Disappointing performance and result today but I had that sneaky feeling an upset would be on the cards with the quality of opposition and the midweek Europa game. We have seen this many times in the past few years.
For those blaming the manager, he isn't a miracle worker. He has to make do with a fairly average squad of players who just cannot turn it on the way we'd like them to. I've heard others wishing we had Harry back. As much as he did well at Spurs, we had similar results under him. Remember this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8946717.stm
The constant here is a midweek European game played prior to the match. Look at how Everton did against Crystal Palace today following their midweek match. Martinez isn't a bad manager either is he?
Now I'm convinced this is something that'll happen again so long as we're playing in the Europa this season. A different manager won't make any difference but there's signs that he is on the right course overall with the performances against QPR and Sunderland. The only thing that can at least lessen the regularity of it happening is investment in better players, and seeing as we're stuck with these lot of underachievers for a while, we should hope at best we can do well in Europa, and not embarrass ourselves too much in the league.
The distraction of Europa/Europe
posted on 21/9/14
Real Madrid scored eight goals this weekend, just three days after a European tie. It`s a nonsense to suggest players that are not even playing midweek cannot get themselves up for a weekend game.
posted on 21/9/14
comment by thesingingangel (U20025)
posted 3 seconds ago
Real Madrid scored eight goals this weekend, just three days after a European tie. It`s a nonsense to suggest players that are not even playing midweek cannot get themselves up for a weekend game.
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It was a long journey to Madrid on Tuesday for them, Sandy. Plus the game was done and dusted in 30 minutes on Tuesday.
And Real are one of the few teams who play one way, no matter the opponent, and get away with it more often than not.
No-one is saying if you play in a European competition midweek you may as well not bother on the weekend, there are enough teams that follow a CL/Europa game with a win and/or a good performance. But to deny it is a leveller when a team good enough to qualify for Europe via the league plays a lower club is ignoring what everyone else can see.
posted on 21/9/14
I am sure I read somewhere that 10 of our last 14 PL defeats have come after Europa games
posted on 22/9/14
Spurtle
We had all this last season and if you looked at our worst results NONE of them followed a midweek game in Europe in fact quite the opposite.
We were smashed by city after having 10 days off is one example I can remember clearly but turst me there were a lot of others I did the research then and am not doing it again now.
90% of todays team never played in the game midweek and a good 70% never even travelled to Belgrade.
Sorry mate thats just an excuse in my books and a crap excuse at that. We are half a dozen games into the season its not like we have played 50 games already and if pro players cant manage two games a week at this stage of the season then they have no right to be pro players full stop
posted on 22/9/14
grandspurs
Are you sure you did your research? I brought up this last season because it happened then too. We had Europa matches prior to losses against West Ham and Newcastle at home, and Norwich away. Matches we'd be expected to get 3 points from, so forget the match against City, that's clearly not a team we're expected to beat.
It doesn't happen all the time, and I'm not trying to use it to excuse the players, as they should be able to put in a far better performance than what they showed, but let's not kid ourselves that it's not a hindrance. It doesn't help, and our history of being in Europa backs this up. And as has been pointed out on here, it's not just the physical aspect and players being fresh. It must also be a mental thing. I mean the manager doesn't get to prepare the same as the team who's had the whole week does he? He is a novice to Europe as well.
posted on 22/9/14
but let's not kid ourselves that it's not a hindrance. It doesn't help
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Agreed, and it's not just Spurs, it's nearly every Euro competitor. Managers/Players trot out the 'One game at a time' cliche, so how come they can play league-cup-league over seven days and be prepared but not be prepared for league-Euro-League over 7 days? 3 hours on a plane or 3 hours on a bus the travel is roughly the same.
Imo i can only be player mindset. The stronger, more driven professionals can deal with it, they treat every game as must-win, the majority can't.
Just another reason to hate the overpaid, overhyped, oversexed non-triers that are living our boyhood dreams and taking the pizz...
posted on 23/9/14
Are you sure you did your research?
spurtle
Yes I did all our worst defeats last season were when the top clubs absolutely slaughtered us. city, chelsea, pool etc.
Out of these good hidings the only one where we had had a europa game the Thursday before was pool at home I believe where we lost 4 or 5 nil.
Even then the europa game was not away it was at WHL
I am not going to do the research again but look for yourself at last seasons fixtures the real drubbings we got did not follow europa games
posted on 23/9/14
so how come they can play league-cup-league over seven days and be prepared but not be prepared for league-Euro-League over 7 days? 3 hours on a plane or 3 hours on a bus the travel is roughly the same.
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We have all seen many a team, and not just PL but all the way through non league, who have suffered massive dips in form coinciding with a good cup run.
That is why you see even League 2 teams play weakened sides in the cup.
posted on 23/9/14
grandspurs
I'm talking about teams we should otherwise be expected to beat because we have better teams than them: the Norwich's, West Brom's, West Ham's. These upsets do appear quite regular in relation to playing European football. As far as the City, Chelsea, Pool results; yes the manner of the defeats was disappointing, but they are top sides with better players.
posted on 23/9/14
spurtle
we were losing ridiculous games like those on a regular basis before we even got back into europe.
Sorry but I do not accept any excuse about the europa cup look at athletico last season on a tiny squad they won the spanish league and reached the CL final