Given my build, I'd probably be a great rower but have never done it outside of a rowing machine, but isn't that where the cox comes in? I'm not up on the technicalities but I'd presume that part of his job is to get into the head, heart and guts of the rowers? I should imagine that there's some industrial language sometimes? Whilst sport is primarily about skill and training, there are those that win through, having something extra that gives them the will not to lose. There's lots of ways to do it but having someone shouting at you to give everything can be inspiring, even if it's just to the bloke doing the shouting.
I do see your point but those guys are bullies not leaders. If you've got a collection of highly talented individuals who don't give 100% I can see that adding one of those might be the crucial ingredient. But I don't think that's what Poch is trying to build. He is trying to build a team spirit where ALL the players give 100% ALL the time, not because they are scared but because they are committed to the team.
You are right about the Cox but you don't respond to him or her because you are scared. It more the Blanchflower style of captaincy where you get given immediate coaching.
I think we completely agree on the problem and on most of the solution. If we had someone telling Harry Kame, Christian Eriksen and others to let Lucas Moura chase the ball 'up top' and not to gallop up the pitch with him, I'd be fine with that. Personally, I liked the shouting on the field. It got my blood up that little bit more. Unfortunately, the team doesn't seem to have anyone who can provide any kind of leadership to others when we need it and we keep losing big games from winning positions. I don't want to hear players telling me how it's going to be different next time. How about they put their foot on the opponent on the floor and choke the life out of them and the game in the last 10 minutes? Firstly, it's a skill and if we're practising it, it isn't showing often enough. In both of the games against Real Madrid it was present. Yes, again we conceded from a corner at Wembley but there was a real sense of organisation in the last 20 minutes - probably because we were 3-0 up. However, in the Bernabeu we pressed forward but as a collective unit and within a shape that allowed us to defend properly. That's what's badly needed more often, irrespective of the players on the pitch. I'll probably get ripped apart for this but.......Sissoko would probably have seen us over the line last night. He does the hard yards in the last 20 minutes. he keeps the ball and he doesn't make lazy or unnecessary passes - just what's needed and we're missing him.
In my team sport experience it was the same as for Bri. There were a handful of players that would shout, point, position..the rest. At that moment you might think 'shut the F up' but that instant wake up call is necessery to keep the team alert and focused on the end goal. Without a doubt that gets an extra 10% out of the rest. The odd one might grumble and take it personally...but they were the ones that didn't like putting in the graft. I can't see a captain in our team but if I did have to give it to one man...it would be Lamela...and let him grow into the role. He doesn't have to be the most skillfull...he just has to be vocal and die for the cause...other players see that and react, they do, it's true...we did and we only played for the buzz, the passion. For me, Lamela always gives off the right kind of aura in the big games. Apart from Moura it was Lamela who provided our spark on Saturday and yesterday. He thrives in big games.
Used to row on the Thames at Barnes with a Swedish colleague. That is seriously hard, hard graft. Especially on a wet November morning!
I was thinking this earlier. Had he come on instead of Winks, then it would've been very different. That's down to Pochettino though, for me. He gave up that right flank and allowed Asamoah to get forward constantly. Sissoko would've been out there putting in a shift, while Winks was used centrally and didn't add anything.
Extract from Kiplings IF If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two impostors just the same;
Unfortunately, last night it was... "If you can fill the unforgiving minute With 59 seconds' worth of distance run,"
I agree about the game changing moment, but not about Winks in general. He was looking very impressive until injuries screwed him up and he hasn't had enough game time to get back to that level yet. Pochettino's not helping by using him inappropriately and erratically, either. He's not a wideman, just as Onomah wasn't.
Agree about Sissoko. Whilst many of us take the piss, and he’s become a bit of a banter scapegoat, he would have been very handy in the middle of the park last night with his size, athleticism and strength. Don’t get me wrong, the bloke can’t shoot and ruins just about every attack he’s involved in (), but even just committing some tactical fouls and being a general pain in the arse could have massively helped us see the game out, if nothing else.
It's a mixture of coaching failure and lack of player intelligence. This team needs to learn how to win something. It's not always about playing great football and winning games 5-0. At some time every team needs to show resilience and collective intelligence to manage a game. We always seem to be in turmoil if the game's close. We've learned how to win against Chelsea, Arsenal and United, which we found impossible for years. We've learned how to win away at Citeh, United and Chelsea and have got more than one draw against Arsenal and Liverpool away, even when not playing that well. However, we continue to lose games we shouldn't in cup situations and when everything's 'on the line'. It isn't fitness. Is it about bottle or tactics or a combination of both? I think that it's the latter. We need to set up to make teams excel to beat us when we're ahead. If we lose from 1-0 up in the last 10 minutes, I want the opposition to play incredibly well to do it. I can take losing but we threw that game away again, just as we did at Wembley against Juve, but doing it again so soon was much worse. Inter are a limited team and we really blew it. Everyone involved needs to look at what went wrong and commit to do it right next time and start working at it. If they don't see that necessity and play like it matters to them and us, it's time to rebuild this team.
Can't warm to him, mate. I don't see what he brings to the side. He's into his third full season now and not progressed one single bit. Sick and tired of his boring and safe style of play, he's a Championship player/ Prem relegation player at best, should be nowhere near a top six/ top four side. Winks is basically our equivalent to Wilshere. If it were down to me, I'd be on the phone to Villa in January to see if they fancied a swap deal involving him and Grealish.
This is what frustrates me most. If you’re beaten by a better side, then credit goes to the side that beats you. But we weren’t beaten by a better side, we lost that game ourselves. We really should have come away with at least a point, and next up we have Barca. . So we could potentially be sat on 0 points from 2 games, much like Dortmund were last year, with 2 teams above us already on 6. That’s a big mountain to climb for qualification with only 12 more points left to play for. But on the other hand, we as spurs fans know that football is a strange old game. Who knows, maybe another RM Wembley performance is on the cards. I wouldn’t put it past us. You just don’t know what we’re gonna do!
Didn't look tired, but apparently too tired to get on a plane to Greece!! Maurizio Sarri gives ‘tired’ Eden Hazard a break http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaki...app&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=sharebutton
It's the nature of football, City have just lost at home to Lyon, would anyone have predicted that? United lose to us at home would anyone have predicted that? Watford beat Spurs and so on. Football always produces unexpected results, it is a game of skill but luck plays a major part as well. If we win a couple of games our anguish at the recent losses will be forgotten. Football is very much about enjoying the day.
