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Is that the best happy clapping we can muster? You didn't even say we're going to win.
ochfacepalm:
Hopefully Poch has had one eye on this game for a while and we will see a performance closer to the game against Citeh. If not then I would like to see Wimmer at CB and Dier marking Gollum and generally testing the match fitness of some scum players who have injury concerns.
http://images-cdn.9gag.com/photo/4613580_700b.jpg
Normally I am not in favour of this style of football but it's Woolwhich after all.
http://images-cdn.9gag.com/photo/4613580_700b.jpg
Normally I am not in favour of this style of football but it's Woolwhich after all.
We're gonna ducking do them. 2-1 us. Lamela and Dele.
Yeah let's pretend we're going into this derby full of confidence based upon our amazing run of games recently. I told you how I feel, I've never felt this negative for this derby before.
...when you put it like that, it's almost impossible to disagree!
Everyone (myself included) who was there in late August 1998, waving a white handkerchief whilst 0-3 down at home to Sheffield Wednesday will testify; WE HAVE HAD IT FAAAAAAAR FAR WORSE!
We don't have the type of players who will hurt Woolwich or should that be the type to make them think twice.
We lack pace up front and we are short of mavericks. I keep saying the same thing in respect of the two types of players that we lack. Not sure why but it is so evident to me.
On top of that and for this game we are obviously short of confidence so not sure what to think.
The whole derby pride claptrap does have some steam but right now the two teams and their individual players could not be further apart.
Pochettino and the players did brilliantly to bounce back from last season's disappointment. It just appears as though that expected lull was delayed.
Sunday is 99% hope and 1% belief.
We lack pace up front and we are short of mavericks. I keep saying the same thing in respect of the two types of players that we lack. Not sure why but it is so evident to me.
On top of that and for this game we are obviously short of confidence so not sure what to think.
The whole derby pride claptrap does have some steam but right now the two teams and their individual players could not be further apart.
Pochettino and the players did brilliantly to bounce back from last season's disappointment. It just appears as though that expected lull was delayed.
Sunday is 99% hope and 1% belief.
I think we'll beat them, apart from Poch's first NLD (when Chadli scored) we've outplayed them every time and are unbeaten (W1 D3).
Just comes down to us taking our chances and then having the nerve to defend a lead.
Poch knows how to get the players set up for these games, and it's far easier to get your tactics right when the weight of expectation is on the other side to win........as we've seen in pretty much all our games this season
Just comes down to us taking our chances and then having the nerve to defend a lead.
Poch knows how to get the players set up for these games, and it's far easier to get your tactics right when the weight of expectation is on the other side to win........as we've seen in pretty much all our games this season
To a certain extend you're right. However, we're (potentially) missing so many quality players, form not being as big of an issue doesn't solve that unfortunately. With a bit of bad luck we could be looking at Kane, Alderweireld, Lamela, Dembele and Sissoko all out or a couple on the bench at best. That's just too much individual quality missing imo.
The same Sissoko that's being labelled the worst player ever to pull on a Spurs shirt?......
I can't keep upPlay badly and our players are all shite (Lamela, Wimmer, Trippier vs Liverpool).....but if they are absent for a game they become indispensable (Lamela, Wimmer, Trippier vs Leverkusen)
D'ya know something... for the past few years, when 'apparently' ArseAnal have been at their most vulnerable, and 'been there for the taking'... their fans (for some unknown intrinsic DNA reason) have never wavered from that smug, arrogant confidence that seems to course through their spindly veins from birth...
and what do you know? ...it works!
Apart from the occasional WONDERFUL SPURS victory, they always, (even when we've beaten them) still somehow seem to get the upper hand by the end of the season (or at least appear as if they do!)
Well fuck it, this season, yes, so far, we're not at our best... we are there for the taking... they are imperious and free-scoring, and covered in media spunk...
So isn't that precisely the environment in which to go in and upset the fucking status quo?
