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Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Sheffield United

Discussion in 'Tottenham Hotspur' started by PleaseNotPoll, Jan 15, 2021.

  1. remembercolinlee

    remembercolinlee Well-Known Member

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    Tbh, no many doubted there was a mentality/belief issue when Pochettino was our manager...the thing that I find irritating is that JM is supposed to be able to instill a "winning" mentality or belief but has singularly failed to do so.

    We are taking the lead in games (great) and then drawing or clinging on at the end.

    This is not a recent thing either.
    Off the top of my head I remember...

    West Ham ...3 up then clinging on at 3-2
    Bournemouth... as above
    Southampton in FA Cup...1 up ... drew
    Norwich in FA cup...1 up lost on pens
    Man Utd in Premier league... drew
    Palace in Premier league... drew

    Can accept that they were not down to him as he hadn't had a summer transfer window.

    But this season...
    Newcastle...drew ... last minute goal
    West Ham...drew ... last minute goal
    Lask...drew (ahead twice) ... as above
    Palace...drew... conceded 81 mins
    Wolves ... drew... conceded 86 mins
    Fulham ... drew... conceded 75 mind

    That's 5 out of 18 league games that we have thrown points away in the last 15 mins.

    When you count all late goals conceded we have let in last minute goals against:
    Newcastle, West Ham, Lask and Liverpool.

    There is a valid argument that there has been NO improvement in the mentality of the team this season.

    IMHO you simply refuse to see any fault in JM and defend him no matter what.

    If we include the last minute goal v pool we have thrown away points late on 7 times this season (6 in the league and once in EL) in 31 games...well over 20% of our games.

    He has to take as much (if not more) responsibility for this terrible mentality as the players because he chooses them.
     
    #181
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2021
  2. Blue and White

    Blue and White Well-Known Member

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    I think our biggest problem has been scoring goals- putting our chances away. We have two main scorers and little contribution from elsewhere.
    Yesterday we managed to score 3 and win because Aurier and Tanguy chipped in. Had they not taken their chances , it could have finished 1-1 again.
    Kane and Son , when on fire together can be brutal, but when teams close them down, we struggle.
    Liverpool are also struggling to score and so their results are suffering, but no-one accuses them of sitting back or the manager picking the wrong team.
    4 of the 5 games where we threw away our lead, we scored only 1 goal ( and only conceded 1 ). We need the second goal! Someone needs to step up and score that second-someone the opposition isn't suffocating; an Aurier, Holbjerg, Tanguy, Bergwijn or whoever.
     
    #182
  3. PleaseNotPoll

    PleaseNotPoll Well-Known Member
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    That's one of the problems with a number of recent team selections, though. They've lacked goalscorers.
    It's an issue with our squad, but some of those that would normally contribute aren't getting games, especially in the league.
    Kane and Son get the majority of our goals and then it's down to Ndombele and Aurier, plus a few with one goal.

    Moura and Vinicius have 12 goals between them in all competitions, but only one league goal. Both have had seriously limited time.
    Our two Argentinians have been plagued with injury or they'd have probably chipped in a little more, having 7 as it is.
    Other than that you've only really got Alli and he's out of favour.

    I'd suggest that started an attacking midfielder and using Ndombele in a deeper role would probably help.
    Mourinho picked Lo Celso and Ndombele together once, but the system was poor, the wrong player was deep and they both got injured.
    Right now I'd be picking Alli in behind Kane, pairing Ndombele with Hojbjerg and keeping on top in the midfield.
     
    #183
  4. PowerSpurs

    PowerSpurs Well-Known Member

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    Agreed with all that but I think Aurier and Reguilon are not good enough defenders to be full backs in a four but they are both decent higher up the pitch. And I also think our centre backs are more suited to a three. Playing someone like City the 343 would probably be a 541 most of the time.
     
    #184
  5. PowerSpurs

    PowerSpurs Well-Known Member

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    Any club scoring at least two goals in every game while conceding less than one on average, would win the league most seasons. I don't think we are quite good enough to do that regardless of who is selected.
     
