It's time to Gent real! Gent v Spurs player ratings

The fact that we used basically our best team and still lost... scares me... meanwhile Roma whooped Villarreal at there house and made it look easy

 

Poch has forged a reputation on a high work ethic forward press. Designed to put the opposition on the back foot. Break up their play and pounce on mistakes.

He has then filled the team with big sluggers in the centre and powder puff fairies up top.

The problem now is that Dembele, Wanyama are too slow and lack in game intelligence which is detrimental to any quick transition from defence to attack, resulting in slow build up play.

You then have the likes of Eriksen, Son, Lamela (when he plays) all tippy tippy wana be the star but don't want to get hurt or actually influence a game by doing something. None of which falls in line with forward press.

Alli does put himself about but is still raw and is cutting a frustrated figure at times because in fairness to him and Kane where's the supply and movement?

The pace of the attack is alarmingly slow and the want to push up from the team is just not there.

Both Wanyama and Dembele need to push up and stop holding hands with the CBs and at least be flexible in a double pivot.

Poch needs to decide who his no 10 is and how to find him quicker. This would be helped dramatically by introducing some width and pace on the flanks to free some space up (and this should not be solely down to the FBs.)

Get it to the number 10 in space and get Kane and the wider forwards giving him options when he gets it.
Or viceversa get it wide then feed Kane with support from no 10.

I'm amazed we are where we are when they play such uninventive slow repetitive predictable slop. How do they genuinely think they're going to break teams down without getting the danger men involved and not going forward?

They're supposed to be a professional outfit yet show the football intelligence of an under 10s team and the pace of a Vets.

 

Last night's game highlighted the importance of eriksen. Yeah he can be frustrating and goes missing. However he runs farther and harder than anyone else. He sets the tempo and always looking to get on the ball when he came on we actually looked improved. Not saying he's a world beater but he gets goals and makes goals.
Likewise Lamela who I would never describe as a tippy tappy player far from it. Again he ain't no world beater but he can play the tempo required. Last night again shown that as soon as one or two first reamers are out be injury or rotation the players that come in simply are not good enough. Were not even talking injury crisis just a couple of absentee's and we fail miserably.
For me Alli isn't a great player. Not a great passer nor a good tackler. Isn't in particular quick or dynamic. He is a player of limited ability in the mould of platt or lampard who have this fantastic knack of arriving into the box and scoring goals. You have to build a team round such a gem and the team has to function for him to function and at present the chemistry ain't there..

 

More often then not when we play well Ericsson plays well and there lies a major issue for this side , one of our most important players is so inconsistent ... All the lads up top are the same and until that changes then things will remain the same .... Our biggest strength is our defensive capabilities and when that doesn't function properly then we,re in trouble ..

Now saying all that , it still doesn't explain how poor we are in Europe I.m.o .. In theory a strong defensive outfit , a side that's hard to beat should be made for these 2 legged European games .. Do a job on them away from home , who cares how ugly it is , and do your damage at home ... Oh yea we don't play at home .... Look that's only an excuse for this year , we weren't much better last year .... Maybe it is inexperience , I don't have the answer .....

Again saying all that , there really is no excuses going away to a mid table Belgian side ... The mind boggles I'm afraid .... C.O.Y.S ...

 

We. Were. Poor.
It doesn't matter why. It doesn't matter we don't have personnel to play 3 back at the moment.
We. Just. Were.

 

Nice fresh line up, that on paper could do a job against Fulham but inclined to rest All and start Eriksen as he looked lively in his little cameo against Gent?