As soon as they are back in they are gash though.
-
The Fighting Cock is a forum for fans of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Here you can discuss Spurs latest matches, our squad, tactics and any transfer news surrounding the club. Registration gives you access to all our forums (including 'Off Topic' discussion) and removes most of the adverts (you can remove them all via an account upgrade). You're here now, you might as well...
Latest Spurs videos from Sky Sports
As soon as they are back in they are gash though.
Whilst we all know of the now infamous January 2011 transfer window being both our undoing, and also a massive signal that we aren't prepared to take full advantage of both Woolwich and Liverpool's decline, it is also true that the subsequent transfer windows have been unmitigated disasters. I can only really think of Lloris and Vertonghen as truly successful purchases, and the latter seems to have decided that he doesn't have the stones for a challenge.
There are a calibre of player on the pitch far too often who simply don't have the required ability. I know he has his defenders but I can't say anything good about Chadli. I think a chair would be more effective. Lamela is ponderous, lacks strength and wants an additional .30 on the ball every time he received possession. Eriksen is struggling and has been largely ineffective in every match I have seen him this season.
That these two players have seven of our league goals this season must not mask their overall poor form. Who is to say replacement players wouldn't have been more effective for the team as a whole?
Chiriches is shot. Soldado doesn't even get time on the pitch when his primary challenger has been almost invisible in the league for weeks. And, again, yesterday, his (Adebayor's) goal masks an entirely appalling display.
I have no idea about Stambouli or Fazio having not seen nearly enough of them.
Capoue.....I don't want to coat the bloke but I don't really know what he brings to the team.
You can have some of the best coaching but have sub par players, and if they are determined, hard working and listen you can succeed but if the players don't have the capacity to try then the team is fucked. And this team has looked fucked for 18 months.
There are a calibre of player on the pitch far too often who simply don't have the required ability. I know he has his defenders but I can't say anything good about Chadli. I think a chair would be more effective. Lamela is ponderous, lacks strength and wants an additional .30 on the ball every time he received possession. Eriksen is struggling and has been largely ineffective in every match I have seen him this season.
That these two players have seven of our league goals this season must not mask their overall poor form. Who is to say replacement players wouldn't have been more effective for the team as a whole?
Chiriches is shot. Soldado doesn't even get time on the pitch when his primary challenger has been almost invisible in the league for weeks. And, again, yesterday, his (Adebayor's) goal masks an entirely appalling display.
I have no idea about Stambouli or Fazio having not seen nearly enough of them.
Capoue.....I don't want to coat the bloke but I don't really know what he brings to the team.
You can have some of the best coaching but have sub par players, and if they are determined, hard working and listen you can succeed but if the players don't have the capacity to try then the team is fucked. And this team has looked fucked for 18 months.
Mostly agree with that, but concerning our offensive players I differ a bit from your point of view.
Look at our DM/CM:
We have Capoue, who seems to both fit in the system and provide some quality.
Bentaleb has much potential but can't be seen as a constant factor --> maybe should have been loaned out.
Dembélé might be our best CM but doesn't seem to fit in Pochs tactics --> quite suboptimal.
Paulinho seems to have neither quality nor the proper abilities to earn a spot in the first 11 --> should have been sold
Mason has played very well in his few games but can he be seen as a constant factor? No, he's still a lucky bag.
And last but not least Stambouli whose acquisition I really don't understand. He is neither injured nor had a training lag and nonetheless he wasn't even in the squad most games --> useless acquisition?
Out of six candidates for two positions there is only one player with proven quality and the needed abilities for Pochs system. The quantity is there, but the quality isn't. If you ask me we lack a somehow creative, but still defensively decent midfielder. McCarthy of Everton would be my first choice, Schneiderlin the more defensive and less creative alternative. Maybe Rodwell if he stays fit all season.
Or, as mentioned in the transfer thread, if we invest some big money Moutinho would be great.
But to come back to the real topic, the problem I specified isn't just concerning our central midfield. In our offensive three we have just three players to fully fit in the system, and if they are in bad form/injured or whatsoever they can't be replaced properly. Worse, there is no alternative and thus no real competition for them. Lennon is neither creative nor a good scorer and as Pochs AM doesn't has the task to provide some width to the game he is more or less useless. Same thing at least partially for Townsend who at least has the ability to cut in and (maybe) make something productive in the middle of the pitch.
And Harry Kane might be able to score or to create chances but he isn't a technical, lively player like Lamela, Eriksen or Chadli and hasn't the quality to be in our first eleven as AM (neither as striker yet).
The quantity is there, but only half of the players seem to fit in the system and that's not enough.
So generally it seems to me as if the communication between Manager and Director of Football wasn't that good. I never was a fan of those who wanted Baldini out only a month after he came in, but suddenly I agree with them. Why the hell does a team in England need a DoF? So discharge Baldini, promote Pochetthino to a real manager and give him more freedom concerning the squad. And please Levy please, don't fire him this season.
