Positive start, chances at the end but ultimately a poor display

First things first. United away for the first game was always going to be a tough game but what we saw today simply proved just how much work is left to be done in the transfer window. Kane was isolated today and overall the squad looks lightweight and overall I thought we were poor today, but let's start at the beginning.

Spurs started brightly in the first 15 minutes and Kane showed his skill and awareness to create a glorious chance for Eriksen, only for him to lift the ball over the keeper but also the crossbar. Davies was getting forward down the left and Walker was doing the same on the other flank. In fact, Walker produced one of his best all round displays in a long time and looked solid defensively. And then the game changed.
Bentaleb gave the ball away and as Walker battled to get back to Rooney who was preparing to pull the trigger, he inadvertently prodded the ball past the helpless Vorm to give United the lead, and ultimately all 3 points.
Walker takes no blame from me, but Bentaleb was awful today. In the first 20 minutes, I counted 17 passes from him and 13 went to opposition players. He was slow, lacking in awareness and should have been taken off at half time. I thought his passing was poor last season and today it looked like he has not worked on that part of his game. Dele Alli did more than enough in pre season and should start the next game. He has energy and is a good passer of the ball. Things that Bentaleb simply does not possess.
Dembele reverted to type today. Having seen him in pre season I thought he would have his shackles removed and really shine today but he was laboured and sloppy in possession. He looked shattered as well which on the first game of the season is not good. Not good at all.

Eric Dier started in midfield which raised a few eyebrows before kick off but overall I thought he did a good job and maybe he could do well in that role. He got back well, breaking up play and made some decisive tackles. He is young so of course will make mistakes as will Bentaleb et al, but he did well today.

The enigma that is Christian Eriksen. He started brightly moving forward and getting into good positions but other than the last five minutes he went AWOL after the goal and was disappointing. He scored some great goal last season but he still hasn't really delivered any consistent quality. He must work harder.

Harry Kane worked hard and showed some class touches but he was so isolated today and it further highlighted just how much Spurs need another striker and a creative midfielder, although Alli can be that creative player. Kane had to drop very deep to get involved and I think what we saw is just how hard he will find it this season. He was pressed so had no choice but to drop deep, but when he did so no one replaced him up front so we didn't really go anywhere. We did create more chances than United but only came alive fully in the final 5 minutes. Just like last season all over again.

Now, Manchester United were also poor today. They look vulnerable at the back and didn't trouble our keeper so I can't see them challenging for the league. Yes it's only one game but they really are not very good. In fact the whole game was a yawn fest. It was more like a practice game at times and as I said recently, the players being tired is madness and is poor management. It's not the managers fault but the PR team who decide on these ludicrous world tours before a new season. The 2 mid week games were just not necessary and today the players were fatigued and plodded around the pitch with little vigour which is not acceptable.

Lamela came on and did little but Alli looked lively and got forward at least.
Alderweireld impressed me today. He was calm and toward the end really strived to get forward and push Spurs on, something his team mate Vertonghen did very little of.

This Spurs team is a young one and there is doubtless a lot of quality in there, but the squad is weak. Other than Kane, there was no other striker available. I know the transfer window isn't shut but we should not be starting the season with this issue.

One year on and where was the pressing game today? Nowhere that's where because the players were too tired to Do it!!!

Only one game down but the same failings as last season were very much in evidence today. And Chadli must have walked miles today because he didn't run anywhere!

Poch had the team far too deep today and overall his tactics of one up front just did not work and he refused to change it at any point. He simply has no plan b.

Signings are not just needed, they are essential and the sooner the better.

 

I think your being a little harsh on our performance. I didn't think it was poor, I thought it was quite respectable in fact to have 50% of the possession at Old Trafford and restrict United to not having one shot on target until about the 75th minute of play. Apart from the 20 minutes after they scored we were the better side. Overall I thought it was an encouraging performance, but equally, let's be under no illusion, we are lacking the quality and depth to mount a serious top 4 challenge.

 

I think we were obviously watching a different game because considering that everyone thought we were going to get battered I thought we played quite well. I mean United had their first shot on target in the 64th minute and with all the players they brought in - if that's who we are going to be challenging for 4th then we have a very good chance. I'm not saying we were perfect- we were not and I do agree that playing 2 games so close to the opener didn't help but we more than matched United- they were very lucky to get three points. I think our back 4 looked so much more composed than it did last season and with time that will only get better- Alderweirld is a brilliant signing and he was excellent. Midfield was a bit sloppy- lacked that sharpness and unity- that too will improve and hopefully we can bring in a player like Bender to help improve this- Alli looks like he too could be the answer. Eriksen needs to play behind Kane- not on the wing- it's s bit frustrating that Pritchard and Townsend who provide pace were absent due to injury- they would've trouble Shaw and Darmain. Chadli needed to do more the effect the game- Kane is such a good player but he needs help especially away from home. You have to remember that after all this, we are the youngest team in the league- we didn't play with our Captain and best player and without Rose who is important to the way we play (he would have provided a bit more pace) Overall we looked good- we do need to improve though and if we can bring in Berahino, Bender and another attacker, we will have a better team and will be able challeng to improve on last seasons 5th place. COYS!

 

It is signings that we need. And quality signings too. Alli should start the next game and I agree Eriksen needs to be played in the hole behind Kane. I still think the one up top tactic makes no sense at all.
We lacked width today as well. Davies and Walker got forward well at times, but Rose is much better than Davies. The next game is no easy one either and Stoker are a bit of a bogey team.

Team to play Stoke should be:

Lloris, Walker , Alderwereld, Vertonghen, Rose,
Alli, Dier, Eriksen, Mason, Chadli,
Kane.

