Tottenham Hotspur had the interesting task of trying to keep the Wolves at bay earlier today as we welcomed Nuno Espirito Santo’s impressive side to White Hart Lane.
Jose Mourinho’s selections for the match saw both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen take up places on the bench, with Eric Dier brought into the middle of the defence, but whatever Jose’s plan was – ultimately it didn’t work out.
Did Jose Get The Defence Right?
100% No, Obviously
Yes, We Needed To Do More In Attack
We dominated possession and in terms of chances it was a pretty even game, but with Steven Bergwijn and Serge Aurier finding themselves on the score sheet, we went into the break with a 2-1 lead. Defensively we were again questionable though and the second period saw the visitors improve, and with two goals coming for them in the final 45 minutes, we fell to a 3-2 defeat.
Had Dele Alli made his chance count to make it 3-1 to us, we’d have undoubtedly come out with the win but as it is we now slip to three defeats on the spin across all competitions and Wolverhampton Wanderers move ahead of us into sixth place.
Speaking to the BBC following the full time whistle, Mourinho felt it was a very undeserved defeat.
“I think unfair. The players didn’t deserve the defeat. We were punished by, I would say, mentality mistakes. You have to be ruthless against teams like Wolves that plays fantastically well on the counter-attack. We deserve much more than these results but this is what it is. Attack combined well, they did what they can. They did the plan that we worked on in the week. We had lots of arrivals in dangerous positions, but it is quite frustrating to see they don’t have that feeling.”
As for the Toby and Jan question, he said.
“I think Eric Dier played very, very well, so when the player you bring in as a replacement plays very, very well the question could be why did you play Dier and not why did you leave out Toby and Jan. I tried to play with Davinson and Tanganga, which are the two fastest players. Dier is because he is a midfield player, he has the possibility to come out with the ball and play as an extra midfield player. I thought they did very well apart from the goals, which are collective responsibility, not individual responsibility.”
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“Very Repetitive” – Jose Makes His Point As Spurs Slip To Another Defeat – Match Stats
White Hart Lane
Premier League
1/03/2020 3:00 pm
Attendance: 58064
Referee: Attwell
| Tottenham Hotspur | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergwijn (13), Aurier (41) | Doherty (27), Jota (57), Jimenez (73) | ||||||
| Gazzaniga | Rui Patricio | ||||||
| Sanchez | Boly | ||||||
| Dier | Coady | ||||||
| Tanganga | 76 | Saiss | |||||
| Aurier | 82 | Doherty | |||||
| Lo Celso | Neves | ||||||
| Winks | Joao Moutinho | ||||||
| Davies | 91 | Vinagre | |||||
| Lucas Moura | Traore | 74 | |||||
| Alli | Jimenez | 92 | |||||
| Bergwijn | Jota | 79 | |||||
Substitutes |
|||||||
| Alderweireld | Neto | 74 | |||||
| Vertonghen | Castelo Podence | 92 | |||||
| Vorm | Gibbs-White | ||||||
| Ndombele | 76 | Ruddy | |||||
| Skipp | Dendoncker | 79 | |||||
| Gedson Fernandes | 82 | Kilman | |||||
| Parrott | 91 | Buur | |||||
Game Statistics |
||
| 13 | Goal attempts | 14 |
| 5 | On Target | 4 |
| 4 | Corners | 5 |
| 12 | Fouls | 14 |
| 3 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 65 | % | 35 |
Let’s hope Norwich are going to prioritise PL survival and put out a weakened side on Wednesday. Considering how well they played in beating Leicester, and the fact they will have had two extra recovery days, if they decide to take FA cup progression seriously we are in for another very tough match, no doubt with Pukki terrorising our pathetic defence.
Plenty of criticism of Mourinho but if you ask who should we have appointed there’s a deathly silence, its back to the men with no names. We are still doing better under Jose than Poch, which I suppose indicates just how badly we were doing before Mourinho arrived. I don’t think the formation or team selection is really the issue in defence. Its that our defenders simply make too many individual errors. This applies to all of them. How you fix that I don’t know, but I’m sure the manager is trying to figure it out. Personally I’ll judge Mourinho at the end of next season. At the moment he’s trying to fire fight with Pochettino’s team and with major injury problems. by the start of next season it should just about be his team and we’ll see what happens then.
