When Sherwood was manager and we got dominated in games (which happened often) we would hit on the counter, when AVB was here and we where getting outplayed (which happened often) we would hit on the counter, its natural for any team to hit quickly on the break if the team has talented players that are being pressed back. The goons left a ton of space so what are players going to do, stop and ask the fans if they should go forward? no its natural for any player to run into space if its there and thats why I don't see it as a "plan b" as if it was a plan b, then we would have had to invite pressure, when the reality was we where crap in midfield and the goons taking control dictated the game and forced it to be possession v counter.
Good result, and good set up from Pochettino. The one trick pony has shown us two new tricks in the last game and a half. Of course it was disappointing to see us lose our nerve and our lead, but a draw at the Emirates may edge the wins at Old Trafford and the defeat of Everton at WHL as our best result since the season before last. All our defenders had excellent games. Lloris edges Kaboul as MoM, but Rose was our key player early on, Vertonghen was very good, and Naughton probably had his best game ever. Eriksen, Lamela and Chadli may not have done that much, but what they did do was excellent. Capoue continues to be very good. While Ade nearly had a brilliant goal, I found myself wishing Kane was making runs. Bentaleb was an improvement for Mason, who I was still glad to see start. We need to start winning in the PL, but the last couple of games have been big morale boosters. I'm most encouraged to see Pochettino go away from his high press to field two strikers last game, and to hit on the counter this one. It feels like the team has a good number of arrows in its quiver. If we can continue to break after sitting back we can continue to do well against the top teams. It certainly beats losing 3, 4 or 5 nil.
You all agree at last about Ade, what kept you? 1-1 is a good result as any draw would have been. Now we'll beat Besiktas and get that elusive next league win within the next week and climb up a few places from then on.
Lamela has six assists in six and a fraction games in all comps, including what turned out to be the tying goal against Arsenal. He's doing fine. I really enjoyed our lightweight Dane using his whole body in a tackle to start the goal scoring sequence. I also hope we continue to try to press defenders into mistakes near the goal, as it beats watching it being done to us. We could have had a couple early on, but ****ed up good breaks. It seemed like nerves to me, and I was very thankful that Lamela and Chadli held theirs to score.
A good result considering our poor form. We do look a shadow of the team from 3 years ago . A bit ponderous , Mason at least went forward but we have no game changers . A few years Back we would have destroyed this slow Arse side. Hard to be positive besides the score, I feel we are so average that we will look back at this as a highlight of the season.
I don't think we did set up to counter under AVB. When there's space, of course you attack it but what we're saying is not that Pochettino set us up in some revolutionary formation but that we got the result, in part, because Pochettino got it right tactically. We did invite them on to us, our defence was dropping off to defend our area, the wide players were always tracking back and we didn't try to stop them passing all game, we just tried to stop them getting the ball in dangerous areas, which we did save for a couple of opportunities they had. It was precisely what Mourinho does in games where he feels his side can't dominate through pushing forward and attacking. It's not the prettiest way to play but we were up against it and there was pressure on us not to lose this game. Perhaps later in the season we'll go to places like the Emirates and play on the front foot but at the moment we're not in a great position and haven't been playing well enough to feel like that's a good option.
I was hoping we'd sell him in the summer but I wouldn't wish him gone at the moment, he has more good games than Soldado and Kane is still in the early stages of his career.
Fairplay, you did. I certainly think Kane would've done better but Soldado is as prone to anonymous games as Ade.
I never said he did. I said when we got dominated we would hit on the counter because AVB's high pressing game wasn't working and thats why I don't see the failure of a high pressing game a way to say the manager got it right, just because we managed to get joy on the counter because his game plan wasn't working. But we will just have to agree to disagree as you and others are more positive over Pochettino while I'm more negative about his management so we're going to view it differently yet a couple of days back fans where saying Pochettino hadn't shown he could make any difference in games, was getting slated for playing wingers in the wrong position and now all of a sudden he is getting praise for his tactics? lets see how the season pans out, as if Pochettino has a plan b then he will have plenty of chances to use it.
