Match Threads Newcastle vs Spurs

[homer hotspur]

I don’t mean to sound obtuse here but does it really matter? We had enough of the ball to get a goal, we looked completely out of ideas. Newcastle were very poor but they just managed to get into goal scoring posistions.

its not whether it really matters or not ,per se, the point I'm making is that all the pundits, Ange , reports etc etc have reported it that way as if a whole host of great chances were missed but that isn't really what happened. I think with Solanke in the middle , he would have been benefitting from some of the approach play and crosses and would very likely have had good scoring opportunities, but Kulu and Son don't have that instinct. I'm also not convinced Solanke couldn't have played today , I think they took the decision not to risk it and, if so, it rather backfired.

 

[FloridaSpur]

If we were battered by Newcastle today but somehow scraped a win, would that have been seen as progress?

I know the end result doesn't reflect it but I personally think the fact we outplayed Newcastle in their own ground with our best defender and both strikers missing was a massive plus and step forward, certainly compared to how we have been annihilated at their ground recently.

It's all ifs and buts but i believe if Solanke and VDV plays today we win. I get the frustrations but the reactions to this performance has astounded me, so over the top and as if we should be rolling up and winning this game without fail.

Two away wins since October, against ten men Villa and relegated Sheffield.

You not 'astounded' by that?

Bring in the best combined defence in the PL and we still get beaten on the break.

We are averaging two goals a game this season, how many do we need to score to win a game of football?

Defending is the issue and has been last season, pre-season and this season.

Look at the results for proof of that.

 

[haslemereyid]

I thought we did ok - we need to be clinical which wasn’t helped by not having a centre forward on the pitch (see last season for details) - we score the goals our possession deserves and then a lot of the defensive issues fade away - let’s get Dom on the pitch for a run of games before we decide it’s all over

 

[GioW]

I was fuming when we re-signed Werner on loan and I got quite a few negative reactions but I stand by it.

To me it was an absolute waste of time and took up a valuable squad place we could have used to actually strengthen our team.

We could have Odobert and Moore as our back up LW’s (CAM too) to Son and instead of Werner we could have gone and got an actual quality attacker for RW.

Really stupid move, a waste of time and unfortunately sums up how we didn’t do enough in the window imo.

Yep.

For another thread but hoping this becomes clear to Ange quite quickly and we move for his replacement in Jan.

Bryan Mbeumo please !

 

[lukadownthelane]

It's just an explanation of why Spurs are regarded as a joke of a football club, it's not that big of a deal.

Obviously never going to be popular hearing the truth on here but it's exactly how the club is regarded by others and by many of its own fans.

It’s not just about what other people say and to be honest that doesn’t really bother me. However it’s totally fair enough to be emotional when it seems like we are never going to get to the point where we have a side that can actually go out and win something.

I get emotional because I want to enjoy and experience that with my family for the first time in such a long time. I’m in my mid 40s and my dad’s not getting any younger. My son has only experienced disappointment and sharing the feeling of a trophy win is what you hope for when you turn up every other week.

It’s scandalous that a club our size, with our fan base, our resources and the players we’ve had over the years has been so starved of success. The powers that be need to make success a priority, but instead it seems like we’re at the start of another season that feels like it will end just like all the others for almost 20 years.

So let’s not give people stick for being emotional. We’ve got every right to be. Maybe we need more emotion and more desire in all areas of the club if we are to ever be successful again.

 

[Toast]

Of course I can’t but Fish usually has a pretty good idea and he’s right more than he is wrong

 

[jay2040]

Not directly but as I explained us signing him prevented us going for an actual quality player for our first team.



This.

Rubbish. Which player was it? Where did u read this?

 

[SirNiNyHotspur]

It’s not just about what other people say and to be honest that doesn’t really bother me. However it’s totally fair enough to be emotional when it seems like we are never going to get to the point where we have a side that can actually go out and win something.

I get emotional because I want to enjoy and experience that with my family for the first time in such a long time. I’m in my mid 40s and my dad’s not getting any younger. My son has only experienced disappointment and sharing the feeling of a trophy win is what you hope for when you turn up every other week.

It’s scandalous that a club our size, with our fan base, our resources and the players we’ve had over the years has been so starved of success. The powers that be need to make success a priority, but instead it seems like we’re at the start of another season that feels like it will end just like all the others for almost 20 years.

So let’s not give people stick for being emotional. We’ve got every right to be. Maybe we need more emotion and more desire in all areas of the club if we are to ever be successful again.

Great post.

The demand to win things needs to come from the top, until that changes nothing changes…

 

[muel]

Some of you lot have lost your minds!

