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My link died during the second half, so I missed the bullshit at the end of the game.pretty glad it did to be honest, as football results for the last 3 prem weeks out of 4 have been really **** for us.
What other teams do/ results they get is out of our control, but we have got to address the situation in the middle of the park, the lack of pace, and the wingback situation. - Especially for games at Wembley. It’s far too easy for other teams at the moment. The 1 tactic of shutting up shop for 90 minutes against us is not something that we should be seeing week after week at home. It’s inexcusable.
Maybe Once or twice before we changed something would have been understandable, but this has been going on for about 2 months now.

I know we’re not ones to do much business in January, but we could be facing a real struggle for CL football in our first season at our new stadium. We need some players from the bench/in the squad who can make a difference. Zaha, Mahrez, anyone. Even Barkley. We’re stale and need to 1 or 2 fresh faces, as well as cutting our losses with those who aren’t being used, ie N’koudou. Literally no point in keeping them.

Those extra faces might be the difference in us having a really good CL campaign, maybe winning the FA cup, and helping us to get 4th. Otherwise I fear we’ll come up short again, except this time we won’t even have as good a league finish as we’ve been used to in the last 2 or 3 seasons.
 
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PleaseNotPoll said:
It's the Scottish League Cup Final today. In November. Seems a bit premature, doesn't it?
Click to expand...

Celtic win it 2-0.
I know I've taken the pee out of Brendan on a regular basis, and I still think he spouts a load of tosh most of the time, but I'm very surprised an English PL club haven't moved for him.
 
O.Spurcat said:
Celtic win it 2-0.
I know I've taken the pee out of Brendan on a regular basis, and I still think he spouts a load of tosh most of the time, but I'm very surprised an English PL club haven't moved for him.
Click to expand...
True. I'm not a fan either, mainly because he comes across as a total twat, but less successful Scottish managers have got moves.
Maybe someone's gone in for him but he's turned them down? Doubt he'd join Everton right now, for example.
He's winning trophies, having the odd bit of success in Europe and earning decent money, I'd have thought. Why move now?
Might take a good offer from a club in a pretty decent position, which seems unlikely.
 
Pep just goes for it and I think that's the right idea against these teams..too many managers, including our own overthink a situation. We had enough fire power to win yesterday...but they were all acting like a set of water pistols.
 
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Spurlock said:
Pep just goes for it and I think that's the right idea against these teams..too many managers, including our own overthink a situation. We had enough fire power to win yesterday...but they were all acting like a set of water pistols.
Click to expand...

Time for Pochettino to get the box set of all the
1st half games at WHL during Arry 2010-12.
The 2nd half used to threaten Spursyness
at times but the 1st half blitzkriegs were great.
 
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The RDBD said:
Table position is not so important now as the points gaps
between each of the top 6. Only Citeh are currently
beyond reach.
Click to expand...

8 points clear of 2nd and 13 clear of us. Well and truly beyond reach. We're actually closer to WBA in 17th than we are to City. That is damning.

What frustrates me is that the 3 other teams above us have been well and truly **** this season...yet there they are. Which means we've been ****ter.
 
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Citizen Kane said:
8 points clear of 2nd and 13 clear of us. Well and truly beyond reach. We're actually closer to WBA in 17th than we are to City. That is damning.

What frustrates me is that the 3 other teams above us have been well and truly **** this season...yet there they are. Which means we've been ****ter.
Click to expand...

Even more annoying how **** we were when we played them all. Well, in fairness we weren’t bad against Chelsea, but they tactically ****ed us. - something we appear to be seeing a lot of. But we were ****ing appalling against united and arsenal.

I said it a couple of weeks ago, and even Paul Merson of all people mentioned it on soccer Saturday yesterday. - Players at certain clubs will be looking up the table already and thinking... “well the league is over”. It’s gutting that we’re 13 games in and 1 team is in cruise control and hardly look like taking their foot off the gas. But in addition, they look far superior to everyone else too.

However, it could finally bring back the prestige that should be associated with the FA cup. I think a few teams including us could be taking it very seriously this season after how the opening first 3rd of the season has gone.
 
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Roo said:
Even more annoying how **** we were when we played them all. Well, in fairness we weren’t bad against Chelsea, but they tactically ****ed us. - something we appear to be seeing a lot of. But we were ****ing appalling against united and arsenal.

I said it a couple of weeks ago, and even Paul Merson of all people mentioned it on soccer Saturday yesterday. - Players at certain clubs will be looking up the table already and thinking... “well the league is over”. It’s gutting that we’re 13 games in and 1 team is in cruise control and hardly look like taking their foot off the gas. But in addition, they look far superior to everyone else too.

However, it could finally bring back the prestige that should be associated with the FA cup. I think a few teams including us could be taking it very seriously this season after how the opening first 3rd of the season has gone.
Click to expand...

It's to be expected after a summer net spend of £140m. The real criticism should be aimed at Maureen, whose net spend was just £2m less, yet has conspired to reduce United to excruciatingly boring football and an 8 point gap on their noisy neighbours.

