Back from the game now. I paged back to the half time comments and didn't see anything about us "scoring" at the end of the half. Everyone in the stadium thought we'd scored and we didn't have an explanation about what had happened. We assumed the ref had blown already but nobody heard it. Was it that the TV pictures had already stopped? How long after the whistle did the ball go in?
Got back about an hour ago and read through the thread. Dele's comments aren't all that bad as he was the one trying to make things happen but Son was not on the same wavelength. He made some potentially great passes into the space that the striker should have been going to-hopefully Harry will help correct that. Janssen also was not helping with that either. In the second half , instead of running into space to take the defender away from the runner he just stood in his way. Yes we were generally awful but the problem as I see it is clear. CONFIDENCE. We are lacking it right now and that is because we can't score from open play and haven't won for ages. It happens to all teams and as soon as we get that win things will change. We have been unfortunate that we have had and still have a run of really tough games. Hopefully , we won't have all our players picked for internationals next week.
A very disappointing night. A while back we discussed a lack of leadership in the side and our tendency to lose our heads in games. I think we're in that space right now but not for periods during individual games but across a run of games. If we have an outfield leader, it's Harry Kane. Second to him, maybe Toby Alderweireld? A number of us suggested Erik Lamela might have some of the right stuff. There's not a lot of leadership out on the pitch right now without those 3 and it really showed tonight. Especially, Harry Kane and Toby represent confidence in what we're about and give a lead to others. Even when we're heavily under the cosh, Toby remains completely calm and can lead us to a clean sheet. Harry can make and score a goal out of nothing. Also, a fit Dembele would do wonders as his physical dominance of opponents makes him and us seem dominant and that must do amazing things for the confidence of the rest of the team. If we can get that spine back, then things will pick up again. In the meantime, the players need to find a performance on Sunday built upon total commitment and determination to get things back on track.
This from the Sports Direct Website. Have highlighted the relevant parts. Think your only chance will be claiming on the latter re defective goods. Personalised Items are non-returnable. Some goods are non-returnable for hygiene reasons. Please note that this does not affect your statutory rights. If a full refund including the original delivery costs is required, we need to be informed fourteen (14) days after the receipt of the order. The order must be then returned to us within fourteen (14) days after we have been informed of the cancellation, however you will be responsible for the cost of returns the goods to us. If a return is payable to you we will process the refund as soon as possible and, in any case within fourteen (14) days of receipt of the original order back to us. The returned goods do not need to be in their original packaging however they need to be in a sellable condition. Return postage is at your own cost and risk. You have a legal obligation to take reasonable care of the goods while they are in your possession. If you fail to comply with this obligation, we may have a right of action against you for compensation. This applies to all goods that are returned. Our returns policy does not affect your statutory rights. If you return goods claiming they are defective, we will examine the returned goods and will notify you of your refund via e-mail within a reasonable period of time. We will process the refund due to you as soon as possible and, in any case within thirty (30) days of the day we confirm via e-mail that you are entitled to a refund for defective goods.
Good Lord.....and I missed watching Batman.....Holy Tottenham Hotspur,Batman!..Was Joker on the field somewhere?
Well.Almost back in the Europa League,then we can give the reserves their games.....on those wonderful Thursday evenings....at Wembley? Just think.85,000 turned up to watch that. 85,000!
**** me. I thought that performance was bad enough but it's even more depressing to come on here! Bloody hell. I mean we were proper, proper **** last night but it's a measure of things that we're pissed off about how **** we are when we're losing a game in the CL and are only just outside the top four (which until last season was our Holy Grail in the league). We were ****ing dreadful last night - we've looked a bit toothless all season, the new signings haven't gelled well or wowed us yet (Wanyama aside who has pleasantly surprised me). But this is a very young team, we're unbeaten in the league, we have somehow drawn games that we really did deserve to win (I include last weekend's game in that - they had one shot on target and scored. That's a freak occurrence) even when we didn't play all that well. It has been poor too often this season. But I still find it relatively easy to step back and see what an improvement "poor" is now to what it was not so long ago. There's loads of cause for pessimism. Loads. But there's also lots of room for optimism. We can play a lot better, get much better results than we have. All these players haven't turned **** overnight. Some of them have done a bloody good impression of it this season overall but let's not forget that we've had ample reason to praise players like Hugo, Walker, Toby, Rose, Verts, Wanyama, Son to the heavens at times. I also really like the look of Janssen though he's not really delivered yet to be fair. One concern is that he really doesn't look to make goalscoring runs or something. He'd rather have a tussle with a defender with his back to goal. But still his overall play has been excellent otherwise (with just the occasional dodgy moment) and he must have some sort of striker's instinct to get the goals he's got so far in his career. Mind you I was always impressed by Soldado's link-up play...
