Cocky youngsters?

[ShutUpPatrik]

That we have had some stellar successes over the last couple of years is undeniable with our rise up the table and crusade into top European football. And we have done so with a very young squad, which is commendable and tremendous.

However here is something I have been thinking about.

I've been mentioning it in the last two match threads because it seems to have happened in both, and multiple other times this season. To me it seems that a lot of our players don't tend to "show up" for a lot of our games against teams lower down in the table/"lesser teams", and tend to not take it seriously and end up flubbing it. Our youngsters in particular. From what I have seen our elder statesmen (Vertonghen, Lloris, Sissoko, Dembéle and Toby. I'd also throw Son in with this lot because he always puts in a full shift) have not had as many or any lapses in how seriously they approach a game or the effort put in. But it seems like the younger crop seem more interested in facing off with the bigger teams and competing in Europe and come out for those games firing on all cylinders.

Our last two games can also be chalked up to lacking a creative outlet in Eriksen. But I definitely think that stretched out over the course of the season we have dropped points because a lot of our players do not go into the games taking it all that seriously.

I should clarify that I do not expect our players to play perfect games every game. But to at least put in the effort to win every game.

Am I the only one thinking this or is there others who have thought similar things? Is our success coming back to haunt us in the form of cockiness? And if so, how do we get through it?

 

[Totti]

I disagree.

 

[hiatus]

Fuck that shit - they were playing on a Scottish golf course form the 1870s mowed by sheep the last two matches.

I know Poch and the players aren’t going to blame the playing surface and they shouldn’t, but when the pitch makes CONCACAF look like the gold standard it’s hard to play football.

 

[ShutUpPatrik]

I disagree.

Care to elaborate on your stance?

I am genuinely curious. There have been multiple games this season where a lot of our players have looked totally disinterested (Burnley at home, West Ham at the Olympic to name two off the top of my head). I'm not saying that they have gotten disinterested in playing for Spurs, but that it seems that some players think they are Billy Big Bollocks and don't need to put in full effort at all times. That to me is an issue. No big club have reached that level by lolligagging against minor teams or teams "beneath them".

 

[Totti]

Care to elaborate on your stance?

I am genuinely curious. There have been multiple games this season where a lot of our players have looked totally disinterested (Burnley at home, West Ham at the Olympic to name two off the top of my head). I'm not saying that they have gotten disinterested in playing for Spurs, but that it seems that some players think they are Billy Big Bollocks and don't need to put in full effort at all times. That to me is an issue. No big club have reached that level by lolligagging against minor teams or teams "beneath them".

It's just the way it is.

We're not perfect and neither are our players.

Other teams around us have had games similar to the ones we experienced away at Southampton and at home to Burnley. I don't see it as being cocky, it just happens in football. We may go and smash United at Wembley on Wednesday and no one will bring up the Southampton and Newport games. The praise will be on the players and Pochettino and the speak of finishing in 2nd place will be echoed again.

I don't think we head into games thinking teams are "beneath us" - I sort of feel under Poch we tend to do better against the lower teams anyway, but they do get magnified if we fail to win them. Don't think we've ever lost against a team that's just been promoted and in the last 2 seasons, we've only lost to two teams that tends to finish outside the top 5.

Whereas within that time:

Chelsea have lost to Burnley (H), Palace (A), Palace (H) and West Ham (A)
Man Utd have lost to Huddersfield (A), Watford (A)
Liverpool have lost to Swansea (A), Palace (H), Leicester (A), Hull (A), Swansea (H), Bournemouth (A), Burnley (A)

 

[Benjamin]

I don't think this is an issue with Spurs exclusively. I think modern footballers on the whole tend to go into many matches looking as if the team they're playing is beneath them. Every team is going to drop points to teams below them (unless you're in 20th). It happens, it's part of the sport.

 

[Nabil Bentaleb]

COCKY YOUNGSTERS?

 

[spursmalc]

Yesterday in the first half the problem was players trying to play out from the back, being pressed and losing the ball. Wanyama was dispossessed as was Dier in dangerous positions. The midfielders were not creative players meaning the forwards were not getting the service. It improved in the 2nd half but we were a goal down chasing the game and was missing Eriksen.