Following on from Wednesday’s barnstorming FA Cup classic with Everton, Tottenham Hotspur will be holding some small hope of getting back to winning ways on Saturday as we make the trip up to in form table toppers, Manchester City.
Having played so often on a Sunday this season, many fans will be questioning why we didn’t at least get an extra 24 hours off this time, as with extra time on top, it was hardly the best preparation for this one, but we’ll just have to get on with it.
Pep Guardiola has a few injury concerns of his own, with the main one for us being Gareth Bale again but whether we get a slice of luck with either Sergio Reguilon or Serge Aurier and an earlier than expected return for them, well, manager Jose Mourinho’s press conference today will answer those questions.
Despite our 2-0 victory back at the end of November, City are a changed side now, so I imagine I’m not alone in hoping we at least take a point here.
I have finally lost my optimism, all gone, kaput etc, I do not care “how good” MC were/are we just didn’t show any real willing to fight/scrap/battle, or even try and make life hard for them, MC played like it was a training match or that it was a stroll in the park on Sunday for them, were we hypnotised or just plain “rabbits in headlamps”.
There is no pass n run, simple football, help an oppo out, look/want the ball, simple/basic passing, simply giving up to easily, no real tackling trying to win the ball back, there is nothing, then add to that panic.
I have said previously “that the players do not want to play for JM, and add to that the way he wants them to play”. I really do believe he has lost the changing room.
After the game, if that is what one can call it?, I had a long chat with an ex-pro footballer oppo of mine, I asked him what do you think is wrong at Tottenham Hotspur, he replied shortest version, “that he believed it started to go all wrong when JM was first appointed, as in some of the players had mates in other teams who had played under JM previously, the info/opinions they got from the mates set doubt into them straight away, but the Spurs contingent, players, then initially gave JM the benefit of the doubt, though slowly but surely the players began to see JM in the light that their mates portrayed of him, thus the situation we are witnessing now, he went on further to say there is fear to do in the players play, no confidence, nothing.
A lot more was said but I have written generally what was said to me. COYS
What can one say other than we are a mess .
Not sure where we go from here . Compared with even so called lesser teams we do not appear to play as a team .It appears that many players decide to dribble often into blind alleys rather than let the ball do the work . Obviously all teams consist of individuals but most play for each other and play as a unit . We don’t and look quite fragmented . We are badly missing a quality creative player to control our centre and attempt to make the team tick . . Ndombele is excellent but can’t do it on his own and doesn’t last more than 65 minutes .
PY
We did begin well under Mourinho and certainly thought that we might do something this season after what was considered a good TW by many .
However the wheels have come off recently and perhaps his abrasive style may have finally rubbed off onto the players producing poor performances . However although not a fan of JM has he had to deal with players who aren’t good enough or hasn’t been given sufficient funds to overhaul a side which was in serious decline in the final months of Pochs period in charge ?
Allan, agreed
We seem to have very poor movement off the ball.
As I said in one of our last threads, like we have diving boots on, and Ekkaboy boy said our build up is much too slow, Kane and Sonny are currently being marked out of the game , our tactic to give it to those two on the break has been found out, there are very vew goals coming from other areas, we haven’t got a settled defence, so as Spike Milligan used to say what are we going to do now.
I’m lost and deflated, not that I expected us to win, I just wanted a bit more fight.
None of the Man. C. goals were anything special and on form Lloris might have saved them all. However, Man. C totally controlled the game and we were pedestrian in comparison. Sterling petrified Davies and knocked his confidence even further….but he is only very average at the best of times. Thought Tanganga did ok. Good to see a little Cameo from Bale…pity he didn’t score. We do not have a leader on the pitch. Lloris has been a weak captain and does not encourage or kick a$$es. Hojbjerg tries to make up for two men and would be the obvious choice for skipper. Kane and Sonny still having to do too much. So worried that Kane will get injured yet again.
Worst problem is Levy appointed Mourinho without consulting the players and now its come back to bite him in the butt. Terrible, silly appointment that is ruining our club. Many Spurs fans were aware of his tactics and treatment of players. I did not want a dinosaur just to win a tin pot but a coach to lead us forwards and return to the attacking flair of a while ago. Will be so glad when this era is finally over. Just hope it is sooner rather than later.
Everything about our team is WRONG!
Body language.
Belief in own ability
Fear of doing wrong
No team ethics…below
No pass n move
No wanting the ball
No making themselves available
I could go on, but that’s enough for now.
Even if we win, by a fluke, the LC, will it mean anything? NO WAY!
