Tottenham V Liverpool (H) 22 Dec PL

[Havocc]

Good changes made my Ange, team looks shattered out there

 

[ClemFandango]

Hhmmm .. could literally be 6 or 7 at this rate.

 

[J.spurs]

As Graeme Le Saux just said, the back line is too high, the midfield is wide open, and there is no discipline in the front line.

 

[J.spurs]

It’s not even so much the high line as that we’re 3 v 4 in the back every time we lose the ball. Zero structure.

 

[Havocc]

It’s not even so much the high line as that we’re 3 v 4 in the back every time we lose the ball. Zero structure.

Because we are playing a back 4 and they have a front 3. So it will be 3 v 4

 

[Chavhater01]

That’s it, I’m out!

Don’t care if they’re tired, or we’re down to the bare bones. If anything, that’s the time to close ranks and make it difficult for the best team in the league. Chasing the ball high up the pitch, then losing it coz our passing is gash, then they all have to chase back, making them even more knackered. Ange has to have a plan b for these types of games. Also, our midfield is a joke!

 

[J.spurs]

Because we are playing a back 4 and they have a front 3. So it will be 3 v 4

We have three they have four. Hence lack of structure.

 

[J.spurs]

What a pretty goal that was.

 

[Chavhater01]

Ok, maybe I’ll give it another 5!!

 

[Havocc]

That goal is outstanding

 

[Havocc]

Werner hat-trick?

 

[J.spurs]

Another brilliant goal.

 

[Havocc]

Shows fight and we are playing for Ange. Shows he has the dressing room

 

[ClemFandango]

One thing that's painfully obvious from this is that we have to start managing Sonny's minutes. He just can't play multiple games a week any more and be effective.

 

[J.spurs]

Shows fight and we are playing for Ange. Shows he has the dressing room

Good to hear the fans singing his name a few minutes ago too.

 

[Havocc]

Good to hear the fans singing his name a few minutes ago too.

And the true fans know that Ange is not the issue here. We play like this we a full squad we get better results.

We need Levy to back him in January and in the summer.

 

[Havocc]

One game too many for a squad full of injuries. Showed character in the end and fought well

 

[ClemFandango]

I suppose one minor bright point is that Bentancur has now completed his suspension and will be available for selection on Boxing Day.

 

[Dave]

I dont know, this is mental. We've just conceded 6 at home in the PL, and it could've been 12. Our 18 year old at centre half is told to continue to stand on the half way line up against the likes of Salah and Diaz with zero protection in front of him. That's on Ange.

We've got the best stadium in Europe yet nothing on the bench and can only attract average PL players. Yes, average. THAT'S on Levy. Who out there today would get into any side in the top 6 ? Kulo maybe ?....that's it.

We are where we are.

 

[J.spurs]

I have no problem with the high line, really, but especially against a team with as much quality as they have, you have to be able to keep pressure on the ball and track back as a team more or less immediately when you lose possession. If you can't do that, foul like Pep's good teams always do when they lose the ball.

They broke so quickly that we wound up with three or at times even two defenders facing four of the top attacking players in the world barrelling at them at speed. Bissouma/Sarr didn't recover quickly enough, nor did the two fullbacks, not to mention Sonny and Deki. Part of that is Liverpool's quality, part of it is the fact that we're shattered physically, part of it is poor structure and issues with individual players (Biss in particular, in my opinion). The whole point of a high line is to compress space, and we somehow play a high line AND leave space in front of them, which is inexcusable.

I want Ange to stay, full stop. I think if we can add some quality players, allow them to mature together, and stick to an approach, he can build something. But in the short term, if we can't put together a decent run, the dark lord won't give a fuck about any of that. Forest away on Boxing Day is going to be a tough one.

 

[Havocc]

He is not going to change so stop posting about how he should change.

Q & A from the press conference

Despite your problems you've stuck to your style, will you benefit from this long term?

