PL L FA Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur 2:0 Manchester United

Post-match discussion


Wed, 31 January 2018

Macern

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Worst individual performance since Lukaku cost us the City-game. It’s about time we get rid of the defensive deadwood and sell Smalling and Jones
 

Offside

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De Gea - 6
Valencia - 4
Jones - 1
Smalling - 1
Young - 3
Matic - 3
Pogba - 1
Lingard - 3
Sanchez - 4
Martial - 0
Lukaku - 1
 

Jericholyte2

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De Gea - Fine. Couldn't do anything about the goals. Stopped Kane's shot when offside and not really tested.

Valencia - No attempts to get crosses in. Looked like he was playing for LvG again.

Smalling - Appeared to be playing at half speed.

Jones - Couldn't really do anything about the OG. Was brainless at times but still mad up for it most of the time.

Young - Suprised he didn't get sent off. Counted three over the top challenges in about three minutes.

Matic - Looked exhausted. Very poor coverage.

Pogba - Could tell after 20mins how frustrated he was getting. Tried too much and poor tracking.

Sanchez - Really industrious but shouldn't be needed to be tracking back 50yds.

Lingard - Some good runs but poor passing and final ball.

Martial - See Lingard but had that good shot in first half.

Lukaku - Ball continually bouncing off him again. Still, had our best chances and called for a good save from Lloris

Couldn't believe Jose still thought a 2 man midfield would do when he brought on Fellaini which just compound things.
 

Odeon

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Some of you should calm the feck down. Games like these happen, it's not like Tottenham are some second division team. Chelsea got trashed 0:3. At home. Liverpool lost against the last placed team. It happens.
 

Jazz

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Shaw should be playing from now on. He was doing well and building an understanding with our attacker. Why change that? Young is fine, but has always been inconsistent, plus he's not the future. If we're gonna lose or play crap we may as well be giving Shaw the games.

Also, Jose needs to take Lukaku off sometimes.
 

Catt

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Awful stuff. Mourinho needs to get more from this team.

And I have to put my cat down at the vet tomorrow.

Both things s..k
 

C'est Moi Cantona

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Yep I'm looking forward to the silent treatment, or something ironic or just a sarcastic stare. He needs to explain the Fellaini thing quick sharp
Fellaini is easy, he got injured within a minute of coming on, it was clear, the game however was another matter, Spurs were great, but Jose started with the wrong setup, and never really did much to change it, bad day at the office I suppose, I just hope I don't have to watch us play as badly as that in a good while.
 

meninred

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pathetic performance. I dont think Lukaku touched the ball in the game.
 

Tincanalley

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I think its tough to be too hard on Jones. He is willing and full of heart, if a bit awkward. The second goal was just bad luck. The first on was well worked, but the second was a bit heartbreaking. What a little dog Deli Ali turns out to be.
 

red_john

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People complain when we play 3 midfielders and say we are too defensive. But when we play 2 and loose it's we should of played 3. Jose was going for a win tonight hence the attacking line up. Unfortunately our whole team didn't turn up and accepted they lost the game after 11 seconds. The players keep banging on about wanting to get as close to city as possible but none of them look like they actually care. Sanchez was the only one putting in some effort. The rest can hang their heads in shame.
 

Jazz

Just in case anyone missed it. I don't like Mount.
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De Gea - 6
Valencia - 4
Jones - 1
Smalling - 1
Young - 3
Matic - 3
Pogba - 1
Lingard - 3
Sanchez - 4
Martial - 0
Lukaku - 1
Why Martial zero?! He at least tried when he saw the ball - which was bloody rare.
 

whatwha

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It looks like we are not drilled to any combinations upfront.
This has been evident all season despite us doing well and probably last season too. Not much has changed from LVG in terms of attacking drills, we're still mostly reliant on individual brilliance. Which doesn't often work against the top teams, who we have struggled majorly against.
 

wolvored

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Some simple takeaways:
  • Stop with this ridiculous midfield two - even Stoke tore us apart but luckily Ireland missed two easy chances early in the game.
  • Luke Shaw is a left back with a left foot. Play him. If he's behind Young in the pecking order, sell him and splash on a proven LB.
  • Smalling and Jones are not elite level quality. If Matic is off form (which he always is in a midfield 2) you can literally bypass our entire midfield with one ball.
Other than that, they're a good team and we didn't turn up. We've got a new signing and our front 4 were all over the shop. Forget this and move on - no need for knee jerk comments about sacking Mou or Pogba being to blame but I think the three bullets above are pretty logical.
Fully agree. Next season We need 2 wc or as near as dammit midfielders. One proper DM and a box to box along with Pogba and Matic can come off the bench. He will be 30-31 then. We could also do with new central defenders and a skillful striker but that wont happen.
 

