- Dec 29, 2005
- 8,780
- 6,660
I agree and gave you a winner...but you are being too kind to Eriksen.Here starts probably the most unpopular post you'll likely read in Spurs Chat tonight.
Lloris - 8 - Outstanding. Two magnificent saves (Butland had 2 just as good, which ultimately were the difference in the two teams. We expect Hugo to make these now. Butland had little right to save v Mason or Kane), several other good ones. Great to have him back. But could argue a minus point deserved for the fact we went quiet when it went to 2-2. That's when you need your captain.
Walker - 7 - The battle of the game was Walker vs Arnautovic. I say battle as we dicked every other contest. Walker got a booking after 20 minutes and I was petrified after that. But Kyle wasn't. He continued to compete and despite Arno getting goalside a few times, Walker did really, really well.
Toby - 8 - Loses half a point for conceding a silly penalty. Crazy soft decision but ref was giving those all day. Otherwise outstanding, especially in the air and with two passes of 50+ feet that could have created chances. Top signing.
Jan - 8 - Brilliant partnership with Toby. We caught them offside a lot. He is leading the line very well. Never beaten as far as I could see.
Davies - 6.5 - Couple of poor bits of attacking play. Couple of times he wasn't as far forward as he should have been as we tried to shift the ball quickly. But he's young and his assist for Chadli's goal was outstanding.
Dier - 8 - Most Tottenham fans don't understand why he's playing here. They're the same ones who won't understand why he was Man of the Match. It's not even a new role ffs. Busquets has been doing this for 6 years. The fact this kid has taken to it so well shows what a brilliant pre-season we must have had and how hard they've all worked.
Mason - 7.5 - Massive performance. Was everywhere. Poch's biggest mistake was taking Mason off. The team missed him greatly when he left. Had several shots but it was his tempo setting that impressed me. Deservedly replaced Nabsy.
Dembele - 7 - Used the ball well, if predictably slowly. One of his better home games for us. Frustratingly shot when we were 4 v 4 and he could have slid in any other player to score the winning goal for us.
Eriksen - 7.5 - MotM in the first half. Used the ball so well and at the heart of all our best work. Linked well with all around him. Went quieter in the second half as Stoke came into it. But a good display.
Chadli - 7 - Could have had a hat trick. Got one. Made some lung-busting runs that put the fear of God into the Stoke defence. But didn't feel like much more than this was given. We really needed him to offer something when Kane went off but it proved too much for him.
Kane - 7 - Ran his bloody arse off. Huge bag of ice on his feet after being subbed as I presume he ran so much his toes caught fire. Every chance we got either went to him, was assisted by him, or was because his smart run created space. Deserved the goal that Butland, somehow, kept out.
Subs:
Nabsy and Lamela - 4 - Same comments apply to both: Neither should really have come on. Team was so in system and settled that any change was going to a) confuse, and b) make them look bad. And they both did look bad. But as much about those around them not performing as their individual contributions.
And to answer your questions, no this isn't naive or generous. For 75 minutes we produced a Champions League level performance. In five minutes we were sucker-punched twice, very unfortunately. Otherwise, you can't expect too much more of the group. Our system and strategy and every individual performance was very good-to-excellent. Really. I'm sorry that this isn't the considered view of the masses.
The sub were very poor but perhaps we lacked the players needed.
At last though a positive and indeed IMO a very fair judgment of the game.