With four defeats on the spin, Tottenham Hotspur fans were looking for a reaction…any reaction…from manager Jose Mourinho’s first team squad as we made the trip to Turf Moor to face Sean Dyche’s Burnley side.
It was never going to be easy, especially given our current run of form and despite the injuries we find ourselves dealing with, performances should be far better than they are.
Burnley MotM?
Jan Vertonghen
Giovani Lo Celso
Dele Alli
Japhet Tanganga
It was, however, what most expected. The first half was turgid and we managed a paltry single effort on goal, but that wasn’t a surprise given our overall defensive outlook. Burnley dominated and deserved their 1-0 lead (Wood 13th minute) and it could’ve been more.
The only solace was, if that was our poor half, would the second be better and Mourinho rolled the dice with two attacking changes at the break, and we got some reward five minutes in as Erik Lamela drew the foul in the box, and Dele Alli converted from the spot.
1-1 and game on? It might not have been if Davinson Sanchez’s mental five minutes (including a clear penalty) had been punished, but we rode our luck. Despite the improvement in the second period though we couldn’t get enough efforts on target to nick in, and the hosts continued to pose a threat of their own.
Alli’s 50th goal earned the point though and we have to try and build from there again.
Previous Article:
“Not What We Need” – Mourinho’s Recent Words Will Disappoint Plenty Of Spurs Fans
Turf Moor
Premier League
7/03/2020 6:30 pm
Attendance: 20496
Referee: Moss
| Burnley | Tottenham Hotspur | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood (13) | Alli (pen 50) | ||||||
| Pope | Lloris | ||||||
| Bardsley | Sanchez | ||||||
| Tarkowski | Dier | ||||||
| Mee | Alderweireld | ||||||
| Taylor | Tanganga | ||||||
| Hendrick | 89 | Vertonghen | |||||
| Westwood | Skipp | 45 | |||||
| Cork | Ndombele | 45 | |||||
| McNeil | Lamela | 78 | |||||
| Wood | Bergwijn | ||||||
| Rodriguez | 68 | Alli | |||||
Substitutes |
|||||||
| Brownhill | Winks | ||||||
| Brady | Lo Celso | 45 | |||||
| Hart | Sessegnon | ||||||
| Pieters | Gazzaniga | ||||||
| Lennon | 89 | Aurier | 78 | ||||
| Vydra | 68 | Lucas Moura | 45 | ||||
| Long | Gedson Fernandes | ||||||
Game Statistics |
||
| 21 | Goal attempts | 13 |
| 8 | On Target | 2 |
| 3 | Corners | 5 |
| 16 | Fouls | 11 |
| 5 | Yellow Cards | 4 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 45 | % | 55 |
Don’t forget we LOSTthis fixture last year. Ref LoCeslo at least when he takes a free kick or corner he gets it past the first man. I think he is a great addition to the team. He has a good engine and can pick a pass, N’Dombele will come good, we just need a, settled period with a few wins under our belt. Think on it this way, at present we are going through a bad phase with injuries, transfers, players ageing, bit of bad luck etc.. For Burnley, this is as good as it gets.
PY Why ought we win anything ?
There is nothing better for a fan esp when you are present at a final as I was behind the goal when Greaves scored in 1962 .
However I think luck has a part to play but more importantly if you don’t play well / turn up or eventually are out smarted then you don’t deserve to win anything .
Poch was an excellent coach but I feel didn’t have the X factor when it came to winning things !!
I join you PY with putting on the tin hat !!!
Thanks for that Allan, it appears we were at the same game, I was with my dear departed Grandad, but I was just a nipper then.
Glad you joined my hard hat club lol! Still COYS for me
I am repeating an earlier reply to HT to make sure it is not missed given its relevance to what others have said subsequently.
