• The Fighting Cock is a forum for fans of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Here you can discuss Spurs latest matches, our squad, tactics and any transfer news surrounding the club. Registration gives you access to all our forums (including 'Off Topic' discussion) and removes most of the adverts (you can remove them all via an account upgrade). You're here now, you might as well...

    Get involved!

Match West Ham versus Tottenham Hotspur Sunday 14:00

Latest Spurs videos from Sky Sports

19/20 = 10
20/21 = 10



In his case the aforementioned struggles have been staying fit.



...And you're counting this season as one of the two pressumably?

They finished 16th the season before last.... I don't recall him being a shining light in an otherwise dark season.



Fair..... Ndombele's a big quirk to any such conversation as he's so unpredictable.

So double figures! 5 assists last season too. 15 goal contributions, who aside from Kane and Son in our team do you realistically believe could do that?

Yeah that's my bad, he had a good season last campaign, and has started well this one. I don't think he's anything special I should note, but he's a technically solid player who is semi-reliable. I don't think he walks in to our team like a Rice does, but he's certainly arguable.
 
The "Oh no" from the Sky commentators when our winner went in, they even hated us back then.

Wasn't even Martin Tyler, think it was that scouse prick Parry.
Lol - I’d forgotten how blatant that was: Spam attacking our box, commentator excitedly announces “last throw of the dice”; sweeping Spurs counter results in Stalteri sweeping the ball home “Oh no!…..”.

He obviously had a score draw down on the pools that week…
 

Yeh, I was merely confirming your assertion.

I think you have the wrong impression here; I'm not trying to argue that Antonio is shit.

5 assists last season too. 15 goal contributions, who aside from Kane and Son in our team do you realistically believe could do that?

Dele (Yeh, I know!) & Lucas have both done in the past.....

Again (see Lingard convo); position matters..... Has Antonio ever racked up that level numbers from the wing?

18/19 = 6G/6A (4G/3A from the wing)
17/18 = 3G/1A (All wing)
16/17 = 9G/6A (3G/0A from the wing)
 
Antonio has scored double figures in each of his last two Premier League seasons, and (I believe?) that's not with penalties .. so it isn't just form. He also has 5 this one so looks set to easily hit double figures for 3 years in a row. Fornals has had 2 solid premier league seasons in a row as well.

Ndombele, probably. I believe he has far more talent but we can only currently go off what he's showed for the last couple of seasons. If he can put up performances like the Newcastle one remotely consistently he's miles ahead though.
Something the stats conceal a bit is what a handful Antonio is - physically a threat and an absolute nightmare to play against. Even if he has an off day his presence and physicality will open up other areas of the pitch for West Ham attacks. So he's pretty useful all in all. The goal contributions aren't at all bad either. He is the player I would be most concerned about - and he does have a strong record against us!
 
Dele (Yeh, I know!) & Lucas have both done in the past.....

Again (see Lingard convo); position matters..... Has Antonio ever racked up that level numbers from the wing?

18/19 = 6G/6A (4G/3A from the wing)
17/18 = 3G/1A (All wing)
16/17 = 9G/6A (3G/0A from the wing)

Dele's done. We're in agreement on that, I think?

As for Lucas, his most productive season league wise is 10 contributions, and that was back in 18/19 .. so capable of 15? Maybe. Last couple of seasons say probably not realistically. And as far as I know Antonio was a rw/wing back for his early seasons with West Ham and was still getting 8/9 goals in the league with a handful of assists.
 
I think Lucas gets in the team for his sheer hard work. Picking up the ball and running past people, just needs to make sure he shifts the ball rather than running into people and losing the ball. Seems to have improved on this aspect this season.
We do not need another start like Newcastle. We have too many of those. They are very good on set pieces .
 
Dele's done. We're in agreement on that, I think?

As for Lucas, his most productive season league wise is 10 contributions, and that was back in 18/19 .. so capable of 15? Maybe. Last couple of seasons say probably not realistically.

By your reckoning (below) we'd need to go even further back to 2015/16 (8G/6A) to find Antonio doing it from out-wide... Any further back and he's playing in the champo.

