Don't wanna take anything away from Ryan and Harry (honorable mentions for Kyle, Nabil and Danny) but the whole team was rearing to go against the Scum. Never before have I seen so many sliding tackles and pure assault attempts from our lads. Loved it! No doubt that Ryan and the rest of our academy lads have played a big role in changing our squad's attitude though
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Don't wanna take anything away from Ryan and Harry (honorable mentions for Kyle, Nabil and Danny) but the whole team was rearing to go against the Scum. Never before have I seen so many sliding tackles and pure assault attempts from our lads. Loved it! No doubt that Ryan and the rest of our academy lads have played a big role in changing our squad's attitude though
Definitely. The same goes for Danny vs the other Danny. I'm loving how the lads genuinely care! Even players like Lamela, that are having a tough time to live up to their expectations, are at least willing to give it all for the shirt. Would it be the same without the academy lads influence? I doubt that!
We kicked the shit out of them (mainly fairly too which is even better).
Hope the cunts are still bruised.
Hope the cunts are still bruised.
This. When you have players that get the derby the crowd responds, which in turn drives the players even more.
The only negative from the derby is that we didn't win by more. We completely outclassed them all over the park for the entire game.
I just listened to wheeler dealer radio for the first time and wow they absolutely shat on the dude.
Cartilage Free Captain is the biggest crock of shite out there. They have absuletely no clue.
It doesn't help that they have american accents and i know its abit rich, but i can't take their opinions seriously.
Don't really care about the accents personally, but some of them are incredibly clueless. They mean well which is fair enough, but it's just a little bit sad reading and listening to their opinions.
As an American, Cartilage Free Captain is absolute rubbish. Though they have an occasional good point they are so obsessed with trying to sound smart that they just make up bullshit like the Mason vs. Dembele thing. Absolute wank, they were both pretty good and we had a solid team performance. Pure attempt at point scoring.
Also they have a long history with Mason including this gem, "I hate Ryan Mason. And not the sort of rational(ish) hate that some of our writers have for certain other diminutive midfielders, but the sort of hate that is unfounded in logic and reason." Bunch of dickheads who think they know everything about the game because they follow it closer than the average American. Really bad look.
http://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2014/10/23/7047125/ryan-mason-tottenham-hotspur-hottake
Also they have a long history with Mason including this gem, "I hate Ryan Mason. And not the sort of rational(ish) hate that some of our writers have for certain other diminutive midfielders, but the sort of hate that is unfounded in logic and reason." Bunch of dickheads who think they know everything about the game because they follow it closer than the average American. Really bad look.
http://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2014/10/23/7047125/ryan-mason-tottenham-hotspur-hottake
They are right that playing Dembele has definitely helped Mason and Bentaleb as playing Chadli, Eriksen, and Lamela in front of them is a pretty weak. We've seen Dembele be defensively excellent for years now, especially against the top teams. Dembele definitely deserves credit. However, the desire to then discredit Mason because he has a better player in front of him is nonsensical.
They can talk about counterpressing in the way that Dortmund does it but I'm pretty sure you would never hear Klopp say that one person determined their ability to press well. We've continually seen that when Mason and Bentaleb are gone that our press goes missing. Stambouli sits too deep, Capoue is lazy, Paulinho just jogs around, and Dembele doesn't have the relentless energy that Mason and Bentaleb do.
In Bentaleb/Mason you have plays like Schneiderlin/Wanyama/Davis who were effectively able to press from deep for Southampton last season. Without those two our press doesn't come together. The press has been a work in progress all season and it has been indicative of the growth of our whole side. Adebayor and Soldado didn't press efficiently and we replaced them with iron lunged Harry Kane. Eriksen took time to learn the system, but as a #10 he was still a bit light weight to deal with the tougher challenges in the center of the park. His pressing has been much better since he moved out wide. Lamela/Townsend have improved throughout. Walker returned and Rose has massively improved giving us the pace to effectively press wingers.
So while they are right to point out that Dembele has improved our pressing game, he isn't the lynchpin but instead the final piece of the puzzle to make the press elite. We have struggled to find the right pieces to make the press work all season and we've seen continually that without any of Kane, Mason, Bentaleb, Walker, and Eriksen that it really falls off. Dembele has filled the last pressing role that was a real question mark. If we removed Mason we would have the same problems as if we removed Dembele. A press is the ultimate team effort, not a one man show. Luckily we finally seem to have found the right mix.