DrRodo

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De Gea - 6
Valencia - 4
Jones - 1
Smalling - 1
Young - 3
Matic - 3
Pogba - 1
Lingard - 3
Sanchez - 4
Martial - 0
Lukaku - 1
Youre being too keen on Matic. He was a sure 0 for me. Missed many passes under no pressure at all. He was targeted the whole game by spurs midfield but it was a shit performance mental wise
 

Fooza

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Again, you keep saying Mourinho can't do stuff so tell me who can and who you would bring in to do the job that you clearly think he is incapable of?

You can't say you support someone then say in the same sentence "Mourinho can't get us playing fluid attacking football". Why do we need to play that way to be successful? Is that the only way to play all of a sudden?
You missed my edit;

I don't support the idea of replacing him, but he really needs to re-evaluate his style of football.

And yes, why is it everytime Mourinho has to either park the bus and sacrifice good attacking play in order to win. And at certain times when he does play an attacking side, it's either the midfield or defence that lacks.

We ain't going to be successful when we going for a PL title or a CL title until he gets it right.
 

Gazza

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Most annoying thing about today is that there were no surprises from Tottenham in terms of how they played just the same result as usual when we play a team that presses us in our half of the pitch. It felt like Mourinho didn't set us up appropriately and the players had a collective night off (save Sanchez who at least tried). Very disappointing but also worrying that it seems to be happening near every time we play a high-press team.
 

Irish_Red

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Said it before, say it again - there's no fecking structure or pattern to anything we do in a lot of these games. The attack just falls to pieces, and our lack of desire to win the ball back when we lose it is shocking. Just fall back, sit deep and wait for the opposition to give it back to us.

System was wrong from the get go, but Jose didn't even bother to change it. Anyone with brain could see we were getting overrun in midfield, but he just refused to address it. Shocking from the team, and shocking from the manager.
This to a tee. We generally win games either only through flashes of individual brilliance or sheer physicality. When this fails against teams who are close to us in terms of individual quality and coached better we have no chance.

Being bottom of the premier league table in terms of distance run epitomises the negative mentality that has been instilled in this team.
 
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First of all, well done to Spurs; they fully deserved their victory. Their midfield three of Dembele, Dier and Alli were excellent, as were Vertonghen and Sanchez at the back. It was an excellent demonstration of pressing football.

From a United point of view, it was terrible. Most of us were happy to go with a front four and a midfield two of Matic and Pogba, though our fears of being overran in midfield proved correct. Pogba has a habit of pushing forward, leaving Matic exposed; and, when there is only Smalling and Jones behind him, it isn't enough. We need another world class centre back and centre midfielder in the summer, if we're to successfully play more adventurously in the tougher away games. City have just spent another sixty million an a world class centre back, whilst we are left with an average choice when Bailly isn't available.

Lukaku, Sanchez and Lingard were anonymous; only Martial looked dangerous. The first half was actually better, despite conceding two crazy goals because of Jones; the second half was abysmal, lacking any fight to get back into the match.

We need to ship out a couple of defenders and midfielders and replace them with one world class player in each area. I would start with Fellaini and Smalling, replacing them with substantial upgrades. This would also allow Pogba to move further forward. He isn't disciplined enough to hold his position in a midfield two, and we don't get the best out of him there. We also need some leaders out there. Where was the fight at 2-0 down? We gave up.
 

Stubble

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Firstly something is going wrong in training...
We can't string 3 accurate passes together again and again ... Spurs passing was quick and concise cutting us apart.
We still passing slowly backwards and sideways or resorting to aimless hoofing too often, little accurate quick attacking passing .
Players not making enough intelligent movement off the ball in numbers...Spurs movement great all over the pitch.
Not pressing the opposition when they're in possession ... Spurs pressed in numbers effectively.

2 man midfield has to be binned now ..Pogba was lost - wandering about not defending but still too far back to affect the game - we desperately need that 3rd effective midfielder (Jorginho?)in the summer (and probably another as well). Pogba needs to freed to make those driving runs and incisive passes further up the pitch where he does damage.
Matic is looking 29 going on 40 at the moment !
Cobblers strategy by Mo today all round.
Don't even start me on the substitutions...
 

Dyslexic Untied

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One of the worst displays I have seen from us. So many poor performances. Pogba poor once again in a game against a top side. Matic poor and unprotected. Central defence was the same story. Hopefully just one of those games that happen once in a while.

Don't think Martial left or right would have mattered one bit today. The tactical error was playing with Pogba in a midfield two against a good side. That really hasn't worked yet. Only bright note is that Chelsea lost.
 

Moonwalker

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To bed a new player in, is always difficult, no matter how good he is. It was always going to be a bit destabilising. Ideally you'd like a run of easy home games to do it, and this is one of the harder away games. Doesn't matter, pick up, dust off and all that.

Little has changed, unless you took the ludicrous view that we were still on for the title.
 