HT, I’m not accusing you of being in the Jose hater ranks. But sometimes tactics have to be adapted to the fit players you have and other games coming up. Against Burnley (and arguably in the Norwich game) most of what we have left of our attacking players were well and truly knackered from the previous game. So I can understand Jose wanting to save them in reserve for as long as possible. That meant the priority was to stop our opponents from scoring for as long as possible. Didn’t work in the first half because of that unlucky goal being scored against us.. so Lo Celso and Lucas were brought on earlier than planned and it worked but maybe at some cost to how they play in the next game.
And if we have not won in five games I for one am prepared to take account of all the special factors affecting those thos games, not the least being one highly intense game after another with little time to recover in between. You can only get through such a tough schedule these days if you have a full squad to draw upon.
I have said repeatedly that I get all of that Stan. As have others. I get all the injuries, tiredness etc. Of course I do.
It’s the tactics that I just don’t get. I don’t agree with the stuff that it’s necessary to play overly defensively to combat those problems you have highlighted and that we all have acknowledged. I don’t get why it’s any less tiring to play further forward and more on the front foot. I don’t see why watching Dele or Moura or Bergwijn running their arses off unsupported up front alone, with little support and to no avail, is of any use or beneficial to the team and its results. It’s not!
We are still needing, wanting and trying to win matches I presume. But since Sons injury we have lost 4 and drawn 1. The tactics aren’t working. And that’s what I also don’t get. I don’t get why Jose is being backed for failing his team with his pre-match surrenders and on-field negative, back-foot stance… Sorry!
I will attempt to not keep repeating these anti Jose’s tactics rants from now on. As we are all just going around in circles… And, I’m bored of it just as I am with the football Spurs are playing right now.
I will see what happens next and pray for a bit of positive thinking that leads to positive, winning football……. Our players really are good enough to win matches without Batman and Robin doing their thang! (I mean Son and Harry!)
The more we lose in such negative fashions the worse the fatigue will get. Of that I am certain. Positivity in our play will provide the boost and energy we need. Of that I’m certain too!
PY.. Wentworth always has a dislike for one player, an never changes his view. I can remember he had a dislike to Roman “super pav” Pavlushenko who ran around a bit for Harry R. and scored a fair few goals as well. His 2 against Young Boys away when we were 3-0 down for example.
Again… waiting for my post to appear…
All this TV interviews / Jose criticisms of Tanguy is wrong when he should be having a word on training ground. Perhaps it is his way of trying to motivate players, or absolve himself of (it does create a sense of fear / unrest among certain players) blame for bad games we lose… Or perhaps it is his way of strengthening the mental attitude of players into determined winners…like himself. Again I recall Alex Fergie saying to his team.. Lads its only spurs, they don’t like the physical contact of tackles and rough treatment… Roy keane. Gary Neville have both said this, over the years. But we did change this when poch arrived….
b 108….your views on JM’s criticism of N’Dombele, could the right way but as you said it could also be the wrong way, I found when I was a leader there were some if you had a word in their “shell like” on the side always worked but I also found some took more notice if embarrassed say, it very always depends on the person who is on the receiving end. Still COYS as ever
Stan I made a post similar to yours in an earlier thread. Not referencing HT or anyone. I feel we have had a bad run of luck with injuries compared to other teams coupled with our intense match quota compared to some other teams above us. Get your tin hat m8. Lol.
Once again the United result shows how bad refereeing decisions and goalkeeping errors can make he difference between winning and losing games, even for teams like City.
It works both ways, why not say Jose is not a good enough manager anymore for a top 4 club
HT – 2nd half we got some of what you (and what WE all want/wish for) were asking for in terms of more attacking play but they should have had a penalty from Sanchez and Dier heroics in the box late on saved us – those are the 2 most prominent action’s I remember from the 2nd half apart from Lamela earning and Dele converting the penalty of course. As such we were lucky not to lose the game in the 2nd half irrespective of more attacking football being played with Lo Celso and Moura on for the more defensive Skipp (completely non-existent) and N’Dombele (offering much less than expected).
