If he is still in our XI come Feb 1st, I’m quitting football. Will try and move to a country where they’ve not got the internet, television, radio and not heard of football. Because watching Aurier is worse than watching Winks for me... it’s that ****ing bad.
I really hope you’re right. Though in this market, desperate or not, prices are inflated regardless so I’m not sure it makes a difference nowadays anyway. Clubs will look at us and see how **** our defence is so they know if we come knocking we’ve got a bit of cheddar to throw about.
Rather than coaching the team how to keep the round white thing out of that net thingy, Jose's back up team will be working on what stunt for him to pull to deflect from the butt ****ing we're going to get from Liverpool. It's going to be like being managed by Joseph Goebbels...
No doubt they get told to say this...even Poch was saying the same thing up until he departed. Ultimately, they all think we are blind
Buying in January is a fools game. Everyone knows it's the act of desperation so not only are prices inflated but there's no time / preseason to integrate. We've brought this **** storm on ourselves I'm afraid by not planning ahead. And boy, are we paying for it...
The situation at Spurs got me thinking about Trippier yesterday. Whilst he was utter dog **** in his final season, his comments about a “toxic environment” have become more interesting. I presumed it was a fallout with Poch due to his performances, and he couldn’t leave fast enough. Whereas actually you have to wonder now whether it was something else behind the scenes. Perhaps something to do with Levy and Lewis, and/or the attitude of other players? I’d love to know what he was referring to, but I suspect he saw this coming and bailed as a result. I doubt we’ll ever know, but Poch’s demeanour was **** right from the start of the season, too. Maybe neither of them fell out with one another, and in fact they were both on exactly the same wavelength about the issues, and instead Trippier asked to leave with Poch’s blessing? Way more to this, IMO.
Whatever it was it certainly wasn’t Mourinho Great point Roo, these things seem to be under estimated and brushed under the carpet because they highlight the shambles that run the club when it’s much easier to have a pop at the new man with zero loyalty.
More likely several members of the squad were getting ****ed off with Trippier for slacking off defending and then shouting at them because we conceded due to a large gap on our right flank...
Simple truth is none of us knows what was going wrong at the club. But something clearly was. There was obviously a disconnect somewhere between Levy, Poch and some of the players. We can speculate all day long as to who to point the finger at, but unless Levy or Poch or one of those senior players comes clean, we’ll never know for sure.
"Tanguy Ndombele, I don't know. I imagine this is the 10th injury of the season," Mourinho added. "They stop him to play. It doesn't give him continuity. We had three days between matches. Once more, he is out again." Jose’s problem is he doesn’t do snowflakes and we have a club full of them
Once again it's too early for all this doom and gloom, rushing to judgement is what football fans seem to do best. Almost a race to be first to trash a player or a manager or an owner. We have just lost Pochettino and not content with that we are now en masse trashing his replacement. The xmas period is often black or white, we sail through it or as has happened this time it has been a catalogue of misfortune. It's not much fun watching Spurs at the moment but that can all change with the return of Son and a couple of decent results. Liverpool coming up, yes we should be smashed but football being football it could be a surprise. January now, let's see what happens.
