Tottenham 2016-17: No really, 3rd place was fine

Tangled Up In Red

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So much better when Wanyama came off and Alli paired with Dier. The Dier/Wanyama combo doesn't seem to work. Dembele's return solves it, regardless.
 
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Lovely 4-0 thrashing of Stoke.

So much better coordinated today -- Eriksen's two assists were exceptional, and Son makes a real difference in keeping the team wide and flowing. Stoke's backline was perpetually a step behind.
Was Geoff Cameron off his game, coming across the pond as he did after Tuesday's game? I'd hate to see our one goddamn PL outfield starter start getting blamed for stuff.
 

Tangled Up In Red

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Was Geoff Cameron off his game, coming across the pond as he did after Tuesday's game? I'd hate to see our one goddamn PL outfield starter start getting blamed for stuff.
I actually thought Cameron played well. At least relative to his peers. He was aggressive, tried to push forward and make things happen.
 

Tangled Up In Red

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Champions League match vs Monaco bumped to Fox Soccer Plus. Free 7 day trial online.
Team: Lloris (C); Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Alli; Lamela, Eriksen, Son; Kane
 

coremiller

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Not a great performance today. They bossed the midfield but lacked a cutting edge going forward and Dier looked shaky as a CB. Sissoko didn't show a whole lot -- he has great pace and athleticism but that's not very useful when the defense sits as deep as Sunderland did, and I think they could have used a player with more guile today. Also, it's worrying to see 3 key players go off injured.

But they got the 3 points, which is crucial in home games against weak sides (how many times in the past few years have we seen Spurs drop points in this kind of game?). It's been a solid start, in 3rd place with 11 points from 5 games and not having been beaten yet.

The midweek game is League Cup against Gillingham, so time to roll out the B team.
 

Kliq

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Interesting start to the season. Unbeaten and third on the table is a fine place to be, but it's going to take more to catch Manchester City, who look like the class of the league right now. Defensively they have been great and Wanyama has quickly become an integral part of the back line; they currently have the stingiest defense in the EPL and haven't allowed a goal since James Milner's pk back in the Liverpool game, and they haven't allowed a non-set piece goal all season, which is pretty damn good even if you have been playing the minnows.

Offensively they need to get it together; it was why I found the Sissoko signing explainable because he does give them an extra bit of firepower coming from the middle of the field. Outside of the thrashing of Stoke the offense has not looked sharp at all. They got a late winner from Wanyama against Crystal Palace and an equalizer from Rose to tie Liverpool, which are two events you can't always count on. Even yesterday, the only reason they beat Sunderland, a poor squad who looks headed for relegation, was because a defender whiffed on a clearance in front of Kane five-feet from his own net.
Son has been a pleasant surprise over the last two games and I hope he continues to get some run as he has been great down the side.

Dembele going down and Kane crutching around after Sunday's win is never a good sign, so I'm worried about next weeks game against Middlesborough before what is looking like a big champions league match at the Russian Champions CSKA before a big home game against Man City on Oct. 2.
 

teddykgb

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What has to help is that you have a similarly tepid start last season but really found form and took off by mid season. And like last season, Spurs are grinding out ugly results while off form. I worry that Alli and Kane have played a pretty extended amount of mediocre football but Spurs have a really solid side and as long as they keep finding points while they aren't at their best you're a threat to find a run and really push for the title.

I think Pep vs Pochettino is going to be a fascinating matchup. Both teams want to play, both teams want to press. It's certainly one I'm looking forward to even if it's one of the few that makes me extremely nervous as a City fan.
 

Gunfighter 09

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The greatest Englishman since Churchill, or at least Lennon, is out for 8 weeks.

He will miss two UCL matches, Man City and the first NLD. Dammit.



The Mirror’s John Cross is reporting that Kane will miss 8 weeks with ankle ligament damage after a challenge against Sunderland in Spurs’ 1-0 Premier League Win at White Hart Lane. That’s the bad news. The good news is that his ankle isn’t broken, which would’ve resulted in a much longer injury layoff.
http://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2016/9/20/12983006/tottenham-hotspur-harry-kane-ankle-ligament-injury-out-eight-weeks
 

Tangled Up In Red

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The greatest Englishman since Churchill, or at least Lennon, is out for 8 weeks.
Aaron was loyal and true, but don't go crazy. Didn't go at defenders enough.

VJ's time, we'll see what we've got.
Separately, Dele just inked a new deal. 6 years, he's got to be at 50-60k / week. This on the heels of increased deals for Dier and Erikssen and Winks
 

Tangled Up In Red

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So, is this the place to inquire about how to get tickets for White Hart Lane on January 14th (wife's birthday). West Brom visiting. Nothing available (right now) on Stub Hub... How does one get single match tickets for Spurs?
 

coremiller

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Two goals from Son picked up the 3 points against Boro and, due to Everton's loss, move Spurs alone into 2nd place. That means next week's match against Man City at WHL is a top of the table clash. Although first there's the small matter of the midweek CL match in Moscow.
 