(Puts his hand to his head for a moment) I think I have been really patient the last 18 months sitting up here answering the same questions over and over again. If people want me to change my approach, it’s not going to change. We are doing it for a reason, we are doing it because we think it will help us to be successful. If people don’t understand the circumstances we are in at the moment, the challenges we have from a squad perspective which are as obvious as you want to make them. I get the idea that people think that I should just flip a switch and change and somehow that will miraculously make us a better team. It is what it is. I’m just going to continue, stay focused on trying to build this team to be the team we want. In the interim we are going to have to accept there are going to be challenges along the way.

 

[J.spurs]

I suppose one good thing we have going for us is that the sorry state of the Manchester clubs will dominate the headlines from now till Boxing Day.

 

[Style And Glory]

I have no problem with the high line, really, but especially against a team with as much quality as they have, you have to be able to keep pressure on the ball and track back as a team more or less immediately when you lose possession. If you can't do that, foul like Pep's good teams always do when they lose the ball.

They broke so quickly that we wound up with three or at times even two defenders facing four of the top attacking players in the world barrelling at them at speed. Bissouma/Sarr didn't recover quickly enough, nor did the two fullbacks, not to mention Sonny and Deki. Part of that is Liverpool's quality, part of it is the fact that we're shattered physically, part of it is poor structure and issues with individual players (Biss in particular, in my opinion). The whole point of a high line is to compress space, and we somehow play a high line AND leave space in front of them, which is inexcusable.

Ange can build this team into something special as those here want to compete for him.
The fans seemed behind Ange & the players singing along despite being behind late on b/c most comprehend the circumstances.

As for the bold part, the press was miles off today. And when we did get it right & forced them to hoof it, our back line would win the headers but we were 2nd to the 2nd ball far too often. That's when they were most dangerous b/c our midfield was nowhere to be found & we were significantly outnumbered in the back. I was calling for Sarr & Madds to be taken off long before they were. Talented players but off the pace today.

As @J.spurs & others have said, we need Levy to back Ange.

 

[Dave]

I want Ange to stay, full stop. I think if we can add some quality players,

I totally agree in terms of wanting Ange to stay and give him the tools needed....but....
Will the dark Lord give him enough support ? Especially if Liverpool beat us in the cup semi and we don't get any further than the Quarters of the EL ? And secondly, if he does support him, what level of real quality can we actually realistically attract ? Players that any of the top sides don't actually want or rate.
We actually haven't improved on the pitch in 20 years since Levy took over the club. We've gone backwards. And anyone who says otherwise by showing me profitability charts or pictures of our shiny stadium can all fuck right off.
Levy will need to really break the bank for Ange to add REAL quality. If he didn't do it for Poch, why would he for Ange ?
I'm fed up with the same old issues, the same second rate recruitment, the same penny pinching bargain basement signings. It's the same old shite....and I'm fucking sick of it.

 

[J.spurs]

I totally agree in terms of wanting Ange to stay and give him the tools needed....but....
Will the dark Lord give him enough support ? Especially if Liverpool beat us in the cup semi and we don't get any further than the Quarters of the EL ? And secondly, if he does support him, what level of real quality can we actually realistically attract ? Players that any of the top sides don't actually want or rate.
We actually haven't improved on the pitch in 20 years since Levy took over the club. We've gone backwards. And anyone who says otherwise by showing me profitability charts or pictures of our shiny stadium can all fuck right off.
Levy will need to really break the bank for Ange to add REAL quality. If he didn't do it for Poch, why would he for Ange ?
I'm fed up with the same old issues, the same second rate recruitment, the same penny pinching bargain basement signings. It's the same old shite....and I'm fucking sick of it.

All fair questions, to be honest. I will say that, based on absolutely no evidence, I have a feeling that we're going to win the EL. Apparently the bookies agree, for what that's worth. I am also genuinely excited about some of the young players we have.

