It's just another example of the filter that our games are currently being analysed through, in my opinion. Llorente not flagged for offside? Big deal. Llorente wrongly flagged offside when clean through on goal a few minutes later? Barely mentioned. Sanchez avoids a 2nd booking? Big deal. Should never have been booked in the first place? Barely mentioned. Son and Alli's penalty calls, one of which would've lead to a straight red card for van der Hoorn? Completely ignored. Kane and Alli vilified everywhere for poor tackles against City? Fair enough. Fernandinho and Otamendi doing the same thing earlier in the same game and it being ignored? Not so much.
It's also difficult to compare Tripps' performances when we play 4 at the back or 5. So , is he a traditional FB or a WB? Last night he was a FB, so the LW was Son and RW Lamela (having his usual problem of having a left footed player on the right )
If the usual suspects are trying to get a media Narrative (TM) going to cause prejudicial ref opinions, then it can only be because the fear that the Wembley factor + CL participation is not going to prevent Spurs from yet again denying one of their darlings a PL top 4 slot come May.
He was immense against Real, put in one of the best performances any of our FBs have put in in recent years. Against Pool he kept Coutinho in his pocket and hit a lovely ball over the top for Kane to score the first. Played really well in games against Everton, Huddersfield and that's just from memory. All the stats you mention are what Walker possesses but Walker's attributes aren't the only keys to success for a good FB. Azpilicueta is arguably top five in Europe like Walker and possesses many different attributes. Ultimately for me, a modern full back has to be comfortbale both defending and attacking, it doesn't matter if they're fast or technical, strong or agile, skilful to take a player on or smart enough to play a pass, it's whatever they feel comfortable with and Trippier has many different attributes to Walker yet still plays the FB role excellently in my opinion. A player can only play to their strengths and that's what he does. You say he's not top 4/6 standard yet looking at the RBs in the Prem, there's definitely not 6 better in my opinion, doubt there's even 4 - Walker, Azpi and also Valencia. Aurier once he's adjusted should become better too but aside from that who else? Clyne for me is a poor mans Walker, as is Bellerin, outside of the leg break Coleman enjoyed one or two great seasons but had a lot of inconsistency, there's no one else I can think of to even be considered.
As I said, I can’t remember those specific performances, but CK also highlighted some of those too. I’m not disagreeing with either of you there. But my general feeling is that if a player is “good” most of the time, with a few outstanding performances, and even the odd **** one thrown in there, one will generally come to the overall conclusion that they are a pretty decent player. With Trippier I’m seeing more of the “average” performances, with many repetitive frustrating moments thrown in there, which isn’t forming an opinion of him this season as I highly as I regarded in the past. My conclusion is that he’s been thrown into different situations that perhaps Walker would have played in the past, and the stark difference is noticeable, for me. You’re right, there are other attributes, and as I said, I couldn’t think of any more off the top of my head earlier. The position itself is very complicated and demands a lot. Essentially it’s 2 positions rolled into one. However, Azpilicueta does have many of those that I mentioned, maybe not all, but more than Trippier. As for other players he’s being compared to, it’s not about how many at the other top 4-6 clubs are better than him, it’s about whether he’s of the quality a top 4-6 wing back. What I mean by this, ( hypothetically for example), is there might only be 3 or so currently ahead of him who are say 9/10 rated players, but if the remaining 16 RB’s in the league all are all 5/10 standard, and Trippier is 7/10, it doesn’t necessarily make him good enough, just because he’s the best of the rest.
So Trippier needs to be more like Walker! Really! These are two quite different players, they may patrol similar areas of the pitch but how they play the game and what they offer the team is quite different. Rather as Davies and Rose do on the other wing. Take Walker first, his game relies on strength and speed or put another way, brute force and ignorance. His game improved under MP but still essentially remained of that kind of quality. Rose offered something similar which he has not rediscovered on his return from injury. Both Trippier and Davies are more subtle players offering arguably more variety to the team. Trippier will make crosses by receiving a ball into space from an intelligent pass from Kane or Eriksen or Dele. If we had niether Eriksen or Dele then perhaps we would need rampaging wingers but when we have players of their passing abilities we need the subtlety of Davie or Trippier to complement them. Walker fits in well at City to the Broadsword of a team that Guardiola has created. MP has created a Rapier of a team and Trippier does fulfill a useful foil in it.
