Ref has a good game, not often you can say that, deserves credit.
Regarding the quotes I posted, just a bit of fun that’s all. Let’s enjoy the win, this isn’t over for Slav hopefully.
Oh and anyone who reckons he’s lost the dressing room, that well known cheap media and pundit phrase, stick that in your pipe and smoke it, it rarely happens imo
I think with the first goal you can blame Kouyate, tbh. Yes, you want one of your CBs to bring the ball out from time to time. But this was the 5th minute. Settle in first.
I like Kouyate a lot, his driving presence is vital when he’s on it. But as a CB his positional awareness and discipline isn’t good, and as a CM when he isn’t in form he gives the ball away a lot. Despite playing well last night overall I would drop him
No-one really knows what was said in the dressing room at half time. Didn’t Slav say they weren’t too downbeat as he felt they played quite well in the first half? - he must have been watching a different game to me.
My view is that it was a magnificent captain’s effort from Nobes himself. He pulled up the whole team by the scruffs of their necks in the second half. One of his real standouts as skipper. Whether by design or not, his altercation with the Spurs player put a bit of needle into a fixture which should ALWAYS have an edge to it. The first half was little more than a Spurs training session. This immediately worked for us and all around Nobes others lifted their games and the rest is history.
How much was this down to Slav - well you could ask the same of West Brom away (Grant) when we were 3 down at half time.
Let’s see what happens on Saturday. But repeatedly we don’t start games with fire in our bellies. You can not rely solely on second half revivals.
Thing is barracks he hasn’t even been that bad this season many have had far worse individual performances but some of our lot have to have a scapegoat
Nick, I'd agree with you Re Kouyate/the first goal although I can understand other people having a different opinions on it.
IMO, in how the system is set up and should be played- as soon as Kouyate triggered that he was pressing up then Ogbonna should've moved across 10 yards narrower to get into a better position to cover as Declan Rice was left with 2 players to mark and in a v.tough situation because of how high the team was it made offside much harder to play. At least If Ogbonna had come more central they could've established a better position to deal with 2 v 2 and delay them until cover arrived; even if it didn't develop how it did, he would still therefore have been in a good position to cover any switch of play wide anyway.
2ndly I'd support Kouyate stepping out but what he did do wrong was he got turned too easily to allow spurs to play directly into the space he vacated; if you are going to press aggressively and step out then you have to either win the ball/ force them back or concede a foul. Kouyate was just a bit naive IMO. It was actually one of the tactical changes made at half time by Slaven, the back 3/5 was too flat we had to be more aggressive, if you were the spare man then you could step out and initiate defending higher up and squeeze them better by adding an extra man into midfield zone. Cresswell played much better 2nd half as a result and was a key outlet for us.
Take the 2nd goal from Ayew; Ogbonna in open play from a counter attack has stepped up and beats Son in the air on the edge of his own box, not necessarily for an attacking edge (though that is how it eventually developed) but defensively it made more sense to go with the man than stand at the back 3 CB's v 1 recognised forward; also Son is an out-ball for them, so by engaging with him higher up and more aggressively you can stop him turning and getting going which stops him in his tracks but if you are doing so, you cannot get turned like Kouyate for the 1st. Ogbonna did it very well 2nd half and at times so did Kouyate. I like the system, it plays to our strengths, reduces our weaknesses and gives a good solid platform to make small but signficant tactical changes if required without changing the whole dynamic.
I'm reading a lot of comments about how this wasn't Spurs' first team. It wasn't our first team either. In fact I think they had more first teamers in the team than us
Comments
I've thought about joining a spurs group like that to 'trade some banter' but I know that after a couple of C words back at me Id get bored
Do we stick with the dreadful team from the first 45mins or the great team from the second 45.
This is the WH team I’ve supported for 35 years...
Totally unpredictable, mostly rubbish but with the ability to inspire...
