Assuming they are still here next season, don't wanna hear a word when the likes of Emerson/Bissouma/Werner for the umpteenth time cannot make an accurate pass to a team-mate when not under pressure, and pass to the opposition when under pressure,
Think I had a better day than most of you who watched the game, food festival was well and truly worth it: Started off with a Bombay potato curry - 6.5/10 Then an apple and cinnamon crepe - 8.3/10 Then a pulled pork with crackling, stuffing and apple sauce bap - 9.8/10 Finished off with a Biscoff ice cream - 9.5/10 And to be honest I’m such a fat **** I’ve got room for more.
The focus seems to have been on fitness and overall training. I'm not sure that extreme heat and humidity are the right environment for that, but I guess time will tell. Getting this close to the season without any minutes for a big chunk of our starting XI isn't great, either. Hopefully it's exposing holes in our squad while we still have time to do something about it.
Thankfully I live in an area of England now where the police station only opens about three days a week! No hate or violence down here - it’s actually quite boring .
I'm worried about a lot of players, all for similar reasons. The difference between the good and the best has always been measured by consistency. We have too many supposedly key players who will put in a bunch of good performances and then vanish entirely for half a dozen games. Even Son is guilty of this and always has been, but worse than him are Maddison, Bissouma, Bentancur and Kulusevski. This is why, for me, players like Micky are so much more important right now. He put in one bad performance (Newcastle away) the entire season. Every other game was good to excellent. We are not going to achieve anything if we are carrying multiple passengers for 25-50% of all games next year, and I'm a little bit tired of fans pointing at a little of run of form from 8-9 months ago, saying "we know he's brilliant, look at what he can do". To which I say: "I'm looking, and he isn't doing it. How much longer am I meant to keep looking?"
I'm just hoping that a number of them aren't down to mismanaged injuries. Maddison started the season brilliantly and then wasn't the same player after he got crocked. Bentancur got Matty Cashed after being out for a while and struggled on his return, too. I'm worried about Udogie and not having backup worries me a lot.
We have seen this all to often with the Tottenham medical team , Ange is overhauling the coaching and scouting set ups ,perhaps the medical team needs scrutiny now
Talking of players with injuries. I was wondering why we took Destiny and Richy on tour if they can't even get on the training pitch, surely not for the photo ops? Wouldn't they have been better off staying at Hotspur Way and getting fit.
Departures and no new first team signings meant we had space on the plane for Richarlison and Udogie to enjoy a holiday. Club's thoughtful like that.
Managed to find a 90 minute package of the game, skimmed through a fair bit though due to the first half being one way traffic. From what I saw: Vicario 100% to blame for the first goal. Maddison, Sarr and Johnson looked well off it... again. Son and Porro have been the best two first teamers of pre-season by quite a distance, though Bissouma has done well too. Kulu was ok but clearly isn't a 9 or even an adequate false 9. Just not sure he fits anywhere into this system. CM might be his best shot. Devine was brilliant again with his passing, impressed me the most of all young players this pre-season. Bergvall is a superstar in the making but needs to improve physicality/ fitness, that'll come in time though. Gray's got bags of talent but his decision making with passes has been very iffy in games, gave it away a fair bit again. Solomon will probably be sold, seemingly behind Moore now and if a new wide forward (hopefully) arrives there'll be no minutes for him. Werner's Werner.
