We didn't play Leicester last night. Spurs are streets ahead of them.
It has often been said on here that the Prem consists of 3 separate mini leagues and we are in the bottom pack of 6 or 7.
The top 7 are miles ahead of us from top to bottom hence the poor results against them. They have the resources to ensure that situation remains other than the occasional blip such as Leicester.
I would have liked to have seen more energy from us but, as against the Mancs, the early goal seemed to drain whatever energy existed.
I agree the second half was like a training session for them but as they have bigger games coming up, Chelski in the Carabao and Man U in the league that was almost inevitable once they got 3 up.
However, I was mystified by the selection of Reid in the centre of our front 3. Their cb's swatted him off like an annoying midge. He is so obviously out of his depth.
Paterson was played wide right to target Rose on high balls and track him back when he overlapped. The latter worked okay and he beat him most of the time but we rarely picked up his flick ons.
It was on their right we had the bigger problem with Murphy not getting back quickly enough and Cunningham not knowing whether to stick or twist. I assume Murphy got pulled for not following instructions to track back as, at least, he posed some threat on our left. We seemed a bit more solid with Hoilett but apart from the header he made over Trippier he made no threat to their back line. Lloris also had an easy time.
Their cb's had their easiest game ever. NML cannot be fully fit as I can see no good reason why we would not start with him on the right. With him there then at least Paterson would have made them earn their money.
The bottom line is they are a much better side with every player totally comfortable on the ball and able to use it. Contrast that with our back four including full backs who get nose bleed whenever they cross the half way line. Trippier and Rose frequently set up as wingers and had no problem pushing forward when they had the ball.
There was no point in us trying to kick them off the park (as one clown a few rows behind me frequently tells our players to do). It was tough enough playing them with 11 let alone 10 or even 9.
If we can learn anything from them it is their movement and the ability of all their team to operate in different positions. This will need a higher level of skill and fitness in our squad. Hopefully we can get some of that with whatever signings we make this month.
As with most on here I agree we desperately need a new rb (Clyne would be good) so Manga can go to cb and give Morro and Bamba serious competition, a defensive mf and, please please please, a striker who knows where the goal is.
Agree we weren't playing Leicester last night Bluey, but whatever the opposition, I expect a better performance than that.
The team were a shadow of themselves we saw as a unit during the Leicester game - I thought that was probably the best game of the season - and the bizarre set up that Warnock put out last evening didn't help matters one bit.
Paterson is a bustling no nonsense committed player who will cause defenders a problem - that problem needs to be in their penalty box not on the bloody right wing. He has strength but no real pace - what was Warnock thinking about leaving Reid on his own to face down the Spurs central defenders - he was on mission impossible.
Arter ran his guts out to disrupt them playing out from the back but everyone else out there just seemed to watch him.
OK, so Spurs have now come and gone and it's on to the next one - one of our "mini-league" contenders as we put it. I understand that Warnock wasn't very happy with a few of those out there last night, but at the moment it's difficult to change most of the personnel.
Maybe it needs more of a change in the attitude and general approach towards the opposition because last night we were beaten as soon as that first goal went in.
