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Lampard is good with tactics. Against Jose at least. But Jose got his tactics right too. Both nanagers got it right, basically. Nullified each other.
Why? Wanna join in?
Possibly, but as Gary Nev said, games like that one are about big moments and Bale can still produce that even when chances are limited.
I don't think Jose will play him in the games he perceives as tight defensive affairs unless we're behind and chasing the game. He'll be already aware that Son is a big defensive compromise, he won't want another in these types of games.
There has been zero evidence that Bale still has that stardust factor in his locker, for whatever reason, based on any of the outings he has had so far. He has looked slow and little better than Gedson.
It hurts to say it, but realistically that's all we've seen so far apart from one essentially routine header. I really hope he continues to get opportunities to play because I believe in the "class is permanent" theory, but by now his fitness should be close to being as good as it can be, so after that it can only be motivation or age and injuries have finally taken their toll.
Hes a long way shy of the Bale who left, to the point of being totally unrecognisable in football terms.
And that hair"style"
Not even close to being true. He's a 31 year old who had no real football between February and October and missed preseason with an injury.
Bale is improving his condition every day and if Mourinho wasn't happy with his progress, he wouldn't be making the matchday squad. It took Kane how long to reach his best level after his last injury? 3 or 4 months? Bale just needs time. He's never going to be the same as he was 7 years ago but he's getting more mobile and more powerful with every game.
OK, you must have seen something I haven't.
Trust me, I really hope you're right, just a glimpse of something, a hint of the genius that we knew before.
I DO NOT WANT TO SEE HIM FAIL.
So please don't dismiss my comments in such a casual manner, I am talking about what we have seen so far.
What we've seen so far is a 31 year old who is building his fitness after a long period of not playing and being injured.
Bale is not going to transform our team even when he does reach his best level, he's not the player he was when he left. He's a player who will hopefully chip in with some goals while he is here on loan and compete with Lucas, Bergiwjn and Lamela. He's not capable of doing what he was doing in 2013.
I get that, and the other thing to bear in mind (we saw it before he left) was his proclivity for breaking down anyway, so even when fit, we can expect to lose him to injury.
This factor alone will obviously prey on his mind, and make him more risk averse in game play, I would have thought.
A lot of reports coming out of Spurs were about him reaching match fitness, weeks ago, and yet he is still not starting games or coming on as sub in PL matches. It will be interesting to see whether he stays on beyond the end of the season.
He is starting games, he starts every Thursday, but the PL is a different level. Gio is 8 years younger than Bale and he is struggling with his fitness too, we also have to consider the specific demands of the PL. It's taken Ndombele a year to be able to start 3 matches in a week without being injured.
Being match fit just means he is physically fit to play. Kane was "match fit" for the CL final but clearly a million miles away from his best condition. It will take time.
7 goals in 9 matches. Not bad for a striker first and foremost is it? So nothing wrong in how he is playing. He plays as his manager tells him and isn't going to goal hang. We barely got into many positions where an out and out striker would be needed. We are top of the league and you are still complaining? Joint best goal difference in the league. Whatever we are doing and however Harry or the rest of the team are playing. Long may it continue!!
What's that got to do with his performance against Chelsea?
The record isn't, no.
2 of them were penalties and the others were from positions a striker should be. I barely saw him in the box against Chelsea because he was too busy being Mr. Creative, creating nothing and being marked out of the game by a midfielder.
Complaining?
I criticised a bang average Harry Kane performance. Is that not allowed?
Tell ya what. Have a day off.
Has everything to do with his performance. He plays this way every single game and against Chelsea who sat back similar to we did to cancel each other out resulted in him not scoring. He was in a position to score had he been played on and probably would have scored. That's what it has to do with his performance against Chelsea. And no it wasn't bang average LOL.
Two of them were penalties? They still need burying don't they. Two of them were positions a striker should be in? Well then nothing wrong with his positioning and being where a striker ought to be I guess? Maybe work out what you're trying to say before saying it. Don't have a day off, take early retirement from the forum
He doesn't play this way every single game at all.
