Match Threads Tottenham vs Arsenal : Match Thread.

[Buggsy61]

Rose must have said something today to really get under their skin. Every time he got the ball it looked like they all collectively wanted to kill him- good lad!

 

[ajspurs]

Yeah.

The #1 problem with 3 at the back is it ends up with us being ponderous an predictable in our approach play.

Yep, that and being in a such a shape that's overly reliant on the fullbacks to provide most of our offensive play.

 

[ajspurs]

Anyone worrying about Trippier today needs to take a good long look at themselves in the mirror and when. they are done, they need to go find another mirror and stand looking at themselves in that one for twenty minutes too.

There's absolutely nothing, nothing at all about Trippier playing today that would change seeing us yet again persistently playing the ball across the back four and into midfield, back into the back four again and finally back to Hugo to go long. Constantly getting into the opponents half and going backwards when facing front. Constantly pinging it from left to right then back one, right to left, forward one, back two. All of this done in a slow laborious fashion. Slow passing, poor passing, all the while putting ourselves under pressure. No imagination, guile, speed of thought just a ponderous going through the motions from back to front, throughout the entire team. barely a chance treated really yet we know these players are capable of SO much better............

This isn't so much about the quality of Trippier, Eriksen or whoever else we decide to scape this week. It isn't about that at all. There are bigger problems than that to worry about.

All of these players have shown us their quality time after time, they are a good team, they are good players. Kieran fucking Trippier is the least of our problems, if that's what you got out of today get back to that bastard mirror and come back when the penny drops. It's like the perfect storm, recovery after the World Cup, injuries, the resulting demands on the squad, form, this, that, the other but one thing (IMO) stands out.

We've been getting away with it and we're reaping what we sowed in the summer when Levy and Pochettino decided we didn't need to sign any players. There's nobody out there good enough? Don't make me laugh.

This this and this, Jesus some sense. I've never really voiced my annoyance about other peoples posts on here but fuck me the Trippier stuff is getting so tiring and boring. There are so many more worrying concerns in the team and contributing factors to us playing so poorly than Trippier. People would rather further bash this guy, than to look at the real reasons as to why we're playing as we are and failing to win.

 

[joey.leone]

Happy we got the

Ours was no less a penalty than theirs anyway. We just scored ours. Arsenal were very defensive today but did look dangerous on the counter. The trouble is we had a lineup more suitable to counter attacking ourselves. I know Dier divides opinion but we could sure use him when Winks is out. We badly missed a passer in the middle of midfield. The long balls were hard to watch.

The problem is not just the lack of a passer in midfield, it is the lack of movement up front. Son and Kane were both narrow and at times were too close to each other. If the pass to the wing back was cut off we had no choice but to recycle the ball between the centre backs and two holders in midfield.

The lack of movement up front can be infuriating. Even in crossing situations, our attackers seem hesitant to attack the space.

 

[spurs mental]

didnt look close to a pen to me. I dont think Sanchez didnt anything wrong there.

I wasn't talking about the penalty. I was talking about the game in general and the goal we concede. I appreciate he was isolated but you can't miss a header like that with 2 opposition players around you.

Aubamayang was always going to go down as soon as he felt a breath of Sanchez. It wasn't a penalty but he shouldn't have given him the chance to even go down in the first place.

He also committed some very silly fouls when there was no need. E.g. early in the first half he had one Arsenal player out by the touch line with Rose coming in the other side, and still somehow thought it was a good idea to stick a leg in and commit a foul. It's these type of things that will cost us. He has to eradicate it from his game.

He also desperately needs to improve his ball control and passing ability. It's awful

 

[fortworthspur]

I wasn't talking about the penalty. I was talking about the game in general and the goal we concede. I appreciate he was isolated but you can't miss a header like that with 2 opposition players around you.

Aubamayang was always going to go down as soon as he felt a breath of Sanchez. It wasn't a penalty but he shouldn't have given him the chance to even go down in the first place.

He also committed some very silly fouls when there was no need. E.g. early in the first half he had one Arsenal player out by the touch line with Rose coming in the other side, and still somehow thought it was a good idea to stick a leg in and commit a foul. It's these type of things that will cost us. He has to eradicate it from his game.

He also desperately needs to improve his ball control and passing ability. It's awful

oh yeah, that was a dreadful mistake.

 

[Phomesy]

I'm sorry but that penalty to Aubameyang is an astonishingly poor decision by the referee. There's simply nothing to suggest a foul. It looked like a dive from the other end where I was standing at the time - and its even worse seeing the replay.

The same ref who didn't think Xhaka even fouled Kane.

Beggars belief. Thank god for Hugo.

 

[fortworthspur]

I'm sorry but that penalty to Aubameyang is an astonishingly poor decision by the referee. There's simply nothing to suggest a foul. It looked like a dive from the other end where I was standing at the time - and its even worse seeing the replay.

The same ref who didn't think Xhaka even fouled Kane.

Beggars belief. Thank god for Hugo.

the Xhaka thing was soooooo cynical. He knew exactly what he was doing. He also knew what he was doing when he upended Rose.

