Tottenham goalscorer Mathys Tel to TNT Sports: "The feeling is 50-50. We concede one goal, we were losing. Second half our reaction was good, we changed the game. But we're also mad because we had to win today. But this is football, we have to keep going and keep working." On second-half changes: "We were told to just bring new energy, we needed energy to change the game and that's what we did. We showed great mentality, we deserved to win this game. On his goal: "It's a move I'm working on in training. It's about practice, practice, practice. I saw the ball coming to me and it's just about turning my body to strike. I want to help the team, the coach, the club. I want to do my job and that's what I try to do every day. Yeah the energy needed to change, could tell sat all the way here Tel had the right energy today think he changed the tempo for us and showed the rest what was required Vicario always got poor frustrating decisions in him
Vicario has great skills but his strength of mind is a weakness. He does not command his area he has only reached this level with outstanding athletic shot stopping IMO.
I think there were plusses from this game, Xavi is improving every game. Johnson did some good defensive work and was up for tackling. I suspect Frank is trying to expand his game. Tell came on bursting with energy and the goal will only boost his confidence. Oderbert is also getting better and more confident each game. How long for Solanki? He would make a difference I think. Due back end of November. Kulsevski December. Getting those two back will greatly improve our squad and options. Mean time we are in a decent place in the league despite having more than twice the injuries of any other PL team. Not bad.
I don’t think we played awful but there were sizeable periods of the game we were doing absolutely nothing with the ball. the amount of times one of our players would end up standing still with no where to go was a hard watch. Richarlison though is a shocking game in game out
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Of course it's not that I'm going away from here and not being disappointed at leading with one minute to go and you don't win, that will always be the case. "What I'm focussing on is especially second half was a good performance. I was very happy with the way we turned it around. "We stayed in the game, did the right thing, keep pushing - in a game when two teams neutralise each other you don't create too much, that's natural, how the boys kept fighting was hugely impressive." On Man Utd's two goals: "A lot of things we could have done a bit better, the last one is all about the urgency, maybe don't give the cross away and defend better. "Second half we got more bite in the man to man pressure, which was not working as it should in the first half."
There were certainly some plusses today, particularly the seeming development of Xavi and Odobert over the last couple of games. The former looked more at home and was getting involved, even tackling, and the latter was really positive when he came on.
What I find baffling judging from how disjointed we look in the last third of the pitch is that we are the 2nd highest goal scorers in the league
Utterly bonkers that stat. Both goals poor for me, the 2nd in particular Vic has to do much more. Overall though a much better performance after that horror show last weekend and I would have taken a draw before kick off. Still a bit flat through the middle though, and I thought Porro had a mare today. Simons is getting better every game though. No football for two weeks now so I'll have to find something else to keep me occupied in the meantime...
The set-piece + open play crossing attack has been very good this season. Thru the middle : not good at all.
Which come as no surprise with the players we have missing just a disappointment that the replacements are not up to it
Our problem isn't scoring goals, it's game management and controlling the tempo of a game. We've got enough good players in most areas to threaten most teams. Only the likes of Arsenal are strong enough defensively to keep us at arm's length. The issue is a deeper one and that is that it never feels like we're in control of a game, always in need of another goal for a cushion or always one act of stupidity away from conceding and collapsing. Throwback from the Ange era and it will take a while to break the chaotic nonsense of the past two years. It also doesn't help that two of our players most comfortable in possession (Maddison and Kulusevski) are long term absentees.
I hope today ends the Spence at RB experiment once and for all. Udogie showed on Tues night what having a natural left footer out there can do. Stretches the pitch and the entire midfield and attack gain as a result. Spence has had a disappointing season imo. New contract and England call up and now he's got that all too familiar 'made it' attitude.
I assume you mean LB. Spence has done well to cement his name in the team considering he is a backup that hardly gets played in his natural position. We have always needed a genuine backup left back, since the Davies and Rose duo. There are one too many gaffa tape temporary fixes that were have been making do with. Richarlison is a backup striker at our level. Solanlke is on his way to become another backup option considering his apparently injury record. Richarlison, however, proved today that he does have value, despite the obvious flaws. Nobody else in the squad puts that goal away today. We really miss Kane. Kane would have made sure that after scoring, that he was at least making an effective contribution to the defending of the corner, or keeping the ball up at the other end of the pitch. Son has needed replacing for the longest out on the left, Odebert is a backup left winger finding his way at this level. Nobody has claimed that left side as an ever present since Son left. Thomas Frank, welcome to Spurs. What a mess of high expectation and self-estimation, coupled with the most unbalanced squad in the top half of the table. I hope he's got the patience to see the job through.
Think you mean LB, don't you? I agree that a now fit Udogie is the best option there, but Spence improved our play at RB after the substitution. But equally, as I pointed out during the first half, Spence was getting **** all support with Richarlison allegedly playing left side. He's done ok this season, playing in a difficult position, in an unsettled team. Could he get to be a Billy Big Bollox? Possibly. But at the moment I just see a confident lad trying his best.
