Match Threads Spurs vs Fulham - Match Thread - Day 16

[handsomecake]

The talk of us being in the title race needs to stop. Yes, this is the most open season since Leicester won due to the circumstances but no title winners drop points in the manner we have against Newcastle, W Ham, Palace, Wolves and Fulham.

No title winners are as bad with the ball and as negative as we are. Apart from the Son chance we did nothing in the second half and we seem to rely on moments from Kane and Son. There doesn’t seem to be any attacking strategy or pattern as to how we are going to try to score.

Also Jose talking about individual mistakes misses the point that everyone else could see that Fulham were getting on top in the second half and we needed to change things but he didn’t until after they scored. That’s said I don’t think Lamela or Vinicius did anything when they came on as our structure went.

I don’t like the make up of our midfield. Hojberg picks himself and Tanguay was food first half but Winks and Sissoko do not compliment. GLC can come in and upgrade Winks when fit but we need a better box to box midfield with more technical and creativity ability than Sissoko. He tries but it is just not good enough and we need another creative player in there.

id call skipp back . honestly . better than winks anyway.

 

[C0YS]

Agree. Winks doesn’t get anywhere near any other top 6 side. He’s a passenger and there it is like playing with 10 men against Fulham. Why not put Dele in there tonight? Could it have been any worse?

No no no. He would have been a million times worse. It'd be like exposing a canvas to someone. OK, positioning is possibly the most important thing in football. Particularly with how we play, he wasn't a passenger he was plugging holes and creating balance, Dele isn't in the side because he's not disciplined enough, how on earth would he do in the position where discipline is probably the most important. Particularly in a Mourinho side.

What people do on the ball, often isn't as important as what people do off the ball. One misconception is, for example, that you need to win lots of tackles to be good defensively, that is complete rubbish, it's different skills. Winning tackles is important as it allows you to turn over the ball, tackles are also very important as minute actions to prevent goals or movements. But most of defending is just where you stand, and making micro-decisions in a game, do you stand your ground or go towards the player and risk creating space behind you etc. I'm not saying Winks is the best player at this stuff, but he is a competent player at it, I think Dele would struggle in that role, particularly in a Mourinho system.

There is an argument to make, that we shouldn't be playing two defensive midfielders anyway (because Winks is a defensive midfielder now, and has been for the best part of three years now) and certainly not against Fulham, but that's not Winks' fault, that's how Mourinho sets it up. Makes us hard to break down, and rely on Son and Kane for a bit of Magic (with some help from Ndombele)

 

[Teddy Klinsmann]

I think it wont take the fans long to do it themselves when they're back in the stadium.

JM has been very fortunate that fans havnt witnessed some of that turgid rubbish. Once they return, things could get messy.

 

[dbspurs]

Well, it could be couldn't it? I mean the tactic is clearly to hold what we have, so once that us gone, you assume the tactics are to get the lead again, certainly in these type of games

These are mostly the same players that contributed to no away wins for nearly 12 months with Poch.

Are you saying that it is purely down to tactics that we keep getting pegged back? This shit mentality has been going on for a couple of years.

 

[stormfly]

I think our home form reads 15 points out of a possible 27.

 

[Teddy Klinsmann]

id call skipp back . honestly . better than winks anyway.

Send Winks to Norwich.

 

[jondy1]

Calling for Mourinho to be sacked? Some of you need to grow up.

We’ve seen the same unimaginative shit from the same group of players for 24 months now. At what point do we stop blaming the managers and look at the personnel?

We could have pep or klopp at the helm and we still wouldn’t string 3 good passes together in midfield. We still wouldn’t be playing between the lines properly. We still wouldn’t have players showing for the ball. We have a team of cowards with 3-4 warriors who give their all every game and the rest are utterly useless when they want to be. No manager is going to change that.

well if they are so bad why does he keep playing them?

 

[rossdapep]

Agree. Winks doesn’t get anywhere near any other top 6 side. He’s a passenger and there it is like playing with 10 men against Fulham. Why not put Dele in there tonight? Could it have been any worse?

Its the one thing I will criticise Jose for. Tonight he deserved a shot and I know he's let him down a number of times but I felt Alli would have been up for it.

