More important than any one result is the build towards where Ange is going and I think that is obvious. Apart from Wolves where he went against his own rules and tried to play safe the football has been progressive. The football we watched against Villa in the first half was literally fantastic and the best football I have seen from Spurs for years and years. Having seen that with a makeshift team I am looking forward to the time when Ange has the players he needs to carry this out. He has said himself, expect some setbacks along the way and I for one am happy to suffer those setbacks because I can see the brilliant future he is forging for Spurs.
I haven’t enjoyed the last three games as the club have tumbled down the league. You have to adapt according to your players. Conte and Mourinho didn’t and Ange isn’t either and that worried me. I understand he’s trying to implement a style but taking losses week after week is never a good thing.
I hate that we’re losing and a part of me wants a change but I also am trying to keep perspective. I think it’s better to stick to principles that we know work in the best case scenario at this stage in the squad’s development. Ange has been here 6 months - I might think differently and want more pragmatism if we were in the 3rd year of the project and gunning for it on multiple fronts. Look at Arsenal who look like they’re more open to grinding games out this season after the disappointing ends to the last two seasons. I do look at the upcoming fixtures and wonder where the next points come from but after we get Romero back (maybe Phillips too?) our defence will change, and we’ll have other options in midfield too so we won’t see the same Bentancur -> Hojbjerg drop off that derailed our game at the weekend. We’ve come close to getting results the last few games even with all the players missing. IMO as painful as it is this is the time for purism and sticking to the same way of playing. We have ground teams out doing it this way already this season after all. The time for pragmatism will perhaps come in the coming seasons when the stakes are higher and the squad is deeper and more experienced in Angeball.
One of the things I like about Ange is that he seems to stick to his plan. As I've commented a few times, you rarely find out anything in games that suggest you should alter anything. While any CB pairing we can currently field is worse than Romero and VdV, it really isn't the best idea to ask every other player to play a different way to try to cover up the weaknesses of the players brought in.
I might add to the above that Conte (and Jose to a lesser extent) failed to adapt because they didn’t adapt to the whole squad (and didn’t have it built for them, it has to be said). Ange isn’t precisely replicating what he did at Celtic either, yet anyway, and has said he always tweaks things even if the principles stay the same. I think he does adapt and has had player added that have helped get the squad on the road to being moulded in his image. You can argue he’s not adapting to the current circumstances but I think the debate is about whether he should or not.
Just this weekend to get through then much better games coming up. if we play like we did Sunday in the games post city then optimistic for wins in all of them.
Something tells me that we should definitely sign another CB in January, as we might be missing one for a few games in March... please log in to view this image
Bringing in Emerson and Davies and asking them to play the same way as Romero and Van De Ven is crazy in my eyes. Same as playing with 9 men and trying to press etc. You can’t do that and expect anything but defeats.
He’s even more stupid than I think if he does that. He’s already got a ridiculous disciplinary record, next red will hopefully not be for a long time but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets sent off again before the end of the season.
If anything I find Bissouma's disciplinary record ridiculous, as he's already got five yellows and a sending off to his name this season, which averages as a card every other game Romero has two bookings and a straight red for comparison
In the current climate you could argue that his position in a pressing MF formation is likely to attract a few cards. What is totally inexcusable was the pathetic dive, just after picking up a 'pale' yellow. He's got a lot of talent, energy and enthusiasm, but he needs to add 'professional' to that list. And bloody quick.
TBH this is why I'm not surprised to see us being linked with DMs at the moment Bissouma is clearly a huge upgrade on Hojbjerg, as we are so much quicker transitioning from defence to attack with him there and you can literally see the team slow down when he (or Bissouma) aren't playing there, but he picks up a lot of cheap bookings - which considering how happy refs have been to book our players (but not necessarily the opponents') is going to create an issue
On your first point you don't say why it is crazy. I would argue that having the other 8 outfield players playing their normal game is more likely to lead to success than changing everything around. And with 9 men for 40 mins you will lose 99% of the time so again playing the normal way is as good as anything.
It also explains his Spurs career ender on fellow Woolwich follower, Matt Doherty. Dirty South London ****house. I hope he gets called up for national service.
Its crazy because they’re not good enough and don’t have the same physical attributes to play the same way. It’s also crazy because they’re not centre backs. It’s also crazy because they’re just not very good, they’re not even first choice for their specialist positions let alone playing them in a different position. Yes it’s always hard with 9 men, but you have to adjust and change things. If he had then the result might not have been an embarrassing 1-4 home defeat against one of your biggest rivals.
You didn't address my points at all. If we have weaker players on the field we weaken ourselves further by the others playing a system they are not used to. The Chelsea match was not in the least bit embarrassing. The two injury time goals flattered them and I was delighted that we didn't stop trying to score even at 3-1.
As a neutral, (other than when you play CFC), I thought the first half v Villa was the best football I have seen, anywhere for many a year. It was a travesty when they equalised( stupid free kick to give away). The 2nd half, again as a neutral, I could see coming. Keep playing the same way and you'll win more fans than you will games, but what a watch.
Bentancur’s out for 2.5 months, expected to be back mid-Feb. If footballing gods exist, please let Matty Cash suffer a double leg break.
