Bentancur will miss the Everton game due to the concussion protocol. I assume Bissouma will come straight back into the squad. He'll probably start, too.
I've no issues with Solanke on a first performance. He worked hard and created a few chances for himself which bodes well. Yes, he probably should have scored a couple of chances, but I do think he will do alright. The 'stars' however appears unable to maintain a match long performance. Sonny was missing for the 2nd half, having not made the most of his space in the 1st. Maddison looked bright and creative for 40 minutes but was anonymous for 50. I didn't think that either Bentancur or Sarr had particularly good games either and the replacements, especially Bergvall, looked far more impressive. Porro got a good goal, but his defending is amateurish. Udogie started well, but looked at sea when Leicester got into gear. Vicario saved us from an ignominious defeat. And as I and others have said - repeatedly - we need a leader on the pitch. Oh well... another seasons hopes and aspirations are shattered for another year. The joy of being a Spurs fan!
I agree that you had more than enough chances to win the game. Make no mistake, it should have been put to bed before Vardy even had that chance to score. For 56 minutes, it looked like it was going to be shooting practice for you. Your ability to fashion goalscoring chances shouldn't be of concern. But, in my opinion, what should be concerning is how quickly the game state changed when they equalised. Leicester couldn't get near you for 56 minutes. Then they score and the game totally flips on its head. After the equaliser, they were winning second balls, 50-50s and looked like the more dangerous outfit. You seemed quite rocked by the momentum swing. Meanwhile, your players were giving stroppy fouls away, losing possession carelessly and not plugging the gaps in midfield/defence. That second half was appalling and, as has been mentioned, you'll get eaten alive if you perform like that against better sides.
Well having witnessed this entire game, I am already tired of watching disinteresting, boring, slow-ass football. I would not have any of the starting forwards anywhere near my starting eleven. Son: How is he even still starting games. Johnson: He must be a candidate for the softest lad in the entire league. Solanke: No improvement on any of the existing forwards. Also I think Ange needs to get a better understanding of the premiership and needs to do it fast. His substitutions and timing today were awful. If this is the sign of things to come... we're all in trouble.
This is definitely the concern for me. I pray and pray he proves me wrong but it feels as though we've spent £125m on two strikers that aren't even half as good as Jermain Defoe or Robbie Keane, let alone trying to fill the mantle of a Harry Kane or even a Berbatov. Very poor debut from Solanke though, I suppose on the flip side he can't get any worse.
It’s not just one game though. Ange talks the talk about progress etc but ultimately it was the same as last season. Naive tactics, far too open at the back and wasteful up top. I said it before and I’ll say it again. Spurs peaked under Ange in the first ten games last season. To go from Harry Kane to Solanke or Richarlison makes me feel like crying
I wouldn't be too harsh on Solanke just yet as he has only been with the team for a couple of days. Yes he was quite disappointing but it's far too soon to complain about him.
Werner is absolutely rotten though, I’d rather see Mikey Moore given minutes even if he struggles than Werner stink out the place.
A tough watch in the 2nd half, but no one in the squad played anything close to 90 mins pre season. Just throwing it out there, would lack of match fitness cause such a poor performance after the interval. Just remember in pre season most of these players had 45 mins or less per half in all games and for some it showed.
Thought we were pretty decent in the first half, but should have been about 3-0 up after the first 20 mins. Too much trying to walk it into goal, which ended up costing us later in the game. - also thought Son and Maddison worked well down the left in the first half, although the former probably should have been a bit more selfish and got some shots off. Too much intricate nonsense with no end product from anyone. Solanke got little to no service, so I don’t really think he can be blamed for an average performance. second half was generally quite poor. Son became non existent and we failed to create anything. Then we were totally rocked by their goal against the run of play. Bergvall was basically the only positive, despite his mistake. To see the senior players (who’d contributed very little) having a go at an 18 year old was pretty **** to watch tbh. The one player I still can’t get my head around is Brennan Johnson. The system relies on pace from our wingers, but I don’t know that he offers. Doesn’t take anyone on, is weak on the ball, and has no end product. £50m
That was bizarre. Yes, he lost out in a challenge on the right touchline, but had got back and covered ok. The problem was the fact that the Leicester player had acres of space in the box to receive the ball. Vicario having a go at Bergvall was well out of place - like every one of Werner's passes!!
We lack leaders in the team, and it shows every time something happens that disrupts our fragile mentality. It doesn't help that the man wearing the armband is one of the least vocal players in world football, while his performances are no longer good enough to at least inspire by example. Hojbjerg didn't have a future here but at the very least he did have the leadership qualities we were already lacking. The problem has only gotten worse.
I posted a complete new jerk reaction post straight after the game about a lack of backbone and having slept on it, I haven’t changed my mind, the way our heads dropped and our lack of control in the period just after the goal was frankly embarrassing. But there were a few positives in the opening 55 minutes, but as others have said when we are so much in the ascendency, we have to make it count. I do agree that lack of a decent pre-season for some of our players was clearly evident and we did lack energy at the end despite the changes. I actually thought that for a player in his first match Solanke was OK, if he had scored that great chance to make it 2-0 his debut would have been very good, but there were glimpses of him being in the right place, his closing and movement is far more controlled than Richarlisons and given time with his new team mates he will hopefully be an effective outlet, he is never going to be Harry standard, but no one is and we can’t compare every forward sign from now on, we didn’t get a CF of Greaves quality for nearly 50 years! (and some would say we still haven’t and never will) We need a number 6 with Bentancur out on Saturday I hope that Gray starts I liked the look of him but worry he maybe a bit lightweight but we won’t know unless he plays. Bergvall could also play as Sarr is not making his mark on games currently and was one of our most disappointing performers along side Johnson, who took his pre-season form into the season ( was anyone surprised?). First half Maddison and Son were bright and we were well on top but not clinical. Also corners lots of them but only one of them resulted in a genuine effort on goal that is not good enough either, when you see the carnage teams that are good corners cause we need to be working on this. 2 points dropped and very much more of the same from end of last season, big improvements needed if we want to be in touch with those chasing Europe from both players and manager.
He had a go at bergvall not because he was covering but because he received the ball, had the to do what he wanted then dribbled it a bit and lost it as the last man and you nearly conceded. Nearly a very costly error