Majority of the posts on this article are right one way or another, sack JM, then who would want in? with what is really a poison chalice, I keep saying, though an original anti-JM, lets give him a pre-season, and then make our minds up.
I am a positive/optomistic fan, but listening to the game, I thought like this
Yeeha, 1 up, Bergy, but gonna lose 1-2.
Boo, 1 each, definately gonna lose 1-2
Yeeha, 2-1 Most hated Aurier, gonna lose 2-3
I cannot remember the last time of having such negative thoughts, even, “her in doors” criticized me LOL! COYS
Jod, you are now doing the same thing with managers that you used to do with players. Many people on this site suggested players that we should sign but you somehow decided that no one was coming up with any names.
Many people also suggested alternative managers to Mourinho, yet you have decided that no one comes up with names.
I suggested the Wolves and Leipzig managers months ago only to be abruptly rebuked for my suggestions by your good self. Whilst I accept that it is not always easy to get managers out of clubs in mid-season, I would suggest Jose was a panic appointment because Levy thought he would guarantee Champions League football. That’s not worked out too well. As for Jose being at the helm for a rebuild, I couldn’t think of anyone worse.
DH……his comment made me smile as well! lol
Gossip has us linked with summer moves for Ben Foster and Chris Smalling today, I hope that’s not the extent of our ambition. Foster always saves his best performances for when we play against him and he might make a good backup but I think we have bigger priorities.
TQSpurs, I would safely say that is the hight of our ambition. Doncaster hotspur, I recall reading your comments about looking at wolves and Leipzig managers and I also remember that clown replying in his usual arrogant way and declaring that Leipzig manager would get the run around when we meet them.
TQ I notice you rightly referred to Max Allegri as, a manager with a great record I would also have added Carlo Ancelotti who was a free agent at the time. I would argue these two names would’ve been as big a signing as Mourinho and not as bitter a pill(for some) to swallow. I would disagree to a point with the likes of Nuno Esparanto. As I feel the chairman( et al) probably feel they had went down that road with Poch previously. I’m still very much in the give Mourinho a chance with his own players his signings so far haven’t been bad (Bergwijn/Fernandes). I’ll give him a free run this season but I’ll still whinge when we lose (lol). I feel On Sunday we did play well in parts and the result taken alone isn’t doom and gloom, but it’s in the context of the last week and the results then. I think we all know there is something wrong in our defence but as I said earlier it’s down to individual mistakes by all the defenders if anyone has the answers pls put them on a postcard to J Mourinho post box N17 London.
TQ2Spurs – first of all, if records are anything to go by, Mourinho has a better CV than Allegri. Allegri has never coached outside of Italy, while Mourinho has coached in England twice and won trophies with both clubs. Why gamble? And that’s even if Allegri was potentially interested in the job, which remains to be seen.
To answer your second question, why wouldn’t a manager want to come and turn things around? Because he’d have limited funds to do so, would likely have to sell before buying, would have limited say in transfers, and would have to deal with arguably unrealistic expectations from the chairman.
Wouldn’t you say those are all fair statements, and all likely to hurt our search?
No matter how good the facilities, no manager is going to value that above having a decent amount of control on the squad, and some budget.
Who knows what was said between Levy and Jose when Jose took the job, but I can’t imagine Jose signed without any reassurances that funds would be made available. So far, those funds have been pretty limited, but maybe the plan all along was a year of transition and massive investment in the summer. We’ll only know that in late August.
Doncaster – Mourinho may well have been a panic appointment. But out of all realistic options (and as you said yourself, getting someone else’s manager mid season was never a realistic option), he was probably the best we could do.
Rebuilds aren’t his forte, agreed. But if that was the remit, Levy is the one to blame. We all know Jose needs to be backed to succeed (probably a fair statement for all managers, in reality, but even more true for Jose).
But if Levy appointed Jose, of all people, with no intention of backing him, then Levy is the real problem. No matter how you slice it, it all comes back to Levy.
