Match Threads Colchester vs Spurs - Match Thread

[Bulletspur]

So like Leicester. I think that midfield is suicidal, and I think our midfield cost us in the CL, cost us against Arsenal and cost us against Leicester. We need a midfield with Dier or Skipp, because we are way too open without a holding player.

It was our attacking midfield and forwards that let us down in CL final, not the DMs who with the defence actually played well.

Dier and Skipp could not manage it against Colchester, but you are saying that we would have had results had they be playing against Arsenal and Leicester, okay then.

 

[soup]

I'm definitely not going that far. Still love and respect him greatly but I don't like this version.

You're spot on with your point about Arsenal United Chelsea.

These three clubs are arguably all at their worst point in the PL era, so this is a MASSIVE opportunity for us to put ourselves on another level to them before they get their act together (they will eventually). Yet we are here, just as awful in the form table as them, if not worse!

Yet our squad is better and just 6 months ago the club was supposed to be entering it's new era. The stadium and the CL should be elevating us, yet were stagnating or worse declining.

I know I'm going pretty far, but in 44 years supporting this club, I'd felt affinity, but nothing close to what I was starting to feel over the last 5 years. That is all to Poch's credit, it's because of him I've developed that affinity again, I thank him tremendously for that. He's fucking great, I felt happy watching him on the sidelines and I loved watching his team play. I was fully behind the team, believed in the project and the philosophy and had great respect for the job Levy was doing in getting the infrastructure among the best in the game with some real long term thinking. Training grounds, stadium plans, sliding roofs, skywalks, NFL, Chris Cowlin on the daily, slow-mo drones, beating Man City, beating Ajax, CL final on the horizon, it was all too good to be true.

Why say 'I'm off if we win'. Who says that? An honest man might, but an honest man would then leave. And when he said that I lost that feeling again, and it's been largely gone ever since. I had to read it from about 6 different sources before I beleived it wasn't being lost in translation. No. He'd actually said it. I felt like a 14 year old getting dumped again. I'll be honest, I fucking did!

Essentially, this reads like I 'came out' for Poch and then he broke my poor little heart. Don't worry, I'll be fine.

 

[C0YS]

It was our attacking midfield and forwards that let us down in CL final, not the DMs who with the defence actually played well.

Dier and Skipp could not manage it against Colchester, but you are saying that we would have had results had they be playing against Arsenal and Leicester, okay then.

Thanks for trying to understand my point but missing it completely. I don't disagree with anything you said here.

Well maybe on the CL final I do. I kind of agree, because we lacked movement. But our transition was the real problem. We didn't build from the back effectively. We got completely boxed in and failed to move the ball forward. Most the frontline got very little of the ball.

Anyway my point wasn't about the CL final. We were never exposed in the CL final because Liverpool didn't care to attack us. It's about the last few games, and last season as well.

Mate, playing 2 holders in front of a three man defense is insane. I'm asking for one with two others (or one other). We are so easy to play through right now with winks and sissoko. We need a water carrier. Something all good Poch sides have had.

 

[soup]

Thank fuck that most successful companies, employers and whatnot do not seem to apply tha

This is not even close to the best squad Poch has had in recent years. Not even close to 16/17. We have more depth, but the without an in from Walker, Rose, Trippier, Dele, Dier, Eriksen and Dembele. Players don't remain static. If it's the whole point in the league we are doing fine. I think if your expectation is a title challenge that's delusional. Liverpool, Man City are incredibly strong. Arsenal are the strongest on paper that they have been in a few years.

What he said? About some vague starting a new chapter that wasn't confirmed or not to meant he would leave? I mean if he won he could do as he liked. For me it didn't indicate he was bigger than us, and in fact he tends to say the complete opposite on many occasions. I think it upset you. but.

I think the players might be pissed off at his stubbornness more than his quotations. Considering leaving and things like these are just considered a fact by footballers and few get too upset about that in itself. I think some players are sick of the club itself, they haven't signed contracts because something stopped them. Be it pay structure, the nature of the contracts we give, negotiating with Levy or thinking they could play somewhere better. The players wanting to leave have been angling away from the club for some time now. This isn't a new thing.

Not getting that adversarial with you about it to be honest, and I'm not at all delusional and didn't say we should win the league. I said, like you highlighted, the reason we are doing fine in the league, with still one of the top 5 valued squads in the whole world, with the best manager we've had in recent memory, is factually because those other teams are doing badly. That's not a huge achievement.

