Chelsea (H) 17:30 1 November

[The Cryptkeeper]

What could he do differently mate...?

The players are dog shit...

We have a decent back 4 and keeper, a decent holding midfielder a young inconsistent creative midfielder and a right winger who is good in flashes...

The rest are absolute gash.

The ball will forever be coming back at us as there's fuck all to stop it...

I don't blame Frank yet, I blame a recruitment strategy that's bloated the squad with garbage on millions of pounds of wages every fucking week...

We could take the game on. Kolo Muani actually looked dangerous and creative on the few occasions we got it into him. We recycle almost every ball via our back four or Vic. There was even a free kick in their half just before HT that was back with Vic two touches later. It’s fucking cowardice and I am absolutely furious about it.

 

[J.spurs]

Good write up on that shit game.

Tottenham’s confused mess of a team exposed by Chelsea’s crash tackle king

 

[Dave]

Spence and VDV completely blanking Frank walking off is not good. Why did they react like that ?
@Yid touched on it before...We have a good shot stopper in Vicario. It could've been 4 yesterday only for him. Romero, VDV, Porro, Spence, Udogie are all good and capable at this level. Paulinha is decent too and Sarr and Bergvall have great potential. But Bentancur, Simons, Tel, Johnson, Odobert, Richy, Solanke and Muani are average at best...and that's far too many flakes to be carrying.
But.....
We are missing our best 2 creative 10's in Madders and Kulo. They're a huge loss. Madders can be hot and cold but he has that defence splitting pass in him that nobody else possesses in our squad, with possibly the exception of Kulo. But I think there's the added issue of...
In Tel, Solanke and Richy, we have 3 strikers with no pace...none. so a great pass in the past from an Eriksen or Pamela had Sonny on to it with Harry busting a gut to get in the box. We only have "hold it up" strikers or strikers that are, frankly, easy to handle. Kudus is good but he can't do it all.
I don't think this is a Frank issue, I think this is a disease that's been in the club for many years and it's going to take time to flush out the old and in with the new.
You can't keep blaming all the managers that have come and gone...they're not ALL wrong. Levy did long term reputational damage with his penny pinching. He refused to pay market values on fee's and salaries for years, we got the players that others didn't want. Thats it. So where's the shock that we a mostly a squad of half decent average PL players ? Thats what we paid for...that's what we have.
Realistically, id say we're about 8th to 10th in terms of where we are in the PL...we wont finish higher, not a hope.

This isn't an easy fix, but we have to change alot to start attracting top top players, including giving them what the market dictates....otherwise it'll just be the same old story, regardless of who's in the dugout.

 

[Glenjamin]

In a game like that I don't care how good the Spurs squad is you have to want it more! Chelsea don't exactly have a world class squad but they were first to everything!

As with most games this season though I've no idea where goals are going to come from. There is no one who looks likely to take up the reigns and drag us a win in a game like that.

Simmons is such a disappointing signing. Guy looks terrified, is weak as piss and is constantly letting passes stray. I could maybe like him a bit more if he'd frigging smile once in a while. He looks like he might cry at any moment.

I don't mind Bentacur. Think he has his moments but off the ball when he's directing play he points backwards every time. He never directs the guy on the ball to a forward pass. It's infuriating!

As for the 2 lads blanking Frank. Out of order really but they've just been beat by a London rival and booed off the park. Hard to hold the head up and to be honest I'm glad they were genuinely pissed off. Interesting to see what Frank does there next game. Could see Spence on the bench for Udogie, but not Van.

All in all.... I just feel sorry for the season ticket holders turning up week to week. Waste of a Saturday or Sunday.

 

[J.spurs]

Spence and VDV completely blanking Frank walking off is not good. Why did they react like that ?
@Yid touched on it before...We have a good shot stopper in Vicario. It could've been 4 yesterday only for him. Romero, VDV, Porro, Spence, Udogie are all good and capable at this level. Paulinha is decent too and Sarr and Bergvall have great potential. But Bentancur, Simons, Tel, Johnson, Odobert, Richy, Solanke and Muani are average at best...and that's far too many flakes to be carrying.
But.....
We are missing our best 2 creative 10's in Madders and Kulo. They're a huge loss. Madders can be hot and cold but he has that defence splitting pass in him that nobody else possesses in our squad, with possibly the exception of Kulo. But I think there's the added issue of...
In Tel, Solanke and Richy, we have 3 strikers with no pace...none. so a great pass in the past from an Eriksen or Pamela had Sonny on to it with Harry busting a gut to get in the box. We only have "hold it up" strikers or strikers that are, frankly, easy to handle. Kudus is good but he can't do it all.
I don't think this is a Frank issue, I think this is a disease that's been in the club for many years and it's going to take time to flush out the old and in with the new.
You can't keep blaming all the managers that have come and gone...they're not ALL wrong. Levy did long term reputational damage with his penny pinching. He refused to pay market values on fee's and salaries for years, we got the players that others didn't want. Thats it. So where's the shock that we a mostly a squad of half decent average PL players ? Thats what we paid for...that's what we have.
Realistically, id say we're about 8th to 10th in terms of where we are in the PL...we wont finish higher, not a hope.

This isn't an easy fix, but we have to change alot to start attracting top top players, including giving them what the market dictates....otherwise it'll just be the same old story, regardless of who's in the dugout.

Agree with all of this. I was saying earlier that we don't have an identity. We can't play through midfield because we have nobody willing to play on the half-turn in the middle of the park but we can't play directly because there's so little pace up front. I don't want to go overboard, because we have made a decent start points-wise but when I watch the very good teams play the deficit in athleticism and physicality is obvious.