Bobby needs a run in the team, he'll do it. I wasn't surprised by the 1-1 because our result against Forest was good showing good finishing. I just hope now we give Ade away on a free, just get rid of him.
To be fair we have all slated Ade and we all know what he is like, just at times you think he may have turned a corner and he tricks you into thinking he can be the player he was. I remember when Redknapp first signed him on loan, I said he will be great on loan but crap if the move becomes permanent and really if it wasn't for him being wound up by AVB, his goal return would have been shocking for a player of his ability if we took away the year he was here on loan.
yep. really crap. ive not seen him have a good game yet. seems to run into trouble all the time and gives away silly fouls. £30 million seems a waste of money at the moment
Just seen the highlights. Lamela is a confidence player so I hope his error doesn't impact his slowly improving form (6 assists is at least contributing). Think he needs to play against Besiktas in the week along with Soldado - keep them out there and it will click sooner rather than later.
I really don't get slating Lamela. I mean, I really don't get it. As of last week, he was the most fouled player in the Prem. He probably has more assists in all comps than anyone but Fabregas. I would say he's one of the ten most influential players in the league this year. He just created what turned out to be the tying goal at the Emirates. He turned around a Europa game with two assists. None of our attacking players did all that much today because they didn't have the ball much. Lamela did have the miskicked clearance which led to the goal, but all players have miskicked clearances. This one led to a goal due to dumb luck, not because it was an exceptionally major error. I can only cringe at the amount of hype Ozil or even Sanchez would get if he had six assists so far this year--not to say Sanchez isn't a very good player. Hell, Ozil would be a very good player if he had three assists. If anyone wants to point out that Eriksen and Adebayor have not bee the players they were at the end of last year (with the exception of Adebayor against QPR this year), I wouldn't disagree, on the other hand. The yellow on Chadli for the ear cupping gesture may have been the most ridiculous yellow card I've ever seen. How many other players have used that same gesture without getting carded? Why is it that Arsenal fans need more protection from banter? Are they more unstable or immature? Surely Walcott's gesture was more provocative than Chadli's. There's no doubt the calls went against us today, but I agree the surprise was not that, but that the refs didn't gift wrap the game for Arsenal. I had the feeling Naughton was somehow going to get called for a pen on a dive.
I agree Ade has been a let down.Wasn't he looking forward to the Arsenal game,he said?Probably prefers watching now instead of actually doing something.I would put Bent into the same category.Whatever happened to Bent anyway?
Lamela I agree has had very little impact . Amazing our 3 most expensive players in our history have been at this moment of time a complete waste of money. We have no choice but to play Lamela as cream may eventually rise to the top. He does have something that our more work man like , much of a much plodders don't have, that rare thing called flair.No matter how little we see at least it may blossom After yesterdays game l wonder where fellow Lillywhite comrades see us at the end of the season. For me 7 or 8 th.
Adebayor is 30 and I doubt he has had two consecutive seasons in his career playing to a high standard. Soldado just isn't suited to our league. Eriksen appears to struggle in systems used by Avb and Pochettino. Vlad is a shaky defender and Paulinho is a complete flop. Lamela cost 32 million and a year a bit later we're still trying to build up his confidence. But amid all the crap, we have Chadli. I've given the lad a ton of stick but fair play to Chadli as he is a confident guy and hasn't allowed the doubts to affect his game and is slowly proving he is the new Bale. Eriksen is the one player who disappoints me most as for someone with such great natural ability he doesn't get involved, the games pass him buy but he is capable of that one moment of magic. Just he has a long way to go before he can even be mentioned as being near to VdV and I doubt any top clubs are going to spend big money so any fears fans had of him leaving can be relaxed.
Amazing with such a pop gun attack, our jaffer problems never resolved , we can tread water in a top half position.