I appreciate that Walker and Trippier are different players, but I’m just not seeing Trippier offering a lot of this variety you mention. I’m seeing the same thing in every game. - hug the touch line, then pass it backwards-ish inside to one of our creators, where the opposition squeeze and go compact as a team, and a DM presses the likes of Eriksen to prevent him from finding a neat through ball/ forward pass. And it’s made worse when Trippier is man marked out wide by the final 3rd, as he’s too deep and can’t even produce his best attribute which is his crossing ability. The opposition do this because they know he won’t take them on. Davies and Rose are different as well, as you say, but you have to ask yourself why Davies has become more like Rose of last season. Davies clearly felt that the athleticism required, and confidence to be offensive out wide was a key skill he needed to work on to improve his game. And what a difference it’s made.
I do'nt think Trippier is going to be an ever present for us and I agree Davies overall offers maybe more, but he does provide something different. I have seen Trippier look very negative as well looking for his back pass. I think when Wanjama is back to his best and our midfield becomes stronger as a result there will be more chances for Trippier to make his runs (without the ball) ready to provide the killer cross. Aurier will also gain from experience and become our more Walker like option. If we didn't have Trippier we would need to find one IMO.
That sums it up for me, too. Don’t want to be overly critical of Tripp’s but on the face of it he’s a lot more like a Ben than Walker or Rose. Davies is no speedster, but he is always looking to push on and finds some great positions in the box. Tripp’s doesn’t seem to have that spark. Surely not impossible to develop him though, as he has some real quality delivery at times.
Let’s see if your theory regarding Wanyama is true. It’s frustrating when it’s clear the bloke has a superb delivery, but goes through so many games and we barely see it. And the fact there’s no plan B when he’s marked out of doing so. I don’t want to focus too much on last nights game because the weather conditions were horrendous, but we had Llorente up front, the ideal person to be on the receiving end in the box. I think I counted 2 crosses from the right.
Ironically we lost control of midfield when Sissoko and Wanjama were on. It was his first back so can't complain.
The problem with Trippier at the moment is that he'll simply never take a man on. Opposition players have been told to get tight on him and focus on cutting out any possible crosses. That limits him to either trying to beat them, which he won't do, cutting inside and using his left, which he also won't do, and playing it back. It makes him extremely predictable and pretty easy to deal with. Something similar is happening when he's defending, too. His overall defensive game has improved, but whenever he's up against pace he'll get roasted and it gets in his head. Having Eriksen down his side doesn't help, as he's basically never going to make a tackle, win a header or put his foot in. He tracks back and works hard, but his defensive game is terrible.
Trippier is one of those players who looks sheer class when you watch a highlight reel of his key contributions. There are few things more exhilarating than a wide player whipping in an inch-perfect cross for an attacker to finish with ease. But as others have said, he is an extremely easy threat to nullify and doesn't offer enough defensively to warrant playing him in a flat back 4. I had hoped - albeit faintly - that he would really push on this season but in reality the extra playing time has simply exposed his limitations and made it painfully obvious why both City and Burnley were more than happy to let him go.
Burnley weren't happy to let him go. He was outstanding for them, but they ballsed up his contract. https://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/news/2015/june/trippier-completes-spurs-switch-/ Playing a deeper defensive role suits him better, as there's not as much to space to put the ball in behind him and beat him with pace. Hitting sides on the break also helps him offensively, as he'll have space to whip dangerous balls into the box at retreating defenders. Having a winger in front of him (George Boyd, IIRC) who works hard and is happy to get wide helps, too.
Yep, the Pool loving studio on ScouseSports last night certainly made sure everybody knew about the lucky decisions that went our way, whilst at the same time totally ignored the bad decisions that went against us in the same game.
It's quite funny that the Swans fans are all furious that Alli and Son weren't booked for diving and that Madley handed us the game. Really not getting an accurate view of what happened.
There's a reason Swansea are bottom....and it's not us! Start yelling down the coal mines for talent (are there any still working,I wonder?)
