One defining factor of last night’s game was the lack of control on the game Spurs had. Anyone who thinks this can be twisted to suit the narrative that everything is the coach’s fault needs to go and take a lie down in a darkened room. This is either an inability to concentrate or a lack of interest and nothing to do with bad tactics or whatever other fantasy people have constructed.
Perspective is good when looking at these frequently busy graphics, so in simple terms, we gave the ball 127 times. The last time we lost possession so badly in the league was curiously enough, against Everton when they bundled out of the FA Cup, on 10.02.2021.
It’s worth noting that the only other notable occasion when we played so poorly was against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa where we lost the ball 172 times on 18.03.2021.
Losses that lead to opponents’ shots mostly came courtesy of our valiant backline.
Stray pass king against Everton was Toby Alderweireld.
Calls for Toby to play now look to have been a little misplaced. The sooner the summer transfer window opens, and the 32-year-old flutters out of it, the better.
Yep.
Rodgers would be ideal, because he would get the players focused solely on playing with a positive attitude without having the distractions of working under the shadow of a manager and his sideshow.
Irrespective of the ENIC issues, we still have a manager who has created an unhealthy atmosphere amongst the squad, freezing players out is not the answer yet Mourinho does this at every club.
His treatment of Bale and Dele is ridiculous even farcical, and what has the team or himself gained from this idiocy….nothing.
He tries to instil a competitive edge amongst the players that somehow is meant to inspire and motivate, but it’s clearly not worked, most players are suffering with the intensity of his speeches which seem to focus on negativity instead of the positive.
Some players should have been moved on before Mourinho arrived, no doubts, however I was under the impression this guy was a great motivator that would not only improve them as players but also and more importantly their mental attitude, but I was so wrong.
The manager gets the bullit, that’s the reality and Jose will know that as much as anyone else. He was such an ill fitting appointment it’s untrue…
The players can’t be bothered, they don’t execute the basics, they play in a different formation match to match. But that’s not on the mighty Jose? I mean after all, their training, the tactics, the match plan and the starting 11 isn’t why he’s being paid millions is it? Dear god, get a grip!! And as for ENIC and Levy, they are now fully reaping what they have been sowing.
What were you expecting when you have your line up Dier and Sissoko, the other side when the manager picks you a fight with you what you expect roses do you think those players who the manager singled out care if he loses or wins sometimes you wonder how people think.
True. Earlier it was a pretty successful tactic – now it’s the only way he gets on the ball.
The man’s a narcissist. He doesn’t have a clue about running a football club, but thinks otherwise.
His passing is terrible always gives it away putting us under pressure. He thinks he is Toby well even sadly Toby is no longer Toby. Dier is best respect wolves standard. No top four team would have him. That’s our problem.
I don’t want to say what Dier’s best position is because I don’t know. BUT he is definitely not a Centre Back….Too clumsy and a lot of the time misreads attacking play by the opposition.
Totally agree Dusty – there is something rotten to the core – don’t know what it is but knowing footballers it’s probably about money – in hindsight bringing bale in didn’t help and in fairness I don’t think that was mourinhos call – but he is the manager, the front man and his body language is all wrong now – it’s screaming “get me out of here” – I was a mourinho fan but he’s finished now unfortunately and so are we as a “team”
It’s clear to me that there is something rotten in the club….How about ENIC, Levy and the players that are not interested in playing for the club and are just there to collect their weekly wages….I think that this has already been mooted by a lot of other folk on this site. Just saying. 🙂
They are on no way world beaters but I would say solid top 6 pushing very close to top four is the lowest level we should expect. While they were responding to Jose that was pretty much where we were, now they’ve stopped we’re heading for mid table…
The new gaff was supposed to take us to the next level, as so many of my Gooner mates used to tell me years ago about their place. “Europe’s elite needs an elite stadium” they would say. Yeah right, and we’ve been sold the same fanny…
Brighton have a bigger net spend than us over the past 10 years and they’ve only been in the league 4 years maybe.
yep whoever replaces Jose will ultimately fail due to ENIC’s Poundland transfer strategy.
Sure he has always dropped deep, but he has to now because it’s the only way he can get the ball. If he was playing with Bruno or KDB he’d spend a lot more time operating as a centre forward
Midfield – what were the instructions given last night,. Pitiful performance. Eriksen absence has not been filled. No problem with either Alderweireld or Rodon. Dier was guilty of giving the ball away. Both Kane’s goals – devastating.
Sadly very true.
Football Insider are saying a buyer was ready to take 50 per cent of the club at the end of last year but Levy refused to give up ‘strategy and decision-making’!
Agree, there’s no way any Spurs fan would have selected him for the England squad.
A baffling decision by Southgate in include him. He didn’t get on the pitch in any of the games though.
Levy signed Mourinho on £15m a year and Bale on £250k a week. Spurs are hardly shopping in poundland.
If you really want to feel depressed go and watch the You tube highlights of our last but one visit in the league to Goodson where we won 6-2 playing a brand of football utterly unrecognisable from last nights fare.
In a short time the club has regressed so much.
Whilst it is easy to find fault with both management and playing staff for the demise the real issue is the chairman who was told about the problems but chose to ignore them.
Several times in the past he has deflected criticism of the clubs shortcomings by firing the manager but whatever happens this time I hope both fans and the press shine a light his part in this debacle
They looked sharp enough after the game, Lloris, Sissoko, Aurier and Ndombele laughing and clowning around. Maybe it was the thought of the king’s ransom they’re pocketing for doing not very much.
He contributed most of his 13 (!) league assists by dropping deep into midfield with Sonny running in behind. Though I agree we’re making him do the work of a top-class striker AND a world-class number 10, this is one of the few things I wouldn’t criticise about our play, as his passing range can help the team move forward efficiently.
