Match Threads Spurs Vs Wolves

[ComfortablyNumb]

Unsure if you’re being sarcastic or not. But if you were then i echo the sentiment. We may be large but small nippy technical players who retain the ball and have good technique will be tough to play against. Just look at the chelsea game!

More than sarcastic, I was being sardonic. I hate the way we are going, and I’ve never been convinced that Conte is a good coach. It’s working so far, and I guess I can live with this approach if we win something, but I can’t see much difference between this and the bollocks we had to endure under Poch and Jose.

 

[ajspurs]

I feel like a bit of a misery guts as I've dwelled on the negatives of the last two results rather than the positives. There are certainly still positives though. Two poor performances, one particularly hard fixture away from home and the other a more recently historically difficult one, against a side we often find tough. We've come away with 4 points though and although we haven't played great football in either, we've actually been fairly solid defensively in both. Wolves had a lot of efforts in the first half today but I can't remember Lloris being worked much and I can't remember them having many or any clear opportunities all game.

And so the 2nd half was a positive but I'm still a little concerned that it took 45 minutes to get there. Against Chelsea we didn't really get there at all bar a brief period in the 2nd half with a change that improved us in one department but at the same time left us too open in another. How many times do commentators comment that we look tired, leggy or just not sharp enough? Too often for it to actually be the case IMO. It's also concerning how we can seem to go long periods without seeing much of the front three and really struggling to get them involved in the play.

I look at the side and still feel we need a higher level of quality in certain areas and I think after signing so many players (and with one or two more we hope to make) it will be disappointing if those areas aren't improved on. The centre of midfield balance still doesn't feel right to me and I still think Emerson desperately needs to be improved upon. It's a tough one with the midfield though as Hojbjerg and Bentancur have been fantastic for the most part and we still have Bissouma to integrate but I still can't help but to feel that we need more and better there.

I think a lot also depends on our 'between the lines' passes. We instantly look better when our midfielders stop shying away from threading balls through, same as our CB's and all three of them were pretty poor with the ball today. Son's also been poor at protecting the ball recently and for as good as he's been Kulusevski's been a bit guilty of being shoved off it a bit too easily on occasion also so I guess all these things add up. Adding both Romero and (an up to speed) Lenglet could make a big difference but we also need better in the RWB position. We need to really start looking to have all the pieces to the puzzle and not most of the pieces with one or two odd shapes as I think we need them all to flow as we'd like.

 

[DenverSpur]

The first half is pretty typical of us when we have an early kick off. No intensity, no movement off the ball made it easy for Wolves to dominate possession. Despite that they didn’t really create anything of note as we are so well drilled defensively.
Conte obviously gave them a kick up the arse at half time and made a few little tweaks in tactics - Kulusevski hugged the touch line more with Royal progressing forward inside of him and with Perisic hugging the other touchline we stretched their defense more creating more space for Kane and Son.
That increased intensity in the second half caused Wolves lots of problems and we probably should have had more goals.
Son was poor again and I’d like to see how we’d perform with Richarlison starting. Was slightly surprised Conte didn’t make substitutions earlier, especially Bissouma.
The improvement in our corners is impressive and will help earn us a lot of points this season.
That’s 7 points whittled away from the points gap between us and last seasons top 2. Little by little we are getting closer to them.
Early days still.

 

[wspur]

Football looks awful and my worry is that statistically these 1-0 type wins will turn into 0-0 or losses.

I guess scoring the most goals in 2022 is awful. Also, 10W, 3D and 1L in our last 14 games is worrying, two of those draws being away at Liverpool and Chelsea. Also worrying that in these last 14 games we won 5-1, 4-0, 5-0, 3-0, 3-1, 3-1, 2-0, 4-1, conceding only once more than 1 goal per game. Of course then, winning 1-0 after a good second half and crap first half is a disaster, given our recent games.

 

[sparx100]

I guess scoring the most goals in 2022 is awful. Also, 10W, 3D and 1L in our last 14 games is worrying, two of those draws being away at Liverpool and Chelsea. Also worrying that in these last 14 games we won 5-1, 4-0, 5-0, 3-0, 3-1, 3-1, 2-0, 4-1, conceding only once more than 1 goal per game. Of course then, winning 1-0 after a good second half and crap first half is a disaster, given our recent games.

Bang on sir. I thought our second half display was a lot brighter. Not really seen us as a boring team to be honest.

 

[Spurs Lodge Kittens]

People saying 7 pts up on last year is all well and good but we've got six to retain against Man City at some point...

 

[SandroClegane]

Arsenal was 3-0 by halftime too, short memories in here...

 

[Kingellesar]

Man City won the league with 6 1-0s last season, including one against Wolves at home!

It is too early to start worrying about how we are playing, it will take time to get our rhythm going but 7 points on the board from 9 is a fantastic start.

We will hopefully build on that and start producing more attractive football but its going to be a long season, its not going to be pretty football every game. No team does it, hell City are the most boring team to watch and they can go from 1-0 one game to 6-0 the next and looking equally as dull.

 

[Timberwolf]

I didn't saw we were awful, I said that I think the football we play atm looks awful.

Our football is very all or nothing at the moment.

When the automations work and everyone's on it, we can be really exciting going forward as we're incredible at exploiting space. We absolutely murdered some teams at the end of last season and I think our attacking stats were practically the best in the league. A lot of those games were really really enjoyable, I thought.

