Ch..ch..changes...but Mason's a cracker

Phew!!! Eleven changes?! Eleven?! Changing ten from game to game is bad enough but eleven changes left me feeling a tad confused before the game and I nearly ended up watching bake off!

Slow start

I think I, and in fact all of us have made it fairly clear that if you change an entire team, they will look like strangers, and in the first half, it looked very much like that was the case. Fazio and Vertonghen even exchanged glances that could have come with a speech bubble saying " who are you?! "
Fazio did grow into the game though and at times he showed some touches of an a sure player with skill to boot and nearly tried to rip the net out from over thirty yards, but was too high with his effort. Townsend was poor in Europe recently but he was full of running tonight and although he did try his usual shots from outer space, he played well and gave a lot of added pace.

Go on ma son!!!

We talk often about managers making changes to change games, but tonight we saw a young lad come on and change the game. Completely. Until Ryan mason came on, we looked laboured on the ball at times and the pace was yet again lacking. But when the young man came on, he got his head up, he passed the ball to feet, he was intelligent with his passing and his goal was superb.
I am not the only person on this site to have praised him and suggested that his passing should be rewarded with a place in the Tottenham squad and after his showing tonight, it raises the question as to why he was not named in our twenty five man squad this season.

Let's get gunning for the gunners

Tonight was one heck of a banana skin, but we made it through and now we turn our attentions to a certain Arsenal. There will be changes again, hopefully not eleven, but let's not underestimate the importance of winning tonight's game. Winning breeds confidence, but if we then change all eleven players, it may not be worth too much.
Other than Mason, what made a real difference tonight was when we had two up front. Spurs player better with two up top and always have.

Will Pochettino learn from tonight how we play best? Or will we be back to square one?
Two up front is better. Mason is class. He deserves much more of a chance.

Spurs are on their way to Wembley!!! And now, it's time for the Arsenal and as ever, and as loud, if not louder than ever....COME YOU SPUUUUUURRRRRSSS!!!

 

Got out of jail tonight, result rather flattered us in the end but we got the win and didnt fall apart at 0-1.
Faz & Jan are definately a better partnership than kab & vlad and should be starting all our most important games.
Ive not seen much of mason but he put our regular 4 cms to shame tonight and turned the game for us, his goal was a peach!
Liked Townsends effort today, Soldado scored (wtf) but Azza has definately had his day at spurs he offers absolutely nothing and in Stambouli we have our new Zokora!
Want a commited performance kept tight with discipline against the Scum on Saturday.
COYS!!

 

Got to say that Mason changed things, adding energy that others lacked.

To me, Bentaleb is the mystery. Sometimes he looks great and at others, it's like pulling teeth just to have the lad pass the ball forward. He seemingly always goes side to side or back. Stambouli is a tackling machine, and I think that when Bentaleb is paired with another defensively inclined player, he really doesn't have that next level as far as creativity is concerned. Mason came in, changed Bentaleb's role to a purely defensive one and things changed for the better.

All three goals were class and that pass from Lamela onto that run from Kane is something that this team should be pulling off more often.

 

Not what I saw- Lennon worked hard all the way through- pace down the flank and tracked back to put in a good defensive shift. That said, first time in ages I've watched him try so hard.

 

Think Mason is on the 25 man PL squad list. Actually a 23 man list with no Benoit A-E on it. Commentator got it wrong I think. Can't find a list without Mason on it anyhow.

 

Yes, just been looking at that and I believe he also qualifies as one of our home grown players. If so, I would love to see him given a chance. Poch keeps saying he picks people based on performances, nit reputations, do maybe he now needs to prove it.

 

Only seen the highlights but fazio looked a little shaky for my money but early days on him yet!! Mason looks like he deserves a little more game time and Townsend looked more like himself of early last season. Could we be starting to see the emergence of lamela as a no 10 player in an interchangable front 3.
For sat I go lloris naughton dier vertonghen rose dembele stambouli Townsend lamela lennon soldado

 

Mason has to be given more of a chance, we lack creativity when we play 2 defensive midfielders, Mason has played a lot of league 1 football so he must be used to tough tackling, so id like to see Capoue and Mason start sunday against the scum. Also some games have passed Eriksen by this season so id play Lamela as a number 10 with Townsend right and Chadli Left, Soldado up top! Fazio and Verts CB, COYS.

 

The difference with mason is that he looks forward and is looking for things to happen in front of him, whereas so far this season, our midfield has been very static with little pace. It was only one game last night, but why not give him a chance. Mason looks like he can open up defences and has good vision and an eye for goal. You can't ignore that and if poch likes developing youngsters, then here is a real chance to prove it.