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Bournemouth Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

Spurger King

can't smile without glue
Jul 22, 2008
43,881
95,147
I've said this before: the one thing missing from this squad is individualism. We have a cohesive structure which makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts - but to make the next step you need quality that can create a spark out of nothing.

Having balance is important but sometimes losing a bit of balance is more effective to hurt the opposition. Bale on the right wouldn't provide the pressing and defending from the front Lamela brings but Bale produces more attacking brilliance which is worth its weight in points.

Yep.

I think we usually do alright because in most games at least one of Kane, Eriksen, Lamela, Son, or Alli would step up. We don't have an attacking midfielder as consistently good as Bale, but usually one of them plays well enough to make a difference. Unfortunately in games like today we suffer because none of them (obviously excluding the injured Kane) played well.

All of our attacking midfielders can be great on occasion, but we lack a Bale, VDV, or Payet that plays well most weekends.
 

Gaz_Gammon

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2005
16,047
18,013
The point of my post is simple, it's not a comparison or even directly relevant, it wasn't a case of oh well they didn't win so I don't feel so bad now!
The point I was making is that we drew with Bournemouth and Arsenal drew with Middlesbrough both results were against the odds and the favourites failed to win in both cases, what do I take from this? That there are no easy games and despite all the wailing and hand wringing and gnashing of teeth on this thread we should use this to get a sense of perspective.

The perspective that i see is that we have played 270 minutes of football without rippling the net. Some people think once Kane returns we will be scoring for fun, but we have scored just thirteen goals this season, just one more than twelve placed Palace and four of those in one match,. Liverpool are scoring almost a goal a game more. It's all well and good being undefeated but goals wins games not laborious bore draws.
 

sak11

Well-Known Member
Aug 7, 2005
926
897
Agreed, we will need to pick up excellent results (not just good or acceptable ones) to win the league. But in all honesty I still don't think we are good enough to win the league. We lack a real star quality outfield player to make that difference. But then, Leicester didn't have one last year so anything is possible if other teams under perform.....

So Mahrez, winner of footballer of the year, doesn't count as a star quality outfield player who makes a difference??!!
 

StartingPrice

Chief Sardonicus Hyperlip
Feb 13, 2004
32,568
10,280
Learn pretty quickly. It is blatantly obvious to me that Eriksen has been well below par for a very long while, and Lamela, aside from effort has not been at the level he was last season. You are guaranteed one if not will play the next game (EPL).

The bench did not get me excited, or cause concern to the opposition with game changers. GKN should of been on the bench, but not privy to why he wasn't. We have Davis and Wimmer on the bench. Wimmer was not needed as Davis could cover CH as well. Winks deserves a start at the very least.

I see, you meant the players on the bench as opposed to the bench in the sense of the manager and his assitants, which is how I was reading it - sorry, my bad.

I kinda agree with you. Thinks are not clicking in attack ATM. At our best, last season, mostly with the same personnel our attack was fluid and dynamic. The main missing ingredient ATM is Kane - but even he was struggling before his injury. It's a pity he was starting to find his scoring touch when he was injured - though, as said above, he may at least have got some rest because of it. I have the impression that Poch wouldn't hesitate to drop someone, anyone, if he felt it would benefit the team. We see all the closeness and good man-management with the players who are in but ultimately Poch wants to be successful. It's hard to guess what is going on with GKN. The only think I can say is that unless things are going drastically wrong (and I can't really see why so many folk seem to think they are ATM), I tend to think that Poch sees more in training, feels the vibe more, etc., than I do, so it is hard for me to second guess him. Where I can I will - and even with that in mind, and my usual reserve in giving players time, I am looking at the Sissoko deal with hope more than expectation and a little bafflement. But otherwise, I am guessing that as we are seeing what is our best team on paper (minus Toby) they must be performing as well as anyone in training or well enough for him to believe that playing them may see them click sooner or later (and hopefully sooner).

I could make a suggestion regarding Davies and Wimmer being on the bench together. I know it may have seemed strange giving Poch's love for versatile players, as Davies can play in the centre. But Rose left German in a protective boot and had to pass a late fitness test. Maybe he felt that if he had just had Davies on the bench and rose had broken down almost immediately, as could have happened, it would have left him without any cover there. As it happened neither was needed, and it took at one place that could have been taken by an attacking player. But imagine the outcry on here if, say, Rose had had to come off after 5 minutes and then Verts had got injured, and Davies was the only cover.

Janssen, personally speaking attributes from watching many games, and my connects in Holland were alarmed we were actually going for him. I said this prior signing him. He is here now and have to give him time, but personally do not believe he will cut it. I so much want to wrong and hope I am.