DoncasterHotspur – “Many people also suggested alternative managers to Mourinho, yet you have decided that no one comes up with names.” Apart from you who were they and which managers did they suggest ? Nagelsmann has never managed anywhere except Germany and has yet to win anything, so a hell of a long odds appointment. Santo is at least someone with a track record in the premier league (but again hasn’t actually won anything). I do find the idea that if we snap our fingers these managers will immediately switch clubs and their current employers will tear up their contracts rather ridiculous if you are Wolves, or Leicester with Rodgers, you will do everything in your power to ensure the manager sees out his contract.
Jod….you must have conveniently skipped over my post where I suggested Max Allegri.
Taking Belgianspur’s point about funding all clubs except City have limited funding (even City if they can’t overturn the sanctions). The question is whether you have more cash than the competition, if they are more limited than you are. We are now on about parity with the other London clubs (over or under in an individual season depending on who qualifies for the champions league). We aren’t on a par with the Manchester clubs and probably never will be. Liverpool aren’t either, but I would argue they are spending the money they do have better than anyone else. Basically whoever manages Spurs (or Arsenal, or Chelsea) has to deal with the fact there will always be two teams that can outspend him, as Klopp is doing at Liverpool. If he can only manage if he has more money than everyone else he won’t succeed.
BS….myself a Spurs fanatic cannot disagree with your throw away statement “then Levy is the real problem. No matter how you slice it, it all comes back on Levy”.
As an original “anti JM” I can see the mess he took over, to a degree feel I for him, but not for his public negative views, this mess is a combination of Levy and Poch, left to him to sort out, also I have said on numerous occasions lets wait until he has had a pre-season then decide if he is a busted flush. COYS
BS…in your post at 1:39 pm you contradict your own argument.
You give a number of reasons why a decent manager wouldn’t (in your opinion) be interested in managing our club, a number of these are based on an assumption in the way you think the club operates in terms of how much control Levy delegates to the manager and also the availability of transfer funds.
You go on to say JM most likely wouldn’t have accepted the position without some reassurances over the availability of funds, this being the case do you not think those same funds would be available to another manager?
In you reply to me you say ” I can’t imagine Jose signed without any reassurances that funds would be made available” yet in the following reply to Doncaster you say “if Levy appointed Jose, of all people, with no intention of backing him, then Levy is the real problem”. Don’t you think the two are a bit contradictory?
Just read a match report from Sean Cook (Talk Sport). He states that a massive clear out is needed at Tottenham. He says he would keep 6 of our current squad I would keep about 10. Here goes.
Lloris, Toby, Davies, LoCeslo, Bergwijn, Sonny, HK10, Sissoko, Dele and Lucas. There are a, few more border line Lamella, Dave, N’Dombele, Fernandes, and Sess. Anyone any opinions?
After listening to the views of some of my oppo’s who went on Sunday I decided to watch the whole game on the web, my thoughts
Played the best on the front foot for a while in the games I have watched, unlucky to lose, that’s football.
Reasons for being unlucky…ourselves.
To bloody nice, where is the bite/kick ya granny/anger gone, stop em at all costs, pro-fouls etc.
Individual mistakes by defenders, Tanganga excuse still learning, can handle that, others not so much.
There are other reasons, but don’t have the time to write an epistle lol!
Wed v The Canaries, many are hoping that they play a weakened side, so pro PL but eff the FA cup, for me that is pretty well sad with hoping like this.
If we play as we did on Sun except of course the defending but a bit of nastiness we might just pull off a win. COYS
Niall…..I personally think it’s a bit early to be jettisoning Ndombele, Fernandes and Sessegnon. The first has already shown what he can offer but just needs to find the correct fitness levels and consistency, Fernandes has hardly had any opportunity to show what he can do, but I have always doubted Sessegnon has the quality to succeed in the PL and stated so long before we bought him. I haven’t changed my mind since.
Niall etc – it’s going to take time – we need to get Sissoko, Sonny and HK10 back fit and firing. Then we need the new signings to bed in properly and get upto speed namely: N’Dombele, Sessegnon, Lo Celso, Fernandes and even Bergwijn. We need to make defensive signings in the summer especially and a back-up striker. Then we need it all to gel and come together – so we need time for that to happen and some patience.
