League Cup Final - match thread

oppiuy

Id argue that we don't have a hope in hell off 4th and id say that 6th is the best we can hope for.

In the summer we need to lose Townsend, Chadli, Lamela and get some real quality in the attaching 3rd. Loris and Vertoghen will move on to bigger teams and possibly Eriksen

Kiith

We're not going to get 4th. We've been far to error prone, and Liverpool/Arsenal look like they are going on a hell of a run. I'd say we'll finish 6th as well.

golfball37

Yesterday only cemented for me that Poch is doing a good job as he really hasn't one decent player to work with. Its a miracle we still have a chance of getting 4th with that squad of players.

Ormus

oppiuy wrote: »

Id argue that we don't have a hope in hell off 4th and id say that 6th is the best we can hope for.

In the summer we need to lose Townsend, Chadli, Lamela and get some real quality in the attaching 3rd. Loris and Vertoghen will move on to bigger teams and possibly Eriksen

Not a hope in hell? You don't think that's an exaggeration? If we beat Swansea at home and QPR away, will you still say not a hope in hell? I think what you really mean is that we won't get 4th, not that we have 0% of a chance of getting it.

Townsend and Lamela are debatable, but how you think Chadli isn't even good enough as a squad player is beyond me. The ol rip it up and start again formula is classic Tottenham, but has it ever really worked for us?

Also, the simple fact is that ready made real quality players would generally prefer to be paid £150k a week and play in the Champions League than earn 60k a week and play in the Europa League.

Hammar

oppiuy wrote: »

Id argue that we don't have a hope in hell off 4th and id say that 6th is the best we can hope for.

In the summer we need to lose Townsend, Chadli, Lamela and get some real quality in the attaching 3rd. Loris and Vertoghen will move on to bigger teams and possibly Eriksen

We can't afford to lose Lloris,Vertonghen or Eriksen.
We have the makings of a very good solid young team when you add in Kane, Mason,Bentaleb etc,but we need serious injections of quality in certain areas.
I think you're being very harsh on Chadli, he is a good solid player,whom provides good depth. I do think we need an upgrade in talent over him on the Left side of that front 3.
Lamela has been an absolute flop.

Sugarlumps

Chadli has seven goals and five assists. He could still make double figures before the season is out.

mickman

Ormus wrote: »

Not a hope in hell? You don't think that's an exaggeration? If we beat Swansea at home and QPR away, will you still say not a hope in hell? I think what you really mean is that we won't get 4th, not that we have 0% of a chance of getting it.

Townsend and Lamela are debatable, but how you think Chadli isn't even good enough as a squad player is beyond me. The ol rip it up and start again formula is classic Tottenham, but has it ever really worked for us?

Also, the simple fact is that ready made real quality players would generally prefer to be paid £150k a week and play in the Champions League than earn 60k a week and play in the Europa League.

chadli has had a good season, he was poor yesterday but he has done well in fairness.

Townsend and lamela though are hopeless

jobeenfitz

I think this is a decent if not in-depth piece.


NORMAN GILLER’S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 60
Submitted by Norman Giller

Norman Giller writes for Spurs Odyssey
An excellent young side being groomed by Pochettino

It’s times like this when I wish I had a cat that I could kick. The defeat by Chelski in yesterday’s League Cup final hurt so much that this old hack seriously considered leaping from the nearest window (then I remembered, I live in a bungalow). It was a bit like watching Madonna crash to the floor. And like Madonna, Spurs must pick themselves up, dust themselves off and start all over again.

They say a week is a long time in politics. Well, in football it can be a marathon of misery. This time last Monday we were talking optimistically of marching into the last 16 of the Europa Cup, cementing our challenge for a top four place in the Premier League and, of course, conquering Chelski in the Capital 1 Cup final at Wembley. I shared with you the thought: “Everything is looking good … or is it a mirage?”

Well, Europe has disappeared before our eyes for another season, the League Cup is decorating the Stamford Bridge trophy room and we have slipped to a dodgy-looking seventh in the Premier League. The only good news is that we get our Thursdays back.

I am thinking of suing Tottenham for making me old before my time. Over the years they have broken so many promises that I feel like a bride continually left at the altar. And I know where I would like to shove my bouquet.

Are you listening Mr Levy? We cannot blame you for yesterday’s defeat. The football gods hissed down on Spurs and seemed determined to make the best team on the day finish empty handed and broken hearted.

But what we CAN blame you for is not supporting Mauricio Pochettino in the last two transfer windows. He has performed wonders with players that he has inherited, without once being able to pick a team that he has bought.

There is a nucleus of an excellent, young side being groomed at White Hart Lane, but Mauricio must be allowed to bring in his own choice of players to make his philosophy work. That will mean a clear out this summer, with the likes of Bobby ‘No Goals’ Soldado, Erik ‘Showpony’ Lamela and Emmanuel ‘Mr Moody Boots’ Adebayor shown the door to help finance the Pochettino Plan.

