Europa time returns- KAA Gent Vs Spurs, 16th Feb 18:00

Discussion in 'Tottenham forum' started by Mattj78, February 13, 2017.

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  1. Mattj78

    Mattj78 Well-Known Member

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    "Don't put your foot up in Europe. So you better watch out if you're up against Gent."
    I'm expecting pretty much 95% of you to read the opening to this blog and think I've gone completely mad! And you may be right but if you humour me, I will see who might tell me who these lines come from. They are from a song from a very 'unique' band.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    But back to matters in hand and this week sees the return of the Europa league. That millstone around the neck but actually I think it's time that Spurs took this competition seriously and pull out the big guns and send out a statement of intent that we want to win this competition.
    I think we can all accept, whether we like it or not, that the Premier League title will elude us once again this season. So it makes total sense to go all out to win both the Europa league and the FA cup. I am not saying we should give up on the league- we have to finish as high as possible and if we are not going to win the league, we should be trying for second and without a doubt to finish at long last above those Wanderers from Woolwich!

    But if we are to honestly say we have improved and we are going to win things, we need to deliver silverware. We have every chance to now do that. One trophy in 16 years is too long a wait and wherever you look, whether it be my blogs, other bloggers and other sites, the majority tend to agree that they want to see trophies at the Lane. Because silverware has to be a benchmark of success. Sadly these days finishing in the top 4 seems to be that benchmark. And whilst I know we must finish in the top 4 to keep our chances of progression alive, I still believe silverware is a good thing!

    So let's not disregard the Europa league or FA cup anymore. Let's go into those games with every fit first teamer at the ready to end this season as cup winners. Trophies were something synonymous with Tottenham Hotspur. And it's high time we were winning them again. If we are to attract the very best talent to take us to that next level, challenging for the title and winning trophies will get us noticed. (Whether our transfer team will sign them is another question entirely.)

    My suggested team to face Gent is as follows:

    Lloris, Walker, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies, Alli, Wanyama, Dembele, Eriksen, Son, Kane.

    In reality, this is not our best team due to injuries, but it's what we have got. Son is frustrating but if he can get out wide he does run at defenders and can cause trouble. Playing Davies is not going to fill anyone with confidence but we have to give him the chance to play in the back 3 and show what he can do in a positive way. He was instrumental in Wales getting to the semi finals of the Euro's and if he can do it as part of a back 3 there, he can do it for us!

    I would hope for the formation to be Dier, Toby and Davies at the back, Wanyama to sit in front of the back 4, alongside him Dembele with the mantra to attack like he can. Walker to be a right winger and staying tight to that right flank giving us the width that we use so well when we have it.
    Eriksen to have a free role, Son on the left, With Alli supporting Kane up front as a false 9.
    So 3-2-3-1-1.

    Let's start showing that we truly are a Spurs team on the up and the best way to do that right now is to win the cups!!

    As ever , come on you Spurs!!!
     
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  2. Felon82 Well-Known Member

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    To win a European competition takes Tactics.

    Poch has no logic when it comes to cups.
    We'l probably play a full strength vs Gent then a second string in the next round if we get through and wonder where it all went wrong.
     
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  3. Del Guest

    I think it's about time winks started in midfield its obvious every time he's comes on he's hungry and he is a forward playing midfielder instead of sideways or backwards this lad has a great half turn on him! On another note I agree with most that our back up players are not good enough but!!! Is that because it's the same players that never start and they think oh well no matter what I do I'm not going to start the next game so I won't make a difference when I come on?????
     
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  4. ScottR Guest

    Give Winks a go and sit Eriksen. The guy was a shadow against Liverpool this weekend and I can't remember him ever looking strong against them. Christian can start against Fulham, competition he should be able to handle. Start N'Koudou and let Son sit on the bench. The former is just as direct as the latter and has not received very many chances. He is also more likely to cross with a purpose than Son. Give Janssen one more start with Kane up top.

