Tottenham Hotspur FC 2013/14

[nakamura]

I thought the Alli goal was a typical it's an English lad so let's overhype it. Good goal, it wasn't the second coming though. I was expecting a lot more.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Anyway, Vardy only had to beat Mignolet, how hard can that be?

Sadly, you're not wrong.

[EJG1980]

I thought the Alli goal was a typical it's an English lad so let's overhype it. Good goal, it wasn't the second coming though. I was expecting a lot more.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one then! Although it's possible I may have gone a tad too far by commissioning that new Dele Alli version of the bible

Sadly, you're not wrong.

Just a silly jokey comment really, but having had a few keepers at Spurs whose form descended into chucking it into the net territory, you have my sympathy! I'm sure Klopp will be looking to upgrade in the summer.

[TonyDA]

Well, this great run continues. I saw how Watford had set up - 5-4-1 - and thought to myself 'we'll struggle to break them down' so really happy with a win. Sounds like we controlled the game and it took another bit of Alli magic to help us out.

BIG game next week - I was watching the Man City vs Leicester game earlier and, at 3-0, was saying 'don't score another one!' I'm sure City will be desperate to get back to winning ways anyway, but couldn't help thinking that the last thing we needed was a complete thrashing for City.

I also don't know what to concentrate on - Spurs consistently picking up points to cement a place in the top four, or to keep winning to keep a title winning dream alive. As a Spurs fan all these years, I'm just not used to it!

[EJG1980]

It was a real bus parking by Watford today, three shots from them in the whole match. First half we dominated but without quite finding the final ball (some beautiful passing build up play at times though) aside from one good chance for Kane and a couple of times when Ben Davies broke into the box. Second half we carried on with the dominance but started getting into much more dangerous positions and thankfully finally got the breakthrough. A tight scoreline, but a fully deserved three points.

Special mention for Trippier today. Even without the goal he was man of the match, one of the best full back performances I've seen this season, a constant threat down the right hand side. I think he's been a little unlucky not to start a few more matches this season.

[EJG1980]

I also don't know what to concentrate on - Spurs consistently picking up points to cement a place in the top four, or to keep winning to keep a title winning dream alive. As a Spurs fan all these years, I'm just not used to it!

I'm trying not to think about it We're great to watch right now and I'm trying to just enjoy each match in isolation. It's getting harder and harder to do that though the longer we stay up there!

I reckon that's the way the actual team should look at it too. I've always thought that, whatever your target is, the best approach is to just keep it as simple as possible: don't think about anything other than the next match and just go out and try to win it.

[fallenangle]

Saw it on MotD and from the hightlights the only surprising thing was that we didn't score more than one goal. Very useful win what with Man. City getting done over and it makes our Man.City match even more interesting than it was before. But unless Leicester do hiccup it is going to be tough job reeling them in.

Have to mention ex-Spurs Aaron Lennon now getting more regular outings with Everton showing the sort of form that those players sidelined by Spurs are capable of if actually given a chance to play. On that subject: Gilfi Sigurdsson scored again for Swansea today and Andros Townsend had what looked like a good debut for Newcastle.

[Mayhem]

I think given the three games us Foxes have had against Spurs this season, you guys more than deserve CL football next year. It's going to be an interesting run in for sure! If we avoid defeat against Arsenal (and let's face it, THAT Arsenal side at the time demolished Man Utd the following week but have gone off the boil since) then it's game on...

[EJG1980]

Have to mention ex-Spurs Aaron Lennon now getting more regular outings with Everton showing the sort of form that those players sidelined by Spurs are capable of if actually given a chance to play. On that subject: Gilfi Sigurdsson scored again for Swansea today and Andros Townsend had what looked like a good debut for Newcastle.

I'm not surprised Lennon and Sigurdsson are doing well as they're good players, but them doing well for their new club doesn't automatically mean we were wrong to let them go.

You can only have so many players in the squad / team. If we had played Sigurdsson every single week you have to leave someone else out, so then maybe Eriksen gets much less playing time and because of that he wants to leave. Then we'd be sitting here talking about Eriksen doing well at his new club and wondering what he'd have done if he'd played week in week out for us. Or maybe they both play every week and Dele Alli never gets his chance to play. You can never tell how it'll pan out.

