Watford (A) 15:00 Sat 2nd December 2017

[Dorset]

Another tin-pot Premier League game that hinders our preparations for the Champions League and the FA Cup! After the annoying results in this week's midweek games we will dish out a good old fashioned mulching to Watford and even the numptiest numpty will be happy.

 

[Don Diaz]

Well this is obviously not a 'must win' game, we're not about to be slaughtered at the gates or even worse relegated, but it certainly feels like it. Very recently we were being touted all over the media as City's most serious challengers and biggest threat, beating Liverpool 4-1 and Huddersfield 4-0 away, whilst performing superbly in the CL. It's noticeable how that has dies down in the past 3 weeks, since the loss to United. So whilst a difficult game away at a club on form, it is an important game to win and at least perform well.

I'm reading Poch's book at the moment, it jumps around all over the place but the underlying thread is a philosophical one and gaining an understanding of the individual, what they need, what makes them tick. Poch and has team spend a lot of time concentrating on this and of course there are other factors in performance as well. Seems to me that we need to start much more quickly and attack the opposition from the off. Converting more of the chances would also help.

Let's hope for a great performance, full of skill and effort, and a win. I think 3-1 and a rest for someone to allow a Lamela start, assuming he's in one piece after Tuesday. Good luck lads.

 

[BrooklynYid]

This will be another really tough match. One positive is that we'll have Lamela and WInks coming back. Don't think we have much of a choice other than to play 3 at the back against Watford, so that means that Dier, Sanchez and Jan have to start. At least we can rotate the fullbacks. Start Son as well and we can have 5 fresh faces from Tuesday's match. I guess technically it's not a must-win, but it's certainly a must-not-lose. 3 points would certainly help the mood. Let's score first and grab all 3. COYS!

 

[Chavhater01]

Any kind of win and not to see Sissoko starting is what i’m after.

 

[Glenjamin]

Never fear lads I'm back in the UK... Just called Dele there and told him I'm back so he may pull his finger out his arse and get on with it.... He sounded scared so I'm confident!

 

[Liam]

We really need to pick things up and get three points on the board this week. I don't think Watford are going to sit ten or eleven players behind the ball so hopefully it'll be a more open game instead of us having the ball loads and getting nowhere. Just win lads!

 

[skiathospurs]

 

[skiathospurs]

 

[Motspur Hotspur]

 

[Motspur Hotspur]

 

[skiathospurs]

 

[Finchbee]

Its painful to watch again.....too many sideways passes

 

[Motspur Hotspur]

what a stupid thing to do

 

[Don Diaz]

Time for the key players in the first team to have a proper 4-5 day break somewhere warm and recharge their batteries in my view. The core Kane, Dele, Dier, Jan, Hugo, Eriksen have been at it pretty much non stop for 2-3 years now, I know they're young and fit but they've lost a little something at the moment. Quick shot of sunshine and time for themselves and we'll smash Stoke. Sanchez can play Wednesday night.

 

[skiathospurs]

Martin atkinson?think we got rowan atkinson.

 

[wilson]

I missed it. How did we do performance wise? Sanchez’s red the correct decision?

Definitely has to just be top 4 and a cup run as the target now. No way we are catching City now bar a colossal fuck up by them.

Still, before the season began, with Wembley, I’d have been happy with top 4 and a champs league run of some kind. Bringing champs league football to our real home/ new stadium would be a success for me. That’s still definitely achievable, just need to grind out some league results the next month and not fall any further behind the pack. Every team will have a bad patch in terms of results this season, hopefully we can bounce back and this be our bad patch out the way...

 

[J.spurs]

I missed it. How did we do performance wise? Sanchez’s red the correct decision?

Definitely has to just be top 4 and a cup run as the target now. No way we are catching City now bar a colossal fuck up by them.

Still, before the season began, with Wembley, I’d have been happy with top 4 and a champs league run of some kind. Bringing champs league football to our real home/ new stadium would be a success for me. That’s still definitely achievable, just need to grind out some league results the next month and not fall any further behind the pack. Every team will have a bad patch in terms of results this season, hopefully we can bounce back and this be our bad patch out the way...

The performance was OK imo, we looked like winning before the sending off. In this day and age a hand or arm to the face will usually be a red, but there was no malice in it, and they should've had at least one sent off for second yellows that weren't given. I agree with everything you've said, everyone will have a bad patch, we just need to hit our stride over the next few weeks (which we've always done under Poch) and beat the teams around us.

 

[Finchbee]

Martin atkinson?think we got rowan atkinson.

He was terrible we should have had 2 penalties they could have had 2 and should have ended game with 9

 

[Flump]

I watched the highlights of the Leicester game which looked on reflection like we deserved at the very least a draw. Just missed some absolute sitters. Was this the same?

