Newcastle vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[Spurger King]

They were saying on the commentary yesterday that Watford hadn't watered their pitch and it was dry which caused that problem for Liverpool, not a coincidence then.

You'd think Liverpool, of all clubs, would appreciate pitches being less slippery.

 

[coys200]

If Sanchez comes dier is pretty much a squad player,doubt he will be happy with that in World Cup year.

 

[Ionman34]

In hindsight that offside where KWP brought down Gayle (I think) could prove to be so fucking important in this lads progression, hate to think what the knock in confidence would be to give away a pen 10 mins into your PL debut.
He grew throughout the match and barely put a foot wrong after that...really nice to see more experienced players Dier/Toby/Jan giving him constant praise when he did something well, which was pretty much every time he did anything...I'm guessing that was instruction from Poch.

It may have been, but I'd like to think they're not too different from us, where they're looking out for the young'un, giving him encouragement and praise throughout the match.

 

[RichieS]

If Sanchez comes dier is pretty much a squad player,doubt he will be happy with that in World Cup year.

Are there not statistics showing he starts every match he is available for?

 

[fortworthspur]

If Sanchez comes dier is pretty much a squad player,doubt he will be happy with that in World Cup year.

I dont see that at all. There are plenty of games and he can play 3 positions.

 

[sak11]

I dont see that at all. There are plenty of games and he can play 3 positions.

On top of which - how on earth can anyone guarantee that Sanchez is going to come in and become an automatic starter from day 1? Not how Poch works... he has to earn the right to play..:

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

Not sure why so many people were having a pop at Dier. He did fine today, not amazing, but not worth the words on here. I don't get why people have to single out individuals to be a scapegoat if things aren't going to plan. It would be nice if Spurs fans didn't do that.

I don't think it's scapegoating. He plays at walking pace, and his passing has become pretty poor. We were much better when Wanyama came on. We know he can play better, because he has done it before, but right now he doesn't deserve a starting place, in my opinion.

 

[theShiznit]

I'm very unsure what I think about the overall performance. Either, we played finally like a team actually capable of winning a trophy. That is that cool, confident, effortless way of playing in style, never wasting one calorie actually trying, but just being better.

Or, we are not up to speed yet at all and were helped over the finish line by a red card and injury to important players.

I think the whole "slow start" misnoma has some merit.
in as much as early on in the season under Poch we have been quite sluggish and struggled to put away opposition that on paper may have seemed simple.

Poch's legendarily tough pre seasons may be a factor, as may a staggered pre-season where players have joined at different times due to international commitment. Also adding new players late on may have an effect (not this season obviously )

If we can win without being fully up to speed though I'll take it.

Hopefully we'll have a bit more pep and sharpness against the Chav's next week though.

 

[lukadownthelane]

This is a more reasoned point than a lot of what I read tbh. However you could make the same points about a number of the starting XI today, not just Dier. I can't say I remember us being better when Wanyama came on - that was the time when they looked their most dangerous iirc.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

We looked so much better with Son on for Sissiko. He was turgid.

Very difficult for me anyway, to see exactly what he brings to this team. Slow and ponderous with limited passing ability. Bugger knows what someone see in him to splash the amount that we did on him.

 

[Sweetsman]

Not sure why so many people were having a pop at Dier. He did fine today, not amazing, but not worth the words on here. I don't get why people have to single out individuals to be a scapegoat if things aren't going to plan. It would be nice if Spurs fans didn't do that.

You were expecting equanimity and balanced opinion? On Spurscommunity, on a match day? What were you thinking?

 

[lukadownthelane]

You were expecting equanimity and balanced opinion? On Spurscommunity, on a match day? What were you thinking?

Expecting? No. Hoping? Yes.

 

[Sweetsman]

Kind of ye.

Football lads Alience. Basically Football fans against extremism. Non racist. I don't get the point personally but um ye..

These groups claim to be anti-racist on the grounds that Islam is a religion and not an ethnicity; but essentially they're so-called alt-right and scum. Many of these groups were traditionally anti-Semitic, but have hidden it.

 

[Sweetsman]

Expecting? No. Hoping? Yes.

I don't think you've watched The Fast Show, the 13th Duke of Wybourne. That's what I trying to copy.

 

[lukadownthelane]

I don't think you've watched The Fast Show, the 13th Duke of Wybourne. That's what I trying to copy.

Ah yes. I know it well. Sorry too tires and hanging to make the link!

 

[PaddoSpurs]

Benitez should have gone to specsavers!

 

[guy]

View attachment 31797

Whats that he's talking a photo of?

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

Whats that he's talking a photo of?

MOTM Award

 

[Classof17]

This. They've been a bogey team for a while for some strange reason. I expected St James' to be rocking today but it seems like they were maybe a bit intimidated by us.

Absolute stroll in the park.

It was rocking at the start, but its our style of play as the game wore on - keeping possession, sideways passing, slow play, hard to keep cheering that and about 80% possession at the start of second half

 

[Classof17]

Great to get the 3pts but shouldn't let this cloud the fact that it was pretty turgid before Shelvey's brainfart. We often seem to have this problem when playing away with a 4-2-3-1 formation; the wingbacks don't offer enough of a threat, their back line condenses and none of our forwards get any space (hence the zero output from Dele/Harry before the sending off). Good as KWP and Davies played they are still undoubtedly full-backs playing as wingbacks, by that I mean they don't offer enough of a wide threat to worry the opposition defence. The signing of a genuine Walker-esque RWB will be our make-or-break this year, and is for me the most important piece of business we get done by the end of the window, though I worry KWP's performance will convince Poch he no longer needs one.

To be honest i wasn't to fazed by the slow pretty boring first half. We've seen it time and time again, i think its part of pochs game management mentality, to stay in the game without giving too much away in the first half, and then up the tempo and apply more pressure in the second, plus being first game of the season as well.