I don't really know what the players are thinking, I don't/shouldn't profess to know what anyone is thinking. What I know is that this exchange happened...

But he dropped his bombshell towards the end of it when he was asked how he would feel if he could end what he has described as a five-year chapter at the club by winning the Champions League. “It should be fantastic, no?” Pochettino replied. “Close the five-year chapter and go home.”

Pochettino was asked to clarify his comment. Was he joking? “It’s not a joke. Why?” he said. “To win the Champions League in this circumstance, in this season – maybe I need to think a little bit to do something different in the future. Because to repeat this miracle, you know … But for sure, I go home. Whatever happens tomorrow, I go home.”

The manager appeared to intend that his last comment ought to be taken as a joke. Clearly, he will go home from Amsterdam after the second leg. But the rest of the episode led to plenty of head-scratching. What a thing to say on the eve of arguably his biggest game as a manager.

Come on. You really think I've got no right to interpret that as 'I might leave'? Give me that one at least?

Edit: I think my only expectation was that Poch was aiming to be here for bloody ages. It seemed he wasn't and it came as a bit of a shock. My fault, my expectations. I just think it popped the bubble a bit and I'd imagine a few players would have felt it too. Now I'm just seeing everything through shit tinted glasses. Being honest.

 

[Armstrong_11]

well........

if there is one tournament I would like us to get eliminated early in.... it would be this one.

still....

 

[DannyNZ]

Well everything he said tonight is consistent with what he's been saying all pre-season so it's not like we can say he didn't warn us. He's said over and over that the squad is unsettled and that the team needs to all "buy in" which is a Poch thing.

The question is - do we now accept that Poch can get back to where we were given time and a "settled squad" or do we think the squad is NOT the problem and he is.

The problem he has is that the players he wants shipped out are also the best players he has available. So he keeps playing them. This, for me, is the crux of the issue. As someone said earlier - if his best" players aren't "buying in" then he should go full Adebayor on them and simply drop them. From the squad. But that's a massive risk. For him and Tottenham.

Either way you look at it, it sucks.

Player buy in doesn’t explain bringing on Wanyama at Leicester or The midfield that was put out tonight, or using Sanchez at RB. Can’t help feel the issues are deeper than player but-in, some of the tactics and in game management are baffling to me anyway.

 

[fortworthspur]

It was our attacking midfield and forwards that let us down in CL final, not the DMs who with the defence actually played well.

Dier and Skipp could not manage it against Colchester, but you are saying that we would have had results had they be playing against Arsenal and Leicester, okay then.

Colchester didnt have a shot on target and only 4 all game.

 

[VanZan]

I hope the fans give Eriksen a right bollocking on Saturday if he plays. That corner he took when he first came on and then the penalty. Disgusting.

 

[mattdefoe]

I hope the fans give Eriksen a right bollocking on Saturday if he plays. That corner he took when he first came on and then the penalty. Disgusting.

100% agree . Fans are to busy getting an Instagram post with “footballer celebs” rather than getting stuck into them . This is 12 months of mediocre form now from him

 

[spurs mental]

Glad I went to bed last night before the shit hit the fan.

Most of us if asked would say that we don't care about the Carabao Cup, myself included, but it's exactly that arrogant attitude that lost us the game last night because its right through the club and it starts with Poch.

For the last few seasons we've heard him say it doesn't matter if we win that trophy or not. Even our club captain has said we probably won't win anything. What's the point of even entering it if they aren't going to be bothered?

The attitude in the club needs to change towards the minor competitions. Look at Man City. They've win 4 out of the last 6 CC's. Winning breeds winning regardless of the trophy.

I'm not disappointed we're out. I'm disappointed in the manor of the loss though. We could do with a rocket up our arse and hopefully this will be it.

 

[Dusterman14]

I live in Colchester, so today will be joyous. BBC Essex reporter said he saw the team bus ‘swanning’ up an hour before kick off and they didn’t have adequate time to prepare...

 

[shelfmonkey]

Glad I went to bed last night before the shit hit the fan.

Most of us if asked would say that we don't care about the Carabao Cup, myself included, but it's exactly that arrogant attitude that lost us the game last night because its right through the club and it starts with Poch.

For the last few seasons we've heard him say it doesn't matter if we win that trophy or not. Even our club captain has said we probably won't win anything. What's the point of even entering it if they aren't going to be bothered?