Personally, I like what I see in a general sense - but he does need goals too. Think Kane being injured has put the headlights on him early than was helpful. I have no reason to doubt that you have contacts in the Netherlands, and recognise that you at least have the decency to desperately hope you are wrong. But I do find it a bit baffling that anyone and everyone connected to Dutch football, who has commented on him, seems to rate him really highly and sees his success as almost assured given time. Is there an abrupt divide in attitude and we just aren't seeing it in the media? Or do those you refer to occupy certain niches in the footballing workforce - and, again, we just don't see it in the media?
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
We need an Isco. Until we get that type of pure lock picker then I don't see us as genuine title contenders.

Draw isn't the worst result at Bournemouth these days though. They'll beat at least a couple of our direct rivals there I suspect.
Forget Isco, winks would be an upgrade at the moment, someone who can move the ball quick without trying to dribble it through a team
 

rio bryan

Well-Known Member
Dec 30, 2006
547
350
Forget Isco, winks would be an upgrade at the moment, someone who can move the ball quick without trying to dribble it through a team

Someone who takes people on is exactly what we need, someone who can go past a defender to pull other defenders out of position, not sure who you are referring too when you say "trying to dribble through a team" !
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
Someone who takes people on is exactly what we need, someone who can go past a defender to pull other defenders out of position, not sure who you are referring too when you say "trying to dribble through a team" !
Most of our team

Alli, son, Lamela, sissoko and Dembele have been trying to dribble through the other team and it hasnt worked because there is no one to move the ball fast
 

glacierSpurs

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2013
16,163
25,472
Sissoko getting the hate now despite only playing less than 20mins?

Give him time.. Personally I thought Poch could be brilliant in bringing in Sissoko for Alli.. Imagine he brings about a goal with his power.. So many of you here will be eating your own words.. He was not useless at all upon coming in.. He put in two bloody crosses, one of which Rose could not connect well.. We are crying out loud for crosses for some time but ffs none of the midfielders or Walker could do so with conviction in the entire 70 minutes yesterday I think until Sissoko came on, and take note he was not even a winger.. Perspective.. He came on, did more than ok IMHO with the little time he had..

Definitely his elbow took away more of his support from the fans.. But try looking at that incident without slow motion.. It was not one that deserves capital punishment, with Arter even playing down the incident.. Of course, if he was given retrospective ban, I would not complain too, as I guess the FA will too be reviewing it in slow motion.. But definitely any discipline with it, Poch will deal with it.. Still, I think he is not the nasty player like some of the forumers wish he was just so in order to witch-hunt him...
 

Vincent30

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
900
3,694
On reflection, i said this at the start of the season, i think the winner of the league this year will have one of the lowest points totals we have seen becuase every game is difficult.

A point away to Bournemouth who are high on confidence after a mid week game is pretty good, my main frustration is that we still seem to only really perform against the bigger name teams. We moan that the lower teams always sit back and we need to break them down, that wasn't the case yesterday, for me we just didn't have enough intensity.

It seems some people are finally coming round to the fact Eriksen has been pretty woeful this year for his standards, the only game i've been impressed was against City when he was deeper but that was when the whole team played well and thats when he excels, he rarely now has those performances when we are struggling as a team and pops up with a a goal or piece of magic.

I love Alli and what he can become, but some of his silly little flicks in the middle of the pitch, greedy runs with the ball into no mans land and silly attempts at through balls which are basically little chips straight to their CB were pissing me off yesterday, we need him to add more to the team then just goals from midfield, yes he is excellent at that, but has a lot to learn about other parts of his game, ball retention needs to be worked on.

Lamela wasn't great yesterday but i'm getting bored of people getting straight on his back when Alli and Eriksen haven't been better this year and yesterday he did and tried to do more than all of our attacking players.

Once again Sissoko comes on in a game and gets abuse, its difficult to impact the game from the bench, not many can yet lets all say he is shit and cost 30m.... yawn, against City he was great and when he has started he has been decent. Give the guy a break he has just joined us. And as for his elbow, i'll say it again, Arter tried to do Wanyama with a shocking tackle 10 minutes earlier, fair play to that, deserved and backing his team up. I congratulate him on it.

Positives, big positives are our defensive unit and i thought Wanyama and Dembele did a lot of good things yesterday, we are extremely difficult to beat now, we just need to work on the fluidity and being more clinical going forward. I still think Janssen should have started today, that was the one big mistake we made. I'd never play Son away from home up front.

Oh and one more note, i hope the reason GKN wasn't on the bench was due to a knock. Away from home he deserves a start, something different and a bit of squad rotation, his pace could have damaged them yesterday.
 

EllenAlex

Well-Known Member
Jul 21, 2013
1,030
719
On reflection, i said this at the start of the season, i think the winner of the league this year will have one of the lowest points totals we have seen becuase every game is difficult.

A point away to Bournemouth who are high on confidence after a mid week game is pretty good, my main frustration is that we still seem to only really perform against the bigger name teams. We moan that the lower teams always sit back and we need to break them down, that wasn't the case yesterday, for me we just didn't have enough intensity.

