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Match Thread – Spurs Look To Vitesse After Impressive Newcastle Comeback

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Few Tottenham Hotspur fans would’ve foreseen the start (or the end) we had against a poor Newcastle United side last weekend, but finding ourselves 1-0 down in the opening two minutes, the team woke up and whilst it wasn’t a vintage showing, goals from Tanguy Ndombele, Harry Kane and Sonny did the trick for all three points. Fortunately, Eric Dier’s ridiculous late own goal shouldn’t dampen spirits as we head towards the midweek Europa Conference League clash with Vitesse.

Thursday sees us at the halfway stage in our Group G battle and Nuno Espirito Santo will be determined to protect our unbeaten record, so on current form, that upcoming game will be the Group decider.

Nuno will inevitably rotate the starting lineup again to try and keep players fresh, but Vitesse could be our fourth straight win since the Arsenal disaster and that’s been the necessary response even if performances can still improve.

Get Thursday out the way, then it’s West Ham, Burnley and Manchester United and there’s every chance we can move through October unbeaten.

Vitesse

Win

Draw

Lose


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  • Niall D says:

    Danny thanks for the thread.
    I find this in reality an unwelcome distraction, but I hope we get a few squad players, a run out for this game, they seem to be, a decent enough side, and at least I didn’t need to google who they were.
    But I do want a result, but for the squad players to get a run out.

  • TQ2Spurs says:

    I think the lack of substitutions on Sunday suggests a pretty much ‘alternative’ 11 on Thursday so expect to see the following starting line-up:

    Gollini, Doherty,Sanchez, Rodon, Davies, Winks, Lo Celso, Bergwijn, Dele, Gil, Scarlett.

  • TQ2Spurs says:

    Vitesse are in a similar position to ourselves, they sit sixth in their league with 5 wins from 9 games but have only scored 9 goals and have conceded 15 so they don’t appear to have much of a goal threat. Probably means they will find their shooting boots and have a rock solid defence when we play them! :- )

  • BelgianSpur says:

    I’d be happy with that 11 TQ2Spurs.

    As a side note, have you read about the trouble that Vitesse fans had at the weekend? They were away at NEC and the stand they were in collapsed. Thankfully nobody was injured but that has to be traumatic.

  • TQ2Spurs says:

    Hi BS….yes I did hear a report on the radio while I was motorway driving so wasn’t fully concentrated on what they were saying, I’m pretty sure the reporter said it was at Vitesse’s own stadium so immediately thought it might affect the game on Thursday but I guess either I mis-heard or they got it wrong.

  • TQ2Spurs says:

    The gooners got lucky with a last minute equalizer against Palace last night, can’t see it being too long before they attempt to poach Viera and sack Arteta if successful.

  • BelgianSpur says:

    I remember how up in arms some posters were after our “bad day at the office” at the Emirates. As I said at the time, there’s no point over reacting to one bad result just because it’s Arsenal.

    A couple of games later and we are 4 points clear of them, in the top 6, while they are in the bottom half. Anything can happen over the course of one game, especially a derby. Since, they have gone back to being the same mediocre/flawed team they were, and we have started to show a bit more quality.

    Another reminder that these derbies are often overblown and are very poor indicators of actual form.

    (And despite the better results recently, I’m still not sure Nuno is the right man for us long term, but that is irrespective of that result against Arsenal and another story altogether).

  • TQ2Spurs says:

    BS…I think supporters were well within their rights to be upset or ‘up in arms’ at our performance at the Emirates.

    Whether it was a bad day or otherwise you would expect our highly paid players to find the motivation and desire to give our noisy neighbours a good game but what we witnessed was nothing short of an apparent indifference and capitulation on the part of the players, or at least a good number of them.

    We showed a good deal of fight and passion against Villa so why were they not able to do it in a game they know matters so much to the fans? I can only assume it comes back to the ‘Spursy’ performances where we show a weakness of character when put under pressure to perform.

  • BelgianSpur says:

    Therein lies the problem, for me. 3 points is 3 points whether those points come at the Emirates or at home to Norwich.

    We can all rue a bad performance when we see one, but we should be upset at a bad performance (and celebrate a good one) regardless of the opponent. The fact that it was Arsenal doesn’t make it any worse, for me.

    The only reason why those games matter more to fans, is for bragging rights. As I said back then, I’d be perfectly happy to lose to them twice if we finish 10 points above them at the end of the season. Where are the bragging rights then?

    It’s a bit like West Ham celebrating “doing the treble” over Spurs one season, when they beat us twice in the league and once in the EFL Cup. They made t-shirts and all. At the end of the season they were almost relegated and we finished in the top 4. Where is the moral high ground? Who bought one of those t-shirts, and doesn’t it say more about the people who did?

