Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City

In an ideal world yes, they would tackle. But as I've stated, Xavi, Iniesta, Pirlo, Ozil have never been known for their tackling. Creative players are luxuries, no doubting that, we have one with Eriksen but we have the players to cover for that luxury in Wanyama/ Dier etc. Just as most other sides do that have such players. It's why Fernandinho is loved at City because he allows the likes of Silva and KdB to have that freedom, in fairness to KdB though, he does a lot of ground work too, though that's why he's regarded as the arguably the best player in his role.

Trippier and Rose get stick but they're not even doing their jobs. Trippier is defending horribly this season whilst Rose has been iffy. Eriksen has been racking up the assists to the point where he's joint top on that and also has a solid amount of goals, he's doing his job.

 

Trippier like Walker before him has never been top class at defending Rose I thought was gradually looking more like the player he used to be. I preferred Benny to both of them. These are essentially compromise positions spawned by the modern game and part of the total football revolution. Although having said that it does lend weight to your argument on Eriksen and his lack of tackling motivation. I expect more of Eriksen tbh because of his technical skills and it's his willingness to engage that is being examined here. Nobody is accusing Rose and Trippier of not being up for the fight just making some bad calls. Eriksen usually makes good calls he is just not up for a fight.

 

You have summed it up perfectly...no one would recognise me at a match...never moan....singing my heart out (tonelessly) and never negative...
COYS

 

i'm convinced most fans are bi-polar when it comes to their club

PS COYS

 

Especially on the dark arts of the game.

 

Sorry i don't post here much anymore and I am not a Spurs fan though I do watch alot of your matches on the box.

But I have to ask this do really believe that you don't miss a player who has scored over 100 goals in less than 200 matches for your club? Thats alot of goals to replace and good as your replacements have been they have not so far shown the level of consistent goal scoring over a longer period that Kane has.

Most clubs would love a player with his numbers we once had striker at The Gills who scored 39 in 70 and he was a god for a season and a half, goalscorers of Kanes quality are a priceless commodity and in my opinion you should be delighted that he seems settled and happy at your club.

 

that isn't being bi-polar more a matter of expediency
i was referring more to the normal
lose "our GK/defence/midfield/attack/manager (delete as applicable) is ****"
win " We are the bestest team ever with the greatest manager whose babies i'd like to have"

though think this is much greater/worse since the birth of social media.

 

That's the thing: Eriksen does muck in when we don't have the ball, as he closes down opponents as part of The Press

Compare this to someone like Ozil, who shrugs his shoulders when the opposition has the ball in front of him, and it's night and day

 

I think this is why it’s a team game though. I wouldn’t want XI Eriksens just as I wouldn’t want say XI Wanyamas. But putting them in the same side, along with nine others and you’d like to think their strengths can cover one another’s weaknesses. It’s why I don’t really criticise too often Eriksen’s lack of tackling, I’d criticise him if he weren’t making things happen with goals/ assists. Just like I won’t criticise the Diers and Wanyamas of the world for not scoring or assisting many. It’s why I don’t get the idea that he isn’t up for the fight as some suggest, his way of fighting is different to more defensively minded players. The two assists over the two legs suggest to me he’s more than done his fair share for the cause, just luckily for him VAR ensured his mistake wasn’t punished.

Agree on Benny by the way, best LB we’ve had in the Prem.

 

You're right. I think that it's pretty common for CE to cover more ground than any other Spurs player. He ain't lazy, I'd call anyone who says that.

However, he'll track an opposition player half of the length of the field and then duck an opportunity to make a regulation challenge and having worked back, play passes in positions where I'd rather he didn't. It drives me mental sometimes and it's inevitable that it will cost us sometimes.

Despite playing for MP, a man who doesn't accept less than everything from his players, this hasn't altered during his time with us. So, it would seem that it's the way it's going to stay. Let's try to keep him and buy some central midfielders who can play 3 consecutive games and ensure that he doesn't have to play that deep again.

 

I'd only be repeating myself if I answered that.

 

Son or Kane contribute more overall, and they do the hard graft too

If you want to win a title, thee what I takes. Like it or not.

Eriksen is too often a passenger. Given the quality of our current side, passengers are a luxury.

 

Fair enough, I have read a few threads which TCM has pushed me towards and I can see that you are steadfast on the matter, but also that you are massively in the minority here, but I respect your right to have an opinion and won't mention it again.

But I can't guarantee that he won't - He loves an argument!

 

A point about Kane. I would like to see him rested/substituted a lot. The way he was going,goals or no goals,it looked to me he could actually burn himself out playing all these league,cup and international games. Gives his injuries more chance to recover instead of coming back too early.

A mid field player I've watched over the years is Hector Herrera of Porto and Mexico. Bit of a hard nut too! But a workhorse!

 

How do you work that out? Son doesn’t score the goal in the home leg without Eriksen’s assist. Also doesn’t get our second goal in the second leg.

Like it or not, Eriksen is probably our most important player in the grand scheme of things. Kane and Son likely score 30%+ less goals without him, arguably more.

 

Son does more overall work. He actually tackles, something Eriksen avoids like the plague.

Eriksen is a luxury player. Something you can afford only when the rest of the team is of a higher overall calibre. Even then, in today’s PL you need 100% effort from all players to get near winning a title. Something he doesn’t provide.

 

There are certain games when he predictably does not front up
when the team are physically up against it in MF. The tell-tale signal
is usually the powder-puff attempts at tackles in MF.

 

He’s invaluable when we’re on the front foot trying to break a defence down. Is he what you need when the likes of City are trying to kick your back door down?

Imo, No.

 

You sure? I’ve never known Son for his tacking. He runs about a lot, as does Eriksen and all our team in fact but I’ve never seen Son making three gritty tackles that supposedly sets him apart from Eriksen.

Without this luxury player we score a significantly reduced amount of goals. So any chance of a title has even less of a chance without him.

 

This is going around in circles. What ever tackles Son puts in they’ll be more than Eriksen does. I don’t do stats, ask Astro for that. I go by trevidrncr of my eyes.

Then he should put on the bench in selected games. He shouldn’t have even been on the pitch to make that mistake on Weds, he contributes nothing defensively.