For me, Poch's comments about the CL final were the most logical explanation of Trippier's views. That night in Madrid, something broke and it is still in disrepair. If you ask me, trying to put myself in the shoes of our players I would say that at a certain level, I would feel an enormous resentment towards the club and probably an even more enormous measure of anger at my own decisions. For years, this group were part of a 'project' which was tangibly different to any other major club in football. Whilst others spent their way to success, we fought our way there. The journey was riveting, creating an incredible bond between players and manager. But then the bubble broke. And for a large number of our players - especially those entering their 30's - there was a harsh wake up call on July 1st 2019...I've wasted the best years of my career following a dream that ultimately didn't come true, and to make matters worse, I wasn't even paid that much (relatively speaking) to watch it not come true. When you think about it, the clues have been there all along, scattered like crumbs across the last few years of Poch's reign... - Rose's "we know what we're worth" interview, and then the infamous Google one. - The mystery bust-up involving Vertonghen at the beginning of the season. - Dele's emotional interview after losing yet another semi final, "we have to stop doing this". - Toby and Eriksen becoming the first high profile players to refuse new contracts. - Trippier's comments that the entire summer was toxic. - Poch's repeated comments that the damage done by the CL would take a long time to fix. - Poch's comments that the summer window had failed to address the problems. - Maureen's comments that the work to be done isn't about buying players, it is about working with the current group. From my perspective, all of the above points to a group of highly disillusioned, even cheated players who simply couldn't give a **** anymore about the club which robbed them of their prime years. Is it any coincidence that the biggest trouble makers in recent times (Rose and Jan) are also our longest-serving players? I'm absolutely not looking to make excuses as none of what I'm saying justifies the horror show we're now watching unfold. But for me, that was and still is the missing ingredient this season: passion. They simply do not care anymore. They were spun a yarn about doing things differently but reaching glory nevertheless, it turned out to be a fool's hope, and now the likes of Jan and Rose are probably looking back at their long and utterly trophyless careers thinking - at some level - why the **** did I bother? The fight was still there last season. Our poor form from january to the season ending was more down to a threadbare, exhausted squad and injuries to key players than it was due to lack of care. This season, it has taken on a whole new dimension. The Newcastle game, the Brighton game, the Bayern game, yesterday's game...this group just doesn't buy into the dream anymore. For many of them, it became a nightmare. And Poch and Levy were to blame. Levy for not investing, for not at least paying them parity with other players at similar clubs. Poch for lacking the game management or tactical nous to get us over the bloody line at least once in his career. The summer window closed, our activity once again did nothing to convince our players that Levy had changed his tune (it was close: I think had we got a proper Grade A signing like Dybala over the line, things would've turned out rather differently. As it is, we bought two Grade B's, one Grade C and Loaned a Grade E.), and the resentment continued to simmer. Hence we appointed Maureen. One final, desperate roll of the dice from Levy to stave off having to spend £300m+ to fix this mess. Oh, you're resentful because you wasted the best years of your career without winning anything for it? Here's a bloke who knows all about winning trophies. Listen to him. And Maureen, it pains me to say it, is right. The real work isn't in the market, it is with the current group. He cannot go forward, and not even City would have the money to go forward, if the bulk of the squad have downed tools. Sometimes I think we forget that footballers are human beings. Spoilt, pampered and protected yes. But human beings. How do you think Rose felt that the only clubs interested in him were Watford and Newcastle? How did Toby feel that only Roma came in for him? Wanyama and Brugge? These clubs have even less of a chance of winning things than us! Don't get caught up with arguments back like "but they got injured and/or are now ****", you're missing the point. Currently the only two players in our entire squad who could move from here to a club that actually wins trophies are Kane and Son. Maybe Dele if a club is stupid enough. The remaining 23 members of the senior squad know: I've hit a dead end. My career and all the hopes I had for it will end with me as a nearly man. And I hate myself for being so naiive and hate my club for leading me down this ridiculous rabbit hole. And so I have enormous respect for Eriksen. Not for his performances. But for his principled and firm stand to refuse a new contract and probably become the first major player to walk out of the Poch-Levy era on a free, still having a good 2-3 years at the very top of his game to continue pursuing his personal dreams. No amount of money we offer him will convince him that Levy truly matches his aspirations, so why tie himself down to a new contract only to wake up in 3 years a similar age to Jan, Toby and Rose to discover no-one above the level of Watford wants to sign him? And when he does leave, fans fury will be aimed at him. Just as it was aimed at Walker all those years ago. But the real target of that fury should be those at the very top. Because we shouldn't forget that in most cases, a player leaving Spurs has just spent the best years of their career going literally nowhere and not being paid nearly enough to justify it. We paid Everton level wages with Cardiff levels of investment and asked for Man City rates of return. And now the whole edifice is crumbling. And only one man can stop it. And he's bald. And has done more right than wrong in his two decades at the club. But now faces easily the greatest challenge of his tenure.
