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.
wentworth – N’Dombele will never “turn a corner”. He will continue to follow good games with bad games and every time he has a good game people like you will proclaim he has changed. In reality he is what he is . The trouble is for a team to challenge for trophies one essential is players who can perform at a consistent level.
This 2nd rung Euro cup is the perfect opportunity to play the non starting 11. If they’re not good enough to beat the teams in this competition then it really shows the weakness of our depth. Yes they don’t play together in games but surely they run drills, scrimmage amongst each-other on the practice pitch. The coach is there to provide them tactics to play as a unit which they clearly didn’t do. Digging in and winning the ball in 50-50 situations is the player’s responsibility and they came up dreadfully short in those individual battles. So blame IMO goes to the entire situation. Levy and the inefficient recruitment of players, a lack of managerial tactics and not subbing overrun players off the pitch. Putting in the young players on the bench couldn’t of gone any worse than what the midfield players on the field were doing.
Arky – Let me guess, you are trying to blame the manager for the players being crap without actually spelling it
out ? Given the gap in quality between the two teams there is no excuse for the players lack of application and effort , but some fans will always try and make one though given what they are paid I don’t understand why.
Hello Jod, the players aren’t that “crap” individually. The coaching by the manager has put out eleven players who performed as a sub standard team. Lacking in cohesion or the inability to achieve it on the field. For many a game now. First eleven or second eleven, the proof was on display on the field.
The gap in the quality of individuals from the teams is what you are hanging your hat on ? I think the unit that functioned better collectively as a team won yesterday. Team tactics, e.g. Vitesse players falling over at the slightest. Right or wrong, still team tactic. What tactic did we employ yesterday? What pattern of play did the players fail to apply ?
Also Jod, I was doing me best to “Howl my whisht ”.
DrDrums11, “Digging in and winning the ball in 50-50 situations is the player’s responsibility and they came up dreadfully short in those individual battles.” Did you not see the referee with his keen yellow cards ? Two gets you sent off. Tactics from the other teams ? What was our reply to a “homer” ref ?
Arky, I agree the diving tactics of the opposition were ugly. But regardless of the referees weakness to fall for it, I still think our midfield was beaten handily in winning the ball. The superior player gets to ball first and wins it. Winks , Dele and the rest of them were just terrible in those situations. I do believe Nuno failed by not replacing anyone in the midfield yesterday.
jod, I see N’Dombele as a top midfielder oozing skills. I am confident he will step up and maintain his top level play. He is our only attacking midfielder. He has to. Our “reserves” showed last night how poor they are and we have no youngsters as yet.
Also we have a coach/manager who looks lost and seems unable to motivate/encourage the team he has selected. On paper, our team of mainly internationals looked as though they could win but we were never in the game and one shot on target is a disgrace.
We seem to pick captains for their loyalty rather than their willingness to drive the team forward (Davies and Lloris are prime examples of silent captains). So we have no one (coach or captain) encouraging or should I say bo11ocking the players who are strolling around and passing sideways and backwards.
I think we are currently in a very bad place. Sixth choice manager, poor transfer buys, no decent youngsters, very weak back up players and a chairman who seems unable to attract top players/ coach to the club.
Drdrums11, my point is that we saw a ploy/tactic by Vitesse. We had NONE.
Drdrims11, sorry about the shouty bit at the end there, didn’t mean for it it to come out like that. We had NUNO, there fixed it. 🙂
I have more respect for the farmers I know (and I know quite a few in Brazil) than I do for most people I know from the professional classes in North America and the UK. I’m unclear about how calling someone a farmer can be considered an insult.
Wearing football boots when farming? Now that would be cause to toss a few insults.
I’m with BS on this one: I’d rather go another year without a trophy than to win this one. This competition is like the ones that give every kindergarten student a medal for participating.
But I’d like to see us advance a bit if for no reason than the opportunity to train a few players who need the training.
jod …. I agree with your comment to WW in regard to N’Dombele. I think the same applies to Dele as well. Nobody ‘turns a corner’ after one or two games …. they are still on the straight and the corner is not even in sight.
Good debate there folks
Yep we were poor, team selection, ref blunders, poor performance as, a team, as individuals, poor tactics, all of the above.
Arky “Howl yer wish” ye were actually “suckin Diesel” , the way you went off on one there m8. 😉