February...... The shape of things to come......

[skiathospurs]

An early preview of next month as travelling back on trains planes boats Buses and a taxi or two on the usual 18hr odyssey this time next week.

Well lets just pretend we arent a laughing stock and make it safely through newport shall we?and hopefully overcoming Jose`s bus shortly after.Even with two good results in these two fixtures we are playing catch up on top 4,so good time to string a run together.

4th Feb Liverpool A
10th Feb Arsenal H
13th Feb Juventus A
17th Feb FA cup 5th round (last 16)
26th Feb Palace A

Well not packed with games but all hugely important,good time to have Toby back to boost us.No doubt we can pretty much put wenger to the sword with a home victory and should expect to,liverpool&Juve away holy cow thats tough but on our day especially in Turin all is possible,Palace away in another derby is not the easiest challenge,lets just hope lady luck gives us a nice 5th round tie at home in the cup.
5 or 6 pts would be nice,not awesome but in the whole scheme of a season nice!!Keep in the cups and bring juve back home in march with it all to play for.

End of the month city play at arse and united have chelsea so some comfort there for us either way (unless league cup changes both fixtures!).Remember everyone at the top is back in europe,arsenal with the 2 extra game reward for europa football,and the EFL final also acting as a distraction,possibly testing others squads,concentration and allowing a few banana skins to help us!!

 

[Don Diaz]

I'm still a bit uppity with our performance after yesterday's 1-1 with Southampton, but by 2.30pm on 10th February, it's likely we'll know how the league is going to pan out in terms of top 4 qualification, or not. If we've done well against United and Liverpool (4points?) and beaten the scum, then it's all good and we can win the FA Cup as well. If not we need to win the Champions League and the FA Cup!! simples.

Big month coming right up, huge. Woe betide anyone who doesn't like it, this is footballl at the top table and we are now one of the 'big' clubs, so let's get on with it and enjoy the ride.

 

[Chavhater01]

Fancy we’ll need 10 pts from our games against the 4 ahead of us and the Arse. So basically, reverse the scores from the 1st half of the season and we’ll have a grt shot at top 4.

Interesting times ahead!

 

[BrooklynYid]

Pretty much have to beat Arsenal, Pool and United. Could survive a loss or draw to the Chavs but a win at the bridge would feel so damn good. Not sure why but i feel confident we will still finish top 4. Could just be years of delusion kicking in.

 

[Glenjamin]

The mighty swans have done us a favour tonight. Think we'll nip by Liverpool soon enough they can't unlock teams as easily without countinho. They are gonna try and do us 10-0 so just need to sit and wait on those wide open counter attacks.

Hopefully be able to do some damage against United. They still don't look like much to me, and are obviously gonna turn up and park the bus. To be honest I'd probably play them at their own game and sit back, see what they do then.

Top four is wee buns and an FA cup would top if off.

 

[conor1]

4th Feb Liverpool A Draw
10th Feb Arsenal H Win
13th Feb Juventus A Just get them back to Wembley with us still in the tie
17th Feb FA cup 5th round (last 16) Have to look after Newport first
26th Feb Palace A Win

Would settle for the above with bells on tbh. Really think we'll need 7pts from those 3 league games but very doable.

 

[Flump]

Liverpool we'll get nothing I reckon, as usual. Win vs Woolwich, draw in Italy, FA Cup depends who we get and if we beat Newport, and a win vs Palace. A win away at one of our rivals is very very much overdue and Anfield would be a good start.

 

[Don Diaz]

If Poch goes for it against Liverpool, because he likes to and tried it against City, we might get picked off, like City did. If we're a bit more controlled we have a decent chance even with Van Dijk as a new addition

 

[Chavhater01]

If Poch goes for it against Liverpool, because he likes to and tried it against City, we might get picked off, like City did. If we're a bit more controlled we have a decent chance even with Van Dijk as a new addition

Not sure why he wouldn’t just replicate the way he set us up against them at Wembley.

I’d far rather play against Liverpool with Van Dijk than Coutinho. We shouldn’t really fear them. Our away record against the big boys still baffles me!

 

[Don Diaz]

Not sure why he wouldn’t just replicate the way he set us up against them at Wembley.

I’d far rather play against Liverpool with Van Dijk than Coutinho. We shouldn’t really fear them. Our away record against the big boys still baffles me!

Liverpool at home is a different proposition to Liverpool at Wembley, when they were also missing a few key players.

 

[Chavhater01]

Liverpool at home is a different proposition to Liverpool at Wembley, when they were also missing a few key players.

