***THE MIGHTY TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR V BRAIN LEVERKUSEN ****

[Anthony Beale]

It doesn't help that Walker isn't the best technically and Dier is most certainly not a centre half. We miss the coolness of Alderweireld at the back and his ability to find a team mate when under pressure. I think it will surprise a lot of people at just how much better will be when he's back.

Our problem all seems to come about when he got injured. When Kane got injured we smashed Middlesbrough and then battered Man City. We even dominated West Brom in the first half of the game and then when Alderweireld got injured in the second half, they obviously put us under a lot of pressure, scored their goal and ever since then we've struggled.

I think Diers been alright. But he's obviously no Toby. We miss him in so many ways, even just down to his presence on the pitch. He brings the best out of everyone around him. When the goal went in tonight, heads dropped and you could see the confidence go. When we're looking to our experience players to keep spirits high.... Sissoko? No chance. Wanyama? Still pretty new. Vertonghen just isn't that kind of person. Hugo's all the way back in goal.

Actually now i think about it, Alderweireld, Lamela and Kane, even Dembele are all big losses in that respect. They all have that kind of influence, and that clap your hands together shouting COME ON kind of mentality. And that sort of, lead by example lets get a goal back kinda thing. Dembele on form would have been demanding the ball going past players. Lamela and Kane would be trying to make something happen.

I think we're just really unlucky in the timing of it all. Stick those 4 players in, instead of Dier, Sissoko Janssen and Son and Its a completely different team, if they're on form. Then we can afford Eriksen to have a bad run of games.

Bleurgh. It's been cathartic to think about it, and write it down. But it doesnt make Sunday any easier.

 

[Anthony Beale]

That reminds me. Someone sat behind me said they absolutely wouldn't take Bale back.

 

[Aleksic]

Well that was a bit shit wasn't it?
Get there early the club said. ok.
Watch out for the extra security checks . ok.
Wave your mobile around the club said. ok
Sit there and look on in horror as the team forget how to pass it to each other while dicking around at the back gifting leverkusen chance after chance. I don't remember the club saying that, the bastards.

 

[DeeGee]

We miss Toby, quite frankly we are mediocre at the back without him.
We lack any pass and move. Watch BL pass and move into space with quick one/2 touch football and then when we do we hold onto it at the back for ten years before passing it to Wanyama who fins static players miles in front of him with backs to goal. Nobody is passing the ball and moving into space for the return.
We dilly and dally who the ball in decent positions. Nobody is direct enough, thinking positive like make half a yard and put it in.
We look like we are more concerned with keeping the ball than trying to do anything with it.


Fuck knows how we didn't concede early with shit defending Hugo, Dier and Walker being major culprits. We looked like we were shitting it from the off.
I was nervous about this game beforehand after our last few performances. With Dembele probably missing, Toby too and Kane not match fit enough to start and lat 90 I am very worried about Woolwich.
If we play like we have been, and I have seen very little improvement, we may be in for a very sobering 4 games.
I am concerned we will be out of the CL and mid table by the end of November.

 

[Mr S Pippo]

There was something in the water?.
Poor form, unbalanced team, new signings, players playing out of position, injuries, Wemberly and so on, are no excuses for such a poor performance, as that. Each and every player suddenly lost the capability to find a pass, lost the ability to run with the ball, unable to simply play football. Every player, every bloody player was awful-how we only lost 1-0 on the night was incredible.

COYS - NLD - Sunday no excuses.

 

[Spursinho]

POCH OUT!

 

[Eskimo]

I don't, not in the system we play.

People quickly forget the games where he was completely invisible and gave the ball away constantly.

Like, say, Sissoko, Dele and Son today

What system is that ?

 

[Mick Cooper]

The bloke has every attribute of a fraud. £30 million could have been invested more sensibly earlier in the window. But hey ho, Daniel knew better.

30 million could have been better spent replacing all the WHL windows

 

[Art Vandelay]

Been ill so didn't watch this morning (local time), was my mate accurate in that we were abysmal?
Boy we're in a rut since the City game.

 

[Eskimo]

We're clearly missing Toby and Harry , I mean look at the difference they made against Monaco . . . . . . .

 

[The Dane]

Woke up and found out Totti was binned, the loss was worth it imo

 

[Mick Cooper]

We're clearly missing Toby and Harry , I mean look at the difference they made against Monaco . . . . . . .

I don't ever remember you posting anything positive. I don't remember you ever posting anything encouraging. I don't remember you ever saying anything that makes you look like you actually support the club.

Funny that.

 

[Fattynomates]

Still unbeaten in PL .......
:vdvdive:

 

[Mick Cooper]

Woke up and found out Totti was binned, the loss was worth it imo

Just need to organise it 10 minutes prior to (every) kick off and we'd be quids in.

 

[Tomo]

Feel like every game since City we have had AVB in charge, lots of possession for possession sake. At the front we have little to no movement.

Yes our defence was a little shaky without Toby but conceding 1 goal is not the end of the world at least it wouldn't be if we could actually make chances and get some goals. I honestly don't know what we are trying to achieve at the moment in terms of how we set up other than hoping lots of possession will get us a 0-0.

 

[GaulPascoigne]

Feel like every game since City we have had AVB in charge, lots of possession for possession sake. At the front we have little to no movement.

Yes our defence was a little shaky without Toby but conceding 1 goal is not the end of the world at least it wouldn't be if we could actually make chances and get some goals. I honestly don't know what we are trying to achieve at the moment in terms of how we set up other than hoping lots of possession will get us a 0-0.

Agreed.

Watching Liverpool and their balls out "we'll outscore you" approach makes me wish we played that way against smaller sides

 

[Melspurnian]

We need to risk losing in order to win i think. Commit 5 or 6 forward like barca and city do. Also hit the bloody passes please. We're playing like atletico without the quality that they have that gets them wins

 

[Blanchflower]

Pages and pages of people picking out players from our team...... but let's face, over two games Leverkusen were just better than us for one and half of them.

First match changed when they brought Baumgartlinger into play holding midfielder, and he was brilliant again last night, effectively matching our formation and making the game like a basketball game..... you attack / we attack.

From there it just comes down to who is the better, more organised, more ruthless, more German..... English football always loses at this point.

The Bundesliga is just a level above the premier league. Dortmund were the best team we played last season and Leverkusen are the best complete team ( Liverpool better going forward) weve played so far this season.

 

[Eskimo]

I don't ever remember you posting anything positive. I don't remember you ever posting anything encouraging. I don't remember you ever saying anything that makes you look like you actually support the club.

Funny that.

That'll be dementia..

 

[Eskimo]

Pages and pages of people picking out players from our team...... but let's face, over two games Leverkusen were just better than us for one and half of them.

First match changed when they brought Baumgartlinger into play holding midfielder, and he was brilliant again last night, effectively matching our formation and making the game like a basketball game..... you attack / we attack.

From there it just comes down to who is the better, more organised, more ruthless, more German..... English football always loses at this point.

The Bundesliga is just a level above the premier league. Dortmund were the best team we played last season and Leverkusen are the best complete team ( Liverpool better going forward) weve played so far this season.

Its not just the two games against them though, we've been abject for the vast majority of the time since West Ham in March, but people have used excuses to hide behind, Dembele being suspended, Kane being injured.