Following the disappointing defeat to Liverpool in midweek, Tottenham Hotspur’s confidence shouldn’t have been hit as we didn’t let ourselves down and with some proper officiating or a slice of luck in their box, we’d have taken a well deserved point and we’ll have to be at our best on Sunday as we face an in form Leicester City side.
Brendan Rodgers’ side are only a point behind us in the table as they are enjoying another good year themselves, but again there should be every confidence of taking all three points if we turn up and play how we know we can.
We also have the boost of Gareth Bale being back in training now, so he should come into manager Jose Mourinho’s thoughts for this one – albeit most likely off the bench. Erik Lamela and Japhet Tanganga remain unavailable for now.
This will be another tough tie and with both sides being potent on the counter attack, what actually happens in the game is anyone’s guess.
Leicester
Win
Draw
Lose
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Fora Mourinho! Vai Embora! José Out. Go Away! Boring footie might be acceptable while winning, but it’s not tolerable when losing. 6 points lost in a week. I could manage the team to this result without all the boredom that man brings to the pitch.
Jose can bemoan the poor performance but he sets the team up to play his way. Winning boring brings points and some are happy. Losing boring messes everyone up. We had 7 shots to Leicester’s 23. Aurier’s mad moment ruined the game and meant that half time in the dressing room must have been a nightmare. Jose does not seem to be able to motivate the players to show their true skills. In fact, flair players seem to be stifled. We get occasional glimpses of Son expressing himself. But what has happened to Moura, Bergwijn, Bale and of course the bullied Dele? Reguilon started with great promise but now seems to have shrunk into an old fashioned, defensive full back. What happened to the marauding Wolves wing back Doherty? Where is our midfielder who can shoot from distance? Why doesn’t Sissoko ever attempt to shoot? We now have a run of “easier”games starting with Stoke to put some attacking excitement into our play. No excuses. Football should be entertainment and is all about attacking and then scoring goals. Boring, defensive play is not the Spurs way.This is the first season I can remember turning off the game on several occasions. My partner asks “how did Spurs do?” My usual answer is “rubbish”.She then says “but you used to be full of praise in the past” Hmmmm. ” Certainly not with our present coach”.
ww …. That’s so true it hurts!! I don’t want another trophy if the cost is watching negative football week after week. I can’t see a PL title coming to the Lane any time soon. Our club motto has never been more meaningful.
Sissoko is mainly a defender now as is most of the team. Attacking is something of a luxury which runs the risk of leaving gaps in defence. So when they run upfield they probably think it’s enough to cross the ball and then get back in position. This is now habitual and until this mindset changes we can expect little attacking fluency and few shots on goal.
Thanks for your good wishes El Jefe btw.
It is the morning after that debarcle of a week sorry game yesterday, I am with HT here, there is a long way to go, and yes things can change dramatically, maybe yesterday for example even the past week could be a wake up call for the team and JM.
I am not going too defend JM (Just Marmite) here, but no battling, no movement off the ball, no keeping ones head, poor bloody passing and generally playing crap is not JM’s fault, his system maybe.
But the main thing I noticed yesterday was our defenders win the ball cleanly then pass it straight to one of the enemy, could that also be lack of movement/wanting the ball by teammates, so I got the impression it was a practice match of attack v defence lol! which obviously the defence lost.
Another thing that is bloody obvious that our way of playing has been sussed out, mark our no10 (HK) out of the game, Spurs are effed, this is what you get by having only one playmaker, also with HK being deeper is also negating his function as a worldie striker.
If all things go wrong over the next couple of weeks, we go down the ladder to 9th, merry Xmas Spurs.
Don’t forget there are always dark days before bright ones.
Ah well! it was a bad day at the office yesterday so onwards and upwards, my confidence is back. COYS
A bad day at the office for sure.
Much like I couldn’t fault the defeat at Anfield too much, this performance was far more worrying.
Were the players deflated after the Liverpool result? I don’t know. But this is the sort of game which will see the “S” word that HT doesn’t like thrown around…
It’s a hard one because yes, obviously Jose set us up to be very negative again, and it backfired. I won’t count the Liverpool game because I think we set up correctly then, but between Leicester and Palace, that’s now 2 recent results where the tactics have backfired.
This being said, nobody, Jose included, is asking Serge Aurier to “give away a s*** penalty with VAR”. Serge was the worst, but who really played well yesterday?
Tactics aside, I feel the players let themselves and their manager down more than anything.
Hopefully the kinder run of games get us back on track.
After our demolition of United, they were all but written off for the title. Yet a few weeks later they are right back in the mix. Similarly, if we go on a run we could be back in very quickly.
It’s time to react, but nothing too damaging has been done so far.
Let’s hope the Stoke match thread can be a bit more positive.
TQ …. Stoke are doing okay in the Championship so how will we play this one away from home …. defend and break, or go for it. I’m going to be really upset if we are tentative.
Hi, I think the team selection is going to be interesting, it’s likely to provide us with a clue to Jose’s intent in the competition and also to possible departures in January.
I believe a night in the Potteries is going to be squeaky bum time, I really do not think our lads like it up em, so to speak, bottle might just come into, but I am hoping I am wrong and we WIN! COYS
The main idea that JM has is that possession is dangerous. It usually leads to losing the ball to the other team. So, just let the other team have it in the first place so that you haven’t lost it to them. To dare is to be benched.
There is going to be rotation for sure due to the festive schedule, athough ours is a lot easier than some, so if the europa is anything to go by the performance is likely to be lacking in cohesion.
TQ, I think its a big mmmmm! situation lol! COYS
I’m going to have to do a HT and wait until the day after, before writing anything.
I will say I was right about those 3 games last week being pivotal and either moving us away from the pack or, putting us back in the mele.
We’ll we’re back in the pack.
With that said we are just about where I expected us to be at the start of the season.
The games on paper do come a bit easier now.
However much like BS said, whilst I could take to a degree the Liverpool result/performance.
It was the two against both Palace and Leicester which actually leave me fuming.
We seem bereft of midfield cohesiveness, skill, offensive play, we don’t have that guy in midfield to take charge and run the game.
I did watch LoCeslo try to play out of trouble at the back yesterday, but rather than him playing it out, it shouldve been a defensive player giving the ball to him further up the pitch.
As it was there was no one up there to play it to and this has been so often the issue.
When we defend well we have so many back there is no outlet.
But yesterday was just a debacle and showed a lot of the frailties in our team.
Leicester were crap, they really did nothing (think on it) it was a terrible game we gave em both goals, they were crap so what were we?
Even with those “easier” opponents how are we going to set up, what performance are we going to bring, I just thought we had turned a corner, it was obviously a dead end.
Any way
Seasons greetings to you all
I wish you all a happy, healthy, peaceful and safe Christmas.
Here’s to a big result against Stoke (ooohhh no a wet Wednesday at Stoke)
Lo Celso is the only one who looks like he wants to make something happen, I hope his injury isn’t too serious.