PLAYER RATINGS: Tottenham 0:1 Aston Villa

Not being funny but read all the articles about not being in Europa league is a blessing in disguise??? A year a go I wud probably been saying the same thing but now I'm not so sure? The reasons for this is Europa league could be the only way would could get champions league football as I believe we are so far behind the top 4 in quality of player and having an actual style of play its unreal and ok we aren't a million miles behind Liverpool and Southampton this season but at least they have style and quality players! Also does playing Thursday and then Sunday really effect the players to be honest if I've got a massive squad like ours why can't u cope they all get paid enough money to do it,so if they can't compete wiv that how can u cope with playing in the champions league on a tues/wed against better opposition and a sat/sun? And now the manager who I've backed all season but when we were in a position to compete on all fronts he went with the same dire players and system that fizzled out as the season went on and his inability to change a game when we're not playing well is comical when us fans can see wat needs changing not the fact he had a winter window to add sum freshness but decided not too and the players he had bought are clearly not good enough or he doesn't trust them! And lastly he made Kabul club captain who doesn't even get in the squad the gives it to lloris well ok I'm not really against that but now Kane is captain so late in the season! why????????? So I'm sorry this is so long winded but I love my Spurs and it's frustrating to see wat goes on when the clueless overrated players and manager can't!!!!!!!!!

 

Poch needs to start producing and fast or rightly or wrongly he will be sacked that's a fact. Personally I would like to be given more time to shape the squad. The squad seems similar to that of when redknapp took over from Ramos when he said he had inherited a mish mash of a squad thrown together. It lacks leadership passion and confidence and to manage games out. Remember lennon was out the side at that time for other expensive replacements if u get my drift.. Lennon may have faults but he is by far the best and most consistent out and out winger we have rather thanthis inverted nonsense..and he has the club at heart as did Defoe Dawson thudd Sandro and we have lost a lot of the heart in such a short space of time remember which is difficult to replace. A lot of this squad seem to be ambling along and picking up a wage-who can blame them really. They cannot be sacked like the manager and the man in the street. What worries me is that MP seems to be alienating certain players who could do a job and freshen things up capoue lennon adebayor and more importantly dembele. To me mason and bentaleb are nothing players who offer little especially offensively and aren't currently screening well enough either. Also the man himself
seems to lack passion and enenthusiasm and is stubborn to change formation which cost hoddle and avb thier jobs in the past.
How can u motivate a squad already on millions at a reasonably big club its a totally different remit than of Southampton where the players ain't on mega bucks and looking for moves to big clubs. They motivate themselves.
Sacking Poch would just create more upheaval and another transition season but I think he maybe working under far more restraints financially than we know.To get the best out of exexpensive signings not of his own and this is seeming impossible. To bring thru youth regardless of if they are good enough or even ready yet while striving for the top four with little money to invest. Its an almost impossible task until the finance is there. However he needs to show signs of style or substance as at present we are seeing neither.

 

To EVEN talk about sacking Pochettino after one (promising) season is completely and utterly RIDICULOUS.... even by some of you lots standards!

I know the temptation after a few disappointing results is to point the finger in the managers direction but it is important that we try to keep some sort of perspective.

MP HAS made what we can all consider mistakes (with the benefit of hindsight) but he has also brought a LOT of good things to the table which will no doubt act as a template/foundation for future success.

THE PLAYERS should also take their fair share of the responsibility for results and performances this season, as too often they are given a free ride.

I mean, lets have it straight, some of the inept/sloppy passing we have seen over the last month is certainly NOT stuff Pochettino has been encouraging them to do!

But perhaps now isn't the time to analyze the campaign in any great depth, because whilst some will see the season as over, I believe there is much still to play for with EL football still up for grabs.

Listen, say what you like about the competition but not only does it offer you a route into the CL, but it:

• Enables the club to attract, and retain, talent with the promise of European football.
• Offers the club the opportunity to maintain and enhance it's reputation on the basis that we are competing in, and therefore have the chance of winning, a major trophy.
• Allows the club to build a squad of significant strength and size due to the extra demands placed upon the playing staff.
  