I fucking think so!!
I fucking hate AraseAnal with a passion that knows no limits... I can't even bear to utter their rancid name on a matchday (nor spell it correctly in type) they have been a thorn in our side and a curse on our attempts at creating our own history for way too long... like a spiteful, seedy Uncle who just won't leave you alone!
I can't wait for the day we finish above them, and shut their smug-cunt 'breed' of fan up finally....
If I have to hear the "It's happened again..." chant this May I swear I'll swing for one, if not many of them!
OUR BELOVED SPURS PLAYERS are the only ones who can really do anything about it... we can't... we can turn up and sing on a matchday, or bitch about it in between... but ultimately, the PLAYERS hold the power as to how our mood changes once the game is over...
If they're truly sorry about what happened at the arse end (pun intended) of last season, then there's one sure-fire way to put it right.
WIN ON SUNDAY.... and keep winning until we finally beat those cunts into submission.
...then, and only then, will the pain of last season start to subside.
...and I can guarantee... Wednesday (and the last few games) will all be forgotten!
COYMFS!
COME ON YOU MOTHER-FUCKING SPURS!!!!! (in case you were wondering?)
and what do you know? ...it works!
Apart from the occasional WONDERFUL SPURS victory, they always, (even when we've beaten them) still somehow seem to get the upper hand by the end of the season (or at least appear as if they do!)
Well fuck it, this season, yes, so far, we're not at our best... we are there for the taking... they are imperious and free-scoring, and covered in media spunk...
So isn't that precisely the environment in which to go in and upset the fucking status quo?
I fucking think so!!
I fucking hate AraseAnal with a passion that knows no limits... I can't even bear to utter their rancid name on a matchday (nor spell it correctly in type) they have been a thorn in our side and a curse on our attempts at creating our own history for way too long... like a spiteful, seedy Uncle who just won't leave you alone!
I can't wait for the day we finish above them, and shut their smug-cunt 'breed' of fan up finally....
If I have to hear the "It's happened again..." chant this May I swear I'll swing for one, if not many of them!
OUR BELOVED SPURS PLAYERS are the only ones who can really do anything about it... we can't... we can turn up and sing on a matchday, or bitch about it in between... but ultimately, the PLAYERS hold the power as to how our mood changes once the game is over...
If they're truly sorry about what happened at the arse end (pun intended) of last season, then there's one sure-fire way to put it right.
WIN ON SUNDAY.... and keep winning until we finally beat those cunts into submission.
...then, and only then, will the pain of last season start to subside.
...and I can guarantee... Wednesday (and the last few games) will all be forgotten!
COYMFS!
COME ON YOU MOTHER-FUCKING SPURS!!!!! (in case you were wondering?)
There's a difference though mate. Lamela, Wimmer & Trippier were all signed because they'd been playing well at their previous clubs. Sissoko had a reputation for being lazy & useless at Newcastle- even their fans (the most blindly loyal & deluded fanatics) didn't rate him. He then has a good Euros ("hey look at me, I want a move, come get me") & ends up with his move.The same Sissoko that's being labelled the worst player ever to pull on a Spurs shirt?......
Play badly and our players are all shite (Lamela, Wimmer, Trippier vs Liverpool).....but if they are absent for a game they become indispensable (Lamela, Wimmer, Trippier vs Leverkusen)
I won't slag any of the players off & always hope & pray they come good if they have a sticky start.
But the omens are there with sissoko. He was lippy about wanting to leave & who he believed he was good enough to play for, the geordies were cock a hoop to get rid (& had seen a lot more of him playing than any of us- with the possible exception of
Totti
) & I haven't seen a glimmer of talent from him. He looks cumbersome, lacking in quality & not particularly motivated. At least with the 3 players you mention, if they get slated, it's because we know they are capable of better & have shown it in a Spurs shirt.
