Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[paul_e]

I sort of get the point but I don't really care about credit for being 4th after 13 games. I want us to keep doing what we're doing and leave them with no choice but to give us credit when we're top 4 after 33 games.

[VillaTim]

Yeah i suppose it doesn't matter that the pundits don't fawn over us . Hopefully we have really dented the myth about Ange Ball though which looks very Bielsa 2019

[AV84]

I think the problem with Angeball is that it worked for the 11-13 players he had as his first choice team. Couple of injuries and suspensions come along and it seems like he hasn't bothered to figure out how best to use his full squad of 20whatever.

That's one of the benefits of European football, especially at Conference League level. Between all our non prem games this season pretty much the entire squad has had a run out. We've tried multiple combinations in defence, we've played people into form, and we've got a very clear idea of priorities for January. 

Also, I think we benefited in a way from having 4 injuries to key players before the season even started. We had to dig down into the squad from the start and managed to get results and momentum. Whereas Spurs, no Europe, no need to rotate players, were being heavily reliant on certain key players, and when they're the ones missing, there's no back up.

[Risso]

I sort of get the point but I don't really care about credit for being 4th after 13 games. I want us to keep doing what we're doing and leave them with no choice but to give us credit when we're top 4 after 33 games.

In specific reference to MOTD2 last night, it wasn't really getting credit for being 4th as such, it was more that they spent a good ten minutes analysing the Spurs play and their injuries, and virtually nothing about us, the team that after all, had won the bloody game.

[Ads]

I didn't notice the murder Cash perpetrated on Bentancur during the game. I've seen it back and, thoughts/prayers aside, it's just a swipe. The kind of swipe you see in every game at every level, every week. It's a booking, thats it.

I thought we bought into their silly tempo first half and let it rattle us a bit. We're the crocodile. Quite happy to sit, idle, 2 beats per minute, waiting for a moment to accelerate that heart rate to 200 bpm to cut you open, death roll in behind your defence and if that doesn't work, settle back down.

Spurs are 100mph and they do play some neat interchanges around the box. Nothing of the quality of our 2nd mind and while I can appreciate Spurs are a good side, probably made better by Maddison, they're hardly a reincarnation of mid-70s Holland.

They can't defend for one. Not helped by injuries yes. Or selection. Every cross that went in their box, we should have scored. Their manager happy to sacrifice some height and coordination, so they could play a higher line to squeeze and congest the space.

There's something quite satisfying about a side having to take a moral victory against us. Spurs have ended their trophy drought by clinching the "I was there when we went in at half time winning 1-1 against Aston Villa" trophy.

They actually didn't have as many chances as you think, given they skied a lot and those were offside. None of their offside goals were even close to being level  I thought, so it.lacked any drama. Still, they pinged it around and pressed us well.

Then Bailey and Tielemans came on, the later being the best player on the pitch and a measure of control emerged. They looked vulnerable on the break. Great 2nd goal for us. Should have had a third.

Emi made a pair of good saves and that was it really, as they were knackered. Good win.

[rob_bridge]

Three wins against them this calendar year, two in their own back yard and also two with Saint Harry still playing for them.

Thats a great stat especially as post O'Neill we seemed to be cannon fodder for them

[LeeB]

I didn't notice the murder Cash perpetrated on Bentancur during the game. I've seen it back and, thoughts/prayers aside, it's just a swipe. The kind of swipe you see in every game at every level, every week. It's a booking, thats it.

I thought we bought into their silly tempo first half and let it rattle us a bit. We're the crocodile. Quite happy to sit, idle, 2 beats per minute, waiting for a moment to accelerate that heart rate to 200 bpm to cut you open, death roll in behind your defence and if that doesn't work, settle back down.

Spurs are 100mph and they do play some neat interchanges around the box. Nothing of the quality of our 2nd mind and while I can appreciate Spurs are a good side, probably made better by Maddison, they're hardly a reincarnation of mid-70s Holland.

They can't defend for one. Not helped by injuries yes. Or selection. Every cross that went in their box, we should have scored. Their manager happy to sacrifice some height and coordination, so they could play a higher line to squeeze and congest the space.

There's something quite satisfying about a side having to take a moral victory against us. Spurs have ended their trophy drought by clinching the "I was there when we went in at half time winning 1-1 against Aston Villa" trophy.

They actually didn't have as many chances as you think, given they skied a lot and those were offside. None of their offside goals were even close to being level  I thought, so it.lacked any drama. Still, they pinged it around and pressed us well.