I’m with Stan R and Belgian in that injuries, fatigue and defensive frailities are making it near on impossible for JM to operate and put out teams to get results let alone get them especially as to get results you need attacking players in the main/over the long run and we have our 2 best missing and the others are running on empty having to play every game and in such short spaces of times aswell – competing in Prem, CL and FA Cup recently every 3 days is ridiculous so JM as I said on another thread has my sincerest sympathies for what is facing and I am willing to offer full understanding for the situation. We have 4 attackers for 4 berths in a 4231 formation – Lamela, Bergwijn, Moura and Dele – not 1 is a striker and all 4 have to arguably play 5 full matches in 2 weeks for us to play a decent amount of attacking football in each – it is proving impossible.
Lo Celso and Moura could only manage at best half a game, Lamela lasted about 75 minutes – Aurier coming on to play as a RW – on Wednesday night it was Fernandes who was deployed as a LW (for Bergs) and then RW (for Moura) if memory serves me correct – we are down to the bare bones and going out and giving it a go attacking wise for some 90 minutes each game is going to zap a lot of energy out of legs – I think JM is trying to box technically but unfortunately what is available especially up front and in defence is not good enough quite frankly – indeed we’ve shipped goals left right and centre for going on 15 months now in all comp’s and our 2 best attacker’s are now missing for the long term so goals are at a premium – so does not bode well at all to get the results mentioned above.
When JM first joined we actually free scored quite well and covered up the defensive frailities by out-scoring on a few occasion’s where we got crucial victories but with losing HK10 and Sonny for so long, it was natural that goals would become at a premium but the defensive frailities have continued as normal and we now find ourselves in the situation we do.
If we had a solid defence we might be able to rely on the 4 attackers mentioned to nick goals in games and rotating them with other types of players as has been the case whilst keeping it tight and getting results like Utd v City today with Martial but as it is we keep shipping goals and 1 might even argue that given all these circumstances sticking an extra man at the back like Dier is a good attempt by JM (death by trying atleast) at shoring up the defence but I agree has not really worked, nothing seems to work and I like everyone else do not know what we have to do to shore up except perhaps recommend new defenders as many on here agree are necessary and keeps getting posted up (Myself, Pauric and Niall D last night for example).
All I can say is I want the same as you HT/TQ/Pauric, etc – attacking football to watch and results to celebrate but am willing to cut JM a lot of slack – more than most on here – given the circumstances faced..
Blochk d. Yep Pav was ghastly. But I do not dislike Lo Celso. I do not think he is an Ardiles, Hoddle, Gascoigne or Eriksen but he is ok. HT sorry about the Levy boob. He was desperate to get Jose and paid a ridiculous amount that will cost us when he gets paid off. Much better spending the money on decent players which Levyy has consistently failed to do. Jose is past it but will have to be sacked as we drop down the table. Chelsea and Man U have pulled away. Our season is over sadly.
Niall, Stan and Belgian just posted a longish reply based on our arguments backing JM – tin hat always a good idea lol but there appears to be a few of us to mount a fight for now LOL!
No tin hats required!
We’re all on the same side here…
On Sessegnon he cost £25m rising to £30m I believe with Onomah moving the other way – a decent amount especially by our standards but at 1 point he was rated at £50m after being named player of the season in the championship when he scored something like 16 goals in the 2nd half of a season – we took a calculated risk we’ll have to wait and see if it pays off. Last season Fulham were very poor in the Prem and he played a lot of different position’s but agreeably he did not shine like in the Championship but then again his value halved and we moved in – remember he was also only 18 for all of last season (bday in May).
Let’s not forget a big injury in pre-season thus no time to gel properly within the squad running into the season itself, our own club problems as results have shown this season, etc all culminate in it being a very tough introductory period for Ryan – again like with JM happy to cut him a lot of slack for this season.
