Tottenham vs Wolverhampton. Saturday, August 20th. 12:30 KO

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bus-conductor said:
Another game against an oppo coach who had Conte's tactical number. They are obviously not as good, individually or tactically/coached as Chelsea and like Chelsea they lacked a real cutting edge. But still gave us plenty to think about.

This time going with an orthodox 3 in midfield, and they were all pretty decent footballers. Once again we seemed so lethargic for the first 45, so passive without the ball, no pressure, standing off people, giving them so much time/room.
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Not entirely sure this was Wolves being good tactically at all. They just played with a lot more courage on the ball. Played positive football.

Whereas we looked cowardly. To much recycling of the ball or playing it safe or knocking it long to relieve pressure etc.

The second half showed that. We didn't change anything in that second half tactically. Our players were just a lot more courageous with the football. Hojbjerg was more willing in particular, he had a really good second half. And Kulusevski stepped it up too and decided to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Someone mentioned that it might be intentional. Where we try and lure teams on almost to try and tire them out knowing that we're relatively hard to break down, which is why when we go a goal down in games or score early, we then actually start to play football or show more courage. Also as to why we tend to improve second half and end games strong.
 
Nuts said:
Is that Ronaldo?
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www.thesun.co.uk

Fans in stitches as Brazilian Ronaldo spotted watching Tottenham vs Wolves

FANS have been left in stitches at commentary after the Brazilian Ronaldo was spotted watching Tottenham vs Wolves. The Brazil icon, 45, was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the Premier League …
www.thesun.co.uk www.thesun.co.uk


RONBELIEVABLE

Fans in stitches at commentary as Brazilian Ronaldo spotted in crowd watching Tottenham clash against Wolves​


  • 13:40, 20 Aug 2022
  • Updated: 15:57, 20 Aug 2022
FANS have been left in stitches at commentary after the Brazilian Ronaldo was spotted watching Tottenham vs Wolves.
The Brazil icon, 45, was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the Premier League clash.

 
bus-conductor said:
Another game against an oppo coach who had Conte's tactical number. They are obviously not as good, individually or tactically/coached as Chelsea and like Chelsea they lacked a real cutting edge. But still gave us plenty to think about.

This time going with an orthodox 3 in midfield, and they were all pretty decent footballers. Once again we seemed so lethargic for the first 45, so passive without the ball, no pressure, standing off people, giving them so much time/room.

The problem is people like Son (and Kulusevski) are supposed to tactically adjust and drop into midfield, and help with overloads, but Son especially is an absolute chocolate fucking teapot without the ball, floating around like a fart in a fucking trance, not pressing anyone, not tracking properly, and this just exasperates the overload instead of reducing the burden. The pressure an opponent gets down that side is our fucking LCB. It's not heaps better on the right side, bit at least Emerson defends better than anyone we have at LWB.

Hojbjerg and Bentancur have their qualities, they are both upgrades on people like Dier, Sissoko and Winks, but neither are particularly lively fuckers, with or without the ball. Hojbjerg is a trier but is just not athletically blessed. They aren't weak physically but they aren't terriers always snapping at ankles, and they aren't always the quickest to show for it when we are trying to build up either, and also Son does not help this either, as you cannot play the ball to him under any kind of pressure as he will just cough it up for free.

When the midfielders and attackers aren't showing, without Romero and with the likes of Sanchez, Dier and Davies, we have no CB who can bring the ball out and play a pass. It just ends up getting humped time and time again and we lose initiative. One of the reasons we desperately needed CB upgrades, especially in this 2 CM system (but any system would benefit) especially when they aren't the most press resistant

As a team we just don't seem energetic and aggressive enough, even during Conte's "pragmatic" phases we need to be more proactive and aggressive about what wee are doing. And fundamentally that was the difference between the two halves. We still didn't play great second half, just came out with a bit more intention, slightly better application, people started pressing occasionally in higher places, trying to catch them earlier on the transition, and ultimately our superior fire power just managed to wring a set piece goal out of the better intentions.

