Tottenham Vs Leicester (EPL): Match Thread

[Chimbo!]

I don't know if you're aware but you can't play counter attack against a team that sit in and play counter attack...

Did I say that's what Spurs should have done? I was making a point, not providing a solution.

 

[mike_l]

We looked like we could have played until midnight and not scored last night, seemed to just be trying the same thing over and over even though it looked about as threatening as the andrex puppy...

 

[worcestersauce]

We were the better team and their keeper kept them in it more than once, their game was all about a defensive wall and hoofing it forward, they were very good at it and we need to get a handle on getting through that but rest assured there is no way we would ever play like that, our fans wouldn't have it.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

I know the result changes the perspective but I thought, especially in the first half, that we played really quite well again.

Obviously lacked a cutting edge, but performance wise we are playing a lot better than I imagined at the beginning of the season.

I'm still positive for the future..

 

[Good Doctor M]

We were unlucky... That's it. Leicester did well but a worldy save, the cross bar and some last gasp defending meant they were still in it at the 80th minute. On another day, we're seeing out a win with 20 mins to go.

I'm gutted by that result. But the team have to regroup and carry on. I'm glad to hear they were angry... As long as they're still hungry they can still make this season their own.

Now let's tear Dunderland to pieces on Saturday and enjoy Leicester's capitulation when it (please God) eventually happens... We can start next week with the cup.


COYS

 

[southernspur9]

A midfield that includes quality players like Alli, Eriksen, Lamela and we still fail to create clear cut chances. We seem to have more luck going forward when we go route one! ah well, on to the next one!

 

[SpursDave88]

Kante was far too physically strong for Carroll who was bullied off the ball a number of times. Their central midfield was far physically stronger than our which meant they were able to turn over possession a numbers of times. Their side was full of pace where as ours was slow and ponderous so that when we did get into good positions we were unable to do damage. In hindsight, Alli should have started in central midfield with Son or Onohmah on the left if Dembele wasn't fully fit. That is the second time Carroll has cost us a home game against a physical side.

 

[shelfboy68]

There is much to look forward to with this team but again yesterday Our old traits have reappeared again.
They have Our number for sure as we dont seem to be able to beat them they did us last year as well, i reckon they will beat us in the replay but even so the club is certainly moving upwards.

 

[NEVILLEB]

We need players like Lennon or Bale who have the pace to get to the touch line and pull the ball back.

When a defence sits deep you must be able to rain quality balls around the 6 yard box

 

[NickHSpurs]

I liked Leicester until we played them, such a boring side. I hope for their fans sake (and our chances in the replay) that they play better football at home. I don't mind losing to teams who play better than we do but losing to teams who spend the majority of the match hoofing it up field really pisses me off.

Learning how to break teams down will come with experience and yesterday was the kind of game we need Eriksen to step up and make that happen, it seems to be happening less and less with him unfortunately.

 

[Nebby]

We need to players like Lennon or Bale who have the pace to get to the touch line and pull the ball back.

When a defence sits deep you must be able to rain quality balls around the 6 yard box

Like Bale, yes. Like Lennon, no.

 

[Colonel_Klinck]

An incredibly frustrating game. We were very good until the final 3rd and then seemed to run out of ideas. Lamela unlocked their defence for Kane's chance but with Eriksen just not firing it's hard hard work against teams that just sit back and soak up pressure. Also Walker gave us nothing down the right hand side when it comes to balls into the box. Davies put some good balls in but Walker is a waste of space when it comes to quality balls into the box. I'd have no issue at all with a right back coming in who can deliver a quality ball. If you are going to play with attacking full backs you really need them to offer something attacking wise. We are a very good young side but are still missing 2 or 3 crucial pieces of the puzzle.

 

[thebenjamin]

An incredibly frustrating game. We were very good until the final 3rd and then seemed to run out of ideas. Lamela unlocked their defence for Kane's chance but with Eriksen just not firing it's hard hard work against teams that just sit back and soak up pressure. Also Walker gave us nothing down the right hand side when it comes to balls into the box. Davies put some good balls in but Walker is a waste of space when it comes to quality balls into the box. I'd have no issue at all with a right back coming in who can deliver a quality ball. If you are going to play with attacking full backs you really need them to offer something attacking wise. We are a very good young side but are still missing 2 or 3 crucial pieces of the puzzle.

Spot on about Walker. We almost as desperate for a new right back as we are a striker. You're guaranteed to get nothing going forward from Walker, and you're guaranteed one cataclysmic defensive error per game. And likely to get 2 or 3.

 

[TheChosenOne]

If a thread called "Let's all laugh at Spurs' was started would it be 'self defeating' ? Ouch !

 

[spursfan77]

We looked like we could have played until midnight and not scored last night, seemed to just be trying the same thing over and over even though it looked about as threatening as the andrex puppy...

We've been like that all season because we've no other striker to come on to change the game

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

So to recap…….Last night can be blamed on…..

Walker
Defending from set pieces
Offering nothing going forward
Eriksen
Carroll
Pochs subs
Lack of pace
Lack of movement
Our poor corners
Having three creative players behind Kane
Lack of 'intricate' passing moves (lol)
Tiredness
Poch looking nervous
Lack of a 'Plan B' (no seriously, someone actually trawled out that tired old cliche)
Not creating chances (which confuses me because we really actually did create enough chances to have won the game)
And probably a number of other things i've left out

Also, in the match thread, during the match there were multiple calls for Dembele to be introduced yet once he was, he pretty much did fuck all/had no effect. Nobody has remarked on that. Strange.

So yeah, fuck me that's a helluva list. We're a club in crisis. Can't believe we've fluked our way to fourth

 

[longtimespur]

All we need is to be more clinical with the chances we create. All our shots on target gave Schmeicel a good chance to save them, which he did, Kane was unlucky with the one that he saved and it bounced up onto the bar.

 

[ataggy]

I really don't see why he persists with Carroll. You hardly notice him, he is too weak, doesn't get stuck in and passing isn't that great. Id prefer Mason or Bentaleb when fit. Also where on earth was Chadli, Mason (OS said he was available) and Bentaleb last night? instead we had 3 defenders on the bench.

Also I think Poch's substitutions are not great. Always too late and don't have enough time to impact. If we aren't getting anywhere and players are looking tired or out of ideas, why not change it earlier?! We didn't rotate enough or make use of the subs over xmas and now we are paying.

Eriksen needs to wake up. Lamela needs to start producing more than just a few jinks inside. Why do we never cross the bloody ball? Kane aint getting the ball enough in the box, we lack bodies in the box and never are 1st to the ball when it drops.

 

[sunnydelight786]

For all the ball that we had we created very little. Credit must go to Leicester for the way they defended and attacked on the counter. They looked far more threatening than us when they went forward. I thought Ulloa (sp) changed the game for them when he came on as they were then able to hit it long. Sadly we don't have a second striker to do that for us. Over to you Levy, Pochettino and Mitchell.....

I am not going to lie, absolutely gutted we lost seeing that CFC, MUFC, MCFC, AFC and LFC all dropped points. It was our chance to close/widen the gap over them yet in true Tottenham style we fucked it up, It's the Tottenham way.......

 

[Mullers]

Right. Again, the point being made was that those two were evidence of that direction, and I understand N'jie is hurt, but I can't understand why Son is being kept on the sidelines given the unbalance of the AM3. Eriksen - Alli - Lamela is offering zero consistency or bite whatsoever, and very little forays on the ground into the box, so I cannot comprehend why Poch is persisting with it.

I think Poch is extremely reluctant to change things, I think like Redknapp there is a core group of players that he trusts, that being said I can certainly see Eriksen not starting the next match.