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Like, someone called Lucas "Brazilian Townsend" after this game. Football fans seem awfully quick to judge, and once judgement has been passed they can never change.
Bit baffling tbf
Only one man still standing...I think any 'crowns' remain somewhat disputed. (See Friday).
More than anything, I hope the ring girl got home ok.
Ultimately, I thought Poch played a tricky hand of a fucked-up pre-season and no new signings well, and I'm delighted our famous Spurs started the season with three points away from home. There are plenty of times in the past when I'd have been happy with a draw away to the geordies, but nowadays a win is expected.
I agree with
Tomo
and
Spursidol
that Dier had one of his better games as a DM. Whilst our central midfield needs to become more fluent and fluid, I believe Poch was correct to pick Dier with only five days training ahead of the kids. In time, Skipp will add more dynamism to CM as he develops, and the injured Winks and Onomah are both better footballers than Dier. But with Wanyama also out injured, the only change I'd have made would have been to start Dembele ahead of Sissoko in the hope we could get 60-70 minutes out of a player who could have helped us control the game far better. As it was, Sissoko charged around to no beneficial effect.
With no meaningful pre-season, it was hard to tell what our formation was. I suspect it was 4-3-3 with Eriksen and Sissoko playing CM ahead of Dier as the DM, Moura and Dele as wide AMs and Kane up top. Unfortunately this meant our right side was Moura (still adapting to the speed of the PL), Sissoko (whose technique is so poor that he has no confidence on the ball), and the erratic Aurier, whose brilliant cross for Dele's goal was by far his best contribution of the day.
From a footballing point of view, that right side will be massively improved by Trippier or KWP at RB, and Winks, Dembele or Onomah at CM in place of Sissoko and alongside Eriksen. When he's back from the Asian Games, Sonny may well get ahead of Lucas Moura too, so our right side will be transformed.
Finally, Poch must be tempted to go 3 at the back with WBs, especially when Trippier is fully fit. Toby, Davinson and Verts are the best CB group in the PL, and WB enables Trippier to add some footballing class to our attacks.
Probably the club's biggest decision whilst the European transfer window is still open is whether Toby signs a new contract and becomes a key part of our team.
I agree with
Tomo
and
Spursidol
that Dier had one of his better games as a DM. Whilst our central midfield needs to become more fluent and fluid, I believe Poch was correct to pick Dier with only five days training ahead of the kids. In time, Skipp will add more dynamism to CM as he develops, and the injured Winks and Onomah are both better footballers than Dier. But with Wanyama also out injured, the only change I'd have made would have been to start Dembele ahead of Sissoko in the hope we could get 60-70 minutes out of a player who could have helped us control the game far better. As it was, Sissoko charged around to no beneficial effect.With no meaningful pre-season, it was hard to tell what our formation was. I suspect it was 4-3-3 with Eriksen and Sissoko playing CM ahead of Dier as the DM, Moura and Dele as wide AMs and Kane up top. Unfortunately this meant our right side was Moura (still adapting to the speed of the PL), Sissoko (whose technique is so poor that he has no confidence on the ball), and the erratic Aurier, whose brilliant cross for Dele's goal was by far his best contribution of the day.
From a footballing point of view, that right side will be massively improved by Trippier or KWP at RB, and Winks, Dembele or Onomah at CM in place of Sissoko and alongside Eriksen. When he's back from the Asian Games, Sonny may well get ahead of Lucas Moura too, so our right side will be transformed.
Finally, Poch must be tempted to go 3 at the back with WBs, especially when Trippier is fully fit. Toby, Davinson and Verts are the best CB group in the PL, and WB enables Trippier to add some footballing class to our attacks.
Probably the club's biggest decision whilst the European transfer window is still open is whether Toby signs a new contract and becomes a key part of our team.
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With regards to Sissoko, it’s not like we - as a club, recruitment analysts, transfer committee (inc Poch) - only became aware of him on the last day of the window, he would have been a player we had as an option long before and would be the decision to buy was eventually taken last day, a process Pochettino was heavily involved in and his ultimate decision. Good ITK from JJ (who’s possibly the only reliable itk and often moans about Levy too) suggested Sissoko was very much a Poch buy - and let’s be honest - he fits Poch’s profile doesn’t he.Either way, there’s no way Poch didn’t have any he ultimate say on it, at that price.
