Match Thread - LASK FC vs Tottenham Hotspur | Page 9 | Vital Football

Match Thread - LASK FC vs Tottenham Hotspur

Result?

  • Win

    Votes: 8 88.9%

  • Draw

    Votes: 1 11.1%

  • Lose

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    9
  • Poll closed .
Well I thank you all my fellow Spurs supporters, you've said everything I would've said about this match; saves me the time. meanwhile that other N. London team are overrunning their Austrian opponents, who arguably are supposed to be better than the club we played. SMFH!
 
There's 2 problems going on in the EL

1) There is no meritocracy being operated in the squad in this competition. If you play superbly, you won't make the weekend squad and may not even make the EL team. The players must be as confused as hell.

2) The Prem teams we play against are vastly different from the EL teams. We should have figured out a high tempo, pressing, possession game for this competition. Instead we are trying to play a way that is effective in the Prem in this competition. We are therefore making inferior sides look way better than they are.

Both of these are on the manager.
 
LACKLUSTRE PERFORMANCE TONIGHT. We’ve forgotten how to accurately pass. We had our passing intercepted and our passing didn’t reach the players we needed it to. A lot of long ball, we’ve been here before. I can see Jose getting rid of Davies and buying in a top defender. We let 3 in for goodness sake. It could have been a lot more. I can understand why Mourinho slated them. They deserved it.
 
Critical_Spur said:
If we qualify from the group in 2nd place, does that mean we can be drawn against the CL dropouts?. There's some big names teetering on the edge!
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Yes, that's exactly what can and no doubt will happen. And group winners play the second leg of the next round at home although at present that's not really an advantage.
 
Thursday night. Minus temperatures , goons on Sunday . Four first team injured , lots rested . ....
Draw was good enough , almost won but that still wouldn’t have guaranteed top spot .
We still would have win next week , to top the group.
We did what we had to do .
If they had busted a gut and won six nil , it wouldn’t change anything .
So... we put out a largely second choice team and got the result . I don’t think there are many squads that can do that with that many changes .
First choice keeper .,no
First choice back four ... no
First choice midfield , partly
First choice striker ... no
Got the job done ... yep,

played our best game ? ... nope , .... but what did we expect .
.
But what do I know .... just wish I was worthy enough .
 
Critical_Spur said:
If we qualify from the group in 2nd place, does that mean we can be drawn against the CL dropouts?. There's some big names teetering on the edge!
Click to expand...
Gary Onedaysoon said:
Yes, that's exactly what can and no doubt will happen. And group winners play the second leg of the next round at home although at present that's not really an advantage.
Click to expand...
I've just been reading that even group winners are not exempt from meeting CL dropouts in the next round.

A reader in The Times has posted

"UEFA Europa League Regulations Article 17.02b. states - “The 12 Europa League group-winners and the 4 best third-placed teams from the UEFA Champions League group stage are drawn against the 12 Europa League group runners-up and the remaining third-place teams from the UEFA Champions League group stage.”

This must be a new rule. Group winners always use to avoid meeting CL dropouts - it was the only real incentive to top the group.
 
So that explains the inclusion of Son and PEH last night. According to Jose the players aren't motivated by the Europa League group phases. Son and PEH however are consummate professionals and treat every game as important, so they were there to motivate and lead by example. I can't say I noticed it rubbed off on the other players.

I did think the celebrations after Son's goal were very muted given the context of the game at that time.
 
Gary Onedaysoon said:
So that explains the inclusion of Son and PEH last night. According to Jose the players aren't motivated by the Europa League group phases. Son and PEH however are consummate professionals and treat every game as important, so they were there to motivate and lead by example. I can't say I noticed it rubbed off on the other players.

I did think the celebrations after Son's goal were very muted given the context of the game at that time.
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For me, this comes down to the meritocracy issue in the squad. What did Winks and Dele get for their great performances last Thursday? That is sending very confusing messages through the squad in my opinion.
 
