Leicester v Spurs 19/20 Ratings and ramblings

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  • Total voters
    39
So Near So VAR

If you were a neutral, that was a pretty decent game of football, two proactive managers (both with some flaws), two decent teams, some decent football, a bit too open at times, and plenty of drama.

But I'm not a neutral and that winner for Leicester really fucked me off.

I don't think that was a bad performance overall, compared to our previous two away PL games, we were proactive, started the game with the right intentions, had 55% possession, created marginally the better chances, I thought Poch's subs, tactically, were good and effected the game the right way for a change. It was a real kick in the bollocks when cunty headed Maddison managed to twat one past Gazzaniga from 25 yards.

I didn't have too much issue with the team selection. Would rather a proper footballer was played in midfield instead of Sissoko obviously but it didn't bother me that Eriksen and Alli were dropped, neither were great Wednesday, and it won't hurt to show the squad nobody's above a kick up the arse. Also good to see a "proper" (almost) RB back in the team instead of a CB. Would obviously have preferred and orthodox 433, to the 41212 diamond, but this was possibly the best forward set up for the diamond with the energy of Lamela at the top of the diamond with Son and Kane operating as the twin strikers. Son movement is more intelligent than Moura's - who just whizzes around getting in Kane's way. Son's skill set more complimentary to Kane's.

We definitely edged the first half and went in 1-0 up curtesy of a really nicely worked goal, the ball played to Lamela, he plays Son through the centre, Son cleverly reverses it to Kane who does brilliantly to ride a challenge and still have the poise to finish. It was the kind of goal we've got used to watching people wax lyrical about Liverpool scoring, a lovely quick transitional goal.

I also thought we should have had a penalty. A lovely ball out from Winks - who was again very good (34 forward passes, Ndombele 17, Sissoko 12) - found Rose in space to gallop, his first touch was poor, and his choice was also poor, but Evans clearly stuck back a leg and caught Rose. A deliberate action by Evans.

We possibly got a break from VAR before we scored, but it was only a chance because Gazzaniga made a fucking pigs ear of a pretty routine shot. VAR was soon to show us that it giveth and taketh away.

We went in deservedly just ahead of a first half we had definitely edged.

The first 20 minutes of the second half was the only phase where we really lost control of this game, although it was during this phase that Son wasted a couple good chances and we scored what appeared to be another very well worked goal, Ndombele winning the ball and exchanging passes with Sissoko in midfield before playing an incisive pass (it's so lovely to be saying that about one of our midfielders) to put Son through down the centre, he wasted the chance bu the ball fell to Aurier who whacked it home in the bottom corner. I'm not going to grumble about the offside, we've had our share of these go our way, but it was ludicrously tight. It looked to me like the lines drawn by VAR overlapped each other, in which case, surely that's impossible to call? Something else that maybe needs looking at, along with the hand ball rules and the PL's decision not to use VAR to overrule clear refereeing errors. This is not about VAR, it's about laws and application of them.

I thought the decision to bring on a DM and shift Winks, our most dynamic midfielder defensively, over the protect that right that they were getting lots of joy down, was a sound one. Sissoko had disappeared, made 6 passes in the second half, made zero successful tackles all game, was not getting on the ball, as ever when the pressure's on, and had already lost possession once allowing Vardy to go clean through. They'd been getting more and more on top for that first 20 minutes of the second half and that VAR just ramped them up even more. The stats back this up. First half we had 53%. From 46 to 67 min (when we made the sub) that had reversed to them having 52% - the game and domination of the midfield had swung their way. From 68 minutes to the end of the game it swung back massively to us 64.5% in our favour. And despite them getting the winner, it was a long shot - their X/G basically flatlined for the last 30 minutes.

The last 30 we were back in the ascendancy again, and I also think the second change was a good one too, Lamela had run out of gas, and to be able to bring on a player like Eriksen into the 10 position late in a game is a luxury, we were the team going for the win, they were definitely creaking and Rodgers took off the offensive Tielemans for the defensive Choudary.

Unfortunately we squandered a few more good situations before Maddison popped up with a 25 yard zipper that seemed to catch Gazzaniga flat footed. It was a hammer blow in a game we'd put a lot into. A draw would have pissed me off a bit but I could have reconciled on balance, to lose was a fucking killer.