 

[skiathospurs]

I watched the highlights of the Leicester game which looked on reflection like we deserved at the very least a draw. Just missed some absolute sitters. Was this the same?

We were mostly in control,but not making so many clear cut chances.Going to 10 men evened it up a bit,i am not saying sanchez wasnt a red,but jesus he (martin atkinson) let them kick kane&dele all over the park,yellows coming late in the game to make no difference and 2 players should have had 2nd yellows when they were already booked,there was a lot of cynical fouling going on,not quite barca early 80s but atkinson lost control.

 

[Dorset]

Terrible refereeing. Watford's game plan was to kick the fuck out of our players especially Kane and Atkinson was they key player in that plan. How can a wanker like this be allowed to be in charge of a Premier League game? It's really annoying and I listen to myself whingeing like a fucking dipper about the refereeing injustices but it was so blatantly crooked / incompetent yesterday that just accepting it is impossible. There is no court of appeal and our management team are not even allowed to criticise the useless cunt or they will be punished, what sort of system is this?

 

[Finchbee]

Terrible refereeing. Watford's game plan was to kick the fuck out of our players especially Kane and Atkinson was they key player in that plan. How can a wanker like this be allowed to be in charge of a Premier League game? It's really annoying and I listen to myself whingeing like a fucking dipper about the refereeing injustices but it was so blatantly crooked / incompetent yesterday that just accepting it is impossible. There is no court of appeal and our management team are not even allowed to criticise the useless cunt or they will be punished, what sort of system is this?

Spot on

 

[skiathospurs]

Also its nearly oscar season and I havent seen a performance as good as richarldson`s since the revenant bear scene.He made sure it looked like he had been "blood batted" by neagan,simulation all a clever part of the game pundits seem to say nowadays.

 

[Don Diaz]

There's was a period last season about this time, where we won 1 in 10.....so no disaster. Problem is that everyone around us has improved, including Burnley and Watford, not to mention United, City etc.

Get everybody back fit and firing and everything will take care of itself.

 

[J.spurs]

Terrible refereeing. Watford's game plan was to kick the fuck out of our players especially Kane and Atkinson was they key player in that plan. How can a wanker like this be allowed to be in charge of a Premier League game? It's really annoying and I listen to myself whingeing like a fucking dipper about the refereeing injustices but it was so blatantly crooked / incompetent yesterday that just accepting it is impossible. There is no court of appeal and our management team are not even allowed to criticise the useless cunt or they will be punished, what sort of system is this?

I felt like it actually got worse after Sanchez's sending off, because we were trying to hit them on the break, and they just kept cynically fouling to stop us. Fair enough, but the ref has to deal with that. As you say, it was pretty obvious Atkinson was very much willing to let them play the way they wanted to.

 

[skiathospurs]

maybe it was more like 80s barca than i thought

 

[Don Diaz]

maybe it was more like 80s barca than i thought

It's a fucking nonsense, Atkinson needs to be reported by some sort of balanced panel. When they perform poorly I thought they get a 'rest' for a few weeks. He's not up to it based on his performance yesterday.

 

[Flump]

We were mostly in control,but not making so many clear cut chances.Going to 10 men evened it up a bit,i am not saying sanchez wasnt a red,but jesus he (martin atkinson) let them kick kane&dele all over the park,yellows coming late in the game to make no difference and 2 players should have had 2nd yellows when they were already booked,there was a lot of cynical fouling going on,not quite barca early 80s but atkinson lost control.

I've seen a few highlights now. Atkinson is not a friend to Spurs that's for sure. Never has been. Some of Kane's distribution is incredible. So underrated as an all round footballer.

 

[Flump]

I've also seen a stat that says we are 18th from 20 in the goals to chances ratio. In other words we need to be much more clinical in front of goal. A lot of the criticism has been directed at the defence, but we've only conceded 2 more than this time last year and we've not been battered. Just need those front players to put away those gilt edged chances, perfect example the Leicester game.

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

Terrible refereeing. Watford's game plan was to kick the fuck out of our players especially Kane and Atkinson was they key player in that plan. How can a wanker like this be allowed to be in charge of a Premier League game? It's really annoying and I listen to myself whingeing like a fucking dipper about the refereeing injustices but it was so blatantly crooked / incompetent yesterday that just accepting it is impossible. There is no court of appeal and our management team are not even allowed to criticise the useless cunt or they will be punished, what sort of system is this?

Atkinson is a fucking shambles. He should have been sat out for allowing Mignolet to stay on the pitch midweek.

The worst official in the premier league....and by some margin.