Bit strange today. First time for quite some time ive stayed home and watch a game without a single drop of alcohol being consumed. The game looked completely different. Positives........ First half especially we were a joy to watch when moving forward. The movement and pace was not what we have seen for a long time. Lens has quality and willing to have a crack from outside thebox. M.Villa is a star in the making. His passing is superb He needs to be snapped up. Toi. Shows some quality. Has abit of grit. Definetly not 100% match fit. Borini. Done another thread on him. Worth the wait. Defoe. Looked sharp. Shouldhe have buriedhis chance ? Yes but he got himself into the posistion to be in with a chance. Kaboul. The sizeof him man. Superb today. Gomez was not the donkey today i thought he was. Catts doesnt need to be in the team. He has a real fight on his hands now. Make or break time forhim. The crowd. Right behind the team today. Play the right way give it a try they will support you all the way. Negatives....... Not to many. PVA scares the **** out of me trying to defend. Im not so sure hes up to it. Fitness levels.. sadly lacking for a few. If only the squad had been assembled earlier. The ref. I dont usually like to complain about refs. But he missed quite abit today. I havnt included o.shea. jones or pants... as they werejust there. Neither good nor bad. Anymore for anymore?
Agree with every word but I want to credit Jones for doing nowt wrong as that represents a huge improvement in itself. Oh an extra positive. The support sounded immense!
40,000 a great crowd for a lunchtime Sunday game on GNR day. We'll be very decent in 2-3 weeks, Ola is more unfit than me but when he isn't that midfield will be very, very good. I like Gomez for Catts, a bit more footballing ability even if grass grows faster than he moves.
Finally the rest of the team are good enough and have the ability to pick out defoe's outstanding runs. We're going to be well safe when the lads get a bit more game time together and a bit more fitness for the new lads..
I've just got in the house (bloody A19)!!!,,, I was hugely impressed with the lads today especially Kaboul & M'Villa. Anyone who questioned Borini and if he 'really' wanted to be at Sunderland can sleep well knowing he is ready to bust a gut for the team. He was lively all day and never gave up on a single ball. My only concern today was that it was evident the lads were tiring with 15 mins to go... hopefully 'full' fitness will come sooner rather than later. The support was great however parts of the East stand disappeared the minute Spurs scored... It was great to see the team go off to a standing ovation (from what was left of a superb crowd). If we continue to play with that intensity (and put the ball in the net from time to time) I'm sure we will be okay. The Spurs fans in my car were quiet on the way back (a bit like their fans until the goal) as they knew they'd got away with one today!! Note: Great following from Spurs tho!!
Quick question, but was the only reason that the Sky co-commentator gave the man of the match award to Eric Dier because he was in a Spurs shirt?? I thought that Kaboul should of won that hands down??? For most part of the game he had an England forward in his back-pocket, and lastly what the hell are those Tottenham shirts made out of . . . . crepe paper they were ripping all over, thought I was watching ‘Full Monty’ again.
I think all football shirts should be made like Tottenham's. If they were, the authorities would have to clamp down on shirt tugging cheats who see football as a form of wrestling. Shirts like this would embarrass them into it.
Agreed mate but with the likes of Lens, M'Vila, Ola (when fit) around him then he doesn't need to be that fast. His ball retention and passing ratios are way above Catts who for me, didn't do himself just or even enough effort to warrant a start next game. I know it's difficult coming on as a sub with 20 minutes left but he did nothing and continually lost possession. He needs to up his game big style if he is to fit into that team.
Here in the U.S., NBCSN gave Mason MotM. I thought Lens was great today. He looked like Bolasie against Man. City.
My only negative about the game was how easy we lose possession when we have the ball in comfortable areas of the field. Our defenders have this tendency to go for the 30/40 yard pass which always finds one of their players...so frustrating.
I think our supporters rightfully get a bit of stick for the lack of support at the matches. Yesterday the fans deserve a pat on the back, because that's how you support a team for 90mins and you could see the players responding to it. That was another big positive for me.
MOTD , quick to show when fans leave, but no praise for such support in our circumstances. On subject of MOTD, I only heard radio commentary and match comments on here, but get the impression we were good and played the better in the first half. MOTD ,apart from Defoe hitting the post, barely showed us with the ball. - no change to bias this season then.
I want sky to kick off a Newcastle game on Great North Run day next year - they've done it 2 or 3 times to us recently and we've had the PL moving the game for euro ties or whatever - annoys the hell out of me as I know at least 5 of my mates who go to the game who were running yesterday - and if I know 5 then chances are theres a good few thousand who'd have been at the match who were running! Mo Farah was going to go but he had to run.....
Agree with all you say Comm except the Oshea bit. Deffo not his biggest fan but thought he did well today alongside MotM Kaboul
