It is remarkable where we are. Even forgetting missing Son and the injuries to our other forwards, if you'd have told me that we'd be where we are in the league and CL considering our starting midfield has been Winks and Sissoko for much of the season, I probably wouldn't have believed you!
It's interesting that you have noticed a loss of urgency and nastiness in the team. Is that really true? Urgency is a quality that we don't always show, that's true but I would argue that urgency can be close to panic as time begins to run out when you need a goal. Nastiness, not quite sure what you mean by that, could we be talking about Dele being a little fiery or Vertonghen producing tough tackles? We don't have such a powerful midfield as when Dembele and Wanyama were on top of their game. Is that making us look less aggressive? Or is it that this team has matured and the years with Pochettino mean the players are now completely understanding his philosophy. I think it's noticeable , and impressive, how when a new player is introduced, one that has been with us and not just joined (I know nobody has just joined) they slot into the team in a seamless way. The only question is do they have the ability to retain their position in the squad and not as say with Lucas when he first played for us, not getting the methodology of the team. They all do now, the club has Pochettino right through the teams at all levels. I think this means that we are smoother more patient, more persistent and more confident. Therefore appearing less urgent and less aggressive but in reality being more effective. We have seen this change clearly in the recent ground out results. We didn't do this before.
Sad, isn't it. Oh to be late Wenger era Goons, when you are not in the PL title fight 3 out of 4 seasons, PL top 4 slot is probably safe for the season, and you can "enjoy" the CL KO stages. "so there is a lot that is in our own hands...depends on mental preparation from now on for each game." And getting the strongest possible starting XIs fit for each particular game (the Dortmund legs, Chelsky, Goons) .
Yes. The typical Spurs MF press has been absent over most of the season, only being on display in a couple of games.
Teams with balls continue to the 90 n th minute, i.e. don't settle for draws. we've clearly got balls. Every team since the boring invicibles have lost matches during the season. It happens if you don't try to bore the pants off you opponents. 1-0 to l'arse, so fekking what? Before sugar daddy FC's, we would have been serial Champions, don't knock it. I enjoy watching Spurs now as much as I ever enjoyed watching Spurs with Gilzean and Greaves, it says something. I still fekking hate losing, but c'est la vie. I look forward to the next match, I no longer fear it. We can beat anyone, trust me.
Your second paragraph is more what I was getting at. I think we've made a natural transition in the way we play given how our status in the PL has grown since Poch joined us, with everything that comes with that. We still press but because we have so much possession in most games now, it's more situational. I guess I'm just overly wary of us becoming too much like the Arsenal side of a few years ago, who moved the ball around nicely but offered very little penetration. I don't think it's got to that yet by any means but I do sometimes think we need a little more directness in how we move the ball. Keeping it moving amongst the midfield and CBs is all well and good as that allows us to pull opposition players out of position and switch the play quickly to take advantage of that, but you're right that we miss Dembele's powerful forward running with the ball and I do feel we need to move the ball more quickly forward at times, maybe making more use of Sissoko' powerful running, and encouraging Winks to look forward more often. I also feel that we've toned down the aggression a bit, again we've been missing our powerhouses in the midfield and that has probably impacted on how I see it. But linked to that I do feel sometimes we lack leadership on the pitch, particularly recently when the likes of Dier, Kane and Alli haven't been playing. I made a comment to this effect after the Palace FA Cup loss and while that post was made a little bit 'in anger' (something I usually try and avoid) I've been feeling that way about the team for a while, particularly in the absence of some of the key personnel. I'm definitely behind Poch in what he's doing here and 100% give my support to the team. We shouldn't fear anyone when we play. But I got the impression a few years ago that teams dreaded coming to our patch because they know we'd play fast and get in their faces. And yes - Alli would be a fiery annoyance, Dier would front up, and Dembele would steamroller the opposition midfield. So while I see the sense of, and support, the way our play has evolved in the last few years, I do feel we have lost a bit of an edge in the process that used to really unsettle teams. They probably worry now about different things - I'd just like to combine the two is all.
Wilmar Barrios could have given us that extra aggression in midfield. Zenit got him for a mere £13.5m
"We still press but because we have so much possession in most games now, it's more situational." That's a key point I think. I agree we should not lose the 'in the face' bit and that's exactly what Liverpool & City did to us when they beat us. It's what Arsenal did in our last PL game against them. In reverse it's what we did to Chelsea when we last beat them in the PL. I'd like to see us start games like that more often. BTW I think Pochettino likes to be our captain so he's content with not having 'a leader' on the pitch.
I didn't realise he's gone, that's a shame. Agreed. Especially in the big games we need to front up more. Poch might view himself as a leader for the squad and that's fine to an extent but one or more of the players needs to step up more as well. The best teams we've seen over the years in the PL and Europe have had players who will call out their peers in the dressing room when they're not doing enough. Kane is developing that IMO but we need more from the leaders in the squad, both in the dressing room and crucially on the pitch, in my opinion. I'm looking at Kane, Dier, Alli, Jan, Rose and Hugo, all of whom have worn the armband and are important, influential members of the dressing room, but I can't necessarily see any of them apart from Kane calling their peers out. We've built a squad that is wonderfully together which is great to see, but I do wonder if they're too nice to each other and are too comfortable. New signings might shake it up a bit, primarily by bringing more competition for places and forcing everyone to up their game.
I think Wembley is a factor in some of what you say we are missing, the passion of a White Hart Lane crowd has been impossible to recreate at Wembley and I think that this has had an impact on the way we play, particularly in terms of the passion and fire that we had at the Lane. the bigger playing surface may also have been a cause.
Anyone else surprised when Liverpool didn't win, despite getting their usual dodgy decisions? Unlike the pundits, I think a lot of fans realised that Pool weren't nearly as good as being made out, and had benefited from a lot of luck and help from the refs. So while the media might be going on about "what has happened to Liverpool" the rest of us are just thinking that nothing much has changed, they were never as good as many thought, and they just didn't capitalise on the second wrong decision last night. That's all. Also interested in the talk about Liverpool injuries today. This is of course used as a reason for the Liverpool performance, and at no point did I hear anyone say that they should have bought more players. Us in the same position of course it's all about injuries just being an excuse, and we should have spent more.
They caused their own issues at right-back by loaning out Clyne and not replacing him. Lots of dodgy rumours about that one, but they've been fairly lucky with injuries and a couple seem to have staggered them somewhat.
Somebody really needs to compile a list of the most ridiculous excuses Norbert's come up with for dropping points I'll get the ball rolling when he said relegation-threatened West Brom didn't need the three points they got by beating Saltypool last season as much as his team did, and by the way the pitch was dry. Because talking about a team that beat you like they were a bunch of unruly peasants who should feel obligated to lose to your team definitely doesn't make you sound like a complete scheißhaus...
How significant is it that both of the hubcap quippers are guests on this sacred forum? (They have parking permits of course, but not membership cards.)
Looks like it. They were banned once so set up a couple of sub-reddits, but it now looks like they have gone too.
