Re: The Official Tottenham Hotspur Thread

[Motogp69]

To be honest, given Dawson's propensity to be completely caught out of position maybe having a non-sweeper keeper like Friedel would be a blessing by anchoring Dawson to his post. Either that or Dawson finally gets relegated to the pine.

[CBarca]

A high line will be played regardless I'm sure. I doubt AVB would change the system for one lineup change. The high line being exactly Dawson's problem IMO.

So I doubt it will change unless AVB drops the line back.

Hopefully when Verts is fit then Dawson is just dropped for Chiriches who is a player I think is deserving of a start in most EPL matches. Fantastic defender.

[sportsczy]

This isn't all on Spurs... Lloris refuses to get replaced. He's starting for NT too. The manager can't tell a guy he's benched unless the medical team tell him that it's a risk. The medical teams aren't telling the manager that.

That aside, i don't understand why Lloris isn't wearing a Chech-like helmet at least.

The unfortunate thing is that EPL don't have a winter break either...

[Motogp69]

SOLDADO

Watching the game tomorrow night, but I "watched" it on twitter. Can't wait to see the game.

[CBarca]

Faded in and out of the game but regardless of the oppositions quality, he was clinical. First chance was a great flick of the head and the second was just a very clinical striker finish. Good movement off the ball, quick first touch and a fantastic, low, and fairly powerful shot into the opposite corner side netting, almost kissing the post.

More than anything it's a good confidence booster. Hope to see him get more service and put more goals into the back of the net. It's the first hat trick for a Spurs player since Bale vs Aston Villa last season.

@Sports, the Lloris incident just helped confirm it. My opinion on the Spurs medical staff being crap has been one I've held for a while. I'm not saying it's all their fault or anything, don't get that impression.

[CBarca]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2523817/Tottenham-striker-Roberto-Soldado-reveals-wife-lost-baby-expecting.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

Didn't know about this. Perhaps this is why he hasn't played the last two EPL games. Good to see him score a hat trick if not just to help put it behind him.

Also, his attitude is fantastic. Constantly has spoken about how he knows he isn't scoring enough and how much he wants to score to give back to the fans and how he feels he isn't playing up to his standards. Certainly an attitude that one improves with and I think he will continue to improve as he has done.

One of the players I want to succeed most right now with Tottenham. Him and Lamela- however I have more patience for Lamela given his age and situation.

[fatman123]

Silence is golden

[CBarca]

Split between thinking AVB should get sacked or not.

On one hand, these results are just ridiculous. He's underachieving with a squad that should be doing so much better. That alone should give Levy the right to be sack him and I'm inclined to agree.

On the other hand, I'm someone that believes a lot in the virtue of patience and I like to give managers to the end of the season. Spurs are still just 5 points off of fourth, after all, and still ahead of where they were last season (I think) at this stage which saw them finish 5th just one point behind 4th. I also feel like in a squad that's new like this, chopping and changing the coach midway in the season will just cause worse problems. It's not apparent AVB has lost the dressing room or anything, which would be a case where it's fine to sack the manager midway through the season and see if a manager can unite them and do better.

Also, a fantastic manager like Pepe Mel is jobless. I wouldn't be opposed to him being the Spurs coach.

I'm split. If he's sacked, I won't be too opposed, and who knows, it could be the right decision. If he isn't, then he's given to the end of the season, or at least a while longer, and we see how that works out.

Personally I still think he should be given to the end of the season. I might be alone on that. Perhaps it's because I'm not as emotionally wrapped up in the results. I would want his head if this happened to Barca.

[iftikhar]

If you sack AVB, now, you will be no better than mid-table. Why not sack Defoe 'n Ade! You need a quality finisher (like Suarez).

[MJ]

Best win percentage of any Spurs manager in the Premiership era. 54%

Yes, a couple of unacceptable results but he was playing with an ungelled squad. Think he would have come good.

[sportsczy]

Not surprised... you can't lose big games like this. Losing is ok to some extent. But complete destructions are not.

Defensively, it's gone down the toilet. That was saving Spurs for a while along with keeping. Lloris is still recovering from a concussion, which doesn't help... he's hesitant when he comes off his line.

[CBarca]

The defense was Naughton-Dawson-Capoue-Walker ffs

One is a LB that should be in the championship, one is a player AVB tried to sell to a team now in the championship (and he belongs there), one is a great player who plays DM primarily but is still somewhat new to the league and missed 2 months through injury and one is a young RB with terrible positioning and footballing brain but who has played well recently.