    #185
  6. KingHotspur

    KingHotspur Well-Known Member

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    With the obscene amount Jose is on, you could pay 2 decent managers to do his job
     
    #186
  7. vimhawk

    vimhawk Well-Known Member

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    Some fair points, but some examples are a bit unfair. The draw against Newcastle was a ludicrous penalty call that might not stand under current rules and might not have been given against certain teams anyway. The draw against West Ham included a stupid own goal and a worldie speculative shot that wouldn't have gone in more than 9 times out of 10. Against Fulham we had more than enough good chances to win. And before you say we should have been more than 1-0 up anyway, other top teams have had plenty of 1-0 wins. Point is it isn't always mentality, just because some of it is.
     
    #187
    remembercolinlee and Spurf like this.
  8. The Changing Man

    The Changing Man Well-Known Member

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    Whilst I have been as frustrated as anyone at our apparent negative tactics and inability to hold on to a lead it remains the case that if we had taken our chances the late goals conceded may have been consolations rather than equalisers.

    In 3 of the 1-1s Darlow, Guaita and Areola have been the man of the match, all 3 had outstanding matches in goal against us, but if our finishing had matched the approach play and been more clinical maybe they wouldn't have had the chances to be MOTM.

    Against West Ham Bale missed a sitter (or should have gone down), again if he scores or Harry scores the resultant penalty we win.

    At Liverpool Bergwijn had 2 on 1 on 1s, if you are going to get something at a ground like Anfield you have to score at least one of them.

    So we have created enough chances in all of these matches to have won them, yes the tactics and defence are the easy targets for these dropped points but they are not the only reasons for us to failing to close out the wins that we should have got.
     
    #188
  9. "Thanks for that Brian"

    "Thanks for that Brian" Well-Known Member

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    Pretty much every team has bad luck from time to time. Our problem is that we've regularly based our game management on holding onto a single goal lead/scoring a breakaway second goal. We've fallen back too deep and our forwards are knackered from chasing back and the manager not using his subs, so we're not counter-attacking effectively.

    In 18 games, we've kept 6 clean sheets. Falling back at 1-0 and trying to hold leads isn't working because we're not good enough defensively to pull it off. Until that improves, we'll continue to concede solitary goals and drop points
     
    #189
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2021
  10. PleaseNotPoll

    PleaseNotPoll Well-Known Member
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    And we appear to find it pretty easy to score when we're attacking, easily leading the league in first 15 minute and first half goals.
    Keep the ball, attack teams and press, then sub off anyone who's flagging in the second half.
    It tends to be Bergwijn, who isn't fully fit and is defending a lot or Ndombele, whose stamina is improving.
    We've got plenty of backup for both of them.
    If we could build up a suitable lead, then we might even be able to give Vinicius some time in the league or sub off Son.

    We've got the tools to get at sides and we don't have the tools to defend for 85 minutes.
    Play to your strengths.
     
    #190

  11. "Thanks for that Brian"

    "Thanks for that Brian" Well-Known Member

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    Exactly.
     
    #191
  12. PleaseNotPoll

    PleaseNotPoll Well-Known Member
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  13. PleaseNotPoll

    PleaseNotPoll Well-Known Member
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    Second one's for @Spurlock <whistle>
    Interesting that Mourinho knows their goal is going in as soon as it's crossed. Turns and walks away looking furious.
     
    #193
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  14. remembercolinlee

    remembercolinlee Well-Known Member

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    Totally agree re Newcastle game but I do think that clubs know we are vulnerable in the late stages of games so they always believe they will get opportunities to score and we visibly get nervous, drop deeper.

    That mentality needs to change quickly.
     
    #194
  15. littleDinosaurLuke

    littleDinosaurLuke Well-Known Member

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    I think what you really need is Kane and Sons
     
    #195
  16. Blue and White

    Blue and White Well-Known Member

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    And again we see a GK who played brilliantly against us gift a goal to rivals
     
    #196
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  17. PowerSpurs

    PowerSpurs Well-Known Member

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    This is why I keep saying the game is more random than people think.
     
    #197
  18. Blue and White

    Blue and White Well-Known Member

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    I agree with you but why can't it be more random in our favour more often?
     
    #198

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