Man United Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[mpickard2087]

pretty abysmal from about the 3rd minute onwards, less said about the pathetic defending the better but we played zero football either and where did all of these useless hoofs forward come from? we haven't resorted to that crap for ages. the team was wrong, poch is showing himself to be stubbornly unadaptable and it just felt like a return to our wilting days. however disappointing that game was though, i'm not going to partake in all of the typical rhetoric about how all of our players are useless and need replacing. it's a process, this was a bad blip but it's been a positive progression upto this point and hopefully the team doesn't dwell on a terrible day at the office.

Utd for me squeezed the pitch, helped by the fact that we had everyone looking for the ball to feet and so no threat over the top. That meant they could seal off most of the passing options and so we ran out of ideas and had to hit hopeful ones long.

Completely agree about Poch. Have said all season I don't like his insistence on Plan A until the very end, and some of the tactical holes such as no apparent plan of how to try to deal with Fellaini is just not really acceptable.

 

[Chimbo!]

Understandably everyone is very disappointed, especially because our season looks over now with little to play for (realistically).

But let's look at the positives:
(1) despite today, we've overcome our diabolical displays against the big teams. And at least today we turned up in the 2nd half and didn't embarrass ourselves further. Shows we are tougher mentally.
(2) it's a young team that is always learning and developing. We got battered today but we also battered Arsenal - a better team.
(3) we have a strong core of academy players in their first full season. They are committed and have reminded me of the Spurs I used to love watching pre-last season.

The main thing we should remember is that we came up short against a team that spent £150 million in one summer without selling key players. We should not slaughter our players for losing today. We should judge them on how they respond.

 

[Pimp_Spur]

Extremely bad day at the office, we all have them in our daily jobs. The team is young and relatively inexperienced. We have had a very good season so far, cup final some extremely good performances in big games against our London rivals and away from home we have been very good in general throughout the season.

One or two experienced premier league proven players in the summer, some deadwood shifted and this squad has a real potential to take us forward. Poch too is learning and is a good young manager. Look at the players that have come through this and last year, Kane, Bentaleb, Mason, the U21 squad have some classy looking players too.

Put today behind us. At the start of the season none of us thought we would get top 4 and it's highly likely now that we won't, BUT the future is bright cos its lillywhite

 

[homer hotspur]

Have we not already qualified as League cup runner's up?
Or does that place go to the league if the winners are in the Champions' League?

Yes, the place goes to the league so it is currently 6th place. As pointed out by someone, it could actually go to 8th if Arsenal and Liverpool get to the FA Cup final(very likely) and both finish top 4(quite likely)

 

[Mr Pink]

The issue I have with the great performance against arsenal, they created more chances than us and had Giroud not missed two sitters iirc we would of lost

I agree we were the better team however I think our rivals have figured us out by always playing deep and compact to stop Kane, Eriksen and etc finding space and putting pressure on the CB's and CM

Their goal was an absolute fluke though, so I'm not sure.

The better team won that day, absolutely no doubt.

 

[jezz]

Hope Poch learned his lesson today.
If some random blokes off the net can see where utd were going to win the game I expect our coach to know too.
Unfortunately he didn't.
Townsend was unlucky to be hooked rather than Chadli.
Dembele should have started but when you put in performanceso like the spam game he can have no complaints.
Chiricles should have got a game here, sorry I still think he's better than walker.
Chadli has been a liability in his defensive duties all season, great going forward (not lately) but needs to work on tracking back big time.
We beat Arsenal and narrowly lost at Anfield (Chadli not doing the defensive stuff).
They are the 2 form teams in the EPL and we should be fielding the same side that played these games.

 

[Jenko]

Jaysus bluddy wept!

Look, that was our hardest game on paper. The general opinion was that we would lose it. Most of the predictor thingies have us pushing for the top four even after losing this game. That is the best United have played in a long time, spurred on by their capitulation against the Goons, and that is probably the worst we have played all season (or, at least, for several months). We have 27 points to play forward, will probably play out of our skin for the rest of the season as a reaction to this performance, and have a good chance of winning every remaining game. United, the Goons and Liverpool all have to play one another, United also play Citeh, and all three have to play Chelsea, two of them at Stamford Bridge.

And you want to throw the towel in?

It may be slightly hardest for is than if we'd won today - wow, really, I'd never have guessed. But all of our rivals will drop at least some points - it is impossible for at least most of them to not drop some, and I will be utterly gobsmacked if even won of them doesn't drop another point all season, whereas we actually could go on an extended run.