I think next season could see us back among the top 4 and challenging but for that I feel we vitally need some defensive signings. At a minimum a new RB and a LCB – can’t stress this enough. We’re constantly going with Aurier at RB without competition/change and at LCB where Vert’s now appears to be finished we have to make do with make-shift alternatives namely Davy, etc. Even at LB we’re now constantly playing Davies without alternative and have lost 3 of his 4 matches since returning. We’re at bare bones in defence and attack and it ain’t good enough for a club of our stature – but no point in not being patient now – we’re safe from relegation on the magic 40 points so anything now for this season will be a massive bonus and we need to start thinking about next season and making those crucial transfers.
Technically I know there’s still everything to play for in the Prem, CL and FA Cup but I reckon we’ll fall short in everything at the moment as the defensive base just ain’t there to mount a sustained challenge for anything – we can’t buy a clean sheet – not that it appears we could afford one anyway lol – like I say patience is going to be required, atleast we’re safe from relegation so thank fcuk for small mercies or big one’s as the case maybe.
IN terms of the squad:
Lloris
? Toby ? Davies
Winks N’Dombele
Lo Celso Dele Sonny
HK10
Gazza
Aurier Dier Davy Sessegnon
Sissoko Fernandes
Moura Lamela Berwijn
?
The ? is where I feel we need new players desperately. I have not included Foyth, Tanganga, Skipp and Parrott as I feel these could do with/may well be going out on loan, even Sessegnon but I have included him.
KWP and Rose and Verts and Wanyama I expect to leave so not included.
If we can add 3 crucial signings in the summer I feel we would be right back up there challenging top 4, as it is though with such defensive frailities and no back-up for HK10 think we could be in trouble again for next season – we simply cannot rely solely on Toby/Davy in defence and HK10 in attack for the duration of a whole season – it’s ridiculous and needs addressing ASAP.
TQ – God help us if Foster and Smalling are what we are looking at for the summer – I read bbc gossip everyday aswell and it does not make for good reading at the moment. We need 3 players in the summer minimum: RB, LCB and a STR – there’s no getting away from it and I know you agree aswell as I have seen you repeatedly commenting on it also.
What do people make of my spider team’s and suggested transfer positions for the summer?
TQ2Spurs – By all accounts at the time, Levy apparently broke a number of self-imposed rules to sign Jose Mourinho, a manager he had long admired and had tried to get in the past, without success. There is no guarantee that he would have been willing to make the same sacrifices for any other manager out there.
Hence my comment about how any manager in the world, Mourinho included, would have had some reluctance in taking the job, but Levy offering reassurances to Mourinho specifically, which he may not have afforded others.
With this being said, given how the first few months have gone, Mourinho’s rather public recent complaints about how thin his squad is, and the failed pursuits of several targets in January (Piatek come to mind), you have to wonder whether Levy is actually delivering on his promises. Mourinho’s public comments invite speculation.
None of us know what’s going on behind the scenes, but it certainly could be interpreted as Jose already complaining that Levy isn’t doing what he said he would during the job interview.
It’s all speculation of course, but quite a plausible explanation. And if true, how could anyone side with Levy?
As for your comment about “an assumption in the way you think the club operates in terms of how much control Levy delegates to the manager”… MP once said he should be referred to as “head coach and not manager” because of the amount of control Levy has. Before that, AVB made rather telling comments about it too, and Redknapp’s quotes are all over the internet. How much of a stretch is that comment, in your opinion? I am all for arguing different points of view, but to question whether Levy affords lots of control to managers is a bit pointless and arguing for arguing’s sake.
jod – I think your take of “it all comes down to how much cash the club has” is far too simplistic. Clubs like Man U have operated on loans for decades.
I think a fairer statement is “it depends on how much of a club’s revenues the board is willing to reinvest in the playing squad”. And according to Deloitte, on that metric we rank amongst the bottom feeders, or dead last, in the PL each year. Until that changes, we’ll always struggle to attract top players in their prime.
I really don’t know why people want JM out !! Who are you going to appoint in his place ?
I keep going on about losing Harry Sonny and Sissoko .
JM was just getting going when those problems happened .
He has had to reorganise mid season. Yes perhaps with his experience we ought to see better but he has had to re organise the team mid season and compared with the Everton guy who has not had injuries to c ontend with he has been doing ok .
Let’s see how we get on vs Norwich which will give us a better take on where we are at !!