closed Barcelona 1-2 Chelsea

[Atomiswave 6,072]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Some may argue that the fact Poch has won fuck all is because he never sticks with a philosophy 

Possibly.....but I think a bigger factor is he lacks depth and quality to last the season and fighting on 4 fronts. He is quality though as hard as it is to admit.......at the end of the day fuck'em.

[Jase 43,479]

Just now, Atomiswave said:

Possibly.....but I think a bigger factor is he lacks depth and quality to last the season and fighting on 4 fronts. He is quality though as hard as it is to admit.......at the end of the day fuck'em.

Maybe but Pochettino's constant dismissal of the League Cup and FA Cup is baffling, especially when he hasn't won a trophy and Spurs haven't won a trophy since 2008 (long it may continue!). They're good enough to win those domestic cups but Pochettino has never taken them seriously.

[Tomo 21,681]

5 hours ago, Robchels said:

Don’t read too much into it. Friendlies, even against stronger opposition, are for preparation only.

Tackles are very light (to nonexistent) and players have a lot more time on the ball.

players who are doing ok now may struggle at the real thing. It serves well to show what does Not work tho.

I don't read too much in results as teams are often muddled up (for example had we lost 1-3 after bringing on the scratch side i would have been happy as our best side "won" 1-0).

However performances and patterns of play can give us real clues in what is to come, for example the 15/16 pre season it was very clear we were in big big trouble and so it proved.

[Tomo 21,681]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

Maybe but Pochettino's constant dismissal of the League Cup and FA Cup is baffling, especially when he hasn't won a trophy and Spurs haven't won a trophy since 2008 (long it may continue!). They're good enough to win those domestic cups but Pochettino has never taken them seriously.

Tbh I don't think he's done particularly bad in the domestic cups, every season bar one he's made atleast the semi in one of them.

For me personally the mentality of the club is a much bigger factor compared to who the manager is when it comes to getting over the line (case in point Sarri breaking his trophy drought with us or City winning the league with Pellegrini who's best trophy in Europe prior was the intertoto cup). It's very rare a manager shifts the culture of a club on his own, whether that's for the good (Jose at Chelsea) or the bad (Moyes at United).

Great managers will get clubs in strong positions to win trophies (as Pochettino has done) but that final push is mainly down to the nerve and mentality of the guys on the pitch.

[Jase 43,479]

Just now, Tomo said:

Tbh I don't think he's done particularly bad in the domestic cups, every season bar one he's made atleast the semi in one of them.

For me personally the mentality of the club is a much bigger factor compared to who the manager is when it comes to getting over the line (case in point Sarri breaking his trophy drought with us or City winning the league with Pellegrini who's best trophy in Europe prior was the intertoto cup). It's very rare a manager shifts the culture of a club on his own, whether that's for the good (Jose at Chelsea) or the bad (Moyes at United).

Good managers will get clubs in positions to win trophies but that final push is mainly down to the nerve and mentality of the guys on the pitch.

True but I don't think Pochettino has done any favor to that by constantly playing down the chances to win trophies, the two trophies that are easier for them to win than the other two. 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,776]

On 23/07/2019 at 3:03 PM, Vesper said:

Bulka is not that good at distribution

only reason he gets people excited is he is 1.99m

if he was all that and a bag of chips we would have binned Willie and handed the backup GK kit to him

in terms of young Polish keepers

 I would take Bartlomiej Dragowski over Bulka all day long

 

We, or perhaps I should say "I", don't know what Marcin was, or wasn't, offered. I've always believed however that the backup keeper role is one for an experienced footballer. Not for nothing is that place in the squad so often filled by players in the twilight of their careers. I would be disappointed if Chelsea move away from that policy.

As you know, I was in favour of taking the radical option last summer; give the gloves to Marcin and spend the £71m elsewhere. His height is a factor but Marcin is an impressive shot stopper. He also has an air of authority, a presence, about him which I don't think Keppa matches.