Chelsea sat back and could do - because we had no striker. That's a worry. That Kane and/or Mourinho didn't feel like changing it up. I'd like to think teams won't just do the same in future because it was pretty easy to keep him quiet. Let's just hope it was more a Ngolo Kante masterclass. which not many players in the rest of the league can replicate.
What was above average about his performance against Chelsea?
They do. But that's got nothing to do with where he's playing. I said he was a striker first and foremost (which he hasn't been playing as) and you brought up his goalscoring record as if it somehow dismissed my point.
You're right.
Well done. Harry Kane remembered he was a striker and has scored 5 other goals (beyond penalties) which striker would score. It's a shame he didn't give us a strikers performance at the weekend, we may have troubled their back line a bit more if he put some pressure on them - he has the ability. He showed none of it against Chelsea unfortunately.
He's the best striker in the world. Show anyone that performance against Chelsea and if you told them one of the best strikers in the world was playing, they'd ask where.
You still can't see the tactics Jose used against Chelsea? He wasn't asked to trouble their back line. Son and bergwyn were first to most of the passes and Chelsea made sure with their own tactics that they had him well covered. yes he does play much deeper every game. Clearly you don't watch games properly.
Think you're confusing yourself talking about the goals he scores yet question where he plays. Clearly where he plays and the way he plays is perfectly fine.
I don't think you will find a single spurs fan that criticises harry for his goals assists and performances the way you do. His performances, stats says it all about him. He's added assists and creativity on top of his goal ratio. For me, and for most, the best in the world. Anyone who thinks otherwise don't deserve an opinion if they only watch one game.
I did see them.
Defensively, briliant.
Offensively, unambitious.
I didn't criticise his goals and assists.
I criticised his performance against Chelsea. Which you'd find that most Spurs fans, who aren't afraid of criticising the golden untouchables, would also criticise.
You still haven't answered my question.
What was above average about Kanes performance against Chelsea?
He has - and he's been brilliant this season.
But he wasn't brilliant against Chelsea at all - he was woeful.
Everything he did was above average against Chelsea. Held the ball up, defended, got forward when we countered and usually the one starting the moves. He got in great positions when needed. His free kick however was not so good and should not take them again. Does that answer your question. Woeful? Nowhere near.
No I'm not at all afraid to criticise him but he performed as he was asked and based on the tactics which meant he played deeper and would not get forward as much as he usually would.
Now your tune is changing, you analysed his positioning this season and all his goals and questioned that two were pens 2 were where he should be blah blah blah. And now you love his stats. He doesn't need to change anything about his game. No other striker could do what he does for the team. You clearly missed that in the Chelsea game
I've watched the game twice. Second time I looked specifically at Kane every time he got the ball. What part of the game do you think he held the ball up well? Because on rewatch, it was one of the worst hold up performances I've seen from Kane since the Pochettino days. Which surprised me.
I wouldn't agree that he got forward when we countered either. There were numerous times where he found himself 35 yards from goal passing out wide, only to jog to the middle or drop back a bit deeper (to give the wide man an option to pass back to him) as opposed to... you know.... getting in the box or trying to get on the end of a cross.
The only thing I can give Kane credit for all game is the return pass to Aurier for our only shot on goal that troubled the goalkeeper. Our RIGHT BACK, having better chances than our main man in a London derby.
I don't think he done what was asked of him at all - I reckon what was asked of him was to drop deep, get on the ball and play in Son and Bergwijn (or our full backs) with balls over the top or through the middle - which he didn't do, because he was completely marked out of the game. Is that Kane's fault or Mourinho's fault for not changing it when it was clear it wasn't working?
Who knows - but neither of them changed it and our second half performance was an embarrassment from an offensive point of view and when Kane is your main man, who you go to for creativity (as proven this season) as well as scoring goals. He HAS to take criticism.
Especially when the likes of Rodon are getting abuse for mistakes that came to nothing.
Which, if true (and although of course he's not the Bale of a few years ago I'm not sure I agree he still hasn't something special), it begs the question why did we resign him?