We can moan about lack of signings and believe me i moan about it with the best of them but we lost that match because of tactical stupidity, nothing else. Its the same CBs who looked impregnable just a few weeks ago - but a stupid high line killed us. Its hard to sound serious when we concede 5 but we were better than spurs in most departments but if you give Son 30yrds of space for the whole match its football suicide.
We absolutely need to replace PEH. And we need another Armstrong/Redmond option, a loan move would be fine. We have to hope Salisu works out too, it’s just frustrating he’s missing at the moment.
Agree with all of that tbh, it’s the third game where we have been statistically ‘superior‘, but well beaten. We were very good at playing off the ball post lockdown, quite why we have chosen to start leaving the two CBs completely isolated at the back is beyond me. That doesn’t excuse Stephens and Bednarek entirely though as they have still managed to be very VERY poor in their own right so far.
Tbh, I wouldn't even be blaming individual players tbh. They're playing stupid system that doesnt suit them. That's down to Ralph.
Agreed. Saints produced a perfect display of Covid19 strategy, maintaining 2m social distance from Son Heung-min and all, at every available opportunity.
It might've been a different game if we had managed to go into HT in the lead, goals do change matches and that was a blow after a good first half performance. The second half capitulation is a lesson that I hope Ralph and the players can learn from and there is time to turn it around. You cannot allow a striker of the quality of Son so many one on ones with the GK as he will punish you. You could say that Ralph was outmaneuvered by Maureen in the second half and should've reacted to the warning signs quicker but the team played poorly in defence collectively too. Ralph has shown that he can change things and come up with answers so i'm not unduly worried just yet and I can't believe that have become a completely poor side unless there is some kind of unrest behind the scenes.
Maybe (it's impossible to know), but I'm not so sure. Firstly, I thought we started the second half no different to the first half. Even after conceding the second. I thought it was only after the third that there was a significant change. Secondly, if Spurs had timed their passing/running better, they would have scored two goals (at least) long before they finally did get their first. Some might say it was great defending from us, catching them offside. I though thought it was pretty clear that we were playing with fire, and would be at risk of being punished badly once Spurs started getting it right. Which they were always likely to, with the likes of Son and Kane. The suicide high line wasn't a second-half only thing.
Yeah Ralph is talking bollocks. The high line only ‘worked‘ in the first half because Spurs couldn’t get their runs/passes right. If they had we would have lost the first half about 1-4 as well. Despite being the ‘better‘ side and looking good on the ball. I support Ralph, and think he needs support in the transfer window, however the high line was suicidal and he needs to learn quickly we don’t have the defenders, nor the defensive midfielder for it to work. Let alone against speedy strikers like Son and teams that are good on the break like Spurs.
Anyone think that he is experimenting with a high line because he is concerned about a defensive weakness and lack of pace in the middle? Romeu is not the most mobile and Stephens and Bednarek are not the quickest either. I hope that the spine gets strengthened sooner rather than later.