Spurs V Liverpool Pre-match thread

[Kenneth]

I expect we'll see Cole on about 70mins when we're three goals behind.

[wiw]

Rumoured line up.......

I like that team. Still not sure about two up top, but if we can get N'gog to run the channels and attack the spaces their fullbacks will leave, it'll create some space for Torres to embarrass Gallas

[Kenneth]

Can see Gallas getting sent off tomorrow. Might stick a quid on it.

[wiw]

1. There is no way in hell they would tell the players he isn't here long term, in fact, if they had that would be worse. It would be suicide.

2. They have told the squad it's a long term project. And that is why players will leave. We are ****e now and if we don't out spend our rivals (which isn't going to happen) we will be ****e for a long while yet.

NESV have acted like mugs tbh. I get they don't know football. But had they got a good manager in when they came in we could madly have been title contenders, never mind top 4 chasers.

As it is we'll continue to toil under Hodgson and piss away our top 4 chances with the odd good performance to get all our hopes up. Had City won today we'd have been 9 points off 4th which is a chasm. Lose tomorrow and the gap will be 7 off City and 6 off Spurs. Lose tomorrow and 4th is starting to become a distant dream.

1. You're probs right

2. Maybe so but I still think they'll make a big signing in January

The rest...we will see. You may think they've acted like mugs, but to me there's no way they are mugs D:

[Arn]

I like that team. Still not sure about two up top, but if we can get N'gog to run the channels and attack the spaces their fullbacks will leave, it'll create some space for Torres to embarrass Gallas

All Tottenham need to do is to play three in the middle and we are ****ed. I think Harry is clever enough to know that.

The telling the players the team the day before the game is simply rubbish tactic by a rubbish manager.

[Rudo]

I expect we'll see Cole on about 70mins when we're three goals behind.

Same here.

[Craig_H]

I agree 4th place is attainable, but it depends who we get in January..we just don't know yet, and we seem to be getting mixed signals at the moment. We're in for a winger by the sound of it though, so any half decent signing could give us a massive boost you would've thought.

Again I think City will do a bit of a Chelsea now and calm the spending, much like Villa

Do we know that the 'slowly-slowly' methods are how they do things? I really don't know. There is an argument for really doing things properly and gradually, but I don't think it will stop them pulling of a real marquee signing in January. Just a hunch.

I think it depends much much much more, on getting a proper manager - and step one is getting rid of the Bodgersaurus Rex. That's the area i'm criticising them for, because they've already let him stay longer than he should be.

"Slowly slowly" is how they're approaching the task of getting Hodgson out. And that's if they are even intending to get rid of him. If they arent, that's even worse than doing it 'slowly slowly'.

I dont think a marquee signing will help much, with this odiously idiotic manager.

[Craig_H]

All Tottenham need to do is to play three in the middle and we are ****ed. I think Harry is clever enough to know that.

The telling the players the team the day before the game is simply rubbish tactic by a rubbish manager.

Surely he'll play a midfield 4 with 2 central, 2 wingers and VdV playing off a striker.

[Arn]

Kenny's chalkboard



To stop wingers, you try to show them the side which is your best and where they aren't as strong. Unfortunately for Liverpool, Gareth Bale hasn't got a weakness.

Show him the inside and he'll sprint down the outside; and vice-versa. That is why teams double up against him and Liverpool do have the personnel to do that. Glen Johnson is one of the quickest defenders around and it'll be quite a sprint down the touchline between them.

If Bale cuts inside, a workhorse like Dirk Kuyt will be there to try to block him. For Kuyt, Lucas and Christian Poulsen, if he plays at White Hart Lane today, it is also important to cut out the service to Bale in the first place.

Even he can't excel without the ball. One word of warning for Liverpool, though. Even if Bale is kept quiet, Spurs have Aaron Lennon on the other flank. No team uses the full width of the pitch as well as Tottenham and that makes it hard to cover the space for opponents.

Clicky

[Rudo]

Surely he'll play a midfield 4 with 2 central, 2 wingers and VdV playing off a striker.

Aye, with 4-4-2 we're leaving ourselves exposed in midfield.

I can't remember a match i was dreading more than this one.

[Craig_H]

With 4-5-1, we leave Torres isolated 3000 miles away from the nearest other red shirt.

The only way we can win this game, is by utilising torres. Given that our midfield dont play high enough to get near him, the only other hope is to play him with a partner, to try and give him SOME support. At the other end, we just need to hope we ****ing defend well, because they'll throw the sink at us.

[Rudo]

Even with 4-4-2 i dont we'll provide him with the service he needs. I hope to **** i'm wrong on that front.

I do like N'gog though, when he's on the pitch i always think he's capable of a goal, however i don't think he's as effective when starting games.
Lets hope tomorrow it's a different story.

[Craig_H]

I still dont see our midfield getting up in support much, but at least with 2 strikers, you occupy both of their CBs and give your front pair half a chance of making something happen.

Torres on his own, and he gets outnumbered, bullied, outmuscled and then turns into a stroppy girl.

[Rudo]

Aye well i suppose so. Whatever formation or personnel, i think it's fair to say we'll be up against it tomorrow. We can't have any passengers.

[SB]

If Crouch starts surely we should have the greek start to compete with him in the air, No ?