Spurs v Barca - Match Thread | Vital Football

Spurs v Barca - Match Thread

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Nick Real Deal

Vital Football Legend
I'm not sure of the points permutations ref CL group progression but I figure we can't lose this one. It's not our style playing for a draw either.

So with key players missing through injury , who are their replacements and are they good enough .?

Gazza for Lloris if it happens is obviously a downgrade but at least he has had a run of games.

We have to deal with Messi so Sanchez for Vert may work as he is quicker. I guess Alli will be replaced by Lamela for creativity and he is in form.

Winks for Dembele is probably a downgrade but he could offer more going forward.

I don't see us out pressing or out playing Barca, so a strong defence and pace on the break is possibly the way. Quality through balls from Winks and Lamela to Kane and Moura or Toby and Dier diagonals to our wing backs could cause them problems.

Poch I hope has some clever tactics to use with what tools he has. As he said in a Spanish interview, using our lack of signings is no excuse and we have to find a solution.
 
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Well it seems Poch has no plan to stop Messi. Danny Rose has come and said Poch told the players....there is nothing you can do to stop Messi. You just have to go out there and enjoy yourselves.

I hope this is mind games on Danny's part because Rose will be tasked with stopping him, as will Sanchez and Toby.
 
Now we got Rose telling us it's a must win game. TBH, The game v Milan was must NOT lose one, so pressure has been brought upon ourselves. Seems we've not ironed out the slow start issue either. Do that v Barca and it would be over by half time.

However, seeing Barca are having an indifferent start to the season, may work in our favour as long as we start on the front foot. Quite looking forward to the battle. Just need Poch to get their mindset right from the off. COYS!
 
This is a real test. I don't think we have any choice but to concede possession and hit Barca in the channels with the pace of our wide forwards. Because the thought of Eric Dire(that's the new definitive spelling of his name/game) and Davidson Sanchez trying to play triangles against Barca gives me chills. Oh and lock Ben Davis in a dark room till it's over.
 
Nick Real Deal said:
Well it seems Poch has no plan to stop Messi. Danny Rose has come and said Poch told the players....there is nothing you can do to stop Messi. You just have to go out there and enjoy yourselves.

I hope this is mind games on Danny's part because Rose will be tasked with stopping him, as will Sanchez and Toby.
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Oh you CAN stop Messi. If you give him space and time to turn and run at a defense...you are screwed. If you press him early when he receives the ball and make it difficult for him to turn, he will fade from the match. And remember he provides ABSOLUTLY NOTHING on defense for Barca, so they are a man short when we have the ball.

We can win this if we are energetic and press them relentlessly. If we play conservatively and try to absorb their pressure...we will get our asses handed to us.

In my honest opinion...Messi isn't the danger...Suarez is.
 
Nick Real Deal said:
So what is Poch doing telling our players there's nothing they can do to stop Messi ? Or is it fake news.
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Rose said: "The manager has said there is nothing you can do to stop Messi.

"He won’t want us to go out there being scared of him. It’s an experience we should all want to enjoy."
 
The only way to 'stop' Messi is to cut off his supply from midfield - far easier in theory than it is in reality.

When he's got the ball, you have to form a triangle to press, one moves forward and you try and put him on his right side (his 'weaker side lol!' the second looks for the jink and fills the space he's jinks too, teh first reccyles his position and if he's still got the ball the third moves in, leave a huge gap behind him but you hope you'ev formed a wall whereby he's lost the ball and not found a killer pass again....

you could go try be physical against him - but that normally means you going down to 10 men.

Poch is right, he is impossible to stop.
 
Nick Real Deal said:
Even with Lloris, Vert, Dembele and Alli missing, possibly Eriksen too ?
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I hope so, if Gazzinga, Sanchez, Wanyama, Lamela can cover down and do the job...then I think so.

Going to be damn tough regardless and would be a great win if we can get it.
 
Spursex said:
The only way to 'stop' Messi is to cut off his supply from midfield - far easier in theory than it is in reality.

When he's got the ball, you have to form a triangle to press, one moves forward and you try and put him on his right side (his 'weaker side lol!' the second looks for the jink and fills the space he's jinks too, teh first reccyles his position and if he's still got the ball the third moves in, leave a huge gap behind him but you hope you'ev formed a wall whereby he's lost the ball and not found a killer pass again....

you could go try be physical against him - but that normally means you going down to 10 men.

Poch is right, he is impossible to stop.
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Ok this will sound crazy to you all, but I don't care.

Messi is amongst the best ever when ON the ball and driving at a defense. His ball control and skill on the ball are overpowering.

Messi is very lazy OFF the ball, his movement off the ball is absurd in my mind. He walks around and doesn't defend at all. Honestly I think a player that moves off the ball continually would hurt us more. His lack of movement should help us prevent him receiving the ball in space. Playing an aggressive high pressure game...like we can...will help that.

Hey but he is Messi, and could kill us regardless, but oh well.
 
"People" used to say there was no way to stop Paul Gascoine ...........
Vinnie Jones found a way...........just saying .
Ex said we could cut off Messi's supply......... It could just be that it gets lost in translation from Poch to Vic and Vic supplies a messy cut off ! Gazza was numb for hours after that game .
Let's make sure we aren't left numb . 3-1 Tottenham Kane 2 and Lamela
 
I know Poch reads all these posts .its where he gets all his tactical genius . ,!!! Let's get the positive vibes going on here and it will all get transferred to the lads on the pitch . No point in believing we ain't got a chance before a ball is kicked . Just pointless . I don't think they are relishing playing against us , why would they be ?
I was in Spain this time last year when we put RM in their place . You could hear a pin drop in the bar during the game .
Let's give them more of the same :punch:
 
Let's hope the panic expressed on this forum doesn't translate to the players. Need Poch to replay the RM games to the lads to remind them what they are capable of. It's only the stuttering Barca!

IMO, now that Ronaldo has moved on and Messi entering his twilight years, unless La liga discover future gems, their league will start a decline. It wouldn't surprise me if they have 6 teams challenging for their title this season. PL will rule for the next decade imo.
 
Huge game, it's going to make or break our CL campaign, if we lose and Inter win we're on the verge of going out.

If we get a draw and Inter don't beat PSV we are right back in it.
 
Enjoy the moment everybody.We may not be in this league again for some time if Levy keeps starving us of good new players.You can only keep an old car going for so long & Poch is working miracles keeping us on the road.
 
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