Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Middlesbrough

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The tactics for this game seemed to be - get the ball run forwards 10 yrds - stop, turn around and pass it back 20 yrds. :headbang:

I've not seen as many back passing since the Linda Lovelace mega mix... God bless her soul.
 
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Tottenham have been eliminated from a domestic cup match after losing in extra time against a side from a lower division for the very first time in their history. <diva>

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte: "For sure the result is not good and we have to be frustrated. It was a pity because in these type of game you have to start and kill your opponent. If you give them hope, they will take confidence and improve during the game. Then anything can happen.

"First of all, it is important to say that Middlesbrough played a good game, deserves respect and congratulate them for the win. We have to reflect on our performance and on the game we played. These type of games, in these trophies away from home, you have to try to kill the game quickly. Your opponent has to understand that the night will be difficult, instead we can do much better and in the end Middlesbrough deserved to go to the next round.

"This is part of our process. I repeat, we have to try to avoid the up and down up and down and there is only one way to improve the situation is to work and learn about the defeat. We have to go ahead and we will try to do our best this season.

"We have to give our best for the rest of the season, then we will see what is our position and the evaluation of our season. It is early to say something about this."

Says that you have to start quickly and kill the game.
Starts the same team from three days ago and sets up to defend. <confused>
 
I understand that the hierarchy are primarily to blame, and I'm not suggesting you should get rid of Conte or that he's the problem. Because I don't think that (right now). But I do think he's been let off the hook quite a few times for poor performances or results of which he, as manager, warrants further introspection and analysis. I'm not saying I'm right, it's just my own perception.

I also don't think some of those players are as bad as you think they are, and they are absolutely good enough to get past a Middlesbrough team who are 8th in the Championship. You had enough firepower on that field to beat them. Tonight is one night where he does deserve the heat.

You’re not really wrong, it’s just a case of fans are fed up with this team of players and so even though Conte has gotten stuff wrong, until we see the backs of about 6-7 we know we’re going to get performances like tonight regardless of who the manager is.

The team in general should’ve won tonight, no denying that and every single player underperformed, with Son being the absolute worst. Problem is though, there’s a core number of players who play like this most weeks/ most games they feature and they seemingly stick around like a bad smell, a really bad smell. I’m not exaggerating though when I say that Sessegnon, Doherty and Winks would look out of place in a Championship side.
 
One thing I don't get is that, in Conte’s early games, we'd alternate between pressing and looking for the counter, yet this evening we never seemed to press until the last ten minutes of normal time

We definitely gave them too much, which was obvious when Jones started diving in threatening positions
 
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Too early for me as I said. Where would Arteta be if he had been judged last season or even earlier this one. You have to give managers time and if you expect a fella like Conte to have a small ego that's not going to happen is it?

I'm not someone who's particularly pro-Arteta so you're probably asking the wrong person here <laugh>. However, Arteta has come under fire a lot during his tenure at the club. A lot of fans were and still are deeply unhappy with him.
He was incredibly lucky to still have a job after he had us 16th in the table and 5 points above the relegation zone on December 21st 2020. I would have had absolutely no qualms if he was sacked there and then.

I also think he should have been sacked after the Europa League semi-final debacle where we got dumped out the competition by our previous manager, due to some terrible decisions and squad management.

He's doing OK at the moment, but he's achieved nothing yet and I have no issue with people still believing he's not the right man for us. Especially as I'm still unsure of him myself.

Like I said - I'm not saying you should get rid of Conte. He's been there for 3-4 months and it is too early for that sort of talk. But that doesn't mean he shouldn't be called out when he gets things wrong, and he himself should be more transparent when he messes up.

Just my opinion.
 
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All together...."Out we go again,HAPPY as can be,all down the job queue looking for another club!"
 
PNP you have a down on Conte which surprises me because you are usually very fair. I think it's far too early to make the judgments you are making.

I've my concerns too re Conte. Or rather, Conte AND Spurs as a mix.
 
