Gent Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[kungfugrip]

Wimmer was a different animal last year

Yes, in some circles he's known as the Austrian shapeshifter.

 

[lukadownthelane]

Gotta seriously question the mentality of our squad given how patchy our form is

 

[Krafty]

I haven't seen us play that bad since the weekend.

Too many players not being asked to do enough. Too many players off form and making bad decisions. Too narrow, too slow.

While it has been good to see Poch try some new formations, it now feels like too many players do not know what their role on the pitch is.

Walker is bombing forward like a wing back even when we aren't playing that system and not focusing on his defensive duties enough.
Dier looks lost as a centre back
Dembele is slowing reverting back to that player who beats a man on the half way line which doesn't actually cause the opposition any issues (remember when he had that run of goals at the beginning of last season? Not come close to scoring for a long time).
Son is not a wide attacking midfielder - he just doesn't bother to get back defensively
Alli is not a wide attacking midfielder - he just doesn't want to get back defensively
Lloris' distribution is getting worse.
Sissoko is utter garbage, and yet another player who is neither one thing nor another, and in Poch's 4-2-3-1 is able to hide in plain sight.


Feels like we played the whole match with ten men, and when that happens it is down to the tactics. I would be tempted to start with a clean sheet of paper and start again for the Fulham game - If you want to play 4 at the back, consider playing Dier in central midfield, and if you prefer Wanyama that's perfectly fine but you need someone next to him who can add tempo with their passing (Winks or Eriksen). If it's three at the back then make sure you have proper wing backs who can offer some much needed width

 

[scottlag10]

We have never won a game in Belgium, two draws and three defeats. Add that to our piss poor form at Liverpool over the past twenty odd years and the last two results are pretty much par for the record.

Gaz you are a lifetime supporter and have lived through the Cup glories, both domestic and European. Modern day football sucks because it is no longer about glory its about money, money, money. We have a proud European history (my dad tells me how unhappy he was when we lost our unbeaten home record in Europe to Real Madrid in 1985) but last night we had 8 first team regulars and lost to an under strength Gent team, Gent ffs! If you care for our history, as you have shown, then you should be bloody furious.

 

[Gb160]

Gaz you are a lifetime supporter and have lived through the Cup glories, both domestic and European. Modern day football sucks because it is no longer about glory its about money, money, money. We have a proud European history (my dad tells me how unhappy he was when we lost our unbeaten home record in Europe to Real Madrid in 1985) but last night we had 8 first team regulars and lost to an under strength Gent team, Gent ffs! If you care for our history, as you have shown, then you should be bloody furious.

Not everyone handles disappointment like a toddler mate...that's his choice.

 

[sunnydelight786]

Just got back into work from Gent. I missed out by 1 LP hence was sat with the Gent ultras last night (where the drum beats were coming from) as one of their fans sorted me a ticket at FV. They clocked on pretty much from the start I wasn't one of them but didn't say anything apart from a few coming over and having a chat about our new stadium and our Belgium players, they love Dembele btw and were chanting his name to the beat of the drum when he was going off.

Gent deserved the win* and after the game the few lads I spoke to were shocked at how poor we was and scratching their heads at how can such a poor team be 3rd, has the PL standards fallen that badly? That was their question not mine!

I have no doubt we will turn his around next week but also know the moment we do meet anyone half decent we are out again. How has a club that had such a rich European history come to this sorry state? in the pursuit of money we have let go of all our traditions. As one of their fans said to me after the game, "You English value money over glory", how right was he......

* They were so giddy at the fact they are playing at Wembley next week nd now have something to play for as well. Pre game they were hoping not to get embarrassed. I'm sure you all heard the "que sera sera" chants from them One final thing that 'Forza Buffalo' chant is still ringing in my head this morning

 

[DiscoD1882]

Im struggling to remember the last time we played well in Europe? must have been the AC Milan game last time we were in the champs league. At a push the last Inter Milan game in the Europa. I actually hate watching us in Europe now. turgid football.

 

[Shadydan]

Im struggling to remember the last time we played well in Europe? must have been the AC Milan game last time we were in the champs league. At a push the last Inter Milan game in the Europa. I actually hate watching us in Europe now. turgid football.

Fiorentina at home last season.

 

[longtimespur]

I don't understand why we are so poor in European games. As @DiscoD1882 says it's a long time since we turned up for these games.
Is it the players or the managerial lead? It is not just a Poch management or just our current squad problem, seems to be most games over the recent years.
I'm lucky enough to remember our early European fixtures and how the players played with their heart on their sleeve. Doesn't appear to be the case since we have been in those competitions in the last couple of decades, odd games excepted.

 

[spursfan77]

Just listened to this weeks fighting cock podcast. Wish we'd all of listened to it before the game and we might not of thought that we would have a walk over.

They had a Belgian football expert on and he ran the rule over agent and got them pretty spot on

 

[Spurs 1961]

Well our response to a poor patch of form will show us a lot about the team. Struggling to see why we are so off the boil but am prepared to believe we can get back to our best

 

[spursbhoy67]

I think the majority of older Spurs fans can cut and paste their thoughts from previous poor results in Europe and the Cups and leave here. The sentiments have not changed much in the last 5-10 years.

