Tottenham plays their fifth Europa League game shortly against LASK of Austria in one of the early kick off matches.
Tottenham won the first meeting between these two sides 3-0 and confidence will be high that a similar scoreline is registered once again.
A draw for Tottenham this evening and they will qualify for the next stage of the Europa League and Jose Mourinho has put a team out that really should do a lot more than just draw against the Austrians.
Obviously, minds will be on the North London derby at the weekend but you just know that Mourinho will have them focussed and firing all cylinders tonight, he will not allow the lads to be distracted at all.
So, that is the team that Mourinho has gone with. What do you think, is it what you expected?
Let us know in the comments below your reaction to the side that Mourinho has gone with and also give us your predicted scoreline.
He’s a better player than Sissoko and Moura for me. Jose’s system doesn’t suit him, or Bale for that matter…
Yes he was brought on as a sub and scored his only PL goal in 35 appearences,terrible return on the investment.👏 The weakest link in midfield last night in the ropey cup.😂
And won the Citeh game… 🤔 😂
I get all that, but we were none of the above last night so why have I seen no questions about the decisions made by the management? It’s all about the players being terrible all of a sudden. Sorry that team was more than capable of winning that match comfortably…
Tit
Easty, whilst nobody is immune to criticism (bar the delusional undignified boorish Donald Trump) surely even you must accept that we are quickly heading in the right direction under the astute stewardship of Mourinho who is striving to make the team a competitive combative force?
😂
He’s just really bad…
Gazzaniga is a Poch man, only reason why he’s been frozen out. There no way Hart is anywhere near his level these days…
Without the flair! 😂
I agree on Hart, he had a purple patch in his career but it’s quite a long time ago now. Nothing against the guy but people made a ridiculous amount of fuss when we signed him considering his career trajectory. 3rd choice at Burnley is our transfer profile now is it? 🤔
Jose has been incredibly successful in the past and theres a strong chance we could win something under him too. However, he isn’t without fault when we lose or play badly. Besides, every dog has its day.
Capello won 5 Italian league titles, 2 Spanish league titles and the Champions League as well as bucketloads of domestic cups. Where is he now? Managers generally don’t remain as effective forever, times can change.
He wasn’t brilliant before he got Covid and besides, most people people have little or no symptoms. Especially fit young athletes.
He wasn’t brilliant before he got Covid and besides, most people people have little or no symptoms. Especially fit young athletes.
Son, Reggie, Tanguy, LoCelso, PEH, Moura,, Bergwijn and Dier all involved. That’s 8 first team players. We can make excuses, but it was just sh*t.
Just because Jose likes his teams to sit so flipping deep we now need a completely refitted back line because they now come under twice as much pressure?
We just bought two new fullbacks and a central defender, Dier and Toby recently signed new contracts. I’m not sure how that is any kind of prelude to a clear out of our defenders…
We were too defensive and they knew how to do exploit it. Why’s Jose blameless when we play cr*p?
In fact our defence is tested in all fixtures ahead when the ones mentioned immediately impacting on the credibility of our title aspirations!!!
As you say Tanganga also looks promising.
The solidity of our defence will be tested this Sunday and against Liverpool keeping at bay Messrs Jota, Saleh, Firmino and Mane respectively.
Whilst I fully concur with your sentiments I maintain that only Sanchez looks immediately vulnerable, the rest forming part of our squad rotated as required. Joe Rodon looks promising.
David, I like Toby, and I was thrilled when he signed a new contract, but he worked as a 2-piece with Vertonghen. They knew eachother inside out. With Jan gone he looks lost. Sanchez is a balloon. Dier is useless in defence/DM or arguably anywhere on the pitch, Tanganga has promise and potential, but isn’t anywhere near the finished article, likewise Joe Rodon (who tbh I think should be first pick.)
Winning teams are built in defence, and it’s obvious the manager doesn’t know his best starting line-ups at CB. That’s because he doesn’t have one.
Jose likes Dier so he wont be moving on quick!!
Whilst I get the drift, as we currently have the best defensive record in the PL IMO our defence aint as bad as you suggest!! Yes the defence needs tightening but surely thats to be done in the Summer not January? Apart from probably looking to sell Sanchez in Jan I’d keep Dier and Aldy on board until the summer when Jose will appraise the overall squad!
Whilst I get the drift, as we currently have the best defensive record in the PL IMO our defence aint as bad as you suggest!! Yes the defence needs tightening but surely thats to be done in the Summer not January? Apart from probably looking to sell Sanchez in Jan I’d keep Dier and Aldy on board until the summer when Jose will appraise the overall squad!
Whilst I get the drift, as we currently have the best defensive record in the PL IMO our defence aint as bad as you suggest!! Yes the defence needs tightening but surely thats to be done in the Summer not January? Apart from probably looking to sell Sanchez in Jan I’d keep Dier and Aldy on board until the summer when Jose will appraise the overall squad!
