Match Threads Chelsea vs Spurs - Match Thread

[ajspurs]

We won last weekend with a focal point, and against City ... Since that focal point has been lost that's two losses in two ... Correlation is a bit too much to overlook, no?

Yeah but there's much more evidence with us as a team in having a focal point than there is without. Plus I know City was one of them but the other one we won in the last 30 seconds due to a mistake against relegation candidates and the the games we've played without a striker have been against Chelsea away (which we know how rarely we win) and in the CL against the team who is second in the German league. Not really fair to suggest that we now lack the ability to win a football game as we are based off of those two matches.

I mean I may be agreeing with you in a few weeks but it's too early to suggest as much IMO.

 

[thebenjamin]

I've loved Mourinho so, far but this is worrying now. His constant negativity is telling the players they have no chance, and giving them an excuse to lose.

 

[spurs mental]

Maybe City at home last season in the quarter final 1st leg. Before kane injured himself.

Almost a year then. Horrendous luck injury wise.

 

[fortworthspur]

The attacking's not too clever either is it.

not really a surprise under the circumstances, though. the rest of the season we are going to have to grind out wins with defense.

 

[whitesocks]

Lol that challenge stinks more every time they show it. Clear as day red card.

It was careless as it could have done a lot more damage.
But Lo Celso had the right idea and I'm sure he'll do better next time.

 

[Saoirse]

Shame about missing out on the three or four defenders we needed, the striker, the two midfielders that if we'd had anything resembling a plan for the squad, we could have brought in during the tumbleweed transfer windows. Poor excuses, this squad has been allowed to rot.

You can't sign 13 players in one season, that would be absolutely insane. It's all about those empty windows before. Which just so happened to coincide with when we were building a stadium, and there was a lot of uncertainty over it - what would the finances have looked like if we'd made those signings then, didn't get the Top 4, the stadium had a much longer delay and huge expenses to fix etc? Partly it's unfortunate timing. And partly, even if there were no net funds available, we should have sold and replaced some well-liked players to freshen things up - but that would have led to huge anti-Levy outcrys about how he's always selling our stars as soon as we looked good. In any case, it's in the past. We ain't building another stadium any time soon. And we're now in a position where he has made large amounts available to invest in the squad. As long as that doesn't change, I don't see the benefit of wanting him gone. He's not here to make the footballing decisions, he's here to choose the manager and run the business side of things. On those matters, I'd definitely rather the devil I knew than some of the shockers other clubs have had. Careful what you wish for

 

[Deleted member 27995]

Yeah but there's much more evidence with us as a team in having a focal point than there is without. Plus I know City was one of them but the other one we won in the last 30 seconds due to a mistake against relegation candidates and the the games we've played without a striker have been against Chelsea away (which we know how rarely we win) and in the CL against the team who is second in the German league. Not really fair to suggest that we now lack the ability to win a football game as we are based off of those two matches.

I mean I may be agreeing with you in a few weeks but it's too early to suggest as much IMO.

Unbeaten in seven prior to the last two ...

 

[spurs mental]

think he's just a player who finds fitness through playing games, needs to be playing week in week out now

If we could afford to play with a passenger I'd pick him every week but we can't

 

[midoshairband]

This is now looking to me like typical mourinho stuff. Highly negative football. Some say we don't have the players but we do and you can also play more positive formations which we are not now. I wanted to give mourinho a chance but it's only taken a few months and he is now already getting the team setup to play some truly negative crap.

the only thing i don’t get, is how, a bit like today, we switched and started to attack more. i’m sure we would be better off doing that earlier, because we are a shambles at the back.

 

[rupsmith]

This is now looking to me like typical mourinho stuff. Highly negative football. Some say we don't have the players but we do and you can also play more positive formations which we are not now. I wanted to give mourinho a chance but it's only taken a few months and he is now already getting the team setup to play some truly negative crap.

So let’s play the positive stuff and win two league cups in 25 years. He’s got the third best results in the league since he’s taken charge - with big challenges with regard to squad injuries. Give the man a break.

 

[Fidget]

We can still catch Chelsea. Points between us have been up and down like a nun’s habit these last few months and the gap has been wider.
The football is shit but if this style gets us CL.....

 

[rossdapep]

Well, once again, with the players, squad and injuries we have, this isn't surprising and it's about what we should expect for the rest of the season. I don't know how people still get so angry at what's been blatantly obvious since before Pochettino was sacked.

For very VERY many reasons, the squad is fucked, all these magical solutions people offer up are just that, fanciful thinking at best. We need new players. Why haven't we signed new players? Why has the squad been allowed to stagnate to this awful degree? Just how ambitious are we to succeed on the pitch.

Look baldwards and ask these questions.

The anti-Jose brigade won't have it though as they think Parrott is the answer or starting with a high intensity aggressive approach works.

It's frustrating as hell but until we get Kane and Son back, Jose can shove those out the door who we need to and he has a solid preseason then Jose will just continue juggling things and play to the situation rather than a defined appriach.

I suggest everyone adapts their expectations. We will continue to have a couple of good results followed by a bad one as the consistency can't be built yet, especially when key players are injured and other key players are being asked to play consecutive games for 90 mins. Not too mention the fact we have a cm who can't currently play more than 60 mins.

