comment by Chronic (U3423)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by CFC: FFP Champions (U20729)
posted 15 seconds ago
you lack creativity and subtlety

huff and puff and muscle will only get you so far
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mate if we wanted to hear from an arseeehole, we'd of farted
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Don't bite Chronic, until Admin realises that having WUMs ruin actual football debate and ban them from our board we will just have to ignore them.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

For me, pace is the key to unlocking that high press tactic, a tactic that has been effectively used against by LFC and to a lesser extent Utd at OT and some of the UCL games....all of which we have coughed up possession in our third and not been able to build from the back

I agree a 4231 is better. I think Alli needs to be responsible for a bit more defensive work and have Son being the one closest to Kane, offering pace and running down the channels. This at least stretches their defence, getting them running back to their goal goal and pushing them back a bit further, which undermines their press a bit. You just need their defence to drop a few yards and suddenly there is a bit more space for Eriksen/Alli etc to find.

LFC will do this to us in a couple weeks Others will try but really its a tactic that has to be well drilled, 1 or 2 weak links and the high press can make you vulnerable, so most lesser teams just sit deep instead....low risk.

Interestingly enough, I feel Utd countered it through the tactic of just playing long to the exceptional Ibra and him holding the ball up expertly.

comment by Edinspur (U1109)
posted 5 minutes ago
I agree with that Park Lane, but the other thing about the 'Plan B' which is so refreshing is he keeps the same style of football just tinkers with the players/formation. Whereas in the Redknapp days, we had a plan B but it used to be hoofball.
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I concur. Poch is sharpening his skills as a tinkerman.
He's becoming much more sophisticated and nuanced with his tactics and strategies. His man management is also good, we have a squad totally in synch with his demands and philosophy.

comment by Galvs...Revel Alliance (U10415)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by CFC: FFP Champions (U20729)
posted 5 minutes ago
you lack creativity and subtlety

huff and puff and muscle will only get you so far
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38447903
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http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/premier-league/table

comment by RtM (U1097)
posted 48 minutes ago
If it wasn't for Lloris having an absolutely shocking half we could have possibly even gotten the three points.

Possibly. Then again the way City were playing it was always likely they would score wasnt it? However if the ref hasn't been a complete tįt you'd have definitely dropped all 3 pts and lost walker for 3 matches.
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Not "definately" If ref gives the push then to me it's likely to have been a yellow. Sterling still had a "clearcut goalscoring opportunuity" so no red card for denying one

comment by Zlatan The King Ibrahimovic (U10026)
posted 36 minutes ago
You were closer to Chelsea and above Arsenal. Certainly a stronger position. Us and Liverpool faltering just means it's not ended up worse than it could have.
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I understand that but it isn't my point. If you were to do one of those BBC predictors, this weekend you would have put down as a win for every team in the top 6 bar Spurs probably (or at least would have done at the start of the season). So for us to only be caught out by Chelsea and Arsenal, is an approvement on pre-weekend expectations.

comment by puffinthebushkangaroo (U1950)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by RtM (U1097)
posted 48 minutes ago
If it wasn't for Lloris having an absolutely shocking half we could have possibly even gotten the three points.

Possibly. Then again the way City were playing it was always likely they would score wasnt it? However if the ref hasn't been a complete tįt you'd have definitely dropped all 3 pts and lost walker for 3 matches.
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Not "definately" If ref gives the push then to me it's likely to have been a yellow. Sterling still had a "clearcut goalscoring opportunuity" so no red card for denying one
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....wut?

Fair enough, I'd agree with that. Though I did actually expect you to beat City.

Pep factor innit.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

comment by Ace (U18814)
posted 1 minute ago
Wasn't a great day at the office for us. But, this season we seem to be able to make our bad days less damaging. A point at the Etihad is never a bad point even when your played well; you certainly don't earmark that fixture as a 3 pointer.

The first third of the season our form was very indifferent, various players out of form and other key ones injured. Yet we rode it and remain unbeaten at home, only beaten twice overall and well in the top end of the table mix. That has to be a positive.

