Spurs at home Sunday 15th March at 4:30 pm

[Exiled_red]

We are 5th somehow

We are but this is our easier run of fixtures...

[danperkins]

We are 5th somehow

We all know why because the league is genuinely awful, another season we are mid table fodder.

[peterbread]

Every year it’s a stumble for the last champions league spots and who can scrape through.

[Slinky Skills]

Lol

[ame]https://twitter.com/i/status/2033219293559550012[/ame]

[BobTheCharmer]

We all know why because the league is genuinely awful, another season we are mid table fodder.

We were the worst champions in living memory and arsenal will beat us to that accolade this season. There is a trend and whether that's the killjoy that is var, the influx of mercenaries or managers with **** philosophies, or a combination of all three, who knows. The game is dying in front of us. The presenters won't let on, it's what pays their wages, but it's there for all to see.

[danperkins]

We were the worst champions in living memory and arsenal will beat us to that accolade this season. There is a trend and whether that's the killjoy that is var, the influx of mercenaries or managers with **** philosophies, or a combination of all three, who knows. The game is dying in front of us. The presenters won't let on, it's what pays their wages, but it's there for all to see.

Yeah all about trying to keep the premier league brand alive and kicking when we can see football is dying a slow death. I can see myself not giving a **** in a few years to be honest, it's a nice distraction but there's no soul in it anymore.

[Charly]

We all know why because the league is genuinely awful, another season we are mid table fodder.

I dont think it is awful, but other teams know you can make up a skill difference with athleticism. We used to press teams into oblivion. Cant really complain now when our team plays like a bunch of pussies.

[Kenneth]

Spurs are the worst team in the division at the moment, no confidence, they hate the manager and half of their team is injured. The epitome of 'there for the taking'. It's ****ing depressing.

[danperkins]

I dont think it is awful, but other teams know you can make up a skill difference with athleticism. We used to press teams into oblivion. Cant really complain now when our team plays like a bunch of pussies.

Imo we are at an all time low footballing standard in the Premier league.

[peterbread]

Spurs are the worst team in the division at the moment, no confidence, they hate the manager and half of their team is injured. The epitome of :there for the taking'. It's ****ing depressing.

And the only goal we could score was from a free kick their keeper probably should have saved.

[kingfunk]

And the only goal we could score was from a free kick their keeper probably should have saved.

It was a howler.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I dont think it is awful, but other teams know you can make up a skill difference with athleticism. We used to press teams into oblivion. Cant really complain now when our team plays like a bunch of pussies.

Think you and Dan are both right.


Dan is right imo that it is poor and by that I take it to mean in terms of playing actual football that resembles football, decent tactical battles and high levels on skill on display in at least a good number of games most weeks. All of those things are missing and as such the league is of poorer quality in some respects as a result. It's grok ball week after week and the teams that used to play decent footy are now in a race to the bottom to get down to the groks.



Think you are right in that strength and pace have become king and most teams now play in a more attritional and agricultural style and can afford to buy the strongest, fastest, roughest and most cynical players. The league is now stacked with teams that are first and foremost fast and strong and that simply kill all space to play football in. The game is just about winning yards and set pieces. Arsenal are excelling because they got in on the cynical **** house style ahead of the curve and as such have had the time to assemble an expensive Pulis ball team that is not settled into that style before anyone else has caught up.


Everyone from 20th to 4th, maybe 3rd are fair game against each other and games are just about who can out stalemate, out run, out muscle and out dive the other the most on a given game week.

Even City are showing signs, more and more in recent months, of being dragged down into the mire where playing actual pressing or flowing football goes against you.

At Liverpool we are in a position, imo of course, where no manager could come in right now and make our team look good. Now maybe in the summer a new guy could come in and make us look good if he was able to get enough of the right players in during the summer, but right now I don't buy that a new guy would bring a substantial bounce.

My reason for saying that is because we are lacking in pace and lacking badly in athleticism in midfield and on the flanks (Rio excluded).

We have some at CB but even that is waning, we have some at FB in Frimpong and Kerkez, and we have one up front in Ekitike.

But MacAllister, Salah, Gakpo, Chiesa, Jones, VVD, Robertson, Nyoni, Wirtz, Gravenberch and Endo are all lacking in one of pace, athleticism and mobilty, all three in the case of some.

Now Wirtz I will give a pass as he was not brought in to add athleticism. He is a lock picker and a creator, and he very much has those qualities to a high level and should thrive if we surround him with players that have the mobility and smarts to be picked out by him.

Gravenberch I give a pass as he has enough athleticism to get by as long as he is not expected to be the one being the main man in the middle. Jones the same in that with more athleticism around him he has the skills to compliment such players.

Chiesa and Endo lack athleticism/pace but both are game and will try hard however if they do not get game time then they don't count.

VVD is not the CB he once was. He is still a very good player but is now one that needs to have a partner at CB that can cover for him when needed instead of being expected to be able to cover and carry other players.

MacAllister and Salah are just muck theses days in terms of athleticism. Nowhere near the level needed by a lesser team let alone one that wants to remain near the top and tbh it is amazing we are as high in the league with those two getting so many starts. Be shocked as well if any team wanted to spend a lot of money buying either from us.

Gakpo kind of falls into the same boat as MacAllister and Salah, though still think he could be a quality back up player to a beter wideman.


So bring in a new manager tomorrow and he has loads of players that simply cannot out run, outfight and out **** hawk the teams we are meeting between now and the end of the season. Think we would just see more of the same as we are seeing now.


We want to change then we need to do it come the summer imo. New manager then (and not a head coach set up like we have now), new players (ones that have pace/mobility and athleticism to go with skill) and demote a number of our current starters to being back ups and if they do not like it then let then go elsewhere and stink other teams up.

Just think it would be pointless to change now as the new guy would have the same tools to use and all the same weaknesses compared to other teams with no way to improve them.

[Kenneth]

By the way, what are these stupid goal kick routines where we have several defenders around the box and have Virgil take the kick?

[Mark79]

By the way, what are these stupid goal kick routine where we have several defenders around the box and have Virgil take the kick?

Alisson is prone to muscle/hamstring injuries so we're protecting him by having Virg take the goal kicks.

[Exiled_red]

Spurs are the worst team in the division at the moment, no confidence, they hate the manager and half of their team is injured. The epitome of 'there for the taking'. It's ****ing depressing.

The games against the bottom 6 or 7 are where hou really need to be picking up alot of points, in our 13 games against bottom 7 we are W6 D4 L3, that's 22 points out of 39. Which is at least 10 points less that we should be looking for from those games which despite everything else this season would put us comfortably in the CL places.

Our home record in those games is abysmal: Lost to Forest, Drew with Burnley Leeds, Spurs only beat West Ham and Wolves (with Palace still to play) 9 points out of 18.