So.. As far as his EPL wing stats go he he's no more formidable that Lucas.

And as far as I know Antonio was a rw/wing back for his early seasons with West Ham and was still getting 8/9 goals in the league with a handful of assists.
 
By your reckoning (below) we'd need to go even further back to 2015/16 (8G/6A) to find Antonio doing it from out-wide... Any further back and he's playing in the champo.

So.. As far as his EPL wing stats go he he's no more formidable that Lucas.

He hasn't played out wide though. You're comparing someone who has had the opportunities to play out wide and failed, to someone who used to do it and succeeded, then was moved central because the need was greater there.

Antonio is physically incredibly, runs all day and can cross a ball. He's just a more useful asset than Lucas is all round, and just because West Ham prefer him as a CF doesn't mean he isn't capable of once more going out wide.
 
He hasn't played out wide though. You're comparing someone who has had the opportunities to play out wide and failed, to someone who used to do it and succeeded, then was moved central because the need was greater there.

Antonio is physically incredibly, runs all day and can cross a ball. He's just a more useful asset than Lucas is all round, and just because West Ham prefer him as a CF doesn't mean he isn't capable of once more going out wide.

Aside from the last 2 seasons, the vast majority of his WH career has been played out wide..... You said as much yourself.... Yet, the only time he came close to a 15 goal contribution in the EPL (as per the stats I've provided - 8G/6A) was six seasons ago.
 
Aside from the last 2 seasons, the vast majority of his WH career has been played out wide..... You said as much yourself.... Yet, the only time he came close to a 15 goal contribution in the EPL (as per the stats I've provided - 8G/6A) was six seasons ago.

As far as I'm aware he's been a CF for the last couple of seasons. I think he was a winger when he arrived, but Pellegrini didn't like him at all, so he got shifted to wing back. Then Moyes has been a huge fan. Regardless of productivity I'm personally a big fan so would take him at RW, but up to opinions I guess.

Anyhow, let's not go full Lingard vs Lucas!
 
As far as I'm aware he's been a CF for the last couple of seasons.

Yup... Just said that.

I think he was a winger when he arrived, but Pellegrini didn't like him at all, so he got shifted to wing back. Then Moyes has been a huge fan. Regardless of productivity I'm personally a big fan so would take him at RW, but up to opinions I guess.

Anyhow, let's not go full Lingard vs Lucas!

Deal. 👍
 
Our first XI are better than theirs, now that Nuno has weeded out the problem players from it. The more often they play together the better..... if it's going to be Deir Romero as CBs, they need to gel a bit better as a pairing.

I watched their game at Everton, our attacking players could rip them to pieces if on form.
But our attacking play is our weakness
 
obviously this will be a real toughie they are in decent form and i hear guys saying we have a better team that has been said quite a few times over the last couple of seasons but often enough has not played out that way .
 
Maybe it's too soon to say this, but after Villa and Newcastle, it feels like we finally have a midfield again.

It will be a big test for us tomorrow, but IF Skipp-Hojbjerg can hold their own against Rice-Soucek, we have the quality in other areas to prevail. We haven't beaten anyone decent away from home yet, so a victory would be a big step forward.
 
Maybe it's too soon to say this, but after Villa and Newcastle, it feels like we finally have a midfield again.

It will be a big test for us tomorrow, but IF Skipp-Hojbjerg can hold their own against Rice-Soucek, we have the quality in other areas to prevail. We haven't beaten anyone decent away from home yet, so a victory would be a big step forward.
Having the midfield occupy the actual middle of the pitch in front of the CBs was a good idea and I think we should stick with it.

:nunothumb:

Having said that, it was interesting to me that Ndombele showed up a lot on the wing in the 2nd half. I don't know if that was by design or he just found space there or it was just happenstance. In any case, fluidity among our front four is important, and if having Skipp-Hojbjerg back there allows us to do that then it is probably worth. Skipp also seems to be getting a bit braver on the ball and taking the space offered to him, which helps a lot.
 
Back
Top