Kulusevski and Peresic had their moments. Royal again did OK. Hojbjerg and Bentancur were plodding around first half, but not helped by the tactics and general lethargy of the whole team, outnumbered in midfield and not getting enough help from Kulusevski and especially Son. They both picked up a bit second half.

Son needs dropping. His flimsy fluttering and bumbling spells need no longer be tolerated now we have options, Peresic or Richarlison can play there, or just drop him out, put Bassouma in midfield and start a game with a 352 for a change and give the opposition something different to think about.

Whatever he does, we have to do it with a bit more fucking conviction.
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That’s more than a half decent take there BC. I’ll give you that one …. I mean I’m a yuge sonny fan but there’s many occasion I’ve thought all this effort could do with slice of coordination and I’m surprised conte hasn’t got hold of him and straightened him out s bit. Particularly as conte is said to be your drill sergeant type. If son can’t fully grasp this nettle then youd have thought conte by inculcate would’ve been the answer.

With hojbjerg I think you’re spot on …. I watch him and he’s almost there but parts of his brain are trying to do things parts of his body won’t allow… and when it quickens and thickens in the final 3rd it starts to look awkward.

I feel for any player playing in that midfield 2. Conte appears fully content to take the hit in the middle for the gamble that when it works out extra player is in possession breaking further up the pitch ….. but it can be a hard watch .

Maybe when Bissouma has found his rhythm a bit more we might see a 2 working

But good points well made
 
DPN9 said:
Well pleased with a win against a tricky opponent.
Maybe it was me being biased, but during the first half, the ref seemed to blow for every little stumble or fall, in favour of Wolves.
I don't want to be a Victor Meldrew, but the amount of people standing on the stairs, and cramming onto the end of a row, in the South lower, is becoming a pain; you go for a pee, and you've been squeezed out of your seat, when you come back. I was able to assert myself, and get my standing space back, but not everyone is able to.
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The ref was absolutely terrible. I really wouldn’t be surprised if it was a hangover from the Chelsea game because he gave them everything. But then later in the gss as me I thought a couple of our players made challenges that could have been bookings and he didn’t produce a card so it could have just been incompetence.

Regarding the people in the south stand, we were talking about it after the Southampton game, it seems people are being let into rows by their mates when they shouldn’t be there. It’s a problem. A pain but the stewards need to do their job. I’ll mention it to them at the next home game if I remember.
 
RealCoolYid said:
That’s more than a half decent take there BC. I’ll give you that one …. I mean I’m a yuge sonny fan but there’s many occasion I’ve thought all this effort could do with slice of coordination and I’m surprised conte hasn’t got hold of him and straightened him out s bit. Particularly as conte is said to be your drill sergeant type. If son can’t fully grasp this nettle then youd have thought conte by inculcate would’ve been the answer.

With hojbjerg I think you’re spot on …. I watch him and he’s almost there but parts of his brain are trying to do things parts of his body won’t allow… and when it quickens and thickens in the final 3rd it starts to look awkward.

I feel for any player playing in that midfield 2. Conte appears fully content to take the hit in the middle for the gamble that when it works out extra player is in possession breaking further up the pitch ….. but it can be a hard watch .

Maybe when Bissouma has found his rhythm a bit more we might see a 2 working

But good points well made
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I don’t mind Hol looking awkward in the final third, honestly that’s not his role really….. where I think he costs us is in the middle third, he has a complete apathy to take the ball and turn. Always plays the way he is facing so we never quicken the play.

Looks rushed

Anyway, he will be helped if we adapt our tactics slightly and get an extra man into middle…. Even if it’s say kulu, Rich or Kane taking turns to drop off more centrally. Son can’t do it and needs to be kept away
 
Brian Fantana said:
The ref was absolutely terrible. I really wouldn’t be surprised if it was a hangover from the Chelsea game because he gave them everything. But then later in the gss as me I thought a couple of our players made challenges that could have been bookings and he didn’t produce a card so it could have just been incompetence.

