Sheffield United v Tottenham Hotspur - July 2nd - 6pm(UK)

[Igula]

Would you concede Sheff found us extremely easy to contain?

Yes but I put that on the lack of quality from our player. I think a lot of teams have found us easy to contain for the past calendar year going back to Poch's days.

I also think that they found us much easier to contain in the 2nd half when they had the lead which is what they are very good at. When it was tied for most of the 1st half I would say we were carrying the play and much more dangerous.

 

[PhillyHotspur]

Starting Bergwijn at CAM was a waste. Would have been much better on either wing. He's shown a lot as a winger/forward but not much as a playmaker, which is something we really need against bus parkers.

Dele despite his crap performances lately should have started at CAM to help against their size. He's a playmaker too and could have contributed some defense-splitting passes.

I would’ve started Lamela over Bergwijn and Dele at CAM.

 

[Deleted member 13260]

What a shit show that was last night.
Didn't even feel shocked to see the 2nd and 3rd goals going in. We spent a long time (years) with nearly all of our defeats being by 1 goal. Now it's anyone's guess.

They seemed to feel sorry for themselves after the disallowed goal - a mentality similar to what happened after the Champions League final, and plenty of other games where things have gone against us.
Mourinho has always seemed like a massive sulker and poor loser. I just don't see him as the man to turn this around. He's used to inheriting teams with very much a winning mentality, and we have never been that.

Really reduces my interest and enjoyment in football to see it. I'm not even looking forward to the stadium doors opening again, or our next games. Such a massive shame as we got close to turning that losers mentality around quite a few time. It's hard to see when we could get that close to winning anything again.

 

[Airfixx]

Yes but I put that on the lack of quality from our player. I think a lot of teams have found us easy to contain for the past calendar year going back to Poch's days.

That path quickly takes us down the tunnel of questioning "do Sheff have more quality in defense than we do in attack".... ?

I also think that they found us much easier to contain in the 2nd half when they had the lead which is what they are very good at. When it was tied for most of the 1st half I would say we were carrying the play and much more dangerous.

Maybe a 1-0 smash and grab is their go-to game, but like Brighton away, they bagged another 2!

 

[Igula]

That path quickly takes us down the tunnel of questioning "do Sheff have more quality in defense than we do in attack".... ?



Maybe a 1-0 smash and grab is their go-to game, but like Brighton away, they bagged another 2!

I think overall it is easier to sit back and defend then to create against that style of play. But it is quite possible they do have more quality in defense than we do in attack, especially when we are forced to play GLC so far back and have him do so much of the build up work as well.

 

[Airfixx]

I think overall it is easier to sit back and defend then to create against that style of play. But it is quite possible they do have more quality in defense than we do in attack, especially when we are forced to play GLC so far back and have him do so much of the build up work as well.

With a squad containing:

GLC
Ndombele
Winks
Skipp
Sissoko
Gedson
Dier

..."Forced" isn't really appropriate.

Were we "forced" to play a winger at CAM too?

GLC
Ndombele
Dele
Lamela

 

[Igula]

With a squad containing:

GLC
Ndombele
Winks
Skipp
Sissoko
Gedson
Dier

..."Forced" isn't really appropriate.

Were we "forced" to play a winger at CAM too?

GLC
Ndombele
Dele
Lamela

None of the guys listed in the top list are very good at passing or moving the ball forward. In fact having Dier and Sissoko in the squad were two of the main reasons GLC had to play so deep because neither of them or Sanchez can make a basic pass to our MF with consistency. So GLC had to be the guy to come back and start all of our forward movement.

Skipp may be able to help there but I am still not sure if he can or it is just hope because he hasn't yet shown that he can't. Winks is so slow with ball movement that I don't trust him to take on the role effectively. Gedson appears to be more of a wide player with erratic passing that I am not sure he is a solution. Ndombele has constantly shown he lacks the effort, focus or fitness to play in any role with this club.

Dele may have helped as he is able to beat guys one on one and find holes, but he isn't breaking down the congestion in the box with an insightful pass. Lamela can press like crazy but Sheffield were moving the ball fast enough I am not sure he would have had the chances he needed. Plus once he gets the ball his head is starring so far down to the ground I am not sure he was going to make the insightful passes needed either.

