2-1 FT. Late penalty shout, but the ref didn't look interested in giving that one. That was rubbish. No creativity, vulnerable at the back and a lot of strange team selections. Hart let in a soft one and we rarely tested their keeper. I know it was a very weakened team, but it demonstrates our lack of depth, as well as highlighting some mysterious disappearances. Where's Winks? Where's Lo Celso? Did Ndombele eat them? We need about 7 players and we might sign one or two.
I’d bite a team’s hand off at £40m for Dele if anyone offered it. Said it before and I’ll repeat, 2 great seasons followed by 3 inconsistent ones. Not. Good. Enough. Lucas and Lamela are both not good enough to be in the XI most weeks either. I said that this season I’ll be more critical of Jose’s tactics/ selection and if Lucas makes the XI more often than Bergwijn that’s gonna be one of my major gripes. Nfatbele... send him to a summer camp or some ****, get him doing some rock climbing, abseiling, potholing, mountain biking etc. Make him graft.
Is he though? Since the restart Bergwijn played on the right vs Utd and scored, then got an assist for Kane’s header against Newcastle with a cross from the right. Lucas got two assists against Leicester and he started most of those games. He works harder defensively but I think Bergwijn is so much more potent. I’d take him any day over Lucas, left or right.
Bergwijn is so much more effective down the left. He goes missing when he's on the right and we can't afford that.
But what does Lucas bring that makes him much more effective on the right? Bergwijn hasn’t really had enough time there, Lucas has started most of the matches at RW and his goal/ assist return is borderline embarrassing.
Moura does a lot more for the team and is often used out of position, either down the left or up front. Our right side doesn't make much sense a lot of the time, either. The Aurier/Sissoko mess packs that wing. We're using too many players in roles that aren't their strongest and it shows.
Moura grafts, I'll give him that but I’m not sure it’s exactly effective to the level we need. Ultimately our wide attackers need to be producing at a semi reliable rate to ease the burden on the central striker. Son certainly does that, Lucas/ Lamela don’t and in the time Bergwijn’s been here he’s shown he’s someone we can rely upon a lot more than those two to bag a goal. Whether he or Son does it, one needs to play on the right over the other two in my opinion. We’re limiting ourselves from an attacking standpoint with Lucas starting most games there, the quality and return isn’t good enough. I agree about Aurier and Sissoko, whether the former’s sold or not I’m hoping we don’t see those two in the XI too often in league or (hopefully) big Europa games.
Academy fringe player assessment: Cirkin - Although I think Jose is keeping him around to possibly use in Europa, I think he's better off going on loan. Looks a fair way off being first team ready. Can see the talent but needs to maturing. White - Some really nice passing at times, including ones with forward intent but lacks the physicality at the moment which is understandable of someone his age and frame. Like Cirkin, I think he may be better off going out on loan. CCV - I think he's a solid Championship player right now, one day he may make it in the Prem but I think he needs to keep plying his trade in England's second tier for one or two more years. If we could get around £5m for him it'd be decent business. Don't see a future for him at Spurs. Clarke - I've actually been most impressed with him out of all the youngsters. He's got a bit of the 'it factor', still very (very) raw but in glimpses he's shown he's got that ability to take a man on and knock a cross in, none of our wide players do that enough and providing we don't mess up in the early Europa fixtures, I think there could be some good chances for Jack to get some solid game time here and possibly give Jose something to think about. Can somewhat see why we paid the £10m, potential is definitely there for me. Bowden - Not played as much as the others so it'd be unfair to judge, there's rumours of a League One loan in the pipeline and I think that'd be a great move for him this season as he won't get any minutes in the first team.
The PL has kicked off a week early. A Spurs player is wrongly denied a goal, and a Manchester player scores a wrongly awarded penalty.
Once again a referee plays the biggest part in an International. It happens so often, there is more drama from the whistle than the boot.
AND The SKY commentator is useless. It's like sitting behind a gossip. His actual commentary is spasmodic to say the least. The same with their cricket commentary. I tried to find an alternative stream without luck. People pay for this ****.
At one point Tyler tried to compare the football and cricket teams , all you could hear was a whooshing sound as it went over Smith's head
The role of the co-commentator has become a real issue for me. Why people like Alan Smith are kept on by Sky is beyond me and it’s nothing to do with his gooner roots (though that should be sufficient reason, but I feel the same about Hoddle). I have been watching football for over 50 years, I don’t need the co-commentator to point out things that I can see with my own eyes which is all we get from the likes of Smith and Hoddle (special subject the bleeding obvious as a Torquay hotel owner once said). There are very few people used on Sky, BT or the BBC who enhance the viewers watching experience, I am sure the dedicated co-commentator is a sky invention and I am sure that when Andy Gray started he was more interesting than these dummies are now.
Commentary has changed from the Wolstenholme style of informing who has the ball to a series of opinions and anecdotes. You are watching the game and the commentator is airing some personal opinion of Kane or the manager and then occasionally naming the player on the ball. Yesterday for example it appears he could see Walker every time he had the ball but Trippier was invisible. Commentary on the game is incidental to a display of the commentators knowledge of statistics and gossip. For me it just gets in the way of my concentration on the game before me, especially when the opinion expressed is open to question.
PLUS! The referee scrubbed out Kane's goal for offside, which was marginal to say the least. The attacker getting the benefit of the doubt has gone. Right or wrong, and I think it was wrong, it changed the game. If the goal had stood Iceland would have had to change their game plan but the game is described as though all decisions were perfect therefore England struggled? Well you would if having achieved what is the most difficult thing in football, (scoring a goal)it is disallowed. Not only do you have to score the goal your presentation of it must leave no room for doubt.