Kliq

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Son has played his way into a permanent starting role as far as I'm considered. He's been a terror on the wing and has been just what they needed on offense this season. Although I don't know how frequently you can count on him going solo through a bunch of defenders and ripping one into the top right corner like he did today.
 

coremiller

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I'm not sure if Son is undroppable, but he's starting to justify his fee and he certainly provides a much-needed goal threat with Kane out. They now have five players (Son, Eriksen, Alli, Sissoko, Lamela) competing for the three attacking midfield roles (today Alli played deeper, but I don't think that will happen much against stronger teams). With the CL matches there should be plenty of playing time for all five. I think who plays will depend a lot on specific matchups. Depth and competition for places is a good thing.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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I hate that Spurs are apparently not important enough for Fox to put them on FS1 ever, but are too important to let ESPN3 / Deportes stream the games.

FS2 is a dead zone from which none can escape or stream without a weird cable package.
 

Kliq

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5 goals in 5 games for Son this season; what a breath of fresh air he has been.
 

Kliq

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Spurs playing great against the top team in England; Lamela could have put the game away 3-0 in the 63rd minute but took an absolute shit penalty to keep City hopes alive.
 

Kliq

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And they hold on for a solid 2-0 victory with textbook late defending. Hard not to think they are the best team in the league right now; still haven't conceited a goal from a non-set piece all season.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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Wanyama is such a force, on and off the ball. Acquisition of the year.

Will be interesting to see how they work in Moussa
 
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DJnVa

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Watching the League Cup game...CCV looks like a linebacker out there. Wow.

Announcers said he was caught ball-watching a bit, but mentioned Poch speaking glowingly about him.
 

coremiller

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So since beating Man City, Spurs have gone 6 matches in all competitions without a win, scoring only 3 goals. Not exactly prime form heading into the Derby on Sunday morning. Kane and Alderweireld have been badly missed, although there's talk Kane may be ready for Sunday.
 

Kliq

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Well that was a fun one. I taped the game and watched it this afternoon and carefully avoided any spoilers. After the 86th minute and Eriksen whiffed on that free kick I decided to just check my fantasy score because I figured it was over, but I noticed it said TOT-3 WHU-2 and that Kane had scored twice. It was really fun then watching the last five minutes knowing Kane was going to go off; but really it was Son who was once again the hero.
 

coremiller

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That was a badly needed 3 points. A really good weekend for Spurs, with Arsenal, Man Utd, and Liverpool all dropping points.

Now on to Monaco.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Poch not playing his best team today was shocking to me. I realize you have Chelsea this weekend but it's just one league match of 38 and this was a really big CL match. I can't recall another manager of an English club intentionally playing a subpar team in this kind of spot.
 

Tangled Up In Red

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No Walker and no Verts. (Verts saved for LB with Rose suspended and Davies injured for Saturday)
Beyond that, it was their best. And they weren't good enough... again in Europe.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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No Walker and no Verts. (Verts saved for LB with Rose suspended and Davies injured for Saturday)
Beyond that, it was their best. And they weren't good enough... again in Europe.
I guess I don't understand saving Vertonghen when he is your best available CB. Walker also seems like he should be an automatic selection in the biggest matches. And what about Eriksen?
 

DJnVa

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I guess I don't understand saving Vertonghen when he is your best available CB. Walker also seems like he should be an automatic selection in the biggest matches. And what about Eriksen?
He said he wasn't sure those guys could go 90 today after the game Saturday and Chelsea this weekend, and he didn't want to burn subs on defenders.

Too many injuries. Get healthy, maybe do some damage in Europa and concentrate on Top 4.
 

coremiller

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I guess it makes sense if you figure that your choice was either play Walker/Vertonghen against both West Ham and Chelsea, or just against Monaco.

Due to injuries and the CL, Spurs have had to rotate a lot more this season. That has lead Pocchetino to try a much bigger range of tactical systems: in addition to their basic 4-2-3-1 at various times this year Spurs have played a back 3, a false 9, 2 strikers, 4-3-2-1, direct vs. inverted wingers, etc. As a result there's a lot less tactical cohesion and familiarity.

But anyway, Spurs got eliminated because they lost their two home games. 4 road points is a decent return.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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Are the CL performances at Wembley just results of the general injury/form situation, or do we think it's a worrying leading indicator for the full season they'll need to spend there?
 