Distribution wise, is kappa so far ahead? I don't feel I've seen enough evidence of that yet.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,776]

On 23/07/2019 at 4:05 PM, OneMoSalah said:

Do you honestly think Bulka was ever gonna be good enough to play ahead of Kepa at any moment in time last season?

Lets be honest, if he was we wouldnt have kept Caballero about as a back up or signed Rob Green as a third choice. Or spent 71m on Kepa if he was ready to play.

Kepa is much much better there is not even a realistic debate to be had, if you watched us last season, which I am sure you did, you would of seen Kepa was pretty good for his first season. Argubaly a lot better and consistent than David De Gea fared overall in his first season too (although he was perhaps not as physically filled out, although Kepa can still improve that). Not saying he will reach that level but he will be a very very good Gk undoubtedly and 71m over say what he penned a 7 year contract, if he sees it out, hardly that bad is it? 

Do you think the club would of spent 71m on a 24 year old GK if there was a kid in the academy at the same or similar level? I mean I know our record with youth is bad with the outfield players but it would of made absolutely no sense at all to sell Courtois and sign Kepa if Bulka was remotely anywhere near good enough. Outfield players I think its different because predominantly young goalkeepers if they are good enough, it is much much more clear to see than with outfield players. For example, Courtois at Genk, De Gea at Atletico and Oblak at Olimpija Ljubljana and Benfica. Sure there are the late bloomers too, which if anyrhing Marcin could have more a chance of being than establishing himself at his current younger age but still I mean I would be very shocked if Bulka makes the grade at PSG ahead of Areola or Kevin Trapp if he doesnt leave (who arent better than Kepa either). The fact we didnt try and push further contract talks with Marcin after November also makes me think the club do not expect him to go on and make us regret letting him leave. Yes he was decent last pre season and also did well in a few years at the academy but I didnt see anything from him that made me think wow he will be a first team player here. 

 

On to the game. Mount, Pulisic and Tammy all looked good for me. Lots of work still to do but it was encouraging to see some good intensity and pressing from the younger guys, if the whole team buys into it better than we did with Sarri at times last year (was one of our biggest problems out of possession) then it could be very good for us. Think now a days, with everyone trying to play and build from the back, that having an effective high press is an absolute must. Sure it can be bypassed by a long ball or passing through it but if we can perfect it with players like Willian, Pulisic, Mount, Ruben etc we can profit I feel. I think we have more chance of creating chances from counter attacking/transitioning from winning the ball high up than from playing through teams at the minute. 

I advocated giving the gloves to Marcin last summer. Someone responded in the same way you have now by asking the question did I really think the club would go with a teenager. (Perhaps it was you I don't recall.) My answer was that I did not expect the club to take the radical approach. It's easier for me to be brave when I don't have the responsibility for making the real decision so I don't criticise the club. You are absolutely justified in concluding that club did not believe Marcin was ready. I'm saying I did not agree with them.

A key component of my attitude was Keppa's cost. I absolutely believe that we should have focused on outfield recruitment and spent as much money as was available doing that. As I put it then, "There is no way that Keppa is £71m better than Marcin and we need to use that money elsewhere." Keppa is a good keeper but I wonder how much you have seen of Marcin in forming your judgement that our starter is much, much better than the young Pole?

I do not believe that young goalkeepers should ever be considered for the backup role. A young keeper who starts will build experience as he plays but a man walking into a crucial situation off the bench needs to bring a been there, done that attitude with him. If a young keeper is not going to play then he, far more even than outfielders, needs to go somewhere where he will. Chelsea's recruitment policy for backup goalkeepers has shown that they agree with this. Marcin would never have been considered as a bench warmer so the fact that he was overlooked for that role can't help us with this conversation.

It is clear from his treatment last season that Marcin had a bad falling out with the club. Almost certainly this was prompted by his refusal to sign the new contract he was offered, and almost certainly that was because of Keppa's arrival. I have said that although I would have made a different decision, I do not blame the club for their choice. Having made that choice however, Marcin was really left with no option but to leave.