Ndombele showed some nice touches, if we can get the midfield blend and balance right, he's showing signs of what he's about, can wriggle out of pressure and break lines and can play incisive passes from that midfield area. He also made the most successful tackles today (Ndombele 4, Winks 0, Sissoko 0). He was a bit careless with the ball a few times too though.

As with our home games this season, I'm seeing some signs of us getting back to some better habits, but there are still big omnipresent issues that after 5+ years of Poch are kind of worrying that they are still there. It is often mentioned that Poch's teams are one of the best at recovering points from losing positions, but his Southampton and his first two years under us (and maybe last season I can't remember) his teams were also the worst at coughing them up, and that's the case already this season.

This game was still way too open at times, and if only we could switch to a 433, we could use the lateral forwards to help stifle the wide channels when we are in defensive shape, this diamond makes us very narrow, and with two central strikers and a central AM, beating our press, what there is of it, can be very easy to push it out wide and once that happens, we can be got at quite easily down our flanks.

Surely after 5 years, a whole pre season with a bunch of players he's been working with for most of that time, Poch could have worked on defensive transitions and management, so that we aren't as open as we have been in almost every away game this season?

We were told by certain people that the lateral weakness was entirely the fault of Trippier, do those people start admitting it's the structure and system now ? Just look where Aurier was for their first goal.

Individual

Gazzaniga - Pfft

Aurier - Better than Sanchez I guess, but still pfftt..

Alderweireld - I thought he was too easily bamboozled by Maddison first half when he went through and I think he could have done better to cut out the cross for the first goal.

Vertonghen - OK

Rose - Didn't really offer much going forward. OK defensively.

Sissoko - Was OK first half, in his lethargic, dopey way, was involved in the build up to the disallowed goal with a nice touch, but mostly disappeared second half when we needed to get a grip of the game, 6 passes in the first 22 minutes of the second half, didn't make a single successful tackle all game, only made 12 forward passes (15 backwards) all game. Big noise, too little substance.

Winks - Once again our most industrious midfielder making 73 passes (as much as Sissoko and Ndombele together) with 34 forward passes. Not shitloads of incision though.

Ndombele - Glimpses of what he's about, some nice little moves and played some nice vertical and incisive passes, and did get stuck in today, joint most tackles (4) but was also careless with the ball at times too, and has to look for it a bit more at times too.

Lamela - Good first half, worked hard, played a couple of nice balls, including the one that sets us in motion for the goal, but some sloppy moments too and faded badly second half.

Kane - Decent 90 overall, worked a bit harder off the ball and took his goal brilliantly.

Son - Lovely little reverse to set up Kane for the goal, was lively throughout, but was very wasteful a few times too. Decent effort.
 
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Sissoko didn’t make a single tackle all game

Lmfao

Apart from the one he got booked for of course

What a load of shite
 
So Near So VAR

If you were a neutral, that was a pretty decent game of football, two proactive managers (both with some flaws), two decent teams, some decent football, a bit too open at times, and plenty of drama.

But I'm not a neutral and that winner for Leicester really fucked me off.

I don't think that was a bad performance at all, compared to our previous two away PL games, we were proactive, started the game with the right intentions, had 55% possession, created marginally the better chances, I thought Poch's subs, tactically, were good and effected the game the right way for a change. It was a real kick in the bollocks when cunty headed Maddison managed to twat one past Gazzaniga from 25 yards.

I didn't have too much issue with the team selection. Would rather a proper footballer was played in midfield instead of Sissoko obviously but it didn't bother me that Eriksen and Alli were dropped, neither were great Wednesday, and it won't hurt to show the squad nobody's above a kick up the arse. Also good to see a "proper" (almost) RB back in the team instead of a CB. Would obviously have preferred and orthodox 433, to the 41212 diamond, but this was possibly the best forward set up for the diamond with the energy of Lamela at the top of the diamond with Son and Kane operating as the twin strikers. Son movement is more intelligent than Moura's - who just whizzes around getting in Kane's way. Son's skill set more complimentary to Kane's.

We definitely edged the first half and went in 1-0 up curtesy of a really nicely worked goal, the ball played to Lamela, he plays Son through the centre, Son cleverly reverses it to Kane who does brilliantly to ride a challenge and still have the poise to finish. It was the kind of goal we've got used to watching people wax lyrical about Liverpool scoring, a lovely quick transitional goal.

