Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Everton

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Monday 6th July 8pm
Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium​

Three Uniteds, a win, a draw and a loss. Not a bad summary of our season, unfortunately.
Every step forward seems to come with one to the side and one backwards.
Our visitors Everton have had a similar campaign, which explains the solitary point difference between us.
They've drastically been improving since Ancelotti replaced Silva though, so this is going to be tough.
Can Mourinho get one over on his fellow former Chelsea and Madrid manager or will our poor form continue?

Everton started the season with high hopes, having spent a decent amount of money on a number of signings.
They'd covered some of this with outgoing transfers, but hadn't lost anyone major, apart from Idrissa Gueye.
They struggled badly after a reasonable start though and replaced Marco Silva in December.
A crushing loss to neighbours and rivals Liverpool saw them fall into the relegation zone and that was enough.
A very understandable decision.

Duncan Ferguson was given the caretaker position for three tough games and went unbeaten.
A win over Chelsea was followed by a draw at Old Trafford and another at home against Arsenal.
He was replaced with the ambitious signing of Carlo Ancelotti just before Christmas.
The experienced Italian coach has dragged them up the table and they're eyeing a European place.
An impressive turnaround in a short space of time.

Our match against them at home last season was an anticlimactic draw in a dead rubber.
They couldn't move from 8th place, while only a loss and a massive victory for Arsenal would see us leave 4th.
An early goal from Dier seemed to settle any possible nerves and that was how it stayed until the break.
The second half seemed to be going nowhere, until Walcott equalised and Tosun put them ahead.
A quick leveller from Eriksen calmed things down again and it ended 2-2, which everyone seemed happy with:

The visit to Goodison this season was another one of our matches filled with controversy, unfortunately.
A boring game reached half-time without a breakthrough, with only a VAR call to speak about.
A mistake from former Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi allowed Alli to give us the lead before things went south.
Son's poor foul on Andre Gomes resulted in a horrible injury and the Korean being incorrectly dismissed.
Tosun's late, late equaliser left both sides feeling a sense of injustice at the draw:

Foyth, Tanganga and Parrott look likely to miss out again, while Alli faces a late test.
Tosun, Gbamin and Delph are out for the visitors, while Walcott is unlikely to play.
Neither side has any suspensions.


Lineups for each side's last league game:

Spurs: Lloris; Aurier, Sanchez, Dier, Davies; Sissoko, Lo Celso; Moura, Bergwijn, Son; Kane.
Subs: Gazzaniga, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Skipp, Winks, Ndombele, Fernandes, Alli, Lamela.
League form: LLDDWL.

Everton: Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Holgate, Digne; Iwobi, Sigurdsson, Gomes, Gordon; Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.
Subs: Stekelenburg, Virginia, Branthwaite, Mina, Baines, Baningime, Davies, Bernard, Kean.
League form: LDLDWW.

Ref: Graham Scott. VAR: Kevin Friend.

TV: Sky Sports.

How would you like to line up for this one and what would you change from the Sheffield United game?
Would you stick with much of the same lineup, make a few changes or go for a wholesale switch?
Which system and tactics would you use and what are you expecting Everton to go with?

 

There must be changes for tomorrow - For fresh legs if nothing else.

Maybe a change of shape too mainly due to needing to do something different

After 3 wingers v Sheff Utd I suggest none v Everton 3-4-2-1

Lloris, Alderweireld, Dier, Vertonghen, Gedson, Winks, Ndombele, Sessegnon, Lo Celso, Lamela, Kane

 

I'm just hoping that, for once, we don't have 90 minutes of Aurier and Lucas no matter how bad they are

At the very least Skipp needs to be getting into the conversation somewhere, as Sissoko simply should not be used as an ersatz DM role as his performance against Sheffield United in particular made it look like maybe we've been too harsh on Winks for the last eighteen months he's been in that role

That and playing Lo Celso in a position where he can be effective, that'd be nice...

 

Hugo
Dier, Dave, Jan, Sess
Tanguy, Skipp, Gio
Lamela, Kane, Bergwijn

 

It's difficult to feel any excitement as the Spurs games approach right now. If we were to get a decent result tonight it would lift all of us and maybe ...... maybe produce some momentum in the team. This is such a season of transition that has been made more so by the virus. Despite the poor results I think there is evidence since the resumption that Jose is making his mark on the team. NDombele' s short appearance gave me the impression that he was more animated and for some reason reminded me of the way Gazza played while at Lazio. I suppose that was because it looked like a talent being slightly subdued and constrained. If Jose has motivated him then that will be a major coup and a potential step forward for this team. Despite the gloom I think we still have potential to be unlocked, an understanding between Dele and Lo Celso would transform our game and if you add to that a motivated and confident NDombele then the world will be a different place.
I don;t expect that to happen tonight BTW

 

Looking back to the game at Goodison dec 18 it's hard to see the similarity between the team then as to what we have now , minus Eriken and Tripps this is the same squad and to my memory the last time we played well as a team in the prem , how times have changed

 

Not the same squad surely?
OUT Llorente, Dembele, Wanjama, Trippier, Eriksen, Janssen.

IN Lo Celso, Tanganga, Ndombele, Sessegnon, Fernandes, Bergwyin.

Potentially I do not see a drop in quality there but of course they are not yet a team as we were in 2018.

 

The squad had balance. Now it doesn't.
Llorente, Dembele, Wanyama and Trippier weren't replaced.
We've got lots of players in some positions and virtually nothing in others.

 

What do you mean Trippier wasn't replaced? We definitely have a sulky bastard who blames everyone else for his ****ups at the club right now...

 

What I was pointing out was the main squad had not changed much , llorente, Jason , Wanjama and Dembele had not played a role but the main core was still the same

 

We have had him for 20 years

 

I think we lost the balance when Dembele stopped being a force and who and why did we get rid of Llorente?

 

without a replacement lined up

A fish rots from the head down

 

Lloris
Aurier Sanchez Dier Sessegnon
Skipp Ndombele
lo Celso
Son Dele Kane

Yeah, but it wouldn't be dull.

 

Coys
I'll be watching 2 games at once tonight hopefully my local team wycombe can get through to the play off final and spurs beat Everton .

 

Alan Sugar wasn't at the club for twenty years

It felt like he was, but he wasn't

 

I wish Wycombe Hotspur and Totttenham Wanderers good luck.

 

Sissoko-Winks pairing...

 

Aurier must have a secret video of Mourinho ****ing a sheep....