Match week 32 gamethread

Jimy Hendrix

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Jun 15, 2002
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I get the defensive problems since the defenders Spurs are playing aren't very good. But a squad with Kane, Son, Lucas, Dele, Lo Celso, Bergwijn, Ndombele, Lamela, etc. should be able to construct a more dangerous attack.
It has been a problem for this squad even in happier times. This game offensively reminded me a lot of those troughs of form Spurs would have even in the Good Poche seasons, where they'd just have aimless, thrustless possession for most of the game.

The defense has just been a multi-year process of degeneration on the backline. They went from elite FBs/elite CBs to average FBs/elite CBs and now they've arrived at "nobody's consistently above average on the whole backline".
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
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City and Pool age both come out strong, Liverpool a little more so. Very entertaining.
 

67YAZ

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Lots of wrestling, but Sterling doesn’t go down until he’s lost the angle on his shot. Weak.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
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Jul 22, 2006
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Falmouth
Possibly some makeup for not calling VVD on Debruyne...Sterling was held up but dropped. Against the run of play.

Pool looking much more dangerous so far...the press is effective and they're destroying City's high line. City's issue is that when they do get past the midfield, they've just had shitty pass after shitty pass. Mendy getting through for the cross was the only non-Debruyne offesne they've mustered.
 

67YAZ

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Possibly some makeup for not calling VVD on Debruyne...Sterling was held up but dropped. Against the run of play.

Pool looking much more dangerous so far...the press is effective and they're destroying City's high line. City's issue is that when they do get past the midfield, they've just had shitty pass after shitty pass. Mendy getting through for the cross was the only non-Debruyne offesne they've mustered.
And KDB hasn’t been at his sharpest yet. I keep holding my breath when gets a touch, but his control has been a little slack (by his standards).
 

bosox4283

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Mar 2, 2004
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For City fans (or any follower): how has Rodri(go) been this year? Is he the player you wanted or expected? I almost forget that he was on Atletico last year -- he's talented and has a bright future but I'm not sure the club missed him this year.
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
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I forgot that the Sterling-Gomez thing was personal. Sterling gets his vengeance.
 

67YAZ

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Bully for City. They're proving a point. Next seaosn should fantastic.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
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Jul 22, 2006
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Next seaosn should fantastic.
This is truth. And the nice thing is I think there's a legit chance that someone else may join the top two...Can see United adding a CB and maybe one more up front, Chelsea having so much attack that their D doesn't matter, Leicester regaining form, and even Wolves taking a step forward.

Although on the flip side, if City's ban gets upheld, there may be an exodus from there and Pool gets a free run out.
 

teddykgb

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Jul 16, 2005
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For City fans (or any follower): how has Rodri(go) been this year? Is he the player you wanted or expected? I almost forget that he was on Atletico last year -- he's talented and has a bright future but I'm not sure the club missed him this year.
He hasn’t been what I’d hoped. Thought he’d have more passing range than he has displayed and he seems to have gotten slower all year. He hasn’t been bad but he’s got a longer way to go than I thought to be in the vicinity of Busquets.

it hasn’t helped that there have been so many injuries at CB and he’s often been paired with Gundogan who is also slow and likes to play the same short sideways passes.
 

coremiller

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Jul 14, 2005
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To me this has been a problem for Spurs playing against teams with a conservative approach; early on in the game Sheffield moved a lot of players forward and Spurs created some chances and looked dangerous on the break. However, after the first Sheffield goal they became more defensive and then Spurs had a real problem. The strategy of funneling balls to Aurier on the wing is a lost cause. His service is terrible, especially if he needs to get the ball in the air and over a defender or two. Most of the time his attempts to find Kane or another attacker don't even come close, but it is still the default against teams that are packing the box and giving space on the wings.

He didn't really play a good game, but this is why I like Lucas on the team. He has the ability to take on defenders and aggressively tries to make things happen without deferring to lost balls coming in from the wing. Even the VAR goal, he just went at defenders and made something happen, getting fortunate that the ball bounced right to Kane for the goal, but that doesn't happen if you aren't aggressive.
Some of this is tactics and coaching though, isn't it? if the defense is clogging the center, why aren't Spurs trying to overload the wing to get a 2v1 vs. the fullback, so they can get a player down near the byline for a cutback, like Sheff Utd did for their first goal? You rarely see Spurs attacking the wide half-spaces with multiple players. Why is Aurier always so isolated?