Teams are getting in our faces and we don’t seem to know what to do. Arsenal in both NLDs, Burnley, Southampton just now, the list could go on. Poch and the team need to have a plan for how to deal with this because we just don’t seem to react at all right now.
We aren’t gonna beat Liverpool or City. We don’t beat the top 6 away. So that’s 2 more defeats. 11 for the season, at least. Once again we’re gonna be relying on other clubs dropping points. I have no doubt we’d be in a different position if we’d actually used the last 2 windows to strengthen our squad. It’s fully caught up with us. Too many players have been missing for too many games, and returnees aren’t match fit, but we’ve got no choice but to play them. Kane’s just come back, but is doing ok. - fine. But Dier and Dele also in the same team caused us to look very tired in that second half. 3/11 who you could argue haven’t got match fitness/ sharpness. Recipe for disaster.
Over 40 games played and now having to play two meaningful games per week. Tough when your squad may lack some strength in depth. It's never been a question of how good Spurs first XI is when fit and fresh. It was about how the squad would cope at this stage of the season.
I think that’s kind of the point Roo is making pal, two key players were clearly running out of steam in that second half and Poch had no answers to that or the change in Southampton tactics.
3/11? Walker-Peters goes months without games and doesn't play for the U23s, for some reason. Where were Alderweireld and Aurier? Why has Kane started every game and played every minute after being out for months? Pochettino's decision making has been awful over the last run of games, barring those against Dortmund. He's rushing players back, completely leaving out fit ones and then over-using those that have just returned. Kane and Alli totally disappeared in that second half and he subbed off Moura, who had done well and was fresh.
Congrats on the best away team 45 in the first half, and thanks for giving us the best 45 mins in any half this season! Kevin Friend did all he could, he still deserves a tip from you lot. OWTSGMI............................its our song BTW.
I don’t think it’s an understatement to say we’re in a real rut, crisis even. And I don’t see how we get out of it. Our lack of signings all season is really kicking us where it hurts. We have few match winners or players who can command or change games. I think this will turn out to be Poch’s worst season for us unless a dramatic turnaround happens. I’m still fully behind Poch and believe he’s the best man to take us forward into the new stadium era. It’s about time the club backed him as I fear Real will come calling this summer.
Having suffered from playing HK beyond the levels of his fitness, we've now done the same with Dier and Dele, with the same result - losing games in the second halves. Yes, we're short of players but it's the same lack of trust of players outside of the team of 15/16. MP may not have chosen Llorente or Lucas but FFS they are good enough to do a job and it was obvious in that second half that we were getting the run around and they were going to give us trouble deep into the game. However, the usual (too) late response meant that Southampton had us on the ropes before we tried to change things. At which point, we took off the wrong player because Dele had gone 20 minutes previously. Blaming DL for a lack of signings is all well and good (and it may be justified - I'm not sure), but if we continue to under use elements of the squad and overplay others, does it make any difference? There's been an excessive number of losses from winning positions, mostly coming late in the second half and we've learned nothing to try to change it. Just as well Palace lost to Brighton, given that I'm spending tonight with a load of their fans.
We should have taken our chances in the first half and put the game to bed then. Southampton did to us what we did to Dortmund, fair play to them. There winning goal was a stunning free kick, would have beat 99% of goalkeepers 99% of the time. If anything good comes out of this perhaps it will be: give Toby what he's asking for, you see what happens when he's not there. I hope so. Don't blame the kid KWP for their goal, he was very clever, took the guy out before he was the last man and before he had a scoring opportunity so the ref could only give a yellow, fair play to him, he was beaten, it was all that he could do. Their first goal, big Dave, Jan and Danny should have all cleared it, but they didn't, that's life, that's football. We can't blame the ref, he had a good game, although the Saints fans didn't think so. Even more reason to win at Klanfield now, COYS!!!
I think the loss of Dembele has been very significant. He played an important role - such an all rounder in midfield. And as with cricket, when you take a quality all rounder from the team, you upset the balance (as well as losing the attributes they bring). One quality signing to replace him (and his demise was foreseeable) would have made a huge difference.
We can't blame the ref, he had a good game, although the Saints fans didn't think so. --------------- He was your man of the match by a mile.