In front of a Lloris that (while pretty decent in the Pool game) has been awful.

The defense was fine when Chiriches, Vertonghen and Rose were playing. Hell even Verts-Dawson-Chiriches was pretty good.

That's not to say AVB didn't majorly f*ck up, but looking back on it even if he played a deeper line, Spurs were going to concede several regardless.

I don't keep up with Spurs too much other than games, but I'm pretty sure Verts, Chiriches are both close to returning, so is Rose. Rose is a huge part of the system AVB was looking to play at the beginning of the season. The defense would have recovered.

I said I was split but the fact that he actually was sacked has pissed me off a bit. I didn't think it would happen, not now at least. It just seems far too knee-jerkish.

[Motogp69]

I could understand it if AVB employed the correct tactics for the team that he had at his disposal, but the fact is while I think the attacking aspect of the squad would've eventually come good with time to gel and a set best XI, but defensively we've not employed the correct tactics to the players we have at our disposal.

The fact that after half time AVB didn't change his tactics to secure the back line just sealed it for me. I'm all for patience, but I think there are better managers out there for the talent this team has at its disposal.

I still think AVB will come good, it just won't be with us.

Now who will we end up with? Personally, my dream candidate is Frank de Boer, but while I was partly kidding I really wouldn't mind seeing what Zeman could do with this team. However, it looks like the most likely candidate will be Capello.

[CBarca]

Pepe Mel Pepe Mel Pepe Mel

He's stubborn but I've made my point about the backline. Yes I feel his non-reaction is worrying but I just feel more time was needed.

But it seems like neither Levy or AVB wanted in anymore. A shame. Check out the article RG posted in the AVB sacking thread.

[CBarca]

Seriously though. I loved what Pepe Mel was doing with Betis last season. I'd like to give him a chance in England and see how he does. Especially with the success of Pochettino.

Also, being Spanish, he might do well to get the best out of Soldado and Lamela

[Motogp69]

I'm pretty open minded when it comes to potential managers, and I think whoever gets hired will look good given how favorable our upcoming fixtures are because in the end I think the schedule still favors us.

Priority one is getting a LB in the January transfer window.

[CBarca]

Tbf Danny Rose is back. I do think a LB should be brought in, but LB isn't the biggest market these days...

Might be a struggle to get a good LB at a decent price midseason who is better than Rose.

[Motogp69]

I agree, but if we don't get a LB I think you can consider the top 4 out of the equation if he goes down again for any length of time.

We could solve this problem easily if we just recalled BAE until the end of the year.

[CBarca]

I don't think Rose is that good but I honestly don't think BAE is any better.

As a back up, perhaps.

[MJ]

Is BAE trolling that much on Twitter? It seems like he's having a laugh any time things aren't going Spurs' way.

New Coach:

[DeletedUser#1]

I hope Spurs hire Pepe Mel.

He can replicate having Betis dead last in La Liga with Spurs being dead last in EPL

Come on Pepe

[Motogp69]

Not sure BAE is trolling Spurs specifically, but he is trolling AVB. Not surprising Ade is doing the same.

I personally understand the treatment of Ade, but I have no idea what happened with BAE.

[CBarca]

I'm assuming the BAE "I view football as a job, I don't care for the game" attitude may have clashed with AVB, who is someone who loves the game and obsesses over it (what he did when he was sacked from Chelsea was go to Brazil and scout players ).

That being said, I don't know more than that (and even that is speculation). It's pretty easy to see how Ade could have had a falling out with AVB.

The rest of the players quite liked him though from the look of things.

[CBarca]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1915193-tottenham-transfer-news-erik-lamelas-dad-reveals-player-wants-to-leave

This worries me.

Either way, he really ought to be playing at this point. If he's not going to play then loan him out. Although I don't like that idea, either.

[iftikhar]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1915193-tottenham-transfer-news-erik-lamelas-dad-reveals-player-wants-to-leave

This worries me.

Either way, he really ought to be playing at this point. If he's not going to play then loan him out. Although I don't like that idea, either.

Bleacher Report!!! Not a great source   

[Motogp69]

If anything, Pjanic for Lamela, and then he can go back to Roma. I would hate for him to end up at the other Milan.

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