Chaos Theory
Some days it's hard to know where to begin. Days like today it's hard to know where to begin, what's in the middle and how to end.
I have absolutely no idea what Poch's plan was. Was it to control the game? Was it to cede control and counter attack? Who fucking knows?
It's bad enough that they are now often outplaying us again, but much, much worrying to me has to be how we are now getting out fought and out aggressed by them. How they, despite going through a transition, a new manager after 20 odd years of Wengerism, and finishing below us for three years straight are still managing to look more coherent than we are.
It's pretty pointless trying to tactically weigh up that chaos. We had chances, they had chances. They started better, we had a good 10 minute spell after we scored, they then got back on top and stayed there until the end of the game, with us occasionally threatening to hurt them with a sucker punch, but we pretty much bumbled all those opportunities away - nearly all of our x/g total of our 1.9 coming from Eriksen's two yard open goal tap in and Kane's penalty - I think Mourinho summed it up brilliantly afterwards when he said something along the lines of "if either one of these teams had shown some intelligence or composure they might have won the game".
Poch's selections continue to be somewhat abstract. If Aurier - the RB Poch bought for 25m - is fit enough to be on the bench, why the hell play Sanchez at RB. Why the fuck is Sissoko still getting games in the midfield of a team at this level*.
Structurally, we appeared to play a pretty orthodox 442, that kind of morphed into a 4222, which wouldn’t have been my choice, especially with the personnel picked to do it.
His in game subs wren't exactly bad, just a bit fucking meh. There were several things he could have done to "change" what was a pretty sloppy mess of a game, but he chose to fundamentally maintain the status quo. Swapping the eratic and mercurial Lamela for the eratic and mercurial Alli. Getting Lo Celso on wasn't a terrible idea, but taking off Son, who would probably pose more problems on the counter than Kane had been wasn't the smartest move IMO.
He could and should have brought Skipp into that midfield so Winks wasn't all alone. he could have brought Aurier on. He could have switched to a back 3 and put Sissoko at RB. Even Moura, with his teeny tiny brain might have been more of a threat on the counter than Alli was.
Hard to pick out any shiners from out lot, but Winks deserves an honourable mention. Nobody on either side tackled more than his 8/6. Him and Christian Eriksen saw the most ball (ahead of the defenders) and it was his tenacity and composure that set up the goal that ultimately got us a point.
Individual
Lloris - Couple of decent saves, maybe I'm being a bit harsh but I thought he was a bit weak on Lacazette's goal (I know it was blaster but he's already falling over as the shot comes in).
Sanchez - Not a good game but an odd choice to play him at RB.
Alderweireld/Vertonghen - OK
Rose - remember when everything was Trippier's fault and Opposition "Targeted" him every game? Rose can't play under pressure, can't defend, creates fuck all and gives the ball away constantly. Meanwhile Trippier's to of the Spanish league. Go figure.
Winks - The only living boy in midfield.
Sissoko - Like a turtle in a fucking windsock. Again. Poch needs to wise the fuck up.
Lamela - Usual Lamela, the odd decent moment, plenty of effort, but some eratic shit too and the customary card.
Eriksen - Decent first half, pretty poor second half. Highest passes by one from Winks, I think it says a lot about our aggressive ineptitude when our second highest tackler with 3 is Eriksen.
Son - Lively first half became erratic and bumbly second half, wasting a couple of good situations with indecision. Still looked more likely to make something happen than Kane.
Kane - Really poor game overall, completed 7 fucking passes, frittered the ball away needlessly a few times, doesn't;t seem to press anymore, and for the second week running wasted a good opportunity trying to win a penalty.
Pochettino - Wise the fuck up. Quickly.
* Above Pub
Some days it's hard to know where to begin. Days like today it's hard to know where to begin, what's in the middle and how to end.
I have absolutely no idea what Poch's plan was. Was it to control the game? Was it to cede control and counter attack? Who fucking knows?
It's bad enough that they are now often outplaying us again, but much, much worrying to me has to be how we are now getting out fought and out aggressed by them. How they, despite going through a transition, a new manager after 20 odd years of Wengerism, and finishing below us for three years straight are still managing to look more coherent than we are.
It's pretty pointless trying to tactically weigh up that chaos. We had chances, they had chances. They started better, we had a good 10 minute spell after we scored, they then got back on top and stayed there until the end of the game, with us occasionally threatening to hurt them with a sucker punch, but we pretty much bumbled all those opportunities away - nearly all of our x/g total of our 1.9 coming from Eriksen's two yard open goal tap in and Kane's penalty - I think Mourinho summed it up brilliantly afterwards when he said something along the lines of "if either one of these teams had shown some intelligence or composure they might have won the game".
Poch's selections continue to be somewhat abstract. If Aurier - the RB Poch bought for 25m - is fit enough to be on the bench, why the hell play Sanchez at RB. Why the fuck is Sissoko still getting games in the midfield of a team at this level*.
Structurally, we appeared to play a pretty orthodox 442, that kind of morphed into a 4222, which wouldn’t have been my choice, especially with the personnel picked to do it.
His in game subs wren't exactly bad, just a bit fucking meh. There were several things he could have done to "change" what was a pretty sloppy mess of a game, but he chose to fundamentally maintain the status quo. Swapping the eratic and mercurial Lamela for the eratic and mercurial Alli. Getting Lo Celso on wasn't a terrible idea, but taking off Son, who would probably pose more problems on the counter than Kane had been wasn't the smartest move IMO.
He could and should have brought Skipp into that midfield so Winks wasn't all alone. he could have brought Aurier on. He could have switched to a back 3 and put Sissoko at RB. Even Moura, with his teeny tiny brain might have been more of a threat on the counter than Alli was.
Hard to pick out any shiners from out lot, but Winks deserves an honourable mention. Nobody on either side tackled more than his 8/6. Him and Christian Eriksen saw the most ball (ahead of the defenders) and it was his tenacity and composure that set up the goal that ultimately got us a point.
Individual
Lloris - Couple of decent saves, maybe I'm being a bit harsh but I thought he was a bit weak on Lacazette's goal (I know it was blaster but he's already falling over as the shot comes in).
Sanchez - Not a good game but an odd choice to play him at RB.
Alderweireld/Vertonghen - OK
Rose - remember when everything was Trippier's fault and Opposition "Targeted" him every game? Rose can't play under pressure, can't defend, creates fuck all and gives the ball away constantly. Meanwhile Trippier's to of the Spanish league. Go figure.
Winks - The only living boy in midfield.
Sissoko - Like a turtle in a fucking windsock. Again. Poch needs to wise the fuck up.
Lamela - Usual Lamela, the odd decent moment, plenty of effort, but some eratic shit too and the customary card.
Eriksen - Decent first half, pretty poor second half. Highest passes by one from Winks, I think it says a lot about our aggressive ineptitude when our second highest tackler with 3 is Eriksen.
Son - Lively first half became erratic and bumbly second half, wasting a couple of good situations with indecision. Still looked more likely to make something happen than Kane.
Kane - Really poor game overall, completed 7 fucking passes, frittered the ball away needlessly a few times, doesn't;t seem to press anymore, and for the second week running wasted a good opportunity trying to win a penalty.
Pochettino - Wise the fuck up. Quickly.
* Above Pub
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