Regarding the people in the south stand, we were talking about it after the Southampton game, it seems people are being let into rows by their mates when they shouldn’t be there. It’s a problem. A pain but the stewards need to do their job. I’ll mention it to them at the next home game if I remember.
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Steward in our block was checking tickets at HT to ensure they were in the correct block. I think people need to chill out, just move along a bit. Who cares
 
Zomb said:
Steward in our block was checking tickets at HT to ensure they were in the correct block. I think people need to chill out, just move along a bit. Who cares
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The four or five people who’ve mentioned it after the last two games? Or worse, the authorities, who if realise might not be so keen to continue with the safe standing initiative?

If people have noticed and remarked about it on here you can bet there is a lot more grumbling about it to their mates or moaning about it on the way home. It’s been fine on my line but we are all ST holders mostly so it will be obvious if it happens and I’m sure it will be complained about.

If the stewards were checking tickets then maybe they already know, it’s not something they usually bother with.
 
Zomb said:
Steward in our block was checking tickets at HT to ensure they were in the correct block. I think people need to chill out, just move along a bit. Who cares
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If go for a pee and come back to find 3 pissed up rowdy twats squashed into my seat/standing area, I would definitely care .
 
On BT Joleon Lescott said that Kane won't break Shearer's record. Fuck me, he was like "will he score 10 goals late in his career I don't think so". Prick. Rooney scored 10 goals or so when he went back to Everton lol.

Kane hasn't ever relied on pace. He's 75 behind. Needs 12 per season, with at least 3 prime years where he'll probably score 60+. What a prick.
 
Zomb said:
I don’t mind Hol looking awkward in the final third, honestly that’s not his role really….. where I think he costs us is in the middle third, he has a complete apathy to take the ball and turn. Always plays the way he is facing so we never quicken the play.

Looks rushed

Anyway, he will be helped if we adapt our tactics slightly and get an extra man into middle…. Even if it’s say kulu, Rich or Kane taking turns to drop off more centrally. Son can’t do it and needs to be kept away
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You know it’s that same awkwardness in the final 3rd that’s the problem with his difficulty to faint on thx half turn

As BC pointed out he doesn’t have a great deal of athleticism, so he just won’t have developed the subtlety that let you execute with confidence the necessary techniques … being able to offer a faint on half turn allows you buy that half yard. The opposition player can’t fully commit to getting tight because if he over commits and you’ve got your body going that way then he’s sold himself and you just shift the ball past him carrying you in the right direction

If he sees the faint but doesn’t get drawn in by it and holds back from risking getting tight well then you’re in position to get open your body up and look to get the pass off ….. up the field

Obviously there’s whole bucketful’s of nuance and subtlety which Hojberj just can’t pull off

So I agree … he runs square at the pass …
You’ll often see him flick his neck round but this is a token gesture because it’s always going back

He then quite often throws in a few little hand gestures to justify this course of action …. You know the 2 flat hands gesture… footy code for calm this is a no risks situation and you’ll be getting this ball right back

So yeah I share your frustration… so many times I think I know this isn’t a suit in your armoury but fuck mr come on .

Of course modric is possibly the best example you could ever offer to demonstrate the mastery of the craft. The beauty with modric starts with his ability to use either side of both feet. Add to this drop both shoulders backwards and forwards, sometimes with a knee drop others just a lean and any faint at any point from his hips and you can see that modric as he’s approaching the ball is subtlety moving In any and many number of directions that no defender risk getting to clise because after years of honing his craft with a tailor made physic to execute all this, he can spring off at the last moments making Luca modric probably one of the most press resistant midfielders In world football

And at the same time rather unfairly maybe now due to the comparison , demonstrates why Hojberj struggles .


I think that can get filed under‘opportunity to wax lyrical over the sublime Luka Modric
 
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Shades said:
If go for a pee and come back to find 3 pissed up rowdy twats squashed into my seat/standing area, I would definitely care .
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Yeah if there’s three people and no room maybe but I think you have to allow some leeway, honestly if you have to shuffle a bit so what… maybe South Stand isn’t the best place for you?
 
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