Tottenham players were largely quiet after Sunday’s 2-1 reverse at home to Newcastle United and it was left to club captain Younes Kaboul to break the silence ahead of tomorrow’s League Cup tie with Brighton.
In the absence of the usual platitudes about bouncing back, the centre half’s comments on the club’s official website are actually well worth reading.
“We need to make our task easier on the pitch by trying to kill the game as early as we can,” Kaboul said.
“Like Sunday, if we manage to score the second goal the game is over for sure. But we have to kill the game and avoid chances against us.
“We’ve no choice but to go forward now. When you get criticism, you have to face it. Every single one of us has to look forward and fight for the team and the club and that’s what we are going to do.”
That type of killer instinct has been seen in the cup competitions, most notably against Asteras last Thursday while the team also woke up after going a goal behind to Forest in the previous round. However, while Spurs seem unable to take the midweek lessons and learn from them in the league, you have to ask whether our involvement in the Capital One Cup and Europa League is really worth it.
You are missing the point here. The mid-week Cup Team is not usually the one that plays at the week-end.
Davies, Fazio, Kane, Townsend and Vertonghen are regular contributors. On the week end they are usually only playing due to injury.
The team needs to find the right spine. Any great side will have dominant players in the central roles. we just do not have it. Adebayor does not dominant the opposing centre halves and does not look dangerous at all. At least when Harry Kane plays he is always looking to get his shots off. Our central midfielders do not dictate the game like the best siders in Europe do and create the opportunities for others.
Our central defenders lack leadership and at times are woeful in decision making.
Chose midfield stambouli and demblele partnership
play vorm, dier, ciriches, fazio, davies, lennon, stambouli, dembelee, lamela, kane and soldado in a 442 formation and watch the rewards . Coys
only change I would make is vertonghan for chirices the rest cant do no worse than sundays farse.
Dier needs a rest, I’d play lennon at right back I’d play my granny before ciriches
Dier could do with a rest I agree, but no one else to cover? dier deserves a start in his preferred postion CB! play ciriches at rb? maybe.
I think we are beginning to wonder about Poch’s priority. Is it top 4, EL, Carling or FA Cup? Team selections tell me that he doesn’t quite know at the moment because if he was serious about top 4, then he would certainly have to play at least half of the midweek players in PL matches. What is our ‘A’ team? Certainly not the shower we have watched at most home games this season. Rose, Kaboul, Lamela, Capoue, Chadli, Mason…Really? Is that part of our ‘A’ team? Never in a month of Sundays.
We all agree that the team lacks a class striker, an eye catching playmaker and an entire defence (except Hugo of course).
The dead slow build-up after winning the ball back is painful to watch. It’s not in our DNA to wait for the opposition to get everyone back and then try and break them down. PACE, PACE, PACE. That’s what we also lack coupled with speed of thought.
I could write a book! Anyway, I better get back to work 🙂
COYS
Tottering Flopspurs!