 

[Mattspurs1982]

70% possession in our favour when they scored.

Across the back 3 over and over and over. What’s the point in 70% possession when the ball is never 30 yards away from Lloris

 

[Phomesy]

Aubamayang was always going to go down as soon as he felt a breath of Sanchez. It wasn't a penalty but he shouldn't have given him the chance to even go down in the first place.

This is so unfair to Sanchez. he did NOTHING wrong in that play. Took Auba wide. Kept tight and close legally.

It was a dive and a shocking referee decision.

Have a go at Sanchez for his other mistakes but that instance was perfect defensive play and it was a disgrace by both Aubameyang and the referee.

 

[spursfan77]

I'm hoping that part of our listlessness is related to not having a proper pre-season, which will have affected the whole squad, not just the ones who were on WC duty.

Maybe with a decent preseason and (hopefully, please, please, please, please, please) some reinforcements we'll have a better season.

@Haddock put it well, we've had a horrible season. But have managed to perform. It's only recently that that the performance has also gone downhill which begs the question as to what the problem is.

Just need to hold our nerve.

Having no preseason is a massive factor. Hopefully the players aren’t too knackered.

 

[Lilywhite Lane]

Across the back 3 over and over and over. What’s the point in 70% possession when the ball is never 30 yards away from Lloris

As a general rule that's worked for us. Difference past couple of games has been that Eriksen hasn't shown up and he is the one who brings it end-to-end and drives it between the lines.

Instead we just go sideways and Kane and Son stand up front waiting on someone passing.

 

[Gb160]

This is so unfair to Sanchez. he did NOTHING wrong in that play. Took Auba wide. Kept tight and close legally.

It was a dive and a shocking referee decision.

Have a go at Sanchez for his other mistakes but that instance was perfect defensive play and it was a disgrace by both Aubameyang and the referee.

Yeah that fellas just repeating the nonsense that Keown came out with after the match...not one mention of the fact that Aubemayang cheated and threw himself to the ground, just that it was Sanchez fault for 'giving the ref a decision to make'...its complete fucking nonsense.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

You don’t think these people exist?

I don't think anything really buddy. I just understand that some people don't feel the need (or see the purpose) to get angry or abusive over something they literally can't do anything about.

I don't think they defend the club/owners regardless of what they have or haven't done. I just think they are perhaps more accepting of the fact that nothing is ever perfect and, despite the fact that there ARE things to be unhappy about, there are 17 teams beneath is in the PL who would love to be in our position.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

didnt look close to a pen to me. I dont think Sanchez didnt anything wrong there.

Was listening to the commentary on the radio & Stuart Pearce instantly said it was not a penalty. He then watched several replays & still said it was not a penalty.

 

[fortworthspur]

Was listening to the commentary on the radio & Stuart Pearce instantly said it was not a penalty. He then watched several replays & still said it was not a penalty.

all three in the booth for the US feed said the same. terrible decision.

 

[Mr Pink]

How did we deserve to win when the only goal we scored was from a penalty that shouldn’t have been given? Two other shots on target?

Certainly didn't deserve to lose, and for me we were the better team. Now maybe that doesn't equate to deserving to win, but we were the better side overall.

Eriksen had big chance first half.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

Spoiler

View attachment 46145

Pedant alert. That dinner/lunch is not being 'handed' to anyone.

 

[spud]

I just have a couple of points:

1. How bad do Trippier and Aurier have to be for KWP to get into the team?

2. When is a ref ever going to punish time-wasting?
We have seen several matches this year when the opposition starts to waste time early in the first half. It happened again today as soon as the goons scored. Today's ref (who I thought had an absolute shocker) seemed to warn Koscielny about it in the first half but then did nothing. All we ever see is somebody booked with a couple of minutes left. If refs booked players for time-wasting earlier in the match and kept doing it, either it would stop and the fans would get better value for money, or some body would get a second yellow. It's about time this was clamped down on.

 

[mil1lion]

Happy we got the

The problem is not just the lack of a passer in midfield, it is the lack of movement up front. Son and Kane were both narrow and at times were too close to each other. If the pass to the wing back was cut off we had no choice but to recycle the ball between the centre backs and two holders in midfield.

The lack of movement up front can be infuriating. Even in crossing situations, our attackers seem hesitant to attack the space.

The trouble is the forwards didn't really have sight of the ball either so found it difficult to show for it in a crowded central area. I didn't like the shape at all today. I personally prefer inverted wide attackers with attacking fullbacks. There's too often the fullbacks have to try and run half a pitch length without anyone to pass too. Arsenal kept showing us down blind alleys in the first half. The fullbacks work better when they play inside and then overlap. Son tried to show down the right in the first half but I think he works better on the other side and found himself running away from goal on the right wing. Sissoko was much better in the second half playing more on that side and Son switching sides.

It seems to me the players prefer to play 4231. If Dier and Winks are back soon I would go with those 2 in the middle, shift Sissoko to the right of the 3 with Son on the left.