• Gives the players something different/new/exciting to look forward to other than just domestic duties.
  
• Can ONLY help with the development of our young players, who will come up against challenges physically, tactically and mentally that will benefit them greatly in the long term.
• Provides 'squad' players a FREQUENT/CONSISTENT platform to play, impress and fight for a spot in the 1st team.
• And last but not least, gives me more opportunity to see/watch more of the team/club I adore with the fiercest of passions...which is NEVER a bad thing.

Listen, there are NO guarantees that being out of European competition will see the club qualify for the CL, anyway...So all this talk about no EL football being 'good' for the club is FANCIFUL at best.

With a week to our next game, I would like to see Pochettino make some changes to our starting-line up.

As I have said before, I believe the 'spine' of the side has looked tired mentally, if not physically, (since the C1C final) and therefore would like to see the engine room freshened up a bit.

We MUST remember that both Mason and Bentelab are playing ONLY their 1st FULL season at this level, with the latter also featuring in his 1st ACONs Tournament, too.

It's to be expected that they are feeling the strain a little bit after featuring heavily in the clubs 52 games this season.

Now, whilst like I said they may be relatively chipper in the less pressurized environment of the training ground, thrust into in-game situations where your every pass, touch and move is scrutinized and it becomes a COMPLETELY different kettle of fish!

Add to that the EMOTIONAL toll a football match can take on a player. i.e. winning, losing, scoring, conceding, cheered, jeered, fouled, altercations, etc and it can be quite a heavy load to carry.

I would be quite happy to see the club sell some of the deadwood during the Summer, promote Pritchard and spend considerably and cleverly on 3/4 top class additions.

With the 1st being the man who gave us no end of grief on the weekend...Benteke.

On another note, as much as I a disappointed by the performance/result against Villa, I'm made up for Sherwood.

Really like Tim as a person, and although he is raw, I have ALWAYS maintained he has the makings of a top manager.

Say what you like about the guy and the job he done as interim coach at Spurs, you can NEVER accuse him of giving anything but his best during his tenure at WHL.

Good luck to him!

 

We have to go get the French midfielder Kondogbia for the summer we are way too soft all over the pitch​

 

The lack of rotation now see's us with an underperforming and overused team with no ready to go match fit options to bring into the team. Mason and Bentaleb have been rubbish and completely lacking in ideas and enthusiasm lately and both need a spell but who do we bring in now ? Capoue was our most consistent and best MF up until he also needed a spell except that when he got a break he never came back. His defence and his distribution was better than either Mason and Bentalebs. Stambouli, is he that bad ? why did we even buy him ? and now Dembele who has proven that he can come straight in and make a difference to the team has now also been completely brushed by the manager. Any chance of seeing any of those players again this year ?probably not, we shall just play these two young players to death instead.

Ive said it before and compared players and young players to racehorses in that some are good for long distance and some are good for short distances. Young players especially in most cases are not up for a full season and need a spell or two, there performances will peak and then decline throughout the season and players such as Bentaleb and Mason cannot carry us through a whole season and a good manager needs to know and accept this.

I feel for Eriksen he's copping a bit of criticism but still trying out there but he also looks a bit off his best, in all fairness he doesn't get much support from his fellow MFs. He's a very good young player but he's not that good that he should be our one and only creative outlet in a team that ponders around with no pace , no tempo and a managerial ban on any play that shows any sign of creativity. Even our very own Harry is stating to look a bit jaded and as it turns out cant always do it all by himself, bit late now to expect much from Ade or Soldado.
On a brighter note was good to finally see Yedlin get a run and also Lennon is playing well at Everton and is getting praise for his work rate. Players like Lennon and Holtby would have been very good options to call upon at this stage of the season, Holtby in particular is a much better player than Mason.
Where did it all go wrong ?

 

The only template for future success that Poch has is the one left behind by AVB.

play 4-2-3-1 every game. every game

high line with very slow CBs
if they are not slow enough buy even slower CB

overuse and push FBs as far up field as possible so they are always out of position.

never ever use HMs or even DM. play only those who can olay it sideways and backwards.

inverted wide MF players and definitly no width. only the FBs can put in a cross.

