please log in to view this image Sunday 20th September 1.30pm White Hart Lane Having finally got our first win of the season under our belts at the SOL, we now face Pardew's Palace at home. They've had an impressive start to the campaign, despite losing two of their opening five league games. Those narrow loses to City and Arsenal in very closely fought games haven't cost them too badly. They've won every other game, including beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and must be happy with their position. This fixture saw us facing a different Palace manager last season, but we still failed to take all three points. Neil Warnock's side caused us problems with their pace on the wings and that may well be the case this time, too. It was part of a packed fixture schedule and it showed, so let's hope that history doesn't repeat itself. Can't see it being another 0-0 draw, though. The away game was our very short-lived ex-player's debut as Palace manager. We dominated most of the game, then threw it away in the last quarter, losing 2-1. They've not looked back since. Lineups for the last league game: Spurs: Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Mason; Son, Alli, Chadli; Kane. Subs: Vorm, Trippier, Rose, Winks, Carroll, Townsend, Lamela. Palace: McCarthy; Kelly, Dann, Hangeland, Souare; Cabaye, McArthur; Sako, Puncheon, Zaha; Bolasie. Subs: Hennesey, Mariappa, Campbell, Lee, Jedinak, Gayle, Mutch. Ref: Michael Oliver. Can we get our first home win in the league this season? Who screwed Palace with the fixture list and do they care now?
Likely to be a tough game, Pardew's done really well with this Palace side and they've got some very good players going forward, so our defence will have to be on form. Should still win though, we're at home and we seem to be improving game on game so I'd expect us to come out on top. I'd go for: Lloris, Walker, Toby, Jan, Davies Dier, Alli Townsend, Chadli, Son Kane Vorm, Wimmer, Trippier, Rose, Carroll, N'Jie, Lamela,
That RW spot is once again a dilemma because Townsend and Lamela were frankly awful last night in a game where they really should've been working their socks off to be noticed. I think it's too early to start Njie so I'd play Carroll next to Dier again as they looked reasonably tidy, and push Alli up behind Kane with Son and Chadli on the flanks. The latter isn't ideal but Alli is improving game on game and Son looked impressive last night.
I presume that Carroll will play alongside Dier again and that Jan, Walker, Davies, Chadli and Kane will return. I literally haven't a clue which of Alli, Son, Townsend and Lamela will take the other two places in "the 3". Without Townsend, we lack width, but he had a poor game last night. Like others, I suspect Lamela's best spot might be in the middle and it would make sense to give him a chance with Eriksen still out. But that leaves Son and Alli on the bench and they were the two that did well last night. Who'd be a manager!
Maybe a front 4 of Alli Lamela Son Kane I've given up on Lamela and Townsend to be honest. Although at least the former pops up with some quality assists and goals just when the keyboard warriors are sharpening their knives. The latter is an impact sub, nothing more as his one talent is running quickly at people, which he can't do for 90 minutes without either tiring or the oposition getting the measure of him.
The main reason I'd stick Townsend in for this is Palace are fast on the break, Bolasie and Zaha are very quick and Puncheon is no slouch either, so while Andros isn't known for his tracking back I think we need to counter pace with pace and Andros is our fastest winger at the moment (while N'Jie is still in recovery) so I think we could do with him out wide to make Zaha/ Bolasie think twice about breaking with speed as we can also hit on the counter with someone like Andros.
But hold the phone... BBC reporting that Mason, Dembele and Erisken could all be fit for Sunday, which changes things somewhat.
Rotation might be a very good idea, which complicates things further. Kane and Chadli are likely to start. I think Eriksen, Dembélé and Mason will come on as subs, if at all. Based on form it would be Alli and Son, but Lamela is more of a number 10. Also, there’s no width to Kane Alli, Son, Chadli, except that Alli goes wide occasionally. We could start Alli with Dier--assuming Dier isn’t hurt, which to me isn’t certain. I might go for Rose Vertonghen Alderweireld Trippier Dier (Winks) Alli Clinton Lamela Son Kane We’d have width, a number 10, and play Son, Alli and Kane. If Clinton is in, I wouldn’t mind seeing Davies. We won’t see Trippier and will see Chadli, though, I’ll bet.
