Why are we worried about the PL,CL and the Epsom Derby. We are Tottenham.We're no longer expected to win anything anymore.The pundits keep tripping on their tongues in a hurry to remind us.Let's just keep going until the jinx is broken...….
Thought I'd give my two-pence after the dust has settled somewhat... Before the game, I'd have snapped your hand off for a draw. After seeing the team Emery selected, I would have chewed your entire arm off to get anything from the match. But, after the 96 minutes were up, given the way we played (relative to the players we fielded) and given that your squad is superior to ours, I was actually gutted we didn't win the game as I thought we had the better chances from the very few opportunities that there were. The game itself wasn't a high-quality match up like previous games gone by. We tried to play a bit more pragmatically with a solid defensive structure. And you'd have to say, for the most part, Emery's tactics worked. Sokratis and Koscielny marshalled Kane very well, who I thought had a quiet game by his own high standards (albeit I know some of you have said he's been rushed back from injury), Monreal was superb defensively and even Mustafi, apart from that stupid, braindead mistake, had a decent game at right-back. Mkhitaryan and Iwobi looked menacing on the counter attack and both carried the ball forward very well. Generally speaking, we restricted you to very few chances, so we did a better job than I anticipated at stifling your attacking threats. I thought you did miss Winks in the middle of the park, as he's a player that retains possession well and can keeps the ball moving. Sissoko and Wanyama didn't have horrendous games, but they aren't as technically good or as accurate at passing as Winks is. Alli's late runs into the box and presence of mind was an obvious miss, so I don't think I need to say too much about that. As for the refereeing, I think it was generally very poor for both teams. Xhaka should have been sent off for that kung-fu kick on Kane, but Davinson Sanchez's petulant kick out at Koscielny also warranted a red card. And if Torreira's challenge was a straight red card, when he got the ball, then Rose could have also been sent off for flykicking Leno in the chest, having missed the ball completely. Aubameyang's penalty should have been retaken as Vertonghen was miles inside the penalty area, too. I was fuming with the offside penalty decision at the time, but having read Brian's post about the laws, I thought maybe it was the right decision. Then I see Mark Halsey posted this on Twitter... Followed by this from Alan Shearer... Look, I don't know what was right and what was wrong. But fact of the matter is, the officials need to be 100% clear on what the rules are because the whole fiasco has caused confusion for everyone. All things considered, I can't complain too much with a point away from home against the third-best side in the league. It speaks volumes though that I have come away from that game feeling a bit miffed that we didn't win. In Wenger's latter years, this would not have been the case. The performance from the players and the tactics from the manager has given me a surge of optimism for the future. If Emery is backed in the Summer transfer window (big IF) and we get rid of the deadwood, I am quietly confident that we can be a much more competitive side next season. Onto the next one I suppose.
Should be able to criticise players without it affecting the validity of your support...it's no fun watching football acting like nothing more than a cheerleader towards everything your club does
Not at the match though. In the stadium it requires 100% support. On the train home I don’ t care what anyone says even if they are wrong
No one in particular...it's a pattern I've seen on a few forums between the Spurs fans. It wasn't always like that and I've seen it often enough to mention it.
Yeah definitely not at the match...im not talking about the idiot with the Levy Out placard. Just something I've noticed.
