Ibn Battuta

He nailed that post match interview. It’s like watching the Obama of football. However, the proof must be discovered in the pudding.

Lads do not seem to be want to be out there on the pitch tbh.

Let your players do what they do best. Its really so simple when you have a world class squad at your disposition. Here lies the problem for me. Just two examples: Kante - playing (and more crucially, is allowed to play by the opposition) as our midfield playmaker is just not good. If our tactical setup is such that Kante is the guy to dicticate play like a Fabregas, Zidane or Pirlo, then we are in deep. He is a ball hawk, a power player, he is not the one to unpick a delicate lock. Werner - He is getting a lot of flack, but I truly believe management is more at fault here. We bought this guy knowing well what he is and is not. He is not an out and out winger. This guy needs to play at the shoulder of defenses or not play at all. He does not have the technique to wiggle himself outside-in like say a Robben. Why is he put in a position where he so often has to do exactly that? Ok I did not follow him in Germany, and I am guessing he has played out wide a lot, but this is not Germany, and we are not facing teams who play high press and high blocks against us most of the time. I could talk about Zouma and Havertz as well, but having just two key players being put in positions that does not pull out the best of them is enough to derail any title challenge, let alone top four challenge. A big worry for me is that by playing this way we are not getting better, or laying groundwork for a future title challenge. We are simply wasting valuable time. Mourinho gets a lot of flack for his boring football, but he is a mastermind of putting the right players in the right positions doing the right things. It is boring and predictable, but you will rarely find a Mourinho team playing at 70% of their full capacity, like I feel a lot of us believe this team currently is. I see Lampard is talking about energy and approaching the game correctly. For me that is a big worry tbh. Anytime a manager focuses on that then something is usually very very wrong. Lack of energy and starting games on the back foot is usually very closely tied to the point above, players not being put in positions where they thrive. A fish put on land will also lack energy and intensity.

When our first corner was a short one I knew we would come out unprepared and lacklustre. Incredible to take short corners when we have been so good on corners and have Giroud and the like up front. Just reeks of amateur hour.

Valid points. But seems to me that someone has given Kante license to roam. If so we can’t blame him.

I don’t know. They run a lot but they are also very good at being in the right place at the right time.

This is so so bad. I believe our tactical plan was based around Hakim. When he went off we were TOOTHLESS in every aspect of our attacking play. Isolated and easy to pick off. Jorginho or someone with some passing ability needs to come on or we are done.

My patience is running thin with Lampard. IMO there are too many shackles being placed on our players because of the coaching. Werner out wide against a team you know is going to play a defensive low block is not worth it. Maybe you get one or two opportunities out wide on the few occasions Spurs commit players upfront and lose the ball. But that does not justify playing your most potent scorer in such an isolated position. Furthermore Werner is utterly ineffective when double marked. He is no Pulisic or even CHO. Abraham is not technically gifted. Yet he was played in the most tight position on the field and asked to play back against goal and do things Drogba does. Why? He can do something productive 1/20 times in that setting. If he was played because of crosses then know that Giroud would have been the better choice. He had some amazing chances. We did do well to contain Spurs lethal counters and credit has to go for the defensive setup in midfield. At least that is something positive.

Havertz would open this game up IMO. Thought he would be key in building our attacks before the game so disappointed he didn’t start.

Tottenham playing at optimal levels while we are stifled. Very good game plan from them so far. It is Mourinho so should expect nothing less.

Thought Mount was excellent. My motm. Also, Zouma is out there looking like prime W. Gallas. Really coming into his own. My worry is how will we find a silky passing CB like Silva? The difference he brings is really something.

It did look familiar didn’t it? https://www.instagram.com/p/CHTT-8sgQyI/?igshid=11beohwb3zjrg

There is hope. I just hope that he finds the remedy in London and not in Madrid or Munich. Still not over that one.

I believe Jorginho would have given us more, even though Kova played decent. It has much to do with the amount of speed we have upfront and that Sheffield would be more wary of pressing us high in the middle when they have to worry about his passing. No reason to fear the passing of either Kova, Mount or Kante from very deep.

Exactly how I want to see Kante playing week in week out. In the thick of things, distributing the ball with decent efficiency and effect. Awesome. Ziyech passing will be talked about enough but what about that first touch??? Wow!! James slowly turning into the underrated story of the season. We have two proper FBs lads.