Tottenham Hotspur vs AFC Ajax (de Godenzonen) | Vital Football

Tottenham Hotspur vs AFC Ajax (de Godenzonen)

Spursex

Spursex

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Watching the 'training' session today, it's understandabley about as intense as a kick about in the park with a bunch of kids.

You can watch it on Periscope live.
 
What strategy should we deploy ? With missing players and fatigue we have to be realistic. Surely damage limitation, stopping away goals has to be the priority. If we can score great but this should not be a toe to toe outpunching contest. In the second leg hopefully we can have a go.
 
The cynic in me says surely all Poch has to do is remind them all of what their player win bonuses are. They've clearly been saving themselves in the last 2 league games for this next pay day.

I'm sure confidence is low but I also think we'll see a performance from them. I also think we'll see that Ajax aren't as good as perhaps we've built them up to be.

My team would be

Lloris
KWP, Sanchez, Toby, Jan, Rose
Dier, Wanyama
Eriksen, Dele, Moura

Attack them wide and use Dier and Wanyama's experience to stifle them.
 
By far the biggest pair of Spurs matches in a generation!! I believe it is 50/50. No need for negativity. Let's just enjoy what should be a great first leg. But I think the 2nd leg will be a better match when Son is back.
 
walmsley73096 said:
By far the biggest pair of Spurs matches in a generation!! I believe it is 50/50. No need for negativity. Let's just enjoy what should be a great first leg. But I think the 2nd leg will be a better match when Son is back.
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I could actually live with a 0-0 in the first leg as the return would then be wide open; I also wouldn't be destraught if it wa sa score draw - we can score goals there with Son back.
 
Think its going to mostly come down to the first leg. Last two rounds have seen Ajax go away and get the right result. IF we got a scoreless draw that would not be a bad result, winning to nil even better.
That said I think we are going to struggle to live with their energy and movement, consequently I just think ultimately they will prove to be too good for us.

Irrespective I just hope to feck we get a win at Bournemouth, so that Everton doesn't become a must win....tho of course we must win!
 
I think that we might see how the Dutch and Premier league compare. I know we are down to bare bones and last legs... But it's no coincidence that English clubs are in the last stages of both European competitions. I expect the boys to get over the line after two legs - well I hope.... COYS!!
 
Lloris,Tripp, Toby, Vert, Davies, Dier, Sissoko or Wanyama, Rose, Alli, Eriksen, Llorente.

Davies as LB, not CB, Rose further forward in MF but supporting Davies. Dier sitting deeper than Sissoko or Wanyama keeping an eye on the right.

Alli and Eriksen only venturing forward when safe. That's a MF of potentially Dier, Sissoko, Rose, Alli and Eriksen for Ajax to get through with the back 4 still to penetrate.

We have width on the left at least but if Sissoko plays he naturally tends to keep right . He could overlap as could Davies with Rose.
 
When any Ajax player has been interviewed they have quite strongly downplayed the idea that they are favourites. Everyone thinks they are the favourites because they have beaten Real and Juve to get here, have had more time to prep thanks to the Dutch League changing fixtures to suit them and us having so many injury issues with Son being suspended too.

How are they going to react to being the favourites I wonder? It'll be interesting to see if Jan, Sanchez, Toby and Eriksen up their games too.
 
This could be Llorente's final chance for glory. He is very experienced and used to this level. He already got us into this semi . Can his size and heading prowess trouble Ajax, what are their CBs like ?
 
Nick Real Deal said:
This could be Llorente's final chance for glory. He is very experienced and used to this level. He already got us into this semi . Can his size and heading prowess trouble Ajax, what are their CBs like ?
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Big and strong one of them is probably as good as Toby and Jan. If we lose Toby he'd be an upgrade when age is factored in. I keep doing that thing where I look at their results and go "yeah but its Dusan Tadic"...but I guess he is beyond anything he showed at the Saints.
 
One of their CB's is, in my opinion, is not far off being one of the best in the world, the other is Daley Blind. Llorente won't get the better of de Ligt and Blind is having a top season.

Ajax are a funny team really. Tadic, a player who struggled to hold down a place in a struggling Southampton team, has scored 26 goals this season and is being used to great effect as striker. Their strengths are undoubtedly in their creativity and they take their chances well.
 
Looks like this is our available squad....

Lloris, Gazza, Vorm
Trips, KWP, Foyth, Sanchez, Jan, Toby, Davies, Rose
Wanyama, Dier, Sissoko, Eriksen, Dele, Skipp, Marsh
Moura, Llorente

Out: Son (suspended), Janssen (not registered), Aurier, Winks, Lamela, Kane (all injured)

Late tests on Jan and Sissoko.
 
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