Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City

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Sunday 20th December 2.15pm
Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium​

Our first loss in the league since the opening day of the season was something of a mixed performance.
A pretty abysmal first half ended level, while an improved second period resulted in a late loss.
Things probably aren't going to get any easier this weekend either, as we face another top 4 side.
Leicester also lost their last game to a team from Merseyside, so both teams will be looking to bounce back.
Can Mourinho get us back on track or will Rodgers' side leapfrog us in the table?

Last was was Brendan Rodgers' first full campaign in charge of The Foxes and it went very well.
They reached roughly this stage of it having only lost two matches, away at Old Trafford and Anfield.
Talk of another title challenge was quite justified and they spent a lot of the time in 2nd or 3rd place.
A rough return from the COVID break cost them badly though, as they dropped out of the top 4.
Man Utd stole an unlikely Champions League place, cementing it in the final game at the King Power Stadium.

The visitors have been similarly impressive this time out too, not having left the top 4 at any point so far.
They've yet to draw a league game, rather bizarrely, and a lot of their games are high scoring.
They also progressed in the Europa League, winning their group, which suggests some squad depth.
An early League Cup exit at the hands of the filth will ease their fixture congestion somewhat, too.
Both sides are due to face Stoke in cups soon as well, as they drew them in the FA Cup 3rd round.

This fixture was a rather comprehensive victory for us last time and a pretty costly one for Leicester.
It came in the penultimate match of the season, as they were desperately trying to hold onto 4th place.
An early move saw Kane put Son in on goal and his shot was deflected home by James Justin.
Leicester had most of the possession and territory, but two quick breaks saw Kane make it 2-0 and then 3-0.
That pretty much ended things as a contest before the break and the second half was largely uneventful:

The away match came early in the season and was another of those controversial Pochettino losses.
Son put Kane in for an early goal, which he still put away despite being pushed to the ground.
We looked largely in control for most of the game and it was no surprise when it looked like we'd scored again.
Aurier swept the ball home from a Kane pass, but Son's armpit was deemed to have been offside.
Leicester were resurgent after that and won it with goals from Pereira and Maddison:

Tanganga and Lamela are out again for this one. Bale should be fine.
Soyuncu and Periera are out for the visitors, while Castagne and Amartey will probably return.
Jonny Evans is suspended, having picked up a fifth yellow card of the season against Brighton.

Lineups for each side's last league game:

Spurs: Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies; Sissoko, Hojbjerg, Lo Celso, Bergwijn; Son, Kane.
Subs: Hart, Rodon, Reguilon, Winks, Ndombele, Alli, Moura.
League form: WWDWDL.

Leicester: Schmeichel; Justin, Ndidi, Fofana, Fuchs; Tielemans, Mendy; Under, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy.
Subs: Ward, Morgan, Thomas, Praet, Albrighton, Perez, Iheanacho.
League form: WLLWWL.

Ref: Craig Pawson. VAR: Paul Tierney.

TV: Sky Sports.

How would you like to line up for this one and what would you change from the Liverpool 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 Leicester to go with?

 

Erik Lamela and Alfie Devine have both been spotted in training

Probably for the Stoke game, but worth mentioning anyway

 

Devine is suspended, isn't he?

 

IIRC the Season Killer Cup exists in the Phantom Zone, where suspensions for league or FA Cup games don't apply

 

Thanks PNP for the ongoing match day threads.

I hope Jose uses the squad and rotate. We are seeing too much of Kane, Son, Sissoko, and Hojbjerg.

It's time to bring Alli, Winks, Bale & Rodon on. Jose needs to trust the squad.

 

Leicester are fourth in the league (and go above us with a win), and they have the best away record in the league - This is not a match for rotating the squad, I expect all 4 you mention will get game time over the Christmas / new year period but this match requires our best players in their best positions.

Lloris, Aurier, Regulion, Alderweireld, Dier, Hojbjerg, Sissoko, Ndombele, Bergwijn, Son and Kane.

I understand the worries about overplaying Harry with his injury record, but how often do Liverpool leave out Mane or Salah, or City De Bruyne and Sterling? Your best players play particularly in the matches against those teams in around you at the top of the league.

 

Frankly we could've done with Winks on Wednesday, as passing sideways would have seen us actually retain possession at some point...

 

Excluding the position, he’s basically just described a certain someone

 

Yes: Hojbjerg...

 

Close. If it were him it would’ve also said “breaks up play, protects the defence and is an absolute general in the middle of the park”.

 

I’m hoping Bale gets a start in this one but I reckon it’ll be Bergwijn or Lucas, despite the fact neither could finish their dinner in the league at the moment let alone a shot. Think Ndombele and Reguilon will come back in. May rotate at RB seeing as we’ve done it at LB. I pray we don’t see that god awful 442 though with about three players out of position.

I’d go for something like:
Hugo
Doherty, Toby, Dier, Reguilon
Sissoko, Hojbjerg, Ndombele
Bale, Kane, Son

And have Vinicius on the ****ing bench, please!

 

Jose sticking up for his style. Why doesn’t he just come out and say the end justifies the means. There is no point pretending it’s nice to watch or progressive. I’m fine with it as long as it works, it’s something different to what we’ve seen for a while.

 

I think some of it has been good to watch. A good counter attacking team can generally produce some great stuff. I think a lot of our goals this season have been top drawer. There’s obviously been some absolute **** too but I don’t think the football has been boring all the time as the casual pundits like often suggesting.

 

...who mainly passes the ball sideways, with the occasional break to pass it backwards

 

because he’s not a fan...for him it is a style a strategy...he doesn’t see it as a means to an end out of sheer desperation.

there was an analysis of the game and they showed a passage of play between Pool players where they did some triangles on the left side of the pitch then Salah chipped it to Henderson in the centre who sweeped it to fabhino who passed it square to Allison and the pundits were fawning over it whilst the bloke pointed out that this is what Jose meant by his team control play. That was a useless passage of play dictated by our set up. It got them no where.

For me there is nothing sweeter than a dynamic counter attack...it’s such a devastating blow to the other team and we have been great at it. I get bored of tippy tappy

 

I like seeing counter attacking play and like I’ve said, I have no issue with whatever way he wants to play if it works. But let’s not pretend it’s easy on the eye or enjoyable.

 

Its nerve wracking stuff at times but I’m always sat their waiting for the pounce.
We need an affective right attacker...that’s what is costing us as our quality outlets are limited.

plus sort them set pieces out...that’s not strategy...that’s the players.

sort this out and we are sitting pretty considering we have only conceded 3 goals from open play out of 12

 

Or works, based on the last couple of games

 

but it did work

Our goal was on the counter...it was a devastating break. Bergwijn had 2 further one on ones. The strategy relies on the players doing their bit affectively.

they scored from a freak deflection and we conceded another last minute dead ball situation which we made a meal of again

Jose cannot play the game for them...he’s been telling them to be intelligent. Giving away free kicks in danger areas with such consistency is not very intelligent.

2 of our best ball headers allowed their player to sandwich between them and score. Firminho the big fairy pushed that big lad Dier to the floor as he made that run. Dier should be stronger and the protests should have been stronger.

none of it was strategy