Matchday discussion

Players not doing enough with or without the ball.
Lazy half hearted unenthusiastic cowards, stock piled with them.

Problem is with counter attacking football the 2 key elements to it are precision passes and pace.
Only Kane is the precision and Son is the pace, the rest rnt good or quick enough.

So why don't we change it up because the other way of attack is to press high and dominate the ball , to do this the whole team needs to be comfortable and competent on the ball (too many poor players) the whole team needs to work as a unit and high energy (lazy players with no desire) the defence needs to have pace to go with a high line (Toby Davies & Dier paceless, Aurrier positionally terrible)

I couldn't care less if JM goes but all the above is still the 2nd biggest problem at Spurs after ENIC/Levy.

 

Tanganga and Rodon are both better than Dier

 

I do not see any acceptable excuses for the performance in the first half. No energy, no effort. The half-time analysis by Jenas showed much of what was wrong - not showing for the ball and mostly standing still. Only thing he missed was how poor the pressing was and the pressing was poor for the same reasons - mostly standing still and not closing down the opposition.

The basics about the press appears to be forgotten:
-it starts from the front, the players behind can see what is being pressed and adapt accordingly. However, if the players behind do not press then the press from the front is just a waste of energy.
-there will always be one extra opposition player free of the press but the key is to make that free player the one with the least threat - the fullback on the opposite side of where the ball is can often be said to be the least important to press and the most important to cover is the central midfielder

Spurs failed to cover the central midfielders in the press, at least one central midfielder spent time covering space marking no-one thus making easy passes possible.

Beating the press demands movement and wanting to have the ball. Spurs players barely move and they indicate that the ball should be played to someone else.

At the moment I'd prefer seeing players who play with energy than the players who supposedly have quality. Play Lamela, play Winks, play Moura, play the U23. Just play with some energy instead of the walking, jogging, pointing.
Just decide man-man marking before the match if the players can't decide. One follows Mount, one follows Kovacic one follows Jorginho. Whatever zonal thing or whatever they do isn't working.

First half was an embarrassment.

 

Yes, Spurs seem to be trapped in an eternal 'Catch 22' - if we do somehow acquire a genuine top class player (and you can count them on the fingers of one hand in the ENIC/Levy era: Carrick, Berbatov, Modric, Bale, and the only decent academy graduate, Harry Kane), they sooner or later want out, we're consequently weakened, and can only attract second-rate replacements, often at top-rate fees. Did we face any competition from Barca, Real, City or Chelsea for Lamela, Sanchez, Lo Celso or N'dombele? Not that I'm aware of, and I've chosen them simply because of their mammoth fees, not because they're necessarily our worst performers, before the customary accusations of xenophobia start.
We've supposedly got Europe's best stadium, and its best training facilities, with a team fit for the Championship, and I still don't blame Mourinho. In his fifteen months at Spurs, he (or Levy?) has signed one current first team regular in PEH, plus a few peripherals and a marquee in the form of Bale Mk2, whose been more of a bivouac to date - we've basically still got the team that staggered through Pochettino's last season, but two years older, so is it really a surprise that we're struggling?
I'm well used to disappointment, having followed Spurs since the '60s, but I'm genuinely saddened to see Mourinho's struggles, with every other game seeing another of his managerial achievements shattered - last night was two consecutive home defeats for his very first time, and I'm horribly afraid that we're going to be the team that breaks his 'trophy at every club' record - I suppose his £15 million pa includes a generous allowance for the disappointment and humiliation that managing Spurs inevitably brings, but I can't help feeling sorry to see a genuine managerial great (love him or loath him) in his current plight.

 

And a confident Sanchez too! But a lot of JM player lost their confidence...

 