Then Bailey and Tielemans came on, the later being the best player on the pitch and a measure of control emerged. They looked vulnerable on the break. Great 2nd goal for us. Should have had a third.

Emi made a pair of good saves and that was it really, as they were knackered. Good win.

Come on now mate, they've been Champions of August two seasons running.

[taylorsworkrate]

I think fans of all clubs get a bit precious when they perceive the media aren't absolutely fawning over their club 100% of the time. I think in general the media have been highly complimentary about us this season. Its not worth getting in a tizzy about in my opinion

[Deano's Mullet]

So many salty Spurs fans. Of course they NEVER took the piss all those years they wiped floor with us post O Neill.  I find the modern day football fan has extremely short memories or lack of knowledge concerning the past. Spurs fans may forget we constantly destroyed them in the 90s while I frequently get looks from other fans questioning why on earth I would "pick" the Villa. When we signed Diaby I had young Crystal Palace fans - Palace of all people - wondering how on earth we managed to sign Diaby and Torres. The other week a foreign  "Brighton fan" delivery man wondered what badge that was on my shirt. He'd forgotten the last day off last season and the 6-1 clearly  I pointed out to him I supported the team from my region of birth as.opposed.to just picking someone.

[Deano's Mullet]

Who was the Villa player hauled down in the box all those years ago and lost his shorts in the process yet the referee played on? They forget stuff like that.

[Dave]

Who was the Villa player hauled down in the box all those years ago and lost his shorts in the process yet the referee played on? They forget stuff like that.

Nicklas Helenius

edit- who actually seems to have carved out a decent career. Top-scorer in the Danish Superliga a couple of seasons back.

[VillaTim]

Great to see Spurs so gracious in defeat

[RamboandBruno]

Anyone nitpicking about today’s game or one or two below par players should be made to watch the full 90 mins of that game at White Hart Lane when Alex McLeish was in charge, or the FA Cup game under Brucie!
Just enjoy the fact that we now go into every game with a positive approach - we’ll lose games trying to turn one point into three but so what, watching the Villa is great fun again and I’m loving it.

Also whilst I’m in such a good mood - what a great game the linesmen had. I reckon the only wrong offside call was not flagging for Ollie’s eventually disallowed goal - but understandable when you see how tight that was.

Round of applause for this.

I don’t think we should be all evangelical on here about Emery or the team, but sometimes some posters, why celebrate a hard fought important win to move us up to 4th, 2 points off the top, when you can focus on the negatives of who was shit.

So you are only allowed to be gushing with praise if we win?
I will call it as I see it thanks and have the good grace to acknowledge that others may want to comment differently.

Thats fine call it as you see it. I did post about the set up in the first half, particularly as i saw it the issue that Konsa is a better CB than Carlos, Cash a better RB than Konsa etc, so in my view it was a problem in the first half.
There is nothing wrong with being critical in victory, but just seems a bit strange to me, critiques being the main focal point in some posts when we’ve won and are now so close to the top of the league. But as ever each to their own.

[AV84]

It's funny to think how much of a season can be defined by one game. I think Spurs playing like lunatics when down to 9 men against Chelsea will be the one that defines their season. They could have gotten something out of that game if they'd had sense. They would have been insufferable to listen to, but I think their games since would have gone differently.

Anyway, it all worked out well for us, so I'm not complaining.

[Somniloquism]

I think the problem with Angeball is that it worked for the 11-13 players he had as his first choice team. Couple of injuries and suspensions come along and it seems like he hasn't bothered to figure out how best to use his full squad of 20whatever.

That's one of the benefits of European football, especially at Conference League level. Between all our non prem games this season pretty much the entire squad has had a run out. We've tried multiple combinations in defence, we've played people into form, and we've got a very clear idea of priorities for January. 

Also, I think we benefited in a way from having 4 injuries to key players before the season even started. We had to dig down into the squad from the start and managed to get results and momentum. Whereas Spurs, no Europe, no need to rotate players, were being heavily reliant on certain key players, and when they're the ones missing, there's no back up.

The Beeb mentioned a stat that we have had the most consistent team for the first 13 games with I think 8 ever-present starters. They didn't state who was second but I suspect some team in the bottom half. Part of this is because we have lost the four first choice's you mentioned but also means we might have struggled if we lost a couple more. Hopefully with Ramsey and Moreno back it does mitigate the dangers.