I also thought we should have had a penalty. A lovely ball out from Winks - who was again very good (34 forward passes, Ndombele 17, Sissoko 12) - found Rose in space to gallop, his first touch was poor, and his choice was also poor, but Evans clearly stuck back a leg and caught Rose. A deliberate action by Evans.

We possibly got a break from VAR before we scored, but it was only a chance because Gazzaniga made a fucking pigs ear of a pretty routine shot. VAR was soon to show us that it giveth and taketh away.

We went in deservedly just ahead of a first half we had definitely edged.

The first 20 minutes of the second half was the only phase where we really lost control of this game, although it was during this phase that Son wasted a couple good chances and we scored what appeared to be another very well worked goal, Ndombele winning the ball and exchanging passes with Sissoko in midfield before playing an incisive pass (it's so lovely to be saying that about one of our midfielders) to put Son through down the centre, he wasted the chance bu the ball fell to Aurier who whacked it home in the bottom corner. I'm not going to grumble about the offside, we've had our share of these go our way, but it was ludicrously tight. It looked to me like the lines drawn by VAR overlapped each other, in which case, surely that's impossible to call? Something else that maybe needs looking at, along with the hand ball rules and the PL's decision not to use VAR to overrule clear refereeing errors. This is not about VAR, it's about laws and application of them.

I thought the decision to bring on a DM and shift Winks, our most dynamic midfielder defensively, over the protect that right that they were getting lots of joy down, was a sound one. Sissoko had disappeared, made 6 passes in the second half, made zero tackles all game, was not getting on the ball, as ever when the pressure's on, and had already lost possession once allowing Vardy to go clean through. They'd been getting more and more on top for that first 20 minutes of the second half and that VAR just ramped them up even more. The stats back this up. First half we had 53%. From 46 to 67 min (when we made the sub) that had reversed to them having 52% - the game and domination of the midfield had swung their way. From 68 minutes to the end of the game it swung back massively to us 64.5% in our favour. And despite them getting the winner, it was a long shot - their X/G basically flatlined for the last 30 minutes.

The last 30 we were back in the ascendancy again, and I also think the second change was a good one too, Lamela had run out of gas, and to be able to bring on a player like Eriksen into the 10 position late in a game is a luxury, we were the team going for the win, they were definitely creaking and Rodgers took off the offensive Tielemans for the defensive Choudary.

Unfortunately we squandered a few more good situations before Maddison popped up with a 25 yard zipper that seemed to catch Gazzaniga flat footed. It was a hammer blow in a game we'd put a lot into. A draw would have pissed me off a bit but I could have reconciled on balance, to lose was a fucking killer.

Ndombele showed some nice touches, if we can get the midfield blend and balance right, he's showing signs of what he's about, can wriggle out of pressure and break lines and can play incisive passes from that midfield area. He also made the most tackles today (Ndombele 4, Winks 0, Sissoko 0). He was a bit careless with the ball a few times too though.

As with our home games this season, I'm seeing some signs of us getting back to some better habits, but there are still omnipresent issues that after 5+ years of Poch kind of worry that they are still there. It is often mentioned that Poch's teams are one of the best at recovering points from losing positions, but his Southampton and his first two years under us (and maybe last season I can't remember) his teams were also the worst at coughing them up, and that's the case already this season.

This game was still way too open at times, and if only we could switch to a 433, we could use the lateral forwards to help stifle the wide channels when we are in defensive shape, this diamond makes us very narrow, and with two central strikers and a central AM, beating our press, what there is of it, can be very easy to push it out wide and once that happens, we can be got at quite easily down our flanks.

Surely after 5 years, a whole pre season with a bunch of players he's been working with for most of that time, Poch could have worked on defensive transitions and management, so that we aren't as open as we have been in almost every away game this season?

We were told by certain people that this lateral weakness was entirely the fault of Trippier, do those people start admitting it's the structure and system now ? Just look where Aurier was for their first goal.

Individual

Gazzaniga - Pfft

Aurier - Better than Sanchez I guess.

Alderweireld - I thought he was too easily bamboozled by Maddison first half when he went through and I think he could have done better to cut out the cross for the first goal.

