Match Threads Sporting CP Vs Spurs

[ComfortablyNumb]

They should be considering the pre season fitness regime.
What I don't get is this not taking the game to the opponent.
All we do is sit deep let them come onto us and hope we can find a lucky pass that exploits the space rubbish.
Become of how deep we and that our frontline our not able to hold the ball up it just comes back again.
They struggle to keep clean sheets and if Romero is injured then that's on us not going for another CB which we all knew was needed.
I've seen some suggestions that we aim to control the game but again we are not controlling any games, this is the same crap that we had under Jose and Nuno try to score early and hang on for 80 mins garbage.

I’m struggling to see how this is Levy’s fault. I mean, it is Levy’s fault, isn’t it? We can’t blame Conte or Paratici, can we?

 

[rossdapep]

If you showed me tape of this match except blurring out the sidelines and kits I’d tell you it was a Mourinho match circa 2020. Template is spot on.

How???

Under Jose we couldn't even progress the ball from the back. Countless passes went into the channels or we simply failed to progress the ball.

Under Jose we would often drop into a low block and allow weaker teams to pin us back and get inside our penalty area.

We clearly didn't have that problem tonight. Our issue was in and around the penalty area and that would have beem fixed if our players were sharper.

Sharper touches, Sharper movement, better decisions.

If Kane had played anywhere close to his best or Kulsevski started I'd wager we would have win that game.

Jose used Son and Kane as our only route to attack. Kane is still heavily involved in our attack but he's not our only outlet. We move the ball in numerous patterns.

Unfortunately I don't think the
chemistry is quite there with some of the newer players but Kane and Son are not clicking either. Plus Emerson's crossing is largely abysmal.

 

[Spurslove]

He won’t play Spence. It’s obvious he didn’t want him

I think you may be right and it seriously pisses me off. The answer to our obvious RWB problem is right under our nose, in fact we've probably got two answers with Doherty too, but Cont's just not having it. FUCK. THAT.

Anyway, here are Conte's post-match thoughts...

 

[VoteMe4Prez]

On 70 he should have taken all 4 midfielders off and replaced with sess biss skipp kulu

Can't get why he didn't make the changes at that time. I'd have taken 3 off at 70

 

[C0YS]

I think you may be right and it seriously pisses me off. The answer to our obvious RWB problem is right under our nose, in fact we've probably got two answers with Doherty too, but Cont's just not having it. FUCK. THAT.

Anyway, here are Conte's post-match thoughts...

I'm sorry. None of us know if Spence is good enough yet to play RWB at this level. Playing well in the championship doesn't prove anything really. It's a massive step up.

 

[Spurslove]

Conte is starting to grind my gears, spoke about improving the squad and rotating players but here we are running the same bozos into the ground. The only players he’s ‘rotated’ are our 2 best attacking players so far this season (Deki and Richy). If we were playing well you’d understand it, but it has been mostly turgid with flashes of what we can do here and there

And I know I’ll get pelters for this but I’m sick of watching Højberg trudging around in midfield. If he’s tired play Bissouma or Skipp

It almost seems like sacrilege to say it, but Conte's refusal to use Spence is making me feel like . I just don't understand him. Emerson is way below the level we need at RWB and the extra pace of someone like Spence would encourage the others to keep up with him and add some intensity and urgency into the team, and he can cross a ball, something which is obviously beyond Emerson.

 

[Spurslove]

I'm sorry. None of us know if Spence is good enough yet to play RWB at this level. Playing well in the championship doesn't prove anything really. It's a massive step up.

You can't tell me you'd prefer to see Emerson continue there. It HAS to be either Spence or Doherty against Leicester, surely to God.

 

[The Apprentice]

Love him to bits but I’m sure I can’t be the only person slightly concerned at Conte’s refusal to use options off the bench. His track record indicates that he likes a settled first team. Tonight felt like a game where it was at least worth switching like for like players to try and draw a response.

His line up against Leicester will tell us a lot.

 

[robotsonic]

Love him to bits but I’m sure I can’t be the only person slightly concerned at Conte’s refusal to use options off the bench. His track record indicates that he likes a settled first team. Tonight felt like a game where it was at least worth switching like for like players to try and draw a response.

His line up against Leicester will tell us a lot.

It's a weird one. The idea that he spent last season looking at the bench and had nobody to bring on to change the game doesn't hold water now, so it's frustrating the idea that we're not playing well at all and he is looking at the bench and seeing Lenglet, Spence, Bissouma, Skipp and still thinking "nah". If there are no changes to the general lineup for Leicester then I'm not sure what the plan is.

 

[DiamondLites]

 

[glacierSpurs]

I'm sorry. None of us know if Spence is good enough yet to play RWB at this level. Playing well in the championship doesn't prove anything really. It's a massive step up.

But when Emerson is poor, he's Championship or even League One quality. Sure Spence is not that worse off and he's even quicker.

