Match Threads Spurs vs Birmingham City - Match Thread - Friendly

[rabbikeane]

Gedson 4? Surely he can’t have been that poor after his earlier displays this pre-season?

Back to the position he's struggled in before though, maybe I'm being a bit harsh just because he looked so much better playing in that attacking right back role. He improved as the game went on, but that's when he changed midfield role a bit and the better players came on.
He just looked lost and without any awareness around him.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

I was really impressed with Carter Vickers, was it just me?

He's been solid and mature in all his pre-season appearances and seems to have developed considerably as a player while out on multiple lower division loans.

It irks me to hear him routinely described as "American" by commentators who are reading his biog and seeing that he plays for the USA national team. He's even less American than I am, as he's lived his entire life in England, except for visits to his dad and paternal relatives in Louisiana and thereabouts. I didn't settle here permanently until my teens.

I don't know if he'll be in the squad this season or will finally be sold, but he looks like a seasoned defender now, with a good range of passing.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

That's never been Mourinho's MO though. He typically favours a go-to 11 with little rotation outside of lesser cup games.

Yes, as I said in another post a bit later. But I don't think he'll have the option this season, unless we get knocked out of the EL in the qualifiers. There will be 50+ matches and the season is compressed into fewer weeks than usual

 

[davidmatzdorf]

I didn't. Where did I say that was the lineup for every game? Your pedantry is without limits.

You said "Starting 11 for season ahead". That clearly indicates a first choice 11. Not a "lineup for every game", but a starting lineup that is chosen in preference to other options, whenever possible. That won't be feasible this season. Too many matches in too few weeks.

 

[Johnny J]

You said "Starting 11 for season ahead". That clearly indicates a first choice 11. Not a "lineup for every game", but a starting lineup that is chosen in preference to other options, whenever possible. That won't be feasible this season. Too many matches in too few weeks.

Not only that, I wouldn't be surprised if Jose is still working out what his "best" 11 actually is.

For example, as things stand, I think his preference at CB is likely Dier + another. Behind Kane, Alli and Son + another.

 

[King of Otters]

Gedson 4? Surely he can’t have been that poor after his earlier displays this pre-season?

You mean his one good half at RB against the mighty Ipswich Town?

He was utter jizz against Reading and, by all accounts, even worse today.

 

[Johnny J]

It would help if we knew what the plan was for Gedson when we bought him. I'm sure he's got talent but so far he's a giant nothingburger.

 

[yusrisafri]

Clarke looked lost in the 1st half and early 2nd half. I put that down to the silly formation where all 3 of him, sissoko and aurier were all playing on the right.

Not sure whether sissoko was asked to play as a right midfileder or it was his own decision to play more there, but it wasnt a smart move.

When Clarke roamed freely, he looked much much better and saw the ball more

 

[rebrab]

Hart seems assured, happy coming for crosses and loving how vocal he is.

Aurier was ok, no mistakes and stretched the game well, more so second half.

Carter Vickers was fine, good concentration levels and seems to read the game well.

Dier was imposing defensively and played the ball out brilliantly.

Cirkin looks like he fully justifies us not signing a left back. Really happy for him to be our second choice left back.

Sissoko just looked clumsy. Off the ball he was fairly anonymous, on it he lacked in both imagination and execution.

White showed for the ball, was tenacious, passed well and decisively and made our best first half chance with a lovely free kick. Like Cirkin, I hope he gets minutes in the first team this season.

Clarke was anonymous first half. Second he roamed a bit and as such had more involvement, without doing much with it. Worked hard but occasionally sloppy.

Gedson was dreadful first half, really doesn’t seem suited to being that high up the pitch. Far happier in the deeper midfield role which, like at RWB, accentuated his energy and determination.

Sessegnon, like the other two kids in AM, was very poor first half. Just seemed lost. Second half seemed happier as an LB who didn’t have to do much defending, but wasted a good chance from our best passing move.

Lucas was willing and mobile throughout but a centre forward he is not. Was shattered by the time he went wide.

Højbjerg, Dele, Son, Bergwijn all improved us. Lloris and Davies were as you’d hope/ expect. Bergwijn especially looks like he’s got superb play making ability and as we know he hits a very sweet shot.

The disappointments in this match are highly mitigated by the fatigue of a second match in two days and the amount of young players on the pitch at the same time. That first half front 4 is never going to appear in a competitive match when you consider that for those positions we have Kane, Son, Dele, Bergwijn, Lucas, Lamela before we have to even think about the likes of Sessegnon, Clarke or Gedson up there, not to mention the ability of Lo Celso to play there if needed.

Far more impressed on me is the quality of Cirkin and White, Dier’s ability at centre back and how much better everyone looks whenever Højbjerg is on the pitch.

