100% on Conte that result. Starting Son yet again is just getting stupid. Everyone loves Sonny but he’s been utter dogshit and dropping a player like Kulu who isn’t out of form makes no sense. Then with three players on yellows including both CMs and only making one sub all game, we had three players who were playing too cautiously to make tackles. Shocker from the gaffer.
3 points out of 6 though and think they’ll be the best team we’ll play in the group so toughest game out the way.
Still limited options on the bench though. Other than Kulusevski, nobody else would have made a difference to the game. Conte knows it and we all should too.
Skipp and Bissouma are good CMs. We had two RWBs on the bench. A ball playing CB on the bench. Not limited at all.
Doherty must be **** in training if he can't get a look in against the useless Royal. That result wasn't down to him, but the opportunities initially arose from two of his ****-ups up the pitch. He is truly dreadful at this level.
Not quite sure where the harsh negativity is coming from tbh. We have played very well v Southampton, and Fulham, deserved a narrow win over wolves where we played well in the second half after a poor first half, played well against Forest and ok v West Ham. Chelsea out played us and we got lucky and we sneaked a win against Marseille with a decent second half performance. Our performance today was OK by and large but we didn't take our chance to kill the game off and suffered for it. We ain't playing brilliantly by a long shot but neither are we as bad as suggested imho
Played well until he got booked, at which point he should've been taken off. I said as much at the time. No idea why he's starting every game in a very demanding role, either. Both of those things are on the manager.
Could’ve stopped there, lol. I’m more bemused why Spence isn’t getting chances. He’s stylistically the most suited to Conte’s RWB position, the inexperience tag that Conte’s using is a bit lame in my opinion, I’d get him in for the weekend but I doubt it happens, will probably be Doherty… yaaay.
I am growing increasingly concerned at the apparent lack of cohesion throughout the team. We had a good thing going by the end of the season but this season have too often looked like a group of strangers. Far too many wayward passes, baffling little spins and flicks that maybe work once in ten attempts and almost zero coordination among the front three. Yes we've made wholesale changes to the squad overall, but the first team has been more or less the same barring a run of games for Perisic and more recently, Richarlison. Even Bentancur and Hojbjerg look like they've just met a week ago. I'm struggling to get my head round it. Soton and Fulham games aside, we haven't really looked like a cohesive unit all season and tbh this defeat has been coming for a while. Glad it wasn't against City as they could and probably would have turned us over if we played like that. It's a puzzler.
We shouldn't have lost that. We had plenty of chances ro win it but they know how to defend in Portugal. Lisbon kept playing until the end and in the last few minutes we suddenly looked leggy. I think we thought it was done and we should know better.
I think we just have both Kane and Son off form at the same time and that's the difference between now and the end of last season.
We were leggy because Conte is already running certain players into the ground. Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Emerson and Kane all looked knackered by the 85th minute. Unsurprisingly so as all of them play almost every minute of every game. We had options on the bench to alleviate the problem but he chose not to use them.
Skipp and Bissouma not fully ready for different reasons according to Conte. Skipp becuase he’s been injured and Bissouma because he’s a new signing (conte’s word not mine)
Poch was similarly stubborn (if not worse) when it came to throwing new signings in at the deep end. To my mind it makes little sense. If he'd pursued such a dogmatic approach to Kulu and Bentancur after they signed in January, we wouldn't have finished 4th. It is as simple as that.
It’s poor reasoning in my opinion. Bissouma won’t ever be ready if he doesn’t actually get the minutes, likewise Spence. If Skipp isn’t fit then he shouldn’t be in the squad. Realistically any player on the bench should be ready to play a set amount. Conte using one sub out of a possible five when three players are on yellows is terrible squad management in my opinion, especially at a time our squad is the strongest it’s been in years. Seems to be a thing amongst Spurs managers though; Poch, Jose and now him all seem intent on running a set amount of players into the ground.
I think two in midfield is a risky tactic when so many teams look to put more bodies in that area, You can get away with it against inferior opposition but not experienced CL campaigners who look to try to eliminate risk and control the game. Sporting aren't going to blow top English teams away; they hang in and look to take chances - as they did tonight.
