Fortune Favours the Brave(heart)
That's fucking better. That was a vintage Poch night. I know circumstances dictated that we had to push, but lets be clear, with that line up and formation it was never going to be anything other than an assault, and for the first time in ages it wasn't tepid slap, it was a full on "Precinct 13", the type of which we last handed out at the back end of 16/17 - in all but scoreline.
Selection-wise for me, the only question mark was Son picked and not Lamela. Not only on sheer ability, but also balance of skills. I think Moura's better cutting in as a wide left forward in a 433 or ALM in the 4231, Son is also better in those positions. Lamela definitely as a WRF or ARM, and is also in the form of his Spurs career. So would have liked to see Moura left, Lamela right, either side of Kane.
The selections suggested 433 with maybe Alli and Eriksen as 8's flanking Winks in the central "Jorghino" gig. Then they scored after 2 minutes and even if that was the plan it certainly morphed immediately into what looked like a 4141/2152 with the ball and a 4231 without the ball, with Eriksen dropping in next to Winks. And whatever we were playing, from the second minute on, we shifted the whole thing about 30 yards up the pitch and just camped in their half.
From the moment we conceded that 2nd minute goal - and you have to question why Alli, who is actually really poor at aerial duels, was put on there No.9 - it was just a relentless football doing.
Whether we'd pulled it back or not, this was a great performance, for the first time in a long time we combined effort, cohesion, skill, control and creativity, it was wave after wave, and yes there was some wastage, particularly from Aurier, and some bumbling from the forwards, but this wasn't one of those occasions where we dominate but are laborious - there was tempo, the ball was continually moved forwards and with pace, there was incision from the midfield areas and quality situations and chances just kept materialising.
The score was really just further evidence of how we can't catch a break in the CL this year, because any other night we win this game by a handsome margin - further evidence was Inter again getting a late goal to nick a fucking point against a Messi-less Barca.
Lots of good performances tonight, but the player I have to pick out tonight is Winks. I have to confess, I was a little concerned when I saw the line up and how we were shaping up, that Winks might struggle to hold the midfield together, but he was like a 30yo regista out there tonight. 88 passes, 91%, 7 key passes (most by 3) he didn't put a foot wrong all night, and used the ball superbly, when it needed playing quickly he did, when it needed thinking about, he did, played some really incisive passes and made sure our foot stayed firmly on the gas.
I want to see more of this midfield bravery from Poch. More football. More risk. Less of the tepid, scared, incoherent, risk averse bollocks we've been seeing. I know we won't play PSV every week, and I know we can't go gang ho every minute of every week, but this is when we are at our best, when we get on the front foot and stay there for big chunks of games, even when we are one goal up, we press harder and go for two, then controlling the ball not shitting ourselves and shrinking into an ever decreasing arse bend.
Got to give Davies a mention. He's not brilliant, and he's been really fucking ordinary for a long time, after starting last season really well. But tonight he was good, constantly involved in the attack, constantly getting into dangerous areas and involving himself in forward exchanges, and though his crossing wasn't brilliant, it was better than Aurier's and eventually put in a great one that got us the win. Also notched up the second most key passes (4).
Moura fizzed in the first half, with two fantastic mazy dribbles, if only he could compose himself at the end of them. And though he'd gone a bit quieter in the second half, it was still bit baffling that he got hooked ahead of Son, who'd really been the most disappointing of the forward players all night. Alli was causing his brand of mayhem, perhaps should have done better a couple of times when in great positions, but it's good to see him getting there again, set up a great chance too and was generally good. Kane worked his nuts off and inevitably came up with the goods, two gutsy finishes to round off a gutsy effort. There was much less careless fuckery tonight, we were just a lot more unlucky, and they defended like fucking trojans. Save after save, block after block.
There's nothing more jizmic in football than a late winner. But this was no laboured grind, this was a well earned, emphatic reward for a relentlessly good footballing performance. And the ultimate reward might be that we just might get to some kind of European football at our shiny new gaff. And a club like us should always rejoice in European football, of whatever hue.
Individual
Gazzaniga - Very little to do, but did most of it it well. Needs to get to grips with controlling his area better though, bit hesitant at times.
Aurier - Got himself into some great positions, wasted all of them, some horrendously. Games like this Trippier's strengths are apparent. Maybe try Aurier when we need more defending doing.
Sanchez - Good game.
Alderweireld - Good game - one of those Toby specials to set up Alli too. Jazz....nice....
Davies - very good game, best in about a year. With Aurier less involved in play than Trippier usually is, more of our play went down that left than usual and he was constantly interacting with the forward game play. Good cross for the winner.
Winks - Really mature performance. Was pretty much the midfield for most of that game, held it together and used the ball superbly. Jorghino-esque tonight. MOTM
Eriksen - This was more like the real Eriksen. After Winks, was our busiest player, and was back to something like his metronomic better self. Good game.
Alli - Again, this was the version of Alli we've not seen for a while, impudent, involved.
Moura - Lively first half, two great jinky runs that so nearly came to something, went a bit quieter second half, but still would have kept him on because Son was pretty poor.
Son - Really hard to remember the last time Son was "good". He tried hard tonight, but it's just not happening, and he's still careless with the ball too often, and it's not like it's because he's attempting the wonderful usually.
Kane - Worked hard and eventually did what Kane invariably does. Decent effort.
