I think probably the less said about Tottenham Hotspur’s trip to the Library to face Arsenal in the North London Derby at the weekend is probably for the better, so let’s quickly turn our attentions towards NS Mura in Thursday’s Group G Europa Conference League clash.
We will undoubtedly see plenty of rotation again under head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, as despite growing calls for a change, I don’t see the club pulling the rug just yet, but pressure is undoubtedly growing and of more concern than the results of late, the performances are chalk and cheese to what we know this squad is capable of…even if we all accept we need significant improvement.
I know absolutely nothing about our next opponents other than what I’ve read on Wikipedia but with no disrespect meant, a Slovenian side with a Stadium capacity of circa 5500 leaves me thinking of a backwater club that will be physical and competitively ugly. Everything says it should be an easy victory but these are exactly the kind of European games that catch sides out and leave players not enjoying the trip.
This is another behind the settee game in my book, but we surely can’t lose again…can we?
Why do we have such obvious problems with the spacing on the pitch? Are the players so alienated from one another that they’re not willing to come close to another player on the same team? Too much open space into which the opposition is running and receiving the ball without challenge. This is atrociously non professional play.
Team tactics by the manager perhaps ?
“You stand there, you stand here, you stand way over there. Look lively”. Perhaps ?
Apparently (Newspaper talk ? ) Potter turned Levy down , when offered the job , for professional reasons .
Having seen the mess Levy made of appointing Jose’s successor and apparently players not wanting to come to the club because of Levy is worrying . The list could go on .
These are just two examples of Levy mismanaging the playing side of the club . Why does he still have the job ?
Very true TK, play players who see willing to give all, rather then the fear of dropping someone, etc. Enough is enough, as you say if he wants to save his job either the bad apples turn good, or have the balls to drop them and earn respect.
HT – I think the reason why Kane wasn’t on the receiving end of those crosses and through balls, played into attacking areas/the box, with Harry has been nowhere to be seen, is because that’s what the manager was asking of him.
With Eriksen gone, Kane is probably the best passer of the ball in the team, as his performances proved last year (top playmaker to go along with the GB).
He can’t be both playing the passes and getting on the end of them.
Rightly or wrongly (mostly wrongly IMO), JM and Nuno seem to want him to operate deeper, which is due to impact his presence in the opposition’s box.
Personally, I have always felt that strikers arethere to score, regardless of workload. It’s why I rate KAne – the work rate is a nice bonus. It’s why I never rated Soldado, while you afforded him far more credit at the time than he deserved, IMO.
Personally, I think the real question isn’t whether Kane should be dropped – it’s why Nuno can’t get him to play for him. Kane’s quality cannot be doubted, so I would much rather see our efforts dedicated to getting him back on track, than looking for ways to replace his contributions with him on the bench.
Perhaps the way to get Kane back to playing like Kane is to sit him for a while. Even mythical heros need a boot in the backside at times.
BS …. I was about to make a similar comment, ie, only Kane seems capable of putting a ball through a defence for him to run on to. If only he could be in two places at once. At the moment he is drifting between two crucial positions with no satisfactory outcome from either. Anyway it is what it is and we now have a European game to worry about.
If kane was to play deep etc play him there but buy a striker ffs. We seem to be all over the place, tactically mentally etc. Forget the wingers as it’s clearly not working,
3 at the back
2 wing backs
2 holding MF
1 AM behind 2 upfront
Thats just it isn’t it. Harry plays where the manager wants him to play. Being a striker he doesn’t want to play deep but for the betterment of the team he does. Get it ?
We all know that Harry likes to drop deep. He’s been doing it for a long time now. He was doing it during Pochettino’s time and has been ever since. But he is still a striker. He gets put up top and central by Nuno in a front 3… (Some may still call this a centre forward position).
Harry drops deep! So what has that got to do with not playing well? Nothing! Harry drops deep because he chooses to drop deep. He has said this loud and clearly himself. He fancies himself as a playmaker…
But, Harry is still a striker! Not a midfielder! LOL!
We all DON”T know if Harry likes to drop deep. He has been doing it but it doesn’t mean that he waywardly wants to. A centre forward playing 4-3-3 is different from a centre froward playing 4-5-1. All will say they are centre forwards in duty and position.
