PLAYER RATINGS: Spurs 0:0 Manchester United

Defences were on top at White Hart Lane as Hugo Lloris was once again the hero in between the sticks for Spurs.

The Frenchman sprang into action countless times as United pressed during a relentless first, notably to deny Robin van Persie when 1-on-1 and then a top-corner-bound effort from Ashley Young minutes before half time.

Federico Fazio and Jan Vertonghen had their work cut out as the formidable strikeforce of Van Persie and Falcao threatened to break the deadlock.

The game really came to the boil in the second period as Spurs began to create chances of their own thanks to the delivery of Christian Eriksen and restless work from Harry Kane.

The latter presented fellow youngster Ryan Mason with a golden chance to steal 3 points with just minutes remaining but he couldn’t keep his shot down from 6 yards as the breathless encounter finished goalless.

Player Ratings

Hugo Lloris - 9 – My Man of the Match and he should be yours too. Kept us in the game with yet more sublime saves that would have found the net past any other keeper.

Vlad Chiriches - 7 – Repaid the faith shown in him by Pochettino and settled the undoubted nerves felt by all when he was named ahead of Walker at right back. Produced two awesome blocks to deny Falcao.

Federico Fazio - 7 – An absolute rock in the air in either penalty box. Also showed some great feet to get a tricky volley on target in the second half.

Jan Vertonghen - 8 – Would have been my man of the match if it weren’t for Hugo, simply down to the way he read everything Mata and Rooney had to throw at him. Bullied RvP around, too.

Ben Davies - 7 – Impressively mature display from the youngster, who is brilliantly defensively sound. Clever when going forward and kept substitute Rafael quiet.

Benjamin Stambouli - 6 – Went missing in front of the back 4 occasionally which would be fine if he had the energy of say, Nabil Bentaleb. But Benji has the agility of a garden shed so going walkies isn’t advised.

Ryan Mason - 6 – A few misplaced touches here and there and he certainly should have handed us the win late in the day. Played in by Kane, Mason blazed over with his left foot. Yet, ran tirelessly from start to finish.

Andros Townsend - 6 – Good game from the surprise inclusion as he gave Young and McNair a real problem cutting in on his left foot. His deft chip for Harry Kane in the first half was sublime and he worked shooting chances for himself too.

Christian Eriksen - 7 – Kept silent in the first half but saw much more of the ball as the game opened out. Had a lot of chances with the dead ball which he made the most of, picking out the heads of Kane and Fazio as well as testing De Gea himself.

Nacer Chadli - 6 – Pretty quiet I thought and didn’t get a sight of goal, but ran the channels well enough. Gave Davies a hand at left-back before being subbed.

Harry Kane - 7 – He too showed great maturity in helping out the midfield during the attack-dry first half, but having been staved of the ball to start with he came into his own as the game opened out. Provided the chances to win the game.

SUBS

Mousa Dembele - 7 – I thought he was great when he came on and added muscle to a tiring midfield.

Erik Lamela - N/a

Considering that was our second game in 3 days the players can be proud of how they held out against tricky opposition. Looking at the class of the United side up against our mismatched team only makes the feat all the more amicable.

The valuable point now takes us within reach of the top 4 with even 3rd place possible.

The next big test is Chelsea at the Lane on New Year’s Day, so… Happy New Year…

 

As I said in a previous post the cm area is our main problem neither protect an already shaky back four making them look more average than they probably are and create and score nothing. Good point. Chelsea is a free hit now so I'm happy with 4 points.

 

Chadli, Stambouli, Mason were all poor today and we rode our luck not to have got a spanking here today.
Need to buy some much better quality players and soon.

 

Hugo was fantabulous. Jan too frustrated van persie today. A very lucky result for our boys today facing a rampant united front line of van persie rooney and falcao. Spurs had a better second half and a much better close to the game.

chadli ans stambouli were very quiet today. Coys big gane cometh on new years day. Jose cometh to the lane ....

 

The first half was same old Spurs. The defence was like rabbits caught in headlights and the only positive was Hugo the 'BOSS'. Stambouli was awful and should've been hooked at halftime. Second half we seemed to believe more and made Uniteds defence look just as bad as ours! KANE was excellent. Is he the only player who does what Poch wants? Win the ball in the final third! A draw a fair enough result at the end. Chelscum next and I'm expecting a spanking as they will put the chances away like the ones United missed today. Must start Dembele imo. We are still a work in progress so let's give Poch the window and see how we go from there as this squad is only the one he inherited. COYS

 

Thought that Fazio and Verts earned their corn today and are building a real partnership, add Hugo and we have the makings of a good defence. In seasons past we may have lost this game three or four nil but this time we hung in there and could have won it, it was a real contest. Felt proud of the team today even if I do desire a better brand of attacking football, but maybe thats for another day. Coys

 

They stuck to their task and did't give up at any stage. The defending was very good and the some of the goal keeping was great as ever, most in the 1st half as in the 2nd there was little attacking threat from United as Spurs got more into the game. We are not the best team individually in the world but they are playing with heart, character and belief; perhaps not shown better than in Fazio. Chriches did well also, the odd missed pass but played well, so in all i'm happy with the result. (But was it right to rest Walker was he not fully fit?) We had a glorious chance to win it at the end (how can you sky it from there?). But if you take their chances including Mata's 2nd half pull back miss, we must be the happier with this hard fought point. And realistically the same again against the leaders with more lowly opposition to come will make for a decent festive period. COYS.

Prem Games to come post Chelsea
Palace A
Sunderland H
West Brom A

 

The scores aren't bad in general but Jan an 8 near motm? No way not for me. Fully of dirty trips and shirt pulling ect. For me at best a 6. Lucky his constant fouling didn't lose us this match and at least give a couple points away against the Foxes the other day. Definitely a player who needs to clean his game up or for me he can clear off.