Whichever side you fall on I’m talking about the other obviously.

 

[Bobbins]

It’s not just about what other people say and to be honest that doesn’t really bother me. However it’s totally fair enough to be emotional when it seems like we are never going to get to the point where we have a side that can actually go out and win something.

I get emotional because I want to enjoy and experience that with my family for the first time in such a long time. I’m in my mid 40s and my dad’s not getting any younger. My son has only experienced disappointment and sharing the feeling of a trophy win is what you hope for when you turn up every other week.

It’s scandalous that a club our size, with our fan base, our resources and the players we’ve had over the years has been so starved of success. The powers that be need to make success a priority, but instead it seems like we’re at the start of another season that feels like it will end just like all the others for almost 20 years.

So let’s not give people stick for being emotional. We’ve got every right to be. Maybe we need more emotion and more desire in all areas of the club if we are to ever be successful again.

Well you've hit the nail on the head there - I'm in my 40's with two young kids and for years I've been looking forward to introducing them to Spurs. My little girl is 5 and does a sterling job of trying to watch us and cheer for us etc but the other day after the Leicester game she actually said to me "Daddy why can't we support a team that wins?" -absolute heartbreaker!

I'm very concerned that unlike when I grew up, when Spurs were still known as one of the biggest clubs with a history of winning stuff (we won the FA Cup the year I was born, then in '91 it was the first time I really completely understood the significance of it) - despite that I was hammered at school by my mates who all supported Arsenal/Chelsea/Liverpool/United. But at least I always had regular trophy wins to fall back on.

I know it's not all about winning things and following glory, but young kids need to see something from their team to give them hope. If all they see year after year after year is 4th-8th placed finishes and no trophies, they're naturally going to start looking elsewhere, especially when their friends are celebrating their clubs winning things. There are already kids at my daughter's primary school going around in City shirts - in south London! It's sickening but Spurs risk losing an entire generation of fans by constantly failing.

It's been 33 years since we won that last FA Cup. 33 YEARS! It is a scandal and people should be much more bothered about it. Instead we just get told to continuously be patient and stop "hating" because "we'll be fine". Fine isn't good enough anymore, not after decades of failure. And worse than that - acceptance of failure from the top of the club.

But do you know the worst thing, by far? I'm not emotional about it. Not at all. I barely care at all anymore - barely post on SC, hardly ever go to games, don't follow the social media stuff, just totally indifferent now.

 

[Mellow Man Ace]

I went to the game and only got back about an hour ago to South London, hence my thoughts may be a little jumbled but there goes:

I guess my overall emotion watching from up on the Gods at SJP was that there has been little to no discernible progress in our play in the final third and our propensity to give away easy goals. Maybe we will get better over time but today really felt like Groundhog Day based on our last visit to SJP.

Looking at our signings, I can clearly see we’ve signed players with excellent potential, and long may that continue. However, it was also clear to me today that we currently lack those “special” players who will single handedly change a game.

Which brings me into the players….no point really being down on particular individuals but I’d say our collective intelligence in the final third is shockingly bad. We look uncoached and/or timid with nobody wanting to take responsibility. I saw players wildly put balls into areas where there was 1 Spurs player versus 4 or 5 Newcastle players. It really felt like the primary purpose of our players was to do what they’ve been told to do without any great thought.

Which leads me to Ange. I think he’s an excellent ambassador for the club. He’s witty, erudite, low maintenance and committed. I think he’s still finding his feet so we shouldn’t be quick to rush to judgement, however he could really help himself by putting in the requisite steps to make us more solid. Despite what some posters on here said at the time, simply playing “good football” isn’t going to be enough… we need to be winning games and challenging for trophies.

…… which leads me to my final points: Levy/ENIC. I keep coming back to the nagging question..”where’s the money gone?” Every time a poster on here says that we can’t afford a player (eg Eze’s release clause upfront or couldn’t take a loan potentially due to restrictive covenants) I always ask myself why?

We are seemingly a very well run club with significant revenues from a range of sporting and non sporting activities. I would value us at around 3.5bn - 4bn and yet we can’t take a loan for 60m? If that’s the case what is our strategic model going to be?

I would have had a lot of respect for Levy if he had come out and said that we were going to have a reset and our strategy was in developing a young squad with a view to challenging in 5-7 years. Sure, some fans would bitch and moan but I feel that most of our fans would understand and accept it, especially in this current climate. However, I can’t shake the feeling that we are being taken for granted/mugged off with a “jam tomorrow” narrative. I still can’t shake the feeling that Ange is being expected to be an alchemist rather than an excellent coach.