Same Aurier. Poch gave an interview, just before Aurier’s signing, saying he didn’t think KWP was ready to be relied on regularly. Aurier would have been a player the recruitment machine - inc Poch - had worked on.
When Levy hired Poch, his statement said one of the reasons was that he wanted a head coach that was prepared to make use of the best academy players.
I don’t believe the Sissoko’s and Aurier’s (and Moura’s) are Levy/board driven. I don’t think if Poch had said “let’s not spend 40m in fee and wages because I think KWP is ready” that Levy would insist on foisting Aurier on him. I think they are clearly Pochettino driven. I’m sure Levy would rather produce KWP to be worth 30m from £0 fee and tiny wages than risk 40m on an Aurier deal for a player who will still need time to adapt and develop, just as KWP would.
And even you think these players were forced on Poch, it’s still his choice to play them and in Sissoko’s case, play them in roles which they really aren’t suited, over better options.
So, IMO, not only is Pochettino culpable, if not responsible, in the waste of vast acquisition funds, but is compounding it by feeling obliged to justify it by making poor tactical choices involving those players.
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I tend to get the feeling if we were a club with money like Liverpool for example we would have bought differently. It’s obvious Poch likes athletic players but given the choice between say Sissoko or Keita/Kante we wouldn’t have Sissoko.
In a sense this is what happens when you can’t get you first or second choice players, Sissoko was a last minute grab. By contrast we pushed out the boat for Davison Sanchez who is exceptional for his age.
This club with money would be buying the likes of Keita, Martial, Kovacic. Players who are strong and athletic yes but very skilful, as it’s not the case we can’t do that so end up with third options. Maybe that’s why this year we didn’t bother to get anyone because we weren’t prepared to compete at market prices for first and second choices and we where skeptical on third or forth options.
Ultimately, I thought Poch played a tricky hand of a fucked-up pre-season and no new signings well, and I'm delighted our famous Spurs started the season with three points away from home. There are plenty of times in the past when I'd have been happy with a draw away to the geordies, but nowadays a win is expected.
I agree with
With no meaningful pre-season, it was hard to tell what our formation was. I suspect it was 4-3-3 with Eriksen and Sissoko playing CM ahead of Dier as the DM, Moura and Dele as wide AMs and Kane up top. Unfortunately this meant out right side was Moura (still adapting to the speed of the PL), Sissoko (whose technique is so poor that he has no confidence on the ball), and the erratic Aurier, whose brilliant cross for Dele's goal was by far his best contribution of the day.
From a footballing point of view, that right side will be massively improved by Trippier or KWP at RB, and Winks, Dembele or Onomah at CM in place of Sissoko and alongside Eriksen. When he's back from the Asian Games, Sonny may well get ahead of Lucas Moura too, so our right side will be transformed.
Finally, Poch must be tempted to go 3 at the back with WBs, especially when Trippier is fully fit. Toby, Davinson and Verts are the best CB group in the PL, and WB enables Trippier to add some footballing class to our attacks.
Probably the club's biggest decision whilst the European transfer window is still open is whether Toby signs a new contract and becomes a key part of our team.
As I said in my OP, I could forgive Poch for putting Dier out there yesterday with what was available etc, even though I wish we'd have got the point, through better integration or purchase, where we never had to see him there, it was the lack of bravery or tactical bravery/intelligence of the rest of it.
The use of Sissoko, a player so technically poorly equipped for CM type roles, who is uncomfortable under any kind of pressure, and who has virtually no brain game picture, let alone a 360 one, and whose technique does not compensate but adds to that deficiency, just has such a negative impact on the whole dynamics, then putting him next to Aurier is like doubling down, and our whole right side was just like watching lobotomised rhinos on amphetamine playing football with a wasps nest.
Yup - colourful and true.
Although it was telling that Aurier's one contribution of note was when he didn't have to think, and played a perfect first time cross for Dele to head home. Aurier may be "the French Kyle Walker" - great athleticism but prone to brain farts - but that was a better ball than I remember Walker delivering all last season for Shitty. And that's despite the press talking endless bollocks about how much Walker's delivery had improved under Pep. Southgate knew the score and played Trips at RWB and moved Walker to a CB position.