There's a difference though mate. Lamela, Wimmer & Trippier were all signed because they'd been playing well at their previous clubs. Sissoko had a reputation for being lazy & useless at Newcastle- even their fans (the most blindly loyal & deluded fanatics) didn't rate him. He then has a good Euros ("hey look at me, I want a move, come get me") & ends up with his move.
I won't slag any of the players off & always hope & pray they come good if they have a sticky start.
But the omens are there with sissoko. He was lippy about wanting to leave & who he believed he was good enough to play for, the geordies were cock a hoop to get rid (& had seen a lot more of him playing than any of us- with the possible exception of
I think Sissoko had decent games vs Sunderland, Middlesboro and Man City - not the level of what we previously considered a £30m signing to be at, but I think £30m will be a relatively modest amount to play for an Premier League based International player within a few transfer windows.
I'm blindly confident we will get something out of this one. My reasoning, such as it extends, is that we are due a strong performance. If they defend like they did on Tuesday, we will score goals. And we don't concede many.
Woolwich v Tottenham: Spurs need positive result to forget struggles - Danny Murphy
By Danny Murphy
MOTD pundit and former Tottenham midfielder
You can watch highlights of Woolwich v Tottenham on MOTD2 at 22:30 GMT on Sunday on BBC One and the BBC Sport website. Danny Murphy and Alan Shearer join Mark Chapman in the studio.
Tottenham have gone six games without a win and have not scored a goal in open play for more than seven hours, but I don't see them as a team in crisis ahead of Sunday's north London derby.
Mauricio Pochettino's side are being judged in comparison to last season, when they set their standards so high and were Leicester's closest challengers for the title, eventually finishing third.
They are a young, evolving team, but that success means people are being more critical of them now.
It is true that Spurs are not playing well at the moment and striker Harry Kane's six-week absence with an ankle injury has not helped, but that does not mean they are not as good as we thought.
'A positive result and Spurs' struggles are forgotten'
Without Kane they have clearly been struggling in attack, but they are still undefeated in the Premier League and only three points off the top of the table.
They also still have a chance of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League, even if they have left themselves a mountain to climb after Wednesday's defeat by Bayer Leverkusen.
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Wembley not to blame - Pochettino
Sometimes a defeat and a horrible performance like that can give you the kick up the backside you need before another big game.
For Spurs, it doesn't get any bigger than Woolwich. If they can put on a positive performance at Emirates Stadium on Sunday and get a positive result then their other recent results are forgotten.
Every game against the Gunners is huge but this one is especially important to my former club because the outcome could help them keep their belief in their ability and their manager's tactics.
Why are Tottenham struggling in the final third?
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Harry Kane could return for Tottenham against Woolwich - Mauricio Pochettino
It will be very hard for Tottenham against a side playing so well with so much firepower and they would feel much more confident if they had their own best XI.
It will be interesting to see who starts out of Kane, Toby Alderweireld and Moussa Dembele, who have all been injured recently.
But, even if they are without those players, Pochettino's side will still be well organised and work tremendously hard to stop the Gunners from playing.
The question is how much of a threat can they pose to Arsene Wenger's team.
I know Tottenham beat Manchester City without Kane but they are a better side when he plays.
It is the last third of the pitch where they have been struggling without him because, with Vincent Janssen still adjusting to English football, the likes of Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko are not chipping in with enough goals.
Tottenham players strike-rate in the Premier League 2016-17
Player Mins* Shots Goals Conversion %
*Maximum minutes played after 10 PL games = 900
Son Heung-min 529 22 4 18.2%
Harry Kane 422 12 2 16.7%
Dele Alli 803 24 3 12.5%
Victor Wanyama 862 9 1 11.1%
Vincent Janssen 501 17 1 5.8%
Erik Lamela 592 18 1 5.6%
Christian Eriksen 774 33 0 0%
Moussa Sissoko 327 8 0 0%
Dele Alli is the only player who keeps getting himself in good goalscoring positions and he probably has not scored as many as he should have done when you look at the chances he has had.
