Beating certain rivals comes with a pass – one that says it doesn’t have to be a straight to DVD performance – you just need to win at all costs. The North London Derby is one such a game.
We’ll dive in to the player ratings across the day, but the key factor here was that Mourinho took his squad by the short and curlys and marshalled them into a shape that would give them their best chance.
This is a squad that is remains too dysfunctional to achieve anything meaningful under any coach. So the only solution was to rejig what he and it worked – certainly against a less than amazing Arsenal.
Lucas Moura and Moussa Sissoko were far more effective playing wide across the middle. It also simplified things for the players. Sonny was removed from harms’ way on the deep left wing, where all he had achieved was getting screamed at by Hugo. This also freed up Sissoko to cover for the still unhinged Aurier went he gallivanted up field.
What’s interesting, is that Mourino gets 5 substitutes and it suddenly gets him acting conservative with his bench.
Ndombele could well be gone in the summer, based purely upon Jose’s complete reluctance to involve him.
These tactics/performance levels with the players Jose actually wants/trusts could be alright.
Five players were distinctly average in their performance level and it’s highly likely Jose would rather have his own choices in those spots.
Imagine every player played as well as Son and Toby and we’d have run out comfortable winners. We need stronger 1st picks than Winks, Davies, Aurier and Moura.
It was a functional win and much needed. Tactically he got it right, exposing their defenders on the break.
However, in a full stadium giving the opposition that much of the ball would not go down well, especially in a NLD.
I’m sorry, but our fans do not want to watch us letting the opposition have the ball for most of the game, and at home. Spurs have a DNA, the moto ‘To Dare Is To Do’ etc. We love attacking and attractive football.
Unless Jose wins 95% of matches playing this way the fans just won’t stomach it. I’m saying it now before it all comes to a head and Jose leaves in a huff.
He’ll say this; “I go there, I try to win but the fans want losing football.”
No Jose we want to win and win the right way, especially if it now has to be in the Ropey League. Barca dominated your time at Madrid whilst playing amazing football.
That’s where his decline began, once that Barca team emerged it changed the way football was played and he’s never fully recovered…