Kane, Dier, Walker, Davies, Toby and Jan all played in a way that it was so obvious that the Euros are on their minds. Players have a completely different perspective to us - CL group stages were already guaranteed and unless you've literally grown up as we have with the whole North London rivalry playing a massive part of your social life (which only Kane has in all honesty), there is no way you would prioritise finishing above Arsenal over possible injury that rules you out of the summer. I'm not making any excuses whatsoever as there is a world of difference between not getting 'stuck in' and not capitulating completely, but it was clear from the kick off that Newcastle were adamant about getting in our faces and we were equally as adamant about pulling out of as many challenges as humanly possible. I certainly have more sympathy for the group above than the likes of Mason, Eriksen and Son who don't have the summer to worry about yet were utterly appalling. As SOS says, the only player to emerge from that car crash of a performance with his head reasonably high was Lamela - a superb finish and generally was the only player who seemed willing to tackle his opponent and run faster than a sedated sloth. Poch has to take his share of the blame in all this though. If I'd been the manager witnessing the past two performances, I would've spent the entire game in the technical area screaming at the players to pull their fingers out. He spent the entire 90 minutes sulking in his chair.
Loved that Pochettino interview (he obviously lurks here ) . Such a contrast between him and Library-era Wenger on what is (not) failure. Providing he also includes himself in the list (I hope this has been the reason for his taking some 'Fergie time' recently) , then all will be well for next August.
This. I noticed it too. He was full of spirit and instructions on the touchline in the Chelsea match. Not so much afterwards. Even Benitez, by contrast, was gently pulling the strings of his team from the side.
I've waited until the wumming has (hopefully) died down before posting this - isn't it amazing how the same few names appear on everyone's boards at the first opportunity of sticking the boot in? As far as the game yesterday is concerned, I was shocked at how poorly your team played. They looked absolutely shell-shocked. Having said that, there is no doubt that luck was finally on our side. We've been victims to some absolutely shocking decisions this season at times and also had an awful season for injuries, so you have my sympathy on that. The game was in the balance with us rightfully down to 10 men at 2-1. The penalty decision was a shocker and meant that you had to throw everything forward leaving spaces for the late two goals on the counter. That said, I am sure Poch will be asking questions about how Sissoko was allowed to get into the position to even take the dive when we were down to 10 men and also why your defence completely switched off for the fourth goal when there was still time to grab two late goals. I think you were also a bit unlucky in playing us when you did. You'd have been better off if we were still under the pressure of needing to win to avoid relegation, not to mention if you had been able to choose from a full squad. You also probably weren't expecting a full stadium that was absolutely bouncing due to the whole 'we want Rafa to stay' thing. Everything went against you yesterday. I was disappointed that you didn't get second place as I felt your football through the season had deserved it. However, maybe yesterday's pain will prove to be a long term benefit if it leads to issues being addressed. Don't lose sight of the fact that you have had an amazing season though. Your squad is very young - maybe a year too young to cope with the fallout of the Chelsea game. Nonetheless, I expect your young players to go from strength to strength and be even better next year. Thanks for making the title race interesting and good luck for next season
Thanks MHWR for that balanced summary, it's more positive toward our team than just about any of the Spurs posters!
I don't know the reason Chadli isn't getting much game time, as only Poch will know the answer to that one. But maybe the reason is that Poch likes players who put in a shift, so perhaps that's why Chadli is rarely a starter. - he's doesn't work with poch's philosophy, perhaps? - therefore, would it not be better to find a player who will work better in this system? Where you're of the opinion that Chadli offers this, or he offers that, I just don't see it mate. Just my opinion. Yes he may pop up with a few goals, but I think we need to move on from that and find someone who can do something over a longer period of the game and offer more ideas throughout the time they are on the pitch. Poch's game requires everyone to muck in. IMO Chadli just isn't that type. He'll be fine elsewhere, but I don't think he's right for Spurs as we continue to adapt to poch's football philosophy.
