CHOULO19

Could have rested some ke players in this one before the EL final had we won yesterday..

That's very easy to say in hind sight. No one was calling to bring Ba on before they scored in the 84th minute and chances are, with so little time remaining, Ba wouldn't have scored had he come on. And Torres was not the one missing all the chances, Mata, Hazard and Ramires were.

^^ Which is which?!

A lot of if's in there and the point is that those were not nearly our biggest problems yesterday. You just insist on blame him for the sake of it when he had nothing to do with the obvious reasons why we did not win the match.

Not necessarily. What proof is there that the subs would have scored? On the other hand, we would have surely won the game had Cahill and Luiz not made those silly mistakes and had one of our attackers scored one of those many clear cut chances. But it's just a lot easier to blame Benitez..

True. His best finishes, it seems, are the ones he does at full speed after running the length of the pitch!

True, but we're stuck with him and have to use him.

Give all the stick you want, but just don't say that that single sub in the 86th minute is what prevented us from winning when we practically gifted Tottenham two goals and wasted at least 3-4 clear-cut chances.

But why? Bringing on Moses, who tracks back and and is good defensively was spot on. Torres offers nothing on the wing, not even on the attack. Sorry to disappoint you all, but look for your scapegoat elsewhere..

Because we were winning at the time. Bringing on another attacker and exposing the midfield would have been a terrible decision.

Was worse against Basel, imo, but today he didn't have those individual moments of magic in attack. Completely agree that he belongs defense. Pundits are just riding the trend of praising Luiz in midfield. you honestly think half those idiots know what they're talking about?!

Not saying other wise, mate. My post was aimed at the people putting all the blame on him for not winning and saying he killed our game.

Nope, I didn't say that, in fact I said the sub was idiotic (benayoun one because the Hazard one was forced by injury). But it's not just black or white, Rob. It's not either you hate everything Rafa does or love them all. You can both criticize and give credit when needed. Today he got his tactics right, but made an idiotic sub. Yes, bringing on Ba might have got us a goal and won us the goal, but it also might have not. While we would have surely won the game had we not made those silly defensive mistakes or taken one of the countless chances we got. So, to pin all the blame on Rafa is unfair in my eyes.

You really think that bringing on Benayoun in the 85th minute s what killed our game?! Yes it was a very shit sub, but it's not why we did not win. We did not win because of some amateur defensive mistakes by Cahill and Luiz in one end and our attackers attempting to perfect the art of missing chances on the other. Let's not forget that he also put the tactics that made us control the game for 90 mins. PS: Hazard was taken off because he got injured. Walked straight down the tunnel after coming off.

Said it before, and I'll say it again: This guy is by far our best finisher.

Was slightly better today in midfield, but was still attracted too much to the ball which inevitably lead to huge positioning mistakes and unfortunately one of them cost us two points. Ironically, had he started at the back, we probably would not have conceded the first goal.

I honestly saw that goal coming since Adebayor had the ball in midfield (though I admit I did not see the wonder finish). Garry always makes the mistake of backing off too far. A reminder to everyone of why he can't be our first choice CB.

Deserved to get the win, can't fault the players' effort though. Very proud of the boys tonight, and a draw is not a bad result. We just need 3 points from the remaining 2 matches.

Just exactly where was Cahill backing off to?!

No I honestly think you were posting in the wrong thread when you said he's be a squad player for the pivot! No I completely disagree about Rooney. For me, he walks into almost any team in the world. I always say playing Rooney is like playing with 12 men. He's a forward who also tracks back and gives you an extra man in midfield. I have never seen an attacker with the defensive work rate of Rooney. Not to mention his superior technical ability and footballing IQ. Even when he is off-form in terms of scoring he still brings A LOT to ant team.

Did you post this in the wrong thread?

For years he's been making united over perform. They will definitely miss him.