Bentaleb is simply not good enough.

 

Great article - really spot on.

it was a hugely disappointing stroll this afternoon against a Utd team that must have left their fans with real concerns for the coming season and were there for the taking.

On paper the team looks lightweight and short of creativity and so it proved with a midfield that would scare no one but the spurs fans who read it when the team sheets were published.

Bentaleb was simply awful and it seems that he may have a touch of Adebayor about him in terms of his attitude having earned a new contract recently. Dembele hasn't been good enough for 2 seasons to get into the first team so his anonymity was wholly predictable. Chadli played like he was still on the beach barely breaking into a sweat and having no influence on the game and Dier needs a leader alongside him to develop.

As pointed out it is also worrying that Pochettino is so one dimensional and either lacks the wherewithal or bottle or both to bring about positive change.

Finally why is it that after years of mismanagement Levy has failed once again to do his business early enabling the group to spend time together over the close-season. We remain the only one of the top 6 that has failed to noticeably strengthen and if Kane is unavailable or out of form we have not a single alternative to bring in. Whilst I am sure we will bring in players in the remainder of the window, I am also sure they will be very much youngsters with potential and need at best a significant period of settling or at worst develop into abject failures like Lamela.

It was only a couple of seasons ago that we started the campaign with belief that we could finish above the Ar#e and though we didnt quite achieve it, things went down to the wire. We are now as far behind them as we have been for 10 years with the financial restrictions of a new stadium to come.

Worrying times ahead and with Levy at the helm things are going to get worse before they get better.

Looking forward t o next season already...

 

Today's performance was so-so. I was extremely impressed with our defensive display. Ok, Man United were poor in attack today, but I believe it was more likely due to a good defensive display by us than a lacklustre attacking performance by them. Alderweireld appears to bring a presence and calm to our back four that brings out the best in his neighbouring defenders.

Kyle Walker had a good, solid game defensively (for once) and seems to be playing back at his level before the injury. I do think he will be considered our defensive full back option, and in important away games and home games to teams in and around us in the league, he will be our starting right back. In attack, Kyle is as useless as ever, and Trippier seems like a more suited option with his ball delivery. Trippier will play in games we expect to win and I look forward to the points he will accumulate my fantasy football team with all the quality assists he will provide Kane and Chadli.

The solid defensive display is also probably due to the fact that Eric Dier now patrols the midfield and just sits there in front of the back four. However it is noticeable that when Dier plays we have less attacking options and less midfield dynamism that the partnership Bentaleb and Mason provided. If this was Pocchetino's plan for the Right sided defensive midfield all along, then I am confused as to why Capoue or Stambouli could not play Dier's current role. I expect Dier to be temporary solution rather than a tactical player conversion and expect that Pochettino is still looking for a signing in this position.

Attacking is poor and it has been reliant on Kane for too long. If he gets isolated, just like today, then where does our threat come from? Our biggest problem is with our wingers inclination to pass before committing to take on a full back and it is frustrating me to the point of attacking my television. What happened to classic wingers i.e Bale, Navas, even (forgive me for saying it) Townsend, running at pace and committing defenders. One of our wingers needs pace and the confidence to run at the defence and this needs to be addressed before the end of this window. Chadli, Lamela, Dembele are the same style of players and simply lack the pace. Townsend lacks the quality that we need. Perhaps Pritchard will be our saving grace? But we still need another signing here.

Finally, a back-up signing will be greatly appreciated. Preferably one with premier league experience. Spurs philosophy has always been attacking with high-tempo. Redknapp honoured this the most in recent years with his 4411 with an empasis on attacking fluidly down the wings with Bale and Lennon.

Since the appointment of AVB we have turned into a rigid, overly-tactical, carbon copy wannabe team of a Chelsea attacking system. The only difference is that Chelsea have a sugar-daddy who can afford to bring in world class talent that this system is dependent on to succeed. There is no fluid high-tempo attacking play anymore, we are not exciting to watch anymore (unless you consider keeping possession across the back four as exciting football) and Spurs, in my memory, have always been exciting to watch. We need more pace in attack! We need more goals!

It seems at this early stage that Mauricio has achieved what he wanted to with his signings and I genuinely feel that we will be a much more difficult outfit to break down and this will result in conceding less goals. However, we are too reliant on Kane to repeat last seasons performance if we are to get anywhere near matching last years goal tally. Early window defensive signings appear to be a success, so far. Now to get 3 attacking signings before September that will address our laboured, slow, and frankly predictable attack or we are in serious trouble of missing even the Europa League places. To me Pochettino, with minor tweaks, better organisation and pressing, has only slightly improved on AVB's system......DEFENSIVELY! In attack we are simply (please excuse my inner child) still poo! Lets get Spurs philosophy back!

 

Spurs were dominating until they had the wind knocked out of their sails due the own goal. They lost all their confidence for a while after but still stood firm against a United bouy'd buy their undeserved fortunate goal.
I think Poch is trying to get Spurs to play like Spain played when they won everything . The trouble with this is you have to have 11 players capable of playing this way and Spurs don't. They give it away too often in dangerous positions. I do think though that once Alli and Pritchard are bedded in the team with hopefully one or two quick quality forwards ( I think Chadli Lamela and Dembeli's days are nunbered) Spurs will give anybody a game of football.

 

I agree with you. It's all well and good wanting to play a winning style of football but without players good enough to do it, you have to adapt and Poch doesn't seem able to do that.

 

Looks like NPB has finally got the team playing to his style by eliminating all width and pace. We played short passes in and around our own half and lacked creativity.
first game of the year and always a tough one at OT but our lacklustre approach of no width or pace will make us as predictable as ever.