Well the cold light of day has not improved on last nights performance 1 iota, but its does allow me to have calmed down and look at the match more objectively. We were awful and deserved nothing from the match and yet with just a little luck we would have escaped with another draw and maybe even a win. Leverkusen were not significantly better than us. Their goal had an element of luck about it though he took it very coolly. Whereas we were denied 2 penalties, the foul on Alli was, now that I have seen it on the tele one of those that in todays game is given 8/10 times, the shirt pull on Jansen is diffficult to see but if seen is a foul and a penalty. If either is given and we score we all know that goals change matches so who knows. The Dier free kick hitting the underside bar also unlucky, Jansen could (and should) have scored from the rebound and he could have slid in and scored from Walkers cross shot. So yes we were appalling and that level of performance is unacceptable but once again the thin lines that divide success and failure were there to be seen. Finally just to say that I will allow Jan Vertonghen and Victor Wanyama, to walk away with some pride, if we were selecting a player of the season at this moment they would be the only 2 candidates.
Janssen should be made to sit down and watch a day's worth of videos on Aguero! Maybe then he'll learn about how to lose defenders and make space for yourself, how to invite a pass where you want it, how to anticipate where you should be to give yourself a strike on goal.
I dunno. I mean fair enough if you were saying that at the time but for me I trusted in the decisions to renew those contracts and I think it may well only be (for me at least but I assume others too) the benefit of hindsight that would lead me to conclude that they were always a bad idea. Anyway - they were a long-term plan and shouldn't (and can't) be judged in such a short amount of time as a couple of months.
There's a danger of relying on the 'we're a young team' excuse for too long (even if there is some justification short term). But of course you're right: the team hasn't gone to ratshit overnight - it's taken 6 months since the Chelsea match! Lol We may have been unfortunate with badly timed suspensions, key injuries and maybe more relevantly the Euro debacle, but this should be where the coaching team show what they're made of. Still very hopeful but there needs to be some quick improvement before the bad form beds in.
Sissoko isn't good enough for you boys, he's a one trick pony lads. You will grow to shudder at the sight of his name on the team sheet... trust me.... I'm mentally scarred from years of it.
Real **** show of a performance... Again. Think Poch got selection wrong, Son just isn't a number nine, if he was trying to save Janssen for Arsenal then give Harrison a start, the importance of a player playing in their natural position is massively undermined, it's why people like Dier are so rare because they can adapt to where they're put, Son unfortunately can't do that, he's not a hold up player and he won't have the instincts of a natural predator. Also wouldn't have started Eriksen, I don't even really want to talk about him at the moment because I'm seething with his performances, if he starts the NLD it'll be an absolute joke. Should be dropped from the squad altogether for a spell, throw Winksy into the XI, at least he'll give a committed performance. I also don't know how Sissoko lasted the 90, one of the worst performances from a player I've seen this season, I know he's behind on fitness due to no pre-season but there's no excuses for that sort of display. You can see why the Toon were laughing all the way to the bank. I can't help but begin to feel Sissoko is going to be like another Adebayor, incredibly gifted player but will only turn up when it matters to him and once he's got a new contract or impressed potential suitors, it's back to being average. Team overall was poor, too many miss-placed passes and Hugo's distribution has been atrocious, we've known since he joined he's not had a Paul Robinson-esque boot on him but ****ing hell this season he's been taking kicking classes from a drunk Heurelho Gomes. Walker was the only player that looked like they gave a **** last night, weren't great defensively but his long run and shot on goal was sublime and really deserved to go in and he tried getting forward all game. Our MOTM by a long distance. Jan did make a couple of good blocks to be fair too. 'New' Wembley clearly doesn't like Spurs, I realised that before our CL campaign but it's been rubber stamped by our two recent performances. I'm praying the whole "form goes out the window" phrase comes into fruition on Sunday because otherwise god help us against Arsenal with the form we're in.
I wasn't sure whether to use this thread, because it's not an excuse for our performance, and also a general point. BUT the timewasting by their players reached new heights of ridiculousness last night. It seemed there was an "injury" after every single challenge that needed on field treatment, and the ref bought it hook line and sinker. Until UEFA or someone looks at this, they will continue to do it and get away with it. Sure the ref gave five minutes extra, but (1) they wasted far far more than five minutes and (2) once the 90 minutes are up there's a psychological impact on players and they don't play the same way, maybe panicking a bit. I think the point that teams know that no matter how much time they waste, the ref is never going to properly reflect that once it goes over five minutes or so. Please no comments along the lines of 'even if he'd given 30 minutes extra we wouldn't have scored'. That's not the point I'm making. I'm saying it's cheating and cheating should (and is virtually never) addressed. And I absolutely hate it when the pundits that say it's just "being clever". Makes me cringe. If that's what we've got to look forward to in the CL then I'm happy to be out of it. And I'll say goodbye to Spurs if they go down the same path.
