I said Tripper can't play out of a press. You know when Tottenham HAVE THE BALL.
OK, my bad. I'm relieved to know you think Trippier's good at something. Bonus.
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I said Tripper can't play out of a press. You know when Tottenham HAVE THE BALL.
We ARE a pressing team. But we are pressing differently, we are not pressing the same way we did in Poch's 2nd season. During that season we pressed high, with the objective of winning the ball back high (it often meant engaging the oppo 1v1 to challenge for the ball in that first phase). This is thrilling to watch.That’s funny, because last week you were telling me Trippier can't press?
I think one of the reasons Dier is getting so many games in midfield the last year or so is the loss of Wanyama and Dembele and no viable alternatives, because he definitely became third choice the season before that and found himself playing more often as a CB.
It’s like you haven’t watched us lately. We definitely aren’t that pressing team any more.
And I agree completely, it is an effective approach if it is done collectively. That’s the point. We press, but its rarely done in an intense, cohesive, top to bottom way throughout games, or even for spells of games anymore, which is why our games have become messy, open and very uncontrolled affairs, relying far more individual components than a collective cohesion.
Poch may want all our players to press, but they certainly don't all do it well, and we certainly don't do it collectively well any more - not consistently anyway. Son is fucking shit at it. Alli's improved gradually but is still hit and miss. Moura seems to do it in bursts, but rarely in tandem with anyone else. Dier and Sissoko charge around reacting to things, Winks isn't great at it either.
I know Poch wants us to do it, but his selections are often counter-intuitive to us doing it well collectively and consistently. It's why Ive said he'd be better off trying to integrate a couple of our academy players, that's how he got us doing it in the first place, they brought some hunger, aggression and intensity.
What did I say Tripps was good at? I'm said he SHIT at playing out from the back because he's easily pressed into a mistake by the oppo. Just one of the many things he can't do.OK, my bad. I'm relieved to know you think Trippier's good at something. Bonus.