ScottDaYid
Vital Football Legend
Goal aside his cameo was terrible. Even his goal was a scuff (as was another shot)
Champions League - Red Star Belgrade FC (The Red-Whites) vs Tottenham Hotspur
Goal aside his cameo was terrible. Even his goal was a scuff (as was another shot)
The critic of the scouting network is 200% justified. When you consider the holes in our squad. The whole world and his dad knew Tanguy N'dombele was a good buy, ditto Sessingnon even after a poor season in the Epl. Locelso does not atone for all the other massive oversight by Levy Poch "steve".
Spursex
Alert Team
It really wasn't and isn't,
A scouts job is to find the best players he can for the positions that he coach/club want filled as a priority.
Steve has done just that, just as I said he had. Prior to this season most here didn't even know who N'dombele was and why I was raging about how good he was.
It's a great start by 'Steve' (who is a friend), long may it continue.
muttley
Alert Team
Interested in your "Aurier rested, Foyth coming in" and "Start playing Dier, Ndombele" comments. Foyth and Dier could have both easily been the villains of the piece with 2 suicidal pieces of defending, just like Ndombele when losing possession in a dangerous area.
All three had good games though, just like Aurier has had recently. Sometimes you get away with it, sometime you don't. For me, the eventual winners will be the ones that eradicate these individual defensive errors that have mostly cost us this season.
Nick Real Deal
Vital Football Legend
Levy did say there was more money available but it does not guarantee success. Integrating 3 new players is a task enough . We have been unfortunate with injuries to them and others such as Foyth and Dier who both offer versatility. Alli has had to ne nurtured and Eriksens attitude has caused problems. If Sessegnon comes good and performs as we suspect he can it will be a good rebuild window. How many new players can you integrate at a time ?.
Spursex
Alert Team
Spurdon, these things were beyond Steve's control; in fact they had absolutely nothing to do with him. As to some extent they were of Poch's too.
It looks like we've made two top class signings and beating the competition for them (which was as fierce as it was a special event for us) we may also have made a third top class addition, but as I've said many times, I'll have to believe others until I see it for myself.
Spursex
Alert Team
The prevailing wisdom is that anymore than 3-4 is far too much and as we've seen when other clubs have chucked money around, it just never seems to work unless you can buy the best of the best...
Nick Real Deal
Vital Football Legend
Add into that the injuries and fitness of the 3 had to be worked on, it wasnt only integration and tactical assimilation that had to be approached and let's face it there is still a way to go with these 3 still.
Harry-Kari
Vital 1st Team Regular
I don’t think many of us doubted the quality of ND and also thought LoCo might be a good buy but whether that represents a great window?...maybe within the usual cash constraints yes it probably was...however, before we all get carried away, last nights game was little more than a stiff practice game for us against a low energy, non-combative team that defended deep and not very well...plus both ND and LoCo are forward thinking players, getting the ball and looking for runners, but for a lot of the game, when they looked up they saw the familiar row of statues, stood with backs to the goal...I think it was Clive Allen commentating who said there is just not enough movement from the the front players, which is exactly what I saw and have been seeing for months.
having these creative players is great but Poch has to change the way those in front of them play if we are to see the true benefits.
muttley
Alert Team
I'm actually quite excited about Hitchen's and teams potential to find the gems. I'm waiting to see if he has an equal eye for defensive players as the attack minded ones in the next phase but have no reason to believe why he can't solve for that as well.
The problem has been the other side of the equation - shifting players and the slow pace of change in a perfect storm. This summer is a great example. We see 2 OAP's leave on freebies, another couple of youngsters leave of which one, Josh, was part of the Sess deal. We shift a peripheral player in Janssen for peanuts leaving us with only one major piece of churn - Trippier. Therefore we enter the season with 5 or 6 other players not 100% committed of which perhaps half should have been ideally churned. That leaves us behind in our refresh project plan with minimal money coming in and contacts expiring. For me, that's as table stakes as it gets.
As I said above though, it is perfect storm. It will be back to normality after the senior 3 players walk on freebies and we shift another couple (Wanyama, Rose etc). They might even leave in Jan. Worst case, it will take the next 2 windows to feel like we're finally through it.
The problem has been the other side of the equation - shifting players and the slow pace of change in a perfect storm. This summer is a great example. We see 2 OAP's leave on freebies, another couple of youngsters leave of which one, Josh, was part of the Sess deal. We shift a peripheral player in Janssen for peanuts leaving us with only one major piece of churn - Trippier. Therefore we enter the season with 5 or 6 other players not 100% committed of which perhaps half should have been ideally churned. That leaves us behind in our refresh project plan with minimal money coming in and contacts expiring. For me, that's as table stakes as it gets.