The final shots had hardly been fired yesterday when many Spurs fans spitefully turned their guns on Pochettino and several of the players. For the life of me, I can never ever understand how Spurs supporters can continually knock Spurs footballers. Constructive criticism I can accept, but some of the vile stuff is completely out of order.

Yet the fans that made it to Wembley were incredible, and continually out-sung and out-shouted the Chelsea choir even after the second goal had fluked its way into the net. That’s the way to support the team, not with snide remarks on line that are undignified and unwarranted.

Let’s give Chelski credit for well-planned, stifling tactics, and admit that – like him or loathe him – John Terry is one heck of a warrior who you would want alongside you in the trenches. There is a lot of muscle to go with the method in this Chelsea side, and we have to bow the knee to Jose Mourinho for getting the balance right. It’s no good pussyfooting around if you want to be winners.

Jose was generous in his praise of Pochettino, and I for one have great faith in the Argentine coach both as a tactician and as a motivator. He will know the players who can make his exciting but risky high back line pressing game work, and he deserves the chance to raid the Tottenham treasure chest to bring them in.

Let’s go flat out for a highly unlikely fourth-place finish, but accept that we must wait until next season for Pochettino to produce a side that can at last bring silverware to the table.

Come on Mr Levy. As Madonna might say: “Like a virgin, open your chequebook for Mauricio for the very first time.”

golfball37

Sugarlumps wrote: »

Chadli has seven goals and five assists. He could still make double figures before the season is out.

I don't care what his stats are like, for me he's a passenger as he cannot use his weaker foot under pressure. There is far worse than him at the club but that should not be a bylaw for being good enough.

Ormus

golfball37 wrote: »

I don't care what his stats are like, for me he's a passenger as he cannot use his weaker foot under pressure. There is far worse than him at the club but that should not be a bylaw for being good enough.

Good enough for what? After Eriksen, he's been our best attacking midfielder this season. But you're saying he shouldn't even be in the squad. He's better on his weaker foot than Alexis Sanchez for example, is he a passenger as well?

golfball37

Ormus wrote: »

Good enough for what? After Eriksen, he's been our best attacking midfielder this season. But you're saying he shouldn't even be in the squad. He's better on his weaker foot than Alexis Sanchez for example, is he a passenger as well?

You need to be special to get away with having one foot, like Bale for example.
Chadli is just not good enough for top level football, I never said he's not good enough for our squad which is sadly where we are at currently.

Ormus

golfball37 wrote: »

You need to be special to get away with having one foot, like Bale for example.
Chadli is just not good enough for top level football, I never said he's not good enough for our squad which is sadly where we are at currently.

But Chadli doesn't play top level football, he plays for Spurs and he's been one of our best players this season.

jobeenfitz

Ormus wrote: »

But Chadli doesn't play top level football, he plays for Spurs and he's been one of our best players this season.

He hasn't played as well as he was since he came back from his fathers funeral, not making excuses, just saying.

positivenote

lloris: class
eriksen: class
bentaleb: class

kane: decent/class
vertongan: decent
chadli: decent

the rest fall in to 3 categories of:
average with potential
not good enough
*****rs who should never wear the shirt again...

mickman

positivenote wrote: »

lloris: class
eriksen: class
bentaleb: class

kane: decent/class
vertongan: decent
chadli: decent

the rest fall in to 3 categories of:
average with potential
not good enough
*****rs who should never wear the shirt again...

not so sure about bentaleb being class- more like decent

Kiith

Bentaleb has the potential to be class, but he's not there yet.

oppiuy

The form books says we were really good since late oct but if you go back over most of those results we were very lucky and didnt play well at all.

Look at the Hull Villa and leceister and Burnley Sunderland and Swansea games. Very lucky to get 3 points in all those games, mostly at home against perceived inferior opposition. That's what i do not think we have a chance at 4th. I think Swansea will take something from the game at the lane and as bad as QPR are i think they will also nab at least a point.

I do think Poch is the right man, i think we can all see what he is trying to do, we just need a little more quality. Hopefully he gets to pick the players coming and going in the summer

Ormus

positivenote wrote: »

lloris: class
eriksen: class
bentaleb: class

kane: decent/class
vertongan: decent
chadli: decent

the rest fall in to 3 categories of:
average with potential
not good enough
*****rs who should never wear the shirt again...

Kane is a better player than Bentaleb at this stage.

KingdomYid

Had a great day at Wembley on Saturday, got the news I had a ticket only a couple of days before and was over the moon. Many a beer and song was shared with a great bunch of lads before and after the match. We played well on the day but Chelsea had a plan for us and they implemented it very well, there was no way Jose was going to ship 5 against us again. I am very positive about this team now and I hope Poch gets the time to add a few of his own players and mould us into winners in the future.

In regards to Nabil I thought he played a blinder. Also just want to say the support from Spurs on our way back to Wembley Park was unreal and as loud as it was before the game, great set of fans we are COYS!!!!