    The rest should be regulars in a 3-4-1-2. The back 3 should be Dier, Toby (center) and Davies (even though he was the worst of all the starters last game). Kyle, Dembele, Winks, and N'Koudou in the Mid. N'Koudou and Kyle can bomb the wings and present some lively play to Alli slightly behind Janssen and Kane. Go way more offensive and blow these guys away!

    COYS
     
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  5. Big fran Guest

    The performance v pool,the injuries we have,the fact how tired one or two looked of late and the time of season in terms of number of games will undoubtedly and necessarily need a number of changes like it or not.
    This is where top managers earn thier corn how they go about it and manage to still get results. Not wholesale changes but little chinks here and there. Let's be honest gent over two legs 'shouldn't ' be a problem. I'd expect to start picking a stronger 11 and attacking the competition more as the rounds progress and the opposition improves. As felon says don't go all out this round and weaken in the next round just because we have a big game the following Saturday. Thier all big games at the business end.
    I'd go vorm walker Toby wimmer Davies winks wanyama alli son Janssen Kane
     
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  6. burnt Well-Known Member

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    We have a small pool of players , everyone agrees on that but yet certain fans can't seem to get their heads around it , every match no matter what the competition is we get the same crys of play our strongest line up , let's try and win this trophy .... Lol , you'd think by now they'd have figured out if we play the same lads in every game it would actually damage our chances of winning anything .... The reason we have such a small pool is irrelevant , that's been done to death by now , the reality is what it is for whatever reasons ... If we are to have a serious go at these two cup competitions and also try to finish as high up the league as possible then we have to rotate the players to some degree ...
     
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  7. Big fran Guest

    I don't agree we have a small pool of players. It seems that way due to the fact so many big money signings. With everyone fit we have minimum two players in each position and on a normal match day our bench would be something like Vorm 5m sissoko 30m(yes say that out loud and let it sink in a moment) Son 20m Davies 11m janssen 17m nkoudou 11m wanyama 12m. And that's leaving out wimmer trippier Vickers Winks and Pau Lopez completely with bentaleb njie out on loan.
    The squad is massive compared to most of our rivals in particular Liverpool Chelsea and the goons.
    The simple fact is a) the first 11 has not been looked upon to be improved and thus the players brought in b) are merely just back up of inadequate quality to successfully rotate/freshen up or drop underperforming first 11 players. End of story.
     
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  8. burnt Well-Known Member

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    Well I'll rephrase that , we only have a small pool of players that are up to standard , the Jansen,s Sissoko,s and the rest might make a squad look good on paper but the reality is very different .... Chelsea and the Goons have far more quality squad players , they can call on players like Willian , Fabragas , Zuma , etc etc , they might not have huge numbers but they have far better quality options then ourselves .... Ourselves and Scouserpool have the least quality squads in the top 6 .... That's why we both struggle when our best 11s aren't available or not firing on all cylinders .... Fact ........
     
  9. Mattj78

    Mattj78 Well-Known Member

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    Any team wanting to challenge for titles has to have STRENGTH in depth. We have plenty of players but the back up is woeful.

    And too many of the 1st time have failed to deliver on a consistent basis this season. Eriksen, in particular.

    But look at the back up - hardly competition for places is it? Rose will walk back into the team-rightly so but here is an example of where players come in and just don't take their chances.

    A clear out is needed for sure: Bentaleb, N'Jie, N'Koudou, Janssen, Wimmer, Carter Vickers, Onomah, Davies. All are simply not up to the standard and if we could get decent money for Eriksen, it could be time he went as well. Sure we all now he has talent but he fails to deliver too often and he is a passenger. If things are going his way he is fine but if teams throttle our space, he just does not have it in him to get a game by the scruff of the neck and change things.
    Rose gets injured and we have a liability to be replace him.
    Vertonghen gets injured and we have a player who clearly has a poor relationship with the manager and doesn't even look interested when he plays in Wimmer.
    N'Koudou hasn't had much game time but when he does get a chance he looks like another N;Jie - quick but with no guile or skill to cause damage.
    Onomah is one of the worst players to pull on the famous lillywhite for a good few years. He makes Jason Dozzell look amazing!!!