But obviously the chairman doesn't do the kind of spending, both wages and fees, to compete for trophies regularly. As I think I said in this thread or somewhere else, my worry is that we're going to go on the kind of run that will cause Levy to pull the trigger. Then we'll be back at square one, because what you said about the kinds of players we can realistically attract is probably true of managers too.

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

Not sure what some of you expected today.

For me, it was a free swing. Liverpool are a brilliant team who were able to rotate after the Cup tie mid-week. We had to play the same XI off one less day off.

They are tired and they are injured. Yet they fought it out against the best team in football.

Onwards and upwards.

 

[Yid]

Not sure what some of you expected today.

For me, it was a free swing. Liverpool are a brilliant team who were able to rotate after the Cup tie mid-week. We had to play the same XI off one less day off.

They are tired and they are injured. Yet they fought it out against the best team in football.

Onwards and upwards.

Nah mate, not like that...

You can loose well... We got fucking thrashed and while we got 3 goals they could have easily had 10...

I know we've got injuries, I know Ange won't change, but we cannot accept getting fucked like we did today... That was embarrassing for us and the players.

Ultimately this is just emotion based off of being humped...and in the morning I may be more rational...

I think while the result stings bad right now, it is the fact we're so fucking short on quality throughout the squad... And we all know who is to ultimately fucking blame for that...

We need that baldy greedy cunt to come up with a Van De Vart in January...

 

[Dave]

Not sure what some of you expected today.

For me, it was a free swing. Liverpool are a brilliant team who were able to rotate after the Cup tie mid-week. We had to play the same XI off one less day off.

They are tired and they are injured. Yet they fought it out against the best team in football.

Onwards and upwards.

Well what i said had very little to do with today. I'm talking about the fact that Levy has been so so poor and both recruitment and support of his managers that matters ON the pitch have gone significantly backwards since he took over.
14 managers in 21 seasons.
The 80's = 2 Fa Cups, 1 Uefa Cup and several other cup finals
The 90's = 1 Fa Cup, 1 League Cup (Despite being a dark decade)
Since Levy 2001-Present (Nearly 24 years!!!)= 1 League Cup.

It's not good enough. We're being starved of success because of one man's unwillingness to accept that he's just not good enough to look after Football matters. He should step away and into the background and get a proper football man in and maybe then we might see us attracting better players and for our top targets to want to play for THFC and not whatever is left on the shelf after all the good ones are bought up.
It's just getting so tiresome...its like groundhog day.

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

Well what i said had very little to do with today. I'm talking about the fact that Levy has been so so poor and both recruitment and support of his managers that matters ON the pitch have gone significantly backwards since he took over.
14 managers in 21 seasons.
The 80's = 2 Fa Cups, 1 Uefa Cup and several other cup finals
The 90's = 1 Fa Cup, 1 League Cup (Despite being a dark decade)
Since Levy 2001-Present (Nearly 24 years!!!)= 1 League Cup.

It's not good enough. We're being starved of success because of one man's unwillingness to accept that he's just not good enough to look after Football matters. He should step away and into the background and get a proper football man in and maybe then we might see us attracting better players and for our top targets to want to play for THFC and not whatever is left on the shelf after all the good ones are bought up.
It's just getting so tiresome...its like groundhog day.

I don’t disagree mate but the bald cunt ain’t going to change.

At least we fought it out and can be certain the gaffer still has the players’ support. But fuck me, 14-15 fit players 18 months into a rebuild is a combination of diabolical bad luck and a penny-pinching chairman.

With a proper squad I guarantee you that Ange’s system looks a million times better, so there’s actually no real point in trying to play any other way. Have those who are available stay the course and it will pay off later (subject to bald cunt offering Ange a few crumbs).

 

[J.spurs]

My kid made the point when I was being critical of our structure (or lack thereof) without the ball: if you switched managers with the dippers, the result of this game probably wouldn’t change. Thought that was fair enough.