DJnVa

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Are the CL performances at Wembley just results of the general injury/form situation, or do we think it's a worrying leading indicator for the full season they'll need to spend there?
Eh. Kane only played in one of those games, a 2-1 loss to AS Monaco, a game the Spurs had something like 65% possession, a 15-6 shot advantage, a 6-2 on target advantage, and 11 corners to 0 for AS Monaco. Danny Rose missed that game due to injury, and we also had Carter-Vickers on the bench. We were short, but outplayed them, but as happens in soccer...lost a one goal game.

They just gotta get everyone healthy.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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Disappointing result, of course, especially on the heels of the embarrassing performance in the CL. But a close loss at Chelsea is not a crime, and for a positive sign I'll take away the play of N'Koudou who has fantastic control and works hard. Kane also was strong on the ball.

I thought Dembele didn't have his best game, though I only saw the second half...
 

Kliq

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Disappointing result, of course, especially on the heels of the embarrassing performance in the CL. But a close loss at Chelsea is not a crime, and for a positive sign I'll take away the play of N'Koudou who has fantastic control and works hard. Kane also was strong on the ball.

I thought Dembele didn't have his best game, though I only saw the second half...
Dembele was good in the first half, he, Ali, Walker and Wanyama really pushed the ball forward in the first 30 minutes and made Spurs the superior team. A tough loss indeed especially because at the start they were playing some of their best football of the season; but I think the tires legs of having to play Monaco hurt them and the speed of guys like Moses began to cut them up.
 

coremiller

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Really good news: Harry Kane has signed a new contract that runs through 2022:


That means Real Madrid will have to pay a much larger fee for him in 18 months.
 

DJnVa

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Spurs seem to be playing better, scoring 9 goals in their last 3 games, and only allowing 3 in their last 6 in all competitions, and getting their GD up to 3rd in the league.

Lamela should be back soon, so they're approaching full health.
 

coremiller

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Spurs seem to be playing better, scoring 9 goals in their last 3 games, and only allowing 3 in their last 6 in all competitions, and getting their GD up to 3rd in the league.

Lamela should be back soon, so they're approaching full health.
Mostly this is schedule effects. They've won 4 of 5, but 3 of those were home games against Swansea, Hull and Burnley. Yesterday was a quality away victory against a good team, but the margin was padded by Southampton going down to 10 men.

That said, you've got to clean up points against the weak teams, and they've done that.

They are on pace to do better than last year in points and GD despite several key players missing time with injuries. It's been a frustrating season only because the top of the league is so much stronger this year.
 

DJnVa

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Mostly this is schedule effects. They've won 4 of 5, but 3 of those were home games against Swansea, Hull and Burnley. Yesterday was a quality away victory against a good team, but the margin was padded by Southampton going down to 10 men.
Definitely, but after so many draws early in the season, and only scoring 0 or 1 goals against Everton, Palace, Sunderland, West Brom, Bournemouth, and Leicester it's nice to see them start to find the net more often.

And like you said, their current pace puts them 8 points ahead of last season (of course, that pace wilted late with only 2 points in last 4 games last year), but this pace is ever so slightly ahead of last year through the first glorious 34 games and they're scoring more and allowing fewer goals.
 

Merkle's Boner

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So is this like when the starting pitcher is throwing a certain kind of game?

Shhhh. Don't say it.

COYS!!!
 

DJnVa

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DJnVa

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Vertonghen may have done something really bad to his ankle. Doesn't look good.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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Crazy win at the FA Cup over Wycombe. Spurs down to 10 men after Poch burned his three subs before seeing Trippier get hurt. Wanderers promptly take advantage of Trippier's vacated area to take a 3-2 lead with seven minutes left... but Allli gets the equalizer in the 89th minute, and Son gets a game-winner in the 97th.

Edit: I didn't see the game yet, but Cameron Carter-Vickers got a full match in. Sadly he conceded a penalty leading to an early Wycombe goal.
 

CodPiece XL

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Crazy win at the FA Cup over Wycombe. Spurs down to 10 men after Poch burned his three subs before seeing Trippier get hurt. Wanderers promptly take advantage of Trippier's vacated area to take a 3-2 lead with seven minutes left... but Allli gets the equalizer in the 89th minute, and Son gets a game-winner in the 97th.

Edit: I didn't see the game yet, but Cameron Carter-Vickers got a full match in. Sadly he conceded a penalty leading to an early Wycombe goal.
Very entertaining game. That Wycombe striker looks like a linebacker. Holy hell.
 

SoxFanInCali

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Very entertaining game. That Wycombe striker looks like a linebacker. Holy hell.
That's Adebayo Akinfenwa. He's nicknamed the Beast, and got some attention by being rated the strongest player in the FIFA video games (can bench press 200kg). He's played for a bunch of League One and League Two sides, and scored for AFC Wimbledon against Liverpool (the club he supports) in the FA Cup a couple years ago.