Think they were only missing Mane, from their ‘fab 4’ back then, obviously a pretty integral cog in their system and the obvious addition of Van Dijk.
I totally agree that they’re a different proposition at Anfield but I still think we can do a number on them, if we sit back and counter them, especially in the first 30 mins. Just feel we need to keep it tight, rather than affording them the space we gave them last year, when they blitzed us in that first period of the game.

 

[Yid]

Think they were only missing Mane, from their ‘fab 4’ back then, obviously a pretty integral cog in their system and the obvious addition of Van Dijk.
I totally agree that they’re a different proposition at Anfield but I still think we can do a number on them, if we sit back and counter them, especially in the first 30 mins. Just feel we need to keep it tight, rather than affording them the space we gave them last year, when they blitzed us in that first period of the game.

I have never seen us deploy this tactic bruv... I don't think it's somthing we are coached on or even in our DNA.

And I quite like that we prefer not to play this way.

 

[Don Diaz]

Doesn't it show some tactical nous and flexibility to play in a different way dependant on the context? When we played Chelsea in the league Cup final 2 years ago, Mourinho played three centre backs, one in midfield - Zouma, to mark Eriksen our main creative threat out of the game. This was a result of the mauling we gave them at WHL in January that year, when we won 5-3.

I'm not for one moment advocating that we should play like a Mourinho team, for 90 minutes week in week out, but occasionally one of our failings in the past (much less recently) has been the ability to be organised at the back, soaking up pressure or closing out games. I wouldn't have a problem with that tactic for the first 20-30 mins and last 10 if it meant we won a key match away to Liverpool.

Who didn't enjoy Swansea's win on Monday night? and we're a lot better than Swansea.

 

[Chavhater01]

I have never seen us deploy this tactic bruv... I don't think it's somthing we are coached on or even in our DNA.

And I quite like that we prefer not to play this way.

The way i’m talking about mate, is the way we played in both legs against Madrid. I’m more talking about being more circumspect and keeping the back line, including the full backs a little deeper.

I would never want us to sit 10 behind the ball but just to maybe sit a little deeper and be a little more prudent in our high press.

 

[BrooklynYid]

We don't have to park the bus, but I certainly think 3 at the back is a must for Anfield. I would be perfectly happy if we came out of there with a point. That point could end keeping us in CL come the end of the season. Nothing wrong with a bit of pragmatism now and then.

 

[Glenjamin]

Doesn't it show some tactical nous and flexibility to play in a different way dependant on the context? When we played Chelsea in the league Cup final 2 years ago, Mourinho played three centre backs, one in midfield - Zouma, to mark Eriksen our main creative threat out of the game. This was a result of the mauling we gave them at WHL in January that year, when we won 5-3.

I'm not for one moment advocating that we should play like a Mourinho team, for 90 minutes week in week out, but occasionally one of our failings in the past (much less recently) has been the ability to be organised at the back, soaking up pressure or closing out games. I wouldn't have a problem with that tactic for the first 20-30 mins and last 10 if it meant we won a key match away to Liverpool.

Who didn't enjoy Swansea's win on Monday night? and we're a lot better than Swansea.

To be fair we played like this against Real Madrid and it was beautiful to watch. Parking the bus weekly is one thing but a well organised counter attacking performance can be a sight to behold especially when we will be countering every 5 mins when the whole Liverpool team is in our box repeatedly.

 

[Motspur Hotspur]

Doesn't it show some tactical nous and flexibility to play in a different way dependant on the context? When we played Chelsea in the league Cup final 2 years ago, Mourinho played three centre backs, one in midfield - Zouma, to mark Eriksen our main creative threat out of the game. This was a result of the mauling we gave them at WHL in January that year, when we won 5-3.

I'm not for one moment advocating that we should play like a Mourinho team, for 90 minutes week in week out, but occasionally one of our failings in the past (much less recently) has been the ability to be organised at the back, soaking up pressure or closing out games. I wouldn't have a problem with that tactic for the first 20-30 mins and last 10 if it meant we won a key match away to Liverpool.

Who didn't enjoy Swansea's win on Monday night? and we're a lot better than Swansea.

actually the genius of the Mourinho plan wasn't the 3 at the back it was the high line with JT! Every time we fed Harry Kane (40 yards out) the Chelsea CBs just let him have the ground and retreated to the 18 yard box knowing he didn't have the pace to go past them with the ball, worked a treat you gotta say.

 

[J.spurs]

The way i’m talking about mate, is the way we played in both legs against Madrid. I’m more talking about being more circumspect and keeping the back line, including the full backs a little deeper.

I would never want us to sit 10 behind the ball but just to maybe sit a little deeper and be a little more prudent in our high press.

The Dortmund tie as well. It can be problematic, because we're not exactly brimming with pace, but with the kind of application we had in the group phase it can be done.

