The Mighty Spurs - Swansea of Wales

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Just got back from dinner out and recorded the game. That was a really comfortable win. Sat back and contained them to distance efforts and half chance headers. Three decent counter attack goals, should have had atleast 4. Good day. Well done everyone.
 
SchmoodSpur said:
I think it's far too early, whether unseen or not to attribute Nabil with that. Looks a tidy, technically sound player but he hasn't dictated or controlled any match thus far. But, as you say, he's a toddler. Comparisons to other players need to wait, especially since he was a more advanced player in the yoof so people only 6 months ago would have been saying he's of a different ilk.
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I wasn't making a player for player comparison, the attributes within both players off the ball exist. It may be a far comparison in quality, though the existence is evident already. The two are light years apart, however.
 
...solid win today against a crap Swansea side - Chico Flores was total shiite - shows we can win comfortably without Soldado or Lamela (wastes of money)...Ade, Eriksen, and Walker impressive...Lennon is wasteful, Chadli is rusty, and Rose is a punk...
COYS
 
Mad Yid said:
Capoue is pretty much a young Yaya which makes it all the more mind boggling that Bentaleb is consistently getting the nod over him
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I dont think capoue has got what it takes to be a yaya toure, but i kinda get your point. He has the physicality there but i dont thibk the goal threat is there that toure has
 
Mad Yid said:
Capoue is pretty much a young Yaya
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ChrisOTDH said:
Just got back from dinner out and recorded the game. That was a really comfortable win. Sat back and contained them to distance efforts and half chance headers. Three decent counter attack goals, should have had atleast 4. Good day. Well done everyone.
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Blatant 'I eat out' post :holtbytongue:
 
NorseYid said:
Obviously we have no idea what TS told the players, but if, just if, he did just allow Ade to roam all over the place and leave the three furthest midfielders to try to use the space vacated, then that plan wasn't half bad either.
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True about the big "IF's"

Far more likely the players just did whatever they wanted

:paulinhofacepalm:
 
Tim played it well today, knowing Swansea's game and how to stop them. Ade proved again he can do the job for us upfront and we managed to get into our stride in the first half with good performances from nearly all the squad. We have got players coming back from injury and a mixture of games here and in Europe that will test Tim and the team, but we're looking better and stand a good chance success.
We'll done again lads and keep up the good work.
 
NorseYid said:
I think people are going way way over the top with Nabil.

As if he is a token of the new era post AVB with TS at the wheel and thus he has to be praised, even when he is not doing particulary well.

Take today. We play at least 2nd half some of the best stuff this season, but first half is another matter altogether. We could be down 2-3 goals at HT and the way Pozuelo and Shelvey just played Bentaleb like a cello in our final third middle was painfull to watch. He didn't know when to press, hold or drop and couldn't get near them at all.

2nd half was much better. The team around him better too. And we saw more of the ball. Then Shelvey went off. What that showed us was mainly, that Nabil is WAY better on the ball than off it and that he as a passing player, a thinking one too, I should add, has much more value to a team controlling play rather than a team playing on the counter.

I think, all things considered, that he did as well as we could expect. That however was not being "one of our best" nor "superb". He held his own as a possession player in the 2nd half, but as a more defending midfielder in the 1st he was in very high degree a part of the very problem rather than the sollution.

I applaud the loyalty and support for a young player breaking into the side, but some of the things being written and said are just baffling.

Today he was very poor to begin with and just fine later on. Not excellent or brilliant. Just fine. Eriksen was excellent. So was Walker. Ade was unplayable. Nabil was not anywhere near that (nor does he need to be). He was just fine.

Against City we will have different issues to deal with. A big one will be the way Yaya & Fernadinho utilises space in front of our defenders, supported by the brilliantly mobile Aguero. There will be no room for a minute of the defending Nabil showed first half today.
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I have to disagree. I think people on here are slating him much more than he deserves because he is young and unproven. Also, lost in the way we discuss football nowadays is nuance. Superb for one player might not be the same for another. But for Nabil Bentaleb today was a superb performance. Sure he's not Yaya Toure but who is? He's barely 19 years old.

If Sandro had put in today's performance with TEN out of TEN successful tackles (no one else had more than four), 9 ball recoveries, and 2 interceptions this forum would have fapped itself silly and deservedly so! He also didn't commit a foul when in past games given away silly free kicks has been a problem. He looked like a seasoned pro not a nineteen year old. Also, the whole team looked much better when Shelvey came off.

Of course Bentaleb didn't flash in the same way as Adebayor and Eriksen because he plays a position where there is very little glory. But when played properly and well, like it was today, it allows players like Adebayor and Eriksen to thrive.

Also, I know you didn't say this but the argument about his passing is so stupid. Only in English football commentary are ball winners and possession recyclers so undervalued. It's the same reason why Carrick can't get into the national team over glory ball players like Lampard and Gerrard despite the fact that Carrick is much superior player. Take a look at any of Busquets (who Guardiola said was the most irreplaceable footballer in the world), Schweinsteiger, Modric, Makelele etc passing charts and you will see plenty of sideways balls and short passes to the wings. They spread the ball, recover it, and keep things going.

Not saying Bentaleb is anywhere near any of those players but he's played that role to perfection these last two games.

Failure to understand the value of a player in that role is the reason why Florentino Perez doesn't understand football and Real Madrid don't win titles often. When he sold Makelele in 2003 following Real Madrid's best run in recent memory he said, "we will not miss him, he rarely passed the ball more than three meters". Of course a more adept minds like Zidane and Hierro realized he was an idiot with Zidane noting, "Why put another gold layer of paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?"

Overall, Bentaleb has a long way to go. He's young, there isn't a large sample size, and Crystal Palace and Swansea are not strong opponents currently. However, I can only judge on what I've seen as I cannot see the future and the last two games he has been superb. His game isn't a beautiful or glory filled and he will get slated for short passing and other nonsense but he is playing his role to a T currently. Also, he has showed passing range in the last two games on one occasion in each game. He played a great through ball to Rose against CP in behind the defense. I can't remember who his was to today.

Anyway, there's a reason why Busquets, Carrick, and Makelele have always been mentioned as underrated footballers and that's because the role they have is an under appreciated one. Bentaleb is playing in that same role and thus catching that same flak. It remains to be seen whether he can keep it up but for now IMO he's being knocked completely unnecessarily due to his role on the pitch.
 
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