As I said above though, it is perfect storm. It will be back to normality after the senior 3 players walk on freebies and we shift another couple (Wanyama, Rose etc). They might even leave in Jan. Worst case, it will take the next 2 windows to feel like we're finally through it.
Spursex
Alert Team
I started by saying "bought exceptionally well"...
As for the rest, as I said earlier; they have stiffer tests to pass - but at last we're beginning to see wha they might be capable of.
As for the movement in front of them, you could see the effect that great through balls and forward intent had on their movement - when you know it's your midfield first thought and not their last as we've seen too many times in the past - you anticipate the pass and move.
That's all we have to now embedd into our forwards - although in fairness, I think we could already see the please they took in receiving great defence-splitting passes as opposed to beating a man three times or passing it sideways and backways for 10 mins.
ScottDaYid
Vital Football Legend
I want to see Dier back at DM not CB, will give Ndombele more freedom and I like Foyth at any position to be fair, will make mistake but I like him.
I just feel the team needs freshening up. I'd like to see this team given a few games in a row:
Gazza, Sessegnon, Sanchez, Toby/Jan, Foyth, Dier, Sissoko, Ndombele, Lo Celso, Son/Moura, Kane
muttley
Alert Team
Not a Dele fan then?
Nick Real Deal
Vital Football Legend
It's now looking like we will go into the last 16 of the CL. So in view of recent comments regarding the Europa being more our level. What do we think now with our new found positives. ?.
SpursEagle
Vital Squad Member
Credit where it is due. Great win last night, and away from home too!
Stand outs for me were Lo Celso and NDombele ... and the team as a whole for looking, well, like an actual team for a change! With the new guys all available now, and with out of sorts players like Dier and Dele (injuries inluded) looking like they are returning to some kind of form things are potentially looking better.
Word of caution though: We smashed these by 5 a few weeks back and then turned in two turgid performances on Merseyside. The question still remains, can we perform like this in the League, or are we flat track bullies?
At least this performance gives us hope.
Stand outs for me were Lo Celso and NDombele ... and the team as a whole for looking, well, like an actual team for a change! With the new guys all available now, and with out of sorts players like Dier and Dele (injuries inluded) looking like they are returning to some kind of form things are potentially looking better.
Word of caution though: We smashed these by 5 a few weeks back and then turned in two turgid performances on Merseyside. The question still remains, can we perform like this in the League, or are we flat track bullies?
At least this performance gives us hope.
Matic
Alert Team
I can only reply with regard to what I said about Europa, which is I see it as our best route to getting into the CL next season. I think we are above Europa, with more than enough talent to win it, but I do not think we have the talent to win the CL this season.
ScottDaYid
Vital Football Legend
No, terrible player he's turned into.
Even with his couple of goals recently his overall play has been poor.
For example last night we looked so quick and fluid with Lo Celso, Ndombele, Kane & Son. Then Dele got it and either played about with it and slowed the play up or gave the ball away.
A definite weak point in our attacking play, leave him on the bench for half a dozen games and it might give him a serious kick up the back side.
Matic
Alert Team
I think that is a little unfair to say they havent been good enough for some time. Jan had a great season last year and Eriksen, up until Feb was still performing at a very high level.
I do think Jan's slight decline is age now as he does appear to have lost a yard of pace but I have no doubt in my mind that Toby and Eriksen would be more than good enough IF they had settled situations. As soon as Toby's contract situation started to look problematic his decline started and the same has happened since Eriksen decline the offer at the start of the year.
muttley
Alert Team
It is now about being in contention for top 4 in the league (current 10 points behind after 11 games) and still being in the CL beyond Jan 31st. Whatever our level is this season, we need to keep building for the future and January could be a key transfer window if we can make the optics look good to potential signings.
Leicester go into back to back games late December against City and Liverpool. I'm hoping that breaks them and the gap seems more reasonable heading into Jan.
Real Deal
Alert Team
Anyone remember Tim Cahill? I'm starting to think he is that type of player. More technical and gifted but his weaknesses do make him harder to fit in the system.
He doesn't have the pace to go past players. He struggles to pass the ball with pace. He tends to slow play down as his reading of the game isn't as fast as some of the others.
I still rate him though and agree with Mutters with better players he will go up another gear. He has no choice now. If we sign Fernades then he will really have pressure to up his game.
He doesn't have the pace to go past players. He struggles to pass the ball with pace. He tends to slow play down as his reading of the game isn't as fast as some of the others.
I still rate him though and agree with Mutters with better players he will go up another gear. He has no choice now. If we sign Fernades then he will really have pressure to up his game.
