Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham - Sunday 26th September, 2021

[Inverted]

Turns out that getting out of the Championship with a Champions League-quality midfield and then spending your first season as a newly promoted "minnow" sitting in a 5-4-1 with Neto, Jota and Jiminez counterattacking into half of the pitch isn't really that impressive a job.

Huh.

[Stan]

Just now, Bluewolf said:

Much better from Spurs in the second half but they left it too late to get something... 

I wouldn't say it was that good. They had a spell of about 10-15mins where they realised they should actually do something and eventually did, but that was about it. 

[Cicero]

Had that penalty been given who knows what the outcome would've been. Arsenal took their foot off the gas this second half. 

[Bluewolf]

2 minutes ago, Stan said:

I wouldn't say it was that good. They had a spell of about 10-15mins where they realised they should actually do something and eventually did, but that was about it. 

I didn't say it was good, just better... 

[6666]

That was Arteta's first choice XI and they played brilliantly. Especially in that first half. Shame we're not gonna see that XI again for a while for to Xhaka getting injured.

Obviously doesn't mean everything's perfect, just like losing the first three games didn't mean there's nothing in the squad (especially when you consider two of those games were against Man City and Chelsea, and consider the injuries and new signings still bedding in). Saying that though, this is a good run and hopefully it keeps going.

[Reluctant Striker]

3 hours ago, Inverted said:

Turns out that getting out of the Championship with a Champions League-quality midfield and then spending your first season as a newly promoted "minnow" sitting in a 5-4-1 with Neto, Jota and Jiminez counterattacking into half of the pitch isn't really that impressive a job.

Huh.

He was certainly very fortunate at Wolves. But I did hear local suggestions he was pivotal in recruitment. Ideas & a selling point to new signings.

But then imagine managing Prime Barcelona, Bayern Munich & Established Man City.. and having game changing Messiah status thrown around.

I guess some managers just suit certain type clubs.  Pep wouldn't last long at Burnley. Dyche would probably genuinely scare a few City players. etc.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

Kane has been embarrassing this season

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

Kane has been embarrassing this season

He wanted to go to man city. He has lost his focus. This often happens when players want to go. The only thing that might make him refocus will be if he loses his England place

[Dr. Gonzo]

29 minutes ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

Kane has been embarrassing this season

He's succeeding in lowering his transfer price, at least

[Danny]

30 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

He's succeeding in lowering his transfer price, at least

Obviously this is a joke but this comes down to the poor negotiation of his contract, how he could ever expect to be held so highly after signing a 6 year deal to stay at a club renowned for not being successful is crazy. That deal made him a Spurs player for life, at least in his prime anyway. Trying to leave after that is just disingenuous all things considered.

[Dan+]

8 hours ago, Reluctant Striker said:

This is surely on Harry Kane & the chairman as much as Nuno. His Wolves tactics can't be that incompatible.

The brave call would have been sell & replace.

It's what I'd have reluctantly done. Through gritted teeth & steam coming out my ears.

They now have a star man who thinks the grass is greener up north. Which was Plan A for so many failed managers in TV studios.

This is the almost inevitable outcome.

I feel sorry for Nuno, because he'll be back to lesser fancied mid table seeking suitors soon enough now.

The whole thing was never, ever going to work. It was painfully obvious. I don't think Nuno is great but this job was a poisoned chalice. It's especially bad when the manager was about the 8th choice.

I don't think Spurs qualify for Europe at all this season.

[Dan+]

3 hours ago, Gunnersauraus said:

He wanted to go to man city. He has lost his focus. This often happens when players want to go. The only thing that might make him refocus will be if he loses his England place

Won't happen for another 8 years minimum.

[Inverted]

Kane's record is obviously unarguable but there is something to the way he's treated that I just don't get. I don't get why Spurs and England absolutely fall over themselves for him.

He's obviously a world class player on his day but he is not in that category of players who I would consider indispensable for a club the size of Tottenham or a national team as stacked as England. I don't know why the usual standards of form and fitness just don't apply to him.

It's everything - being brought in half-fit to jog about in major finals for Spurs, being made England captain for no apparent reason, the English media relentlessly sucking him off no matter what - it's all so undignified and craven, and all for a player who just is not likeable, consistent, or talented enough to make it justifiable. 

[Danny]

1 hour ago, Inverted said:

Kane's record is obviously unarguable but there is something to the way he's treated that I just don't get. I don't get why Spurs and England absolutely fall over themselves for him.

He's obviously a world class player on his day but he is not in that category of players who I would consider indispensable for a club the size of Tottenham or a national team as stacked as England. I don't know why the usual standards of form and fitness just don't apply to him.

It's everything - being brought in half-fit to jog about in major finals for Spurs, being made England captain for no apparent reason, the English media relentlessly sucking him off no matter what - it's all so undignified and craven, and all for a player who just is not likeable, consistent, or talented enough to make it justifiable. 

I would say he is consistent and whilst he doesn't have a natural flair his ability to hit the ball is almost second to none, needs minimal backlift to hit some pretty hard and accurate shots. But you touch one on thing, he's not in that top tier bracket of player, a Rooney in his prime or a Didier Drogba.