 

[Spaniel]

And who can blame him?

I think he's going to want to go asap. He really doesn't have the time to wait around until the improvements kick in, if they ever do with ENIC, because it's going to take several years. He's going to have to really shift if he wants some silverware. I feel really sorry for him because he's a nice guy with principles and doesn't want to leave his sinking ship but Levy and Mourinho are leaving him with little choice. And of course Levy will love the revenue he will generate if he moves. And if Harry goes, who else might follow. It's a sad time to be a Spurs supporter. I don't really expect to see him starting for us next season but I can but hope.

 

[Paul Gascoigne]

I actually forgot he was playing.

Senile dementia ?

 

[ILSpur]

I thought I might feel better this morning about the game, but it is just the intesity of anger that went away. It is more of just a resigned acceptance of how shit this team is right now.

There was always a reasonable explanation to explain some of it away. Issues in the squad with Poch, adaptaion to Jose's tactics and management, tons of injuries, bad VAR calls, etc.

No longer, this is a mid table squad. Burn it down and start over.

 

[Airfixx]

None of the guys listed in the top list are very good at passing or moving the ball forward. In fact having Dier and Sissoko in the squad were two of the main reasons GLC had to play so deep because neither of them or Sanchez can make a basic pass to our MF with consistency. So GLC had to be the guy to come back and start all of our forward movement.

Skipp may be able to help there but I am still not sure if he can or it is just hope because he hasn't yet shown that he can't. Winks is so slow with ball movement that I don't trust him to take on the role effectively. Gedson appears to be more of a wide player with erratic passing that I am not sure he is a solution. Ndombele has constantly shown he lacks the effort, focus or fitness to play in any role with this club.

GLC wasn't positioned furthest back against WH... Yet they came with a similarly stubborn game-plan.

Ultimately though, if you haven't got the personnel to play a DLP in a CM2 (lets face it GLC isn't a DLP and MS wasn't deployed as a supporting DM) then you seek another blend out of what you have... Especially if the DLP you're relying upon is for all intents and purposes the only creative player you have fielded.

Dele may have helped as he is able to beat guys one on one and find holes, but he isn't breaking down the congestion in the box with an insightful pass. Lamela can press like crazy but Sheffield were moving the ball fast enough I am not sure he would have had the chances he needed. Plus once he gets the ball his head is starring so far down to the ground I am not sure he was going to make the insightful passes needed either.

You have 4 players there that can play a CAM role. Not playing someone in there capable of dropping off and helping in the build-up play only led to central congestion when a) we played with 2 widemen that refuse to create width and b) Sheff were set up to combat central pressure.

Sorry, but "forced" in an entirely inappropriate way to describe the team selection.

 

[Paul Gascoigne]

That's how VAR is. Total momentum killer. Even in an empty stadium.

The same happened against Leicester away.

But you can't blame VAR for our lack of fight.

VAR will keep STADIA empty. Who wants to go to see a match that has 3 minute stoppages followed by ridiculous decisions.

 

[Bazali]

A fanboy? I said we should move on from him in the offseason. But yes I don't give the players and pass and hate on Jose for no reason.

There is still no evidence that Jose was outcoached yesterday either. Unless you honestly believe Jose coached the players to leave guys wide open in the box, let players cross into the box without blocking any passes and told Moura to stick his arm out and (maybe) have the defender kick the ball into it.

Agreed up until the Moura comment but I assume you’re joking ?
One of the worst VAR decisions I’ve seen but doesn’t excuse the performance

I’ve been debating the same points with Guido 🇺🇦 as the players have to take responsibility imv but when we don’t have a leader on the field and a Captain that doesn’t say anything it doesn’t help matters

 

[Spaniel]

Its been coming a few years but it (in combination with the yearly rule changes for very little reason) is what has killed football for me. Its done. Wake me up when its a game again.

As for Spurs, I cant blame 2 consecutive managers (one the most loved since BMJ and got us to the CL and finishes higher than ever before, and the other with more trophies than pretty much anyone else) for the PLAYERS not doing their jobs.

