So, why can't we cross the line?

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Totti

Totti

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We've now been in two FA Cup semi finals and a cup final in the four years Pochettino has been in charge and the results read:

League Cup Final
2-0 loss.

FA Cup Semi Final
4-2 loss.

FA Cup Semi Final
2-1 loss.

Not even going to bring up the league results. We were never top of the table when we played Leicester and we were simply too far behind Chelsea to mount a real challenge, though the way we dropped off and finished behind Woolwich in 2016 took a while to forgive.

Is it the manager?

Do we continuously fall at the final hurdle because of the way we're managed in these games? Do we NEED to switch it up in the final and perhaps be a bit more cautious as opposed to play our predictable game? Juventus, we were 3-2 up on aggregate with 2 away goals and all we needed to do was defend, yet we didn't. Against Chelsea in the semi final last season, 2-2 and in control. Yet, defensive mistakes cost us. Again today, silly mistakes costing us the equaliser and laziness costing us the eventual winner. Is this on the manager more so than the players for how they're advised to see the game through? Or is Poch just stubborn? Has his system, has players he prefers, stick with it?

Is it the personnel?

Are our players simply not good enough to get the job done? I mean, Eriksen, Dele, Son, Kane are all lauded by pundits and opposing fans alike. Dembele was called a genius by Poch. Dier is a "future captain", Vertonghen was just voted in the PFA Team of the Year?

Have we peaked?

Probably the likelihood.
 
Its all down to tactics- good managers can turn a team into "winners".
I hate to say it, but Poch has a very poor record of performance in key games like this. I lay the blame on him- the players are plenty good enough to win these matches talent-wise.
 
Didn't beat Chelsea in the league cup because they were a better team than us that season but the other two are on Poch who doesn't have the experience at the highest level to see a situation play out and make tweeks to the system quick enough, see also the 2nd leg against Juve.
 
we need to buy 2 winners, like we did in 1978,
ozzie made hoddle into a great player
our players lack the bottle to win,
if Jose was our manager today we would have won the match, jose knows what it takes to win, timewaste, long ball football, whatever it takes he will tell the players to do it, Poch won't,
 
rusty said:
we need to buy 2 winners, like we did in 1978,
ozzie made hoddle into a great player
our players lack the bottle to win,
if Jose was our manager today we would have won the match, jose knows what it takes to win, timewaste, long ball football, whatever it takes he will tell the players to do it, Poch won't,
Click to expand...

Fuck off.
 
I think it is a bit of both manager and personnel.

Our squad is good. Heck, on it's day it is great. But it is still a very young side overall and lacks that edge and slyness to get through tough games. In games like today the experience gap between guys like Vertonghen and Kane was so noticeable. This is not saying that Kane is bad, only that he has less experience than Jan. We need to sign a couple of more seasoned players with a few trophies under their belts that can guide our younger players through games like this. Yes, Serge and Lucas have trophies at PSG but they are also still young with footballer years so they have had the privilege of having guys like Di Maria, Cavani, Zlatan and Thiago Silva next to them helping them achieve these trophies.

And then there is Pochettino. I love the guy and what he has done for us is undeniable. But maybe this is the level he can take us to? He can take us to the top four and the semifinal but he seems to lack the tactical prowess to deal with these types of matches where we play teams of equal or greater standing to our own. He lacks the cynicism and we end up trying to shove a square peg in a circular hole. This is something he needs to learn, how to adapt to a match, how to manipulate a match back in our favour when we lose it, and how to time his subs better.

A slight rewamp of the squad and Poch learning and growing in his coaching is what is needed IMO. If Poch cannot deliver on that maybe this is as far as he can take us (Perish the thought)?
 
“Spursy”
NaiveShrillCuscus-size_restricted.gif

I’m exhausted
 
2 seasons ago we lost 2nd place in a 2 horse race, because we (manager & players lacked bottle ) we have done nothing about it, in big games that matter we lack the mental mind to win the game
 
Stopspot said:
I think it is a bit of both manager and personnel.

Our squad is good. Heck, on it's day it is great. But it is still a very young side overall and lacks that edge and slyness to get through tough games. In games like today the experience gap between guys like Vertonghen and Kane was so noticeable. This is not saying that Kane is bad, only that he has less experience than Jan. We need to sign a couple of more seasoned players with a few trophies under their belts that can guide our younger players through games like this. Yes, Serge and Lucas have trophies at PSG but they are also still young with footballer years so they have had the privilege of having guys like Di Maria, Cavani, Zlatan and Thiago Silva next to them helping them achieve these trophies.