Abysmal. If we’d won it still would’ve been abysmal. With the exception of Reguillon, that entire shambles of a back line needs overhauled in January if we’ve any chance of a trophy. Our attack is top class. Our defence is a mess. José Mourinho, the master of defensive football – if he can’t get this shower of crap defending properly there’s no hope.
So Dier, Sanchez, Alderweireld, get them out dafuq. Sell them, use the money to bring in a solid defence in January. If not, forget about it.
Indeed when the lads shall need to raise the level of their performances for this tricky fixture against talented opponents well worth their victory in Belgium and likely to cause us plenty of problems on home soil.
Expecting Lacazette to partner Auby and Willian to be benched plus possibly some other surprises aimed at reversing their poor PL form of late.
Conversely impressed by his fringe players in their emphatic 4-1 victory against Rapid Vienna this eve has given Arteta food for thought for his team selection for the imminent NLD!
Well known fact that the Giraffe is really bad with long shots, from outside the box especially.
I was one who wanted to see these 3 and they were absolutely awful (including Hojbjerg), but that doesn’t mean I would rather have Sissoko! I want to see those 3 with Kane, Reggie and the rest. We have so many dodgy spare part Watchdog are going to investigate.
Hart is B team Dross & Doherty is the new Bentley.
A coded message of saying that the fringe players badly disappointed this eve!
Mourinhio:
Nothing new really. The fact that the Europa League group phase doesn’t motivate some of the players, I knew it.
“That some players are fundamental for us and I always need on the pitch in any circumstance, a couple of these players to give a little bit of balance to the team.
“As an example, (Pierre-Emile) Hojbjerg and Sonny, without them I don’t think we would have a positive result. Nothing really that I learn. The players know and I share my feelings with them, I am normally right.
“When I saw the warm-up before the game I had a feeling and I told the players before the game that there was a huge difference in intensity, communication and enthusiasm in their warm-up and our warm-up because I was looking at both. Nothing surprises me.”
(BBC Sport)
He must have Covid since September!
33 years same age as Hugo.
Doherty is the new Bentley, Sanchez & Hart are rubbish.
Carlos is injured. Jose reckons HK will play Sunday.
Yep, I would have probably saved them and I’m older than Hart, an amateur, and not a goalkeeper!
Nah it was a good penalty. He sent the keep the wrong way to the right and he chipped it to the left.
Winks,Hart,Kane,Tanganga,White,Scarlett,Bale,Dele and Austin for the EL
We are literally on the line with the homegrown rule. If Hart or winks go then Skipp would have to come back.. Also they are tied to play for us in europe now which makes them less attractive to potential buyers.
LoCelso as well has only started 1 PL game. Currently B grade. He played poorly in the lose to Antwerp and tonight again.
Ahhhh I see…. We need Kane or Vinny playing. No striker, no focus point up top.
Mostly b team. Bales still coming back. Joe hart. Davies, docherty, Tanganga, Sanchez our whole defense for starters.
We were poor with and without the ball…Thats your truth maybe.. Facts suggest otherwise.. Maureen has multiple tricks up his sleeve that has won him loads and put him amongst the greatest managers of all time. He is in the GOAT conversations and for obvious reasons…… Botch was a one trick pony with his high press or die. And it won him nothing. The Audi cup in 6 years is all a one trick pony gets you… Real truths
We still have the last game at home against leaders Antwerp to play next week needing a win to top the group.
Can ill afford any sluggish players performances on Sunday!!
He’s not really happy with his squad, like you say our seconds are a huge drop in standard… But he will say this to keep everyone happy. Confidence high. Team spirit… Until transfer window time again.
That lineup wasn’t weak enough to be described as a B team in my eyes. It was a very poor showing. Tactically we were way too negative against a team like that. No plan B from Jose, same thing in every game.
Hardly.. Maureen likes his full backs to get forward and attack when needed with Sissoko or pierre usually dropping back to cover. Or the wingers sometime drop… We will see Doherty come good.
I think vinny had a knock.
Mmm maybe or maybe for what ever reason he isn’t playing very well ,so in fact covid has changed nothing.
He’s just had covid 19. His body will still be weak and recovering. Think how flu takes it out of you.
Poor day at the office but job half done we are through, at least we didn’t lose again.. A good few of those players are fighting for their lives/places now.. Gazzanigga or young alfie should be given a chance for that number 2.. Why wasn’t Vinicius playing?. We are dark horses for the league, but if we happen to pick up a few injuries to key players again then I’m not sure alot of our second string are up to the task.
We were embarrassingly defensive against a team of their standing. No disrespect to them but tonight shows Jose is a one trick pony. A successful one trick pony but that’s the truth…
He’s a Gooner too, just to make it worse! 😂
Yep.
