .

Sessegnon seems the obvious choice, doesn't he? Not actually seen him much but everything I've heard and the snippets I've seen gives the impression he'll be one hell of a LWB and if he came here and learned/ competed with Rose, it's an ideal platform for him to push on in time to come.

Smith was someone I was surprised we let go when we did and he's been great for Bournemouth but I don't think there's anything he can do that Tripps can't. Both are similar speed-wise, both 'OK' defensively yet Trippier is quite possibly the best crosser of the ball in the league, it's a special talent he has to whip the ball the way he does and as we've seen he can do it to devastating effect. We picked up a real bargain getting him for £3.5m and providing he's happy here I personally wouldn't wanna get rid. He's been perfect for Walker's development (anyone else noticed a massive improvement in Kyle's crossing this season? I reckon that could be partly down to Tripps). We also have KWP in the ranks, he could well turn out to be Walker's heir; Quite quick, loves to attack, skilful for a FB, crossing and defending can be improved but that'll come with time.

 

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool???.
Are you talking about next year fixture. Last time we played you it was at Anfield. I just noticed this, perhaps you can correct it..I come in peace

 

It's always us vs them

Did you mean: Anfield? Perhaps you can correct it

 

Corrected. Thank you !

 

Just watched MOTD and it was a pretty abject performance from you guys.

Davies got ripped a new one but i'm not sure i would blame him too much, this ones down on Poch who decided to play a really high line against Mane which was dumb. That guy is lightning and liverpool love running into space. Why would not keep Liverpool in front especially when you have Dembele and Wanyama sitting in front.

Dier was so inept for that 2nd goal and your whole defence was on the whole shocking too allow 3 clear shots in that short period.

 

Nobody on here would disagree with that. We played a completely untried and unbalanced left flank. Dier's not hugely experienced at centre back, not left footed and to my knowledge hasn't played that left side before. Davies isn't Rose in terms of pace or attacking intent and Son's defensive work is akin to Ozil's.

Playing that left side against Liverpool's stronger/faster/more effective right flank and not adjusting our style of play was doomed to fail. I am a huge fan of our manager and what he's done for us but this was a black mark against him. If we're to win things we need to be able to vary our play to match the better sides, particularly when our first choice players aren't all available. He's not been at a club at the top of the table before Spurs and just as our young players need experience, so does he. It looked to me as though our players went out expecting to get a pasting and we were lucky it wasn't more. Still, that's it against the top clubs of the division, away from home [where we've lost in our only 3 defeats and drawn the rest], the rest of our remaining fixtures we should be winning.

We've progressed from last year but Wanyama apart, our summer signings have yet to impress, which they needed to do if we were to really challenge Chelsea who have had a significant advantage in having no European fixtures and very few injuries.

 

Agreed.... one thing i find worrying about Poch, he's fosters a great relationship in the first 11-14.

What i've not really seen him do with the years at Southampton and Spurs is really create a great squad. He doesn't like to rotate anyone really (i say that but he did a bit with your fullbacks last year) and he typically has a set 11 (this year the team has pretty much picked itself with injuries). What i haven't really see him to do is try to get the fringe players involved and get them up and running in my opinion. I think he has used them a bit more this year but he's not really had any success at all. Whether that's because these squad players are really bad and so make no impact or whether the manager doesn't exude any confidence i don't really know. Whatever it is, at both clubs, the squad players cannot be trusted upon.

To be fair i think most managers are like this. The only one i've seen who has managed to rotate successfully is Sir Alex who seemed to have a number of squad players he could bring in and do a decent job.

 

This year, the reserves have generally let us down. Wimmer was superb last year, not so much this. Jannsen has not found his shooting boots, Davies doesn't look the top defender he did last year. Plus we've had Lamela, Aldeweireld, Vertonghen, Kane and Dembele all injured for long periods. And there is Sissoko. So rotation hasn't really been easy this year.