He looked good too. Looked like the kind of player that runs a midfield and can break down a stubborn defense.

Fucking embarassing that it took Mou so long to get him on the pitch.

I'm still trying to work out the reason for bringing on a defensive player when you're 2-0 down, 15 minutes left and desperate to score. That is possibly the stupidest and most pointless substitution I've ever seen. I think it showed total desperation, no thinking and a fear of just going for it. We really looked and acted like a bunch of old ladies. Little Puddlington on Sea FC. Geriatric Women's Football Champions, 1957.

 

[Bazali]

VAR will keep STADIA empty. Who wants to go to see a match that has 3 minute stoppages followed by ridiculous decisions.

Killing the game mate

When Harry scores I’m normally jumping around but I just sit and wait for the goal to be disallowed nowadays
Taking the passion out of the game imv

 

[Igula]

GLC wasn't positioned furthest back against WH... Yet they came with a similarly stubborn game-plan.

Ultimately though, if you haven't got the personnel to play a DLP in a CM2 (lets face it GLC isn't a DLP and MS wasn't deployed as a supporting DM) then you seek another blend out of what you have... Especially if the DLP you're relying upon is for all intents and purposes the only creative player you have fielded.



You have 4 players there that can play a CAM role. Not playing someone in there capable of dropping off and helping in the build-up play only led to central congestion when a) we played with 2 widemen that refuse to create width and b) Sheff were set up to combat central pressure.

Sorry, but "forced" in an entirely inappropriate way to describe the team selection.

People complained about the approach and play that we had against WH so I am not sure that was the best game plan to go with again. Also West Ham played much more passive so GLC didn't have to drop back so much because the others were able to move the ball much easier with minimal opposition. Watch Sissoko everytime he had the ball yesterday he was paniced and looking to move it as fast as possible. Our players can be dumb but they are not that dumb they realized it and avoided giving him the ball whenever they could so it always had to go to GLC.

We are missing a DM and other CM right now and it showed yesterday. Ndombele maybe could fill that role but he has repeatedly shown he is not able, whether physically, mentally or both, do play for 90 minutes so Jose has limited options. So yes forced is the exact word to use when looking at the lack of options he had available.

 

[Bazali]

I'm still trying to work out the reason for bringing on a defensive player when you're 2-0 down, 15 minutes left and desperate to score. That is possibly the stupidest and most pointless substitution I've ever seen. I think it showed total desperation, no thinking and a fear of just going for it. We really looked and acted like a bunch of old ladies. Little Puddlington on Sea FC. Geriatric Women's Football Champions, 1957.

But they had a good press to be fair

And their Damson jam was phenomenal

 

[Spaniel]

If any of those 4 defenders are starting next season we are in big trouble.

I've never liked Sanchez. I said this several times over the last couple of seasons and been thoroughly excoriated for it. Now I'm beginning to feel vindicated. Their back line was almost impenetrable. Our back line wasn't there.....!

 

[Paul Gascoigne]

GLC wasn't positioned furthest back against WH... Yet they came with a similarly stubborn game-plan.

Ultimately though, if you haven't got the personnel to play a DLP in a CM2 (lets face it GLC isn't a DLP and MS wasn't deployed a supporting DM) then you seek another blend out of what you have... Especially if the DLP you're relying upon is for all intents and purposes the only creative player you have fielded.



You have 4 players there that can play a CAM role. Not playing someone in there capable of dropping off and helping in the build-up play only led to central congestion when a) we played with 2 widemen that refuse to create width and b) Sheff were set up to combat central pressure.

Sorry, but "forced" in an entirely inappropriate way to describe the team selection.

Maybe we need a definitive system with the decent players we have got and sell the rest. How many players are definite starters - 3 . Kane, Son and GLC. Nobody else demands a selection. Make Winks or Amos or Skipp into a Rice. Develop someone.
JM was the wrong choice because he always buys his way out.

 

[Bazali]

I loved Jol. He was the first one to get us into a reasonable position.

Treated disgracefully by Levy