Not exactly fresh from our stomping 7-2 victory over Maccabi Haifa on Thursday night, Tottenham Hotspur are back in action on Sunday as we make the trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.
We can again expect changes from manager Jose Mourinho given our ridiculous fixture list but for a variety of reasons, I imagine we’ll go pretty strong against United, especially as we are then going into the October international break and aren’t back in action until the 17th of the month.
We then just pray that international managers show a bit more sense than usual when it comes to our players.
Going into the break, getting that second Premier League win of the 2020/21 campaign, you’d have to acknowledge it as a very good start to the year given the minutes played and the progression we have made in Europe and the EFL Cup.
We’d have all taken that kind of start when we realised how cramped our fixtures would be over this period and we might even have Son Heung-Min back on the bench which would be a further boost.
Manchester United...
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DH …. There wasn’t much ‘harrowing’ United in the second half. No need, we had the ball for most of it.
How often do 10 men lift their game to the point of drawing or even winning. Strangely, United just collapsed. At half time I think they lost the will to live …. on the park.
So, it’s the last few hours of the TW. And, it’s all to do with who may be leaving and not the usual supporter panic of who can we possibly get in at the last minute.
Ironically, the last time this happened with Spurs was when we sold Bale. We bought players in (the so called magnificent 7) before he had left. But, we knew he was going.
There may well be at least one more to come in. (Another shrewd loanee?). But apart from selling KWP and a few loans out. Who is to be sold?
I really hope it’s not Dele Alli…..
Warning!! I wrote an article about ten days ago. I submitted it this morning as I wanted to wait for the international break. Hopefully, it will appear soon.
Jod
Sometimes you can’t help it.
Re Hoj, no not off the peg.
But there are others of his type out there.
Kante, N’Didi, Fabinho, Henderson, Maitc(in his day).
What I was trying to get across was that Winks is NOT that type of player.He never will be.
For me anyway not in that position he doesn’t bring enough either going forward or defensively and doesn’t have that presence.
. He is a different type of player as I said the type to perhaps close a game off. Those are his strengths.
DH
Great last post there.
HT
Similarly I think you nailed it in your paragraph there re the style of play and the balance in the team.
Just enjoying the result(S),for all this week. A real Carlsberg weekend.
I suppose like some here we don’t have to like the manager but I respect what he is trying to do.
I feel now we are starting to become tactically more mature.
We’re getting a bit more “canny” look at Lamella, I’m not overly proud of it, but when you’re playing a team that will trip over a blade of grass to gain a pen.
Unfortunately that is the arena we are in.
But we had put em to the sword before the sending off any way.
I think we can and are playing “The Spurs Way” lately.
But we can if needed change our style of play now.
We are no longer a “one trick pony”.
So other teams will now wonder which Tottenham is coming out to play to day?
How do we set up against a style we can’t predict.
And to think Bale still has to come.
I’m all excited COYS.
To those who argue it’s easy against 10 men I’ll always remember that game against the other Manchester club where we were 3- 0 up against 10 men at ht and finally lost 5-3. That’s why I was so glad when the 5th goal went in.
Any thoughts on how we will line up if everyone is fit. Le Celso and Bale to be fitted in. Will we sacrifice a more defensive minded midfield player, will Le Celso and N’dombele play in the same team. It’s great to have the problem and great to have the squad depth so we can rotate. The European games before Christmas are every week and we have some interesting fixtures to say the least in November.
I think that Jose will line-up pretty much as we have seen. hat is according to the various situations and variables involved.
Yesterday we beat MU 6-1 at OT without Lo Celso, Dele, Bale, Toby and new boy Doherty. And of course without our new striker on the bench. We played with Sanchez, Dier, Lamela, Sissoko and Serge. That is 5 players that have taken a lot of stick since just the start of this season. Sissoko and Serge, virtually non-stop stick from the off. (Lamela gets stick and praise, in equal measure).
You made the point about the depth of the squad. And this is the key to it all.
I will say this again. Our recent busy, busy fixture list has proved a blessing in disguise. And far from detrimental to the start og our season as many were concerned about. It has helped to balance the squad quite quickly with no room for misery at a loss or even celebration for a win. They have just had to get on with it. And ironically our worst performance was the 1st match in this busy schedule but the best was saved to the final three and all within a week.
