Europa League Thread

Ormus

Leinstersqspur wrote: »

Bale, Adebayor, Friedel & Dembele have not travelled to Slovenia. All will be back to face Saints.

No harm I guess, although I woulda thought Ade needed games. Great to hear Dembele will be back.

positivenote

we on the telly tonight?

Hatch99

positivenote wrote: »

we on the telly tonight?

ITV4

Sugarlumps

I predict another snoozefest.

davycc

Sugarlumps wrote: »

I predict another snoozefest.

same here but once we get the win at last its all i want at a bar minimun..

Ill be at 5 a side so ill miss most our match but we boring in europe so far.:eek:


that said COYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! defoe brace please..:D

Sugarlumps

Caulker looks quality, very impressed so far. Wish I could say the same about Sigurdsson.

Sugarlumps

Some of the MRB players may need cosmetic surgery with all the facial injuries there picking up. And there a shít team, who we should be hammering.

SuprSi

Forgot this was on at 6. Anyone outside of Caulker playing well? Is Thudd playing at CB and Verts in the middle?

Sugarlumps

SuprSi wrote: »

Forgot this was on at 6. Anyone outside of Caulker playing well? Is Thudd playing at CB and Verts in the middle?

Not really, well nobody has shined against a píss poor side.

Leinstersqspur

Sandro has put in his usual shift, getting stuck in..

Apart from that its been dire to watch and made even worse having to endure commentary by the miserable Lou Macari!

Sugarlumps

Leinstersqspur wrote: »

Sandro has put in his usual shift, getting stuck in..

Apart from that its been dire to watch and made even worse having to endure commentary by the miserable Lou Macari!

ITV4 is only slightly better.

SuprSi

Tell you what, it's just as well we didn't make it into the Champions League!! I only saw 25 minutes of it, but it was shocking!!

Leinstersqspur

SuprSi wrote: »

Tell you what, it's just as well we didn't make it into the Champions League!! I only saw 25 minutes of it, but it was shocking!!

Huddlestone was nothing but shocking, no energy, slow and cumbersome.

Walker has lost his confidence.

Maribor just parked the bus and looked to counter but we were so flat and predictable. No invention.

Defoe offers nothing to the team except a shoot on site policy.

DamienKilmurray

We have been absolutely terrible to watch this season. No creativity or penetration. We`ve only played good football in spells in games, short spells at that. I hate this system that we`re playing at the moment, it`s boring the pants off me.

Hatch99

Another poor European performance, very disappointing, the defending for the goal was awful.

everdead.ie

Hatch99 wrote: »

Another poor European performance, very disappointing, the defending for the goal was awful.

We just seemed to pass it around the middle for 90 minutes no forward passing at all perfectly summed up by the last two minutes of the game

Hatch99

everdead.ie wrote: »

We just seemed to pass it around the middle for 90 minutes no forward passing at all perfectly summed up by the last two minutes of the game

Such a slow build up is very hard to watch, especially when it's a game we should be winning well. Some of the slack passing was just like Saturday, too sloppy for such players.

everdead, on a side note, what's behind your sig ? You based in NYC? Hope you don't mind me asking.

tippspur

Another half hearted Europa display from Spurs,I know AVB is bigging up this Competition but the players don't seem to be up for it. I fell asleep for ten mins during the first half,honestly.

DubPerryman

I have no problem with poor performances in the Europa Cup once we keep winning in the Premier League.

I don't mean to sound petulant, but what's the point in the Europa Cup?! It's effectively the European version of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. The players can't get themselves going for the match because they are ambitious and professional and the Europa Cup screams "second rate". In my opinion, there should only be one European tournament, adding to the prestige of such a tournament.

The one aspect of Harry Redknapp's management that I agreed with was that he used the Europa Cup to provide experience for the young players - that's all it's good for.

Of course I won't miss a minute of a Spurs match, regardless of the tournament, but I won't fool myself by making comparisons between the team that walks out in Old Trafford in the Premier League and the team that plays on a Thursday night in Slovenia, three days before a big Premier League match.

KingdomYid

DubPerryman wrote: »

I have no problem with poor performances in the Europa Cup once we keep winning in the Premier League.

I don't mean to sound petulant, but what's the point in the Europa Cup?! It's effectively the European version of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. The players can't get themselves going for the match because they are ambitious and professional and the Europa Cup screams "second rate". In my opinion, there should only be one European tournament, adding to the prestige of such a tournament.

The one aspect of Harry Redknapp's management that I agreed with was that he used the Europa Cup to provide experience for the young players - that's all it's good for.

Of course I won't miss a minute of a Spurs match, regardless of the tournament, but I won't fool myself by making comparisons between the team that walks out in Old Trafford in the Premier League and the team that plays on a Thursday night in Slovenia, three days before a big Premier League match.

I don't get this attitude at all, form cannot be switched on and off. Now I did not see the game tonight so cannot comment on the performance but the result is a poor one as was the result last Saturday. The way it is looking we won't have a hope of winning this competition which is a shame because silverware would be nice too.