They can talk about counterpressing in the way that Dortmund does it but I'm pretty sure you would never hear Klopp say that one person determined their ability to press well. We've continually seen that when Mason and Bentaleb are gone that our press goes missing. Stambouli sits too deep, Capoue is lazy, Paulinho just jogs around, and Dembele doesn't have the relentless energy that Mason and Bentaleb do.
In Bentaleb/Mason you have plays like Schneiderlin/Wanyama/Davis who were effectively able to press from deep for Southampton last season. Without those two our press doesn't come together. The press has been a work in progress all season and it has been indicative of the growth of our whole side. Adebayor and Soldado didn't press efficiently and we replaced them with iron lunged Harry Kane. Eriksen took time to learn the system, but as a #10 he was still a bit light weight to deal with the tougher challenges in the center of the park. His pressing has been much better since he moved out wide. Lamela/Townsend have improved throughout. Walker returned and Rose has massively improved giving us the pace to effectively press wingers.
So while they are right to point out that Dembele has improved our pressing game, he isn't the lynchpin but instead the final piece of the puzzle to make the press elite. We have struggled to find the right pieces to make the press work all season and we've seen continually that without any of Kane, Mason, Bentaleb, Walker, and Eriksen that it really falls off. Dembele has filled the last pressing role that was a real question mark. If we removed Mason we would have the same problems as if we removed Dembele. A press is the ultimate team effort, not a one man show. Luckily we finally seem to have found the right mix.
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Sounds like clueless assholes that should be ignored. I was also thinking Parker about Mason recently, but a more offensive Parker, with more to offer going forwards, and with smarter involvements defensively, and fewer brainfarts. To me, Parker seemed a gut that made himself look good through intensity of pressing and such, but that at times found himself being out of position, not giving it all to get back into position. Mason isn't quite at the same level in terms of intensity, strength and tackling, but in my opinion a better, more intelligent footballer in general.
What I like about Mason is he gives the ball very quickly. Parker would run around in circles and then pass back to the defense. It means the opposition can't settle. Mason also has a bit of attacking flair, not much mind, but he occasionally gets forward or shoots from distance. Not a world beater by any stretch but exactly what Poch likes and he keeps the team energetic and ticking.
Got a cheeky little chant for Ryan Mason ....
It's a tricky one, so try and keep up lads...
Ryan Mason,
Ryan Mason,
He was born to play for Spurs!
He was born to play for Spurs!
Genius, I know.
You can all thank me later, after this chant spurs him on to score the winner against Chelsea in the cup final
...
Originally, I actually tried to think of something to go with the melody of this awful advert ...
It's a tricky one, so try and keep up lads...
Ryan Mason,
Ryan Mason,
He was born to play for Spurs!
He was born to play for Spurs!
Genius, I know.
You can all thank me later, after this chant spurs him on to score the winner against Chelsea in the cup final
...Originally, I actually tried to think of something to go with the melody of this awful advert ...
Cheeky couple of ankle taps on coutinho tonight pleae Ryan. Take him out of the game early
Exactly. If someone doesn't rate a young Parker I question their allegiances heavily. He gave everything and he was one of the best DMs in the league at one point. These JCLs probably only remember him under AVB playing injured/old and doing a role he was not built for.
I actually agree about them to an extent with Mason and Bentaleb. Both players are good, but together they leak fast breaks like a sieve. Mason is good going forward, but not very good yet at breaking up attacks, and I think that he'll be the one likely to be on the bench next year, of the pair.
I like his commitment, and his attacking instinct, but defensively, he's not that great. He tackles, but the downside of tackles is that if you miss, you've taken yourself out of the play and given space to the opposition. He does that a lot more than I'd like.
That problem is why Dembele's been playing as a #10, and although the tactic is working, if Mason and Bentaleb were better defensively, we wouldn't need to do that in the first place.
I like his commitment, and his attacking instinct, but defensively, he's not that great. He tackles, but the downside of tackles is that if you miss, you've taken yourself out of the play and given space to the opposition. He does that a lot more than I'd like.
That problem is why Dembele's been playing as a #10, and although the tactic is working, if Mason and Bentaleb were better defensively, we wouldn't need to do that in the first place.