Other than Alli, there does not really seem to be a goal threat from Tottenham's front four, or anywhere else in their team - he is the only Spurs player to have scored a goal from open play in the last five games in the Premier League or Champions League
Tottenham's front four are not looking anywhere near as dangerous or creative when you compare them to the players in the same positions from the teams above them in the table - City, Liverpool and Woolwich.
Should Pochettino change his system?
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Could it be the closest Premier League title race ever?
Pochettino is an intelligent coach and he will be aware the players in the final third are not doing well enough. They have got to score more goals if they want to challenge for the title.
He has got a decision to make on Sunday because, if he gives his attackers more freedom to change positions and pop up in different areas then that will affect the team's shape and the defensive solidity which is one of their strengths.
Goals were not an issue for Spurs last season so Pochettino knows his players are capable of doing far better when they attack, but he will also be well aware they cannot just be reliant on one player - Kane - to get them the goals that will win them the title.
Kane could return on Sunday but you cannot expect him to hit the ground running after six weeks out. I am sure Spurs are not going to panic and rush him back, either, because they have got some more big games to come.
Tottenham's games in November
Home Away
West Ham (Premier League, 19 Nov) Woolwich (Premier League, 6 Nov)
Monaco (Champions League, 22 Nov)
Chelsea (Premier League, 26 Nov)
Tottenham want to be in this position, though, playing Champions League football and then having big Premier League games straight afterwards.
They strived so hard to get here last season, therefore they have to embrace it, and do their best with the situation they are in without letting it dent their collective confidence and having an adverse effect on the current campaign.
Spurs players are hungry to improve
As far as Sunday goes, I think if you offered Spurs a draw now, they would take it with the players they are missing and after the week they have had.
In contrast, the Gunners will be trying to get on the front foot straight away, like they did against Chelsea in September when they went 3-0 up before half-time.
Woolwich are flying at the moment so it is imperative Tottenham respect that, keep a good shape and stay in the game.
They also need to return to the performance levels they produced when they beat Manchester City last month and for long periods last season. When they do that, they will win matches again.
You learn the most from the bad spells you go through as a team and, from watching them play over the last year or two, I know the Spurs players have got the hunger and desire to improve and get through this.
There is enough quality in their squad for them to do it too.
It would be foolish to write them off because we could be sitting here in a month's time saying how well they have done to turn things around, and look where they are now
By Danny Murphy
MOTD pundit and former Tottenham midfielder
- 3 hours ago
- From the sectionFootball
- 20
You can watch highlights of Woolwich v Tottenham on MOTD2 at 22:30 GMT on Sunday on BBC One and the BBC Sport website. Danny Murphy and Alan Shearer join Mark Chapman in the studio.
Tottenham have gone six games without a win and have not scored a goal in open play for more than seven hours, but I don't see them as a team in crisis ahead of Sunday's north London derby.
Mauricio Pochettino's side are being judged in comparison to last season, when they set their standards so high and were Leicester's closest challengers for the title, eventually finishing third.
They are a young, evolving team, but that success means people are being more critical of them now.
It is true that Spurs are not playing well at the moment and striker Harry Kane's six-week absence with an ankle injury has not helped, but that does not mean they are not as good as we thought.
'A positive result and Spurs' struggles are forgotten'
Without Kane they have clearly been struggling in attack, but they are still undefeated in the Premier League and only three points off the top of the table.
They also still have a chance of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League, even if they have left themselves a mountain to climb after Wednesday's defeat by Bayer Leverkusen.
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Wembley not to blame - Pochettino
Sometimes a defeat and a horrible performance like that can give you the kick up the backside you need before another big game.
For Spurs, it doesn't get any bigger than Woolwich. If they can put on a positive performance at Emirates Stadium on Sunday and get a positive result then their other recent results are forgotten.
Every game against the Gunners is huge but this one is especially important to my former club because the outcome could help them keep their belief in their ability and their manager's tactics.