I fully understand the fact that Mourinho is not responsible for the inability of our defenders to defend well and our forwards not to miss goog opportunities. I also understand that Mourinho saw a better second half last night than the 1st. Rarely have we been so bad in the 1st half so it's not an achievement to have been better afterwards. However, you have to understand one thing, Mourinho has had a group of players at his disposal for 15 months (450 days!). That there was the effect of the change of coach at the start and that his tactics put in place in the 2020-2021 offseason worked well at the start of this one. The luck and form of Kane and Son has done a lot in the early months of the current season. However, apart from the last injuries that handicap the team (especially that of Kane), a coach is chosen (and paid) for his skills to create (to modify) a group / a collective, to instill an atmosphere and the confidence that 'to climb mountains, you need to educate your team in 2 or 3 tactical systems to adapt to the consequences in the event of the unforeseen. It must give confidence and not the other way around. Just see the number of really good players he sidelined during his carreer https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/5-players-who-became-superstars-after-jose-mourinho-sold-them- sstl ...! Since the start of this season, the team has played low on the field and the team has accepted to suffer the play of its opponent. All this to better counter-attack as we did so well against City and Arsenul for example. However, as supporters we suffer in every game because our game is not pleasant to see even when we win. We were all prepared to suffer in every game as long as the results follow. This was the case until the last December loss to Liverpool . Since then, not only have all our opponents totally adapted to our game, but in addition, our players seem tired, without envy (Sissoko was yesterday the very example of the apathetic player, without envy and without any imagination. A real puppet!) and in total lack of confidence. If they are tired, you have to understand that running behind the ball as we did against Liverpool last week, against Brighton on Sunday and yesterday against Chelsea, it wears out! The tactics put in place by Mourinho use! And it is not the players who ask to play low because in the DNA of a footballer, we want to play and score goals. Mourinho therefore has responsibilities for our latest results and our total lack of confidence! A manager of a company that earns 15 million pounds a year must succeed and if he does not succeed, with all these elements in his charge, then his management must draw the consequences. Now or in June ...
A few more pathetic moments to follow ...

 

Confusion reigns.I know we have players who have underperformed for at least 2 years but other teams with worse players do at least run and fight for each other even against the odds.I have not seen any desire in our team apart from Hojbjerg and Lamela.Our control of the ball is not even championship standard and even a 5 yard pass is difficult for most of them Rumour has it that the only tactics practised in training are defensive with no attacking ploys at all.I have said that I don’t think Mourino is the man for us but I do believe he has been let down by our scouting who have not produced the type of player with the right character for a long time now.We missed Fernandes Wan saka and Grealish who I believe we could have signed with more effort and a little bit of nous.What chance we could sign players like these in the future the answer is nil.How many of our purchases in the last window were being chased by other clubs maybe Hojbjerg and Real Madrid made certain that they could recall our only decent full back in reggie.But the rest were not being fought over .I don’t like losing any time but could accept it if we were giving it everything but to roll over like we have been doing is not acceptable and how fortunate for the players and Mourino and Levy that there are no spectators present as I think the atmosphere would have been toxic and Levy would understand the anger that is surrounding our club Did anyone see Jenas on tv last night whose anger was apparent as he is a supporter as well as pundit

 

You are basing this on what a handful of matches both have played?
They're both young and inexperienced, although I am a believer that if you're good enough age is but a number.
But so far I've not been convinced either are better than Dier or better than average in general.
We've heard non stop clamouring for this player or that player instead but when they come on nothing changes.

 

If I were Kane or Son I’d leave in the summer

 

Having read the views on this site for a long while now I have guested on 3 other sites. To get a cross section of opinions and I have not found one site that does not want Mourino out and believe me the anti views on other sites are far more aggressive than ours.One amusing post said that Mourino had not lost the dressing room because although the sign posts were changed he kept finding it again

 

For sure they are intelligent enough to know how bad things are, and if they are truly ambitious, then one goes they both go, and then it’s really up **** creek without a paddle....if we’re not there already.

 

I myself on quite a few sites and Facebook groups and most fans want him gone and never gave him a chance from day one. Most suffering from amnesia to pochs final year in charge and pining for him back. These players got poch sacked and will get this one and the next sacked. Most fans give the players a free pass but they are spineless. Praise the players when we done utd, City, soton and reached a cup final but blame the manager when it goes wrong.
This despite the same tactics today than they were at the start of the season. No way does Jose set the team up to play so deep other teams simply dominate us and push us back which should be ideal for our counter attack system but when the two quality players we have dont perform or play we are awful the whole system fails. It's a simple system drop off to the half way line encourage the opposition to play out from the back and then press from there. The system then flawed as we have lazy players who cannot or don't be bother to press, lose 60/40 balls, don't close down or intercept passes. Then on the few occasions we do manage to get the ball law and behold we give it straight back and or the transitions are too slow. The moral of the story if you don't have the tools you can't do the job. I suppose you can change the job but this squad is so average another manager will not turn these into the free flowing football of city that we envy so much. They are that poor and when we have the injury list a city, Lpool or even Chelsea can deal with we struggle.