MFs should be niether attacking or defence minded and should tap the ball around a lot.

any player showing creativity or guile should be loaned out or sold.

cross fingers and hope that Harry gets a goal or two

 

3/4 top class additions, Ramos are you feeling ok?
Are you finally admitting the players we currently stock hold arent good enough?
Our 'clever' window wasnt so 'clever' after all?
Think our 3 record signings have settled now or should we give them more time?
What ever happened to Kaboul who was the 'obvious choice' as captain?
Didnt you say that Stambouli was a much better signing than Schniederlin wouldve been?

Calling for the sales of Dead Wood and wanting 3/4 top class players is a bit of a naive/knee jerk reaction dnt you think, especially as we have so much potential just bursting to take over Europe.
What are you some sort of Glory Hunter?

 

^^^mmmm this is getting tastly haha think we possibly missed the boat now with benteke he would cost upwards of 25m and that's probably out of our price range. A big club such as utd or arsenal will snap him up I'd imagine.. Kondogbia is class but again an unrealistic target I'm afraid. Young up and coming british is the type we shouldtarget

 

We had our chance to pick up Benteke but let it slip. Charlie Austin is a good shout, strong with a good eye for a goal.

 

Felon, do me a favour mate....Shut it! ... LOL

Listen, players I would use if I manager of THFC are NOT players Pochettino will necessarily choose to utilize.

And if Pochettino considers certain players to be surplus to requirements, and has no intention of using them, then by default, they get labelled with the title 'deadwood'.

So rather than have the likes of Kaboul, Capoue, Ade, Stambouli and co just sitting around picking up a wage, wouldn't it be smarter to get rid of them and bring in players that Pochettino actually feels can fit into his system?

Look, I haven't seen what the likes of Capoue, and especially Stamboul,i have done SO wrong that they have appeared to have been exiled.... But, hey, I did ALWAYS say Poch was as ruthless as they come!

Etienne was a 1st team regular at the beginning of the season (when Spurs were struggling, to be fair) and like the rest of the side had his good days and bad days.

What I liked most about his displays wash is ability to dictate play from deep and make the kind of incisive passes through the lines that Poch favours.

Where I felt he could have improved is, perhaps, playing with more tempo at times. Regardless, of how good a player the Frenchman is, there were times where I felt he would play slightly within himself, choosing to operate in 2nd/3rd gear as opposed to 4th/5th.

His pressing wasn't really the best either. Pochettino likes to have his CM players push high, follow up on the attackers movements and help instigate the press.

(This takes tactical discipline/awareness, anticipation and high-levels of concentration).

Well, the Frenchman didn't do that particularly well in the early stages of the season (much like most of the team), although I felt this was something he could develop and work on given the opportunities.

Stambouli was someone who DID do these things well, and seemed to be hitting some decent form before he was removed from the1st team picture without (apparent) warning.

Although, the Benjamin was CLEARLY not the most athletic of players, technically he is very good, and offered the midfield something different with his ability to create space for himself with a drop of the shoulder or some clever footwork.

It seems as though the penalty he conceded against Palace away when we were 1-0 up (and heading for 3rd/4th place) has proved equally as costly for the Frenchman personally, as it did for the side.

He was actually playing VERY well on that day and was on course to be named MOTM before he gave away the needless foul just inside the penalty area.

Look, Felon, as much as I like Benji, I can assure you, you will NOT find ANY record of me saying Stambouli was 'a much better signing than Schniederlin' as it simply did NOT happen...so please, behave yourself!

What I might of said, is he can do a similar type of job as Morgan for the team, and could have the POTENTIAL to become a better player than the over-priced Schnierderlin. But those, my friend, are two COMPLETELY different things.

Poch has done a good job thus far at Spurs, but it has not been without it's difficulties.

