Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Sheffield United

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Sunday 17th January 2pm
Premier League
Bramall Lane​

We returned from cup football with another disappointing league result against Fulham.
Now we've got another chance for three points against one of their relegation rivals.
The Blades have just hit some form, winning back-to-back games after over 6 months without a win. Typical.
It looks like a massive long-shot to avoid relegation, but they'll be looking to string some results together.
Can Mourinho get us over the line on this one or will we drop more unnecessary points?

Last season was Chris Wilder's first in the Premier League, having taken his side up the previous year.
It was his second promotion in three seasons and a lot of people expected a prompt relegation to follow.
Sheffield Utd shocked virtually everyone by not only being competitive, but making a push for Europe.
Their unusual tactics worked out well and they were looking good going into the lockdown.
They had a rough ending to the campaign, but still only dropped to 9th place, which was very respectable.

Things have not been anywhere near as smooth this time, as some expensive signings have yet to work out.
They've found goals very hard to come by, only scoring 9 goals in 18 league games.
We have two players who have more than that, by comparison.
Rhian Brewster joined from Liverpool for around £23.5m in the summer and is yet to score.
They need to find a solution to this if there's any chance that they'll survive this time.

Our visit to Sheffield last time was a largely toothless performance, dogged by some more controversy.
We dominated possession and territory, but didn't create many chances, while they were clinical with theirs.
Berge gave them the lead just after the half hour and then the fun with the officials started.
Kane appeared to have leveled, but Moura was adjudged to have handled, then Norwood should've gone off.
Mousset and McBurnie added to their lead in the second half, before Kane got a late consolation:

The match at our place was similarly plagued by issues with the officials, but in reverse this time.
They were much the better team on the day and created a number of chances before going behind.
Son's shot was deflected through the keeper's legs to give us a second half lead.
They thought they'd equalised soon after, but VAR ruled it out for a marginal offside in the buildup.
Baldock did pull them level with about ten minutes left, as Dier deflected it beyond Lloris:

Lo Celso's out again for this one, but he may be the only one for us.
Berge, O'Connell and Robinson miss out for the hosts, while McBurnie may also be out.
Neither side has any suspensions.

Lineups for each side's last league game:

Spurs: Lloris; Aurier, Sanchez, Dier, Reguilon; Winks, Hojbjerg; Sissoko, Ndombele, Son; Kane.
Subs: Hart, Doherty, Alderweireld, Davies, Alli, Moura, Bale, Lamela, Vinicius.
League form: DLLDWD.

Sheffield Utd: Ramsdale; Basham, Ampadu, Egan; Bogle, Fleck, Norwood, Lundstram, Osborn; Burke, McGoldrick.
Subs: Foderingham, Bryan, Jagielka, Lowe, Sharp, Brewster, Mousset.
League form: LDLLLW.

Ref: Andre Marriner. VAR: Mike Dean.

TV: Sky Sports.

How would you like to line up for this one and what would you change from the Fulham 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 Sheffield United to go with?

 

Red and white stripes?

Oh, damn...

 

I think Doherty will start after Aurier did midweek, so:

Lloris
Doherty Toby Dier Regulion
Sissoko Højbjerg
Bergwijn Tanguy Son
Kane

Though I’d also like to see Rodon given a run of games because he’s got a lot of promise and can’t be any more error prone than Toby or Dier.

 

I expect Rodon to start against Wycombe, assuming that goes ahead.
He'll have to force the issue by doing well in that competition.

 

Also hope to see Rodon start.

Hugo
Aurier, Rodon, **** knows, Reggie
Hojbjerg, Ndombele
Bale, Dele, Son
Kane

 

Were playing these **** teams after they have had an injection of good form

Fulham hit form a few weeks ago and these tramps have picked up another point after an FA cup win

 

Sheffield United went from the 11th of July to the 9th of January without a win in any competition. 21 matches in total.
Now we play them after back-to-back victories.

 

Here's where I'm confused. We threw Rodon in at the deep end against Chelsea. He got the nod ahead of Sanchez. He made 2 bad mistakes but otherwise put in an assured performance. When and why did Sanchez - who has been crud for over a year - move back above Rodon in the pecking order?

 

I know he currently can't hit a barn door with steve bruce's head, but I do feel we play better when Bergwijn is in the team.

 

Europa League matches, probably.

 

Because he has the pace to compensate for Aurier's brainfarts

The fact that so much of our squad management at this point boils down to trying to minimise the effects of Aurier's brainfarts makes it abundantly clear that something needs to change, and if it's not Aurier it needs to be the bloke who persists in picking him

 

I think you over-emphasise the significance of Aurier's role in our run of poor form. In last season's post lockdown games it was definitely the case that the entire system hinged on him as he was our only attacking outlet, pushed way up the pitch leaving a gaping hole behind him which Sissoko had to fill which in turn left a hole in the middle of the park for opponents to exploit.

I haven't seen such an issue this season. Aurier has generally been much more positionally disciplined and up until that penalty against Leicester was arguably one of our best players this season after Kane and Son.

So yes, he has brain farts, but so do our 3 senior CBs, Sanchez more frequently than the other two and for that matter probably more frequent than Aurier himself. We just notice them less b/c he isn't as rash in the challenge (although he got off scott free for an appalling penalty against United because we won 6-1. In isolation, his lunge on iirc Martial after just 2 minutes of play has to be up there with the very worst of Aurier's free gifts to the opposition.). Sanchez won't make as many rash challenges, but he is easily bullied off the ball, has an alarming tendency to let the ball bounce rather than winning it in the air, is so easily turned and wrong footed, has no left foot and is terrible in possession. He reminds me of a very expensive Anthony Gardner, although I think the latter might have been left footed. Meanwhile next to him you have potato head, who I was calling to be sold 3 years ago. Slow, zero positional awareness, weirdly weak in the challenge for someone built like a lorry and fancies himself as some second coming of Xabi Alonso on the ball.

So in summary, the logic of playing Sanchez is to cover an error-prone player with an even more error prone player? Yup, that sounds about Jose.

Aurier is not the issue. Our CBs are.

 

If we have any ambition in the league then we will win today

If we don't...It's never happening because we just don't have the hunger

COYS

 

According to Ally Gold and Jonathan Veal, neither saw Dele and Winks get off the team bus.

Gedson did though.

If Gedson's picked over you, you know you're either **** or unfavoured

Whilst I've been hugely critical of him for years, I think Dele probably could've/ should've been involved today.

 

RODON STARTS!

But it looks like we're playing three at the back against Sheff Utd

 

Confirmed, Dele and Winks not in the squad. Gedson is.

 

Neither Winks or Sissoko starting

 

Three at the back, no fullbacks on the bench, Fernandes in the 18 (who I don't think is even registered) and no Alli or Winks. Great...