If Harry fancies himself the goalie and is faffing about like you perceive him to be, then the cure comes from the person we pay to remedy the situation. If he is demoralized, has a dip in form, tools down or plain spiteful towards the fan base and is throwing the toys out, it is the managers job to rectify it. Harry the “midfielder” was well received and not remedied by MP, JM and now Nuno. Hmm, might it be they know something we don’t about the team around Harry.
I know that Harry likes to drop deep because he said it. I watched him say it to Gary Neville in his interview with him earlier this year. He told Gary that he has always liked to “drop” as he called it. He also said that he had discussed doing it even more so, with Jose last season. Which he did to great effect.
I’ve no problem with Harry dropping deep. I have a problem with him not being in attack when he is needed. Or not showing much energy or fight when he is in and around the oppositions penalty area.
Versus Arsenal Harry played a lot of the game closer to their goal than ours. What I saw was no real effort as the more advanced player for most of the game that day.
Yes, he did say that but what else could he have said in that instance ? When you are put in front of a camera and the host is lauding and leading you with the questions, could he have said anything else that is not PC ?
Yes, you do have a problem with Harry dropping deep. Its why he isn’t all blood and thunder enough for you. He can’t be in two place at the same time.
True he was the most advanced player but where was the service into him ? How many through balls did Harry get in that game ? Freekicks in and around the box ? Corners he could have exploited ? You saw no real effort, I saw poor tactics/game plan.
For the record Arky, I’ve not said any of those things about Harry, that you say in your second paragraph.
No you didn’t, it was I making a point. Actions speak louder than words, Hot Tottingham. You defend those whom seem to trafficking in those notions. Ergo lets punish Harry by sitting him.
I agree 123…
If Harry is now a midfielder, then we should then maybe stick Scarlett up top as a striker. And Harry can feed him from the halfway line.
Hugo
Tanganga Sanchez Dier Reguilon
Hojbjerg Harry Skipp
Son Dele
Scarlett
Or any formation that sees Harry not as a striker! LOL
Might as well be with the number of assist Harry had last season. What like 34 ? Best playmaker ? Shiet for a striker uh ?
I haven’t been talking about last season. I’m talking about this one. Last season is done and dusted.
Harry may well be a Spurs star all over again for Spurs and break more records. But for now, I’m not convinced that he is trying hard enough. I haven’t a clue why.
Everyone that has been a pundit watching Harry recently, all top ex-pro footballers, are saying the same…
Last season is done and dusted, fine but the facts stay. Harry was/is GB winner and best playmaker in the same season, hence the asking price.
You think again that he isn’t trying hard enough, I think he is being poorly managed. If Messi was in our squad there’d be a section of us saying that he doesn’t run around enough.
Pundits ? The same ones that were cooing for Harry to leave for a bigger club ?
Hi folks
Notice we’re still on about HK then this is like an episode of Dallas or Dynasty, perhaps we should call it Travisty.
However, I’m much in accord with HT here, I’m not going into my reasonings yet again, but for sometime now, not just this season, for me Kane has just been a little off the boil this has (for me) become more evident, I know there are those who will point to the GB last season., but as, I said, earlier its not just about goals, there is something in his body language, something unhappy (I think).
He does drop back a bit in play and has done this in past seasons, hence my call for another striker in the T W who can play with him or can take his place when he may be in a bad run [now when would that happen].
I do feel there are those who do have a bit of a Kane bias, and for a time he had a bit of credit in the bank.
As I said HK is not the only problem at our team but there (for me) is an issue, whether its downing tools in a huff, lack of form or confidence, or consciously /subconsciously has left the club.
I don’t know but something is amiss.
I agree that we need a good striker and how many TWs have we as fans been urging levy to get someone . Who does he go for ? Vinnie , on loan !!!
He is the constant common denominator in football mismanagement putting us into the crisis we now find ourselves on the pitch .
This isn’t the first time this has occurred .
As long as he can organise successfully outside activities using the stadium and generate money for Enic then he will continue to keep his job .
A pity that the footballing side of the club has been allowed to disitergrate and it appears that some footballers / managers do not wish to join the club because of Levy .
Allan, ENIC owns the club. About 85%. ENIC is owned by Joe Lewis 70% and Levy 30% or thereabouts. Levy is going nowhere unless you buy him out.
In other words Levy is a part owner, not a hired hand.
Harry likes to play deep at times because he is a top footballer with a top brain. He can pass with both feet, long and short; he can beat players, he can hold the ball, he can cross the ball, he can find space and of course he can shoot.