Vertonghen - OK

Rose - Didn't really offer much going forward. OK defensively.

Sissoko - Was OK first half, and was involved in the build up to the disallowed goal with a nice touch, but mostly disappeared second half when we needed to get a grip of the game, 6 passes in the first 22 minutes of the second half, didn't make a single tackle all game, only made 12 forward passes (15 backwards) all game. Big noise, too little substance.

Winks - Once again our most industrious midfielder making 73 passes (as much as Sissoko and Ndombele together) with 34 forward passes. Not shitloads of incision though.

Ndombele - Glimpses of what he's about, some nice little moves and played some nice vertical and incisive passes, and did get stuck in today, joint most tackles (4) but was also careless with the ball at times too, and has to look for it a bit more at times too.

Lamela - Good first half, worked hard, played a couple of nice balls, including the one that sets us in motion for the goal, but some sloppy moments too and faded badly second half.

Kane - Decent 90 overall, worked a bit harder off the ball and took his goal brilliantly.

Son - Lovely little reverse to set up Kane for the goal, was lively throughout, but was very wasteful a few times too. Decent effort.

Kane because he was a warrior when warriors were required. His goal was pure brute and heart for the cause.

We truly won't realise what we had with him until he's gone. What a fucking finish the others shouldn't be allowed to eat in the same room as him. Not worthy of the man my clear MOTM
 
Ndombele showed some nice touches, if we can get the midfield blend and balance right, he's showing signs of what he's about, can wriggle out of pressure and break lines and can play incisive passes from that midfield area. He also made the most tackles today (Ndombele 4, Winks 0, Sissoko 0). He was a bit careless with the ball a few times too though.
Yeah he was, but all credit to him for that lovely tackle to win it back and atone for his mistake. I wish more players had that attitude and ability instead of leaving others to clear up the mess.
 
I’ll give an alternative opinion; N’dombele was poor and definitely off the pace. He may have won the ball back on occasion but doesn’t look ready for a top 4 team. Sissoko did what he does, Winks was good, Lamela involved in everything and Kane getting back towards what we’re used to. I thought Son, goal aside, was shocking. Eriksen (you describe him as a luxury player) was anything but luxury. Gazza poor. Defence was all over the place at times, I love Jan and Toby but they’re finished as a CB pairing if we want to be challenge for the top.

This group with Poch is done, either 4-5 move on or he does, it is simply not working in terms of motivation and quality.
 
I’ll give an alternative opinion; N’dombele was poor and definitely off the pace. He may have won the ball back on occasion but doesn’t look ready for a top 4 team. Sissoko did what he does, Winks was good, Lamela involved in everything and Kane getting back towards what we’re used to. I thought Son, goal aside, was shocking. Eriksen (you describe him as a luxury player) was anything but luxury. Gazza poor. Defence was all over the place at times, I love Jan and Toby but they’re finished as a CB pairing if we want to be challenge for the top.

This group with Poch is done, either 4-5 move on or he does, it is simply not working in terms of motivation and quality.

Rarely, I actually don't think you are a million miles wrong much of that, but Ndombele needs time to be judged, but is showing some ability, at least more, ability wise, like a top 4 player than Sissoko ever has or will and we've had to watch him fuck about for three years. And I said it's a luxury for us to be able to bring a player like Eriksen on, not he's a Luxury player.
 
So Near So VAR

If you were a neutral, that was a pretty decent game of football, two proactive managers (both with some flaws), two decent teams, some decent football, a bit too open at times, and plenty of drama.

But I'm not a neutral and that winner for Leicester really fucked me off.

I don't think that was a bad performance at all, compared to our previous two away PL games, we were proactive, started the game with the right intentions, had 55% possession, created marginally the better chances, I thought Poch's subs, tactically, were good and effected the game the right way for a change. It was a real kick in the bollocks when cunty headed Maddison managed to twat one past Gazzaniga from 25 yards.

I didn't have too much issue with the team selection. Would rather a proper footballer was played in midfield instead of Sissoko obviously but it didn't bother me that Eriksen and Alli were dropped, neither were great Wednesday, and it won't hurt to show the squad nobody's above a kick up the arse. Also good to see a "proper" (almost) RB back in the team instead of a CB. Would obviously have preferred and orthodox 433, to the 41212 diamond, but this was possibly the best forward set up for the diamond with the energy of Lamela at the top of the diamond with Son and Kane operating as the twin strikers. Son movement is more intelligent than Moura's - who just whizzes around getting in Kane's way. Son's skill set more complimentary to Kane's.