 

[glacierSpurs]

I really hate losing a match. Damn it. I know it's just football and an entertainment and we shouldn't be so emotionally invested. But it's been quite some time since we last lost a match with such a poor performance. And the morning after a loss feels terrible. Like everything just feels sick. Nothing is going right. Argh.

 

[Dazza71]

Journos ask such soft questions. Wish one has the balls to get him to explain things like lack of subs used, lack of a plan B or why does he keep picking Son.

 

[Phil_2.0]

Generally, I am not too worried about last night's performance. Sporting are a good team, it was a tight away game in Europe. It's kinda sad how bad we have been away since 2019 in Europe and that is the main problem. We had some good little moments where Kane got to face goal and slip in Richarlison, he just has to calm down and not make the run in behind so early.

We shouldn't have bought Spence for a manager who has less than a year left on his contract. Spence might never get the chance to play for Conte, I hope if Conte leaves we don't do something stupid and hire a manager who plays 4 at the back when we have 5 wingbacks, Perisic, Sessegnon, Udogie, Doherty and Spence.

I am hoping Conte's keeping Doherty in hand for a change-up that will energize the team. Doherty did boost us to some good results last year when he supplanted Royal in the team.

Seems that he's decided to spend this section of the season before the first international break aiming to keep largely team the same team and drill in the base system that can be the platform for success throughout the year.

One of the worries for Conte will be how we aren't becoming masters of this Base System/Plan A. Every indifferent result or performance there's talk about how bad we are at building from the back or there's nervousness. Perisic last week after Marseille blatantly talked about the anxiety in the team. I think there are too many scars on this team psychologically, Lloris, Dier, Davies, Kane, Sanchez, Son etc. are all scared from years of underachieving (not claiming a trophy) and desperation to perform. Hojbjerg and Royal are below average technically, despite some other good qualities. Sessegnon suffers with confidence.

It's just night and day when you see confident winners in the team like Bentancur and Perisic slot in and play without fear. Romero lives on another planet so he plays without pressure. Kulusevski is young and hungry, an outsider and plays like it. Richarlison is bobbly with the ball but is unafraid.

There are two groups of players in this team, the ones playing with a 10lb weight on their shoulders and the outsiders who haven't been decimated from feeling like they missed their chance in the Poch window.

Going forward we need an outsider in Lenglet to come in so we can keep the ball. Doherty isn't that much better than Royal on the ball but he's a lot cleverer in the final third. I like Hojbjerg, he gives you so much but Bissouma is an outsider, relaxed with the football. If Hojbjerg has to play, because he is a giant in that midfield at times, maybe we need to go to a 5-3-2 and get him away from our goal and more into a number 8 presser. Or push Hojbjerg to CCB and try to have him run the game from there (that would be hugely unlikely).

The biggest issue is ball retention, working it through the thirds, driving the opponents back and recycling attacks. I think Conte thought this team would naturally improve after a pre-season of more repetition and be better at the things I listed above. Hes found a group of players incapable of playing without fear.

 

[IfiHadTheWings]

I’ve woken up pissed off, lets be honest Sporting are pretty pony, some decent counters but there is no way we should be losing that game 2-0, the first English team to lose to them in the CL says it all.

I want to see changes on Saturday.

 

[nedley]

tanganga can piss off as well

I'm sure he'd love to piss off.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

I’ve woken up pissed off, lets be honest Sporting are pretty pony, some decent counters but there is no way we should be losing that game 2-0, the first English team to lose to them in the CL says it all.

I want to see changes on Saturday.

Me too. That was piss weak.

 

[1882andallthat]

We are in trouble in this group now

This is factually wrong ! One defeat does not put us in trouble at all. We could have been in a better position had we not conceded two very late goals. Being in trouble means that we have many points to make up ground and needing to rely on others, which couldn't be further from the truth. We have yet to play Frankfurt in either game.

What we need to be doing is cutting out the propensity to giving the ball away frequently with passes that often go to the opposition when we are under no pressure. The two guiltiest protagonists on that front yesterday were PEH and Kane. Most of the decent half chances fell to Emerson Royal who seems to have next to zero confidence that he can hit a ball cleanly or convincingly when in on goal with his head or feet. It didn't help that Conte was indecisive in making substitutions earlier and Son is clearly out of sorts and needed replacing for Kulu, far earlier than he actually was.

Yes it was frustrating, but not so fatal as to put us near the kind of trouble you are suggesting we're in. If we lose and draw to Frankfurt, then I'll start to agree with your sentiment that we're in trouble, but let's not panic because we're miles off that stage at the moment.

 

[THE SPURSBOY]

Need a result against Leceister as fearing arse away. The lack of the ball we will have will cause carnage on here lol

 

[whenstevewentup]

Kulu is our best attacking player right now and he needs to get back into this team , he gives us a much better balance . I like Richarlison but I’m not quite at the stage where I see him as the player some on here do , plenty of work for him to improve on . In the short one of Son or Kane has to be rested / dropped for the next game .