Yes, Harry, join me and admit the Jose experiment’s time is up. I hated the appointment but then thought give it a chance and it seemed to be working but now it’s clear there’s no pattern of play, the good players are getting worse, (save for Harry), they’re clearly not playing for Jose and you try to deflect it onto Toby who still gave me a bit of reassurance by his presence even if he’s not the Toby of old. Can you really face another season of this dross?
Dreading the final – 0-3 would be a relief with no Joe and maybe no Harry.
Brendan Rodgers would be ideal for us – sorry Harry but enough is enough with mourinho – it’s not all his fault – I get that – but he has lost his mojo – time to go
I know many pundits have given Mourinho credit for supposedly making Kane a complete all rounder, but given yet again concrete evidence last night of how good a finisher he is, would it not make more sense if he played further forward, rather than dropping into midfield so often. Why have one of the best finishers in world football playing so deep? You don’t see a player like Benzema dropping into midfield as much as Kane does. To me this is an example of the negative mindset at the club which makes our play so turgid and defensive. Watching Mourinho on the bench last night, he looked as if he knew it was all over for him, but if true, we come to the million dollar question as to whom should replace him? Then we come to the inevitable conclusion that it doesn’t really matter as we are in a perpetual doom loop with Enic and Levy.
An interesting point. Why aren’t these tendencies nipped in the bud earlier? This is a slow motion trainwreck.
Players need to be reminded of their duties. If they slack then they should be thrown under the bus.
‘Anyone who thinks this can be twisted to suit the narrative that everything is the coach’s fault needs to go and take a lie down in a darkened room.’
Unfortunately many do.
“The last time we lost possession so badly in the league was curiously enough, against Everton when they bundled out of the FA Cup” – what?!
Please Harry enough of the sticking up for mourinho – it’s clear there is something rotten in the club and it’s not just the manager but he definitely doesn’t help either – his body language last night said it all
My concern is that strategy will extend to managerial appointments and we’ll get Tony Pulis.
I think you’re stuck in a stubborn mindset, Harry. You’re quick to lambast Poch – who brought this club on leaps and bounds – because he failed to win a trophy, whilst furiously defending José under whom we’re crumbling disastrously.
We all saw the myriad stray passes last night. We all saw the lack of concentration and lack of peripheral awareness. We all saw the sluggishness and lack of heart and desire to work hard.
Why is the team in such a state?
We were a similar side when Sherwood was replaced by Poch, and he transformed that within a year and a bit.
Under José and his coaching team we are in a nose-dive.
There comes a point when you find yourself defending the indefensible just because you’ve done it for so long.
Toby has been a fantastic servant to Tottenham..has nothing only my respect ..cant say the same for a lot more if our players sadly..as for Jose he is just st not the man for this job..his last few clubs he throws his players under the bus and that us unacceptable ..Whole club needs a clear out sadly from very top downwards..we were so so fecking close
Just anyone who looks to play on the front foot. Rodgers, Nuno, Ten Haag, Naglesmann, Allegri off the top of my head. The deep issue is that whoever the manager is, they will be severely hamstrung by ENIC’s Poundland transfer strategy.
Dier was in the last England squad so he must be half decent in training, just seems at present he always has a mistake or two in his locker. He does at least put his body on the line at times.
Pretty much. Who should come in to replace Jose?
I wouldn’t blame Toby, he tries to make things happen, the link up between the players is poor and he’s just trying to play over the press to get Kane and Son involved….
It’s not down to tactics, but I doubt it’s concentration either. The players don’t look sharp, which suggests they’re not training well – and why would they, for a manager who publicly criticises them? At utd, mourinho’s side were bottom of the ‘distance covered’ table. Regardless of tactics, that was a team not playing for the manager, and we seem to have similar issues.
Every article I have read gives him a 6
even Hojbjerg is off form now and as for Reguilon.
Toby is ok lots of other players to point a finger at.
I think Mourinho’s time is up at Spurs. I’m not necessarily blaming it all on him, but it’s the old dilemma where the players don’t want to play for him anymore. Who do we blame?
Must win game yesterday and you start 2 attackers. Then you only bring on attacking subs when the oppo go 2-1 ahead. 1-1 with Utd at home after 60 mins in another must win game, Jose brings on Sissoko for GLC and Ole brings on Greenwood for Rashford. The latter scores and gets and assist. I’ve given they guy a chance but it’s clear he’s not going to work for us. Sack him and in the summer Aurier Toby Dier Davies Sissoko Winks and Lamela can follow him out the door. However, we have ENIC in charge so we’ll still be farked.
Again what concerns me is people saying Toby and sanchez are leaving or could be leaving but no talk of dier going. If it were me all three would be away along with Doherty and aurier.
I don’t recall Toby giving the ball away cheaply too often, but he does attempt more longe range passes which are easier to misplace. Not saying he had a great game, but didn’t think he was terrible.
Hojberg and Ndombele were both guilty of losing possession cheaply.
There is something wrong behind the scenes and whilst its clear there are players who should be out the door, the lack of understanding of each other on the pitch has to be down to coaching team. They are going through the motions and that’s about it.
We are a tier 2 football club lucky enough to have one unusually loyal superstar. Fighting for Europa is about our level, sooner everyone starts accepting this the better.
When there is no discernible pattern of play this is the outcome.
It’s been a long time since I have seen a Spurs side so lacking in motivation and enthusiasm for a job that should be a joy to participate in.
Mourinho is destroying our club week by week and it could get even uglier next season.
Surely concentration, motivation and focus fall under the remit of the coaches. If it doesn’t I’m not sure what they’re for, other than to model tracksuits. 🤔