The attitude in the club needs to change towards the minor competitions. Look at Man City. They've win 4 out of the last 6 CC's. Winning breeds winning regardless of the trophy.

I'm not disappointed we're out. I'm disappointed in the manor of the loss though. We could do with a rocket up our arse and hopefully this will be it.

Gave you an optimistic rating for the highlighted part, but I also agree and can't give both an agree/optimistic rating?

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

No need to melt down I don't think. Many in our squad played in the WC in 2018, and none in Colchester's squad participated in the WC. So naturally, they'll be fitter and more rested now.

 

[shelfmonkey]

Been saying it for months, there is something very wrong at the club, what that is I don't know, but last night made it crystal clear to any doubters.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Been saying it for months, there is something very wrong at the club, what that is I don't know, but last night made it crystal clear to any doubters.

Oh come on. This is only one match into the cup. We have to assess where we are at in the cup closer to Christmas.

 

[bigfrooj]

I wrote off a night out on my holiday in Mauritius to watch that match. Like they say, the wife has been with me 30 seasons now so understands.

The match was a watershed moment to me. I understand now that we are a stepping stone for Pochettino but not in a nasty way, a professional way. I have no doubt he has genuine affection for the club just like he has for Espanyol and Southampton. He will go on to great things I think but not with us but with a club already entrenched in a trophy winning culture.

He’s not Mr Tottenham like Sir Billy Nick and we should drop our expectations again.

One thing, how the hell did Victor Wanyama get to stay on the pitch the whole game.

 

[mattdefoe]

Glad I went to bed last night before the shit hit the fan.

Most of us if asked would say that we don't care about the Carabao Cup, myself included, but it's exactly that arrogant attitude that lost us the game last night because its right through the club and it starts with Poch.

For the last few seasons we've heard him say it doesn't matter if we win that trophy or not. Even our club captain has said we probably won't win anything. What's the point of even entering it if they aren't going to be bothered?

The attitude in the club needs to change towards the minor competitions. Look at Man City. They've win 4 out of the last 6 CC's. Winning breeds winning regardless of the trophy.

I'm not disappointed we're out. I'm disappointed in the manor of the loss though. We could do with a rocket up our arse and hopefully this will be it.

We’d of won 4/6 if we had a billion pound team to

 

[maltahotspur]

well........

if there is one tournament I would like us to get eliminated early in.... it would be this one.

still....

Agree, to a certain point. But to be eliminated against, with all due respect, a League 2 side is to say the least very humiliating.

The team, bar the CL run, which I must say was achieved by the skin of our teeth, has long been going through a tough time. In fact even our CL qualification for this season, was reached by the slimmest of margins and through the bad form of Man u and Arsenal. By no means have we been convincing. This is not a blip, it's becoming contagious. Too many of our players have been performing well below par for far too long. I know, injuries have not helped but other teams can make that claim as well as us.

Having said that, I'm sure Poch knows the tough times we're having as much as we do, but as much as some might argue that he has lost the plot and that it's time for change, we need to restrain ourselves, bear the pain and be patient for a little while longer.
It's not like the time when, under Ramos, we had 2 points after 8 games, that was the real time of crisis and we were in real danger of becoming the Leeds of London.

Just continue supporting the team. We as fans, have a duty to give our all and play our part in the transition period to return to the good times and form of the recent past under the very same Pochettino. Remember, not so long ago we were all singing: He's Magic,

 

[stevenurse]

It's not nostalgia glasses - it's that not all fans are impatient and

People need to calm down a touch. Cup upsets happen every season to at least one big team. It’s not like anyone will give a shit come Saturday either. Hopefully this acts as a wake up call, if not then we are in trouble.

How many of those do we need? I feel like our alarm might be broken after all.

Poch is a nearly man unfortunately. He can't even give the excuse that he's sacked it off to concentrate on the league. That's clearly gone, it would be beyond miraculous if we did anything serious in the CL which leaves the FA Cup as the only viable option.

He emphasised in the summer that we need to win things now. Therefore, anything else is a failure. He's already fucked away 2 of 4 chances. The likelihood for 'success' this season is minimal right now.

 

[worcestersauce]

Whatever else anyone says about managers or tactics or team selection doesn't matter, that team should have beaten Colchester United last night and the fact that they didn't is a concern because sadly it does hint at something deeper.