Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Bayer Leverkusen

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We've looked like a league two side in possession this half. No technique or composure
 
I think we can all agree that is a point we'll gladly take. What a shambles that 2nd half was
 
0-0 FT. Very much a game of two halves.
We took charge of the first half and should've had the lead.
They dominated the second half and we couldn't get going at all, for some reason.

Good substitution at half-time, taking off the ineffective Canhaloglu and replacing him with Baumgartlinger.
Totally improved their whole team and disrupted our rhythm, which never returned.
Pochettino's got his work cut out for the return at Wembley, I think. Really need to win that.
 
You only had to look at the way their players' first touch, control, and passing ability were so superior to ours to wonder wtf goes on in our training sessions!..
 
Bad second half for us, lots of players looking tired. Not that surprising after a tough 90 minutes against West Brom. I thought we made our own problems with how slack we were though. Bringing Janssen off was a big mistake, he'd been bullying their defenders all game, I assume Pochettino doesn't think he's fit enough because he gets subbed off a lot for us. What a fantastic 'keeper Lloris is though <ok>
 
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Vertonghen just confirmed for me why he is immediately reinstated into the team as soon as he returns from injury. He may be a pompous git, but that was a truly world class performance at the heart of a makeshift defense under almost unending pressure during that 2nd half. His experience shone through <applause>

We basically lack a player who can take the game by the scruff of the neck and dictate it for the others to feed off of. Lamela, Eriksen, Dembele all easily experienced enough to be that player, but they consistently don't produce the goods. I'm willing to cut the Belgian some slack as he has just returned from injury, but he best get up to speed sharpish as with Kane out, there is simply no one driving things forward with that relentless energy we saw and adored last season.

All in all, I would've gladly taken a point from this fixture when the groups were announced, which means that Monaco remains the only disappointing result. The home tie on Nov 2nd will be crucial imo. I can see Monaco beating Moscow at home, which would put them firmly in control of the group irrespective of our result. If that happens and we manage to beat Leverkusen, we have all but mathematically qualified - CSKA wouldn't be able to catch us and Bayer themselves would need to win their last 2 games and hope we fail to pick up a single point from them.

It's all still to play for, but we are learning some very hard, very important lessons in this competition that our young team and young manager desperately need to learn if we are to take things to the next level.
 
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NowsufferinginSpain said:
Agreed. Maybe we wouldn't need to be so fit if we controlled, passed, and retained the ball for more than 3 passes?!
Click to expand...

Why can't we pass and retain possession? Just take the sting out of it? No, in Europe at the slightest hint of trouble, we become incapable of doing anything but supply the opposition with as much of the ball as they could possibly want.

I thought Trippier and Lloris were excellent. Wanyama, Vertonghen and Janssen did okay. Some poor performances from Eriksen and Lamela in particular.
 
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