🌑 Again, the trusty left-sided approach where Tottenham could be more or less guaranteed to be welcoming.
🌑 Curiously for this goal, it is Giovani Lo Celso who travels in with the play and who makes the final lunge/sliding tackle. But it is Toby Alderweireld who doesn’t try to cover the indie post.
🌑 Watch the final moments again and see whilst Spurs outnumber Leeds in the penalty area – Spurs’ players’ bar Lo Celso – have close to zero awareness of where anyone is. And Toby does this little step toward where he should have been heading, and then back out, just as the ball is struck.
Conclusion: A collective effort this time around, but shocking defending. Absolutely shocking.
I can’t stop looking at it now. It’s a thing of beauty. Each player brings something special to the goal. If you look at Dier you think “It’s definitely his fault” but the same goes for each player you focus on. Well done lads. It’s the kind of goal a non-league team concedes in the FA Cup third round.
He had to step up in some big games so bed him in for these meaningless games.
Of course it means dropping Dire but………..
We can’t have a situation where the manager, who is barely older than the players, only picks his mates each game. We are a professional football club (allegedly) not a pub team (allegedly), any sympathy I had for Ryan has gone out the window following this match and the cup final. He’s useless, clear off. Might as well put the tea lady in charge.
Fortunately as a follower of a properly run football club in Leeds Utd. I have something to be cheerful about this Monday morning. Of note is if anyone asks me who my team is these days I do NOT mention THFC, the reason being I am ashamed of the mockery of a once great club that we have become under ENIC, I have no such qualms about LUFC. I am proud to be associated with that club. I am disgusted by Daniel Levy in contrast. I don’t mind saying that in this sole instance I took some pleasure of Levy’s THFC being shafted by a newly promoted club that is actually a TEAM as opposed to a collection of overpaid individuals most of which are not fit to wear the shirt.
Rant over!
Most peculiar!!
Easy, Dilly. Not one of Ryan’s mates, is he?
IMO the pertinent question we should be asking is why out of favour RODON was omitted from the line up altogether??
As soon as Alioski came into the picture to offer the overload Aurier was doomed. Considering the debacle of the first goal, where Bale let the full back loose, it was more than naïve to allow a worse situation to occur. But, we did! Anyone who has seen Alioski play would have had his overlaps noted and coached their players in dealing with it. We more than dealt with this bunch well at Home, but any defensive strategy left the building when Jose got the shepherd’s hook. This isn’t to say everything was rosey under Jose, he had Aurier and Dier to mess up royally most weeks.
It doesn’t matter if we have the world’s finest training facilities and stadium, if the players aren’t good enough or fit enough you get found out. Aurier though was caught between a rock and a hard place, if he had followed the full back he was exposed on the inside, but Dele was covering that. The level of communication between coaching staff to players and then from player to player on the pitch looks inept. Dele should have screamed at Aurier to take Alioski. Dier has to follow Bamford, has to. Defending the six yard box serves no purpose. He seems to mark zonally, which is asking for trouble in open play, as he is the only ne doing it.. If those 2 things happen, no goal.
Toby guessed on cutting off a cut back. I think he should have defended the near post, but is that just hindsight? I can’t work out how Lo Celso missed the block either. Pathetic all round. Unless a seismic change occurs in the summer, Leeds will usurp us next season, to leave us even further behind a pack who are getting their houses in order. We are like a 1970s squat madhouse. No order, structure, direction and most of those concerned are stealing a living. We are only 15 points ahead of Palace, who have a game in hand. Over the past 3 seasons we have been a slightly better version of them. It really is unacceptable fare offered by our players, coaching staff and our despot at the top.
My top 3 at fault were: 1) Dier, 2) Jose and 3) Lloris. I’ll explain:
I have been Dier’s biggest defender but he was watching the pretty football Leeds were playing and was glued to where he was standing – just dreadful yesterday. The goal was scored by the only player he had to worry about marking.
If you watch any of the top clubs play, the overlapping run that started the play is ALWAYS covered by the fullback. It is too far for the midfielder to run to cover that, it is much easier for him to swap and take the man on the ball. Dele was already a yard from Harrison and easily had that covered. It is absolutely clear Spurs have had little coaching/training in defending this. I learned this at U16, still cannot believe a PL team can be this totally inept at covering this.
I think much of the fault with this goal again lies with Lloris. Later in the match, we had almost the exact same play and Meslier came off his line to easily catch the pass. Most top keepers are not going to allow a pass ONE yard in front of their goal line, Lloris is one of maybe 3 keepers left in this league that are always rooted to their line (Pickford/Fabianski the others).
Toby plays no role in this goal, his defending again was impeccable. We lose that 8-1 if he is not on the pitch. If you watch him on the play, he does what he always does (that Dier doesn’t do) and he looks for an open player, the one that is in the most dangerous position, which is Tyler Roberts. He had to leave the post to take that pass away.
Exactly, he never marks and allows forwards to nip in from behind. All the bloody time.
All five players at fault for me. Noone helping Aurier so he had two but still he could have done more. Toby didn’t react. Lo Celso saw the danger but was far too slow at reacting. Lamela didn’t react. Dier was the last man and also didn’t react… Defenders and midfielders have to be on their toes anticipating danger.. Inability to read the game, lack of football intelligence, lack of hunger and will to win… At least get shoulder to shoulder and fight for the ball, put a foot in, make it difficult at least… Too many players not good enough… I would be screaming blue murder if they were my team mates.. No leaders or warriors bar Pierre.
Just needs to go full stop
It’s obviously Dier 1st & 2nd goal both his fault. Don’t know what people see in him see better player’s on a Sunday morning
Dier stands without marking attacking player…This dude needs to go out on loan to a sunday morning side,
Dier end of discussion