Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City

Looked like he had one eye on KWP and ended up on the right due to it.

I feel as though our main problem system wise is that we don't have the personell to play the marauding wingback roles anymore.

Messes the whole dynamics up...now they are a bit ponderous because naturally the pace to burn isn't there. As much as I like Rose and I do like him, I think he's about 2 levels below peak Danny Rose.

KWP looked like a kid who had won a competition unfortunately to play for his fave team

 

They really are embarrassing.

Can’t remember who it was yesterday but the wording was along the lines of “it’s very harsh on City to have the goal disallowed... but it’s the correct decision” - well then it ain’t exactly harsh is it?! It would’ve been harsh on Spurs if the goal had stood.

 

Yeah he was given a rough ride yesterday, although having said that, I think Rose was also poor so won’t hold it too much against KWP for being bad when a more experienced player on the opposite flank had an quality poor game.

The FB situation is weird, with Davies signing a new deal and Rose being offered to clubs, along with Foyth seemingly being moved to RB, I think the plan once both are ready to play will be to have a more solid flat back four with the aim of allowing more freedom for the midfield to roam. Neither Foyth or Davies are as exciting as peak Rose/ Walker but they do offer much better defensive solidity at the back. So strong defence, creative/ forward focused midfield and potent attack? Could work.

 

I had no idea what Pochettino had in mind. But this is one of the very few times his bizarre team and tactics choices worked, so I'm not complaining. Spurs had most of the ball all three games against Liverpool last year and lost all three. Clearly, Spurs will have to play much better than they did yesterday if they want to win anything this year, but I'll trust Pochettino that it's too much to expect of an unsettled team.

 

That bloody VAR decision cost me a perfect prediction.

But it's worth it to listen to all the tortured City fans bleating.

Spurs have used up all the Get Out of Jail Free cards though. City shouldn't have needed a (disallowed) injury time goal to win that game.

 

I haven’t watched MOTD in years and after breaking that run last night, I remember why.

To even argue that a ball hitting an arm in the penalty area, let alone anywhere on the pitch should be ignored to allow a goal is absurd. But it’s City, so we should change the rules right?

If the ball hits a defenders arm, they’d be screaming penalty. But if it’s the attacking team, the rules should somehow differ?

Most pundits in general are clowns and I can’t listen to their bias anymore.

 

I watch with the sound off, have done for years. I'm hard pressed to think of a pundit who can say 3 consecutively sensible words.

 

How about “thanks, and goodnight”?

 

I don’t even think he really got it that right, it was just a case of Lady Luck being on our side as City couldn’t finish more than two of the thirty chances.

I’m not complaining though, we grabbed a valuable point so I’ll take it however it comes at places like that. As RD has already pointed out in his compass thread, that’s +1 point already on last season. So only about another 19 more to claw back and the title’s ours

 

Twas good ol Jamie "you sacked my dad" Redknapp.
Not to be confused with good ol Jamie "my cousin deserves patience so don't sack him" Redknapp who said Frank Lampard needs time at Chelsea.

The impartiality is great!

 

Only the presenter says that.

The pundits just talk nonsense.

 

I think the signs do point in this direction, and that Sessegnon's actual position really isn't all that clear - most Fulham fans I know (both of them) were incredulous when I suggested that Poch would play him as a traditional LB in a flat back 4. LWB in a 5 they could tolerate, but LW seemed much more sensible in their eyes. And they've watched the lad week in week out for 3 years now, so what do I know to argue with them. Both of them.

There is also every possibility that we are quietly preparing for the departure of one of Toby or Jan (when did this even become an issue?!) this window; a nightmare scenario which leaves us horrendously exposed at the back and without the quality at CB to allow for more marauding FBs. If anything, yesterday's game brutally exposed this.

The big question mark remains what the rest of the team will look like if/when we switch to a more sold, defensively-minded back 4. I'd imagine we'd need a lot more pace and drive further up the pitch, and that Eirksen might not ultimately suit what would by definition be an attacking system reliant on strength in strength rather than strength in numbers.Without solid FBs bombing forward and stretching the width of the game, the Dane is denied the time and space he needs to operate in. This was also exposed brutally by City. Perhaps the shifts at FB are reflective of Poch's plans for Spurs in the post-Eriksen era? An era where energy and brute strength by necessity trump skill and technique?

Hugo
Foyth Dave Jan Davies
Sissoko N'Dombele
Lucas Lo Celso Son
Kane

 

I think Sessegnon is some way off starting as a left back in a flat back four.
His strengths make him a candidate for an impact sub in the foreseeable future playing as an attacking left sided player. If that's a left back in a back four it will only be when Spurs are chasing the game.
Potentially, he could fill the type of role Bale played at Spurs when he broke through as a top player.

 

If that IS the plan, it's a worry. We can already see this season that our attacking style is carrying over from the previous two season where we sit in front of the defence, passing side to side in the hope of boring the defence to death. If there's no pacy wing backs bombing forward beyond their back lines, then our attacking options are not only limited but predictable.

 

Very predictable...the thing is it's ok being predictable but you have to master your trait. City are predictable...we all know how they are relentless.

We seem very disjointed apart from Moura everyone else looked bang average on the weekend. The errors are annoying and always being repeated. Beaten at the back post again by Sterling who isn't the biggest. CB's are not dealing with balls across the 6 yard box like they should be and used to. We are not easy on the eye...maybe it's early season rustiness.

Difference between Pep and Poch for me is the attention to detail...little details make a big difference...Poch seems to skim over things or so it seems since we are always repeating errors and styles of play even when they not working.

 

For me, judging this season's line-up at this point is way too early.

My reasons...

• We always defend better with Jan Vertonghen in the team. Unless we're intending to sell him, he will return to the side sooner rather than later and we will defend better;
• Lo Celso's going to radically alter what we can do. From deep, he can drift past defenders, play an incisive forward pass and score goals. He's a perfect match for our forwards. I can't recall being so excited about a signing in years;
• Tanguy Ndombele's not fit. You can see the quality but until he can run like a PL player, there will be gaps appearing around and behind him...but when he's fit, he'll be almost as exciting as Lo Celso;
• Sonny's not played yet. He's one of our best players;
• Dele's not played and he'll absolutely love playing with Lo Celso;
• Christian Eriksen's not properly fit and his head is always thrown by uncertainty and contractual issues. One way or another, that's going to get sorted pretty soon. If he stays, I reckon that he'll get his head down. If he goes, we build around Lo Celso. If we avoid mass injuries, we do have the players to build around and play well;
• Our bench is currently a little threadbare but the return of Sonny, Juan Foyth, Ryan Sessegnon, Dele and proper levels of fitness for Eric Dier, Ben Davies and maybe a promotion for Troy Parrott and things look a lot, lot brighter. I love Skippy but he's unlikely to change a game at 75 minutes. Sessegnon or Sonny or Dele could.

If we keep all of our possible departees, I think we're going to have a very good season. One leaving would be okay...and if one has to go, I'd actually prefer it to be Christian Eriksen, rather than Danny Rose or Toby or Jan. With the right side of defence a probable issue, we need other areas to be properly covered.

However, this is easily the best squad we've had in Mauricio Pochettino's time with us. In there is a very good team but we've started slowly yet again. Fortunately, we've not lost the ability to pull out a result but by the time we get properly up and running, I'm optimistic.

 

Yes, Ilkay, it is terrible that the rules apply to you

 

The anomaly in the rule is that if a defender accidently handballs the ball in his own area (within his torso shape) then a penalty is not given. If he then boots the ball up field to a striker who scores, the goal could be disallowed for accidental handball. Some clarity is needed.