 

[Dorset]

I think February is going to be luvverly jubberly! Wanyama, Lamella and Aldereiweld all back is better than signing whoever the bloke the ITK wankers are jizzing over at the moment. Getting over the obvious bout of flu or whatever has been going round the squad will make those 2 disappointing draws fade away into Numptyland (where they will talk about how shite we are for very and ever).

2 classic 6 pointers, Champions League - and the FA Cup, which I fucking love, did I mention that? Probberly. The Poch must make sure we win on Saturday or I will be temporarily grumpy with him, like I was after that fuck awful League Cup abortion against the scum, oh bollocks I am going full-Numpty now and letting yonks ago results get up my nose.

Those nasty Mancs are coming here tomorrow, Yeovil is 10 minutes from my house, just over the county border, I really hope they win and get us in the next round. It would be nice for Yeovil to be introduced to some nice away fans - just remember that Dorset ain't for you townies, so no crossing the border eh?

 

[CyprusSpurs]

i'm going for the laughing stock business and go for Newport over the weekend only, and take it a game at a time!

 

[skiathospurs]

I am hoping for a miracle at Anfield,cos I will be in that number&will have been a top trip should we get something.Regardless there will be beers and singing,even more so if its 3pts coming back down the M1.

 

[BrooklynYid]

I am hoping for a miracle at Anfield,cos I will be in that number&will have been a top trip should we get something.Regardless there will be beers and singing,even more so if its 3pts coming back down the M1.

Good luck, mate. A win at Anfield would bring me happiness for years (or till our next match). If you've got a lucky shirt or scarf you might wann bring it along. Will be tough after we thrashed them at our place but every year I hold out hope. Don't think we've won there since Rafa. Kane and Co. definitely deserve a victory there. I always dread this game. Gives me the jitters. Here's hoping this is our year!

 

[skiathospurs]

Good luck, mate. A win at Anfield would bring me happiness for years (or till our next match). If you've got a lucky shirt or scarf you might wann bring it along. Will be tough after we thrashed them at our place but every year I hold out hope. Don't think we've won there since Rafa. Kane and Co. definitely deserve a victory there. I always dread this game. Gives me the jitters. Here's hoping this is our year!

all about the day out,result would be good for the 4hr drive back!

 

[Don Diaz]

all about the day out,result would be good for the 4hr drive back!

Good attitude, I've never been to Anfield, want to and will do one day. Good luck mate any win will do.

 

[Yid]

Good attitude, I've never been to Anfield, want to and will do one day. Good luck mate any win will do.

That fucking Kop makes a rare old noise mate. Intimidating for both players and fans.

Sent shivers down my spine when they sang YNWA.

Hope whoever is going takes some strepsils as singing for our boys and being the 12th man is so important against these horrible gutter cunts.

 

[Don Diaz]

Looks like it might be a good time to be playing Liverpool....hope so anyway.

 

[Dorset]

I like February! What's not to like? Progressing to the last 16 of the FA Cup, a point at Anfileld and 3 points in the NLD, yippydeedoodah! Juventus next week couldn't have come at a better time, no injuries or suspensions and a team buzzing with confidence.

This time next week we will be getting ready to go and thump Rochdale - apparently they're laying a new pitch for the game, thank fuck for that! Talk about contrasts, Juventus Tuesday and Rochdale 5 days later. I know it's a loooong way off, but our last PL fixture in February will be epic, give Palace a thumping and take advantage of United / Chelsea dropping points.

All we need to do now is sort out the crap weather and February will become one of my top 12 months!

 

[Dorset]

Fucking weather eh? It was a beautiful morning so I thought I'd tidy out the tip that used to be our garage, got everything outside then.... wallop! Rain, hail, snow, plagues of locusts. Dragged all the old crap back inside and now it's lovely and sunny again!

Mrs D is away so I have filled both wheely bins with stuff 'we might need one day' , don't tell her for fuck's sake or she'll chop off the other one when she gets back.

 

[Don Diaz]

Good time for a February review of what we all thought almost 3 weeks ago.

I'd say we are awarded and 'A'. If we had beaten any of Liverpool, Juventus or Rochdale it would have been A* keep the momentum going boys. Important to beat Palace as others will drop points. We only have 2 games against the top 5 left.

 

[birdonaball]

Yup, agree with the A, we have deserved it with the performances we have put in this against the bigger boys.

We will need to pick up all 3 points against Palace as those around us will have to drop points.

Could have done without a replay, but at least we're still in it which is the most important thing.

We got Chelsea next month, and while that is obviously an important game we must make sure we don't stumble and bumble around against the Newcastle's, Huddersfield and Bournemouth's of the world.