Opposition Views Here

Ahead of the vital league clash with Tottenham, life-long Spurs fan, Andrew Hallett, was kind enough to answer a few questions about the match. Here is what he had to say: 1. First, how long have you been a Spurs fan? I have supported Spurs my whole life - a family tradition. My dad saw them play against his local team in Cape Town during the 1960s and adopted them as his team. My elder brother followed suit and then me. It hasn't been easy being a Spurs fan over the years, but my love for them will never wane. 2. The main prize is still on the line obviously, but what have you made in general of your season? Was it worse or better than you expected? When AVB took over I convinced myself to be realistic about the new season. I wasn't going to get too upset about results because I knew it would take time for everyone to settle in - and I really wanted to give the new boss a chance. However, in typical Spurs fashion, the season didn't go as I had expected and now I'm biting my nails as we reach the finish line. I would have been happy with a top seven finish, now I'm demanding top four! 3. Much has been written in the papers about how AVB, who did not have a good time here at Chelsea for various reasons, has done well at Spurs. What do you think of what Andre has done at Tottenham? AVB has brought a good balance to the team with his approach. He is a lot more tactically astute than Harry Redknapp, while his man-management skills are clearly a lot better than what was being said during his time at Chelsea. If you listen to the players talk about him, it is clear that he pays special attention to players on an individual level. One of the biggest things for me is the way he handles the media. He is always calm in his answers and never gives too much away - unlike Redknapp. It is refreshing to also hear a manager refer to the team as "us". I think he has done a great job overall and I look forward to many more years with him at the helm. 4. Is there an aspect in your team you think needs improving? We need a regular goalscorer up front! We have lacked a cutting edge at times this season which has cost us points. If we had a genuine goalscorer for a striker we would have clinched third by now. In hindsight, we could also have done with a back-up winger for the times when Aaron Lennon has been out, because we have looked pretty average without him. 5. The race for top 4 will probably go to the last match of the season. How do you rate Spur’s chances and who do you think will get the two spots? I don't think Wednesday's match will be the decider. All three teams have some difficult matches to navigate before the end of the season. We could win at Stamford Bridge and then go to Stoke and lose, so it is difficult to predict. Having said that, I think Chelsea and Arsenal are the favourites, but our own destiny lies in our hands - win all three remaining games and we will finish in the top four. 6. The reserve fixture in the league was a very open game which ended in a Chelsea win. What did you make of that match? And how similar do you think tomorrow’s affair will be? From a Spurs perspective, we simply weren't good enough defensively. Kyle Walker was dreadful that day and we struggled to contain Chelsea's attackers in general. I thought Juan Mata was outstanding and bossed the game. I can't see this one being as open, because Chelsea don't HAVE to win the match. I would take a smash 'n grab 1-0 win all day long, though! 7. A Chelsea win tomorrow would all but ensure a top four finish for us. Do you think Spurs can afford to not win tomorrow and still make top four? As I said earlier, I really don't think this is a decider, the three points would just be a massive boost ahead of the final two games. 8. Bale has obviously been your star player this season. Who else has been a stand-out performer for you? Jan Vertonghen has been brilliant. His technique for a centre-back is incredible. He is classy on the ball and knows how to make a tackle. I think the loss of Ledley King has been softened by his arrival. Hugo Lloris has also been excellent and has saved us quite a few points this campaign. The way he comes off his line to mop up danger is something we have missed for a long time. Lennon has also been invaluable to the cause. He doesn't always get the praise he deserves. His defensive work has been a highlight for me and is something I give credit to AVB for. 9. How difficult do you think would it be to keep hold of your star players, including Bale, if you fail to qualify to the Champions League? It appears that Bale is going to stay regardless of where we finish. I think it will be more difficult to attract the players we need to push on. Nervy transfer window ahead... 10. If you could have one player from Chelsea, who would it be and why? Mata. The guy is class. He scores goals and gets loads of assists. Lennon, Mata and Bale playing together would be frightening! 11. What lineup and formation would AVB likely use tomorrow? AVB is keeping his cards close to his chest with regard to injured players, so it is difficult to say who will be on the pitch in white. If I had to hazard a guess it would be... Lloris Walker Dawson Vertonghen Assou-Ekotto Parker Dembele Lennon Bale Dempsey Adebayor 12. Finally, what is your final score prediction? I think it is going to be a tight match, so 1-0 Spurs. Bale with the goal.

Now just watch Jose take the united job