• The club has now regained an identity as being somewhere where exciting young footballers can come and flourish.
• Players such as Bentelab, Kane, Chadli and especially Danny Rose have all shown considerable signs of improvement.
• The team now has a CLEAR philosophy/style from which to build upon and develop.
• The side has become more resilient, which in turn has improved the overall mentality of the squad.
• Spurs players no longer fear competing against the other big clubs within the league.
• The team is now in the best physical shape, fitness-wise, it has, maybe, ever been in.

We can all say that rotation could have been better, but I DON'T believe that has been a fault that could REALLY be thrown at Pochettino if I really think about it.

Because the likes of Lamela, Paulinho, Soldado, Townsend, Dier, Fazio and Davies all come in and out of the side at various times within a season, thus keeping them fresh (enough).

The issue has been more the rotation of KEY men, in KEY areas of the pitch.

The likes of Kane, Eriksen, Bentaleb and Mason have all played a hell of a lot of football this season, considering 3 of that 4 are playing their 1st FULL campaigns at this level.

And like I have been repeating for the last month/ 2 months - the effects on them MENTALLY more than anything else, look like they are just beginning to show.

Look, Eriksen, Bentelab and Mason are 3 of the best passers in the team, and yet all 3 of them have been guilty of CONSISTENTLY, giving the ball away cheaply over recent weeks.

Mental fatigue effects things like concentration, decision-making, anticipation, general sharpness and stamina levels.

Understanding football as I do, means that I am NOT surprised by the teams current levels of performance or the disappointing nature of the recent results.

Part of me is actually a little shocked that it took so long for things to tail off, as usually you would expect this type of thing to of happened in the wake of our EL exit and Cup final defeat.

The lads deserve credit for their overall efforts and progress this season, as does Poch.

What the Argentine must do now, though, is get the backing in the summer (which he will ) to enable him to bring in more players that he feels he can trust to deliver EXACTLY what he wants on the pitch.

Even if that means making some tough decisions with regards to players leaving such as Lennon, Holtby and perhaps even (worst of all) Dembele.

Because whilst I may not always have made the same choices as Poch had I been put in the same position, the bottom line is I back the Argentine COMPLETELY to get Spurs competing at the very highest level both domestically and abroad...it's really, just, as simple as that!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/tottenhams-mauricio-pochettino-admits-europa-5507178?

http://www.london24.com/sport/footb...some_idea_on_spurs_transfer_targets_1_4032287

 

Personally, I think Benteke is still very much a realistic target providing we move quickly for him after the season ends.

An exchange deal involving Adebayor and Tom Carroll + £20mill MIGHT just be enough to tempt Villa to doing business.

Whatever we business we do in the summer, though I believe the main focus should be around strengthening our spine.

Personally, I would be happy to flog the likes of Vertonghen (for £15m +), Kaboul, Capoue, Paulinho, Ade, Soldado (who probably needs a move), Carroll, Lennon (begrudgingly) and Holtby, if it meant bringing in 3/4 top class players, alongside Dele Alli and Pritchard, to help boost the sqaud.

And when I say 'top-class' I DON'T necessarily mean expensive players. I mean players who can come in and (instantly) improve the 1st team.

We have a good nucleus of young talented players with Walker, Rose, Dier, Mason, Bentelab, Yedlin, Townsend, Lamela, Eriksen, Kane, Davies, Dele Alli and Pritchard. What we need now is to sign a few players who can come in and help inspire those kids to greater heights, as well as take some of the pressure off.

I would also be tempted to loan Yedlin out to a Watford/ Millwall for a season and bring back Fredricks for a year, depending on how well Deandre gets on from now till the end of the season.

 

Think the midfield is the area where we are weakest at present. Chadli mason bentaleb for me are average nothing midfielder. Bentaleb may prove me wrong I dunno. Stambouli
Is a bad one end of. Townsend and lamela remain potentially talented enigmas. Lennon capoue and dembele have quality but for whatever reasons look to be massively out of favor.
I really feel ings and berahino will be better options as the can play various positions in the final third whereas benteke would be more to replace or rotate with Kane

 

Fair play Felon its good to see there's nothing wrong with some peoples memory,s .. The Irony of it really . lol .. And the flannel afterwards to try and justify the nonsense is laughably .. I think someone should change their name to Walter Mitty ..