It demonstrated our weaknesses last night and highlighted some very weak performances. Bale needed to step up, but he really did not. Mourinhos substitutions were naive, and Deli is being treated like Pavilchenco
 
Hart , I can understand the pick but he didnt play well.
Doherty is a worry but Jose had to play him really.
Sanchez at least got the chance to prove he is not worthy.
Tanganga justified his pick.
Davies has always been second choice and should not be captain, but I understand why picked.
Hojbjerg should not have played IMO and did not have a great game compared to others of late, I would have put Winks in there.
Loco and Ndombele were not ready as a partnership and I would have rested Ndombele for Dele.
Bale is being picked to get him fit which is a bit of a luxury.
Moura was poor but possibly could not play to his strengths through a lack of MF. He also picked up a yellow so couldnt challenge as robustly as usual.
Son was an automatic pick due to Kane and Vinnie being out.
 
I didnt manage to watch the game but it sounds like i didnt miss much. TBH i dont read much into these type of games other than when we lose. Even last weeks game where people seemed to think Dele was reborn i just couldnt see it the same way. This game was one to answer, or try to answer a few burning questions

1) Can Dele cheer up
2) Can ND & LoCo play together
3) Is Sissoko really needed on the pitch
4) Is Davies really just a robot
5) Are we really able to cope without a striker
6) Is there a way back for Sanchez
7) Is Tanganga ready to be pushed
8) Are we desperate for Toby to be rushed back or are the others solid enough options

I think it sounds like the performance was rubbish and only a few could keep their heads raised. I bet Jose is content with the answers he got and he is not a man who is easily persuaded otherwise. In JM world the players have it all to prove, not him
 
I'm about to make the same comments that I made after the Antwerp game, but the same applied last night.
There is no doubt that Jose now has a 'preferred' eleven comprising of nine nailed ons, and three or four players who contest the other two places. The balance whichever way you look at it, form the core of the dirt tracker eleven, there to play the unattractive matches whereby the chosen few can have a rest.
I'm not saying that Jose is wrong in this regard, but it has now been proven twice that this A and B team selection doesn't work. All of the 'fringe' players are capable of doing a decent job when stepping into the first team as a replacement for an injured player, or player who really does need a break. Collectively as a unit however, they are simply not good enough or seem motivated enough to compete as a team, other than against Ludogorets type mediocrity.
Furthermore, I'd be surprised if a motivational problem hasn't already developed amongst these players. They will know that as soon as the knockout stage comes along against better teams, they will be watching from the sidelines again. Even a model pro like Ben Davies looked pretty low on morale last night.
The other side of the coin however is that very few, if any, of the second eleven fringe players, seems to be putting the hard yards in to genuinely challenge for regular inclusion in the chosen few. Bergwijn has been a recent exception in this regard. Jose has obviously seen something in him which justified inclusion against City, Chelsea and probably Arsenal, and he has repaid that recognition by sheer hard work.
 
SmithAndJones said:
I'm about to make the same comments that I made after the Antwerp game, but the same applied last night.
There is no doubt that Jose now has a 'preferred' eleven comprising of nine nailed ons, and three or four players who contest the other two places. The balance whichever way you look at it, form the core of the dirt tracker eleven, there to play the unattractive matches whereby the chosen few can have a rest.
I'm not saying that Jose is wrong in this regard, but it has now been proven twice that this A and B team selection doesn't work. All of the 'fringe' players are capable of doing a decent job when stepping into the first team as a replacement for an injured player, or player who really does need a break. Collectively as a unit however, they are simply not good enough or seem motivated enough to compete as a team, other than against Ludogorets type mediocrity.
Furthermore, I'd be surprised if a motivational problem hasn't already developed amongst these players. They will know that as soon as the knockout stage comes along against better teams, they will be watching from the sidelines again. Even a model pro like Ben Davies looked pretty low on morale last night.
The other side of the coin however is that very few, if any, of the second eleven fringe players, seems to be putting the hard yards in to genuinely challenge for regular inclusion in the chosen few. Bergwijn has been a recent exception in this regard. Jose has obviously seen something in him which justified inclusion against City, Chelsea and probably Arsenal, and he has repaid that recognition by sheer hard work.
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The rest of them have the Dele attitude.
 
Well, I would normally write something, but after reading all the posts, spot on incidently, I decided I have nothing more to add as everything has been covered.
Well said all.
 
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