What the pundits & media are saying about us

[glospur]

That's a bit of an exaggeration, but there's no denying that one or two extra midfielders would have been a big help this season.

I don't necessarily disagree, but I find the claims that the reason why we're so thin atm is because of our transfer policy from commentators and fans alike without mention of our ridiculous injury list to be disingenuous. This couldn't have been foreseen.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Of course, but that is what this particular pundit is highlighting.

No it's not. He's ignoring an injury crisis so he can make a clichéd and irrelevant point.

You can only attract top quality players who are willing to sit on the bench and be third choice if you pay them first-choice money. We don't do that. We never have and we're not about to start now.

The only reason we can attract top quality second-choice players who will sit on the bench, without paying them stupid money, is because we've become regular participants in the Champions League. We have a lot of matches against good opposition and players think they'll at least get a chance to show off what they can do on a big stage.

The "thin squad" argument is moonshine. Every team has the same limits applied to the size of their squad, so our squad is the same size as everyone else's. We pay decent salaries for two top players at every position. But not three or four.

 

[Gassin's finest]

No it's not. He's ignoring an injury crisis so he can make a clichéd and irrelevant point.

You can only attract top quality players who are willing to sit on the bench and be third choice if you pay them first-choice money. We don't do that. We never have and we're not about to start now.

The only reason we can attract top quality second-choice players who will sit on the bench, without paying them stupid money, is because we've become regular participants in the Champions League. We have a lot of matches against good opposition and players think they'll at least get a chance to show off what they can do on a big stage.

The "thin squad" argument is moonshine. Every team has the same limits applied to the size of their squad, so our squad is the same size as everyone else's. We pay decent salaries for two top players at every position. But not three or four.

Or alternatively it's a comparison between our resources and that of others, and that despite all our hard work we have "lost out" because of that disparity.

Either way, it is "what the pundits are saying about us" isn't it?

 

[double0]

Wait, so our transfer policy should be founded on the premise that when we get to the end of the season we're going to have shitloads of injuries in the middle and attacking thirds? There's no way we could have predicted the extent of this IMO.

Some people.... Really.

 

[Gassin's finest]

F365, my usual go to for footy articles, is a wall of Liverpool articles. Number of articles ahead of our first CL semi final since '62? 3. One of which is a gleeful mis-reporting of Poch saying he's leaving if we win the trophy, and the other is about Ajax.

 

[braveheart]

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

blah blah

The "thin squad" argument is moonshine. Every team has the same limits applied to the size of their squad, so our squad is the same size as everyone else's. We pay decent salaries for two top players at every position. But not three or four.

It's not though, is it?
We can name a 25 man squad, same as City and Liverpool.
The difference is more of their 25 men are up to the challenge than ours.
We may have 25 names on a list, but we don't have 25 players we can regularly use.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

It's not though, is it?
We can name a 25 man squad, same as City and Liverpool.
The difference is more of their 25 men are up to the challenge than ours.
We may have 25 names on a list, but we don't have 25 players we can regularly use.

As I already said and you already quoted: "We pay decent salaries for two top players at every position. But not three or four."

11 x 2 = 22

We have a different advantage over most teams (less so over Liverpool, for the same reason). We have a manager who signs players based on his understanding of character and team-building. We saw the difference last night. Our "not up to the challenge" players play as a team. That's why "players we can't regularly use" like Llorente play key roles in winning key matches, as he did last night and on several previous occasions this season.

There are no passengers in Pochettino's squads. There are players of varying abilities, but everyone works and no one gives up.

There is no chance of us packing our squad with more than 2 highly-paid players at each position - maximum, probably fewer. We aren't Liverpool or Man City and we won't be. We do well using a different approach.

 

[carmeldevil]

As I already said and you already quoted: "We pay decent salaries for two top players at every position. But not three or four."

11 x 2 = 22

We have a different advantage over most teams (less so over Liverpool, for the same reason). We have a manager who signs players based on his understanding of character and team-building. We saw the difference last night. Our "not up to the challenge" players play as a team. That's why "players we can't regularly use" like Llorente play key roles in winning key matches, s he did last night and on several previous occasions this season.

There are no passengers in Pochettino's squads. There are players of varying abilities, but everyone works and no one gives up.

There is no chance of us packing our squad with more than 2 highly-paid players at each position - maximum, probably fewer. We aren't Liverpool or Man City and we won't be. We do well using a different approach.

I'm good with that. I think it'll gives Spurs the flexibility. Money won't be gushing forever for City so they will get stuck with expensive and aging players.

 

[edson]

One pundit I do like a lot is Steve Nash who is a Massive Spurs fan and is excellent when he does a Spurs match.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Amplifying the same point further:

I watched the replay of our 3rd goal last night. Y'know, 17 times like the rest of you .

Ben Davies, a player whom many think is "not up to the challenge", won the tackle and the ball in a defensive position. Son, who a lot of people insisted was "not a striker" a couple of years ago, laid the ball off to Sissoko, who was widely reviled as "not even a pub footballer" until he resurrected himself this season. He aimed a long ball at Llorente, another player who was not good enough until recently, who, as usual, won it and it bounced to Dele, who played Moura in with a canny flick.