 

I came across this:
https://streamable.com/a2kmff
Look at the central midfielder and :-(

 

They come in, do ok, get dropped....miss a truck load of matches where Dier, Sanchez or Davies play then get dropped back in and the cycle starts again.

I would almost guarantee that if they were given a run of games and afforded the backing that Dier seems to receive despite his obvious lack of ability to hit a long ball or make good decisions, you would have your evidence.

Would they have jumped to challenge the Fulham forward or stick a foot in at the near post against Liverpool...there is a higher probability than Dier IMO.

I also think they wouldn’t punt it 50 yards to an opponent every time they get it because on the handful of times they have played, they have showed that.

Experience is only gained by playing...none of our younger players will ever get experience if they are not getting the opportunity to play.

 

Couldn’t agree more

 

I haven’t read anyone on here who doesn’t agree that some players are simply are not performing to the standard that we need but there are a few on here that are simply not seeing the reality of the situation for what it is.

If you have an orchestra, the conductor is responsible for the sound delivered by ensuring that the group perform in a cohesive manner to the best of their ability. Not every orchestra is full of world class musicians but the sound they make is quality because the person responsible for bringing them together and making them work in harmony to the best of their ability is the person with the batton at the front. We have a conductor that is paid pretty well who just doesn’t have the ability to do that anymore and unless he is given £200m, will not change a thing (even then based on Man Utd he may well waste it on terrible players that suit 90s football).

People can defend him all they want but some of the points are ridiculous. How can on one hand people say he has only managed to sign one starting player (PEH) as an excuse (despite the fact his annual spend is almost identical to the spend in each of the previous seasons afforded to our coaches) then say the signing of the previous coaches are duds? The quality of players signed has been consistently poor for a number of years so it’s not a reason to say one coach is poorer than another.

The reason that a lot of fans are demanding change is nothing to do with if they like JM or not because the documentary changed a lot of opinions in that space. It’s because we are playing like a bottom 3 side with a top 10 squad and a style of football that simply isn’t good enough for the PL. If JM had shown any kind of development in the last 15 months then there would be far more leniency for him but given our style of play and approach to each and every game is the equivalent to a League 2 side facing a PL side, that patience has worn off.

Defend JM all you want but you reap what you sew and we are setting ourselves up for our worst season in years and the winning mentality of the special one who is the greatest ever manager in the PL has made no difference to our players or performances so ultimately he needs to take responsibility for what he is paid very handsomely to do.

 

Please give some examples of how the managerial great has improved us in any way, shape or form in the last 15 months.

I don’t agree that we have “supposedly” got some of the best facilities in Europe, noth our training ground and stadium are right at the top of the pile in that sense.

You have said JM has signed only one first team player, in what appears to be an excuse but then used the names of several others who were signed in exactly the same way with almost exactly the same budgets availble?

The net spend hasn’t really changed each season and the signings have been of similar standard for a while now.

How is it an excuse for our current manager but a criticism of others?

I don’t feel any sadness for a coach who lost his magic touch a number of years ago...not sadness...I feel more disappointed that his long lost skills of turning defensive, deep, counter attacks into success has not materialised but don’t think there are many people who really believed it would.

For the sake of JM, the squad and the fans we really need to make a change that can have a positive impact on the players that we do have because the longer we leave it, the harder it is going to be to rectify.

 

Just seen the league table based on the last 10 games and only Fulham West Brom and Newcastle have got less points than us.We have 9 fulham8 West Brom 7 Newcastle 5.Lampard was sacked for only having 14.if we lose to West Brom and Fulham pick up a point then only newcastle will have a worse current record than us and Mourino says they are doing their best

 

Here the video with some explanations of why the actions were so bad:
https://twitter.com/spurslogic_/status/1357732040762925060

The question might be: Is this down to him, or Jose’s instructions?

& yes, he'll stay with the club until he retires:
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnati...otspur-news-moussa-sissoko-contract-extension

 

I thought my comments added-up to a regretful acceptance that Mourinho hasn't worked his erstwhile magic at Spurs, and sadness that he looks like leaving the club (whether that's tomorrow or at the end of his contract) with 'failed at Tottenham' as the blot on his otherwise incredible managerial career. Quite how you interpret that as an attack on Pochettino is a mystery to me, but never mind.