Spurs v Benfica : EL Round of 16.

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Spurf said:
I have never understood why we would try all season to get a place in the top 4 or 5 and then say it's too much all these cup games and play under strength sides.

We should be trying our best in all competitions otherwise do not enter in the first place. Managers need to play our best possible team on each occasion if the poor lambs are tired you need to question their commitment and their fitness levels.
Click to expand...

not as easy as that though Spurf, they are human after all.

However, as we can't make a huge net spend like the clubs above us, we should be using 1 or 2 of these competitions to field our youngsters, to see who's really capable of succeeding at the top level.
There's no reason why the COC can't be a competition for our up and coming talent to try and prove themselves.
 
Roo said:
not as easy as that though Spurf, they are human after all.

However, as we can't make a huge net spend like the clubs above us, we should be using 1 or 2 of these competitions to field our youngsters, to see who's really capable of succeeding at the top level.
There's no reason why the COC can't be a competition for our up and coming talent to try and prove themselves.
Click to expand...

they used to play twice a week in the 60's and70's,and in those day's there was no squad rotation,they used to cope!
 
Roo said:
not as easy as that though Spurf, they are human after all.

However, as we can't make a huge net spend like the clubs above us, we should be using 1 or 2 of these competitions to field our youngsters, to see who's really capable of succeeding at the top level.
There's no reason why the COC can't be a competition for our up and coming talent to try and prove themselves.
Click to expand...

Oh they're human are they! in that case we need to pay them less, like 30 quid a week plus bonus for winning of £50,000 then we might see how 'human' they are.
 
totsfan said:
they used to play twice a week in the 60's and70's,and in those day's there was no squad rotation,they used to cope!
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Quite right tots these over paid wimps need to wake up. Stop ****ing training so much for a start then they wouldn't be so tired.....shame!
 
"We should be trying our best in all competitions otherwise do not enter in the first place.
Managers need to play our best possible team on each occasion if the poor lambs are tired
you need to question their commitment and their fitness levels."

As someone said, for a decent squad like this season, you should be able to field reasonable
sides in all competitions, thus maintaining player readiness for the inevitable injuries.
Where injuries prevent a senior from playing in "lesser" games, then that is the opportunity to
use the best current prospects in the Academy.

I thought AVB would be capable of doing so this season.
But then his risk-averse nature effed it up by playing Rose against Tromso etc.
 
At the start of the season I, like many others thought that Spurs would be able to compete on a number of fronts. We were supposed to have the best squad for years, but FA and League cups have been a disaster; however at the end of the day it doesn't matter in the long term. If you go out in the first round or the semis you still have achieved nothing. At least with Europa every win/draw gains coefficient points that help in Europa in future seasons and the Champions League if we get there again; therefore in my mind the Europa is far more important than the other 2 cups (especially next year). I reckon it also holds more prestige to players from other countries and will help the Spurs name be known around the continent. I've said it before, but we need to be in Europa and doing ok every season, otherwise if we do ever actually qualify for Champion's League again we will be screwed by seedings.
 
"If you go out in the first round or the semis you still have achieved nothing."

Not so. Every round reached is more game time for the squad.

If football was like rugby or grid-iron, then all the squad would get loads more
time due to subs/switches etc. But it isn't. I was glad of the Europa and League
Cup rounds this season, if only to have as many non-PL games as possible to
try and get the newcomers gelling together ASAP.
 
RDBD - Good point - I agree about game time, but feel we haven't used it properly this season. Another benefit of being in the Europa too.
 
"I agree about game time, but feel we haven't used it properly this season."

Agreed.
i really thought that the Cup games in winter would have the newcomers bedded in and
ready to roll for the 2nd half of the PL season (where Spurs typically falter apart from 2010) .
 
There were glimpses of bedding in with Soldado (aginst Anzhi?) and Lamela's good Europa game, but alas, it just doesn't seem to have happened and now with a number of injuries again the squad looks a bit frail. Anyway fingers crossed for tomorrow..
 
One to watch: Lazar Markovic at Benfica, if he features. I watched this lad when he was literally just a kid at Partizan, he's quickly become a top talent. He scored this:

[video=youtube;EXcJAaHykYs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXcJAaHykYs[/video]

a few weeks ago and I really want to see him get some recognition in England. I'd love to see him at Liverpool but for now I'll just get the opportunity to watch him face a big English club.

Benfica are a great team but they will be still finding their feet after Matic's departure. Fejsa (another Serb from Partizan) may start or may not - he isn't as composed as Matic was but is better defensively. They tend to play counterattacking football with Cardozo up front and Lima/Markovic fluid behind them. The Portuguese players can find themselves with velcro boots sometimes and they don't take their chances often. It could end up being a comedy of misses if Soldado has one of his... days. They aren't fantastic defensively but aren't awful either - fast players would pick them apart more than the usual slow buildup we've seen from your lot this season.

Should be an actually exciting Europa match - for once. Obviously I will be rooting for Benfica tomorrow, but that's more to do with their Serbs than my supporting Liverpool.
 
The injury list may be shortening, expecting Eriksen, Rose and Dembele back tonight or Sunday

BBC said:
Tottenham will be without captain Michael Dawson for Thursday's last 16 first leg Europa League match with Benfica at White Hart Lane.

Defender Dawson suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Chelsea and will also miss Sunday's north London derby against Arsenal.

Christian Eriksen (back) and Danny Rose (knee) could return while Mousa Dembele is in contention.

Etienne Capoue (ankle), Erik Lamela and Vlad Chiriches (both back) are out.
Click to expand...

So

Lloris
Walker
Kaboul (?)
Vertonghen
Rose
Lennon
Paulinho
Sandro
Eriksen
Soldado
Adebayor
 
danilo. said:
One to watch: Lazar Markovic at Benfica, if he features. I watched this lad when he was literally just a kid at Partizan, he's quickly become a top talent. He scored this:

[video=youtube;EXcJAaHykYs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXcJAaHykYs[/video]

a few weeks ago and I really want to see him get some recognition in England. I'd love to see him at Liverpool but for now I'll just get the opportunity to watch him face a big English club.

Benfica are a great team but they will be still finding their feet after Matic's departure. Fejsa (another Serb from Partizan) may start or may not - he isn't as composed as Matic was but is better defensively. They tend to play counterattacking football with Cardozo up front and Lima/Markovic fluid behind them. The Portuguese players can find themselves with velcro boots sometimes and they don't take their chances often. It could end up being a comedy of misses if Soldado has one of his... days. They aren't fantastic defensively but aren't awful either - fast players would pick them apart more than the usual slow buildup we've seen from your lot this season.

Should be an actually exciting Europa match - for once. Obviously I will be rooting for Benfica tomorrow, but that's more to do with their Serbs than my supporting Liverpool.
Click to expand...

He's pratically owned by chelsea though, if they wanted to buy him?

We apparently have an option to buy 50% of his value for 7.5m euros.
 
"He's pratically owned by chelsea"

Practically ?? What, is Roman struggling to wholly own the player ?? :D
 
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