    Carter Vickers far too slow.

    When you look at our transfer business, you do have to question what is going on with the recruitment team. Paul Mitchell resigned yet is still serving his notice! Surely he is not going to be focused on getting quality players for the club!? Madness. And then there is the utter pillock that is David Pleat who can't pronounce players names correctly and seems to be involved in all of our transfer dealings! It's like asking McDonalds to look after your prize cow!!

    We are not a club in freefall. We are not a club that is doomed but we are a club who has got to a point of being able to finally move up to the next level. To seriously challenge for the title. We looked serious last season until we met West Brom at the Lane and laboured to a poor draw. And then we went to Chelsea and made mugs of ourselves, totally losing our heads and showing a complete lack of maturity.

    We are told that we have learned from that this season but I am seeing signs that that is not the case at all. Against Liverpool, those silly tackles started to fly in again. Players were totally out of position and the occasion was clearly too much for them to handle. That's worrying.

    We were perhaps serious contenders for the title this season but against Liverpool we made a mockery of that claim. Jamie Carragher , I am afraid, is not far wrong about Spurs still having a mental weakness.
    We are stronger than we were a few seasons ago and our recent defensive record does back that up. We don't tend to lay down and die as shown at Man City for example. Even when we play poorly, we still get some good results but against the rivals, those in and around us we are inconsistent. We either play out of our skins and the pundits start raving about us as genuine title contenders, or, as at Liverpool, we just capitulate and offer nothing.

    We are not miles away from being able to win the title BUT the distance we are away is due to lack of investment and poor investment. For an Alli we get a Janssen and a Sissoko and that is bad business in any book.

    To make that next step, Levy, whoever the recruitment team are need to look seriously at themselves and what they want to bring to Spurs. We have the odd young talent such as Winks coming in and I want to see Edwards unleashed. Sod all this bollocks about wrapping him in cotton wool for another year or 2. Get him in the squad and lets see what he can do. He certainly can't be any worse than our current substitute options.
     
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  10. Spurporter Well-Known Member

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    Bentaleb may be bought by "Shlake 04" for 16 millions Euros. He triggered that clause in his loan by appearing 20 times. He scored 4 goals for Shalke. I don't want to sell him.
    I would start Sissoco and seat Eriksen. Eriksen is game changer we may need. I hope not. I would also start Winks in lieu of Dembele. He is a playmaker that would be absent if Eriksen is on the bench. Winks was very timid against pool. Poch should let him know that.
     
  11. STEVENFROMITALY Member

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    I hope for a Good match this Evening; Poch Factor: It depends which importance he gives to Europa League. We have a "dusty cabinet".... As ever COYS!!!!!
     
  12. STEVENFROMITALY Member

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    Credit to our opponents but today we were too poor...to be true!! Poor mentally, poor, poor poor...we were super Tottenham hot-poor!!! In my opinion or we change something or in one week our season will be finish...in i hope wrong naturally! As ever COYS!!!
     
  13. Felon82 Well-Known Member

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    Well that's 90minutes of our lives wel never get back.

    Dull, snail pace play, ponderous, uninventive.

    What a joke we're lacking in everything at the moment.

    Season looks like it's about to take a serious nose dive unless there's a complete shift in mind set, attitude and tactics.
     
  14. burnt Well-Known Member

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    Well we all say we need to be more consistent but our consistency in Europe can not be faulted .... Consistently **** ... I don't get it at all I'm afraid ....
     
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  15. guesty Guest

    We were poor. .....but the ref was worse

    We just need to learn european football. Fall over early in the game and make the ref blow his whistle. We tried to be strong and in the end they could do whatever they wanted.

    I still have no idea what Wanyama brings other than muscle. He, Nkoudou, Winks, Sissoko.....not good enough
     

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