Tottenham 1-0 Man City - Sunday 15th August, 2021

[Reluctant Striker]

IMHO Grealish only ever looked good at Villa when he was out on the left.

Never looked the same player at all from CAM.

I guess Mahrez makes way for De Bruyne at some stage.

But I can only see a Lampard-Gerrard style, they just don't seem right in the same side dynamic with Sterling & Grealish. 1 scores more goals & 1 is more creative. But they do it from exactly the same spot.

[Stan]

19 minutes ago, Fairy In Boots said:

Don’t watch City never will but just came here to see if you think Jack Greedish was a £100m player? 

You should know better than to just judge someone on one game.

[Fairy In Boots]

9 minutes ago, Reluctant Striker said:

IMHO Grealish only ever looked good at Villa when he was out on the left.

Never looked the same player at all from CAM.

I guess Mahrez makes way for De Bruyne at some stage.

But I can only see a Lampard-Gerrard style, they just don't seem right in the same side dynamic with Sterling & Grealish. 1 scores more goals & 1 is more creative. But they do it from exactly the same spot.

City should have replaced Fernandinho and brought a striker, instead they’ve tried to buy a brand with Jack. Half their social media interactions are bots do they want to be cool, it’s not happening though. Pep is going to waste this window, they’ve brought wrongly  a whiff of Arsenal years ago trying to pass it into the net and losing 1-0 in games they dominate statistically

8 minutes ago, Stan said:

You should know better than to just judge someone on one game.

He’ll get pissed off, no doubt will look isolated like he does for England. He should have gone United but it was motivated by money anyway so tough shit for him. 

[Spike]

How long before Grealish starts at LB?

[Inverted]

Sterling has played on the right well for City before, there’s no natural reason why they can’t both play and Grealish can play out on the left. The issue is then that Grealish is then moving inside and blocking that space that Gundogan at left-centre-mid likes to run through to get goals, like he did all of last season. 

So if he plays left wing, drifting inside, then the left sided midfielder has to play a more simple, deeper role to give him space, and the left back needs to overlap to keep the width outside of him when he cuts inside.  

Which would be a tricky adjustment since Guardiola’s system has always been based on the opposite: wingers staying wide, the centre mids being positioned very far forward, and the full backs playing deep and narrow. 

[Devil]

3 hours ago, El Profesor said:

I really hope Haaland doesn´t end up at City. 

One of the best things in football at the present is seeing Haaland run at full speed towards the defenders. That wouldn´t happen at that static City side, he would be wasted as a poacher in a positional system of attack.

Really fancy United to get him now, I had my doubts but the signings of Varane and Sancho have potential to take us up a level and I think Haaland might want to be part of the return of United.

City have to be in for Kane for a reason, why would you go for Kane this summer at such a cost when you know you can go for Haaland next summer.

Plus the money City are potentially commiting to Kane would surely turn Dortmunds heads to sell this summer.

 

 

[Reluctant Striker]

39 minutes ago, Inverted said:

Sterling has played on the right well for City before, there’s no natural reason why they can’t both play and Grealish can play out on the left. The issue is then that Grealish is then moving inside and blocking that space that Gundogan at left-centre-mid likes to run through to get goals, like he did all of last season. 

So if he plays left wing, drifting inside, then the left sided midfielder has to play a more simple, deeper role to give him space, and the left back needs to overlap to keep the width outside of him when he cuts inside.  

Which would be a tricky adjustment since Guardiola’s system has always been based on the opposite: wingers staying wide, the centre mids being positioned very far forward, and the full backs playing deep and narrow. 

I get you in the 1st sentence. Sterling did head in a Grealish cross at the Euro's.

To be fair, I'm not going to be overly bothered whatever they do this season.

But it doesn't quite ring true to me that you seem to describe Sterling as a full back friendly touch line winger in comparison to Grealish.

Just on the Euro's highlights: Sterling cut inside to feed Kane. And was fed through by Phillips, from the centre forward position. While Grealish was providing left foot crossed chances, out wide, on a whim ,when given a chance.

So yeah, they could work together, with 1 perhaps not in their natural best fit position. But Sterling doesn't seem much to me like this Wayne Bridge in a front 3 type I seem to be reading description of.

[DNA]

43 minutes ago, Devil said:

Really fancy United to get him now, I had my doubts but the signings of Varane and Sancho have potential to take us up a level and I think Haaland might want to be part of the return of United.

City have to be in for Kane for a reason, why would you go for Kane this summer at such a cost when you know you can go for Haaland next summer.

Plus the money City are potentially commiting to Kane would surely turn Dortmunds heads to sell this summer.

 

 

It’s pretty much Real Madrid nailed on, especially with them having a big clear out wage wise, and the release clause next summer is well within their reach, after the constant drama around Pogba I’m surprised any United fan would want a Raiola player ever again.

[Devil]

Just now, DNA said:

It’s pretty much Real Madrid nailed on, especially with them having a big clear out wage wise, and the release clause next summer is well within their reach, after the constant drama around Pogba I’m surprised any United fan would want a Raiola player ever again.

The Raiola thing is an issue but I don't Madrid is as nailed on as you think.

The Premier League is a huge draw now and given the financial issues in Spain I think it could draw players to the Premier as I believe we are going enter a period of Premier league domination in the Champions league.