I guess I’m worried that ultimately, Ange will be another manager sacrificed at the ENIC altar of relative indifference to consistently challenging for trophies in preference for expanding their investment portfolio.

I may be worrying unnecessarily of course, but in the absence of information, most people fear the worst.

Sorry for the long ramble…..7 hours travel will do that to you!

COYS

 

[jolsnogross]

We didn't get a hiding so there's some progress in that. The last two trips up there were incredibly grim and I was fearful that our lot were too soft to withstand it again. So props to them for making a game of it.

I've been saying since last season we need strikers. People respond saying we can't have more than two. I think that's an unnecessary philosophical bind we're tying ourselves into. Strikers come off the bench - are needed off the bench - more than any other position. Richarlison is made of glass and probably not good enough based on his time with us so far. Solanke has plenty to prove.

One other striker, instead of Werner for instance and on a similar wage, would provide the level of competition we need up front. If we keep 'dominating' games, but don't create or convert chances because everyone is playing pretty football but none have killer instincts, we won't go very far.

The theory of Ange's football is all well and good, and the practice of it in the Premier League is arguably heading in the right direction. But the results of it are very average outside of last season's 10-game new manager bounce.

Today's result was disappointing. A loss to Arsenal would be tough as well. 4 points from 9 isn't great. 4 from 12 the same. The gap to the leading pack is unforgiving and we've got a lot riding on Solanke.

 

[kmk]

 

[SirNiNyHotspur]

Well you've hit the nail on the head there - I'm in my 40's with two young kids and for years I've been looking forward to introducing them to Spurs. My little girl is 5 and does a sterling job of trying to watch us and cheer for us etc but the other day after the Leicester game she actually said to me "Daddy why can't we support a team that wins?" -absolute heartbreaker!

I'm very concerned that unlike when I grew up, when Spurs were still known as one of the biggest clubs with a history of winning stuff (we won the FA Cup the year I was born, then in '91 it was the first time I really completely understood the significance of it) - despite that I was hammered at school by my mates who all supported Arsenal/Chelsea/Liverpool/United. But at least I always had regular trophy wins to fall back on.

I know it's not all about winning things and following glory, but young kids need to see something from their team to give them hope. If all they see year after year after year is 4th-8th placed finishes and no trophies, they're naturally going to start looking elsewhere, especially when their friends are celebrating their clubs winning things. There are already kids at my daughter's primary school going around in City shirts - in south London! It's sickening but Spurs risk losing an entire generation of fans by constantly failing.

It's been 33 years since we won that last FA Cup. 33 YEARS! It is a scandal and people should be much more bothered about it. Instead we just get told to continuously be patient and stop "hating" because "we'll be fine". Fine isn't good enough anymore, not after decades of failure. And worse than that - acceptance of failure from the top of the club.

But do you know the worst thing, by far? I'm not emotional about it. Not at all. I barely care at all anymore - barely post on SC, hardly ever go to games, don't follow the social media stuff, just totally indifferent now.

Same mate, 40’s as well with two kids, in my heart want them to follow Spurs, my head says otherwise, so never really pushed it on them as much as I wanted them them too, they both kind of like Spurs but aren’t invested like me which how I want to keep it until I see real signs it’ll bring some happy memories rather the regurgitated misery of the last 24.

One son supports Barcelona, the other Real Madrid so they have already got to celebrate more than a semi-final victory (Ajax game probably as good as it got in their supporting years) sometimes they look at me in pity Although they rarely hear a yell out of me anymore, more like a whimper…

 

[vinsomer]

People saying “same shit” than last year surely don’t remember our dismantle by Newcastle at SJP last season, where we didn’t even show up, even having VDV. Today we dominated them and didn’t win just because of the lack of a striker (or even VDV, who would stop that second goal). Progress is there to be seen. And yet, there’s a lot more work to do. Yes, we are not as better as some here force themselves to believe. We are also clearly not as shit. We are a young team in the beginning of a project. Have some fucking patience ffs. COYS today and always.

 

[kitchen]

Hmm. Tricky one for me today and vs Leicester.

Part of me thinks our football is perhaps too high risk to balance out the potential reward. It's too easy for teams to play 5 at the back and counter with pace on the flanks.

The other part of me loves watching us play and despite the result would I rather be a spurs fan and watch us perform like we did today than a newcastle fan and watch them play shit park the bus and counter anti- football with 30% possession. I also think we could have success if we can just be more ruthless and a bit more precise and clinical.

I hated us under Conte. Felt so disconnected with the club and got really bored watching us. Today I was wondering at half time what Ange's plan B was and I smiled when he simply went even more attacking, bringing on Johnson for Sarr. Does that not epitomise 'To dare is to do'?

