That's what I can't understand. It was such a fearful move to make. Dele wasn't playing great but he was receiving the ball central in advanced positions, we looked a threat for most of the first half and were, I think the team most likely to score.There's no doubt at all that it was a lazy second half performance and the team as a whole need to take some responsibility for that sh*tshow but JM also deserves to take some blame for that half time substitution, because it sent out the loudest possible message to Everton that we had given up any initiative with the game in the balance at half time, and we directly handed it to them, because only one team had attacking intent from there on in.
Yes Dele was poor in the first half but so was Winks. By taking off Dele and putting on Sissoko, alongside Winks who was offering nothing, and by playing Winks with Sissoko and Hojbjerg JM effectively divorced any connection between transition and supply to our attacking players. If he wanted to make a statement and change things by increasing the attacking threat Winks should have been taken off at half time rather than Dele.
You’ve summed that up absoloutley excellently mate ???If there there was a crowd there today they'd have been deservedly jeered for most of that match. It is still jarring to me to watch how we let opponents have possession to the halfway line, and often beyond, before we properly engage. It's as though we're an over 40s team playing younger opponents.
We played similarly against Leicester late last year but scored three. This style is rubbish, but the narrative is that it is necessary to become winners. That run-in last season seemed to buttress that point, but I don't see us properly competing for top 4 with this approach. Everton weren't great but look more robust and dynamic than last season and their central midfield pivot looked good.
It's going to be a long slog of a season. This game could've played out exactly as it did today but with Alli's and Doherty's chances going in and the response would be very different. But it would just paper over the underlying problem, which is that we're a risk averse side playing cynical football. We don't create many chances and we're asking for outrageously high chance conversion to be competitive.
You’ve summed that up absoloutley excellently mate ???
The things is at the end of the day goals and results are what matters as if Doherty and Dele score and we win 2-0 then it is a different narrative you’re right but we would have the 3pts in the bag. Leicester played deep counter attacking and won the league but they had the exact players to do it, 4-4-2 solid organised experienced back line, two disciplined energetic CM’s, balanced wingers where one is an up and down workhorse the other can create something out of nothing and then pace to burn in behind Vardy and an all round competent strike partner, our players just aren’t suited to play this way and so it’s a mish mash of some parts low block, some mid block, press here don’t press there but ultimately you’re right and I’m of the same school of thought that two things increase your chances of winning games over a match and a season :
1) possession - if you have the ball, the opposition can’t score
2) chances creates and shots, if you generally create a lot of chances and have a lot of shots you’re more likely to score
Peak poch we absoloutley smothered teams with our energy and pressing and movement and creativity, athletic full backs Walker and Rose up and down creating havoc going forwards and not letting anything past, Belgian duo at CB, amazing passers of the ball and readers of the game, so so solid and calm, Wanyama destroying all attacks and he could pass better than people give him credit for, Dembele the GOAT bossing entire midfield on his own, Son Dele Lamela in rotation with energy high pressing direct attacking and movement off Kane who would score everything and anything and could hold it up, run into space And the key to it all, Eriksen who for 2-3 seasons was absoloutley world class in terms of creativity. The team played with energy, we were fit, we were determined, we bullied teams but would also squeeezed the life out of them and then passed them to death or scored beautiful goals in transitions, heck even before Poch we played some lovely high tempo stuff Under Harry, we were respected by all the pundits and other fans but my goodness HOW HOW HOW have we gone from that to this?
Honestly it’s just so very depressing
Mourinho deserves time, of course. Just think that's worrying today and the subs were bizarre.
And yes its only one game, but that second half was so poor in terms of a lack of effort it was actually quite chilling.
There was no reaction really after going a goal down.
But yes, we have to hope that Mourinho will rip into them and we see a reaction.
If you start the season bringing in Hart, Doherty & Hojbjerg to solve your problems, you know the season is going to very long.
I agree we didn't win anything then either but it was great football to watch and we felt it was about to happen. We're still not winning but it's pretty dire to watch these days with not a lot of hope.
You would like to think there will be a reaction, but for me I want to see green shoots, some cohesion, a plan and at a minimum some effort. I get that we won't win every game this season but if we are going to lose then I want to see players busting a gut to compete. Not one player today looked like they were up for it. You would think 1st game of the season there would be at least some motivation?We lost one match. This is the end of last season.
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Can we not at least see a few more games in to the season before all this wrist slitting starts.
Maybe he can have a think about his present as well?You would like to think there will be a reaction, but for me I want to see green shoots, some cohesion, a plan and at a minimum some effort. I get that we won't win every game this season but if we are going to lose then I want to see players busting a gut to compete. Not one player today looked like they were up for it. You would think 1st game of the season there would be at least some motivation?
This season will be a long one if the players don't recognise how poor they were. Without a doubt our most valuable player will be thinking about his future after that result.
We've got as many points as the two Manchester clubs?I always try to ease the pain by comparing what Im seeing now to Spurs in the 90s - when every goal or clever pass in an almost inevitably poor result would be the things that would keep one warm in the bitter disappointment.
But I must admit this one hurt. I understand why Jose took off Dele - to get a more athletic presence in the middle. But then to see ball bounce off Sissoko, Winks doing a lot of pointing but then passing the ball sideways, and Everton look like Barcelona every time they touched the ball, a full strength Spurs squad but clearly off the pace and seemingly not hungry enough except for PEH and maybe Moura to a certain degree .... This one hurt. Feeling devastated for some reason.
Any silver lining fellow community members?