I would say Dembele fits that role, if he was given a run of games under Poch. The rotation in our squad seems to never allow players to settle and build partnerships. The 'Dembro' partnership from a few years back worked a treat, and it's not like Dembele's legs have gone. The bloke can run for 90 minutes, tackle, pass, and if given the freedom, score a goal.
I somehow agree with you on that but Poch doesn't seem to. I mean seriously, Mason is a good player but he needs to learn a lot before he is quality and nontheless a fit Moussa isn't playing? The key fact still is that Dembélé isn't creative enough and the fact that Mason is currently our most creative build-up player shows that there is something missing in this squad.
Not to mention that even with Dembélé we have too many CMs who aren't good enough or not fitting in the system and not enough who do.
PULL YOUR HEADS IN LADS AND STOP WITH THE LONG POSTS
7 games 1 win, this is either the worst it will get or we'll get relegated
7 games 1 win, this is either the worst it will get or we'll get relegated
Some interesting debates. I dont think that the players dont care.....I genuinely think that they think they are far better than they are in reality.
This whole club thinks its a big club that "should" be in the CL.....what the living fuck have we done to be out there competing with the likes of Munich and Real??
That ship sailed years ago.
Levy, Poch, every single player and every single fan simply needs to re-evaluate our level, ability and targets.
We need to stop playing games like we are the big guns. Its shocking that we still play the patient tapping it around....waiting to grind down the opposition and go for the jugular when they tire.
Laughable approach when we shit our pants up top, and shit our pants when we have to defend a counter attack.
This whole club thinks its a big club that "should" be in the CL.....what the living fuck have we done to be out there competing with the likes of Munich and Real??
That ship sailed years ago.
Levy, Poch, every single player and every single fan simply needs to re-evaluate our level, ability and targets.
We need to stop playing games like we are the big guns. Its shocking that we still play the patient tapping it around....waiting to grind down the opposition and go for the jugular when they tire.
Laughable approach when we shit our pants up top, and shit our pants when we have to defend a counter attack.
Just goes to show that points on their own dont tell the whole story..I mean, we are 5 points off 4th with 29 games to make it up. Should be laughably doable right?
Right?
A big reason why a record points tally never masked the massive flaws in our game for some of us.
This season, if you just walked in from nowhere and looked at the table, you'd think nothing more than a slow start, but no big deal. The reality is quite different though, as we are all fearing the freefall, and confidence hitting rock bottom as it seems to have done every season at some point for the last few years.
One problem is that this doesnt feel like a team yet. Thats why I was so pissed off with Dawson being shipped off, with some Spurs fans celebrating. Well.....now you a crying your eyes out for a leader and some heart. Congratulations.
I want Lennon to feature more, and Id take back Daws and Defoe in a heartbeat. Cant wait for Walker to come back too.
Im struggling to relate to my club, or even recognise it. There is a lack of a bond, and to be honest, Id be happy to see a radical overhaul within the first team and the fringe players..
When fit:
.................................................Lloris
Walker/Naughton.............Dier.............Kaboul.....................Rose
Lennon...........................Mason.........Bentaleb..................Eriksen
........................................Townsend/Lamela
.................................................Kane
I want triers in the team.
Right?
A big reason why a record points tally never masked the massive flaws in our game for some of us.
This season, if you just walked in from nowhere and looked at the table, you'd think nothing more than a slow start, but no big deal. The reality is quite different though, as we are all fearing the freefall, and confidence hitting rock bottom as it seems to have done every season at some point for the last few years.
One problem is that this doesnt feel like a team yet. Thats why I was so pissed off with Dawson being shipped off, with some Spurs fans celebrating. Well.....now you a crying your eyes out for a leader and some heart. Congratulations.
I want Lennon to feature more, and Id take back Daws and Defoe in a heartbeat. Cant wait for Walker to come back too.
Im struggling to relate to my club, or even recognise it. There is a lack of a bond, and to be honest, Id be happy to see a radical overhaul within the first team and the fringe players..
When fit:
.................................................Lloris
Walker/Naughton.............Dier.............Kaboul.....................Rose
Lennon...........................Mason.........Bentaleb..................Eriksen
........................................Townsend/Lamela
.................................................Kane
I want triers in the team.
Exactly - table means very little until mid-December anyway
Usual melts pushing the same old tired agendas and double standards after a disappointing result - hey ho - fans in fickle behaviour shocker. Nothing new there.
The only way this will work is for Levy to finally back-up a young manager, give him 3 seasons carte-blanche and most importantly support him in the transfer market with positive investment in quality players. If he did that in January during our CL season and even later when Redknapp was chasing 3rd - could have been all so different now. We took a calculated risk and lost, fair enough - but his smoke screen is wearing very thin now. We urgently need 1-2 quality players, that is the just of it, imv
Coentrao and Destro in / Ade and Chiriches out
Last edited:
Position in the table and points off the top/bottom is largely irrelevant at this stage of the season - what winds me up is losing at home to West Brom and Newcastle, and not losing due to a heroic goalkeeping performance but yet another pathetic home performance. These are games most clubs in the league would look at to get a result at home.