I think long term 4-3-3 will suit our squad. But given our CM injury crisis, I hope short term Poch switches to 3 CBs with Trippier or KWP as a footballing RWB. That move alone would deliver some shock therapy and much needed football IQ to our right side. I'd also move Dier into the CB rotation, with him, Davinson, Toby and Jan competing for 3 spots, and Dembele or Winks (once fit) as the DM.
Again, Sissoko wasn’t a player we discovered on deadline day. We’d been linked with him from his Toulouse days and he’d subsequently spent a few years in the PL. we/Poch knew exactly what he was getting - and I think his performance against us in the last game of the previous season had stuck in Poch’s mind too.
And Kovacic and Keita are nothing like Sissoko, physically or stylistically.
If we wanted a footballing athlete, why didn’t we buy NDombele this summer ? He wouldn’t have cost much more than we paid for Sanchez.
And how does your theory work with Aurier? We had a RB here already who’d pissed Walkers assists, key passes, chances created and a u20 WC winning RB here who’d waited two years for his chance, had received motm in his debut, and we chose to add another player with known issues on and off the pitch who we knew would need to bed in, who cost more that Liverpool’s two fb’s from last year put together.
Liverpool added players like Salah, Mane, Firminho, Coutimho, Lallana, Robertson, etc etc without spending vast sums.
So, imo, we can’t blame the club for all our transfer ills.
I think the reason we had the debacle this year was largely because we’ve found ourselves with a bloated squad of non HG players accumulated at least partly, directly at Poch’s behest.
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Trust me, you don't
My cat knows more about football, and I haven't even got one
1 well sell or loan the non HG early, surely that’s the boards issue. I agree the likes of Janssen, N’Kouduo need to go to create room, not sure how that’s Poch’s issue in the main, surely Levy should be the one clearing out.
2 Keita does compare to Sissoko in that they both play the same position mainly and both are strong and quick with good off the ball work, difference is Keita is a far superior footballer. Pretty sure Poch would take Keita over Sissoko if he had the choice.
3. Why didn’t we take N’Dombele? I don’t know he fit the general Poch type player, too expensive for us who knows.
4 in regard to Aurier, we had just lost Walker a player with great power and speed and our press game when we play it relies on quick full backs. In hindsight was it the right move, maybe not but I can understand why we did it.
5 the Liverpool players you talk off like Mane where quite expensive at the time of purchase, Mane was over £30 mil plus good wages and a few seasons ago that was a lot, we did hit Sissoko on deadline day but that came across as a panic, maybe it was maybe it wasn’t. If we went into a direct battle with Liverpool for a player they would most likely beat us.
My view is this, give Poch the money Liverpool have not even City’s and we would be signing quite a few top class players. It’s true Poch like athlete’s but we would be getting athlete’s who are much better footballers.
We now have got CL football 3 years in a row, kept our net spend very low, at some point we will need to make the decision are we serious or are we not as far the ‘project’ is concerned.
Senile old man, you know fuck all about football.
Now call your nurses to change your smelly diaper.
It's almost like a requirement that you have to be tall and very athletic to be in this Tottenham team. I think we're the tallest team in the league. Not necessarily anything wrong with that, but there's just put too much emphasis on the physicality now. Really hoped Edwards would be the answer to that, but seems he's on the way out
Lloris 8/10 - Mediocre distribution, but commanded his area superbly and still as good a reaction shot stopper as there is.
Davies 7/10 - The calm, assured, professional performance we've come to expect from him.
Vertonghen 9/10 - Unreal for less than a week of training. Barely a foot wrong. MOTM.
Sanchez 7/10 - Fell asleep on the goal but was nearly as good as Jan otherwise. Improving in possession.
Aurier 5/10 - Inverse of Sanchez, the cross was sublime but was putting the team in danger over and over throughout.
Dier 7/10 - Scrappy and often openly frustrated with his teammates, but cleaned up their messes well and passed the ball around intelligently
Sissoko 5/10 - Took up good positions. The less said about what he did once in said positions the better.
Alli 8/10 - Created danger all over the field throughout. Might have powered a slaughter if others had been playing better.