They play as a team. All of them, including the ones who aren't world-class footballers.

P.S. It will be fascinating to see what happens to Lucas Moura's career next season. His footwork for the second goal was 100% up to Lionel Messi's class. I mean - you can't do that, it's impossible. Can he play like this on a reliable basis? Was it mainly a matter of confidence? Has Pochettino figured out how to release his amazing talent and turn him into an all-round brilliant footballer? When he is on his game, his speed of thought and foot are freakish and his outright pace is routinely underestimated by nearly every team he faces. We could find ourselves with three world-class strikers, in totally different styles, next autumn.

 

[coyspurs18]

Amplifying the same point further:

I watched the reply of our 3rd goal last night. Y'know, 17 times like the rest of you .

Ben Davies, a player whom many think is "not up to the challenge", won the tackle and the ball in a defensive position. Son, who a lot of people insisted was "not a striker" a couple of years ago, laid the ball off to Sissoko, who was widely reviled as "not even a pub footballer" until he resurrected himself this season. He aimed a long ball at Llorente, another player who was not good enough until recently, who, as usual, won it and it bounced to Dele, who played Moura in with a canny flick.

They play as a team. All of them, including the ones who aren't world-class footballers.

P.S. It will be fascinating to see what happens to Lucas Moura's career next season. His footwork for the second goal was 100% up to Lionel Messi's class. I mean - you can't do that, it's impossible. Can he play like this on a reliable basis? Was it mainly a matter of confidence? Has Pochettino figured out how to release his amazing talent and turn him into an all-round brilliant footballer? When he is on his game, his speed of thought and foot are freakish and his outright pace is routinely underestimated by nearly every team he faces. We could find ourselves with three world-class strikers, in totally different styles, next autumn.

Not to mention he leaps like a fookin salmon.

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

Amplifying the same point further:

I watched the reply of our 3rd goal last night. Y'know, 17 times like the rest of you .

Ben Davies, a player whom many think is "not up to the challenge", won the tackle and the ball in a defensive position. Son, who a lot of people insisted was "not a striker" a couple of years ago, laid the ball off to Sissoko, who was widely reviled as "not even a pub footballer" until he resurrected himself this season. He aimed a long ball at Llorente, another player who was not good enough until recently, who, as usual, won it and it bounced to Dele, who played Moura in with a canny flick.

They play as a team. All of them, including the ones who aren't world-class footballers.

P.S. It will be fascinating to see what happens to Lucas Moura's career next season. His footwork for the second goal was 100% up to Lionel Messi's class. I mean - you can't do that, it's impossible. Can he play like this on a reliable basis? Was it mainly a matter of confidence? Has Pochettino figured out how to release his amazing talent and turn him into an all-round brilliant footballer? When he is on his game, his speed of thought and foot are freakish and his outright pace is routinely underestimated by nearly every team he faces. We could find ourselves with three world-class strikers, in totally different styles, next autumn.

Consistency is the issue with Lucas, looks world class in some games like last night or United away but looks anonymous in far more games. If he can deliver last night’s performance with more regularity then boy oh boy. Then if Poch can get Kane, Son and Lucas to hit form together wow wow wow.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

This is awsome reminds me that Jose does kind of know what he’s talking about lol.

 

[Gassin's finest]

This is awsome reminds me that Jose does kind of know what he’s talking about lol.

Jose wants us bad. He always has. It's why he's never been happy since he left Porto.

 

[werty]

Nice piece that's probably better off in here than the match thread.

“Spursy” Is Dead: How Tottenham Killed the Narrative by Advancing to the Champions League Final

 

[davidmatzdorf]

This is awsome reminds me that Jose does kind of know what he’s talking about lol.

I found the really interesting thing about Mourinho's comments to be his use of the word "strategy" instead of "tactics". He's not talking about formations and individual positioning, he's talking about the kind of overarching approach to a match that (for instance) won Chelsea the CL final in 2012, despite Bayern totally outplaying them for 90+ minutes.

His point is that sometimes you can't play your preferred style, because there is an opponent who will beat you if you try. So you have to adapt. Pochettino is learning this. We don't just play one way anymore.

Ajax just kept trying to score goals.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Champions League Final

Still making me laugh

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

I found the really interesting thing about Mourinho's comments to be his use of the word "strategy" instead of "tactics". He's not talking about formations and individual positioning, he's talking about the kind of overarching approach to a match that (for instance) won him the CL final in 2012, despite Bayern totally outplaying Chelsea for 90+ minutes.

His point is that sometimes you can't play your preferred style, because there is an opponent who will beat you if you try. So you have to adapt. Pochettino is learning this. We don't just play one way anymore.

Ajax just kept trying to score goals.

He wasn’t Chelsea manager when they won the CL, di Mateo was.

 

[dagraham]

Consistency is the issue with Lucas, looks world class in some games like last night or United away but looks anonymous in far more games. If he can deliver last night’s performance with more regularity then boy oh boy. Then if Poch can get Kane, Son and Lucas to hit form together wow wow wow.

Totally. I still don’t like Moura as the furthest forward on his own. Whether as a false 9 or central striker.

He needs another up there close to him to free up the space a bit.