With Tottenham Hotspur putting in two poor performances against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea side in our EFL Cup semi-final defeat earlier on this month, no doubt manager Antonio Conte would love a dose of revenge as we make the trip to Stamford Bridge this coming Sunday.
Confidence and spirits should’ve been massively boosted given the dominance we showed over Leicester City in midweek, particularly the euphoria that would’ve come from the manner of our late victory with Steven Bergwijn’s Stoppage time brace.
Covid permitting, Chelsea should only be without Reece James (injury), Trevoh Chalobah (injury), Edouard Mendy (AFCON), Andreas Christensen (Covid) and Ben Chilwell.
Spurs’ own injury situation has eased with the players who have now returned, and it shouldn’t be too long before we have Son Heung-Min, Eric Dier and Cristian Romero back in contention either.
What Sunday actually brings though is open to debate. More recently in the league we edge ahead in the form guide for the last five and Chelsea have struggled, but whether we’ll perform in a way that sees us take advantage will only be truly known at the full time whistle.
Cross everything, as a positive result here really means we can take advantage of our games in hand.
Yep Allan. Typical Levy. Always trying to do business on the cheap.
By the way, Conte has stated that we need a strong injection of decent players. As I have said, we could lose 5 or 6 and sign 3 just to give the squad and fans a much needed boost.
However, Levy obviously hasn’t got the message. I hope Conte is not too disillusioned.
AT is on the way, beep beep
Allan, there are all kinds of contradictory stories around Traore and Spurs. And it all comes out from Sky Sport. But the only actual quotes from anyone involved have been from his manager. Who has clearly stated that he wants to keep Adama. So what do we beleive?
The most recent gossip states that we are now very close to signing him. But for how much? The gossip from Sky is mostly nonsense, most of the time. We see this time and again during TW’s. Who actually knows the truth of any negotiations that may or may not be going on? I don’t. Therefore I will take no notice until it happens. If indeed it does happen…
But let’s say that it’s true that Wolves want £20 + million for him and that we have offered £15m. Should we offer what we think his worth is, or simply pay whatever Wolves are asking for him? Why didn’t City just cough up the £150m we were apparently asking for Kane?
Anyway, if we do want him and he wants Spurs; and we get him. Then it’s all good. If not, then so what?
Personally, I don’t think we need him. But if Paratici and Conte do want him and get him, I bow to their better judgement. But if he fails, do we then blame Levy or those two. Do we eventually get to say; “What a bargain!” Or “What a waste of money!” ?
Anyway, back to this game on Sunday. I see that Dier is available to play. This much improves our chances of a possible win in my opinion. As jod has said; I think we have missed him a lot in our defence. He has had a very good season. I think he is a crucial player for us in a back three.
And, I’m also pleased to see that Hugo has signed a 2 year extension to his contract. I think he has got even better in the past couple of seasons and is now in his goalkeeping prime.
Here’s a question: Who is a best bet as our 1st choice wing-back? Royal, Doherty or Troare? Or someone else alltogether? 🙂
Tariq Lamptey would be our best right wing back.
Right wing-back!
Lamptey looks good for Brighton, going to spurs ora top 6 team is a big step for him extra added pressure. Can he handle it nobody knows, ask united with wan basaka, great for palce and got his big move looks average now.
Someone else altogether. 😉
Re Doherty
I see him and just think Sissoko, powerful loads of energy big unit, but with the ball at his feet OMG and not in a good way, I thought on paper, like Rodon he was, a good signing and he’s technically from the home nations like Rodon so I do have a soft spot for “our own” players.
He is improving, I wonder did the early COVID do for him last year, with that said bags of energy, but is it enough???
Of course there is no shame in losing to much better financed clubs, in fact it is so much sweeter when we beat them. What I can’t abide is abject surrender of the type we saw against the Arse and City in the cup final. Is the problem team organisation, individual player character, or their technical competence? Some of our less fancied players stood up against Leicester which was great to see but it is consistency that we need, especially when put under pressure. That is when technique counts and I fear too many of our squad can’t handle the pressure. Players like Modric, Dembele and Eriksen take the pressure of others with their ability to give them time and space with control and precision. We lack that now. Interesting though that we were so much better mid week when Harry’s touch and control was so much improved than of late. That really helped.
Latest report on Traore, Spurs offered £20m with £2.75m add on, Wolves have accepted, now personnel terms to be agreed.
Tomorrow lets get at em, that is in their faces, the last 2 times we played em we lay off em to much, giving them to much respect or fear if you like, and thus allowed them to play their game.
Even with all their play, they did not make many clear cut chances, if any against us, so we stand strong, we can win this, it will be tight, Spurs are coming after you Chavskis. COYS
HT Fully appreciate your comments .However I still feel that Levy is showing disrespect for the player ‘ s price especially when you compare what we paid for Emerson !
I am surprised if many chairmen enjoy dealing with Levy . Even when he pays good money for a player he gets it wrong many more times than he gets it right .
I would welcome Traore since I think that Conte will make him a good player for us and he has to be an improvement on Emerson and Doherty having a combined transfer figure of over £ 36 mill when they were bought !!