Unfortunately we only have N’Dombele and the pathetic Lo Celso to fill the advance midfield role. It is not surprising that Harry tries to show them how to play.
On another note….Graham Potter has his Brighton side playing attractive passing football on a shoe string with no stars and a few has beens. Why did he turn down the glamorous Spurs. Hmmmm…Mr Levy what is your take?
Nuno will be gone soon.Nice bloke but Very poor fit.
I miss Harry. I loved the Harry we had. I’m depressed about the Harry we have. Come back home, Harry, for god’s sake, come home. Play like only Harry can play. But you’re not doing it now. Get out of the doldrums. It doesn’t suit you.
Come back to where you once came from. get back to where you once belonged. make music on the pitch. right now your play is out of pitch. flat. tune up, mate. find the harmony. find the rhythm. right now you’re a dancer tripping over your own feet. How does it feel? can you find your way home? waze, google maps, I don’t care how you find the right path, but come back to where you once belonged.
No doubt we will make Mura look like a UCL team.
Hi folks
I suppose there are those (like me) who feel that HK is not currently fulfilling potential, for what ever reason.
There are those who can see no issue with HK currently.
However we have a game in Slovenia coming up , and for me, I don’t want the likes of Kane, Sonny, Lucas etc traipsing across Europe for such a game, surely a much restricted team with Davies, Sess, Winks can at least do a job over there.
The main stream need to be at The stadium work out how to beat Villa.
To be honest, I have no real interest in this game. And, I wouldn’t be surprised if we struggle in it. I won’t be watching or listening to it.
I’m more concerned about what happens next in the PL. And how the team and Nuno respond to the last 3 PL defeats. But right now, versus Villa, I can see another loss coming up.
And if we can’t win this one?
For the record, I don’t think anyone is arguing that Harry is in top form currently. We may all have our opinions as to why that is, but we agree that he’s not exactly in a purple patch currently.
What some of us are arguing, however, is that the priority should be getting Kane back on track, not slating or dropping him. In saying that, I take TK’s point that sometimes, it’s the only way, but I think we’re not there yet, that doing so would cause more harm than good and that dropping him should be the absolute last resort.
Another thing we are is asking whether Nuno s the man capable of getting Kane back on track.
We are also asking if Harry Kane drops deep because that what he wants to do, and is just playing playground football and doing whatever he likes (seems hard to believe to me – I don’t think any PL player can just do what he likes on the pitch with complete disregard for instructions for very long, and get away with it), or if he is actually following instructions from managers in doing so.
Is Kane dropping deep because that’s not want he intrinsically wants to be doing, but recognises that this is what the team needs? In other words, doing something selflessly for the good of the team, because it gives us a greater chance of winning?
What I personally believe is that when Harry Kane looks at City, he must be salivating at the prospect of having playmakers such as Kevin De Bruyne providing him with countless good opportunities. I’m sure Harry would much rather focus on that role, and have amazing playmakers set him up, than have to do it all himself.
Saldly, we don’t have a KdB at Spurs, so Harry is having to do more to create chances for himself and others. That’s what I believe.
Another NLD in the women’s FA Cup tonight. Unlike the men’s game the gooners are hot favourites for this game as their team are on fire in the WSL right now, so no great expectation, but hey….nobody expected us to go to Manchester and beat City on their home ground.
It’s one thing for an out of form player to play him/herself back into form, it’s another for a de-motivated player to shake themselves out of their complacency and find inspiration to be at their best. It’s debatable which of these scenarios currently applies to Kane, maybe it’s a bit of both!
Apparently, Nuno is a dead man walking with Poch being tipped to return to Spurs next summer.
However, coach/manager is not the only problem. We have far too many ordinary players with only Son and Kane being world class. We need a massive clearout and some top signings to get us out of the doldrums. This season is a lost cause already. We are light years behind the top four teams who have top players in every position.
Levy where are you? Where have you been? What are you going to do? The fans await.
It’s interesting to see that City are having a real hit and miss season after losing in the CL final.
Is this tongue in cheek?
I personally can’t see too many misses when you’re 2nd and just one point off the toble of the table after 6 games, having the chance to go top of the table at the weekend, with the joint-best goal difference and having played Leicester, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea already.
If that is a low for them, the highs are scary.