I have zero confidence in most referees/ex-referees knowing the laws of the game, let alone interpreting them correctly and consistently. When Sonny got booked for a stuttering run up to take a penalty against Rochdale last season with input from VAR, when the rules specifically permit it, I knew that all was lost. City had a goal chalked off for offside against Liverpool, despite it being from a back pass, which should make it impossible to be offside. In most matches, players are booked for innocuous challenges and commit assaults without censure. The number of terrible decisions is increasing rapidly. Whilst I'm sure the penalty award was correct, I'll bet it was given in error as to whether HK was actually ahead of the last defender, rather than for the correct reason. Given that they're professional now and should dedicate their time to knowing the laws and getting interpretations right, it shouldn't be too much to expect them to actually get them right, should it? However, in recent games we've been on the dodgy end of some ****ing appalling decisions and I'm sure most other clubs have too...not Liverpool, Citeh or United, obviously. As a rule of thumb, the only things wrong more often than Alan Shearer, are The Daily Express and my mother-in-law. For me, it was a penalty and him taking the contrary view, seals that as gospel. The likelihood is that the vast majority of those disagreeing just open their mouths and say the first thing that comes into their heads, based upon nothing of relevance or team bias - see John Cross as an excellent example. Even the PGMOL get the laws wrong, so I wouldn't accept their response to this incident as indicative of accuracy and there certainly isn't likely to be any consistency as Antony Taylor exhibited throughout.
Logically if the offside happened before the push then the push must be violent conduct as it didn't happen when the ball was in play. As I've mentioned several times the Laws as currently written are impossible to interpret sensibly because some terms such as 'challenge' are not defined. They need to sort it out.
What was wrong with the old off side laws. Seems more complicated today. I guess the FA had to do something to earn their pay.They are payed....aren't they?
PS I think the rules have some vagaries on purpose because in reality it is almost impossible to define some actions with a simple rule, and they need to be simple. This is the area left for the referee to make his decision based on being at the scene. The more you try to define the more we get things like certain tackles are now deemed a foul despite a complete lack of intent. Goalkeepers must be treated like maiden aunts, and the Yellow/Red card system being used as part of the drama instead of reinforcing the rules of the game. I can only see it getting worse because TV rules the game and wants it all it's own way. Look at the way our fixtures are spaced for example, 3 day gaps for massive games, then over a week for others. Slowly the game will be changed, it always has been, but now it is changed to suit the paymasters not the players or the fans who actually attend games.
I was talking to an ex ref who explained to me that everyone is wrong because there are no rules in football, only laws.
Interesting article in The Telegraph, how Danny Rose reveals that Poch's halftime team talk was out of the ordinary and got the players fired up for the second half, like they're "going to war": https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...nos-half-time-team-talk-one-best-things-have/ It effectively confirms that up until now, Poch is usually very calm but this time, he was more passionate and fired up. Perhaps the boss has learned a thing or two that a good hairdryer treatment is what's needed from time to time. You can't always be the players friend. You have to accept that it's your job to give them a rollocking when it's needed and show them leadership and direction.
To be honest mate, offside or not, there was no need for Mustafi to barge into Kane the way he did. Absolutely no reason to do that. And this is the infuriating thing about Mustafi. Even when he plays well, he is guaranteed to have at least one moment per game of pure insanity, which completely blotches anything positive he'd done previously. The thing is, as much as I hate the twat, I do think there is a good player in there somewhere. At Valencia, he was leading the way (in La Liga) for tackles won, aerial duels won, interceptions, pass completion rate, passing accuracy, blocks etc. However, this is Mustafi's 3rd season at Arsenal now. There is no evidence to suggest he will cut these stupid individual errors out. He's 27 next month, too, so it's not as if he's a youngster that has time to work on that side of his game - he's a seasoned pro. We've seen improvements in player performance this season from Lacazette, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan (recently), Holding and Bellerin before they got injured, Leno since the turn of the year, Xhaka (though I still think he's not good enough)...but with Mustafi, there's been absolutely no changes at all from the previous two seasons. Ultimately, consistency is what seperates the top defenders from the average ones. Mustafi is a liability at defending. It's safe to say the move to Arsenal just hasn't worked out. And a lot of reports have said we have transfer listed him in the Summer. If we get anything above £20m for him, I'd be well happy with that.
The problem is that the Laws are no longer simple. If the Offside Law is needed at all then it should be massively simplified. The current version is just crazy.
The Laws are pretty clear, the problem is with the interpretation of them. That is what needs to be standardised.