I get the feeling that Poch is slowly reassessing his priorities this season too, hence the attention to tactical detail and selection we're seeing in the CL. Every one of our group games has been managed perfectly. Meanwhile in the PL, the only game I felt we were set up perfectly for both in terms of tactics and in terms of personnel was the Pool win.

Most of us went into the season knowing that the Wembley factor made the title a remote possibility after 2 seasons of coming closer than ever before. What we didn't anticipate was how many injuries we'd have to contend with, along with the fact that 13 games in and City have dropped 2 points. I think Kane's interview yesterday reflected a frustrated resignation to this reality too. The players already know it is beyond us. How that will affect them after 2 seasons of almost taking it to the wire is a challenge most have never faced, and could be the underlying reason why so many of our big game performers aren't performing.

It's a dangerous game, putting all your eggs in the CL basket. We did it under Harry and never really got going that year in the league, finishing 5th having spent a grand total of 2 days in the top 4 all season. There is a risk that the same could happen this season if we don't get the balancing act right.

Maybe Poch has it right. Maybe a run to the QF or - dare I say it - further - in the CL is exactly what we need at this juncture to raise the club's profile ahead of our move to the new WHL. But at the risk of sounding like Arsene Wenger, it is also crucial that we play in the CL to stay in the CL and clinch top 4 to do so. More crucial than a trophy to my mind.

My logic here is: players who want to leave will leave regardless of whether we win the FA Cup or not. Our single greatest challenge will be replacing them if they do. We were exceptionally wise to bring in Ledley King's bastard son Ledley Snow as a pre-emptive measure in case Toby leaves. Sessegnon for Rose and (to a far lesser extent) Barkley for Alli are similarly sensible measures. But to attract the caliber of player who can take us to the next level, New Stadium + CL football + A Name in Europe is surely the way forward.

If the FA Cup can somehow be juggled along with all of that, amazing. But my gut feeling is that we will need to do an Arsenal this season, only without losing 10-2 in the KO's.
 
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Citizen Kane said:
It's to be expected after a summer net spend of £140m. The real criticism should be aimed at Maureen, whose net spend was just £2m less, yet has conspired to reduce United to excruciatingly boring football and an 8 point gap on their noisy neighbours.

I get the feeling that Poch is slowly reassessing his priorities this season too, hence the attention to tactical detail and selection we're seeing in the CL. Every one of our group games has been managed perfectly. Meanwhile in the PL, the only game I felt we were set up perfectly for both in terms of tactics and in terms of personnel was the Pool win.

Most of us went into the season knowing that the Wembley factor made the title a remote possibility after 2 seasons of coming closer than ever before. What we didn't anticipate was how many injuries we'd have to contend with, along with the fact that 13 games in and City have dropped 2 points. I think Kane's interview yesterday reflected a frustrated resignation to this reality too. The players already know it is beyond us. How that will affect them after 2 seasons of almost taking it to the wire is a challenge most have never faced, and could be the underlying reason why so many of our big game performers aren't performing.

It's a dangerous game, putting all your eggs in the CL basket. We did it under Harry and never really got going that year in the league, finishing 5th having spent a grand total of 2 days in the top 4 all season. There is a risk that the same could happen this season if we don't get the balancing act right.

Maybe Poch has it right. Maybe a run to the QF or - dare I say it - further - in the CL is exactly what we need at this juncture to raise the club's profile ahead of our move to the new WHL. But at the risk of sounding like Arsene Wenger, it is also crucial that we play in the CL to stay in the CL and clinch top 4 to do so. More crucial than a trophy to my mind.

My logic here is: players who want to leave will leave regardless of whether we win the FA Cup or not. Our single greatest challenge will be replacing them if they do. We were exceptionally wise to bring in Ledley King's bastard son Ledley Snow as a pre-emptive measure in case Toby leaves. Sessegnon for Rose and (to a far lesser extent) Barkley for Alli are similarly sensible measures. But to attract the caliber of player who can take us to the next level, New Stadium + CL football + A Name in Europe is surely the way forward.

If the FA Cup can somehow be juggled along with all of that, amazing. But my gut feeling is that we will need to do an Arsenal this season, only without losing 10-2 in the KO's.
Click to expand...

Seriously, I said it in that poll at the start of the season. - 4th, a decent CL campaign (which it’s already proving to be) and no trophies will be still be a good season of transition.

I want us to be in the CL for our first season at our new stadium. If players decide they’ve had enough, then so be it. But at least the larger attendance each week and CL lure means we can attract some top players.
 
Citizen Kane said:
8 points clear of 2nd and 13 clear of us. Well and truly beyond reach. We're actually closer to WBA in 17th than we are to City. That is damning.

What frustrates me is that the 3 other teams above us have been well and truly **** this season...yet there they are. Which means we've been ****ter.
Click to expand...
Yes we have been haven't we? Good reason for my negativity isn't there? However it will be put right, the earlier form will come back.
 
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