What's new

Match Threads K F Shkendija vs Spurs - Match Thread - Round 3

Match Prediction

  • Spurs to go through to the next round

    Votes: 152 95.6%
  • Spurs will fail to go through to the next round

    Votes: 7 4.4%

  • Total voters
    159

HenriKane

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2018
29
394
The thing with Hojbjerg as a 6 is that we lose his high pressing ability, which is why I think Winks will always have to start beside him to cover his pressures
 

HenriKane

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2018
29
394
So why did we buy him again?
I mean, he can play there, and probably will do the work. But he won't be able to press high all the time. I think he works better in a double pivot, like the one he did with JWP.
 

Pistols At Dawn

Well-Known Member
Jan 8, 2019
2,119
4,531
What I like about Ndombele is that he does the *unexpected* thing 9 times out of 10. Like his namesake Mousa, when you expect a pass, he drops the shoulder, when you expect him to go right, he goes left. Twinkle toes, strong on the ball, incisive passing. I see a HUGE talent there, let's hope Mourinho can unlock it.

NB: I was delighted to see him back in our half near the end of the game making a necessary defensive clearance! Go Tanguay!
 

Ionman34

SC Supporter
Jun 1, 2011
7,182
16,793
Winks hasnt started the season great but everyone just ripping into one of our own is pretty shitty imo...
I don’t think anyone is “ripping into him” here, just giving honest appraisals.

I think many expectations were raised after his superb performance against Real Madrid a couple of seasons ago. He owned the midfield that night against 2 WC midfielders.

However, it appears that is the exception rather than the norm, he’s not even got close to that level of performance since but, as he’s one of our own, we keep holding to the hope that he will.

I’m like everyone else here, in that I’d love to see the kid come good, but he isn’t so he’s at a crossroads imo. Like Dele, he needs to up his game as he now has some serious competition for a starting spot. Dele seems to be responding, NDombele seems to be responding. Winks needs to do the same or he could find himself surplus to requirements.

I hope he does, but a big part of me thinks it won’t be enough for him to be anything other than a fall back option with us.
 

fridgemagnet

Well-Known Member
Jan 18, 2009
2,408
2,862
Unfortunately he's not responded which is why he keeps getting subbed

IMO he's lost his mojo

A loan away would do him good

I've thought that, I think a Bundesliga loan would be good for him not just for footballing reasons but to bring his maturity a long a bit, that said we've so many games I think he's too important to let go unless another body comes in.

I've always thought he's an instinctive player rather than a reactive one, a street footballer when he's happy and confident he's an asset and when he's off it the likes of Dembele and Eriksen could prop things up but without those things it shows him up badly.

Conversely I think Winks is tactically much more with it; the issue is he's almost too rigid when following instruction it's not in him to deviate much from what he's been instructed with. It's odd he's always looked to me more at home when he's had chances with England.

I also think a lot of our side are tactically behind where you'd expect them to be, they're not as bad as a Redknapp "just fackin' run around a bit" I just think under Poch they got away with a lot due to our high press and high work rate. I've no evidence on this it's just a gut thing.

Maybe nonsense and why I'm not a coach. :bag:
 

Rusta81

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
362
549
Ndombele for my motm. He was spreading passes, getting in tackles, getting back and covering plus he played a full 90 mins.A fully fit ndombele will be amazing. I was a bit disappointed with winks. His passing range has dwindled so much now compared to what he use to do, I can't tell if he is lacking confidence or has been told to keep it simple but he is going to get shoved out of the middle soon.
He did put a peach through to Lamela split the defence, but Lamela fluffed it. The midfield was all other place with positioning but thats neither winks or tanguys ( whom showed some good stuff and is improving game on games ) games
 

hughy

I'm SUPER cereal.
Nov 18, 2007
31,837
56,906
Aurier with a few lovely crosses. It might have been because no one was closing us down on the right hand side, but I find it incredible how he suddenly figures out how to cross after we've signed Doherty. I really hope we keep Serge, I don't think there's as much between Doherty and Serge as most do, it would be great to actually have real competition for the RB space.
 

easley91

Well-Known Member
Jan 27, 2011
18,669
53,648
Aurier with a few lovely crosses. It might have been because no one was closing us down on the right hand side, but I find it incredible how he suddenly figures out how to cross after we've signed Doherty. I really hope we keep Serge, I don't think there's as much between Doherty and Serge as most do, it would be great to actually have real competition for the RB space.
Competition is a wonderful thing.
 

Nicki78

Well-Known Member
Sep 20, 2005
804
2,008
Did Son play the full 90 last night? Concerns me already that him and Kane are having to play so much.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
39,830
62,330
Aurier with a few lovely crosses. It might have been because no one was closing us down on the right hand side, but I find it incredible how he suddenly figures out how to cross after we've signed Doherty. I really hope we keep Serge, I don't think there's as much between Doherty and Serge as most do, it would be great to actually have real competition for the RB space.
Maybe (we can hope) it turns into a Lennon/Bentley situation where Lennon really upped his game and played the best football of his career for the couple of seasons Bentley genuinely pushed him for a starting berth.
 

Ionman34

SC Supporter
Jun 1, 2011
7,182
16,793
Unfortunately he's not responded which is why he keeps getting subbed

IMO he's lost his mojo

A loan away would do him good
I guess we'll have to wait and see there. From all accounts, he put a lot of effort into last night, it just didn't come off for him. It's his 1st game since the speculation has ramped up, and we have no idea how he's applying himself in training. If he's putting the hard yards in during training, I'm confident that JM will reward that. I get the feeling that he may have been trying a little too hard last night, so it's thrown his poise off a little.

The big question is whether it's just an initial response, then he falls back, or if he sustains the application. If the latter, I honestly think we'll see Dele kick on to the next level. We know the talent is there, it's just about him doing the basics right first.
 

davidmatzdorf

Front Page Gadfly
Jun 7, 2004
18,106
45,030
Maybe (we can hope) it turns into a Lennon/Bentley situation where Lennon really upped his game and played the best football of his career for the couple of seasons Bentley genuinely pushed him for a starting berth.
Lennon played the best football of his career in the only 2-3 seasons when he was free from minor, persistent, niggling injuries. They happened to be the same seasons when Bentley was at Tottenham, but I doubt that was much of a factor compared to Lennon being pain-free.
 
Top