We definitely edged the first half and went in 1-0 up curtesy of a really nicely worked goal, the ball played to Lamela, he plays Son through the centre, Son cleverly reverses it to Kane who does brilliantly to ride a challenge and still have the poise to finish. It was the kind of goal we've got used to watching people wax lyrical about Liverpool scoring, a lovely quick transitional goal.

I also thought we should have had a penalty. A lovely ball out from Winks - who was again very good (34 forward passes, Ndombele 17, Sissoko 12) - found Rose in space to gallop, his first touch was poor, and his choice was also poor, but Evans clearly stuck back a leg and caught Rose. A deliberate action by Evans.

We possibly got a break from VAR before we scored, but it was only a chance because Gazzaniga made a fucking pigs ear of a pretty routine shot. VAR was soon to show us that it giveth and taketh away.

We went in deservedly just ahead of a first half we had definitely edged.

The first 20 minutes of the second half was the only phase where we really lost control of this game, although it was during this phase that Son wasted a couple good chances and we scored what appeared to be another very well worked goal, Ndombele winning the ball and exchanging passes with Sissoko in midfield before playing an incisive pass (it's so lovely to be saying that about one of our midfielders) to put Son through down the centre, he wasted the chance bu the ball fell to Aurier who whacked it home in the bottom corner. I'm not going to grumble about the offside, we've had our share of these go our way, but it was ludicrously tight. It looked to me like the lines drawn by VAR overlapped each other, in which case, surely that's impossible to call? Something else that maybe needs looking at, along with the hand ball rules and the PL's decision not to use VAR to overrule clear refereeing errors. This is not about VAR, it's about laws and application of them.

I thought the decision to bring on a DM and shift Winks, our most dynamic midfielder defensively, over the protect that right that they were getting lots of joy down, was a sound one. Sissoko had disappeared, made 6 passes in the second half, made zero tackles all game, was not getting on the ball, as ever when the pressure's on, and had already lost possession once allowing Vardy to go clean through. They'd been getting more and more on top for that first 20 minutes of the second half and that VAR just ramped them up even more. The stats back this up. First half we had 53%. From 46 to 67 min (when we made the sub) that had reversed to them having 52% - the game and domination of the midfield had swung their way. From 68 minutes to the end of the game it swung back massively to us 64.5% in our favour. And despite them getting the winner, it was a long shot - their X/G basically flatlined for the last 30 minutes.

The last 30 we were back in the ascendancy again, and I also think the second change was a good one too, Lamela had run out of gas, and to be able to bring on a player like Eriksen into the 10 position late in a game is a luxury, we were the team going for the win, they were definitely creaking and Rodgers took off the offensive Tielemans for the defensive Choudary.

Unfortunately we squandered a few more good situations before Maddison popped up with a 25 yard zipper that seemed to catch Gazzaniga flat footed. It was a hammer blow in a game we'd put a lot into. A draw would have pissed me off a bit but I could have reconciled on balance, to lose was a fucking killer.

Ndombele showed some nice touches, if we can get the midfield blend and balance right, he's showing signs of what he's about, can wriggle out of pressure and break lines and can play incisive passes from that midfield area. He also made the most tackles today (Ndombele 4, Winks 0, Sissoko 0). He was a bit careless with the ball a few times too though.

As with our home games this season, I'm seeing some signs of us getting back to some better habits, but there are still omnipresent issues that after 5+ years of Poch kind of worry that they are still there. It is often mentioned that Poch's teams are one of the best at recovering points from losing positions, but his Southampton and his first two years under us (and maybe last season I can't remember) his teams were also the worst at coughing them up, and that's the case already this season.

This game was still way too open at times, and if only we could switch to a 433, we could use the lateral forwards to help stifle the wide channels when we are in defensive shape, this diamond makes us very narrow, and with two central strikers and a central AM, beating our press, what there is of it, can be very easy to push it out wide and once that happens, we can be got at quite easily down our flanks.

