Southampton Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[Mr Pink]

I love how positive you are mate and I really wish I could be the same, but I think you are seriously hamming that up quite a lot.

A bit maybe, but only to offset a lot of the negativity. I have my concerns for sure at the moment, but they have to be balanced out against things I deem to be positive as well.

We won't always win by playing the best football for the majority of a football match even if its the best long term way of winning matches - which it is obviously. We are winning ugly at times this season, and that's something we've havn't been good at over the years, and learning to grind out results is definitely a big asset to have.

 

[leffe186]

A bit maybe, but only to offset a lot of the negativity. I have my concerns for sure at the moment, but they have to be balanced out against things I deem to be positive as well.

We won't always win by playing the best football for the majority of a football match even if its the best long term way of winning matches - which it is obviously. We are winning ugly at times this season, and that's something we've havn't been good at over the years, and learning to grind out results is definitely a big asset to have.

It's what we did for some of our great pre-Christmas run last year too. I mean, how on Earth did we win that game at Fulham? My main concern is that we find some creativity from somewhere in January, but as long as Ade is fit and not fighting with AVB, Benny comes back at LB and Dembele recovers fully we look good enough. I can't quite believe we're fourth, but we are. A classy replacement in the Dempsey/Sigi/VDV position would make us so much better.

 

[felmani26]

We are most definitely riding our luck in terms of results but then this is counteracted with the key injuries we've sustained along with the most notable fact that we are in a transitional phase.

We have lost key personnel either through transfer or through injury and that almost certainly has a detrimental impact on our performances but just like United have done in years gone by, winning ugly is a vital characteristic to have if you have ambitions to do well.

 

[mattyspurs]

It's what we did for some of our great pre-Christmas run last year too. I mean, how on Earth did we win that game at Fulham? My main concern is that we find some creativity from somewhere in January, but as long as Ade is fit and not fighting with AVB, Benny comes back at LB and Dembele recovers fully we look good enough. I can't quite believe we're fourth, but we are. A classy replacement in the Dempsey/Sigi/VDV position would make us so much better.

For me, that is the crux of the matter.

We are 4th, and we are not playing well. We are a newish team, missing 2 key players sold, some key injuries, a new coaching set up, yet we are still 4th. Look at Everton, one of our rivals for 4/5th place, having their best start since Noah started building the ark, yet they are still below us.

We as fans and the club need to take solace in this.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Good lord we have problems if the team is tired this early in a season.

There is very probably a direct relationship between players tiring in the late stages of a Sunday match and 8 or more of those same players having played for 70-90 minutes in Slovenia on Thursday.

You can run a parallel squad for the Europa League and field a fresh team for the league, or you can try to field a very strong side in both competitions and then you risk running out of steam at the weekend.

In reality, there isn't that much difference, other than spin, between the way Redknapp and Villas-Boas have approached squad rotation for these two competitions. Perhaps we averaged one more young player starting EL matches last season and one more on the bench, but in both seasons that has been more related to injuries than to a major difference in approach. Redknapp moaned about the EL and Villas-Boas crows about wanting to win it, but they've basically done the same thing, in terms of changing 3-5 of the starting 11.

Nevertheless, if we try to field the same players in successive matches three days apart, they're going to get tired, whatever stage of the season it is.

 

[Mr Pink]

For me, that is the crux of the matter.

We are 4th, and we are not playing well. We are a newish team, missing 2 key players sold, some key injuries, a new coaching set up, yet we are still 4th. Look at Everton, one of our rivals for 4/5th place, having their best start since Noah started building the ark, yet they are still below us.

We as fans and the club need to take solace in this.

This made me laugh mate

 

[Redfap]

Parker, Dembele, BAE, Kaboul and Adebayor are all injured....we are still 4th. I'm pretty happy with how we are sitting so far.

Dembele has fast become our most important player IMO, without him we lack class on the ball and cant seem to dictate the match anywhere near as much. Parker alongside Sandro with Dembele in the mix would allow us to dominate possession and harass the opposition so much more. I think some supporters are forgetting how good Parker was for us last year in regaining possession and harassing the opposition.

 

[Mr Pink]

It's what we did for some of our great pre-Christmas run last year too. I mean, how on Earth did we win that game at Fulham? My main concern is that we find some creativity from somewhere in January, but as long as Ade is fit and not fighting with AVB, Benny comes back at LB and Dembele recovers fully we look good enough. I can't quite believe we're fourth, but we are. A classy replacement in the Dempsey/Sigi/VDV position would make us so much better.

The ref?

But yeah agree with all this mate.

 

[Damian99]

There is very probably a direct relationship between players tiring in the late stages of a Sunday match and 8 or more of those same players having played for 70-90 minutes in Slovenia on Thursday.

Possibly, but i hate the use of the word "tired" as a reason into anything in life to be honest with you, the word bugs me, especially when a footballers work consists of 90 minutes(work) factor in the amount of time the ball is actual in play and add that to the time each player will be able to take a breather during the game, they train all week and have the best facilities in which to keep themselves in peak condition. Possible in the minority but the word "tired" and "footballers" grates on me.

 

[danielneeds]

FFS, some people on here are a bunch of whining fishwives. A quarter of a season gone and we're sitting very nicely in 4th tucked in behind the leaders.

Yes, our performances haven't been sparkling, but we've done well considering:

We've had a brand new manager come in, a manager under severe pressure to get results straight away from a baying press pack and Harry-loving sections of the Spurs crowd.

We lost our three most important players in the summer, King, Modric and VDV.

The new manager was unable to spend pre-season planning and training with a settled squad, as we made traditionally late TW moves.

We've had a long injury list to important players: Parker, Kaboul, BAE, Adebayor, now Dembele...

Considering all this, it's been a positive start, and hopefully AVB and his team will get them playing even better.

 

[felmani26]

Possibly, but i hate the use of the word "tired" as a reason into anything in life to be honest with you, the word bugs me, especially when a footballers work consists of 90 minutes(work) factor in the amount of time the ball is actual in play and add that to the time each player will be able to take a breather during the game, they train all week and have the best facilities in which to keep themselves in peak condition. Possible in the minority but the word "tired" and "footballers" grates on me.

That old adage still rings true to me of you're not tired if your winning matches.

 

[Mr Pink]

FFS, some people on here are a bunch of whining fishwives. A quarter of a season gone and we're sitting very nicely in 4th tucked in behind the leaders.

Yes, our performances haven't been sparkling, but we've done well considering:

We've had a brand new manager coming, a manager under severe pressure to get results straight away from a baying press pack and Harry-loving sections of the Spurs crowd.

We lost our three most important players in the summer, King, Modric and VDV

The new manager was unable to spend pre-season planning and training with a settled squad, as we made traditionally late TW moves.

We've had a long inury list to important players: Parker, Kaboul, BAE, Adebayor, now Dembele...

Considering all this, it's been a positive start, and hopefully AVB and his team will get them playing even better.

To be honest I think as far as the big picture is concerned this is spot on. Yes there are a few questionable things going at the moment but when everything is considered this is a pretty balanced way to weigh up our start under AVB.