Why are Tottenham struggling in the final third?
Jump media player
Media player help
Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.
Harry Kane could return for Tottenham against Woolwich - Mauricio Pochettino
It will be very hard for Tottenham against a side playing so well with so much firepower and they would feel much more confident if they had their own best XI.
It will be interesting to see who starts out of Kane, Toby Alderweireld and Moussa Dembele, who have all been injured recently.
But, even if they are without those players, Pochettino's side will still be well organised and work tremendously hard to stop the Gunners from playing.
The question is how much of a threat can they pose to Arsene Wenger's team.
I know Tottenham beat Manchester City without Kane but they are a better side when he plays.
It is the last third of the pitch where they have been struggling without him because, with Vincent Janssen still adjusting to English football, the likes of Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko are not chipping in with enough goals.
Tottenham players strike-rate in the Premier League 2016-17
Player Mins* Shots Goals Conversion %
*Maximum minutes played after 10 PL games = 900
Son Heung-min 529 22 4 18.2%
Harry Kane 422 12 2 16.7%
Dele Alli 803 24 3 12.5%
Victor Wanyama 862 9 1 11.1%
Vincent Janssen 501 17 1 5.8%
Erik Lamela 592 18 1 5.6%
Christian Eriksen 774 33 0 0%
Moussa Sissoko 327 8 0 0%
Dele Alli is the only player who keeps getting himself in good goalscoring positions and he probably has not scored as many as he should have done when you look at the chances he has had.
Other than Alli, there does not really seem to be a goal threat from Tottenham's front four, or anywhere else in their team - he is the only Spurs player to have scored a goal from open play in the last five games in the Premier League or Champions League
Tottenham's front four are not looking anywhere near as dangerous or creative when you compare them to the players in the same positions from the teams above them in the table - City, Liverpool and Woolwich.
Should Pochettino change his system?
Jump media player
Media player help
Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.
Could it be the closest Premier League title race ever?
Pochettino is an intelligent coach and he will be aware the players in the final third are not doing well enough. They have got to score more goals if they want to challenge for the title.
He has got a decision to make on Sunday because, if he gives his attackers more freedom to change positions and pop up in different areas then that will affect the team's shape and the defensive solidity which is one of their strengths.
Goals were not an issue for Spurs last season so Pochettino knows his players are capable of doing far better when they attack, but he will also be well aware they cannot just be reliant on one player - Kane - to get them the goals that will win them the title.
Kane could return on Sunday but you cannot expect him to hit the ground running after six weeks out. I am sure Spurs are not going to panic and rush him back, either, because they have got some more big games to come.
Tottenham's games in November
Home Away
West Ham (Premier League, 19 Nov) Woolwich (Premier League, 6 Nov)
Monaco (Champions League, 22 Nov)
Chelsea (Premier League, 26 Nov)
Tottenham want to be in this position, though, playing Champions League football and then having big Premier League games straight afterwards.
They strived so hard to get here last season, therefore they have to embrace it, and do their best with the situation they are in without letting it dent their collective confidence and having an adverse effect on the current campaign.
Spurs players are hungry to improve
As far as Sunday goes, I think if you offered Spurs a draw now, they would take it with the players they are missing and after the week they have had.
In contrast, the Gunners will be trying to get on the front foot straight away, like they did against Chelsea in September when they went 3-0 up before half-time.
Woolwich are flying at the moment so it is imperative Tottenham respect that, keep a good shape and stay in the game.
They also need to return to the performance levels they produced when they beat Manchester City last month and for long periods last season. When they do that, they will win matches again.
You learn the most from the bad spells you go through as a team and, from watching them play over the last year or two, I know the Spurs players have got the hunger and desire to improve and get through this.
There is enough quality in their squad for them to do it too.
It would be foolish to write them off because we could be sitting here in a month's time saying how well they have done to turn things around, and look where they are now