I also think Mbappe will be the man Madrid sign.

[Spike]

Correct me if I am wrong @Storts but this fantastic and optimistic starts to the season means it is going to be a terrible year? That would be very Spurs

[Spike]

Also shame on Levy for not keeping Gareth Bale

[Lucas]

3 hours ago, Storts said:

‘Stayed in the game’ 

We were absolutely exceptional today. Every single one of them did their job perfectly.

Special shout out to Tanganga who pocketed Sterling and Grealish, he’s such a talent and to Skipp. Left a boy and come back a man. Will play for England no doubt 

That was just a different Tottenham. They were fitter and better drilled. We had intensity. We wanted to go forward and put pressure on them. The atmosphere was electric at times and the whole club felt together with a real desire to beat a club that have spent all summer trying to destabilise us. 
 

Absolutely buzzing after that start. Just what the club needed. 
 

Are you watching Harry Kane

Tanganga did have a good game and handled himself very well against two tricky opponents. I did think he was lucky to avoid a booking first half though. He must have had a final final warning for persistent fouling when the referee called Lloris over.

For me, you showed intent first half and grew in confidence but the quality in the final third was pretty abject.

Then it's almost as if you'd had a chat at half time, knew the game was there for the taking and realised City had Ake and Mendy in defence. You looked more prepared to run at them. You saw the difference with Son for the goal, he finally took on Ake and reaped his reward.

I actually thought Bergwijn should have made it more comfortable for you but he unfortunately bombed that chance.

Lucas Moura deserves great credit today too. Dunno what kind of pre season he has had but I thought he was honestly on fire at times today when he was on the ball gliding past players so effortlessly.

[6666]

Tottenham should bring back Pochettino. It was easier to hate him and the stupid things he'd say. Nuno is unfortunately quite likeable.

[Danny]

5 minutes ago, 6666 said:

Tottenham should bring back Pochettino. It was easier to hate him and the stupid things he'd say. Nuno is unfortunately quite likeable.

Nuno slander has stopped pretty quickly. Spurs looked really good today.

[6666]

1 minute ago, Danny said:

Nuno slander has stopped pretty quickly. Spurs looked really good today.

I never understood the hesitation/criticism over getting Nuno. Thought Tottenham and Everton would've been fighting over him.

[DNA]

2 hours ago, Devil said:

The Raiola thing is an issue but I don't Madrid is as nailed on as you think.

The Premier League is a huge draw now and given the financial issues in Spain I think it could draw players to the Premier as I believe we are going enter a period of Premier league domination in the Champions league.

I also think Mbappe will be the man Madrid sign.

Real Madrid’s situation isn’t as bad as Barcelona and they have a good relationship with both Raiola and the Dortmund board, Benzema turns 34 in a few months and Haaland’s release clause brings everything down to a wage-war. Mbappe can’t replace Benzema, they need a centre forward. 

We’ll see.

[Happy Blue]

Yeah, no surprises today after seeing us against Leicester, it will be a few weeks before we are at full strength and playing like we can, Kane was a big miss for us today, think we would of won with a striker on the field

[Happy Blue]

1 hour ago, DNA said:

Real Madrid’s situation isn’t as bad as Barcelona and they have a good relationship with both Raiola and the Dortmund board, Benzema turns 34 in a few months and Haaland’s release clause brings everything down to a wage-war. Mbappe can’t replace Benzema, they need a centre forward. 

We’ll see.

Haaland is coming to City

[Waylander]

5 minutes ago, Happy Blue said:

Haaland is coming to City

I wouldn't be surprised if he goes to Bayern to replace Lewandowski.

However if silly money is offered that could get interesting.................

[Dr. Gonzo]

Haaland is going to City or PSG - the clubs that would win a wage war

[Devil-Dick Willie]

54 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Haaland is going to City or PSG - the clubs that would win a wage war

Is that what it's all about though? 

Diminishing returns is a principle a footballer might be too dumb to understand, but he'll have family and agents around him. There comes a point where the difference between earning 300 and 400k a week is just not practically different for his quality of life, but the way fans, media and his team bond with him is. 

I'd go to Bayern or Liverpool were I he. 

[Spike]

14 minutes ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

Is that what it's all about though? 

Diminishing returns is a principle a footballer might be too dumb to understand, but he'll have family and agents around him. There comes a point where the difference between earning 300 and 400k a week is just not practically different for his quality of life, but the way fans, media and his team bond with him is. 

I'd go to Bayern or Liverpool were I he. 

Nah, he has bitched the Bundesliga. He needs a new scalp, Atletico or an Italian club for me. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

2 hours ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

Is that what it's all about though? 

Diminishing returns is a principle a footballer might be too dumb to understand, but he'll have family and agents around him. There comes a point where the difference between earning 300 and 400k a week is just not practically different for his quality of life, but the way fans, media and his team bond with him is. 

I'd go to Bayern or Liverpool were I he. 

I agree with you… but I doubt Raiola’s gonna be of the same opinion

[Storts]

8 hours ago, Spike said:

Correct me if I am wrong @Storts but this fantastic and optimistic starts to the season means it is going to be a terrible year? That would be very Spurs

Almost certainly yeah