I also feel that the ref was giving no protection whatsoever in his eagerness to the let the game flow. This has been the big story of this season that the media has hardly mentioned. WHY? The sea change in refereeing is surely a big story and in my view is one of the major reasons behind the success of Leicester. The need to 'promote the PL product' is very clear and as often is the case with yet another change to refereeing standards, inconsistency become a constituent part of the game. OK it's good to see tackling allowed and much diving spotted and dealt with but when you have managers like Pullis around and players like Huth it is not very bright to just ignore their negative effects. While that is not an excuse for our performance yesterday it is a factor that should not be ignored and if you do ignore it don't be surprised when professionals take full advantage. Intimidation has always been a part of the game Mackay, to Keane to Adams, it's not new but it needs controlling
Completely appreciate it's just opinion mate, just find it strange as usually I pretty much agree with everything you say lol. It was under Poch last season that he hit 11 league goals in 30 odd games, he mucked in with assists too, at that time he was a key element in Poch's transitional year and helped us to achieve a 5th place position, he was starting most of the games this season too until his injury so I don't think Poch initially saw him as a second choice like he is now or someone that wasn't fitting of his style (even though I'd fully agree his work rate needs to be upped a notch). I'd say he's not got the game time in recent months because Alli and Lamela have been superb, there's not many people outside of the club who've performed better than those two and I'd like to think Chadli understood that, so was going to have to bide his time and play second fiddle. Realistically who are the options out there that will A) Fit Poch's philosophy better and B) Be content with a squad role similar to Chadli's? The only player from memory that we've been linked wuth in his role is Schurrle, which I find strange as despite being a great player I can't see him coming here without the guarantee of being a regular starter, which I don't feel we can offer right now due to the form of Alli and Lamela. The attacking midfielders at the club are a great bunch of players in my opinion, the main trio is pretty evident in Alli, Eriksen and Lamela, while Son has shown his class at different stages so hopefully next year he'll find consistency and then possibly take one of the starting spots if the others dip in form, Chadli has proven (to me) he's a very capable player, N'Jie showed brief glimpses of his ability but his season was a nightmare due to injuries, hopefully next year will be better for him and then we also have Onomah plus Pritch to return. For me it's a strong area of the squad and not a part that really needs any tinkering with providing all players are happy here. A striker, two CM's and possibly a CB (depending on what Poch sees for CCV next season) is where I think our focus should be on improving/ strengthening.
Dave Mackay was always hard but fair. And that is just his peers talking of him. It says it all about the man (and his contribution to the Spurs ethos) that the legendary photo of him and Bremner, for which many so-called "hard men" would love to be remembered for, that he is on record as saying he is not proud of it (for in his opinion it did not convey an image of what his game was all about) . AFAIK there is also a quote out there from him along the lines of "clean-playing footballers have nothing to fear on-pitch from me."
Yes I shouldn't really link Mackay to the likes of Adam, my point was about intimidation and Mackay by his presence could intimidate but as you point out out he was not a dirty player. Bremner was a nasty little **** well suited to the Revie Leeds team.
You just need to separate intimidation from the cause of it. With Mackay, it was every tussle and tackle would be 100% hard but for the ball and not you. With the likes of Adam, it is that every tackle is coming with the chance of a season/career ending injury.
Yep, diabolical decision and inexcusably inept refereeing. Goals 4 and 5 probably would not have happened but for a gifted 3rd, the horrendous decision to award a penalty changed the entire dynamic of the game. The final score has deflected away criticism from the referee, if he does not award a penalty, it is extremely unlikely Spurs lose 5-1.
