I've liked him from the outset. He has it all, and we forget just how young he stil is. M.P. Is right when he says that Alli has to learn, but I'm sure he will. As I've said many times before, I just hope we can keep him!
Disappointing result considering our start to the game. Son,Rose and Alli were ripping them to shreds. I think that missing Hugo, Toby, Jan and Eric (as DM) was too much of the spine of our side missing. Defensively we looked less stable and for just about the first time (Newcastle?) we looked out of ideas in the final 20 minutes or so and unlikely to get back into the game. Bentaleb looked like someone who hadn't played for ages. Let's be generous and say he looked rusty. Josh Onomah has real talent but today wasn't perhaps the game for him? Palace pack their defence and get better results away from home than at Selhurst by doing so. It's gutting to see we would have got Reading...but the games come Thursday and Sunday. Terrible being in with the Palace fans and losing! Had to travel back with them too! Thursday and a win will help with that memory.
Yes I would have been happier to go to a replay than go out. Nothing to do with any knowledge I have on how the squad could cope with this, just my personal preference.
Agreed. Cannot overemphasise just how vital Toby is to our team. Not just defensively but his distribution and overall steadying influence too. What a signing he's been.
I thought it was a terrific cup game. Not the line up I'd have liked to see but still very good and very competitive. How we didn't score, I don't know, but Palace did defend well in the second half. Son was brilliant.
Totally agree. I just don't think he is indispensable yet. Insofar as I seriously worry when I see Hugo, Toby, Dier or Kane absent, I don't (yet) feel the same way when Alli is out as I think any combination of Son/Lamela/Erisken/Chadli/Mason/Onomah/Dembele as the '3' has more than enough quality to overcome most opposition. When Hugo, Toby or Dier are out we look demonstrably weaker in defence and midfield, and when Harry is out we look less likely to score up top. I've no doubt that Alli will grow into a player just as if not more important than all of those I've mentioned, but that isn't quite yet imo.
Very true especially Toby who is quite possibly our best signing of all when you consider our previous defensive frailties, he keeps Walker out of central defending more , for a start. The closer Walker gets to our goal the more worried I get, out wide is fine. In the end I am, like others, relived that we are out because something had to give and, sad to say the FA Cup is the least important to the team and the club. The Cup is a great day and great memories but the League and Europe are about the future for Spurs and our clout in the market for players. We need to keep this current group together and while an FA Cup win would help, CL and even more a League win would seal it.
Was listening to 'My Sporting life' with Danny Kelly and Ginola was the guest. They talked about the 95 ' I would love it' season when the Toon let a 12 point lead slip. According to Ginola it wasn't the quality of the team or the fitness of the team that saw to them spiralling but due to the mental preparation and holding their nerve. He mentioned how important it was to have someone to help re focus them on the pitch. Someone who would remind them with 20 minutes to go when they were physically tired and thus mentally drained, what it was all about and what was at stake. Not that they didn't know but sometimes it's easier and less painful to give up the ghost and still be satisfied that you gave it your all. That kind of motivation was missing. The mental prep was all wrong. Remember this is a guy who had won it all with PSG. He was due to sign for Barca but that move collapsed due to the foreigner rule, so he ended up at Newcastle. I'm saying week in week out....we are good enough to win things on the playing field. We need to get our heads straight. I'm disappointed we went out yesterday but it is not grating on me. I think we need to give our all to the title challenge. It's almost end of Feb and we are 2 points off the top. All out for the league and our experienced players and their influence is not to be under estimated. You can always tell when the shouter on the pitch is missing wether your playing top flight football or Sunday league.
Frustrating to go out the way we did as it was harsh on us I felt, Alli heading on to the post, Onomah then missing the rebound and then Alli hitting both posts not long after (how the **** did that not go in?!) was just somewhat early signs that it wasn't going to be our day. Palace played well though, they too had chances to add to their tally but it's disappointing to go out in a game where we were favourites and had enough chances, Palace drew Reading too and you'd like to think had we beaten Palace then we'd have fancied ourselves to make the Semi final.
I have always believed that in any contest a fraction as level as the PL race, it’s all in the head. One team will find it in themselves to battle a little harder, to concentrate a little more steadily, to bounce back a bit better and quicker from disappointment, to be a bit more implacable in demanding a win of themselves. What’s fascinating is that it’s likely to be a team which has no history of even flirting with the title in the recent past. And no doubt while it depends on all our players, there’s an extra burden on our on-field leaders, who I gather are Kane, Lloris, Alderweireld, Dier--and perhaps Eriksen, Alli and Lamela. I get the feeling Alli may believe more firmly than anyone else, and that the incidents involving him may be bound up with his determination to put himself and his team at the top.
I totally agree with you RCL. It is no coincidence that Fergie did not do much to curb the temprements of the likes of Cantona and Keane. These players are generals and totally essential to go past the mental barriers required for a team to jump the final hurdle. He just used that fire in these players bellies to put a stoke up his teams arse and the rest is there for us all to see. i kind of sense the same kind of philosophies being applied to our team. This however is a trait that you have or you don't, it is all about heart. I see Dier as that guy on many occasions. He gets stuck in physically and verbally, I like that. He also seems more confident in his own contribution when he knows he has got Toby behind him to cover his back. I hope we are having some serious psychology tactics drilled into us as 40 plus games already played should be taking care of our physical condition.
I believe it was because he was manager at Palace and quit to take over at Brighton who are their biggest rivals.
They were both on the 'up' at the same time - 1977-1980. Palace's south London neighbours (Millwall and Charlton) don't see them as their natural enemies or worth bothering with. Mullery managed Brighton so they hated him as the outspoken manager of a close rival (geographic and promotion). There was an incident where a cup of coffee was spilled on him and he gave them the 2 fingered salute which clinched it and he became their hate figure. Then he was appointed Palace manager and didn't do very well and the animosity grew on both sides, so they hated him more. He then went back and managed Brighton again. Palace fans are a pretty mild lot usually. I lived in Norwood (a nice bit) for over 20 years and apart from Cantona and Mullery, I can't think of too many people they get on to. Classless yesterday though.
In hindsight I don't suppose it was tactful of Spurs to talk to Mullery yesterday. He is there at every home game doing the hospitality so it's not as if Paul Coyte couldn't talk to him another day.
I don't see why they shouldn't. Football fans can be a bit precious sometimes. Unless it was done as a deliberate wind up.
Don't get me wrong, I pretty much agree with you, I was just taking a hindsight view of the incident. David Howells was also interviewed alongside Mullery and it seemed almost to unnerve him more than it did Mullery.
