Muzchap

well seeing as it's likely a 'false flag' episode and Mourinho is the 'false' special one.... I do wonder

Like I mentioned earlier in the thread - I think our 11 men behind the ball confused them massively, they just didn't know what to do. If we could 'actually' counter with precision we might have won the game. That's the biggest problem though - we just rarely look like scoring I think if Remy was available it might have been a little different, but Diego definitely wouldn't have worked as he has no pace, unless he could give and go and then make it into the box... The problem with our approach is against teams where we need to win (and let's face it, we need to win a lot of games) - we do need the ability to be able to change from containment counter-attack, to containment + attacking I'm not sure we have the personnel for the above - RLC would be a good start next to Matic, but that looks unlikely this year. I think we also need to drop Ivanovic, he made a few errors, but it's mostly his inability to attack as team - it means we only ever play down the left and that's easy to defend against. If Baba won't play, then we need a RB and a decent forward, or a better option for Cesc as he is good, but just not athletic enough in the No 10 role and too weak for the Pivot.

Spurs kicked our arse when we were flying with a bang average team last season??? So where's the perspective in that? I get your need to defend our display - but calling for perspective is a little over the top IMHO. And saying no point in scoring two when you will concede. When (against any decent opposition) have we ever looked like scoring 2 goals? I would say Southampton last season. That's the really worrying thing for me - we couldn't score in a brothel right now... So there's no need for perspective, the results don't lie - we are a team that can now defend better, but still cannot string a few passes together and look like scoring. Nothing has changed from *any* perspective

Yeah that's my point and how long will that take? 1 year?, 2 years? More? So we're basically back in 'transition' Great - looking forward to the remainder of the season....

Spurs counter attack? For them to 'counter attack' that would require us to 'attack' They were attacking and we were trying to counter. 11 men behind the ball whenever Spurs had it. I guess I just see the game differently and if this is called 'progress' then I'm devastated as we are truly in a dark place.

I just don't see how we 'were' the better team? The Spuds created more clear cut chances and were in control of the game. The minute Mason went off they looked poor, if he'd stayed on, they might have got something from the game. Yes we looked better than our previous games, but that's not saying much is it? I just don't see a turnaround it's a tiny evolution, not a revolution. We definitely should have signed Klopp - that will be a huge mistake

Kinda disagree (I know what you're thinking - shock / horror ) We did park the bus, it was a case of 11 behind the ball when Spuds had it and look to counter. We gave tgem tons of room until they hit the halfway line. I don't think the Spuds expected that and looked a little lost and confused However, we just don't have any ability to play smooth counter attacking football - we just cannot seem to string 3 or 4 FORWARD passes together, it's a joke. Playing accurate counter attacking football with our squad is like judging a fish on its ability to climb a tree! We definitely need to work out a plan B and go with it. Ivanovic was poor, scared of being caught out of possession so hung back the entire game, that fucks up our attacking shape and makes it even harder when teams press. I'm not going to blame the players, I didn't think they left anything on the pitch. I would however have persisted with Baba and Dave as it gives more natural balance. We need to ditch 4-2-3-1 Our midfield was again bypassed way too easily and you control a game from midfield - we just couldn't do that Yes the Spuds are in good form, but we need to be beating teams like this (Top 7-8 contenders) if we are to do anything this season, or next. The teams we meet in the knockout stages of the CL (predicting we will make it) will be much tougher than the Spuds and just 1 shot on target is absolutely pathetic. Not to mention our inability to exploit the fact that Spuds had 3 defenders on yellows and could have easily lost a couple of players from rash challenges as they were putting themselves about a bit. So for me - it's yet more of the same - never wanted to win, just didn't want to lose and that's a shit mentality for our Club. But hey - I'm a football nobody, what do I know - our manager claimed it was the best performance of the season - lol

Lol little harsh The reality is we were shite. Both their full backs had yellow cards in the first half and their other CB picked up one in the second half. Instead of running at them and trying to draw a foul ( which would have happened ) we just pumped long aimless balls forward to Hazard, who to be fair should be applauded for winning quite a few headers. However, it was a tactically 'naive' situation. We should have had them under much more pressure I guess those praising the clean sheet have a point, it is an improvement - but for me it's not, goals win games and again today (apart from one amazing save) we rarely looked like scoring from open play - this was exactly the same as post Jan last season, compact and not conceding but ultimately shit going forward I don't get the harshness on Cesc, he did OK today - for me MOTM was Begovic - some great saves to deny Spuds. I think it's all been said before - but our attacking play needs work - we just cannot even do the basics properly, always looking for the 'safe' ball instead of trying to penetrate... This is down to attacking shape and movement - something we lack. It seems we can either defend as a team and not score, or try to attack and not score, but lose. It's a head scratcher, that must originate from the training pitch. As for Costa - don't mind him being pissed off TBH - he could easily have come on instead of Kenedy or RLC and we could have tried to win the match, but we didn't and he got pissed off. To me that's fair - a player thst wants to win vs a manager that's scared to lose (despite becoming a specialist of late)...

Mourinho is still fucking useless

Kenedy was a shit substitute

Fucks sake Ivanovic pass the ball instead of just lumping forward

Because he's the special one

Oh look perfect for Willian

Willian off!!! Fucks sake are you mental Take off Ivanovic

Kenedy coming on

C'mon make it count

Actually fucking pathetic second half Two of their full backs on yellows and we haven't run them once We are just running around like a bunch of retards - hitting long high balls forward Just pathetic really - might as well call ourselves Stoke

Story of our season - last year that would have gone in

Fuck unlucky

Elbow!!!!

Fuck off Ivanovic

Fucks sake we cannot pass to save our fucking lives Just absolutely fucking shit Why play counter fucking attacking football if we cannot even fucking pass 20 yards

Matic fucking stupid

Lol that would have been hilarious if Hazard had got in there

Ouch that ankle looks fucked Never like to see that