Nobody is claiming we put in a good performance, but as per usual the perception of how the game was played (and reported) is affected by the final score. What I mean is the reports (and our own as usual downbeat 'fans') will lower their recognition of a reasonable performance before we conceeded because we ultimately lost badly. There will be few teams who get to half time with more shots on target and an equal share of possession at OT, and few who end up with so many attempts at the ManU goal. Let us not forget this is with a far from first choice midfield (probably our prize asset considering last season), comparatively quiet wingers and misfiring attack. It would not have taken much for one of those shots that went straight at the keeper to have sneaked in and then the game is changed. Despite all this, for an hour we were their equals and that should be remembered while writing off our season before it has even started. There is nothing special about most of the teams we've seen so far in the PL.
Having calmed down a bit (not much) from last night. I have to concede that your earlier point about Sandro was correct. We looked defensively all over the place in midfield, which wouldn't have happened if he'd been there. No wonder Harry is so interested in Diarra. It's a glaring weakness. However, I wouldn't get too excited about last night's result. Not many teams will just roll over the way Spurs did after the first goal. We were your equals for an hour, and with a strikeforce worthy of the name, Utd couldn't have complained if we were in front. Your biggest thrat comes from across the City. I think they could easily win the title this year.
A few have mentioned the performance or lack of by Defoe and Rafa. Every time either got the ball they tried to beat the entire Man U back line on their own, this I think was because there was no support from midfield. By the way someone mentioned the pro United commentary, we had John Champion & Danny Mills, don't know about you but Mills is seriously irritating.
The preamble to the game too, was notably sick-making. I thought the presenter was going to blow Neville at one point, as they strolled down Manc memory lane.
Should've known DB would be straight on to Friedel. His name is Brad Friedel, and he's a proven quality Premiership goalkeeper. The reason he went on a free is because his contract ran out and he took Spurs offer up over Villa's extension. If you're that desperate to have a go at him, go find another sight you whingeing, boring ****. Take a look at the whole team, and Friedel was our best performer yet you highlight him for conceding three goals. So i suppose if a team played a 2-3-5 system and the goalkeeper conceded 5 goals it would be his fault? Now you tell me what Friedel could've done about any of them goals? Nothing mate, your just talking out of your rear once again. And you seem certain that Gomes would've made the exact same saves, but goals against many other Premiership teams come to mind when i think of routine saves he has had to make. Get off his back, give him a chance. And regarding Adebayor. He played fantastically for Real Madrid last season, one of the best team in the world, but of course he's not good enough for Spurs, no. Scored twice against us too, but absolutely useless. The reason Man City are trying to get rid is because they have Dzeko, Aguero and Tevez ahead of him. Would you want to pay a guy 180,000 a week to sit on the bench every week? Van Der Vaart wasn't played often at Real Madrid similarly to Diarra but i guess these thoughts don't come into your arguments as it's easier to moan and criticise than actually use a few of the brain cells and see what we could actually achieve with the signings of Diarra and Adebayor. Like NSIS says, can't blame Defoe, he's not going to hold it up and it doesn't help when our midfield were just taking the easy option of passing to his feet, rather than for him to run on to, and expecting him to do something. He's not that type of player and VDV has to shoulder some of the blame for that.
I agree with you on this NSIS. - I thought defoe did well considering, but it just not right for him. The problem we have with defoe playing this role is his size. He's got good ball control and generally a very good first touch. The problem is that when the ball comes to him to hold it up, he always has a defender on his back using a lot of weight to push him into making about 6-8 steps back towards our own goal, so he doesn't lose possession. in this time, the opposing midfield are able to get back and cover and any gaps we could see when defoe first received the ball. Pav doesn't have the strength for this either and his first touch is generally horrendous. he seems to get the ball out of his feet, but about 2 yards in front of him, where he's disposessed. There's mixed opinions on adebayor, but at least he's got the ability to be able to hold position before laying it off. something we also saw Llorente do very well in the friendly.
JD looke reasonably sharp when he got the ball. It was obvious that we had been told to shoot on sight as anybody who got a sniff withing 30 yards or so had a crack. The Mancs soon got wind of this and their confidence grew with every save. In the end they seemed happy to let us shoot from distance. Maybe if we had been a bit more patient we would have been more successful, as ever, when they are supposedly there for the taking, it was not our night.