Problem is, when teams shut down our rigid way of playing, our default is simply to sit very deep absorbing pressure and being hard to break down, which is dogshit to watch.

I think it's the nature of Conte teams, really. They are extremely effective and hard to beat, even when they aren't at their best, but it's feast or famine in terms of pure enjoyment to watch.

 

[tooey]

People saying 7 pts up on last year is all well and good but we've got six to retain against Man City at some point...

Yeah, I've never read too far into previous season comparisons untill later in the season for this reason. We'll win games we're supposed to lose and lose game's we're supposed to win, that's football. The only barometer this early in the season is "feel" and I feel like we're a well organised, well practised team who will win a lot of games due to our playing style. I'm also slightly concerned that we don't really have a plan B when we struggle to break teams down. I think that's why squad depth is more important than ever for us. We may not be able to change the game up much tactically but we have the ability to bring on fresh legs of really high quality to try and turn a game for us.

 

[fridgemagnet]

Was at the game and first half was awful.

Second half much better but PEH was worst player on pitch. Shocked he got MotM.

We need a midfielder who can progress the ball forward. We also need a ball-playing CB.

Interesting you say that as I too thought this sat watching it at home (not quite to the extent you describe but I definitely thought he was poor as I did aside from his goal vs vs chavs) I also wondered what on earth JJ saw to give him MoTM although I guess there were slim pickings from a Spurs POV)
I'm itching to see Bissy or Skippy start TBH.

Also Perisic shows how far away our other wingbacks are in quality but it is what it is at the moment.

I find it odd that we're always so ponderous at early kick-offs; it's like our day before prep is off or the team breakfast is too close to K:O that it happens under multiple managers means surely it's not a prep thing?

It didn't sound like the crowd were too flat/not up for it either (I've heard far worse) it was one of the better atsmos' I've heard at home for an early one in quite a while (until BT turned the volume down anyway) so I can't even say that's a valid excuse.

 

[wspur]

More than sarcastic, I was being sardonic. I hate the way we are going, and I’ve never been convinced that Conte is a good coach. It’s working so far, and I guess I can live with this approach if we win something, but I can’t see much difference between this and the bollocks we had to endure under Poch and Jose.

Might be just me, but I think "hate" is a bit of a strong word when you talk about our club that is objectively doing well. If you think this is the same as the shit that we were being served under Jose I can't help much. Conte's not perfect but he's only had 10 months in the job and turned the club around completely, taking it out from the crisis that the past 2 seasons lead to. I hope you are having a happy evening otherwise.

 

[hughy]

People saying 7 pts up on last year is all well and good but we've got six to retain against Man City at some point...

True. But also we lost home and away against United last season, home to Chelsea, away to West Ham, away to Palace, home to Brighton. All games where we could realistically pick up points this year.

Swings and roundabouts innit. No point trying to factor in games which haven't happened yet.

 

[Whazam]

Interesting you say that as I too thought this sat watching it at home (not quite to the extent you describe but I definitely thought he was poor as I did aside from his goal vs vs chavs) I also wondered what on earth JJ saw to give him MoTM although I guess there were slim pickings from a Spurs POV)
I'm itching to see Bissy or Skippy start TBH.

I thought his touch was really poor today. There were several times where he hit it too far ahead of himself when in control of the ball (in a compilation he would probably look quite poor).

Besides from that, he was fantastic defensively and always seemed to be in the right place.

I just think he, almost every game, does so much more than most of us notice.

Today, I would say he had a better game than quite a few.

 

[PCozzie]

I'm also slightly concerned that we don't really have a plan B when we struggle to break teams down.

I don't think this is a plan B per se, but it looks like we are going to be more productive from set pieces. 2 in 2 now and with a dedicated set piece coach and Perisic as a major upgrade in delivery that is clearly going to get us somewhere. How many times over the last three or four years have we had corner after corner after corner against the bus parkers and got very little in return?

I know one per game is going to be hard to maintain, but I'm sure we'll pick up points we'd have traditionally lost as a result.

 

[punkisback]

More than sarcastic, I was being sardonic. I hate the way we are going, and I’ve never been convinced that Conte is a good coach. It’s working so far, and I guess I can live with this approach if we win something, but I can’t see much difference between this and the bollocks we had to endure under Poch and Jose.

I agree with you completely. We don’t feel like a Spurs team. As long as we win something I will be fine about it but it doesn’t look like we are close looking at our style of play and performances.

 

[Jenko]

When we scored I shouted "Set piece coach!"

Unbeaten without clicking into gear.

Good signs.

I distinctly remember saying that after the first three games last season.... yikes

 

[joey.leone]

Reading some of these comments you'd think Jose was still in charge and Nuno was his assistant. My word.

 

[ralphs bald spot]

ang on sir. I thought our second half display was a lot brighter. Not really seen us as a boring team to be honest.
[/QUOTE]

Wouldn't say we are boring but we are a little predictable and lack penetration from the middle of the park

 

[rossdapep]

There’s a reason he’ll probably remain part of my avatar on here; the only person I’ve ever idolised.

Met him when England played Brazil in the Umbro Cup (when I had no idea who he was) but sadly never once he was the great he became.

Elder folk may disagree but easily the best finisher in my lifetime, and I’d be shocked if I witness anybody better.

If it wasn't for injuries, he'd be the GOAT. He would steamroll defences easily