Tottenham have been eliminated from a domestic cup match after losing in extra time against a side from a lower division for the very first time in their history.<diva>

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte: "For sure the result is not good and we have to be frustrated. It was a pity because in these type of game you have to start and kill your opponent. If you give them hope, they will take confidence and improve during the game. Then anything can happen.

"First of all, it is important to say that Middlesbrough played a good game, deserves respect and congratulate them for the win. We have to reflect on our performance and on the game we played. These type of games, in these trophies away from home, you have to try to kill the game quickly. Your opponent has to understand that the night will be difficult, instead we can do much better and in the end Middlesbrough deserved to go to the next round.

"This is part of our process. I repeat, we have to try to avoid the up and down up and down and there is only one way to improve the situation is to work and learn about the defeat. We have to go ahead and we will try to do our best this season.

"We have to give our best for the rest of the season, then we will see what is our position and the evaluation of our season. It is early to say something about this."

Says that you have to start quickly and kill the game.
Starts the same team from three days ago and sets up to defend. <confused>
I'm trying to work out if that sentence is implying that's better or worse than the times we've been knocked out of the FA Cup by lower division teams who only needed 90 minutes to get the job done...
 
I don`t even get angry or down when we lose these days, when I see some of the sub standard players who pull on our shirt it is to be half expected. Tonight was just abysmal, the centre of the park was particularly dire again, other players looked leggy, a consequence of a tiny squad and players being run into the ground.
 
Not surprised tonight tbf...like I wasn't v Burnley last week.
A good result don't make a a great team and a bad result don't make us a terrible team...we are simply a bang average team capable of playing well once or twice a month.
Conte made mistakes tonight but we've had two and a half, if not 3 and a half years of mistakes regarding the team that will take time to sort out.

And in the meantime I have resigned myself to watching more of 1 match good 1 match bad.

Oh, and as an added bonus we get a stress free weekend and Monday can't be spoiled cos it's a ****e day anyway <laugh>
 
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Tottenham have been eliminated from a domestic cup match after losing in extra time against a side from a lower division for the very first time in their history. <diva>

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte: "For sure the result is not good and we have to be frustrated. It was a pity because in these type of game you have to start and kill your opponent. If you give them hope, they will take confidence and improve during the game. Then anything can happen.

"First of all, it is important to say that Middlesbrough played a good game, deserves respect and congratulate them for the win. We have to reflect on our performance and on the game we played. These type of games, in these trophies away from home, you have to try to kill the game quickly. Your opponent has to understand that the night will be difficult, instead we can do much better and in the end Middlesbrough deserved to go to the next round.

"This is part of our process. I repeat, we have to try to avoid the up and down up and down and there is only one way to improve the situation is to work and learn about the defeat. We have to go ahead and we will try to do our best this season.

"We have to give our best for the rest of the season, then we will see what is our position and the evaluation of our season. It is early to say something about this."

Says that you have to start quickly and kill the game.
Starts the same team from three days ago and sets up to defend. <confused>

i did say from the very beginning, conte sets his team up to be solid game in game out as thats his game plan. It doesn't matter about opposition it's the same tactic. Then he will adjust in game if he has to but generally his sides are solid and he likes to hit on the counter.

defensively, sometimes the team presses but generally the 3cbs stay narrow and deep to defend against crosses and it's the cms and wb who have to press and push out to the wings to stop the crosses which can somtimes stretch you (or the wingers have to drop back in)
 
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How many times did we get caught off side ? Middlesborough were ok but we made them look so much better by allowing them to win the midfield battle
I will file this woeful defeat along with a whole lot more since January 2019
 
i did say from the very beginning, conte sets his team up to be solid game in game out as thats his game plan. It doesn't matter about opposition it's the same tactic. Then he will adjust in game if he has to but generally his sides are solid and he likes to hit on the counter.

defensively, sometimes the team presses but generally the 3cbs stay narrow and deep to defend against crosses and it's the cms and wb who have to press and push out to the wings to stop the crosses which can somtimes stretch you (or the wingers have to drop back in)

The game has moved on a lot since the last Conte was in the PL. Counter-attacking football seems far less effective - as OGS also found out to his detriment.