Course I don't want to, don't be bloody stupid. It was the manner of the performance and the manner of Man U's win. We're 6 pts behind them and they eased over us today. We all have different ways of coping with it so you do you're thing and I'll do mine (but don't misquote me). I prefer to keep my expectations lower to prevent a big come down later on. You skip along in dreamworld with a big Mary Poppins head on ye all ye like, good luck to ye.

 

[spursfan77]

Tottenham Hotspur @SpursOfficial · 2 min
"@ericdier: There's nothing else to do now but put it behind us and put it right next weekend."

I hate to quote him but:

"Some players might have forgotten about this by the time we are on the motorway. I won't have".

I agree somewhat. Can't dwell on it. Got to focus on playing better in the next game.

 

[Mr Pink]

What immense strides would they be, assuming we finish 6th/7th ?

Long term I think. Getting a nucleus of young players together to play in the way that made us hire him in the first place. Today was abysmal but that doesn't mean some of the good work we've done since the start of the year should get ignored.

But anyway, if you want to be negative carry on, I couldn't be arsed debating it with you.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Next season we need to clear out all the average players and support our youngsters with experience and leadership

 

[luptic]

We have had decent results at OT in recent years, which showed character and fight, even if we didnt get the result if we showe'd fight then we (us fans) cant complain. But today there was no fight, united wanted it more and it showed, maybe it was the Arsenal defeat that made them look at themselves, but they never let us have a chance. At 2-0 you knew there wasnt a comeback, it was like the united of old.

 

[stemark44]

The thing is, for me a result like this was coming. All season we have been letting in goals even against shit teams that can barely score for toffee. Couple this with the fact that I don't think we've been able to create clear chances consistently and have picked up a lot of points through long distance late strikes, I think something like this was always on the cards. Too many lazy, negative, rabbit in headlights performances today and we got a lesson in what a good, pressing and wrll organised off the ball performance is. Pochettino, for me, has barely managed to get us organised all season. Our finest hour this season against Chelsea was more Sherwood than Sherwood himself.

This.
I think everyone would agree that we have one of the very best keepers in Europe in Hugo Lloris.
We have Harry Kane who has scored an unbelievable amount of goals and is one of the top strikers in the league this season.
We play a system that has two midfielders just in front of the back four for extra protection but we have conceded 2 goals less than Leicester who are bottom of the League.
Something isn't right.

 

[spursfan77]

14 in the last 6 is appalling....

Agree. I'd happily beat Leicester 1 nil next Saturday.

 

[luptic]

No top gear or MOTD tonight, might as well get to bed now.

 

[Kendall]

This.
I think everyone would agree that we have one of the very best keepers in Europe in Hugo Lloris.
We have Harry Kane who has scored an unbelievable amount of goals and is one of the top strikers in the league this season.
We play a system that has two midfielders just in front of the back four for extra protection but we have conceded 2 goals less than Leicester who are bottom of the League.
Something isn't right.

The same fucking Leicester who we struggled to create chances against, twice.

 

[Mr.D]

On a more positive note my kebab will turn up soon and I have much red wine.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

That was as bad as anything we have served up in the last 5 years. Utterly abysmal to a man, not one player comes out with any credit.

Forget it and move on. Only way.

 

[ohtottenham!]

There is a word in hindi which I like. Jugaar. It has various meanings in English, "Ad hoc", "improvising", "thinking on your feet" what have you. It is an approach to problem solving. The point of jugaar is not to follow the rules, but to act in way which produces results on the spot. It's the same as when a chef has cooked a bad sauce, and then smothers it in butter to make it palatable to the clients. Used carefully, it could be the weapon Pochettino is now lacking.

I like this ES! Thing is, I think he knows he put the wrong ingredients and spices in the game. It was a crap, flavourless meal. Then again, his "salt", Bentaleb and Mason, the most important flavour, weren't as salty as they usually are. Needed more oil, Dembele from the get go! Not enough garlic and ginger in the whole process to keep any flavour on the tongue. With the midfield and defence sorted, you allow your chili, Kane and Eriksen to do what they delectably do.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

I like this ES! Thing is, I think he knows he put the wrong ingredients and spices in the game. It was a crap, flavourless meal. Then again, his "salt", Bentaleb and Mason, the most important flavour, weren't as salty as they usually are. Needed more oil, Dembele from the get go! Not enough garlic and ginger in the whole process to keep any flavour on the tongue. With the midfield and defence sorted, you allow your chili, Kane and Eriksen to do what they delectably dor

And then they even forgot that I asked about loads of naans for the table.

 

[Kendall]

On a more positive not my kebab will turn up soon and I have much red wine.

I am awaiting the Mrs' returning home so we can get jerk chicken, I need much beer.