It seems some people are finally coming round to the fact Eriksen has been pretty woeful this year for his standards, the only game i've been impressed was against City when he was deeper but that was when the whole team played well and thats when he excels, he rarely now has those performances when we are struggling as a team and pops up with a a goal or piece of magic.

I love Alli and what he can become, but some of his silly little flicks in the middle of the pitch, greedy runs with the ball into no mans land and silly attempts at through balls which are basically little chips straight to their CB were pissing me off yesterday, we need him to add more to the team then just goals from midfield, yes he is excellent at that, but has a lot to learn about other parts of his game, ball retention needs to be worked on.

Lamela wasn't great yesterday but i'm getting bored of people getting straight on his back when Alli and Eriksen haven't been better this year and yesterday he did and tried to do more than all of our attacking players.

Once again Sissoko comes on in a game and gets abuse, its difficult to impact the game from the bench, not many can yet lets all say he is shit and cost 30m.... yawn, against City he was great and when he has started he has been decent. Give the guy a break he has just joined us. And as for his elbow, i'll say it again, Arter tried to do Wanyama with a shocking tackle 10 minutes earlier, fair play to that, deserved and backing his team up. I congratulate him on it.

Positives, big positives are our defensive unit and i thought Wanyama and Dembele did a lot of good things yesterday, we are extremely difficult to beat now, we just need to work on the fluidity and being more clinical going forward. I still think Janssen should have started today, that was the one big mistake we made. I'd never play Son away from home up front.

Oh and one more note, i hope the reason GKN wasn't on the bench was due to a knock. Away from home he deserves a start, something different and a bit of squad rotation, his pace could have damaged them yesterday.

If, as you say, the winning total will be the lowest ever this season, surely we need to try even harder to beat the lower level opponents as the lower the total the better our chances of winning the title.

No good beating cannon fodder when the league is a two-hoarse race, in theory.
 

Vincent30

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
900
3,694
If, as you say, the winning total will be the lowest ever this season, surely we need to try even harder to beat the lower level opponents as the lower the total the better our chances of winning the title.

No good beating cannon fodder when the league is a two-hoarse race, in theory.

I want us to try to win every game with the same mentality and intensity, be it United at home or away to Burnley. Completely agree we need to beat the lower teams, but a point away isn't a bad thing my point being that this league is probably the hardest its been with no easy games.
 

shelfboy68

Well-Known Member
Jun 14, 2008
14,566
19,651
I see, you meant the players on the bench as opposed to the bench in the sense of the manager and his assitants, which is how I was reading it - sorry, my bad.

I kinda agree with you. Thinks are not clicking in attack ATM. At our best, last season, mostly with the same personnel our attack was fluid and dynamic. The main missing ingredient ATM is Kane - but even he was struggling before his injury. It's a pity he was starting to find his scoring touch when he was injured - though, as said above, he may at least have got some rest because of it. I have the impression that Poch wouldn't hesitate to drop someone, anyone, if he felt it would benefit the team. We see all the closeness and good man-management with the players who are in but ultimately Poch wants to be successful. It's hard to guess what is going on with GKN. The only think I can say is that unless things are going drastically wrong (and I can't really see why so many folk seem to think they are ATM), I tend to think that Poch sees more in training, feels the vibe more, etc., than I do, so it is hard for me to second guess him. Where I can I will - and even with that in mind, and my usual reserve in giving players time, I am looking at the Sissoko deal with hope more than expectation and a little bafflement. But otherwise, I am guessing that as we are seeing what is our best team on paper (minus Toby) they must be performing as well as anyone in training or well enough for him to believe that playing them may see them click sooner or later (and hopefully sooner).

I could make a suggestion regarding Davies and Wimmer being on the bench together. I know it may have seemed strange giving Poch's love for versatile players, as Davies can play in the centre. But Rose left German in a protective boot and had to pass a late fitness test. Maybe he felt that if he had just had Davies on the bench and rose had broken down almost immediately, as could have happened, it would have left him without any cover there. As it happened neither was needed, and it took at one place that could have been taken by an attacking player. But imagine the outcry on here if, say, Rose had had to come off after 5 minutes and then Verts had got injured, and Davies was the only cover.



Personally, I like what I see in a general sense - but he does need goals too. Think Kane being injured has put the headlights on him early than was helpful. I have no reason to doubt that you have contacts in the Netherlands, and recognise that you at least have the decency to desperately hope you are wrong. But I do find it a bit baffling that anyone and everyone connected to Dutch football, who has commented on him, seems to rate him really highly and sees his success as almost assured given time. Is there an abrupt divide in attitude and we just aren't seeing it in the media? Or do those you refer to occupy certain niches in the footballing workforce - and, again, we just don't see it in the media?

I dont know why anyone is doubting janssen once he gets a goal or two his confidence will grow.
He knows where the net is as was evident with the stunner he got for holland and when he played there, at the moment he is playing in a team that is struggling to create and when we do we cant finish.
Kane coming back should take some pressure of him but obviously put the onus back on Harry to deliver.
 
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