What it comes down to, is that our strikeforce is woefully inadequate, and has been for some time. Defoe I would keep. He's a proven premiership goalscorer, but needs to play with a strike partner. The other two. I would accept any reasonable bid I got for them.
I'm thoroughly depressed today so i'm not gonna say much but the roll-over-and-die attitude after the 1st goal sickened me. Lets get rid of Modders. Its like a poison in the squad. Same happened with Berba and look how we started that season with a talented squad.
yep. agreed, but defoe will only continue to be a "goalscorer" when he's playing in his preferred strike role, as opposed to being the "hold the ball up" striker. we have no strikers with strength; players that can hold their ground and still threaten a defence with their back to goal. crouch and pav will never be able to do this. we need a player with the physical presence of someone like John Carew. (not him obviously). we also have no strikers that pose a threat in the air from crosses. look at the 2 of the goals united scored last night - 2 clean headers from their 2 strikers. fantastic goals.
I was pleasantly surprised by Defoe, he looked lively again, even if his shots weren't quite there, unlucky to be booked. Rafa was very effective dropping off and I really think that he'd be a better replacement for Modric than Kranjcar is. Lennon again looked threatening on the ball but his delivery was poor, although I think he would've been helped by having someone in the box that can win a header. Bale started well, linking up with the rest of the team with quick, short passes but he seemed to lose the battle against Smalling and Jones after Jones crunched him and got away with it in the first half. It was a makeshift midfield and it looked as such for most of the game, I think we're all in favour of giving Livermore chances but this game was always going to be a step too far, or is it too soon? Huddlestone showed at the end that we needed him smashing the ball at De Gea relentlessly. Kaboul and Dawson looked to be forming a solid partnership in the first half but Kaboul seemed to stop man marking in the box, which is very worrying behaviour.
What protection we had in front of our back four just seemed to evaporate after the first goal. We badly missed Sandro. Your back four can only do so much, on it's own, and under constant pressure. If you're being overun in midfield, as we were in the last 30 mins - something is going to crack eventually
I agree that Defoe is best in a 442, but a 442 doesn't work against the best sides. The problem is that Defoe basically has only about half the attributes of a top striker, so he only 'works well' if we play him with another striker with the missing skills, which is tantamount to playing with 10 men. Defoe is quick and a reasonably good finisher, but his positional sense is poor, his first touch variable, and his ability to hold the ball up or play a simple pass almost non-existent. Van der Vaart and Adebayor would be twice as good an attacking force as any two we can put out now.
One thing that last night really made me think about was the small difference between success and failure at this level. Up to the 75th minute both teams had been reasonably evenly matched but Man U punished our mistakes and we let them off theirs. I reckon if we had had Welbeck and Young and they had had Defoe and Lennon, with all four playing like they did last night, then we would have won. Defoe wouldn't have scored Welbeck's goal, nor made Anderson's amd Welbeck would have got his shot inside the post for Defoe's chance. Young would have found his man inside the area more often than Lennon.
Well no game-changing shockers I suppose, but Jones fouled Bale just outside the penalty area in the first half and the ref gave a goal kick when he should have given a free-kick and a yellow card. Evans should have got a second yellow for a trip which was every bit as bad as the foul Dawson got booked for. And I think Giggs was offside when he got the ball back from the throw before the cross for Rooney's goal. Of course Sky didn't highlight any of these in their analysis.
You're right about all of those, PS. http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/wayne-rooney-tottenham-hotspur-15308491/ 21 seconds in. Clear offside on the return. The worst one for me though, was Nani's tackle on Kaboul that went unpunished. I wasn't surprised that it riled him. High, late, studs up, straight leg. Very dangerous. We thoroughly deserved to lose though, due to our awful capitulation and the ridiculous way that we left our defence exposed after going to 4-4-2.
Cardiff fan, I watched the game and my impression was that your players had no idea how well they were doing first half because they did not seem really that confident they could win, on the other hand the Man Utd players looked calm and confident even though they were not playing that well. Why so many shots from well outside the area, against a lesser side the players would have driven on into the area. Anyway good luck for the rest of the season.