    In any case, I think it’s a mistake to use fans’ perceptions as a compass for performance. Shouldn’t we expect players to give their all in every game they play for the club? If that’s the case, expecting them to find another gear just because “the game matters so much to the fans” is rendered pointless.

    The minute we let context decide how much effort should be put into a specific game, is the moment it will all have gone wrong, IMO. And if you are of the opinion that footballers are handsomely paid to play a game they love, shouldn’t we be entitled to expect maximum effort in every game, not just the ones that matter to the fans?

    • TK says:

      3 points is 3 points whether those points come at the Emirates or at home to Norwich?
      This is thinking like an accountant. lol.

      Sometimes it’s not the3 points but about penetrating up the arse an’ all.

  • TQ2Spurs says:

    That’s exactly the point BS……we should expect players to put in maximum effort regardless of form or who the opposition is, we just didn’t see that effort in the NLD.

  • Niall D says:

    Hi BS
    I was among those complaining re the performance that day, however it was down to a lack passion shown, I could for go (to a degree) the two previous results against Chelsea and indeed Palace, as I felt Palace only came good after a pen and a sending off, Chelsea were lucky with their 2nd goal coming off the hapless Dier and a last minute goal to make the result look better.
    However even our wins up to the Villa game we looked a bit 2nd best and in reality eeked out the results.
    So come the Arsenal game I thought we could’ve showed a bit more oomph, movement, creation, passion.
    Now we’re have been listed as the least mobile team in the Premier league coupled with our poor GD.
    I think the complaints from many of us at the time were just about right.
    Now I am hoping that since the Villa game we have hopefully got a team structure together with our strongest 11 actually singing from the same hymn sheet and actually working for the team rather than their own self interest and promotion.
    We are indeed within a win from top 3 if we can keep this upn, but currently I’m more in hope than expectation.

  • Hot Tottingham says:

    I know that Spurs were crap against Arsenal. And for me to say that they were awful versus Arsenal, is simply because they were indeed awful against Arsenal. I thought we also crap in the other games that we’ve lost this season. Against teams that were not Arsenal! LOL! ……………………

    I believe that at least 99.5% of all football supporters are human beings. (It’s true!) Human beings that are emotional creatures. Passionate so n so’s. Extremely proud of the football club they follow, and mostly, overwhelmingly biased toward the football club that they support. And, the whole world over, in football, as in all sport, local rivalries (local derbies), always have more meaning, to most. And have extra added spice. A more exaggerated edge. And are traditionally seen to be more hard-fought and tougher in general, regardless of each teams current form or league standing. This is not by any means unusual. And, is perfectly understandable. Especially if you are one who has been born and/or brought up within the locality of that local rivalry. And perhaps have friends, work colleagues or family members who are supporters of your rival club.

    But, I suppose there is a very small percentage of supporters that have little or no passion for their chosen club and somehow have maybe failed to recognise any of this. Or, perhaps it’s because they are a long way from the locality of their chosen club. Or, from another country all together even? Such as yourself, BS?

    Yes, 3 points IS 3 points, whoever the opposition may be. A win or loss or draw ARE also the same outcomes that can be had in any match played, against any team. But, I think we all know that, don’t we?

    But ask a thousand football supporters from all around the PL, if their local derby rivalries means just that bit more to them, then the vast majority will say; “Why yes, of course it does! What a stupid question!”

    As far as WHU supporters having celebratory T-shirts made up. Good for them. It’s not really to be taken seriously. If you are a Hammer or a Spur! And, the poor loves need as much joy as they can muster anyway. What wiv having the serious misfortune of being from the shitty East End part of London that they are mostly from… and suchlike. Haha!

    Holloway Road is a dump! (Even though I was born on it!)

    Up the Tottenham High Road!

    AND

    Up the Spurs!

  • Stan Rosenthal says:

    As I said on the day that Arsenal result was mainly down to special factors as most of our results seem to be these days. Our starting eleven with Dele and N’Dombele in central midfield was woefully inadequate for a NLD against a team that was exceptionally up for this game and their three goals were well crafted and well taken. We were blitzed in that first half and sometimes you just have to give credit to the other team rather than dwell on the failings of our own players ( although Nuno had to take responsibility for the poor team selection and game plan). The special factors have worked in our favour in subsequent games, now that we have a more balanced shape to the team with Skipp and Højbjerg providing the solidity in midfield to allow N’Dombele tp play his more natural attacking role and those positive Covid tests which might have affected the Newcastle game proving to be negative. Special factors working against us can be overcome if our best team is in place and this proved to be the case against Newcastle where the home team fired up to an amazing degree by the crowd reaction to the Saudi takeover, scored a good early goal that could have swept us away. But because this time we had the right players on the field from the start Newcastle reverted to their usual form once we started dominating the play and scored those three excellent goals. The real test will come against the teams we will be playing over the next few weeks. If we do not pick up points with what I consider to be our best line up I think that will be the time for complaining about our performance.