Tribec

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Why Martial zero?! He at least tried when he saw the ball - which was bloody rare.
He tried not to be effective. Not sure how the BBC managed to tweet he was our most dangerous player on the pitch late in the game. I think they may have been suggesting a danger to ourselves. I would have taken Martial off instead of Lingard, at least Lingard offers some sort of defence.
 

Stookie

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Awful. Abysmal. Clueless. Did well to lose by only two goals. Spurs outplayed and outthought us in every area of the game. Considering the players United had in the starting 11 this game was a disaster.
 

wolvored

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He is a decent player. A lot of the performances tonight were as a result of overload, greater committment by Spurs. Three would have held the ground better and Herrera wins the ball well in these situations, has good distribution and is good going forward. On another note, anyone hear what happened with Fellaini?
I dont agree with you on that sorry. He has more bad games than good. He was ok last year, just seems off the boil this year.
Fellaini had an injury before he went on apparantly. Why Mourinho picked him then god knows
 

crossy1686

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You missed my edit;

I don't support the idea of replacing him, but he really needs to re-evaluate his style of football.

And yes, why is it everytime Mourinho has to either park the bus and sacrifice good attacking play in order to win. And at certain times when he does play an attacking side, it's either the midfield or defence that lacks.

We ain't going to be successful when we going for a PL title or a CL title until he gets it right.
You play the hand you've been dealt. You can't get the players we've got to play expansive football. We need much better players on the ball if we're to change the pragmatic approach we have. No one complains when we're winning. Didn't see any complaints during the unbeaten run we just had.
 

The Purley King

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First half we weren’t too bad. Had a few very promising positions but just didn’t pick the right pass. That has been a theme lately....
Spurs goals were a fortunate one after 10 seconds and a jones brain fart.
2nd half was a fecking disgrace. No passion (Sanchez aside) and no desire. Unacceptable.
Spurs fully deserved it but we only turned up for one half at most.
Think fellaini must have been brought on to sit on Eriksen and failed to get close enough even to kick him for 8 minutes
 

C'est Moi Cantona

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I picked Smalling. He saved a few very dangerous situations. Matic was heroic but it looked like Custers last stand. Jesus, but Paul Pogba can be lazy and cowardly by times.
Smalling was awful, he is backup at best, personally I'll be pleased the day he leaves, if he can picked as our best player then you know we've been crap. I couldn't pick anyone we just played badly as a team, Pogba was bad, but the fact he was taken off must point to some sort of injury.
 

Westerkerk

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If we're unable to bounce back or learn any lessons from this shambolic performance then you might as well be done with it and sack Mourinho and half the players while you're at it - It would be unforgivable to play that badly again with the players we have got and the potential we have.
 

Tincanalley

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I dont agree with you on that sorry. He has more bad games than good. He was ok last year, just seems off the boil this year.
Fellaini had an injury before he went on apparantly. Why Mourinho picked him then god knows
That stuff tonight was partly down to individual performances. But it was also a tactical disaster. Clever use of Herrera there would have improved the situtation in my view.
 

Broad Street Bullies

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It's not often you struggle to find a positive performance but I have to say that I didn't see any. Even ddg had the poor clearance in the first half. I suppose it's better they all decide to have a stinker on the same night!
 

Player Ratings

3.8 Total Average Rating

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Compiled from 503 ratings.

Score Predictions

487,71,114
  • Man Utd win
  • Tottenham win
  • Draw

Detailed Results

  • 31% Tottenham 1:2 Man Utd
  • 13% Tottenham 0:2 Man Utd
  • 12% Tottenham 0:1 Man Utd
  • 11% Tottenham 1:1 Man Utd
  • 8% Tottenham 1:3 Man Utd
  • 5% Tottenham 2:1 Man Utd
  • 4% Tottenham 0:3 Man Utd
  • 3% Tottenham 0:0 Man Utd
  • 3% Tottenham 2:2 Man Utd
  • 2% Tottenham 2:3 Man Utd
  • 2% Tottenham 2:0 Man Utd
  • 1% Tottenham 0:5 Man Utd
  • 1% Tottenham 3:1 Man Utd
  • 1% Tottenham 1:0 Man Utd
  • 1% Tottenham 0:4 Man Utd
  • 1% Tottenham 2:4 Man Utd
  • 1% Tottenham 3:0 Man Utd
  • 0% Tottenham 1:4 Man Utd
  • 0% Tottenham 4:0 Man Utd
  • 0% Tottenham 4:1 Man Utd
  • 0% Tottenham 3:2 Man Utd
  • 0% Tottenham 5:0 Man Utd
  • 0% Tottenham 1:5 Man Utd
Compiled from 672 predictions.
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Match Stats

  1. Tottenham
  2. Man Utd
Possession
53% 47%
Shots
22 6
Shots on Target
6 3
Corners
6 3
Fouls
10 13

Referee

Andre Marriner