MOANINASOROUS OUT. COYS
PY
Your last post 100% there, we have lost our way, it is an accumulation of issues we have all raised.
Too much spent on a new stadium, player recruitment suffered.
Our recruitment strategy, appears to be all wrong.
Was Jose the right man for Tottenham.
Did we hold on to some players for too long.
A hiatus from the 2018 world Cup, which affected our squad for the 2019 season and we havnt performed right since.
Is our policy, the Wenger policy, top four Europeean “money spinners” until the last 8 or 4 but no trophies.
Do some of our players think they are better than the truly are.
And do we as supporters think that, it seems for every player someone dislikes or criticises, some one else praises them.
There is still a malaise around this team, I can’t get what it is, it’s obvious JM has his “Favourites” if we look to selection and comments from him.
As I said it’s not yesterday’s result it’s our lack of fight and ambition against a team who were good but not brilliant.
All the malaise noted in the thread points to the fact that JM is beginning too lose the dressing room.
It’s far past the beginning. One must hope it’s close to the end.
PEH was kicked first by IG resultant of a misplaced overstep . The replays show it. IG dived and bought himself a penalty as soon as IG felt contact from a stumbling PEH. The ball had long gone when IG fell to the floor. With that standard of refereeing with VAR, PEH/we don’t stand a chance.
You don’t let the ball bounce. Rudimentary defence of route one tactic. Sanchez should have been drilled to hit the floor and embellish the nudge by IG. Or both Lloris and Sanchez should have cleaned out IG, even if IG ends up scoring.
Final rant, we can’t seem to press the opponents as a team in any coordinated way. And we have lost all manner of dealing with a press as a team too.
The only press of any interest to JM is a wine press. Let him go off on his own to drink the wine from the press. He’s of no use here.
Having seen most of the game on a stream, and slow mo penalty and goals, I agree city player dived, also the ball was over the byline anyway as he dived, so no penalty as ball was out of play…. Did VAR review show on screen? Lloris is worrying me me now, he is not catching the ball like he did before, or diving to stop, just putting his leg out. His arms should have deflected the penalty and one goal. Sanchez received a forearm to his chest to off balance him, and stumble looked bad… why wasnt toby playing, he would have defended that long ball better.
Yes we are too slow in passing, and need to control the ball, our players are frightened to take on any opposition player and run with the ball. Bale showed class in his one real close control effort, in how to beat players. Plain to see they are really lacking confidence now. Faster running passing and fight is needed, Lamela and hoj. are the 2 who did this yesterday, but lamela has a red card waiting for him very soon.
Niall, some GKs would improve with the ingestion of magic shrooms. lol
PY
your pro friend has got it right. it all went wrong when JM was appointed. The world has sussed him out. He brings negativity, and winning requires positivity.
Niall, we’ll not have much fight in us while this abomination remains as manager. I became depressed in anticipation of this the moment I read that DL hired the git.
The only press of any interest to JM is a wine press. Let him go off on his own to drink the wine from the press. He’s of no use here.
Lamela’s emotions follow from the misery of playing negative JM style football. The red card he will earn will be the result of his playing on a team that follows the miserable ways of its manager.
TK
To be honest I’ve run out of quips, comments, complaints, and criticisms.
We can’t do it against”the top”clubs we’re barely doing it against the lower placed clubs.
Players look to be” hamstrung “by tactics think on it other than Kane, Sonny, Lloris, Hoj maybe N’Dombers, no one can say” I’m playing next week for sure, players are dropping in and out of favour daily you’re 1 mistake from a public shaming, surely this type of management can’t go on.
We need a really good and I mean good 14 players to play every week with another 5 decent squad players, to come in as required, we currently don’t have that. Look at Man C without their best midfielder and goalscorer, you’d barely know it, Kompany is but a memory.
We have about 6 good players, the rest are bang average
Block
That is one of the problems that some of the players do dribble too often running into traffic trying to beat that extra man but then conceding possession and inviting pressure . Yes Bale produced a magic moment but failed to score so he can have as many pretty moments as ha lkes but get an end result please . I also felt that he did little if anything for the team in an energenic way .
There is too much dribbling with no end and not enough passing the ball to team mates
NIall, I agree with just about everything in your most recent comment. The present state of the club is awful and there are no signs that it might improve soon. We are in the wrong place and heading in the wrong directlion. I’ll grant that Citeh has a far better budget than do we to build its club. but what has been brought in to Spurs with its budget for player and manager acquisition has not been well spent. The club has been sinking and I’ve a sinking feeling in my gut.