HT Grealish played a few games in the Prem for Villa but then dropped down to the Championship and made his name there and now at 23/24 making a real name for himself back in the Prem. I would want Ryan loaned out in the Prem if it was to happen and I’m sure there would be takers – Fulham way well come back up and I reckon for 1 they maybe interested – just a thought to try and get the best out of the lad but am also happy for him to stay and try to impose himself on the squad – like you I take heart from the fact he’s only 19 at the moment!
EJ, I completely take on board what you are saying and of course you may be absolutely correct about Sess needing a loan and that it could be good for him.
But obviously I can’t see it myself at the moment. And the thought of him being loaned back to Fulham makes even less sense to me right now. Like he would be going backwards. After all, he had PL club offers for him as long as 2 seasons ago and yet he chose to stay with his boyhood club whilst helping them to the PL and then in the PL itself. Why would he hope to improve by going back to them. Spurs are still (JUST) the better prospect, surely. 🙂
EJ 100%
I think Jose should start the best team at his disposal to win each game. He did not do that against Burnley. At the start of the game I thought the bench looked better than the starting eleven. Jose changed this at half-time by bringing on LoCelso and Lucas …. BUT he should have started them. The difference between our defending game and our attacking game was illustrated in both halves.
Maybe I’m over-reacting against our wholly negative and incredibly dull football. But we are not a team struggling at the bottom of the table. So why play like one?
What I don’t get guys is why people seem to think that playing more defensively is so badly needed because of our injuries etc. Why does it make a difference? Why does it help? It most blatantly isn’t working. Playing without Harry and Son is being spoken about as though we are now only playing with 9 men. It bloody seems that we are only playing with 9 men! You know like when a team goes down to 10 and then maybe 9 men and they have to pack their defence to hold on. It’s also like watching Stoke City a few years back. And I don’t know if anyone has noticed, no other PL club really plays like the Pulis’ Stoke did anymore. Even Norwich try to play good football. Villa too… The difference between us and the Tony P’s Stoke City? I think they did Stoke City better than we do!
For me, if our forwards need to work out a way of playing together and scoring goals without Harry and Son, then they need to work with a positive attacking attitude to do it. IMO. I think this was clearly illustrated vs Burnley. It was a game of two halves, two Tottenhams. Just as Geof and others have alluded to. We looked like losers in the 1st half. But winners in most of the second half. And, It wasn’t a great tactical move to change it at half time from Jose. It was an obvious and necessary move to correct his initial poorly thought out tactical set-up from the kick-off! I mean even Jose wanted us to win, didn’t he?
When Poch had the club playing some great football, he was absolutely pummelled on here for the occasional bad game. Jose for some curious reason is being defended and having excuses made on his behalf after several bad games. Why?
Why is playing poor, negative football acceptable because of the players we have missing? Are the rest of them incapable of good positive football without them? Because in simplistic terms that seems to be what Jose and some supporters are saying.
Is it really so bad to possibly lose a game whilst playing more positive forward thinking, attacking football, rather than to still lose anyway by being overly cautious? Is it somehow better to lose by virtually assuming before we kick-off that we are unlikely to win?
Trying not to lose and yet lose because the opposition smell fear and go all out to beat us and then beat us! Yeah, that makes sense!
I don’t know. None of the excuses being made on behalf of Jose make the slightest bit of sense to me. If we are losing!
Hands up if anyone thinks we can beat Leipzig tomorrow by sitting deep with 5 at the back and inviting them on to us?
Or. maybe we should just go for it. And let’s just pretend that we are Norwich City for the night…… Or better still, Wolves or Burnley or Sheffield United. After all, they also don’t have Kane or Son playing for them either, do they!
We have to score to have any chance of progressing HT so, as you say, what is the point in sitting deep in a defensive formation!
Sorry for yet another “Jose’s Tactics” rant.
It seems that my long playing record has got stuck in a groove!
Loving your negativity HT!!!
In all honesty I agree with everything you say. somehow Jose is creating a negative atmosphere throughout the club with his comments and his tactics (IMO it is all about excusing himself from any blame). I for one cannot wait for him to leave our club, hopefully in the summer but more likely around three months into next season.