NUFC v Spurs | Page 5 | Vital Football

NUFC v Spurs

I get you’ve got your issues with each other OM - that’s abundantly clear - but all I’m asking is try not to let that antipathy manifest itself in such posts like that - Howay marra!

Aye, fair enough. Maybe my post was somewhat unedifying, even if it was the truth.
 
We are playing without a centre forward in reality, although Gayle hit the post he was absent the rest of the time. The only real threat appears to be Saint Maximin. Add to that woeful defending and the result was inevitable. We played some decent stuff in patches.
As for the Lascelles debate, he is no more than ok at best in my opinion in amongst a distinctly average defence. According to the media our ace youngster Matty Longstaff may depart. How is he an ace, played a handful of games and shown some promise, thats all.
If the takeover happens, we will need two quality fullbacks, a quality central defender, a creative midfielder and 2 quality forwards at the very least to move forward.
 
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Finn - I expect a player on £40 fucking grand a week to be able to manage to kick a ball and do the basic stuff right. He along with the other defender's can't even manage that! There's a reason Dubravka has made the most saves than any other PL, the defence is getting carved open at will. The over reliance on Dubravka and ASM is shocking.


Dubravka having to make more saves than any other PL keeper doesn't necessarily mean that the defence is the cause of it

We spend around 2 thirds of every game defending (totally made up figure )so therefore our defence is also overworked and over relied upon

He's a 3 million pound signing from Forest who is head and shoulders a better defender than England international Danny Rose
 
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I don't see what the problem is.
We are safe and are in the process of being sold.

Personally,I appreciate any footballer who has put their body on the line for NUFC during Ashley's reign.

I don't care how shite they are/were and how much they are paid(we all know football wages are obscene) as long as they tried.

Lascelles is high on the list of triers and anyone who bothered their arse to watch the team last night could see his leadership qualities were a big miss in defence.
 
Dubravka having to make more saves than any other PL keeper doesn't necessarily mean that the defence is the cause of it

We spend around 2 thirds of every game defending (totally made up figure )so therefore our defence is also overworked and over relied upon

He's a 3 million pound signing from Forest who is head and shoulders a better defender than England international Danny Rose

It's not just at the back where the problems are.

The concentration levels are pathetic, frequently marking shadows, ball watching and not closing down opposition players quick enough. Make them play it, don't give players time to think or they will destroy you. It's basic stuff Mac taught at schoolboy level (or it used to be). At any position, they should be defending from the front but they aren't. They're allowing opposition players too much time on the ball, too much time to think about where to place a pass. Do you really want to give players like DeBruyne, Sterling or Salah time on the ball?

Schar was also a £3m pound signing and up to this season (where he can't be arsed) was actually a very good player.

According to price tag then Fernández and Lejuene should be first choice centre backs. All three WERE better than Lascelles imo, now I just don't rate any of the defenders as they're all shite this season.

However I do agree 100% on Danny Rose, he's shit and probably the 2nd worst defender at the club. The worst being Krafth by a country mile.

Fitness - they don't look fit! Yeah you get what you pay for, i understand that and a £3m Ashley signing isn't going to be good enough to warm Man City's bench but there's no reason why they can't be fit. Quick at closing down, tracking back, counter attacking at pace, they've done it in games and they've looked dangerous when they do but they run out of steam too quickly. They're knackered then invite the opposition to create chances - all that is on the manager and coaching staff.
 
My point has always been that he gets singled out when clearly there are others at fault

I dont rate him that highly but surely even you can see we are worse without him

Are we worse without him? How do you know? He's played the majority of the last 2 seasons. If you're talking about the last few games where the wheels have spectacularly fallen off and we have an injury crisis at the back then I don't know what to say. Personally i think we would have got hammered off city and Watford anyway and the spurs was a complete change in formation due to the lack of centre halves.

Also if him being singled out riles you, then why weren't you defending krafth and yedlin yesterday when they were clearly being singled out?
 
Just rewatched the match with my lad (pre college work before September) analysing an area of the field etc

You can slate Kraft and Yedlin. But Bentaleb is friggin woeful and a lazy fecker. Never tracked back I doubt he needed a shower after the match he never broke a sweat.

Terrible is how my lad described him.
 
Just rewatched the match with my lad (pre college work before September) analysing an area of the field etc

You can slate Kraft and Yedlin. But Bentaleb is friggin woeful and a lazy fecker. Never tracked back I doubt he needed a shower after the match he never broke a sweat.

Terrible is how my lad described him.

I'll be amazed if he gets kept on after this loan spell. Same for Danny Rose, but saying that, he is the best left back we have at the club. I wouldn't bother keeping Lazaro either, although I am torn on that one as he's better than what we have and at least wants to take a player on. He appears to go from sublime to ridiculous in a matter of seconds.
 
I was considering Dummett. Speaking of which, where the devil is he these days?

Dummett was a decent young centre half converted by Pardew into a poor full back. He was seriously injured so was removed from the registered players in I think January and is ineligible to play despite now being fully recovered.
 
Dummett was a decent young centre half converted by Pardew into a poor full back. He was seriously injured so was removed from the registered players in I think January and is ineligible to play despite now being fully recovered.
That kind of sums up where we are in a bit of a mess to be honest.