No new signings but we might sell an influential midfielder. Kidding of course.
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Match Tottenham Hotspur v Ajax, Champions League Semi-Final, Tue 30th April
- Thread starter bunburyist
- Start date
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Fair enough mate, but trust me, spurs won't play as bad as we did tonight in that first half again. Indeed may the best team win!
But Ajax were not brilliant once we changed formation.
Had they been I would agree with you.
The more worrying stat is that we are in danger of forgetting how to win games at the wrong time of the season.
I think both teams are reasonably lucky after tonight for different reasons. We were poor and it could have been 2-0 and we were really limited in our best footballing players not being available. Winks & Sissoko were big misses from the off, which resulted in the 3 at the back which really gave you huge midfield advantages.
You didn't look sharp and in all honesty, whilst technically able I thought you had physical weaknesses apart from in defence where you were resolute. However our personnel changed how we play with Llorente too old for this level now. You could have won comfortably with how the game was looking after 30 minutes and when your style changed I think you were lucky we didn't have enough quality at this level to punish you.
Both teams can be disappointed yet feel relatively fortunate at the same time. Fortune really favoured you that Kane, Son, Winks & Sissoko couldn't play from the beginning and Eriksen + Dele seemed to feel sorry for themselves. All in all it makes for an interesting 2nd leg where both teams simp,y need to raise their game.
Whoever goes through, I wish both teams the best of luck.
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The attitude in the first half was despicable. We froze and were careless and arrogant, only to them feel down and shocked,resulting in panic. We grew as the game went on but it was still poor football that Ajax easily dealt with. If we get to the final and are able to secure top 4 it will be a huge achievement but we better not let it paper over the cracks. If there was ever a big transfer window to be had it really is this one, I hope our scouts have been earning their corn over the last couple of seasons.
OhBazali i still believe we can turn this but Danny rose being brillant yet still good enough sums up our squad. If we want to beat City and Liverpool in the league than we may have to look at some of our favourite sons
Chin up mate. We weren't great, the lads are obviously knackered, we're carrying half a dozen injured players - but we're not out of it.
We're playing in the fucking Champions League semi-finals Paddy!! What a time to be alive.
Danny was great tonight, final ball not always there but he ran and tackled like a demon - those "Danny Danny Rose!" chants were fantastic for the boy, and I hope he looks back on the night with pride.
My son just sent me this text. He’s a Liverpool fan living in London (we lived in Liverpool for a few years when he was growing up) and I’m a Spurs fan for 55 years living in Leeds. Mixed up family.
Anyway his text sort of cheered me up.
‘I guess you will be disappointed but I don’t think you’re out of it at all. Poch got the tactics wrong at the start but rectified it, had you started with four at the back I don’t think you’d have lost.
Goal in the second leg and it’s all level, and you got three against city!’
It’s easy to forget what we are capable of after such a disappointment so thank you to my lovely sensible son.
Anyway his text sort of cheered me up.
‘I guess you will be disappointed but I don’t think you’re out of it at all. Poch got the tactics wrong at the start but rectified it, had you started with four at the back I don’t think you’d have lost.
Goal in the second leg and it’s all level, and you got three against city!’
It’s easy to forget what we are capable of after such a disappointment so thank you to my lovely sensible son.
Rose played very well. Don’t put the blame on him for not scoring, his main job is defending. You may blame Eriksen and Dele for not creating.
I dunno. When Danny was at his best we had Walker on the other side, together they stretched and stressed teams. Now with Trippier on the right, who isn’t an attacking threat, Danny gets closed down quickly, he barely had a second free on the ball all night. Ajax played clever and closed down the key players.
I thought his defending has been superb as well.
Danny has fight in him, and we need it now more than ever
I am not blaming Rose. I belee he played to the best of his abilities. His progress has be linked with spurs. I love him and that's why his name echoed around the stadium and yet I fear if we ar to progress to be one of the best sides in Europe we will need to let Danny Rose go and that breaks my heart.
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Very good season if we beat Bournemouth and scrape top 4.. ?
I don't agree we have been rubbish most of it and I'm frankly astounded we are still in with a chance of top 4.. team has gone backwards from all action and pressing high to pedestrian and just passing side to side or backwards with no creativity or like tonight no idea at all
Love your optimism I really do, and your right everybody loves a comeback kid victory and a Man U v Juve scenario would be the dogs bollocks......But I feel we have absolutely nothing to offer as an attacking threat, Son back is obviously welcome as we can sit that Llorente man out, but we are running on complete empty, physically and player wise, I mean when you are bringing on two defenders to try and chase a game it tells you all there is to tell right about now....
But, we have been dead and buried in this competition several times this season already and I’m hanging on to that, as there isn’t much else to cling too
What? A quality team with all their best players fit and an extra week off
I think it will end up being a good season if we get top 4 when you consider we have had 11 players miss over 10 games injured, 7 of which have actually missed 20 games or more. No new signings, no home for 3/4s of it, a bedding in period at our new gaff where we've had to hit the ground runnng & literally 3 days of preseason for 7-8 of our players.
We let ourselves down tonight but let's be honest, when has there ever been an entire country postpone a weekends fixtures to prepare for a game? If it could only happen to one team you know it would happen to us.
We are still in this, all of a sudden 2 wins against Bournemouth and Ajax away turns our season into a wonderful one. Fine margins and all that.
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The more I think about it the more I actually quite like this result. I'm not too sure how we'd have coped with a lead going there, now all the pressure's on them in the 2nd leg. They really had the chance to clinch the tie tonight but didn't. They're gonna be nervous as fuck, if we can get a goal pretty early they could melt down.
I am more worried about our form than who we play. At 90% we beat Ajax & would have secured 3rd by now. Scrape a win at Bournemouth & pressure will be off & we can go for it.
Son playing completely changes the complexion IMO. They know they need a goal but equally they know they can't over commit. I saw enough tonight to know their midfield can get bullied and I think Sissoko will be a big player in that return leg.
Nothing dropped for us or came off for us tonight. Every cross was shit, not won, no second ball won, no bounce of the ball or rub of the green and our style altered drastically because we had Llorente up top. We go there with no fear now and them having to deal with the pressure of being favourites. We had fear in our legs tonight, on Wednesday they have to deal with a pressure they aren't used to.
It all counts for nothing if we don't turn up though & with the off chance we get Kane back (long shot but it wouldn't surprise me) as well as the, having a cup final to play on Sunday, I think there's a couple more twists and turns in this one.
Billy big bollocks time, many of these guys will never get a chance like this again. Not the best result but based on our personnel definitely not the worst. It's very well poised and set up for being a banger
Just got in, seemed like the Highways Agency were closing roads and lanes for fun tonight.
Fucked if I’m reading 100 pages, but we were garbage until Sissoko came on and we went to 4 at the back, and we were missing Son massively - he could win it for us next week.
Ajax’s pressing in the first half hour was insane, glad they didn’t keep that up for the 90.
Anyway, up at 6 - nighty night!
Fucked if I’m reading 100 pages, but we were garbage until Sissoko came on and we went to 4 at the back, and we were missing Son massively - he could win it for us next week.
Ajax’s pressing in the first half hour was insane, glad they didn’t keep that up for the 90.
Anyway, up at 6 - nighty night!
I meant in terms of outcome considering our lack of investment, stadium issues & injuries. I actually agree with the other stuff you said.