Winning is great but football is also an entertainment sport and I ultimately value the experience more than caring about bragging rights. I watched us lift the last 2 cups we won and it was great but I was more excited when Moura scored a hattrick vs ajax in the most dramatic way possible in the CL semi. Moments are what make the game for me more than silverware, and those are the things we remember.

The sport is pay to win corrupt nonsense in the PL if you care that much about trophies anyway. The team that has dominated the league for the last decade has 115 ffp charges ffs and very questionable owners. There is very little soul left at club level in terms of success being meritable or even earnt.

That said. I of course don't want us to not make progress and achieve things but I reckon if we keep dominating all the stats except the scoreline like we have done all season, it will tilt in our favour sooner rather than later.

 

[BorjeSpurs]

Well you've hit the nail on the head there - I'm in my 40's with two young kids and for years I've been looking forward to introducing them to Spurs. My little girl is 5 and does a sterling job of trying to watch us and cheer for us etc but the other day after the Leicester game she actually said to me "Daddy why can't we support a team that wins?" -absolute heartbreaker!

I'm very concerned that unlike when I grew up, when Spurs were still known as one of the biggest clubs with a history of winning stuff (we won the FA Cup the year I was born, then in '91 it was the first time I really completely understood the significance of it) - despite that I was hammered at school by my mates who all supported Arsenal/Chelsea/Liverpool/United. But at least I always had regular trophy wins to fall back on.

I know it's not all about winning things and following glory, but young kids need to see something from their team to give them hope. If all they see year after year after year is 4th-8th placed finishes and no trophies, they're naturally going to start looking elsewhere, especially when their friends are celebrating their clubs winning things. There are already kids at my daughter's primary school going around in City shirts - in south London! It's sickening but Spurs risk losing an entire generation of fans by constantly failing.

It's been 33 years since we won that last FA Cup. 33 YEARS! It is a scandal and people should be much more bothered about it. Instead we just get told to continuously be patient and stop "hating" because "we'll be fine". Fine isn't good enough anymore, not after decades of failure. And worse than that - acceptance of failure from the top of the club.

But do you know the worst thing, by far? I'm not emotional about it. Not at all. I barely care at all anymore - barely post on SC, hardly ever go to games, don't follow the social media stuff, just totally indifferent now.

Very concerned for your kids that Spurs might not win stuff during their childhood?

Young kids need to see something from their team to give them hope?

Just have fun with your kids watching football, creating memories together with their dad.

I've been speechless reading some of the existential stuff on here today.

 

[Mate]

From X

Tottenham under Ange in 2024:

23 games (21 league 2 cup)
10 wins (9 in league 1 in the cup)
9 losses (8 in league 1 in the cup)
4 draws
39 goals scored
36 goals conceded

Pretty much a new squad, only Davies remains from the Poch era i believe.

Next game will be very interesting indeed.

Son?

 

[spurs9]

We didn't get a hiding so there's some progress in that. The last two trips up there were incredibly grim and I was fearful that our lot were too soft to withstand it again. So props to them for making a game of it.

I've been saying since last season we need strikers. People respond saying we can't have more than two. I think that's an unnecessary philosophical bind we're tying ourselves into. Strikers come off the bench - are needed off the bench - more than another other position. Richarlison is made of glass and probably not good enough based on his time with us so far. Solanke has plenty to prove.

One other striker, instead of Werner for instance and on a similar wage, would provide the level of competition we need up front. If we keep 'dominating' games, but don't create or convert chances because everyone is playing pretty football but none have killer instincts, we won't go very far.

The theory of I'm a hipster ball is all well and good, and the practice of it in the Premier League is arguably heading in the right direction. But the results of I'm a hipster ball are very average outside of last season's 10-game new manager bounce.

Today's result was disappointing. A loss to Arsenal would be tough as well. 4 points from 9 isn't great. 4 from 12 the same. The gap to the leading pack is unforgiving and we've got a lot riding on Solanke.

We have 3 strikers, its just unfortunate that all 3 are injured at the same time.

 

[DenverSpur]

View attachment 145031

This tells us everything we need to know about our game at the moment. Johnson put in a good cross and not a single other player is in the right place for a tap in.

Lineker used to take exception when commentators used to claim he was always in the right place at the right time when in fact he tried to be in the right place every time because 9 times out of 10 your teammate wouldn't put in the pass/cross so he needed to make sure that he was always there for the 1 time that they did.

Except for Richarlison none of our strikers in the last 10 years or more make near post runs. They all either make back post runs or want a cut back. So many goal chances go to waste because of this. Also compared to many other teams we always seem to lack numbers in the box.