I'm glad they're doing well (I always want ex-Spurs to do well, and I hope Andros does well up at Newcastle) but I wouldn't take them back in exchange for any of the players in our current squad, I'm very happy with what we've got. I trust Poch's judgement that the players we've kept ahead ahead of the ones we've let go are a better fit for his team and the way he wants us to play.

[EJG1980]

I think given the three games us Foxes have had against Spurs this season, you guys more than deserve CL football next year. It's going to be an interesting run in for sure! If we avoid defeat against Arsenal (and let's face it, THAT Arsenal side at the time demolished Man Utd the following week but have gone off the boil since) then it's game on...

I felt really dirty cheering it but that Chelsea equaliser yesterday was great for us Gives us a seven point gap to fifth place now, very very handy, but what counts is what the points totals are at full time of 15th May 2016. The season so far means nothing if we don't keep it going.

Next weekend is going to be huge. You vs Arsenal and us vs Man City. Personally I hope the Leicester and Spurs run away with it and make it into a two horse race (with Spurs ending up 1st and Leicester 2nd, of course!) but I doubt fate will be that kind!

As long as we give a good account of ourselves, and stay in there fighting until the end, I'll be happy and proud. If we give it our best shot and others are better, then fair play to them. Fingers crossed though that we can celebrate something special at the end of the season Good luck to you too.

[fallenangle]

I've always felt that Gilfi Sigurdsson was or would have been the natural squad stand in for Christian Eriksen. So much of Spurs ' play goes through Eriksen. Even though some pundits are complaining he hasn't scored enough this season his assists and contributions in the build up to many of the goals has been very important.


Moussa Dembele who Poch tends to use when Eriksen isn't playing is not the same sort of player, more physical and better defensively but not as creative. Sigurdsson is a much closer fit and if we still had him I think rotating him and Eriksen would have kept both fresher and as such enhanced the squad.

Water under the bridge now and we've bought in other players who can do a similar job but it still irks me that someone so good was sidelined and then dumped.

[EJG1980]

I think Eriksen's goal tally has dropped off due to Dele Alli often occupying the space further up the pitch just behind Harry Kane, so Erkisen is dropping back and getting on the ball in deeper positions than he was last season, and thus doesn't get into shooting positions as often.

You're right, those pundits just looking at his goal return are missing the point, he's such a good player and the majority of his good work has nothing to do with sticking the ball in the net. Eight assists and only Ozil has more "key passes" than him this season. More generally, our play just seems to "knit together" better when he's on the pitch. Subtle excellence.

It would be interesting to see what would have happened had Gylfi been a first choice player in our current team, it's a shame there's no way of knowing! I'm sure he'd have done very well.

[fallenangle]

Perfect Arsenal v Leicester result for us and the fight for the Premiership top spots in general I think. If Leicester had won they'd be eight points ahead of both us and Arsenal. It would be a must win against Man City but now we can afford a draw and it wouldn't be disastrous. However a win and we'll maintain second place on GD but, along with Arsenal, only two points behind Leicester.

Fingers crossed but I'm certainly not counting any chickens yet.

[toythatkills]

BREAKING NEWS: Tottenham fan describes Arsenal win as a "perfect result"

[parkinho]

It was a real bus parking by Watford today, three shots from them in the whole match. First half we dominated but without quite finding the final ball (some beautiful passing build up play at times though) aside from one good chance for Kane and a couple of times when Ben Davies broke into the box. Second half we carried on with the dominance but started getting into much more dangerous positions and thankfully finally got the breakthrough. A tight scoreline, but a fully deserved three points.

Special mention for Trippier today. Even without the goal he was man of the match, one of the best full back performances I've seen this season, a constant threat down the right hand side. I think he's been a little unlucky not to start a few more matches this season.

Glad that Trippier seems to be making a positive impression when he gets the chance. Was a class act for Burnley before he joined you boys.