Eriksen 6/10 - Uncharacteristically sloppy performance. You'd have guessed him for one just back from holiday.
Lucas 7/10 - A little loose and mistake prone as has been his calling card, but his pace, energy and creativity add something that isn't elsewhere in the squad.
Kane 5/10 - As poorly as I've ever seen him play. Just seems physically and mentally exhausted.
Dembele 8/10 - He's glorious. Getting the ball off him is like trying to stop John Wick.
Son NR (Why didn't he start?)
Amos NR
Davies 7/10 - The calm, assured, professional performance we've come to expect from him.
Vertonghen 9/10 - Unreal for less than a week of training. Barely a foot wrong. MOTM.
Sanchez 7/10 - Fell asleep on the goal but was nearly as good as Jan otherwise. Improving in possession.
Aurier 5/10 - Inverse of Sanchez, the cross was sublime but was putting the team in danger over and over throughout.
Dier 7/10 - Scrappy and often openly frustrated with his teammates, but cleaned up their messes well and passed the ball around intelligently
Sissoko 5/10 - Took up good positions. The less said about what he did once in said positions the better.
Alli 8/10 - Created danger all over the field throughout. Might have powered a slaughter if others had been playing better.
Eriksen 6/10 - Uncharacteristically sloppy performance. You'd have guessed him for one just back from holiday.
Lucas 7/10 - A little loose and mistake prone as has been his calling card, but his pace, energy and creativity add something that isn't elsewhere in the squad.
Kane 5/10 - As poorly as I've ever seen him play. Just seems physically and mentally exhausted.
Dembele 8/10 - He's glorious. Getting the ball off him is like trying to stop John Wick.
Son NR (Why didn't he start?)
Amos NR
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Lloris - 8 world class saves
Aurier - 2 for fucks sake!
Sanchez - 6 at fault for the goal
Vertonghen - 7.5 picked up from last year
Davies - 5.5 not brilliant
Dier - 7 solid
Sissoko - 4 good passing range
Lucas - 4.5 well below expectations
Alli - 6.5 did well
Eriksen - 5.5 needs a few more games to get going
Kane - 5 knackered
Aurier - 2 for fucks sake!
Sanchez - 6 at fault for the goal
Vertonghen - 7.5 picked up from last year
Davies - 5.5 not brilliant
Dier - 7 solid
Sissoko - 4 good passing range
Lucas - 4.5 well below expectations
Alli - 6.5 did well
Eriksen - 5.5 needs a few more games to get going
Kane - 5 knackered
You can't sell players if other teams don't want them.
I forgot to add Llorente to that list of pointless Poch additions. Janssen wasn’t a world beater but was much more mobile and viable as a back up than Llorente is, why an earth we allowed Poch to spend another 15m plus wages, and add another non HG player to boot was completely daft.
Keita is physically and technically nothing like Sissoko, he's smaller, a 6/8 hybrid who can play in CM2’s or CM3’s. He’s great without the ball defensively, can press really well, is technically superb and can see and play incisive passes.
Kante is even more removed. Small, slight and wiry, he's a rapacious hunter, but again with excellent technique, fabulous reading and sees the quick transition. Can play in the double pivot of a CM2 or anchor in a CM3.
Sissoko is nothing like either of those. He's a unit, has poor technique, no vision, reads the game very badly from midfield, and is more about blunt power, has no vision. Has rarely ever played in CM2. He played about 5 of his nearly 200 games as a CM2 for Toulouse before being moved forward into wide or central attacking positions of a 4141 diamond by Casanova, with Capoue and Didot in deeper roles. At Newcastle he played most of his games as a WRF in a 433, or ARM in a 4231, very occasionally playing as the right 8 in the CM3. He's terrible as a CM without the ball, doesn't read, is slow to react, and everything he does with the ball is telegraphed an hour in advance. He's only ever been effective as a wide forward or ARM, powering through defenders and getting into the box on the end of things. Not instingating them, like Keita and Kante.
My view is that giving Poch so much say in recruitment is what has done for us now. We are stuck with a bunch of second rate (at best) players - Sissoko, Aurier, Llorente, Gasaniga, Moura - that's 100m plus a shitload of wages. And I reckon if Poch got Liverpool money, there's very little evidence that he'd have spent it wisely.