Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v LASK

Yeah.

For the masochists.

 

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho, asked what he learnt from his side tonight, said: "Nothing new really. The fact that the Europa League group phase doesn't motivate some of the players, I knew it.

"That some players are fundamental for us and I always need on the pitch in any circumstance, a couple of these players to give a little bit of balance to the team.

"As an example, (Pierre-Emile) Hojbjerg and Sonny, without them I don't think we would have a positive result. Nothing really that I learn. The players know and I share my feelings with them, I am normally right.

"When I saw the warm-up before the game I had a feeling and I told the players before the game that there was a huge difference in intensity, communication and enthusiasm in their warm-up and our warm-up because I was looking at both. Nothing surprises me."


Our team at home is a different team," added Mourinho.

"When we go to Antwerp, to Ludogrets, to LASK, the stadium, the weather, the emptiness, the atmosphere - I have a feeling, which is not a feeling, it's experience, that some of the players, they feel that they shouldn't be here.

"But the contradiction on that, is that players like Son and Pierre [Hojbjerg], players starting every match, are the examples of the guys that it doesn't matter where, doesn't matter the competition, they are there. And they are there for the team all the time."

 

See, this is the sort of **** from Mourinho that I don't like. Son was poor. Hojbjerg was poor. The whole team was poor.
He got the team selection and tactics wrong and that's why we didn't play well. It wasn't all down to the players, let alone their attitude.

We lost the midfield because he played two attacking midfielders and used one of them deep, which made him anonymous.
Croydon pointed out that error before the kick-off and I assumed that's not what we'd be doing, so it wasn't a surprise.
We then played lots of high balls up to Son, which didn't suit him at all and lead to it coming back all day long.

This wasn't an exact replica of the Antwerp match, but he got that one wrong, too.
It took him ages to get over that and he blamed the players, which lead to him making the same mistakes again for this one.
His team selection and tactics have to work or it's on him.

 

All season I’ve been reading that he should play GLC-Ndombele-Hojberg and tonight he did

 

I think that it could work, but not with Lo Celso in the deeper role and not when both he and Ndombele aren't up 100%.
I was surprised that he didn't change it at half-time.

 

It was another Thursday night team containing too many players in poor form or who have no form at all.

I'm sorry but a Sanchez/Tanganga central defence flanked by Doherty and Ben Davies was asking for trouble. Putting Hart behind them put the tin lid on it.

Tonight was a night when Winksy would have allowed us to actually keep hold of the ball, which we didn't do to any acceptable level.

Gareth Bale needs to be told to start earning his keep and if anyone doubted how much we need Kane, they shouldn't anymore.

From minute 1 you could tell that we were in trouble. Very, very poor.

 

Poor showing today. Jose + players have to own this one.

 

Terrible game last night - Credit to LASK who played very well and looked like they had been well drilled and new what to expect from us. Whereas we only appeared to go into the game with muddled thinking and a we are better them attitude which is prevalent in all our European games and with the exception of the last qualifier, we have allowed every team chances and played well sporadically.

I can't offer many different opinions on the individual performances which were almost to a man awful. But I will cut Tanganga some slack as he is coming back from injury and playing alongside a centre back who is just bereft of any confidence at the moment and may have played his last game for the club last night, he may get one more V Antwerp, but Sanchez must go somewhere else if only on loan in January.

As for Doherty I think that he is struggling with not playing week in week out with the same settled defence in a system that suits him, something that he had in abundance at Wolves, at least he appears to have given Serge a kick up the arse.

Bale is still horribly unfit, but he won't get fit without playing and I see no reason for him not getting 90 minutes in these last couple of European games he played 90 for Wales so he can do it.

I also agree with King re Hart, whilst he does bring experience, he is not an upgrade on Gazza and last night whilst making a couple of decent saves early showed that he really is not a great shot stopper, the first 2 should be stopped, I hope that Hugo remains fit as i would worry about Hart playing in the league.

Until Lo Celso and Ndombele are both fit enough to play 90 mins then they should continue to effectively be 1 player for us, with one replacing the other, Sissoko has nowhere near the skill set of either, but he has twice the workrate and commitment and still gives us more stability than playing both of these will, hopefully this is still a short term fix, but Moussa will remain key in big matches for a while yet.

 

Don't really know where to start about last night's clusterfuck...
****, half-assed performance from a group of players with something to prove and most earning at least £30kpw each, which the manger says he was expecting! WTAF! I'd give 'em feckin' motivation!
Doherty and Sanchez were dreadful. The former I'll allow some leeway for now, but Big Dave just doesn't cut it. Disappointing as he looked a real prospect... Both should have been hooked off.
Hart is no upgrade on Gazza and Bale needs to start earning his corn.
Only glimmer from last night was Tanganga and JM should have changed things much sooner - if only to put someone more solid alongside him.

Hopefully, there will not be a hangover for Sunday and we put this **** show behind us.

 

Oh, I don't get Mourinhos comments about Hojberg - who I thought was poor last night - and Sonny.

 

In the wrong positions, as Lo Celso was a CM and Ndombele as an AM

It's not the only time we've played GLC as a CM this season, but the fact we keep doing it is merging his goal/assist potential due to playing him so deep

 

I don’t get it at all. Gio is a capable dribbler from deep but offers far more around the box than Tanguy, he’s used to playing that bit further forward like he did at Betis and I think he’s got the ability to do some damage playing more like a 10. Tanguy’s close control and ability to beat his markers on a sixpence then immediately pass the ball into the final 3rd or carry it there himself is so much more valuable to us in a deep position than when he plays too far forward.

I understand why Tanguy is the most advanced when we play PEH and Sissoko with him, but when we play Gio then Tanguy needs to come deeper.

 

The likely explanation is that Gio is a pitbull when the opponents have the ball while Ndombele isn't, so the logic is having Gio as a CM helps our low block as he's closing down opponents

The problem with this logic is that it's nonsensical, as we're playing somebody whose role is to link midfield and attack while chipping in with some goals too deep to do any of that - and it gets even more ridiculous when he's deployed as an ersatz DM, which is how he was used against Antwerp where he played deeper than Winks did

 

Yeah that’s my thinking too. We won’t see the 3-man combo we saw last night starting any time soon in the PL because Tanguy doesn’t have the off the ball impact that Sissoko does. When the three play together then Gio plays deeper as he has the natural workrate that Tanguy lacks.

Sissoko clearly just has a natural fitness that NDombele doesn’t have and I don’t think, watching us in the PL, that the impact Moussa has on our games can be denied. Chasing a game sure, get the trio on together, but usually you’ll want Sissoko there to give cover to the fullbacks and if Højbjerg or Tanguy get out of position, which does occasionally happen.

 

I get playing Lo Celso and Ndombele either side of Hojbjerg....at home against a bus parking side like Burnley. However, doing it from kick off, in an away game against a decent team that's going to come at us and absolutely has to win the match...?

It's a massive gamble...without adding in that the defence behind them was in a state of perpetual panic and couldn't pass water, let alone a football...and booting the ball up the pitch without a central striker just saw it come straight back to us most times.

Still, before kick off, I said that I'd be happy with a draw...so, let's just hope that there are no further injuries and everyone resolves not to repeat that **** again .for a very long time.

 

I think we should give him some slack. His mind was elsewhere.

please log in to view this image

 

1st and 2nd goals any keeper would be pissed at letting those in he reached both of those , 2nd hit him on the fore arm , shame Gazza is not in the Europa squad and wouldn't blame him for seeking a move in January

 

She been pregnant for 3 n half years?