 

[Lennon1981]

So infuriating I’m banned from the Jose thread

 

[handsomecake]

It's just they are the designated scape goats so when people want to blame someone they are your targets.

this has to stop. they aren't good enough mate.

 

[Gbspurs]

Did they show that before they levelled? I thought it was at 1-1

Newcastle, West ham, Palace, Wolves, Fulham

 

[BPR_U16]

WALOB Josè ??
I cannot defend this defensive biting SHIT!!!
And I thought you changed!!!

Not like me to come on a match thread and rant. BOLLOCKS OFF!

Glad you have finally seen the light - season when league up for grabs and we dont play to win.

 

[Lennon1981]

I actually don’t mind a midfield 2 of Sissoko and Hojberg. But the 4 in front of them have to be attaching players. Not glorified wing backs. Play Bale and Son on the wings without making them play as full backs. Especially against teams we should be winning against.

 

[Dannyspur]

I disagree, we won't get any lung busting runs or mazy dribbles past players but we will get incisive and creative passing from Eriksen. Anyway, I've written ad naseaum in the Eriksen thread why we should look to bring him back. Out of my hands but the point remains we need something different in our midfield.

Sorry but if you can get him back from 4 years ago I would agree, but he wasn't doing it for us and couldn't do it at inter.

 

[Toast]

Can’t wait for us to beat Liverpool in a couple of weeks, when it will mean absolutely nothing because of results like tonight!

it never means nothing to beat Liverpool, regardless of context or circumstances

 

[Hazelton]

Their keeper made 2 or 3 world class saves, yet that is on Jose???

Only one of them was a worldie but no, that isn't on Jose, the team selection, tactics and poor subs are on Jose. I'm not even necessarily blaming him but something needs to change and that falls upon him as the man in charge.

 

[DiVaio]

Sorry but this simply isn’t true. Who in our team bar the usual 4, are above average players? We could put the entire team on the market and we would only have suitors for Kane, Son, PEH and N’Dombele. That’s the real truth of it.

Reguilon, Lo Celso, Bergwijn, Lloris, Dele, Winks, Aurier, Davinson, Dier, Davies etc would have suitors for various reasons(or had them in last windows). And that's the real truth of it, not overreacting after match we didn't win but should.

 

[The Apprentice]

Ha really???

About 99% of this forum bemoan Sissoko, Winks and Sanchez's abilities week in week out. Aurier is included in that too. Dier also if we are going to really get into it.

Under Poch. Under Jose.

Yet, all of a sudden these players should be good enough to beat 70% of the league.

We are carrying too many limited players.

Well there is a solution. Don’t play them.

 

[razzmaster]

So, another 2 points dropped against a team we should be beating.

If Son and Kane are on form we win that game comfortably, but we can't rely on 2 players to bail us out every game.

We need to find a right sided forward who will score goals.

We need to find a number 10 who will score goals.

We need to find a midfield balance that allows us to keep the ball and string a few passes together.

We are not very far off being title challengers but we are also not far off being also rans.

Such a frustrating season as we keep getting ourselves in a good position and then repeating the same mistakes over and over.

Hopefully Jose can see what needs to be done and sorts it out soon as there is still a lot to play for this season.

 

[rossdapep]

well if they are so bad why does he keep playing them?

Who else does he play though?

Lo Celso? Oh, injured
Gedson? Shown he is a fair bit away still.
No other midfield options.

Dele? He's brought him on numerous times and he has had little or no effect.

Bale? Just returned from injury again and has hardly been a bolt of lightning.

Lucas? - Give me a break

Vinicius? He did bring him on but not the answer today.

Bergwijn - injured again

There's a reason why Kane and Son play and contribute every game. There's a reason why Winks and Sissoko keep getting drafted back in when it lools like they are out.

We lack real quality in some key areas.

The nucleus is there.

Kane
Son
Lloris
Toby
Reguilon
Ndombele
Lo Celso (if not injured)
Hojbjerg

They have the capabilities to part of a succesful side but they are being let down by others who cant.

We need to get players like Skipp, Rodon. Tanganga and Vinicius involved more and we desperately need midfield reinforcememts to give this team better balance and quality.