When you get used to winning a draw suddenly seems disappointing, but when you put it in context it's not bad at all and if we'd been offered 19 points from 21 from Hull, Burnley, Southampton, Watford, Chelsea, west brom, Man City in the aftermath of the Utd defeat we'd have taken it all day. If we can make it 25 points from 27 by beating Sunderland (a) and Boro (h) next, then we'll go into the game at Anfield in a strong position.
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good post and good to think about bigger picture.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Yeah especially considering you were lucky to get away with a point.

comment by Ace (U18814)
posted 3 minutes ago
Another important thing to remember is, even if we cannot win the league it's really important for us as a club to try and consolidate our CL status. Back to back top 4 finishes would be a real achievement in the context of our PL history. On that basis Saturday was a good result as we've made a fellow top 4 rival drop 2 home points they should've bagged. City have now taken 1 point from 6. In the long run, the result could be better than it seemed on the day.
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well absolutely. must become top 4 regulars as we move into new stadium.

if we play at Wembley next season I am pretty sure we will have a poor league campaign at home, but you never know

I'm absolutely dreading playing our league games at Wembley next season. The main reason being that the pitch seems to have some sort of undefinable energy sapping characteristic. In our CL games our players were going down like ninepins. Cramp and muscle pulls were to be seen all over the place. Also factor in that the opposition will treat it like a great day out and probably raise their game we could have a difficult season. If that results in missing out on CL the following season when we play at the new stadium that would be a severe and serious setback.

comment by Park Lane Geezer (U10205)
posted 1 minute ago
I'm absolutely dreading playing our league games at Wembley next season. The main reason being that the pitch seems to have some sort of undefinable energy sapping characteristic. In our CL games our players were going down like ninepins. Cramp and muscle pulls were to be seen all over the place. Also factor in that the opposition will treat it like a great day out and probably raise their game we could have a difficult season. If that results in missing out on CL the following season when we play at the new stadium that would be a severe and serious setback.
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if we actually go ahead and play at Wembley then I don't even see us finishing in the top 6. genuinely.

I reckon our home form will be half way up the league, at best

genuinely hope that we find a way to either use the new stadium next season, or go to MK dons... league campaign at Wembley has trouble written all over it.

plus from a selfish point of view, I facking hate Wembley, probably not helped by having been there 4 times to watch spurs in recent times and we have lost every single one, including a semi final and a final.

its just not home. who wants to play their games in a massive red stadium? fack that

comment by Park Lane Geezer (U10205)
posted 3 minutes ago
I'm absolutely dreading playing our league games at Wembley next season. The main reason being that the pitch seems to have some sort of undefinable energy sapping characteristic. In our CL games our players were going down like ninepins. Cramp and muscle pulls were to be seen all over the place. Also factor in that the opposition will treat it like a great day out and probably raise their game we could have a difficult season. If that results in missing out on CL the following season when we play at the new stadium that would be a severe and serious setback.
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Is that to do with Wembley or the fact hardly anyone had a preseason due to the euros?

It's only been on the last 6 weeks players look as fit as they did last season.

This year they get a decent break & preseason so should be better equipped to handle the big pitch. ( don't forget NWHL will also have a big pitch )

comment by Chronic (U3423)
posted 2 minutes ago
genuinely hope that we find a way to either use the new stadium next season, or go to MK dons... league campaign at Wembley has trouble written all over it.

plus from a selfish point of view, I facking hate Wembley, probably not helped by having been there 4 times to watch spurs in recent times and we have lost every single one, including a semi final and a final.

its just not home. who wants to play their games in a massive red stadium? fack that
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Blame the fans... Wembley was overwhelmingly voted by them for us to go there.

Logically MK was the best stadium to use. 30k modern stadium that can get a great atmosphere but no because they are a 'franchise' team most fans spit there dummy out.

Is it not definitely signed and sealed that we will be playing at Wembley next season? If not what are the options other than MK Dons place?

Playing at Wembley for a whole season will be surreal and not in a good way.

Big H

I didn't think the issue with the Wembley pitch is its size that causes problems. It's some other reason that's hard to identify that causes the problems re stamina/cramps and muscle pulls/injuries.

Lloris - 2 his mistakes were inexcusable, just because we didn't play great, this won't be seen as him dropping us vital 2 points

Walker - 4 looked sluggish at times, defensively out of position a lot of the time, gets a 4 mainly for his cross for goal 1

Rose - 5, same as Walker but gets a 5 for 'that tackle'

Dier - 3, don't like his body language looks like he has an attitude, average in a centre back 2 and careless on the ball in dangerous areas

Wimmer - 0 didn't put a foot right

Toby - 7, usual self solid

Wanyama - 8 he's quality, especially in games like these

Dembele - 6 done well at times but took forever releasing the ball forward

Alli - 4 constantly carried the ball backwards and just falls over trying to get a free kick, gets away with murder cause he's in the right places scoring goals

Eriksen - 6 similar to Dembele, most attacking threat came through him, he makes us tick, we don't have another player like him

Kane - 2 see Wimmer, but he's Harry Kane and he did a nice lay off for Son's goal, so he gets a mark


Son - 8 changed the game when he came on, always a goal threat, good

Winks - 7 really like him, puts in a shift, good on the ball

Sissoko - can't remember him coming on