Disagree with all the comments about 'melting' - it's always disappointing to lose at home, but I can't see how anyone is genuinely happy with the last couple of years of progress/direction the clubs made.
I'm not blaming Pochettino, I look at the squad on paper and they're mostly internationals so I can't see why we can put in such a dire performance as the second half against Newcastle when we gave a good account of ourselves last week at City away.
Reading the glory game and seeing players like Mullery, Chivers etc at the Lane pisses me off that the current team has no one comparable to them, I'm proud of the history of the club but we need players to start performing and with some desire to play for spurs and become heroes, it's not all about winning - but I go to spurs wanting to see some excitement and something to cheer for.
Disagree with all the comments about 'melting' - it's always disappointing to lose at home, but I can't see how anyone is genuinely happy with the last couple of years of progress/direction the clubs made.
I'm not blaming Pochettino, I look at the squad on paper and they're mostly internationals so I can't see why we can put in such a dire performance as the second half against Newcastle when we gave a good account of ourselves last week at City away.
Reading the glory game and seeing players like Mullery, Chivers etc at the Lane pisses me off that the current team has no one comparable to them, I'm proud of the history of the club but we need players to start performing and with some desire to play for spurs and become heroes, it's not all about winning - but I go to spurs wanting to see some excitement and something to cheer for.
Got tickets for me and my 6 year old son for the Stoke game for his first spurs match.............what have I done, the idea was to inspire him as he's in an under 7's local team,
could put him off for life.
could put him off for life.
Stats speak for themselves, not just at Spurs. Europa League plays havoc with many teams domestically.
The gap between games may be similar but, the difference is huge in preparation, logistics and psychologically (and in turn physiologically).
Preparation is always for what particular side is going to be put out for that game, which nine times out of ten (ten out of ten during group games) will not be anything like the weekend team. So you effectively split the squad as opposed to all prepping as a unit for consecutive games against decent opposition, games from which you can take key learnings and build rapport as a unit from game to game, easier to do with reduced time between matches.
Logistically, most games in a Europa League group are against sides from far further across Europe. In our group we have no tie which is just 1-2hrs away in France, Spain, Holland or Germany, often there is more than one trek to Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova etc. Usually playing at poorer standard grounds with several dodgy pitches - certainly more often than Champions League.
Psychologically, nobody really gets up for the first 6-8 games in this tournament. Not fans, press, and players certainly won't be as much as they would be for ANY Champions League game. This means adrenaline levels will be lower, so it follows that intensity will likely be lower. You're already mixing out of form or fringe players with youth which would still make it a challenge in a game everybody was really 'up for'.
That's the huge difference between the two tournaments. The quality of players and their mentality will usually by default be stronger at Champions League clubs as well.
Add in this season that we also now have a manager who is totally inexperienced at managing a club of our size, the depth of squad and having just half-weeks between matches and playing in Europe!!
He can't condition us to play a mega intensive 90minutes every week because we usually have to play 180minutes. He can't prepare for several days for the Premier League opposition in hand from Sat/Sun - Sat/Sun because we're playing on a Wednesday/Thursday regularly.
He has some potential for sure but he, like a lot of our squad, it is only potential and he's not necessarily the right man. Giving him time doesn't even mean success, might mean spending a while in just finding him out but we don't have much choice anymore.
Last edited:
Thing is everyone bangs on about how the Europa league is better this year and more worth playing for because of the champions league place. But come on we all know what will happen one of the CL drops outs will end up winning the thing so for me unless this stops and its just the original EL its worthless
I buy the above head stuff because lets face it we have a weak side in that area. But so far we have played 2 of EL games at home and then coughed up points at home a few days later! The stuff with the flying and extra miles is the case in seasons gone by but I'm talking about our 3 home defeats this season more than anything. And the reason for that is as Pochettino said is all mental. We have a mentally weak squad. A squad that has no true grit. Apparently Stambouli and Fazio are meant to have winners mentalities to help with this but other than them I can't say who we actually have who looks like they have a bit of c*nt in them. The kids like Kane and Mason play with passion for the shirt, and Soldado plays for the crowd who stick by him through all the crap but there is no real grit in there at all other than that. Lloris is world class and has to put up with the crap in front of him but you could say he has it to. Great 6 players in our over full squad of 25!
I think i would put walker in that group as well. Ive always thought he plays with alot of passion
I see your point in wanting triers in the team but Lennon?
Never realised his potential - the first few years of his career, he was lightning quick, direct, dangerous but never addressed the big weaknesses holding him back - inability to cross the ball well on a consistent basis and general lack of goal threat / end product.
It looks to me like he has lost a bit of pace and unlike early in is career seems unwilling / lacking in confidence to take on defenders and cause problems.
Hard to see how much he can really give the team now other than work rate and we really need players in that position who can create and score goals regularly. Can't see him being the answer.