Not to bring up another thing to be upset about but even the biggest clubs on the planet have players they've brought through from the academy. Where are ours? I'm still excited about some of our younger players, but look at City, Arsenal, Liverpool, etc. Either bringing players through for the first team or developing players to sell on. We can't do either. You're right that it's going to take investment in wages and transfers but we have to be able to grow our own too.

 

[BrooklynYid]

One thing that Frank needs to consider is playing a back 5. Not to be more defensive, but because 6 of our best players are defenders. Then you could have Udogie and Porro launching attacks. And enough with Simons in the creative role. I'd rather Odebert, and Bergval is a better option. But blaming Frank is a bit much. Pretty sire he's not telling the players they can't attack. They were just individually overwhelmed by the chavs. Tha's hard for a manager to fix.

 

[Style And Glory]

we have to be able to grow our own too.

I agree with @J.spurs @Glenjamin @Dave & others about the quality, or lack thereof, within our team.
It will be very interesting what this club & its "new" board do in the next transfer window or two b/c it needs to be transformational.

As I highlighted above, it is time for this club to "grow a pair".

 

[Yid]

The thing is... All of us know, because we watch the games, that while this was particularly dire, it's not that far from what we've been experiencing and it will not be the last and maybe not the worst performance we witness until we have players who are good enough for this level.

Another make or break transfer window coming up... We seem to have those every fucking time one comes around...!

This one won't be Levy's fault... The Levy excuse is over.

 

[jaxdermot]

The thing is... All of us know, because we watch the games, that while this was particularly dire, it's not that far from what we've been experiencing and it will not be the last and maybe not the worst performance we witness until we have players who are good enough for this level.

Another make or break transfer window coming up... We seem to have those every fucking time one comes around...!

This one won't be Levy's fault... The Levy excuse is over.

and hopefully the Levy problem.. we need start attracting better talent by paying competitive fees/wages, we need to act like we're in the Premier League

 

[Yid]

and hopefully the Levy problem.. we need start attracting better talent by paying competitive fees/wages, we need to act like we're in the Premier League

Richie - £60m
Johnson £47.5m
Simmonds - £52m
Kudos - £55m
Solanke - £65m

Aside from Kudus, that... Is fucking criminal...!!!

 

[jaxdermot]

Richie - £60m
Johnson £47.5m
Simmonds - £52m
Kudos - £55m
Solanke - £65m

Aside from Kudus, that... Is fucking criminal...!!!

Kevin -$25m world class price for a world class player

 

[Style And Glory]

It is surprising to me how we are still 5th playing the way we are.
Having said that, a loss next match & we could be 12th.

 

[J.spurs]

I’ll say this, as we have two big home games coming up:
Ticket prices are astronomical, players anre paid far too much, and the match going fans have every right to boo when things start going bad. But I wish they’d quit. It never helps.

 

[Yid]

I’ll say this, as we have two big home games coming up:
Ticket prices are astronomical, players anre paid far too much, and the match going fans have every right to boo when things start going bad. But I wish they’d quit. It never helps.

If you're paying for entertainment, and you're not entertained... How else would you voice your displeasure?

 

[SpiderSpurs]

I’ll say this, as we have two big home games coming up:
Ticket prices are astronomical, players anre paid far too much, and the match going fans have every right to boo when things start going bad. But I wish they’d quit. It never helps.

The prices we pay are shocking.

The football we're watching is dire.

We have every right to boo and let the players/staff know how shit they are.

 

[SpiderSpurs]

As with most I just feel sorry for the season ticket holders turning up week to week. Waste of a Saturday or Sunday.

It's becoming very draining.

 

[J.spurs]

The prices we pay are shocking.

The football we're watching is dire.

We have every right to boo and let the players/staff know how shit they are.

I specifically said fans have the right to boo in my post. I just don't think it helps.

 

[J.spurs]

If you're paying for entertainment, and you're not entertained... How else would you voice your displeasure?

As I said, fans have every right to boo, and ticket prices are the #1 factor driving it, I'm sure. But I'm watching Xavi Simons in particular. Twenty-two year old kid, just transferred in, struggling to make an impact.

When 60,000 fans boo the first time he gets barged off the ball (which is exactly what happened Saturday) it seems to me that it makes him less, not more likely to do something good the next time he gets the ball. Put it this way: we're complaining because we're playing not to lose. Is getting pelters every time you misplace a pass going to encourage players to take risks?

Ultimately, it doesn't really matter because fans are going to do it (and since I can't afford to go I guess I have no room to talk) and the performances have definitely been rubbish but I guess I'm just saying things feel like they're turning toxic too quickly.

 

[USspur]

When the players and coaches are making the money they are I am all for booing them to let them know what theyre doing is unacceptable

 

[USspur]

 

[USspur]

 

[USspur]

Never let them see you flinch, sideshow...

 

[SpiderSpurs]

I specifically said fans have the right to boo in my post. I just don't think it helps.

If you actually went to games, paid your money - then you would think different.

 

[J.spurs]

If you actually went to games, paid your money - then you would think different.

No I wouldn't.

 

[USspur]

I am pro boo'ing unless it is to unpaid (the old ways of US college sports) athletes. The players, coaches, and management need to know that what is happening is unacceptable

 

[jaxdermot]

No I wouldn't.

how would you know

 

[J.spurs]

You know what, fuck it.