I've already put that on the Chelsea board and naturally received some vitriolic remarks. It was posted in all innocence.
Not to mention Stuart Pearce, Steve McClaren and probably someone else (I really need to get some sleep).
In two games they had two shots on target and didn’t score, we put the ball in the net in both games and four times in total and yet we split the points. You need to win the big games, but you also need a bit of luck. Of our starting 11, only Lamela couldn’t be a serious choice for the PL team of the year. All he’s done is scored the second most goals for us in all competitions, defended better than any of our other forwards, and been our best set-piece taker. Pochettino has had a huge impact, but the purchase, development and training of brilliant young players has been crucial as well.
The big difference between the sides yesterday was that Spurs were able to go up a couple of gears when it mattered. Utd, on the other hand, can only play at the same tempo. It's a complete about turn from years gone by. How many times was it typical of Utd to look ordinary for most of the game, but then have a burst of pace, energy and clinical finishing to see teams off with one, two or even three goals in a short period of time? Now Spurs have three or four matchwinners, who can change the outcome of games in a flash.
It's not Lamela's fault he cost what he did. He is giving his all and the positives that brings to our first XI are vital. It's like he reminds the rest of them to man up and get stuck in. Yet at the same time he regularly displays his skill set, which is a lot higher than your average plodder on a pitch who puts himself about. I think he is absolutely vital and a player you always want playing on your team more so than someone like Son and Chadli, who show moments of brilliance but absolutely nothing else, hardly as consistently as Lamela has this season. That's where you realise Lamela's 'running around putting himself about' is more than just that and more affective than Son's and Chadli's due to how it alters the dynamics of our team. I find their running around pretty useless. Lamela is massive in games that are 'cup finals' he always turns up emotionally, that's what the rest need at moments of slumber. Just like the 2nd half yesterday...Lamela created that 6 minutes of hell for United.
We were long over due a win against them, for about 4-5 seasons now we've often been much better than Utd at the Lane and yet not come back with those 3 points, there were times where I thought it was going to be another draw as breaking them down was tough and then when we were getting through we were missing vital chances. Those 6 minutes though... Incredible. When Toby got the second, we were still jumping up and down like mad men and then Lamela goes and gets the third to send us more bat **** mental. They were taunting us throughout the game by singing "you nearly won the league" so it was nice getting them back with "you're not famous any more" and then then the new favourite of when we're two or three up of "you're ****ing shiiit". I thought, like I've said a good few times this season, that it was another awesome team performance, when we play like that it's so hard to pick out just one player and say they shone above all. Dele's tenacity, Eriksen's vision, Lamela's work rate, Toby's presence, Dier's animosity, the full back's energy... Just incredible, it really is a damn shame that we sit second, I know I have my Spurs cap on but I genuinely feel we've been the most enjoyable and best team to watch this season and with the most goals scored and fewest conceded you'd think that'd result in us being top, only Spurs could have this luck . It's great to see that we're still trying to push Leicester all the way though, even if needing a 3 game swing from 5 games is looking too big of an ask. I'd also say that this win pretty much gets us Champions League now, I won't be celebrating it just yet as two more wins guarantees it but Utd would need a 10 point swing in their favour (providing they win their game in hand) as they won't match us on GD if they levelled on points. On a final massive plus point, how good did Jan look!? I was surprised to see him start having been off a while though he looked like he'd never been away. Harsh on Big Kev as he's barely put a foot wrong since coming into the side but that Toby and Jan partnership is just on another level. Well done boys, you continue to make us so proud
It's a disgrace that Belgium play them both at fullback. The second best centre half pairing in the league IMO.
0 wins. We'll call it down the middle and say 2 and take our chances that we can win all ours, and you lose at least one of the others
Yeah, at first I thought it was our fans singing "we nearly won the league" which would've been self depricating. Then I noticed the slight difference in accents. It's hard to pick out different London accents when en masse. Can't wait until Van Gaal's sat next to Woodward posing for a photo next to his new contract at the end of the season Just remembered Toby's burst down the wing yesterday, trying to knock is past the United player and breeze past him like he's Lennon. Shades of Corluka and everyone in the crowd was willing him on. Love that guy, our best player of the season without a doubt. I questioned our signing of him as from what I saw at Southampton, he seemed like he was mostly just good at heading the ball clear. Delighted to be wrong
I did realise that. I was just saying it was weird me being at their ground when they are at ours. Incidentally I did shout a big "come on you Spurs" to every United shirt I saw over the course of the marathon. You know how many that was - one! But then there aren't too many ManU fans in Manchester are there! NB anyone thinking about doing the Manchester marathon don't, it's crap. Will advise separately if interested.
No different from the Vardy penalty at Arsenal. The foward kind of runs into the defender rather than away from him. But Spurs = dive, Fairy Story Leicester = penalty.
Toby's been unreal, to be honest I was happy at his signing, I didn't imagine he'd be this good but having endured Kaboul, Chiriches and Fazio last year, quite frankly I'd have taken Titus Bramble for a season over that lot. He's been by far the best CB in the league and I don't think you'd find many, if any, that have been better in other top leagues. Completely deserves our player of the season award though I feel the general consensus will go with Kane or Alli, not that they'd be unworthy winners but Toby has been consistently brilliant for the whole season, he's been a major catalyst in turning one of the league's worst defences to the best.