That's fucking better. That was a vintage Poch night. I know circumstances dictated that we had to push, but lets be clear, with that line up and formation it was never going to be anything other than an assault, and for the first time in ages it wasn't tepid slap, it was a full on "Precinct 13", the type of which we last handed out at the back end of 16/17 - in all but scoreline.
Selection-wise for me, the only question mark was Son picked and not Lamela. Not only on sheer ability, but also balance of skills. I think Moura's better cutting in as a wide left forward in a 433 or ALM in the 4231, Son is also better in those positions. Lamela definitely as a WRF or ARM, and is also in the form of his Spurs career. So would have liked to see Moura left, Lamela right, either side of Kane.
The selections suggested 433 with maybe Alli and Eriksen as 8's flanking Winks in the central "Jorghino" gig. Then they scored after 2 minutes and even if that was the plan it certainly morphed immediately into what looked like a 4141/2152 with the ball and a 4231 without the ball, with Eriksen dropping in next to Winks. And whatever we were playing, from the second minute on, we shifted the whole thing about 30 yards up the pitch and just camped in their half.
From the moment we conceded that 2nd minute goal - and you have to question why Alli, who is actually really poor at aerial duels, was put on there No.9 - it was just a relentless football doing.
Whether we'd pulled it back or not, this was a great performance, for the first time in a long time we combined effort, cohesion, skill, control and creativity, it was wave after wave, and yes there was some wastage, particularly from Aurier, and some bumbling from the forwards, but this wasn't one of those occasions where we dominate but are laborious - there was tempo, the ball was continually moved forwards and with pace, there was incision from the midfield areas and quality situations and chances just kept materialising.
The score was really just further evidence of how we can't catch a break in the CL this year, because any other night we win this game by a handsome margin - further evidence was Inter again getting a late goal to nick a fucking point against a Messi-less Barca.
Lots of good performances tonight, but the player I have to pick out tonight is Winks. I have to confess, I was a little concerned when I saw the line up and how we were shaping up, that Winks might struggle to hold the midfield together, but he was like a 30yo regista out there tonight. 88 passes, 91%, 7 key passes (most by 3) he didn't put a foot wrong all night, and used the ball superbly, when it needed playing quickly he did, when it needed thinking about, he did, played some really incisive passes and made sure our foot stayed firmly on the gas.
I want to see more of this midfield bravery from Poch. More football. More risk. Less of the tepid, scared, incoherent, risk averse bollocks we've been seeing. I know we won't play PSV every week, and I know we can't go gang ho every minute of every week, but this is when we are at our best, when we get on the front foot and stay there for big chunks of games, even when we are one goal up, we press harder and go for two, then controlling the ball not shitting ourselves and shrinking into an ever decreasing arse bend.
Got to give Davies a mention. He's not brilliant, and he's been really fucking ordinary for a long time, after starting last season really well. But tonight he was good, constantly involved in the attack, constantly getting into dangerous areas and involving himself in forward exchanges, and though his crossing wasn't brilliant, it was better than Aurier's and eventually put in a great one that got us the win. Also notched up the second most key passes (4).
Moura fizzed in the first half, with two fantastic mazy dribbles, if only he could compose himself at the end of them. And though he'd gone a bit quieter in the second half, it was still bit baffling that he got hooked ahead of Son, who'd really been the most disappointing of the forward players all night. Alli was causing his brand of mayhem, perhaps should have done better a couple of times when in great positions, but it's good to see him getting there again, set up a great chance too and was generally good. Kane worked his nuts off and inevitably came up with the goods, two gutsy finishes to round off a gutsy effort. There was much less careless fuckery tonight, we were just a lot more unlucky, and they defended like fucking trojans. Save after save, block after block.
There's nothing more jizmic in football than a late winner. But this was no laboured grind, this was a well earned, emphatic reward for a relentlessly good footballing performance. And the ultimate reward might be that we just might get to some kind of European football at our shiny new gaff. And a club like us should always rejoice in European football, of whatever hue.
Individual
Gazzaniga - Very little to do, but did most of it it well. Needs to get to grips with controlling his area better though, bit hesitant at times.
Aurier - Got himself into some great positions, wasted all of them, some horrendously. Games like this Trippier's strengths are apparent. Maybe try Aurier when we need more defending doing.
Sanchez - Good game.
Alderweireld - Good game - one of those Toby specials to set up Alli too. Jazz....nice....
Davies - very good game, best in about a year. With Aurier less involved in play than Trippier usually is, more of our play went down that left than usual and he was constantly interacting with the forward game play. Good cross for the winner.
Winks - Really mature performance. Was pretty much the midfield for most of that game, held it together and used the ball superbly. Jorghino-esque tonight. MOTM
Eriksen - This was more like the real Eriksen. After Winks, was our busiest player, and was back to something like his metronomic better self. Good game.
Alli - Again, this was the version of Alli we've not seen for a while, impudent, involved.
Moura - Lively first half, two great jinky runs that so nearly came to something, went a bit quieter second half, but still would have kept him on because Son was pretty poor.
Son - Really hard to remember the last time Son was "good". He tried hard tonight, but it's just not happening, and he's still careless with the ball too often, and it's not like it's because he's attempting the wonderful usually.
Kane - Worked hard and eventually did what Kane invariably does. Decent effort.
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