The point of bringing in new leadership is to purge the problems of the previous regime and to re-unite around that new leader. No matter what was wrong, I expect the new manager to resolve it and move forward. Unfortunately, we've replaced one manager who looked frazzled and burned out with another who has looked that way for a few years now. We enjoyed a bounce against some poor teams but that's well and truly over now. Teams in form, albeit not great teams, are mullering us. As badly as we're playing overall, we're better in the second half of games and kept going until the end against Norwich and Southampton. However, it can't be overstated how badly we started and played throughout the first half of those games. That suggests the approach and tactics are all wrong and the players don't believe in them. It's time for Jose to stop doing what he wants to do and start doing what's needed. Get a shape that means we don't open up like a ripe fruit as soon as we're attacked, limit playing time for players who aren't doing it and pick some who will. If we bring in some players, then great...but top players don't often move in January and he'll need to start thinking about using some younger players, like Skippy. Acting like a prat in a failed attempt to deflect attention ain't helping anyone. You're in it now, man up and ...start managing!
Well said CK One thing though...how many chances does Levy keep on getting from the fan base because like I said yesterday to yourself...we’ve had the build...now we are supposed to be seeing results but thanks to ENIC we are planning another re build. I don’t have the patience for that this time because it stinks of bullshit which will go the same way as the end of Poch’s tenure did and any manager we have once they hit heights with us. It’s plain as day that when we hit certain heights we hit the Levy wall of ambition with is set at mid table. He’s a fantastic property developer though
You make a good case CK. You should be a Barrister. Whether it's true or not or even remotely true is another question.
Still, he doesn’t have the ability to turn turds into Gold nuggets You seem to think this squad is still at its peak and the problem lies with management. Say what you want about Mourinho but he is an Elite manager and in 2019 that is two top quality managers in Jose and Poch who seem to be failing/have failed to get anything out of this bunch. Formations is the least of our worries it’s the lack of response from the players...it’s as plain as day. Our opponents only score because of individual mistakes. Our lethargy from kick off has got nothing to do with formations...what formation makes you start like a lazy **** with a hangover? Wether you play diamonds, squares or circles it makes no difference to you when that ball is at your feet and when you have a decision to make. They couldn’t even play a 10 yard pass between them. What formation says to Dele that all of a sudden it’s your job to act like a Circus Seal again because we only turn up to see his failed pathetic attempts at flicks. What formation is to blame for Eriksen failing to do the basics more times than not? Our centre backs are done too no matter how much we love them...they will forever more get gaped by pace. 2 barren windows and the domino affect of it is a pile up of needs and a big job for whoever is at the helm...that’s on Levy
Amazing post CK. Have to say I agree with all of it. Very interesting points made, and wouldn’t be surprised if you’re not too far off the truth here. It makes a lot of sense!
Do not think we have been victims of "misfortune" this Christmas spurf. I think our manager is picking the wrong team and plsying the wrong tactics and the players are not doing the basics right. Jose was, is and will also be s bad fit for us...his appointment is a farce, right up there with the lunacy of sign AVB. He simply causes havoc and does anything to detract from his faults. Yesterday it was "I was rude to an idiot". I genuinely hope I am wrong but ...
I'm sorry but I'm not having this..."I've been cheated of my career" by the club and manager stuff. Sure Mauricio Pochettino made mistakes. I'll go to my grave knowing that starting Kane in Madrid was a complete and utter disaster...and Sonny as a left wing-back against Chelsea. However, we were 1-0 up in the cup semi against United and this group of players just stopped playing. THEY bottled it...and they did just the same in the run-in 2015/16. Maybe this team was just better in the whole than the sum of its parts? Maybe that was down to the manager...maybe not. However, in life you make choices and make the best of them. If any of them think that they've been cheated, then it's that total misconception that's the problem and why they and we aren't winners.
