Jose Mourinho

[spids]

There was no doubt that Kane was already a world-class player, but under Jose he's got even better. I didn't even think that would be possible!

I think over the last 18-24 months Harry was rarely 100% fit but also stopped being a team player. He was more focused on staying in the width of the penalty area and taking his own chances. He did not press much and stopped running the channels and became easier to mark. This season he is everywhere and the team has massively benefitted. The reverse switch pass to Son at Southampton was very similar to one he made for the same player to score 2 years ago at Wembley. Those two assists kind of bookmark a period of struggle for the team, and a period where Kane focused too much on scoring himself. Now he is our playmaker as well as our deadly goal scorer.

 

[ackie]

Is this the week Mourinho's Spurs were born? I certainly hope and think it is.

We look so dangerous going forward and now we are starting to figure out the midfield and getting a foothold in games. Kane and Son are linking up better than ever and our squad depth is looking seriously good.

Long may it continue. Time for Spurs and Jose to put themselves back on the map in style. COYS.

Kane and Son
PEH has been excellent in the games he has played.
Reggie is an excellent and shrewd buy.
I was also please with Moussa yesterday.

Im enjoying it. Great week indeed.

 

[ohtottenham!]

Jose, and his coaching staff, have done some great foundational work on this team. We have a pretty, solid central defence and a DCM in Hojbjerg who is great as a defensive shield, and as a key fulcrum for both defence and attack; the attack part may just be smart and quick, distribution of the ball to Tanguy or Gio...or even Aurier today, but it's so important.

We got our WBs threat back 'cause we're stretching the park. Reguilon looks great in both defence and attack; has pace, link-up play and a good cross. Aurier has more space as a result of our structure, less work to do defensively, and we saw what he could do in attack.

Midfield and attack are merging now, which is a great sign! Tanguy/Gio...We have so many options now, including Harry Kane getting the actual space and time to be lethal in different areas and phases of play.

A lot more...but, Jose and his team have done a great job!

 

[hellava_tough]

The squad he's helped put together is quite something. You certainly trust Jose to pick a player.

But added to that, there are players who were on the way out who now are looking quality.

Tanguy, Aurier, Sissoko, Lamela, Alli, Dier.

They're all bringing something to the party, which has massively helped us with squad rotation, etc.

Exciting times.

 

[Shadydan]

Very proud of the way we didn't rise to Utd's provocative attacks yesterday where they clearly left their foot in and happy that we are learning to shithouse other teams. I was so vocal that under Poch we didn't do anywhere near enough of mastering the dark arts when it was required so when I see us doing it now it honestly makes me smile.

 

[spids]

Jose, and his coaching staff, have done some great foundational work on this team. We have a pretty, solid central defence and a DCM in Hojbjerg who is great as a defensive shield, and as a key fulcrum for both defence and attack; the attack part may just be smart and quick, distribution of the ball to Tanguy or Gio...or even Aurier today, but it's so important.

We got our WBs threat back 'cause we're stretching the park. Reguilon looks great in both defence and attack; has pace, link-up play and a good cross. Aurier has more space as a result of our structure, less work to do defensively, and we saw what he could do in attack.

Midfield and attack are merging now, which is a great sign! Tanguy/Gio...We have so many options now, including Harry Kane getting the actual space and time to be lethal in different areas and phases of play.

A lot more...but, Jose and his team have done a great job!

TBH the bit I have bolded is the only bit I disagree with. At CB we still look shaky. Toby looks slow. Sanchez makes too many mistakes. Dier has lapses in concentration. Tanganga is too raw. We are decent but not solid, and most teams look like they know they will score at least 1 against us. Signing someone like Skriniar would be perfect.

 

[ohtottenham!]

TBH the bit I have bolded is the only bit I disagree with. At CB we still look shaky. Toby looks slow. Sanchez makes too many mistakes. Dier has lapses in concentration. Tanganga is too raw. We are decent but not solid, and most teams look like they know they will score at least 1 against us. Signing someone like Skriniar would be perfect.

I agree about Skriniar.

 

[Shanks]

Did I miss his sky sports interview?

 

['O Zio]

Im not a fan of Lamela falling on the floor feigning injury but I have to agree with you here. I think a lot of people focused on lamela elbow contacting with martial but that wasnt the part of his arm leading the action, he wasn't purposefully swinging his elbow around, martial on the other clearly tried to slap him.

Oh yeah don't get me wrong I hate the way Lamela goes down like he's been stabbed in the face or something to make doubly sure that the ref looks at it, but the action itself by martial is a red card no matter how hard he did it IMO. Like I say there's no reason whatsoever to be putting a hand to a players face intentionally so he can have no complaints.

 

[thekneaf]

In the PL we've only conceded 1 goal from open play in 4 games; Ings.

3 penalties and 1 from a set piece - DCL.

That's pretty good. Definitely room for improvement, but pretty good.