And then there is Pochettino. I love the guy and what he has done for us is undeniable. But maybe this is the level he can take us to? He can take us to the top four and the semifinal but he seems to lack the tactical prowess to deal with these types of matches where we play teams of equal or greater standing to our own. He lacks the cynicism and we end up trying to shove a square peg in a circular hole. This is something he needs to learn, how to adapt to a match, how to manipulate a match back in our favour when we lose it, and how to time his subs better.

A slight rewamp of the squad and Poch learning and growing in his coaching is what is needed IMO. If Poch cannot deliver on that maybe this is as far as he can take us (Perish the thought)?
Click to expand...

Agree with the post. Worth remembering that Poch at 46 is young in managerial terms and has a lot to learn. I still have confidence in him but days like today are frustrating.
 
We came second last season and this season played 38 away games and are still in the runningfor 3rd. We got a cup semi and also progressed in cl. Poch is only 45 or something he's got plenty to learn,he's a young manager. What he's done is fucking incredible withoit spending a fortune and with the likes of trippier at RB and sissoko in the side.
We've fluffed our big games .ore because we don't have the depth or experience the other side's have. It's not like we lost those games to shithouse clubs
 
ErikLamela'sHip said:
Agree with the post. Worth remembering that Poch at 46 is young in managerial terms and has a lot to learn. I still have confidence in him but days like today are frustrating.
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Exactly. He needs these kind of games to learn these mistakes. Shame it is happening with us obviously but he and the players will improve from this.

Get a few more seasoned players in and it should help
 
El flaco said:
We came second last season and this season played 38 away games and are still in the runningfor 3rd. We got a cup semi and also progressed in cl. Poch is only 45 or something he's got plenty to learn,he's a young manager. What he's done is fucking incredible withoit spending a fortune and with the likes of trippier at RB and sissoko in the side.
We've fluffed our big games .ore because we don't have the depth or experience the other side's have. It's not like we lost those games to shithouse clubs
Click to expand...

The edge against big teams is what is missing, especially in knockout games. To me our squad looks hungry and motivated and more often than not we beat who we should. It's just that edge against the likes of City and Juve in the key moments of matches. Part of that is experience.
 
We think we are better than we are. Well at least I do.
Maybe I was wrong along....I don’t know who I’d replace, it’s not the likes of Tripper etc letting us down.
The last few games it’s all been on the shoulders of those no one would dream of replacing.....Kane, Eriksen, Dembele, Poch...
So what to do? Keep plugging away and replacing those doing their job but that aren’t as sexy? Or have the balls to drop big names when playing utter shit.
And sign quality back up in the process.
 
sammyspurs said:
We think we are better than we are. Well at least I do.
Maybe I was wrong along....I don’t know who I’d replace, it’s not the likes of Tripper etc letting us down.
The last few games it’s all been on the shoulders of those no one would dream of replacing.....Kane, Eriksen, Dembele, Poch...
So what to do? Keep plugging away and replacing those doing their job but that aren’t as sexy? Or have the balls to drop big names when playing utter shit.
And sign quality back up in the process.
Click to expand...
Wait so you want to keep the average players and sell the likes of Eriksen and Kane?
 
sammyspurs said:
We think we are better than we are. Well at least I do.
Maybe I was wrong along....I don’t know who I’d replace, it’s not the likes of Tripper etc letting us down.
The last few games it’s all been on the shoulders of those no one would dream of replacing.....Kane, Eriksen, Dembele, Poch...
So what to do? Keep plugging away and replacing those doing their job but that aren’t as sexy? Or have the balls to drop big names when playing utter shit.
And sign quality back up in the process.
Click to expand...
I would go along with that . We do seem to think some of our players are undroppable and I know it takes balls but Kane for example is clearly not fully fit and is far easier to stop when so. I wouldn't have started him, to give them other problems to worry about.
 
ErikLamela'sHip said:
The edge against big teams is what is missing, especially in knockout games. To me our squad looks hungry and motivated and more often than not we beat who we should. It's just that edge against the likes of City and Juve in the key moments of matches. Part of that is experience.
Click to expand...
Pochettino has made us into a top 4 side, a champions league side. That cannot be denied. Now he/we need to figure out how to take it to the next level
 
Poch is all about the big idea, the philosophy of the football he plays and inplanting it into the club's DNA. If it all comes together and we start winning silverware it'll be all very romantic and glorious.

Mourinho is all about winning. He takes each game as it comes and sets up his team to win, no matter how boring or ugly.

We're not quite there yet and it's both exhausting and frustrating. That's why United and Mourinho came out on top today. They knew exactly how to win on the big occasion, and once again we didn't.
 
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Yes he's young and it's a learning process and we've had more success under Poch if you call it success than in the previous half a dozen managers and yes that includes the league cup in 08! And I would not swap a minuet of it for Mourinho not a minuet......
 
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