Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City

To be fair there is also the opposite effect where the buying manager gets a lot extra out of the player.

I don't know how you would actually do such a study. Player values seem to be on an inexorable rise so that measure would come out well pretty much whoever you bought. Other measures like goals and assists will be affected by the quality of the other players.
The other obvious conclusion from my logic is that selling players after they have had one good season is probably a good strategy. Most likely they will be a one season wonder and have inflated valuations. You should have enough knowledge internally to distinguish the real cream.
My personal view, not based on hard evidence, is that keeping faith in the current squad is likely to turn out better than buying new players with zero net spend. If you've got £100m to invest then you should try to buy better players with it but expect it to be hit or miss. If you spend £50m on a player you will probably get a £30m one on average

 

For me, the biggest difference this season has been our defence. Last year we conceded only 26 in 38 games. This year we’ve already conceded 30 in 33.

Last season we had probably the two best full backs in the Prem. This year we’ve essentially been without both. Davies and Trippier are ok, but not what’s needed if you seriously want to win a title.

Add in the loss of Alderweireld plus Lloris’ inconsistent and sometimes bizarre form and you can see where we’re weaker.

 

Or you concentrate on the fact that football is a team game and don't worry too much about the individuals as long as the overall standard is high. Walker v Trippier for example. Walker is more aggressive in forward play but Trippier delivers better crosses more often. You can be just as good with either providing your team plays to it's strength. Toby is a fantastic defender but not if he has a problem with his terms of employment. Pochettino plays this game exactly right IMO. Rose or Davies? The pundits still rave about Rose who is now firmly on Pochettino's bench. We lost Bale and Modric and became a better team, food for thought!

 

Not supported by the stats NSS.... Last season (16/17) both Davies and Rose played 18 PL games. Davies appeared in another 5 as sub and overall in 34 against 21 by Rose....

Defensively, Davies has always been superior IMO although you could argue Rose when at his best in 2016 pushed the opposition back more down that flank.

We didn't seem to miss Rose at the end of last season when we were winning 13/15 and going unbeaten at home throughout....

 

I get what you’re saying, but the goals against says we’re missing something somewhere.

 

Wanyama.

 

Correct. He protected the defence so well

 

And Toby. And ...

When the remaining PL games are done, then we
can assess the GA like for like. As it stands, I
consider conceding one goal more about every
6 games to be be fair "collateral damage" (more so
when you consider Citeh have got 5 of them) .

 

True but I think Wanyama has been more sorely missed, especially with Dier being rather meh all season. It's been a while since we've been totally overrun in the middle of the park so many times in a season.

Why he has taken so long to return from injury is a mystery and serious questions need to be asked of our medical staff.

 

Having certain players out for so long has not been
good, but IMHO the current season shows us the
inherent strength of the Pochettino SYSTEM with the
current squad, and not the best possible starting XI.


"Why he has taken so long to return from injury is a mystery and serious questions need to be asked of our medical staff."

Could also say the same for Lamela, DOF, Toby, and
perhaps now Winks too.

 

Yeah, good point.

I still get this feeling of a vulnerability at the back that wasn’t there a year ago.

 

Another little marker ...

Spurs have been the last team capable of catching the
eventual PL champions (this season sharing the feat with
Man Utd) , for the third season in succession.

Sadly week 33 this season rather than week 36.

 

Dave has looked nervy quite a few times, especially when up against physically tough or extremely quick front lines. But that is to be expected from a 21 year old in his first PL season. He'll be better for it next year.

We've massively missed Wanyama's presence. Another factor is definitely Trippier and Davies' inability to get back into position quickly enough due to lack of pace. Not their fault as there is nothing they can do about it and they are being instructed to play in a system that demands its full backs get forward as often as possible, but we have been brutally skinned down the flanks on too many occasions, many of which lead to goals.

 

I think that as was alluded to earlier, we miss the pace of Walker and a fully fit and motivated Rose down the flanks. It not only poses a significant threat to the opposition, but it keeps the opposition’s own full backs pushed backed more.

 

It's been a weird season. If we were to win our remaining 5 games, we'd finish 4 points down on last time out. Given that we started our season so badly at Wembley and dropped 7 points in our first 3 home games and then went 6 league games for one win across October/November/December, including 3 losses, we've come back incredibly strongly to get where we have. At the halfway mark, the season could have got away from us.

If we can write off the first half of the season as Wembley affected, the second half is fantastic. We also had a lot of injuries at the start of the season - especially Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama but also Erik Lamela, Danny Rose and Harry Winks. Of course,there was the usual fitting in players that were [by necessity?] bought late in the transfer window a couple of whom hadn't been doing a proper pre-season. As players have returned and got fitter, results have really improved.

The return to N17 could really drive us forward. If we can keep a settled group of players, Toby aside, we could go into the new season with real hope. Let's hope that we keep relatively injury free and we can do business early for once and come out of the traps raring to go. The last few season have shown that getting in front is a good tactic and chasing down a big lead is tough. The justifiable fear is that we started slowly in all of our last 3 seasons and having a number of players returning from representing England in a tournament isn't going to help.

 

At the end of the day we have missed the pace of walker and burger king rose hasn't been at it this season but I won't knock Tripps or Davies they have done well this season.Dembele and Wanyama were awesome last season but injuries have taken their toll this season and both have been sorely missed dembele doesn't seem to be the same player fitness wise but poch has done a good job with what he has had available and considering Toby has been out for ages as well we have coped well. For me I would have bitten your arm off if you said to me at the start of the season we would finish top 4 and miles ahead of the goons and above chelski and have a good run in the champions league and reach an fa cup semi final while not playing a single game at the lane, that is definitely progress in my eyes

 

Unlikely in a WC summer, unless Spurs have some real
under the radar targets.


"and come out of the traps raring to go. The last few season have shown that getting in front is a good tactic
and chasing down a big lead is tough. The justifiable fear is that we started slowly in all of our last 3 seasons
and having a number of players returning from representing England in a tournament isn't going to help."

What is the strongest starting XI Spurs could currently field
on day 1 next season, that would be free of the strains of this
season (including WC duty) ??

Not many/enough players I reckon to hit the PL
ground running and spare other team-mates too.

 

You speaking to me???!!!

 

At least they get back nice n' early.

 

To heroes' welcomes, no doubt. Kane and Dele are going to get crucified [or at least hanged in effigy], with Dier just behind them. The only difference being that the pub that did it for Beckham is unlikely to be involved, as it is now a Ghanaian gastro-pub.