Surely after 5 years, a whole pre season with a bunch of players he's been working with for most of that time, Poch could have worked on defensive transitions and management, so that we aren't as open as we have been in almost every away game this season?

We were told by certain people that this lateral weakness was entirely the fault of Trippier, do those people start admitting it's the structure and system now ? Just look where Aurier was for their first goal.

Individual

Gazzaniga - Pfft

Aurier - Better than Sanchez I guess.

Alderweireld - I thought he was too easily bamboozled by Maddison first half when he went through and I think he could have done better to cut out the cross for the first goal.

Vertonghen - OK

Rose - Didn't really offer much going forward. OK defensively.

Sissoko - Was OK first half, and was involved in the build up to the disallowed goal with a nice touch, but mostly disappeared second half when we needed to get a grip of the game, 6 passes in the first 22 minutes of the second half, didn't make a single tackle all game, only made 12 forward passes (15 backwards) all game. Big noise, too little substance.

Winks - Once again our most industrious midfielder making 73 passes (as much as Sissoko and Ndombele together) with 34 forward passes. Not shitloads of incision though.

Ndombele - Glimpses of what he's about, some nice little moves and played some nice vertical and incisive passes, and did get stuck in today, joint most tackles (4) but was also careless with the ball at times too, and has to look for it a bit more at times too.

Lamela - Good first half, worked hard, played a couple of nice balls, including the one that sets us in motion for the goal, but some sloppy moments too and faded badly second half.

Kane - Decent 90 overall, worked a bit harder off the ball and took his goal brilliantly.

Son - Lovely little reverse to set up Kane for the goal, was lively throughout, but was very wasteful a few times too. Decent effort.
You're a disgrace.
 
Like the effort you put in Blakey .... even if I don't agree with some of it ...

Like you I thought it was a great game of football, obviously spun on its head by that VAR decision which no question cost us three points .... kicked us in the balls gave them a lift, nothing much you can do about that.

Wasn't all that pissed off with the team, fair enough Hugo dropping out for his baby, and that did disrupt the defence a bit, but overall a decent performance away against the 5/6/7th best side in the EPL.

My biggest disappointment was seeing Eriksen coming on - his head is just not in the game and great as he might be he isn't showing it.

Of course the usual cunts who were so quiet after last week's win were all back out in force on the match thread ... there must be at least a dozen trolls who can't wait to pour their bile onto this site day after day ... it's a crying shame, guess they've all got wife-beater mentality, hit out at the thing you claim to love ... let's hope they are only cunts on the keyboard and not such cunts in real life.
 
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Sissoko in midfield before playing an incisive pass (it's so lovely to be saying that about one of our midfielders)

I am really shocked by you, that's twice in as many weeks you have praised Sissoko. Is he starting to win you over ?
:dembelelol:

I am pissed off with the players they seem to have no fight, no bollocks, no guts.

It's fine when things are going well and you can play pretty passes around the pitch. But sometimes you need to dig in and find some fucking grit and determination.
Too many pretty boy, fancy dan players with no heart. (Kane, Winks and Lamela excluded)
 
This game was still way too open at times, and if only we could switch to a 433, we could use the lateral forwards to help stifle the wide channels when we are in defensive shape, this diamond makes us very narrow, and with two central strikers and a central AM, beating our press, what there is of it, can be very easy to push it out wide and once that happens, we can be got at quite easily down our flanks.
As far as I am aware, every system has pros and cons. It's the application (one of your favourite words) of it that is critical. As you know, I have begun watching German and French football recently, and it has been eye-opening for me to see how systems I had detested because of how I had seen us play when we used them can actually be very successful. I have seen Nagelsmann use a 3-5-2 at times at Leipzig and they give up remarkably few chances because they are so well organised. I have seen us play 3-5-2 and provide next to no protection to our back line.
 
Watching the highlights back in the cold light of day, I think we were pretty good and it was a highly entertaining game of football. Leicester always make an effort that pushes us and I appreciate that. Much better to watch than PTB borefests like Newcastle.

We really needed Lamela to step up now Eriksen's gone mentally AWOL and he didn't disappoint. Maybe could have played it to Kane rather than taken the shot but I don't begrudge him the greed because he wants those goals. I want him to get them.

I went with Winks as MOTM because he keeps showing up and gives his all. Not without his flaws but I still think he's one of the best for his age in the league and he'll keep getting better.
 