I would like to see Lloris Walker verts Toby Davies Dier Alli Son Eriksen Njie Kane More likely that Chadli will come back in, but I'm hoping that's not the case, as I don't feel he and Davies compliment one another at all. Probably unrealistic to expect Eriksen to start, but the thought of seeing him and Alli in the same side at the moment is very exciting. A more likely like up: Lloris walker verts Toby Davies Dier [??] Townsend Son Chadli Kane
It’s interesting you think we’ll see Townsend and not Lamela. Our tendency to press high and CP’s speedy players make their tactics obvious, and help explain why they took 4 of 6 points last year. I wonder what, if anything, Pochettino will do to change things up, aside from having a real DM in Dier. Though now that I mention it, I’d rest Dier for this game. He looked tired and hurt at the end of last game. Now is not the time to crock him for the year. Winks would represent a big risk, but not as big a risk as continuing to play Dier when he clearly could use a rest. It would be a bad idea to play Alli the next three games as well, though I can’t figure out which game to rest him for. Same goes for Alderweireld, though I’m a bit less concerned about him.
Despite the massive frustration we all have with Lamela he could have scored 4 goals on Thursday. He was an inch away when he hit the post, was through and scored but marginally called offside and then his touch let him down on the other occasion. Along with him scoring a well taken goal. Townsend on the other hand did pretty much f*ck all and he doesn't get half the criticism Lamela does. Probably because there are less expectations as he is a home grown player that didn't cost anything.
So personally I think Lamela deserves to be in the team/squad more than Townsend if there had to be a straight choice between the two
Any updates on the injured trio - Eriksen, Mason & Bentaleb? Last I heard they were all being considered.
If it were up to me, I'd play neither. I'd play a mid three of Dier, Mason and Alli. Chadli, Kane, Son up front, if Rose plays. N'Jie, Kane, Son upfront if Davies plays. Rose makes Chadli make sense. My concern is that Lamela will get bullied into frustration if he starts in this game. Then he'll start giving away free kicks in dodgy areas. Townsend would be good to provide pace towards the end maybe, as a sub. Crystal Palace play a very physical game these days. Lamela needs to eat more porridge before he can compete well in these kind of clashes. I took Kane out of my fantasy league team this week so I reckon he'll go on to score a hat-trick knowing how these things usually work out.
As I've said previously, Townsend is nothing more than an impact sub. His only quality is running at pace at the opposition. He can't pass, shoot, head or tackle meaningfully. As such, playing him for 90 minutes is a waste of time because the opposition will have the measure of him by roughly minute 20, and from then on he'll more often than not be anonymous. But bring him on with 20 minutes to go and tired legs won't be able to deal with his one quality. Lamela on the other hand, despite often reminding me of someone auditioning for Aladdin at the west end rather than a professional footballer, has many more arrows to his quiver. He can pass, shoot, cross and tackle. It's his decision making and positional awareness that constantly let him down and make him appear so painfully amateur. Unlike Townsend, the opposition rarely have the measure of him because after 80 minutes of confusion, he'll suddenly pull an eye of the needle pass or Rabona shot out of the top drawer and win the game with it. It's immensely frustrating but I honestly believe that if Lamela was given as many games as Chadli he'd have a similar return of goals and assists to his name by now. You'll tear your hair out watching both players but somehow they keep doing the business. I think the reason Chadli keeps getting the nod is that Lamela is far too one-footed to start out on the left, whereas Chadli to his credit has a very decent right foot to cut into. Bottom line is that I'm hoping Son and Njie will be major successes and I can stop my subscription to hair growth creams.
The problem is that if Chadli had Lamela's workrate, or Lamela had Chadli's scoring stats, we'd have a hell of a player on our hands - so we've basically got the player we need on the left flank but split between two people.
Todays line up- Eriksen is on the bench gives us a very attacking look. Team: Lloris (c), Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Alli, Dier; Lamela, Son, Chadli; Kane Subs: Vorm, Fazio, Trippier, Carroll, Clinton, Eriksen, Townsend
Chadli and Davies on the left? I guess we're going to be taking shots every time we notice Chadli's on the pitch again...