 

[easley91]

TBH the bit I have bolded is the only bit I disagree with. At CB we still look shaky. Toby looks slow. Sanchez makes too many mistakes. Dier has lapses in concentration. Tanganga is too raw. We are decent but not solid, and most teams look like they know they will score at least 1 against us. Signing someone like Skriniar would be perfect.

We are nowhere near as shaky as you think though. One lapse yesterday and that was the penalty. No mistakes v Newcastle. One v Chelsea, which we recovered from. I'm sorry but the defense and the CBs are not as shaky anymore.

 

[Led's Zeppelin]

We are nowhere near as shaky as you think though. One lapse yesterday and that was the penalty. No mistakes v Newcastle. One v Chelsea, which we recovered from. I'm sorry but the defense and the CBs are not as shaky anymore.

Agreed.

There was a period not so long ago when we were consistently conceding 2 goals per game.

The rules have accounted for less defensive solidity in most teams, but we definitely seem to be moving against the trend, and are letting in fewer rather than more goals than we recently were.

The pleasing thing is that at the same time as tightening up, we’re also scoring more.

 

[thekneaf]

My only area of concern is crosses. We sometimes get slipped down a channel, but I'm not really educated enough in coaching to know if that is tactics, ability of the defence, or just something that will happen no matter how good you are. However, crosses I feel a more basic area to evaluate. Even yesterday Pogba got a clear header between Sanchez and Dier from a free kick wide right of our box. It was very similar to the DLC position and I feel that if team drop the ball into that zone they are making hay.

 

[Shadydan]

We are nowhere near as shaky as you think though. One lapse yesterday and that was the penalty. No mistakes v Newcastle. One v Chelsea, which we recovered from. I'm sorry but the defense and the CBs are not as shaky anymore.

I think as a unit we still defend to passively and our CB's can be got at, having said that in the majority of matches we won't need to be because our attackers are world class.

 

[easley91]

I think as a unit we still defend to passively and our CB's can be got at, having said that in the majority of matches we won't need to be because our attackers are world class.

But how many clear cut chances have we conceded this week aside from goals that are not penalties?

 

[spids]

We are nowhere near as shaky as you think though. One lapse yesterday and that was the penalty. No mistakes v Newcastle. One v Chelsea, which we recovered from. I'm sorry but the defense and the CBs are not as shaky anymore.

I'll agree when we've had back-to-back clean sheets. Whilst I agree that we were impressive, there was more than one lapse yesterday. Sanchez made at least 2 very poor clearances under little pressure that did not clear our defensive third and went straight back to a United player. Work in progress. I will not be gutted if we do not sign a new CB, and I think Dier and Sanchez has the makings of a very good partnership (one has great pace and the other is physically / aerially dominant), I just do not think we can be described as "very solid at CB" just yet.

 

[easley91]

I'll agree when we've had back-to-back clean sheets. Whilst I agree that we were impressive, there was more than one lapse yesterday. Sanchez made at least 2 very poor clearances under little pressure that did not clear our defensive third and went straight back to a United player. Work in progress. I will not be gutted if we do not sign a new CB, and I think Dier and Sanchez has the makings of a very good partnership (one has great pace and the other is physically / aerially dominant), I just do not think we can be described as "very solid at CB" just yet.

Agree to disagree. We look more solid at the moment than Liverpool and City at the back.

 

[Shadydan]

But how many clear cut chances have we conceded this week aside from goals that are not penalties?

Not sure on the stats, I'm just saying what I see with my eyes, IMO it's still to easy to play through us and get at our back line. Funny thing is that we looked more organised post lockdown and seemed to have gone backwards a bit in our defending this season, I expect us to improve though.

Edit - Also there's a common theme under Jose that we get sucked in towards the goal and no-one covers the penalty or edge of the box when the opposing teams go for the cut back as well.

 

[spids]

Agree to disagree. We look more solid at the moment than Liverpool and City at the back.

I will happily agree with your second sentence (but that is a different thing altogether).

 

[E17yid]

Very proud of the way we didn't rise to Utd's provocative attacks yesterday where they clearly left their foot in and happy that we are learning to shithouse other teams. I was so vocal that under Poch we didn't do anywhere near enough of mastering the dark arts when it was required so when I see us doing it now it honestly makes me smile.

I do think Poch installed a bit of nastiness/ dark arts into us though. I definitely remember fans saying we had a more nasty edge to us under Poch and how we were far to soft a touch prior to him coming in (it feels like that soft touch thing has been said about us for decades)

I think it was at its height during the period where we saw some of Alli’s more blatant dives. Not turning this into a Poch v Mourinho thing as I think Jose, as shown in the documentary, is keen to drill this into us which is great imo but I do think Poch moved us on in that regards from being a really nicey nicey team to a side with a bit of edge and that was willing to cheat/bend the rules a bit.

Like I say, though, I think Mourinho has stepped this up and like you it makes me smile seeing us do it to teams as opposed to it being done to us.