Dier isn't the player he was so can't turn to him.
Winks needs consistent players around him.
Lo Celso has been great but is always going to suffer when the players around him is struggling.
Jan is done.
Toby isn't the player he was.
Aurier is a liability.
Tanganga is young and needs composed heads around him.
Bergwijn, despite his start, needs to get climbatised, plus needs Kane up there with him.
Alli is struggling to fit into this system.
Lucas is not the best player in terms of fitting in a system.
Lamela isn't fit and can't be relied on.


Everywhere you look there are issues. So what do people do?

" Should have started with Alli!" - but he's struggled lately.
"Should have started Lamela!" - yet he's barely trained!

We've put ourselves into this situation via our crap recruitment. Now January was promising as we made moves but it's still not ideal as these players need time whilst the bus is moving.

Jose's second season at United was his best. Why? Because he knew exactly who fit into his style, who he could trust and he was able to bring new players in.

Until Jose gets that here, then it's going to be chaotic and messy.

 

[Saoirse]

Can anyone remember the last time we played with a fully fit proper first choice XI?

It's rare for anybody to have a fully fit squad. 3-6 players out at any one time is totally normal. The difference with us is that many of those players have chronic issues which impact their performance even when they are available - Dier, Wanyama, Lamela and Kane all obviously so, and others such as Dele are debateable too. If the first three of those were not just available but at their peak today, I think we'd have got something.

 

[VegasII]

This thread smells of wee.

I do believe the zookeepers need to provide some cleaning equipment.

 

[Havre]

Typical Mourinho stuff? Typical this team stuff I would say. We have looked like this for a long long time now regardless of the manager.

What do people think a manager can do? A couple of weeks and we are to play good football again? We have trended down since some point in 2017or 2018 (depending on who you ask). You are not turning that around in just months.

Huge to see how we respond to this in the next game. This one we were always somewhat likely to lose - we now cannot lose the next one.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

You can't sign 13 players in one season, that would be absolutely insane. It's all about those empty windows before. Which just so happened to coincide with when we were building a stadium, and there was a lot of uncertainty over it - what would the finances have looked like if we'd made those signings then, didn't get the Top 4, the stadium had a much longer delay and huge expenses to fix etc? Partly it's unfortunate timing. And partly, even if there were no net funds available, we should have sold and replaced some well-liked players to freshen things up - but that would have led to huge anti-Levy outcrys about how he's always selling our stars as soon as we looked good. In any case, it's in the past. We ain't building another stadium any time soon. And we're now in a position where he has made large amounts available to invest in the squad. As long as that doesn't change, I don't see the benefit of wanting him gone. He's not here to make the footballing decisions, he's here to choose the manager and run the business side of things. On those matters, I'd definitely rather the devil I knew than some of the shockers other clubs have had. Careful what you wish for

I never meant sign them over one season. Of course I never meant that. Blimey.

I meant how the squad has been allowed to age, stagnate and rot until we've reached this point. The squad should have been better managed, gradually, you know, like pretty much every other club does. And this isn't hindsight. Very many of us were talking about this two years or so ago. Now we need new players. Still. Despite signing six. Goes to show how far the rot set in.

 

[doctor stefan Freud]

If only we’d secured another striker over the last couple of windows, we could at least have some sense of purpose in attack. I don’t Mourinho for this at all, but unless he’s able to shape something within this squad that offers something that isn’t Moura or Bergwijn up top by themselves, I’d say CL football next year is highly unlikely.

Perhaps a 4231 with Dele the striker and Tanguy in the number 10 role?

 

[Mate]

This is now looking to me like typical mourinho stuff. Highly negative football. Some say we don't have the players but we do and you can also play more positive formations which we are not now. I wanted to give mourinho a chance but it's only taken a few months and he is now already getting the team setup to play some truly negative crap.

This is how I feel - he came out when he was appointed saying he was going to adopt a new style and that he'd learned from his mistakes of previous jobs. I've not seen any evidence of that yet and it feels we're going through the motions before his inevitable sacking next season.

For what it's worth, since the summer/winter signings I actually think we have a decent squad that should be strong enough for a top 4 finish. Yes I know we're still a few gaps short of being a complete team, but I'm just not convinced we have the right manager in charge to deliver it

 

[Phomesy]

not as bad as some making out. its the defending that is killing us. thought we gave away both too easily, especially the first.

Hmm... yes the defending is a worry but so is the inability to play through the midfield which is only slightly less worrying than the almost complete inability to fashion a decent scoring chance - let alone a goal.

I was curious before the match what Mourinho's attacking strategy would be with no Dele or Aurier. I'm still none the wiser.

I'd cop the result and even the performance if I could at least see what Mourinho is trying to do. But I can't see anything. No strategy at all. our best bet these days seems to be deflections and/or getting one of theirs sent off.

It's worrying.

 

[sparx100]

So let’s play the positive stuff and win two league cups in 25 years. He’s got the third best results in the league since he’s taken charge - with big challenges with regard to squad injuries. Give the man a break.

Yup he has turned the results around but I think most would agree that results have been fortunate for us. Playing negatively and not having the ability to press and dominate midfield is causing us problems both offensively and defensively.

I want Mourinho to succeed of course, but it feels like we have seen this play out before with United.