Given that Mourinho's choosing not to pick players like Sessegnon, Lo Celso, Ndombele, etc. a few games rest won't do anyone any harm.
Todays performance was unacceptable from both manager and players, also the referee and even a tiny minority of supporters. Lampard set up his team excellently and they were the better side for sure, the disappointing thing that they didn’t even have to play that well for that to be case. If anyone genuinely believes after that we are heading in the right direction then I am sorry but you are watching a completely different team to me. The only player who really came out of the game with any credit was Sissoko and that’s not because he offered great quality but he showed effort and commitment which are the minimum requirements in matches like this, defensively I thought Sanchez was OK. Ndombele was bright when he came on but other than that there was nothing to offer any praise for. I hope we see changes on boxing day – something along these lines Vorm, Foyth, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Sissoko, Ndombele, Lo Celso, Dele, Sessegnon Kane Gazza has shown he is ok as an understudy but not a long term option as number 1 – Hugo can’t get back quick enough for me, and don’t me started on Aurier or Dier. I hope the noises coming out of the club about no incoming players in January are not true, because if Jose and Levy have watched that today and believe that what was on display was acceptable in any match, let alone V Chelsea then they may not be taking the club forward. We need 3 players in Jan minimum 2 x full backs and a defensive midfielder, those are the minimum we need.
Well, where to start after that debacle, I thought we might struggle when I saw the team sheets and in hindsight Mourinho got his team selection wrong. We would have maybe been better playing another midfielder, sacrificing either Son or Lucas, and playing a scarecrow at RB. A midfield two of Sissoko and Dier is just no good, Dier is not mobile enough and needs to be playing either alongside a top class CM or in a midfield 3, particularly when we don`t have top class full backs pushing the opposition back. Jan is better at CB than LB and Sanchez is still not good enough, Aurier is still too inconsistent and won`t ever change that. Sonny`s red was harsh but he stupidly kicked out, so he gave the VAR a decision to make. Tierney has probably had a run in with Mourinho in the past, and so couldn`t wait to get one over him while hiding behind a VAR studio... another reason why managers should never criticize the officials. The penalty could have gone either way also, the ball was not under control by either player and it was out of control from Gazza, it`s the kind of decision we would have got away with if we were wearing a red shirt. Also on the subject of VAR, many times our players have been rugby tackled in the box and we get nothing, it happened again today, blatant holding by the Cheatski defenders and nothing given. We are in dire need of a couple of top quality full backs, a top class DM and another ball playing CB, but I have zero faith Levy will provide them. Overall, a crap performance, Mourinho probably got his team wrong and we were outplayed by Chelsea, zero help from VAR and just more confirmation about the glaring weaknesses in our squad. Merry Spursmas.
To the surprise of no-one at this point, the Lunatic Fringe are blaming Levy for this one Remind me, did Levy pick a Dier/Sissoko pivot even though it's patently obvious to everyone that is the worst midfield combination we could have picked for this game? For ****'s sake, Poch rarely picked that pivot in three bloody seasons!
I don't think we need fullbacks. We just need to notice that we've already got loads of wingbacks and centre backs and set up accordingly.
I’ve had a class weekend up until this evening. Works do Friday, house party Saturday, snooker club this morning but then had to endure a turgid performance watching that (thankfully was drunk for a large part of the match). Unfortunately Gazza isn’t proving himself as a long term number one and that mistake today is Lloris-esque. GK is now becoming yet another necessity in what is already a fairly long list of targets because Lloris is finished as a top level keeper and we need to keep up with the likes of Pool and City by not having a mediocre number one. Aurier reminded us why we should’ve binned him after season one. I can play RB better than him and I’m fat and left-footed. Guess I was wrong thinking Dier would get back to his best whilst our CM options are literally dire without Tanguy. Dier-Sissoko no. Winks-Sissoko no. Dier-Winks no. Not sure what the likes of Skipp, Gio or even Foyth have to do to get a game. Son is a ****ing idiot as well. For a guy who’s seemingly very nice this isn’t the first time he’s shown petulance. Reacted stupidly last season vs Bournemouth, reacted stupidly against Everton in which his pettiness lead to a player braking their leg in the following passage of play and now gets himself sent off at 2-0 down, Rudiger made the most of it but so would any of ours had the shoe been on the other foot. Dave Sanchez remained fairly strong throughout though his passing was a downer, Tanguy looked bright when he came on. Only two who can hold their heads high. Utter disaster overall, no two ways about it. Jose needs to start earning that massive packet we’re paying him. Outdone at home by someone in their first year as a Prem manager. Embarrassing.
Games like this just show how much we miss Dembele. He could do what none of our current midfielders can. Receive the ball and retain the ball, hold off any challengers, turn and press the opposition back. What’s happening now is that opposition know that if they pressure our midfield they’ll cough the ball up.
There’s a chance that N’Dombele can be groomed to be his replacement. He’s strong and able to turn quickly. Time will tell if he can improve his ball control a bit.
Tanguy Ndombele completed more take-ons against Chelsea in his 24 minute cameo than Tottenham’s front-four combined did all game.
One passage of play does sum it up... Watching Ndombele dribble the ball forward 15 yards, beating two men, then laying it off to Eriksen who passes it back 15 yards. I thought that was quite poetic of everything really.
As has already been said Ndombele is rhe replacement. We just couldn't get him earlier. He was quite decent today.
Sorry chaps but you will be stuck with today's midfield through most of January, it's Jose's MO. He will win a couple of games to keep you in touch but will want a lever to go to Levy with and say "i need more/better players".
I can't agree on this. Just about all of the current ones aren't good enough to finish in the Top 4, let alone try and win something. If Ben Davies wasn't perpetually injured, he'd be fine. He's the only one that I could think of saying that about; Danny Rose is done and shouldn't be on the pitch again in a Spurs shirt; KWP's career has stalled and he's not ready to play PL football.He's too easily physically bullied and lacking confidence; Aurier's just brainless and lacks discipline. Whatever his plus points are, they're not enough.; Foyth's deemed to be behind Aurier by Mourinho, which suggests that he's not getting on the pitch in that position although he's probably our best right back.