Worst possible result at OT. That takes Spam out of the race imo but emboldens MU, the main threat to us. Just look at the subs they were able to bring on.
If Traore is to be a right wing-back under Conte, (as is being speculated upon), and either compete with, or take the place of Doherty; The irony is that in Matt’s final 4 seasons at Wolves, he scored 24 goals for them as a wing-back. Traore, as an attacker and now in his 4th season at Wolves, has scored a total of just 11 goals…
It also occurs to me that Adama is not really known for tracking back and defending that much.
I suppose that we’ll just have to wait and see how Conte does indeed intend to use him and how he can hopefully improve on his all round game.
As I write this, Adama has just gone on as a late sub in the Wolves v Brentford game…
If you are soon to be a Spur mate; please don’t get injured.
Why is it disrespecting the player? The club have come to a valuation so anything we pay over that potentially means we are overpaying.
Traore’s record since coming to England six and a half years ago credits him with 33goals and just 17 assists in 243 games over that time, not particularly good for someone with his pace who supposedly frightens the shite out of defences.
I will be happy to be proved wrong when/if he joins us but won’t hold my breath.
What I like about Traore is that he is an exciting footballer with great skills and speed. I would pay to watch him.play and bring some excitement to our football which we ate sadly lacking with the exception of Son.
Our football tends to be workmanlike at best and I rarely jump out of my seat ( dodgy knees don’t help!) Although Mura’s recent goal was special.
I strongly believe that football is entertainment. Which players stand out in your memory? Many of our present squad will be easily forgotten.
Being able to run very fast with a football at yer feet is vastly overated…
When Usain Bolt retired from the athletics track, he seriously fancied himself as a pro-footballer… I watched him play a couple of times. On the wing of course and running very fast. He just kept falling over himself or the ball, when attempting to either cross or pass.
It’s not as easy as it looks, is it Usain?… Traore knows this!
Only one of these two speed merchants has any gold medals to boast about.
And Spurs ain’t got no running track, anyway!
I don’t agree with you, HT. Providing you’ve been brought up to play football and have acquired all the basic skills, speed is an amazing advantage for a striker.
Talking of goal-scoring right wing-backs. KWP has scored an early goal for the Saints to give them the lead v Man City.
I can’t see that lead lasting!
KWP? We could do with him back at the club right now!
Great goal as well HT!
Dilan Markanday pulls a hamstring on first game for Blackburn. Out for the season.
Hi Geof, That post about running fast with the ball was tounge in cheek.
It was more to do with having a dig at Traore for not having enough skill and footballing intelligence beyond running fast with the ball. And, Adama is no “striker” anyway…
He can do the tricks and flicks. He is strong. And he is fast. But, he so often ends up in a dead end at the end of it all. With his team mates and supporters thinking: “Why didn’t you pass?” Why didn’t you cross?” He doesn’t seem to know when to release the ball. A player can run at pace past half a team and yet end up nowhere fast. That’s so often Traore imo. Whereas a quick one-two and a clever through ball can get you there quicker and beyond a defence in a blink of the eye. And often, with a better end result.
Last night, I chose to watch about 20 minutes worth of Traore’s Wolves’ highlights. His best bits so to speak. 3 different videos on YouTube and a lot of the same bits in each. I can’t say that he was that impressive at all. He would frutsrate the hell out of me playing for Spurs the way he has done for Wolves… And he hasn’t even been a first choice player for them in most matches this season. A team that doesn’t seem to have needed him that much in recent matches, given their current PL standing. Their recent form is even better than Spurs’ form right now without him in the starting side, for most of this time.
He is greedy with the ball and doesn’t know when to give it up. He will run and dribble past half a team and nothing comes from it. Most of the time.
Anyway, it seems he will be a Spur within the next week; so I hope he can improve. And improve quickly. And I will support him as I do the rest of our players.
Today’s Line-Up?
Hugo
Sanchez Dier Davies
Doherty Skipp Winks Hojbjerg Reguillon
Bergwijn Kane
I don’t disagree with the comments ref Traore and have reservations myself but with Conte behind him you never know
I think that my point has been missed ref Levy late low bid and an upgrade on what we have and wasted money on Doherty and Emerson
Whatever Doherty’s figures were before he joined us he has been pretty poor since
It is now being reported that the transfer fee could be £29 m +. add ons for Traore
If Levy had offered something near then Traoré night be a Spur by now
I would be mightily disappointed (putting it mildly) if we were to pay anything like £29m for a player who can’t even command a regular starting place for a mid-table side.
I have watched some of Traore’s videos and he has scored some fantastic goals shooting with BOTH feet.
There is a touch of Gazza the way he bursts forward and speeds past defenders with his strength.
I,for one, would pay to watch him play if he can reproduce the form under Conte. Conte seems to be working well with Winks, Bergweijn and Doherty. Pity he cannot turn the mercurial Dele around. He has lost out with the talented N’Dombele and lots of work to do with Lo Celso ( 1 goal in 50 matches).
Come on Spurs, time to inject some flair and excitement into our play. We can be solid but we need some extra talent and skill to move us forward and create the chances for goals.