And another thing...... I don't agree with those who are advocating the same line-up for the replay. Sorry. Can't afford another ****-up. Put out a stronger XI ( which we should have done yesterday) and withdraw key people when we've made the game safe. We need to make sure we win! And we need to get some of our second eleven used to playing together - targeted training! Meanwhile put Foyth on some beefing up programmes (look what that did for Harry K!) - he's not tough enough for PL etc atm, and give full-backs some intensive training on providing head-high crosses in case Llorente gets picked again. Well, anyway!
It's just what they all need. We'd probably have had to arrange something if we didn't have the replay. Also, it shifts the Palace game to 12.00 on Sunday. Our most disappointing league performances/losses in recent years have been in away night games.... 2017/18 - Leicester [A] 2016/17 - West Ham [A] 2016/17 - Sunderland [A] 2015/16 - West Ham [A] You can chuck in the last 2 games against Chelsea too but the above games were really poor. I could see Benteke & Co being a lot more effective under lights against us than at midday.
A dive is where a player tries to simulate a foul. When Alli goes down and a player hasn't fouled him, like against Liverpool, it's a dive because he's trying to simulate a foul. Yesterday, Alli was fouled as soon as the defender plants his leg across Alli's path as he's impeded him illegally. What Alli does after that is irrelevant. He can try to stay on his feet(although the foul is then less likely to be given), he can carry on running like he was and take the contact, or he can get himself in the air and make sure he gets the foul, as well as avoiding a chance of injury. There doesn't even need to be contact for a foul to be made, a foul can be before any contact and the way a player then reacts doesn't undo that. This is why Moses was able to get a penalty when he jumped cleanly over Son's tackle in last year's semi-final. I didn't used to like it but honestly, I think it does make sense. If a player goes in two footed off the ground, does it matter if the attacker manages to avoid it?
Honestly, only one change needs to be made for the replay and things will markedly improve: Llorente out, Lamela in. Start with Son up front and an attacking band of Lucas, Lamela and Sissoko and the attacking play would dramatically improve - mainly because the final ball wouldn't constantly be aimed towards someone two yards slower than the rest of the team.
I agree. I didn't understand how the foul caused him to be thrown 3-4 feet in the air. Being fouled doesn't excuse his exaggerated reaction to it and the criticism of his actions is therefore justified.
I get that response. But there is a world of difference between exaggerating a foul and pretending there was one when there isn't. I would punish the latter and accept the former as part of the game. It gets too subjective then.
The Prem board was going into meltdown over Alli last night. I personally love the piss he boils. I don't like the outright diving but everything else he does is exactly what many others do, he's just in the spotlight more than most because he's a top player. Alli has essentially become the new Suarez or Costa, the great player that everyone hates except the fans of his club. Never change, Dele, never change (except the outright diving lol).
CL Nemesis will draw the Poool against Barca, and they will go out to a free/penalty kick awarded due to a blatant Suarez dive. And then we shall see what they say then ...
Probably because it didn't!! He was clearly fouled and he fell under the contact. End of! If it wasn't for the previous, it wouldn't even get a mention. Trouble is, he only has himself to blame for bringing the attention.
I can't tell if that was meant to be funny. If so, I'd leave the attempts at humour to Phil Jones, if I were you. Now, this is funny..... please log in to view this image
I think other clubs fans etc are playing politics They know how good Spurs are so this is where, they think,they can try to make Spurs something they are not...'Second best to no one!"
Alot of United fans still have trouble with actual laws of the game, having the likes of Webb and Clattenburg on the payroll for so long and Ferguson being allowed to bully the FA and officials for decades has left them short of perspective, and surely any club that employs Ashley Young has waivered any right to enter any discussion about diving.
Not even half the board on here think he's great let alone at suarez or costa standard please log in to view this image We do all hate him though we'll give you that
I thought Keith Hill, the Rochdale manager did well. They might be bottom of League One but there's no thought of sacking him at Rochdale. The BBC reporter asked how he planned to beat Spurs. He replied that you don't plan to beat Spurs. You plan to play in a way which keeps you in the game for as long as possible - pressing, denying Spurs players time and space, looking to compete in midfield, being organised, every player knowing their job and sticking to it and then, when his team has the ball, playing their normal game, with confidence, irrespective of the opposition. His players executed these plans superbly.
Bang on, Bobby. Real Madrid and Man Utd being linked with him in recent months for monumental amounts of money means nothing as long as half the board doesn't think he's a great player.
It was the same thing that causes a lot of these upsets, in my opinion. He picked his regular team, while we picked a bunch of good players. They played like a bunch that have loads of games together under their belt and are at 100%. We played like a disjointed, half-fit mess and it took ages for us to get going. Hill will have a few questions for his side after that game, in my opinion. Why aren't they putting in these performances on a regular basis? The pitch could've been a serious issue for them and that might help them. He knows what they're capable of now and will expect better in the league.