 

Your exact words-

'Stambouli looks like Schneirderlin with better feet.'
'Another CLEVER piece of business by the club'

You even sent in You Tube videos.

 

Ah, so you have decided to do your homework, eh?... That's a bit more like!

So where in that does it say I think he is 'a much better signing than Schneiderlin'?

Listen, I think Benjamin is a good player who was just starting to show what he could do before Poch sidelined him.

To be fair, he doesn't look quite as mobile as Morgan, but does he have better feet? Absolutely.



Like I said, I don't know the circumstances behind why MP doesn't appear to fancy him, but whenever I saw him play he looked a good player who given time to FULLY adjust, could quite easily do a job for us in the EPL.

The signing of Benteke would be a SUPERB piece of business for the club considering his age, potential and alternatives he would offer the squad.

The Belgian would NOT only act as serious cover/competition for the likes of Kane, but he would also give Poch the opportunity to play Harry BEHIND the Belgian in a no10 role -thus giving the whole squad more options in attack.

Danny Ings and Berahino are both good young striker, but Christian Benteke is on another level entirely!

Oh, and besides using 4-2-3-1, Pochettino has also deployed both a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2 system on more than one or two occasions.

The facts are MOST managers DO have a preferred system they go with.

 

Well it's amazing all of this, it really is. The reason I remember it is because I had a grumble that Poch didn't get the players he asked for instead he got cheaper poorer versions, you then came with a load of tosh about how we would've paid over the odds for Schneiderlin and that we'd done much better business as we had signed a better player for cheaper etc.

So when I've said players are sub standard, that we have bought poorly, that we need to shift the stock pile of passengers, that we need to sign a much higher standard of player you've repeatedly banged the patience bigger picture drum and basically insulted my intelligence and understanding of the game.

Yet here we are what 18 months down the line and now your saying we need to shift a number of deadwood and we need 3/4 top class signings,( I'm wondering where the were not Leeds fanatics have gone?)

Benteke I said at the time of the purchase of Soldado was the player we should have bought as it was clearly evident Soldado was not equipt with the tools to play the lone striker in the EPL where as Benteke was ready made for the role already producing and even fitted the sell on value mantra. Hindsight which I see a few suggesting is a wonderful thing but isn't fore site a more important thing when it comes to improving the team? I called it got pelters but was right!

It's nice to hear you finally coming round to my way of thinking though Ram just be careful as there are plenty that will attack you for it.

 

So, Felon, we agree that Spurs should try and sign Benteke come the summer... (however) I wouldn't go booking the church just yet, mate! Lol

As far as the Schneiderlin thing goes, your gonna have to come out with a few more (actual) quotes of mine (preferably, and not some stuff that you've dreamt up) before I even think about buying what your selling.

Stambouli was the man I said would be a good buy BECAUSE we could NOT get the man Pochettino really wanted. Southampton closed up shop!

As I have said previously, if Pochettino considers certain players to be surplus to requirements, and has no intention of using them, then by default, they get labelled with the title 'deadwood'.

I can't put it any clearer than that!!!

At the end of the day, Felon as much as it pains me to say it, people with your knowledge of the game are 10 a penny, and can be found in any back street boozer across Great Britain...Lets not kid ourselves into thinking that anything that has transpired over the course of the season has changed that, eh.

After all, a disgruntle fan, is a disgruntled fan in any club, in any city and in any country across the globe!

The fact that Pochettino appears to have lost faith in a few of the players within the squad, doesn't mean they were poor buys/players. It just means they are not the type of player/personality he wants within his squad.

With Baldini apparently moving closer to the exit, hopefully Paul Mitchell will be able to identify the type of player that Mauricio does value.

 

Weve made bad signing after bad signing, the reason im disgruntled is ive watched ateam that was 2 players short of being a genuine top side to a team thats 2 players from being an abysmal side.
Net Spend or not weve shelled out millions to play worse football, bloat the squad and go backwards.
This is the Reality Ramos my friend not La La land or 10 a penny thinking.

