Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Middlesbrough

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If you want Eriksen & Vertonghen to stay then you won't help the cause by not picking them. Making Vertonghen Cap also may be a statement. There is more to picking a team than the obvious.
Consistently playing somebody out of position just to get them on the pitch isn't going to make them stay, though - especially when they can be directly blamed for our getting overrun in midfield due to their disinterest in defending, which is exactly what happened against Southampton
 
Consistently playing somebody out of position just to get them on the pitch isn't going to make them stay, though - especially when they can be directly blamed for our getting overrun in midfield due to their disinterest in defending, which is exactly what happened against Southampton
That remains to be seen. Player don't always operate in the paper line up.Lot's of these formations are notional and as the game unfolds you would hope that players and management can respond to what is actually happening on the field. Which to be fair has not been very good recently. I think we are also seeing Jose using players he knows for example he is still obviously hoping to see the Dier he tried to sign. So are we!
 
Moura with two good defensive headers, so far. Sums up the first five minutes.
 
The keeper's lucky to get away with that. Just hit his chest and nearly fell to one of our players.
 
Nice work by Moura. Thought Son could've got that, but the keeper did well.
 
Mad scramble in the box. Lucky not to concede there, after looking pretty comfortable for 20-odd minutes.
 
That scramble aside we look reasonably comfortable but we’re lacking a bit in midfield, there’s an NDombele-shaped hole in there it seems. We need a bit mire urgency in possession to really catch out this Boro team who seem well set up.
 
Good period of possession and pressure, but no end product. We're not creating anything.
 
Jose looks peeved - which he should because we’re playing like we’re already 3-0 up. No urgency and very little penetration. Hopefully he’s annoyed enough to knock some sense into the team at half time.
 
Alli booked for diving. Correct decision. That's ****.
Winks got totally taken out, though. Looks like he's injured, again. Fletcher just swiped his leg.