I have to say, I’ve rarely ever read anything in the match thread where I agree with every word but this post is one of them. Could’ve saved me 90 minutes watching the game!

 

[Bulletspur]

Gedson 4? Surely he can’t have been that poor after his earlier displays this pre-season?

He was not

 

[DaSpurs]

He's been solid and mature in all his pre-season appearances and seems to have developed considerably as a player while out on multiple lower division loans.

It irks me to hear him routinely described as "American" by commentators who are reading his biog and seeing that he plays for the USA national team. He's even less American than I am, as he's lived his entire life in England, except for visits to his dad and paternal relatives in Louisiana and thereabouts. I didn't settle here permanently until my teens.

I don't know if he'll be in the squad this season or will finally be sold, but he looks like a seasoned defender now, with a good range of passing.

Fwiw, they kinda have to declare those based on international allegiances. Aurier spent most of his childhood in France, but is always referred to as "the Ivorian" by game commentators. I get what you're saying and I think it fair, but even so, the commentators are simply towing the line by my reckoning.

 

[ardiles]

Joe Hart & Harvey White were in yesterday’s starting lineup and Harry Kane was on the bench.

Any chance that we could rename our new ground as White Hart Kane?

 

[Dannyspur]

Wednesday's is blue stripes. As far as the 90s I remembered.

I am taking old, 90’s is only yesterday

 

[ILS]

Well as I'm banned from the transfer forum I thought I would let you know, both myself and my 7 year old carried out our own negotiation on signing Callum Wilson this morning. He was watching my 7 year old's match and I told my son to go up to him as he was having pictures and ask if he was signing for Spurs. He laughed and said good question. I then followed it up when taking a pic with Spurs is the right club for you...again he laughed.

So If I was working for the Sun..I would take that laugh as a yes and it's all wrapped up!

 

[UbeAstard]

As already mentioned about Cirkin I'm I am impressed as I was with Tanganga this time last year.

 

[Norgie]

Well as I'm banned from the transfer forum I thought I would let you know, both myself and my 7 year old carried out our own negotiation on signing Callum Wilson this morning. He was watching my 7 year old's match and I told my son to go up to him as he was having pictures and ask if he was signing for Spurs. He laughed and said good question. I then followed it up when taking a pic with Spurs is the right club for you...again he laughed.

So If I was working for the Sun..I would take that laugh as a yes and it's all wrapped up!

We only believe you if you were up a tree at the time

 

[FibreOpticJesus]

Really confused as to how these pre-season games have helped us the supporters or the team understand the team shape and style. We have six squad players who haven't played a minute in our first three games and three squad players who have only played in one game. All of these players bar Rose would be either in the first eleven or first pick for on our 7 man bench. Hardly ideal preparation. Our last friendly is on Saturday and most of our international players are away so will not play any part in the game versus Watford. Whilst I have seen the odd mention of the above missing players I have not seen anything that really answers where the hell these players are or what ails them.

Rose has he got lost in Newcastle? I haven't seen any pictures of him training!
Sanchez ?
Tanganga? Heard he was injured but no details?
Lo Celso ?
Ndombele. Covid and unfit.
Kane. Covid and then went missing from the bench against Birmingham at half time.

Foyth. Played one game and then was missing for the next two games.
Winks. Ditto. Dropped out of England squad and rumours of Covid.
Lamela. Played one game.

Really concerning that we will be starting our first game against Everton and we have 6/7 players out of our match day squad of 18 having played little or no football.

 

[SonicSarr]

Really confused as to how these pre-season games have helped us the supporters or the team understand the team shape and style. We have six squad players who haven't played a minute in our first three games and three squad players who have only played in one game. All of these players bar Rose would be either in the first eleven or first pick for on our 7 man bench. Hardly ideal preparation. Our last friendly is on Saturday and most of our international players are away so will not play any part in the game versus Watford. Whilst I have seen the odd mention of the above missing players I have not seen anything that really answers where the hell these players are or what ails them.

Rose has he got lost in Newcastle? I haven't seen any pictures of him training!
Sanchez ?
Tanganga? Heard he was injured but no details?
Lo Celso ?
Ndombele. Covid and unfit.
Kane. Covid and then went missing from the bench against Birmingham at half time.

Foyth. Played one game and then was missing for the next two games.
Winks. Ditto. Dropped out of England squad and rumours of Covid.
Lamela. Played one game.

Really concerning that we will be starting our first game against Everton and we have 6/7 players out of our match day squad of 18 having played little or no football.

I agree with this but it seems to happen every season. We give quite a bit of time to youngsters (like White this year or Amos a year or so ago) and then they are loaned out and half our 25 man squad goes into the season with little or no minutes under their belt.

Not saying it is right or wrong but there seems to be a pattern. Who knows what goes on behind the scenes. Could be politics, sports science, nursing fitness issues or anything. Seems a bit strange from the outside though.