Sugarlumps

This competition won’t get going until the knock out stages, well if we get there. Bar Lazio who I believe we should of beaten, the other two teams that are left are of an awful standard, so make that three with us included. There was zero creativity last night, zilch.

Huddlestone has nowhere near lived up to the hype that once surrounded him, every year I must say the same thing that he’ll reach his potential. Never going to happen, strolls around like he has lead in his boots.

Sigurdsson, as I said when we signed him I knew nothing about him. Saw him play once against Utd, did fock all. Wish I still knew nothing. I couldn’t tell you if he was on the field or not, and that’s game in game out? If you can’t perform against píss poor opposition then what hope have you in the premiership.

The goal keeping situation is pathetic, needs to be sorted out now. Pick one, you’re the manager, so manage?

Ade looks rightly píssed off, he’s a sulky fecker like Frenchie. I can see that escalating, he looked fit to kill on Saturday. I like Defoe, he’s done his job so far, which is to score. But he can’t play that role on his own, everyone knows that. Why we can’t play both from time to time, why not last night?

The squad is threadbare at the moment, typical injury crisis every year. Without Dembele & Bale we look toothless, nobody else has any initiative going forward. Vertonghen looks the only one capable of creating anything.

Away to Southampton on Sunday, god knows how that will pan out?

DubPerryman

KingdomYid wrote: »

I don't get this attitude at all, form cannot be switched on and off.

Focus can be switched on and off. I'm not saying it's right that we go out and draw with the likes of teams like Maribor or Panathnikos - but I can understand the players sub-consciously switching off for these matches.

Look at the international football scene as a comparison. The importance of international football across Europe has waned due to the importance and value of club football increasing (whether this be in the Premier League or Champions League). The Europa Cup has also suffered as a result of the growth in importance of Champions League - I remember when the Cup Winners Cup was a good tournament to be in. Also, on a domestic front, since the growth in popularity of the Premier League the FA Cup has lost a lot of its prestige. All the above is just a change in tastes and behaviours.

Devo from Dublin

You know we are not playing to our max, when you see the players putting their foot on the ball and pointing to teammates where to run...
gone are the days when we would pass and move and get in around the fullbacks...
Having said that,

Kaboul
BAE
Bale
Parker
Adebayor
Dembele

will all each notch up another 20-30 appearances before the season is finished..
Squad is there, just need to find the right formula.

Steven81

Will Bale and Dembele be back for the weekend?.

Ormus

DubPerryman wrote: »

Focus can be switched on and off. I'm not saying it's right that we go out and draw with the likes of teams like Maribor or Panathnikos - but I can understand the players sub-consciously switching off for these matches.

Look at the international football scene as a comparison. The importance of international football across Europe has waned due to the importance and value of club football increasing (whether this be in the Premier League or Champions League). The Europa Cup has also suffered as a result of the growth in importance of Champions League - I remember when the Cup Winners Cup was a good tournament to be in. Also, on a domestic front, since the growth in popularity of the Premier League the FA Cup has lost a lot of its prestige. All the above is just a change in tastes and behaviours.

I agree completely. These are professional players, but they also realise that the Europa League is a consolation competition and so it is hard for them to really get the adrenalin flowing on nights like this. I would prefer if AVB used it to blood the youngsters because they would be much more up for it and it would be good experience and would rest the first team squad.

Arsene Wenger has also been saying it this week that domestic cups are no longer as important as Champions League qualification.

Apart from all that, we were never gonna be creative without Bale, Dembele and Adebayor. Still not in all that bad a position in the group though.

Leinstersqspur

I think last night showed how thin our squad is at the moment when key players are missing. AVB will probably be drawing Levy's attention to Huddlestone and muttering Moutinho's name under his breathe.

I think he persevered with Siggy to help him find some form (remember he's only 23) and I think he might come good if he gets a few games playing behind Adebayor. The rest of the team was pretty young, think Defoe was the only player over 25.

When you look at the injury list there was little else the manager could have done. Move on, beat Maribor and Panathanikos at home.

yiddo59

Ormus wrote: »

I agree completely. These are professional players, but they also realise that the Europa League is a consolation competition and so it is hard for them to really get the adrenalin flowing on nights like this. I would prefer if AVB used it to blood the youngsters because they would be much more up for it and it would be good experience and would rest the first team squad.

Arsene Wenger has also been saying it this week that domestic cups are no longer as important as Champions League qualification.

Apart from all that, we were never gonna be creative without Bale, Dembele and Adebayor. Still not in all that bad a position in the group though.

In fairness to the prof he would say that wouldn't he

Dublin Spur

such a depressing game in a micky mouse depressing competition

Hatch99

I'd rather win a mickey mouse competition than none at all again mate

Dublin Spur

Hatch99 wrote: »

I'd rather win a mickey mouse competition than none at all again mate

Me too, but the games are so unbelievably dull, especially away from home, don't think I've ever been less interested in a spurs game as I was last night.