I am furious at the result and the performance last night. I shouldn't care but I do. Modern football really can be frustrating. Just when you think you see a Spurs team play with passion and a common cause like v Chelsea up pops a string of poor performances to remind you football is a cruel mistress.

There is a part of me that prefers when we were mediocre and other fans took the piss out of us. I could handle relegation so I could handle that. The hope of possibly winning the league only to fail, not even to come runner up was a mental blow. The performance in the CL can be written off as a learning curve but what of last night? This Spurs team is a roller coaster for sure.

Yes, I will cheer them on v Fulham and Gent next week but won't be shocked if we lose both ties. The game is about glory but we are doing a great job of disproving that theory.

 

[scottlag10]

Not everyone handles disappointment like a toddler mate...that's his choice.

Being furious is not acting like a toddler....mate. It shows a deep passion for the club and it's European History and it's how I felt. It was Gent ffs and I'm surprised that Gaz, with his history, reacted so matter of factish to it. He has got furious for far less.

 

[spursfan77]

Being furious is not acting like a toddler....mate. It shows a deep passion for the club and it's European History and it's how I felt. It was Gent ffs and I'm surprised that Gaz, with his history, reacted so matter of factish to it. He has got furious for far less.

Gent got as far as Arsenal in last season's champions league. They aren't a bad club.

 

[hughy]

Gent got as far as Arsenal in last season's champions league. They aren't a bad club.

I think I'm right in saying in the last 7 years we've got further than Arsenal in the CL.


So it's not really a major achievement.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I've previously mentioned the importance of squad rotation and recent performances are showing we need to make more frequent changes. We seriously need to mix things up for Fulham game, otherwise we can expect yet another flat performance.

 

[thinktank]

Gent got as far as Arsenal in last season's champions league. They aren't a bad club.

They played very well and won fair and square last night. They deserve a lot of credit.

That Esiti is a mega-beast.

 

[Nocando]

More importantly what was that annoying 70s or 80s pop song the Gent fans were signing over and over again.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

Gaz you are a lifetime supporter and have lived through the Cup glories, both domestic and European. Modern day football sucks because it is no longer about glory its about money, money, money. We have a proud European history (my dad tells me how unhappy he was when we lost our unbeaten home record in Europe to Real Madrid in 1985) but last night we had 8 first team regulars and lost to an under strength Gent team, Gent ffs! If you care for our history, as you have shown, then you should be bloody furious.

Well, i have been extremely lucky to have been to every Cup final both domestic and European post Bill Nicholson. I consider the Burkinshaw era to be the best that i have witnessed and Redknapp's a very close second regarding the football played if not the silverware won.

I never have considered Spurs to be an elite club (a big club yes) but not one of the elite clubs such as Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal and of late Man City and Chelsea.

My expectations as a Spurs fan is to see us overachieve, and then to return to type, this due to (by the elite sides standards) lack of investment in the next level of quality player that we would need in order to reach the promised land on a more regular basis, and to sustain that level once we have that experience.

I think that we have one of the best Managers in Europe, who with limited funds has put together an over performing team that is playing greater than the sum of it's parts. By this i mean a very raw squad with little (outside of Lloris and Toby) European experience, and certainly no PL Championship winning experience.

The new ground will not make us exponentially richer, but sponsorship and TV money will increase over the next few seasons (along with the NFL deal). The key to all this will be where and how much Levy will let Poch invest? As a whole (as far as i can remember) of our last twelve signings only three have sustained first team football for any length of time, and the last three new signings cannot even get a regular start between them.

This i feel is because they are players mostly unproven, cheaper than what we really need in order to push on, and indeed a punt in the dark to a certain extent with a risk, but a risk with some return in the transfer market should they fail to deliver.

Without starting a flaming reposte, where is our Ozil, Sanchez, Mane or Agureo (as an example)?. Where is the finished article of a player that we could afford (the sixty million busted flushes of Janssen, Sissoko and GKN prove that we have the money) that just might trigger that little bit of extra magic from Kane, Dele, Eriksen or Son?

There is a divided Spurs fan-base some who believe in buying young players and developing, and those who want to spend on the finished article now. I think that there is a balance, but that currently it is tipped too far in one direction. That is why i appreciate what the Club is doing, i don't get too wound up by the disappointing performances (not results) as this current side cannot be expected to turn in good performances week in, week out at the first blow of the referee's whistle.

If you have watched children grow up you will understand most of the above, i wanted my son at thirteen to break one hundred on the golf course, but i had to wait until he was a little older. He would slice and hook all over the place but eventually i got him pro lessons and within three years he was shooting par.

See, youth and experience combined can produce progress, but to me it's that balance that is so lacking on this current Spurs squad.

 

[Mighty Spurs]

The manager needs to start taking some of the blame for our performances. He's the one setting us up for a fall here.

He must take some blame but the players are on the pitch and not the manager.