I really don't get all these excuses and 'reasons' why we lost 5-1. There is one basic, fundamental reason - we laid down and let an already relegated team, who were already reduced to 10 men, put 3 more goals past us. As if we weren't dire enough when they had 11!!.. Our team was set a simple task. Avoid getting beaten by a team that was already relegated from the premiership, and basically had nothing left to play for, to secure 2nd place - and also finish in front of The Goons for the first time in 21 years. Not only did they fail that task, they ****ed it up in the most spectacular fashion by basically just rolling over. There are no excuses. None!...
The penalty didn't change the dynamic of the game. We were never ever in the game due to our complete lack of balls, our complete lack of winning mentality and our total lack of understanding of the importance of coming ahead of our nearest rivals. Far too many prima donnas in our squad and far too many already wearing their flip flops. I was at Stoke last season and I was at Newcastle yesterday. Both performances are without a doubt, two of the worst performances I have ever witnessed as a Spurs fan in watching since 1964. Our current manager needs to take a long look at himself after the past 4 games. Yesterday had nothing to do with the referee. It was down to a holiday mood from the manager and senior players who were either on the beach or easing up for the Euros. Never, ever , ever have I felt so pissed off about a Spurs performance.
I ain't excused the performance but some of the criticism is OTT imho. I can remember far far worse performances than yesterday...like the 7-1 away to newcastle in 1996, 6 nil v Sheff utd in 1992, 4-1 at home to then division 3 Burnley in a cup match in 83. There was also 7 nil away to Liverpool and 5 nil at home to arsenal in 1978. There was the 3 matches needed to beat non league Altringham in 1979 and 4-3 v 10 men city in the fa cup in 2004. There was the 4-1 battering v Birmingham who were being relegated back in 2008...to be honest I could go on. I ain't taking away from how poor yesterday was or digging at other posters but just think a little bit of perspective is missing due to the disappointment. We have learned some valuable lessons in the last 4 matches which, if we evaluate properly can make us stronger next season. United had some right horror moments (5 nil v toon, 6 -1 v city, 6-3 v soton, 5 nil chelsea, 4-1 Middlesbrough, 4-1 against us) but they were able to tough them out. If we learn the correct lessons we could bounce next season with a stronger mentality and this cost us at various points this season. But the truth is we have got 3rd place and are disappointed because we should have had 2nd but back in August 2015 very few of us believed we'd see CL football next season. When we got top 4 with Harry our last result was a 4-2 loss away to already relegated Burnley after being 2 nil up...that is never mentioned...cos the bigger picture is seen.
I can see what you are getting at and totally agree that the penalty was a horrendous decision. However, I think the decision that changed the game was the correct decision to send Mitrovic off. It meant Poch decided to go three at the back since we didn't have an attacker on the pitch. In many ways that would seem to make sense when you needed a goal to get the point you needed. However, the one thing we have been good at all season is counter attacking. Sissoko shouldn't have dived to win the penalty, but him being in that situation of being able to dive was symptomatic of what was to come for the rest of the game. All of the games we have done well in have been games where we were given space to counter attack. Even though you weren't playing well, you were already on top at the time of the sending off. If you had kept your shape at the back and been a bit more patient I think we would have sat deeper and deeper and you would have had chances come your way. It's all ifs, buts and maybes, I know, but I do think your best hope was to keep doing what you had been doing for the 10-15 minutes before the sending off.
Our shape did completely go to pot. I don't think Walker was fit to continue after that horror tackle by Mitrovic, so his substitution was inevitable. The decision to use the opportunity to go 3 at the back for the first time in 2 years what with the team playing as badly as they were, was frankly bizarre. The penalty was in a small way a 'turning point' but in all honesty we deserved nought from the game. Even after Lamela scored with what was our first real shot on target, we persisted with the nonchalant sideways and backwards passing all at a snail's pace and didn't look at all likely to score in the interim 13 minutes between our goal and the penalty. While you're around, we were discussing the relative merits of Mr Sissoko (penalty box theatrics aside). I have always been very impressed on the rare occasion that I watch a Toon game. Is he the real deal or does he simply turn up when it suits him?
