Tottenham Hotspur are unbeaten in their last 8 Boxing Day matches since 2004 (6 wins, 2 draws)... please log in to view this image
SOS has 10/11ths of my team, and RobSpur adds the eleventh. What I want from Sherwood is that we have a go, every game, all game, up or down 6-0. This nervy, results-based stuff hasn't produced results or attractive football. Trying for the very attainable latter may give us a better chance at the former. I would never have played Bentaleb, but you have to reward him for how well he did play. I suspect Holtby would be a slight improvement over Eiriksen, but better to keep a group together who did well last time.
I'd be interested to see Eriksen sitting in VDV's position just behind adebayor. Then a midfield 4 of: lamela, dembele holtby and chadli, with Bentaleb coming on again at some point.
Apparently Lennon has an abdominal injury out for this game at least. Chadli or Lamela on the right again, lets see who is better there.
Don't see the harm in starting both. Lamela needs games and chadli was decent when he came on against saints.
Lamela's starting, according to his brother's Twitter feed. It seems to be genuine and I don't think he's been wrong about anything yet. The family spent some time at Sandro's house doing karaoke, apparently: please log in to view this image Nice to see that they're getting on. Someone should probably have a word about him revealing team information, though.
Someone should have a word with Sandro too. Frilly pink cushions on a black leather sofa? No. Just no. I'm up for this game. I hope our players our too. COYS
Not to mention all those wires hanging out all over the floor and by the tele. It looks like a student flat which has been set up purely for gaming!
I hope we see this to start with today: LLoris Walker Chiriches Dawson Rose Lamela Eriksen Dembele Chadli Soldado Ade If we look comfortable and we're winning, I'd like to see us change things as an opportunity to experiment. Lloris Walker Chiriches Dawson Rose Capoue Lamela Holtby Chadli Eriksen Soldado Dembele off, Capoue on. Ade off, Holtby on. I think Bentaleb deserves a run after last weeks performance, so perhaps him instead of capoue. Or perhaps capoue to start the game over Dembele.
I think it's more a time for reverting back to basics than experimenting Roo. Win today and again on Sunday and whatever anyone else does, our situation will definitely look better. Mind you. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if he started with Bentaleb today, Tim rates him highly.
Against Southampton you said with confidence that we would 'get a result'. What do you think our chances are of 'getting a result' today?
I am at ease with this new regime and whist being cautiously optimistic in the long term, I am as confident about getting a result today as I was for the Southampton game .
That's good news. The change in management appears to have lifted the cloud that appeared to be hanging over White Hart Lane. I get the impression that although very few people actually disliked AVB, not many had belief in his methods or systems. I am hopeful for the future as well, I'm a firm believer in people needing to be comfortable in their work to be able to perform to their maximum.
True, but this is the sort of game where IF we look comfortable, we should try out other methods. We cant do it against the likes of United or Arsenal as its too risky and this is a chance for Tim to try out a plan B. - something which AVB never seemed to have IMO. I'm most excited about Holtby and Eriksen; two players I have watched who are inventive but have looked completely suffocated since both of them signed. They both have the potential to be like Modric and VDV, IMO, but just need to go out there and do their thing. Hopefully we'll see both of them in the same lineup at some point!
Have to agree with SC Roo, no time for Eriksen off Ade either, he's not good enough or perhaps I should say used to the rigours of the PL yet to play there, there's plenty of time for that. Right now we have no better no.10 than Ade playing off Soldado. Lets get back to what we are used too, I think we're fortunate fixture-timingwise to have these next two games, hopefully to get some momentum into the new year. For me its a very important phase in the season, no Euro distractions, its all about points on the board in the league till Feb ( I know thats the idea anyway, but I'm sure you know what I mean).
I know where you're both coming from and obviously I don't disagree with your reasoning, but the reason i say I'd like to see it if we're in a comfortable position, is because Ade is unreliable. I'd like us to have at least tried something different in the latter stages of one of these 2 games because the day will come where Ade lets us down in some way, shape or form.
Might be an idea to stick Eriksen down the left in a few games, just as Modric was used early on. He looked reasonably decent against Southampton though, so persisting with him and using a more defensive minded partner might be better.
