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Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea FC (The Pensioners) - Carabao Cup Semi Final
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Removed at own request
Guest
The was so much space in the middle, I’m not sure why one of the forwards didn’t drop deep and it was a free pass.
We’ve won so I’m happy, but I’m not as I’m pretty certain the luck will run out if we play like that again.
Spursex
Alert Team
Spursex
Alert Team
I can only agree. Son and Harry looked like they'd been on a 24 hour bender and they simply outnumbered us in mid-field by the way they set up and we didn't change to combat his diamond.
freundorfoe
Vital 1st Team Regular
Lot of people saying that shot is 2 frames too late.
freundorfoe
Vital 1st Team Regular
Yup. If it's a pen it's just a yellow now, except for extreme / dangerous challenges I'd imagine.
Spursex
Alert Team
Could well be, that's a great point. But when you look at their right backs body shape, it hasn't changed, so I'm not sure one way or the other!
So much for technology taking the doubt of decisions!
Greavswasthegreatest
Vital Football Legend
When I derided Sari I was unaware of the offside rule that if any part of the body apart from hands and arms are not level then it is offside...so well done Sari...but for once we got the rub of the green...GREAT!
freundorfoe
Vital 1st Team Regular
Just watched the VAR replay for offside. I trust their decision on when the ball was played rather than Sarri's where it looks like it's already left his foot
Greavesaboveall
Vital Youth Team
Goodness we were lucky to get away with this one.The dead hand of Levy is looming large again.I got shot down weeks ago on this site for saying Levy has a clear out at Xmas to balance the books for the end of the financial year in April.ENIC have no interest in winning cups, it's all about the money.What other top club weakens their team half way through the season on a regular basis like Spurs do? Our midfield is hanging on by a thread,so Levy sells Dembele.Cheers pal, the sooner you & ENIC clear off the better.
Spursex
Alert Team
You got shot down because there were and are no facts to support your wild claims.
As for the rest, it needs to be properly contextualized;
Dembele has been a 1:10 game player now for the last two seasons - and that's at best, as of today we do not know what if any new players will be brought in, or if Poch believes that the kids can step up. (Assuming of course that Dembo is sold).
Enic have found, bought and developed one of the best Academies in the land, and is now producing talent we're using and not just selling (we have the highest number of game minutes in teh PL for home-grown talent).
We will next season be in probably the greatest stadium I've ever been in my whole life and what industry experts are saying will be the best in Europe.
We can of course be highly critical of the apparent cock-up's that have undermined it's delivery and commissioning.
We can even criticize our owners for re-investing 83% of all funds generated to be able to develop this infrastructure as opposed to chucking money at players and wages that could easily have turned us into another wannabe club that collapsed on itself and went falling down the leagues.
The board/owners have the lowest dividend payments accumulatively against all other owners in the PL - when they could have easily raped it a la Glazier style.
So much could be and maybe should be made of their risk aversion, but they would say they believed the recruiting, developing and transfer fee and wages infrastructure had to be built first to make the clubs future at a much higher level than we were - sustainable and realizable.
That said, as Poch has rightly pointed out we've incredibly over-performed these last 4/5 years and once the stadium is up and running, we have to behave differently - and that's a clear message that as the higher revenues flow down to the bottom line post payments - that has to be invested in Players and wages - if we want to compete with Europe's elite - which is what the stadium has been developed for.
But last but not least, Poch and the transfer committee, his coaches, Steve and Mcdermott decided who comes and goes - not Levy nor the board - what they do is provide the budgetary envelope that the committee have to work within - so claims of Levy / the board having a 'clear-out' balance sheet policy are far from the truth - the reality is players sold in Jan often incur much BIGGER costs as their loyalty payments are made for the enduring part of their end of season contract terms, and the phased agents fees are then paid in one lump sum - thus causing a much bigger balance sheet expense that has to be included come year end, which of course makes a nonsense of your claim.
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chrishove123
Vital Youth Team
Or deliberately playing the man rather than the ball
chrishove123
Vital Youth Team
I thought Gazza did well again apart from the one blunder when he spilled the ball as he went down for it, but that was dealt with by the defence. He also made one pretty outstanding save, pushing a pretty big deflection onto the post, looked like it was in all the way at first.
I'm happy with him between the sticks, looked solid and dealt with everything nicely apart from that one mistake.
our future number one methinks.
I'm happy with him between the sticks, looked solid and dealt with everything nicely apart from that one mistake.
our future number one methinks.
muttley
Alert Team
We cannot keep allowing Son to be a luxury player and shirking his defensive responsibilities in our setup. I watched him last night chase into their LB area with Alonso. He didn't even box him in, make a single attempt to get the ball or block him from turning and running back out with the ball. 10 secs later it was our centre halves under pressure. There's just no need for that.
Son's also being told not to come back into our defensive third. He's sitting in pockets waiting for us to nick the ball so he can break with it. That I don't mind, but there are times when he needs to look across and see that his team mates are struggling to manage the numbers and drop in and help.
If he repeats last nights performance at the bridge, I doubt very much we'll be in the final. It's like playing 10 vs 11 at times.
Son's also being told not to come back into our defensive third. He's sitting in pockets waiting for us to nick the ball so he can break with it. That I don't mind, but there are times when he needs to look across and see that his team mates are struggling to manage the numbers and drop in and help.
If he repeats last nights performance at the bridge, I doubt very much we'll be in the final. It's like playing 10 vs 11 at times.
BlueWhite
Vital Squad Member
A day later, I have to credit Chelsea’s game plan and energy. They couldn’t finish. A familiar thing to see. We got a pen courtesy of a little “naughty” play. I didn’t agree with Telegraph rating Winks 8/10. He looked tired by the second half and was giving the ball away. Or did Chavs make it look that way?
Midfield was overrun. Not sure if we adapted our shape to handle it, but noticed Danny giving huge amounts of space in front of him. He also made some excellent tackles. Would love to know if he was told to give them that much space and was told to sit deep in the box or it was his choice. Midfield largely left the back 4 to try to hang on and they somehow did.
Midfield was overrun. Not sure if we adapted our shape to handle it, but noticed Danny giving huge amounts of space in front of him. He also made some excellent tackles. Would love to know if he was told to give them that much space and was told to sit deep in the box or it was his choice. Midfield largely left the back 4 to try to hang on and they somehow did.
freundorfoe
Vital 1st Team Regular
He won't be here for the 2nd leg. Off for Asian Cup after Sunday.