 

Good point considering the first half but overall a good defensive effort. I was a little nervous to see Vlad on the team sheet but credit to him for a decent game albeit with a few scarey moments. we are still lacking in CM with Mata given way too much ball in the first. I still dont get the point of Townsend on the right we may as well keep Lamela there at least he tries to link up. Andros as usual was selfish and wastful and we missed an opportunity to add some width and pace and again we never really bothered the keeper that much. Great energy and football inteligence from Kane just not enough support. At the end of the day a good team effort from the lads and a deserved point. Hugo brilliant againt

 

Not Nats, the point of Townsend on the Right is. ; Chadli on the Right and Lelema on the bench.

More Crosses
More Shots
More Threat
More Energy
More Ability
More of an out let.


Thats Townsend over over both Chadli and Lemela on the Right.

 

The Boss has got this bunch playing ok fact. But they are a not the finished article. I would sell em all bar the goalie, Walker, Fazio and Kane. But they will do and credit to MP for getting this bunch to play quiet well.

 

No way was JV an 8. He gave away the free kick just outside the area (as good as a penalty) and another in a dangerous position, both for unnecessary handling of opponents. In fact if he had been marking Rooney for a corner the two of them would have had their hands over each other so much that they would have been arrested for indecent behaviour.

 

TBH the point I was making was more about my belief that inverted wingers are not effective and the lack of width and pace has cost us real goal scoring opportunities. I did make my point by comparing Townsend with Lamela ( correct spelling ) so I accept some of your points but if im honest I dont like either on the right and in my opinion Townsend will only ever make a decent player if he's put on the left and also if he grows a football brain. Having said that he did put in a few crosses and is improving but Andros is Andros and will always look for glory first and spank the ball into orbit every time.
The only one of your examples that I might agree with is more shots. Unfortunatly none will hit the target and will be selfish and wasteful. More threat? What threat are you talking about? Townsend has one goal only and that was a cross that went in because no one bothered to get on it and it went in, he celebrated by looking as confused as everyone else. What about his assists? well thats easy, sweet fanny adams. The guy has zero end product and does not make a significant contribution because he only plays for himself and cannot be trusted on the right.

 

I agree the whole inverted winger thing is complete nonsense unless your talking robben hazard bale Rinaldo or indeed a ginola. Unfortunately we are talking Townsend lennon lamela and of course chadli the only one who has made a half decent fist of the role. When these boys get to the bye line all we are seeing them either a) put a poor ball in or b) they realize they are working on the poor foot and have to check bk in by which they are now up against the full bk and now the winger who has managed to get bk in and double up so the cross doesn't come in at all. Hence the lack of assists thus lack of goals....

 

If I was to break down the problem have with Poch and his style of play and tactics the inverted wingers is it. Im no traditionalist by any means but there are times when you need the pace of someone who can run onto the ball and go around the FB. The inverted style has not worked for us yet we plod along, literally, and we allow teams too much time. Also the players we are putting out wide are usualy not even wingers, players like Lamela and Chadli will always come inside and look to play behind the striker. These players are almost tripping over each other at times. Look I dont rate Lennon or Townsend that highly but they do offer some width when played on thier best sides. Even Lamela if he wants to come inside off his FB why not put him on the left where he can have a shot without running around the whole defense looking for an opening, the goal he got last week was superb but he wont get many like that.

 

Nonats do u not think that the inverted winger system has become an obsession with our recent managers and ultimately cost avb his job... ? For me a good manager should be flexible in relation to changing or tinkering with his beliefs!! I remember david pleat saying he pleaded with hoddle to ditch his wing bk system or it would
cost him his position of manager. UUltimately it did. The thing is with redknapp IMO although tactically inept he pretty much barring injury always played his best side and put square pegs in square holes as they say. And got the results. I just think these young managers are always looking to overcomplicate things and take players out of their comfort zones.

 

A bit late, but how can you give Ciriches a 7....he's just not good enough...always 25 yards from Young, exposing us too many times.
Poor from Mason, Stambouli, Chadli. Surely we should switch Townsend to the left and use his ability to go past players and cross a ball to our advantage ala Bale.
Of the 14 games when Fazio and Verts have played together we've won 10. That's okay for now.
We must surely play Dembele at the expense of, probably, Stambouli.
Might have to be 4-4-1-1, with Eriksen behind Kane, Townsend, Dembele, Mason and even Lennon on the right. Play with pace, on the break as Chelski will give us space to exploit.
Enough for now.
COYS

 

Cheers Big Fran, yes I do think the inverted system has become an obsession particularly with AVB and now Poch and completely agree that a good manager should have a flexible approach to his style and tactics. I used to cringe at comparisons with AVB and Poch but its hard to deny when you look at the way they set up and its the same approach that cost AVB his job and as you rightly have said, these young managers seem to want to overcomplicate things and take players out of their comfort zones and the players don't buy into it and just do not respond. What makes the inverted system worse from my point of view is we've been playing these players out of position for years, none of them have been genuine wingers. When was the last time we bought a genuine winger? probably David Bentley. We've been putting square pegs in round holes for years now. I've said it a few times that although I don't rate players like Lennon and Townsend over players like Lamela, Chadli and Eriksen but they offer some width and balance that we don't get with the other three mentioned. We had discussions about CBs playing on their preferred foot sides and it makes perfect sense, square fecking pegs in square fecking holes and you just might get the best out of that player. My worst nightmare, seeing Lennon on the left and Townsend on the right, pass me the razor blades...