  • Geofspurs says:

    The NLD is a competition within a competition (as are the other historical derbies). It has decades of history in it own right. For many supporters of both clubs it can never be a bad season if they win these two games. It lacks any kind of logic. It’s raw emotion. It has meaning. It’s football at its best and football at its worst. But it is football. I think.

  • Geofspurs says:

    Shiit …. Sorry HT. I should have read on before commenting. You’ve already said it, and much better than I did.

  • PompeyYid says:

    Stan….special factors, you could well be right there, even in the Gooner game, yes they wiped are arse in the 1st half, thus 3 gls for them, but in the 2nd whether they sat back or we were just a little bit more organised, thus scored 1, hit the woodwork twice and not winning a blatant penalty, all tells a story and them speciall factors.

    Now for the main thread topic v VA, simple! a win for us.

    Before I forget, thanks Danny for another excellent thread. COYS

  • Hot Tottingham says:

    With respect to you and indeed to all THFC fans Stan, a Spurs supporter can complain about a performance such as in the NLD as much as they like, whatever your personal opinion may be. Whatever the circumstances and excuses that you choose to point to, the bottom line is that we were bloody bad on the day. Simple!

    Besides, what you see as our best line-up v the Magpies, is not the same line-up that won us the first 3 PL matches. which included Man City, of course… 🙂

    Personally, I’d prefer a different line-up to the last one, in most matches. I would prefer Dele or Bergwijn to Moura for example. But the best line-up, is really just the one that wins on any given day, whoever the opposition. And, regardless of any “special factors” that any of us will care to mention.

    No doubt that if we had lost or drawn on Sunday, we could all find excuses for that, if we chose to. Romero and Royal playing in South America on Friday morning for example and no doubt with a little jet lag when returning. And with or without the exact same starting 11. Or Kane continuing his bad form, etc. And so on… Or Tanguy looking knackered after 60 mins. Blah, blah.

    But we won! 🙂 And Kane was good and Tanguy lasted the full 90+ mins! ETC…

    • Stan Rosenthal says:

      Just to point out that Moura was arguably the MotM against Newcastle and has shone in other recent games too

      And special factors are not necessarily excuses. They can be good reasons for a poor result unrelated to the performance of the players on the field.

  • BelgianSpur says:

    HT – I personally don’t buy the “distance” argument as I have never been drawn into the whole “derby” considerations, even with teams here in Belgium.

    For me, quite logically, the team with the most points in the table at the end of the season wins the title. It doesn’t matter against whom these points come from, pragmatically speaking. I just want Spurs to win as many games as possible, regardless of the opponent.

    I would take no solace in beating Arsenal twice if we were relegated, nor would I enjoy winning the PL any less if we’d lost both games against Arsenal. I don’t think that’s lack of passion (as fans can be very passionate about winning games regardless of the opponent). It’s just pragmatism.

    (As a side note, a thousand supporters around the world may all say the same thing about derbies, that still doesn’t mean they are right . The “strength in numbers” argument has flaws too…

    A famous French comedian called Coluche (he once ran for president in France) famously said: “Billions of flies do it every day – they can’t all be wrong. Let’s all eat sh*t!” 😉 ).

    Geof – Spurs vs. Everton is also a game with decades of history in its own right. That doesn’t give it any sentimental meaning. As you said, football at its best and at its worst.

  • Niall D says:

    Have to admit I’m mostly with ya there HT, as you know I live over in sunny NI and every other Dick here supports either Man U or Liverpool.
    So it’s almost a relief to see a Chelsea, W/Ham or Arsenal supporter.
    At least I know in their chosen team they haven’t just followed the crowd.
    But I must admit I thought our line up against Newcastle looked pretty good on the day at least.

  • Hot Tottingham says:

    BS, you nearly always use the argument about the majority not necessarily being correct. This of course can be so.

    But this is not about wrong or right. As Geof said, it’s not that logical or scientific. And I’ll say that logic has nothing to do with it at all anyway. It’s what’s in peoples hearts. It’s what will put a fire in their belly. It can be a major part of what will motivate their support for one local team and not the other.

    No one has to agree with this. There is no right or wrong with this. It is simply what it is, and for so many. If not yourself.

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