So, I can see various permutations going ahead. But maybe injuries and or lack of fitness is less a problem now than it was just 4 weeks ago…
Stan.. that game was at WHL and against fergies man utd, The Utd fans were laughing for weeks afterwards
Stan you were right. We were 3-0 up at half time against ten man Man C. in 2004. City won 4-3. We also lost 3-5 to Man Utd at home in 2001. But we have had terrible luck at Old Trafford until yesterday. The sending off and collapse of Lamela made up for all the dodgy decisions in the past. Good job there was no crowd yesterday because refs have always been influenced by the massive crowd. Who remembers Mendes goal from the halfway line …not given but everyone in the crowd saw it except Fergie. I was seething with anger. The linesman was too scared to contact the ref who was on the half way line. Justice was done yesterday.
HT – All well here. And with you?
I was away from VS for a few weeks but I’ll check in a bit more frequently.
I’m all good thank you, BelgianSpur.
123spurs – you can only beat who is in front of you and in years past, we would have collapsed after going down 1-0 within seconds. We got back to 1-2 while 11 v. 11.
Last week, we also beat Chelsea, who have just spent 200 million + on world class talent, with our B team no less, in a game nobody believed we would win. And despite the travelling, dodgy pitches and sometimes underwhelming performances, we’ve qualified for the EL group stages, a competition we have every chance of winning if Jose makes it a priority.
Jose is so far doing everything asked of him. I am all for constructive criticism when it is due, but currently what’s not to like? If it wasn’t for that stupid handball rule, we’d currently be tied for second. We’re currently right in the mix once Everton, Villa, Leicester come back down to earth.
DH….my starting eleven would be:
Lloris
Doherty Toby Dier Reguilon
Lo Celso Hojbjerg Ndombele
Bale Kane Son
I have to say though, if Aurier played like he did yesterday consistently it would be a close call for right back.
Sorry HT, read your reply after I had replied to 123, very good, mind I also believe Pogba should also have got his marching orders. COYS
Are you’re a wind up 123spurs?
I hated Jose as the person he perceived himself to be and as a rival manager. I love Jose as the man perceived in the documentary and most importantly the manager his is and always has been. If he burns his bridges it won’t be before he brings a few trophies our way.
Let’s be honest, Jose has the squad and he knows it. We have addressed our weak areas and with Lo Celso and Ndombele coming on so strong, our forward options and that bit of steal we have in midfield, the 25-1 odds to win the title for me, is a little generous. Coys!
ND – I thought Hoj was crap and couldn’t pass to save his life, etc?! LOL!
Only 1 red card – should have been 4 (completely cynical by those Dirty Mancs LOL) indeed if Ref had been strict as they tend to be – especially against us – all of Sonny’s sending offs in the last 18 month being prime examples – not a bad bone in that man’s body LOL – indeed why so many bloody reds for him then?! NO flaming consistency – ridiculous – if they got to go they got to go end of!
Moving on – HK10 and Sonny OBVIOUSLY, but then Hoj (best game so far and showed EXACTLY why was bought – owned OT end of LOL), Aurier (best game ever LOL), Lamela (top 1st half from our “clever” Argy Bargy LOL), Davy (fair play the penalty – but apart from that did not give any of them a sniff LOL whilst they tried that was in the 1st half anyway – some excellent interception’s, etc), Davies (just like Aurier – incredible their displays of late – competition has really wound them up LOL), fair play N’Dom and Regui and Sissoko as well – great displays – generally top performances all round as you’d expect from winning 1-6 at OT LOL!
Looking at the impact of James at Everton, just WOW if Bale can get anywhere near his best for us – fair play Real – they did win La Liga last season (basically without them) and you can’t really argue much against players like Hazard and Isco, etc but they just might end up regretting letting both of them leave for basically nothing whilst still helping to subsidise their wages especially in Bale’s case but let’s wait and see!
JM – TOP MAN END OF – never doubted him and constantly backed him on here including before he even came saying he was the only man capable of replacing Poch – PORTUGEEZA LOL!
Speaking of Poch – when’s he incoming at Man U then LOL?! Better still – let him stay right where he is and let OLE carry on with his jokes, etc LOL! Got anything else to add OLE?! LOL!
Now let’s see what 11pm brings if anything (in/out/shake it all about LOL) ………………….!
must see, best karma in 2020.
https://youtu.be/MjX5d_v3VqQ
With regards to what the starting eleven will be, I’m not sure there will be one. Jose now has a strong squad and he’s much more prepared to change players and formations than Pochettino was . I suspect we will see much more rotation under Mourinho, both to keep players fit and for tactical reasons.