Son, Tanguy, Gio, Bale, PEH etc, and at what point did Doherty and Hart become B team dross?
We are too defensive and it gave LASK belief, we should have taken it to them. Jose’s approach was all wrong tonight…
It’s the quality that wins things!!
Too defensive, as usual…
Looking rather cumbersome, sluggish and ungainly suggests he does not have a long term future at Spurs!!
Affordable competition for Aurier I guess, it’s working because Serge is playing for his place and it seems to have focused his mind somewhat. It was a decent window for providing depth which was sorely needed. Apart from Reggie and Bale it’s the quality that might be lacking….
Burnley’s former third choice keeper looking like Burnley’s former third choice keeper? 🤔
Which begs the question,why did Mourinho buy him.It’s obviously not working for him.KWP is showing for Southampton that he can offer something with a good run of games.
Thats the bad news!!. The good news is that we can all forget about this competition until Feb next year when we may have won the Carabeo Cup at that time. For ever the eternal optimist, I mean pessimist!!
😂
Different manager, different style of play…
Doherty’s performances are so poor that,although he has improved this season,Aurier doesn’t have to do much to guarantee a start in the first 11.
ONE shot on their goal in the first half against what must be mid table Championship level opposition…
I see that Doherty has been slated for his dismal showing. Weird compared to his lauded high tempo performances for Wolves. Very strange.
Was it “No one likes the overtly narrow defensive ones”?
I’d say more lack of confidence than form bale should of took it on himself
Agreed if you mean just a couple of B teamers used in the 1st eleven; as Mr Goliath below says, this was a pretty evenly mixed A&B team
3 bloody 3. It feel quite numb after all that. What did Forrest Gump say about a box of chocolates?
Many of the non performers will get away with it when playing in the first 11. It’s when they play as a collective the problems show up
That was a hard watch. It does however highlight for me that certain players aren’t able to up their game and performance at crucial times. Defensively that was poor by any standard. How Bale & Sonny didn’t put us 3 up is perhaps an example of Bales lack of form in front of goal.
Too much pressure on our defenders, more than they’re used to. If you’re going to sit deep in like this you need a very strong defensive lineup.
One shot on goal in the whole first half demonstrated just how not conceding takes priority over taking the game to the opponent under Jose.
When it works and you hold out and snatch those goals on the counter some people go on about how tactically shrewd it is. When you don’t take the game to vastly inferior opponents and invite pressure, concede and not win all you can do is wonder wtf it was all about…
Yep. Everyone eats fish n chips.
Worryingly this wasn’t the B Team – it was an A Team/B Team hybrid.
If you want to be really saucy…this is the A Team midfield most fans have been calling for the last few games.
Lo Celso and Ndomble together, Bale starts. Shows be careful what you wish for :/
Like ‘this’.
Looking at the quality of our individual players today, even if we question the ability of a few, they should never have been outplayed by the other lot. Surely something wasn’t right about our set up?
Sorry,but what does that mean exactly.
They certainly weren’t defending as we did vs city. Maybe not enough respect?
That.
Should have gone to Specsavers.
Perhaps Hart needs to do better but the defending in front of him was abysmal at times. Lask should never have been getting thise shots off
Lask were better than us today and all their goals were better than ours. Maureen’s 2nd team is nowhere near the quality of his 1st, so when he says he’s “very happy with this squad” – what’s he happy about? They’re either not playing often enough to be on form, or not good enough so need replacing; regardless which it is, it would appear we have to try to win a trophy with just a dozen or so players. With luck, these players are just slower to assimilate due to less game time and/or less footy nous, but will eventually ‘click’.
Go on the Transverse Phalanges!
Hart can’t save shots from anything over 10 yards. It’s like he can’t see very well.
You puttin on weight?
Doesn’t Maureen sort of do that anyway?
Jose likes him and he’s English.
Can we not get rid off Hart instead.
Relax Boys, Football was the Winner here tonight.
Sadly I think he will be gone in January.And I don’t blame him.
Man Utd put five past this lot last season in the EL. Did you know they were also playing away from home as their ground isn’t up to standard.
Bale confuses me there was a moment where he looked unable to run then suddenly that sprint for when he should of shot not passed to son and it was golden but mer
Bring back Gazzaniga.
I’m sorry but as an elite professional we shouldn’t be waiting for him to still get fit after three months.
We went away to them a few Seasons back as Favourites, didn’t bother and got stuffed.
Next time Hart is picked we should get a chippy in and board the goal up.
Apart from the fact our defence was awful Hart has conceded three goals from distance tonight.Hugo won’t be losing any sleep tonight.Mind you if it wasn’t for the woodwork and his save it could have been 3-0 in the first half.
I’m buying a bigger sofa!
I had to listen to it on the radio tonight did Dele really risk the wrath of Mourinho with a chip down the middle with the penalty,brave or very foolish.