After our CL debacle in Lisbon, Spurs return to PL action with the visit of Leicester City. The Foxes have only managed 1 point from their first 6 games and have shipped 16 goals. To Son or not to Son, that is the question. Antonio Conte hinted at rotation during his press conference, but so far he has been extremely reluctant to deviate from the formula that was so successful last season. Players like Skipp, Doherty and Bissouma must be wondering what they have to do to get a game.
Working. Can't watch. If we don't put together a more convincing performance today than what we've seen of recent, it will be discouraging, to say the least. If we don't take all three points ... it doesn't bear thinking about.
Saw them give up 5 to Brighton. Their defense and goalie are pretty bad. Kane scores against them for fun. What could possibly go wrong? Don't answer that.
Team is: Lloris, Perisic, Sanchez, Dier, Lenglet, Sessegon, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Kulusevski, Richarlison, Kane. Perisic at RWB for Royal, and Son dropped. No Romero is strange.
Playing against 12 today - ref falls for the dive and then rules out Lloris penalty save for encroachment. How often do you see that? Quick equalizer from Kane, and now 2-1 with another header from Dier. Let's smash them, please.
Wonder goal out of nothing from Madison, 2-2. A sloppy period of play where we repeatedly made mistakes allowing them to regain possession. Perisic is notably weak defensively.
Leicester a bit unlucky not to be ahead. Aside from a 10-15 spell at the beginning it’s been more of the same. So much went right this summer and it just hasn’t translated on the field. Still early-ish days, but 9 matches in to the season and the second half against Southampton is about the only decent football Spurs have played. As it stands Arsenal are going to cruise next weekend.
We have been terrible defensively and we keep giving the ball away. Sanchez at fault for the first goal by giving the ball away under no pressure then diving in when there was no danger. We had a perfectly viable option at right CB but we loaned him to Rennes. Sessegnon ended the half at right wingback - don't understand why we have Doherty and Spence if they are never going to play.
Bentancur has been particularly poor, he is constantly out of position and when he does win the ball, he just gives it away.
I think we have most of the right pieces to be successful, but for some reason the manager doesn't want to play them or plays them in the wrong position.
This is like old chaotic Spurs games. No tactical genius me, but when your opponent is weak defensively, you should be pressing them. Son, Romero and Royal are on now so close to Conte's default starters.
That was one of the weirdest “routs” I’ve ever witnessed. Spurs looked from good today for 70 minutes and only really looked comfortable after the 4th goal and/or Leicester’s substitutes. You could argue the difference was Hugo being the better keeper. Delighted for Sonny, he was always going to come good. Whether Tottenham do I’m not yet convinced.
IMO Bissouma for Deki was the key change. Gave us much better control of the middle, though they were tiring. If Leicester can play like that more often, they won't be bottom for long.
Agreed, Leicester are not a bottom three club with their quality, but they have to sort out their defending, it was diabolical. After my barracking of Bentancur at half-time, the Uruguayan produced a goal and an assist in the second half, and both were the result of his challenges that won the ball back. (Shut up Golara...). Son's cameo was Michael-Jordanesque in its ruthlessness and beauty. Never piss off the great ones... For the first time, Conte used his squad effectively, making the right changes at the right time. I think this is more of what we had in mind by adding the new signings.
Watched the highlights. Their defense is horrible. Spurs 1st goal should not have been. Spurs 2nd goal - how did 3 players get behind the defense? Spurs 3th goal - what they hell were Leicester doing? And then Son. With all that said, their second goal was quite nice. That's nice to hear. Does it mean he is finally fitting into the squad?
Re Bissouma, Conte mentioned in his press conference that he was struggling tactically. He is still learning Conte's 3-4-3, but I don't think it will be too long before he is up to speed. It was interesting that when he came on in the 70th minute, we were not exactly bossing the game at 3-2 and Conte switched to a 3-5-2. That might be a better fit for him with the extra mid, but it means we can only play 2 up top, unless we use one of the attackers as a wingback.
Good game. I always thought we would win. Their defending was trash throughout and Conte lit a fire under Son's backside and it worked.
That squad rotation wasn't so bad, was it? Still didn't play all that well, but when you increase the goal differential by 4, it can't have been too awful.