Bullshit about Sissoko. With Sissoko on the field we scored 2 goals (including the ridiculous offside). When Sissoko left the field, we gave up 2 goals .

What a ridiculous thing to say unless you can back it up with some evidence that as a direct result of his play we weren't conceding chances but when he went off that changed? Leicester created chances, had more shots and shots on target (13/5 v 3/2) and had even had a marginally higher x/g when Sissoko was on the pitch than when he wasn't.

Sissoko has been on the pitch for every single league goal we have conceded before yesterday was culpable in at least a couplepof them and directly at fault because of his abject failure to close down (Atsu/Newcastle) in us losing that game.

He fucking trundles around with no urgency, is shit at pressing, just stands off people constantly, even Ndombele, who's hardly mr tenacity, managed to win the ball 4 times yesterday, Sissoko didn't manage it once, he's one of the major reasons we have deteriorated as a team with and without the ball.
 
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As far as I am aware, every system has pros and cons. It's the application (one of your favourite words) of it that is critical. As you know, I have begun watching German and French football recently, and it has been eye-opening for me to see how systems I had detested because of how I had seen us play when we used them can actually be very successful. I have seen Nagelsmann use a 3-5-2 at times at Leipzig and they give up remarkably few chances because they are so well organised. I have seen us play 3-5-2 and provide next to no protection to our back line.

But now maybe you get why I use the word, because ultimately, it's the most important facet. You can play any format, but if the application of it is poor, then it won't work, or won't work properly.

You know I am not Poch's biggest fan, I have been very critical of him over the last three years, long before this current climate of dissatisfaction had taken a hold with some more of the fanbase, I can remember you accusing me of being overly harsh on him and asking me "what else could he have done" when I criticised him.

One thing I would say though is, it is harder to coach tactical pragmatism along side a proactive, progressive footballing approach. But that is what the very best coaches can do. I do not think Poch is in that highest calibre of coaches. I think he's a notch down. I think he has the right intentions. I just don't think he's got all the mental/emotional tools or intelligence to pull it off consistently - he is consistently found wanting on the big occasion, and fundamentally he makes too many really poor basic tactical errors.

Tactical errors needn't be fatal, very few managers are tactically infallible, but Poch now combines this with a lack of coached rigour. Once he started believing his own hype, becoming more worried about his he was perceived, pandering to dressing room egos, abandoning the collective ethos, shunning the academy kids who would listen to him and run through walls for him, he was on a slippery slope.

He was given more influence over Signings and this saw us sign a different profile of player - largely not very bright, athletic ones. Sissoko, Moura, Aurier, Sanchez etc and he wonders why his team does stupid things constantly.

No other manager in this division has been given the autonomy he has over the last 5 years, to influence so much at the club. Whatever we are - good and bad - his name is stamped all over it. As I said above, his Southampton side had some great qualities but no side gave up more points from winning positions, here wee are in his sixth season with us and that's still the case. Not great.

As Ive said for much of the last 2/3 years - and got caned for it at times - I don't believe the world needs to end if Poch goes, there are some bright coaches out there - but I'm also aware that we could do worse as well, than a well intentioned coach who's just a bit short of his arse cashing the checks his intentions write.
 
You know I am not Poch's biggest fan, I have been very critical of him over the last three years, long before this current climate of dissatisfaction had taken a hold with some more of the fanbase, I can remember you accusing me of being overly harsh on him and asking me "what else could he have done" when I criticised him.
Can you remember what you were criticizing him for?
 
Because it's generating heat yet again, I paid especially close attention to what Sissoko got up to in the second half when I was having another look at the second half today. I don't really know why but he was just jogging when Leicester were attacking us. He looked like he did not care. He was leaving Aurier really exposed at times by getting too far ahead of the play, not reacting to switches of play and ballwatching when Leicester were trying to make inroads down our right side, which they did a number of times. He also lost possession with a dreadful first touch which enabled Maddison to play Vardy through, who managed to warm Gazza's hands with a decent strike from inside our box.

In case anyone thinks I am being unfair, I also noticed that my favourite (Harry Kane) had also reverted to walking around when Leicester were attempting to play out from the back. It was like something happened to us at half time and we decided to drop our collective workrate.
 
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