Fonte – Reid – Rice
Antonio – Noble – Obiang (or Fernandes?) – Cresswell
Ayew – Lanzini
Hernandez
Regarding the quotes I posted, just a bit of fun that’s all. Let’s enjoy the win, this isn’t over for Slav hopefully.
Oh and anyone who reckons he’s lost the dressing room, that well known cheap media and pundit phrase, stick that in your pipe and smoke it, it rarely happens imo
I think with the first goal you can blame Kouyate, tbh. Yes, you want one of your CBs to bring the ball out from time to time. But this was the 5th minute. Settle in first.
I like Kouyate a lot, his driving presence is vital when he’s on it. But as a CB his positional awareness and discipline isn’t good, and as a CM when he isn’t in form he gives the ball away a lot. Despite playing well last night overall I would drop him
My view is that it was a magnificent captain’s effort from Nobes himself. He pulled up the whole team by the scruffs of their necks in the second half. One of his real standouts as skipper. Whether by design or not, his altercation with the Spurs player put a bit of needle into a fixture which should ALWAYS have an edge to it. The first half was little more than a Spurs training session. This immediately worked for us and all around Nobes others lifted their games and the rest is history.
How much was this down to Slav - well you could ask the same of West Brom away (Grant) when we were 3 down at half time.
Let’s see what happens on Saturday. But repeatedly we don’t start games with fire in our bellies. You can not rely solely on second half revivals.
I’ve seen some amazing comments from the Bilic out crew that it was noble that made the difference and he’s why we won, he must’ve had the talk....
Probably the same people that have been slaughtering him for seasons
SMH
You can only call it as you see it.
Perhaps he was being slaughtered because he hasn’t been doing it week in week out or even close to it?
Yesterday he has received widespread praise and rightly so.
http://kumb.com/story.php?id=131765
When Ali and Son did that pathetic celebration, Mark Noble thought “I am NOT HAVING THAT!!”
Did anyone see this as our cup final??
Oh what a beautiful morning....
Oh what a beautiful day.....
I’ve gotta wonderful feeling....
West Ham did Tottenham away! ;quaver
IMO, in how the system is set up and should be played- as soon as Kouyate triggered that he was pressing up then Ogbonna should've moved across 10 yards narrower to get into a better position to cover as Declan Rice was left with 2 players to mark and in a v.tough situation because of how high the team was it made offside much harder to play. At least If Ogbonna had come more central they could've established a better position to deal with 2 v 2 and delay them until cover arrived; even if it didn't develop how it did, he would still therefore have been in a good position to cover any switch of play wide anyway.
2ndly I'd support Kouyate stepping out but what he did do wrong was he got turned too easily to allow spurs to play directly into the space he vacated; if you are going to press aggressively and step out then you have to either win the ball/ force them back or concede a foul. Kouyate was just a bit naive IMO. It was actually one of the tactical changes made at half time by Slaven, the back 3/5 was too flat we had to be more aggressive, if you were the spare man then you could step out and initiate defending higher up and squeeze them better by adding an extra man into midfield zone. Cresswell played much better 2nd half as a result and was a key outlet for us.
Take the 2nd goal from Ayew; Ogbonna in open play from a counter attack has stepped up and beats Son in the air on the edge of his own box, not necessarily for an attacking edge (though that is how it eventually developed) but defensively it made more sense to go with the man than stand at the back 3 CB's v 1 recognised forward; also Son is an out-ball for them, so by engaging with him higher up and more aggressively you can stop him turning and getting going which stops him in his tracks but if you are doing so, you cannot get turned like Kouyate for the 1st. Ogbonna did it very well 2nd half and at times so did Kouyate. I like the system, it plays to our strengths, reduces our weaknesses and gives a good solid platform to make small but signficant tactical changes if required without changing the whole dynamic.
Arsenal vs Chelsea
West Ham vs Bristol City
Bouremouth vs Leicester
;pray
Arsenal vs West Ham
Man United vs Bournemouth
Leicester vs Bristol City
Chelsea vs Man City