 

Look, Felon, I get why your disgruntled, and I can even understand it some extent but let's NOT lose sight of the that this is a team is NEW, YOUNG and DEVELOPING.

Despite your claims, the FACT is we have a team that has proved that on it's day, when players carry out the managers instructions to a 'T for the entirety of a football match', it is capable of competing and beating the best this league has to offer!

That's NOT me making that up!

Ofcourse, Spurs still have a LOT of improving to do as a team, but that will come with time, patience and support.

As an ambitious club, Spurs SHOULD always be looking to improve the quality of the squad/team, and therefore that is what I fully expect us to do in the off-season.

Paul Mitchell wasn't brought in for decoration, nor was Mauricio Pochettino, and it is important to remember that we are in the preliminary stages of a PROCESS.

The very word 'process' implies that change is likely to occur, and therefore the manager bringing in players he feels are better suited to CONSISTENTLY delivering on his philosophy should be a given.

That being said, I anticipate a considerable amount of transfer activity during the off season,with a view to Pochettino building a squad which can challenge and ultimately win the league.

I DON'T think Spurs have to spend recklessly, in order to do that,but more wisely - in terms of buying the right components to add to an already talented team.

I think the spine of the team is the place to focus on, with a couple of strikers, top quality CM/DM to add to the signing Alli, and a new CB or two to add to the roster.

I believe Lamela can only get better (and playing him as a no10 could be an interesting experiment) as can Andros Townsend who as largely underperformed this season for whatever reason.

There is still more to come from Chadli, despite his impressive goal/ assist return this season, and Eriksen can still develop into a more consistent performer.

If Dembele does stay , I think we have a very good base from which to build.

Personally I would be happy to Keep all of those guys, add the exciting Pritchard to the ranks and spend the rest of the transfer budget on strikers, CB's and a genuine classy deep-lying playmaker (preferably experienced)

With all that being said, I am GENUINELY excited by the future of THFC...










... VERY excited1

 

Good points Ramos and good to see you getting amongst it again even if you are seemingly embroiled in a web of deceit and lies re Stambouli and Schniederlin LOL

Anyway back to football, I like your comments and mostly agree re Capoue and Stambouli and that Poch likes his CMs to push high, follow up on the attackers movements and help instigate the press. This is all very well in terms of pressing high in order to keep a team in their own half and is part of the reason why Poch doesn't play HMs or real DMs and of course as a result players like Capoue and Stambouli have been brushed by the manager, as stated by yourself and I agree that this does not make them bad players at all, they just don't fit into Poch's so called system. However, the system is wrong and does not work, Poch is confused with what he wants from his MF and as a result the MF itself is confused. Big Frans last comments have been said before and I completely agree that our MF is our weakest area and has become a nothing MF that is, they are neither attacking or defensive.

While pressing high is important at times to keep the opposition backed up in their own half we must have a HM or a DM in a position to pick up the ball when we lose it particularly with our high line. You are right when you say that Capoue's pressing is not the best, of course not, as a predominantly HM that's not his job. His job is to protect the back four by holding his position thus shutting down and cutting off service and not getting dragged out of position by pressing the player and not the ball. Surley someone who knows football as well as Poch and your good self do knows that. If your DMs and HMs are pressing players they risk making too much open space behind them for the opposition to pass into and attack which is exactly what we have been seeing this year and last year with Tim who also didn't like HMs, with our high line and FBs nowhere to be seen or running back into position we've left our CBs completely open again and again. Im not saying that such players shouldn't tackle, Capoue has made 41 effective tackles in 18 games this season but as a HM he needs to also step off a player and push him into blind alleys and cut him off, if we draw these players into a pass without opening up so much space then players like Capoue and Stambouli can do their jobs and intercept it.

Every team that has played us recently has attacked us at will and looked like scoring almost every time they move forward, our MF is not at all working, they look tired, sloppy and confused and they contribute very little going forward and nothing in defence, worse they've been giving the ball away too often and we are leaking goals and Poch has done nothing to address this while players like Dembele, Capoue and Stambouli sit in the stands and rot.